Secrets are Revealed in ‘Roswell, New Mexico’ Season Two Finale

Brianna
17 Min Read
Image Courtesy The CW.

We joined our favorite Roswell, New Mexico characters on a tense and emotional journey this season, and “Mr. Jones” was right on par with what we’ve come to expect from the show. Let’s jump right in!

We open at CrashCon 202o, where everything is literally on fire, including the curtains surrounding the very flammable alien tech. Isobel uses her powers to fight the flames when Liz arrives, leaving Rosa to continue chest compressions on an unconscious Max. Liz jumps into action, using her concocted poison to kill the organic matter in the tech. It works just in the nick of time, and it dies. Rosa and Kyle rush Flint to the hospital while Max finds Isobel and Liz, who are now safe. Liz saved everyone but immediately asks if Max killed Flint.

Helena returns to the house to find Charlie handcuffed and the house on fire. She frees Charlie, telling her that only Manes was supposed to get hurt. Charlie thanks her and they escape unharmed. Meanwhile, Cameron rushes Maria to the hospital. She saved the pod squad from certain death, but the alien in her DNA was affected by the bomb, and she’s barely alive.

Manes holds Michael at gunpoint when Gregory steps between them. He refuses to move, so Manes hits him in the head with the alien DNA bomb. Greg crumples to the ground as Alex launches himself at Manes, who fires at Michael. Michael grabs the bomb as they fight but can’t leave Alex with Manes. Manes takes Alex’s gun, and again Michael is held at gunpoint (please stop). As the two face-off, a gunshot rings out, and Manes drops to the ground. Michael and Alex realize at the same time that Greg shot Manes. Blood-spattered, the three watch as Manes takes his final breath.

Image Courtesy The CW.

Days later, Liz arrives late for her shift at the cafe where the town is still gossiping about Manes’ death. He’s being hailed a hero, and his death was ruled an accident (thankfully, Greg is in the clear). Distracted, Liz gets a plate of food dumped on her right before finding Diego in a booth along with Dr. Margot Meyerson, a notable scientist.

At the hospital, Michael visits Maria, where we learn Liz has been injecting her with serum to help her recover. Michael also points out just how close she came to dying, “We’re lucky you’re only part alien. Otherwise, there wouldn’t have been enough of you left for her to save.” Maria asks him to open a box Mimi left for her with no key, but he refuses saying Mimi’s visions put Maria in harms way.

Isobel contemplates the various alien symbols on the now dead alien tech at Max’s house. Before leaving, Max says he thinks it was a communication device which forces him to confess he’s been taking Liz’s serum to recover his memories. He feels close to understanding the language he heard from the console and the symbols. Max even divulges that an aerial photo of a crop circle from 1948 on a Mr. Jones’ land says his name; it says ‘savior.’ He also tells Isobel she has grown into her full self (yes! Season two Isobel is amazing!), and he wants that too. They share a sweet, sibling moment and it feels like they are finally reconnecting after a long season of disconnect.

Michael finds Alex in the old shed behind Jesse’s house. Alex says his grandfather built it with his bare hands at 70 years old and laments that his father destroying his safe space in a single night. Luckily, Michael knows just the therapeutic technique to help Alex with his emotions. He hands Alex a hammer, takes up an ax, and the two begin swinging, destroying everything in sight.

Image Courtesy The CW.

Liz and Max walk through town as she asks why he attacked Flint. Max admits he snapped. Liz asks that they stop keeping secrets (about time) and tells him the scientist Diego introduced her to works at Genoryx and has a job for her in California. She’s also offered to sponsor Arturo. Liz paints a beautiful image of them living by the beach where Max can write, and they can be together. She then asks him to run away with her, and he wholeheartedly agrees.

Michael and Alex continue to dismantle the shed when Michael turns his attention to the floor, and a floorboard comes loose. He rips it away to reveal… an actual dead body. We agree completely with Alex’s response, “I mean, of course.” The dusty skeleton is in an old fashioned military outfit, and Alex finds his dog tags which read Eugene Manes III, and the realization that his grandfather killed Tripp crash down on Alex. Adding to the mystery, Michael also finds the key to Maria’s locked box in Tripp’s shirt pocket.

Image Courtesy The CW.

At the hospital, Michael tells Maria what they found. Maria points out that Mimi must have known he would find that key. She also decides she doesn’t want to wear the bracelet anymore, but Michael argues that it prevents brain damage. Maria has made up her mind. She’d rather embrace that part of herself even if it means ‘fading’ like Mimi if she can save lives. Michael confesses he loves her, and she quietly admits she loves him too, but it’s not enough to stop her breaking up with Michael. “I just think we should leave it be, before I wonder if someone else could make you happier.” With nothing left to say, they open the box.

Max swings by the station to ask Cam if she’s up for a little undercover work (of course she is!) and whether she has heard from Charlie. Other than a single text, she’s heard nothing.

At the diner, Michael, Isobel, and Alex inspect the box’s contents, Tripp’s old journal, which was given to Maria’s grandmother. In it, Tripp explains his love for Nora, that it was “as if we were drawn together by something cosmic” (sound familiar Malex fans?), and his fight to keep her and Louise safe. Nora revealed they were building something in the desert, and when he pressed for information, Nora says a stowaway crashed their ship and is now hunting them. Tripp agreed to help her get supplies and vowed to protect her.

Image Courtesy The CW.

Kyle visits Steph in her hospital room, where she is visibly weakening. They talk about life and death, and it’s clear Kyle has developed deep feelings for her. They share a sweet moment before Liz interrupts to retrieve Kyle for Max’s appointment, but her gaze lingers on Steph before leaving (what are you thinking, Liz).

