Roswell, New Mexico previews Max's alien secret ahead of The CW reboot premiere

The CW is only days away from returning to a familiar if alien place, as the rebooted Roswell, New Mexico prepares to invade the network once again — much to the delight of nostalgic fans of the original 1990s adaptation of the Roswell High books by Melinda Metz.

To commemorate the new series’ impending landing ahead of its premiere next week, the network has unloaded a small constellation of new trailers and sneak peeks over the past few days — including a behind-the-scenes preview featuring Nathan Dean Parsons. Parsons, who stars as Max Evans, shares some new insights into the alien turned law enforcement officer he plays on the show.

Balancing his human relationships with his mysterious powers — powers that not even he fully understands — Max operates at the series’ emotional center. He has a strong sense of justice, as well as a fierce loyalty to his family and friends, supplying the calm at the center of the storm as other characters discover the extraterrestrial mysteries he’s worked so hard to keep in check for most of his Earthly life.

“He’s a cop. For him right and wrong are very important; rules are very important. He’s very devoted to his family — to Isobel and Michael — and has spent his whole life trying to protect them. And that all kind of flies out the window when the love of his life, Liz, comes crashing back into town,” Parsons explained.

“Max is an alien. The three of us have powers. We have abilities that we can’t really explain, so we spend our life trying to hide those and really fly under the radar so that, you know, we’re not exposed as this ‘Oh my God, there’s this alien threat.’ We’re just people — trust us! We come in peace. How difficult would it be to live in that situation — and keep a secret for 20 years?”

Elsewhere, we also get bite-sized character previews, including deeper looks at Max and Liz (and their enigmatic past), as well as a glimpse at the new risks Max is willing to take to make sure nothing — not even his long-guarded alien secrets, or the fierce objections of Isobel (Lily Cowles) — can come between him and Liz (Jeanine Mason).

Before we even get to the show’s first episode, though, The CW is tapping in to its return trip to the desert with Roswell: Mysteries Decoded, a standalone documentary that re-examines the famous 1940s crash landing turned cold case that sparked the still-thriving real-world Roswell phenomenon. Guided by investigator Jennifer Marshall and UFO enthusiast Ryan Sprague, Mysteries Decoded arrives at 9 p.m. ET on Jan. 10, ahead of next week’s arrival of Roswell, New Mexico, which debuts Jan. 15 on The CW at 9 p.m. ET.