Roswell, New Mexico

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Fandom
Name: Roswell, New Mexico
Abbreviation(s): Roswell NM, RNM, Roswell, the New Roswell, Roswell (2019), Roswell Reboot
Creator: Carina Adly Mackenzie
Based on Roswell High by Melinda Metz
Date(s): Janurary 15, 2019 - present
Medium: live-action TV series
Country of Origin: USA
External Links: Wikipedia, Official Website, IMDB
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.
This page is about the 2019 series. You may be looking for the 1999 series, Roswell (1999), or the book series, Roswell High (books).

Roswell, New Mexico is a CW 2019 science fiction television show adaption of the Roswell High series by Melinda Metz. It follows Liz Ortecho as she returns home to Roswell, New Mexico after a decade away and discovers the many secrets that lie beneath the surface of her sleepy tourist trap town.

Canon

While more closely based on the book series, there are clear references to both the books and the 1999 show, while also adding a lot of new original content.

Characters

Main Characters

  • Liz Ortecho, a biomedical researcher and daughter of an undocumented immigrant father. She is trying to uncover the secrets surrounding the death of her sister Rosa.
  • Max Evans, a deputy sheriff and secret alien. He's been in love with Liz almost his entire life.
  • Isobel Evans-Bracken, a event planner and secret alien. Raised as Max Evan's twin sister. Married to Noah Bracken. Terrified her secret will be exposed and ruin her life.
  • Michael Guerin, local mechanic and bad boy with a heart of gold. A secret alien. Had a secret relationship with Alex.
  • Alex Manes, a gay disabled war vet who has a strained relationship with his authoritarian father. Had a secret relationship with Michael.
  • Maria DeLuca, a fortune-telling bartender and Liz, Rosa, and Alex's best friend.
  • Kyle Valenti, a doctor and notably much more mature than his 1999 show or book counterpart.

Reoccurring Characters

  • Chief Master Sergeant Jesse Manes, Alex's father, a strict Air Force sergeant with a vendetta against aliens.
  • Sherriff Michelle Valenti, Kyle's mother
  • Rosa Ortecho, Liz's older sister who was killed in a car crash while high on drugs, killing two girls in the process. Liz gradually comes to realize that Max may have been involved in her death.
  • Noah Bracken, Isobel's devoted lawyer husband who senses a secret in his wife and has a secret of his own.
  • Sheriff Valenti, the Sheriff of Roswell, she is the wife of deceased Jim Valenti, and mother of Kyle Valenti. Disapproves of the Ortecho family because of their undocumented status.
  • Jenna Cameron, Max's fellow deputy and partner.
  • Arturo Ortecho, Liz's father who runs the Crashdown Cafe diner.
  • Mimi DeLuca, Maria's mother who suffers from a mysterious illness characterized by memory lapses and potentially connected to aliens.
  • Walter Sanders, the owner of the local junkyard that Michael works at
  • Grant Green, a former documentarian turned conspiracy theory podcaster. Graham Green's twin brother
  • Graham Green, the owner of the UFO Emporium. Grant Green's twin brother
  • Wyatt Long, the brother of one of the girls Rosa Ortecho killed, who harbors a grudge against her family.
  • Forrest Long, Wyatt and Kate Long's cousin, an archivist and poet. He and Alex Manes grow closer
  • Flint Manes, one of Alex Manes' brothers, who works with their father Jesse Manes on anti-alien measures
  • Gregory Manes, one of Alex Manes' brothers, who works as a teacher on a local reservation
  • Eugene Manes III, one of the first soldiers to respond to the original 1947 crash
  • Harlan Manes, one of the first soldiers to respond to the original 1947 crash
  • Louise Truman, one of the alien refugees from the original 1947 crash
  • Nora Truman, one of the alien refugees from the original 1947 crash
  • Theo, one of the alien refugees from the original 1947 crash
  • Roy Bronson, the foreman of the Long farm in 1947
  • Jones, a mysterious figure from Roswell's past
  • Steph, the daughter of the hospital director with a connection to Kyle Valenti
  • Dallas Haines, a local priest with a mysterious past (promoted to regular in S4)
  • Heath Tuchman, Liz's lab partner at Genoryx
  • Anatsa Mufaro, an investigative reporter in Roswell to write a story on local militia movements
  • Eduardo Ramos, the head of the shadowy paramilitary organization Deep Sky
  • Bonnie, a suspect in a string of mysterious bank robberies
  • Clyde, a suspect in a string of mysterious bank robberies
  • Tezca, an alien who mysteriously appears in a small town in Mexico
  • Shivani Sen, a tech billionaire and the wife of Allie Myers