Undercover as a drunk patron at the Wild Pony, Cam plants a bug by stumbling into the table where Diego and the scientist are talking. Listening in, she discovers they plan to break into Liz’s lab to see what she’s working on. Cam immediately calls Max, who is finishing up with Kyle. Kyle just manages to say, “you know what I’m saying here, right Max?” in a very concerned voice (can Max please be healthy for like, one episode?) before Max answers his phone. Cam believes Diego has a way into the lab, without Liz, to see what she is working on, and they are headed there. Now.

Image Courtesy The CW.

With no time to waste, Max drives straight to the lab. He uses his powers (Max. Kyle literally just told you something bad about that. Stop it.) to fry the security system, which just so happens to be from Genoryx. Inside he douses everything with a flammable substance and sets the lab on fire, which explodes just as Diego and Margot arrive. Talk about a close call.

As night falls, Max arrives home to find both Michael, who has raided Max’s liquor stash, and Isobel waiting for him. Michael hands Max a drink as they settle in for Tripp’s journal storytime. Following her capture, Tripp visited Nora, where she told him to look out for Louise, who sometimes escapes into her mind. Without her, there would be no one to wake Michael, Isobel, and Max, or as Nora puts it, “my son, her daughter, and…. the other.”

Liz and Rosa arrive at the completely destroyed lab that’s still on fire. Liz is horrified as she kicks aside some of the debris to see Max’s familiar lightning pattern charred into the concrete floor. She’s livid.

Cam sits watching the drunk tank at the precinct when she hears someone behind her. Turning, she sees Charlie, who is done with new identities and running, she wants to plant roots, and she wants to spend more time with Cam. Cam launches herself at Charlie for a tight hug and promises to keep her safe.

Max, Michael, and Isobel contemplate everything they learned when a very angry Liz arrives. She and Max talk in his room, where he tries to explain how close they were to being exposed because of her continued research. Liz is unwilling to believe there was no other option than to destroy the lab. Max insists she is also partly to blame, but she reminds him she was eating, sleeping, breathing everything Max Evans until he was finally alive. She needed a moment to “just be whole” in herself. Liz also deals a painful blow to Max, saying, “I am in love with you and right now, I hate it” before she storms away. Left alone, Max digs out a vial of her serum and downs it.

On the roof of the Crashdown, Liz and Rosa talk. We learn Liz is leaving for California while Rosa plans to stay and see the rehab program through. She encourages Liz to take Max, telling her if she doesn’t, he’ll just make a grand romantic gesture to win her back (perhaps the season three opening scene??).

At open mic night, Alex finds Kyle having a drink alone at the bar. Flint is going to survive, according to Kyle and Alex vows to keep him from becoming Jesse. Kyle leaves as Forrest steps on stage to introduce Alex. He nervously makes his way to the stage where he sits at the piano and begins singing “Would You Come Home,” a song about his and Michael’s journey. Gregory looks on proudly from the audience as Michael and Isobel enter when Alex is just a few lines in. Alex catches Michael’s eye, and they share a heavy look as Alex sings, “you never looked away, now I can’t look away.” Michael smiles proudly, lovingly at Alex as he continues. Of course, that’s until he notices Alex is now looking at Forrest, who is smiling back. He shakes his head as if defeated and turns to leave. When Isobel tries to stop him, he tells her now isn’t their time. She says what we’re all thinking, “but it will be.” He agrees but leaves.

Image Courtesy The CW.

We have to pauses and highlight the spectacular performances by both Tyler Blackburn and Michael Vlamis. They say so much with only eye contact and facial expressions. The pain in Michael’s eyes is real, as is the hope. And Alex’s realization that Michael has left the bar when he tries to find him again at the end of the song is heartbreaking. Alex finishes his song and finds Forrest in the crowd. It’s a cathartic moment for Alex, who is ready to ‘step out of the closet’ as he put it several episodes ago. He then kisses Forrest in front of the whole bar without fear. (Yes! Character growth!)

Kyle returns to Steph’s room to find her vibrant, putting on her makeup with steady hands. She woke up feeling great, and her numbers are suddenly improving. He is thrilled of course but realizes Liz must have given her something as he is looking at her chart. He finds Liz at the Crashdown, ready to yell at her for being unethical and reckless but thanks her with so much joy and relief in his eyes.

Rosa finds Helena at a bar and tells her she regrets saying she hated her. However, she does tell Helena to leave Liz alone. Helena got what she came to town for, and it’s best for everyone if they go their separate ways. Rosa leaves, and we then join Liz in her car. She’s loaded up and drives away. The next morning, she sets foot on a cliffside overlooking the ocean.

Isobel and Michael find Max in the desert where he shares that he took more serum, and the whispers from the console led him here. He believes he unlocked a cage when he touched it, so together, the three look for a tunnel. This is Roswell, so of course, they find it, and of course, they don’t heed Isobel’s very sage advice that they should “learn more before we just bust that door open.” Instead, they each touch a point on the symbol etched in the door, the same symbol that reappears their entire lives. Inside they find the stowaway alien, who looks exactly like Max.

Well, we’ve reached the end of season two, but luckily the show will return for season three next year! In the meantime, fans can find the song from tonight’s episode “Would You Come Home” on all streaming platforms now!

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By Brianna
Brianna works full time in the publishing industry, passionately building books to bring to the masses. Her first fandom was Harry Potter, which she joined at age 11. Her love for books took her abroad to earn her Masters Degree at University College London, after which she lived in New York City, and now resides in Austin. She loves all things fandom including Supernatural, Doctor Who, and more. Ever the introvert, she can usually be found reading, playing with her dog, listening to music and practicing yoga. Brianna joined the Nerds and Beyond staff in 2018 where she unites her love for all things "nerd" with her passion for writing. Find her on Twitter here: @bookbag09
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