TV.com

Roswell Season 3 Episode 9

Samuel Rising

Favorite

Watched It I've Watched This 0

Next
Episode Previous
Episode

9.3

User Rating

187 votes

Your Rating: 10
Your Rating: 9.5
Your Rating: 9
Your Rating: 8.5
Your Rating: 8
Your Rating: 7.5
Your Rating: 7
Your Rating: 6.5
Your Rating: 6
Your Rating: 5.5
Your Rating: 5
Your Rating: 4.5
Your Rating: 4
Your Rating: 3.5
Your Rating: 3
Your Rating: 2.5
Your Rating: 2
Your Rating: 1.5
Your Rating: 1

Rate Now

EPISODE REVIEWS
By TV.com Users

Write A Review

Episode Summary

EDIT

Free Trial / Subscription

VUDU

Buy

AIRED: 12/18/01

When Max is fascinated by an intriguing autistic child he wonders if his own lost child is attempting to reach out to him. Meanwhile, Michael plays Santa to Maria and Liz's elves at a charity event. Isabel and Jesse share their first holiday together as husband and wife.moreless

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (4)

Wasn't that the perfect Christmas episode? :)

10

By marto_dd, Aug 19, 2008

God, that episode was so good… I absolutely loved it, absolutely. Every singe storyline in it was just perfect and great-written. This episode made me cry a lot and it also made me laugh a lot. Yep, it's really THAT great. I loved the story about Max and that boy, it was so nice and touching. I completely understood where the boy's father was coming from, it should have been really tough for him to live like that. And I loved the solution – when they said that the boy wasn't hurt or sick, it was just different. And all he needed was his parents to understand his pain and to love him. Michael and Maria's storyline was great as well. I loved the moment when they started kissing and the children started screaming, it was so funny ^^ And I loved how Maria stood by him at the end, because she didn't want to leave him alone. Maria is really, really great this season, I hope she and Michael will be together at the end, they are probably my favorite couple :) Oh, and by the way, at the beginning I really believed that the autistic boy was some ling to Max' son. :)moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
0 0

Flag
Share Hide
The Christmas Nazi is back!

9.3

By qstevie, May 27, 2006

Roswell does Christmas again, and it's another corker. OK there's schmaltz all over the place, but it's great fun.

Isabel is back as the Christmas Nazi, here to make sure Christmas runs like clockwork, even down to the requisite inches of fake snow on the trees! Katherine Heigl is just perfect in this role.

And Max is drawn to a small boy, Samuel, who seeks him out in the Crashdown and calls him 'Daddy'. He believes his own son may be trying to get a message through to him, and befriends the boy and his family. Samuel is autistic, but seems to warm to Max, even drawing him a picture of a spaceship.

And poor Liz and Maria - drawn into Isabel's world to do their best for the community - except Isabel's realised they're both just the right size to be elves!

Michael gets to be a very cool Santa, until he and Snowflake (Maria) disgrace themselves in the elves' house. The scene with him and Maria trying to extricate themselves, though his belt is stuck in her costume and they're writing on the ground making everything look far worse than it is, as various children look on and give a running commentary to their parents is very funny.

Max finally realises that Samuel is simply a young, autistic boy who isn't what he's looking for. In a sweet moment, Max comes to Samuel's room and tries to 'cure' him, but can't. I'm glad the writers were sensitive enough not to allow Max to have the cure. It's one thing to cure wrongful death, and even terminal illnesses, but this is different and it would have been very unfair had he been able just to make Samuel 'normal'. The ending, as Isabel is the one who is able to bring the family together again, is moving and cleverly thought out. Yes, the final scenes are incredibly soppy, but if you've suspended your disbelief this far, it's okay to go with the flow on this one.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
0 0

Flag
Share Hide
The tradition of Roswell's excellent Christmas episodes continues.

9.1

By Vyce3, May 21, 2006

In the Crashdown cafe, an autistic kids walks up to Max and calls him daddy. This leads Max to believe that his son on Antar is trying to communicate with him using this kid. Max then starts helping the kid and his mother but he realizes he's doing it for himself and not for this family who suffers. Max then decides to find a way to bring happiness to this family.

