Roswell - Season 1, Episode 15
Title: “Independence Day”
Medium: television series episode
Original airdate: 16 Feb. 2000
Publisher:
1 characters in this story:
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[1st app: Roswell - Season 1, Episode 1 (6 Oct. 1999)] | Jason Katims Productions, etc. |
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Roswell season 1, episode 15 is titled "Independence Day," and focuses on Michael's dysfunctional relationship with his uncaring, abusive foster "father," and Michael's decision to petition the court for legal independence. A secondary story revolves around Maria DeLuca and her mother Amy. Amy is dating Valenti, the town's sheriff, and Maria arrives home after work one night to find that her mother and the sheriff have been physically intimate. This prompts a discussion between Maria and her mother.
[Timecode: 15 minutes, 0 seconds: Scene: Interior of Maria DeLuca's bedroom. Maria's mother Amy enters. Maria is sitting in front of her mirror applying makeup and combing her hair. Throughout this scene, whenever the shot cuts to Maria, we see that behind her a picture of the Buddha is affixed to the side of her mirror. With the hippie leanings of Maria's mother, it is not surprising that Maria identifies with Buddhism or other religions considered esoteric by mainstream American culture and considered faddish and interesting by Hippie culture. The picture of the Buddha here subtly implies that Maria considers Buddhism to be her religious preference, rather than (for example) a strain of Christianity that is popularly followed in this part of New Mexico, such as Catholicism, Mormonism or Protestantism. More important than this, however, is the fact that Mara DeLuca regularly wears a Buddhist necklace, the exact type of necklace that one sees Buddhists wearing, particularly Buddhists from Southeast Asian countries and Caucasian converts to Buddhism. Maria wears this Buddhist necklace throughout this episode. She wears it with different outfits, including her work clothes and her casual clothes she wears while at home.]
Amy DeLuca (Maria's mother): Maria. [Clears throat] I need to ask you . . . for some space. I can't feel like you're judging me all the time.
Maria DeLuca: I'm just trying to look out for you, Mom.
Amy DeLuca: What are you so worried about?
Maria DeLuca: I just don't want you to rush into anything.
Amy DeLuca: "Anything" or Jim Valenti?
Maria DeLuca: I don't trust him, okay? And I don't want him to use you. So--
Amy DeLuca: What would he be using me for?
Maria DeLuca: Well, for the same thing all men want.
[Maria is also worried that Sheriff Valenti might be trying to get close to her mother purely so that he get closer to Maria herself in an effort to discover the truth about aliens in Roswell. But Maria can't tell her mother this.]
Amy DeLuca: Right. Maria, there are, like, three single guys in all of Roswell and two of them live in the Desert Inn Retirement Community. Okay? Jim is a nice guy. He has a good job and he's responsible and he's fun.
Maria DeLuca: He's a cop. You're a hippie.
Amy DeLuca: Well, opposites attract. I don't know.
Maria DeLuca: The man's got a lot of baggage, Mom.
Amy DeLuca: He's been married once. Who hasn't these days?
Maria DeLuca: No, but he's that type, you know? That guy, that tough guy who, like, can't open up or admit he has emotions or, you know, admit that he needs you, you know? Those are the most dangerous of them all. I promise.
Amy DeLuca: Don't worry, honey. Michael will come around.
Maria DeLuca: Mic-- What? Michael? I was not-- I didn't say one thing about Michael.
Amy DeLuca: Sure, you didn't.
Maria DeLuca: I meant hypothetically.
Amy DeLuca: Whatever, honey.
Maria DeLuca: [Deep sigh.] Just-- Just take it slow, all right? Once they get physical with-- You know, once they get what they want . . . they disappear.
Amy DeLuca: I hope you're not talking from experience.
Maria DeLuca: Just yours.
Amy DeLuca: Oh.
[End of scene. Timecode: 16 minutes, 52 seconds.]
Later Michael flees his foster father's physical abuse. Not knowing where else to go, because things were strained when he stayed at Max's home, Michael goes to Maria's bedroom window. Maria lets a completely despondent Michael sleep in her bed that night. Absolutely nothing intimate happens between them, but Maria's mother catches Michael there and naturally has a discussion with her.
[Timecode: 22 minutes, 6 seconds: Scene: Interior of Maria DeLuca's bedroom. Early morning. Michael is in bed next to Maria. He stayed in her room during the night because he was escaping his physically abusive foster father. Maria and Michael slept next to each other, but nothing physical happened between them. Maria's mother Amy enters the room.]
Amy DeLuca (Maria's mother): [Yawning] Maria, honey, you're gonna be late. [Sees Michael in her daughter's bed.] Oh, my God! [Gasps.]
Maria DeLuca: Mom--
Amy DeLuca: Get out! Get out of this bed! [Hits Michael with her newspaper.] Out of this bed! Out!
[Michael gets up, grabs his things and flees the room.]
Michael: Take it easy!
Maria DeLuca: No, wait! Michael, wait! Mom! Mom. Mom.
Amy DeLuca: Maria! Kitchen! Now!
[Cut to their kitchen. Maria is seated at the breakfast table. Her mother frets while preparing cereal for them.]
Amy DeLuca: My baby girl's having sex.
Maria DeLuca: I am not having sex.
Amy DeLuca: Then what exactly did you do?
Maria DeLuca: Nothing. We just slept.
Amy DeLuca: Oh. Yeah. I know that one. I used that one.
Maria DeLuca: You act like I have no self-control.
Amy DeLuca: Oh, yes. Because teenagers are known for self-control, especially teenage boys.
Maria DeLuca: Michael is no tlike that, okay? Well, sometimes he is, but--
Amy DeLuca: What?!
Maria DeLuca: But not last night, all right? He was upset about something. I don't know what he was upset about, but sex was, like, the last thing on his mind.
Amy DeLuca: Oh, thank you. There is a God.
Maria DeLuca: That's why I let him stay.
Amy DeLuca: Oh, yeah, and what exactly were you thinking, letting him stay here, young lady? And besides, why is it okay for you and not okay for me?
Maria DeLuca: I'm 16.
Amy DeLuca: Yes! You are 16 years old and no 16-year-old daughter of mine is gonna have sleep-overs with boys. Got that?
Maria DeLuca: Whatever.
Amy DeLuca: No, not "whatever," Maria. As you so subtly pointed out last night, my history with men has pretty much been a train wreck. And I don't want you to make the same mistakes. Now, I can't go back and change my life, but I will be damned if I watch yours go down the same way. I love you too much.
[End of scene. Timecode: 23 minutes, 46 seconds.]
