Michelle Castano
Editor-in-Chief
The CW. Home to many supernatural young adult highly rated television shows such as The Vampire Diaries, it’s series spin-off known as The Originals, and most recently, Riverdale.
Airing on Jan. 15, the CW premiered its latest supernatural show, called Roswell, New Mexico. Back in the late 90’s, early 2000’s the original show, named Roswell was a popular selection for young viewers (target audience).
Roswell is an actual town in New Mexico that has an alien-themed gimmick; in fact, there is a flying saucer shaped McDonald’s, a yearly UFO festival and its very own UFO Museum and Research Center. Why the alien theme? In 1947, there was an alleged “flying disk” crash at a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico.
Like its original main characters, Roswell, New Mexico features Liz, Alex, Kyle, Maria, and the aliens living as humans, Michael, Isobel and Max.
The series takes place 10 years after their high school graduation, with Liz returning to town after living in Colorado and working as a scientist.
She is in town because it is the anniversary of her sister, Rosa’s death and wants to comfort her father while helping him run the family diner called The Crashdown Diner; in fact the diner is kitschy and UFO themed. [Spoiler alert]
While Liz is closing the diner, a shooter shoots the diner, with a bullet hitting Liz and knocking her unconscious. Max, the alien hybrid who is madly in love with Liz, despite not seeing her for 10 years, places his hand over Liz’s bullet wound and revives her; he leaves a temporary silver handprint mark in the area where he heals her.
It’s interesting to see the inclusiveness that this series reboot has to offer; moreover, we are not seeing a whitewashed cast.
Liz is given a Mexican last name (Ortecho) and the viewer sees her family’s battle with immigration issues. Liz Ortecho’s friend, Maria DeLuca is played by Heather Hemmens, who is an actress with Costa Rican decent.
Differently, from it’s precedent series, Roswell, New Mexico features a romance between Alex Manes who is a military veteran and has received a purple heart medal (wounded while in service) and Michael Guerin who is an alien-human hybrid.
Michael has a rebellious, reckless spirit and lives in a trailer in the desert. The original Roswell series featured a romance between Maria DeLuca and Michael Guerin. So far, the free spirited Maria seems to play a supporting character within this television series. Instead of Liz and Maria being best friends, like in the original show, Maria is closer to Liz’s deceased sister, Rosa.
Roswell, New Mexico features current themes such as immigration, racism and mentions of President Trump’s wall throughout the Mexico/US border.
The show regularly remarks the Immigration and Customs enforcement agency (ICE), with Liz angrily stating in the pilot episode of the show that she had rights and a valid United States passport when she gets stopped by a police officer.
Liz’s father, unfortunately does not have papers and regularly gets taunted by townspeople that he should be turned in to ICE.
The show features familiar faces such as Jeanine Marie Mason (Grey’s Anatomy) who plays Liz Ortecho, Nathan Parsons (The Originals) who plays Max Evans, and Tyler Blackburn (Pretty Little Liars) who plays Alex Manes.
According to TV by the Numbers, Roswell, New Mexico received the second
highest TV ratings within the CW network; following behind Charmed. If
the show keeps the viewership numbers consistent, it will be renewed for
a second season. Roswell, New Mexico airs
every Tuesday at 9 p.m. on the CW.
castm46@mail.broward.edu
Photo: The main characters, Max and Liz from Roswell, New Mexico/Photo courtesy of irnPost.com