#teendrama

Teen Wolf

Two Roswells, One Michael & Maria — And the Version We Never Got

Being wildly unpopular might actually be my favorite sport at this point.

Every time I write something like this, I fully expect at least three people to be ready to fight me in the tags. But here’s the thing: I don’t write to be attacked. I write because I genuinely love open, honest, civil conversations. I like contrasting opinions. I just prefer them without digital pitchforks.

So.

Today’s Ship Scream is about Michael and Maria.

Both versions.

Yes. We’re doing this.

The Two Roswells

I watched both:

Roswell (1999–2002)

Roswell, New Mexico (2019–2022)

And yes, I liked both. They’re similar, but they feel very different — and you can feel the twenty-year gap between them.

Both are inspired by the Roswell High novels by Melinda Metz, though neither adaptation is fully faithful. I never read the books (they weren’t published in Italy), so my attachment is entirely television-based.

And in both shows, my ship was the same:

Michael Guerin and Maria DeLuca.

Roswell (1999): The Heat Wave That Started It All

Let’s start with the original.

Teenage Michael and Maria were pure enemies-to-lovers chaos.

The turning point? “Heat Wave” (1x09). The hormonal spike. The uncontrollable attraction. The kisses that didn’t stop. Maria hiding hickeys under a sleeveless turtleneck like it was peak Y2K drama.

That was iconic.

What I loved about them in the original Roswell was the tension. The friction. They were opposites. They clashed constantly. But the chemistry? Explosive.

Seasons 1 and 2 built them beautifully. Especially Season 2, which I still think is the show’s peak (Alex’s death, Tess’s arc — that was the emotional core).

But Season 3?

That’s where things fell apart.

The show struggled with post-high school storytelling. The energy shifted. Some character choices didn’t land (Isabel’s marriage to Jessie still confuses me). And Michael and Maria suffered from that instability.

They were living together. Stable. Settled.

But suddenly it felt like Michael was complacent while Maria wanted more — music, growth, independence.

And instead of deepening their maturity, the show kind of fumbled it.

By the finale, they reunite — but it feels rushed. Like boxes being checked to give everyone a happy ending.

So in the original:

I loved how they started.

I loved their teenage intensity.

I didn’t love how their adult arc was handled.

Roswell, New Mexico: The Mature Version… With Complications

Now we move to the reboot.

And here’s where I might lose some of you.

First: Michael being bisexual was not my issue.

Let me be very clear about that.

My discomfort wasn’t about sexuality. It was about narrative balance.

In Roswell, New Mexico, Michael’s relationship with Alex is deeply developed. Their high school history is emotional, layered, painful. I actually liked it. A lot.

Michael hiding his healed hand because Alex still sees him as injured? That’s beautiful storytelling.

But here’s the structural issue: Alex’s death in the original Roswell was foundational. It reshaped the group. It reshaped Isobel. It altered dynamics permanently.

In Roswell, Alex’s death fractures everything.

In Roswell, New Mexico, that role is replaced with Rosa (Liz’s sister). And while Rosa is interesting, she never quite carries the same emotional gravitational weight.

The ripple effects are different.

And that changes everything.

The Michael/Maria/Alex Triangle

Now we get to the part that really didn’t work for me.

The threesome scene.

I’m sorry. I know. I know.

But narratively? It felt like Michael trying to stand in two emotional worlds at once.

If he wants Alex — choose Alex.

If he wants Maria — choose Maria.

But that “foot in both worlds” energy diluted the emotional clarity.

And it weakened what could’ve been a powerful adult Michael/Maria arc.

Because here’s the thing:

I actually loved Michael Vlamis and Heather Hemmens as Michael and Maria.

They feel mature. Grounded. Adult. Their dynamic in Season 1 especially had that familiar enemies-to-lovers spark, but with lived-in weight.

And that’s where my frustration lives.

My Unpopular Take

If I could fuse both versions, I would.

I’d take:

The mature writing and adult depth of Roswell, New Mexico.

The slow-burn emotional commitment of Seasons 1–2 of the original Roswell.

Because what worked best in the original was this: Michael and Maria were the counterpoint to Max and Liz.

Max/Liz were destiny. Soulmate energy. Almost mythic.

Michael/Maria were friction. Fire. Constant collision.

They weren’t poetic. They were volatile.

But in that volatility, there was real love.

And I wanted that same trajectory in the reboot.

Instead, in both versions, I loved how it started… and struggled with how it ended.

So yes.

My perfect Michael and Maria doesn’t exist.

It’s a mash-up.

Original Roswell’s emotional arc. Roswell, New Mexico’s adult depth. A bisexual Michael with a meaningful past — but a decisive emotional present.

That, to me, would’ve been perfect.

So now I’m asking you:

Which Michael and Maria did you prefer? The chaotic Y2K version? The mature reboot version? Or are you Team Michael/Alex?

And please — let’s argue like adults.

