We’re finally getting to see what’s on the other side of the sinkhole, otherwise known as the Upside Down of Roswell, New Mexico.

The sinkhole actually ended up being a pocket world built by Theo, Dallas’ father, so naturally, Dallas was instrumental in figuring out a potential way home, which included solving a complex riddle that Bonnie likened to a haiku.

It was pertinent that the clues left behind by his father were something only the “good guys” would be able to figure out in case Theo’s biggest fear came true and the bible got in the hands of the enemy, like Clyde or Jones. 

And though Clyde might have the bible in his possession, he doesn’t have Nora’s console, which was critical to opening up the portal and allowing them to walk between worlds. Once Guerin figured out that he could cross over to the pocket hole safely, he made the choice to find Alex. “I’m not giving up,” was his declaration of love as he walked into the unknown without any guarantee of what the future would look like. Would they find him? Would they have food to survive? Would they even be able to get back considering the console’s power was dwindling? Nothing is certain, except for the love that Guerin and Alex have for each other that can even withstand being in two different realities. 

Dallas also stayed behind to finish what his father couldn’t, while Bonnie, who has only ever felt at home on Earth, chose to stay back and help her friend find the love of his life. It’s proof that not everyone was brainwashed by Jones’ master plan, but as Tezca warned, Clyde was a true believer, which made him not dangerous. His mind wasn’t warped like hers was by Jones as his sole purpose for existing was getting back to Oasis. 

As Guerin, Maria, and Kyle spent most of the time trying to figure out how to save their friends in the sinkhole, Isobel was busy reconnecting with Tezca and attempting to remind her that she was once a warrior woman and he mentor.

Tezca is obviously confliceted about her place and purpose as she lost core memories when she was brainwashed by Jones, but Isobel hoped to guide her back using a little desensitization therapy to help her overcome her greatest fears. Unfortunately, it also reminded Tezca of the unintentional damage she caused as her mind conjured up the images of all the people she killed. 

There were plenty of heart-to-heart moments between the duo as Isobel called back to her weakened state when Noah took advantage of her and used her to kill three young women, and it all led to a pivotal reveal where Tezca acknowledged that Isobel was right and she needed to face the music. As she apologized to the children of the friends she betrayed, she revealed that she knew a lot more about Theo’s console, which can allegedly travel between galaxies and to different worlds, thus making it a valuable piece for Jone’s lackey’s to obtain. What happens when Clyde arrives with the star map? Can he trap everyone in the pocket reality permanently?

It’s going to take a lot to undo the damage Tezca caused, but at least she’s back on the right track. And as Isobel pointed out, she gets to decide who she wants to be today and every day in the future. 

This is probably the most progress we’ve made on the whole Oasis/Ophiucus/console front, so I’m glad we’re finally getting somewhere that’s working in favor of our earthly friends. 

And maybe Guerin won’t have to carry the whole #Malex ship solely on his back in the next episodes to come.

Kyle’s return to Roswell also made things slightly awkward with Isobel, but no one had time to think about it as there were more pressing matters. Still, it does seem like Isobel is finally coming around to the idea of a romantic relationship, while Kyle is holding out hope that she reaches back.

Then, there’s Liz, who is spiraling out of control and inhaling mist left and right in hopes of making some kind of positive change in the world. 

Of course, it comes at the price of all of her personal relationships, specifically with Max and Rosa.

She pushed Max away by basically telling him that since he chose to give up his powers, she had to learn how to accomplish the miracles he previously could by using science. It’s not fair of her to hold his decision against him, but Liz believes she’s protecting the people she loves and coming from a place of love, so she doesn’t actually see how destructive her behavior and decisions are.

It takes a certain amount of distance to see when you’re being a problem. Rosa has acquired that distance ever since moving away from Roswell and working on her sobriety. She’s made great strides in honing in on her powers, yet Liz still treats her like she’s less than. 

When Rosa calls her out for substance abuse because, as a recovered addict, she can pick up the signs, Liz is dismissive, arrogant, and condescending. I know the real Liz doesn’t mean any of it, and Rosa acknowledges it, too, but it’s still concerning enough that Rosa seeks out Max’s help. Eventually, they realize that once Liz sets her mind on something, there’s no talking her out of it, so Max reaches out to Isobel in hopes of restoring his powers. 

