NEW!: V (2009) 1:7 - John May

Overall: 8.3

We seem to be past the opening crush. The writers are now slowing down the pace, which allows us to connect with some of the characters and learn more about their respective histories.



Plot Synopsis:

I'm not feeling too well tonight, so I'm going to go ahead and send you to the official site for the blow-by-blow.

Writing: 8.5

The good: This episode has increased my respect for Georgie a thousand-fold. I certainly would not have held it against him if he had succumbed to the V's torture and given them names, but the fact that he didn't - indeed, that he chose to martyr himself rather damn the others - really speaks to his inner strength and genuine conviction. May the poor devil rest in peace; I really feel his loss here.

I also love what the writers have done with Ryan. Very few character types are as fascinating to me as the convert - the man (or woman) who changes allegiances after years of working for the wrong side. I only hope we are given the opportunity to see Ryan's Road to Damascus Moment in greater detail in future episodes. (I'm still sad that we didn't see such a moment for Firefly's Shepherd Book, as I am absolutely convinced he was also a convert.)

Needs improvement: Someone on one of my reading lists has pointed out that the question of Tyler's parentage could be resolved with a paternity test, and I think that's a sensible criticism. The writers need to explain why a paternity test was not run to confirm the results of the blood and tissue-typing tests before I will be completely sold on the Evans' plot.

Acting: 8.5

I still feel that Elizabeth Mitchell has been outshone by the other ladies in the cast - Morena Baccarin in particular. On upside, though, Joel Gretsch and David Richmond-Peck really hit it out of the park this week. The final communication between Father Jack and Georgie is probably the most moving scene the series has produced to date.

Message: 8.0

The outcast status of the Live Aboard candidates has the potential to reap real thematic rewards. If developed fully, this thread could evolve into a damning indictment of our post-modern culture. Why, after all, would Anna choose these people to be fed to her new army of soldiers? Is she not just paying careful attention to the ways in which we discard the inconvenient? After looking at how the developed world has deemed millions of people legally unworthy of being treated as fully human - not to mention the intellectual moaning over overpopulation and "the human cancer" - a malevolent alien could very easily conclude that we wouldn't care if some of our number simply vanished from the face of the Earth.