Season 3 of The CW television series Roswell, New Mexico premiered on July 26, 2021 and aired Monday nights at 8:00 pm on The CW. The season consists of 13 episodes.[1][2]
Prior to production, series creator and showrunner Carina Adly MacKenzie resigned from the series. Her co-showrunner Christopher Hollier remained on as the sole showrunner.
Synopsis[]
Official synopsis from The CW for 2021:[3]
With Max Evans (Nathan Dean) coming face to face in the final moments of Season 2 with an alien that looks like him... Season 3 will find him, and his alien siblings, tasked to uncover who exactly this mysteries figure is. meanwhile, we’ll find our intrepid Liz Ortecho (Jeanine Mason) living out her dream job, high paid and changing the world in at a lab in California with an ocean view. But a series of events will prove that our one-time lover’s connection might not be severed for good. Which is good timing, as in addition to a mysterious alien that looks just like Max offers context to why our heroes are on Earth in the first place, a mysterious radio signal begins broadcasting across Roswell, Alex Manes (Tyler Blackburn) finds himself in the crosshairs of a new clandestine organization and Michael (Michael Vlamis), Isobel (Lily Cowles) and Rosa (Amber Midthunder) all begin exhibiting new powers. Confusing things even further is an eerie glimpse Maria (Heather Hemmens) gets of the future.... Someone they love is going to die.
ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO is from Warner Bros. Television and CBS Studios in association with Amblin Television, Bender Brown Productions and My So-Called Company, with executive producers Christopher Hollier, Julie Plec, Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey, Lawrence Bender, Kevin Kelly Brown.
An official synopsis was first released on May 14, 2020:[4]
In season three, still reeling from the events of last year, the Roswell aliens and their allies are drawn back together through a threat from a familiar stranger and a murder that has not yet happened. From near and from far, amidst breakups, reunions, scientific advancements and the impending death of someone they hold dear, our heroes must grapple with two central questions: Who enters our lives and defines who we are? And what power do we really have over our own futures? ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO stars Jeanine Mason, Nathan Dean, Michael Vlamis, Lily Cowles, Tyler Blackburn, Heather Hemmens, Michael Trevino, Trevor St. John and Amber Midthunder. ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO is from Amblin Entertainment, My So-Called Company and Bender Brown Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios, with executive producers Carina Adly MacKenzie (“The Originals”), Christopher Hollier (“Once Upon A Time”), Julie Plec (“The Vampire Diaries”), Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey (“The Americans”), Lawrence Bender (“Pulp Fiction”) and Kevin Kelly Brown (“Roswell”).
Cast and characters[]
- Main article: Roswell, New Mexico/Season 3/Characters
Starring:
Guest-starring:
- Dylan McTee as Wyatt Long
- Tanner Novlan as Gregory Manes
- Christian Antidormi as Forrest
- Rosa Arredondo as Michelle Valenti
- Kayla Ewell as Nora Truman
- Marcel Nahapetian as Young Jones / Young Max
- Cassandra Jean Amell as Louise Truman
- Gaius Charles as Roy Bronson
- Nicholas Ballas as Walt Sanders
- Steven Krueger as Heath
- David DeSantos as Eduardo Ramos
- Michael Grant Terry as Jordan Bernhardt
- Gillian Vigman as Brooke Taylor
- Quentin Plair as Dallas
- Sibongile Mlambo as Anatsa
- Thomas E. Sullivan as Deputy Pete
- Gavin Houston as Theo
- Brigitte Kali Canales as Tezca
- Shiri Appleby as Allie Meyers
Episodes[]
The season has 13 episodes.
