Roswell, New Mexico Season 1 | Episode 12 “Creep” Review

This is my official plea to The CW to renew Roswell, New Mexico. We have one episode of the season left, but I already need more. It’s so so good, y’all. Like, it produces the perfect amount of mystery, emotion, darkness and romance. I just really love it all. Okay, now that I’ve gotten my plea out of the way, let’s talk about episode 12, appropriately titled “Creep” because Noah Bracken is, indeed, a creep. As we dive into his history during this episode, Noah is no longer the “human golden retriever” or “Mr. Congeniality” of Roswell. He’s a deeply disturbed creep of an alien who seeks power through murdering innocent people. Meanwhile, Alex, Kyle and Michael go on a road trip to find answers about Project Shepard that ultimately ends with me in a puddle of my own feelings and on the edge of my seat. Seriously, the cliffhanger ending of the episode has me wishing it was next Tuesday already.

Road Trip to Heartbreak

Before diving into the deep end of Noah’s psyche, let’s discuss Alex, Kyle and Michael’s road trip to that abandoned Caulfield prison. While there, they are met with a handful of surprising discoveries. One, Alex’s brother, Flint – who is his father’s minion apparently – , is running the place and building a genocide bomb in preparation for an alien attack (I think. Please tell me if I’m wrong about this). Two, there are dozens of innocent elderly aliens who survived the UFO crash all those decades ago imprisoned and suffering from torturous testing. Michael instantly feels a connection to all of them, calling them his family. Kyle also has a different kind of connection to alien “Subject N38”. Remember all that talk of an alien not being able to cause a brain tumor? Yeah, well… this alien can do just that with just a single interaction. This is the alien that essentially killed Mr. Valenti. However, when Kyle realizes that his father was involved in all this Caulfield mess, he states that he deserved to die. Man, I feel bad for Kyle. To go from idolizing his father to saying he deserved to die? Brutal.

You know what’s more brutal and heartbreaking, though? Michael Guerin. He doesn’t ask for much – answers about where he’s from, family, to feel like he belongs, a safe place. So, you can imagine that things get emotional real quick when he comes across this group that is essentially his family. He doesn’t want to leave behind his family. He doesn’t want to lose them, not again. There’s one alien in particular he feels in his heart that he knows, but he can’t pinpoint who she is. He tries to smash the glass, but it sets off the self-destruct mode for the building. They have 10 minutes. Alex refuses to leave without Michael. Michael refuses to leave without his family. Alex yells that Michael is his family and that he doesn’t look away (UGH! If you didn’t know the “I don’t look away” is their thing. THE FEELS!). Michael yells at Alex to leave because he doesn’t love him (UGH! My cue my heart shattering). Alex calls Michael “a miserable liar.” Seeing the tension, the pale and sickly woman presses her hand to the glass, enticing Michael to do the same. This connection forges a psychic connection that shows a healthy young woman and her son, Michael. It’s his mother, and she told him that she loves him, but advised him to run. Kyle, Alex and Michael escape the building just as it explodes, and my heart breaks for Michael Guerin even more.

Noah’s Story

Moving on to Noah’s history and his twisted mind; he was on the same ship as Michael, Max and Isobel that crashed all those years ago. However, while the siblings were in the nicer part of the ship, Noah was on the lower deck with flimsy, barely functional pods. After the crash, he dragged his flimsy pod underground and out of sight, but there were cracks in it, so he heard every scream of Project Shepherd’s alien genocide. Don’t be so quick to feel sorry for him, though. Remember that 2004 flashback when Isobel, Max and Michael were camping in the desert and she got attacked and Max accidentally killed the guy? Well, little did they know, Noah was in his flimsy pod just below them. Isobel’s traumatized state is how Noah seeped into her brain and body-snatched her. Every time she got was triggered, he wiggled his way in more and more. He literally invaded her entire body without her consent or knowledge. Ick!

That being said, Isobel still has a difficult time letting go of this man she’s loved and been married to for so long. He spent a few days in the pod, but somehow busted out and now his body is desiccating because of the anti-alien serum Liz injected him with. Unless they give him Liz’s anecdote, he’ll die. Max doesn’t care, but he wants answers about where they’re from. Since Noah left his handprint on her, Liz is feeling a little sympathetic for him, but she still doesn’t care if he dies either. Michael can’t be reached. However, none of that really matters. This is Isobel’s husband, the same guy who invaded her body and mind. It’s all up to her. She goes into his mind to confront him, and even pulls Max in with her. All sympathy and grief is gone, though, once Noah starts trying to manipulate his way back into Isobel’s heart by saying they can pretend none of this ever happened. Ew, no. Thankfully, Isobel doesn’t fall for it and leaves him to die alone in Max’s bedroom.

There’s one problem though – Michael. He arrives at Max’s house heartbroken, searching for answers and not willing to let another alien die. Even if it is a slimeball like Noah. He and Max get into a scuffle. Max loses the anecdote that Liz gave him for safe keeping. Michael grabs it and heads for Noah only for Max to pull his gun on him.

Notable Mentions

• Noah told Max that his tattoo is a map of some sort, but that’s all the information he’s willing to give without the anecdote.
• Noah also makes a play by saying that killing makes them powerful. That’s why he kept doing it. It’s kept him alive or something. He calls out Max for understanding that sensational powerful feeling. Ugh. Please don’t let Max go down some deep dark path of Ripper Stefan (The Vampire Diaries) murdering spree. I couldn’t handle it with Stefan Salvatore, and I can’t handle it with Max Evans.

• Remember how Jenna saved Max from getting shot by Isobel by firing her gun? Well, she took the fall for Max by saying she got a little too drunk and was showing off. So, now she’s fired and leaving town. As much as I didn’t want Max and Jenna together, it was clear she had feelings for him, and she admits that in her departure.
• Not to get too political here, but Project Shepard is basically the Trump of Roswell/all things aliens. They’re planning on building a wall… in space? Okay. Sure.
• Need more reasons to hate Noah? He killed Rosa because she rejected him (when he was possessing Isobel’s body).
• The music of Roswell, New Mexico is superb. Matchbox 20’s “Real World” at the diner and Tyler Blackburn’s new song “Can’t Love Me” playing during that emotional Alex, Michael and his mom scene??? SLAY!

The season finale of Roswell, New Mexico airs Tuesday at 9/8c on The CW!