Roswell: An Overview

[icalynn.livejournal.com]

Roswell

Initially set up as a love story with a sci-fi twist, Roswell is anything but. Debuting in 1999, Roswell runs for three seasons.

Brief summary of the Seasons: Warning this summary does contain spoilers for all three seasons.

Everything begins when Max Evans, an alien hybrid, saves a human girl he has loved from afar, Liz Parker. Teen angst and sci-fi twists challenge the couple and their friends for the next three years.

First season consists of the Roswell gang coming together over the fear of being discovered. FBI agents infiltrate the group and cause problems for all.

Second season explores a little more about their relationships while taking on more sci-fi story arcs. The Skins and Dupes make their appearance as they find out more about their past lives. Then tragedy strikes towards the end of the second season, when Alex dies. Tess and Max become closer, resulting in a pregnancy. The baby cannot survive in the Earth's atmosphere, so they try to find a way home. In the season finale, betrayal is known when it is revealed that Alex dies because of Tess. She is sent home to Antar.

Third season begins with Max searching for a way home to find his son. Relationship are broken and reformed. Jesse marries into the alien saga without knowing that his wife is an alien. Tess comes back with her son, and in doing so triggers the FBI into hunting the gang again. Tess sacrifices her life in hopes of getting the FBI off their tract. She is not successful, and the remaining Roswell gang is forced to flee during their graduation- the series finale.





Main Characters:

Aliens aka Pod Squad, Royal Four

Jason Behr as Max Evans

Max is an alien who came out of a pod when he was six years old. He stayed with his sister Isabel after leaving the pod chamber, clinging together they walk and they are found and adopted by the Evans. They loose track of the other boy, Michael, that is with them in the caves and he runs away from them when the Evans' appear.

In the third grade, he meets up with fellow alien Michael in school. Max has had a crush on Liz Parker. When she is shot he risks his life and the others to save hers. His powers are growing and are becoming stronger than ever. So far he can connect with people, healing and changing the molecular structure of things. He can also put up a barrier of some sort to shield himself from things. After the incident Max and Liz become a couple and their relationship is challenged when Tess comes to town.

In his past life, Max was King of Antar, Zan.

Brendan Fehr as Michael Guerin

Michael is an alien who came out of the pods when he was also six years old. Unlike Max and Isabel, he was not found by the Evans; he was taken in by a man named Hank, an alcoholic. Michael always felt that he shouldn't get attached to anything because Earth is not his home; he should always be ready to leave. Searching for more of his kind, he found out about Nasedo, a shapeshifter, and began spending more and more of his time searching for him, often getting himself into trouble.

After learning about their enemies, the Skins, Michael began training so that he would be able to control his powers better. In his past life, Michael was the second in command and engaged to Isabel/Vilandra. Michael is currently going out with Maria, though their relationship is rocky. During one of their break-ups, Michael began falling for Courtney, a Skin who thought he should be the leader of the four instead of Max. Courtney died and after her death, Michael began to realize his feelings for Maria.

Katherine Heigl as Isabel Evans

Isabel is also an alien; she came out of her pod when she was six years old. She stuck with her brother, Max, and was adopted by the Evans. She believes that the parents she has. are her real parents because they have taken care of her all her life and has no desire to learn about her alien past.

On her planet her name was Vilandra and she betrayed her people and helped the enemy. She was also engaged to Michael, but in her present life has no feelings for him.

Her powers are similar to those of Max. She can tap into people's dreams, known as dreamwalking.

Emilie de Ravin as Tess Harding

Tess came into the picture late in the first season when they found out that they weren't the only aliens alive on this planet. Her main goal has been to try to make Max fall in love with her because on their planet they were husband and wife. Through out the year her and Max have gotten closer because of Max and Liz's break up.

She moves in with the Valenti's when Nesado is killed and becomes like a family.

Wanting, badly to decode the book that held all of the answers she mind warps Alex and sent him to Las Cruces the University so that he may decode it. Alex however thought that he went to Sweden. When Alex starts to remember what really happened she tries to mind warp him again and by doing so she kills him. As Max and her get closer, they sleep together and Tess becomes pregnant, the only problem was that the baby couldn't live on earth and could only survive on their home planet and with the information in the book they knew how.

Her plan fails when Liz, Maria, and Kyle found out that she killed him and told Max, Isabel and Michael. Now Tess is back home to Antar by herself. It is also revealed that she is following a plan the Nasedo made.

