‘Roswell, New Mexico’ Season 4 Episode 1 Recap: “Steal My Sunshine”

By
Rebecca Murray
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Roswell New Mexico Season 4 Episode 1
Jeanine Mason as Liz Ortecho in ‘Roswell, New Mexico’ season 4 episode 1 (Photo: John Golden Britt © 2022 The CW Network, LLC)

The CW’s Roswell, New Mexico season four episode one picks up six months after the season three finale. Max (Nathan Dean) has a fresh haircut and is attempting to adjust to Liz (Jeanine Mason) rearranging his life – and his furniture. After all the hardships the Scooby gang suffered last season, it’s wonderful to find out Max and Liz are still totally in love and have been living together for five months.

Liz is spending her days teaching GED science courses, Max is the interim Sheriff, and Kyle (Michael Trevino) apparently spends 24 hours a day at Deep Sky’s labs doing all sorts of research. In fact, he spends so much time there that Eduardo Valenti (David DeSantos) jokes the janitors have taken to dusting him.

Kyle and Liz team up to administer the final dose of a serum designed to stop Maria’s mental deterioration associated with her alien powers. They celebrate the moment with a group hug. Awww.

Max stops by the café to pick up Liz’s abuela’s wedding ring. What?! Yes, Max is definitely going to pop the question. However, Liz’s protective papa warns him he owns a machete and isn’t afraid to use it if Max doesn’t do right by his daughter.

As for #Malex, Michael (Michael Vlamis) and Alex (Tyler Blackburn) are also still going strong and are taking a huge step forward in their relationship when we catch up with the fan-favorite couple. Alex has cleared out his closet to make room for Michael moving in! Michael…being Michael…is worried about ruining everything and in fact when left alone he accidentally destroys a treasured model of the Roswell gazebo that Alex put together with his mom when he was a kid. Michael is nothing if not an eternal pessimist and destroying the miniature gazebo is basically part of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Isobel (Lily Cowles) has found her niche and now runs Women as Warrior, a company dedicated to female empowerment. Isobel appears to be content with her life however when her girlfriend, Anatsa, reveals she’s in love it sends Isobel spiraling. She shows up at Liz’s “Happy Hatch Day” party and gets rid of any alien evidence before Anatsa (Sibongile Mlambo), a last-minute party guest, arrives with the potato salad and questions all of the out-of-this-world references.

Before Isobel destroyed the decorations, Michael and Max were discussing Max’s plans to propose to Liz. Michael advises Max to not put Liz on the spot in front of all their friends, and Max – wisely – decides his brother’s probably right.

Max is pulled away from the Hatch Day celebration, which no longer goes by that name now that Anatsa’s around, when FBI Agent Jenna Cameron (welcome back Riley Voelkel!) rings him up for help solving a bank robbery. She’s leaning toward the perps being aliens while Max is leery of rushing to judgment. A second robbery a short while later proves Jenna’s 100% correct.

The alien robbers make themselves known during their escape, lifting a heavy truck in order to get away from Jenna and Max. It’s confirmed Max is still weak as he’s unable to keep the truck afloat with his powers.

Roswell New Mexico Season 4 Episode 1
Michael Trevino as Kyle Valenti and Lily Cowles as Isobel Evans-Bracken in ‘Roswell, New Mexico’ season 4 episode 1 (Photo: John Golden Britt © 2022 The CW Network, LLC)

Roswell’s annual Bar-Mageddon (a rocket launch/food & drink festival) finds Maria (Heather Hemmens) busy repping The Wild Pony and Isobel bending Kyle’s ear, asking for advice. She doesn’t come out and say why she needs his opinion on how to approach a difficult subject, but once he dispenses a little wisdom, she admits the question has to do with Anatsa.

Kyle’s obviously still into Isobel but she’s blind to his interest in being anything more than just a friend.

Liz has a heart-to-heart with her dad who’s serving up churros during the celebration. He recognizes the worried look on her face and she finally admits she’s still a little confused about her relationship with Max. However, she loves him more than anything.

“Then stop running from the truth. Take the time to figure out what you want – what Liz wants,” says Arturo. “I’ll support you. I know Max loves you and he will, too.”

Dallas (Quentin Plair) is now an integral part of the Scooby squad, has taken over Michael’s trailer, and is a worthy chess adversary of Maria’s. She confesses her powers are a little off right now, and Dallas thinks it’s probably just an aftereffect of her final dose.

Dallas hands Maria an umbrella although rain isn’t in the forecast. He admits he’s been feeling a weird shift in atmospheric pressure. (He’s been honing his connection to water.) Maria isn’t experiencing the same feeling and she’s had a connection to the weather since she was a child.

Later that evening Michael returns to Alex’s place and Alex is already home. Alex points out Michael left his key, and Michael admits he was only there for 12 minutes and had broken not only the disposal but also the miniature gazebo which he’s managed to put back together, good as new.

Alex continues to solidify he’s worthy of that special place in our hearts by assuring Michael he doesn’t need a pretend world now that he has a chance to build a real life with him. Damn, I love Alex so much!

Michael’s worried they’re wrong about moving forward together. “I can live without that gazebo. What I can’t live without is you,” says Alex.

Max finds alone time with Liz on the roof of the café but things don’t go as he planned. She figured out he has her abuela’s ring and isn’t sure now is the right time. Disappointed, he puts the ring back in his pocket. She admits she’s been waiting for something terrible to catch up with them again, since that’s what always happens. “How do we just drive off into the sunset, happy, when I feel like the next thing is around the corner?” asks Liz.

Max agrees and reveals he’s been holding back because he’s desperate to hold onto this moment. They realize they can figure things out together and take things one day at a time. Liz makes Max promise to ask her again and then brings a smile to his face by promising she will say yes.

“Our love will find a way – that I’m sure of. Nothing is bigger than us,” declares Liz.

At just that moment lightning lights up the night sky and thunder roars. It begins pouring down rain.

Anatsa assures Isobel she doesn’t have to say I love you back but Isobel does because she feels it. Isobel pulls away from a kiss and is about to reveal she’s an alien when Anatsa’s attention is drawn to the sky. It’s gorgeous and pulsating purple, and Anatsa whips out her camera and starts snapping photos.

Meanwhile, Kyle’s about to conduct an autopsy on Jones at Deep Sky when Eduardo shows up. Kyle was supposed to be relaxing at Bar-Mageddon but he admits he’s finding it easier to be an alien doctor right now. Suddenly, the lights go out. They look out the windows to see what appears to be meteors streaking toward earth. One crashes through the café’s sign as Max and Liz try and figure out what’s going on.

That terrible thing around the corner waiting to rip Max and Liz apart yet again turns out to be a new triad of aliens (the two bank robbers and another female who stole a Roswell Oil & Gas truck) waiting to unleash the Alighting.

New episodes of the fourth – and final – season air on Mondays at 8pm ET/PT.




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