After growing up in Roswell believing they
were the
only aliens on Earth, Max (Jason
Behr), Isabel (Katherine
Heigl)
and
Michael (Brendan
Fehr)
are still struggling
to accept Tess (Emilie de Ravin),
another alien who claims
to have originally arrived on the
planet with them. Her revelation that she and Max are destined to
be together and
that Isabel and Michael are likewise
destined continues
to be painful
for everyone involved, especially
for their human friends Liz (Shiri
Appleby),
Maria (Majandra
Delfino)
and Alex (Colin Hanks). Yet even
as the
group bands together
to battle
a new alien threat, the
mysterious death of a friend leads
Liz and Maria to suspect there's an even more deadly enemy among
them - one with a secret agenda that could alter their lives
forever.
CRITIQUE
I sort of enjoyed
the first season of Roswell, the beginning started off well
and introduced some potential for suspense and sci-fi, but then
there was the whole "love story" between Liz and Max in the
middle, as well as some other happenings, and then the season
rebounded late in the game. I wasn't really hooked on the show,
but found it interesting in some ways, which is why I wanted to
check out the second season.
The focus of Season 2 moves away just
a bit from the drama of love and relationships, and instead makes
a play towards science fiction elements. Some of the new
developments this season seem welcoming, such as the introduction
of the Skins, a dangerous group that threatens our alien friends,
and the fact that Max, Isabel, and Michael realize they have a
purpose on Earth.
The drama of the stories and characters works on
levels, but not always. Liz tries to deal with the realization
that Max is destined to live a different future, and that kind of
goes for the other characters as well. I think this season shows
some change, but there are still some duds among the twenty-one
episodes; some of the stories advance the plot, while others seem
plain and too average.
THE VIDEO
Fox presents
Roswell in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. The show is not
that old and therefore the print is in pretty good condition;
there are no visible scratches or lines. Colors are bright and
well-saturated. Detail is clear and sharpness looks good. Black
levels and dark tones are deep and generally consistent. Grain
appears in several areas and at times the presentation looks a
tiny bit soft, but no compression artifacts occur. Overall, this
is a very nice widescreen transfer of the show.
THE AUDIO
Fox presents
Roswell in English 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound. Dialogue is
clear and easy to understand with very good channel separation.
Front speakers are active and loud with good positional audio.
The surrounds do an alright job of reinforcing the score and
many songs, while the sound effects sound are loud and clear.
This is not the perfect presentation, but it's pretty good for a
TV show.
An English 2.0 Dolby
Surround track is also available.
THE EXTRAS
Scattered across
the six discs that come in thin keepcases are three select
episode audio commentaries - but by comparison the season 1
DVD featured six tracks - on
Ask Not by Ronald D. Moore on disc 1, on A
Roswell Christmas Carol by Jason Katims on disc 3, and
on Cry Your Name by Ronald D. Moore on disc 5.
Here With Me:
Making of Season 2 (31:49) features interviews with cast and
crew, as well as behind-the-scenes footage and show clips. This
documentary is less a making-of and more a reminder and look back at
the show. Among the interview subjects, who recap the season, favorite
moments, and stories, are
Jason Katims, Ronald D.
Moore, Colin Hanks, Jason Behr, Brendan Fehr, Shiri Appleby, William
Sadler, and writers Aaron Harberts, Fred Golan, Gretchen J. Berg, and
Breen Frazier.
The Shiri and
Majandra Show (10:51) has the two actresses sharing their
thoughts and experiences working on the show, with the cast, and so
on.
Art of Composing
Roswell(4:34) features composer Joe Williams as he
explains to the viewer composing music for a scene, and after his
explanation the finished scene is shown.
A Little Something
Extra for the Fans (5:51) is a video montage of the
characters, specifically Liz and Max, Michael and Maria, Tess and
Kyle, and, last but not least, Alex and Isabel. I didn't get much out
of this, but fans might.
Lastly, Storyboard to
Scene (1:10) is a brief storyboard presentation with scenes
from Wipe Out!.
You can
select to view the show with optional English and Spanish
subtitles. Each episode runs roughly 44 minutes and is organized
into twelve chapters.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The second season of
Roswell is not that bad, and I would say it's a little better than
the first season, but only by a small margin. It really depends on the
individual, however, and drawing a rough comparison between the first
two seasons isn't saying very much, so I'll leave it up to the viewer.
The extras are fine, though I think the fans will appreciate them
more. All things considered, I'll recommend the set even though it's
not one of the better shows out there.
