Rant and
Review
This pretty much covers it all; it's here that I nicely summarize each
ep, comment and "rant" (i.e. nitpick, grumble or praise) and bounce around
hyperactively recounting the romantic moments (yes, this page will focus
a bit on that-- I'm a romantic at heart.). Enjoy, and mail
me with any comments you may have!^^
Destiny:
5/15/00
Everyone escapes
the compound and Pierce's custody (with varying degrees of difficulty)
and gather at an abandoned mine. Everyone agrees that "taking their
lives back" (battling Pierce and his agents) is the best way to get their
lives back to normal, and so they begin their fight. Valenti "lures"
Pierce in (showing some very questionable loyalty), while Tess, Michael,
Max, and Isabel knock out or send away Pierce's other agents. At
the UFO center, where Pierce is lead, Max proceeds to question him about
Nasedo's whereabouts; Pierce does not answer, but Isabel enters his mind
and gains the information. Kyle, seeking his father, comes into the
UFO center, where Pierce, posing as the deputy, convinces Kyle to untie
him and give him the gun. When the sheriff comes by, there is a shoot-out,
ending in Michael using his powers to kill Pierce. Max heals Kyle,
who was hit during the shoot-out, and thus secures Valenti's loyalty.
The four aliens and Liz rescue Nasedo and bring him to the pod cave, where
they use the healing stones to bring him back. Max asks how to use
the communicators, but Nasedo tells him he's not ready to know. Nasedo
leaves and Max, needing to know how they work, picks up the communicators.
Everyone concentrates, and an image of a woman appears; it is their mother,
and she explains that they were cloned after being killed in a battle on
their home planet, and that they were sent to Earth to seek out and kill
their planet's enslavers so they can one day free their people. She
also reveals their old positions on their planet: Max was the leader, Tess
his wife, Isabel his sister, and Michael her betrothed. Liz, disheartened
but accepting, tells Max to follow his destiny, then runs off, leaving
him watching after her sadly. Finally, small blue lights and noises
begin appear throughout the world, sounding and looking like the communicator's.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
An interesting
episode with a lot of action and plot propulsion, as well as a few interesting
character ideas. Rather intriguing...
-Michael:
Once again, Michael is the one to propel plot action and questions regarding
the aliens forward. Unable to control the powers, he
can't really be held 100% responsible for Pierce's death, but it is also
impossible to escape responsibility when he was the sole perpetrator.
It brings up an interesting conflict regarding unintentional actions:
In this case, the death of Pierce could easily be written off as
self defense; what obviously bothers Michael more is his inability to control
potentially deadly powers. The timing of Pierce's death (shortly
before Max healed Kyle) also created an interesting contrast between him
and Max (which Michael himself pointed out). It will be interesting
to see how Michael's character is affected in the long run by his new powers,
as well as his actions here.
-Couples:
Couples have never been constant in "Roswell", and this is not exception.
Each alien (with the exception of Tess) has their human "mate", and now
it seems that they also have an alien counterpart. The conflict of
loyalties is already apparent; Max and Liz are broken up over it, and Michael
and Isabel are also obviously affected by it (examples of this were seen
in "Four Square"). Also, everyone seemed considerably more affectionate
than usual (especially Michael and Maria (okay, who cheered for that "I
love you"?! ^.^)), which I think those writing and directing were using
to help increase the tension and conflict between the human and alien pairs.
Only time will tell how things will turn out, but for now, watching the
conflict brew is entertainment enough.
-Their
past: The orbs actually serve a purpose! (It was nice to see something
carried through that many episodes actually have a use.^^) The pasts
revealed were quite interesting and fitting; I was very happy to be presented
with a past that connected in an understandable and relevant way, and that
was not too incredibly far-fetched (the "enslaved race" thing was a bit
cliché). The positions in their old world were very fitting
in my opinion; with the exception of Tess (and, being new, we have less
of a sense of her character as a whole), everyone was truly suited to their
said role. Good choices by the writers; my applause to you.
We didn't get to see how this information affected them in any major way
(the revelation so close to the end), but I look forward to seeing how
it will affect relationships between everyone (would you still treat a
man who used to be your nation's leader as an equal?) in the future.
-Destiny:
As last week's had the theme of humanity, this week's theme seems to be
destiny. "Roswell" subtly asks what decides or defines our future;
opposing views are presented in terms of how much control we hold over
our lives. The projection of their mother seems to strongly advocate
a pre-determined destiny, as does Tess. On the other hand, Max openly
states that he will do what he wants, and by dating humans, Isabel and
Michael are also subtly expressing their defiance of fate. Liz obviously
believes in destiny; the fact that she left Max was a little surprising
to me (if anything, it would make sense for him to leave her, given the
situation), but it certainly shows she believes that what is "pre-determined"
will win out in the end. No side appears to be favored at this point;
it seems future character actions will pretty much determine everything.
Overall,
an interesting finale with a nice balance of knowledge gained and mysteries
yet to be solved. A nice way to end the season.^^
The White Room:
5/8/00
Agent Pierce,
holding Max captive in the White Room, tortures him in an effort to gain
information about Max and his kind. Meanwhile, everyone worries about
Max's condition, and Isabel uses her powers to get inside Max's head.
She desperately begs for information about his whereabouts and such, and
he provides her with brief mental flashes. From that, they piece
together where Max is, and the six of them decide they should go rescue
him. Tess insists that the three humans (Liz, Maria and Alex) are too much
of a liability, so she, Isabel and Michael set off, leaving Maria, Liz,
and Alex to wait. They make it inside the compound, where they are
met by Nasedo, who provides them with a plan. Meanwhile, Alex, Maria
and Liz worry when no one returns, and end up going to Valenti, admitting
they need help. Max continues to be tortured in various manners;
Pierce finally concludes that Max's weakness is not his alien half, but
his human half. Pierce threatens to hurt Liz if Max does not give
him the information he wants, and Max gives in. Meanwhile, Nasedo's plan
is put into action. He and Michael infiltrate the complex dressing as agents,
while Isabel mentally warns Max and Tess provides a distraction of Pierce
at the critical moment. They get Max out as Pierce is under Tess-induced
illusions, but Tess, unable to hold the image, has to stop, and the situation
becomes quickly visible to Pierce. He orders a lock down of the facility.
Michael, with Max, get to the security gate just in time, Valenti arriving
to assist his at the last moment. Nasedo, disguised as an agent,
is found out and shot, and Agent Pierce (shot by Valenti) gets caught on
the wrong side of the security door due to his own security orders.
As Max, Michael and Valenti get away, Pierce watches, bloody hand against
the door. To be continued...
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Wow... that
was quite the intense episode. What was obviously an hour felt like a good
fifteen minutes; it was fast paced, tense, and quite gripping. On to specifics...
-New
powers: What was previously thought impossible is not.. an interesting
twist, and a nice way to mature the character. Up until now, it was
thought that they couldn't have any shape shifting or body-altering powers
(being human), but now, it appears that is different. The last minute
timing of Michael's accomplishment didn't give him much time to think about
the new powers he's gained, so it will be interesting to see how
he deals with and uses this new ability. It was also nice that it
was Michael (the one most incompetent with his powers) who gained the new
one; if Max or Isabel, who can decently use what they have, did, it wouldn't
be nearly as nice.
-Camera
Work: The direction and camera work in this episode was far from standard--
the shaking shots in the White Room, overhead and quick, zooming shots
on Max as he's tortured (;.;!)... all of these were radically different
from your standard steady shot, and I'm sure were meant to help create
the mood of the White Room. That was somewhat effective; my perception
of the White Room as a place is certainly different than my perception
of anywhere else in Roswell, but I think sometime the erratic shots were
a little bit overkill. During those sections, I often found
myself wincing and squinting trying to focus on the character; it was a
little too much "mood", and it made it difficult to watch the show.
However, my favorite show in the entire episode was a result of this odd
camerawork: Shot from above, it's when Max is sitting in the White Room
(during the musical sequence), in the corner, arms holding his stretched
out knees... something about that one shot was very provocative; it certainly
struck a chord in me. A few interesting shots for sure, but overall,
a bit much.
-Valenti:
As the season has progressed, and everyone view of the world has expanded,
Valenti has become less and less the "bad guy", and much more neutral.
On quite a few occasions, he has even volunteered to help them, but, fearing
impure motives, they have refused. I applaud Liz for using good judgment,
and recognizing the situation was too big for them to handle this time,
and thus going to Valenti. His involvement in this episode was minimal;
the repercussions (and his following actions) are yet to be seen.
-The
Human Conflict: Throughout the episode, one question was silently
asked: What defines human? The conflict and opposing points of view
and actions were really interesting and well played out; when considered,
this was a very provocative episode. Max is very obviously alien,
and yet he shows many "human" characteristics; he cares about others, has
a conscience, he loves... Emotionally, Max is as human as anyone.
Pierce posses the human body, but not the human heart; he cruelly mistreats
what he knows to be a conscious, living creature (Max), and is utterly
ruthless (involving Liz, physically torturing Max) in gaining his information.
By emotional standards, he is completely non-human; Max points this out
to him when, while being tortured, he asks "Who's inhuman now?".
I very much enjoy it when Roswell (not overtly) poses interesting questions
to ponder. A nice level of added depth.^^
Overall,
a great, suspenseful episode with some interesting development and very
intriguing ideas. Definitely a keeper.
Max
to the Max: 5/1/00
The trio wonder
at their beginnings (viewing the cave they came from for the first time),
and Tess insists that they must trust her if they want her to give them
information. She entreats Michael especially, sensing his need to
know, but it is Max who is agreed upon to speak to her. She explains
that her "father" is Nasedo, and that he has been with her for the last
ten years, his only purpose being to protect them. She also explains
that the sexual dreams everyone has been having are "to awaken"; the planets
are aligned such that their biological clocks are beginning to tick.
In addition, she assures Max that no one can get pregnant from a dream
(and thus, that Isabel is not having any children anytime soon).
Max is next seen picking up Liz at the Crashdown, romantically taking her
away in an unknown car. Max later arrives and speaks to Isabel and
Michael, and they realize that Nasedo has kidnapped Liz. Meanwhile,
Liz discovers this for herself when the wrong images come to her while
kissing "Max". Nasedo has taken her as bait for the government (specifically,
Agent Pierce), and as they drive along, he leaves "clues" (a dead body,
an explosion). Everyone else, sheriff included, follow, and they
all end up at a carnival. A showdown occurs in the Fun house, and
one Max escapes, while the other is captured by government agents.
The real Max is next seen trapped in a white room, government agents looking
in on him, plotting for tests to begin in the morning.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Some intriguing
information about the aliens, as well as some creative ideas and events.
As always, though, a few points stuck out... ^^
-New
Deputy/Agent Pierce: I have to say, I saw that one coming (when watching
it for the review). As soon as Nasedo made his comment about Agent
Pierce being "smarter" than the rest, then this new deputy magically appearing....
I was pretty sure. It was certainly a good disguise for him; a disturbingly
over-achieving young cop (Did anyone shiver when he was voluntarily color
coding the files? Scary...) is the best of cover: You get access to local
law enforcement's information, files, and resources, but you also aren't
suspected to be anything more. (Why would an undercover cop disguise himself
as a policeman? Too obvious and self-defeating, and thus, perfect).
It's not good to root for the evil guy (especially if he's out to capture
Max and all...), but you know you have to respect someone with this much
ability and intelligence.
-Michael:
His character just keeps developing, showing new "sides" of him all the
time. This episode, it seemed he took on the role of the protector/comforter,
something I found very interesting, considering that in the past, he has
been portrayed as generally the most insensitive and uncaring of them all.