Humans

Shiri Appleby as Liz Parker

Liz has lived in Roswell all her life; four generations of her family have come from Roswell. Her best friends are Maria and Alex. She works at the Crashdown, a restaurant owned by her parents. Liz was shot at the Crashdown and saved by Max Evans. After that her life changed. She found out Max, Isabel, and Michael are aliens and became involved in their effort to hide their identites from the government. She used to date Kyle Valenti, the sheriff's son but broke up with him because of her feelings for Max.

She begins to date Max, but that is short lived and she breaks up with him after a pivitol episode when the future Max comes to her telling her that because of their relationship, Earth is doomed.

She then pushes Max and Tess together, setting off another chain reaction of events.

During the third season, Max and Liz work back on their relationship and are married in the last episode of the series.

Majandra Delfino as Maria Deluca

Maria has lived in Roswell, New Mexico with her mother, Amy Deluca. Her father had left her and her mother when Maria was eight and never came back. Her best friends are Liz and Alex. She works with Liz at the Crashdown. She finds out about Max, Michael, and Isabel being aliens through Liz, after she confronts her about the shooting.

At first, she freaks out and refuses to trust the group, but after meeting with the sheriff she realizes she doesn't have to be afraid of them because they aren't that different from herself. Maria is a good singer and has performed with Alex's band, The Whits. She is currently dating Michael Guerin though she constantly nags him for not being the perfect boyfriend she would be hopeless without him.

During the third season, she distances herself from the 'alien business' and Michael. In the end she is reunited with Michael, although they still have their rocky patches.

Colin Hanks as Alex Whitman

Alex Whitman has lived in Roswell all his life like his best friends Liz and Maria. Alex did not know about the three aliens for a while, however he helps Liz help them without asking too many questions. Alex finally finds out about the aliens when he and Liz were in jail after being arrested at a rave.

For a long time, Alex has had a crush on Isabel and they went out for a while. Alex and Isabel broke it off for a while because of Isabel's newfound interest in an archeologist. However they got back together later on. Tess kills Alex by accident, when she tries to continue to mindwarp him to forget about Las Cruces University and what he had done there.


Nick Wechsler as Kyle Valenti

Kyle is Sheriff Valenti's son and is a football player at his high school. Kyle is accidentally shot and Max heals him. With this, he is thrown head first into the aliens' lives. After finding out about Max and the others, he finds strength in Buddha.

While Tess lives in his house he begins to grow a bond with her and thought of her as his sister. He has helped the aliens on many of their adventures to find the truth and actually almost died as one of them. When Alex dies the day before his birthday, it hurt him a lot because Alex and him were good friends.

Kyle finds out later that he actually witnesses Alex's death, but couldn't remember it because Tess had mindwarped him. When he starts to remember what really happens Liz, Maria, and him confront Tess and tells everyone that she killed Alex. The truth however, hurts because he had seen Tess as his sister and friend.

William Sadler as Sheriff Valenti

Sheriff Jim Valenti (Jr.) began as the villain of "Roswell," relentlessly employing any means to find out the "truth" about Max. Sheriff Valenti has proved himself able and willing to use threats, imprisonment and other abuses of his power as a law enforcement officer to try and coerce whatever information he can out of all the major characters. Sheriff Valenti is also intelligent and resourceful, as he proved when he exposed Ms. Topolsky as a FBI agent.

Sheriff Valenti has also been shown to be a concerned - if preoccupied -- single parent to his son, Kyle. He is very proud of his son, the school's star athlete and 'all-American boy.' The two things that mean the most to him in the world is his son and his job.

As the season progressed, the Sheriff kept trying to find out what was going on and to warn and help Max and his friends, but they did not trust him. A turning point came when he found the alien orb - and then returned it to Max as a gesture of trust. He goes to help rescue Liz after she is kidnapped from Nasedo, and then helps to break Max out of the White Room.

In their escape, he is astonished to discover that Michael and Isabel are aliens as well. In the final confrontation with Agent Pierce, his son Kyle is shot (accidentally by Valenti himself) and is dying. He pleads with Max to help his son. Max heals him and earns Valenti's undying support and devotion. Kyle is less than impressed, blaming Max for getting him in the situation where he was shot in the first place and causing all his trouble.

