Reviews By Jerry D.

Season 1

#101 Pilot – Review
#102 The Morning After – Review
#103 Monsters – Review
#104 Leaving Normal – Review
#105 Missing – Review
#106 258 South – Review
#107 River Dog – Review
#108 Blood Brother – Review
#109 Heat Wave – Review
#110 The Balance – Review
#111 The Toyhouse – Review

Season 2

#201 Skin and Bones – Review
#202 Ask Not! – Review
#203 Surprise – Review
#204 Summer Of ’47 – Review
#205 The End Of The World – Review
#206 The Harvest – Review

#101 Pilot – Review

Written by Jerry D.

I had the pleasure of watching the series premiere of Roswell, a very compelling new show that blends science fiction, modern high school life, and the timeless theme of risking everything for the person that you love. This show is set in the town of Roswell, New Mexico, which has gained considerable notoriety as the site of a supposed alien spacecraft crash in 1947. The crash was supposed to have been covered up by the United States government, which put out the story that a weather balloon had crashed on that day.

The episode opened in a restaurant called the Crashdown Café that serves the tourists that flock to Roswell like pilgrims flock to Mecca to attend the annual Roswell Crash Site festival. In it, we meet best friends Liz Parker and Maria De Luca, who attend the local high school and work part time as waitresses at the restaurant. We also meet Max and Isabel Evans, who, along with their friend Michael Guerin, share a secret which, up until now, only they knew. The first thing we notice that is different about Max and Michael is that they consume bottles of Tabasco sauce as part of their diet. As we watch Liz and Maria talk, we can see that Max harbors strong feelings for Liz, but Liz is unaware of these feelings, despite Maria’s wise observation of this fact to Liz. Suddenly, a fight breaks out between two patrons of the restaurant, and shots ring out, hitting Liz, seemingly fatally. Max rushes over and through the use of some type of mysterious power that he possesses, he heals Liz’s wound, much to the chagrin of his friend, Michael. He then throws ketchup over where the wound was to cover up the blood, and he and Michael very quickly depart the premises, leaving an empty bottle of Tabasco sauce at the scene. It is at that point that we learn the true identity of Max , Michael and Isabel. It turns out that they are descendents of survivors of an alien space ship that had, indeed, crashed in New Mexico in 1947. We learn that they were born from incubation pods years after the crash, and that they are now living with local people who had adopted them knowing nothing about their origins. Max, by saving the life of Liz, has put his own life at great risk, by exposing his carefully guarded secret to outsiders.

We then meet other people that will play a role in the show. There’s Kyle Valenti, Liz’s boyfriend, whose father is the sheriff of the town, and who begins to suspect that something is amiss when Kyle spies a strange hand print on Liz’s stomach, a hand print that the sheriff had seen once before on a dead body. The sheriff, it seems, is haunted by the ridicule that his father endured for believing that aliens did indeed exist, and when his investigation of the shooting at the diner turns up inconsistencies, he is determined to find out what really happened, and in doing so clear his father’s name. We also meet Alex, Maria and Liz’s best friend, and the scenario is set for Liz to confront Max and learn the truth about how he was able to save her.

In the meantime, Maria, who realized that Liz, had, in fact, been shot during the altercation at the restaurant, confronts Liz, and Liz is forced to tell her the truth. This prompts Max, his sister, and their friend to consider leaving Roswell in place of a safe haven, but they soon conclude that running away will just draw further suspicion to them, so they decide to stay and take measures to draw suspicion away from them. We then joined Max and Michael on the road as they inform Isabel of what had happened. Isabel reacts angrily to this revelation, as she told Max that he had been the one who always admonished her and Michael not to use their powers. Max then commented that Isabel uses her powers all the time, but she said she uses her powers for “recreational” purposes. She then proceeds to play a CD without a CD player, and melts the cheese on the taco that she is eating, which I found to be a highly comical moment in the show. Max, Michael, and Isabel then get pulled over by Sheriff Valenti, who routinely harasses young people, and his suspicions are aroused when he sees an empty bottle of Tabasco sauce in their car, tying them to being in the diner at the time of the shooting. Isabel seems very nervous about the sheriff and is afraid of him. His suspicions aroused, the sheriff steals Liz’s dress and turns it over to the government authorities, who greet his suspicions with great skepticism, but this sets the tone for future trouble from this obsessed sheriff, who later attempts to arrest Max until Liz and her friends foil his nefarious plans.

Max, as it turns out, has loved Liz from afar all his life, and when she asks him why he risked everything to save her, he simply states “because it was you”. By this simple, but wonderfully evocative statement, Max summarizes the love that he has for Liz in a beautiful way. Later, Max uses his powers to let Liz see herself through his eyes and to feel what he is feeling about her, and in doing so, Liz realizes that in Max’s eyes, she is beautiful. By “connecting” with Max in this special way, she starts seeing him in a different light, and she begins to fall in love with him. At the end, though, Max tells Liz that although he wants them to be together, he feels that he can’t take that risk, as he feels that being in a relationship with her will put her in too much danger. These scenes touched my heart like no other scenes that I’ve seen on a television show in a very long time, and established the romantic mood for the series itself.

Overall, I found this series premiere to be a really wonderful show, and it seems to promise great things to come, as we become further drawn into the lives and stories of the characters in Roswell.

#102 The Morning After – Review

Written by Jerry D.

Tonight’s episode continued the story of the characters of Roswell, and allowed us more of a glimpse into their lives. The show opened with Liz writing in her diary, musing on what Max Evans had meant when he said to her, “I’ll see you in school.” In a sweetly innocent way that reflected the feelings that she had for Max, she wondered if what he said was just his way of being polite, or that he meant that “he won’t be able to breathe until he meets me again.” I thought it was comically, but touchingly, amusing that while she was up at night unable to sleep because of her feelings for Max, Max was, in fact, sound asleep.

Michael sneaks into Max’s room, unable to sleep, and it is obvious that he has a burning desire to learn about his origins, a desire not shared as strongly by Isabel and Max. We got a real glimpse tonight of the hellish life that Michael has, and why he has such a strong desire to learn the truth about his origins. I thought that Michael showed a vulnerable side tonight that was not evident in the series premiere. Michael wants to break into the Sheriff’s office to take whatever evidence that exists on others of their type, but Max and Liz are not very enthused about this plan, and Isabel makes the statement that she likes her life, and doesn’t want to have to leave it.

In the meantime, Liz and Maria are discussing the revelation that aliens (which they comically refer to as Czechoslovakians at Liz’s request) do, in fact, exist, and it is obvious that Maria has great fears about this discovery. I thought that Liz’s statement that “The thing you have to factor in about Czechoslovakians is that they have incredibly soulful eyes” was really sweet. I find the innocent love that she has for Max to be incredibly endearing.

Back in school, a new substitute teacher, Kathleen Topolski, seems to have an unusual interest in Michael’s whereabouts, which draws Liz’s suspicions. Kyle and Liz meet in the hallway, and it is quite evident that whatever feelings that she had for him are over, but that Kyle still has feelings for her. Liz then purposely bumps into Ms. Topolski, and she sees that she has a file on Michael, so Liz goes to Michael’s house to warn him, something that really reflects on just how sweet and kind a character Liz is.

Liz tells her suspicions about the substitute teacher to Max, but Max is skeptical, and he says that they have to go on with life as it was before, and that they all have to be careful. I was very touched by Liz’s concern for Max and his friends. Max then sees Ms. Topolski talking to a police officer, so he sends Liz a note to meet him in the eraser room. Once Maria learns about the note, she warns Liz that the eraser room is a place that will “take her innocence,” which I found to be really funny!

Back at the sheriff’s office, Government agents come to take all the evidence that the sheriff has on alien activity, despite denying finding anything suspicious about Liz’s waitress uniform, which the sheriff had given them as evidence. The sheriff, already tipped off by the presence of an FBI agent in his office the day before, had hidden a mysterious key that had been in the alien file that he has and Michel seeks.

Liz meets Max in the eraser room, and I found the disappointment that was written all over her face that Max was meeting her there simply to spy on Ms. Topolski to be very endearing and innocently sweet. I liked the discussions that she and Max had, and the affection between them is obvious to see. These characters, especially Liz, are a real delight to watch. Max and Liz overhear Ms. Topolski say to a security officer that she is going to Michael’s house to try and talk with him.

Liz and Max head to Michael’s house to warn him, and Kyle follows them, and he mistakenly believes that Liz and Max are having some type of amorous encounter in Max’s car, so he runs up to the car, and in the scuffle, Ms. Topolski sees Liz. Max then asks Liz to have lunch with him sometime.

Michael breaks into the sheriff’s office, eventually aided by Max and Isabel, and they narrowly escape with the mysterious key which Michael finds. Michael sees flashes of a spaceship when he holds the key, but no one else does.

Ms. Topolski reveals to Liz that she is, in fact, the new guidance counselor, and that Michael is in danger of being expelled. The show ends with Liz writing in her diary once more, musing on the topics of secrets, and how they can affect various people.

Overall, I found this show to be a good one which allowed us to understand the characters of Roswell a little better, and I look forward to the next show.

#103 Monsters – Review

Written by Jerry D.

The third episode of Roswell continued the pattern of allowing us to get to know the characters better, this time focusing on Isabel and Maria. The show opened up with Maria driving down the road and coming upon Isabel, whose jeep has broken down. It is very evident that both these characters feel very uneasy around each other, and Maria’s discomfort is increased exponentially when Isabel uses her powers to enhance Maria’s car air conditioner and stereo system. This makes Maria so nervous that she crashes into the back of Sheriff Valenti’s car. We see once again that Sheriff Valenti makes Isabel very nervous, for obvious reasons.

Back at school, Ms. Topolski informs everyone in a class lecture on Career Week that they will be individually interviewed to see where their vocational strengths lie. Liz and Maria then talk, and Maria indicates her discomfort with Isabel. Ms. Topolski starts interviewing students, and only Liz seems to have a tangible goal in life: to be a molecular biologist. In her interview, Isabel flippantly says that she wants to be a supermodel. When Max is interviewed, however, he doesn’t articulate any specific goal for his future, but indicates that he is introverted and tends to hide from the world, like the boy shown hiding behind a tree in a picture that Ms. Topolski is using to indicate personality traits. Ms. Topolski, when writing notes about her findings on each student, indicates that Max has secrets. Ms. Topolski tries to encourage Max to come out of his shell, saying that she too, had hidden from the world for a long time, and that she started to open herself up to what the world had to offer by starting a conversation with someone she liked. Following her example, Max proceeds to shyly start up a conversation with Liz, but he loses courage, and ends up talking to her about the situation with Isabel and Maria. Liz tells Max that it looked like he wanted to say something else to her, but he demurs, retreating back into his shell. Still, though, the wealth of feeling between these two characters simply resonates in any scene they are in together.

Max, Michael, and Isabel talk about Liz, Maria, and the mysterious key that Michael took from Sheriff Valenti’s office which could hold the answer to their past, and Michael once again indicates that he wants to pursue investigating the true story of their origins. Isabel thinks that Maria is on the verge of cracking and revealing their secret.

Ms. Topolski asks Liz about her ambition to be a scientist, and Liz indicates that she likes to be in complete control of her life, and that you have to have a plan for everything. Back at the restaurant, Maria confides to Liz that she lives in constant fear of Isabel, who is also at the restaurant to keep an eye on Maria. Sheriff Valenti walks in to order a soda, and Maria nervously asks him if there’s anything else she can tell him today. This arouses his suspicions, and he tells Maria that he’s here to protect her from anything. Isabel, already afraid of the sheriff, looks alarmed by Maria’s actions.