Here, he was quite delicate and caring with Isabel, promising to protect
her and see her through whatever what happening to her (a declaration I
was a little surprised at, but very impressed with). Also, when Liz
came out of the Fun house, saying they'd taken Max, he was the first to
step in and give her a hug. (Which is a little surprising; he's generally
been mildly hostile towards her; one would much more expect Alex or Maria
to comfort her). It's nice to see such a good part of him.
-Double
Trouble: Having two Max's in this episode was certainly a very interesting
twist. It was an intelligent guise by Nasedo; it confused everyone
in terms of how to deal with it. In addition, it made the final confrontation
in the Fun house even more dramatic; you never knew who was who when there
were just pictures in the mirrors. Most of all, though, I want to
compliment Jason Behr on his acting in this episode. He did a fantastic
job playing two very different people; it was always very evident who was
Nasedo and who was Max, and none of either character slipped into the other.
This was an interesting twist, and quite well executed.
-Showdown
in the Fun house: Quite cliché.. and interesting nonetheless.^^
The mirrors and blockades make for some very interesting effects (for example,
Nasedo stepping into the sheriff's view as Max, surrounding the sheriff
but being safe from the sheriff's fire) and tricks (Max and Liz coming
face to face and not being able to touch), which made the showdown quite
suspenseful to watch. Having the confrontation there had its ups
and downs though; on one hand, you can deceive others through your actions,
but unless you know the layout perfectly, you are also likely to get trapped
in some odd corner or area. Also, (as Liz so well demonstrated with
tentative steps), there is no place to truly hide (make oneself invisible);
no matter where you are, you're projected another fifty places. Regardless
of the strategic advantages and disadvantages, the scene certainly was
suspenseful, and visually, quite interesting. A good showdown, all
things considered.
Overall,
an episode filled with interesting ideas, quite a bit of deception, a cliffhanger
to keep us on the edge of our seats. Nice.^^
Four
Square: 4/24/00
The trio track
Tess, whose behavior has been increasingly suspicious; she acts strangely
around them, exhibits clearly alien powers, and hints at their past and
history. The trio also agrees that Tess is awakening "inhuman" and
"alien" feelings inside them; her presence is clearly bringing out the
alien part of their nature. She is also causing them to notice and
ponder the meaning of a symbol consisting of four squares; everyone's seen
it, and Tess continually hints at it. Michael and Isabel are also
having parallel dreams of a place in the desert, the ground covered in
symbols. They also dream of having a child together; after the final
dream sequence, Isabel tells Michael that she thinks it's true, and that
she's pregnant with his child. Meanwhile, Tess "takes" a book from
the library (wall with her powers), and comes to visit Max at night.
She takes him to the place that everyone has seen in their dream (she has
revealed its name to Michael), and reveals her identity: She is another
alien like them, left behind in an incubation pod when the other three
hatch. Michael and Isabel arrive shortly after the flashback ends,
and Max assures them that Tess is "one of them". They stand in the
desert, two facing two, completing the four-square symbol.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Quite an interesting set of ideas introduced in this one, as well as nice
plot leap forward.^^ Fun fun fun....
-The
dreams and flashbacks: I've said it once, and I'm content to say it many,
many more times: Roswell does the coolest flashback and dream sequences.^^
The place it was all filmed was beautiful (out in the desert, red rocks
and blue sky), but the composition of them is also visually entrancing;
the composition of the shots, the color choice and wardrobe are really
interesting. The sequence of Isabel with the symbols, wide shots
and close ups, day and night.... it conveyed the feeling and mood as well
as information incredibly well. Whoever is in charge of these things, you're
incredible. Keep up the wonderful, beautiful work.
-Isabel
and Michael: What an interesting match. All season, we've certainly
been lead to believe that the aliens were related in a filial way, and
thus wouldn't get involved. While this was a surprising development,
I don't think it was completely "out of the blue"-- there have certainly
been minor hints at Isabel/Michael closeness throughout the season. (I
have to also say, the thought of them together had crossed my mind a time
or two). However, in all cases, it could have been written off as
sticking together as aliens as Max focuses away from them, and on humans
(Liz). Such things between them have certainly not been overt (for
example, seeking out Nasedo together, just having discussions with each
other), but their togetherness has been slowly building. If this was a
subtle planned build up, I applaud the writers; if it was a random idea
that just happened to fit past scripts (I've worked on plays; random ideas
are not uncommon), then it's less note-worthy, but interesting none the
less. I personally think they make a good couple; due to their behavior
and general demeanor both tend to (excuse the pun) alienate other people.
Having grown up with each other (only), and having no issues accepting
any part of each other's personality, they may well be the most secure
couple this show will see. My one qualm with their
interactions this episode was Isabel's declaration (questionable statement..?)
of her pregnancy. While everything had been proceeding well in an
interesting way, that just struck me as very soap operatic, shattering
the mood that had been created slowly throughout the episode. Other
than that, though, it will be very interesting to track these two and see
what will follow.
-Tess:
An interesting character I'm not sure whether to hate or love. I
certainly don't appreciate her efforts to seduce Max (bad! bad!), but her
side of the story is certainly plausible, and it does make for some interesting
conflict (though it does feel somewhat contrived). Her knowledge
of their past is quite intriguing; in general, it's just nice to have someone
who has some idea about what's going on. However, it will be interesting
to see whether, after she reveals all she knows about the aliens, she is
kept on the show (as a regular character) or killed off or taken away in
some mysterious way (thus adding a little more angst for the trio, and
conveniently getting rid of a non original character). I suppose we'll
see.
-"Something
... alien": We finally get a glimpse of the other side. Every episode so
far has hinted at their alien background, but no one in the trio has ever
known enough to even establish what they are. Tess's presence seems
to awaken in them what they never knew was there, thus giving us, the audience,
a chance to discover what Max, Isabel and Michael really are. So
far, we've only had a chance to see a little bit about their "hatching"
(a quite interesting sequence), but more, as always, is sure to come.
Overall,
a very pretty (visual effects!) episode which introduces quite a few interesting
ideas which will surely be elaborated on in later episodes.
Tess, Lies and Videotape:
4/17/00
Due to
the fact that I was unable to see this episode, rant, review, and summary
to be expected when this episode re-airs. Thank you for your understanding.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Crazy:
4/10/00
Ms. Topolsky
is back, first surprising Max and Liz as they make out in a car in the
woods. She warns them that there is an assassin deep in the government,
and that Max, and everyone associated with him, is on the hit list.
She encourages the group to "act normal" and not draw attention to themselves;
the alien hunter is on the lookout for them. She wants them to meet
her again; the group votes and decides not to. Breaking into Michael's
house, Topolsky discovers the egg shaped device Michael was keeping.
She insists that he come and meet her in the woods with it; she claims
it is a communicator, and that she has another one. Meanwhile, there
is a new girl at school named Tess, who finds a friend in Isabel.
Michael, with Maria and her car, go to meet Topolsky to show her the "communicator".
Upon discovering this, Max and the others, very angry, follow Michael.
They arrive and Michael and Max get into a fight, resulting in a punch
thrown and the device tossed aside. The sheriff and another man arrive
at the scene, the other man explaining that Ms. Topolsky had recently escaped
from a mental hospital, and that nothing she said is to be trusted.
As the group leaves, the sheriff notices the dropped device, and picks
it up. The other man drives off, stops by the side of the road and
transforms himself into a hitchhiker. Finally, we see Topolsky, holding
another one of the devices where she and Michael were supposed to meet.
Men in black drive up, congratulate her on "leading us right to them",
and take her away in the car, as she screams.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I'm impressed;
this is Roswell's first real step in the direction of government
conspiracy. Being a seasoned X-Phile, I'm rather familiar with the
subject, but it's interesting to see their take on the old idea. But first,
some other things....
-Topolsky's
return: First of all, as odd as it sounds, I want to congratulate both
the makeup crew and the characters of the show. Topolsky looked so incredibly
different (to me, at least), I would not have recognized her without the
prompts of the cast members. Therefore, I congratulate Makeup on
such a fantastic job changing her looks, and the characters for being so
perceptive as to figure out who it was. Quite a change. Ahem.
More the the point on actual content, it was rather fitting to have her
return in some form; her departure was quite abrupt, and certainly left
room for a dramatic return. (An opportunity they obviously took advantage
of.) Her loyalties are also an interesting subject to ponder; throughout
the show, I was questioning which side she was really on. The end
makes it rather evident she is definitely *not* aligned with the government.
However, this does leave open the possibility that she is aligned with
some other organization (Nasedo? You never know...). It somehow doesn't
fit her character, even if she has reformed, to simply help the trio and
those connected out of the blue.
- Michael
and Maria: The numerous conflicts between the two of them certainly served
to heighten my affection for Michael, as well as my dislike for Maria.
We all know and understand that Michael is not the brightest, most sensitive
guy in the world, but that didn't seem to hinder him from trying to express
his affection for Maria. I personally thought this was quite sweet; though
his efforts were often a tad misguided and the results were mildly odd,
the point was that he tried. I think the pinnacle of his effort that
should be recognized is his demand that Max help him. Michael is
not an open and forthcoming person (we've seen evidence of this many times);
the fact that he actually asked Max for help on something this personal
proves that he considers it important. Finally, I thought the crowning
moment of their whole conflict was Michael's plaintive question to Maria:
If she can't stand everything he does, why does she like him? Superbly
delivered, that line brought the entire situation into perspective, and
posed a very relevant question (one I hope Maria will think on for a while).
Cheers to Michael for caring, and handling the rejection of his efforts
with such poise and maturity.
-Tess:
It's nice to see Isabel connecting with someone (she needs a friend...).
I personally found it a little eerie how well she and Isabel match up (
A conspiracy? You never know...), but for now, she seems relatively
harmless. Given the history of "new" Roswell characters and their
fates (Ms. Topolsky, for example), though, I wouldn't discount Tess being
a character with malicious intentions (need I mention at all she coincidentally
arrives at a time when an alien hunter is out for Max and co.?).
For now, I think we let Isabel enjoy her new buddy... but I certainly would
keep my eye on her.
-Conspiracy:
A committed and experienced X-Phile (fan of XF), government conspiracy
is certainly nothing new. Unfortunately, I was rather disappointed
by Roswell's relatively stereotypical and shallow version of a government
conspiracy. I realize they deserve more time to elaborate and deepen
the plot and story (like many Roswell eps, this appears to be setting
up more than anything else), but so far, it's been pretty cut-and-dry:
Alien hunter out to hurt the aliens, government doing horrible testing,
Men In Black drag away the person who knows something before anyone can
learn the truth. Certainly intriguing if you're new to the game,
but for those of use who have seen it all before, I sincerely hope we see
a nice big plot twist sometime soon. Being a more-than-seasoned viewer
of such things, though, this is pretty average.
Overall,
an episode more interesting in its relationships and characters than in
action and plot. We'll see what they do with all this set up next
week....
Sexual Healing:
3/2/00
While making
out, Max and Liz see flashes of different images; Max sees Liz's memories
and thoughts, and Liz sees the universe as if she is traveling though space
at high speeds. This incites their interest and that of those around
them; no one knows the source of these images, but as time goes on, it
becomes more and more evident that they are relating to the Crash.
Michael and Isabel encourage Max to go further with Liz to keep the information
coming. The images continue; at one point, Liz witnesses falling towards
the earth, and later, sees army trucks, soldiers, and something being buried.
Max and Liz set out to find this thing being buried, and end up locating
a palm-size object that bears the same symbol as the cave paintings did.
Meanwhile, Max and Liz's parents are getting incensed (and worried) at
their children's strange behavior (cutting classes to make out, disappearing
overnight). The episode ends with Max and Liz walking into the Crashdown,
together, to face their parents.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Interesting ideas
presented in this one. Overall, in my humble opinion, there was a bit too
much sex (the episode seemed to focus more on the characters getting it
on than it did the plot...), but when plot points were presented, they
had some good points, and ideas with potential.
