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Roswell, New Mexico (Spoilers)
Feb. 12th, 2019 01:56 amSo I've watched the pilot episode of Roswell, New Mexico and so far I have to say that it is as good as the original Roswell. They've updated it, of course. The kids are adults and ten years past high school instead of being in high school and the CW being what it is, they've changed things by making Maria black instead of Italian (well, she might still be Italian, too) and Michael and Alex gay.
While I think it was a good choice to make Alex gay, I'm bummed about Michael being gay (or maybe he'll be bi) because Michael and Maria's relationship on the original show was the best thing in the world. It was so well written and so real and more the heart of the show for me than Max and Liz. I mean, don't get me wrong, I loved Max and Liz, too, but they were always so much drama and Michael and Maria were pretty much the constant you could hold on to and really what I was looking forward to revisiting most.
On the other hand, Michael's and Alex's chemistry is so far off the charts that it will be nearly impossible not to root for them. So my poor shipper heart is torn. Plus Michael was just the best character on the show, period. Alex wasn't gay in the original series, either, he was in love with Isobel. But Isobel is married here, so that's not an option anyway.
I'm not sure if I like Isobel, but then Katherine Heigl left some big shoes to fill. And I do have to remember that the character of Isobel was not written as immediately likable in the original series, either, and was, and is here as well, kind of hypocritical. As in Max couldn't have love with a human, but it was fine when she did it.
The casting is very well done. While I don't recognize the girls playing Liz or Maria, the guy playing Max is the guy who played Jackson on The Originals. Kyle is played by Michael Trevino, who was Tyler on The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. The guy playing Alex is Hannah's boyfriend Caleb from Pretty Little Liars. So a whole lot of gorgeous to look at.
Other changes are that Liz had an older sister (deceased) instead of being an only child, her father is an undocumented immigrant, her mother seems to not be around, they've made Liz Latina, which she wasn't in the series, but was in the book, so her last name is Ortecho instead of Parker, as in the book. I don't know why they changed it back then. Of course that was the WB and it was very white bread back then. And her dead sister is responsible for the death of two other girls (except I don't think she is, I think Isobel mind altered something with that situation), so the town hates Liz's family and is why she hasn't been back in ten years. Otherwise, it is pretty close, other than them being older.
It is set during their high school reunion. Liz isn't there for that, she's back home because her job lost it's funding. As in the original, Max saves Liz's life when she is shot in the diner, the glowy handprint (which is rainbow instead of silver and very cool) shows up later, and as in high school, grown up Liz takes a DNA sample from Max (she's a scientist) and discovers he's not exactly fully human. They do the reveal of the alien pods much earlier, I think, only this time there are only three, which makes me think they likely won't be introducing Tess into the mix. And if you think Katherine Heigl is impossible to replace, try replacing Emilie de Ravin. I'm not sure I want Tess in the mix anyway. She was always a spoiler character, brought in to wreck Max and Liz. But I did love the way baby Emilie played her.
Oh, another change is that Kyle is a doctor, which I don't think he really had the grades for in the original series. Oh, and Kyle's dad is not the sheriff, he's dead, and his mom is the sheriff. And Max is a deputy.
I do think they did a very good job in paying tribute to the original (unlike, oh, so unlike the Charmed reboot, which is total crap) without copying it completely. Although some of the new Liz's inflections were dead on to Shiri Appleby's. Maria seems completely unlike the original. She is a little kooky in her dress and is a psychic, but she is very unlike the original and I think that I am going to miss that too much. Majhandra was just such an amazing actress. Another set of big shoes to fill. So far I'm not terribly impressed, but she's barely had any screen time so that might change. I just worry she'll be a background character when she was such a force to be reckoned with in the original. The actress seems adorable, but again, not much else to go on. I hope she can sing and they don't abandon that part of Maria.
All in all, I am very pleased so far with this reboot. They did it BSG style and that is what it deserved.
While I think it was a good choice to make Alex gay, I'm bummed about Michael being gay (or maybe he'll be bi) because Michael and Maria's relationship on the original show was the best thing in the world. It was so well written and so real and more the heart of the show for me than Max and Liz. I mean, don't get me wrong, I loved Max and Liz, too, but they were always so much drama and Michael and Maria were pretty much the constant you could hold on to and really what I was looking forward to revisiting most.
On the other hand, Michael's and Alex's chemistry is so far off the charts that it will be nearly impossible not to root for them. So my poor shipper heart is torn. Plus Michael was just the best character on the show, period. Alex wasn't gay in the original series, either, he was in love with Isobel. But Isobel is married here, so that's not an option anyway.
I'm not sure if I like Isobel, but then Katherine Heigl left some big shoes to fill. And I do have to remember that the character of Isobel was not written as immediately likable in the original series, either, and was, and is here as well, kind of hypocritical. As in Max couldn't have love with a human, but it was fine when she did it.
The casting is very well done. While I don't recognize the girls playing Liz or Maria, the guy playing Max is the guy who played Jackson on The Originals. Kyle is played by Michael Trevino, who was Tyler on The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. The guy playing Alex is Hannah's boyfriend Caleb from Pretty Little Liars. So a whole lot of gorgeous to look at.
Other changes are that Liz had an older sister (deceased) instead of being an only child, her father is an undocumented immigrant, her mother seems to not be around, they've made Liz Latina, which she wasn't in the series, but was in the book, so her last name is Ortecho instead of Parker, as in the book. I don't know why they changed it back then. Of course that was the WB and it was very white bread back then. And her dead sister is responsible for the death of two other girls (except I don't think she is, I think Isobel mind altered something with that situation), so the town hates Liz's family and is why she hasn't been back in ten years. Otherwise, it is pretty close, other than them being older.
It is set during their high school reunion. Liz isn't there for that, she's back home because her job lost it's funding. As in the original, Max saves Liz's life when she is shot in the diner, the glowy handprint (which is rainbow instead of silver and very cool) shows up later, and as in high school, grown up Liz takes a DNA sample from Max (she's a scientist) and discovers he's not exactly fully human. They do the reveal of the alien pods much earlier, I think, only this time there are only three, which makes me think they likely won't be introducing Tess into the mix. And if you think Katherine Heigl is impossible to replace, try replacing Emilie de Ravin. I'm not sure I want Tess in the mix anyway. She was always a spoiler character, brought in to wreck Max and Liz. But I did love the way baby Emilie played her.
Oh, another change is that Kyle is a doctor, which I don't think he really had the grades for in the original series. Oh, and Kyle's dad is not the sheriff, he's dead, and his mom is the sheriff. And Max is a deputy.
I do think they did a very good job in paying tribute to the original (unlike, oh, so unlike the Charmed reboot, which is total crap) without copying it completely. Although some of the new Liz's inflections were dead on to Shiri Appleby's. Maria seems completely unlike the original. She is a little kooky in her dress and is a psychic, but she is very unlike the original and I think that I am going to miss that too much. Majhandra was just such an amazing actress. Another set of big shoes to fill. So far I'm not terribly impressed, but she's barely had any screen time so that might change. I just worry she'll be a background character when she was such a force to be reckoned with in the original. The actress seems adorable, but again, not much else to go on. I hope she can sing and they don't abandon that part of Maria.
All in all, I am very pleased so far with this reboot. They did it BSG style and that is what it deserved.
