There’s never a dull moment with Roswell, New Mexico, even when they leave us waiting, wishing, and suffering as we await the return of Max. This show finds creative ways to get us feeling, thinking, and reacting.
In the third episode of what’s already been an emotional second season, “Good Mother,” there’s so much going on that I had to write out six sections about each thing. And the thing is, I could’ve had more. I just have a bed time, considering I have to teach a class of fifth graders in a few hours.
While it appears we’re getting closer to Max’s return (yay!), his absence actually brought forth some incredibly emotionally, raw stuff between Isobel and her subconscious, being portrayed by Max.
Not to mention, Maria learned the truth — fearing she was becoming her mother and going crazy — Liz admitted that she’s not exactly happy with Max for choosing to bring Rosa back without consulting her, Rosa found herself pulled into addiction once again, and Michael learned that there’s so much left to the story that was his mother’s past.
Let’s discuss Roswell, New Mexico‘s latest hour:
Getting Closer to Max’s Return
It’s time for your weekly update of When The Hell Are We Getting Max Evans Back? In our latest hour, there was some reassuring news. Thanks to Liz and Michael’s research, they’re finding a way to speed up Max’s recovery through a whole bunch of scientific stuff that I’ll never understand.
But it wasn’t that scientific mumbo jumbo that made me feel better. It was what happened with Isobel that was a clear sign that Max is indeed getting stronger. While at first it appeared Isobel was hallucinating her dead brother, it turns out that it might not have been a full-on hallucination. Perhaps Max’s subconscious was manifesting itself in Isobel’s subconscious. As Isobel said, she and Max have a psychic bond that can’t be broken — apparently even in half-death.
While Isobel was bearing her soul to her brother (more on that below), there was a point where Max told Isobel that he knew that Isobel wanted to be the one to save him. That she would do whatever it took. Even if it killed her. But why would he want to return to a world without her?
Subconsciously, it revealed Isobel’s anger towards Max that he died sacrificing himself for another. Someone that’s not her. She had to ask — did he know that saving Rosa would kill him? Because Isobel couldn’t live with it if the answer had been yes. That he knew that he’d be leaving Isobel alone, after she’d already lost someone she loved. Now, she’s without her other half.
In the end, it was Max that ended up saving Isobel. He sensed that Isobel was in danger — hell, maybe part of him was actually in her subconscious — and reached out to Rosa for help. Which, by the way, he’s gotten strong enough to the point where he can contact her when she’s not unconscious. Which, progress.
While Max might not be there in person, he’s still with Isobel. He’s still protecting her. He’s still looking out for her. He hasn’t left Isobel, and he never will. And, he’s getting stronger, which can only mean that — hopefully — Max, real Max is back on our television screens soon. Because damn, I miss him.
Isobel Exorcises Her Demons
Last week, Isobel said that she was setting herself free. Free from the fear that overtook her from the child growing inside of her. She took a drop of the alien poison, and she’s been micro-dosing for the past two weeks. She’s determined to get rid of this baby — whatever the cost.
This storyline raised an interesting discussion about abortion, which is essentially what Isobel is doing. Albeit, an alien way. She’s slowly poisoning her unborn child until it’s dead.
When it comes down to it, it’s Isobel’s decision. It’s her body, her choice. She’s afraid of what this thing could become. After all, it is half Noah.
Which brings us to the reason Isobel was going to extremes in the first place.
It’s not that Isobel doesn’t want to be a mother — she told Max as much — but she wants it to be on her terms. Like it wasn’t forced upon her, like it was with Noah’s unborn child.
Isobel has been fighting for weeks to rid herself of all things Noah. After all, Noah is responsible for all of the bad that has happened to Isobel. Losing her husband, someone she thought was her partner. Losing her brother, her other half, who wouldn’t have died trying to resurrect Rosa if Noah hadn’t been Noah — because Rosa would’ve still been alive.
For Isobel, she can’t fully be rid of Noah until all traces of him are gone, including this unborn child.
In a way, it’s easier this way. If Isobel had decided to wait, it might be too late. She might not have been able to go through with it. But she knew, in the moment, that this was what was best for her.
For Isobel, getting over Noah and everything he took from her — her trust, her sanity, her love — has been her biggest struggle. And she knows that she can’t keep being reminded of everything he took from her and all the pain he caused. And this child would be a reminder of that.
When all was said and done, Isobel gave herself a miscarriage, in a way freeing her from Noah once and for all.
An Impossible Choice (Liz Never Would Make)
Marked under something I never knew I needed: Liz and Cam bonding over booze, guns, and boys. These two ladies, who are two different kinds of smart, as noted, were brought together by Max. But they ended up finding solace — and someone to confide in.
Is there anyway we can keep Cam forever? Pleaseeeeeeeee?
There’s no greater truth serum than alcohol. And alcohol mixed with suppressed anger? Well, that’s a Molotov cocktail in itself. Which is where we found Liz, who was drinking red wine and shooting guns at a wall with Cam.
After the two ladies confided in each other about their sisters — how Cam had moved to Roswell to be closer to her sister in regards to childhood, and how Liz was worried about Rosa’s struggles — things shifted to Max. And the truth came out, alcohol and guns ablazing.
We haven’t really heard from Liz about what she thought about Max bringing Rosa back and sacrificing himself in the process. He didn’t know for sure that he’d die, but it was a risk. A risk that ultimately ended up costing him his life. For now.