| # | Title | Air Date | Director | Writer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 1 | Hands | July 26, 2021 | Lance Anderson | Carina Adly MacKenzie |
  SEASON PREMIERE – While Liz is settling in to her new life and career in Los Angeles, Max, Isobel and Michael are figuring out if the stranger in the cave, with the familiar face, is friend or foe. | |||||
| 28 | 2 | Give Me One Reason | August 2, 2021 | Lance Anderson | Eva McKenna & Deirdre Mangan |
  SEEKING – Jones fills Michael and Isobel in on bits from the past as they look for a way to save Max's life. Meanwhile, Maria goes to extremes to try and stop a murder, and in order to move forward in her research, Liz will have to face her past. | |||||
| 29 | 3 | Black Hole Sun | August 9, 2021 | April Winney | Eva McKenna & Onalee Hunter Hughes |
  WHAT GIVES - Liz confronts Max. Maria is desperate to figure out the mystery of her vision and Isobel is learning more about her abilities. Meanwhile, Kyle has a strange encounter and Michael is fueled by his anger. | |||||
| 30 | 4 | Walk on the Ocean | August 16, 2021 | April Winney | Onalee Hunter Hughes & Christopher Hollier |
  DAY TRIPPIN' - Isobel and Maria take a trip together to look for answers. Kyle receives a message from his past and Michael makes a disturbing discovery. | |||||
| 31 | 5 | Killing Me Softly With His Song | August 23, 2021 | Rachel Raimist | Alanna Bennett & Danny Tolli |
  ANYONE CAN FALL -- Liz makes the choice to lie to Heath. Maria and Rosa stand up to Jordan meanwhile Isobel does some digging into Jones. | |||||
| 32 | 6 | Bitter Sweet Symphony | August 30, 2021 | Rachel Raimist | Leah Longoria & Steve Stringer |
  DIZZY – Max investigates the break-in meanwhile, Alex continues his research. Rosa and Isobel team up and Liz makes a shocking discovery. | |||||
| 33 | 7 | Goodnight Elizabeth | September 6, 2021 | Heather Hemmens | Kristen Haynes & Christopher Hollier |
  HEATHER HEMMENS DIRECTS - Liz's plan does not go as expected, putting herself, Isobel and Michael in danger. Meanwhile, Eduardo confides in Alex. | |||||
| 34 | 8 | Free Your Mind | September 13, 2021 | Ben Hernandez Bray | Ashley Charbonnet & Joel Thompson |
  AND THE REST WILL FOLLOW -- Liz needs Rosa's help. Maria learns what Jones wants from her. Meanwhile, Michael and Alex team up to help save Max. | |||||
| 35 | 9 | Tones of Home | September 20, 2021 | America Young | Alanna Bennett, Leah Longoria & Steve Stringer |
  CLOSE ENCOUNTERS – Liz and Max continue to search for a way to stop Jones. Michael is worried about Alex and elsewhere, Isobel finds a big piece of the puzzle. | |||||
| 36 | 10 | Angels of the Silences | September 27, 2021 | Lauren Petzke | Danny Tolli & Onalee Hunter Hughes |
  SINNERS AND SAVIORS – Liz and Max race to find Heath in the hopes that he can help find a way to get Jones out of Max’s body. Meanwhile, Michael and Isobel try to get through to Dallas. | |||||
| 37 | 11 | 2 Become 1 | October 4, 2021 | Lauren Petzke | Eva McKenna |
  COME TOGETHER – A desperate Liz agrees to a deal. Meanwhile, Rosa helps Isobel make a big discovery and the fight to save Max begins. | |||||
| 38 | 12 | I Ain't Goin' Out Like That | October 11, 2021 | Lance Anderson | Isabel Nelson & Danny Tolli |
  WHO’S HUNGRY? – Isobel helps Kyle save a life. Jones needs something from Michael. Liz and Heath continue to work on the science in the hopes of stopping Jones. Everyone is working together to try and defeat the dictator, but will they all make it out alive?? | |||||
| 39 | 13 | Never Let You Go | October 11, 2021 | Lance Anderson | Christopher Hollier |
  SEASON FINALE – The ultimate showdown with Jones is finally here and Liz must trust herself if she is going to the save the man she loves. | |||||
Development and production[]
On January 7, 2020, two months before the premiere of season 2, The CW gave Roswell, New Mexico an early renewal along with twelve other series.[5]
The start of production was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 9, 2020, Carina Adly MacKenzie was clear that they could not return to set "until it's 100% safe for everyone on the crew".[6] On May 14, 2020, The CW revealed that their regular Fall TV season was pushed back to January 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Roswell, New Mexico is a mid-season series, so this also pushed back its expected release to mid-2021.[7]
On July 10, 2020, showrunner and series creator Carina Adly MacKenzie announced that she was resigning from the series due to "fundamental disagreements about a couple of things that were and are very important to [her]".[8] Seasons 1 and 2 were co-showrun by MacKenzie and Christopher Hollier. Hollier remained on as sole showrunner for season 3.
