Roswell, New Mexico - Episode 3.03 “Black Hole Sun” Recap
Written by Eva McKenna & Onalee Hunter-Hughes
Directed by Aprill Winney
New episodes air on Monday from CW

by Emily Maesar, Staff Writer

Okay, this is what I am talking about! There’s so many great character things going on in this episode, and it doesn’t feel like anybody gets lost in plot, which is a big issue Roswell, New Mexico has on the regular. Not to mention that the plot stuff that does happen, rules and I’m infinitely excited by the possibilities of it all. 

The episode opens where we left off (a classic move that I think works almost every single time with this series, in particular). Which is to say, with Liz and Max outside the Crash Down. It’s… awkward, but in the best Max and Liz kind of way. Like, they literally use each other’s full names. This is the height of romance, buddies. Anyway, Liz is apparently only in town for the weekend, but if the pattern of every other season holds true (and it will) then she’ll stick around for as long as we need her to.

Liz and Rosa get a few lovely scenes this episode (we love sisterly bonding, not to mention Gregory and Alex’s brotherly bonding too). But now, I think, it’s time for me to mention my biggest gripe with everything going on with Rosa - other than the potential love storyline with Wyatt. That’s a whole separate issue, though it’s lightly tied to it. Anyway, my issue is this: they have done jack all to actually make Rosa seem like a different person. She’s been dead for ten years and they’ve not bothered to change her appearance at all. In fact, they’ve barely changed her name and they literally have her working at the family diner, where she worked before she died. I can’t say I’m too surprised that Wyatt recognized her in the first episode of the season. I’m more concerned that no one else in town has!

Then, of course, Michael and Max are both absolutely losing it throughout this episode. For different reasons, but who’s surprised? Honestly? Max is mainlining acetone (yikes, my dude), and Michael’s getting sad while he sets his hand on fire to prove he’s the dictator’s son. All of which leads to Liz finally finding out about Max’s whole condition and that Max is hiding something in the desert (though she tactically doesn’t find out what). 

The gang go to the church from Maria’s vision and eventually come to the conclusion that it must be Michael’s death that she’s seeing, and that they’re covering up. However, there are a few things that happen at the big town event. First, Michael and Alex finally reunite. And holy shit is it supremely good. Michael’s on his sad boy shit about being exactly like his father, which Alex quickly dispels because of what it might say about him (Alex’s father was a homophobic piece of shit who was trying to kill all the aliens, which Alex is very clearly the opposite of). He also adds the painfully romantic notion that he would never cover up Michael’s murder - he’d find whoever did it. No doubt about it. (Amazing. Put these two together more. I am begging you!) 

At the town event, they also realize that what Maria thought was snow in her vision, meaning they had until winter to figure out who died and how, was actually ash and they’re running out of time. Also included is Jordan (the mayor’s son) and his friends (including Wyatt) being racist assholes. Neat! Wyatt does his newly founded good boy thing, which confuses everyone, including me! (I would like to argue that this transformation from huge asshole to guy we love was best completed by Kyle in season one, but okay!) 

Speaking of Kyle, everyone (except for Michael, I guess) is using him as a way to not talk to each other, since he now has all the information about Max dying and Jones’s… general existence. But this is the first episode in a very long time, maybe a full season, that reminds me, the whole way through, what I love about Kyle. Him hearing his dead dad’s voice through the old radio is just icing on the emotional cake. Can’t wait to see what all this (and therefore the turquoise) is all about.

Oh, wait. Did I forget to mention the turquoise? Shit. That’s gonna be a big plot thing, I can tell! So, Michael picks a few of them up from the cave they’re keeping Jones in, and they get passed around from character to character throughout the episode. He eventually gives it to Alex, which leads to something happening with the machine he’s researching for Deep Sky (probably because it “resonates” at the alien frequency). Isobel gets one and discovers that she’s an empath, just like her mother. But also, who knows if Jones is fully manipulating her with lies, or just trying to manipulate her with the truth. Only time will tell!

And then, after finding out about Jones in the desert… Max finally goes to visit him. Which, classically, is a terrible idea because Jones manages to knock Max out and switch places with him. So, we end on Jones walking out of the cave, Max stuck in the cage Michael built. Very curious what kind of havoc the actual alien “savior” will wreak on the unsuspecting town of Roswell, New Mexico.