Minor/Background Characters

  • Kate Long, one of two girls killed in the same car crash as Rosa Ortecho
  • Jasmine Fredricks, one of two girls killed in the same car crash as Rosa Ortecho
  • Ann Evans, Max and Isobel's adoptive mother
  • Dave Evans (mentioned only), Max and Isobel's adoptive father
  • Clay Manes (mentioned only), one of Alex Manes' brothers
  • Mindy Manes (mentioned only), Alex Manes' mother
  • Javier, a cook at the Crashdown
  • Frederico, Rosa Ortecho's high school boyfriend
  • Hank Gibbons, one of Wyatt Long's friends and regular at the Wild Pony
  • Yolanda Avila, a researcher at Roswell Community Medical with Liz
  • Arizona, a faith healer who uses the alien symbol in her flyers
  • Helena Ortecho, Liz's mother
  • Lindsay Lewis, a high school classmate of the core cast
  • Hector Valenti, Kyle Valenti's ancestor and one of the first responders to the original 1947 crash
  • Patricia (Patty) DeLuca, Maria DeLuca's grandmother
  • Travis Gunther, a rancher and custom boot maker and Trevor Gunther's twin brother
  • Trevor Gunther, a former member of Deep Sky Travis Gunther's twin bother
  • Harrison, a former code talker and friend of Tripp Manes
  • Jordan Bernhardt, the son of Roswell's mayor and member of its right-wing militia
  • Bert, a local beekeeper who attends Maria DeLuca's yoga classes and open mic nights
  • Blaire, a bartender at Planet 7
  • Darby, one of the employees of the agency Deep Sky
  • Diego, Liz's former fiancé
  • Margot Myerson, a notable researcher who works at Genoryx with Diego
  • Agent Chad Hinkle, an ICE agent
  • Sherriff Brooke Taylor, elected sheriff in season 3
  • Vanessa, one of Liz's students
  • Allie Meyers, Liz's former teacher
  • Sonya Valenti, Kyle's cousin

Fandom

Prior to the announcement of Roswell, New Mexico, fans of the original Roswell television series had wanted a spinoff or reboot of the show. Many had hoped it would take place in the Future/Present time - with the nextgen and same actors/actresses. Various petitions and campaigns appeared from the time the series ended in 2002. It took over sixteen years for a reboot to be announced by The CW following various successful reboot shows of 90s/00s (Charmed, Fuller House, Gilmore Girls, Veronica Mars, etc). In early 2018, it was announced that Roswell reboot "with an immigration twist" would be written and developed by Carina Adly MacKenzie[1], it would be closer to the book canon (Liz Ortecho instead of Liz Parker, Alex Manes instead of Alex Whitman) but like Roswell, an alternate universe of the books since it takes place after high school and various changes made.

Initial excitement for the reboot was mixed, while many fans were overjoyed with any possibility of a new series, including one with POCs characters, others were disappointed that it would not be same actors/actresses from the 1999 version and thus the same characters/history they knew and loved. There were some fans that were also skeptical about the involvement of executive producer Carina Adly MacKenzie[2]. These fears seem to have abated after Season One aired, the show often praised for being POCs/WOCs and LGBTQIA+ positive. However, some fans expressed concerns around some aspects of the depiction of the POCs/WOCs during Season One. Specifically, the sidelining of Maria Deluca and the revelation that the main antagonist was MOCs Noah Bracken.

Fanfiction for the series is mainly located on Archive of Our Own and Tumblr.

Connections with the Original Roswell (1999)

From the initial airing of the pilot, many fans were hoping for some involvement from members of the cast of the original Roswell (1999) tv show. It was announced in March, 2019 that Shiri Appleby, who played Liz Parker in the original show would be directing episode 1.09 "Songs About Texas" [3].

During season 2, Jason Behr who portrayed the original Max Evans was added to the cast for a number of episodes. He played the character of Eugene Manes III (known as Tripp) [4].

Controversies

Season 2 Episode 6 - "Sex and Candy"

The biggest disruptive event to occur so far in the fandom has been the reaction to the sixth episode of the second season, titled "Sex and Candy". The episode contained several independent storylines, including one which explored the various romantic and non-romantic relationships between Alex Manes, Maria DeLuca and Michael Guerin.