During the second season, Valenti does his best to protect Max, Isabel, Tess and Michael, using his position as Sheriff to try to cover for them whenever they are in danger of discovery. His son Kyle is angry with the aliens upsetting his life and with his father's ever growing involvement with them, and his respect and affection for them. When Nasedo is killed, Valenti even takes Tess in to live in his house. Valenti's attempts to help and shield the four aliens result in his being suspended as Sheriff for a time and coming under ever-greater suspicion.


Dupes
-a second set of pods that resulted in a duplicate set of the Royal Four. They were raised in the sewers of New York and they have memories of their former selves. They appear in season 2 and cause havoc for all. They are a more punk rock version of the four.

Jason Behr as Zan
Katherine Heigl as Vilandra
Brendan Fehr as Rath
Emilie de Ravin as Ava



Other Key Characters:
Parental Figures
-The Parental figures are not seen as often as the main characters, but play an important role off screen.

Amy Deluca- Single mother to Maira, has a brief relationship with Jim Valenti
Jeff and Nancy Parker- Parents to Liz Parker, own the Crashdown Diner
Grandma Claudia- Grandma to Liz Parker, has historical ties to the native lands in Roswell. Dies during the first few episodes, Max attempts to heal her but cannot.
Phil and Diane Evans- adoptive parents to Max and Isabel
Hank Guerin- An abusive foster father to Michael. Killed by Nesado during the first season.
Nasedo- A shape shifter and fellow alien. Claims to be their protector, he raises Tess. He is killed in the second season by the skins.

Key characters that are introduced in Season One:

Riverdog- Chief at the local reservation, has information to their past.
Eddie- Also lives at the reservation, is seen helping Riverdog.
Milton- An eccentric man that runs the UFO Center that Max works for.
Agent Topolsky- infiltrates the high school and spies on the suspected aliens as a counselor. She is found out, and is pushed out of the school. She goes crazy and dies by the hands of the FBI as a cover up.
Agent Pierce- infiltrates the group pretending to be a local deputy. He kindnaps Max and is later killed by Michael.

Key characters that are introduced in Season Two:

Sean Deluca
-Maria's delinquent cousin, he shows up in the second season and is a love interest for Liz.

Brody Davis
–buy's out the UFO Center from Milton. Thinks aliens have abducted him, and in truth has been. Likes Maria and wants a future with her. Also has a daughter with cancer that Max heals later on.

Grant Sorensen
-An archeologist that comes into town. He has the hots for Isabel and dates her for a while. He disappears and later shows up when an alien being known as gandarium possesses him. He is then killed by the sheriff.

Laurie Dupree
-Is kidnapped by Grant, wanting to infect her with the gandarium crystal. Isabel saves her. Turns out that Laurie is a descendent of the human DNA that they used to create Michael. Michael and Laurie form a brother-sister bond.

The Skins
-A group of aliens that use human husks on Earth in order to live. Were sent by Khivar to find and kill the Royal Four.

Congresswoman Whitaker
- Is a skin that hunts them down. Liz works for her, before they find out who and what she works for. Is killed by Isabel.

Courtney
-Also a skin, she infiltrates the group by becoming a waitress at the Crashdown. Is in love with Michael. Is killed by Nicholas after she betrays the skins in order to help the Roswell gang.

Nicholas
- A leader of the skins is Khivar's right hand man on Earth. Despises the fact he is in the body of a preteen boy. Wants Isabel.

Khivar
-Current leader of Antar, is in love with Isabel, wants her for her queen and wants to kill the others.

Key characters that are introduced in Season Two:

Jesse Ramirez
-A lawyer that comes to work in the Evans firm. Falls in love with Isabel and they marry, not knowing she is an alien.

Billy Darden
-An old friend/love interest of Maria's that comes to town. He reminds Maria of her old dreams of becoming a singer.

For transcripts to all three seasons go to the Crashdown.



List of Known Roswell Shippers and I must give credit to, Ditch the Logical: UC & Slash Board for the UC/Slash shipper names.

