The McGuffin Review: V - Episode 1

Posted by Cory Johnson on 11.05.2009

The V remake is finally here. Can it live up to the cult status of the original, or does it fall flat?

We get a long, panning shot of New York with the questions, “Where were you when JFK was assassinated?”, “Where were you on 9/11?” and finally…..”Where were you this morning?

Ericka Evans, FBI counter-terrorist agent, wakes up with glass of water doing the Jurassic Park shake and begins looking for her son Tyler. Tyler isn’t in his bed; he is in the hospital getting patched up. He tells his worried/pissed mom that he is aware that he is in trouble.

At St. Josephine’s Church, Father Jack welcomes Roy, a paraplegic into the church. Roy’s been a regular for a while. Father Jack notices the lamppost shaking.

Ryan thanks a jeweler for opening early so he can buy his engagement ring. At the same time, different place, Ryan’s girlfriend Valerie notices that her coffee is also shaking. Ryan fusses over his proposal details with the jeweler when the ring almost shakes off the counter.

Journalist Chad Decker laments his lack of influence at his TV station.

Tyler explains that he snuck out of the host to go to a party in Soho (insert Soho joke here, I’m Midwest and I’ve got nothing), but in the middle of his explanation, the earthquake intensifies. Father Jack pushes Roy out of the way of a falling statue inside the church. Everyone ducks for cover and Ryan watches a military jet free-fall to the ground and explode, while the pilot lifelessly collapses to the ground, still in his parachute harness.

The earthquake is, of course, a huge alien spaceship (and pretty damn cool-looking). Tyler tries to get home to his mom, but he is stopped by (the appearing out-of-nowhere) military.

Valarie watches Chad Decker report that there are 29 spaceships, each hovering over the major cites of the world. Ryan arrives just in time to hold her tender. Ericka manages to reunite with Tyler in the chaos. The mothership begins to, um, transform into a giant Hi-Def TV. Anna appears as people stare awestruck. A large bloody “V” forms to welcome us to the McGuffin review of V, Episode 1.

Anna apologizes for the chaos her people have created by their arrival. Her people thought they were the only intelligent life in the universe. The visitors need water for their planet, and Anna offers to share the technological knowledge they have. As she speaks, her message is translated into all languages across the world. Anna states that more communication is coming soon. Anna states that they are of peace, always. The crowds applaud her message.

Father Jack consults with another priest, wondering how God and aliens both exist. The Vatican has already signed off on the issue, calling the aliens God’s creatures. Father Jack is shocked that the church is filled.

Ericka talks with her partner, who is amazed that Ericka is focused on a Moscow terror cell that suddenly picked up after the visitors arrived. Ericka’s husband apparently left her.

Anna addresses the media at the UN. Tyler and his friend Brendon note that she is hot. Anna repeats her message of peace. The media shout questions at Anna, wondering how the visitors could look like humans. Chad steps in and asks a softball question wondering if there are any ugly visitors. Anna spars back, saying that Chad is not too bad either. Later, on her ship, Anna tells her subordinate that she wants Chad.

Chad reports that the motherships are still getting huge numbers of visitors. Visitor healing centers are doing huge business and government agencies are opening visitor embassies. Unaffected by this epic reporting, Ericka tells her partner they have a lead on their terror cell-a truck was found with traces of C4. At the site, Ericka finds a shed that the truck was parked near suspicious. Her curiosity pays off when she discovers a huge underground labyrinth, complete with a prisoner who was tortured to death and an unbelievable amount of C4.

Ryan gets a call on his cell, saying that “they are here, it’s starting again”. Ryan tells the caller to hang up, he’s not that guy anymore and ignores his phone when it rings again, leaving Valarie curious.

An awed Tyler and Brandon tour the epic and aseptic mothership. They are most amazed by Lisa, their guide to the New York mothership.

Ericka wonders where the cell went, as they swept away almost everything like they were tipped off. Ericka is amazed at the quality of the fake passports.

Lisa invites Tyler to join the Visitor Ambassador program, and she is disappointed when Tyler tells her that he won’t be able to get his mom to sign the papers.

Father Jack preaches caution to his congregation, asking them to ask more questions before jumping on the Visitors bandwagon. The elder priest chastises Jack for not preaching that the visitors are a part of God’s plan. Father Jack questions the time, and hopes that the admiration of the visitors doesn’t turn into worship. The priests are interrupted by a fully healed Roy, now able to walk thanks to the visitors.

Ericka got a video of Tyler spray painting a V, and when he arrives home-it’s butt-chewing time. Tyler is clearly obsessed with the visitors. Tyler puts an arrow through his mom’s heart, accusing her of abandoning him, even though they live together.

