Was it nostalgia that drew so many viewers to ABC this past Tuesday? Was it the massive ad campaign that at one time included the planned (then canceled) skywriting of the titular scarlet letter over fifteen major U.S. cities? Or was it a legion of lamenting Firefly fans anxious for the mini-reunion of Morena Baccarin and Alan Tudyk? Well, probably not that last one. Whatever the reason, the premiere of V scored an impressive 5.0 ratings share, winning Tuesday night, and trouncing the impressive competition of NCIS and The Biggest Loser (more on the TV ratings system can be found here). So how was it?
Visitors
V is a remake of the popular mini series from over a quarter century ago about a race of reptilian aliens (disguised as humans) who come to Earth claiming to be our friends. Not surprisingly, these "Visitors", or "V's", as they come to be called, have more sinister ulterior motives (otherwise the show would basically be Alien Nation, also slated for a reboot). A resistance movement forms, and a campy sci-fi classic is born.
Kenneth Johnson, creator of the original series, and co-writer Scott Peters (of The 4400) do very little to update the story for the 21st century. The setup itself feels like a holdover from another era, as this show has little mystery to it. It's not about an over-arcing mythology a la Lost, Fringe, or FlashForward. All the pieces are hurriedly put into place in this first episode to establish the status quo for what is ostensibly an action series in a sci-fi setting. The Visitors' plot of conquest is revealed by the end of the pilot, and the resistance is already forming. Two of the main human characters are outed as disguised V's: one was planted as an early part of the takeover plot, and the other is part of a dissenting faction of the aliens resistant to their imperialistic ways. It almost feels like too much happens too soon. That might sound like a strange complaint, but if there's no mystery as a hook, all that's left is the plotting and characters to enjoy. In other words, the writing.
Vapid
And that's really the problem here. No characters or performances really stand out since none of them have anything interesting to say or do. Elizabeth Mitchell plays FBI agent and single mother Erica Evans. At the time of the V's arrival, she's investigating terrorist cells with fellow agent Dale Maddox, played by Alan Tudyk. Morris Chestnut plays Ryan Nichols, whose plans to propose to his girlfriend get derailed by his (briefly) mysterious past. Scott Wolf plays TV news anchor Chad Decker, who is chosen by the leader of the V's, Anna (Morena Baccarin), to have exclusive coverage of all important Visitor news and information. Joel Gretch plays Jack Landry, a priest who is in the surprising minority of clergy and religious leaders who are suspect of the aliens' apparent benevolence.
Vatican
Why would the Vatican, or any other religious body, accept the aliens so readily into the fold? A number of people start worshiping the V's from the moment they arrive. The entire history of religion is rife with conflict over who has the right interpretation of spirituality and who should bow down to whom. So no religious leader feels in any way threatened by the competition?
In a broader and related sense, a glaring problem with V is also one shared by many stories dealing with the alien or supernatural. The characters in them seem to exist in a world without any other stories about the beings in question. Yes, this pilot, in its only self-aware moment, briefly shows two annoyingly token sci-fi fans comparing the V's arrival to Independence Day. But that film is about a takeover of the planet by aliens - just like 90% of all other popular alien fiction. Why would the whole planet, much like the aforementioned religious, immediately and literally applaud this declaration of peace, taking it at face value? Just because the aliens are kinda hot? It would be nice to think the human race is a little smarter than that. Granted, the gullibility of the populace is essential to the longevity of the show, but it's a problem that the writers didn't care to solve for this update.
Verdict
This new inception of V ultimately feels dated, clunky, inorganic, and devoid of surprise or intrigue. But remember, this is just the pilot. There could be better things in store. Only four episodes have been shot, and all will air this month. Unless the rest of the installments severely tank in the ratings, which at this point is unlikely, ABC has plans to bring the series back next March. Scott Rosenbaum, the executive producer and show runner of Chuck (a much smarter show), will be taking the reins when filming begins again in January. V can go in any direction from here. Let's hope for the best.
V airs Tuesday nights on ABC at 8pm EST.
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