The first season of Roswell, New Mexico was exciting and addictive. In just 13 episodes, the new CW show proved itself by recreating a familiar world with new elements to make for a truly heartfelt drama. So far, season two doesn’t stray from this.

This article won’t spoil the season two premiere from last night, but it contains plenty of spoilers for all of season one. If you have yet to see it, be sure to check out my review of the pilot and binge the whole season on Netflix.

Trust me, it’s really easy to binge when social distancing!

Please be aware: Season 1 spoilers below

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Directed by Lance Anderson and written by showrunner Carina Adly MacKenzie, the premiere starts off with a rather dark tone. It takes place only two weeks after the finale, and our characters are in mourning. The villainous Alex finally met his fate, and Max made the ultimate sacrifice by trading his life for Rosa’s. Unlike Max’s though, Alex’s death is the only one that’s made public, and only a few people know what really went down. Everybody is grieving over a man they thought was an honorable, except those who know the truth.

Even with Max and Alex both dead, their presence still lingers in Roswell. Isobel, Michael, Liz, and Rosa are the only ones who know about Max’s sacrifice, and the each mourn in their own way. Liz hides the pain from everybody else by putting on a brave face. Isobel rages that she has to pretend she’s mourning her husband instead of her brother, and goes a bit manic with her powers. Michael is sticking to his alcoholism and violence. This leaves out Rosa, who literally just found out two weeks ago that aliens exist and she’s been dead for a decade. As if that’s not overwhelming enough, she’s drowning in guilt, convinced that she wasn’t worth the sacrifice. If that doesn’t break the poor girl, Alex terrorizing her in her nightmares should do the trick. Every actor portrays these feelings solidly, pushing the baser more relatable feelings through their un-relatable situations.

Grief can make people desperate, and that’s just what it does in this episode. Some are desperate for either answers to mysteries still unsolved, control, or the past, while others are just desperate for closure. Regardless, these characters are willing to do whatever it takes.

Probably one of my favorite aspects of the show is the music. When it’s not a well done dramatic score to complement a scene, it’s a major throwback to 90s alternative – something I’ve never experienced in real time. In a way that I now dub “classic Roswell”, this episode twines the genre with family relations. Artists like Stone Temple Pilots and The Cranberries provide a soundtrack for siblings reminiscing and making the future. If ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?

All in all, this episode makes me want to watch the next one, so it does the job. It’s more results than plot, but that’s expected of any season premiere, especially one that picks up after a cliffhanger. Next episode premieres at the same time next week: Monday at 9/8c! Will you tune in too?

You can check out last night’s season two premiere and let me know what you think in the comments down below!

Nothing but love.