[Citrus and Vine]

As Future Max told Liz. Alex was in the original timeline wedding she had with Max. At age 19. He was there for the celebration. So I don't think the show intended for Alex to die. But they were forced into it. Because Colin wanted out. And Alex dying was an unintended gold mind of a storyline, to explore the feelings of deception, deceit, grief, loss and the need to explain why he died. It brought out the cracks in the group especially in Max and Liz to finally he was embracing his alien side and how that could be frightening for them all.

I think the writers intended that Alex would die, before Tess was introduced.

In the same episode in which Tess arrives in Roswell, Alex’s death is foreshadowed. The writers must have known what role they intended for Tess, before they introduced her to the show. And they must have known how long they intended Emilie de Ravin to be part of the show, when they hired her in Season One. Emilie didn’t ask for time off from the show. Colin Hanks did. Even though Colin Hanks asked for time off, the writers didn’t have to kill Alex or have Tess cause his death, if they didn’t want to. The writers planned and intended in Season One that Alex would die.

The fact that the writers had Alex go to Sweden, instead of being absent in a few episodes or visiting relatives or going on vacation with his parents somewhere or taking a short course at a college in the U.S., shows that the writers already knew before Alex returned from Sweden that Alex would die, since Liz’s discovery that Alex hadn’t gone to Sweden is an essential part of the story.

Although Max felt that Tess betrayed him, Tess felt Max betrayed her. She was in love with Max. She didn’t work with Nasedo, who was their enemy. She went against Nasedo. She took Max, Michael and Isabel to the pod chamber, without telling Nasedo. She told Nasedo that Max, Michael and Isabel were her family and not Nasedo. That same day, Nasedo framed Max for all the silver handprint murders. Nasedo was their enemy.

Tess was in love with Max. She thought that Max wanted to be with her and go to Antar someday, until Max didn’t forgive her for what she did and defended Liz.





I love Roswell!

Roswell re-release April 29th!

[Camibra]

Then Nasedo died by the hand of one of his kin and went to warn Max... Not the sort of thing an enemy would do, unless it were to provoke him? But to let yourself die (Nasedo dying) seems like a bit of a stretch.

[Jasper1975]

We can have this disagreement all we want. You think Alex was meant to die. I don't. It was only when Colin Hanks wanted off, they dreamt up the "Tess betrays the group and is the killer". Because the whole season, Tess was becoming likable and was learning to accept she and Max weren't meant to be. And even in Viva Las Vegas, she was secretly thrilled that Valenti made her come with him and Kyle when he busted the gang. Like she was thrilled at the acceptance. And she was even getting closer to Kyle.

Then suddenly everything went warped in the next episode. All the progress it looked like Max and Liz were making was starting to be undone, and countdown was on until Alex died and Tess was revealed to be in this all a long due to a plan 40 years ago with Nasedo. It was to random, the change. Which tells me, it was only after the cut in episode orders and Colin getting another movie offer and the show deciding to write him out with finality that Tess went evil.

Would I love to look back and see that there were hints Tess was in this to enact the master plan. You can probably find ways to indicate it. Tess was definately of the manipulating and evil side in Season 1 as she tried to get Max to notice her before she revealed her to be an elien. But with how normalized she was becoming in the group in Season 2. It came out of nowhere. But that is JMO.

We know that Tess was originally supposed to show up in the finale to Season 1, but was pushed up due to circumstances behind the scenes. So she may have always been intended for Season 2. Emilie has said that she had no idea she was leaving the show, until she read the script that had Tess being revealed as the killer and sent away. But the way they wrote most of Season 2 tells me they never planned to have Alex die. It was only after Colin's schedule became impossible to control, they changed things.

The fact that the writers had Alex go to Sweden, instead of being absent in a few episodes or visiting relatives or going on vacation with his parents somewhere or taking a short course at a college in the U.S., shows that the writers already knew before Alex returned from Sweden that Alex would die, since Liz’s discovery that Alex hadn’t gone to Sweden is an essential part of the story.

