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Just wanted to get that out of the way. After sitting through both the mini-series and the first season, and now having watched the first two episodes of season two, I have decided that I really don’t like Tigh.
Which, to me, is a testament to how well written, directed and acted the reimagined Battlestar Galactica is. This series does what several other shows struggle to do. There is the in depth character drama, the dealing with a post-apocalyptic storyline, the allegorical comparisons to the War on Terror and the overall gritty realism of the show.
I am in love.
Now I know that most of you are already fans of this critically acclaimed show, so I am pretty much preaching to the converted. But I have been enjoying re-watching this much of the series in anticipation of watching season 2.0, that I had to share my thoughts.
Considering the tone of the last season of Roswell, it has been interesting to note that BSG utilises a lot of the same style and tone that Roswell’s third season used. Not surprising, Ron Moore worked on both series and was a very strong influence in the latter part of Roswell’s run.
BSG is superior to Roswell due to what appears to be a synergy of creative talents who all “get” what the reimagining’s feel should be, and have succeeded in making a very consistent tone.
The scripting is at times cheesy, but the performances manage to raise it to a solid level.
Most importantly, this show manages to make the audience sympathise with some of the oddest characters. For example, very few of the BSG’s villains are outright unsympathetic. Six and Boomer are both essentially deadly cylon agents, and yet they are sympathetic and almost likeable. All the Six models have shown a desire to be loved and wanted, Boomer suffers because she is unaware of her true nature and then battles with it when it is revealed.
This is brilliant casting and directing.
All in all, I love this show. Can’t wait to see what happens next! 😀
Love and Huggles
Conan
Currently Reading: Like the River Flows
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun; Orpheus: Shades of Gray
Mood: Getting down with Galactica!

I think the first thing that comes to mind is that Roswell really manages to stand out above a lot of its contempories. This is a show that manages to mix a lot of humour, self-parody and realism to create a show that has a very distinctive feel of its own.
I would definitely classify the third season as the best in the series. Where the second season tried too hard to become more like Buffy and Angel, season three sets up its own tone and feel, and does a stand out job of it too.
Something that truly impresses me is how much the series successfully refers back to previous seasons – things that you noticed very early on in the previous seasons eventually come back in the third season, sometimes in very unexpected ways.
The tone of the series takes on a much more realistic and gritty tone. This isn’t the angsty sixth season of Buffy nor the campy noir of Angel – Roswell manages to mix the tone to feel more realistic. Happy couples fight, families don’t just work things out at the end of an episode, some issues have taken an entire three seasons to be resolved.
Furthermore, old mistakes have continuing consequences that are slowly resolved – we see all the characters change and grow over the course of this series. By the final episode, not one character is unchanged. But not only that, the changes are fully believeable and solid – sold by the performances of a truly talented ensemble cast.
There are many stand-out episodes in Season Three, my favourite is possibly “I married an Alien” where the episode flips between a sitcom alternate reality version of Roswell in the theme of Bewitched, and the harsher real world. Much like Buffy’s musical episode, this is an experimental story. Unlike Buffy, it does a much better job at showing the stark differences between real life and that of a sitcom.
I initially wasn’t sure how to feel about the last episode. While some storylines are tied up, some things are left unfinished, and other new issues arise. Yet the ending feels very satisfying. What later struck me was just how much this show has tried to be hyper-real. Before many of the hyper-realistic shows of today, Roswell remains true to real life when dealing with the characters’ emotions and decisions. (For the most part, there are some questionable episodes…) The series ends just like real life – the story isn’t over, it’s just reached the point where we can part company with the characters.
Having said that, there is plenty left open for a spin-off or a return to Roswell – which I like. It keeps the illusion of realism for that fact.
Over the course of the series I have grown to really like the characters. To the point that I would be hard pressed to name a favourite. I love them all for each of their little quirks and personality traits.
If you haven’t yet started looking for this show – DO IT! Roswell is one of the best shows I’ve seen in a long time. It may not have the polish and cool of Dead Like Me (Which I still rate higher as a show) but it has a real heart that has made me keen to watch it again at some point. Just so that I can revisit those very cool characters and their lives…
Love and Huggles
Currently Reading: Hordes Primal
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun; Orpheus: Shades of Gray
Mood: Sleepy, but good.

