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...so began one of the most unique series concepts ever conceived, which began in 1999 and ended, after a very rocky road, in 2002. Not exactly sci-fi, and not exactly a teen drama, Roswell was an enjoyable mesh of both. True, the series lost most of its footing as early as the third season (as commented in a "What Went Wrong?" column at the time), but in its first season, it was very promising, intriguing, and fresh. Now that this first season is out on DVD, fans can enjoy Roswell when it was at its best.

The plot of the series involves a young girl named Liz (Shiri Appleby ), in the middle of Roswell NM; yes, the Roswell, where the controversial UFO crash took place. While assisting customers as a waitress in her parent's small cafe, a hostile argument leads to a gun going off, with Liz mortally wounded by the stray bullet. Out of the crowd comes a high school classmate named Max (Jason Behr), who heals her with just a wave of his hand...only to try and disappear, back into the crowd. Liz is obsessed to find out the truth about Max, especially with all the questions he leaves unanswered...particularly, the silver hand print he left behind after healing her!

In time, Liz uncovers the truth...or as much of it that even Max knows. While Max knows he isn't human --his green blood is a dead giveaway-- he has no idea of where he came from,

nor do the other aliens he knows of: his sister Isabel (Katherine Heigl), and his best friend, Michael (Brendan Fehr). Their only memory is of some sort of "pods," that they were released from, sometime in the early 1990's. As young children, alone in the desert, Max and Isabel were adopted by a couple looking to start a family, while Michael was found by a foster care center, and given to a "father" who's "only interested in the monthly check." Through the years, finding others like them has been their biggest dream, though more importantly; they can't let anyone know their secret. Max's love for Liz has changed that, leading to many mixed emotions.

Mind you, whoever left these alien kids alone in the desert did not leave them vulnerable; each of them has powers, unique to their own personalities. Max has the power to heal, even someone close to death, like Liz apparently was(!). Isabel can enter people's dreams, as well as their subconscious, when awake. As for Michael, he has a sort of offensive/defensive array of powers, although as of season one, he was still working on how to control these powers.

As you can see, this teen drama had a good foothold in sci-fi. And why not...? Jonathan Frakes, best known as "Commander Riker" on Star Trek TNG, was an executive producer (fans will note the cute cameo of Frakes' real-life wife, Genie Francis, in the first season finale!). David Nutter, who helped with The X-Files, is also producer. Speaking of X-files; much like that series, this was a 20th Century Fox series. If you need evidence of any show's grip on sci-fi entertainment, names like these are a good place to start

There's an even bigger intrigue to the show, however; Max has had a crush on Liz ever since he first saw her, in the third grade. Now that they have actually "met" as teenagers, a romance blooms. This gives the show a nice duality, where on the one hand there is a sci-fi fantasy subplot, though the core story is an interstellar romance. The leads for this love story --Appleby and Behr-- are very well cast, and you truly get the feeling that they'd make a cute couple. Later in the season, romance blossomed for the other aliens as well: Liz's friend Alex (Colin Hanks; Tom's son) has a crush on Isabel, while Maria (Majandra Delfino) has a steamy love-hate relationship with Michael. Such teen romance subplots are probably enhanced with the help of producer Jason Katims, whose prior works include My So Called Life. This leads to a more engrossing series.

The first season (now completed) involved the initial quest of the three teen aliens, as they search for others like them, as well as their true origin. In addition, intriguing new characters were introduced, including an alien shapeshifter named Nasedo, and a mysterious girl from Max's alien past, named Tess. However, what sets Roswell apart from other "teaser" sci-fi like X-Files is this: Max, Isabel, and Michael actually succeed in this quest by the season finale (5/15/00), and the truth of their origin is revealed! This is some of the best examples of the satisfaction-guaranteed nature of Roswell, both as science fiction, as well as a romantic drama. After all, the only thing the aliens want is a sense of identity and belonging...and what teenager doesn't feel exactly the same?

	Final Rating : Deep Impact. Admittedly; this series lost its footing in later seasons. However, any fan of X-Files, Lois & Clark, or Smallville should give this first season a serious look.
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Roswell:

Season One

A Review by Techtite