(S01E01) We were promised a modern re-imagining of the classic '80s V mini-series, and that's exactly what we got. Gone were the allusions to World War II Nazism and the treatment of Jews in Europe. Instead, we're offered allusions to the war we've been fighting for eight years now.
I wasn't sure how they could modify the storylines from the series I remembered to accurately find parallels to our war on terrorism, and the terrorist movements themselves, but they did. And they did it all while staying true to the struggles and fears that's kept the original series fresh in our minds for 26 years now.
Even better, I watched this with my 10-year old son who's never seen the original, and he was absolutely riveted. Everything I loved about V back then is here, and there's so much more to get excited about. I always thought V should be an ongoing series, and even though we eventually got one, I think this time they've finally got it right.
I'm very interested to see how they hook us for the long wait until the continuation of the season. V, circa 1983, was a four-hour mini-series that ended on a cliffhanger and led to the continuation of the series in another six-hour blast the following year. And here we go again.
We'll get four hours through November, and then the series will disappear until March of next year. That's a long time for fans to wait, so it's incredibly important that they hook us good to lure us back. I'm very worried about the series' future because of this strange scheduling strategy. Partially, because this pilot was so damned good I want this Resistance to fight on for several years.
I'll admit, in the beginning when Elizabeth Mitchell's FBI character Erica Evans was tracking down a terrorist sleeper cell, I made no connections between that and the arrival of the Visitors. I just thought it was a way the writers were showing us that this is happening in the real world. What they did, instead, is show us that the Visitors are coming at us just like terrorists would.
They have sleeper cells and agents already amongst us, in disguise, awaiting the next phase of their operation. This part seemed like a pretty heavy nod to the reimagining of Battlestar Galactica, with sleeper agent Cylons infiltrating the human colonies to lay the groundwork for the ultimate siege.
It succeeded in adding a whole new layer of malice to the Visitors. The big reveal that Ryan Nichols (Morris Chestnut) is himself a Visitor was huge. Even Erica's friend and confidante at the bureau, the always delightful Alan Tudyk, is an alien in disguise. Which has me wondering just how widespread this infiltration is? Is it as bad as the Skrull infestation of the Marvel Universe a few years back? Did that question just mark me as a huge nerd?
It's great, though, that the war will be much more challenging. The Visitors now look and sound like us -- they had different voices in the original mini-series -- which means it'll be harder to know who you can trust and who you can't. And what about those aliens who have betrayed their original mission? Surely the Visitors will have something to do about that. And they're a lot more mysterious. We've seen far fewer of them and very few from the ships have interacted with anyone other than Scott Wolf's reporter Chad Decker.
How about the effects of this? Obviously, we've come a long way in 26 years, but the ships are absolutely beautiful. I love how open and spacious they are, but we've still seen so little of them. We've also seen very little of the Visitors themselves. We got the classic skin rip revealing their reptilian skin underneath, but the human layer of flesh is much thicker than the original Visitors, making me think these newer aliens are much thinner and sleeker than their counterparts from the '80s ... again, like Battlestar Galactica.
But you know, a comparison to the new BSG is actually one of the highest honors I can bestow, as it was one of the single best science fiction narratives to hit the airwaves. Time will tell if the new V can achieve anything close to those heights, but I think it's off to a great start.
It's a very smart move to shape the war like our war on terror, as it makes the series more accessible perhaps to fans who might not be so inclined to watch a science fiction series. I can't wait to see how it does in the ratings for this premiere, but I'm even more excited to follow along and see what's in store for us the rest of this month.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
11-04-2009 @ 1:48AM
Christopher said...
Is it me or was Elizabeth Mitchell's character son a complete douche?
And what was up with the applause after the initial contact speech, I seriously doubt that would be the response. I understand the good news about the technologies and curing of diseases, but it seemed weird to me.
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11-04-2009 @ 4:48AM
Wii60 said...
He's clearly there to rope in the younger bunch, and should fail miserably at that.
Seriously, the character is a douche.
11-04-2009 @ 4:23PM
AC said...
