NEW!: V (2009) 1:8 - We Can't Win

Overall: 7.0

This episode has several high points, but it also makes one wish the writers would move beyond the travails of a small group of (pretty) people in New York.



Plot Synopsis:

The official write-up can be found here.

Writing: 6.5

Though this episode doesn't pack the same punch as the last two, there are several very interesting moments here. For example, Chad's dream in the opening is particularly well crafted. The whole scene effectively - and economically - conveys Chad's subconscious - or perhaps conscious - awareness that he's playing a dangerous game trying to ride the V wave to international stardom. We also have that tense meeting later between Anna and Lisa. The casual indifference Anna displays when it comes to the protection of even her embryonic soldiers is quite chilling - and very much in line with what we've already seen from her in previous episodes. And lastly, I find it very interesting that humans are now turning traitor in despair.

The Four's quest to capture a V agent alive does bring a certain plot hole into sharp relief, however: why doesn't Ryan simply tell the others what he knows about Anna and her plan? Is it because he is now completely out of the loop? Is it because Anna has fully informed only her inner circle of the particulars? The writers need to clarify Ryan's place in the hierarchy as we go forward.

As some other folks have noted, the introduction of the skeptical U.N. Secretary General and the uncovering of other human resistance cells also highlights another flaw: up to this point, the focus of the series has been too narrow. Thus far, the writers have only shown us the Visitors' impact on a few citizens in New York - but of course, there are motherships hovering over twenty-plus major cities worldwide, and it's a sure bet that other human societies are not reacting to the presence of the V's in exactly the same way. What of those people who live in regions where the government and the media are recognized by virtually everyone to be untrustworthy? I imagine that those who have come to expect corruption as par for the course - like, for example, the apparently African Secretary General - are probably all far less accepting of the V's and their protestations of goodwill. Heck, I imagine even Americans in fly-over country - the ultimate champions of self-reliance - are suspicious about the whole thing. So why not step backwards for a while and present the full panorama of human responses to the V's? As I suggested in my reviews of the opening four episodes (whose ratings I'm tempted to revise downward in light of these more recent installments), part of the appeal of the original V was the way in which it came at the alien invasion plot gradually from several points of view. Sure, the original V's Holocaust parallels were a bit on-the-nose, but its wider angle certainly made the old series more relatable.

(PS: The writers also need to do their Catholic homework and figure out what real Catholic priests pray upon a man's death. :))

Acting: 7.5

It's a shame the writers elected not to keep the actor who played Alex Caruso around, because he is a refreshingly normal addition to this episode. (Seriously, guys - why is everyone hot on this show? Take a page from the Brit playbook and put some regular Joes on screen!)

I'm not nearly as impressed with Charles Mesure (Hobbes) as other sectors of fandom seem to be. All my love is instead focused on Joel Gretsch, who brings yet more emotional depth to his role this week in his reaction to Caruso's death.

Probably the only scene that doesn't work for me at all is the make-out scene between Tyler and Lisa. Laura Vandervoort does a fine job elsewhere, but there is absolutely no spark between her and Logan Huffman. To borrow a classic SABR Matt comparison, watching Tyler and Lisa get busy is like watching a brother and sister kissing.

Message: 7.0

A certain type of modern parent is certainly taking a big hit in this series. When Tyler storms out claiming that only the V's have been honest with him, I - along with many other viewers in the audience - find myself wishing that Erica would buck up, grab the emo brat, sit him down, and - to use one poster's phrase - "teach him the alien facts of life." The fact that Erica does not do this is either another plot hole or a deliberate choice on the writers' part to illustrate why Tyler has little real respect for his mother. Because I'm in the mood to be charitable, I'm going with the second explanation. Running with this idea, I can then repeat what I have observed in the past, namely: this show is a pretty good argument for authoritative parenting.

Also taking a big hit is the notion that temporal salvation is possible. Anna has now offered the people of Earth two attractive "gifts" - universal health care and a source of renewable energy. Next she'll be offering a way to end global hunger or poverty. BUT - there are strings attached to all of this largess (in this case, we are merely being fattened up for the grand lizard banquet). Of course there are, because in this world, nothing good can be acquired for free.