I’ve gone from romanticizing Max and Liz to being quite annoyed by their relationship because it’s so toxic. If Max doesn’t want the powers, that’s his prerogative. There shouldn’t be this much turmoil in a relationship that’s meant to be loving, supportive, and nurturing. All that’s happened is that Liz became the absolute worst version of herself while Max was stripped of his choice. Maybe it’s for the best that she throws herself completely into the science as that’s proving to be her greatest love. She didn’t even want to tell Max the truth because she knew he wouldn’t understand or be supportive, which means that deep down she knows her behavior is wrong yet she wants to be right so badly.

As Max pointed out, some things are not possible, and other times, they’re actually unethical. The old Liz knew that; she understood and respected the boundaries. When she pushes back against Shivani, it was a good sign because there’s no way she could ever bring back Nicole from the dead permanently, but it also doesn’t seem like Liz is giving up just yet either. She’s simply refocusing her efforts toward other diseases, which is great, but where does she draw the line? 

What did you think of the episode? Has Liz gone too far? Should Max attempt to get his powers back? Did Guerin make the right choice?

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Lizzy Buczak is the founder of CraveYouTV. What started off as a silly blog in her sophomore year at Columbia College Chicago turned her passion for watching TV into an opportunity! She has been in charge of CraveYou since 2011, writing reviews and news content for a wide variety of shows. Lizzy is a Music Business and Journalism major who has written for RADIO.COM, TV Fanatic, Time Out Chicago, Innerview, Pop’stache and Family Time.

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Sometimes, to face your biggest fears, you have to get locked in your own mind. 

Liz did so by inhaling a large amount of her alien mist, which basically drew her into a Western-themed mindscape where the villain of the story was herself… a dark version of herself that wasn’t afraid to push the boundaries and out of her comfort zone. 

Roswell, New Mexico Season 4 Episode 9 was one big metaphor of what happens when you ignore what’s really troubling you. And while the episode was a fun shake-up to the alien genre from director Michael Trevino, it also provided us with a pretty fantastic gender swap for the “damsel in distress” trope as real-life Max was pulled into the mindscape and trapped there with his life directly tied to Liz’s decisions.

Seriously, mindscape Rosa wasn’t lying when she said that Liz and Max are co-dependent.

As Liz struggled to figure out the point of the mindscape, her body was shutting down in reality as her friends rallied to save her and buy her some time before she got to the finish line. 

What happens when you don’t have your medicine woman on hand? Everyone needs to work together to figure out the science. Liz has always been the best at alien science, which made this all the more difficult. You need an alien solution for an alien problem, so not only did they need Kyle (via phone) and Heath to assist, but they actually needed Michael to believe in himself again. 

It was all hands on deck. 

Thankfully, when Guerin realized that he wasn’t just helpless but he actually could provide a solution to help save Liz, he worked wonders with Heath. 

And though Liz’s subconscious was still trying to avoid the ugly truth that she’s been repressing, the good news is that Liz is smart in any reality, parallel universe, and mindscape.  Upon waking up, she knew that something was wrong, and when she found out that she was sheriff, she immediately realized she was in a mindscape. She was able to identify her symptoms to keep track of what was happening to her on the outside. 

Honestly, sometimes I think she might be too smart for her own good.

Dark Liz/Outlaw Liz, whatever you want to call her, may have been blunt, but she was necessary. 

Roswell, New Mexico — “Wild Wild West” — Image Number: ROS409b_0257r — Pictured (L – R): Allie Myers as Shiri Appleby and Jeanine Mason as Liz Ortecho — Photo: Michael Moriatis/The CW — © 2022 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Liz and Max’s relationship needed to come a head — they’ve been hitting the same wall for years, and they just keep hoping things will get better without ever stopping to figure out the underlying issue. 

With time running out, Liz was forced to face the truth: she was scared about saying “yes” to Max’s proposal and starting a perfect life with him because she was always anticipating the “other shoe” to fall.

