After a lifetime of being left in the dark, Michael finally begins to uncover the truth about his past on Roswell, New Mexico Season 2 Episode 4.
But did he find the answers he was looking for?
When you dive too deep into a story that doesn’t end well, you probably won’t like what you come across.
Michael’s situation isn’t the same as the typical foster child’s.
He, Max, and Isobel were quite literally dropped into a foreign world with no idea who or what they are.
From a young age, the siblings had to learn what made them different from the people on Earth, so they could hide that part of themselves forever.
That’s a lot to put on a couple of kids.
Ever since Roswell New Mexico Season 1 Episode 1, the three of them have always been on the hunt for answers. But Isobel and Max never took it quite as seriously as Michael did.
They all may have started in the same situation, but Michael lacked the parental love that Isobel and Max were able to find.
Not only was he not adopted, but Michael was overlooked by the Evans in the foster home and was left feeling like he wasn’t capable of being loved.
And who did he have to tell him differently?
Isobel and Max love their brother, but, to no fault of their own, Michael had to fend for himself.
Michael meeting his mom for the first time only for her to be ripped away during Roswell New Mexico Season 1 Episode 12, seemed to spark a sort of desperation in him.
Because of their abilities, Michael was able to feel his mother’s love for a few simple seconds, before he was forced to leave her behind to die.
No wonder Michael has trouble dealing with his emotions.
It could even be argued that Alex was the first person who ever made Michael feel loved, which is why he’s clung to him so tightly for the past decade. It’s more than likely the reason why Michael will never be able to let Alex go.
No matter what happens, they keep finding excuses to come back to each other.
Whether or not this relationship is healthy for either of them remains to be seen, but from what viewers have gathered, it’s not something they can walk away from.
So, it came as no surprise that Alex volunteered to help Michael delve into his past.
They weren’t building a weapon. It’s the schematic for a ship. A life raft with enough room for three pods to get us the hell out of here. They had a plan for me. There are measurements here I’ve been trying to figure out for two decades.
Michael
Is Alex working with Michael because he wants him to learn the truth about himself?
Of course.
Alex has, perhaps, the biggest heart out of everyone on the series.
He’s proven time and time again that he’ll do whatever it takes to help the people he cares about.
But was this also an opportunity to spend more time with Michael? Without a doubt.
Although Michael is with Maria, which may be up for debate after recent events, the series hasn’t tried to hide that Alex will always love Michael in some capacity.
The realization that Alex’s great uncle helped instigate Nora’s torture, seemed to weigh more heavily on Alex, than on Michael himself.
The Manes family is responsible for a lot of horrible things, but Alex is the complete opposite of everyone in his bloodline. Yet, despite Michael not blaming Alex in the slightest, Alex’s guilt caused him to walk away from Michael, yet again.
It’s starting to get a bit repetitive and more than a little annoying.
Can we move on with the story without finding something nonsensical for Alex to feel guilty about?
The story of Michael’s mom and how she was captured doesn’t have any relation to Michael and Alex’s on and off romance, so it would be more practical for the series to keep those two issues separate.
Attempting to find a way to merge the two feels like a messy way of creating unnecessary drama.
But, as it turns out, one love triangle simply wasn’t enough.
Liz’s plotline had little to do with reviving Max, and more to do with her relationship with Kyle.
That’s not to say it was a bad story, as I found myself thoroughly entertained during all of their scenes, but it was unexpected.
A large majority of the episode focused on Kyle’s feelings for Liz, which originally seemed like something that wouldn’t be explored until later in the series.
Kyle: I kept risking my job and my medical license for you, ever since you got to town. I’m lying to my mother to protect your boyfriend…giving every minute of my free time to save him. I keep putting you first. Constantly. And I just—
Liz: I put Max first. I know. I love him, Kyle.
Kyle: And I’m happy for you. I want you to be happy, Liz.
Liz: I want you to be happy, too.
Kyle’s love for Liz has always been made obvious to viewers, but it wasn’t something that Liz had picked up on, despite all the clues being right there in front of her.
The interesting part about the situation is that Kyle isn’t in any sort of moral dilemma. Helping Max isn’t something that’s up for debate to him. Kyle wants to do the right thing, no matter the consequences.
It’s what makes Kyle such an enduring character. One giant takeaway from this episode is that Kyle is more complex and layered than we ever could have guessed.
I’m going to help you save Max, Liz. But after that, I’m going to need a little space. Okay? 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.
Kyle
It’s because of that, that we feel like there’s a heartbreaking way this is all going to play out:
Liz and Kyle continue to grow closer throughout Roswell, New Mexico Season 2, as they work together to bring Max back. Max is revived, but Liz realizes she’s developed feelings for Kyle, as well.
In hindsight, drama will ensue. Especially when the show undoubtedly throws Steph into the mix.
Roswell is such a big fan of love triangles and romantic drama, that I would be shocked if they didn’t play the situation up as much as possible.
While everyone was off attempting to solve their own problems and struggling with matters of the heart, Isobel put her best foot forward and decided to help a family in need.
Isobel put her heartbreak over Max on pause, and instead, channeled that energy into making the Ortechos whole again.
You’re doing everything you can to reunite my family. Let me at least try to reunite yours.
Isobel
When Isobel first revealed her plan to Liz, I thought Liz wasn’t going to go for it.
Liz has always been very strictly against Isobel’s mind control, and the idea of bending Arturo’s thoughts to someone else’s will didn’t feel morally okay.
But, after watching Arturo reunite with Rosa, it may have been the right move.
Isobel didn’t do anything that would cause harm to the family. She simply made it easier for Arturo to embrace his own happiness.
The look of longing on Isobel’s face when she watched the Ortechos embrace was heartbreaking, as it was a stark reminder of how empty Isobel feels without her brother.
But could she finally get Max back?
The last few seconds of the episode implied that time is of the essence. If Liz and her friends can’t find a way to get Max back quickly, then they might never be able to get him back, at all.
Stray Thoughts:
- Where was Maria? She finally found out the truth about the aliens after an entire season, but she was put on the backburner.
- It’s particularly hard to connect with Jenna’s storyline. Her character is always a hit or a miss, and I found myself bored during her scenes throughout the episode. However, if she was abducted like viewers were led to believe, that’s a plot that would be entertaining to see played out.
- I’m already a big fan of Forrest. He not have had a whole lot of screentime, but I’m interested to see how he’s going to play a bigger part in the current story.
- Discovering the truth about Nora through a series of flashbacks, was one of the most entertaining aspects of the episode. All the scenes were relatively straight-forward, and gave viewers a clear idea of what happened all those years ago.
It’s your turn, Roswell fanatics! What did you think of “What If God Was One of Us”?
Drop a comment down below, and let us know your thoughts and predictions for the rest of the season.
And don’t forget that if you missed the episode you can watch Roswell, New Mexico online right here at TV Fanatic!
Roswell, New Mexico airs Mondays at 9/8c on The CW.
Rachel Foertsch is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.