Max visits the diner, and notes Maria’s nervousness. Max then goes to the UFO Center across the street from the diner to return $10.00 to a lady that Maria had accidentally shortchanged, and he asks the tour guide “What happened in 1959?” This piques the interest of the tour guide, who tells Max to return the next day.

Back at home, Max and Isabel discuss whether they want to find out their past, and Max says that he feels that by always being so cautious, they’re not moving forward. Isabel asks Max if it’s the key Michael found or Liz that is making him think that, and Max replies that he’s not sure. Isabel then says she is going to invade Maria’s dreams to find out what she is thinking, and proceeds to do so. In Maria’s dream, Isabel’s worse fears are realized as she sees that Maria perceives them to be grotesque aliens, and that she seems to be on the verge of telling the sheriff the truth about them.

Back at school, Ms. Topolski tries to delve into Max’s personality, telling him it’s hard to figure out your future until you can figure out your past. Max then goes back to the UFO Center and talks to the tour guide, who turns out to be as obsessed with discovering aliens as Sheriff Valenti. The tour guide tells Max that he has an extensive archive of UFO sightings in a room in the center, and he offers Max a job. In a comically ironic scene, he tells Max that some day, he feels that he will be face to face with an alien.

Meanwhile, back at the diner, Sheriff Valenti presses Maria for more information, and tells her to come to his office the next day, and this scene is witnessed by Isabel. Max tells Liz in their science lab that Maria seems like she’s about to crack and reveal their secret to the sheriff, and that he’s worried. The affection between Liz and Max is palpable as Liz sweetly tells Max that she’ll make sure that everything will be fine. The loving chemistry between these two characters is truly something wonderful to behold.

Ms. Topolski gives everyone their vocational evaluation, and she tells Isabel that her profile indicates that she puts family first, craves security and stability, and leans towards care giving fields. This news breaks down the apathetic flippant wall that Isabel uses as self protection, and we get to see Isabel’s vulnerability, and Ms. Topolski tells Isabel that there’s nothing wrong with wanting to be normal.

Liz then talks to Maria, and she tries to convince her not to reveal Max, Isabel, and Michael’s secret, but Maria chafes at this attempt, and indicates her misgivings, and she tells Liz that she has to do what she feels is right.

Liz talks to Michael and Max and indicates her apprehension about what Maria might say, and apologizes to Max, who comforts her by telling her that it was only natural that she had confided in Maria. Liz then asks Max why he had confided in her, and he replies that it was only natural for him to do that as well. This seems to represent a breakthrough for Max, as he is learning to open himself up to the world through Liz.

Sheriff Valenti questions Maria in his office, and she seems about to crack, but she doesn’t reveal her secret to him, influenced, undoubtedly, by witnessing Isabel kissing her mother goodbye as they both picked up their cars from the repair shop. Maria then sees Isabel once again broken down on the road, and she once again gives her a ride, and a truce is seemingly reached. The episode ends in school, where Liz and Maria and Max and Isabel walk off with each other in a sweetly protective and affectionate way.

Overall, I think this show did an excellent job in allowing us to get to know some of the other main characters of the show better, and I look forward to seeing further developments along these lines.

#104 Leaving Normal – Review

Written by Jerry D.

This episode of Roswell was one of the most moving and touching episodes of a television show that I have ever had the pleasure of viewing. I can’t remember when I was ever so profoundly affected by a television show, and even Dawson’s Creek in its heyday couldn’t come close to imparting the emotion and sentiment that this wonderful episode of Roswell conveyed.

The show starts out at the restaurant, with Liz telling Maria that her grandmother, the “basis for her existence,” was coming for a visit, to both their obvious delights. There is an orthodontist’s convention in town, and a few of the customers want to look at Liz’s “wonderful overbite.” Liz then looks over and sees Max, much to her obvious joy, as he is there to see her. Max tells Liz that he’ll have an “Alien Blast,” and she replies “me too,” an endearing “Freudian slip” which speaks volumes about the deep affection she has for Max. Unfortunately, their conversation is observed by four thug like friends of Kyle, who jump Max outside and beat him up, warning him to stay away from Liz.

We next see Michael and Max talking, and Michael is enraged about what happened to Max, and he wants to get back at the guys that beat Max up, but Max says that they have to go back into their shells, and that he has to stay away from Liz.

Back at school, Liz waits for Max, but he brushes her off, and she looks hurt. Kyle then meets up with Liz and talks about their date that evening, which will consist of watching some videos. Michael exacts revenge on Kyle and the guys that beat Max up in varied ways.

Liz’s grandmother shows up at the diner, much to Liz’s joy. It’s obvious that Liz and her grandmother have a very special relationship. Liz tells her grandmother about Kyle and Max. Maria shows up, and it’s obvious that she has a great deal of love and affection for Liz’s grandmother as well.

Max is now working at the Alien Research Center, and Isabel confronts him there about what happened to him, and he reiterates that they have to be careful, and that he’s staying away from Liz. We then see Kyle and Liz on the way back from the video store, and they come upon an ambulance taking Liz’s grandmother away, and we learn that she has had a stroke. Liz calls Max, and tells him, on his answering machine, what has happened to her grandmother. Max then comes to the hospital, to Liz’s obvious joy and Kyle’s obvious chagrin. Kyle follows Max out to his car and warns him to stay away from Liz. Kyle tells his father about his resentment of Max.

Back at school, Liz talks to Max, but he rebuffs her. Michael “fixes” Kyle’s locker so he can’t open it, but Max tells him to stop, and that Michael was putting them all in danger, and Michael angrily replies that Max put them all in danger by saving Liz. Max is outraged at this, and he pushes Michael and replies that he would do it again. We next see Maria talking to Liz, and she comforts her in an incredibly touching and moving way, having Liz put her head on her lap, and stroking her hair. This was one of the tenderest displays of affection between two friends that I’ve ever seen, and it was the first of many scenes on this show that moved me to tears. Liz tells Maria that she senses that there’s something wrong between her and Max. Maria tells Liz that she will work alone at the diner that evening, and to not worry about anything.

At the diner, Maria is faced with a chaotic situation, and Maria sees Isabel and asks her to help her wait tables, and Isabel haughtily refuses. Back at the hospital, Liz’s grandmother’s condition worsens, and her prognosis looks grim. Maria comforts Liz, and tells her she loves her. We next see Max and Isabel at home, and Isabel, in a change of heart, has decided to help out Maria and Liz and fill in as a waitress after all. Isabel tells Max that he shouldn’t keep Liz away from someone she really needs, namely him. At the diner, Isabel makes a great waitress, mixing sass, attitude, and the use of her powers to help Maria keep things under control.

Liz goes to see Max, and tells him that she had called him because she was following her heart, and that he was the one that she wanted to talk to. She then asks Max if there is anything he can do for her grandmother, and he replies that he’s not God.

Kyle finds out that his friends beat up Max, and he tells Liz that he had nothing to do with it, but Liz, angered at the fact that he must have obviously had said something about Max to his friends to compel such a savage act, breaks up with him. Max then comes to see Liz in the hospital room with her grandmother, he tells her that he can’t stop what’s going to happen, but that maybe he could help her say goodbye. Max then channel’s Liz’s grandmother’s spirit to allow Liz to talk to her one final time. Liz, in an incredibly moving scene, tells her grandmother how much she means to her, and that she always made her feel special, and that she doesn’t know what she’ll do without her. Liz’s grandmother tells her that she’ll do just fine, and she tells Liz to follow her heart wherever it takes her, and Liz replies that she will. Liz’s grandmother then dies.

In the final scene, Max takes Liz home, and they say goodbye, and Max’s gently wipes Liz’s tears away. Then, following her grandmother’s final words of advice, Liz follows her heart, and goes back and embraces Max in an incredibly moving scene that once again moved me to tears.

Overall, I found this show to be wonderfully compelling, and I look forward to the continuing story of these strikingly engaging characters.

#105 Missing – Review

Written by Jerry D.

This episode continued the process of allowing us to know and understand the characters better, and to illustrate how they interact with one another. This show also served as a precursor for things to come, and foreshadowed future trouble from certain characters.

The show opened with Liz walking home with a great deal of fear and trepidation, as she reflects how her perception of the world has changed due to her recent experiences. Liz then finds her journal missing, which causes her a great deal of concern, because, as she relates to Maria in the next scene, she had recounted the full story of how Max had saved her and who and what he really was in her journal.

The next scene switches to Michael, who has had a dream about the vision he saw, and he sketches what he saw, with a pencil that he sharpens in his own hand. Michael then goes to see Max, and shows him his sketch, and Max is unimpressed, and suggests that they talk about it in the morning.

Back at school, Liz and Maria discuss what could have happened to the journal, and they both suspect Alex, who had been studying with Liz the day before. Liz then tries to tell Max about her missing journal, but Michael interrupts her in a rather cold manner and brushes her off, to Max’s great dismay. We next find a worried Liz sitting alone in a classroom. This draws the attention of Ms. Topolski, who unsuccessfully tries to get Liz to confide in her. Maria then talks to Alex, and relays her suspicions that he took Liz’s journal. This hurts and angers Alex, and he storms off, and walks right into the “web” of the dissembling Ms. Topolski, who guilefully gets him to tell her about Liz’s missing journal. It turns out that the ingratiating Ms. Topolski is really a government agent, and she makes a phone call to one of her operatives to relay that she has made an interesting discovery, and to request assistance.

We next see Michael make an appearance in his art class, and he obsessively sketches his “vision” to great detail. Kyle then coldly confronts Liz about their breakup, under the ever watchful eye of Ms. Topolski.

We next find Max at his job at the UFO Center, and his boss refers him, as a “true believer,” to a book about the alien landing that he thinks Max will find interesting. Liz then comes to see Max, and nervously tells him about her missing journal, and that it includes information about him and his identity. Liz asks a clearly concerned Max to give her one day to find the journal, and asks him not to tell anyone.

Back at home, Liz searches frantically for her journal, and has a confrontation with her mother about not wanting to talk to Alex, and I sensed, as I did last week, an air of tension between Liz and her mother.

We then find Isabel, Michael and Max at the Crashdown Café, where Isabel is trying to dissuade Michael from pursuing his “vision,” saying that he is placing them all in danger. Kyle then confronts Max and tells him that he’s “on to him.” Max then goes to see Liz, and he tells her that he thinks Kyle stole Liz’s journal, and has a vision of Kyle being in Liz’s room when he picks up a CD that Kyle had returned to Liz.

Michael completes the picture of his vision in art class, and his art teacher reveals that it’s a picture of a geodesic dome, which was a “futuristic” house used by scientists to conduct their studies. Liz confronts Kyle, who neither confirms or denies that he took her journal, but he tells her that he “knows she has secrets,” especially about Max Evans, and his anger seems to bode trouble for the future.

Ms. Topolski meets with her fellow agents and says that Liz’s journal shows potential proof of real alien contact, and dispatches agents to Kyle’s house as a starting point to find it. Liz and Max then unsuccessfully search Kyle’s house for Liz’s journal, “tailed” by a shadowy figure who watches their every move. Max then tells Isabel and Michael about Liz’s missing journal, and the information it contained, and warns Michael not to blame Liz, or do anything rash.