Like you, my first thought after watching everyone applause the aliens was 'what a completely ridiculous reaction'. However, as we now know there are many many aliens that are walking around planet earth masquerading as humans. Of course they knew when and where the spaceships would make their big reveal. Is it possible that they were there in that crowd in New York (and possibly other cities) on purpose to help sway the humans into viewing them immediately in a positive light? They start clapping knowing that the human reaction would be to follow their lead? Or maybe I am thinking too much and the writers are just not that bright.
11-04-2009 @ 5:08PM
Creep said...
Agreed. The clichéd annoying teen who does whatever they want whenever they want regardless of how it affects anyone else is nerve grinding. Just like Will Smith's annoying kid in The Day The Earth Stood Still, I want them to get mortally wounded or fall into a chasm.
11-04-2009 @ 5:36PM
Zach S said...
I actually didn't mind her son as much, but the kids friend was even the bigger douche in my opinion. He annoyed the crap out of me.
11-04-2009 @ 7:42PM
J0phus said...
Thanks for asking the question and not saying how that is bad writing. The fact is we don't know. I proposed, further down the thread, that since the aliens have seemed to have mastered our physiology, specifically neurology (making the paraplegic walk), perhaps they somehow influenced the planet to be accepting and tranquil. Remember she did say that is what lead to their advancement, when they learned to overcome fear.
I too thought that particular scene was odd, which is why I thought about it for a minute. In my mind if this really happened you could have looked down upon the space ship from near-space and seen a sea of people spreading away from the space ship, as if you dropped a stone in the water. This whole event is a fight or flight situation and the people did neither. Which leads me to believe that I don't understand what has happened yet, like these people who claim it is bad writing.
The fact is you cannot judge the premier as if it was a film. We are still in act 1, folks. Don't assume. Especially with something so complex as this. I also want to point out that this show is not about aliens coming to earth. It is commentary on humanity and our social structures, as well as perception. So pull yourselves out of the thoughts of absolution, folks. This story can go anywhere. Hasn't contemporary television drama taught you anything?
This isn't about black or white, the writers are exploring a vast sea of gray. This story takes place in the periphery. Also, for everyone who is hung up on this vs. the original, don't think of it as a remake. It is an homage to a beautifully complex idea that hasn't been approached since its conception.
11-04-2009 @ 1:53AM
bruce said...
I watched it tonight, and for whatever it's worth I've never seen the original 80's series. It was interesting, I love Elizabeth Mitchell (does this mean she's absolutely dead and completely gone from Lost - even in flashbacks?), very good special effects for a TV show, and an interesting premise.
But after the pilot, I feel as though all the mysteries have been revealed. Shouldn't they have waited a few episodes to reveal whether the aliens ("Visitors") are good or evil? Hell, that could have been the cliffhanger shocker at the end of the first season. Instead, it's already made abundantly clear before the end of the pilot episode. We already know they're evil reptilian invaders masquerading as benevolent universal healthcare providers who kill people and want to take over the planet.
So now, all that's left is for everyone to realize this and organize the resistance to fight the Visitors. Quite frankly, that doesn't sound very interesting. I'm sure the humans win at the end, somehow. They probably engineer some virus or something that kills the V's but not people (not as lame as Independence Day, but still pretty lame and a ripoff of War of the Worlds).
Anyway, I'm surprised so much was revealed in the pilot. Other than some cool alien technology, conflict with Liz Mitchell and her bratty hot-for-alien kid, and further revelations of the Visitor's hostile intentions (again, which have already been confirmed), there's not much else to see here. At least that's how it feels.
So, what's the point? From this point on, it's just Independence Day sans Will Smith.
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11-04-2009 @ 2:39AM
Morjana Coffman said...
I noticed that the Visitors must have met the Destiny from Stargate Universe in their travels. They too have a KINO, only their KINO is also a weapon, complete with shiny lethal pointy things that be launched into the bodies of tender humans.
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11-04-2009 @ 4:06AM
Mills said...
