Roswell, New Mexico continues to be the light in the darkness of this quarantine. We’re just four episodes into this second season, but the stakes feel bigger than ever.
Let’s break down Roswell, New Mexico‘s latest episode, where some surprising team-ups resulted in a great episode of television, and where we were left to truly believe that abduction is a real thing on this show.
Do You Believe in Miracles?
How do you define a miracle? Miracles can be as simple as finally getting through that writer’s block or managing to survive the day. Or miracles can be as complex as second chances and, in Rosa Ortecho’s case, resurrection.
I’m not someone that’s overly religious — Catholic daughter of divorced parents, here — but I understand the idea of doubting whether you’re worthy of a miracle — especially something as monumental as a second chance at life.
But in Arturo Ortecho’s case, he doesn’t believe he’s deserving of a miracle happening to him. You know, the kind of miracle, oh say, like getting his daughter back from the dead.
Although thanks to Isobel, she’s determined to make that happen. Her goal is to reunite the Ortecho family. Like penance, in a way, but also a way to bring a miracle to a family — just like she’s hoping for a miracle of her own with Max’s return.
I can’t imagine what it’s like to lose a child, but that’s something that Arturo has had to deal with for the last 10 years. But not just the loss itself. The guilt that comes with it. That, and the guilt that comes with not doing enough to save her, to believe in her.
As Isobel was trying to use her powers for good — to get inside Arturo and help him believe miracles are possible, to lessen the blow of seeing Rosa in the flesh — Isobel had to get to the root of Arturo’s guilt.
What we saw was, during one of Rosa’s breaks, that Arturo had allowed himself to give into his anger. When Rosa was confessing that most people thought there was no hope for her, Arturo gave her the satisfaction of saying as much. And it kind of felt like, for Rosa, that was when she lost hope in herself. Because when the one person that she thought still believed in her when no one else did finally gave up on her, what was the point?
While Isobel realized that there was no convincing Arturo that he was worthy of receiving a miracle, he was able to convince him that Rosa was worthy of a miracle, a second chance.
The family reunion that we got between Liz, Rosa and Arturo was enough to warm anyone’s heart. And, in Isobel’s case, it was a reminder that her family is far from whole.
But Isobel feels like — whether she believes in God or not — that everyone deserves a miracle, right? And Max is her miracle.
We’re this close to getting Max back, which is inevitable at this point. But something tells me it won’t be easy.
Refusing to Let History Repeat Itself
However long I imagined Michael’s mother’s story to play out, I didn’t expect to get a sense of resolution so quickly. This felt, initially, like something that would be revealed in gradual pieces. In a way, I wanted more. Especially after getting the glimpses that we did.
But, ultimately, we learned the truth. That Tripp, the soldier that hunted down and killed Max and Isobel’s mother and tortured Michael’s mom for 70 years, was a Manes.
As if Michael and Alex needed any more roadblocks in their way to mending their relationship.
Alex can’t help but feel guilty. Once again, the Manes are getting in the way of Michael’s potential happiness. And Alex is a Manes. While Michael tries to comfort Alex by telling Alex it wasn’t him that did those terrible things, it doesn’t help the guilt. Because Alex has been keeping things from Michael. Including the piece of the alien consol he found in Valenti’s cabin.
Alex had kept it from Michael because he didn’t want Michael to piece together his ship, because that would mean he would leave. And that would mean that he’d lose him. However selfish it was, Alex owns up to it. Love makes us do crazy things.
But now, Alex is so stunned by the revelation that his family continues to serve as a source of pain in Michael’s life, that it’s almost like Alex is okay with Michael leaving — as long as it gets him away from his family and the potential hurt that comes with it.
Alex refuses to be another Manes man that stands in Michael’s way. He’s not going to let history repeat itself. So he gave Michael the truth and the consol, and the rest is up to him.
The Weight of Being Someone’s Rock
It’s easy to lean on someone during a time of need. But it’s harder to be the person that serves as someone else’s rock — especially when you’re feeling the crushing weight of it.
For Kyle, all he’s wanted to be is Liz’s rock. Whether that was as her boyfriend or a friend that’s close as family, as he is. All he wants is to be needed by her.
Kyle’s constantly fighting for, as he is now. At first, it appeared like romantic feelings that never went away. And maybe that’s part of it. But Kyle has been putting his ass out on the line for Liz — risking his job, risking his medical license, lying to his mom. He’s putting Liz first constantly. And Liz is putting Max first.
In this episode, we saw that Kyle was uncomfortable with the fact that he’s fallen back in love with Liz, but that she’s in love with someone else. Like she’s sending him mixed signals, especially when she kissed him in a closet. Even if it was for a cover. Kyle took it far too seriously than a friend would.
If you ask me, there’s some deep-rooted, unresolved feelings that Kyle hasn’t dealt with when it comes to Liz. Maybe it’s the initial spark. Or maybe it’s from memories of when times were simpler — when all he had to do was be a jock and his father was still alive.
But here’s the thing about Kyle serving as Liz’s rock, as a rock, he’s stationary. He’s unmoving. And while he insists he’ll help Liz bring back Max, after that’s done he needs space. He needs to be something other than a crutch.
Is Abduction Like a Thing Now?!
There’s something so normal about Roswell, New Mexico, a show about aliens. And yet, I finally hit my OH MY FREAKING GOODNESS DID THAT HAPPEN moment when the show all but revealed that alien abductions are a real thing.
When Mimi DeLuca disappeared for a few weeks, any thoughts of alien abduction felt ludicrous. After all, this is a woman that has been believing for awhile that aliens are among us — and that we needed to defeat them.
Alien abduction, there was no way. That is, until we glimpsed it with our own eyes. When it happened to someone that didn’t even know about aliens a few months ago — Jenna Cameron.
Having Cameron back was a thing of beauty. Getting to know some background about her sister’s past — how she essentially created this genetic coding machine that could save lives, and how people wanted to use it to kill a specific group of people — that in itself was intriguing. It made me want more of Cameron — and more of her sister, who’s on the run from the very people that want to use that machine as a weapon to commit genocide.
That is, until Cameron disappeared. In a blinding light, where she appeared paralyzed, unable to move. WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL WAS THAT?!
You’d think that a show about aliens living among us would be unbelievable enough. But, no, it was the plot point of alien abductions that finally sent me over the edge. AND I NEED TO KNOW MORE.
Roswell, New Mexico airs Mondays at 9/8c on The CW.
