Roswell, New Mexico Season 4 Release Date, Plot, And Cast - What We Know So Far

In the fall of 1999, just a few weeks after the series premiere of a little show called "Law & Order: SVU," the WB launched a "Dawson's Creek"-meets-"X-Files," soundtrack-heavy series based on author Melinda Metz's young adult novels. The book series, adapted for television by Jason Katims, was called "Roswell High," and it followed the trials and tribulations of a group of Southwest teens, some of whom were aliens. It premiered under the name "Roswell" on the WB, but, not unlike Gina Matthews' and Ryan Murphy's "Popular," the series was not long for the network. It did, however, enjoy a third season on UPN following its departure from the teen-focused, future CW (via Variety).

Just shy of two decades later, The CW premiered a reboot of the supernatural series, this time calling it "Roswell, New Mexico." Created by Carina Adly MacKenzie, the reboot quickly garnered enough of a following to return for a second and third season, thanks in part, no doubt, to its appearance on Netflix. With the show's shocking Season 3 finale well behind us, it's time to look to the future, and investigate just what Season 4 has in store for fans. 

In February of 2021, Deadline reported that The CW had confirmed a 4th season of "Roswell, New Mexico," an announcement that came roughly eight months before the series' Season 3 debut in October 2021. In August of that year, KRWG shared the The New Mexico Film Office's report that the 4th season would begin shooting that month, and wrap in January of 2022. After months of speculation, the season was finally given an official release date of June 6, 2022 (via Deadline).

The series will return on the same day as, and in the 8 p.m. EST slot immediately preceding, The CW's "In the Dark" (via TVLine). Since both series debuted in 2019, they'll reappear on Netflix following their season finales, despite the streaming service's decision not to renew its deal with the network (via What's on Netflix). News of the season's release date was a welcome reassurance to fans on the series' subreddit, who'd already begun planning their Seasons 1-3 rewatch binge. But who can those fans expect to see, or miss, in the series' upcoming season?

According to the series' IMDb page, all of its main protagonists, antagonists, and recurring characters will be returning for Season 4. Though she contributed simultaneously to the 2021 series adaptation of "The Yellow Wallpaper" and has at least one production, Blair Underwood's "Viral," in post-production, "Roswell, New Mexico" lead Jeanine Mason will be returning as biomedical researcher Liz Ortecho. Lily Cowles will return as the secretly superterrestrial Isobel, and Heather Hemmens and Nathan Dean Parsons will reprise their respective roles as bartender Maria DeLuca and Deputy Max Evans, the latter being a role originally played by Jason Behr in the 1999 series. 

Tyler Blackburn (Alex Manes), Michael Trevino (Kyle Valenti), and Amber Midthunder (Rosa Ortecho) will reappear as well, though Midthunder is only listed as starring in nine out of Season 4's 12 episodes. In September of last year, Deadline announced that  "Grown-ish" star Zoe Cipres and "The Originals" actor Andrew Lees would also join the Season 4 cast, portraying two infamous bank robbers named, what else, Bonnie and Clyde. Perhaps most excitingly, at least for fans of the original series, executive producer Chris Hollier told TV Line that "Roswell" veteran Shiri Appleby would be back for Season 4. However, he declined to reveal any information on her role.

The finale of "Roswell, New Mexico" Season 3 left audiences with plenty of questions, at least a handful of which will surely (maybe, possibly) be answered in Season 4. There's the cliffhanger mystery of who exactly the woman is who's looking for Liz (a sky person, perhaps?), as well as the question of how Appleby's character, a woman named Allie who claims to be Liz's former teacher, fits into the plot. While Hollier hasn't given anything away with regard to either woman's true identity, he did shed some light on what the upcoming season will bring for other characters in his interview with TV Line. 

Hollier said that despite Liz and Max finally sharing a kiss, the road ahead will be rocky. "One of our other goals," he told the outlet, "was to grow the characters up a little bit, and to give them new problems. Just because you're in love and find your mate, that doesn't mean everything is always rainbows. New challenges come as you grow." Hollier also said that although antagonist Jones (also played by Nathan Dean Parsons) has finally been taken care of, his legacy lingers. "Jones won't be running around as our villain," he explained, "because we've moved on to other stories, but he made a big impact. There's a lot of aftermath to deal with." Finally, the executive producer hinted at complications for the series' other relationships and even teased a potential Kyle and Isobel romance. Clearly, Season 4 of The CW reboot has even more twists, turns, and mystery in store for its audience.