Well, that didn’t take long. After a jam-packed political episode of the CW’s Roswell, New Mexico, we already have another story promoting the virtue of abortion. Or rather, we have a story bashing sanctuary city laws that protect the unborn. Apparently, in our wide range of issues in 2020, this is still a high priority.
The March 30 episode “Good Mother” (an ironic title if I’ve ever heard one) continues the story of Isobel’s (Lily Cowles) surprise alien pregnancy. It turns out that the poison she took in the last episode was not enough to kill her baby, so she’s been increasing the dose for better results. However, since she, too, is an alien, she also suffers from the poison, which threatens to kill her and the baby.
In this stressful situation, she begins to hallucinate her deceased brother Max (Nathan Dean) who advises her to take the antidote and save both of them. Despite this, she stands firm on her desire to end her baby’s life and even laments that Roswell is a "sanctuary city for the unborn." The lack of abortion clinics, she remarks, actually makes her feel “just like all the other girls.”
Max: Where is the antidote?
Isobel: The pregnancy is not over. I'll feel it when I'm free. I'll know.
Max: Your breath is shallow. Damn it, Isobel. This is not a good time to be alone.
Isobel: You know, the irony is, I'm not alone. For the first time, I am just like all the other girls. Did you know that our city council just passed a resolution banning clinics? They call Roswell the last sanctuary city for the unborn. Just the unborn. We don't have a women's shelter.
Max: Well, our parents sure picked a fine place to crash a flying saucer.
Make no mistake, this blatant pro-choice propaganda is on purpose. Actress Lily Cowles commented on the plot saying, “I think this is something that many women face, and whether it's because they're under age and their families won't understand, or because they're illegal citizens and they feel that going to a hospital will compromise them and they'll be deported, or maybe they live in a state where medical assistance just isn't offered for that.” She also adds that “[I]t's crazy that it's still such a huge issue that women have to battle so much to be able to have autonomy over their own systems.” Everyone here really believes that abortion or access to it is the women’s issue of the day.
Of course, that’s not too surprising coming from a liberal show. Even nowadays in the middle of a global pandemic, there are people who prioritize abortion. If people won’t stop whining about “clinics” now, they certainly wouldn’t stop in a sci-fi drama.
Considering the results of the previous episode, it’s hard to tell what’s next for Isobel. Still, the episode ends with Isobel eventually bleeding from the inside, signaling the poison may have finally taken its toll on the baby. Perhaps Isobel got what she wanted all along, and all it took was a dead baby. How anyone considers this “empowering” is beyond me.
