The relationship between Michael Guerin and Alex Manes is an on-again off-again romance on The CW sci-fi series Roswell, New Mexico. The characters are portrayed by Michael Vlamis and Tyler Blackburn.
Overview[]
Michael and Alex enjoy a close, complex relationship, given the two are both at different points in their lives. Their connection is strained by Alex's knowledge that Michael is an alien, and Alex's families history and treatment towards Aliens. Despite this, Alex stands up for Michael at every opportunity.
The relationship is strained further due to Michael's connection with Maria DeLuca and, when Alex ends the relationship with Michael, the latter begins a relationship with Maria. Which ended in season 2 final. After Michael and Alex find their way back together in season 3.
Michael and Alex are now together and married. Alex changed his last name to Guerin
History[]
The relationship between Michael and Alex has a complicated history. The two were both initially afraid to recognise their connection, with Alex refusing to accept his sexuality. Nevertheless, when Alex became aware that Michael was sleeping rough, he alerted him to a cabin close to his house that Michael could sleep in. The two later sleep together.
The morning after, Alex's father, Jesse Manes, catches the two together and attacks Alex. Michael tries to protect him, and Jesse attacks Michael with a hammer, shattering the bones in his left hand.[1] This event happened on the same night that Rosa Ortecho died, an event which Michael and Max helped to cover up, thinking that Isobel was to blame. The two events caused considerable strain on Michael, prompting him to get into fights and have trouble with the law. Alex found this difficult to cope with, and eventually left Michael because of it, leaving Roswell to join the Air Force while Michael was in jail.
Plot[]
Season 1
Pilot
The reunion between Michael and Alex is awkward following Alex's return to Roswell. The two talk, and Michael alerts Alex that he needs to relocate his trailer as the US Army has taken ownership of the land. Whilst Michael isn't pleased, the two joke about the situation. Michael tries to flirt with Alex, but the latter rebukes him, citing that they cannot go down the same path as last time.[2] Later on that evening at the highschool reunion we see Alex and Michael in a heatful conversation. At the end of the episode we see the two hooking up somewhere in a private room.2.
So much for the afterglow
Alex comes to Michaels carvan to talk about what happened at the reunion, Alex has mixed feelings which leads to a heated conversation between the pair. Here is an important dialogue exchange which sets the scene for a lot of future moments between the pair, afterwards the two hook up in Michaels carvan:
Alex: ''Yeah, it’s clear in the way you look at me, and that’s a problem for me, Guerin. Because every time you look at me, I’m 17 again; I forget that the last 10 years even happened. And then you look away and I remember all over again and it almost kills me. Every time."
Michael: "But i never look away, not really"
Tearin' up my heart
After hooking up the previous night, Alex is alerted when Isobel pulls up to the trailer. Fearing that the two will be caught, Michael does not understand what is wrong with this and implies that she has already known about them way before. Michael goes outside to talk with Isobel alone, covering up the fact that he and Alex had spent the night together. Later that night, Alex and Michael share a beer at the drive in after Alex had abruptly left that morning. Alex's father confronts Alex that he should feel emberassed being seen with a criminal like him. Alex notices Michael illegaly selling goods from the back of his truck, and confronts him about it; Michael gets fired up and implies that Alex always finds a way to leave him again and again.[3]
Smells Like Teen Spirit
In this flashback episode, we see how Michael and Alex’s relationship began. Michael is homeless in senior year, and Alex confronts him about a stolen guitar and finds out that the rumors about him living in his car are true. Later hinting he can stay in a shed near his house. At prom, Michael breaks up a fight between Alex and Kyle, showing concern for Alex which is met with a strange look from Max. though Alex walks away when he asks if he’s okay. A week or so later Alex nearly kisses Michael in the shed, but Michael pulls back. Days later, Michael kisses Alex at his work, marking their first kiss. The two become intimate in the shed but are caught by Alex’s father, Jesse Manes, who violently attacks Alex and breaks Michael’s hand with a hammer.
I saw the sign
A couple of days later, Michael tells Max that he should forget about his and Isobel's involvement in sending Liz away. Max remarks that Michael would feel the same if he had sent Alex away against his will.[4]
Barely breathing
Alex is later torn between his feelings and loyalties to Michael when he hacks his father's secret computers and finds out that Michael is an alien and is marked highly dangerous. Alex tries to argue the opposite, but deep down is aware that the fact could be true.[5]
Songs about Texas
Michael and Alex have a brief encounter at the bar, where Alex gets up to leave as soon as he sees Michael. Michael asks if things are really over, but Alex gives an ambiguous response. Later, Alex confronts Michael at his trailer about being an alien, following Kyle’s suggestion. During their conversation, Alex notices Maria’s necklace and realizes Michael and Maria have hooked up. Alex suggests they start over as friends, acknowledging they never really got to know each other when they were younger. This is also the first time they describe their connection as ‘cosmic,’ a term that recurs throughout the series. The scene ends with Alex asking who Michael is, and Michael finishing with, ‘or what I am?’ hinting at his alien nature.
The two talk, and Michael reveals the truth about his alien past. After Michael shows him the alien bunker — and the remnants of the ship — Alex realizes that the alien artifact he has been carrying around is a part of Michael, Isobel and Max's ship; he does not reveal it to Michael.
Creep
Alex takes Michael and Kyle on a mission for project Sheppard. After arriving at Caulfield Prison. Michael accidentally sets off the alarm when he breaks the glass of his mother’s cell. Alex begs Michael to leave the aliens behind and run away with him because the place is about to blow up, but Michael refuses, saying the aliens are his family. Alex tells Michael that he is his family and admits he can’t live without him. To make Alex leave and save himself, Michael lies and says he doesn’t care about him or love him, pushing Alex away.
In the end Michael’s mother tells him to go, Michael ends up sobbingly clinging onto Alex. In the end the pair leaves.
Recovering the satellite’s
The day after, Alex arrives at Michael's trailer in an effort to talk about their relationship and the events that transpired at Caulfield Prison. Michael tells Alex that there is a discussion to be had, but he leaves frantically as he gets a vision from Noah. at the end of the episode Michael admits to Isobel that he loves Alex, but that being with him hurts to much and that he has to move on.
Season 2
Stay (I missed you)
[6] Michael returns to his trailer, he finds a note from Alex attached to a guitar he left him. Michael becomes furious about the situation and returns the guitar to Alex, citing that he doesn't want to be pulled in and pushed away any more; the two are done, much to Alex's dismay who begins to tear up. [7]
Ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space
Michael goes to Alex to ask questions about the files Alex found of Michael’s mother. Alex suggests they work on it together, Michael says to Alex that they shouldn't work together, given that he loves and enjoys being around Maria.[8]
Good mother
Alex goes to Michael to discuss information he found out about his family’s history and Michael’s mother.
Behind the scenes[]
Trivia[]
- Many fans refer to this relationship as "Malex."
- Carina Adly Mackenzie, the developer and former show-runner of Roswell, New Mexico, shared that "Malex" has always been her favorite ship on the show. [9]
Quotes[]
Alex: Wait! In Maria's vision, I say that I am covering up a murder, right?
Michael: Yeah.
Alex: It's not you.
Michael: You can't know that.
Alex: Yes, I can. If it were you, I would not cover it up. I would burn the entire world down first.
Michael: We’re not the same kids we were back in high school
Alex: Yeah, it’s better. But still..
Michael: Cosmic?
Alex: Yeah
Michael: You sang to me in a crowded cowboy bar. So I am here to tell you, Alexander Manes.. I’m home
Image gallery[]
