Give Me One Reason is the second episode of season 3 of Roswell, New Mexico and the eighth episode of the series overall. It premiered on August 2, 2021.
Synopsis
Official synopsis for Give Me One Reason from The CW:[1]
SEEKING – Jones (Nathan Dean) fills Michael (Michael Vlamis) and Isobel (Lily Cowles) in on bits from the past as they look for a way to save Max's (Nathan Dean) life. Meanwhile, Maria (Heather Hemmens) goes to extremes to try and stop a murder, and in order to move forward in her research, Liz (Jeanine Mason) will have to face her past. Also staring, Michael Trevino and Amber Midthunder, the episode was directed by Lance Anderson and written by Eva McKenna & Deirdre Mangan (302). Original airdate 8/2/2021.
Plot summary
Isobel and Michael argue over how to get info out of Jones. Isobel suggests water while Michael believes their problem can be solved with a show of firepower. Isobel disarms her brother and reminds him they can’t kill an alien who claims to come in peace. “It’s too ironic,” says Isobel, absolutely nailing the situation.
Michael reminds her Jones deserved to die in the ‘40s but Isobel points out their mothers didn’t kill him; they stuck him in a pod. She wants to learn everything she can before they decide what to do. Michael doesn’t pull any punches and believes setting Jones free is basically unleashing Noah Part 2.
They finally agree to get as much as they can from Jones, aware Max’s life hangs in the balance.
Jones reveals their planet was known as the Oasis and had a “bit more of a twinkle” in its eye than Earth. The political climate shifted and forced some to hide out from the dictator. He explains their mothers – the engineer and the empath – chose to hide underground. After trying to form a resistance but failing to topple the dictator, they figured out how to build a ship and flee to another world.
Jones claims he was a prisoner of the dictator, but also his secret weapon. He was seven when he realized he could resurrect living things. The dictator forced him to use his healing powers which drained him – just like it does Max. When he refused, the dictator tortured his parents and eventually killed them.
Jones hated being used as a pawn in someone else’s war but then he finally found someone he wanted to save which was Max. He claims he wasn’t even supposed to be on the ship but was trying to rescue Max and keep him from being forced to use his powers. Jones also believes the humans would have killed them all when they landed if he hadn’t started the fire, dropping the bombshell that it was their mothers who chained up Max when he was a child, not the dictator.
Jones also recalls a tale a preacher told him after they landed here about a great flood that destroyed this planet. He says their home planet had something similar happen, but it was a fire rather than a flood. “And through the devastation walked the one who would become the dictator,” recites Jones.
The dictator had powers unlike any others, and everyone believed he was immortal. Jones claims he and Max were basically just ammunition caught in a war zone. Jones would do anything he could to protect Max.
Isobel and Michael step outside the cave to discuss what they’ve learned. Michael doesn’t want to believe Jones’ story and refuses to accept their mothers made Max. Michael’s sure Jones is lying but Isobel knows no one lies about everything. Some parts of his story must be close to the truth.
After a short tantrum, Michael agrees Isobel could be right. However, he can’t listen to any more of Jones’ story today.
Michael’s done but Isobel’s not. She rejoins Jones who admits he knew Max was sick the moment he touched him. Isobel asks if Jones can heal Max, and Jones claims he’s not sure. Isobel’s next question gets a better answer. She asks if he wants to heal Max and Jones replies, “I traveled across the galaxy to save that kid.” Jones thinks saving Max will help absolve him of the harm he’s done in the past.
Before Isobel leaves, Jones tells her mother was incredibly strong and decent. He’s fine with whatever decision Isobel makes about his life because he believes she’s just like her mother. She’ll do what’s right.
Isobel rushes out of the cave and is overcome with emotion.
Meanwhile, Max wakes up alone in bed. Anatsa woke up first and has been reading his manuscript. Surprisingly, Max isn’t upset. She confesses she was hooked three sentences in. After thanking him for sex, she takes off while all Max can do is chuckle.
In her house in LA Liz wakes to find a shirtless Heath whipping up eggs in her kitchen. They have a slightly uncomfortable conversation about the previous night before going to work.
A short while later at work, Liz is absorbed in her research and dismissive of Heath. She refuses to say anything about the project she’s working on and Heath wonders if her attitude has anything to do with spending the night together. Heath figures out she’s trying to replicate something from her research in Roswell and since she doesn’t have the usable samples she needs, he suggests she should go home and get them. He promises to take care of things in the lab if she wants to go back to Roswell for a few days.
Liz admits being able to get the unusual DNA she had would speed up their research but that research was destroyed. She can’t go home; there’s nothing left for her there. Liz becomes upset because what she’s got in LA isn’t getting her anywhere.
Heath compares her need for the abnormal DNA to a rum maker’s need for a specific extinct tree used in its barrels. They were ultimately able to use extinct germinated bacteria to make the barrels so maybe nothing is lost forever in Roswell.
Liz thanks Heath’s brilliance with a kiss and promises of a date on a upcoming Friday Night. Meanwhile Rosa takes Wyatt to Kyle who diagnoses him with retrograde amnesia. Kyle suggests Wyatt should get back to his normal life, but Wyatt’s not sure what that means with Kyle crossly telling him he find his crowd again soon enough. After Wyatt leaves Kyle confirms to Rosa it’s possible he won’t ever get his memories back. The dose Rosa injected was 100x what her mom gave to Jenna and reassures her she shouldn't feel bad about protecting herself against Long an violent racist.