And now that Max gave up his powers, he essentially pushed her into making a decision that requires her to be powerful enough to protect those she cares about. 

Upon waking up, Max figured that Liz made the right choice when facing down her other half, but Liz allowed Dark Liz to take hold instead. Outlaw Liz is out and ready to play. She no longer wanted to feel weak and scared in this fight. She wanted a choice, she wanted to be able to protect others, she didn’t want to settle.

It’s not a surprising decision considering how heavily these fears have weighed on her. But does that mean that she has powers in the real world outside of the mindscape?

And is this somehow going to trickle down into Liz being the key that Ophicus has been looking for?

Liz’s mindscape was definitely a trip, and one I kind of wish she was able to dissect — Kyle was a horse, Shirley Applebee (OG Liz) was conjured up to illuminate the way as Liz’s mentor, Papi was a retired Sheriff Machete. The fun truly never ended… though I know Liz would beg to differ on that front. 

There were other major things happening in the background as well that didn’t take precedence but were just as important:

The truth is, everyone here is kind of avoiding doing the things they need to do for the people they love. They all struggle with being honest and open, they are all terrible at communication, they are all bad at letting the love in and being vulnerable, but if Liz’s mindscape is any indication, these are the things that matter. You cannot let them fester because, no matter how fun Dark Liz was in the mindscape, they will come to haunt you and turn into even bigger issues. 

What did you think of the episode? Share your thoughts in the comments below! 

Finally, things became slightly clearer on Roswell, New Mexico Season 4 Episode 8. 

While we still don’t know the extent of Jones’ plan or what Ophiuchus entails, we’ve cracked open the truth about Tezca, and it is completely unexpected. 

In order to defeat the Dark Triad, which isn’t even a triad anymore, the Pod Squad (as Rosa referred to them) have to find a way to get one step ahead. 

And with Isobel remembering some core memories with Tezca on Oasis, they needed to dig into the source. 

Isobel did a lot of heavy lifting when she confronted Tezca in an attempt to get to the truth. Tezca had no recollection of Isobel, but when she uttered a phrase that Tezca told her when she was a child, something clicked. 

Eventually, it became clear that Jones brainwashed Tezca while repressing all of her other memories about being a teacher who trained a generation of warriors so that she would become loyal to him and his cause. 

She was a victim of Jones’ manipulation this whole time, and while she struggled to truly grasp what was real and what wasn’t, there was a part of her that knew that Isobel was telling the truth. 

She divulged that the next piece of the puzzle that Clyde is after is Liz Ortecho, who can bring upon the alighting, whatever it is. 

Of course, this puts a target right on Liz’s back, but it also levels the playing field as everyone is on the same page for the first time. 

But getting Liz is going to be a bit tricky with her current predicament with Shivani who went full mad scientist on her in hopes of bringing her daughter back to life. I mean, has she seen Jekyll and Hyde?

Liz was flabbergasted to see that her mentor and the woman she looked up to did a whole 180, and it was clear she put her trust into someone that didn’t actually deserve it. Shivani figured that since Liz’s sister Rosa came back to life, the same could be done for her daughter, Nicole. Despite Liz’s best efforts to talk Shivani down and explain that they would be going against nature and thus, it would have unintended consequences. Again: Jekyll and Hyde! 

Shivani didn’t care about any of it partly because she’s a mother who will do anything to save her daughter and partly because she sniffed some of Liz’s alien drugs that restored Alex’s powers so she was kind of unhinged. 

The dialogue, the intensity of the scene, the back and forth between these two brilliant women, the fear in Liz’s eyes as she realized she’s created a monster, and the disheveled energy that Shivani brought to the table all molded to deliver the best scene this series has ever seen. It was so engaging. 

I wish Liz attempted to physically stop Shivani, but the latter made the bold decision to drop the glass jar that unleashed Liz’s potent chemical into the air, gassing both of them unconscious.

While Shivani was convinced it would open up their minds to possibilities and solutions they never knew existed, it definitely seemed more like a death sentence from such a high dosage. 

The promos reveal that everyone comes together to try to save Liz, who is convulsing on a table and likely overdosing, but the honest truth is that she was always the brains behind the science. 

