Customer Reviews

Roswell - Seasons 1-3

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I first became familier with Roswell after purchasing the first season DVD set early last year. Since then I have became one of the shows biggest fans. I was a bit concerned that the second and third seasons would not be as good as the first, but to my surprise they are just as good if not better. Roswell is still one of my favorite TV shows. Season 1 deals more with the relationship/love story between Max and Liz. The second season deals more with the sc-fi aspect while the love story takes a backseat. The third and final season has the best of both the love story and sci-fi story. I have to say I have never cared much for sci-fi series but Roswell is so much more than just that. Like the wonderful first and second season, the third season still takes you on a emotional journey. As you go through each episode you still find yourself growing more and more attached to the characters as they go on their own emotional journey and self discovery. The sad thing is with the final season the characters are not always hanging out together at the crash down cafe. They are doing their own things which is a bit hard for me because I was so accustomed to them being together, but it was just part of there characters growing up. It was so hard to see the last season of Roswell come to an end. I have discovered one of the best shows with Roswell and highly recommend this show to anyone who enjoys a great tv show that will inspire and get them addicted!

Roswell in my opinion is the greatest tv series that ever graced television, it captures everything, Love, friendship, drama, science fiction and more! i would recommend anyone to buy the 3 seasons in one set as it always keeps you wanting more and what could be better than having the whole lot to watch at your own discression.
Max and Liz ROCK!

I didn't get this full set, but the individual seasons in box set, since I never saw the show on TV, and was originally sceptical about whether it would be worth getting; got Season 1 to see what it was about. By the end of the first show I was hooked; as others have said, Season 1 was the best due to the depth and reality of the character interactions, with enough action/sf to keep things moving. Without putting in any spoilers, there were episodes in the later seasons that weren't worthy of the total effort, the "off world" story was weak (like Flash Gordon, say) and there were major "out of character" moments, and some excessive revisiting of previous angst..and boy, there was a lot of angst. As I remember being a teenager, they did a good job of recreating that age.. idealism greater than adulthood, more sweetness, less selfishness, more awkwardness, etc. Unusually for a TV series, you really get involved with the 3 dimensional characters, and much of the plot seems true to real life. As others have also said, that's what makes the brain-farts on the part of the writers more irritating when they occur. In spite of the flaws, some sloppy (Michael forgetting Max's name late in Season 1; using California foothill landscape for New Mexico, etc.) and some deeper as mentioned above, the whole series hangs together and preserves its punch right through to end, which is generally satisfying. Life is tough; it's bitter sweet but it beats the heck out of the alternative. If you like the premise of "alien" teenagers and an in-depth exploration of the combination of romance/melodrama/s-f I would highly recommend this series. It handled all the elements imaginatively and almost always kept me caring about the characters. Not perfect but up there with Stargate, Dark Angel, etc. and better in terms of the deeper exploration of human interaction. That said, this is much less action/adventure oriented than Stargate etc. so if you want heavy plot driven action show this isn't what you're after.

Buy it and enjoy the emotional rollercoaster and inventive sidelights. You keep thinking it's about to slide away down a rathole but it never does.

I first became familier with Roswell after purchasing the first season DVD set early last year. Since then I have became one of the shows biggest fans. I was a bit concerned that the second and third seasons would not be as good as the first, but to my surprise they are just as good if not better. Roswell is still one of my favorite TV shows. Season 1 deals more with the relationship/love story between Max and Liz. The second season deals more with the sc-fi aspect while the love story takes a backseat. The third and final season has the best of both the love story and sci-fi story. I have to say I have never cared much for sci-fi series but Roswell is so much more than just that. Like the wonderful first and second season, the third season still takes you on a emotional journey. As you go through each episode you still find yourself growing more and more attached to the characters as they go on their own emotional journey and self discovery. The sad thing is with the final season the characters are not always hanging out together at the crash down cafe. They are doing their own things which is a bit hard for me because I was so accustomed to them being together, but it was just part of there characters growing up. It was so hard to see the last season of Roswell come to an end. I have discovered one of the best shows with Roswell and highly recommend this show to anyone who enjoys a great tv show that will inspire and get them addicted!

