The CW's Roswell, New Mexico - Episode 2.10 "American Woman"
After uncovering a cryptic message from the past, Alex, Isobel, Max, Michael and Maria set out in search of answers at the reservation where Alex's mother grew up. Meanwhile, Cameron encourages Liz to reach out to someone from her past after Arturo gets detained.
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.
"American Woman" was written by Rick Montano, Vincent Ingaro & Jason Gavin and directed by Marcus Stokes
Max, Isobel and Michael are a family. An actual biological connection doesn't need to be present in order for them to know that. They came out of the pods together. They believe they are the only aliens on Earth. They simply don't know enough about the world at large to know if that is true or not. They have to rely on each other because that may be the only support that they have. It's still devastating to Max when he learns that he isn't actually related to Isobel. They have long believed that they were twins because of their powerful psychic connection. They could call out to each other through their thoughts. That isn't something they have with anyone else. It was special. It could signal when the other was in pain or trouble. And now, Max can only see the narrative of him being the perceived Devil who is bound to destroy everything that he touches. He faces a moral reckoning because his body is destroyed when he heals people but he is invigorated when he kills. That is the burden that is constantly weighing on him. And yes, the show has done an adequate job in exploring the toxic aspects of Max's personality. He still continually has to be propped up as the romantic lead of the show. As such, he can never be too monstrous. He still fundamentally has to be good enough for Liz. However, he does have significant character flaws wherein he wants to be the noble male savior. He views himself as important. He values his pain and discomfort above those around him. He has certainly been empathetic to everything that has happened in Liz's life over the course of the series. He just values his issues as more crushing because he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. He knows nothing about his past though. He doesn't know why he was chained up as a child or why his planet was war torn. Isobel and Michael receive clarity about their mothers. They sought out those answers as well. The connections are still there for stories to be passed down and respected. Isobel gains new insight. She understands that her mother carried the pain of so many people. That never dragged her down even though she was separated from her daughters for their entire lives. It also comes with the revelation that Maria's grandmother is actually Isobel's sister. That means Maria comes from an alien lineage as well. Her new powers don't stem from the medical experiments done on her family in the past. There are just more consequences to her exerting herself in this way. She knows that she has to proceed with caution. That's the place where all of these aliens embrace their powers from though. They have to be tentative because they don't know what might happen in the future. That fear can be so agonizing. It's a pain that Liz has felt for a long time too. She always feared that her father would be deported. Her family could be torn apart. And now, that fateful day may have arrived. She can no longer sponsor him for his green card. He may be sent back to Mexico. She has to call her former fiancé, Diego, to save him. She does so because he is the only person she knows who has connections within the federal government. The narrative has said that Liz needed to address this aspect of her past at some point. It's a little forced and awkward here. It's something that was once important but now feels like it is dealt with completely. Max is jealous for a moment. But he's also wallowing in his sorrow too much as well. It's always extreme reactions with him. He doesn't have the level head that his friends and family do. Sure, that still gets them into trouble as well. It just means he makes more rash decisions. He may believe he is protecting his loved ones from himself. However, he is worthy of salvation as well. That is clear in that final glimpse of his past that he now remembers. That may not be enough for him to be much good to those he cares about especially since there is still so much going on. The powerful military presence is hurting even more people within Roswell. That threat only grows more dangerous here with Cameron's lingering consequences from her abduction and Alex being taken after another disagreement with Michael.
