The co-showrunner for Roswell, New Mexico, Carina Adly MacKenzie, departs ahead of season 3. Premiering in 2019, Roswell, New Mexico has been a solid performer for The CW. Based on the Roswell High novels by Melinda Metz, Roswell, New Mexico is the second adaptation after the original Roswell series, although the current sci-fi romance show has made significant changes to the story and characters.
Created by MacKenzie, Roswell, Mexico follows Roswell native Liz (Jeanine Mason), who returns home after unforeseen circumstances to live with her father. She also rekindles a relationship with her former teenage crush Max Evans (Nathan Parsons). After a shocking turn of events, Liz learns that Max, his sister Isobel (Lily Cowles), and their friend Michael (Michael Vlamis) are aliens. Before becoming the creative force behind Roswell, New Mexico, MacKenzie broke into the industry as a writer for The Originals, also penning an episode of The Flash. Last month, many sensed tension after MacKenzie expressed frustration that a love scene with two men was cut from Roswell, New Mexico when the episode aired on ITV.
Now, it appears season 3 of Roswell, New Mexico will have a new leader. Today, MacKenzie took to Twitter to reveal she is leaving her role as showrunner. She expressed the decision didn't come easily, but it is “ultimately due to fundamental differences.” Furthermore, MacKenzie stated that she values the two years she spent on the series and believes the essence of the show is “asking tough questions, striving to make the world better, amplifying marginalized voices, and fighting the good fight.” Check out her full post below:
MacKenzie made a point to dispel any reports of friction between herself and others on the show, including the writers. She acknowledged that she spent a lot of time on set, but emphasized that her co-showrunner, Chris Hollier (Once Upon a Time), was in the writer's room at that time. It's also clear from MacKenzie's statement that she isn't interested in ideas of conflict between herself and Mason, dismissing them as a "boring attempt to pit women against each other."
As of this writing, it remains to be seen who will take over as the new showrunner for Roswell, New Mexico, though it seems likely Hollier will stay in the position. Currently, the series is still on track to premiere season 3 in 2021. Showrunners departing a show, such as Jeff Franklin being fired from Fuller House, Terri Minksy departing the Lizzie McGuire reboot, and Bryan Fuller leaving Star Trek: Discovery, leaves fans wondering what will become of the series. Overall, it appears MacKenzie is departing Roswell, New Mexico on her terms, but her exit will certainly make things more interesting for the upcoming season.
Source: Carina Adly MacKenzie