The Roswell, New Mexico cast and creatives spilled some serious Little Green Men about season 3 in their virtual SDCC panel.

With over a year separating Roswell, New Mexico season 2 and season 3, fans are hungry for every bit of information they can get about the new season. Luckily, the entire season was filmed ahead of its July 2021 premiere, so the Roswell, New Mexico team had a lot of fun facts to share about what to expect in the entirety of season 3.

The virtual panel consisted of executive producer Christopher Hollier and eight cast members, including Jeanine Mason (Liz Ortecho), Nathan Dean (Max Evans), Lily Cowles (Isobel Evans), Michael Vlamis (Michael Guerin), Michael Trevino (Kyle Valenti), Heather Hemmens (Maria DeLuca), and Tyler Blackburn (Alex Manes). The panel was moderated by Chris Rudolph, pop culture editor for Logo.

Interestingly, season 3 will jump forward almost exactly as much as the gap between season 2 and season 3. When we meet everyone again it will be one year later than when we left them in the season 2 finale. Which honestly is probably for the best, because most of them weren’t doing that great at the time.

Related: Roswell, New Mexico season 2 finale review: Everybody’s got a dark side

With everybody settled into new routines that will undoubtedly be shaken up very soon, Roswell, New Mexico season 3 is rife with possibility. Here are 6 things we learned about the season from the virtual SDCC panel.

Liz has a new ‘partner’ in California

At the end of Roswell, New Mexico season 2, Liz reached her breaking point with Max after he destroyed everything she’d worked on that year. She decided to focus on herself, and take the job with Genoryx in California that Diego helped hook her up with.

Surprisingly enough, Diego will not be the person she’s working closely with in her new position. She has a new partner named Heath, who will be played by the The Originals actor, Steven Kreuger. While Heath may begin as just a partner in science, the picture above makes it seem like things are at least starting to evolve into something more.

However, hardcore Echo shippers need not fret too much. Jeanine Mason confessed that Liz is too “into saving Maria” and her work to really notice the great things around her in California. Also, she all but guaranteed that as soon as things get “complicated” for her old friends in Roswell, she’ll be heading back to help.

‘Roswell, New Mexico’ season 3 will tackle police brutality

Conversations surrounding police brutality have been ubiquitous in 2020/21, and since a significant subset of the Roswell, New Mexico characters are police officers, it’s an important topic for them to address. The show has tackled the intersection of law enforcement and minority groups before, but based on discussions in the SDCC panel, police brutality will be directly explored in Roswell, New Mexico season 3.

Christopher Hollier and Nathan Dean both mentioned a particularly poignant conversation between Max and a reporter in a mid-season episode that tackles the issue head-on. While we’re a little nervous about why Max would be talking to a reporter, we’re excited to see how the show handles this complex subject facing all Americans.

Maria is getting an upgrade

Based on what Heather Hemmens had to say at the SDCC panel, Maria is getting some significant upgrades both in terms of story and power in Roswell, New Mexico season 3. In season 2 Maria found out that her grandmother was actually Isobel’s twin sister, making her and her mother part alien! While her flower laden jewelry will put a stop to her psychic visions, which cause a degenerative condition in her family, she chose to open herself up to them in the season finale.

Hemmens commented on this decision, claiming that was Maria’s way of saying “‘I’m making decisions for myself now’ and that’s exactly what she does.” She also said that Maria will have much more of her own storyline in season 3, rather than simply being a part of the storylines of others, and that this storyline will likely include a little romance!

It seems like Maria will be a major part of the action in season 3, as she seeks to control her visions. In particular, a vision she has about something happening to one of her friends.

Alex and Forrest are going strong

Roswell, New Mexico season 2 ended with Tyler Blackburn performing a gorgeous song he’d wrote about Michael, followed by him kissing Forrest! It seems that Michael and Alex both knew that they needed some more time and space before they have any hope of making “Malex” work.

Related: Roswell, New Mexico’s Michael and Alex had to fall apart to come back together

According to Blackburn in the SDCC panel, his character is still dating Forrest when season 3 begins. Alex has been travelling to make amends for the Manes men, but he hasn’t thrown romance aside. While Michael is saddened by this (and maybe even a little jealous), Blackburn assured fans that Alex and Guerin are finally taking time to be “friends,” which is a foundation they desperately need.

We will discover new information about Jim Valenti

Jim Valenti was dead long before Roswell, New Mexico premiered, but he’s been mentioned almost as much as the show’s lead characters! From Project Shepherd, to the affair with Helena Ortecho, Jim Valenti has done a lot to set the events of the series in motion.

According to Michael Trevino, Roswell, New Mexico season 3 will bring to light some new information about Jim Valenti that will leave Kyle “no longer trying to live up to his father’s expectations.” We have no idea what we’re going to find out, but with an attitude change like that, it can’t be good!

We’ll see more of the trio’s home planet in ‘Roswell, New Mexico’ season 3

This was probably the most exciting reveal from the Roswell, New Mexico season 3 SDCC panel. Christopher Hollier spilled that we will be seeing a lot more of the home planet of Max, Michael, and Isobel, and exploring “why our heroes ended up here.”

This makes sense since we’ll likely finally be diving into the threat that’s been looming over the aliens since they crashed down with dark Max / Jones, and we’re so excited to learn more and finally start putting some pieces together!