Roswell, New Mexico recap: Did Max kill Rosa Ortecho?

On this week’s episode of Roswell, New Mexico, Liz is intent on discovering the truth about Rosa’s murder, and in the process she learns a shocking truth about Max.

Roswell, New Mexico begins with a determined Liz testing out her “Max killed Rosa” hypothesis. If Liz can prove Max’s electromagnetic abilities are as capable of harming as they are healing, she may have her first solid lead. Max is willing to be her lab rat, if only to be close to her. Liz isn’t doing the best job at cloaking her true feelings for him either, what with all the lingering looks and lip glances.

After experimenting on Max and realizing that yes, his abilities could be what killed Rosa, Liz recruits Maria (finally she has something to do!) to help her on an impromptu scavenger hunt. Before Rosa died, she was apparently assembling a small-town Da Vinci’s Code. Scattered across Roswell are various trinkets and memorabilia the elder Ortecho left behind as possible clues. Was Rosa leaving these notes behind for a reason? Or were they for her own sentimental purposes? Liz wants to find each one in the hopes they provide the prices to a bigger picture.

Liz does find one valuable trinket amongst Rosa’s inane treasure hunt. A love letter. From Max.

I admit, I totally believed Max was sleeping with Rosa for a second there but once he explained himself it made more sense. This guy has been like a hapless puppy dog for Liz since the opening minutes of the pilot. He’s in love with her and always has been, there is no way he would do something to harm her or her family but Liz still doesn’t trust him.

The look on his face when she asks him if he killed Rosa was so sad! She may as well have slapped him. But I also understand why Liz is wary, I probably would be too if ET suddenly showed up on my doorstep.

Innocent until proven guilty

Sergeant Manes strongly suggests (gently threatens, more like) Kyle should work with him. The reason Manes needs Kyle and not one of his own sons? Because he doesn’t need a soldier, he needs a Valenti to get access to the ex-sheriff’s alien research.

Kyle breaks into his father’s office to look through his father’s notes but his mother calls him out on it when she runs into him later at the drive-in. As an excuse, funnily enough, Kyle lampshades the love triangle he’s in with Max and Liz. Surprisingly, his mother turns venomous once she realizes Liz is involved. She looks down on the Ortechos for how they immigrated illegally into the country and Kyle tells her she sounds like a bigot. But he also gains some valuable intel about Sergeant Manes. Turns out he wasn’t the close friend to his father he lead Kyle to believe.

When Kyle confronts Manes about this new tidbit, the Sergeant doesn’t deny it but he believes Kyle’s naivety and refusal to see the aliens as a threat could put Roswell in danger. Well Max’s super-powered town-wide blackout couldn’t have come at a worse time!

Always looking for an excuse

Alex and Michael are on a roller coaster of emotions this week. First they’re up, enjoying an adorable mid-morning cuddle fest. Then they’re down because Alex doesn’t want people to know they’re together and Michael takes offense. But back up again! They share a six-pack at the drive-in. Oops, Alex caught Michael engaging in his shady copper-wire-selling side hustle and he doesn’t want to be seen with a criminal.

Hm, sounds like his father’s voice coming out of his mouth there… We’ll see how long these two can stay away from each other.

Living in the shadow

Isabelle is having a hard time adjusting to getting less of Max’s attention than usual. I mean really, has Max never had a date before? Isn’t she married? As Max himself says, maybe she needs to spend more time worrying about her own relationship and less about his.

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But her intentions aren’t necessarily bad, just misguided. Isabelle is codependent and she’s scared of what her life will be like if she isn’t the number one priority in Max’s. In her mind, the problem is Liz, so she attempts to get rid of her by using her powers of mental persuasion to make Liz leave town.

Alas, Liz doesn’t want to leave, she can’t, she’s in love with Max. Isabelle realizes the two of them may, in fact, be the real deal. So she backs off, for now.

While venting to her husband, Noah, we learn Isabelle’s intentions aren’t actually as selfish as they initially appeared. What she’s really afraid of is that it could be her fault Max isn’t happy, that perhaps she’s missed something all these years and doesn’t know her brother as well as she thought. I think the idea of Max growing to resent her is the scariest possibility of all for her. I think she’s gotten a wake-up call, it’ll be interesting to see how she acts towards Liz moving forward.

Odds & Ends

• Thank you TV gods for putting Michael Trevino in something sleeveless.
  Wondering what that first edition book Cam gave to Max was? Leaves of Grass, a collection of poetry by Walt Whitman.
• How did Liz know about Max and Cam’s date? The only people who knew were Max and Cam and potentially Kyle so unless Kyle sent off a quick text then maybe juicy gossip in small towns really does travel fast.
• Why did Isabelle see Rosa when she was in Liz’s head? Was it because Liz was thinking about Rosa or did Isabelle have her own Rosa-secrets we aren’t aware of just yet?
• The reason we’ve seen Michael chugging nail polish remover is because apparently, acetone helps them heal? I guess when you invite an alien to go for a drink you can just take them to your local manicurist.

A new episode of Roswell, New Mexico titled “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone” airs February 5th on The CW.