Chad is shocked to find out that Anna wants him to interview her live, on her ship, to help ease the protests against the visitors.

While getting coffee, an unknown number on his cell causes Ryan to jump for his phone to silence it. Valarie is suspicious, and asks him to talk to her and stop keeping secrets. He brushes her off.

Ericka shocks her partner by figuring out the identity of the man they found in the bunker, complete with name and federal search warrant. At the suspect’s home, they discover that someone already ransacked the place, like they were tipped off again. Ericka finds the victim’s cell, and discovers a text message talking about a meeting. All members need to be prepared for “the test” and to share any information they know about the cell. Ericka is angry/curious now, wondering why you’d go to a meeting instead of the FBI.

Ryan’s cell stalker (Georgie) tracks him down outside of work. Ryan says that he is not that guy any more. Georgie tries to encourage him, saying that they have 25 people now, and he knows what is at stake. Ryan asks him why they are trying again, after all those people got killed. Ryan says that Valarie doesn’t know about his past, and he won’t place her in danger. Georgie slips the address of the meeting in his pocket, in case he grows a conscience.

A man in Father Jack’s church tells him that he is right to question the V’s. He says that he knows that the V’s are here to destroy us. The man is mortally wounded, at the hands of the V’s he claims, and he hands Father Jack an envelope and begs him to take it to the address inside.

As they sit down for the interview, Anna tells Chad not to ask anything that would portray the Visitors in a negative light. Chad can’t put his journalistic pride aside and do that. Anna immediately cancels the interview, saying that they cannot be seen in a negative way. She asks Chad if he wants to elevate his career.

Ericka’s partner tries to make her see reason. Ericka and her partner are off the grid, due to her concerns about a mole, and she is going to the secret meeting. Her partner doesn’t want her to go in alone, but Ericka insists, telling him to call it in if she is not back in 30 minutes. Ericka wanders into a warehouse, greeted by a guard with machine gun.

Georgie opens the meeting, saying that all of them were invited by someone they trust. He says that a doctor will be injecting them with an anesthetic, raising the alarm of everyone in the room.

Chad welcomes his viewers to his exclusive interview. Anna greets him by encouraging him to ask her anything and everything with a devilish smile on her face.

The doctor makes an incision just behind the ear of one of the meeting members. Georgie asks the doctor to confirm a skull bone. He points at Ericka, telling her that she is next.

Anna tells Chad that their world is beautiful, but not divided into nations.

Georgie announces that all of them have passed the test-they are not visitors. The Visitors have cloned human flesh to cover their reptilian scales. Georgie announces that the Visitors have been here for a long time, infiltrating the human race, establishing themselves at every level of politics, religion, and business. They started unnecessary wars, and financial crises to help distract people from their presence.

As Georgie rants, Anna describes that her people as emotional, but they have learned to focus on peace and happiness. Anna empathizes with the protesters, noting that change is always difficult. She then drops the bombshell and announces her intentions to expand the healing centers and offer, basically, universal health care to the whole world.

Revealing themselves was the final phase of the visitors plan. Tyler forges his mom’s signature on his Visitor Ambassador application. Ericka asks for proof and Father Jack steps up, showing them the pictures he was given. Ericka immediately recognizes the victim that they found in the bunker. Ericka slowly puts the puzzle together, realizing that the sleeper cell they are tracking is really a sleeper cell of visitors!

Ericka tells Father Jack that he was brave to come forward. A small metal globe slips into the room, scanning everyone, and then starts to glow. Georgie shouts for everyone to get down before the globe explodes, launching crystal arrows into about half the room. A clean-up squad follows, stabbing other members in the chaos. Ryan appears, having found his conscious and starts fighting back. Ericka goes for one of the guns and gets chokeslammed by HER OWN FBI PARTNER. Ryan shows off his badass streak and manages to save Georgie’s life in the process. Ericka manages to kill her partner (Dale, took them this long to tell us his name?!?) by drilling him across the face with jagged piece of metal. She rolls him over and sees the reptilian scales under his skin. She peels back more of his face and is shocked when his lizard eye opens and he grabs her throat. Dale forgot that she still had the metal tool nearby and releases her when she stabs him. Before Ericka can drive the spike through his heart, Father Jack pulls her away with a “we’ve gotta get out of here” look. Georgie and Ryan are the only other survivors.

