American Woman is the tenth episode of season 2 of Roswell, New Mexico and the twenty-third episode of the series overall. It aired on May 18, 2020.
Synopsis[]
Official synopsis for American Woman from The CW:
- SECRETS OF THE PAST — After uncovering a cryptic message from the past, Alex (Tyler Blackburn), Isobel (Lily Cowles), Max (Nathan Dean), Michael (Michael Vlamis) and Maria (Heather Hemmens) set out in search of answers at the reservation where Alex’s mother grew up. Meanwhile, Cameron (guest star Riley Voelkel) encourages Liz (Jeanine Mason) to reach out to someone from her past after Arturo (guest star Carlos Compean) gets detained. Marcus Stokes directed the episode written by Rick Montano & Vincent Ingrao & Jason Gavin (#210). Original airdate 5/18/2020.
Plot summary[]
Act I[]
After discovering a picture of her mom taken years after she supposedly died, years earlier, Tripp had secretly taken a gravely wounded Louise to get medical assistance. He tells the man he took her to that she took a bullet to the spine. Tripp explains that his brother set off an ambush before he could get Nora and Louise to safety. Tripp further reveals that Louise is an alien and Harrison gets angry that he’s been drawn into this. Harrison calls her Yiiyáh, and wants Louise to leave because it’s too much trouble to protect a white woman. Tripp pleads with Harrison and explains that he’s the only person that he trusts. Tripp goes on to say that if Louise doesn’t make it, then it was all for nothing. Harrison mentions he was the one that saved Tripp back in Okinawa, and doesn’t owe him anything. However, he says that ultimately, he’s only doing this because Tripp is family and he is a damn fool. Thus, he reluctantly agrees to help Louise.
Meanwhile, in the present day Liz plays doctor with Max. He’s trying to get frisky but she thinks he hasn’t been getting enough sleep due to his heartbeat being irregular. As Liz is putting pants on, Max mentions being kind of excited to find out more about his and Isobel’s bio mom. He asks if she really can’t come with him on the road trip he is taking with his sister, but she declines. Liz mentions how she needs to take her dad in for some blood tests, but also checks in on Jenna who’s back in the hospital. Max explains that Jenna has been in pain for weeks, he’s made no progress on who took her and to make matters worse, Charlie hasn’t been in touch either. Max confides in Liz that he is still worried about all of these things being possible alien abductions. Liz doesn’t think that’s the case and uses this opportunity to tease him about. The teasing’s eventually interrupted by Isobel who’s ready to hit the road and asks if they both have pants on.
Maria, for her part, gives a presentation to the tourism board, pitching her plan to turn The Wild Pony into the Cantina Pop-Up Bar during CrashCon. The Mayor starts to object but is easily sidetracked when she offers him a morning cocktail. On her way to make it she experiences a vision of herself demanding to be let go and insisting she’s trapped.
As she’s undressing back in Michael’s RV, she tells him that the vision was actually a memory from a fight she had with her mom when she was younger. Michael, for his part, seems to think that they should get the necklace back from Rosa. He’s worried about her but she distracts him with sex, despite his protests. But before things can get hot and heavy, Isobel rushes in uninvited. Isobel takes one look at them, and says that she always thought Michael was more of a top, but seeing the two of them in the position they are in, makes a lot of sense to her.
Isobel is in a cheery mood and tells Michael to get his pants on because they’re going on a family road trip to the town in the just-discovered photo of an older Louise. Michael explains to Maria that Alex recognized a water tower in the background as being in the town where his mother grew up. He asks her to come with them, and Isobel goes on to say that if Maria is coming, she is definitely calling shotgun.