-Gaining
information by "connecting" with humans: This one was the most interesting
idea in the entire episode. The concept that you can learn about
yourself only through connecting with others is, on a metaphorical level,
quite true. On a physical and literal level, forgive me, but it seems more
than a little cheesy and contrived. We are led to believe the crash
was an accident (would you slam your spacecraft into the ground just for
the hell of it?), and therefore that their entire existence on Earth is
unintentional. However, to have human connection be the key to unlocking
their pasts implies that humans were part of their master plan (or at very
least, that these aliens were aware of them). This somehow, to me,
doesn't fit with the whole idea of the crash itself-- an accident, not
meant to be. One could argue this connection is merely coincidental,
but it's a bit too much of a leap for me. As our dear Fox Mulder
once said: "If coincidences are just coincidences, why do they feel so
contrived?" I recognize that something of this sort (a discovery of past)
is probably necessary for the general plot of "Roswell" to progress, and
I think that remembering through connection is an interesting concept,
but overall, the entire thing feels just a little too much like a bad soap
opera plot.
-Using
people: This was a definite issue brought up. One of the sweetest
moments in the episode was when Max commented to Michael that he didn't
want to use Liz because he cared about her. Peer pressure is really
something big, especially in high school (I know we've all experienced
it), and it would have been easy for Max to simply stay silent when Michael
spoke to him. (I loved Michael's little talk; it cracked me up).
Instead, though, Max vocalized and stood up for what he thought was right,
proving (to me, at least) that even though he obviously was using and benefitting
from the information Liz provided, getting information was not his primary
motivation. The way he dealt with it at the end was also quite cute,
teasing Liz that he saved her from a life of watching Kyle barf.
(A little crude, but cute nonetheless). All fears were assuaged,
and basically everyone was content. A good way for the two of the them
to end the episode.
-Flashback/Vision
sequences: This is brief, but I just like to say it over and over-- "Roswell"
does very cool vision and flashback scenes. I love the brown-gray used
for Liz's old memories, and the starscapes and outer space images were
absolutely beautiful. (I love the one where she passes through the galaxy.,
everything is almost white, and then you see all the little, individual
starts. Gorgeous). Kudos to the SFX people-- very, very nice.
-Unity
of Max and Liz: Are they together? The eternal question is still definitively
unanswered (as always), but the implication from the end of this episode
is that they've decided to give this 'being together' thing another go.
Max's grasping of Liz's hand in response to her question about destiny
was quite sweet (if somewhat predictable), and I very much liked the way
they went in to face their parents together, implying unity of purpose,
and of themselves. A nice way to end it (even though I really want to know
what happens~!)
Overall,
an episode with its share of nice moments, but ultimately (in my opinion)
lacking in plot solidity. Like many others, it seems to be a stepping
stone to greater things, and of course, it leaves many questions unanswered.
(What is that thing? What about Nasedo? What will Isabel and Michael do
when they find out about it (and that Max went and got it without them)?).
And so we once again await more.
Independence
Day: 2/16/00
Michael comes
to school one morning with a dark bruise under his eye. The source:
Hank, who hit him when he was drunk. Max, and later Isabel urge Michael
to get help with his situation, but he refuses, maintaining that he doesn't
want to draw attention, and that he can take care of himself. Later,
Hank is drunk again and starts yelling at Michael when Max and Isabel are
outside. They rush in and a confrontation with Hank occurs, ending in Michael
using his powers against Hank. The trio talk outside, and Michael
walks off, after an exchange of harsh words. He stays at Maria's
for the night (much to her mother's anger), but is taken in for questioning
the next morning when Hank doesn't show up for work at the plant.
Things are eventually straightened out as to his whereabouts, but Michael
still feels like he has nowhere to go. He packs his bag and heads for the
highway intending to hitchhike to somewhere. However, when he looks
at the goodbye gift Max and Isabel gave him (a package of things that "mean
nothing without him"), he changes his mind and comes back. Finally
taking responsibility for his situation and actions, he speaks to Max and
Isabel's father, a lawyer, and is granted his petition for emancipation:
He can now live on his own, as an adult. Finally, Hank speaks briefly to
the sheriff, and moves away from Roswell. A few miles out of town, it is
then revealed that "Hank" is a shape shifter, and the real Hank was murdered
by that man.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Wow.. this one
was quite the episode. In terms of favorites, this one ranks quite
high with me-- a keeper, that's for sure.^^ Now, for some
detailed points...
-Responsibility:
This was the definite theme underlying the episode (blatantly stated more
than once), and I think it was portrayed well. When Max confronted
Michael, at first I thought Max was being extremely unfair to Michael,
challenging and harassing him when he was in so much trouble. However,
after listening to what Max said, I realized he was right: Michael was
using his situation as a responsibility-avoidance tactic. This got
me thinking quite a bit about control and responsibility... and that often,
people don't realize how much power they really have. I hate being
moralistic, but I think there's quite a bit we could all take away from
that statement and idea. In terms of Michael, I'm in accordance with
Max; he did seem to be using his situation as an excuse to fail, or at
least not succeed. I really liked seeing him pull it all together
(at the end of the episode), and really take a step to take charge of his
own life and situation. It's a definite sign of maturity and growth, and
I love to watch characters I like grow and change like that.^^
-The
friendship dynamic: This episode, to me, cinched some ideas about the dynamics
of the trio's friendship that had been floating around all season.
When it comes down to it, the friendship in "the trio" really is somewhat
of a split between Max &Isabel and Michael. It would seem logical
(and almost obvious) that the group would be split that way; Max and Isabel
have had a very different life which has caused them to essentially be
(personality, confidence, and expectations-wise) very different people
than Michael. Their way of dealing with situations is entirely different
(due to upbringing, I'm sure), and so when it comes to handling a difficult
situation (in this case, Michael's life), their approach and his are often
very different. The problem is, in stressful and difficult
situations, that difference often leads to confrontation, conflict, and
general discord. There are always times when two will think the other's
actions are wrong (Max telling Liz, Isabel and her mother), but most common
is the Max & Isabel vs. Michael split. If the trio every actually breaks
apart in a serious way, it's almost surely to be along those lines.
The evidence of this has been with us all season long, but for me, at least,
this episode really cinched it.
-Isabel's
reactions to Michael: These were a bit of a shock. I've always seen
Isabel as a relatively level-headed and calm person (cool and distant,
even), so to see her exploding at Michael like she did was really a bit
of a surprise. The source of the outburst is actually, in my opinion,
pretty simple: She's afraid of losing the only people truly close to her,
and is expressing her insecurity by lashing out at Michael. Logical or
sensical? No. Probable? Yes. Isabel is a much more complex person
than we're usually shown, and this is one of the few glances into her personality
we've been allowed. As more of her is shown, I'm sure her actions will
make more sense.
-Sleeping
with Maria: My favorite part of the episode...(I know, I'm such an idiotic
romantic at heart). Something about that scene just hit a chord in
me.. it was just so *nice*. When Maria was looking at him out the
window and saying "no no no no no", the only thought going through my head
was "What will Michael do if he's rejected one more time?". Already
cast out of his house and on bad terms with his closest friends, I was
seriously worried about what he might do if he was rejected from one more
place (especially Maria's). Thankfully, Maria took him in, in one
of my favorite scenes so far in the entire show. Kindly toweling
him off, then getting him out of wet clothes, being only caring and completely
non-judgmental... I was very glad Maria grasped the seriousness of the
situaiton (her understanding is really evident when she tries explaining
her actions to her mother). Maria was just what Michael needed that
moment. His trust in her, as well as his emotional state are soon evident
as he breaks down crying. Conveniently falling asleep on Maria's
bed as she comforts him, the next shot we see is them
lying there, sleeping together (my own screenshot). Possibly one of
my favorite images in all of "Roswell", the two of them together just looked
very *right*. Of course, then Maria's mother comes in.. but that's
another story. This scene was just so incredibly sweet, I had to
comment on it. I loved it.^^
Overall,
a good episode with a nice amount of romance, funny moments (Michael trying
to adapt to stereotypical family life was quite interesting) and seriousness
(the issues of abuse, independence, and responsibility). A great
blend; an excellent episode.
Blind
Date: 2/9/00
Much to everyone's
surprise, Liz wins a local radio's station's contest. The prize: The station
sets the winner up with a blind date. Of course, this sets off reactions
all over the town, including that of jealousy in Max and Kyle. As
they're out, watching Liz on her date, Kyle pressures Max into drinking
some alcohol, which he does not handle well. The result is a Max with seriously
lowered inhibitions. He expresses, to Kyle, what he feels for Liz,
then goes out and finds her, telling her very romantically how he wants
everything to be. The radio station, who spent the whole time following
Liz, ends up bringing the three men (Max, Kyle, the date) on stage
together for her to pick. When given a chance to "convince" Liz to
pick him, Max kisses her passionately. This causes flashes of different
Liz memories, and pulls him out of his alcohol induced stupor. Not
remember anything, he apologizes sincerely for whatever he did and rushes
off.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Quite nice~! I
liked this one a lot. A sweet, interesting plot with some good interaction
and genuinely funny material, as well as some visually amazing scenes (flashbacks,
street lamps...). ^.^ I enjoyed this one a lot. Now,
for a bit of ranting... ^^
-Max's
pre alcohol brooding behavior: I don't know if it's Max's character or
Jason Behr, but there is a very distinct look of incredible sadness that
only he can do. This ep, it was in the restaurant as everyone swarmed
to Liz, and when he sat alone in his house, listening to Liz's date on
the radio. That look of such brooding and resigndness... it just
makes me feel so badly for him (the desire to give him a big hug is not
far behind). That look and act is also incredibly appealing, in its
own pathetic way... great job to Jason Behr for doing it so well.. and
let's all go for a collective "Awww... poor Max...."
-Michael
comforting Isabel: A new bond seems to be forming here... very interesting.
Our two most detached, disdainful of touchy-feelyness characters are bonding
with each other.. and, interestingly, seeming to both appreciate it.
Michael's words of comfort were so sweet; he doesn't reach out much, so
when he does, it's something special, and Isabel recognized that.
This bonding could be good for both of them-- while it's always important
to be an individual and be independent, having someone you can trust, rely
upon and simply be with is also important. Isabel and Michael seem
to be discovering a new side of themselves and each other. It'll
be interesting to see whether the results are felt in other areas of their
lives as well.
-Max
without inhibitions: All I have to say is... wow. There's quite the
romantic hiding under that quiet exterior.^^ Max's behavior after drinking
kind of scared me at first (talking to, of all people, *Kyle*?), but as
he began to talk about Liz, his mood and style seemed to really settle
in and have a purpose. When Max sighed and looked at the sky on the
rooftops, I swear I saw him as Romeo.... quite a radical change from his
usual stoic self. His actions with Liz were very sweet... though
he does not remember any of it (damn!), the things he said and way he acted
around her (so comfortable, wistful and.. happy) made me smile. It's
really, really nice to see Max hopeful, optimistic and "alive" (in a vivacious
way) in contrast to his recent depression and darkness. Seeing him
like that was a real treat.
