Follow TV Tropes

Following

Series / Star-Crossed

Go To

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/starcrossed.png

Star-Crossed (formerly known as Oxygen) is a series that aired on the The CW from February-May 2014 about a group of aliens that are sent to a suburban high school. The show stars Aimee Teegarden, Matt Lanter, Grey Damon, Malese Jow, Titus Makin Jr., Natalie Hall, Chelsea Gilligan, Greg Finley, and Brina Palencia.

Although the series has a similar premise to Roswell, it's based on a Spanish format. Unlike Roswell, however, it didn't get renewed for a second season.


This series contains examples of:

  • Aerith and Bob: The Atrians interestingly have names such as Castor and Nox as well as names like Roman, Drake and Sophia.
  • Alien Invasion: The Atrians arrived on Earth ten years before the start of the series. However, it's not yet clear whether they arrived at Earth to invade or escape from a dying planet. As of the series finale it's hinted that there are at least three factions within the Atrian ship that crash-landed, one of which is aware of the hidden agenda of using the ship as an advance scout ship for an invasion fleet and which evolves into the Trags. The other two are the moderates headed by Nox, who simply wanted to find an uninhabited planet, and some would-be hijackers led by Castor, who don't care where they land as long as they can get off the ship and establish their own Atrian community.
  • Aliens Speaking English: The Atrians have appeared to have learned how to speak English during their stay in the sectors. They do have their own language however.
  • Allohistorical Allusion: In short, the plot is basically the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School but with aliens.
  • Because You Were Nice to Me: Roman seems to be attracted to Emery due to her saving his life during "Arrival Day".
    Roman: "You [Emery] were kind when everyone else was cruel. That's something."
  • Betty and Veronica: Emery between Grayson (Betty) and Roman (Veronica) and Taylor between Sophia (Betty) and Drake (Veronica)
  • Bizarre Alien Biology: Atrians have different birthmarks, breath through their skin, have two hearts, age much quicker, and have healing abilities. The birthmarks become bioluminescent when exposed to water, even after the visible signs have been removed.
  • California Doubling: Averted — the series is both set and filmed in Louisiana.
  • Conlang: Sondiv, created by David J. Peterson, who created the languages for Game of Thrones.
  • Dawson Casting: Matt Lanter, who portrayed the 16-year old Roman, was two months shy of his 31st birthday when the show premiered.
  • Disproportionate Retribution / The Gulag: "The Crate", containing cells with heat lamps to keep Atrians docile and weak, appears to be a place for Atrians who are given absurdly long sentences for what may be arbitrary reasons, ranging from possession of a cellular phone all the way to high explosives. Drake's mom has been locked up for eight years, as one example.
  • Expy: Taylor is basically Caroline Forbes
  • Fantastic Racism: From both sides, basically just cuz. Apparently the US military's response to any appearance by extraterrestrials is "Shoot first and never ask questions."
  • Fantastic Slurs: "Tatties" for Atrians, and "unmarked insects" for humans.
  • First Contact: Its not clear as to what exactly happened, but needless to say it went badly.
  • Great Offscreen War: "Arrival Day". Where the aliens crash land on Earth and for a yet unidentified reason, went to war for Humanity. It might have been a very short war, though, and the aliens might just have been defending themselves after they are shot at. A newscaster says some aliens are surrendering the next day.
  • Half-Human Hybrid: There is speculation about the possibility of successful interspecies sex. As it turns out, not only can humans definitely have sex with Atrians, they can have children as well.
  • Hell-Bent for Leather: Drake's mother wears a bondage-y leather jacket with a corset-like lace-up back.
  • Home Guard: The racism against the aliens is so bad that the aliens need protection from the National Guard.
  • Hufflepuff House: There are seven Atrian teenagers, but so far only 4 of them are plot relevant. The other 3 don't even have names.
  • Human Aliens: If it wasn't for random dark spots on their faces, the Atrians would be indistinguishable from humans.
  • Humans Are the Real Monsters: All the aliens who are unwilling to seek peace with the Humans believe that all Humans are barbaric.
  • Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: Every episode after the pilot is named after a line from Romeo and Juliet.
  • Interspecies Romance:
    • The main plot seems to be about the romantic relationship between an alien boy and a Human girl, namely Roman and Emery.
    • There's a bit of a B-plot romance evolving between Drake and Taylor.
    • It seemed to be going this way with Lukas and Sophia, however she only thinks of him as a friend as she is attracted to Lovable Alpha Bitch Taylor.
  • Incredibly Lame Pun: In "Give Me a Torch," Julia tells Emery she needs a "Roman holiday."
  • It's Always Mardi Gras in New Orleans: "Passion Lends Them Power" takes place during Mardi Gras, although the series itself isn't set in New Orleans.
  • Jerkass: Grayson becomes one after Emery starts going out with Roman. Though it may have more to do with Emery getting his mother arrested for planning a terrorist attack.
  • Jerk Ass With A Heart Of Gold: Drake starts out as a plain Jerkass, but gets his heart of gold as he learns that not all humans think of him as just an unwelcome "tattie".
  • Lovable Alpha Bitch: Taylor.
  • Mental Affair: Roman tells Teri to knock it off with the sex dreams. She snarkily reminds him of all the times he used to want to do that when they were going out with each other.
  • Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: Louise Lombard has some trouble hiding her English speaking tones as Saroya.
  • One Dialogue, Two Conversations: When Drake thinks Taylor is the Trag operative, but she's actually just hitting on him and wants to get in his pants.
  • Pre Ass Kicking One Liner: Upon discovering the Collier Prep team deliberately gave Sophia caffeine (which is toxic to Atrians), Teri gets one.
    Teri, taking off her earrings: What you're saying makes me feel unwelcome and fills me with rage. There. I used my words.
    Teri headbutts a Collier Prep student
  • POW Camp: Atrians feel that being forced to live in "Sectors" is like living in a zoo.
  • Rescue Romance: Roman has had an unrequited crush on Emery ever since they were children and she harbored him in her shed. Once she finds the boy in the shed is still alive—and grew up to be a major hottie—it becomes not so unrequited very shortly.
  • Right-Wing Militia Fanatic: The Human "Red Hawks" faction comes off as this.
  • Sadistic Choice: Offered to Julia by the Evilutionary Biologist Miss Benton.
  • Ship Sinking: Taylor, despite experimenting before, is not attracted to Sophia.
  • Ship Tease: Between Sophia and Lukas. Though it goes to them being Just Friends.
  • Sins of Our Fathers: Roman's father Nox was the leader of the Atrians until he was accidentally shot and killed by Emery's father in the pilot episode. Emery has become a target for retaliation by the Trags.
  • Starfish Language: The Atrian language, Sondiv. Interestingly, in written form it superficially resembles the Deseret Alphabet.
  • Take That!: The Atrian students want nothing to do with glee club.
  • The Big Guy: Drake seems to be a Type 1.
  • The Mole: Several guards in the Sector are working for Atrian extremist groups.
  • The Quisling: Emery is regarded as the "race traitor bitch" among the town's racist population for giving a speech for equal rights for the aliens. Castor may or may not be this for the Atrians, as it's implied that he caused the Atrian ship to crash-land on Earth.
  • The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized: An Atrian extremist group is planning a violent uprising against their Human "oppressors".
  • 20 Minutes into the Future: The aliens crash land in September 2014, ten years before the events of the show take place. Aside from some future tech such as holograms, most of Earth looks unchanged.
  • Wham Episode:
    • Episode 8, "An Old Accustom'd Feast", ends with Roman and Emery talking about a mirzan, a kind of flight recorder that logs the experiences and memories of a pilot. She reveals that Castor shot one of the pilots.
    • Episode 9, "Some Consequences Yet Hanging In The Stars", has Castor discrediting Roman by revealing his relationship with Emery and slanting the revelation to make it appear that Roman is not qualified to be the next Iksen.
    • The Series Finale. Many humans are at the very least unconscious, if not dead, and the Suvek has signalled a large Atrian invasion fleet.
  • Will They or Won't They?: Roman and Emery. They end up kissing and going out by the eighth episode.
  • Younger Than They Look: Atrians age much faster than Humans.

Alternative Title(s): Oxygen

Top