ORB THEORIES

The Switched Orb Theory

This theory by Qfanny with minor additions from shapeshifter

LIZ: Maybe it's, you know, a signal.
For...(she raises her eyes to the sky)

Before I can get to the episodes Sexual Healing and Crazy, I feel that it's important to remember our previous episodes. Pilot, River Dog, The Balance, and The Convention set up the Nasedo character before he ever arrives in Roswell. We know that Nasedo is a killer. We know that he can shapeshift. Although Max, Michael, and Isabel are looking for their heritage, they realize that the "fourth" alien is not the warm fuzzy parent for whom they long.

By the time Blind Date and Independence Day air, the audience has additional information the podsters do not. They do not know they are being watched. They do not know that the "fourth" alien received the symbol Michael and Isabel sent. They do not know that the "fourth" killed (or at least buried) Hank and assumed his identity. But we know this from viewing. We can see (and hear via the music) that there is an ominous feeling of suspicion whenever the "fourth" appears. Given the covert and questionable actions of the "fourth," we can fully believe Max when he says, "I think Nasedo is evil."

With that in mind, let's go to the scene from Sexual Healing where Max and Liz find the orb. The orb is working. It's giving off light, making noise. So Max and Liz decide to stay in the desert:

• 
  LIZ: Maybe it's, you know, a signal. For...(she raises her eyes to the sky)
  
  MAX: Maybe. Maybe we should stick around. See what happens.
  
  
  • This dialog, cut from the episode, is available at Karola's Cutting Room Floor.

They fall asleep and while they sleep, the orb is just sitting there, basically unprotected. A suspicious shadow appears in the front of the screen, the ominous Native American flute music plays. This can lead us to believe foul play is about to occur. There are two cut away scenes, but when we return to Max and Liz in the desert, the camera has the orb in a front and center position. This to me screams, what happened to the orb when I wasn't looking?

I support the idea of switched orbs (or another variation, sabotaged orbs) because of the following:

1. Opportunity for it to occur
2. Suspicious backstory with Nasedo
3. The orb seems to stop working once Max and Liz wake up.
4. The Chester cat smile the Rancher-Nasedo has on his face.

Reasons and motives that support switched or sabotaged orbs.

1. Potentially could ruin Mommo-grams credibility, this is not a fact, just an idea.
2. Irony: It is Liz that finds the orb through visions from Max. This is really too bad. For it is later the orb's message convinces Liz to walk away from Max. If the orb didn't want Liz to be apart of Max, why was she so instrumental in finding it??? It makes more sense to believe that the orb damaged.

From Reggie:
Remember, I've got dibs on the theory that the orb(s) are really just alien remote controls. They will work most alien equipment, like the AV equipment that played the Mom-o-gram and transmitted the alarm "beacon". No buttons on these remote controls- just think at them, FOCUS!, and they'll respond. Oh, and if you loose one, it'll let you know where it is so you or your girlfriend can find it.