Alex runs into Forrest at the Crashdown Cafe as he’s coming in to pick up a food order that he placed. Forrest makes small talk by saying that he hopes the limp Alex is sporting isn’t from the paintball injury he sustained when they went on a date a while back. Alex laughs and says it isn’t, because those bruises have mostly healed. He tells Forrest that the reason for his limp today is that he just got a new prosthetic and it takes some time to get used to it. Alex sees Forrest writing in a book, and Forrest explains that this is where he writes his angsty emo poetry. The two chat about their inspirations and writing in general, where Alex says he’s working on some song lyrics. He confides in Forrest that it’s harder for him now than it was when he did back in high school. The two men’s conversation however, gets interrupted when Isobel and Michael scurry into the diner to round up Alex. As the three of them are about to leave, Forrest tells Alex that he will be at The Wild Pony if he makes it back in time.
Liz takes her dad for blood tests and kills two birds with one stone, visiting Jenna while at the hospital. Jenna reveals she has debilitating headaches and Liz explains Max is still stuck on the alien abduction theory. Jenna thinks it was just someone trying to get to Charlie through her; no aliens were involved. She jokes that it’s just like Max to act like a typical guy and make her abduction all about him.
As they’re talking, Liz hears ICE officers arguing with nurses. They’re apparently rounding up anyone who could be from Mexico and before Liz can get her dad out of the waiting room, an ICE officer asks for their ID.
Act II[]
Liz whips out all the paperwork she has, explaining she’s his sponsor. They take him away, despite Liz explaining he’s a diabetic. She warns the cops ACLU will be all over them, but her dad convinces her to let them go peacefully. He reminds her she needs to take care of her sister.
Liz is in tears when they won’t even allow her to give him his jacket.
As it turns out, packing Isobel, Maria, Michael, Max, and Alex into one car wasn’t a great idea. Isobel and Maria are still bickering as they arrive on the reservation and continuously getting on each other’s nerves throughout the ride.
When they eventually arrive, they are greeted by Gregory Manes, Alex’s brother at the Burnt Wells Trading Post. Maria and Alex break off to give Max, Isobel, and Michael time with Gregory.
Back in the hospital, Liz tries to reach Max but the cell service on the reservation sucks. Jenna uses her contacts to learn there’s only one detention center in the county. Liz is upset as she reveals her dad doesn’t have any friends or family in Mexico. Jenna tries to calm her down, but Liz explains that as kids she and Rosa had to memorize an escape plan in case their parents were deported and they got separated into foster care. She’s been worried about this day for years and blames herself for not watching out for his health more closely.
“I should have made him move to California. I thought we were safe being outside the 100-mile zone but after this election, I should have known better,” says a devastated Liz.
Jenna continues to try and get Liz to calm down and think straight. Liz doesn’t really have anyone she can call in power that could help, so Jenna volunteers to go with her to the detention center. Liz doesn’t want her to since she’s in pain, but Jenna won’t take no for an answer.
After Jenna leaves to get dressed, Liz calls someone and asks them for help.
Back at the reservation, Gregory brings them to Louise’s grave which has a marker: “Louise Truman – June 14, 1997”.
The grave is covered in flowers and Gregory explains they grow unattended all year. He thinks it’s because she was a healer.
Michael spots another grave nearby and a flashback shows Louise was in fact pregnant with Bronson’s child. Gregory mentions that Louise came in gravely injured and unfortunately, the baby didn’t survive.
Michael notices the rare flower he needs to create another necklace for Maria and secretly slips it in his pocket.
Alex and Maria talk while they look through the store, and she confesses she had another vision that morning. She thinks maybe she should wear the necklace and just be a normal barkeeper and social media guru. Alex wonders why she agreed to tag along on this road trip and she reveals that the back of her grandmother’s necklace is stamped with the word “Tsela” and she thought it might have been made here. Unfortunately, no one there recognizes that name, and all she wants is answers.
Meanwhile, Isobel, Max, and Michael discuss their parents. Isobel wonders if the baby died from Louise’s injuries or if it never would have survived even if Louise was healthy. She then confesses she was pregnant while Max was dead. She confirms she’s not anymore and now she thinks that might have been her only chance to have a child. She thinks humans and aliens can’t have babies because they’re different species.
