'Roswell, New Mexico': Carina Adly Mackenzie promises 'more daring' Season 2, teases return of OG Max Evans
With Season 2 'Roswell, New Mexico' to premiere shortly on The CW, fans would be clamoring for details about the new season of the reboot featuring a diverse cast and plotlines enmeshing the country's present political situation.
Starring Jeanine Mason as Liz Ortecho, Nathan Parsons as Max Evans, Michael Vlamis as Michael Guerin, and Lily Cowles as Isobel Evans, 'Roswell, New Mexico' is the second television adaptation of the 'Roswell High' book series by Melinda Metz.
In The CW adaptation, all the characters are adults — Liz is a biomedical scientist, Max is a deputy sheriff and Michael is a drifter and mechanic. As Season 1 starts, Liz returns to Roswell, a decade after her sister, Rosa's death that led to repercussions for her and her family.
Over the season, we learn the truth behind Rosa's death, including Max's involvement. At the end of the season, Max sacrifices himself to bring Rosa back to life.
MEA WorldWide recently spoke to the showrunner of 'Roswell, New Mexico', Carina Adly Mackenzie who promises that Season 2 will be "more daring" than the previous season, adding that "we have a lot of surprises up our sleeves."
She says, "I think that people can expect our characters to be put into impossible situations and to use all of their various superpowers, whether those are actual superpowers or, you know, science or cunning wit to get out of those impossible situations."
Viewers can also expect to learn more about Liz's older (now younger) sister, Rosa. Mackenzie jokes, "Rosa is very, very mad that she missed the entire Obama administration." She said Rosa will start "to wonder if her coming back to life was even really a gift."
Mackenzie says Rosa "needs to find her way in the world and figure out how to change the legacy that she left," adding that Rosa will be struggling with her addiction issues.
Mackenzie also tells us that Season 2 will explore the stories of Michael's mother as well as Max's and Isobel's mother reaching Roswell, of them "searching for shelter and searching for refuge from a war-torn planet and arriving obviously into unfriendly an unfriendly situation when they got to Roswell."
Season 2 will also delve into the struggle immigrants face in the United States. Mackenzie says Season 2 will be telling the story of Liz's father, Arturo Ortecho facing potential deportation. She says, "Liz has to fight in the present day while also trying to keep the people that she loves alive."
The upcoming season will also dive into the struggles faced by women. For one, Isobel's trauma stemming from being violated by Noah, whom she was with for nine years will be explored. "He's the only person she's ever been in love with and so she's having a really hard time coming to terms with who he really was," says Mackenzie.
Viewers can also expect to learn more about Liz's research career. Mackenzie says, "We'll actually go back and have some flashbacks to some of the struggles that Liz has faced as a scientist in the not not not just as a woman, but as a woman of color."
One of the most exciting things fans can expect is the return of original Max Exans — Jason Behr portrayed the character in 'Roswell' from 1999 to 2002. Mackenzie teased that Behr will be in a recurring unnamed role for five episodes. She also said, "He has a massive impact on Roswell in ways that are going to be obvious right away and in some ways that will only be obvious the second time people watch the season when it goes and goes online later."
'Roswell, New Mexico' Season 2 will premiere on March 16 at 9/8c on The CW. The show will air on Monday nights.