Okay, so … did anyone else feel a little underwhelmed at this episode in terms of a fall finale?  I mean, I still liked it and was entertained, but compared with the excitement of some of the previous episodes, I thought this one was fairly anticlimactic.  Of course, that said, they did give us good setup for the coming 2010 episodes, so I’m going to try to focus on that.

The Fifth Column story is by far my favorite right now, and Billy pointed out that it’s a good thing they added that or the humans would just be totally screwed with absolutely no shot, and I agree with that.  And I’d say that while Ryan is pretty cool, the rogue doctor is totally my favorite.  Also, I just kind of feel like rogue doctor could be (and probably is) a premise for some low-rent porn.  I am totally creeped out every time they show that empty room with the gleaming white table, and Anna calling the whole medical staff out was pretty intense.  I liked the guy that took the blame for it and wish we’d gotten more time with him, but how crazy was it when the main doctor had to skin him alive?  GEEZ.  But I also liked the point that the skinnee made about how Anna suspected him so he had to do it.  That is hardcore.  But I do feel like it made a real dent in showing us how important whatever mission they’re on is to The Fifth Column.

Now, seemingly unrelated but not in my mind, we find out that Ryan’s not-quite-fiancee (the therapist) is pregnant.  Of course!  There always has to be a spawn involved, doesn’t there?  So between this and the skinning/torture scene, we know that the Vs in their human form can feel pain and can impregnante a human.  It all just makes me wonder more about their physicality and how that works exactly, and I hope it’s a question that gets answered.  And also, can you IMAGINE thinking you’re having a human baby and it comes out half lizard?  I think my feelings can best be summarized by the legendary Molly Ringwald in Sixteen Candles: “I’d shit twice and die.”

Erica and Father Jack were a little less exciting to me this week, although we did find out that Father Jack was, of course, an army chaplain in Iraq.  I liked Georgie telling him that pretty soon he was going to have to decide if he was a priest or a soldier, although it was a LITTLE hammy when they voiceover-ed it on top of Father Jack looking at his secret gun.  It was pretty cool when Father Jack got shanked by the V, but I’m not worried about them killing him since there was obviously someone right there to find him.  Plus, he’s too important to kill just yet.

I was glad that they got it out there to Erica and Father Jack right away that Ryan is a V.  The flu shot thing cracked me up a little bit, because my parents have both been all over my ass to get one and I just don’t feel like it.  Suck on that, parents!  I might get the flu, but you’re getting an alien virus!  Anyway, while the explosion was cool and I suppose that the takeaway was supposed to be that the Vs really know our habits and how we operate so they’re VERY VERY SCARY.

About half of Erica’s screen time was devoted to ignoring Tyler, who’s so pitiful and put upon, and no one understands him, and nobody loves him, boofuckinghoo.  Do you know WHY no one loves you, Tyler?  Because you’re stupid and you suck!  Maybe you should think about that for awhile.

Anyway, we find out that Tyler is in therapy with … ta-da! Ryan’s fiancee.  Of course, because New York is pretty small like that.  His mom just doesn’t understand the Vs, and so forth, and Lisa and Anna listen in.  God, this relationship has all the functionality of Edward and Bella.  They continue to say that he’s ready, but for what?  We don’t know.  Although Lisa does bring Tyler to meet Anna, who is of course doting and interested, and she knows him a giant pulsating engine.  No, pervs, the SHIP’S engine, which no human has ever laid eyes on.  And it’s pretty cool, with blue lights and stuff, so maybe next time Tyler should bring his drugs and a Pink Floyd CD.  Hmmm … I sound bitter.  I think my Tyler hate is growing.  This usually leads to more entertaining recaps, so let’s just go with it!

So moving on, we get to see Anna give The Bliss, which again, sounds SO dirty, except in this episode we find out that it really does involve getting naked.  Anna hops into some bath made of light and sparkles, and speaking of Edward, is looking very Cullen-ish with the golden eyes and glittery skin.  She basically says a bunch of crap that you’d find in Tuesdays with Morrie (and by the way, I’m sorry because I’m sure some of you are bound to disagree, but I hated that book), and all the Vs stop whatever they’re doing and soak it up.  But it also appears to be less about what she said and more about something unseen that was happening to them, and it was really interesting to watch the rogue doctor’s reaction to it, fresh off him skinning his compadre.  It looked at first like he was trying to resist it, probably because he knows that it’s a form of control, but that he finally gave in, just because it was probably really nice to just feel okay at that point.

And that leaves us with Chad.  He was doing a story on the Vs’ health clinics and they gave him a scan, which, according to the Vs themselves, showed that he’d have an anyeurism and die in the not-too-distant future.  He was going to get a second opinion, but human technology wouldn’t catch it, and the Vs followed it up with a shockingly accurate assessment of his medical past, all of which they got just from their fancy scan.  I think that the best part about this story is how we have absolutely no clue if this is true or not, or what their possible motives are if it isn’t.  The ambiguity there was impressive.

And there you have it, until March of 2010.  What did you guys think?  Was this a good one to end on?  What changes would you like to see when V returns?  Favorite parts?  Conspiracy theories?  Talk back in the comments!