Hi!! I hope you’ll enjoy reading my webnovel: The Adapted. I put in a lot of work into it, so your comments are more than appreciated, and I’m open to any suggestions for improvement, syntax-wise (i.e., any eventual typos I overlooked) -- as this is only one of the many versions coming -- so stay updated :3

Synopsis: 

🎬 SCENE: Brat Pack Hideaway

The morning came too fast. Maya hadn’t slept much—not with Liam still buzzing in her head like a song she couldn’t turn off. Every time she shut her eyes, there he was, replaying the night before, replaying the way he made her feel. Stupid Liam. Dumb, frustrating, impossible Liam. He made her so freaking mad. And the worst part? He probably didn’t even realize it.

Dragging herself out of bed, she forced herself through the motions—shower, hair, light makeup, just enough to look alive. By the time she tugged on her ALO activewear and stepped barefoot across the cold marble floors, she was already over it.

The mansion was quiet, but outside? She knew exactly where Jonah would be. Her brother wasn’t a morning person for anyone else, but if weed was involved, he was up with the sunrise. Sure enough, when Maya pushed open the back doors and crossed the lawn, she spotted the faint curl of smoke drifting from the treehouse above out the open window.

She climbed the ladder, already bracing herself.

🎬 Scene : The Elba Treehouse – Saturday Morning (cont’d)

Jonah was kicked back in his signature folding chair, phone in one hand, blunt in the other. His head lifted when he heard the sounds of somebody climbing up the ladder —and nearly doubled when Maya dropped onto the rug and pillows across from him and, without hesitation, reached for the blunt.

He blinked and jerked his head back in complete shock. JONAH: “Wait—hold up. You’re actually smoking? Maya Elizabeth Elba? You must be stressed.”

Maya rolled her eyes, taking a drag like it was nothing. MAYA: “Don’t sound so dramatic. It’s not that serious.” Maya took a long drag from the joint and let out a cloud of smoke.

Jonah leaned forward, eyebrows raised, smirk tugging at his mouth. JONAH: “Not that serious? You’ve spent your whole life giving me shit for this—and now you’re acting like it’s casual? Yeah, you’re stressed.”

She exhaled slow, avoiding his gaze. MAYA: “You think too much.”

Jonah studied her for a long moment, the joking edge fading just slightly. JONAH: “Or maybe I just notice when clearly something is really wrong. C’mon man, what’s going on?”

Maya shook her head, lips curving into that perfect, practiced smile—the one she always used when she didn’t want to crack. MAYA: “Relax, Jonah. I’m fine. I promise. Just wanted to indulge”

Jonah leaned back again, blowing smoke toward the open window. JONAH: “If you say so. Just… if you ever wanna stop pretending, you know where to find me.”

For a minute, the only sound was the birds chirping . Maya tapped ash into the tray, refusing to look at him.

🎬 Scene : Nicole’s Apartment

Maya walks into Nicole’s living room. Nicole looks up immediately, narrowing her eyes at Maya from the couch and closes the magazine she is reading tossing it on the coffee table.

NICOLE: “You’re high. Don’t even try to lie—were you smoking with Jonah? I thought you didn’t do drugs.”

Maya rolls her eyes and sighs, dropping her bag onto the couch.

MAYA: “Wow, good morning to you too sissy. And for the record—I’m not perfect, Nic. Sometimes I like to… do stuff too.”

Nicole gives her that classic older-sister stare, half-disapproving but soft with an eyebrow raise.

NICOLE: “Never said you couldn’t.....Just didn’t expect it from you.”

Maya crosses her arms, scrunching her nose like she’s annoyed but also caught.

NICOLE: “You stressed about something?”

Maya sighs, finally meeting her sister’s eyes. She hated how Nicole has this weird motherly instinct when something is wrong.

MAYA: “I’m stressed, yeah… but I don’t wanna talk about it. Is that okay?”

Nicole’s expression softens and she smile sly. She wraps an arm around her little sister and pulls her in.

NICOLE: “Of course. You’re allowed to be pissy in secret.”

Maya rests her head against Nicole’s shoulder, her lips curving into the smallest smile.

🎬 Scene : Chelsea's Room Saturday Night

Later that Saturday night, Maya, Chelsea, and Madison piled into Maya’s room for a sleepover. The floor and tables were covered in half-finished wine glasses and snack bowls, music playing low in the background. Between the laughter and the chaos, Chelsea picked up her phone and filmed while Maya and Madison threw themselves into the Chris Brown challenge, their voices mixing with giggles as they tried to keep up with the moves.

Face masks came next, streaks of green across their skin as they scrolled through TikTok drafts and argued over which video was the funniest and best. By the time the night started winding down, Maya grabbed her phone to post the clip.

But instead of opening TikTok, her finger slipped into Instagram.

And there it was—fresh on her feed. A picture of Liam and Jonah standing in a driveway of a friends house.

Her stomach twisted before she could even stop it.

There he was looking so good and sexy. Her stomach dropped and she bit the inside of her lip at how good he looked. She just kinda stared.

Maya stared at the screen longer than she wanted to admit, her thumb hovering over the little heart. Jonah’s caption was stupid—something about “short weeks deserve long nights”—but it didn’t matter. All she saw was Liam.

Her chest tightened.