Michael then goes to see a worried Liz, and he reveals that he was the one who stole her journal, and to Liz’s great relief, he tells her that he now realizes she can be trusted, and he returns her journal to her, asking her not to tell Max what had happened. I felt that this represented a real breakthrough for Michael’s character, as he finally learns to start to break down the walls of distrust and suspicion, and place some faith in someone outside his immediate circle.

Liz then goes to see Max, and she tells him a “good friend” had returned her journal, and she explains that she wrote what she did because Max had “touched” her in a special way, and that she had to write it down. Max asks to see what Liz wrote in her journal, and in a sweetly tender way, she says that it “wouldn’t be a good idea.” Max then reveals his own feelings towards her, telling her that if he read her journal, he would realize how Liz really sees him, and Liz shyly smiles, revealing, in a wonderfully subtle way, the depth of feeling that she has for Max. The show ends with Isabel discovering a picture of the geodesic dome that Michael sketched in the book that Max was reading, and with Liz musing on the effects that recent events have had on her life, as she hides her journal in a safe place.

Overall, I found this show to be enjoyable, and while it didn’t attain the emotional level that the previous show had, it did do a very creditable job of furthering character development and paving the way for future episodes.

#106 258 South – Review

Written by Jerry D.

This episode was, to put it quite simply, fantastic. It absolutely had it all, suspense, conflict, touching romance, the beginnings of new relationships between some of the characters, and a surprise ending which made all of us sit on the edge of our seats, as we wait in eager anticipation for the next show!

The shows opens up with Michael breaking into the UFO Center, where he goes to the secret research room, and he uses the computer there to get a print out showing the location of the geodesic dome that may hold the answer to their origins. Right after this, Michael is caught by Max’s boss, and arrested by the deputy sheriff.

Back at school, Mr. Summers, the history teacher, gives the class an assignment to interview each other with a series of probing questions for the supposed purpose of writing a biography, and the class is teamed into some unlikely pairs. To the mutual dismay of all involved, Liz is paired with Isabel, Maria is paired with Michael, and Max is paired with Kyle. Later, we find that this “random” pairing was arranged be the ever scheming Ms. Topolsky.

Max goes to the police station to bail out Michael, and he is forced to lie to protect him, and he convinces his boss not to press charges, and Michael is released. Meanwhile, the deputy sheriff has made a copy of the print out Michael had in his possession, and gives it to Sheriff Valenti. Michael then tells Max and Isabel that the geodesic dome is located in Marathon Texas, and he asks Max and Isabel for the keys to the jeep so he can go there. Max advises Michael that they should wait, and Michael angrily storms off.

Michael then runs into Maria, who tries to ask him questions for their assignment, and he rebuffs her until he realizes that she has a car, and he asks her for a ride to the gas station where she is going to get a money order.

Back at the diner, we see Liz and Isabel and Max and Kyle paired up for their project, and the hostility in the air is so thick you can cut it with a knife. Meanwhile, Michael “borrows” Maria’s car at the gas station while she goes inside to get her money order, and Maria gets in with him, screaming that Michael was “kidnapping” her. Maria then surreptitiously contacts Liz via a cell phone that she has hidden in her car, and relates that she is unwillingly “on the road” heading south on Highway 285. Michael discovers her ruse, and throws the cell phone out of the car. Max, Isabel and Liz leave the diner, and Liz asks to go with them, and Max relents only when a sarcastic and suspicious Kyle tries to interfere. Meanwhile, an obvious looking government agent reports their departure to Ms. Topolsky, who tells him to follow them. Ms. Topolsky then sends an encoded message to her superiors which says: “Tension in the ranks. Waiting for them to slip up. Will happen soon.”

On the road, Liz calls her mother, and Isabel makes a snide remark about “the perfect Liz Parker lying to her mother,” and Liz replies “At least she knows what species I am!” ( Summary writer’s note: Good for you Liz!) We next find Maria and Michael arguing, and then they get stopped by the police. Maria had every right at that point turn Michael in for stealing her car and kidnapping her, but after hearing Michael’s explanation as to why he needs to get to Marathon, she gets them out of trouble by saying that she has a weak bladder condition, and that they were speeding because she “had to pee.”

Sheriff Valenti comes home and finds Kyle making a series of phone calls trying to locate Liz, and Kyle unwittingly tells him that Max, Liz, and Isabel had left the diner suddenly, and the sheriff leaves to go find them, telling Kyle to stay out of it.

At a gas station, Liz tries to give Isabel a cup of coffee, and it spills on both of them, and Isabel is characteristically cold and hostile to Liz, even when Liz tells Isabel that she’s the Elle MacPherson of the sophomore class. (Summary writer’s note: no argument from me on that point! Isabel is gorgeous! ;-)) Then, kindly and perceptively, Liz tells Isabel that she’s not trying to take Max away from her, and asks Isabel if what they find what they’re looking for in Marathon, if Isabel will take Max away from her. Isabel doesn’t respond, but uses her powers to clean off spilled coffee from Liz’s blouse. Meanwhile, Max catches on that a government agent is following them when he sees the agent loitering at a phone booth, and he uses his powers to give the agent’s car a flat tire.

Maria and Michael break down, because Michael had ignored Maria’s warning that the car couldn’t travel at high speeds, and Michael sets the engine on fire by misusing his powers, which he reluctantly admits he doesn’t have control over. Michael and Maria argue constantly during this interlude, and they finally agree to spend the night in a nearby motel.

A suspicious Kyle, on the road, calls Liz, and is able to determine their location, and proceeds to follow them. The sheriff, meanwhile, also determines that they’re heading to the site of the geodesic dome, and proceeds along Highway 285 himself to track them down. Meanwhile, it is announced on the radio that a major accident has caused all southbound traffic on Highway 285 to be shut down by a road block.

Back at the motel, which Maria calls a “porno version of Aladdin,” Michael and Maria continue to argue, but they start to discover that they have some things in common, and they seem to come to an understanding with each other.

We next find Liz and Max alone in the jeep while Isabel talks to the police at the road block, and they apologize to each in a way where they also express the deep affection that they have towards one another. Liz then sweetly asks if they should reconsider “feeling a certain way towards each other,” and Max reaches over like he’s going to kiss her, but he uses his powers to fix a tear in the jeep roof instead, smiling shyly at her and saying that he “didn’t want her to get cold.” (Summary writer’s note: What are you waiting for Max? They don’t get any nicer than Liz! ;-)) They then discover Michael and Maria at the motel, and just as Michael starts to say that everyone in the room would be in trouble if their secret came out, Kyle bursts in, and confronts them, demanding to know what their secret is, and Michael angrily but effortlessly throws Kyle across the room. Kyle then orders Liz to leave with him, and she replies that she’s not his girlfriend any more, and that he doesn’t belong there, and that this is none of his business. Kyle then angrily storms off. Liz then demands that they tell her and Maria the truth, and it is Isabel who breaks down and encourages the others to tell their full story.

Following this, they all arrive at the geodesic dome, and they discover that the key Michael has unlocks the door to a secret underground room which seems to hold all the answers they’re looking for. To their great alarm, however, they hear footsteps above them, as Sheriff Valenti has followed them, and he seems to be on the verge of discovering them, until he is knocked unconscious – by Ms. Topolsky!

Overall, I enjoyed this episode on every level, and this show just gets better and better with every new episode. Like the rest of you, I anxiously await next week’s show!

#107 River Dog – Review

Written by Jerry D.

Once again, the writers and producers of Roswell presented us with a very compelling episode of Roswell for us to enjoy. This episode furthered along the relationship of some of the key characters, as Liz proves her devotion to Max by embarking on a dangerous quest to help Max learn about his origins.

This episode opened up where the last episode had left off, with Liz, Max, Isabel, Maria and Michael in the secret room in James Atherton’s geodesic dome, while above them, Sheriff Valenti has been knocked unconscious by Ms. Topolsky, who is in actuality a FBI agent. Conveniently though, thanks to a rat that scurries by to the horror of Maria, they found a hidden tunnel, and our heroes make their escape, after hurriedly gathering all the research material they can find. Isabel finds a locket with a missing corner that has some type of mysterious symbol on it, and recognizing the symbol, she takes it before she too escapes, followed closely by Ms. Topolsky. In the meantime, Sheriff Valenti surreptitiously observes who had knocked him out, without revealing to the devious Ms. Topolsky that he has recovered.

On the trip back, in separate cars, Liz, with Max and Liz, muses on the events of that evening, and Maria and Michael deconstruct the previous evening’s events, showing a reluctant but growing attraction for one another.

Back at Max and Isabel’s house, where they’ve hidden all the research material that they took from James Atherton’s geodesic dome, Isabel asks Max to recall a symbol that they had drawn in the sand on a Florida vacation that they had taken years before. She then asks Max to draw the symbol, and his drawing not only matches the old picture she has of their sand drawing, but it also matches the symbol on the locket that Isabel found.

Back at school, Maria talks to Liz about Michael, and Maria calls him a “vibrator,” meaning someone who communicates by sending “vibes” out into the atmosphere, injecting some rare humor into this usually rather somber and ominous show. Maria indicates that Michael had asked her to come with him to Max and Isabel’s house, to go through the information that they had gathered, and Liz seems a little hurt that she hadn’t been asked, but she indicates to Maria that she will join her later. Liz then goes off to talk to a bitter and sarcastic Kyle, who says he won’t reveal what had happened the night before, until he has something on Max that will “destroy” him.

We see Agent Topolsky being chewed out over the phone by her superior, who we met in the first show. He orders her to get the information that had been taken from James Atherton’s geodesic dome, and she replies that she’s “all over it.”

Sheriff Valenti goes to the UFO Center, and asks Max’s boss about James Atherton, and Max’s boss indicates that James Atherton had written a book about aliens called “Among Us,” and he had mysteriously disappeared in 1959. Back in his office, the sheriff notes that the dust jacket picture of Atherton matches the photograph of the dead body with the palm print on it that the sheriff has.

Max, Isabel and Michael head to Max and Isabel’s house, and Michael indicates that Maria will be joining them, and when Max and Isabel express their displeasure at this, Michael gets all defensive and says that Maria had “forced him” to allow her to come, calling her a “vibrator!” I thought this was a very firm indication of the mutual attraction that Michael and Maria have for each other. Pulling up to their house though, they see it surrounded by the police, and Michael makes his escape. They then pull up to the house, and a dubious Sheriff Valenti tells them that their house has been broken into. Horrified, Max and Isabel go into Max’s room, and discover that all the research material that they had gotten from James Atherton’s geodesic dome has been stolen. A suspicious Sheriff Valenti starts to “grill” Max and Isabel, until he is stopped by Mrs. Evans. In Isabel’s room, the Deputy notices the locket that Isabel is wearing, and he says that it’s from the Mesa Laka Reservation, where he had grown up. Michael, Max, and Isabel go then go to see Maria and Liz, and tell them what’s happened, and that they’re being followed. Michael recognizes the locket that Isabel has.

Sheriff Valenti goes to see Ms. Topolsky and tells her about the break in at the Evans’ house, while dropping hints that he’s “on to her.” Liz goes to see Max, and she climbs through the window, and literally falls into Max’s arms. She tells Max that she intends to go to the Reservation to find out whatever information she can, to pay Max back for saving her life. Max is against this of course, but in the sweet and earnest way that has become Liz’s trademark, she tells Max that she “has to do this one thing.” She tells Max, in a firm but incredibly endearing way, that she’s going no matter what he says, and he gives her the locket that may hold the key to their origins. Once again, the tender affection between these two characters is a joy to behold.