CC:

Dreamers- Max/Liz
Candyclanners- Michael/Maria
Stargazers- Alex/Isabel
Untuckables- Jim/Amy

UC:
Alleyleaders - Kyle/Ava
Awakended Dreamers - Zan/Liz
Castaways - Sean/Ava
Cliffhangers - Michael/Isabel
Combustibles - Sean/Maria
Cornballers - Max/Ava (also see Sweet Destiny)
Cruel Desires - Nicholas/Liz
Deviants - Sean/Isabel
Fantastics - Ed Harding/Liz
Fifthwheelers - Alex/Tess
Fryers - Sean/Liz (also see Lanewalkers)
Fugitives - Alex/Laurie
Grounded Souls - Zan/Maria
Ground Zero - Max/Maria
Groupies - Alex/Maria
Hustlers - Rath/Tess
In-Crowders - Kyle/Isabel
Indecisive Individuals - Kyle/Courtney
Insiders - Zan/Isabel
Jailbait - Alex/Topolsky
Jumpers - Rath/Liz
Lamptrimmers - Kyle/Tess (also see Rebounders)
Lanewalkers - Sean/Liz (also see Fryers)
Lolitas - Valenti/Liz
Loyalists - Kyle/Liz
Mental Blasters - Michael/Ava
Mental Vibrators - Michael/Tess
Mind Shifters - Nicholas/Tess
Misfits - Sean/Tess
Outcasts - Alex/Ava
Outsiders - Max/Isabel
Past Indiscretions - Nicholas/Isabel
Patriots - Kivar/Tess
Pepperjackers - Brody/Maria
Pillow Fighters - Sean/Liz (also see Fryers)
Polarists - Michael/Liz
Pulsers - Brody/Isabel
Punkrockers - Zan/Ava
Pure Deception - Alex/Izedo
Pushers - Rath/Lonnie
Rebels - Max/Tess
Rebounders - Kyle/Tess (also see Lamptrimmers)
Rebound Team - Kyle/Maria (also see Remedialists)
Remedialists - Kyle/Maria (also see Rebound Team)
Secret Agents - Pierce/Maria
Sirens - Valenti/Isabel
Stimulators - Michael/Courtney
Streetwalker - Rath/Maria
Sugar Daddies - Riverdog/Liz
Sweet Destiny - Max/Ava (also see Cornballers)
Thongs - Alex/Courtney
Trespassers - Eddie/Liz
True Bluers - Alex/Liz
Vipers - Kivar/Isabel
Wallpaper - Alex/Lonnie
Wild Child - Zan/Tess
Wrestlers - Michael/Amy

m/m:

B-Team - Alex/Kyle
Brooders - Max/Valenti
Frickers - Max/Eddie
Knockouts - Michael/Alex
Jailers - Michael/Valenti
Leader Lovers - Max/Kivar
Men In Black - Michael/Pierce
Panty Brigaders - Max/Kyle
Peanut M&M's - Max/Michael
Plasmatics - Max/Alex
Soulmate - Michael/Rath
Spurs - Michael/Kyle
Sweet Torture - Max/Pierce
Thugs - Rath/Zan

f/f:

Antar Girls - Lonnie/Ava
Balcony Sirens - Liz/Lonnie
Blonde Attitude - Isabel/Maria
Butterflies - Maria/Lonnie
Catfighters - Liz/Tess
Cat's Eyes - Tess/Ava
Copycats - Liz/Ava
Guides - Liz/Topolsky
Hussy Lovers - Tess/Courtney
Ice Cubes - Isabel/Courtney
Icestorms - Tess/Lonnie
Interns - Liz/Whittaker
Lifesavers - Maria/Tess
Lizizzards - Liz/Isabel
Mikey's Angels - Maria/Courtney
Mind Warpers - Isabel/Tess
Pink Ladies - Maria/Ava
Reflectionist - Isabel/Lonnie
Vision Quest - Isabel/Laurie
Waitresses - Liz/Maria
Wildcats - Isabel/Ava