I discovered Roswell in reruns after it's first season and I quickly became hooked. This story is very engrossing, the characters are believable and endearing. This is one series where I found the final episode to be perfectly written and the ending to be very satisfying. If you like good television, not just good sci-fi, you will enjoy this series. Lots of character development, great story lines, the actors performances are teriffic and the effects are very well done. For me this is a must own.

Hi All,

This is Absar from India. I recently purchased the Roswell season 1-3 set DVDs... I saw this serial for the 1st time probably 6 yrs ago on TV. I was firstly really watching it for Apple Shirby, she has one of the cutest faces and voices I know. But I really got engrossed in this serial.. I loved the quiet way with which Max Evans loved Liz. It was so cute.. being a teenager back then I could really relate to the way he felt about her. 1st Season was just mindblowing. I absolutely love the title song from Dido - Here with me. Her voice is just out of this world.

2nd and 3rd season werent exactly brilliant. They changed the theme from a love story to a sci-fi thriller... it was good but not that great. I thought the love story theme worked a lot better for it. I was disappointed that they stopped airing the serial after 3 seasons, I would've love to see that on air for like 5-6 yrs atleast.

Favourite character is Apple Shirby. Katherine Heigl is also very hot - Probably her first major sitcom. If anyone wants to watch this - I would recommend the 1st season... But you would never feel complete unless u watch season 2 and 3.

ever since it first aired on the wb i have been a fan of roswell, something about it is just fascinating. the first few episodes of the series are kind of slow going but its really to get you to understand whats going on. i watched this show grow throughout the 3 seasons it was alive and was sad to see it end. ALL the actors have this amazing chemistry together, you actually start believing the characters and forming this "bond" with them even though theyre just characters on a tv show. the first season deals more with max saving Liz's life and this connection & attraction between them, its really mostly about their love story (outcast alien boy with special powers saves crushs life and they fall in love but it comes with a price) the second season (the one i happen to like the most) deals more with the sci-fi aspect and theres alot going on and you really have to pay attention because there are alot of little things that lead up to a crazy season finale and you dont even pay much attention to those details and once they all come together in the season finale you are like "OMG I CANT BELIEVE I DIDNT SEE THAT!" there is also a very hugggeeee drift between max & liz and basically the aliens & humans in general all because of a very sad & important moment in the show. you start realizing that not everyone is who you thought they were...someone has a secret that has a HUGE impact on all their lives. third season deals with a bit of both, love & sci-fi and although its not my favorite season (its the one i like the least out of the 3) it is still pretty good. liz and max get a little reckless and hit some road bumps not only in their relationship but between them and their parents... this is the season i really get mad at max's parents, they drive me nuts but in the end it ends up being for the better. an enemy returns unexpectedly, liz has been going through some MAJOR changes and liz and the aliens are being hunted...

i really didnt want to get into too much detail because anyone who has seen the show knows all there is to know and those who havnt i dont want to spoil it for you but all in all this is a purchase worth going through with. ive gotten countless friends hooked on this show and had them end up buying all the seasons themselves too! take a chance on a great show with fantastic acting and believable characters. this show will always be one of my top 3 favorite shows of all time (veronica mars & supernatural being the other 2)

I've become a little obsessive about the series Rosewell. In the beginnig it is a real retelling of the Tragedy of Romeo and Julliet, complete with balcony scenes, which they allude to in the series. Very powerful and in these days not believable, the writers going to extremes to have the main characters not consumate their relationship, including a time travel expisode to stop them. Still, I like the main characters well enough to continue on to find out what happens. The later part of the series the Sci-Fi takes over, but the establishment of the earlier rapport between the viewer and the cast allows the story to be carried forward with the viewer's intrest not diminishing. I like the series.