Alex's working in a booth at the café when someone in an alien costume walks by and knocks over his water. They quickly exit the café before Alex notices they’ve left a calling card that reads: “You have questions. The answers lie right here. Longitude: 84. 187546 Latitude: 44.954719”
Alex puts on his uniform and heads over to the location. He discovers he’s not the only one there and takes a seat opposite an Air Force colonel named Ramos Within minutes of his arrival, Alex and Ramos find themselves trapped in a room that’s being drained of oxygen.
They tear up the room as the oxygen is sucked out. Suddenly, it dawns on Alex that Ramos isn’t who he appears to be. Alex connects the dots and figures out Ramos is in on it. His service badge has too many stars and Alex realizes it’s fake.
Ramos uses a remote control to turn the lights and air back on. It also opens the door to the rest of the Deep Sky facility. Eduardo Ramos officially introduces himself as Alex’s boss and shows off the Lockhart machine. They’ve been studying it for 50 years and aren’t any closer to understanding what it does. “Every 47 days at 11:11pm it turns on for precisely one minute,” explains Ramos. The last time was 46 days ago.
The Lockhart machine will be Alex’s project as Ramos hands him a ring and welcomes him to Deep Sky.
Kyle’s mom pays him a visit before leaving town for good. She drops off an old radio of his father’s and reminds him he doesn’t owe this town anything. She believes Roswell’s changed and the Valentis have given everything they have to give.
Their goodbye chat is cut short when Kyle receives a text from Maria. He joins Max at the bar and learns Maria was attacked and had another vision. She puts Kyle off when he says they need to get her brain scanned and instead wants to talk about her vision. She’s sure someone is about to be murdered.
Maria describes the vision and Max is confused. They all assumed it was Max’s funeral but he’s alive and well in her vision. Maria wants to force another vision to get more info, but Kyle insists she needs to stop injuring her brain. Max agrees and reluctantly Maria says she’ll go to the hospital but first she wants to stop at the café to check on another part of her vision.
She asks them to meet her on the café’s roof and they quickly regret doing so. Maria’s determined to trigger another vision and knows she can do it by being afraid for her life by jumping off the roof. Kyle’s worried Max’s heart is too weak to allow him to use his powers to catch her, but Maria refuses to listen. She leaps off the ledge and, fortunately, Michael’s there to stop her fall in mid-air.
Rather than be thankful, she’s pissed Michael interfered. She needed to be scared to induce another vision but Michael saved her. She points out his abilities are the only ones that don’t have limits, something Michael appears to have never considered before. Maria says if she has to scare herself to find out who’s getting murdered, she will. She can’t just sit by on a barstool like Michael does.
Later, Michael and Max have a heart-to-heart and Michael finally asks for more info on Jones and their home planet. He realizes time’s running out and needs answers now. In a nice bro bonding moment, they both admit to being scared and stupid. Max reveals that the night they found Jones it sparked a memory of when he was younger and chained up. He always thought Louise was trying to break the chain and set him free, but he’s not sure. Either Nora and Louise were trying to save him or they were trying to stop Jones from taking him away. Max remembers running to Jones and that Jones felt safe.
Max confesses he didn’t tell Michael this earlier because he didn’t want to ruin any memories he had of his mom. Max needs to know why he’s a clone and why someone made him, and he thinks Jones has all the answers. (Max is still unaware Michael has completed the cage and he and Isobel have been speaking with Jones.) Max doesn’t want to die before getting the answers he needs.
The streets are empty and Rosa’s alone spray-painting a rose on the side of the café when Wyatt shows up unexpectedly to thank her. They briefly discuss his racist family as he delivers a gift of art supplies.
Michael’s alone sitting at a campfire drinking a beer when he recalls Jones saying the dictator had extraordinary abilities. Flames couldn’t touch him and, apparently, they also can’t touch Michael, something he learns by sticking his hand into the campfire.
Max shocks Anatsa by showing up in uniform at the café where’s she’s busy jotting down notes. She had no idea he’s a cop and reveals she’s actually a reporter investigating racism and the new sheriff’s questionable record.
Kyle, reluctantly, agrees to Isobel and Maria’s plan of forcing a vision with an injection of adrenaline.
Michael returns to the cave to confront Jones, demanding to know why the dictator helped his mom. Michael believes he’s the dictator’s son and Jones confirms Michael is his heir.
Max steps outside just as a taxi arrives with Liz. They stare at each other and are rendered momentarily speechless.
Cast and characters
Starring:
Guest-starring:
- Steven Krueger as Heath
- Rosa Arredondo as Michelle Valenti
- Dylan McTee as Wyatt Long
- Sibongile Mlambo as Anatsa
- David DeSantos as Eduardo Ramos
- Kayla Ewell as Nora Truman
- Marcel Nahapetian as Young Jones / Young Max
Mentioned:
- The Dictator
- Louise Truman
Powers
Telekinesis : Michael use his telekinesis abilities.
Trivia
- The title for the episode was revealed on October 5, 2021 when the writers room Twitter account posted an image of the script's title page.[2]
- The episode is named after the song "Give Me One Reason" performed by Tracy Chapman, released in 1995.
Quotes
Michael: Noah was bad. Jones is worse. For once, we have the upper-hand. So let's go find out where we came from and save Max's stupid life again.
Isobel: We are in literal alien territory right now, Michael. We need to keep our guards up. Let him reveal his strategy and then use it against him. Checkmate.
Ramos:Welcome to Deep Sky, Alex.
Gallery
Promotional stills
Behind the scenes images
Videos
External links
Give Me One Reason on the Internet Movie Database
References
- ↑ Futon Critic: Give Me One Reason
- ↑ Roswell New Mexico Writers, Twitter post: October 5, 2020.