We here at TV Fanatic love ourselves some Kyle Valenti.
This season, Roswell, New Mexico’s resident doctor, and all-around gem, has been put to the test. But through all the trials and tribulations, he remains the one guy his friends can always count on.
Michael Trevino was kind enough to take the time to chat with us about Kyle’s journey this season, what’s next for him, and which character from The Vampire Diaries he’d like to see spend a little time in alien territory.
Hey, Whitney.
Hi Michael, how are you?
I’m doing well. I’m doing well. How are you?
Good, I’m great. Thank you. So, I’m just jumping right in here. Kyle has had a lot going on in season three, to put it mildly. How would you describe his journey so far this season?
Well, as I’m sure you know, Kyle is continuing to put out fires. He’s there for as many people as he can be, but he’s definitely called upon. And whenever he’s needed, I feel like he shows up, but in episode 3×09, that’s going to air next week, I think we kind of see things.
He’s reached his limit. And you sense his frustration. And I feel that it’s warranted even though it comes in a bit hot, but we’re in season three, and his life has taken a turn. And he’s finding out more and more about his own family history, and I think it’s just been a bit frustrating for him.
Sure. And while Kyle was recovering, the audience got the big bomb dropped on us that Ramos is Kyle’s uncle. And that adds another layer to the Valenti history and legacy. So can you kind of speak to where Kyle currently is in regards to his feelings about his father and his feelings about the legacy of his family?
Well, I think what the writers have done is really, from season one to season three, has painted a picture of who Kyle’s father was. Who is Jim Valenti? And at first, we thought he’s this great guy that Kyle had looked up to and always wanted to make proud. And maybe that is the driving force in everything and anything that Kyle does.
Well, now we’re finding out a bit more about who Jim really was. We’ve been on this journey of season two with Jesse Manes, that whole interaction.
And now we’re finding out a bit more in season three. And that really flips Kyle’s world upside down. I don’t see how it couldn’t. So he becomes this angsty, frustrated individual because you’re thinking you know somebody, and you’re finding out all these different things about him or her.
And so with Eduardo, I feel that it’s like, “What else? What else am I missing?” What else can be thrown his way? Because now we find out that, yeah, Eduardo, “Oh, you’re my uncle. Interesting. Why hasn’t anybody ever told me that before? Where have you been? Can you help me understand what is going on?”
And when you think about that, Kyle probably thinks, “Well, who am I really? What is this really about?” So I don’t know if he’s, maybe, in the middle of wondering or questioning his own identity of what is this Valenti code? Has that been a lie? Because that’s something that he’s lived by, so that’s where we’re at.
Will we get to find out more about what happened the night that Kyle was attacked?
No, not really. I’m trying to think fast here of exactly, no, I mean, when we started episode 309, we find out, has he been in a coma? Was he injected with something? Was he knocked out? So, it was briefly explained, but I think, more so, we get into Eduardo and Kyle. Who are they to one another?
And that is a jumping-off point for Kyle.
You touched on this a little bit earlier, but Kyle is not only the doctor that everyone needs, but he’s also a confidant as well. Can you speak to Kyle’s role, how you see Kyle’s role within his group of friends?
Yeah. I think Kyle is somebody that you can depend on. He’s somebody who has everybody’s best interest at heart. If you call upon him, he’s going to be there for you. And I think that what I’ve enjoyed about being on the show is how Kyle is interwoven between all the storylines, everything that’s happening.
He is a part of that, in some capacity. So that’s been fun to play just as an actor with everybody on our cast, but that’s just going to continue. And I feel like it’s just going to get heavier. Just a heavier burden on Kyle, on what else needs to be done, how he can help, what is asked of him, needed of him to finish off the season.
And that also kind of flows into my next question, which is that Kyle is a character that has deeply personal relationships with pretty much all of the core characters, but is there a certain dynamic that you wish could be explored a bit more on the show?
Like this season, we’ve got you with Michael some more and some more with you and Rosa, is there any particular dynamic you’d like to see explored more?
Great question. A hundred percent. Kyle and Isobel. I want to see it. I want them to…what is their dynamic? Cause I think the energy that Lily brings to Isobel is so… it’s not infectious, but it’s… it is infectious, but it’s also, she just has so much energy.
She’s a ball of energy, and I want to see…and she’s powerful. She’s just fierce. And so, I’d like to see more Isobel and Kyle scenes. What is their friendship relationship to one another? And I’d like to explore that.
Yeah, that’d be great. Cause I also think with Kyle, every person he gets to interact with brings out a different side to him, which is really nice to see as well.
Yes, very much so. I’m glad you noticed that because it’s true. It’s true. And that’s why I picked Isobel because I think that out of everybody, you see the most, you see such a different side of Kyle whenever he’s interacting with Isobel.
For whatever reason, I feel like it’s always there compared to any other character. And so, I’d want to explore that more.
Yeah, I’d like that too. So last season, we saw Kyle in a relationship with Steph, but this season we haven’t seen him pursuing anyone romantically. Will that be something that changes as the season progresses, or will his focus kind of lay elsewhere?
