With a show that loves to provide liberal lectures on the regular, it shouldn’t be any surprise that The CW’s sci-fi alien drama Roswell, New Mexico would insert a Black Lives Matter agenda into their latest storyline.
That’s exactly what happened on Monday’s episode, “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” in which they painted police as racists conspiring with white supremacists, implied that those who believe “blue lives matter” hate and bully minorities, and claimed that people of color are at risk of turning into a “sad” story simply for running a stop sign because “that’s the system we live in.”
At the episode’s beginning, one of the town’s most notorious racists, Zeke (Zacchia Hanson), is found burned to death on the property of a gay, minority couple, Manny (Santiago Sagura) and Vinnie Lopez. Deputy and somewhat secret alien Max (Nathan Parsons) faces off with a racist, fellow deputy at the scene who is convinced the Lopezes are guilty, not least because of their political signs:
Deputy: Knew them Lopezes would crack one day.
Max: Says Deputy Deport 'Em without checking any facts.
Deputy: Oh, we're saved. Department sent Lieutenant Liberal to work the crime scene.
Taylor: Okay. What do we know about the Lopezes besides Zeke Murphy's burnt body being in the barn?
Max: Manny and Vinnie, they raise alpacas, uh, grow sunflowers. They sponsor a T-ball team.
Taylor: They seem... political.
Deputy: Pot stirrers, ma'am.
Max: Or peaceful protestors.
Deputy: Or murderers. Manny's got bruised knuckles that his husband claims is from a slip on a deck. But we both know they're not great with the truth. Manny's been living here illegally for years.
Max: Actually, they're citizens. Manny's family's been in New Mexico since before it was a state, but I guess every Lopez looks undocumented to you, right?
Taylor: Okay, the files I pulled revealed a-a long-standing feud between Zeke and the Lopezes. Bar brawls, fence line disputes, water rights. To me, that says motive.
Max: The evidence is circumstantial.
Taylor: Okay, but enough to bring 'em in. You need to arrest them, Evans.
Max: Ma'am? I really...
Taylor: Okay, we impart order, Deputy. Don't forget what that badge represents.
Vinnie: Max, this is a mistake, right?
Max: I'm sorry, guys.
The arrest causes tensions to rise in the community and citizens organize a protest, as one resident shouts on a bullhorn, “people of color are being victimized, targeted and ignored, and the sheriff’s department has turned their backs on us.” The crowd chants for Sheriff Taylor’s (Gillian Vigman) removal as the leader of Roswell’s clan of white supremacists and Mayor Bernhardt’s son, Jordan (Michael Grant Terry), threatens to make sure the Lopezes remain in jail.
Meanwhile, Max tries to help the Lopezes, and even though they’ve been good friends for many years, they tell Max he’s not their friend when he’s wearing his uniform. Of course, they had no problem being his friend when they were pleading not to be arrested, but okay.
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Max urges Sheriff Taylor to make a statement to calm the tensions, but when a brick with “Die Pigs!” written on it is thrown through the window, the racist deputy convinces Taylor to call in the Roswell Regiment for support because they’re “about blue lives mattering.” But, the Roswell Regiment ends up being the same group of white supremacists led by Jordan who have been terrorizing the town and its minority citizens:
Crowd: Hey, hey, ho, ho, Sheriff Taylor has got to go!
Taylor: Of course, Mayor Bernhardt, I'm aware of Zeke Murphy's family's investments in our city, but with all due respect, this isn't my first rodeo, and this bull isn't getting away from me.
Max: Sheriff, the protests aren't subsiding. Uh, maybe if you made a statement about how we handled...
Taylor: Don't start with me, Evans.
Deputy: Releasing those two wasn't enough. Those rioters out there want us disbanded, defunded and dead.
Max: I know these people, Ma'am. This isn't them. If anything, this is Jordan Bernhardt. He wants a fight.
Deputy: The mayor's son? Sheriff, the Roswell Regiment is about blue lives mattering, and, frankly, we could use their help right about now. We are understaffed and we are clearly under fire, and we don't have the badges to keep this in check.
Max: I'm telling you, the protestors wouldn't do this.
Deputy: Why? Because they're your friends?
Taylor: Evans, get me the names of all the protestors with violent priors. You. Call up the Regiment.
Brock: I thought you people only made burritos.
Arturo: I recognize your voice. Your parents raised you better than this.
Brock: You don't know nothing, old man.
Rosa: Papi! Hey, you stupid vatos, get out of here, okay, before I call the cops.
Brock: Here. Use my phone. Mouthy. Pretty little piñata.
This is obviously supposed to mirror Black Lives Matter protests and the liberal lecture is that not only are those who believe blue lives matter evil racists, but protestors are also all innocent, peaceful people who are being framed by racists who are the real culprits behind any violence. So, it’s not BLM, but white supremacists who have been looting, rioting, and burning buildings down at protests, despite endless video footage proving the opposite.
Max meets up with his reporter friend Anatsa (Sibongile Mlambo) and their conversation leads to more anti-police and broken system rhetoric:
Max: I heard you spoke with the Lopezes.
Anatsa: Couple of days ago I interviewed them about how they were making waves with Mayor Bernhardt.
Max: Well, that probably won't help our cause. You know, Vinnie and I used to throw back whiskey quite a bit. Now he won't open up to me. I guess I wouldn't want to talk to me either.
Anatsa: Most cops don't have such compassion. What is it that keeps yours so open?
Max: I grew up watching the Valentis. They listened to all sides. They maintained the dignity.
Anatsa: You wanted to be a hero.
Max: I just want to keep what they had going alive. You know, they cared about everyone in Roswell. They didn't pick and choose.
Anatsa: That should be the bare minimum. But it sounds like another planet to me.
Max: There's more of us than you think.
Anatsa: But definitely not enough. So, I see where these protestors are coming from.
Max: I know why they hate us. But when there's trouble at 3:00 A.M., they still dial 911.
Anatsa: But this is bigger than that. The Wild Pony was robbed by white supremacists. People are being harassed, followed home. And Sheriff Taylor's looking the other way. But it's not just her-- this is happening all across the country. I could run a stop sign, and my story could turn sad at any moment. That's the system we live in.
Max: Yeah, well, I believe in the work I do. But I understand there's a lot broken.
Anatsa: If you recognize that, how can you keep putting on that uniform?
Max: I ask myself that every day. And every day I find a reason to put it on.
Yes, there are so many people of color who have been killed by the police simply for running a stop sign. Anatsa’s fear seems totally rational. #sarcasm As for “most cops” not having compassion? Putting your life at risk to protect others as police do every day is the very definition of compassion.
In the end, Anatsa goes undercover as part of the Regiment and record Jordan confessing to moving Zeke’s body onto the Lopez’s property to frame them. That leads to Jordan’s arrest so he will no longer be able to hurt or harass anyone else.
I’m sure Roswell, New Mexico will keep “killing us softly” with more anti-police BLM songs in future episodes given their long history of liberal lecturing. We’ll be sure to keep a close watch so you don’t have to.
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