Roswell – New Mexico S1 E1 “Pilot”

If you’re like me then you were watching all those good shows that came on The CW, when it was good. Shows like One Tree Hill, Dawson’s Creek, and Roswell. Roswell first hit television screens all the way back in 1999. And it was a show that I love. We fell in love with Liz and Max. We grew to love Isabel and Michael. And of course Liz’s BFF’s Maria and Alex. The concept is pretty much the same. Aliens are among us in New Mexico. Three of which are Max, Isabelle, and Michael. Max and Isabelle are twins. The kids were found wandering the desert alone and naked. Long story short they were adopted and we fast-forward 10 years and they are now high school students. And their story starts with Max bringing Liz back to life after she is shot. Well, at least that was the version we had back in 1999.

Now, 21 years later Netflix has decided to give Roswell a reboot. And let me just say, I am all for nostalgia. And when I fall in love with a show, I fall in love with the characters. These people will forever be my Liz and Max. So, I was truly skeptical about watching this reboot with new characters. I was prepared for disappointment and I told myself I am only going to watch a couple episodes at the very least. And then promptly erase it the bad memories with reruns from the original show. I had a plan. However, I was most pleasantly surprised. The plotlines while similar, are better. The characters have more depth. The series is once again an adaptation of Roswell High written by Melinda Metz. Things are a little bit different a little more modern and incorporating current events. Liz Parker is now Liz Ortecho which is actually her name in the books. The plot pretty much is the same. But instead of being high school students, it is 10 years later. And Liz has a sister who died 10 years prior, Rosa. Liz decided to leave after her sister died and now she is back in her hometown. She begins working in her family’s restaurant and instantly I am transported back to 1999. But now we’re all grown. Insert the liquor and sex that we didn’t know was missing from Roswell. Max is all grown up and a cop. He has also been pinning away for Liz all these years. With no sign of his feelings weakening. So, Liz gets shot while working. This time it is because it had to do with her sister, Rosa. Turns out she wasn’t the only one who lost their lives. And the family is seeking revenge. In healing her, Max’s secret is found out, that and she had a glowing hand print on her chest. And the facade begins to crumble

Being back home stirs up all types of feelings and memories in both Liz and Max. But according to the flashbacks they weren’t even friends really. The Crash down is how we remember it with the same corny blue waitress outfits and alien antennae. Right away the feel is the same and my anxiety eases and I start to feel like maybe I could get into this show a bit. There are some surprising and refreshing twists. And one of those is the character Alex. In this version, he is gay and had/has a relationship with Michael. In the previous show, Alex was in love with Isabel. Still, I love the way Max loves Liz, in this version, and the last. I may be inclined to read the series now. Another difference is that when they use their powers it seems to drain them more. And instead of the salty-sweet put hot sauce on everything they eat, they drink acetone for medicinal purposes. Some other differences are that Isabel is married, Kyle is a doctor, Alex is a war vet, and Michael is pretty much the same other than being bisexual.

Liz reconnects with all her old pals and reminisces about her sister with Maria who owns a bar and does a little psychic work on the side. All while, Liz semi investigates what really happened to her. Eventually, like in the 1999 show, she learns the truth about Max. He can’t exactly hide it from her any longer and there’s the hand print. She accepts it for the most part and vows to keep his secret. Also, I forgot to mention that Liz is not just a waitress, but she is a biomedical researcher. Michael and Isabel are scared as usual and formulate their own plans if things for left. Then, we also find out that Isabel did something 10 years ago, to someone using her powers. All in all, the whole gang seems to all be dealing with the shock of old feelings that surface, they thought were gone and possibly stronger ones developing in their place. Roswell-New Mexico turned out to be a very decent reboot in just the pilot episode. There are some secrets about Rosa, Liz’s sister, that involve the alien trio that we will learn. And Max has been hiding this secret for 10 years. I am looking forward to the rest of the season and silently judging the show and comparing it to Roswell, 1999. There are 2 seasons so far and the show has been renewed for a season 3. So, come and be petty with me.