Scott Rosenbaum: On V

"When I came onto the show the difficulty was that no one even really knew why the Visitors were here."

-Scott Rosenbaum, third show runner on V, SciFiNow #45, p.35-

Why wouldn't one find this statement so troubling? Executive producer Scott Rosenbaum truly sheds light on many of the problems that plagued V (2009-2011), intentional or not.

Where was the plan heading into this thing called V? There was none. This is how it sounds and that's no way to enter a series.



Rosenbaum continued, "There was very little mythology or backstory that had been planned out." REALLY!?

Rosenbaum noted the creators really had to come to grips with "all of the questions that you need to know to craft rich stories." Yes, good idea, but this was coming into the second season. In effect, this was being discussed on the fly.

Upon his arrival, "I figured out the timeline, the mythology and exactly what they look like." It is hard to believe this alien reboot of V didn't actually have a plan for the lizards conceived. "We built a creature---when I came in, no one even knew what they looked like, but we do now." Oh good.



Was Rosenbaum intentionally making the plan for Season One look as inept as it was in his comments?

"We know how they function, their defense mechanisms and anatomically understand what they are. All of those things you want to have as your frame to your house, which is now in place... It's hard to build a puzzle when you don't know what the picture is supposed to look like. Now we do." All of this comes after an entire season entering Season Two. This is not the kind of plan that instills confidence in an audience, or cast, to be sure.



I certain don't mean to perseverate on V. In no way do I mean to beat up on the series, and at least it's gone now so it's after the fact. But I've been reading a number of my science fiction magazines and V was indeed the fortunate recipient of generous coverage, even support, by SciFiNow for both its insipid seasons and seemingly all for naught. SciFiNow was genuinely far too kind to it, but mostly allowed the creators to state their case and make a case in favor of V. And even that seemed muddled. It's interesting to read just how much all of these players on the series wanted it to do well, but no matter how much they willed it, V was generally a bad, underdeveloped idea from the start without the kind of series bible it required. Rosenbaum's comments are truly telling as V entered its second season. It really was a lost opportunity and by no means the equivalent of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica of which it was so often compared by its creators. Making that connection hardly qualified it to be on the same playing field. Moore genuinely had a sound game plan and really thought it through, with a series guide, even if things weren't quite as compelling to the very end. Still, structurally it was much sounder than this V.



If you think I've been too harsh, writer Dan Howdle had some additional thoughts supporting all of the troubles many of us had with V in SciFiNow #52 (p.51). He noted, as I did here, that many of the principals were lifted from relatively great series (Lost, Battlestar Galactica, Firefly), but were dropped into a poor series of which they were either miscast for or unable to save proving those skill sets were not enough to deliver on the series.

Howdle noted the show seemed to attempt "cliff-hanger"-like moments "before each and every commercial break." He commented that the series failed to "deliver on narrative promise." This constant generated an effect that was "tiring."



Still not convinced, hammering home problems with casting experienced by this writer, Howdle added there was a "ropy dramatic structure hampered by some equally ropey performances." It seemed previous "genre experience" was the only qualifier for landing a job on the series, but character placement resulted in slot of which they were not "particularly well-suited," even naming the casting personnel. Clearly the poor scripting had a major hand in that failure. And with that V ended, a series that lasted longer than some more worthy series. And with this post so endeth this writer's final volley at V. I promise.

Scott Peters And Jeffrey Bell: On V

"We tried to be very respectful to the original.

We definitely made the decision not to step on any of the old characters, not to step on any of the old themes.

I think that it works beautifully in its own universe.

We're certainly striving to have the best characters we can have."

 

-Executive producer Scott Peters, SciFiNow #33, p.35-

There is no question Scott Peters and his creative team had good intentions with V (2009-2011) and that a tremendous amount of work and effort went into it. Sadly though, the end result is at times dumb-headed science fiction. All of the effort simply did not coalesce into an smart sci-fi affair.

The original V was an allegorical story mirroring the rise of Nazism and the resulting Holocaust steeped in World War II analogies.

Showrunner and executive producer Jeffrey Bell noted the original V was like a sci-fi war series with a military foundation.



