The CW's alien-themed, sci-fi drama series Roswell, New Mexico has been really winning over LGBTQ+ fans with its resident queer couple Malex (that's Michael (played by Michael Guerin) and Alex (played by Tyler Blackburn, who came out as queer last year) for all the newbies out there) but according to showrunner Carina Adly MacKenzie, one of the pilot episode's most beloved moments—an emotional kiss between the two heartthrobs—almost didn't make it.
According to some tea spilled during a recent interview with Digital Spy, MacKenzie revealed that she had to fight to keep the queer kiss in the series pilot's final airing because she wanted viewers to know exactly who Malex is and what the show stands for.
"There was only one time when there was a little bit of pushback," MacKenzie remembered. "Our pilot was really long. Like four minutes too long. One of the suggestions that came through was: 'OK, well, maybe we cut Michael and Alex’s kiss, and we put it in the next episode?' And I said no. Because I felt like it really needed to be very clear in the very first episode who these men are, and what they are to each other."
She continued:
"I didn’t want it to be subtext. I didn’t want it to be something that people were wondering: 'Are they or aren’t they?' You’ve got a straight couple on all the posters. You’ve got a straight couple on all the billboards. I just wanted to make it very clear what our show is, and how inclusive it is."
Considering how often queer characters and relationships are left on the cutting room floor of so many TV and movie titles, seeing a showrunner fight for the integrity of a series and its LGBTQ+ characters is a welcome sight and something the industry definitely needs more of!
And the Malex stans sure are better off because of it!
Roswell, New Mexico was just renewed for a third season! Seasons 1 & 2 are streaming on Netflix and The CW respectively.