Liz then goes out to a trade store on the Reservation, and runs into a mysterious older Native American who recognizes the locket she has, and he tells her to give him the locket, and that the locket is dangerous and “brings death.” Later, back at the diner, Liz meets a young Native American named Eddie, who brings her a message from “River Dog,” the man she had met the night before. Eddie has the missing corner from the locket that Liz had. He tells her to meet River Dog on the Reservation at 10:00 PM that night.

That evening, knowing they’re being followed, Liz, Max, Isabel and Michael throw Ms. Topolsky off their trail, and Liz and Max meet up with Maria, who lends them her car. Ms. Topolsky is stopped by the sheriff, and he indicates that he knows she’s a FBI agent, and he tells her that he’s ready to turn her in to her superiors. Ms. Topolsky, clearly corned, proposes that they work together and pool their information, and he tells her that he’ll “think about it.” Personally, I don’t like the idea of these two villainous characters teaming up, but it does add to the intrigue on the show.

Max and Liz meet up with Eddie at the Reservation, and he says that he will lead them to River Dog, but they will have to pass a “test” before River Dog will reveal any information to them. Max and Liz get separated, and Max uses his powers to light up the area, and by doing so, he apparently passes the “test” that River Dog had laid out for them. River Dog then tells Max and Liz about the alien that he had encountered 40 years before, and that the alien had befriended River Dog and his entire tribe, and had lived among them. He said that the alien had also befriended James Atherton, and had given him the locket they had. Much to Max and Liz’s horror, however, he then told them that the alien had murdered James Atherton.

Meanwhile, Michael and Maria, waiting for Max and Liz to return, continue to argue with each other, but at the end of their argument, Michael kisses Maria passionately, which he tells an obviously smitten Maria that he did it to “calm her down.”

The episode ends with River Dog showing Max and Liz a mysterious cave writing that was made by the previous alien, and he warns Liz to make sure that Max deserves her trust. Overall, I really enjoyed this episode, and I thought it did an excellent job of continuing the intriguing story of our favorite residents of Roswell.

#108 Blood Brother – Review

Written by Jerry D.

This episode mostly served the purpose of allowing to observe how secrets can cause pain and do real damage to old friendships, when a trusted friend is excluded from a confidence at the behest of someone else. In this show, Liz was forced to choose between her love for Max and her friendship with Alex, and the results of her choice have sad consequences for both her and Alex.

In the opening scene, Max asks Liz to go for a ride with him, due to the absence of one of their teachers, much to her great delight. He takes her on a ride on a seldom used back road out of town, and she muses about their “perfect moment” together as they listen to a song they both like. Suddenly, a horse jumps out in front of them, and Max swerves to avoid it, and they crash into a ditch. Immediately after the accident, Liz looks over and finds that Max is unconscious, having hit his head on the steering wheel. Max is taken to the hospital, with a worried Liz by his side.

Back at school, Michael runs into Maria, and they seem uncomfortable after the passionate kiss they had shared, and Maria accuses Michael of avoiding her. Just then, Liz calls Maria, and she tells her that she and Max had been in an accident, and Michael grabs the phone. A teacher informs Ms. Topolsky that Max and Liz were in an accident, and she calls one of her operatives, and tells him to get over to the hospital.

Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Isabel and Michael arrive, and they all realize that they have to get the blood sample taken from Max and switch it with someone else’s. Isabel asks Liz to give some blood, but Liz says that they’ll be able to tell male blood from female blood, so Isabel says they’ll need to find a guy, and Liz calls Maria to get Alex to donate. Michael then sneaks into the blood lab to find the vial containing Max’s blood sample, and he observes Topolsky’s operative searching for the vial as well, but the operative is interrupted by the attending nurse before he can find the vial. Back in Max’s hospital room, Isabel takes a blood sample from Alex, and Michael uses his charm to distract the attending nurse while Liz switches the blood samples.

In the hospital waiting room, Liz tells Alex that maybe he should go home, and Michael brusquely orders him to go home, and Alex leaves, clearly hurt. Liz follows him, and tells him that things are complicated, and finally, to get him to stop asking questions, she tells Alex that Max is in drugs, and Alex leaves, not fully believing her. I felt bad for Alex at this point, as it’s very obvious that he cares about Liz as a friend a great deal, and he’s clearly crushed that she’s excluding him from her confidence.

Max wakes up, and he introduces Liz to his mother, and he tells his mother and the attending physician that he feels fine and wants to go home. They all leave, but Michael goes back to retrieve Maria’s purse, and he discovers two of Topolsky’s operatives in Max’s room. Michael goes back and tells a wary Max and Isabel what he had discovered, and that they have to figure out who their enemy is. One of Topolsky’s operatives reports to her and indicates that he thought that Max’s blood was switched. Back at school, Alex talks to a hostile Kyle, who echoes his own sentiments about how much Liz has changed.

In an intriguing game of cat and mouse, Max and Liz set up the agent that is following them, and Maria, Michael and Liz follow him to his hotel room. In a series of amusing exchanges where affection is masked by sarcastic banter between Maria and Michael, they discover a phone number and call it, and Ms. Topolsky answers.

Back at school, the ever wily and devious Ms. Topolsky sits and talks to Alex, and she slips something into his drink, and she tells him in her usual insidious way that she “knows what he did for Max.” Before she can wheedle any information out of him, though, Liz interrupts them, and she tells Alex to stop by her office later. Liz talks to Alex, and she asks him to keep their secret. Alex’s nose starts bleeding thanks to the drug that Topolsky had slipped into his drink, and he rushes off to the bathroom , and stops the blood with a tissue, which he throws into the garbage can. He then leaves, and Topolsky comes along and takes the tissue from the garbage.

Back at the Crash Down Café, in a very amusing “he said, she said,” scene, Michael tells Max and Isabel, and Maria tells Liz, the story of how they discovered that Ms. Topolsky is the spy in their midst. As they individually relate their story, they each give themselves full credit for the discovery, and they discount the role that the other person played, in a clear indication, through their very denial, of the growing affection that they have for one another.

Alex goes to see Ms. Topolsky, and she indicates that she knows he gave blood and lied for Max, and that she can “help” him. She tells him that she wants him to write down everything he knows and sign it. Alex then leaves, clearly troubled. Max then talks to Alex, and thanks him for “saving his life,” and Alex tells Max that Topolsky already knows about him and wants him to write a statement about what happened, but he doesn’t indicate whether or not he had, in fact, done what Topolsky asked.

Alex goes to see Liz at the Crash Down Café at her request, and she tries to salvage their friendship, and she asks him to believe in her and trust her, even though she can’t tell him what he needs to know, and that she’s on the right side. Liz and Alex then set up Topolsky, and they discover that she works for the FBI. Topolsky leaves, but before she does, she warns them that they’re playing games with something very dangerous, and she says that she was “on their side.” She then ominously warns Liz that she hopes that Max doesn’t “end up in the wrong hands” without her there. In a poignant final scene, Alex delivers an ultimatum to Liz that their friendship is over unless she tells him the truth, but Liz sadly informs him that she can’t tell him, so he walks off, crestfallen, leaving Liz to reflect on the choices she’s made.

Overall, I really enjoyed this show, although I thought it didn’t achieve the level of suspense and tenderness that the previous two shows achieved. This episode did allow us to get to know Alex better, however, and it also served as a good illustration about how deception can hurt the people we care about the most.

#109 Heat Wave – Review

Written by Jerry D. This episode explored the romantic side of the stories of the characters of Roswell to an unprecedented degree, and it also introduced Maria’s mother as a character on the show, foreshadowing her role as a possible love interest for Sheriff Valenti.

This episode opens up during a heat wave, and Liz is doing the books and Maria is cleaning up at the Crash Down. Suddenly, Michael appears at the door, and Maria opens it, and they passionately embrace while being surreptitiously observed by Liz.

At school, Liz observes the effect of the heat wave, as many people are “coupled” up, including Kyle and Vicky Delaney, his apparent new girlfriend. Vicky invites Liz to a party that is being held at a deserted soap factory that weekend, and Liz accepts, much to Kyle’s dismay. Suddenly, Liz observes Sheriff Valenti talking to Alex. Valenti then questions Alex about Ms. Topolsky, who has apparently disappeared. Liz then goes to report this to Max, and that she hasn’t been able to talk to Alex about it. She then asks Max if he’s noticed anything different about Michael’s behavior lately, and Max expresses alarm about the possibility of Michael and Maria “hooking up,” much to Liz’s disappointment.

At the school Sheriff Valenti runs into Amy DeLuca, Maria’s mother, who had been summoned to school by Ms. Topolsky. She reacts in a simultaneously hostile and interested way in him, and it is very obvious that there is some type of history between them. Liz runs into Alex, and he expresses anger and hurt towards her, and he once again asks her to reveal her secret, and she replies that the secret isn’t hers to tell. She then asks him what he said to Valenti, and he replies that the secret isn’t his to tell. I can definitely understand the hurt that Alex feels, but I can also understand the feelings of helplessness on Liz’s part as she tries to protect Max, the person she loves, at the expense of her friendship with Alex, who is someone she cares about deeply.

In the rest rooms at school, Liz and Maria, and Max and Michael talk about the escalating relationship between Michael and Maria, and Michael and Maria each talk about their feelings for the other person. Liz and Max both urge caution, and Michael and Maria both exhibit confused and conflicted feelings towards their relationship.

Sheriff Valenti goes to see Amy in the Crash Down, and apologizes for arresting her years before at a protest demonstration, telling her he singled her out to be arrested because she was “cute.” Oddly enough, she appears flattered by this revelation, while saying that she’s “outraged.”

On the school campus, Liz talks to Isabel and asks her why she’s afraid to move forward in a relationship, and Isabel replies that natural fear that anyone has to open themselves up to another person is magnified 100 times in her situation. Isabel then questions Liz about what is going on with Alex, and Liz replies that she doesn’t know, since Alex won’t talk to her or Maria. Isabel then tells Liz that she’ll “look into it,” in an obvious allusion to her ability to visit people in their dreams. That night, Isabel enters Alex’s dream, and to her great confusion and surprise, she finds out that Alex genuinely cares for her. In Alex’s dream, Alex is dressed up in a tuxedo, and he dances with the dream Isabel, and he tells her that beneath her beautiful exterior, there is a beautiful interior that she is afraid to show. This greatly disturbs the real Isabel as she observes this dream, revealing, once again, that there is a vulnerable soul beneath the seemingly apathetic front that Isabel reveals to the world as a form of self protection.

Max questions Isabel about Alex’s dream, and she responds evasively, obviously afraid to reveal her own conflicted feelings, even to Max. The next scene finds Michael telling Max that his relationship with Maria is spiraling out of control. Max then goes to see Liz, and she tells him that in light of Michael and Maria’s relationship, she doesn’t understand why they can’t start a relationship. Max responds that he couldn’t bear to hurt her, and she sweetly replies that it’s not his choice, and they are about to kiss, when they’re interrupted by Liz’s teacher. Isabel then asks Alex to meet her at the party that evening, much to Alex’s bewilderment and delight.

At the party, Alex meets up with Isabel, and they go and talk. During their conversation, he misinterprets her statement that she feels he can be trusted as a ploy on her part to find out what he said to Sheriff Valenti, and he walks off, angry and hurt, much to Isabel’s concern and dismay. Maria attempts to talk to Michael about why he’s been avoiding her, and he rejects her, leaving her deeply hurt.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Valenti is out on a date with Amy, and it seems to be going well until he’s interrupted by a phone call, and he has to break the date, but it’s very obvious that there’s a mutual attraction between these two characters, setting the stage for some intriguing story line twists in the future.