So Bell and the creative team here saw V as a post-9/11 story. The influence of that one major historical, life-altering event had a ripple effect going forward in the genre. Some excelled in embracing and mirroring our realities (Battlestar Galactica) and others, like V, generally failed.

Bell explained, "There is no single threat. It's terrorists and it's the guy living across the street or the woman next door. Who do you trust? So I think we get to tie into a lot of things that are going on in the world right now" (p.36).



Again, like his colleague Jace Hall here, there were lofty aspirations in what the creative team was striving to achieve. Unfortunately the execution of ideas on V, which theoretically should have been on par with the kind of eloquent cultural, political and societal reflections that were found on Moore's Battlestar Galactica, came up empty headed, poorly written and/or sounding all rather silly. The casting was also an issue with a demanding lead shouldered by a miscast Elizabeth Mitchell.

As a result, unlike the meticulously casted and reimagined Battlestar Galactica, the reimagined V crashed and burned up into a sci-fi dud left to be just a footnote in sci-fi history. Rather than a classic with its own voice to thoughtfully reflect the times, as Ronald D. Moore was able to do or as Kenneth Johnson was successful in doing with his original V, this V is an unintelligent, sad little affair. Fortunately for Johnson his story will endure.

V S1 Ep2: There Is No Normal Anymore

"We'll answer questions, but more questions will be asked. ...I think by revealing another piece of the puzzle in every episode, it will feel very satisfying. Sort of like Lost, which was a wonderful show with asking questions, and I think we're going to do the same kind of thing, but we're going to answer a lot of questions, too. I think there will be more answering of the questions."

-Showrunner Scott Rosenbaum with a clear enthusiasm for V, SciFiNow #39, p.58-

It seems pretty clear there will be questions in V. It's clear there will be answers too. But there will be more questions. Yet there will be more answers to questions for sure. In fact, maybe more answers than questions, which should leave us short in the question column. I think. Anyway, never mind. All that I have read by the team involved with V feels like there was more excitement and more talking about the plans for V than actual thinking and contemplative consideration of what was going into this thing. V is sorely lacking in intelligence and that certain quality of craft on almost every level.



The concerns surrounding this V (2009-2011) series out of the gate were legitimate. The creators were shooting for "richness" and "legs" (according to actress Elizabeth Mitchell) for a long-running mythology, but the production turned out a crippling fist season. At times characters are flat and lack the dynamic presence required to fully immerse us in this world. The cast for Moore's Battlestar Galactica (2003-2009) and the level of detail was so immersive in almost every way as a comparison. Script weaknesses compound the problems on V. Green screen visual effects as backdrops grow tiresome.


On the up side at times there is a good deal of suspense to V, though not necessarily scary, but certainly intriguing. And those exterior spaceship shots are a delight, just not enough. Despite all its potential V simply doesn't deliver.

Writer John Kenneth Muir at his blog, John Kenneth Muir's Reflections On Cult Movies And Classic TV, noted the series lacked visual distinction. That is an entirelt fair statement. V is indeed lacking here. V suffers from falling prey to a visual look that seemed to dominate television at the time and certainly seemed influential following the demise of Lost (2004-2010).



V feels manufactured and uninspired in its edits, beats and build of suspense like so many others. The Nine (2006-2007), also featured Scott Wolf and Lourdes Benedicto, tried and failed. Remarkably, Fringe (2008-2013) managed to have enough going for it to survive five seasons. Series like Flashforward (2009-2010), Revolution (2012-2014) and The Event (2010-2011) followed, crashed and burned. V suffers from that same aesthetic and design to a fault and fails to carve out a strong identity of its own dooming it along with the likes of the aforementioned efforts. Everyone and their brother seemed to be aping the Lost formula for success to the detriment of originality and V certainly had a strong foundation.

Clearly the television audiences were hungry for originality and simply mirroring a successful formula in many respects was revealing, like those lizards behind human faces. If originality wasn't in the cards familiar conventions had to be executed much better than they were for the ill-fated V.