Sweden only became important when they decided to kill Alex off. Otherwise it was perfect explanation why Alex wasn't around for a number of episodes. We know from comments from Colin and other production people, that they had just written Colin back in when the new offers for Colin came about. Which tells me, Sweden was never meant to be a hoax. But when they decided to allow Colin his out from the show, they came up with this mystery that Alex never went to Sweden. And was really decoding the book for Tess who was mindwarping him until his untimely death. Otherwise, Sweden was a perfect way to write out Alex for a few episode. Say he was away for month due to a school exchange.

Tess was in love with Max. She thought that Max wanted to be with her and go to Antar someday, until Max didn’t forgive her for what she did and defended Liz.

Tess was not stupid. She knew he loved Liz. Which is why she said to Liz in Season 3, that he was always dreaming of Liz when he was with Tess. She knew Max wasn't with her out of love. It was because of the baby she schemed to get pregnant with. Now it's on Max that he slept with Tess. As much as I would love for it be revealed to be a mindwarp. But the fact remains, Max was a teenage boy and boys make stupid mistakes. And he had to pay for it. But no way did Tess think Max wanted to be with her because of love. She used the baby was sick to get Max to go with her. Otherwise, Max would have wanted to stay on Earth. He never really wanted to go back to Antar.

So at the end of this debate, you'll think what you want. But I do not think Colin was always meant to die. It was just something that just happened because of behind the scenes drama.

[Camibra]

Sweden only became important when they decided to kill Alex off. Otherwise it was perfect explanation why Alex wasn't around for a number of episodes. We know from comments from Colin and other production people, that they had just written Colin back in when the new offers for Colin came about. Which tells me, Sweden was never meant to be a hoax. But when they decided to allow Colin his out from the show, they came up with this mystery that Alex never went to Sweden. And was really decoding the book for Tess who was mindwarping him until his untimely death. Otherwise, Sweden was a perfect way to write out Alex for a few episode. Say he was away for month due to a school exchange.

This was how I interpreted it first time I saw the episodes.

[*Coccy*]

i smell a deja vu here

[Hell on Heels]

I agree Tess never believed Max loved her, even asked him why he couldn't because she 'is' (instead of 'was') his 'wife', and I don't believe she loved him either, she couldn't have. She wanted to own him. It was about her getting what she thought was owed to her. Max, Antar...the whole queen thing. She was living in the past and was willing to do anything to get it back.

[CityGal]

Thanks for the discussion and the memories.

[Jasper1975]

Originally Posted by Hell on Heels (View Post) I agree Tess never believed Max loved her, even asked him why he couldn't because she 'is' (instead of 'was') his 'wife', and I don't believe she loved him either, she couldn't have. She wanted to own him. It was about her getting what she thought was owed to her. Max, Antar...the whole queen thing. She was living in the past and was willing to do anything to get it back.

Wow. Reading these posts from back in 2008. What a flashback...

In response to this one. She was raised by Nascedo to believe in the pact that was made. The others had the benefit of being raised outside the alien influence. Good and bad, and Michael was truly messed up by his own situation. So they could be influenced by Earth. And that had a true impact on them, and how they looked. And so when he found out more, it put them out of balance and they had to strive to get that balance back...

While hate or love her, you sorts did have to feel sorry for Tess to a point. Only that she had been raised from the moment she came out of the pods by a mad man who made her believe that Antar, and getting pregnant was the grand cause to strieve for...

And while she had months away from him. 10 years of programming is hard to overcome in just a few months of a genuine family environment with Jim and Kyle.

But I think Tess saw the end, and didn't care how she complished. She didn't know the real Max, Earth Max. Liz did. Tess was looking at Max as a way to get back to Antar. Because that she was taught.

Ultimately Tess made her own choices. She didn't have to the lengths she went to. She made her own decisions. In terms of what she did to Alex. And many other things...

[Reggie]

Jasper1975: "Ultimately Tess made her own choices. She didn't have to the lengths she went to. She made her own decisions. In terms of what she did to Alex. And many other things..."

