What I Think about ABC's "V"

When I was a kid, I got scared by TV and movies really easily. I couldn't watch heads roll in "Highlander" or the guy chopped up by the plane in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" or "Gremlins," the whole damn movie.

On TV, there was only one show that really got my heart racing, and that show was "V."

The concept was simple enough ... aliens come to Earth, offer peace but turns out they're reptiles trying to kill us all. There were lots of things that frightened me. The music (oh, the music was GENIUS scary), the sound of their guns, my favorite characters dying off one by one. Sadly, the allegory of Nazi Germany was lost on me at the time, and after watching the replay of the show on YouTube last month, I realize it was pretty weak to begin with (persecuting scientists like the Jews were didn't quite work).

So, when it was announced that "V" was being re-made, I thought, "Why not? They can't do worse than 'Knight Rider,' or 'The Bionic Woman,' and maybe they'd be able to make a 'Battlestar Galactica.'" When I saw the cast of actors they chose I thought there was great potential.

So, having watched two episodes there are plenty of things to like and dislike. Let's take a look at them ...

LIKES
- Morena Baccarin is so stunningly beautiful she overshadows any failings the show has in plot or substance. I wasn't really attracted to Elizabeth Mitchell until I saw her in "Gia" which almost gave me a heart attack from sheer lust. So, now that the show is good to look at what else does it need to be good at?

- The special effects are definitely an upgrade. The ships arrival and the messages they convey were impressive visual effects for TV. The technology of the Visitors so far is impressive too. I definitely like the conversion process. The make-up has come a long way, but I don't think we've seen the full extent of what they're going to do with that yet.

- I like the idea of the Fifth Column (or whatever they'll call it this time around) already on the planet and organized. Can't say I like the characters we've met so far, but ah well. At least it will make sense why they'd help mankind out rather than show up at just the right time and save everyone's ass.

- These Visitors seem WAY more organized than the last ones. They're patient, methodical and they know how to make us do what they want without forcing us. Lots of plot potential there.

- I'm a fan of the character of the priest. What a great canvas to explore the implications of the Visitors, from a humanitarian and spiritual sense, all the while balancing right and wrong. He's a great character. I like the actor from "The 4400" too, and he is a good fit for this genre. He'll provide the human element that Mitchell and the other actors haven't provided yet.

- "We are of peace, always." Perfect.

- I like the fact they've so easily tapped into our communications systems and who knows what else. It should be that easy with their technology. Plus, no more sending in troops to solve a problem ... send in the deadly remotes first. I like that. Shows signs of intelligence rather than brute strength winning every time.

DISLIKES:
- The pilot episode was so rushed! ABC has banked on shows recently that slowly reveal the plot and secrets of the show, like "Lost" and "FlashForward." "V" could have benefited from that slow reveal, creating tension and inspiring a whole new generation of frightened kids. Instead they rushed straight to the start of the resistance in the first 45 minutes. At least is the original mini-series they made it about 90 minutes into the show until you learned there was more to these guys than you thought. There's no real tension, except the supposition that "anyone could be a Visitor." Well, that sounds more like the Matrix than anything else, and we know how that ended (Or do we? It still doesn't make sense to me.).

- One of the things I liked in the original mini-series was the Visitors singling out scientists, the only true threat to them from humanity (as it turns out they were right). This time around there's no mention of problems from the scientific community. Not a single character is a scientist or can analyze their intentions from that angle. While they don't have to go as far as isolating scientists from society, you can't help but appreciate that the only way to beat aliens is to bring in the nerds and the soldiers.

- The Visitors, having mastered the technologies that allow them to create floating cities and travel between the stars, still use knives to deal with puny, little hu-mans. Please. Where's the creepy laser guns whose sound effects would send chills up my spine and anyone else who remembers the original mini-series?

- One thing that always confused me about "V" and does in both versions ... if the Visitors have all this technology and power, why even bother with the deception? Why bother with "Peace Ambassadors" or making treaties with governments and businesses? That seems like a lot of effort to make when you could just fly in, bust out the lasers and fighters and destroy everybody. As they've said on the show, "they need us for something." Okay, I'll bite, but what? If they get their kicks from hustling people into the ovens (as it were), maybe I can get behind that. But I seems it's more important for them to have the trust and devotion of the people. But to accomplish what? Suddenly, all I can think of is The Twilight Zone episode "To Serve Man." Of course, the science fiction world of the new "V" would know of that story and never let that happen ... right?

- I can't stress enough how much the music creeped me out as a kid. The new version has practically no music at all.

- Let the Visitors take Tyler. He's a waste of a kid after all. However, he is a more engaging teenager than Daniel from the original series. Ug, that makes me think of 80's hair ... don't miss it on any of the current characters.

- So, those remotes they send instead of troops ... is it so hard to put a real, color camera on one of those rather than an infrared camera that omits details like facial identification? Ug, lousy, limited plot device. They must not have good color cameras on their ship ... oh, wait, yeah, the entire bottom of the ship becomes a massive color camera. I stand corrected.

THINGS I'D LIKE TO SEE ON THE SHOW:
- Morena naked. Even just a little. Please. Oh, and have her kiss Laura for a few minutes too.

- Not even a picture in the background of Mark Singer. I've seen enough of that guy to last me a lifetime.

- More Alan Tudyk. Great actor, ready to be the bad guy for a change.

- Ham Tyler. Hell, Michael Ironside himself could still do it, I bet.

- The true reason the Visitors are here must be revealed before summer of 2010. Taking the long break for the Olympics will hurt its chance for renewal, so I'd like to know if they're here for our water and to use us as food sooner rather than later.

- The laser guns and their creepy, ORIGINAL sound.

- The Resistance beaten down so hard they can barely function. The Visitors in this version are well connected and in control. Their technology is obviously superior. They should be wailing on everyone from the beginning. Only until a lot of damage is done should the Resistance start to gain any sort of an upper-hand or advantage. Of course, if all they've got our knives, they're screwed. As Sean Connery said, "Never bring a knife to a gun fight."

If nothing else, this is a better new sci-fi show than "Stargate: Universe" and a good way to spend a Tuesday night. Morena in HD is one of the greatest things to happen on TV this season.