A fire starts at the party, and Sheriff Valenti uses the disturbance as an excuse to arrest Liz and Alex under the pretext that they were holding bottles of liquor that someone gave them as they rushed out. Max and Isabel are greatly concerned, and Isabel indicates that they should have told Alex the truth about them, saying that she has a “feeling about Alex,” revealing the growing attraction that she has towards this warm and kind character. In the jail, everyone who is arrested is freed except for Liz and Alex, and it is obvious that Valenti is attempting to strong arm one or both of them into revealing everything that they know. Alex expresses hostility towards Liz, and she tearfully breaks down and tells him the truth about Max, Michael and Isabel. I wish that she had also told Alex that Max had saved her life, but I was glad that she finally took Alex into her confidence. Alex is skeptical at this revelation, but he appears glad that Liz has told him the truth. Sheriff Valenti then appears, and Alex tells him off in a courageous and forthright way, threatening a lawsuit, and Valenti is forced to let them both go.

In the final scene, Liz is in her room, musing that it’s probably just as well that her and Max didn’t give in to their feelings and kiss, when suddenly Max comes to see her. He then breaks down admits his feelings towards her, and he ends his conversation by kissing her, sweetly and passionately. They then melt in each others arms in one of the most passionate and romantic embraces that I’ve ever had the pleasure to witness. Ah romance!

Overall, I enjoyed this show immensely, and I thought the burgeoning romantic relationships of the characters were handled in an emotionally satisfying and realistic way.

#110 The Balance – Review

Written by Jerry D.

I thought this was a very well done, although ultimately disheartening, episode of Roswell that served as a metaphor for the fragility of our existence on this earth, and also of the tenuous nature of the relationships in our lives.

This episode opened up at the Crash Down, with a blissfully happy Liz musing on the perfect day that she was having, while a very unhappy Maria remarks on what a lousy day that she was having. Max and Michael walk in, much to Liz’s sheer bliss, as she and Max smile sweetly at one another. Michael is clearly unhappy about being there though, and he tells Max that him and Maria had “sort of broken up,” and that he wasn’t sure if it was completely over between them. This ambiguity is quickly cleared up when Liz and Maria walk over to their table, each with a cherry coke in hand, and Liz hands Max his cola with a big smile on her face, sweetly telling him “it’s on the house,” while Maria hands Michael his cola with a sneer on her face, coldly telling him “it’s $1.25.” Michael angrily gets ups to leave, and knocks over his cola, and it spills on Max’s school books, and Michael discovers a drawing that Max made of the symbols that he and Liz saw in the cave that River Dog had shown them. Michael recognizes the drawing, and he asks Max what he’s been hiding from him.

The next scene finds Maria sticking pins in an alien “voodoo doll,” hilariously reflecting the anger and hurt that she feels towards Michael, when Alex walks in to the Crash Down. Alex questions Maria as to why she believes that Max, Michael, and Isabel might be aliens, and she tells Alex the story of how Max saved Liz’s life. Alex then says that maybe he’ll talk to Isabel about it, (summary writer’s note: good choice! ;-)) and Maria cautions Alex not to get too involved with any of the aliens, because they’re “heartless.”

Back at the Evans house, Max talks to Michael and Isabel about his drawing and his and Liz’s experience with River Dog, and Michael reacts angrily to the inference that Max couldn’t trust him to act in a rational manner with this information. Max tries to explain that they were all under intense scrutiny at the time, and he asks Michael to “leave it alone for now,” and that they all formulate questions and see River Dog again, as a group, when the time was right. Max then leaves to go on a date with Liz. Michael immediately tells Isabel that he is going off to see River Dog, and leaves, much to her chagrin.

The next scene finds Michael at the Mesaliko Reservation, where he meets up with Eddie, and he demands to see River Dog, who is in a tent participating in a group ritual called a “sweat.” Michael then participates in this “sweat,” and begins coughing violently, and he leaves the tent.

We next find Alex questioning Isabel about her alien origins, and she shows him Max’s drawing. Isabel tries to explain that in many ways, they are as “human” as anyone else, with the exception that they can manipulate the molecular structure of things, which she demonstrates by turning a bottle of ketchup into a bottle of mustard.

We next find Max and Liz out on a date at a Chinese Restaurant, with Liz teaching Max how to play pool, and the sweetness and affection between them is a joy to behold. Liz remarks that her parents are away for the weekend, saying that they were at a star gazing campout to observe “Venus in the Morning Sky,” and Max remarks that “I thought that she was standing right in front of me.” Joey and Dawson, move over! Liz and Max are the sweetest couple I’ve ever seen! J Max and Liz begin to kiss, only to be interrupted by Maria, who tells them they need to get back to the Crash Down, stopping them dead in their tracks with the words, “It’s Michael.” They rush back to the Crash Down to find a worried looking Isabel standing over a very sick looking Michael. Michael suddenly recovers, though, and he reacts defensively, and Isabel demands that they all leave, leaving Liz and Maria at the Crash Down. Maria and Liz then compare notes on their experiences with Michael and Max over ice cream, in a really sweet scene that wonderfully illustrated the close bond between them. Maria warns Liz about getting too involved with Max, saying while she was “Teflon, babe” and could walk away from Michael, she could tell that Liz and Max had this whole “look into my eyes soul mate thing.” Liz expresses optimism that everything will work out between her and Max, but that they have to prepare for anything that comes their way.

Alex takes Isabel to the UFO Center, and he shows her an exhibit of a place in Peru that had symbols that were similar to the ones in Max’s drawing, and when she expresses disdain for his theory, he blurts out “What if this can help you find your planet?” to her obvious horror. This remark is overheard by Max’s boss, who warns Alex to not joke around about such things, and Isabel chastises Alex for behaving so foolishly. Suddenly, there is a commotion, as Michael has turned violently ill, with his eyes turning white, but Max rushes over and puts sunglasses on Michael, and he tells his boss that Michael has migraines, and he and Isabel help Michael out of the UFO Center, taking him to the Crash Down, where they enlist Liz and Maria’s help. They bring Michael upstairs, and in a trance, Michael calls out River Dog’s name.

Max and Liz drive out to the Mesaliko Reservation, and Eddie says that River Dog wasn’t there, and he doesn’t want to have anything to do with them, because they violated his trust, and Max reacts angrily, saying that he’ll wait for River Dog. While waiting for River Dog, Max tells Liz how he, Michael and Isabel met as children when they first came out of their incubation pods, and how even then, Michael exhibited the same wariness and tendency to be a loner that he exhibits now. He also told Liz that him and Isabel got separated from Michael and didn’t see him for three years because Isabel took Michael’s hand when the headlights that signified their first contact with human civilization approached, but Michael refused to do so. Max said that Isabel would cry every night after that, wondering where Michael was. I thought this was a telling scene concerning how close the bond was between Max, Isabel, and Michael, and what type of a special relationship that they shared. Max then mused on the possibility that maybe that this was just their life cycle, and perhaps that this was how they die, and he tells Liz that he would understand if she didn’t want to get involved with him because of all the uncertainty surrounding his very existence.

Meanwhile, back at Liz’s house, Michael is getting worse, and a visibly upset Isabel tells Maria and Alex that only she can take care of Michael, and “not strangers.” Later, though, Maria brings Isabel something to eat, and an emotional Isabel, after acknowledging that Maria cares about Michael too, tearfully says that Max and Michael are all she has. Michael reacts violently to his illness, chanting and crying out, and Maria and Alex help Isabel tend to Michael. Michael hallucinates about being in a place filled with the symbols in Max’s drawing, and he sees a vision of a dead man. Back at the Mesaliko Reservation, River Dog finally shows up and tells Max and Liz to bring Michael to him. Max and Liz then come back to find Michael wrapped in a type of cocoon, near death, and looking like the person in his hallucination.

We next find all the characters in River Dog’s cave, and he relates the story of how he saved the life of the original “visitor,” as he explains the ritual which will now hopefully save Michael. He says that the “sweat” that both the original alien and Michael participated in upset their “balance,” so they all have to participate in a ritual, fraught with a certain amount of risk, to restore this “balance” to Michael and heal him. River Dog then gives everyone stones which he says were from the original alien’s planet, saying that they contained the energy which was present in Michael’s own body, to restore him to health. River Dog has set up a circle with lines going out to everyone so they can participate in this ritual, and everyone readily participates except Liz, who is clearly troubled by all this due to her love for Max and her fear that something bad could happen to him. River Dog senses her fear, and tells her that she has to take a step back, a statement that will serve as a metaphor for what will transpire later in the show. The ritual works, and Michael recovers. As he comes out of his coma, Michael sees visions that contains parallels of how they all originally emerged from their pods as children, reinforcing the ties between him, Max, and Isabel, but also recognizing the ties he has with the new people in his life, especially Maria, who, in his dream, he kisses passionately. Michael then takes the rocks that were used in the ceremony, and fits them into designated places in the cave wall, and the stones light up in a star like “Vee” formation on the wall, and Michael recognizes that the paintings on the wall are a map to their home planet.

The last scene shows Liz writing in her diary, and reflecting on her fears about Max, that he too, could suffer the same fate as Michael. Max then comes to see her, and in a heartbreaking scene, he says that he has lost his “balance” due to his love for her, and that he can no longer fool himself into thinking that he could ever be normal. Liz apologizes for having doubts about him, but Max tells her that her doubts about him were true, and that they don’t belong together. With true regret, Max tells Liz that he’s as confused as she is, and that they both need to take a step back to find their “balance” again. A deeply hurt Liz then tenderly kisses Max goodbye, and she tells him that she just wants to remember, and a saddened Max says goodbye to her and leaves. Liz then looks up in the starry sky, and sees the same “Vee” formation that we saw in the cave, as we are left to ponder this sad development for the next month. I was very moved by this scene, and very upset with Max’s decision, and I hope they don’t keep this wonderful couple apart too long.

Overall, another great episode of Roswell, and I look forward to seeing the next episode with a sense of great anticipation.

#111 The Toyhouse – Review

Written by Jerry D.

In this episode, the focus is mainly on Max, as a near catastrophic event, aided and abetted by the devious Sheriff Valenti, causes Mrs. Evans to become suspicious about Max and his origins. I thought this was a very telling episode in many ways, as we begin to understand that Max feels as alone and isolated on his adopted planet as Michael does, despite living in the loving environment that the Evans’ have provided for him. We also got to see a vulnerable side to Isabel that’s only been touched on in earlier episodes.

This episode opens up with Max studying while his mother is cooking in the kitchen. Suddenly, a fire starts, due to some cooking oil accidentally spilling on the kitchen burners, and Max, reacting instinctively, puts out the fire using his powers, but then throws a pot of water on the embers to make it look like he put out the fire with the water. The fire department comes to investigate what happened, along with the ever suspicious Sheriff Valenti, much to Max’s alarm. The sheriff, in his usual insidious way, casts a doubt on Max’s story. Max then relates the story to Isabel, and Max is clearly upset about everything. In their conversation, Isabel tells Max that he was right to end things with Liz, much to Max’s displeasure. This scene segues to Liz telling Maria at the Crash Down that she’s over Max, while her actions prove to Maria, and all of us, that she isn’t over Max at all.