-Max
vs. Kyle: The contrast between these two amazed me. Kyle is absolutely,
in all stereotypical ways, a "guy's guy". He drinks, parties with his friend,
counts his success with girls by what base he got to. Max, on the
other hand, is a "sensitive guy", and most girls' dream: sensitive, thoughtful,
quiet, faithful and "dark". It certainly was no grand revelation
that these two were near opposites, but seeing them directly against each
other as they talked (especially on Liz's roof), really made the extreme
contrast stand out. (A rhetorical question... why do I know so many
more Kyle's than Max's? ::sighs::)
-Flashbacks
and Alien Tricks: The best part, without a doubt. The visuals, both
in the form of Max's little love stunts and the flashback, were really
excellent in this episode. The lamp turning into a disco-ball-style
rotating lighting looked incredible, and really fit the mood of that scene,
and the sparkling parking meters were just darn cool.^^ Flashbacks
are one of my favorite parts of this show (the best part of any episode
that they're in); they're done well in terms of look, and the shot choices
are always great and creative. I liked how this one varied in shot
composition, and how the visual effects made it very distinctly a 'flashback',
but didn't let it look like a cheesy dream sequence. Very, very nice.^^
Overall, one of the best
episodes of the season, IMO. Good plot, wonderful visuals, and all around
fun.^^
The
(UFO) Convention: 2/2/00
It's
convention time in Roswell, and with his job, Max is right in the middle
of it. Believing he's spending too much time thinking about Liz,
he asks for extra responsibility in his job, and his boss assigns him to
work on public relations. There, he meets a scientist who is rumored to
have "had contact" with the aliens. This scientist used to work with
Valenti's father, and was involved in an incident called the Silo Murder,
which ended in Valenti's father being institutionalized. Max
tries to subtly get information about other aliens from this man, but he
is ultimately uncooperative. Finally, the scientist comes to the conclusion
that Max was the alien who committed the Silo Murder. He takes Max out
in the desert, with the intention to kill him. Luckily, the sheriff and
Michael arrive in the nick of time, and Max is unharmed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Overall,
an interesting episode with quite a few twists and turns, and some
rather... unique romantic elements. This week, I'm going to try a new form
of review: I'm going to list the event, then my comments below... please,
tell me what you think of it. So.. let's give this a shot!
-Max's hair after removing his alien head: This is brief, but I just
wanted to sat that that really cracked me up! I was laughing out
loud at his hair sticking up in all those different directions.. very cute!
-All the girls ganging up on Alex: Another brief mention, but I just thought
this was one of the better moments in the show. The way each girl picked
up on the others' line and added more evidence was really funny... and
poor Alex's expression was great! Roswell would do well with more
randomly comedic moments like this one.
-Seeing the girls in "slow motion": Overall, this... bothered me more than
anything else. In theory, it's a sweet, romantic notion, but the
way it was done was really.. not tasteful. The blurs and such reminded
me of a bad moment in a cheesy movie. The idea itself was not bad
at all, but I thought that the implementation was not superb. But
it certainly is nice to see our dear Max and Michael thinking about their
respective girls! ^.~
-Michael
in the Ring: All I have to say is-- That was totally cool of you, Michael.
My favorite moments in television shows are when the characters try or
do something new or out of character.. and to do it for someone else, especially
Maria, shows a good expansion of Michael as a character. I was cheering
to myself when I saw him lying there ("Just.. resting..")-- it was just
really nice to see him do something for someone else. With every
episode, I'm finding I like Michael more and more... here's just one more
thing for me to add to my list of why.^^
-"Energy Source" remark: The rant wouldn't be complete without it. In my
opinion, the best line in the whole episode... Michael looks at Max, his
glance trailing down his body... "You have to stop thinking with your..
{pause} ..energy source." Hilarious!
-"Mud": An odd running joke to say the least. Of all the things
to think about to avoid kissing someone, I don't think that one ever
crossed my mind... but whatever works, works, I suppose. My one lament--
Why did he have to stop that kiss with Maria like that??! ;.; (And can
you imagine it from her point of view? All you hear is "...Mud.").
This certainly wasn't the funniest joke in the episode, but certainly worthy
of note, if only for it's oddity. (Yay strangeness~!)
-Max as Mr. Public Relations: This simply amused me. Max is your
ultimate introvert, and to put him in charge of celebrities (the ultimate
extroverts) is just asking for trouble. He kind of reminds me of
myself dealing with the public.. short, one or two word answers, and a
prayer they'll leave me alone. An interesting place to have put him
for sure.. watching him work through these people was, to say the least,
interesting.
-"You're
supposed to protect me!": This remark really caught me off guard.
The entire series has been spent painting Valenti as nothing but a "bad
guy", and in this, I think we all, including him, forgot what his primary
duty as a sheriff was-- to protect the citizens. It will certainly
be interesting to see whether Max's remark will have any affect on the
sheriff's behavior. If I was to judge solely on the look in the sheriff's
eyes in that last scene, I'd wager we'll be seeing some definite changes
in how he acts towards Max. Only time will tell for sure, however...
so of course, we await future episodes.
-Silo
Murder: An interesting new element added to story. With more and more evidence
that the other alien out there is a killer, one begins to wonder about
the Trio, and if it is a natural part of their species to kill (one wouldn't
think so looking at them, but you never know..), or if perhaps that other
alien is some form of rebel or outcast from their group. Once again,
only time will reveal what or who that other alien really is, but it's
nice to see new elements added to old story... makes things a little more
interesting.
Overall,
an interesting episode with a nice amount of comedy and romance... and
quite a few twists, turns and ideas that are sure to make for an interesting
future. ^^
Into the Woods: 1/27/00
Rumors
of a UFO crash send the trio on alert, and when River Dog becomes involved,
they become convinced that it is not a hoax. An excuse to investigate
the site, which is in a relatively remote forest, is conveniently provided
by that weekend's "Get to Know you Father" camping trip. Isabel,
Max go with the intent of investigating the site, and as they are sneaking
out of their tent at night, Liz and Maria see and follow them. Michael,
who does not attend, is approached by River Dog, who takes him to the site.
The trio meets at the site (Liz and Maria use themselves as decoys early
on when they are detected by police), where they see a symbol similar to
those in the cave imprinted in the ground. River Dog claims the alien he
used to know is back. However, the sheriff, who has been following
them, then approaches with police, and they are led away from the site...
but not before Max "erases" the symbol from the ground.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
First of
all... I *loved* the intro. Maria's speech and Liz's reaction absolutely
cracked me up... Liz's expression, especially as Maria unbuttoned her dress,
really had me amused. On the topic of comic relief, I'd also like to say
that the UFO-ologist was great at the end... it was a nice little tie to
the beginning to have him taken away in a cop car. Kudos to writer
on the little comic relief bits this ep.^^
Now,
onto slightly more serious topics... this week's ep, in my opinion, was
decent, but lacked quite a bit in overall strength and plot. Personally,
the idea of a Father's Camping Weekend really bothered me. (It's
discriminatory towards alternative famalies-- as Maria well exemplifies).
Aside from that, it just seemed like kind of a cheap way to tie everything
together. And the sheriff being "buddy-buddy" with Liz's dad kind
of got on my nerves too. But *anyway*. Like other episodes have been,
I pretty much view this as the essential set up for a larger story and
plot, which appears to be coming next week. However, we weren't without
at least a couple of comment-worthy moments this week.
Maria
was great. Her more than a little off the wall comments about men
(especially in the intro) were totally amusing.. they almost sounded like
an informercial ("Tired of pining away for your loved one? Buy 'Crush-Away',
the new spray that..." ...anyway...).^^ Her lying to boys struck me as
interesting.. lying in such context is often a defense mechanism; you hurt
them (with such words) before they can hurt you. What was strange
about that, however, was that Max and Michael had given her no recent reason
to be *on* the defensive; in fact, Michael apologized and made some semblace
of peace between them just last week. Regardless, Maria's behavior
was certainly amusing... and no, I'm not even going to *discuss* the Aqua
Bra.
The more
I watch the show, the more I'm liking Michael. He started out as this kind
of mean, off-kilter person, but he really seems to be developing into an
important (as I've mentioned, all major plot action links to him) and interesting
(him and Maria! And heck, everything else...) person. Helping out
River Dog, and deducting (incorrectly or not, we'll have to see...) the
information about him were both actions that took compassion and intelligence...
characteristics that are great in anyone, but that are *really* great to
see surfacing in a once somewhat apathetic character. (And this is
totally random... What's with that brown sweater?? It seems very un-Michael,
but he's worn it both this week and last...weird....)
Finally,
Alex and Isabel are both quite a puzzle to me. Isabel is a literal
contradiction.. earlier this season, she was about to leave the house for
a date, but in all situations with Alex, she seems to act as if the idea
of dating (period, not *him* in particular) is out of the question.
Theoretically, she could really like him and be scared of the possible
repercussions, but I got the sense, from her tone etc., that she really
doesn't intend to date anyone. More and more questions arise....
Overall,
not much of an episode plot or character-wise, but I have high hopes for
next week, using what information and situations this week has established.
More mysteries await....
The
Toy House: 1/19/00
An accidental grease
fire causes Max to use his powers in front of his mother, who then becomes
suspicious of him and his secretive and provate nature. Isabel urges
Max to "tell" their mom (reveal their secret), but Max and Michael insist
that they don't get adults involved. Isabel and Max have their first
major fight over this issue, ending with Isabel saying that Max is controlling.
Meanwhile, Maria struggles to make her final project for woodshop work,
and Michael ends up helping her, and in the process, apologizing and getting
things a little closer to normal between Maria and him. In the end,
Max makes the decision not to tell his mother, explaining that there are
some things that she has to just trust him with. He and Isabel make
up, and Isabel says that she really wished they could have told their mother.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
An interesting
side to Max exhibited this week.... in terms of his character, this episode
was a bit of a different view of him. We're used to Max brooding,
thinking, watching, etc... but we had yet to see him in a controlling role.
There was never any question that he didn't like surprises or actions he
couldn't control, but we never saw him as a "control freak"; that role
was always designated to Liz (stated outright by herself and the counselor,
essentially, in "Monsters"). Seeing Max behave like this is like
seeing the "dark side" to a character; he's always been sweet, devoted,
and quiet, and now other attributes, not quite so favorable, are starting
to surface. His behavior to Michael and Isabel bordered, in my opinion,
on violent when it came to control of the situation.. and that was almost
scary to watch. Max's role up to now has essentially been that of the thinker:
he stays level headed, especially in the wake of Michael, and essentially
keeps everything in line and organized. However, what went unnoticed
(by me, certainly, and I would assume others) was the amount of control
and power simply being in that position entails. I doubt even Max
realized the kind of controlling actions he was subconsciously doing...
now that this behavior is stated and in the open, it will be interesting
to see how Max acts as a result. Will he make an effort to change? Or just
accept that as a part of himself? (His conversation with Liz and subsequent
conversation with his mother implies the latter, but nothing is ever for
sure, especially on TV.)
On the
topic of his conversation with Liz, I'd just like to say: "Yes! Go Liz!"
Kudos to Liz for standing up to and even criticizing Max. One of
my major annoyances with Liz is that she's always played a bit of a typical
'weak female' part; she'll go with what's going on because other people
(especially Max) are doing it, fearing (what I would surmise to be) rejection.
It was really nice to see her take a stand like that, *especially* against
Max, whose opinion matters most to her. She was completely right:
she did *not* need his permission to see Kyle, or to do anything for that
matter. (Quick side note: Max made me so sad as he watched Liz and Kyle...
Jason Behr has that puppy dog face nailed). Though it may be random,
I just thought that needed to be said. Personally, I'd love to see
a more independent Liz in the future.
This
week was also interesting in terms of character dynamics. We have three
major changes in relationships.. let's start with Max and Isabel.
Though their split was not permanent, their severe difference in opinion
did cause their first major seperation in terms of opinion. Isabel's
desire to tell their mother was, in my opinion, interesting; Isabel has
often been presented as the independent girl, but with a very home-oriented
side (see "Monsters" for the complete psychological analysis). This
is the first major assertion of that part of her that we've seen at all;
like Max, she has always been presented as private and somewhat detached.
That point aside, this disagreement between the two of them is likely foreshadowing
to the future; I suspect this is not the last issue they will have opposing
opinions on. While I doubt a true division of the trio will ever
occur, this is certainly a source of potential tension.
Liz and
Kyle are the second two people who's relationship has changed, and I, for
one, am glad. Kyle's jealous animosity annoyed me; not only was it
immature, it was downright childish at points. To see him act maturely
and decide to make an attempt at peace with Liz really made me happy..