I can still remember the moment WB tantalized us with these trailer-like sneak peaks of Roswell before actually airing it. There was this little scene of Liz sitting in her terrace wrapped up in a blanket writing in her diary with the voice-over, "Sept. 23...I'm Liz Parker and five days ago I died." I didn't know what the plot would be like, naively enough, I didn't think of aliens but I can say w/ all honesty I was hooked from that moment, and I followed the show till its very last. As far as story goes it was a good one; great even considering its sci-fi wake; and one can't deny the following it amassed even in the recent years. I do believe the plot suffered a bit as the show progressed and these cancellations threats kept us fans half fearful half outraged, and when the show changed networks, well. But still the good far outweighed the mistakes in my opinion, and for me the cast always delivered even when the plot or writing left me wanting more. Maybe due its untimely end I couldn't wait for the DVDs and they took so long getting them out. Honestly if you followed the show the way some of us obsessively did- and even if you did it sanely enough, there are a bit of gaps in the story, little loose-ends that never got a solid resolution, some really big ones that the DVDs never even attempted close. So I was a bit disappointed, to put it mildly, when there were no deleted scenes; or commentaries from the actors- whom had unbelievable on-screen chemistry, nor any DVD additions really. Even so, I can still live with it; but now with this new 'edition' sort of, I'm left wondering. Does it have more stuff; things I would've appreciated in the first set? I would've loved to be able to get them in package like this; as a whole, and I really hate it when production houses or whatever do this; putting out there new editions of a product to get more profit. Anyhow, my concern is, and for those out there who can pacify me I'd be so grateful, is this better, worthier than the previous vers? Or is it almost the same; the discrepancies being so minuscule that make little difference?

Anyway; I'm aware this ended up sounding less than a review than when it started. I can attest for the series; which has impacted millions and still finds its way to new and younger fans. It's truly a collectible; the acting was superb and it provided a great stepping stone for many in the show. You could see not only the potential of the show, but the young actors in it; there were so many poignant scenes that made you fall in love w/ them over and over again; regardless of which version you get :)

I was addicted to this show! At its best, it achieved an atmosphere and tone which I haven't seen elsewhere, and the efforts of the actors and writers combined to create memorable and engaging characters.

At the same time, I have mixed feelings... I've read that the networks the show was on put pressures on the writers and producers, and I do think this impacted the show negatively. It veered from a relationship-oriented show in season 1 to a sci-fi show in season 2, then in season 3 the relationships and the sci-fi sort of coexisted uneasily.

Personally I like both relationsip-oriented shows and sci-fi, and the best episodes were the ones which combined them well. Overall, I think that for this show, it would have worked best if it had stayed relationship-oriented, with the sci-fi lurking beneath the surface and remaining as something of a mystery. As it was, the sci-fi that they ended up with was, in my opinion, poorly planned and poorly thought through. The basic premise of the alien backstory (revealed at the end of season 1) was trite and paper-thin, and for the rest of the show's run, it was used in a very preemptory way, so that rather than slowly revealing a carefully planned mythos, it seemed that the writers didn't really care about that mythos, and instead just used it or altered it for each episode's convenience.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it seemed as if the writers made only a half-hearted attempt to create a convincing piece of fiction. Here's an example: At the start of season 2, it's revealed that one of the series regulars has become a Buddhist. I'm not a Buddhist, but I've read a bit about Buddhism and I'm sympathetic to its ideas. How wonderful, I thought, that an already-established character on a weekly TV show is shown embracing a non-Judeo-Christian religion. But... it was mostly played for laughs. And the few times the religion was mentioned, it was completely untrue to what Buddhism really is. It's as if the writers made up an imaginary religion and called it Buddhism. At one point the character refers to the Buddha as "saving my immortal soul," which is a very non-Buddhist idea. I'm not expecting the writers to be experts in comparative religion, but it would have been nice if one of them had spent 15 minutes reading up on the basics of Buddhism, or talked to a real live Buddhist (surely there must be some Buddhists in L.A.!) -- who knows, they might have even found inspiration for details of plot and character (inspiration which at times was sorely needed).

I know it sounds like I'm very critical of the show, and I am, but that's only because there were other aspects of it that I liked so much. And it's evident from the episode commentaries that series creator, writer, and producer Jason Katims, as well as writer/producer Ron Moore, are intelligent, thoughtful people who really cared about the show and were enthusiastic about their work on it.

Overall I'd say the show has some great things in it and it's worth watching for sure. For me, it just didn't come solidly together as the best shows and movies do, and that's a shame, because I think it had the potential to be greater than it was.