Outside, Georgie wonders how they found them this time-they were so careful. Georgie says they have no hope, they are facing animals. Ryan counters that not all of them are. He takes off his jacket, showing Georgie his cut and SCALES UNDERNEATH! Georgie jumps as Ryan explains that Georgie was right to stay in the fight. Ryan tries to reassure Georgie by saying that there are others out there, deserters and traitors like himself. Ryan leaves to go tell Valarie that he can’t see her anymore, because it wouldn’t be safe for her to be around him.

Anna’s assistant tells Chad that Anna loved him, and found him noble (what, that whole give up your integrity to help a bunch of aliens part?). Anna will now speak through Chad, making him the most important broadcaster on the planet. In the distance, Anna smiles at Chad.

Valarie is crying when Ryan arrives. She went snooping and found the ring. Ryan holds her.

With the mothership looming overhead, Ericka breaks down to Father Jack, saying that she doesn’t know who to trust anymore, and she can’t stop thinking about Dale. Ericka tells Father Jack that they need to organize the resistance and fight. On the ship, Lisa puts an ambassador’s uniform on Tyler. Ericka worries that the visitors are cultivating the most dangerous weapon of all-devotion. Anna smiles out her window of her ship.


Analysis
There were tons of questions going into this series, as remakes have been incredibly hit or miss the last couple of seasons. For every Battlestar Galactica , there has been a Bionic Woman or a Knight Rider. Luckily, the producers managed to pull this one off and set up a nice infrastructure to build around.

Before I go any further, I have to say that the original mini-series, and even the series were some of my absolute favorites (maybe not the series). I think my first crush ever was Diana (the beautiful Jane Balder). I haven’t gone back to watch the mini-series because I know that they could not have aged well and I don’t want to be disappointed. I went into this series with very low expectations and I was not pleasantly surprised with the way they re-imagined the series.

I must admit that I was a little disappointed that all of the characters were new, but it definitely works in the series favor, as they will not have to live up or down to anyone else’s portrayal or character arc. The special effects were mixed at best. Some were great, like the lizard eye coming to life on Dale when Ericka was pulling his skin back, or the interiors of the ship. But some were really obviously bad, like the plane crash and the superimposed shots of the ship over the pyramids or the Moscow steeples. I couldn’t tell if that was paying homage to the original. In any sci-fi show, the effects shots have to work or it destroys the casual fans interest.

The biggest credit I give to any show is the ability to surprise the viewer, and V managed to do this a couple of times. The reveal that the sleeper cell was actually a visitor cell was great. Dale’s lizard eye coming to life was a great scene that I should have seen coming. While Dale being the traitor was pretty much telegraphed from the second Ericka mentioned the word traitor, Ryan revelation that he is a visitor was stunning.

The biggest challenge this show will face will be fleshing out the characters into people (and visitors) that viewers care about. Characters, not effects, will make or break this show. The numbers for the first week were good, with the show placing second behind NCIS, but it will be interesting to see how many stick around to see what happens next.

Things I Wonder
Anyone else out there hoping for a character they recognized?
How long until Ericka’s ex-husband shows up?
I guess Juliette is really dead on LOST, huh?
How great was the first image of the mothership in the skyscraper glass?
Anna is no Diana in the hotness department, is she?
Wonder how Georgie and Ryan found out about the visitors?
How deep are the visitors?
Why don’t the visitors just use their superior technology and start shooting? Why go the cloak and dagger route? Seems like they have the ability to turn off a plane pretty easily….just sayin.
The test was great, wasn’t it?
Hard to have a resistance movement with only four members, isn’t it?
Is Lisa have the true ultimate weapons?
How many times is Tyler going to betray his mom?
Could you think of anything other than the Star Wars remote when they saw the Visitor’s globe infiltrate the meeting?
Who is going to mate first?
Since when does the Vatican weigh in so quickly on anything?
The universal health care thing was a great touch, no?
Hide your guinea pigs, right?
What did the visitors want with all that C4?
No weird voices?
Wouldn’t it be great if Erica’s ex was Donovan?
What do you think of ABC's decision not to offer the episode online until 4 days after it airs?

Thanks for reading. As always, feedback, comments and emails appreciated. I'm glad to be back with a series to sink my teeth into. I am also going to try to refine my reviewing style so that I can also review the new PRISONER series. In other TV news, MAD MEN has been great this season, THE MIDDLE is the best new sit-com in a long time, and DEXTER is still top notch. This is Cory and I will be back next week with V-Episode 2. Until then, keep watching.

The 411: The names and faces are different, but the story is still there. A few minor effects quibbles aside, the cast is compelling, and they have managed to update the story with plenty of surprises along the way. The reworked verison of V is off to a great start.

Final Score:  7.4   [ Good ]