As Watch Me begins, Rosa and James are as close to enemies as two people can be. Rosa comes from the Reestablishment and obeys their every command, while James is part of the resistance against that establishment. Over the course of the novel, Rosa and James go from an antipathy based on the conflict between their two societies to a deep connection, understanding, and empathy; in the process, they reconnect with their own humanity.

At the beginning of the novel, Rosa and James struggle to see each other as humans like themselves and lack any connection. From the outset, James struggles to even see Rosa as human. Her composure, silence, and poise lead him to think she might be a robot. But when he realizes she’s real, he also notes her physical beauty and scent, describing her as smelling like “pine trees and soap” (24). Watching James on the surveillance screen, Rosa notes every physical feature, a sign of her curiosity and growing attention to him. Their assessment of each other is superficial, and they observe one another as if they are different species. However, their first encounter, though violent, is emotionally intense, laying the foundation for a deeper connection. The gradual collapse of the walls between them becomes a crack in the wall of their beliefs.

Rosa and James also connect through their shared concern for Clara. From the moment James sees Clara suffering and recognizes how it is affecting Rosa, his perception of Rosa begins to change. Rosa, too, begins to waver; her original (supposed) mission is to guide James off the island so Klaus can track and attack the Resistance, but James’s resilience, warmth toward Clara, and unwavering sense of purpose begin to test her beliefs. Because they both feel for Clara, for the first time, they see each other as emotional beings.

This emotional connection continues subtly, intertwining with a potential attraction to each other. When James offers a truce, promising to turn Rosa in once they reach his territory, she agrees. They shake hands, and Rosa feels a sort of electricity between them. James is also conflicted, reflecting, “I know she’s technically a horrible person. I know this. I’ve got the scar on my neck to prove it. But no one breaks down crying trying to eat a piece of chicken unless they’re carrying serious pain” (226). James’s connection with Rosa is deepened as he begins to see, through her behavior, how deeply traumatic her life has been. After she passes out in the chopper, he instinctively holds her, and their physical attraction begins to play a stronger role, on both sides, in their connection. Rosa admits, “After so many years being dead inside, James makes me feel alive” (245). Meanwhile, James becomes overwhelmed by how deeply he notices her, from her hair down to the distance between her feet and the floor.

Despite this emotional shift into a romantic connection, Rosa remains guarded. She views James as someone who “lulls enemies into a false sense of security” (276), yet she cannot help falling for him. James believes “the real Rosabelle is a girl living inside a fortress inside a fortress inside a fortress inside a fortress. But the walls are so thick no one can hear her screaming” (292), reflecting a new and empathetic understanding of Rosa. James makes Rosa feel like her life could be different, but she continues to believe she is fundamentally broken and unlovable. By the end of the novel, Rosa opens up to James, telling him about her past for the first time. When they touch on their way to the prison, sparks fly between them. Through Rosa and James’s relationship arc, the novel explores the rediscovery of one’s own humanity through the recognition of it in another.