Back in school, Michael expresses alarm that Max used his powers to save his mother, and then Liz and Max share an awkward moment talking about the fact that they’ll be sitting together at the upcoming basketball game. I thought it was very obvious in this scene that both Max and Liz still care for each other a great deal, despite their attempts to deny it to each other and themselves.

Back at home, Isabel finds Mrs. Evans watching an old video of them as children, clearly looking for something in the video. Mrs. Evans then starts asking Isabel questions about Max, much to Isabel’s alarm.

At the basketball game, Maria and Liz respond enthusiastically to what’s happening on the court, and Michael observes it all and responds derisively to Max, “humans.” Isabel then joins them, but pulls Max off to the side and tells him that their mother is suspicious, and Isabel indicates that they should tell their mother the truth, a move that both Michael and Max are clearly against. Liz cheers for Kyle, who’s playing in the game, and, distracted, he falls and hurts his ankle. Liz looks on at Kyle with concern, and Max seems hurt by her concern.

Max goes to see Liz at the Crash Down, but she heads out to see Kyle, and give him a pie, because she feels responsible for his injury.

Sheriff Valenti goes to see Mrs. Evans, and in his usual unctuous way, he plants seeds of doubt in Mrs. Evans’ mind about how Max put out the fire, giving her a pamphlet that clearly states that grease fires can not be put out by water. I really saw Sheriff Valenti as truly evil in this scene, using his charm to draw the web of suspicion ever closer to Max.

Michael goes to see Maria as she’s working, unsuccessfully, on a wood shop project, and she confronts him about the fact that she helped save his life, and yet showed no gratitude whatsoever towards her. Liz goes to see Kyle to drop off the pie she got him and some class notes, and he treats her coldly, hurting her a great deal.

Back at the Evans house, Max’s mother relates her suspicions to Max about how he put out the fire, saying that water doesn’t put out a grease fire, thanks to the information in the pamphlet that Sheriff Valenti “helpfully” provided her. Isabel walks in, and she and Max leave, and she tells Max that they need to tell their mother the truth. Isabel indicates that she’s wanted to tell their mom the truth all along, but Max indicates that telling the truth could destroy everything. Isabel then tells Max that this isn’t just his decision. I think that this scene showed the fundamental difference between Max and Isabel, as Isabel wants to feel truly connected with her adopted family and is happy with her life on earth, and wants nothing more than to belong, while Max, like Michael, feels like an outsider, and has never really felt comfortable in this “alien” world that he’s forced to call home. Mrs. Evans talks to Isabel, and asks her if she has any memories of their life before their adoption, and Isabel answers sweetly but evasively, saying that the day the Evans came for them is when their lives began, which, to Isabel, represents a certain type of truth.

Back at school, Michael and Maria argue some more, and Maria demands an apology that Michael is not prepared to give. Back at the Crash Down, Kyle goes to see Liz, and, pressed, she admits that she feels somewhat responsible for his injury, and that she was sorry for the way that things ended, and Kyle apologizes to her, and they seem to come to an understanding, and leave the door open for them to become friends. Max comes into the Crash Down, but upon seeing Kyle and Liz together, he leaves, clearly hurt.

Mrs. Evans goes to see Sheriff Valenti at his behest, and he shows her the police report detailing the shooting at the Crash Down, and that witnesses reported Max healing Liz. Max then sees Mrs. Evans looking at the video of their childhood, and she focuses on the part where Max healed an injured bird. Mrs. Evans questions Max, and he gets defensive, and he tells he that he can’t tell her what she wants to know, and he leaves, highly agitated and clearly upset.

Max goes to discuss the situation with Michael and Isabel, and Michael and Max tell Isabel that they can’t tell Mrs. Evans the truth, and that Mrs. Evans is not their mother, and Isabel leaves, very upset.

Back at school, Maria finds a napkin holder that Michael had made for her in her locker, along with a thank you note, much to her delight. Michael then talks to Maria, and she says that she didn’t use his napkin holder for her project, but that she kept it, and she thanks him, and he smiles, clearly touched. Michael goes on to say, however, that he can’t get indebted to anyone, and that he has to be a stone wall, and when he gets around her, he feels confused, and he doesn’t want to feel that way, which is as close as Michael can get to admitting that he cares for Maria a great deal.

Back at the Crash Down, Max goes to see Liz, and he tells her that it’s okay if her and Kyle get back together, to which she coldly replies that she wouldn’t need his permission if that were the case. Max, clearly upset, tells Liz that she sounds just like Isabel, saying that Isabel said he’s controlling, and Liz replies that he is controlling, and Max, about to break down, replies that he is who he is, and that he’s trying to make things work. Liz then replies that he should have some faith in the people around him, which has a noticeable affect on Max.

Max then goes to see his mother, who’s sitting on a bench in the park, and she asks him if he wants to find his real parents, and he responds that he doesn’t know where he would be without her and his father, and she responds that nothing he is could ever turn her away from him, and she asks him why he can’t tell her his secret. Max responds by giving her a model house that she had given him, explaining that he hated his first nights in their house, and he cried because he wanted to go home, while Isabel felt at “home” with the Evans right away. Max then tearfully tells his mother that he doesn’t know what “home” is, and he begs her to trust him, and they embrace.

In the final scene, Max apologizes to Isabel, and he tells her that he talked to their mother, and but that he didn’t tell her the truth. Isabel then breaks down and cries, and Max embraces her, and tells her that everything is going to be okay.

Overall, another good show, and it continued to allow us a view into the hearts and souls of these wonderful characters.

#201 Skin and Bones – Review

Written by Jerry D.

A new season of Roswell is now upon us, and I felt this opening episode got everything off to a wonderful start, as the qualities that made the show so enjoyable in Season One continued in this very entertaining episode. Once again, an air of tension pervaded the entire episode, as old enemies were replaced with new ones, and the key relationships that had propelled Season One forward were forever changed by the revelations at the end of “Destiny.”

I really enjoyed the opening scene, filled with comic irony, as we seemingly saw Max reveal his secret to the school psychiatrist, as he recounted the events of last season, and reflected on how everything in his life completely changed when he saved the life of the girl that he had always loved. As it turned out, of course, Max’s “confession” was only for our benefit, but it lightened the mood, and it did an effective job of setting the stage for what was to follow.

I really enjoyed seeing how Nasedo effectively destroyed the special unit of the FBI that had come so close to exposing Max and his friends, but we also got to see that Congresswoman Whitaker has the potential to be an even more powerful enemy than anyone they had ever encountered before, and she made Agent Topolsky look like a rank amateur in comparison to her methodical determination to uncover the truth about an alien presence in Roswell. I thought it was ironic that Liz ended up working for her, but this connection will obviously lead to some very interesting possibilities in future episodes.

I thought it was very ironic that Sheriff Valenti, who was so determined to expose Max and his friends last season, and who largely functioned as the “villain” in most of the episodes that he was in, is now functioning as the group’s protector, but I thought that it was even more ironic that he himself fell into a trap unwittingly propelled by his deputy’s determination to seek the truth about the bones that were found in the desert. I thought a very basic axiom was demonstrated when even he couldn’t prevent potential disaster as the murder he had witnessed in “Destiny” came perilously close to being revealed, and for the first time in his career, he was not able to control his own department’s investigation into seeking a truth which he would have preferred stay buried in the desert where the bones were found.

One thing I liked about the show was how it mixed dramatic tension and humor, as Maria tried to give Max advice about Liz, while exhibiting the same behavior towards Michael that she had admonished Max for. I also thought Majandra Delfino’s new hairstyle was absolutely stunning, and I hope she keeps her hair that length. I also thought that it was funny when Michael complained about the geologist “digging around in the desert” and Max telling Michael “That’s what geologists do.”

I thought the tension between Max and Michael was palpable, as old resentments, exacerbated by the sudden urgency in their situation, came to the surface. I liked how Michael expressed his fear and vulnerability to Sheriff Valenti, and although I was saddened to see him reject Maria, I could understand why he felt compelled to do so. Right from the very beginning, it was always obvious that Michael and Max’s relationship was a tenuous one at best, filled with smoldering feelings of anger and resentment, and that air of tension was magnified exponentially by the revelations the ended Season One.

I liked how Isabel used her considerable charms to beguile both the geologist and the security guard to get what she wanted, and I look forward to seeing more of this often underused character this season. I wish that we could have seen Isabel use her powers more to help in this situation, instead of her feminine wiles, but I’m sure that in the future, Isabel will have a more defined role as they all struggle to survive and face a yet unseen enemy. I was sorry to see Alex play such a minor role in this episode, but hopefully, that situation will be rectified in future episodes, as I think his obvious intelligence and resourcefulness could be put to great use to aid their cause. I was impressed with the way that Max took decisive control of the situation in order to save Michael, and I’m glad that Liz was willing to help.

I really enjoyed how Tess and Max combined their talents to salvage the situation with the bones that were discovered, and I was impressed with how Max used both his powers and his innate genius to age the bones, and temporarily throw suspicion off all of them, and free Michael. Obviously, Nasedo’s death at the end will add to the isolation of Max and his friends, and I feel it will force Max into the leadership role that he’s been so reluctant to take, as the episode ended with the dying Nasedo saying “They’re among you now,” and we got to witness first hand the terrible devastation a whole new enemy, the skins, could wreak on Max and his fellow “visitors” to this planet.

My heart broke for both Max and Liz as Liz did her best to distance herself from him, even to the point of lying about the special connection that she still felt when he touched her, but she feels like she can’t stand in the way of his destiny, even though the special love between them was still very obviously there. I thought that the scene between them at the end was sad but sweet, as the images that we all loved came flooding back to Liz, and it recalled the love that they had for one another. I simply love Max and Liz, and I can’t wait until they get back together.

Overall, I really enjoyed this episode, and it did an excellent job of setting the stage of grim portents to come, as new enemies have replaced old ones, and the “shape shifter” who had protected these special beings all their lives was now lost to them, and they now face not only exposure by Congresswoman Whitaker, but annihilation by others of their kind.

#202 Ask Not! – Review

Written by Jerry D.

I thought this was one of the best episodes of Roswell that I’ve ever seen, as it blended the compelling history of President Kennedy’s actions in the Cuban Missile Crisis with the contemporary story of Max Evans and his efforts to protect his fellow “visitors” from an implacable enemy. I thought it was fascinating to watch Max, forced into a leadership role he never really wanted, take decisive control to face his enemy, and by using cool and rational judgement, he avoided a mistake that could have cost the life of an innocent person.

I enjoyed the opening scene of the show, as all the beautiful women of Roswell danced to the music “played” by a very unique “disc jockey,” Isabel Evans, who used her powers to make the compact discs play by themselves. This brief moment of sheer fun ended very quickly, however, as a distraught Max burst in and revealed that Nasedo was dead, this time for good, as even the healing rocks couldn’t revive him this time, and he disintegrated into dust, a victim of the mysterious “skins,” whose presence among them he revealed to Max with his dying words. This time, Max and his three fellow “visitors” faced true danger, as there was an enemy among them, who was closer than they could possibly have imagined.

It was interesting to see Kyle come back, and I enjoyed seeing the affection that Sheriff Valenti showed his son. I thought it was amusing to see Kyle quoting Buddha, much to his father’s bewilderment. I also thought that the interaction between a clearly ill at ease Kyle, and a sexually provocative Tess was very interesting, as she used every means possible to embarrass Kyle, but finally, they both showed their vulnerable side, and I thought that Kyle’s later kindness towards her was very touching, as he gave up his room for her.