And it’s unclear how this now messes up Clyde’s plan. If Liz is hopped up on performance-enhancing drugs, will she no longer be the key to the alighting?

Max and Liz worked through some of their relationship hiccups thanks to some solid advice from Alex, who informed Liz that she needed to let Max walk his path and figure things out for himself. Otherwise, the relationship would be full of resentment.

His wisdom was much needed to help these two stubborn mules navigate their romance, but it also came on the heels of a pretty major tantrum after he found out that Alex was missing and everyone kept it from him because they anticipated his tantrum. Oh, Michael. 

Isn’t it funny how you can sometimes dish the best advice yet you don’t follow it in your own life?

Anyway, Michael had every right to be angry, but his anger did not warrant all the mean things he said to the people he loved who were simply trying to protect him while they figured out a solution. 

Alex wasn’t dead after all, so we can all let out a sigh of relief, but he is trapped in some other world that likely mirrors to the real one. Think Upside Down. 

He’s been communicating with Maria, who seems to be a conduit between the worlds. Alex managed to lead them to the area where he went missing, and when Maria almost got sucked up by the supernatural quicksand, they realized it was likely where Dallas disappeared as well. 

It’s unclear why Clyde trapped them all in this Upside Down, but at least they have a location so they can try to work on a plan to free them from this prison. 

Guerin attempted to fling himself into the mud to save Alex, which was a reckless decision prompted by his guilt of not even realizing the man he loved was missing, but Max stopped him and assured him that he needs to stick around to be what brings Alex back. 

Of course, it would be truly helpful if Max got his powers back so that they could stand a chance at taking down Clyde and stopping his evil plan from coming to fruition. 

And as Max acknowledged, trying to disown his powers wasn’t a decision he was making because he was certain he wanted to be a normal dude from Roswell, it was a decision made from a place of fear. He simply wanted to continue hiding from his destiny instead of facing it and what might come of it.

This season, though vague at times, is the most intense, and I cannot wait to see what happens to Liz, how they save her, and what Jones’ plan has been all along.

What did you think about the episode? Weigh in with your thoughts in the comments below! 

Just when we thought Tezca was the big bad on Roswell, New Mexico, a new foe emerged — and he was staring us in the face this whole time.

Clyde has never been trustworthy, but we didn’t expect him to go full villain either despite his dedication to the cause. Yet, he showed his true colors on Roswell, New Mexico Season 4 Episode 7 when he found the final piece necessary to start the alighting.

It truly doesn’t seem like scavenging for these puzzle pieces involved heading back home to Oasis as they thought it did, so Michael truly was sold a pipe dream. Then again, I have no idea what the alighting actually is, so maybe it does include something with their old planet. 

It’s kind of disappointing to know just how deeply betrayed Michael and Max really were. They, along with Bonnie, thought they were pulling a fast one on Clyde, but, in reality, Clyde was always one step ahead of them.

Clyde was very focused on the goal at hand — he formed no attachments to earth and thus, it was easy for him to remain committed to the cause. Bonnie was the only person he seemed to actually care for, but it wasn’t in the kind of way that would spare her life when push came to shove. Instead, he knew sacrifices needed to be made for his idea of the “greater good,” so he had no trouble pushing her and Dallas into the cosmic quicksand even after Dallas handed him over the bible and glasses in order to save Bonnie’s life. I hate people who go back on their promises. 

Admittedly, it was also disappointing to see how hard Dallas worked to find his father’s belongings and secret messages only to get them stolen within minutes. 

And it’s even more aggravating to know that the good guys are working at a disadvantage as they don’t have all the information and are missing core memories that could likely help them in this battle against the former Dark Triad. 

Dallas knew he needed to find something, but until Isobel helped him travel into his subconscious via a Hot Tub Time Machine and retrieve them, he had no idea what or where. 

Isobel was just a passenger on the journey, but when she came in contact with Tezca in the memory and then again in real life, she had visions that she couldn’t entirely explain. All we know for sure is that Isobel was Tezca’s student at one point, but, since her time in the pod and on earth, the details are a bit hazy. This is, once again, a huge disadvantage as Tezca knows exactly who she is fighting against. 