When Liz recounted a story of Max speaking horrible Spanish — to impress her, no doubt — she says she wishes that he knew he didn’t have to do that to impress her. Just like she wishes he knew he didn’t have to bring Rosa back to make her love him any more.
Liz is pissed that Max chose to bring her back. Actually, she’s pissed that he didn’t ask her. That she didn’t get a choice. That she had to lose someone she loves, fresh, all over again. Also, Rosa is Liz’s sister. She feels like she should’ve had a say. And that was taken from her.
Cam wonders if Liz would’ve stopped Max had she known, which is a good question.
“There are some choices people shouldn’t have to make.”
Translation: Max should’ve left well-enough alone.
Not that Liz isn’t grateful for what Max did — he gave her back the only person she ever lost. That is, until he was lost. The gift wasn’t without its cost, and it’s something that she lives with every day.
It must be a weird feeling. To feel so grateful for getting back a loved one that you lost, but also feel like you lost a piece of your heart in the process. Do you feel happy? Do you feel sad? Do you feel something in between? How do you settle with this newfound reality? How does it affect you moving forward?
My guess is we’ll see some of that transpire before Max inevitably returns — which I would prefer to be sooner rather than later, please.
Maria Learns the Ugly Truth
It’s funny, because while I was conducting a rewatch of Roswell, New Mexico‘s first season during my self-quarantine, I found myself wondering, how hadn’t Maria figured things out yet? Better yet, when would she learn the truth?
After all, in the original Roswell, Maria found out pretty early — like, in the pilot. And she was pivotal to the story, much like this Maria is pivotal.
What I hadn’t wondered, and was perhaps more important, was what would Maria’s reaction be? And it wasn’t pretty.
Her immediate reaction upon seeing Rosa was thinking that she was going crazy like her mom, which was heartbreaking in itself. She was already losing her mom, she didn’t want to lose herself, too.
But when Rosa told Maria the truth — and when Michael filled in the blanks — we got a heated confrontation with Liz, where Maria essentially went off for Liz betraying her for keeping the truth from her.
When it comes to secrets, the most common used excuse is “I was doing it to protect you.” And I feel bad calling it an excuse, because it’s not. It’s a reason. Keeping something from someone — when you think it can hurt someone — you are doing it to protect them. It doesn’t make it right, but it also doesn’t make it vindictive either.
So when Liz told Maria she was keeping this secret from her to protect her, I believed her. Just like I knew that it didn’t make it right. Maria had every right to be mad — especially considering that she thought that Liz understood how unsafe Maria has felt in Roswell, even now.
More to the Story (of Michael’s Mother)
I’d like to start this out by saying that I AM GLAD TO SEE JASON BEHR BACK ON MY SCREEN. After speculating about what his mystery role would be, we learned that Jason is playing an army officer intent on capturing the extraterrestrials that just crash-landed in Roswell.
With that said, this is the story of Michael’s mother. That year between the crash landing in 1947 and the moment she was captured in 1948, we’re going to see how that plays out.
From what we’ve glimpsed so far, she and a mystery alien — maybe Max and Isobel’s mother — fought off the army officiers intent on capturing them. They fought hard, they fought dirty. And we saw why.
Pods. With children in them. Which only serves to fuel the fire that the other woman could’ve been Max and Isobel’s mother. Unless, that’s what the show wants us to think? Maybe there are other aliens out there — that are now the same age as Max, Isobel and Michael? Maybe it’s the girl Kyle met at the hospital last week with the acetone nail polish remover so cleverly placed in her purse?
This new flashback installment in Roswell, New Mexico is going to be something really intriguing to watch unfold. So many answers left to be uncovered. For us, but mostly, for Michael. Perhaps this is where we find out more about where they came from. Things we never got to learn from Noah.
Not to mention, I’m extremely happy that this appears to be something that Michael and Alex will be working on together. Perhaps it’ll bring them closer than ever — seeing what’s important in life. Even if it’s not perfect.
Because there’s only so much angst this fangirl can take. Give me Malex or give me death!
Rosa’s Redemption
Last week, I talked about Rosa’s second chance. How she wasn’t aware of just how lucky she was that was getting not only a second shot at life, but another chance to right the wrongs that she’d let control her back when she was still alive.
Addiction.
When Max healed her, Kyle said that he’d also healed the effects of the addiction. But that doesn’t mean he cured the addiction itself. Because that’s on the mental side of things.
A combination of chemical reactions and responses to the events happening around you. And Rosa really isn’t in the best place right now. Considering that she’s been brought back from the dead — and her whole town thinks she killed those girls on a drunken rage — it’s not the healthiest situation to be in.
It also doesn’t help that your sister’s half-dead boyfriend is in your head, trying to convince you to stop your sister from bringing him back to life. Oh, and he’s the guy that framed you for the murders of those two girls.
Yeah, totally healthy situation going on.
But the one thing that was made abundantly clear throughout this episode was that Rosa does want to be better. But she doesn’t believe she can do it on her own. Liz had mentioned that she suspects Rosa might be bipolar and needs help. Maybe that’s it, maybe it’s not. I’m not going to pretend to understand what’s happening with Rosa.
Although, the fact that she admitted that she’s in trouble, showed remorse, and wants help is certainly a good start on her road to redemption. For her second chance at life.
Roswell, New Mexico airs Mondays at 9/8c on The CW.