I really enjoyed seeing the way the show drew parallel’s between the actions of President Kennedy, who I greatly admire, in the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Max’s current situation. Max Evans, like President Kennedy before him, was suddenly thrust into a leadership role in a situation where extreme peril existed, and the choices that both men would have to make would have long-term effects that would affect the future of the very existence of their fellow inhabitants on this planet. I also thought that it was wonderful how Max, like President Kennedy before him, took into consideration advice that could have spelled disaster for everyone involved, but he ultimately followed his own council, and made the right decision and avoided killing an innocent person.

I thought that it was eerie seeing Max being “stalked” by one of the “skins” and the use of slow motion heightened the tension as Max used one of his new powers to try and hunt down the being that was trying to hunt him down. I thought that Michael’s always present resentment of Max and his leadership role really came to a boiling point in this episode, and it could bode trouble for the future, as Michael’s disobeying orders once again put himself, and by extension, all the others, in great danger. I thought that Bertie Davis was quite an interesting, if eccentric character, and his initial paranoia and hostility towards Max, to the point of firing him, was later explained by the fact that he had apparently been kidnapped by aliens, and it was fortunate for him that Max used common sense and logic and questioned his presence, rather than following Michael and Isabel’s advice to kill him, since they thought he was the “skin” that had killed Nasedo.

I think Bertie should be an interesting addition to the cast, although I’m personally sorry to see Milton go. I also thought that the way that they had Max remember all the violence he had witnessed in the last year as he approached Bertie to confront him was very well done. I thought the scene between Max and Tess was really poignant, and it showed the differences between their two characters, as Tess remembered a past life where Max loved her, and wanted that to translate into their present life, but Max didn’t want to acknowledge any past life, and wanted to fulfill the “destiny” of his own choosing, a destiny with his beloved Liz.

I thought it was unfortunate that Maria and Liz happened upon Max and Tess talking together at the wrong time, and my heart broke for poor Liz, who is torn by her desire to not stand in the way of Max’s destiny, and the obvious love that she has for him. It was interesting to see the interaction between the devious Congresswoman Whitaker and Liz, as Liz covered up for Nasedo’s death by lying about “Agent Pierce,” but then Congresswoman Whitaker used her insidious ways to trick Liz into revealing the name of her rival, Tess.

I liked the interaction between Liz and Maria, and Maria always manages to provide some much needed comic relief to this otherwise dark and ominous show. I also liked Maria’s conversation with Max, and the way it mixed hilarity with a truly heartfelt moment, as her advice to Max to follow his heart was both timely and true, in both the life and death situation he faced concerning what to do about Bertie, and what he should do about Liz. I loved Max’s heartfelt words towards Liz, as he finally followed his heart, both in the situation where he faced Bertie, and when he told Liz that she was the only one that mattered to him, and that he was coming for her, and I can’t wait to see these star crossed lovers get back together.

As is always the case with Roswell, however, a scene of imminent danger followed a scene of tender romance, as it was revealed that the flirty waitress Courtney was, in fact, the “skin” who had killed Nasedo, and was stalking Max and his fellow “visitors.” Overall, I thought this was another excellent episode of Roswell, one that blended touching romance with true suspense, and the allusions to the parallels between the situation that Max Evans was facing, and the situation that my favorite President was facing, made it one of the most enjoyable episodes of Roswell that I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing.

#203 Surprise – Review

Written by Jerry D.

I found this to be another engaging episode of Roswell, as we saw Isabel Evans come into her own to face a powerful enemy and save the life of one her fellow visitors. I thought that the show did a terrific job of combining dramatic tension and a palpable sense of impending danger with lighthearted moments that were simply hilarious, but mostly due to the lack of interaction between my two favorite characters, Max and Liz, and the too early elimination of one of the enemies of the “Royal Four,” I found this episode to be a bit of a let down from last week’s wonderful show.

I didn’t particularly like how they showed a traumatic scene that occurs later in the show as the opening scene of the episode, because although it set up the peril that Isabel and Tess would soon be facing, in my humble opinion, it sort of ruined the element of building suspense that’s the normal hallmark of these episodes, and as a result, the earlier scenes seemed almost anti-climatic in comparison. I loved the tender scene between Max and Isabel as Isabel walks in on the surprise party that Max had planned for her, and the love and devotion between these two very special siblings was wonderful to see. I was very disappointed, however, that Isabel, after telling Alex that she couldn’t get involved with any guy, would date Grant Sorenson. To me, that seems very hypocritical and totally unfair to Alex, who clearly cares about Isabel deeply. On another level, however, I see this as indicative of Isabel’s burning desire to have a normal life, and fit in with everyone on her adopted planet, and perhaps the fact that Alex knows her secret factors into her decision to somewhat back away from any type of romantic relationship with him.

I also suspect that the way that Isabel is apparently drawn to this mysterious stranger could have other implications that will undoubtedly be explored in episodes to come. I also thought this dichotomy came through when Max demanded that she not see Grant Sorenson any more, and Isabel bridled at this ultimatum, as Isabel’s desire to be truly human and experience an ordinary life that could include things other teenagers take for granted conflicted with Max’s desire to protect them all. To me though, Grant Sorenson seems suspicious, and I guess we’ll find out what his true identity is, and what his true intentions are, in future episodes. I was both amused and touched to see Max and Michael give Mr. Sorenson the “cold shoulder,” along with Mrs. Evans, who was looking out for her little girl, like all mothers do. I thought that Isabel’s visions were truly harrowing, as they became more and more intense as the show progressed, and it was interesting to see the juxtaposition of these visions with what was currently happening around Isabel, as moments of joy intermingled with moments of sheer terror, as Isabel correctly sensed that Tess was in grave danger, and she came to the realization that she alone was the only one who was ultimately capable of helping her.

I also thought that Isabel and the others’ statements acknowledging that they hadn’t been very nice to Tess were very true, but given Tess’ duplicitous nature, it’s very understandable why they regard her with suspicion, especially Max. I was amused when Max referred to his relationship with Tess as “complicated” when Sheriff Valenti questioned him about it, and the Sheriff answered “Oh she wants to jump your bones, huh?” I really like Sheriff Valenti’s new role as the group’s ally instead of being the enemy obsessed with exposing them, and I think his value to the group will continue to increase in future shows. I liked seeing Liz dance around in Congresswoman Whitaker’s office, but I was alarmed at the manipulative way that the insidious Ms. Whitaker invited herself along to the party. I was glad that Liz acted on her suspicions about Congresswoman Whitaker, and in so doing helped all of her friends, but I was disappointed that Liz played such a small role in this episode, other than to help cover for Isabel when she had to leave, and I was especially disappointed that she had virtually no interaction with Max. I enjoyed seeing everyone talking at the party, especially when Kyle told Michael about Tess and her “Fredrick’s of Hollywood” lingerie, and how he complained about how she was taking over in his house, and his remark that “if some chick is going to complain about keeping the toilet seat down, she’d be at least be doing me,” was hilarious, and it was also very typical of something a guy would say to his friends, and it was especially amusing when Kyle realized that Mrs. Evans was there, and he tried to weasel his way out of a very embarrassing situation.

I thought that Alex’s strip tease was uproariously funny, and his embarrassed reaction to seeing Mrs. Evans was even more comical. I think this scene also revealed how much Alex cares for Isabel, because he’s been shown to be basically shy and reserved by nature, so the fact that he would perform a burlesque routine to make Isabel happy shows the depth of his feelings for her. I really got a kick out of the way he loudly complained to Maria and Courtney about how humiliated he felt, and they basically ignored him, and I thought the funniest moment in the entire episode came when an hilariously overwrought Alex asked them “Do you have any idea how it feels like to walk around all day with a thong up your ass?” and both Courtney and Maria answered “yes,” giving a very telling and droll view of the differences between men and women. It also struck me in that scene that it’s very obvious that Colin Hanks has inherited his father’s comic flair, and I hope we get to see more of this underused character and actor in future episodes.

It’s very obvious that the devious Courtney, who was revealed as a “skin” last week, is “after” Michael, using her feminine wiles to try to seduce him, but I felt sorry for Maria any time she saw them together. I thought the competitive tension between Maria and Courtney was clearly evident in their scene together, and it will be interesting to see how Courtney will reveal herself in future episodes, as she may try to force a wedge between Michael and the others. Several people pointed out to me in e-mails last week, and correctly so, that she’s not the only “skin,” as we learned later in the episode, and she’s also not the “skin” that killed Nasedo, but obviously, she’s here for some type of nefarious purpose, so it will be intriguing to see precisely what that purpose is. I was glad to see Isabel take charge and organize everyone to help save Tess, since she knew that Tess was in clear and immediate danger, and that Max and Michael weren’t able to help her at that moment, and I thought that she clearly came into her own in the way that she used both her powers and her ingenuity to figure out where Tess was and rescue her.

I was completely shocked that the devious Congresswoman Whitaker turned out to be a “skin,” and that she was the “skin” that had killed Nasedo, and her revelation about the granolith that apparently held the key to their survival, and her revelations about Isabel, were equally shocking. I was riveted when Ms. Whitaker revealed that Isabel, as “Vilondra” on their home planet, had betrayed her family, and sacrificed everything for her “great love,” and that history was bound to repeat itself. One thing that alarmed me in that statement was the strong attraction that Isabel has for Grant Sorenson, and I suspect that he may turn out to be the reincarnation of the “great love” that ultimately caused the downfall of Isabel and her people in another life. I was truly excited to see Isabel turn the tables on this murderous enemy though, as she used powers that she didn’t even know she had to destroy Congresswoman Whitaker.

I thought that they killed off Congresswoman Whitaker way too early though, as her relentless pursuit of the “Royal Four” in the guise of a powerful government official definitely added to the tension on the show. I thought that the scene at the end was harrowing, but a bit overdone, as Isabel expressed her anguish at the place where it all had started for them, and I could empathize with her torment as she “talked” to her mother, and she then discovered the granolith that apparently holds the key to the survival of all the visitors to our planet, and which Congresswoman Whitaker had demanded she reveal the location of to her. Overall, I enjoyed this episode, although I missed the romantic tension between Max and Liz, but it was very interesting to see the role that each one of the “Royal Four” will play in upcoming episodes, as their past is starting to collide with their present and future, and each player in this saga is beginning to realize, and fulfill, the destiny predicted for them at the end of Season One.

#204 Summer Of ’47 – Review

Written by Jerry D.

I thought that this was a very different episode of Roswell, one that delved into the original 1947 crash that represented the “Genesis” for Max Evans and his fellow visitors to this planet, but the past also echoed the present, as an atmosphere of betrayal, cover ups, and a mass conspiracy fueled by the fear of the unknown threatened the very existence of the beings who came to live on this planet. I also thought this episode taught an important lesson about how one man’s courage could overcome an all enveloping desire to hide the truth for the sake of conformity, and it also illustrated the lengths that the governmental authorities would go to in their efforts to hide and destroy what they had discovered, even to the point of murder. I thought the situation in 1947 served as a microcosm of the situation that Max and his fellow aliens now face, as the world closes in on them, and they find that they don’t know who they can trust.

I also saw this episode as a true epiphany for Michael Guerren, as he learned the story of Captain Hal Carver, and how Captain Carver’s courage enabled him to come into being. I thought this revelation finally broke down Michael’s walls of isolation and distrust, thanks to the man who had saved him and others of his kind so many years ago.