Several hours prior to the airing of this episode, it was leaked online. The scene’s sound editing created confusion for some fans, contributing to the later discourse about the willingness of Alex Manes to participate in a sexual encounter involving past romantic partner Michael Guerin and Alex’s best friend and Michael’s past/future romantic partner, Maria DeLuca. A post-2x06 episode interview with actress Heather Hemmens[5] also leaked early, colouring perception of the story by some fans, who transposed the motivations of the actress onto her character.

For a number of fans, this scene in particular, was seen as homophobic, biphobic, and/or featuring questionable consent. As a result, this particular story is considered triggering for a number of fans. Many other fans found the scene affirming and reflective of complex queer identities. [6]

This episode occurred in the context of high tension between members of the Miluca ship group, the Malex ship group, and stans of Michael Guerin, Alex Manes and/or Maria DeLuca. There were members who felt that the hostility towards the character Maria DeLuca was based on either anti-Black racism, misogyny, or both.

In addition, the fact that the scene featured three characters in a sexual encounter was felt to be confronting for some members of the fandom.

The resulting fallout was rapid and dramatic. Within hours of the airing of the episode, a number of people, including some Big Name Fans had left the fandom completely. This included the deletion of a number of Tumblr blogs and the erasure of fics from repositories such as Archive of Our Own. Over the following weeks, discourse between the many groups of fans became increasingly vitriolic and as a result more fans left the fandom or severely limited who they interacted with.

Shipping

The juggernaut pairing for RNM is the canon slash pairing of Michael Guerin/Alex Manes, with nearly all of the fandom and fanworks focused on the pairing. The Michael/Alex pairing was a rare pairing in the original Roswell TV show fandom, it has grown larger than Max/Liz and Michael/Maria ships. In the original series fandom the ships that reappear within the RNM fandom: Max/Liz, Maria/Michael, Kyle/Liz, Kyle/Alex, Kyle/Michael, Liz/Maria, Liz/Isobel, and Isobel/Maria; however they are much smaller ships in comparison with RNM!Michael/Alex. Other pairings introduced in RNM include but are not limited to Rosa/Isobel, Rosa/Maria, Isobel/Noah, Jenna/Kyle, Jenna/Isobel, Jenna/Maria, and Jenna/Max. There are also multiple common Ot3 pairings present in fanworks, including Maria/Michael/Alex and Kyle/Liz/Max.

Ship Names

See also: List of Roswell, New Mexico Relationship Names

The Max/Liz ship name "Echo" is different from the original show's ship name "Dreamers", probably to differentiate between the both shows and how they connected after Max saved Liz. In RNM, Liz and Max could feel echos of each others feelings and memories because of his handprint. The Isobel/Maria ship names "Maribel" and "Mabel" are different from the original show's ship name "Blonde Attitude" and the Kyle/Liz ship name is "Kyliz" instead of "Loyalist" from the original show, the ship names of RNM tend to be smooshed names (Malex, Kylex).

The "Pod Squad" is still the term for the platonic group of Isobel, Michael and Max.

Notable Fanworks

Fanfiction

Fanart

Vids

Meta

Archives and Fannish Links

Tumblr

References

  1. ^ 'Roswell’ Reboot, Projects Produced By Greg Berlanti & Rob Thomas Among 6 CW Pilot Orders For Record Total Of 9 Pilots
  2. ^ Anonymous said: carina is sooo rude and condescending i honestly can't see her tweets anymore. space-malex reacts. This particular post takes place after RNM had already aired, however I remember seeing a post or two of fans showing worry about it being created by MacKenzie due to her actions with the Originals/TVD fandoms, however I can't find these posts right now.
  3. ^ Shiri Appleby Returns to ‘Roswell, New Mexico’ as Director, Hollywood Reporter, 18 March 2019
  4. ^ ‘Roswell, New Mexico’ Adds Gaius Charles, Jason Behr To Cast – New York Comic Con, Deadline, 6 October, 2019
  5. ^ 'Roswell, New Mexico' Star Heather Hemmens Breaks Down Tonight's Episode and Teases the Season Finale, Collider, 20 April 2020
  6. ^ https://ober-affen-geil.tumblr.com/post/616027879896121344/never-in-my-life-did-i-think-that-i-an-asexual
  7. ^ A reblog of Carina Adly Mackenzie tweet canonizing Echo as Max/Liz ship name
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