It's one thing to defer to current events and build that narrative into the plotting, but it's another thing to skirt real, hard science fiction and V is a bit light or soft in this respect. No plumbing or mining for alien details ever seems to take the show deeper than its surface visuals (alien skin, a floating ship over the city). It's more concerned with the kind of formulaic crime drama tension often associated with the likes of NCIS and other police procedurals popular with the masses. It makes every effort to build upon that style of television drama rather than generate something truly original. This is where V falls down the most and yet it still entertains to some degree despite its shortcomings.




A cross-cutting edit between two separate sequences makes for a thrilling dramatic component in V, Season One, Episode 2, There Is No Normal Anymore, but it's by no means a new technique.

Character motivations also seem slightly askew or odd for an alien takeover. While the aliens assure us they come in peace I can assure you if a spaceship was hovering over my home I would be packing up the dog and family and hightailing it for the country or far, far away. This was precisely the more logical response in AMC's Fear The Walking Dead (2015-present) when it is learned there is an outbreak and the dead are walking the streets. Yes, fear the dead and fear those aliens with promises of hope and change hovering over your city. The lead characters in Fear The Walking Dead plan to evacuate and get the hell out of dodge. The reaction in that series is authentic and real and the response is visceral. In fact, despite its mixed responses, Season One of Fear The Walking Dead is a more credible, real invasion experience.



Sadly, the creators manage to get some of the tension and atmosphere right, but omit application of a proper, quality, science fiction script with intelligence. As Season One of V progresses there are downright cringe worthy moments. I was embarrassed for the actors. Selling some of the dialogue and bringing epically dopey lines down to Earth is no easy task here and unfortunately it becomes an uneven mix of good and bad for the series. It is a strange thing to watch. It's a slickly produced soufflé of half-baked ideas.

Casting is a bit off for V particularly with Elizabeth Mitchell at the helm. She was fine in her role for Lost, but here she is heading a major TV series re-launch. She makes actress Anna Torv of Fringe seem more like Claire Daines of Homeland (2011-present). Mitchell is just not good enough in the part and to make matters worse for her the scripting is weak at best.



Writer Muir called the series "woefully flat; lacking in suspense, scares, visual distinction" and "interesting characters."

Funny enough, when it comes to politics, Muir is a bit like my political doppelgänger. That's not to suggest he's my evil twin or Bizarro Superman just of a different mind on some matters. It's like we were separated at birth. We're like flip sides of a political coin offering any number of political counterpoints but often find common ground on any number of subjects. But he's never unfair and I'd like to think I'm open to hearing the other side as well. Politics have little relevance when it comes to endorsing a product. It has to be good. I know Muir had problems with the reimagined Battlestar Galactica and politics had nothing to do with it. The same holds true for V.

Glen Garvin of the Chicago Tribune cited the series as "controversial" merely for calling into question the policies of the Obama presidency. He called it a "barbed commentary on Obamamania" (recognizing there was a mania) "that will infuriate the president's supporters and delight its detractors." This is an interesting point in that Garvin makes an unfortunate observation regarding the state of the media, a media clearly influencing their coverage of our nation with the sway of their own political ideologies and agendas. Any good journalist worth his salt would present information in an unbiased fashion. For those who think politics would have any sway here, this writer is here to tell you I was not delighted by V proving politics should not influence honest debate or civil discussion in seeking truth.



Troy Patterson of Slate noted the parallels between V and the Obama administration citing, "if the show is to have the symbolic import that we expect from a science-fiction story, this is the only possible way to read V as a coherent text. The only problem with this analysis lies in its generous presupposition that the text is, in fact, coherent." Patterson gets both points right, the political and the fact it rests upon relatively suspect writing.

If Battlestar Galactica was an allegorical referendum on the presidency of George W. Bush V feels much like the political equivalent to such an approach on Barack Obama. Both V (2009-2011) and Battlestar Galactica (2003-2009), in particular, bring out the political animal in all of us. One of them just did it a hell of a lot better than the other in engaging us to its ideas.