I like seeing people make good decisions, and in that situation, I really
think Kyle made the right one. I also like the realistic feel it
gave his character; as we progress furhtur into the show, more and more
characters are becoming multidimensional and "real". I'm glad they're moving
beyond the initial "Max good; Kyle bad" that was being projected earlier
this season. All in all, Kyle seems to be not too bad of a guy: Ultimately,
he's a jock, more than a little stubborn and pretty immature, but in no
way evil or "bad". Reconciling with Liz gives him major points in
my book; anyone who makes the effort to truly apologize deserves the effort
of another chance. Kyle's earned it.
Finally,
we reach my favorite two crazy people: Michael and Maria. First,
a brief gush period: That was so nice of Michael~! That was just really,
incredibly cool of him to do-- Michael, you are on my good list for the
week.^^ Yes, okay, gush period over. Overall, I do think creating
that napkin holder for Maria really was an incredibly nice thing to do;
not only did it apologize, it really proved that he meant what he said.
(Plus, it means he's good with power tools, which is a quality I personally
respect and love in anyone). That apology served to essentially re-establish
some sort of friendship/comradeship between him and Maria.. something I
personally consider a very good thing. One thing to breifly comment
on... Maria's mention of him hugging everyone except her struck me as interesting;
upon coming out the the "cucoon" (for lack of a better word) Michael essentially
did what he did to everyone his is dreamworld... he hugged friends, etc.
In the dreamworld, he *kissed* Maria, implying that her role in his life
had much more romantic inclinations. Was he too shy to kiss her in
front of everyone? Or show any kind of affection when it could be interepreted
(or mean to him) something beyond friendship? Or in general, was he simply
spooked by the idea that Maria might really be that important to him? I
doubt any of us know, but her comment certainly made me consider his actions
and motivations.
Overall,
an interesting episode, with quite a few character twists and changes I'm
quite happy with. Characters make a show, and Roswell does a nice
job of keeping theirs dynamic and enigmatic.^^
The
Balance: 12/15/99
When
Max drops a notebook at the Crashdown, it is revealed that he has been
working on drawing sketches of the walls of the cave from "River Dog".
Isabel and Michael are both upset with him for not telling them, and Michael
decides to go to the Reservation to try to glean information for himself.
In a ceremony, he drinks some liquid that sends him into coughing spasms.
Later , Maria interrupts Max and Liz (who are on a romantic date) to help
her; Michael is very sick, and looks somewhat like he's having
a seizure. He comes to all right, but collapses later again at the
UFO center, this time not coming back so easily. Everyone tends to
him, but it appears he is not getting better. Max and Liz go to the
reservation, and there, River Dog explains that this was a "test", and
that they should bring Michael to the cave. At the cave, Michael
is placed in the middle of a circle, and everyone (except Liz, who is too
frightened), comes together, using special stones to heal him. Michael
sees himself in a strange desert place, and makes his peace with each person
as they contribute their energy. He wakes up in the real world, coming
out of a cocoon type casing, and picks up all the stones people used to
heal him. In almost a trance, he places them in the cave wall, where
they begin to glow, illuminating a map of a constellation-- their first
major clue to their home. Max comes to visit Liz after the ordeal,
and explains to her that this event opened up a lot of questions for him,
and that he thinks its a good idea for them all to "take a step back" and
refocus priorities.. and for Max, that means breaking off the romantic
relationship with Liz.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
First
of all.. cool special effects!! Wooo! I really, really liked the
"virtual reality" desert where Michael saw himself... very, very cool.
The camera work and effects were enough to make the scene mysterious and
interesting, but not enough to detract from the plot or point (special
effects can harm just as easily as they can help). My favorite scene
from the entire episode was when everyone was helping heal him, and he
saw them all standing around him, and he went up to each one, greeting
them. I thought the way it was done was great, and the meaning and
implications of the scene are really interesting. Michael essentially
greeted everyone in the way that they were important to him, and in accordance
to what role they play in his life: Isabel was a sister figure (hug), Max
was the friend (handshake-guy-hug), Maria was the love (kiss).... It gave
a lot of insight into Michael's character and personality, which you all
know I love.^^
The whole
plot line this week was really interesting.... definite, absolute and unmistakable
foreshadowing to the future; the discovery of a map (piece of clear data)
directing them "home" is important beyond measure. It would be my
prediction that this will lead to and furthur motivate the search for more
information, and that this will, like Michael's vision, lead to much bigger
things. The role Michael plays in the trio is odd; while he lacks
in powers (in terms of rearranging molecules and atoms), he is essentially
responsible for every major advancement they've made towards discovering
who they are. It was Michael that had the vision of the dome, which
led to the pendant, which lead to River Dog and all of this.
It was also his near death experience that lead to the discovery of the
map, and therefore all that will spawn from this development. While
Max and Isabel are the more conventional and even "main" characters in
the show, Michael drives almost all the non-romantic (and heck, a lot of
that too) alien-discovery action forward. It's easy to overlook him,
but upon examination, a lot of the show revolves around him. It'll
be interesting to see whether he, the "powerless" one, continues to make
all the major discoveries, or if Max and Isabel will end up taking over
when things become more intricate, involved, or patience testing.
The dynamics
between characters revolving around Michael were also interesting to watch--
anyone besides me a little taken aback by Isabel's violent reaction to
Maria's attempts to help? Isabel, in this situation, seems to view
herself as something roughly equivalent to Michael's savior (which I find
downright strange); her comments of "God, he needs me right now" makes
you wonder about the relationship they share. Michael and Isabel
have never been presented as close; Isabel always appears to, like Max,
look down on him somewhat and view him as a responsibility. However,
Isabel's actions imply that she cares very deeply (which she surely does)
for him; in fact, this is the deepest emotion we've seen her show towards
anyone thoughout the course of the entire show. Maria's caring for
him was sweet, making it obvious she was only superficially mad at Michael
over their fight. Her kiss with him in the "desert" also implies
that he may return these 'only temporary' hard feelings. Only time
will tell, I suppose.
Finally,
a quick note about our dear Max and Liz: Sigh. That's all I really
have to say about their "breakup".... sigh. Their date was utterly
adorable; they both looked like they were having the best time of their
lives. The fact that they looked like the happiest people in
the world, in and of itself, should've signified that something wasn't
quite right. Even with the world's most perfect romance, real life
still exists; if something seems too good to be true, it often is.
While I don't like to see the main characters unhappy or to see romance
gone awry, I do personally support Max in his decision to take a step back.
Having priorities straight is very important, and you can't expect a relationship
to be healthy if you do not know how important it is to you. Also,
it's my personal opinion that Max and Liz rushed (that kiss at the end
of "Heat Wave"?!) into a romantic relationship a little too quickly, and
in a manner that was ill-advised. (Previous to the kiss, Liz actually
stated that she was glad, having thought about it, that a kiss between
her and Max hadn't occurred). All other things aside , the people
over at WB also have to keep us watching somehow, and just in case handsome
cast members and cool sci-fi plots aren't enough, they have to keep that
spark of "almost-romance". If they actually, permanently paired up
Max and Liz, odds are they would lose a lot of viewers, and they don't
want that either. Essentially, this event is sad for those involved,
but in my opinion, a good thing, both for the character's well-being and
the show's ratings. Overall, this week's episode had a good, strong
plot line, interesting character implications, and of course... spiffy
special effects!!!!
Heat
Wave: 12/1/99
A heat
wave in December "heats" things up in Roswell; Michael and Maria get more
serious, and it seems that everyone is pairing up, except Max and Liz.
Alex is taken into the principal's office and questioned regarding the
now missing Ms. Topolsky, but he does not reveal anything.
In an effort to find out what Alex told them, Isabel "enters" his dreams,
where she is met by a surprise: His dream consists of her and him dancing.
She decides that "old fashion charm" will do the trick with Alex, but he
figures out her intentions, and comes away hurt. Meanwhile,
Maria wants there to be more to her and Michael's relationship, and when
the news comes up that there is a big party at the old soap factory, she
wants them to go together. Michael is less than enthusiastic, and they
have a confrontation at the party, which ends in Maria walking away.
As the party, which everyone is attending, takes a turn for the wild, the
police show up, and Liz and Alex are arrested. Alex is still angry with
Liz, and in jail, Liz finally reveals Max's secret to Alex, who doesn't
believe it. Back on Liz's side, Alex confronts the sheriff and gets
them let out. Max comes later to talk to Liz, and they reflect on
the impact that he's had on her life, and how things are going to change
for them. The episode ends with them locked in a kiss.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It's kiss
week on television!!!!! (Who else watched X-Files on Sunday??!) Ahem.
A monumental week, for sure... after eight episodes of UST, coded words
and secret looks, Max and Liz finally get their kiss. And oh, what a kiss.
(But that will come later.) We also get quite a few other character clashes
and come-together's; the sheriff and Maria's mother (::shudders::) seem
to be getting close, Maria and Michael are divided, Isabel and Alex have
some potential, and Liz and Alex are back on each other's good side.
For those of us character interaction lovers (^^), this week is what's
known as "heaven"... even if, at times, it was a little cliché and
overplayed.
First of all,
the sheriff and Maria's mother. Personally, I was a little frightened by
Maria's mother... she seemed just a little too young and "hip" (in a rather
trying-to-be way) to be the mother of a 16 year old. However, she did share
quite a few characteristics etc. with her daughter; mainly, the confrontational
"what's going on here" attitude, and mildly neurotic behavior (sorry, Maria,
you're great, but you're a little eccentric from time to time). More
than anything, though, Sheriff Valenti scared me. ::runs away and hides::
I know that romance and all that is wonderful at all ages, but watching
the sheriff hit on Maria's mother induced more nausea than "that warm fuzzy
feeling". Not to mention the fact that only two weeks ago, he was
hitting on Ms. Topolsky (before she skipped town.... never to be seen again??).
Sheriff, make up your mind!! (And don't arrest people because they look
cute in short skirts. That's just bad.)
Poor Maria. Michael was (and I believe we have a consensus here--
I've been message board lurking) a bit of an *incredible* jerk. Using
a girl just for sex (which, if you think about it, is essentially what
he was doing) is a really rotten thing to do. Doing everything he
did with Maria, and then saying he doesn't want it "public" (which is partially
understandable, but in no way excusable), is really inconsiderate of her
and her feelings. Relationships have to go both ways, and if Michael's
behavior remains the way it is now, there will be no more relationship,
ever. From Michael's conversation in the bathroom (with Max), it
can be extrapolated that Michael is in no way happy about what happens
between him and Maria (it's not malicious in any way), but that he also
is not going to take an active hand to change it; it's almost as if he
believes that fate will not allow a relationship between him and Maria,
so he's given up. I'll be interested to see what the Maria/Michael
split does to the group dynamics... will it cause people to "take sides"
with either Michael or Maria? Or will it just make things a little more
tense? .... On a much less serious note, Michael was looking quite nice
this week with his hair a little longer and his black, unbuttoned shirt
at the party. (^.~)
And it's
great to see Alex and Liz on speaking terms again! ::thumbs up::
That was concluded in a nice way; Liz got Alex back on her side without
really
having him thinking she was a) utterly insane or b) still lying.
It was *not*, however, intelligent, to reveal Max's big secret in a jail
cell, *out loud* where the sheriff could be literally waiting around the
corner. Regarding that scene, the use of the pointing up (mimicking
Max) was, in my opinion, a little bit of a cheap shot. Could they not think
of *two* ways to imply that he's from "up there"? I realize she was copying
Max, but it felt really out of place somehow. (Max, being quiet, brooding
and utterly adorable pulls it off much better than Liz, who was looking
downright deranged in that scene). Liz in that entire scene was pretty
scary; her curled and frizzy hair and wide eyes made her look truly mentally
unstable. ("The voices. Where are they coming from?" "::points
up::"). While I may not be utterly fond of the scene itself (sorry,
but Liz really bothered me in that scene...), I absolutely love the outcome;
I'm really glad to see Liz and Alex back as friends. Alex really is a good
guy, and it was not fun to see him hurt like he was.
