The Bittersweet Roswell, New Mexico Finale Leaves Fans With Hope

This article contains spoilers of the Roswell, New Mexico series finale.

Saying goodbye to a comfort show is never easy, but the series finale of Roswell, New Mexico does its best to give viewers hope one last time as we see the show’s main LGBTQ+ couple actually get their happy ending.

After seasons of overcoming their own hardships and obstacles keeping them apart, we see Alex (Tyler Blackburn) and Michael (Michael Vlamis) get married. It is bound to fill every viewer with happiness as we watch these two men get ready for this life changing step, especially Sanders’ visit to a nervous Michael. It’s a reminder that family does not always have to be blood, for both of them, as they start their own together. 

Watching the actual wedding ceremony with the perfect song in the background (“I’ll Be”) after Michael’s adorable speech to the man he loves is emotional to say the least. Seeing so much joy for all of these characters makes the journey we’ve been on, including all of the ups and downs, worth it. There’s a sense of “we finally made it” in the air for everyone, including us as viewers and fans. While some might be sad we didn’t get to hear their vows of commitment to each other, the more moving moment comes after as the couple is slow dancing and Alex says he’s going to take his husband’s last name. 

Between that and the “I married my high school sweetheart” comment from Michael, it’s a reminder of how far they truly have come as individuals and together. Alex has struggled with being a “Manes Man” and facing his family’s dark legacy since the very beginning, so him taking Guerin as a last name is his way of finally freeing himself and letting go of that pressure as they start their life. Their children will never have to face the same struggles that their fathers did growing up, and won’t have to bear the weight of the Manes name. 

Their final scene is a beautiful one, watching the two newlyweds hold hands before they drive off in their “just married” truck. Alex and Michael are getting out of there, even if we don’t know for how long or if they’re ever coming back to Roswell. All that really matters is that they will have each other as they build a home together. 

Since the finale is only the length of a regular episode, we don’t get as much time as we should with Kyle (Michael Trevino) and Isobel (Lily Cowles), but after last episode’s big kiss and their one-on-one scene together, we can officially say they’re “endgame.” The dialogue between the two is short and sweet, simply promising to audiences that this is only the beginning for the couple. They have finally acknowledged that what they want is each other. It’s just a shame we can’t see what this next chapter in their relationship looks like because watching it slowly build these past few seasons has been priceless.

Even though Liz (Jeanine Mason) and Max (Nathan Parsons) do get engaged by the end of the episode, after another failed proposal attempt from Liz this time, it’s impossible not to feel heartbroken at how everything unfolds. One has to wonder, would Max still have gone back to Oasis if the writers knew this was the end of the story? Would Liz have gone with him rather than staying behind in Roswell? It feels so bittersweet, watching as these two characters that we’ve rooted for since the beginning say goodbye the same way we are being forced to. However, the decision isn’t out of character for either of them, saving his home planet is Max’s destiny and denying it would go against who he is.  

To end the show with these two makes sense and their last look to each other is a breathtaking shot. There’s so many beautiful sentiments in their conversation as Max slips the ring on her finger and Liz shares her realization that love is just a “constant state of breaking and remaking.” Their relationship has evolved enough throughout the series that their love will survive the distance across the universe He is going to come back and marry her. So even if we don’t get to see it on screen, we know they will reunite and start a life together eventually. 

Couples aside, the hardest part of this series finale might be having to watch the Pod Squad’s goodbye. Max giving Michael his typewriter as a wedding gift then telling him that his destiny is with Alex is the perfect way to assure Michael that he needs to put himself first this time and allow himself to accept that he is finally home instead of chasing more answers. It’s no secret Max has always been known as the protector of those he loves, especially his siblings, so watching him pass his Sheriff badge to Isobel is brutal. A future where the three of them are separated for any amount of time is devastating to think about. 

The only problem is that after you finish the episode, you’re left wanting more of the story. You want to see these characters in the next stage of their lives. You want to see Michael and Alex as fathers in a dad band. You want to see Max return to Liz so they can get married. You want to see what’s next for Kyle and Isobel now that they’ve given in after so much pining. It hurts to lose a show like this, one that is a real celebration of love and inclusive to all. 

But if this is how it has to end, I’m glad it was with Michael and Alex getting their well deserved moment considering queer characters and relationships so often get sidelined in television shows. Dedicating half of the episode to the individual characters as well as their relationship rather than the season’s plot was a smart decision, ensuring that fans as much closure as possible given the unfortunate circumstances. One can only hope that one day, we can get a movie or some sort of special to see where these characters are in the future.