The penultimate episode of The CW’s sci-fi drama Roswell, New Mexico finds the alien siblings discovering more about themselves from an unexpected source. Season one episode 12 also finds the trio faced with a big decision to make about the newly uncovered fourth alien.
Episode 12 begins with a brief flashback to June 14, 1947 when aliens crashed into the Foster Ranch. A stowaway forced the plane to crash and Noah heard humans slaughtering his fellow aliens. Noah’s pod cracked during the crash, but he was still able to use it to keep himself safe.
Flash-forward to 2004 to the pivotal scene from episode six in which Isobel and the guys are camping in the desert. She’s taken by a man, and her screams are heard by Noah in his pod tucked underground.
And now in 2019 we catch up with Isobel (Lily Cowles), Max (Nathan Dean Parsons), and Michael (Michael Vlamis) as they stare at Noah (Karan Oberoi) who’s been placed back in his pod. Michael’s not happy Noah’s safe inside and wants to torture him to get answers. It’s been three days since the incident at the gala and Max believes Isobel needs more time to decide how to proceed. Isobel plays peacemaker and stops her brothers from arguing, making them agree they’ll decide on a course of action together.
Liz (Jeanine Mason) has returned to her waitressing job in the family’s cafe, complete with an antenna headband. Kyle (Michael Trevino) shows up and assures her she’ll be back doing research in no time. She’s still got a handprint on her chest, but otherwise Liz seems relieved to know the truth about Rosa and the other murder victims.
Alex (Tyler Blackburn) needs Michael’s help because he believes there’s a possibility there’s alien activity at Caulfield Prison. The heat signature is much hotter than humans, and Michael and his sibs run hot. However, Michael’s sure that if there were other aliens around he would have sensed their presence.
Alex apparently was so convinced Michael would go along that he invited Kyle along to investigate. Michael’s not happy (but then he seldom is these days) to be involved in this new alien search but can’t say no if there’s the possibility he’ll encounter others of his kind.
As they stare at Noah’s pod, Max tells Isobel he talked to her and even read to her while she was in hers. She reveals she didn’t hear any of it because time stands still inside the pods.
Max leaves and as Isobel turns to go, she realizes Noah has become conscious inside the pod. He breaks out of it and, fortunately, Max is close enough away to hear the commotion. Isobel insists Max not shoot Noah since Liz’s serum is still coursing through his system rendering him powerless. She wants answers.
At the same moment Noah’s eyes opened in the pod, Liz felt a sharp pain while at work in the cafe.
Isobel and Max bring Noah back to Max’s place, with Max keeping his weapon on his brother-in-law just in case he tries anything funny. Liz arrives in a rush as Noah tries to convince Max and Isobel they’re not enemies. The planet they came from was war-torn and desolate, and they’re all refugees on this planet.
Noah explains he heard Isobel’s psychic scream when she was a teen. He also reveals he crawled into the pod in 1947 and could never get out. He was never in stasis and was aware and paralyzed with fear for decades. In a totally creepy move, Noah crawled into a crack in Isobel’s psyche and has remained there.
Isobel runs from the room as Max knocks Noah out. Liz confirms Noah will likely die before the end of the day unless they do something. She asks Max if he’s sure that’s what he wants.
Michael, Alex, and Kyle have made it to the prison and Alex scans for a heat signature. Unfortunately, there’s a storm rolling in (although the skies are still blue without any clouds) and it’s messing up his reading. They realize there’s something important there that doesn’t want to be found.
Alex may have forgiven Kyle for the bullying he put him through back in high school, but Michael’s definitely still holding a grudge on Alex’s behalf. Before they can get into that discussion Michael senses there’s something wrong inside the prison. He feels something he describes as similar to screaming from far away.
They enter the prison and Michael can feel “them.” He tries to open a locked door but for some reason he can’t. Alex warns them someone’s coming and they scatter. Alex stays behind and disarms the soldier who, it turns out, is his brother, Flint (Kiowa Gordon).