Max gets upset, realizing Isobel almost died during the abortion. He walks off needing time to think and completely misses Michael volunteering to donate his alien sperm or as she puts it his “alien baby gravy” via a turkey baster if Isobel really wants to be a mom. Michael tries to make light of his offer, but Isobel’s touched. She eventually tells him that Michael would be an incredible father. She then holds his face and asks him if she has told Michael lately that she loves him.
Act III[]
Liz arrives at the detention center and attempts to hand over Arturo’s medication to the officer on duty. That woman isn’t helpful and Liz asks about people who have died in their custody. She’s enraged and asks the officer who took her dad if she can see his supervisor. He claims the memo she’s referencing about not picking up people inside of a hospital isn’t a law – it’s just a memo.
The officer threatens to arrest Liz for obstruction just as Jenna walks up and introduces herself as Deputy Jenna Cameron. She asks him to check the system for Arturo because they have an urgent health concern. He agrees to do it for her but not for Liz.
Back on the reservation, Gregory explains to the gang that Harrison was the only person Louise ever spoke to here. Harrison’s in a bed hooked up to machines and doesn’t have much time left. Gregory reveals Harrison was a Code breaker and that’s how he met Tripp in WWII. He’s non-verbal at this point and Michael asks Gregory to take him back to the Trading Post to check on Alex and Maria. Gregory jokes as they leave, and asks Michael which one is it: Alex or Maria.
Max and Isobel hold hands and then Isobel places her hand on Harrison’s. They step into his mind and the Harrison they see is the young and healthy version. He says he learned from Louise how to take his mind to a better place without pain. He’s happy to tell them about her.
Jenna informs Liz her dad’s green card application was denied because Liz has a misdemeanor vandalism charge on her record. As a result, Liz can’t be her dad’s sponsor.
Liz remains angry as she addresses the officers, insisting they’d be willing to talk to her if she was blonde like her friend. Jenna is forced to sit down; her headache is killing her. Before they leave to take Jenna back to the hospital, the officer informs them that Arturo’s going to the El Paso detention center for his deportation hearing. She can see him there on Tuesday.
Back with Max and Isobel, Harrison reveals he and Tripp had planned to smuggle Louise and Nora to the reservation. Unfortunately, that didn’t work and the plan fell apart. Harrison allows them to see his conversation with Tripp after Louise had healed. Harrison mentions that Tripp had changed, and Tripp says he simply saw what happens when good men fall in line with bad orders. They see Louise in a wheelchair cradling a baby and asking if they found a home for her. An incredulous Isobel tells Max that it looks like their sister survived after all.
Act IV[]
Louise wants Tripp to find her baby a house filled with music. Tripp tries to convince Louise she should raise the child, but Louise is adamant the devil is coming for her and she won’t be able to fight for her child. She can barely move.
Isobel and Max wonder who “the devil” is.
Louise wants her daughter to be like Roy Bronson, a person who met hatred with compassion.
That part of the vision ends and Max wants Harrison to tell him where they took his sister. Harrison shocks the two Evan siblings, when he says that Louise only had two daughters who she called her stars on the ground. She didn’t have any sons.
“You aren’t hers. You came from something else,” explains Harrison, beginning to cough. Isobel tries to get Max to calm down because his anger is agitating Harrison. Isobel thinks they need to leave but Harrison stops her. He reveals Louise lived for decades trapped inside a body she couldn't dance in and just waiting for a sign that Isobel would be all right.
Harrison’s last words before they pop out of his mind are “She loved you” but it’s directed only at Isobel.
Jenna’s back at the hospital and Liz is there when she wakes up. Liz believes Jenna is having spinal headaches due to a hole torn in her spine. Liz asks for permission to look at Jenna’s test, which she grants, but Jenna thinks Liz has enough on her plate with her dad. Liz thinks it’ll be a good distraction for her since she can’t head to El Paso yet anyway. She thanks Jenna for being there for her, and using her privilege as a white woman to help her out.
