In a throwback to the 1983 miniseries of the same name, ABC has launched its new drama series “V” about the arrival of attractive aliens who offer to help humanity in exchange for the opportunity to replenish their resources. Unfortunately, all is not as it seems as the layers peel off of the “nice-alien” façade, revealing in its depths a sinister plot that threatens humanity. This is the basic premise of the new show, and it serves as a competent thriller plot that continually asks the question, “What do the aliens really want?”
Uncovering the alien plot is the main driving force in this series, and little snippets of information trickle in with each scene. From a brief glimpse underneath the human, outer skin of a V to a short showcase of advanced alien weaponry, the show knows how to tease the audience with little pieces of the grand puzzle. In doing so, “V” gains a consistent following of people curious about how the whole story is going to unfold.
The show revolves around the interactions between four separate groups of characters: people who know about the aliens’ plots, people who do not know about the plots, aliens (referred to as Vs, short for visitor) and Vs who have become traitors in order to protect humans. One of the most dynamic and interesting parts of this show is when these separate factions collide, such as when FBI agent Erica Evans (Elizabeth Mitchell, “Lost”), who knows of the aliens’ treachery, is forced to protect the Vs during the course of her job. Scenes such as this are powerful and thrilling due to the fact that the Vs are just as brutal as they are beautiful. When the commander of the Vs, Anna (Morena Baccarin, “Firefly”) commands a subordinate to “skin” one of the traitors, you realize how serious the aliens are and that knowledge intensifies any encounter with the Vs.
On the whole, the characters are well-acted and solid, though they are a little bland. The intriguing situations in which they find themselves elevate the performances, but the majority of characters are fairly one-dimensional, making the less important scenes seem like little more than filler. The most interesting character has to be the enigmatic leader of the Vs, Anna, whose calm yet intense disposition is consistently unsettling and adds an element of ambiguity, making the audience guess at where her true motives lie. The rest of the cast is filled out by Father Jack Landry (Joel Gretsch, “United States of Tara”), a humble priest whose punching skills hint at a darker past; Ryan Nichols (Morris Chestnut, The Game Plan), a traitor V with a human wife; and Chad Decker (Scott Wolf, “Everwood”), a bold and ambitious news anchor in charge of covering the Vs.
The show itself has aired four episodes of its 13 episode season and will continue in a sort of “pod” form with another four being aired in March 2010. This format is probably built around the fact that the new season of “Lost” will be coming out in January, and the network does not have room on its schedule to accommodate both shows at the same time.
Despite some flat, by-the-book characters, “V” succeeds in crafting a verifiably intriguing show that is worth watching if only to scratch the timeless science fiction itch; the question: “What could those dastardly aliens be plotting next?”
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