Where the hell do I even start?
That was the first thought that crossed my mind as I sat here trying to begin my review of Roswell, New Mexico‘s penultimate episode, which felt like a season finale. So I guess the first thing I feel is thankful. Thankful that we only have to wait a week and not a year to find out what happened to Max, Maria, Charlie and every other person whose life was left hanging in the balance following “Crash Into Me.”
I know this episode was touted as stressful, but dear lord that didn’t do this justice. For most of the hour, I felt like I was watching a season finale. Which is both good and bad. Good, because this episode was sensational. Bad, because what the fuck else is going to happen following that?
Given that I’ve got so many damn questions, this review is going to be a little different. Sit back and try to follow along as I address all of the questions that come following this stressful AF episode.
Let’s discuss the penultimate episode of Roswell, New Mexico‘s second season, titled “Crash Into Me.”
They can’t kill Max TWICE, can they?
Look, I know Max is dubbed “The Savior,” but can we stop killing him and wasting time bringing him back to life? Like, this girl can’t do it anymore. My own heart is going to give out.
Obviously, the ending of this penultimate episode was set up to make us all believe that Max is dead…again. And maybe that’s true. But I don’t foresee that lasting longer than the week and roughly 10 minutes we have to wait to get the answer to the question: Is Max dead…again?
I mean, Max deciding to take out his enemy as he assumes he’s going to die really fills the Savior complex. But the fact that Rosa was able to jump start his heart once before makes me believe that she’ll do it again.
The first thing that popped into my head — which I regret immensely — was that Rosa was going to pull a Max. She was going to use her power to bring Max back to life and sacrifice herself. And I’m telling you, I pray that I’m wrong. But that preview for the finale did nothing to assuage my fears.
This show is so good at steering attention from one thing to another. Max and Maria’s fates hang in the balance following the penultimate hour, which means that someone else is at risk.
Is Jesse Manes actually going to risk killing his sons so he can be justified in his cause?
Jesse Manes is the worst. This isn’t new information, yet I left this episode shocked by just how disgusting he is. Typically, you can find some sort of redemption in a character — even a villain. But with Jesse Manes, there is nothing but darkness. I might’ve fallen for his bullshit earlier this season. But that’s all it was, bullshit.
Because Jesse Manes would rather risk killing his own sons just so he could frame the aliens as terrorists. He’d rather kill hundreds of innocent people just so he could mold these aliens to fit the “violent, destructive beings” profile that’s been ingrained in his own mind.
It’s not enough that Jesse has abused all of his children over the years, Alex more than the others. And it’s absolutely disgusting that there’s no remorse, no regret, and the only thing he cares about is getting the glory for a story he’s controlling. There’s nothing redeemable in Jesse Manes.
Perhaps I’m wrong. I’d love nothing more than for Jesse to give in — be it for his own selfish survival or his sons’ lives — and not set off the atomizer with Manes DNA. Or maybe someone will knock him the fuck out — I vote for Alex — and take the damn thing away and destroy it.
Will Liz be able to stop the alien device before it kills everyone?
I mean, I believe the answer will be yes. But I don’t trust anything on this show until I see it. Is it weird that I’m not even concerned about this? If anything, I’m more concerned about what happens during the stopping the device. The last thing we need is a martyr.
But then there’s a part of me that wonders if the answer to this question might actually be “no.” That would set up an incredibly stressful season 3, where there’s more attention on aliens or possibly framing Max for the explosion. And it might even cost some people their lives.
What’s going to happen to Maria?
While I’m not so much worried about Max’s fate in the season finale, it’s an entirely different story with Maria. I’d like to believe that Maria DeLuca will survive — because without her I’d cry — but her fate appears to be more dire.
Maria decided to sacrifice herself the moment she ran back into Crash Con, determined to find the alien atomizer and get rid of it before it could kill her friends that had alien DNA. Even if she was one of them. As Maria was following the signs that her mother had given her — the water, with the Pisces constellation, the believe in the “do you believe in aliens” sign — it felt like a full-circle moment for Maria. She listened to her mother, and she believed. And she (hopefully) saved the lives of those that she cares for.
But at what cost? While Maria was able to chuck the atomizer under the Pisces constellation, we saw that it had started to affect her. Blood was coming out of her eyes, as Jenna Cameron was there to catch her, not really aware of what was happening.
I know this finale is already filmed and everything, but I’m still going to speak it into existence. Maria DeLuca will survive. Maria DeLuca will survive. Say it with me, Maria DeLuca will survive.
What will this mean for Michael and Alex?
Assuming that our favorites survive this hellscape known as Crash Con, there are a lot of feelings that Michael and Alex need to sort out. I’ve never doubted that Michael and Alex are endgame, it was always a matter of when they’d get their chance to be together.
While I was stressed as hell during most of this episode, the Malex scenes calmed me — even as they were in the midst of madness. I miss having my babies together on screen, and you can’t deny the love they still have for each other. It’s just a matter of when we see them take that step. And it could be sooner than we think.
Obviously, there have been a lot of obstacles for them to tackle, specifically with Alex’s dad. And they’ve contested that right now isn’t the right time for a relationship. But there’s nothing like a near-death experience for you to realize that you can’t wait until the time is right. You have to make the time right now. And I hope that, when Michael and Alex survive this, they come to that realization.
Where the hell did Helena go?
Now, this might not seem like such an important question, but I’ve watched enough television to know that it’s all about the misdirection. The last we saw Helena, it looked like she was running off after her run-in with Flint Manes. To save herself, possibly. Or perhaps it was to save those Flint and Jesse Manes were targeting?
But given the shitstorm that was raining down — the fire by the explosive alien device, Max dying on the ground, Maria about to bleed out — we’re not even thinking about Helena. Honestly, after this episode, neither was I. But in looking back at my notes, I noticed it. And I don’t think it was an accident.
I’m hoping that Helena’s disappearance will serve as some kind of grand moment later on in the finale. Like she’ll reappear just in time to save the day, to save her daughters, and to redeem herself. Because while Jesse Manes isn’t redeemable, everyone else is. And this would be a great way for her to go out.
What the hell is Diego’s deal?
I’m not one to say I told you so, but I TOLD YOU SO. I think. All I know is that Diego is shady as hell, and it’s more than likely not in a good way. There was something about Diego snooping around Liz that gave me a bad feeling last week. And this episode didn’t even try to hide his sneaky behavior.
But my question is: Where does Diego fit into all of this? What’s his affiliation with Helena or Jesse or Flint? Was his blackmailed into this? Not likely. Did he accidentally happen upon the discovery of aliens? Is it something more? Could he actually be there to help Liz? I have no idea, but we better find out in this final hour.
Roswell, New Mexico airs Mondays at 9/8c on The CW.