How could you miss the obvious "a new & exicting presence that promises changes that will benefit us all, turns out to be evil in disguise" allusion. Was the "universal health-care" anvil they dropped on our heads not heavy enough for you to get it? Even I had to roll my eyes at that line.
But then I read further into this post and realized that any shred of credibility from this reviewer went out the window with this line:
"But you know, a comparison to the new BSG is actually one of the highest honors I can bestow"
Thanks for the single, out-loud "HA!" you gave me with it
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11-04-2009 @ 4:22AM
shamon said...
All i can say is WOW this is a great new show remakes come good and some come bad ( bonic woman and knight rider ) but this ranks up there with battlestar galactica so far .
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11-04-2009 @ 4:40AM
kupony said...
Seriously? You let your 10 year old kid watch this show? It's rated 14+ in case you didn't notice, and any parent in their right mind would know from the previews that it isn't a show for the kids!
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11-04-2009 @ 7:25AM
Sheri G said...
I've just finished watching the Pilot to V and although I think it holds a lot of promise, I found the jumping back and forth timeframes irritating and felt it obscured the otherwise interesting storyline. That said, unlike others who followed the original V series, I am happy for the storyline to be adapted and roles to be changed. After all if I wanted to see exactly the same story, I would just revisit the original series. I just hope that however they develop the story, it does not get bogged down or diverge into the ridiculous as some promising and recent sci-fi series have done e.g. 4400 which started out well then became boring. So I'll be following this series for as long as it remains interesting and innovative in its special effects.
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11-04-2009 @ 7:49AM
Aaron said...
I always hoped they would made this a continuation of the original. At the end of the second miniseries from the 80's (I think) the humans sent out a distress signal to the enemies of the Visitors. The Visitor's planet was 10 (or something like that) light years away, so they figured it would take 20 years to get help. Showing what the Earth would have been like after 20 years of Visitor rule would have been interesting. (Not counting the dumb ending of the TV series where the hybird love child magically stopped all the destruction.)
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11-04-2009 @ 8:37AM
zkbzjm said...
I feel another "LOST" disapointment coming!
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11-04-2009 @ 8:41AM
Alicia R. said...
I was so happy to see Irnia and Wash again on the same side... Oops... sorry.
Naw, I thought this had promise. I remember the first one (WTH where my parents thinking... I was 6!) and I have to say, it really did spark my interest in the Sci Fi genre.
I am worried about the break though. I think ABC is committing a huge faux pas with that one.
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11-04-2009 @ 10:38AM
mdk said...
Well enjoy it, you've got a grand total of three more episodes!
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11-04-2009 @ 9:00AM
HD said...
Meh. I looked forward to this reboot and was under whelmed.
Pros:
Love Elizabeth Mitchell - would watch her watch paint dry.
The production design was well done.
Cons:
No one could convince me this show was well written or thought out.
The story was just thrown out there - felt rushed. Not to mention there was no twist to the whole lizard thing - they didn't even try. No suspense, no detailed plot, crappy dialog.
In one hour it was: OMG Alienz U guys! Oh nooes evil lizards! Space invaders LOL. Tune in next week.
Good thing I love Elizabeth Mitchell.
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11-04-2009 @ 9:44AM
Biggus Rickus said...
I liked the original, though it is a bit cheesy in hindsight. And the story feels a little rushed. I thought they would reveal the nefarious side of the V's more slowly iin the series, and I'm a little disappointed they didn't do so. Still, finding out how those select humans actually knew what was going on and watching the resistance form while the V's secure their power should be interesting.
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11-04-2009 @ 9:13AM
GuyDanger said...
I have to agree, this show was terrible! I really tried to give it a chance but the cheese moments got the best of me. If you are 10 years of age, you will love this. But for the rest of us, this reimagining of a classic needs to be put away and never spoken of again.
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11-04-2009 @ 9:39AM
Jimmy_MO said...
I was underwhelmed. If the next three episodes are of this quality I can understand why ABC put the show on hiatus and replaced its showrunner. There is definately potential here, but it needs work.
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