She locked her phone. Unlocked it again. Scrolled back up to the picture like she hadn’t just been staring at it for five minutes.

Her fingers tapped into her messages before she even thought about it. Liam’s name sat at the top, familiar, dangerous. She typed out “Nice shirt” just to backspace it. Then “You look dumb”. Deleted that too.

For a second, her thumb hovered over the keyboard, the words right there, pressing against her ribs.

And then she shut it off. Tossed the phone face-down on the blanket like it burned to touch.

Across town, Liam’s night wasn’t much different. Liam sat on balcony of Charles's dad's lounge that evening scrolling his phone. Then a TikTok Madison posted earlier came up of her and Maya dancing came up. He smiled and gave a slight laugh. He thought about how carefree she always looked when she danced. She looked so good. He missed talking to her. Why did she have to be stubborn. He opened his messages and opened their message thread.

He typed “You’re ridiculous”. Deleted it. He typed “I hate you so much”. Deleted that too. By the fifth draft, he gave up, tossing the phone across the couch.

Two phones. Two almost-texts. And the same silence stretching between them.

🎬 Scene :The Elba Mansion Sunday Afternoon

The Elba mansion is alive this Sunday afternoon because of the upcoming short school week. The Brat Pack decided to celebrate at the Elba mansion since the parentals were out of town. Upstairs Maya stretched out on her bed, wrapped in a hoodie, flicking through Netflix without actually picking anything to watch. A knock at her bedroom door pulls her out of her thoughts. Before she can respond, Jonah pushes it open, already grinning. JONAH: "Get your ass downstairs, Elizabeth. We’re celebrating the weekend." Behind him, Aaron Carter pops his head into the room, waving a small bag of weed in the air like a trophy. AARON: "And by ‘celebrating,’ he means we brought premium product, and we need a place to smoke it where we won’t get kicked out." Maya rolls her eyes but smirks, sitting up. MAYA: "So, my house is just the designated trap house now?"

JONAH: (grinning) "Obviously. Now get downstairs quickly. CHOP CHOP! Maya shoves a pillow at his face, making him laugh as he ducks out of the room. Aaron follows, already pulling out his phone to set up a playlist. She sighs, pushing herself off the bed. If she’s going to get out of her own head, this is probably the best way to do it. As she heads downstairs, she tells herself she’s not even thinking about Liam. She’s lying.

🎬 Scene : The Living Room – The Vibe Shift When Maya walks in, the living room is already set up for the night—dim lights, music playing, Jonah and Aaron rolling up multiple joints and Charles over in the kitchen pouring whiskey. And then, of course—Liam. He’s already there, slouched in the corner of the sectional. He’s wearing a black Burberry t-shirt, shorts and a baseball cap that makes him look mysterious while he types away on his phone. Making it impossible to ignore him. And the worst part? The second she walks in—his eyes go straight to her. For a second, neither of them say anything. Then, Maya forces herself to smile. Forces herself to be normal. MAYA: (lightly) "Well, well, well. Look who actually showed up to something on time." Liam blinks, like he wasn’t expecting her to act normal. Like he was expecting her to keep avoiding him. Then, slowly—he smirks. LIAM: "Could say the same about you, Elba." Maya rolls her eyes and plops onto the couch next to Charles , who was now telling Liam about some crazy plan he had for them next weekend. Then—Liam exhales and smiles but, his gaze still lingering on her.

🎬 Scene : Kitchen

Charles: (raising his glass) “Here’s to the short week ahead.”

Maya: (clinks glasses, half-smiling) “Finally… I need the break.”

Liam: (smirking, eyes flicking to her) “Break from what, Elba? You barely do anything.”

Maya: (side-eyes him, tone sharp but playful) “Don’t start with me.”

But I wouldn’t make a live action, Scooby Doo. I would make a live action, hex girls show



Just picture it.

Episode one: the girls arrive in Coolsville or Crystal Cove or wherever you want to set the Scooby gang. They’re having a concert there that weekend. But on the way, they stopped by this sideshow attraction thing and ended up buying a grimoire, a real one. Unbeknownst to them this is like legit magic. The girls are messing around at night trying to get it open door somehow accidentally cuts her hand boom the book opens up. They just think it’s a cool party trick. So they start to test some stuff out try a few spells and things go really really wrong. They accidentally release an actual demon from a hell dimension, They don’t realize it until the next morning and so who do they call to help them with the weird unexplained oddness why the local supernatural mysteries solvers of course the Scooby gang. (now obviously we’re not gonna have all the members it’s gonna be like two or three of them) and with their help the hex girls and the Scooby gang spend the next two nights trying to get the demon back to its dimension before the concert.

Obviously, our main characters are thorn, dusk, and Luna then of course you have our side characters which is going to be their manager one or two security guards and of course flimflam because while he was trying to sell, knock off tickets, he got roped into the mystery and now he’s a roadie/social media manager.

After the first episode, the girls and their own little crew go off and solve supernatural mysteries while learning witchcraft.

It’s a 20+ episode TV show and the main girls are queer. I don’t know to what extent

Goofy Charlie and Yuri