Alex claims his dad sent him to fortify the security measures. Flint brags about the technology they’ve discovered at the prison, and Alex reveals he knows about the aliens and the crash in 1947. Flint confesses their dad brought him in to help build a wall against the aliens. Alex notices schematics on the screen behind Flint and realizes they’re building a smart bomb. Flint confirms they’re constructing a bomb that won’t hurt humans but can kill aliens. Alex is concerned about the use of a bioweapon but Flint explains it doesn’t break any laws because they’re not using it against anyone from Earth.
Flint’s convinced the aliens are committed to wiping out humans. He also realizes his dad didn’t send Alex to work on the security system. Flint threatens Alex, telling him there’s no way he’s going to let him leave.
Back at Max’s place, a very pissed-off Max handcuffs Noah to a chair and begins the interrogation. When he asks where they’re from, Noah tells Max he has a map tattooed on his shoulder. Max didn’t realize it was a map and doesn’t know how to read it. Noah refuses to reveal anything else, preferring pain and death to satisfying Max.
Outside Max’s home, Liz and Isobel have a heart-to-heart. Liz tells Isobel to consider what she really wants from Noah. Liz says the truth is what she was searching for about Rosa and it’s helped in the grieving process knowing what actually happened.
Isobel follows Liz’s advice and demands Max give her time with Noah. He’s reluctant, but Liz sides with Isobel which sways Max’s decision. Isobel and Noah communicate via their minds while Liz explains Isobel is going through a loss and needs this to heal. Liz shows Max Noah’s handprint on her chest and confesses she feels him now. She feels his fear and knows he’s afraid to die. Liz also confesses she made more of the antidote because if Noah dies from her injection of serum, she’ll be a killer. She doesn’t know if she’ll be able to handle that.
Noah reveals his mind was sharp and he used Isobel to see the world through her eyes. They discuss Rosa and mid-conversation Noah’s physical condition deteriorates. He wants Isobel to bring him the antidote, promising they can go back to how they were before.
Isobel briefly leaves Noah’s mind, clearly upset. She returns to Noah’s mind but this time she brings Max along with her. Noah confirms what was suspected – killing makes them stronger and that’s why he’s more powerful than Isobel, Max, and Michael. He believes destruction equals power and killing makes them feel like gods.
Max demands to know why they were protected in the crash. Noah confesses he needs them for leverage; that’s why he didn’t kill Isobel. If they give him the antidote, he’ll tell them everything he knows.
Isobel and Max leave Noah’s mind and she’s decided she doesn’t want the answers. She wants Noah dead. Liz offers to drive her home and before she leaves, Max asks for the antidote. He wants it so he can take the murder of Noah on his shoulder’s by denying its use and letting Noah die. That takes the burden of being a killer off Liz. She hands over the syringe.
Cam (Riley Voelkel) arrives with more restraints. She doesn’t think he should be handling this alone, but Max isn’t even sure the authorities would be capable of holding Noah. Max realizes Cam’s in civilian clothes, and she explains she was fired after discharging her weapon at the gala. She lied and said she was a little tipsy to cover for Max and his family. He apologizes for leading her on, but she says that’s not necessary. She’s leaving Roswell to be with her sister who was transferred to a prison in Ohio. (Bye, Riley, we’ll miss you!)
Meanwhile, Michael and Kyle check out the prison, arguing over who deserves answers the most. Their pissing party’s interrupted when Kyle notices they’re standing by an area marked 7A. He shows Michael photos on his phone of his dad’s letters, all mentioning 7A-N38.
Michael and Kyle find dozens of cells holding angry, confused, and frightened aliens. Kyle realizes they’ve been held in captivity for 71 years. Kyle notices the aliens have bruises and scars, plus they suffer from anti-social behavior indicative of prolonged trauma. Michael’s furious, realizing they’ve been through seven decades of torture.