At the reservation, Max rushes out from Harrison’s room and Isobel quickly follows. She reminds him he’s always been the leader of the threesome and he’s the healer and the chosen one. He corrects her and says he might have been that before he died. He’s always felt connected because he was her twin but now he questions that and thinks he’s a freak. He then admits he can’t stop thinking about the memory he has of someone chaining him up.
“It didn’t feel like someone bad chained me up. It felt like I was the someone bad,” he confesses.
When Isobel tries to convince him he’s not bad, he reveals saving people is painful but killing Noah felt good. He admits he wishes he could kill Noah again a thousand times more. He wonders if that something evil chasing Louise and Nora was him.
Isobel’s certain he’s wrong. She points out the hand on Nora’s shoulder in the photo in the old newspaper. She recognizes the look on Nora’s face and says that any woman would see it as being uncomfortable to be touched by that person. Isobel thinks whoever that was might be the evil person that was after them. It has nothing to do with Max and she wants to learn exactly who it was.
Act V[]
Alex thanks his brother and congratulates him on getting out from under their dad’s thumb. Gregory admits he wishes he would have stood up for Alex more and really wants his brother to also escape their dad’s clutches. Alex asks Gregory if he feels free yet, but his older brother answers that he doesn’t think he can be free until Alex is. Alex explains that because of their father’s injury, he seems to have changed. Gregory tells his younger brother that if he can forgive their father, he should cast off the stone. But to let Alex hate their dad for him. Gregory believes he owes his brother that much.
They hug and Alex has tears in his eyes as they embrace after Alex says the drive from Roswell to the reservation isn’t too bad.
Liz finally makes it back to the Crashdown Café after a long day and is shocked to see her dad is there. They hug and she’s happy but confused. She’s about to ask what happened when she sees Diego and he takes the credit.
Max and Isobel meet back up with Maria, Michael, and Alex at the store. They don’t explain what happened but do confirm they found some answers. Maria says she never found anything else with Tsela on it and Isobel looks confused by that name. Alex walks up and reveals it means “star on the ground” in Navajo.
Isobel asks what year her grandmother was born and Maria thinks it was in 1948. A flashback shows Louise holding the necklace and then placing it in the baby’s blanket. Maria then confirms her grandmother was adopted.
“Your grandmother was my sister,” says Isobel.
Michael places his arm around a stunned Maria’s shoulders and says, “That actually explains a lot.”
Act VI[]
Back at the café, Liz and Diego sit down for a chat. Liz explains she wouldn’t have contacted him if it wasn’t an emergency and asks that he thank his mom – the senator – for her. Diego admits his mom’s always liked her and Liz says the feeling’s mutual. He advises Liz that their trouble isn’t over and offers to find her a lawyer.
Liz can’t believe after the way she left him that he even listened to her voice mail. He explains he was at the Phoenix airport when she called and he quickly rerouted to Roswell. When she asks how he’s been, he teases that his fiancé left him. Liz smiles and touches his hand as he laughs. He then reveals he’s seeing someone and it’s serious. Liz is happy for him and says she’s also serious about someone. Diego hopes they can be friends.
Diego and Liz’s friendly chat is broken up when Max rushes in. Liz greets him with a hug and assures him her dad’s okay and is back home. Liz introduces him to Diego and they shake hands.
Alex shows up at Michael’s hidden lair and asks if he’s still got the piece of alien console he gave him. Michael jokes that he sold it on eBay before fetching it. Alex shows him the note his dad got from Tripp before he died. That note has a drawing of the console piece and Alex wants to give the piece to his dad, hoping his dad will lead them to whatever it is the piece goes to.