I also thought this episode was interesting as it allowed the actors on Roswell to assume roles from the past that both reflected, but were also very different from, the normal roles that they portray, as each character played their part in this unfolding drama from the past. In many ways, each character from the past reflected a current character taken to the extreme.

The young Hal Carver definitely reflected the present day Michael, as they both had a jaunty nonconformist air about them, but deep down, underneath their cynical exterior, they cared about people, although neither one was willing to show it, but you always had the feeling that Hal, like Michael, would do the right thing, and Hal, and his story, obviously touched Michael as no one had ever done before.

Richard Doty, Hal’s best friend, was very much like Max in his desire to conform, and have a normal life, but as we saw in the episode, he ultimately sold out his best friend in the interest of “national security” and his desire for a “wife and a white picket fence.”

Colonel James Cassidy represented an authority figure like his counterpart Sheriff Valenti, but he lacked Sheriff Valenti’s humanity, and was portrayed as controlling and harsh, and a typical career officer, determined to hide the truth at all costs, to the point of condoning murder and duplicity.

Captain Cavitt was very much like Alex, as far as intelligence went, but Alex’s kindness was replaced by Cavitt’s cunning and guile, as he used people to cover up the truth, and ultimately discredit Hal, and eliminate anyone who might reveal any information about the mysterious crash that ultimately determined the destiny of Michael and his fellow aliens.

Betty Osorio’s wisecracking reporter definitely reflected Maria’s wisecracking waitress, and the attraction between Betty and Hal reflected the attraction between Maria and Michael, and it was interesting to see Hal pick up on their attraction. I also liked how the past and present intersected at different points, as we saw Maria and Betty in virtually the same scene, which illustrated the similarities between their characters.

I felt that the character of Rosemary was the character of Isabel taken to the extreme, as Isabel and Rosemary seemingly hardened their hearts to any true human contact, although in Rosemary’s case, she became the stereotypical “good time girl,” being only interested in sex, while Isabel closed off the possibility of getting close with Alex, or any human.

In many ways, Yvonne White echoed Liz’s sweetness and vulnerability, and it was unsettling to see her meet such a sad fate, as the cover up in the aftermath of the crash closed in to take her life, and the life of so many others.

As this episode unfolded, I was intrigued by how the past and present intermingled, and I was also struck by how the noose tightened increasingly on Hal Carver, who, like Michael, rebelled against the role he was being forced to play, and his courage, and his desire to “do the right thing” cost him his military career, and very nearly his life. It was very disconcerting how, one by one, all the participants and witnesses to the crash and its aftermath were “silenced,” either by threats, or by blind conformity to “orders,” or by death, as anyone who was perceived as a “security threat” was conveniently “disposed of.” I thought this echoed the present day situation, as Michael and his fellow visitors, like Hal, didn’t know who they could trust, as an unknown but implacable enemy closed in on them.

One thing that I really enjoyed was seeing Michael’s attitude change throughout this episode, as he started out treating Captain Carver contemptuously, in typical Michael fashion, but then we saw his interest peak as Captain Carver’s story unfolded, and Michael realized that the pods the Captain Carver had assisted the alien beings in rescuing had served as the incubation pods for himself, Isabel, Max, and Tess, plus four other as yet unknown beings “somewhere out there.” I was truly touched to see Michael register the full impact of this older man’s courage, and it was moving to see Michael reach out to him and embrace him, as well as reveal to Captain Carver that his act of compassion and courage had not been in vain. I was also very happy to see Michael later apologize to Liz for his earlier harsh actions, and to thank Maria. To me, this represented a breakthrough for Michael’s character, as he realized that he was not alone, and that he owed his very existence to some human beings who cared. I hope this trend continues, because Michael is a wonderful character, and it’s good that he finally is becoming more “human.”

Overall, I enjoyed this episode, although it didn’t move me like a “normal” episode of Roswell, but it served its purpose of letting us, and Michael Guerren, understand the past as an uncertain future loomed on the horizon.

#205 The End Of The World – Review

Written by Jerry D.

I found this episode to be truly heartbreaking, as Liz Parker, in order to ultimately save Max Evans, and the world, from impending disaster, was forced to sacrifice her future happiness with the young man that she loves with all her heart. To me, mere words are inadequate to describe the heartbreaking agony that we saw Liz Parker go through as she was warned by the future Max Evans that finding love and happiness with him would precipitate events of catastrophic proportions not only for them personally, but for the entire world, so she was forced to break the present Max Evan’s heart through a series of lies and deceptions to change the course of history, and in doing so, she broke her own heart, in an episode that deeply touched me and saddened me as no other episode of Roswell ever has.

As I watched the cataclysmic opening scene, I thought it was jarring, and sad, to see the future Max and Liz facing the inevitable conclusion that they can’t be together, because their being together would literally lead to the end of the world, and thus, Liz encouraged Max to begin the journey to go back to the past, and undo their history, and change the dire fate that awaited them all.

I thought it was amusing to see Liz, Alex, and Maria to go to a fortune teller to learn about their future, and I especially got a kick out of seeing Alex decry the fact that he would never share a “carnal relationship” with Isabel. I was touched at Liz’s sheer elation when the fortune teller revealed to her that the “leader” she loved would choose love, and that they would be happy together, and it moved me to see Liz’s innocent bliss upon receiving this heartening news, which fulfilled every dream of happiness she had known concerning the true love of her life.

As we came to see though, all this joy was soon swept away, however, as the future Max Evans appeared to a clearly shocked Liz, and he foretold an ominous future for all of them, and he made it his mission to deny himself, and Liz, their own chance for happiness, forcing her to make Max fall out of love with her. I thought it was bittersweet watching the present day Max sweetly serenade Liz, complete with a bouquet of white roses, in an effort to woo her back to him, and it was so poignant to see Liz react to this, with a mixture of sheer love and joy on her face for the boy she loved, and fear and apprehension towards the man that boy would become. I also was deeply disappointed that Max’s wondrous surprise was ruined by his future self, and that a magical moment between these two “star crossed lovers” was lost forever.

I really got a kick out of the sexual repartee between Kyle and Tess, and their double entendre references to “trimming the lamp” were hilarious. I also thought it was interesting to see Michael try to get to the bottom of the truth about the alluring Courtney, but it was heartbreaking to have to see Maria witness their encounter, and interpret things the wrong way, and run off with a broken heart. I felt terrible for Maria as she related what happened to Alex, who, as always, proved himself to be a true friend to Maria, even to the point of risking his own life to avenge the wrong he felt that Maria had suffered at Michael’s hands. As we soon learned though, Courtney turned out to be a “skin,” boding further trouble for them all.

I was both moved and saddened to see the future Max tell Liz of their life together, and how they had eloped, and how happy they were, but they simply couldn’t be together. It broke my heart to see Liz have to lie to the present day Max in an effort to get him to stop loving here, to the point where she told him that she wasn’t ready to die for him, and finally, to the point where she devised a ruse to make him think she was sleeping with Kyle, and the look on both Max’s face and Liz’s face was excruciating when he saw Liz in bed with Kyle. Poor Liz was so torn between the love she had for Max, and her duty to save the world from an ominous fate, and I thought that Shirri Appleby did a tremendous job in portraying Liz’s anguish, as she told the future Max, “Don’t you realize what you are to me, and what you’re always going to be? You’re the love of my life, everyone else is going to be second best. They’ll never be another you.” The final scene completed this tale of heartbreak, as we saw Liz begin to dance with the future Max, the present and future love of her life, and end up dancing alone, devastated and heartbroken.

Overall, I enjoyed this episode, although I was deeply saddened at it’s outcome, and I hope that some day, Max Evans and Liz Parker find their way back to one another.

#206 The Harvest – Review

Written by Jerry D.

I thought this episode brought Roswell to a whole new level of suspense, as the “Royal Four” and their human friends faced not one individual enemy, but an entire town of the dreaded “skins” determined to destroy them, but, aided by an unforeseen ally, they managed to escape, at least temporarily, to face this enemy another day. This episode also focused on the hurt the Max Evans felt as he dealt with Liz’s betrayal of him, not knowing the real reason behind her deception.

The news that Congresswoman Whitaker, who had been “vaporized” by Isabel two weeks before, had “died in a car accident” came as shocking news to everyone who had been involved, because now it was obvious that a conspiracy was afoot to cover up her death, and the way she had died. Max and everyone else soon learned, through a cryptic letter sent to the Congresswoman’s office, that a mysterious organization called “The Universal Friendship League” from the Congresswoman’s home town of Copper Summit New Mexico had apparently organized this ruse, as her “death” was announced on the stated deadline for her to contact them. This caused Max to decide to embark on a journey that could lead them to their destruction, as “The Universal Friendship League,” was, in fact, a “front” for an entire race of “skins.”

In the meantime, Michael told a hurt and angry Maria the truth about Courtney, and as always, the banter between them was very amusing to watch, especially when they decided to search Courtney’s apartment, like, as Maria put it, “Scully and Mulder.” Once there, however, Maria and Michael soon discovered that Courtney was apparently obsessed with Michael, but not to destroy him, as they had supposed, but for an entirely different reason, as they soon learned as Courtney discovered them spying on her. Courtney claimed that she was one of several renegade “skins” who wanted Michael, or his previous incarnation, to join with them, and side against Max, and lead their people into a new golden age, and Michael seemed very disturbed but also tempted by this news, as Maria stood by incredulously. Michael quickly recovered though, and he knew that he had to help out Max and everyone else, as Courtney revealed that they were driving into a trap.

Meanwhile, on the way to Copper Summit, we had to witness the heartbreaking scene where Max questioned Liz about what had happened with Kyle, but she couldn’t answer him, and later, she had to lie again to Max, telling him that her and Kyle had made love, hurting both him, and herself, further, and driving a wedge between them. I felt bad for both Max and Liz in this episode, because both of them were in a no win situation beyond their control.

Once everyone got to Copper Summit, they encountered a virtual ghost town filled with strange inhabitants that weren’t who they seemed to be, and the episode was filled with a palpable tension as we were slowly introduced to the inhabitants of this town, starting with Congresswoman Whittaker’s “family,” the “Crawfords.” Isabel, in particular, seemed mysteriously drawn to Nicholas Crawford, Congresswoman Whitaker’s “brother,” who, in the guise of an unassuming teenager, was actually the ringleader of this entire race of skins, as she soon learned when Nicholas lured her away from the rest of the group, and took her prisoner. We soon learned that new “husks” or bodies for this alien race were ready to be “harvested,” which would give them 50 more years on this planet, and spell certain doom for “The Royal Four.” Nicholas taunted Isabel by telling her further details of her previous life as “Vilondra,” and how she had betrayed her brother, and spelled doom for their entire planet.

In the meantime, at the “Service” for Congresswoman Whitaker, everyone was exposed, as Liz discovered that the Congresswoman’s “body” was a fake, and Max and Isabel tried to fight off the menacing “skins.” In the meantime, Nicholas continued to taunt and torture Isabel, until Michael, Maria, and Courtney came to their rescue, and Nicholas faced Michael, who he recognized as Max’s second in command, but then, just when all seemed lost, Courtney saved the day by starting off a chain reaction which destroyed all the new “husks,” and everyone escaped, with the ominous “skins” vowing revenge.

Overall, I found this episode to be suspenseful, albeit a little disappointing, as Roswell seems to venturing more and more into the realm of science fiction, a turn which, while expected, takes away from the “human” story of all these characters.