Well, maybe. And maybe not...
Remember, first Nikolas and the Skins tried to kill off Isabel. Then, in the "Max in the City" arc he tried to kill Max. Then at the end of the "Max in the City" episodes, Tess went missing; kidnapped by Nikolas if I recall correctly. Now, he didn't try to kill her, but suddenly she started acting differently. Hostile to the group. Since Nikolas was a powerful mindwarper, isn't it more likely that he mindwarped her into this crazy "let's all go back to Antar" plan? Using her as a tool to get Max & Co. back to Antar, so K'var could kill them permanently? That was Nikolas's mission, after all; and he would have been powerful enough to mindwarp Alex for months on end; as well as providing the necessary background and support at the University for Alex to do his work without the University (or anyone else) asking inconvenient questions.

It makes better sense for the whole Evil Tess thing to be Nikolas's mindwarp; it explains Tess settling in as a member of the group, linked to Kyle; then (after encountering Nikolas) suddenly going rogue and mindwarping Alex, etc. Remember, once they all got home, Tess would eventually be killed too; so this "Plan" of her "father's" would be directly against her interests to follow. On the other hand, it would be exactly what Nikolas was sent to do; and he had the means and opportunity to force Tess into it.

[Jasper1975]

Originally Posted by Reggie (View Post) Jasper1975: "Ultimately Tess made her own choices. She didn't have to the lengths she went to. She made her own decisions. In terms of what she did to Alex. And many other things..." Well, maybe. And maybe not... Remember, first Nikolas and the Skins tried to kill off Isabel. Then, in the "Max in the City" arc he tried to kill Max. Then at the end of the "Max in the City" episodes, Tess went missing; kidnapped by Nikolas if I recall correctly. Now, he didn't try to kill her, but suddenly she started acting differently. Hostile to the group. Since Nikolas was a powerful mindwarper, isn't it more likely that he mindwarped her into this crazy "let's all go back to Antar" plan? Using her as a tool to get Max & Co. back to Antar, so K'var could kill them permanently? That was Nikolas's mission, after all; and he would have been powerful enough to mindwarp Alex for months on end; as well as providing the necessary background and support at the University for Alex to do his work without the University (or anyone else) asking inconvenient questions. It makes better sense for the whole Evil Tess thing to be Nikolas's mindwarp; it explains Tess settling in as a member of the group, linked to Kyle; then (after encountering Nikolas) suddenly going rogue and mindwarping Alex, etc. Remember, once they all got home, Tess would eventually be killed too; so this "Plan" of her "father's" would be directly against her interests to follow. On the other hand, it would be exactly what Nikolas was sent to do; and he had the means and opportunity to force Tess into it.

Possible. But given that everything that happened with Alex was an added on to the season. I don't think they even thought of making Nikolas ultimately responsible. It certainty was odd that she suddenly disappears in New York, and there is certainty reason to think that it might be a grand Nikolas plan.

But then way she's acting later on, when Max confronts her. It seems like it was more engrained in her due to her upbringing with Nascedo. He drilled into her that she needed to get them back to Antar. And to deliver the heir.

For the longest time she did seem to blend into the group. Which made the ultimate betrayal like a knife for all of them, including Jim. Which probably sent him in his diversion into country singing...

So I am not sure how credible the idea Nikolas planted it on the group. So in the end, she made her own choices. A year with the Valenti's couldn't override it.

Because of everything with Alex was added at the last minute. I don't think they even thought to bring it full circle back to the time with the Dupes...or Nikolas.

Except that they needed to put Max and Tess together, when for months they seemed to be backing away from that and Kyle might have become a option...

One of the reasons Season Two becomes more watchable when you view it now. But at the time, it could have been done better because suddenly they had to put a plausible plot to get rid of Alex. And to make Tess responsible...

So they bring it back to the old concept of nature vs. nurture. Max, Isabel, Michael were raised from age six on Earth so they all had a moral concept of right and wrong. And despite Michael's hazardous upbringing with Hank. He had Max and Isabel to keep him in line.

Tess had a mad man in Nascedo who had his agenda and instilled in her from a early age so several months with a true blue family wasn't going to override it.

She still had to act on it. She made her own decision. She knew the group by then. Even if she wasn't intending on Alex's death. She mastered that through and just like later when she came back with baby Zan after being run off Antar due to Zan's human status. It all became collateral damage. To the larger plan.