Political subtext aside, and that becomes less pronounced or awkward going forward, V is a bit of a mess. In fact, it's not very artful with its subtext throughout the series. Ironically, what the episode, There Is No Normal Anymore, illustrates a touch too much is that this is pretty normal, cookie-cutter television. It's just not particularly special. It certainly fell well below the appointment television standards.

V, Season One, as a whole, is oddly entertaining in parts, quite a bit daft often times, but like a train wreck, hard to walk away from it. All of the complex weaves intended for V are not written well or not executed well making it difficult for the uniformly uneven casting to carry it all off even slipping into cheesy silly at times. In fact, V is an almost uncomfortable viewing experience as nothing ever sits quite right from script to performance. It feels alien, but not like it should. As the season continues and concludes there is much overly contrived nonsense. It's just not spectacular, quality science fiction as big as it means to be. V simply doesn't lift off in the way you hope from the very beginning.



Aside from its political messaging and reflection of current events the series makes efforts to play with faith, or lack thereof, belief and devotion, of course, in false gods.

The use of green screen throughout V is also extraordinarily overwhelming, or is it underwhelming? There is so much artifice in play that it only serves to amplify how V lacks authenticity and feels kind of phony and sterile on almost every level. There Is No Real Anymore might have been a better title.

There was indeed a youthful exuberance and vigor by the creative team in attacking the new V series from everything I have read by Scott Rosenbaum, Scott Peters and others. There was clearly an energy for putting it all together, but it just never coalesces in every aspect of the series. There Is No Normal Anymore and the rest of Season One never seems to sharpen its focus, its performances or its narrative.

This writer wishes there was a more positive experience to report regarding the series, but alas there is not. All the efforts, of which there are many, sadly just wind up kind of feeling a bit dumb and that's much kinder than one critical letter in SciFiNow whereby the writer preferring to not mince words simply noted "it sucks." V is no Lost and not even in the same orbit. V is for vacant, unessential science fiction television and, unlike both must own versions of Battlestar Galactica, the new V is one series with which I will not be returning.

Jace Hall: On V

"I was asking myself, 'Where are those stories that make us want to aspire to be more?

That question the human condition in some way and that make you recognize your potential as a person?'

I've always been very interested in those kinds of stories..."

 

-Executive producer Jace Hall, SciFiNow #33, p.34-

We here at Musings Of A Sci-Fi Fanatic are also interested in stories of the human condition. So what happened with that plan for V?

In every way the far superior reimagining of Battlestar Galactica (2003-2009) at least tackled questions regarding the human condition however dark at times. There was also the noble, original, classic Battlestar Galactica (1978-1979) and arguably Farscape (1999-2003), Space: Above And Beyond (1995-1996), Firefly (2002) and of course Star Trek in general. Defying Gravity (2009) arrived the same year as V and appeared to be aiming for such a concept, more so than V, but that ephemeral series ended even sooner than V. These various aforementioned shows attempted to muse about our strengths and weaknesses and our potential as human beings. V felt swept up in a soapy melodrama with aliens.



Hall actually has the right idea and has a point. Looking around there have not been a lot of great science fiction options when it comes to a positive, inspired approach to science fiction. It's often dark or coping with the darkness of the human condition. Series that delve into concepts of the pioneering human spirit, like the themes found in Royal Space Force: The Wings Of Honneamise (1987) by Gainax found here are quite rare.



It's not easy to find an inspired science fiction TV series aspiring for greatness when it comes to our post-9/11 universe. The world has indeed changed and, of course, there have been glimpses thematically to the ideas set forth by Hall in the above quote throughout the aforementioned series.

Unfortunately, Hall with executive producer Scott Peters failed to capture such a vision within their V reboot. The whole idea seems to be missing. Shallow characters with incredibly bad lapses in judgment, poor logic and overall schmaltzy writing made for a generally forgettable sci-fi excursion. At the end of just two very short seasons, we were happy to see an end to this alien scourge.



Hall contacted Peters and told him "Dude, you can actually write this stuff!" Sadly that statement is telling and Peters and company simply did not deliver justice to a new V or their hopes for an intelligent foray into the genre.

V S1 Ep1: Pilot

"Before we get on let us at least make sure it is sturdy and sound.