Using the rumoured alien spaceship crash as inspiration, Roswell tells the story of three orphans who are revealed to be Alien/Human hybrids, brought to Earth for some unfathomable reason.
The first season really focused on the relationships of the various characters. A sort of Dawson’s Creek meets X-files via Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Most episodes dealt with slowly revealing the mystery surrounding Max, Isobel and Michael – why they were brought to Earth and why they were hidden away in a pod chamber until they “hatched.”
Season two changed gears (apparently due to pressure from the executives at WB) and focused more on the sci-fi elements.
Oddly, this is where Roswell stumbles as a series. The characters, and actors playing them, are cool and interesting. When the series focuses on character episodes, Roswell’s strength as a series shines. These are not your typical two-dimensional people – like in Smallville – or cheesy stereotypes, like in Buffy.
No, Roswell’s characters have a lot of interesting depth and background. Most of all, the series keeps the characters consistent from episode to episode. (Although there are the occasional continuity flaws from the props department and camera crew – one episode is glaringly obvious for this…)
I think that’s what I really like about Roswell. The characters have been built up and developed – even the more minor roles. When one of the main crew dies unexpectedly, it carries a lot of weight for the show. Furthermore, there are some stand-out performances from ALL the main cast over the course of this season. I really believed in the characters emotions, and the cast manage to really sell you on the whole premise – even in the shockingly lame story arc involving an alien infestation.
In some ways Season Two feels a bit like Babylon 5 Season 4. A lot happens, and is all crammed into one Season when it could have been stretched out over two or three.
One big issue of this is that certain episodes work better than others and one was placed out of sequence because the executives thought that the clue in the episode would be lost unless it was placed directly before the finale where the hint reaches fruition.
It’s a shame really – because the episode happens chronologically out of order during a very very tense arc in the Season.
However it all comes together in a very cool finale that left the series open for a third season, while still wrapping up most of the loose ends from Season One.
Oddly the best episodes were the least science fiction based. Firstly there is the Christmas episode, where we get to learn a lot more about the various characters – and although it has a schmaltzy “miracle” sequence, I actually liked it for that. The pain and emotions were very well done by the cast who clearly set out to have fun with the episode. The other great episode was the Las Vegas one, where the gang go off to gamble away money.
Another great character episode that tells us more about everyone’s motivations. Unfortunately one of the characters ends up being changed later in the season – although it is worth noting that if you go back to the first time the character shows up, everything still remains consistent from a bigger picture point of view. Which is actually cool – because you get sucked in by that character’s lies as much as everyone else.
With one more season to go, I’m hoping that everything comes to a satisfactory conclusion. I’m not sure I’d be happy if they just drop the storyline about the revolution on the alien’s homeworld – there needs to be a satisfactory resolution to that other than “we stay on Earth and let them sort it out…”
Only time will tell…
Love and Huggles
Conan
Currently Reading: Burning Empires
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun; Orpheus: Shades of Gray
Mood: Feeling good!

Dead Like Me is the story of George Lass, a young eighteen year-old virgin whose outlook on life is about as disaffected and cynical as it can possibly get. Her mother is a negative control freak, her father is having an affair, and her little sister, Reggie, is a little strange.
Then, as if to show that the universe has a sense of humour, George is killed rather spectacularly by a toilet seat that falls from the Russian Mir Spacestation. That’s when things get really weird.
George discovers that she has been chosen to become a Reaper, a collector of souls – to help the dead pass on to the next plane of existence. Once she has reaped an unstated number of souls, she will then be able to pass on herself.
But she isn’t a ghost, that wouldn’t be interesting television after all – no, she has a living body (of sorts) and is undead. She has an illusionary alter-ego that people see instead of her true face.
Dead Like Me is pure gold. It is a slick production, simply presented and beautifully acted. It has a morbidly funny sense of humour and is really a show about life as seen from the place of someone who is dead. It never preaches, but makes some profound observations about life and the universe. All the while delivered in a beautifully dead-pan humour. From the collapse of George’s family to the eventual growth of George as a Reaper – this show is just brilliant.
Very rarely does a show manage to make me laugh out loud when watching it on my own – but Dead Like Me manages to do so every episode!
So do yourself a favour – check it out! Best yet, the series is self-contained. There is a second season, and I”m keen to see it, but the first season manages to close while leaving things open for potentially more stories.
Also- keep an eye out for Jewel “Kaylee” Saite as a death groupie goth girl! 😀
Love and Huggles
Conan
Currently Reading: Burning Empires
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun; Orpheus: Shades of Gray
Mood: See post below! 🙂
Strangely Familiar and yet so New…
The first thing that struck me about Roswell was how much it reminded me of Smallville. The Pilot episode kind of covers similar ground – even though Roswell precedes Smallville by several years. Mysterious kid with strange powers, pines after the cutest girl in school, is a bit of an outsider… all that stuff.
Love and Huggles
Conan
Currently Reading: Wild Talents
Currently Playing: Exalted: Nexus of the Sun; Orpheus: Shades of Gray
Mood: Bright and Perky!
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