Maria's investigation into her mother's disappearance leads her and Alex to the home of a mysterious boot maker named Travis. On her journey of self-discovery, Isobel's night out leads her into the arms of someone unexpected. After making some major scientific strides, Liz is dealt a devastating blow.
In 2019, the television industry aired 532 scripted shows across numerous outlets. The way people consume content now is different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, it's less necessary to provide ample coverage of each episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site provides shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of The CW's Roswell, New Mexico.
"Sex and Candy" was written by Rick Montano & Vincent Ingrao and directed by Geoff Shotz
This season chose not to resurrect Max right away. It wanted to explore the potential consequences of such an action as well as his choice to bring Rosa back to life. It was always inevitable though. That was the unifying goal that bonded the main characters together and kept them all in Roswell. They had to bring him back to life. They could work together knowing that it was for that greater service. Max reached out to Rosa saying that it would be a mistake. As such, there had to be some weight to his concerns of not being able to control his dark impulses. He needs an outlet to release that dark energy. He fears killing someone he loves. And yet, it literally only takes three minutes of some light fighting with his sister to ease those concerns. It mostly builds to one large blast of energy. After that, he is back to normal. Well, there is one more complication. He doesn't remember Liz. That is fairly lame as an overall idea. It's basically the show wanting to relax back into the simplicity of what this dynamic could be. Liz and Max never had a proper first date because they were too busy trying to solve an alien conspiracy. And now, they are given that opportunity. It still eventually climaxes with Max remembering everything about his love for her. That is reassuring because this isn't a premise that could be sustainable in the long run. If that were to be the case, then the show needed to dramatically alter Max's personality. Yes, there is a brief moment where Isobel suspects that something has changed with him. There is nothing to that idea though. And so, it's mostly just a conversation about the memory losses aliens suffer while in the pods. Now that Max is out, flashes of his former life before coming to Earth may be appearing. That is a very tantalizing idea. He has dealt with so much drama on Earth. And yet, he knows nothing about where he and his siblings came from. Michael has done his research and hopes to return to the stars one day. This may unlock the key to all of that. That may be the story engine that fuels the second half of the season. Elsewhere, Maria and Alex go searching for clues about what happened to Maria's mother when she disappeared for a month. It's a story where not a whole lot of progress is actually made. Maria believes she has an idea of where to go for answers. When she and Alex arrive though, it's an opportunity for them to get caught up in an homage to horror film tropes. They are stranded and soon chased after by an ax-wielding maniac. Michael isn't the savior when he arrives either. Maria is the one who overpowers and outsmarts this adversary. That is very rewarding. But again, it offers no real direction for what Maria came here for. It's mostly about the personal drama of this love triangle. They have so much love for each other. Maria fundamentally wants the people in her life to feel safe. As such, she encourages a threesome between them. She does so knowing that it can offer clarity as to what the future may hold. Michael and Alex partake in it. It may be clarifying for them. It may not be. It confirms that Michael and Maria are basically a couple once more. They invite Alex into their bubble to ensure he isn't alone. Afterwards, he allows himself to explore something new with Forrest. That may potentially be better for him because it is less complicated than the space Michael and Maria currently occupy. It's all very messy. It offers one take on an enlightened love triangle not needing to be as dramatic as the formula usually requires. But the show also has to put the work in to say that Alex feels safe when being intimate like that with Maria even though he doesn't want to be straight and deprive himself of all the happy memories that have come from his life so far. It starts a conversation. One equally balanced by Isobel having a fun hookup at a gay bar. But the execution had to be just right. It aspires for something different and respectful to all involved. It does its best with the idea. It could have been better executed. It's unlikely to change the basic trajectory of the season though.