Let us at least examine it to really make sure it is something that we want to climb aboard.

No one is saying don't trust the visitors.

Don't they need to earn our trust?

It's something we all need to think about."

 

-Father Jack Landry speaking about the Visitors, but could be speaking to the post 9/11 America concerns regarding potential Muslim jihadists, illegal aliens crossing the southern border or an influx of Syrian refugees-

Recently we examined, in short, a successful fusion of actors from various genre projects for TV's Longmire (2012-present). The culmination of those performers into that world tapped into something special.

We turn our attention to a similar cocktail attempt.



What do you get when you take an all-star team, at least in credentials, in the form of Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost, Revolution), Joel Gretsch (Taken, The 4400), Lourdes Benedicto (The Nine), Scott Wolf (Party Of Five, The Nine), Morena Baccarin (Firefly, Stargate SG-1, Homeland), Alan Tudyk (Firefly) and Lexa Doig (Andromeda, Stargate SG-1, Continuum) and place them within the world of Kenneth Johnson (The Incredible Hulk, the original V)? The result is the reimagined V (2009-2011). The new V was an effort akin to Ronald D. Moore's retelling of Battlestar Galactica (2003-2009) without the quality. The reimagined V was developed and managed by Scott Peters who created, wrote and directed The 4400 (2004-2007) and by all accounts prior to my viewing here a pretty mediocre translation of the original V mini-series and series (1983-1985). But is that fair?



One thing is certain, actor ensembles aside, like the group assembled for the exceptional Longmire (based on the writing of Craig Johnson), in truth, it always comes down to the writing. Did V have the writing required to offer a sound science fiction outing?

Critical reaction to the new V was indeed mixed. Despite sterling production values (apart from a crashing jet in the Pilot) in the early going the new series came with some degree of controversy before even taking off.

The original V, inspired by Sinclair Lewis' It Can't Happen Here (1935), a political satire on fascism (which speaks to Johnson's politics), was deemed one of the best science fiction genre efforts ever in an article called The Sci-Fi 25: The Genre's Best Since 1982 (2008).



Would the new V, like the new Battlestar Galactica, remain true to the original or stray creating a new and separate identity with the same name, as Ronald D. Moore's Battlestar Galactica essentially did so successfully. Moore created a virulent, liberal antidote to the conservative-driven original series of the 1970s. In turn, V, offers the political antithesis to the liberal anti-Reagan era version of the original series here (though the creators have protested to the contrary). Like our political realities, science fiction too often applies these two competing schools of ideological or political thought. Some are rather eloquent while others are less articulate thanks in part to a lack of scriptwriting prowess. Without question, like Moore's Battlestar Galactica, V aimed to hold up a mirror to the realities of our post 9/11 political world, but lacked the skill in telling its tale.



Original writer/creator Kenneth Johnson managed to temporarily suspend production of the series in 2009 pending a suit filed with the Writer's Guild Of America to have his name removed from the new V series. This fact is telling with regard to Johnson's confidence in the series or lack thereof. Johnson felt the new V was a fundamentally transformed version of the original show. Johnson felt the new V was a standalone work and not at all a remake or true to the original's intent as a post World War II allegory on Nazism. It lacked the military tone, style and spirit of the original series. Ultimately, the Writer's Guild sided with Scott Peters and the team behind the new V and opposed Johnson's request. The credit to Johnson remained when the series aired.

Despite spaceship-sized ratings smaller networks might kill for coupled with a bevy of nominations for a variety of actors and technical awards V just couldn't muster more than two short seasons before receiving word of cancellation.



But was V really that bad? Did Kenneth Johnson have a point? Should V simply have come under a different name? Some have often considered such an idea might have worked to the benefit of Stargate Universe (2009-2011) had it separated itself from the Stargate franchise name. Both V and Stargate Universe (SGU) lasted just two season, but don't compare the outstanding science fiction qualities of SGU to the train wreck that would be the new V. The two are simply not of the same orbit when it comes to quality. SGU would be a sterling example of smart, atmospheric science fiction.