Speaking of Alex, his dream of Isabel certainly was... interesting.
Imagine yourself in Isabel's situation: You get inside a guy's head to
find out a basic piece of information, and instead see him fantasizing
about a romantic dance with you. I'd certainly be a little unnerved,
as well as flattered; Isabel's reaction seemed to fall more along the lines
of shocked and flattered (her blushing in response to Max's questions the
next morning supporting the latter). Personally, I think the dream
says a lot (all good, of course) about Alex; the fact that he was dreaming
about Isabel (a girl his age) is utterly normal, but the fact that he was
dreaming about *dancing* with her (rather than a number of other things
I choose not to delve into), is really sweet (if unrealistic). The
fact that he seems to like her for the potential person she is (as voiced
by his dream-self) rather than for just her looks really reveals where
his priorities are: in the right place. It's taken a while
for him to really come to the forefront, but now that he's here, I hope
it's to stay. I'm really beginning to be fond of his character; he's
the ultimate nice guy, faithful, friendly, a computer hacker (always a
plus!) and all around decent. Not to mention the fact that he can tell
off local law enforcement. (Speaking of which, I absolutely
*loved* that part.) I can really understand why Liz was/is such good
friends with him, and once again, I'm really glad to see everything there
mended up.
And now, what you've all been waiting for: Liz and Max.^^ There were
incredible amounts of UST flying around those two; every time they were
in a room together, it seemed like the tension level and temperature rose
about 10 notches. The multiple almost kisses didn't help either;
they served as let-downs which helped add to tension between the characters
in later scenes. My personal favorite of the Liz and Max scenes is
the one in the bio lab. When the teacher walks in on the almost kiss,
and asks about the mating ritual, one gets the sense that Liz's response
of "I was doing just fine" is not confined to just the slug's behavior.
^.~ Their kiss.... that was really sweet. Max's "excuse" for kissing
her was a little cliché, if you ask me (sorry, but it just seemed
really scripted..), but nonetheless, very sweet and romantic. More
romantic than anything, however, was Max's overwhelming urge to protect
Liz from getting hurt; there are way too many people (like, oh, I don't
know, *Michael*) who would just act on urges without a lot of regard for
other people. Max putting Liz and her feelings first really
shows the depth of what he feels for her, which is, in my opinion, infinitely
more meaningful and romantic than any kiss. (Not to to downplay the kiss--
wow.) Overall, the ultimate Liz/Max 'shipper ep, sweet in many a way.^^
Finally,
just a few of my more random comments. Why is it that everyone takes
the party as a chance to dress up as hideously as possible?? I'm sorry
if you disagree, but I am very much a casual clothes person, and I think
everyone dresses nicely normally-- why mess with a good thing? That disco-y
gold shirt Maria was wearing was rather unflattering, and Liz's apparel
was very un-Liz (and not in a good way). Her hair, also; she's got
beautiful, straight, dark hair... however, curled like that, it really
did not look good. Michael and Max looked great as usual, but they're
guys, so I suppose they follow different rules for dressing up for parties.
Once again, Alex was absolutely awesome in the jail cell up against Valenti.^^
Overall, this was a very interesting episode, especially in terms of character
relationships and interaction (my favorite^^) . Great all around,
I really liked it; good acting and writing really help make it one to remember.^^
Quite nice!
Blood Brothers: 11/24/99
When
their fourth period teacher is absent, Max and Liz skip school to go out
driving on the old highway. Due to the unfortunate movement of a
horse, Max crashes his car, injuring himself. He is rushed to the
hospital, where Isabel, Maria and Michael meet them. Liz convinces
Alex to give his blood, which she and Michael switch for Max's to avoid
any questions when the blood is tested. Max goes home all right,
but Michael notices that a man he thought was following him was also in
the hospital, after Max's blood and information. He and Maria tail
the man, and find out, much to their shock, that he works for Ms. Topolsky.
Meanwhile, Alex is fed up with being given half-answers and non-explanations
by Liz, who tries desperately to keep the friendship without betraying
Max. In a meeting in Ms. Topolsky's office, Alex hacks into her computer
and gains access to FBI files, revealing for certain her identity, and
the fact that he, Liz, and the rest of the group are aware of it.
Afterwards, he and Liz standoff; he threatens to no longer be her friend
if she doesn't explain the Max situation. Liz cannot betray Max,
and Alex walks off; their friendship is "officially" over.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
After episodes
like this, one is forced to ask: How good of an influence is someone like
Max on Liz? This may seem random, but consider all the trouble Max's
presence has caused: The end of Liz and Alex, the end of Liz and Kyle,
the FBI's involvement, plus a total turnaround of Liz's moral standards
and values. I definitely get the sense that she was a "straight"
girl; did well in school, on time, didn't cut class... Now, she's skipping
out of class to go with friends, being late for other classes, lying, and
breaking good solid friendships. At this point, if it were me, I
would question how good of an idea being involved with them really is.
I get the sense that that is exactly what Liz is doing when the episode
ends, and she realizes what she has really done to protect Max: Lost one
of her closest friends. Her sacrifices keep getting bigger and bigger;
at some point, she's going to have to draw the line. It may not be
for weeks yet, but at some point, there's going to be some kind of inner
showdown in Liz. It'll certainly be interesting to see whether the
logical and scientific side will win out over the emotional, devoted side.
Upon
watching the previews last week, I can't say I was really looking forward
to this episode; the plot and actions seemed melodramatic and mundane.
However, I was pleasantly surprised; when loyalties and character elements
were played up, it turned into a very interesting episode. In my
opinion, the characters are almost always more interesting than the plot,
and this week, I thought the characters were played and played off each
other well. The Max and Liz bond seems to grow subtly stronger
and more close each week; they seem to be more comfortable in each other's
presence each time we see them. I was looking back through a transcript
of "Monsters" (third episode), and Max is struggling to make conversation
with Liz; at this point now, there are no such problems. They are
treating each other as equals, and as a result, are losing (thankfully)
that feeling of awkwardness around someone you admire. The romance
element (except in the opening teaser) was not overplayed, which I really
appreciate; it's nice to simply see the characters happy and interacting
well. Next week, it looks like we're back to the sexual tension gambit,
but this week's friendship aspect was nice in and of itself.
Michael
and Maria made for a pretty funny scene; their double-account of the happenings
in the hotel were hilarious. Of course, neither could give the other
credit for their good ideas, and both claimed that every intelligent step
was made by them and objected to or blocked by the other. (How very
typicial^^). They're an interesting pair; both a little off kilter
apart, and setting of sparks when they're together. They're a pair
who the writers are definitely having fun playing with, however unrealistic
and cliché their actions may be. The whole scene of them in
the hotel was interesting; it was almost laughable to watch Michael attempt
to find things while, much to his annoyance, Maria had all the good ideas.
Michael and Maria's actions this week were a little cliché, but
humorous as result, so I can forgive them.^^
The Liz/Alex
relationship was just.... sad. I really feel bad for Alex; he is
a true friend, and Liz is completely taking advantage of that fact.
However, there really isn't a good way (or *a* way, period) to let him
in on the secret; not only has Liz promised, but the more people that know,
the higher the risk of exposure, no matter how trustworthy anyone is.
While I think it was unfair of Alex to issue such an ultimatum, I can also
understand his point of view; if a friend of mine who was that close started
to act that way, I think I would do all I could to try to reestablish the
connection between us. Liz's reaction is half expected (and known)
and half objected; we don't want to see Alex hurt, but we also don't want
Liz to betray Max. A tough decision to have made... and it doesn't
look like Liz is sure she made the right one. Foreshadowing? I suppose
we'll all have to wait and see.
Overall, an
interesting episode with good character development and interaction.
The ending leaves a lot open, not only regarding Liz's decision, but also
Ms. Topolsky: What will she do now that her cover's blown? As always, we
hope next week will give us a few more answers.^^
River
Dog: 11/17/99
Narrowly
escaping Agent Topolsky and the sheriff, the group speeds away with a box
of files and a necklace taken from the geodesic dome. Topolsky's
superior is angry with her for her approach on the assignment, and demands
to have the files stolen from the house. Meanwhile, the sheriff makes
the connection between the death in 1959 and the author of "Among Us."
Isabel realizes that the symbol on the necklace is one that both she and
Max intuitively know, and she is told by the Native American deputy that
it looks like something from his reservation. Liz looks goes to the
Reservation, where she meets a strange, cryptic, man named River Dog who
appears to know something about the symbol. Meanwhile, the sheriff
confronts Ms. Topolsky about her activities, and tells her he'll consider
a sort of information trade in exchange for silence about her actions.
River Dog sends a messenger to Liz, who then comes with Max to the Reservation.
After passing a "test", River Dog reveals that he used to be friends with
a man who was like Max (alien). That man left some sort of message
on the walls of a cavern, which Max figures must be for them. River
Dog also confirms that it the author of the book was killed by the alien
in 1959, and then he claims that his duty has now been fulfilled, and so
they must go. He stops Liz, and tells her that she is not one of
"them", and that she should be sure Max deserves her trust. Meanwhile,
Michael and Maria wait for an answer, and bond in their own way.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
An odd one,
in my opinion. As almost always, this episode serves as a building
block for future plots. Unlike a lot of shows, Roswell uses
element week-to-week, picking up on continuos problems and working a little
closer to a solution or conclusion with each episode. This week certainly
provided a lot of fodder for future episodes' plots. With Roswell,
I've found that no episode (so far) is stand-alone absolutely fantastic
(like the XF "Triangle", for example), but that each episode leaves questions
unanswered and things undone so the viewer always wants to watch the next
episode, if only to see how one little thing is tied up. Admittedly,
I don't want a lot of TV (this and XF, and sometimes one other show
are it-- I'm incredibly busy), but I haven't really seen this strategy
used to such an extent before. (I find it very interesting how shows
keep their viewers.) All right, enough on my random tangent, and onto my
rant.^^
First
of all, it's rather interesting to see more and more pieces of information
about them and their past come together; the more we know, the fuller the
story seem to be. I thought the "sweet and spicy" was an odd quirk,
but kind of fun; it's always good to add a few humorous elements to characters.
(By the way, I refuse to go into Maria's comment either-- some things are
better left uninterpreted.) From the wall of the cave, it's obvious
whatever method of communication the aliens have is very pictorial; each
of the symbols individually looks like a little drawing. This aligns with
the fact that almost everything regarding the aliens and their "powers"
has to do with pictures; Michael's visions are all visual (rather than
auditory, olfactory, etc.), and Max and Isabel's knowledge about anything
of their past is all linked to symbol recognition. This actually
makes a lot of sense; most people's primary source of conscious information
is their eyes (the other senses work just as hard, but we're much more
conscious of visual data), so it's only natural that most information would
be visual. On the original topic, I look forward to seeing
what the message on the cavern walls will say, and how they will figure
it out. More mystery will always await.^^
And now,
a little bit on the three (everyone: three??) relationships in the show
I want to comment on. First, our good old favorite, Max and Liz.
Not a whole lot happened this week in terms of major relationship advancement...
that's not to say there weren't a few cute moments, though. First
of all, I found it interesting that in the dome, Liz called only Max's
name when she discovered the exit. She surely knew the information
(and meant for it to) benefited everyone, but it was Max's name she said.