Michael wants to free them, but Kyle knows they’re all feral. Michael’s attracted to one cell in particular. The alien inside also seems to be drawn to Michael who is confused as to how he knows her.
A soldier arrives and Michael hides while Kyle pretends to be a lab tech. He claims he needs to draw a sample from N38, but she says that’s not possible. No one has touched that “subject” since 1962. The soldier explains that anything N38 touches dies of violent, rapid cancer. “It could give a tumor to a brick wall,” says the soldier, immediately striking a nerve with Kyle.
According to the soldier, only once did a human go into that cell…
Kyle races back to Alex who’s still arguing with his brother. Kyle’s pissed their fathers had set up basically a Guantanamo for aliens. Flint knows N38 gave Kyle’s dad a brain tumor, and Flint’s also aware killing does increase an alien’s strength. “My dad participated in that research? Kept aliens isolated, starved, dissected? Then he deserved it,” says Kyle.
Michael can’t break into N38 and the alien won’t answer him when he asks how he knows her. He breaks the glass in her cell’s door but not enough for the occupant to escape. An alarm goes off indicating a quarantine breach. They have 10 minutes to leave before the place turns to dust.
Alex tells Kyle to grab all the hard drives and everything else of importance. Kyle sends Alex off to retrieve Michael from upstairs.
Michael’s pounding on the cell door with a fire extinguisher when Alex finds him. Alex tries to get Michael to leave, but he refuses. He says these people are his family, and now Alex refuses to leave without Michael. Michael lies and says he doesn’t love him, trying to force Alex to flee before it’s too late. Alex knows Michael’s lying and calls him out on it.
The woman in the cell places her hand against the glass and Michael places his to match hers. The glass between them disappears and in the elderly woman’s place is a young woman – Michael’s mom! Michael withdraws his hand and Alex asks if she said anything. “She said she loves me, and she said to run,” replies an overwhelmed Michael.
They follow Michael’s mom’s advice and take off running. Kyle also makes it outside seconds before the whole place blows up. Michael’s eyes fill with tears as he stares at the destroyed building and the severed link to his past.
Michael’s no longer with them as Kyle and Alex arrive back home. Kyle wonders if the good aliens are an aberration and if most of them are in fact killers. Alex knows exactly why Kyle’s offering that as a hypothesis. “You just watched your government blow up a building full of elderly people. Your brain is trying to justify the slaughter so that your government can be right. You want to believe that we’re safe, that goodness prevails,” says Alex.
The storm arrives as they talk.
Max watches over Noah after everyone’s gone. He admits he wants Noah dead, but Noah assures him they both have a purpose. “If you let me die, you’ll spend the rest of your life on this dumb planet never knowing what it is,” says Noah. Max responds by showing him the serum and then places it in his pocket. “I got this far. I think I’m better off being just a guy from Roswell.”
As Noah’s dying Max asks if he has any last words. He doesn’t, but he also doesn’t want to be left alone. Max tries one more time to get him to provide some answers. When he won’t, Max leaves the room. Just as he’s walking into the living room, Michael arrives and asks about Noah. Michael doesn’t want to talk to Max, he only wants to talk to Noah. He steals the antidote from Max, unwilling to let Noah die without some answers.
Max points his gun at Michael, prepared to shoot.
More on Roswell, New Mexico Season 1:
- Jeanine Mason Interview
- Nathan Dean Parsons Interview
- Carina Adly McKenzie Interview
- Roswell, New Mexico Season 1 Episode 3 Recap
- Roswell, New Mexico Season 1 Episode 4 Recap
- Roswell, New Mexico Season 1 Episode 5 Recap
- Roswell, New Mexico Season 1 Episode 6 Recap
- Roswell, New Mexico Season 1 Episode 7 Recap
- Roswell, New Mexico Season 1 Episode 8 Recap
- Roswell, New Mexico Season 1 Episode 9 Recap
- Roswell, New Mexico Season 1 Episode 10 Recap
- Roswell, New Mexico Season 1 Episode 11 Recap