Michael can’t believe Alex wants to give his dad, an alien hunter, a piece of alien technology. Alex reminds him he’s been protecting them and is asking Michael to trust him – not his dad. Michael thinks Alex is being stupid and that there’s nothing good in his dad. They get into an argument about feelings and how Michael misses his injury because he wants to be hurt because it makes him feel safe. Alex confirms he’ll always hate his father but he needs to think people can turn their lives around and become good.
Alex takes the piece and promises he’ll keep it safe. Michael doesn’t want him to leave with it but doesn’t fight him over it. Alex climbs out of Michael’s workshop and as he’s walking to his car he’s hit over the head and knocked out. The note with the alien symbol blows away.
It’s late as Liz and Max finally get some time alone together. Liz explains why her family fled Ciudad Juárez, Mexico to come to America, and she recognizes that he must think about why his parents came to Earth. Max admits he knows very little about his own story and even what he thought he knew probably isn’t right. Liz reveals when she found out Rosa was her half-sister it didn’t change their sibling bond. Max says it’s different for him since there are only three of his type on this whole planet. If he loses that connection, then he’s absolutely alone.
That leads into how Liz turned to Diego because Max wasn’t there. Max feels jealous about what Diego was able to do but then just as quickly as the disagreement sprang up it subsides. Max only wishes Diego wasn’t so good looking – “he’s like if someone mixed a cologne ad with a Kennedy.” Liz makes some of that jealousy fade away when she assures Max he’s better in bed.
“Coming home to you at the end of my worst days…and my best days…is the only rescue I need,” Liz says to Max.
Back at The Wild Pony, Isobel and Maria look at Louise’s photo. Isobel thinks she must have been incredibly strong. She was paralyzed and alone for 50 years and still helped the Navajos. Maria and Isobel are connecting but when they hold hands, they both immediately agree that’s just too weird. Isobel jokes they’ve been suffering from a nasty case of sibling rivalry.
Michael interrupts and wants alone time with Maria, and Isobel teases about their twisted family tree and him being with her great-great-grandniece. When she takes off, Michael hands Maria a bracelet. He made the beads with pollen from the alien flower. She can wear it if she wants to but it’s completely up to her. She immediately puts it on with his assistance and Michael’s shocked.
They kiss.
Back in his house, Max is up drinking alone after Liz heads to bed.
It’s 4AM when Diego calls Liz with urgent news. During their talk at the cafe, she had asked if he knew anything about butyricol. He didn’t but since then he’s discovered it’s a memory eraser developed by a private organization purchased by the military for weaponization. He also learned there’s no approved application outside of violent combat.
Liz calls Alex who is still unconscious and has been placed in the back of a car. Someone picks up his ringing cell phone.
Max has another vision of himself as a child chained to the floor. This time the vision includes Louise. She smiles at him and then slices his chain with an alien blade, setting him free. She holds out her hand to help him up and smiles but she’s stopped by another figure in a hooded outfit who fights her using a matching blade. The younger Max puts his hands over his eyes as they fight.
Max comes out of the vision extremely agitated.
