V Midseason Report

As originally reported in my preview video, I will be reviewing a different show every day this week....

So I finally get to discuss a show without having to turn in my Man Card (clearly the authorities don't have a very strict return policy)! While the premise of V is enticing in and of itself, what really drew me to the show was its familiar and enjoyable cast. You had the incomparable Elizabeth Mitchell of Lost fame, the lovely Laura Vandervoort from Smallville, and the Jerk Store Bestseller Joel Gretsch from The 4400 (and don't think I missed that series shout out in episode two). Honestly, you just need somebody from 24 and you've basically got all of my favorite shows covered. Wait!! Lourdes Benedicto did a couple episodes of 24! How about that...

Anyway, click the "Read More" link for my thoughts on the first four episodes (and honestly, why debut it in 2009 if you're only going to show that many episodes and then have it go on hiatus for about as many months????)

As I noted above, the cast isn't the only thing I like about the show, as it does have a personally appealing premise. And while some might make the argument that revealing the V's true intentions should have been held off, I ultimately think it has been a more enjoyable experience. We basically had the pilot episode to believe that their motives might be altruistic. But beyond that, it's been fun watching the constant lies and manipulations in order to garner power and sympathy. And Anna's game of one-upmanship with Chad has been enjoyable. Both of them recognize that the other is simply using them, but if it gets them what they want, neither cares.

And how convenient is the V's medical prognosis: "By the time your prehistoric medical devices discover you're ill, it'll be too late."

And similar to Anna (and Juliet, for that matter), Elizabeth Mitchell is wonderful as Erica. Like her Lost character, she speaks in this soft, soothing tone, with that face of an angel -- but you just KNOW she's not somebody to be messed with. While I'm still devastated she's apparently been killed off on Lost, she's the perfect person for this role. She's incredibly easy to get behind and like.

As I said in the opening, Laura Vandervoort is absolutely beautiful (I certainly didn't mind that scene where she's stripped down to her bra and panties). I've liked her since I first saw her on Instant Star, and she was great on Smallville (she's apparently very open to returning, so hopefully the CW series takes advantage). I had heard rumblings that she's Anna's daughter, but not to the extent that I considered myself spoiled when it ended up being true. I actually thought that was a pretty neat twist. Plus, I do see some mother-daughter tension when Lisa begins to develop legitimate feelings for Tyler, and when she comes to realize her mother may be up to no good.

Speaking of Anna -- are the V's basically just Borgs?

And on the topic of twists, I enjoyed the revelation that Ryan is actually a rebelling V. And I'm digging this whole Fifth Column thing.

This is definitely a fun show -- up there as one of the more new enjoyable series of 2009. Then again, it's not quite up to the level of Lost or a lesser extent 24, where I literally cannot wait for the next episode. With V, I've managed to get a couple of weeks behind. I'm also hopeful that this long break, after a short run of episodes, might hurt the show's momentum (think about what happened to Heroes).







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