The most tender scene in the episode was probably in Max's room, as Liz
leaves for the reservation (quickly: Three cheers for Liz for not backing
down! Woo!). Max was genuinely concerned for Liz, and really wanted
her to be all right. The position of forehead to forehead and low
tones was much more caring than romantic-- I really liked that. Finally,
to have the episode end with them walking off hand in hand has certain
implications. In all previous episodes, when they walk together,
they've never held hands or really had any sort of physical contact; this
marks a bit of a step for them. Personally, I also this their bonding
together represents the bond of trust that was just questioned; by physically
holding onto Max, Liz is affirming her mental hold on his secrets.
No matter the interpretation, it is a step that had previously not been
taken, and it marks a new level for them.
The bizarre
third relationship (I will get to Michael and Maria; I just want to end
with them) is Ms. Topolsky and the sheriff. ::shudders:: *Not* good implications
in their scenes. The sheriff's off kilter smile and Ms. Topolsky's
innocent-little-girl act, one could almost come to the conclusion that
they were flirting. Especially in the bar, there were definite sexual
overtones to some of the comments and observations passing between them.
No offense to our dear sheriff or guidance counselor (::coughcough::),
but I seriously hope this leads to nothing; I'm not sure I could stomach
a romance there. (Besides, there's enough of all that with the other two
"couples"... let's not go overboard, writers.) Regardless, there seems
to be some foreshadowing there. ::shudders again::
Finally,
we have our fun new couple of the week, Michael and Maria. It is
patently obvious throughout the episode that each has interest in the other
(Michael's comments to smirking Max and Isabel in the car, Maria's comments
to Liz at school), but they are a bit in denial themselves; both seem to
believe it would never work (Maria says it outright; Michael implies it).
Together, they can't agree on anything, but seem to desperately want to
get along with each other. I can't exactly explain it, but I get
the feeling that in the Crashdown, Maria and Michael both want to be nice
to the other, but neither is willing to drop their tough front to do it.
In the end, Michael does do what Maria asks him to (be a guy and calm her
down) in his own way. I get the sense, however, that his actions
were not entirely for her sake and benefit. (^.~) The repercussions of
his kiss are going to be interesting to see; I'm especially interested
in seeing Liz, Max, and Isabel's reactions. Like always, another
week to wait for answers. Overall, an interesting ep in terms of
building relationships and future plots, but not really strong as a stand-alone.
285
South: 11/10/99
Desperate
to get to the geodesic dome seen in his vision, Michael takes Maria's car
(with her in it) south on 285. Maria manages to convey some details
of her location to Liz via cell phone, and soon Liz, Max and Isabel driving
after them. Kyle, who was talking to Max when Max rushed out, also
determines where they're going, and sets out to find Liz and company.
Finally, the Sheriff, who had information on the dome from Michael, goes
after the group as well, hoping to glean some information about them. Maria's
car breaks down, and she and Michael are forced to stay at a nearby motel
for the night. Max, Isabel and Liz encounter a roadblock in the same
location, and meet up with Maria and Michael in the hotel. Kyle also
finds them there, and a confrontation occurs, ending in Liz sending Kyle
home. In the morning, Liz, Michael, Max, Maria, and Isabel drive
to the geodesic dome, where they discover a hidden underground room that
can only be opened using Michael's key. The sheriff comes in soon
after, while everyone is under the floor, but is knocked out by Miss Topolsky.
Looking up through the gaps in the floorboards, the Roswellians have no
place to go. To be continued.....
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Wahaha, our
first TBC episode. ^^ Bigger plots are always fun; you can get so
much more into them when you're not confined to an hour to solve every
little problem. This one was definitely interesting, and contained
quite a bit of foreshadowing and fodder for future plots.
The "Being
a Historian" assignment was definitely more of a plot device than anything
else, but it still proved interesting. Kyle's definitely got a mean
streak for Max (but we kind of knew that....), and here he had just one
more chance to exhibit it. The Liz/Isabel pairing was interesting;
there's definitely been some friction between our female leads, and this
gave them some time to work it out. That scene at the gas station really
needed to be there-- there has definitely been some jealousy on Isabel's
part (and possibly on Liz's), and I'm glad it was brought to the forefront
and dealt with. I'm a strong advocate of just talking things out,
so seeing Isabel and Liz be reasonable individuals and just *talking* about
problems (I hate back stabbing and pouting) made me happy. And Michael
and Maria... they deserve their own paragraph.
Michael
and Maria... all I have to say is: foreshadowing. (Previews for next
week?? ::almost had a heart attack:: Gyah! I don't need to see *that*...)
Their constant bickering and arguing are just a little too tell-tale. This
could definitely be written off to their personalities; Maria's a firecracker
and drama-queen, and Michael just wants to be left alone. That combination
of personalities alone should give you a bit of an explosion (::watches
chibi-Maria and Michael explode:: "BOOM!"( ...excuse
me...)). Add the fact that there are other issues involved, as well
as other people, and you're just asking for conflict. But conflict
doesn't always bring hatred; in this case, Maria yelling at Michael for
answers led her to a better understanding of his motives, ideas and personality.
As both of them begin to realize the other is, in fact, human (oh, wait.....that
doesn't work) .....in fact, very similar, they begin to find some common
ground to at least be civil on. A big step forward? I certainly think
so.
And the
scenes in the hotel? I was certainly on edge watching them; I was
always wondering what was going to happen next. I really thought
it was nice when Michael realized what Maria had been through, and went
off to get some food for them; the gesture was nice, but the understanding
and sympathy he showed were much nicer. Their conversations were
also amusing; I was ready to fall over laughing at the "Not if you were
the last girl/alien on Earth" scenes were great. I would certainly
consider this a form of flirting, if a little... twisted. The point
is that Maria and Michael are beginning to see each other in a different
light, and this is likely (knowing it's a WB show) to other things.
Isabel's comment, "The day Michael calls anybody honey, it's all over"
was also a bit ominous, especially considers those previews. Will
we see a major change in character personality and dynamics? We'll have
to wait until next week.
Finally,
I just want to touch upon Max and Liz. Their relationship seems to
have switched around; it used to be Max who was essentially pushing it
forward, while Liz was unsure and slowing any progress. Now, Liz
want the relationship to become something (made painfully obvious by her
speech in the car), and Max seems to be the one hedging. He's still
our sweet Max Evans, but he seems to have rearranged his priorities: Liz
is still important, but not incredibly overwhelmingly above all else.
The role reversal is something watch; I'm interested to see where it will
drive the relationship and the characters. Overall, a good episode
with some very interesting foreshadowing and implications, as well as a
promise of much more to come.^^
Missing:
11/3/99
Liz discovers
that her journal, where every detail of everything regarding Max and the
aliens is written, is missing. She explains the situation to
Maria, who helps her find a list of suspects, including her friend Alex.
He is angry and hurt when he realizes what he's being accused of, and ends
up talking to Ms. Topolsky (the counselor) when she approaches him.
It is revealed that she is working for a government agency, trying to find
out information about the aliens. Meanwhile, the search for Liz's
journal continues. She tells Max, and he suspects Kyle, who it seems
had an opportunity and motive. Throughout all this, Michael
is dreaming of an image of a geodesic dome, which is what he got a flash
of when he first touched the key. He is constantly working on drawing
or painting it, much to the annoyance of Max and Isabel (they do not want
"visions" so openly displayed). Max finally shares the fact that
the journal is missing with the rest of the trio. Michael then approaches
Liz, acting angry at her and her actions. He then reveals that he
was the one who took the journal because he felt he needed to know who
he could trust. Liz has passed the test, and he says he's glad
they have at least one friend in Roswell. While Max is reading a
book from his work, Isabel spots a picture of the dome Michael's been seeing
in the back of the book.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
This week's
episode was a little slower than usual (were we missing a subplot? I'm
not sure...), but I think that can be forgiven, considering it seems to
be more of a building block to something larger than a stand-alone
episode. With regard to the missing journal, I must say I don't
quite understand Liz's initial panic about the loss. When something's
not where I left it, I tend to assume it's misplaced rather than stolen.
I realize Liz is living a state of paranoia (as is displayed by the preceding
scene and her comments about her street and neighborhood), but I still
think it was slightly irrational (the complete opposite of a "scientist")
to assume outside forces before misplacement.
Liz's
mention of the change in the world struck me as interesting. We all
know that it is not the world which has changed; her perception of it has.
I get the sense that before these incidents with Max and the aliens, Liz
truly was a "small-town girl" and very naive in many ways. Meeting
Max, Michael and Isabel and being thrust into their paranoia, cautiousness
and essentially way of life, she has become much more aware of the people
and information around her. Things that used to pass her by now get
consideration-- this is a mark of maturity. No longer viewing
everything as equal and truly thinking about and considering situations
is something an adult, not a child, does. While this entire situation
has been endlessly trying and stressful, Liz is gaining something priceless
from it.
And a
few little comments on our dear Miss Topolsky. ::shudders:: She is *really*
getting on my nerves, I must say. It's one thing to be an understanding
counselor and try to to help students; it's another thing entirely to approach
them in hallways or in classrooms, asking in a sickeningly sweet voice
if they would like to talk about their problems. (That voice-- agh!
It was really grating on me by her last appearance). It also turns
out she is working for a secret government agency, against the aliens.
I realize it's her job, but I don't think I have the conscience to work
in her kind of job, deceiving so many people. To each their own,
I suppose, but it still seems like a rather awful existence. One
little nitpick-- if you we secretly working for a government agency, would
you really use a school phone, which could not only be bugged, but traced
too, to call for backup? Perhaps too much X-Files has made me a wee
bit paranoid, but that seems a little suspicious to me.
I really
enjoyed the scenes with Michael painting and working on his picture (the
scene in Max's room at 3am was hilarious...). Speaking as an artist
myself, I would love to have his ability to "undo" his work. ( "Hmm....
that's not what I meant to do.. ::waves her hand over it:: All gone!")
The ultimate artist's fantasy^^. Aside from that, I liked the
fact that it showed some talent of his. So far, the Michael we've
seen has been fairly one-sided: he's basically a rebel who's angry at the
world. To see him create something and show skill in an area (besides
skipping class...) was great. I must say, I also like the way he
told off (subtly) his art teacher. The amount of times I wish I'd done
that to teachers....^.~ One of my favorites parts of good stories
is watching the characters expand and evolve, and I'm really happy to see
Michael begin to get some attention in that area. On the same note,
I really liked Michael's speech after reading Liz's journal.
It was nice to see a bit of another side of him. He's very good at
acting menacing, and at the beginning of his talk, I thought he might actually
physically harm her. However, it is soon evident that his intentions
are entirely different, and that in his Michael-ish way, he's offering
her his own trust. I thought this scene was really well done; Michael
stayed well in character with his authoritative manner and harsh voice
(especially at the beginning), but he also got the point across, and was
really kind to Liz. I really liked the fact that things didn't get
mushy (in that sappy friendship and hugs way), but a bond of trust and
friendship was definitely formed. Michael's comment of "Thank you
for giving me one more reason to envy Max Evans" also beings up some questions:
Does Michael want to be held in as high of a regard as Max does?
Does he envy the fact that Max is friends with such a person? My
personal interepretation is that Michael envies the rapport Liz and Max
have, and wishes he had something similar with someone outside the trio.
Whether I'm correct or not, that statement definitely brought up a lot
of questions.
And of
course, a mini note on the romance. (^^) This episode was definitely
not as 'shippy as the last one, but it certainly had its moments. Max in
Liz's room.... It was a little odd how they got in there (though I suppose
I would hide in the same situation), but there's no getting around the
fact that Max has now seen the inside of her room, her most personal space.