With V, Season One, Episode 1, Pilot, what is most evident is the effort to infuse the series with the kind of political commentary that succeeded within Battlestar Galactica, but without the subtlety and grace. Like Battlestar Galactica which tapped into the zeitgeist of America's post-9/11 trauma, V too attempts to carry the torch by questioning issues of trust. The series dives into the concept literally of foreigners or aliens, the suspicions surrounding their intentions, and the kind of blind zealotry that can result from false gods or indoctrination by them. In many ways V was ahead of its time (though still poorly written) given the rise of Isis and the global influx of Syrian refugees and the turbulence linked to the Mid East thanks to a feckless, reckless, American foreign policy and absence heretofore. Problems persist, laws are enacted, but then recklessly unenforced (visa lapses, border security, etc) and in fairness it has been this way for years. It's a mess.



For the series, the Visitors are very much that invading force. This V taps into today's terrorism supplanting the militarism of yesterday's V with asymmetrical insurgencies and masked terror plots. The Pilot sets up those contemporary concerns going forward. And like Battlestar Galactica perceived friends can be enemies while perceived enemies become surprising allies. Subterfuge is everywhere. Unfortunately for V, Battlestar Galactica is the standard bearer of science fiction writing with a political agenda (one in which I didn't often agree, yet was incredibly well-penned).



There are many examples where V puts the spotlight on any number of socio-political or cultural fronts. Alien visitor Anna, played by Baccarin, meets with journalist Chad Decker, played by Wolf. She insists no questions should be presented that would paint her or the visitors in a "negative light." The sequence, intentional or not, shines a light on politics and the media today. Obama and Hillary Clinton have both cherry picked media outlets over the years that have been essentially friendly to their agendas refusing to allow airtime to networks viewed as unfriendly to their philosophical views. V paints a troubling picture of contemporary politics in that singular moment. Clinton, America's version of Anna, herself refused access to her campaign by the media for months controlling the flow of news. It wasn't until the arrival of Donald Trump (relax not an endorsement), love him or loathe him, and the debacle of her unsecured email server did Clinton begin to alter her approach. In V, Anna, very much wished to control the narrative as much as Obama and Clinton have as President and Secretary of State respectively.



V channels concepts from John Carpenter's They Live (1988) too, another politically rich narrative but with a message of anti-capitalism, but again V just doesn't sit right.

In the final minutes of the Pilot, there is a terrific juxtaposition of duplicity established between an underground rebel faction mirrored against Anna's more congenial, false interview. The visitors attempt to establish a certain depiction of who they are, while phony, while a rebel factions attempts to enlighten hearts and minds to the truth. Anna seeks to establish universal health care centers. Obama. Underground freedom fighters are preparing for a takeover and a battle against terrorism and essentially big alien government.



And like any good politician, Anna knows that if you repeat the same message ("We are of peace. Always.") to an unsuspecting and gullible people, you can play them and those "low information voters" will begin to believe it. Hope and change. Say it enough, over and over, and people blindly follow believing the messenger even if what is said rings false. Free universal healthcare is pushed here too. Humans are jumping aboard like lemmings off a cliff. Anna, complete with her close-cropped Obama-like cut, plays an American electorate as simpletons, with cool, calculating, Obama-like manipulation, precision and suave. Devotion is what the Visitors seek like any self-serving politician. Anna plays the soulless Obama role with perfection, while Elizabeth Mitchell is far less qualified in the lead here. She doesn't hold a candle to the likes of Claire Danes when it comes to carrying a series and actually seems a little lost in the part. V is big on technical production values and casting familiar names, but sadly short on quality performances and reliable, quality scripting. It's not the worse, but we've seen so much better.



Like the political climate of division and distrust we live in, the Visitors are here to divide us as much as our media and our politicians do daily. Its message couldn't be more timely but it is executed and articulated poorly with the subtlety of jack hammer.

V attempts to be as much a commentary on our culture, religion and politics as it does is an entertaining yarn of science fiction but it's just too darn clunky in pulling it all together.

