Season 4 of Roswell, New Mexico is just around the corner, and in preparation for its return to our screens, we’ll be rewatching season 3 of the series! Last week, we started with episodes 1-3, and each subsequent week we will rewatch two episodes and discuss our favorite moments and the foreshadowing we missed the first time around. Beware, this will be a spoiler-filled discussion on everything that went down in season 3 of Roswell, New Mexico. You can find every episode of Roswell on Netflix now. Without further ado, let’s jump right into episodes 4 and 5!
“Walk on the Ocean”
Written by: Onalee Hunter, Chris Hollier
Directed by: Aprill Winney
- Jones is now out and about and responsible for the most atrocious moment of the season when he steals Max’s gun and journal and “accidentally” shoots a dog in the leg. Does he heal it immediately? Oh no, NotMax has to monologue about his emotional state first.
- After commandeering Max’s life for a day, he tells Max and Michael he’s willing to save Max. Little does Max know that his concern over Jones possibly dying (and Jones martyr ‘let me make amends’ appeal) is a lie. They don’t know it, but he’s already killed Zeke and dumped his body, thus powering himself up to heal. The appearance of a willingness to sacrifice himself and agreeing to return to the cage does make everyone question Jones true motives though (including me on my first watch)! It’s so fun to rewatch the series knowing Jones schemes ahead of time.
- Isobel’s solution to Maria’s visions, without endangering Maria’s brain, is an interesting one: get high together in the desert and see if they can find answers in her subconscious mind. However, it’s not so simple, and they are forced to confront a host of unwelcome truths before finding the answer. Their host on this journey is a hilarious variation of Liz sporting high school Liz Ortecho bangs and a sassy attitude to rival the Cheshire Cat in this mental Wonderland. They do have a break through, though — Kyle is the one on the coffin. Screams were surely heard around the world from the fandom when that reveal was first made. We barely had any time to process that reveal before the actual moment came to pass. Is it even a Roswell episode if the last five minutes don’t have you on the edge of your seat (and holding your breath)?
- Episode 4 also continues the painful look into racism as the new sheriff is welcomed to Roswell. At her “Meet the Sheriff BBQ,” she blows off a question about protecting the minority community, and it’s clear she doesn’t think there is any cause for concern. This show doesn’t shy away from tough subjects (one of the reasons we love it), and an attack on the local undocumented population puts Kyle face to face with the kind of good he can do by sticking around. It also sees the first full scene in Spanish for the show. A local farmer is beat pretty severely by Jordan and Zeke.
- Roswell weaves such an intricate storyline and believable world (even with aliens in it) that the amazing one-liners highlighting just how insane these characters’ lives are always make me laugh. This time it was Kyle’s snarky answer to Michael, “Is, that your dad?” “Speaking through a 100 year old glowing radio that’s reacting to your magic rock. Now are you interested?” Thanks for pointing out the ridiculousness of the situation Kyle, and yes, he is now interested and so are we.
- That prediction comes to fruition at the end of this episode when Kyle and Jordan get in a fight outside the Sheriff’s office and Kyle is literally impaled through the abdomen. I remember gasping loudly and yelling at my television when that first aired. Kyle falls into the ‘main character, don’t touch them or else’ category so this brush with death was way too close. Thankfully, Max shows up and saves him because of Maria and Isobel. Not so thankfully, that sets off a chain of events, one of which is Liz collapsing on LA with Max’s heart failure symptoms.
- Before that, Liz is back in LA where she as a very hot dance with Heath, shout out the writers for a scene where Jeanine Mason’s dancing skills could be highlighted in a fun way for Liz. Poor Liz finally makes up her mind about her career, resigning from GenRX with the intent of trusting her “people” to help. Of course, that’s all on hold for the next episode when the heart failure symptoms transfer to her.
“Killing Me Softly With His Song”
Written by: Alanna Bennett, Danny Tolli
Directed by: Rachel Raimist
- After weeks of Maria doing everything dangerous she can to find out the murder victim, she becomes the voice of reason in episode 5 when she benches Kyle. He’s now sporting an alien handprint thanks to Max healing him, and that is exactly the kind of thing they’d try to cover up if he was killed.
- Michael “mansits” Kyle to protect him, which commences some of my favorite character interactions: Kyle Valenti and sass master Michael Guerin. Kyle always matches him for attitude, and it makes their scenes both brotherly in nature and utterly hilarious to watch.
- Season 3 is up there as my favorite season for the sheer amount of character development that happens for Michael. He begins that journey in this episode when he tells Isobel, “I’m going to drink less tequila, and I’m going to take care of the people who matter.”
- There’s more and more unrest as Max is forced to arrest the Lopezes when Zeke’s burned body turns up on their farm. Dozens of citizens including Arturo, Gregory, Kyle, and Maria conduct a peaceful protest in support of the Lopezes and also speak out against the new Sheriff’s agenda. As the protests grow, Sheriff Taylor calls in the Roswell Regiment, which is about the worst possible thing she could do.
- After she collapsed, Liz told Heath he had to get her back to Max Evans. He hauls it to Roswell with a passed out Liz in the car. She comes to and is clearly suffering all the symptoms of heart failure that Max’s body has pushed on to her. Poor Heath is more confused than ever. I feel for Liz in this moment. How much easier would it be to just tell him? But even with her life on the line, she doesn’t betray Max.
- I love the way this episode explores the extent of the bonds created when Max heals. Healthy, he believed it was only emotional, but now that it would have killed him, the bond becomes physical. Draining Liz to heal Kyle and Max. When he tries to heal her again, it hurts Kyle. The complex way those bonds function was so intriguing to watch play out.
- Isobel confront Jones in her mind palace (sporting a killer outfit that’s giving Taylor Swift Reputation Era vibes), thereby discovering that Jones killed Zeke. Ultimately, with Liz, Max, and Kyle’s lives on, the line the trio agree to Jones healing Max. This is the pivotal moment, when Jones heals Max he pulls a body swap with him and knocks out Max in his own body. When Jones-as-Max comes to, the trio puts actual Max (in Jones’ body) in the pod. No one is aware, as we don’t know until much later, but rewatching with this knowledge makes the show that much more enjoyable. It explains “Max’s” cold response to Liz rather than the heartfelt speeches we know he would give to reconcile with her.
- I know I’ve already said poor Heath once, but I have to say it again, because not only is he driving his love interest to her ex, but Liz then sends him off on a wild goose chance for a non-existent doctor. When he finds out, Heath is rightfully hurt by the cruel action. It’s a painful but very effective way to end the budding romance between the two.
- It’s such a refreshing moment when Jordan and the regiment get put on their place via internet live stream. He confesses to moving Zeke’s body and planning to attack the Lopezes, proof that the Sheriff can’t ignore.
- My favorite moment of the episode is at the very end between Michael and Rosa outside the Crashdown. He’s cleaning the horrible vandalism spray paint calling her a murderer. Michael, never one to really discuss emotion, opens up to her and apologizes for putting her in the driver’s seat when she died. He feels responsible for all the hatred the Ortechos endured and for living when she hadn’t. Michael finally gets to utter the apology he’s certainly thought over throughout his life and in doing so can heal from some of that trauma. He gets to start living again, and we see him grow as the season continues.
That’s it for our rewatch of episodes 4 and 5. Join us next week as we continue with episodes 6 and 7. Roswell, New Mexico season 4 will premiere on Monday, June 6 at 8/7c on The CW.