It also must be so triggering for Liz to constantly get blindsided by all these revelations. She has so many blind spots; first Kyle, now Tezca. It seems as though Isobel is much more vital to the whole cause than we were led to believe. 

And the same can be said for Max and Liz, who had a bit of a relationship quarrel after he decided to kiss Bonnie and render himself powerless. 

Max thought he was doing the right thing to save his relationship, but in actuality — and god, I’m so glad Liz called him out on it — he was running away instead of embracing himself and his powers once and for all. Max has always been burdened by these powers, so I wouldn’t blame him for wanting to get rid of them, but if he was so confident in his decision, he should have had no problem running it by Liz. 

They are partners, and his actions affect her as she’s somehow a key to this whole alighting. He went through with the decision without consulting her because he knew she would be against it and talk some sense into him. Open communication is the first sign of a healthy relationship! 

It was also a pretty reckless decision in light of an actual battle with supernatural forces. Max is supposed to be the savior and one of the most powerful aliens, and yet, he’s a mere mortal trying to hold his own in this fight. It doesn’t make sense. How is he supposed to protect anyone, including Liz? People have been pushing him to own up to who he is since day one — Noah, Jones, Liz, and now Tezca — and he’s still too afraid to even figure out what that is. 

Roswell, New Mexico — “Dig Me Out” — Image Number: ROS407b_0869r — Pictured (L – R): Jeanine Mason as Liz Ortecho and Amber Midthunder as Rosa Ortecho — Photo: Michael Moriatis/The CW — © 2022 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Thankfully, Liz’s trip to New York seemed to inspire her to come up with a potential solution for Bonnie’s “curse” on both Michael and Max. Let’s hope it works. I know Bonnie meant well, but there’s still so much the poor girl doesn’t know.

Liz’s trip was pretty pointless aside from underscoring that you really can leave all this craziness behind if you venture outside of Roswell.

The smartest person is Rosa for moving away and hitting reset. She could never thrive in Roswell while she was being plagued by the past. And as we see with Liz, she’s always getting sucked into some alien/supernatural shenanigans instead of living her life to the fullest and for herself. She’s constantly on someone else’s journey instead of her own. Is it really a fulfilled life if she’s always worried about the other foot dropping?

Rosa may have escaped but the upcoming preview does tease her return home to get wrapped in all the drama once again, so honestly, maybe there’s no escaping your destiny? 

We’re still not sure what Tezca needed with Max’s blue flame or what Liz means to the whole operation, but only time will tell. 

It’s also not entirely clear what Clyde really needed to see in the bible, but we know that it led Dallas to his own demise. Once Bonnie and Dallas were swallowed up by the quicksand, we saw him regain consciousness in a cave. It didn’t seem like another world or dimension, but he saw his father, which means that he is either dead or hallucinating. Also, was it just me or did his dad seem evil?

However, at the same time, Maria figured out it was not her late mother haunting her, it was Alex. And if Alex is communicating with her, he’s either in some other dimension like the Upside Down or he’s dead. Neither option is great, honestly. 

I truly feel — and have felt in previous seasons — that if I watched the episode from last to first, it would all just make so much more sense. 

The science isn’t overly technical here, but it’s still hard to comprehend some of what’s happening without all the pieces of the puzzle. 

For example, we know Liz’s new boss Shivani is supportive of the science, but we also don’t trust her as she’s used Liz’s research for her own benefit. And her wife is somehow involved with Tezca though that hasn’t bubbled up to the surface yet. There has to be a selfish reason that she’s keeping Liz around.

What did you think of the episode? Will Max and Michael get their powers back? Will Dallas, Bonnie, and Alex find each other wherever they are, or are they really dead?

Will Isobel continue poking around in her memories to figure out how she’s connected to Tezca? Will Michael ever get his dream of returning to Oasis or will he realize his oasis is here when he finally gets Alex back? It was nice to see Max finally supportive of his brother (after a pep talk from Isobel) but maybe he’s right about not giving up all the earthly pleasures for a “home” that they have no idea about and that their parents seemed to escape. 

Let us know your thoughts and insights in the comments below! 

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