Roswell. Speaks to my love for sci-fi and deep seated closeted inclination to hopeless romanticism.
It all starts with Liz Parker, the seemingly normal teenager who bides her time in the town of Roswell, New Mexico working at her parents restaurant and dating an athlete at school. One day she gets shot in broad daylight during a disagreement, but here's the thing. Luckily, there's a quiet boy whose been watching her the whole time--there's always a guy that goes unnoticed in the girl's eyes. He rushes over to her during all the commotion and saves her life. And the next moment he and his friend are gone.
It's the ultimate "cute meet." A mysterious guy brings a girl back to life. In more ways than the physical way. Somehow it awakens Liz and gives her an whole new outlook on life. When a silver handprint esotericly appears on her torso and the law, in the form of the Sheriff, gets involved both her and Max's lives change forever.
Liz uses her scientific resources to discover that Max is different from the rest of humanity. And instead of dismissing it as a weird notion she confronts him and in an iconic scene, she discovers that its not just him.
To understate things, unable to keep a discovery like this to herself she tells her best friend Maria who first precedes to freak out and then help them to cover up the link that is found between the significant silver handprint and a murder that occurred in 1959, years after the crashdown. After all this Liz and Max decide that its best to not get involved despite their clear chismic connection.
While Liz and Max are a significant part of the overall story there's more to Roswell the town than them. I mentioned there were others but I didn't say who. First, there's Michael, the loner hot head who ends up in a twisted form of a relationship with Maria. I don't want to ruin it too much for ya, but it all starts in a hotel room. Then there's Isabel, Max's sister, she's popular, beautiful and conservative. Who else would you expect Katherine Hiegl to play?
Although the main theme of season one maybe keeping the secret. Many important incidents arise that must be dealt with properly, such as searching for the other alien, who the other alien is and about there home planet along with parents, the law, the FBI, right and wrong in mainly the emotional department, and learning trust. While each of these seem minor to composition of the story they hardly detract from the main focus. That's something I think the creator did well, there aren't too many filler episodes that disappoint the audience.
While all the characters support the overall theme (discovering their home and identity) a lot of it rests on Max and Liz's relationship. This becomes obvious in both "Heat Wave" and "Sexual Healing,"(these are the episodes in which Liz and Max no longer fight there chemical make ups and engage in some serious make out sessions) it also proves to be a perilous factor. As if enough problems weren't available to deal with, a new girl shows up. And it turns out she's the fourth they've been looking for--not from 1959. The alien from 1959 is questionable in his scruples and was meant to protect them...but plans don't always work out.
Which brings up the fact that the overall arc of season one leads to the capture of Max by the FBI in which the gang goes through some serious changes. One being that they tell Sheriff Valenti about the secret. Not to mention that they discover in "Destiny" that the four of them are a unit. More importantly a coupled unit. Max and Isabel discover they have a Mother out there frozen in time over a war. Essentially she was their angel and sent along with them their spouses from their past lives, hoping that'd they would learn salient lessons that could help them when they returned home. At this time Max and Liz are highly involved in a serious relationship, and while Max is willing to fight his destiny. Liz walks away.
While this show may rely on the old stand by of science fiction: aliens away from home. It explores the facets that a teenager faces along with providing a tumultuous star cross lovers relationship. While providing interesting and humorous characters. It's got my attention and definitely worth further exploration.
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