It's well written and well thought out. In this episode, Isabel's Christmas Nazi personality comes back into play and Jesse shows her another way to enjoy Christmas. The Christmas Nazi thing is one of the best recurring joke on Roswell... in fact I think it's the only one.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
0 0

Flag
Share Hide
Samuel, an autistic child, talks to Max causing Max to think his son is trying to contact him. And Isabel’s Christmas nazi persona engulfs Jessie, Michael, Maria and Liz.

9.5

By george91910us, Jul 28, 2005

This was the second Christmas episode for the Roswell series. The second year's story was better but Samuel rising had it’s tender moments.

Add to that we see Isabel learning the real meaning of Christmas is not spreading cheer OR ELSE. Instead she learns the joy of sharing the holiday with family and this year with her new husband.

A very special episode indeed!
DO YOU AGREE?
3 0

Flag
Share Hide

See All Fan Reviews

Cast & Crew: STARS

EDIT

Jason Behr	'Max' Maxwell Evans
Shiri Appleby	'Liz' Elizabeth Parker Evans
Katherine Heigl	Isabel Amanda Evans Ramirez
Majandra Delfino	Maria DeLuca
Brendan Fehr	Michael Guerin
Nick Wechsler	Kyle Valenti

See All Cast & Crew

Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

EDIT

Navi Rawat	Shelby Prine	Guest Star
Colleen Flynn	Rebecca Turner	Guest Star
Sean O'Bryan	Warren Turner	Guest Star

See All Cast & Crew

Watch Online

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

FILTER BY TYPE

TRIVIA (4)
ADD TRIVIA
- When Rebecca and Warren are talking to Samuel's doctor, Rebecca says that she heard Samuel speak, but in the scene when Samuel talks to Max - she doesn't hear him, as she says "That's impossible. My son never speaks."
  EDIT SHARE
- TRIVIA: Featured music in this episode -
  -Holly Jolly Christmas by Olds 97's
  -Swingle Bells by Brad Hatfield
  -Christmas Day by Dido
  -Jingle Bells by The Honeydippers
  -O Little Town of Bethlehem by Hangnail
  -Silent Night by Gypsy Soul
  -The First Noel by Gypsy Soul
  -Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Tori Amos
  EDIT SHARE
- This episode marks the last time we see Isabel using her dreamwalking power on "Roswell".
  EDIT SHARE
- TRIVIA: This is the third time it has snowed on the series - twice while Max and Liz were together holding hands and once when Isabel made it snow to cheer Max up.
  EDIT SHARE
QUOTES (10)
ADD QUOTES
- Kids: Santa and snowflake are kissing!
  EDIT SHARE
- Michael: Bring me a brat, snowflake.
  EDIT SHARE
- Isabel: There are no small assignments. Only small volunteers.
  EDIT SHARE
- Isabel: You know, Michael, I, too, was miserable around the holidays until I found my calling.
  Michael: Making other people miserable.
  EDIT SHARE
- Max: So did you and Maria officially break up?
  Michael: I thought so, but the more she says, the more confusing it gets. She wants space, but she still wants me in her life. All I know for sure is I'm not getting any.
  EDIT SHARE
- Jim Valenti: Well there's an age difference you know.
  Kyle: Is there?
  EDIT SHARE
- Michael (referring to Isabel): Hail the Christmas Nazi.
  EDIT SHARE
- Max: Michael, what are you doing?
  Michael: Spreading Christmas cheer.
  EDIT SHARE
- Michael: Hop to it candy cane!
  EDIT SHARE
- Isabel (to Kyle): Huh, you're right, it is sick.
  EDIT SHARE
NOTES (0)
ADD NOTES
- ADD NOTES from this episode.
ALLUSIONS (1)
ADD ALLUSIONS
- Title: Samuel Rising
  
  This is probably a reference to the 1998 movie Mercury Rising, which was also about an autistic boy. It starred actor Miko Hughes, who appeared on several episodes of Roswell.
  EDIT SHARE