Roswell, New Mexico Season 2 | Episode 4 “What If God Was One of Us?” Review

Some may deem episode 2×04 of Roswell, New Mexico as a “filler episode” until Max’s ultimate revival, but I disagree. I see it as a great dialogue episode full of growth, realizations and discussions of believing in something greater, forgiveness and mental illness. It’s an episode that lets the greater theme of the season breathe as it focuses on other areas. How did Michael’s mom, Nora, get captured? When it comes down to it, Michael and Alex don’t really know each other all that well. Why did Cam storm back into town like she’s on a mission? Do we have an actual abduction on our hands now? Is it time for Kyle to move on? Are we all worthy of miracles if we choose to be a light in the darkness? These are themes that need to be covered for us to feel more connected to the characters and witness their growth.

Refusing to Repeat History

I’m loving this dive into what happened with Nora and Louise after the 1947 crash. Not only is Michael getting the answers he’s longed for, but Alex is slowly learning just how much he doesn’t know about Michael’s childhood or of his own family’s role in it. They’re able to find out a great deal of information about the year after the crash thanks to a trip to the Long farm and Wyatt’s brother, Forrest – a historian and sort of black sheep of the Long family. While Forrest believes the women that their old foreman, Roy Bronson, helped were Nazi spies building a bomb, his recollection of the legends of his family’s farm having record-breaking crops tells the story of what really happened in 1948. It tells the story of a woman being hunted for a year and her ultimate capture.

Unfortunately, their search for the truth and the disturbing truth itself puts a few more tensions on Michael and Alex’s already strained relationship. As they’re searching the barn and come across a family height tally that Michael has no idea what it is, we see that Alex doesn’t know much about Michael’s struggle through the foster system. However, that’s not the worst revelation. When Michael happily tells Alex that his mom and Louise weren’t building a bomb, but rather a console to take them home, Alex has more a more troubling discovery. Tripp, the airman who not only hunted and captured Nora, but also set the Long farm aflame and killed Bronson and anyone inside to do so, wasn’t just any airman. He’s a Mane’s man – Alex’s great uncle, Eugene Manes III. Even though Michael tries to argue that Alex wasn’t part of that, Alex sees it differently because he as a secret of his own – the ship console piece that he’s had for months. He kept it because he was afraid Michael would use it to leave, and he didn’t want that. So, refusing to let history repeat itself by being another Manes standing in his way, he gives the piece to Michael and leaves. ☹

Standing Still

Kyle and Liz have this unique chemistry and history where that, if there was no Max, then I’d totally ship them. I do ship them as best friends, though. Unfortunately, that hits a bumpy road. Kyle is there to support Liz 100%, even with all this alien stuff. He keeps the secret. He helps her steal medical supplies. He’s learning heart surgery to revive her dead boyfriend. He’s been her rock. He’s happy for her and wants her to be happy, but he deserves to be happy too. I’m not saying that he isn’t, but he also isn’t able to move on, and he thinks that maybe it’s time – possibly with the dean of surgeries’ daughter, who is a mystery of her own, but, for now that’s just flirty banter back and forth. So, he tells Liz that after he helps with Max, he’s going to need some space, “because the truth is, I like being your rock. And if I’m being honest, I like being whatever you want me to be whenever you want me to be it. I always have. But as long as I’m your rock, I’m standing still. I can’t do that anymore.” Y’all, when I say this line and Michael Trevino’s delivery of it took my breath, I mean I felt it in my bones.

Alien Abduction?

This is a show about aliens, so alien abduction shouldn’t be such a surprise. I’ve been thinking it this whole time about Mimi, but it concerns someone else now. Cam blew back into town last week with a determined, almost angry, look on her face. I knew it had to be about her sister, Charlie, seeing as she had no idea about Max. Turns out, Charlie’s missing. She wasn’t in the prison Sgt. Manes said she’d be in. In fact, there’s no record of her ever being there. Manes argues that she was simply released but being in jail was the least of Charlie’s worries. Due to her pathogen work, Charlie has a lot of people after her, including himself at one point, but he says his fight is over now. Instead, he gives Cam a lead to a private security outlet. She heads that way, but when she stops at a dead animal in the middle of a dark dirt road, something happens. Her car goes haywire. There’s a white light, and then it’s like her soul is sucked out of her or she’s abducted… I don’t know, but I’m positive it has to do with aliens… and possibly even Charlie.

Worthy of a Miracle

If there’s anyone more worthy of a miracle in Roswell, it’s Papa Arturo Ortecho, and Isobel sees that. The problem is that Arturo doesn’t believe so. Wanting to use her powers for good and reunite the Ortecho family, Isobel – with Liz and Rosa’s approval – gets in Arturo’s head and sees just where his guilt stems from. He doesn’t feel like he deserves forgiveness for “failing” Rosa when he let her believe she was beyond hope instead of believing her when she says she got pills from her mom. That, on top of feeling like he couldn’t save his daughter, must be the most brutal guilt a parent could feel. Seeing this, Isobel realizes that, while she won’t be able to convince him that he’s worthy of a miracle and forgiveness, she convinces him that Rosa is. It’s a beautifully sweet reunion that reminds us that our worthiness isn’t defined by our past. It also reminds Isobel that her family isn’t whole, and that maybe, if she uses her new strength to be a light in the darkness, then she’ll get her own miracle in Max. However, after she tells pod-Max about her new-found perspective, the rigged wires shorten, and the pod goes dark.

Notable Mentions

• “I can pick his nipples out of a lineup. I really hope you understand the sacrifices I’m making here.”
• The Crashdown has new competition with Graham Green’s new malt shop across the street.
• Kyle is trying desperately to convince his mom that Noah’s death was an “act of God.”
• “It’s a variable minefield of thoughts, thirst traps and influencers selling bogus laxative teas.”
• “It smells like rain. It’s what you smell like under all the grease and bourbon.” So, aliens smell like rain? I love it.
• Rosa openly discussing with Isobel what it feels like when her mood suddenly flips a switch, but not knowing that it’s bipolar disorder is the kind of discussion television needs more of, and I hope the show digs a little more into it.
• “I guess I feel like there’s a story unfolding in Roswell, has been for 50 years. Can’t blame me for wanting to see how it ends.”
• “You deserve good things, mom.” UGH! Kyle is the sweetest to his mom on her birthday!
• “I guess the real miracle is choosing light despite the ever-present darkness.”
• “Perhaps, when God grants you a miracle, you don’t question it. You give thanks.”

Roswell, New Mexico airs Mondays at 9/8c on The CW!

Featured Image: IMDb