Multiple Couples Shipper Names:
B-Wheelers- Tess/Kyle/Alex
Band Candy - Michael/Maria/Alex
Band Geeks - Liz/Alex/Maria
Band Groupies - Alex/Isabel/Liz/Maria
Basketcases - Isabel/Michael/Tess
BBQ M&M's - Michael/Maria/Kyle - also see Rock 'n Jocks
Big Pimpin' - Liz/Maxedo/Maria
Blonde Ambition - Maria/Isabel/Tess
Boy Scouts - Max/Michael/Nacedo
Breakfast Club - Liz/Michael/Maria
Candy Souls - Michael/Maria/Zan
CandyTrimmers - Michael/Maria/Kyle/Tess
CopyCatfighters - Tess/Liz/Ava
Cuffs 'n Palm Prints - Max/Valenti/Pierce
Deputies - Maria/Kyle/Tess
Desert Dwellers - Maria/Michael/Isabel
Diablo - Isabel/Maxedo/Tess
DoK Orgy - Alex/Liz/Riverdog
Double Dippers - Max/Liz/Zan
Dream Catchers - Max/Tess/Michael
Dream Geeks - Alex/Liz/Max
DreamPole Nuts - Michael/Liz/Max
Dreamy Waitresses - Liz/Max/Maria - also see GZ Dreamers
Four Wheel Drive - Isabel/Alex/Tess
Frickin Trespassers - Max/Liz/Eddie
Galaxygazers - Alex/Isabel/Kyle/Tess
Ground Control - Max/Maria/Zan
GZ Dreamers - Maria/Max/Liz - also see Dreamy Waitresses
Hot Wheels - Maria/Alex/Tess
Jumping Trucks - Rath/Liz/Zan
Killer B's - Alex/Maria/Kyle
Layovers: Isabel/Jesse/Kyle
Lifesaving Rebels - Maria/Max/Tess
Opie - Isabel/Alex/Lonnie
Out Of Towners - Maria/Max/Isabel
Peanut Brittle - Rath/Maria/Zan
Peanut Butter M&M's - Max/Maria/Michael
Polar Cliffs - Liz/Michael/Isabel
Polar Truckers - Michael/Liz/Zan
Polecats - Liz/Michael/Tess
Rock 'n Jocks - Michael/Maria/Kyle - also see BBQ M&M's
Rodeo Clowns - Max/Michael/Alex
Shared Gomez - Max/Liz/Kyle
Sibling Rivalry - Liz/Max/Isabel
Snap Dragons - Liz/Isabel/Maria
Star Sightings - Isabel/Alex/Maria
StreetLifer - Maria/Rath/Tess
Streetwalkin' Soulmate - Michael/Maria/Rath
Sugar Fried Dumplins - Max/Kyle/Pierce
Sun Catchers - Alex/Isabel/Kyle
Rebel Wild Child - Tess/Zan/Ava
Rebounding Loyalist Catfighters - Liz/Kyle/Tess
RebelingCandy - Maria/Michael/Tess/Max
Rejects - Max/Maria/Kyle
Riot Grrls - Liz/Maria/Tess
Three Muskateers - Max/Isabel/Michael
Twisted Desire - Valenti/Maria/Pierce
Twisted Destiny - Liz/Max/Tess
Urban Cowboys - Alex/Kyle/Michael
Warped Lizizards - Liz/Isabel/Tess
Warp Four - Isabel/Lonnie/Tess/Ava
Wipeouts - Liz/Kyle/Maria
WWF Crashdown - Michael/Amy/Valenti



A Handful of Fic Archives- Please note, that some are active while others are not.

Beaten Path
Belit's Planet
Common Ground
Crashdown Fanfic Archive
Fic-o-Rama
Guilty Pleasures
Kingdom of Tula
Rewind
Ros Deidre's Fanfiction
Roswell Desert Skies
Roswell Sky
Roswell Slash Archive
Roswell Underground
Vesper's Seed


If you've made it thus far- wow, I'm amazed. If I have left anything out, which I might have, or if you have a question, which is very possible since Roswell is nothing but jumbled plot lines and gaping holes, let me know in the comments below. Thanks! :)

Ica

Comments

[porntestpilot.livejournal.com]

Fantastic job with the summary. Roswell was the very first fandom I slashed and the first fandom I went psycho over. Whee! Panty Brigader forever!

I completely owe my lack of a life to this show. Thank you show. [not sarcasm.]

[malisita.livejournal.com]

Bwah.

Oh, God. I was just cruising by the Crack Van and I did a double take. I can't believe people still remember pairing names that I invented, like Panty Brigader! Mind you, that was before they started naming every rock, tree, and atom in the fandom.

[porntestpilot.livejournal.com]

I think I remember you from FF? Are you the one who wrote the "original" slash fiction? I loved that name, I wanted it on a t-shirt.

[malisita.livejournal.com]

Well, I was definitely a FanForum fixture Back in the Day, but I don't recall writing the "original" slash fiction. I was mainly just on the UC threads and a general pain-in-the-ass. I know that the FIRST Kyle/Max story was written by Annie and she rocked our collective world, but I was just a slashy little troublemaker, lol.

[piper47.livejournal.com]

OMG! Fanforum!

Fanforum killed my inner child.

::bitter resentment towards FF::

It's been so long since I was in the fandom, I hear people say things like that and it gives me chills. Hehe....