Roswell

This interesting story of extraterrestrial alienation is a fascinating metaphor of teen angst -- a topic that has often been treated in movies and on TV, but here it is offered with new and insightful perspective.

The show is a way to symbolize common human fears in an imaginative parable. Issues that are woven into the story line include not knowing who you are, the experience of being a foster child, keeping secrets from parents and other authority figures, the danger of making close personal connections with others, and the isolation of being in or from one's own strange world.

ROSWELL is a clever idea with a fresh, interesting young cast. The show is an imaginative cross between, on the one hand, THE X-FILES and THE FUGITIVE, and, on the other, the odd perspective of ALF and THIRD ROCK FROM THE SUN. This is an excellent show in a time when too many shows are carbon-copies or silly assembly-line junk. I give the show an A+.

Normally I do not get so pathetically obsessed with things, but what can I say -- Roswell was and is by far my favourite show ever made. It had angst without being too teen-y, it had passion, idealism and realism, and a compelling storyline. The setting was superb, the plots were for the most part perfect (I have to admit, Season 3 was a bit of a disappointment after Seasons 1 & 2, but not enough to make me stop watching), and the acting was great. A teen show like Dawson's Creek, or Buffy for that matter (I still can't understand why so many people like it -- ick), cannot hold a candle to Roswell. It's unfortunate that it had to end, but all good things usually do before their time.

As for the comment about Katims not being able to pull off sci-fi -- puh-lease. The best sci-fi is that which is realistic enough and embedded enough in everyday life that it is believable. The best thing Katims did was not make it tacky, as-if sci-fi.

There are shows from your past that you thought were sensational (as a kid or teen), and then see them as an adult and wonder, "What was I on?" But watching Roswell as an adult, I can honestly say that it will likely remain my favourite show for a long, long time, considering the kind of mindless crap coming out of Hollywood these days. I love the show so much that even I, a poor pharmacology grad student, made an effort to tape reruns of Season 1, had the foresight to tape Season 3 (even if it was sub-par for the show), and after the Space station here in Canada stopped the reruns, paid way too much for Season 2 on VCD, just so I can watch it whenever I want, whenever the current lineup on TV gets me down. I honestly think that if more of the population had an open mind to realistic sci-fi, and if Roswell had received more publicity (esp. considering how much is devoted to Buffy, an inferior show), the show could have went on much longer, and maybe Season 3 would have been up to par.

I HIGHLY recommend this show, for everyone.

I missed the TV episodes of "Roswell" because I worked nights when it was on television, but my daughter found the 3 season DVD's in a store, bought them, and invited me to watch them. I was hooked on the series from the first episode on, and I regret that it is no longer being produced. I enjoyed the romantic involvements, the comedy, the drama, the many heart wrenching scenes, and loved the final episode. When the last episode ended, I felt a great sadness that I would likely never again see these lovable aliens and their human friends. It was a show that left an indelible impression on my mind. It brings out the youth, dreams, and fantasies in all of us. I can think of no other TV show I've watched that I loved and will miss so much. I hope to see a motion picture come out of this series one day, one featuring the same actors and actresses who starred in the TV series. The series showed the ups and downs of everyday life which we all experience, and showed there is always hope for a new and better tomorrow, if we truly believe in ourselves. It was a great philosophical show. And now, it is gone. I will miss it, but I will never forget it. Thank you 20th Century Fox for giving us the show.

Firstly, I watched Roswell (or Roswell High, as it was called in the U. K.) when I was a child and greatly enjoyed it. After having not seen it for over twenty years, I recently became curious to see as to whether my memories of the show's quality were exaggerated by the passing of time and nostalgia or whether they held some merit and a place in reality. I am glad to say that Roswell, for at least its first series, is everything I remember it being, in a good way.

Produced at the very end of the 1990's, a golden decade for the long form syndicated T. V. drama, it is perhaps not too surprising that Roswell is probably best described as a direct and blatant cross-pollination between 'The X-Files' and 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer', arguably the two most iconic and influential T. V. dramas of the decade in question. The first series harbours all of the mystery, paranoia, conspiracy and extra-terrestrial intrigue of the early series of The X-Files while combining it, in surprisingly effective fashion, with the tasteful but tragic romance between a young female protagonist and a man not of her world, a motif that itself sat at the very core of the early series of Buffy.

I should note that teen dramas aren't really my thing and haven't been for a long time, but the main romantic plot in Roswell is undoubtedly compelling. The chemistry between the two leading actors is undeniable and some skilful writing alongside an abundant supply of adolescent charm help the love story to very often elevate into a place of the sublime and profound that not only excels beyond the expected limitations of a 1990's teen drama but that also goes far beyond any romantic portrayal on television in the modern day (this review dated February, 2022). I simply do not see romance or sacred love so well or patiently constructed in modern television or cinema anymore as I see it in the first series of Roswell. I am not really sure why that's the case or as to when that change occurred but it's a breath of fresh air to get back to a show that at least tries to confront the reality of love and its consequences rather than painting it as an old-fashioned inconvenience, worthy only of ridicule and ultimate dismissal in the wake of cheaper forms of drama.

I am really not too sure what was happening in the U. S. television industry at the turn of the millennium. Perhaps there was a general feeling of 'out with the old, in with the new' which led to an emphasis on finding shows fit for the 21st Century at the detriment of shows already in existence. Regardless, I am well aware that most top tier U. S. television shows saw a drastic decline in quality in the year 2000 and that while a number of those shows have continued on for some time in a lesser form of existence, namely 'The Simpsons' and for some time, a decent but uneven final few series of Buffy, many other shows, such as The X-Files would never be able to recover in form and would ultimately decline further into cancellation. Unfortunately, Roswell belongs to that latter group of television shows.

The rot is clear to see even by the end of the first series in which a new character is introduced who is neither likeable nor interesting and whose very presence badly disrupts a very well-constructed core group dynamic. Furthermore, the second series makes a rather bizarre and perverse effort to separate the two romantic leads, an act that damages the narrative and the integrity of its characters badly. Characters have their intentions and allegiances reshuffled, leading them to feel inconsistent and shallow in a way that they did not in the first series. Added to that, the protagonists seem to go missing for numerous episodes at a time. Altogether, it paints the picture of a show that is increasingly unfocused and at odds with itself while running out of ideas and chasing all the wrong ones.

In summary, the first series of Roswell is a criminally underrated and enjoyable drama of its time with charismatic performances from its principal cast, an honest and heartfelt love story that is hard not to root for and a complex but sympathetic antagonist in the form of William Sadler's Sheriff Valenti.

It was good while it lasted.

My sister got me hooked on "Roswell" at the beginning, but I kept watching because it was such a fantastic show! The episodes are wonderful, I love the music, and the storylines were incredible (even the often-dreaded Season 3, which I actually liked). I identified most with Max because he had been an outsider all his life, and had been in love with one woman but never had the courge to tell her (I felt like that a lot of the time). All the actors were wonderful, but I wish they hadn't made some of the decisions for Season 2 that they had. Well, I might as well list my favorite episodes, so here goes:

Season 1: Pilot, Leaving Normal, Blood Brother, The Toy House, Max to the Max.

Season 2: Skin & Bones, A Roswell Christmas Carol, Heart of Mine, The Departure

Season 3: Who Died & Made You King?, Graduation