Filming began on October 13, 2020 with new health and safety measures in place.[9]
Filming wrapped in early April 2021.[10][11]
Hints and anticipated story-lines[]
This section documents all hints from official sources about what may be included in season 3 and the show's development.
- The season would acknowledge that COVID-19 happened, but time-skip past the quarantine period.[12][13]
- MacKenzie pitched the possibility of the show taking place during quarantine, but her bosses didn't like the idea.[14]
- New COVID-19 safety restrictions on set might limit or prevent certain elements from being in the show.
- Intimacy scenes, such as hugging or kissing, might be limited.[12][15]
- Fight scenes might be limited.[12][15]
- Scenes with a number of extras might no longer be allowed, such as scenes with customers at the Wild Pony or the Crashdown Cafe.[12]
- Out-of-town guest stars might be reduced or eliminated. This impact recurring guest stars as well, such as Sherri Saum who portrays Mimi DeLuca.[16]
- In regards to the extra costs with these safety measures, Carina Adly MacKenzie stated that it would likely be "a hit to the quality of the product" rather than "a hit to the profits. We’ll make it safe first... then do our best with the money that’s left."[17]
- In regards to not allowing actors to kiss, Carina Adly MacKenzie shared one way they considered handling it:[12] "We had a writer pitch, well what if the aliens are getting stronger and now every time they touch anyone, the person comes away with like an alien handprint on them. We were like, okay, maybe that's how we prevent these two people from kissing for an entire season because you can't touch her because she'll start to glow." (Note that this was just a possibility, not a confirmed story element.)
- In regards to not being able to pack extras in enclosed spaces such as the Crashdown and the Wild Pony, Carina Adly MacKenzie shared a possible way they might handle that:[12] "Our diner will be take-out only. Our bar will have shut down, because they couldn't sustain through the quarantine." (Note that this was just a possibility, not a confirmed story element.)
- Isobel's next love interest is a woman.[18]
- A new character named Heath was introduced: "He’s a guy. American. Around 30."[19]
- About Jones:
- "Mr. Jones is going to be a major player moving forward, and he might be a little different than what he seems. He really has been in season 2 presented as the villain, but we’re going to learn in season 3 that the story of Nora and Louise might be the story that they wanted told. So, we’re having some fun with unreliable narrators".[20]
- "Obviously, Mr. Jones is related in some way to Max, so we are going to dig into what Max's family history looks like. We're also going to discover in season three that the story that we heard about Nora and Louise may have been the story that they wanted to tell, so our tale about Mr. Jones, even though he seems like a threatening figure right now, is a little more complicated right now."[13]
- "The insights that he gives the aliens into where they come from and why they're here is going to put interesting new pressure on Michael, Max, and Isobel and take their relationships to a very different space. He's not necessarily the villain, and all three of our aliens are going to have different expectations, different perspectives on whether or not they can trust him."[13]
- "[Max] really felt adrift, and he discovered that he was sort of the only one who didn't have information about his family, and Jones comes with a whole lot of information about Max's family."[13]
- Liz "will definitely meet some new and interesting people while she's away." "We'll do a bit of a time jump within season three, and Liz will of course be drawn back to Roswell when she gets some new information, but her time in California is going to be really important and really transformative for her." "Liz's romantic life is always going to be at odds with her ambition, and she's gonna have to find a way to reconcile both of those things."[13]
- One of the cast members directed this season.[21]
- Max plays guitar.[22]
- Riley Voelkel, who portrays Jenna Cameron, did not appear in season 3 due to scheduling conflicts caused by COVID-19.[23]
Chris Hollier Q&A[]
Showrunner Chris Hollier answered some questions on Twitter. From March 24, 2021:
2.Romance
3. Alien Stuff"
From April 8, 2021:
Trivia[]
Gallery[]
Promotional images[]
- Main article: Roswell, New Mexico/Season 3/Gallery
Videos[]
References[]
- ↑ Tweet from showrunner Carina Adly MacKenzie, in response to a fan asking how many episodes season 3 will have: "13 episodes is a full season for us."