There was also no mistaking the sadness (and jealousy?) that crossed his
face upon seeing the picture of Liz and Kyle. (Everybody, on three: Aww...poor
Max...). The other semi-'shippy (and funny) Liz and Max interaction
occurred in the office of Max's work. Liz was so nervous about her
news regarding the journal that she didn't even notice Max's attempts at
flirting-- the light tone, the half smiles... it was very cute (even if
Liz didn't see it). Max seems to be getting much more comfortable
around Liz as a person, which is definitely a good thing.^^ I'm a little
surprised Liz didn't let Max see the journal, although I completely understand
her hesitation; it's very frightening to let someone (especially someone
important to you) know how you truly feel about them. Hopefully,
she'll get to tell him sometime *without* any kind of journal involvement...
but I guess we'll have to wait and see on that. ^.^ Overall,
this was an episode with its good (and not-as-good) parts; not outstanding,
but not awful. It was decent for sure, but not really one of
my favorites.
Leaving
Normal: 10/27/99
On his
way back from the Crashdown (where he was visiting Liz) Max is attacked
by a group of Kyle's friends. They rough him up, and tell him to
stay away from Liz. Max, not wanting to attract any unwanted attention,
takes their advice, pulling away from Liz, and putting himself in a
deep funk as a result. Meanwhile, Liz's grandmother comes to visit,
but has a stroke shortly after she arrives. Liz calls Max from
the hospital, and he comes over. Kyle confronts him in the parking
lot, telling him that he doesn't want Max anywhere near Liz. Liz
continues to try to reach out to Max as a friend in her time of crisis,
but Max continues to be aloof. Kyle's father warns him to stay away
from Max, and when Kyle's friends explain what they did to Max, Kyle apologizes
to Liz, who didn't know what happened (Max told her he "fell".) She breaks
up with Kyle, and goes back into the hospital to see her grandmother.
Liz's grandmother has taken a turn for the worst, and Liz asks Max if there's
anything he can do. He says he can't save her, but he can help Liz
say good bye. Using his powers, he allows Liz to talk to her grandmother's
spirit (so to speak), allowing her to have a few final words with her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Well,
if you wanted 'shippy, you certainly got it. Jealousy, love, friendship
and death... geez, it sounds like I'm talking about a bad soap opera.
Regardless of what it boils down to, this was a good episode: solid, smart
and romantic.
First of all, I'd like to say poor Max! All he was doing was visiting the
girl he likes (a sweet gesture, if you ask me), and he got a split lip,
and a cut and bruised face. I think the threat affected him more than anything
else; he is, by nature, shy, and he really does not want to attract attention,
and being told to do something "or else" brings out his paranoia and general
nature. The way he told Isabel he was going to stay away from Liz
was so sad: he sounded like a prisoner resigned to his fate. His
attempts to avoid her caused hurt both ways (and to Michael-- it would
hurt to have one of those partitions fall on you!); she is feeling rejected,
especially as she needs a friend most, and he is just plain angry (punching
that wall is a good example. Note to self: Do not get near him when
he's angry), not only about the fact that he has to stay away, but also
that Liz likes someone besides him.
Michael's
comment in the bathroom summed it up well: "You're mad because you're in
love with a girl and she's with another guy." It obviously hit home;
Max did not even try to deny it, and instead came up with a line about
how annoying Michael is. That's definite affirmation.
The fact that he also smashed in a bathroom wall (school property-- not
good...) after pulling away from Liz says something in and of itself.
The whole time Max is staying away from Liz and watching her be with Kyle,
it seems like he's undergoing some kind of mental torture; he's angry,
easily upset and just plain... sad. The look on his face listening
to Liz's message on his answering machine was just awful to watch; it makes
you feel so sad to watch him sit there, feeling unable to help. In the
end, of course, he does help, but at the cost of a threat and exposure.
Liz's
call to Max in the hospital has interesting implications too. Max
has been the major force in this relationship so far; you can really tell
that he's the one who's got it bad. Liz, on the other hand, being
so serious, does not give away her feelings so easily, and her gestures
are much more subtle. Calling out for him, of all people, in a time
of crisis certainly indicates some strong feelings. Liz had her family,
Kyle and Maria that she could have called, but instead, she chose Max.
This says a lot about how much she trusts him; in that kind of situation,
she would not even try to contact someone she didn't really feel she could
talk to. Her desperation when she told Maria Max was ignoring her
also indicates feelings; the tone of voice and body language in that scene
indicates how very distressed she is. Max has become one of her most
important friends, and having him pull away from her is almost as hard
as losing her grandmother.
Speaking
of Liz's grandmother, I was a little bothered by her. Grandparents
can be really amazing and play very special roles in people's lives, but
Liz's grandmother was unrealistically wonderful. To have her be such
a great writer, and do the citizens arrest, and etc. etc. , it felt like
the writers were beating us with a stick: I can understand the message
of "She's a good person" without it being shoved in my face. Besides,
I think it would have been more powerful if her grandmother had been a
little more normal, but simply very special to Liz. It is often the
little things that make us love people; Liz would love her grandmother
for who she is, not all the things she's done. I understand the idea
they were trying to get across, but I think it could have been done with
a little more taste.
"I'm
not God." Max's comment really surprised me, and for a strange reason.
Of course I'd realized he wasn't God (nobody is, I would say...), but with
her request and his comment, it suddenly struck me: he is a god, in a way;
he has power over life and death. Luckily for the mortal world,
he has a strong moral conscience and realizes he should not make decisions
about who lives and dies, but the sole fact that he *can* brings up a lot
of interesting questions and ideas.
Isabel
and her actions in the episode were also pretty interesting. Her
initial rejection of Maria's proposal didn't surprise me, but as Maria
got more and more desperate, I was a little surprised to see Isabel still
be so callous. She's got a very pompous, arrogant streak to her that
is not becoming at all. Her friends to.... yikes. To say "image
is everything" is so incredibly shallow, I can hardly believe anyone would
really believe it. Isabel's dismissal of the remark, however, proves
she has at least some depth and compassion, and certainly seems like foreshadowing.
The hug
at the end... all I can say is, I saw it coming. The entire time
walking back, I was just waiting for them to hug each other. I can't
explain it, but I *knew* it was going to happen. Liz looked so empty and
sad, and Max seemed so down... they really need each other's support in
time like these. Liz's attempt to go inside, only to just end up
in his arms-- very sweet. They look very comfortable with each other
like that; it seems almost natural for them to be together. That
hug was about friendship and support, but it definitely had overtones of
something else. Each episode seems to have more romantic connotations
and implications than the last... only time will tell where it all leads.
Overall, a more romantic episode, but still with a pretty solid plot.
I enjoyed it a lot.
Monsters:
10/20/99
Friction
increases between Maria and Isabel; Maria is scared of what Isabel can
do, and Isabel doesn't use a lot of consideration in use of her powers
in Maria's presence. Meanwhile, the new guidance counselor
interviews the student body, trying to determine where their interests
lie. She encourages Max to "get out from behind the tree": become
more involved and social. Max also makes an effort to learn some
more about his ancestors at an UFO "museum". Maria seriously considers
telling Sheriff Valenti all she knows, being so frightened and intimidated
by Isabel. In an interview with Valenti, she almost cracks, but then
doesn't reveal any information, turning the conversation at the critical
point. Maria and Isabel reconcile their differences, and the trio,
Liz, and Maria move a little closer to being a true group of friends.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
An interesting
episode, that's for sure. The changing relationships
among the main characters are certainly intriguing; at the beginning of
the episode, Maria and Isabel looked like they could well be completely
opposing enemies, but by the end, Liz, Maria and "the trio" (Michael, Max
and Isabel) looked like they might almost be able to be (gasp!) friends.
I suppose we'll all just have to see, but I suspect some definite friendly
fuzziness (be that good or bad) ahead.
The scenes
in the guidance counselor's office were too incredibly funny. The camera
angle made the kids appear slightly juvenile and a little but laughable.
My personal favorites were the video store guy (he was great!) and Kyle.
Max and Liz's scenes, were, of course, the ones that truly mattered to
the plot, but the rest were great to see. Kudos to whoever thought
up those scenes-- a little comedy never hurt anyone.^^ In terms of
romance, Max's response to the counselor's suggestion to talk to the person
he liked was a little immediate and obvious for my taste. However,
it certainly left the viewer with no doubt as to who the object of attention
is. Max's awkward conversation was rather painful to watch, but when
you consider what he was trying to do, it's kind of sweet. He also put
a serious amount of effort into getting Isabel to stop bothering Maria
because it was important to Liz. That takes a little more dedication; he
is actually asking someone else to change their behavior for Liz.
There is some definite romance in the air.
On the
same token, Max's attempt to talk to Liz in biology was also rather.. interesting.
The gesture was nice, but the reality of the scene was pretty non-existent.
If two people disappeared below a table for that long in any of *my* science
classes, it'd be no time before the teacher was standing over them and
the students were snickering. Oh well, creative license in TV, I suppose.
Throughout
the episode, I was a little surprised by how mean Isabel was being.
There's a fine line between a tease and malicious behavior, and I wasn't
always sure which side of the line she was on. Invading someone's
dreams is just... creepy. I have to say, I dislike the way the trio
flippantly refers to their "powers". Something about the way it's
said makes it sound really... fake, and acted. I can't say I have a brilliant
alternative, but that is my opinion.
Max is
evolving a little differently than I would have expected. In the
first two episodes, I felt like he was presented as quiet because of his
secrets and past. The whole need for secrecy seemed to be his motivation
to keep quiet. However, in the scenes with Liz, it seems a lot like
the source of his taciturn manner may simply be shyness. He seems
to like to lurk on the edges ("behind the tree") and observe, rather than
participate. While I'm sure some is self imposed, it also seems that
he's just... shy. That's pretty rare in Prime Time TV; most males
seem to be flamboyant and loud, or at least talkative and social.
It's nice to see a change.
I
like the way the Max and Liz relationship was dealt with in this one.
This episode contained one of my favorite scenes to date: Max and Liz's
conversation. Things that are too obvious seems somehow canned, and
this week's more subtle portrayal of Max's feelings and Liz's reactions
was nice. His almost laughable attempt to start a conversation
with her in the hall was a little obvious for my taste, but his look of
disappointment after he (in my opinion) made a little bit of a fool of
himself made me feel sorry for him-- I think we've all been in that same
situation. But lucky Max, in the end, gets his conversation in an
excellently acted scene. The way the conversation just flowed, completely
naturally was really easy to watch. It was not until Max's comment
about having done what he wanted to do that I even realized what had transpired.
That kind of little surprise just made me smile.^^ Seeing them
easily converse was really nice; one of the awful things about crushes
is how awkward and hard everything seems in regard to *that* person.
The fact that they could just have a normal conversation says a lot about
their potential together. Overall, a good, solid episode.
The
Morning After: 10/13/99
Summary:
A new
geometry substitute appears, asking a lot of questions about Michael. The
FBI also tries to interfere with the sheriff's investigations, and Maria's
paranoia about the government and aliens causes Liz and Max to suspect
the new substitute may not be what she seems. The rift between Liz
and her summer boyfriend, Kyle, increases, while Max and Liz grow closer
together. Michael also steals a key from the sheriff's office, and, upon
touching it, is struck with flashes of a vision. In the end, the
substitute is, in fact, the new guidance counselor, and she is worried
about Michael, who she sees as in some emotional danger due to his home
situation. Michael concludes that his shaky home situation may end
up being a good thing: if they suddenly have to pick up and leave Roswell,
he won't have anyone or anything he will miss.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
(review coming)
Pilot:
10/6/99
Summary:
When
Liz Parker is shot at work, she is mysteriously healed by a boy from her
class, Max Evans. As events unfold, it is revealed that Max, his
sister Isabel and their friend Michael are aliens descended from those
who crashed in Roswell in 1947. The sheriff, unable to figure out
how Liz was unhurt, links the case here to a case involving what his father
believed to be aliens from 1959. Meanwhile, Liz reveals the the truth
about Max and his friends to her friend Maria, who does not take the news
calmly. Maria, Liz, Isabel, Max and Liz work together to throw off
the sheriff, who now suspects Max knows "something". They escape
unscathed-- this time.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
(review coming)