Cast and characters[]
Starring:
- Jeanine Mason as Liz Ortecho
- Nathan Dean as Max Evans
- Michael Vlamis as Michael Guerin
- Lily Cowles as Isobel Evans-Bracken
- Tyler Blackburn as Alex Manes
- Heather Hemmens as Maria DeLuca
- Michael Trevino as Kyle Valenti (credit only)
- Trevor St. John as Jesse Manes (credit only)
- Amber Midthunder as Rosa Ortecho (credit only)
Guest-starring:
- Riley Voelkel as Jenna Cameron
- Carlos Compean as Arturo Ortecho
- Christian Antidormi as Forrest
- Jason Behr as Tripp Manes
- Cleo Anthony as Diego
- Tanner Novlan as Gregory Manes
- Cassandra Jean Amell as Louise Truman
- Glenn Stanton as Harrison
- Marcel Nahapetian as Young Max
Co-starring:
- Annacheska Brown as Nurse Kate
- Staci Robbins as Nadine
- Greg Lutz as Mayor Bernhardt
- Dawn Lura Ferguson as Doli
- Morse Bicknell as Agent Chad
- Lauren Letherer as Doctor Griffin
- Marky Evans as Miguel
Additional:
- Gaius Charles as Roy Bronson (flashback)
- Patricia DeLuca (infant)
Powers[]
Music[]
- On May 18, 2020, Chris Mollere, the show's music supervisor tweeted out the list of songs used in this episode:[1]
| Song | Performer | Scene |
|---|---|---|
| "Worry No More"" | Shelly Fairchild | Liz listens to Max's heart and takes his temperature. |
| "Just You And I" | Powerslide | Isobel says the rules are made up. Alex walks into the Crashdown. |
| "Against The Tide" | Will Fox | Maria and Isobel talk about Louise at the Wild Pony. |
| "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" | Tommee Profitt feat. Sam Tinnesz | Michael and Maria kiss. Max drinks the vial. Diego calls Liz. Alex's attacker turns off Alex's phone. Max has another memory. |
Trivia[]
- On November 22, 2019, Carina Adly MacKenzie revealed that the title for the 10th episode is: American Woman.[2]
- Production code is: T48.10210.
- The episode is named after the song American Woman by Lenny Kravitz, which was released in 1998.
- MacKenzie had to fight to keep the line from Isobel about thinking Michael was a top.[3]
- MacKenzie and writer Rick Montano confirmed that the "Agent Chad" in this episode is not the same Chad that Maria mentioned to have previously been dating.[4][5]
- On May 12, 2020, Carina responded to a tweet asking if they are allowed to take lines from the OG Roswell TV series, and Carina mentioned that they actually took a line from it to use in this episode. [6]
- The line is likely the one where Tripp tells Harrison that Nora and Louise aren’t from around here, that they are from up north, is a reference to the usual explanation The Pod Squad from the Roswell gave throughout its three seasons.
- Carina Adly MacKenzie stated that "a few scenes from 210 were cut because I wasn’t on set that day and somehow communication fell apart and it didn’t work", which she would have liked to include.[7]
Quotes[]
Gallery[]
Promotional Images[]
BTS Images[]
![Maria, Michael, and Alex from a cut scene[8]](/wiki/File:RNM_2.10_cut_scene_Maria_Michael_Alex.png "RNM 2.10 cut scene Maria Michael Alex.png (352 KB)")
Videos[]
[]
External links[]
American Woman on the Internet Movie Database
References[]
- ↑ Tweet from Chris Mollere Roswell, New Mexico - 210 - Songs In Episode. May 18, 2020.
- ↑ Carina Adly MacKenzie Nov. 22, 2019 post (@cadlymack) - Instagram
- ↑ Carina Adly MacKenzie on Twitter: All scripted. (I thought legal was gonna shut me down hard on this episode, but the only line they fought me on was Isobel saying she thought Michael was a top.) May 18, 2020.
- ↑ Carina Adly MacKenzie on Twitter: No. Different Chads. All Chads Chad. May 18, 2020.
- ↑ Rick Montano responded to a fan question with a gif of Liz saying "All the Chads end up being Chads." May 18, 2020.
- ↑ Carina Adly Mackenzie on Twitter:We stole a line for next week's episode. May 12, 2020
- ↑ Tweet: Yes. 2 full scenes were shot for 203 that were cut, and a few scenes from 210 were cut because I wasn’t on set that day and somehow communication fell apart and it didn’t work, and a great scene from the finale that I’m trying to fit into ep 301. May 24, 2020.
- ↑ Tweet from showrunner Carina Adly MacKenzie about the scene being cut: Literally just everyone checking their phones when they got back into a service zone, and Max telling Isobel to step on the gas. May 18, 2020.