- ↑ Spoiler TV: Various Episode Count Numbers for WB Shows 2020-2021. October 30, 2020.
- ↑ From The CW press site for [Roswell, New Mexico], retrieved July 22, 2021.
- ↑ The CW Press (official press site): THE CW NETWORK TO LAUNCH ITS NEW SEASON IN JANUARY 2021
- ↑ TV Line: CW Renews Riverdale, Batwoman, Roswell, Black Lightning Plus 9 Others - TVLine
- ↑ Instagram Live Q&A on May 9, 2020.
- ↑ TV Line: CW Delays New Season Until 2021: Superman to Follow Flash, Walker Fills Winchester Void, Supergirl Delayed. May 14, 2020.
- ↑ Carina Adly MacKenzie's resignation, July 10, 2020: on Twitter and on Instagram.
- ↑ Roswell New Mexico Writers Twitter:
- September 18, 2020: We are officially one month out from shooting #RoswellNM Season 3! Excited to bring you more brooding cowboys, alien mystery, and classic ‘90s songs — all under covid guidelines, of course! Check back here for regular updates and teases. We’ve missed you guys.
- October 12, 2020: Keeping it safe, we roll our first shot tomorrow.
- October 13, 2020: The sun rises on Roswell season 3...., with a behind the scene image of production.
- ↑ On April 6, 2021, Michael Trevino posted an image of a clapperboard for episode 13 to his Instagram live, indicating filming for the season was close to finished.
- ↑ On April 8, 2021, the official writers Twitter account posted: "There's been some long days in the desert as we wrap Season 3, and you all have been dearly missed."
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 ATX Festival zoom interview with Carina Adly MacKenzie, June 5, 2020.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Entertainment Weekly: Roswell, New Mexico Season 2 Finale: A New Job, a New Alien, and an Emotional New Song by Lauren Piester. June 16, 2020.
- ↑ A fan asked on Twitter, "This might be a dumb question, but: could you write the pandemic into the show? So much of it revolves around our current climate. This could allow actors to be in masks and have gloves and be socially distant during the scenes, and bonus: MORE LONGING LOOKS ACROSS ROOMS.", and Carina Adly MacKenzie responded, "My bosses did notttttttttttttttttttttt like this idea when I pitched it.". May 22, 2020.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Fans, prepare yourselves for a very weird year of television. Jun 12, 2020.
- ↑ A fan asked Carina Adly MacKenzie, "Oooh, does that mean more Mimi too?", and MacKenzie responded: Hopefully. Waiting to find out if we're going to be asked to reduce or eliminate out-of-town guest stars. June 17, 2020.
- ↑ More likely a hit to the quality of the product than a hit to the profits. We’ll make it safe first... then do our best with the money that’s left. June 13, 2020.
- ↑ The next romantic relationship we'll see Isobel in on the show is with a woman. April 24, 2020.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedheath - ↑ Nerdist: ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO Creator on Tackling Important Issues by Linda Maleh. June 18, 2020.
- ↑ Video interview: Carina MacKenzie "An Actor Despairs" Interview July 2, 2020. At about the 55:10 mark.
- ↑ Instagram Q&A response from Carina Adly MacKenzie, File:Carina May 9th QandA on IG03.jpg
- ↑ Twitter: Riley told me we won’t be seeing her at all in Roswell New Mexico season 3, because of covid she couldn’t fly there to film at the same time as Hightown. February 21, 2021.
- ↑ March 24, 2021, 12:53 PM
- ↑ March 24, 2021, 1:01 PM
- ↑ March 24, 2021, 1:09 PM
- ↑ March 24, 2021, 1:19 PM
- ↑ March 24, 2021, 1:20 PM
- ↑ April 8, 2021, 5:09 PM
- ↑ April 8, 2021, 5:12 PM
- ↑ April 8, 2021, 5:16 PM
- ↑ April 8, 2021, 5:19 PM
- ↑ April 8, 2021, 5:21 PM
