The TELEVISION is full of revivals and reboots, and there are many more to come. Too often, however, these programs fail in the search of a way to stand on their own two feet, and this seems to affect the dramas, even more than the comedies. Unexpectedly, it is The CW’s sci-fi, drama Roswell, New Mexico that provides a model for how the restarts can be at its best.
Where far too many restarts to justify his existence with nostalgia (or, cynically, a desire to take advantage of the name recognition), Roswell, New Mexico you have a real reason to exist. The original Roswell using their alien characters as a metaphor for teenagers feeling like they don’t fit, but the word “alien” has a totally different connotation in 2020 in the united states, and this Roswell it supports that whole-heartedly.
Its protagonist, Liz (Jeanine Mason), is Latin, the daughter of an undocumented immigrant in a small community with a lot of subtle and not-so-subtle intolerance. There is a constant tension between their experiences and the experiences of the “real” foreigners — all of which seem to be the target of human beings. Is the science-fiction/drama mirror One Day at a Time (without a doubt the best comedy of the restart, and no doubt other shows should learn), and not just because both shows are Latinx-led: it’s because they both understand how to take the themes of an existing property and upgrade thoughtfully and with a focus on the character, not the heavy-the use of the hands.
It is the sparkling, electric, chemistry between Vlamis and Blackburn that unexpectedly high in the history of the pantheon of truly iconic-TV relationships.
Roswell, New Mexico‘s another secret of the sauce? Lucking into a signature of the “send” all your own. Liz and her broody foreign beau Max (Nathan Parsons) are still the heart romantic of the show, but the show’s signature relationship is a unique creation for this version: a bisexual alien mechanical Michael (Michael Vlamis) and Alex (Tyler Blackburn), a half-Native American Air Force captain who lost part of his leg in combat. The writing of his epic, decade-spanning love story immediately won fans, but it is the sparkling, electric, chemistry between Vlamis and Blackburn that unexpectedly high in the history of the pantheon of truly iconic-TV relationships. It was, perhaps, a risk, given how beloved the original version of Michael/Maria pairing, but that has shown these risks pay off and that restarts the benefit of not imitating their predecessors or take new routes to the same end.
That’s not to say that it is perfect, of course. Roswell has a knack for intriguing secondary characters, but with 13 episodes of the seasons, it is inevitable that there is a bit of a disappointment, since they do not have the screen time and development than we would like. The second season has been given much more screen time to Mary (Heather Hemmens), but has also attempted an ill-advised love-triangle plot that distract you from your journey of self-discovery and became the sizzle of the energy between Michael and Alex in a tiring cycle of “it is finished” statements. Still, it’s a smart and witty show whose best moments are truly great, and, what is more important, in truth your own. Other restarts should take notes.