No, I think the focus at this point is not only is he going to be more involved with Deep Sky and Eduardo. But everybody, in some way, is going to have to deal with Jones. And that’s gotta be priority number one. So, I don’t see any time for any romance.
Earlier in the season, Kyle was presented with an opportunity to potentially leave Roswell for new opportunities. If that were to ever happen, which I hope it never does, where do you think Kyle would end up?
Ooh! That’s fun. I think Kyle would go to New York. I think he’d go to the East Coast. I think he’d want to be in the big city. He’d want to be in Manhattan and just have that energy. Because we all love Roswell, but it is a bit of small-town living. And so, I think I would see him pursuing more in the medical field in the big city.
This season feels like a bit of a rebirth in some ways. And it’s been a lot of fun for the audience. So, is there anything about season three that you particularly enjoy? Not just for Kyle, but the show as a whole?
Ooh. Listen, where we’re at now in the season is Jones. Jones is our “big bad,” if you will. And what’s fun is, one to see Nathan Dean play two characters, right? And trying to see him add different layers to both of them. So that’s been fun. I know last season he was working his ass off, and I think it shows.
But to do that, to play two characters, is a lot. I really enjoyed him tackling that, but all of us have that in common, right? It’s like, okay, we have to all come together, join forces almost like it’s The Avengers or something to take care of Jones. This is our big bad. This is priority number one, and this is what we have to take care of.
And I know in the later episodes, it’s everybody joining forces. I mean, it’s exactly what you would think of all of us in one scene, coming together, being like, “Okay, we got to get rid of this guy. How do we do this?” And everybody has their job.
I know you are shooting season four now. What is it like being back in Santa Fe and stepping back into the role, and how much do you enjoy filming in Santa Fe and everything that kind of goes with it?
Well, I noticed, we shot season three a little later in the year, and so it was the dead of winter; it was freezing. I think you can see that in the episodes that are currently airing. We may seem like we’re not cold, but we are freezing, freezing. I liked that we started a bit earlier for season four.
So right now, the cold hasn’t set in yet. We’re shooting very beautiful exterior shots, and it’s been nice. It’s been nice. The show is still going. I do want to thank all the fans that continue to watch week to week and are still invested in the story that we’re telling and the characters that we’re playing because we’re getting into that rare territory.
It’s season four, and we’re all still happy to be here.
We’re all still working. I’ve been on series’ that last a long time. And sometimes the dynamics can shift, right? But I can honestly say that I think everybody on this series is happy to be here and happy to work and grateful for that. And so, it is a nice feeling. We’re plugging away right now.
It’s season four; things are going really well. I really like these episodes. And it’s a different energy because we’re working, but then we’re also able to get instant feedback on which episodes are airing currently. That’s a really nice feeling, but me, I enjoy Santa Fe. It’s a beautiful part of New Mexico.
And we’re all great right now until maybe in about a month and a half until it gets freezing again. But right now, we’re good.
Yeah, and congratulations to you because, like you alluded to, getting four seasons nowadays is no easy thing to do. So, you guys should be very proud of that.
And trust me, I’m reminding our cast every chance I get. I’m like, “Hey, this is a good thing here.” I think people are still engaged in what we’re doing. People are still tuning in. And so as long as that’s happening and we’re doing our jobs, everything should be fine.
This is just a little bit of a fun question. If you could think of a Vampire Diaries character that you would like to see swoop into Roswell for a bit, who do you think that would be?
Oh, damn. That’s a great question. I’d love to have more time to think on this, but off the top of my head right away, gut reaction because I’m envisioning my buddy, Zach Roerig, in a Sheriff’s uniform. And I’m envisioning Max in a Sheriff’s uniform. And I don’t know why I want them to… maybe they don’t get along.
Maybe there’s a new sheriff in town. I don’t know what. I don’t know what, but it would be very awesome to see Zach Roerig play Matt Donovan in Roswell, New Mexico. But him be that character. Have him be Matt Donovan and just kind of react to what’s going on here.
And if it’s the same character, you’d think he’d be like, “Okay, first I was dealing with witches, werewolves, and vampires. I’m coming to this town. You’re telling me there’s aliens here.” Let’s make this a comedy. I want to see that play out. That would be hilarious.
Yes, it really would be. Last question for me, with this season winding down, is there anything you can tease for us about where Kyle’s story goes from here?
I think what we’re going to see him and Eduardo be allies to one another, and Kyle’s involvement in Deep Sky is going to be greater, and everybody has to come together for this guy, Jones. It’s all hands on deck. Cause Jones is very powerful, manipulative, and we have to get him out of here.
Okay, well, thank you so much for your time today.
I appreciate it. I appreciate it, Whitney. Thank you. And great job on those reviews that you do. Those are awesome.
Oh, thank you very much. Thank you.
Yep. You got it.
Remember you can watch Roswell, New Mexico at 8/7c on The CW Monday nights.
Whitney Evans is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.