RNM Final Thoughts
Overall, I had a great time watching and analyzing every episode in Roswell, New Mexico. Although I would not have picked to watch it on my own accord, it opened my eyes to a new genre of TV shows that I will definitely be watching in the future. In Roswell, the characters discuss many real-world issues that help modernize the show itself and reflect the current state of society. Also, some of the characters in the show exhibit many characteristics that I am learning in my other classes, including Social Psychology and Criminology.
For instance, Isobel and her two brothers—Max Evans and Michael Guerin—are aliens from an unknown planet, and they have to conceal their true identity from the community and regulate how the rest of the town perceives them. In doing so, Isobel frequently engages in impression management and masking to ensure that her alien identity is hidden from the rest of the town and to protect the rest of her family from the scrutiny of the people and the government. These two concepts, impression management and masking, are primary topics in social psychology, where we delve into topics like self-presentation and self-knowledge. In class, therefore, I was able to associate these two terms with Isobel in Roswell, which solidified its applicability to my life and learning.
While there were times when the show leaned into its sci-fi genre a little too much, I nonetheless enjoyed the moments that allowed the characters to demonstrate their passions and intelligence. Honestly, my least favorite part of any show is when there is a character who is permanently helpless or reliant on other characters. In Roswell, however, each character had a compelling arc that demonstrated their growth and prevented their helplessness, and, for that, I'm grateful.
In retrospect, my favorite characters were probably Michael, Kyle, Dallas, and Isabel (in that order) simply because they had a balance between going through really tough times, having great emotional depth, and bouncing back stronger than ever. Since this show depicted such resilient characters, I was able to admire them more as a viewer, often rooting for the decisions they made throughout the show (except Rosa for the whole second season),
The themes that echo throughout the show provide clear examples of how they relate to current social systems and behavioral expectations. Talking about race, bioethics, and many other topics, Roswell does a great job of incorporating a wide variety of perspectives and identities that allow the audience to relate to at least one of the characters. As a result, I really appreciated the cast of Roswell because I could see parts of myself in the different characters and watch an engaging, action-packed show simultaneously.