V: A Review

Friday, 13 November 2009

We watch a lot of tv in our house. With the advent of Tivo and Hulu, we're able to keep up with all our old favorites and keep an eye on this season's new shows.  Not a lot of the new shows this season really caught our attention, but one of the ones I have been anxiously waiting for just premiered a couple of weeks ago.

When I heard about the series earlier this summer, I downloaded the original miniseries to check it out.  Like most tv and movies produced in the early 1980's, it was extremely dated, but still had a pretty interesting idea.  In this original miniseries, 50 spaceships appear around the world.  The alien leaders, who look just like us, address the population of earth promising that in exchange for some essential minerals that are abundance on our planet, they will provide us with technological advances, cures to many common diseases, and then to leave us in peace.  As is usually the case in sci fi dramas, these aliens have much more sinister motives.

This updated version follows the same formula pretty closely so far.  Central to the plot is suspicious FBI agent Erica Evans, played by Lost's Elizabeth Mitchell, and conflicted priest Father Jack Landry, played by The 4400's Joel Gretsch, who is unsure how the Visitors' fit into his faith.  Both Erica and Jack learn in the pilot that there is an underground resistance to the Visitors who believe that they have been infiltrating the population of Earth for decades, positioning themselves for this invasion.

So far the season is only two episodes in, but it's showing a lot of promise.  They managed to put together a pretty solid cast. I already mentioned Elizabeth Mitchell and Joe Gretsch, but I also recognized Joss Wheadon favorite Alan Tudyk, and Battlestar Galactica's Rekha "Final Five" Sharma, not to mention Party of Five's Scott Wolf.  ABC's really pulling out the stops for this show.

Speaking of Battlestar Galactica, I was surprised that I didn't catch the similarities on the first take. Just like Battlestar Galactica, the big change between the new version of V and the original miniseries is the way the aliens have infiltrated humanity, disguised as any other human.  It is learned early on that anyone can be a Visitor in disguise, which leaves the show open to many, many plot twists along the way.  As January said, "I enjoyed the show when it was called Battlestar Galactica," why wouldn't I like it again?"

We're only a couple of episodes into the show, but it's definitely gotten off to a good start.  In a season with very few new shows that look anywhere near decent, V is one of the few I'm eager to watch each week. If you haven't checked it out yet, give the pilot a shot. I think you'll be hooked too.

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