It's easy to see why V might have been rejected so vehemently by some in 2009. Hollywood is a liberal business and Obama was riding high as a beloved figure by a great majority and still has a good deal of support. Some found V a touch too critical for a guy who had hardly done a thing (but that wasn't the show's biggest problem), and that's true, yet he became a laureate through a miraculous awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize (2009). What!? It was like the second coming. For many, like those who worship the Visitors, such adoration will remain so until the end. V might have fared better in 2015 after nearly eight long years of failed liberal policies at the commanding hand of Obama, but it would still would have required a higher degree of quality writing. V, in many respects, worked as a counterpoint and counter narrative to all of the political noise. It's like anti-Obama anti-big government messaging but no one was watching and as an entertainment V gave us little to care about.



Alien invasion or abduction stories are often a lot of fun. Falling Skies is one example that never quite materialized for me either, but it wasn't politically pointed or dumb-headed in expounding on politics.

The V Pilot sets up an epic thread with its big cast, big effects and big blatant political ideas, but is merely average in its execution. The question going forward was could it improve? Where would it go from here?

For better or worse, in many respects, V is a more polished, updated rework of the original. It glistens with the same kid of technical prowess and sheen that forced comparisons between Fringe (particularly Season One) to its more gritty predecessor The X-Files (1993-2002). Unfair or not, like Fringe, you'll either really enjoy the new V or likely hate its antiseptic alien elitism.



As a self-contained Pilot, it is a caustic and scathing commentary on "devotion" or belief in false prophets in the guise of political figures as much as it is lizards in the guise of humans. Good or bad, this is as open and intentional a sci-fi political commentary that I can recall in recent memory. That's likely unintentional and that says something about its less than subtle even graceless handling of the subject matter and its political discourse here. This conservative critical analysis of liberalism and the usurpation of power by the Obama portrayed in the guise of an alien takeover is fairly spot on, unfortunately V has problems. It has its writing flaws, logic issues, casting missteps and lacks the heart and depth of Johnson's original work, all of which do harm in selling the series, but this Pilot still engages and thrills with a good bit of suspense along the way despite the lack of real, hard science fiction.



Much had been written about V not being smart enough and certainly it could benefit from smarter writing even real sci-fi writers, but this Pilot does have its bright spots.

This back and forth of mixed messages suggest perhaps an ill-prepared series. Based on the Pilot there is assuredly enough to give pause for concern regarding what appears on the surface V's inherent mediocrity. The Pilot is like a fork in the road of quality and which direction the series took from here may have had an influence on its fate. Quality certainly did not dictate the demise of SGU.

At first glance the V Pilot is disappointing or at least not quite up to the hype. Upon closer inspection, when you consider the quality of Season One on the whole in its entirety, which I've seen, the Pilot feels like a work of art. Of course that's not saying much. The season as a whole devolves precipitously from here becoming more and more ludicrous, corny, melodramatic and illogical with each impending installment.



We will take one more look at V and reflect on the second episode and the first season as a hole before aborting this mission.

The good news is the politics become far less notable or pronounced with each new episode, but also noticeable is a degradation in overall quality. The politics, as they are presented here, make the political angle of Moore's Battlestar Galactica seem like Shakespeare or poetry by comparison.

Anna was a "tangible figurehead" according to Baccarin in the extras likening the character to an Obama-like savior. So it's not just me reading into this.



Executive Producer Scott Rosenbaum would tell you or have you belieVe that writer Scott Peters actually had the Bush administration in mind when assembling V. That's rich. It's just like Hollywood and the elites to fall in line against conservatism. Either it's disingenuous on the part of Rosenbaum or speaks to just how inept the writing was on this series. Rarely do I enjoy writing about politics in a piece, but V screams its politics from high atop its spaceships here in the Pilot. It wouldn't be honest to discount politics when writing about V.

So that it wasn't a total loss for me personally, I took the opportunity to enjoy taking pictures of the spaceship. I love spaceship designs. So if there are spaceships involved it's never a complete waste of time for me even if the spaceships, like the show, aren't the most memorable either.

Generally speaking, V is for vacuous.

Director: Yves Simoneau. Writer: Scott Peters.