Another solid episode of V with a lot going on, so I’m just going to jump in with both feet.

First and foremost, we finally met John May, who is played by the dude who played Anders on Battlestar Galactica, which, fun fact, I am currently watching the last season of right now.  And it’s SO good.  So needless to say, I’m always excited to see a BSG alum and I always loved Anders.  Although … I did laugh because as I tweeted last night, we have another actor here (along with Laura Vandervoort) who can apparently only be cast as an alien.  Hee!  Love it.

And, as I ALSO pointed out on Twitter, did anyone else catch that John May’s step son was just on Supernatural?  He was the kid in the crazy hunter town that got dragged under the car and killed by a demon.  I liked that kid, so I’m glad to see him on a different show that I watch.  Hopefully he’ll access his inner Dean Winchester badass soon.

Obviously, it was a huge revelation that John May is actually dead and that it was Ryan who killed him, and ten years ago, no less, but I liked how that story played out, and that John May was the reason that Ryan became more human and joined the resistance.  And John May is the reason he met his fiancee.  And I liked the idea that even though he’s dead, John May DOES live, in spirit and in legacy.  That was a nice touch.

Read the rest of this entry »

So this show snuck back onto the air while I was sans cable (that was a dark period in my life, guys–let’s not talk about it), and Billy and I caught up on both episodes last night.  I have to say, I’m really enjoying it and I think that Scott Rosenbaum moving over to this show was a good thing for it–it’s not extremely noticeable, in that it doesn’t feel like an unfamiliar show, but there has been a slight tonal shift and I think it’s good.  It’s just a tiny, tiny bit lighter, but not overly so.

I’m happy with how the show is going and I’m definitely finding it more interesting and I find myself less likely to compare it to Battlestar Galactica, which I think is a big win for both me and the show.  It’s hard to watch something when you can’t help comparing it to something else, and I didn’t think of BSG once last night.  Very good.

Read the rest of this entry »

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.”

Read the rest of this entry »

So, I was just in the kitchen pouring myself some water and sort of meandering through things I wanted to write about this week’s V when I realized that THIS is the show Nathan Fillion should’ve been on.  DAMMIT.  I assume the people at Castle would like for that character to stick around, so now I am considering launching a fan campaign for everyone to STOP watching Castle so that it’ll get cancelled and NF can rejoin the sci-fi geek world where he goddamn belongs!

Although, in all honesty, I’m not sure V would know how to properly use his charm and it might be wasted there, and Castle’s alright and it does allow Nathan Fillion to be very Nathan Filliony.  It’s just that I like Castle, but I get EXCITED about V.  I just want NF to one day intersect with something I like that much that doesn’t get cancelled.  Also, note to NF (and to Joss)–no more FOX.  Obviously.  Thank you.

Anyway, this episode was super badass and I loved it, and it even managed to shock BILLY, which as anyone who regularly reads this blog knows, is more shocking than if Billy himself turned out to be an alien.  Which reminds me of this conversation that we had last week:

Me: You’re an alien, aren’t you?
Billy: No.  But I would tell you if I was.
Me: YOU WOULD NOT TELL ME!  You would keep it a secret because aliens are much smarter than me!
Billy: Well, if THAT’S the only requirement …

And then I gave him a dirty look and he said I asked for it.

I am very tangenty today, but whatever.  This is my only Tuesday show I cover and I’m going to enjoy it, by God.

Read the rest of this entry »

Man, you guys.  I really like this show, and I am bummed it’s going on hiatus after only FOUR episodes!  That is cruel.  Also, can we briefly discuss how the title card came up and Billy referred to it as a “bloody V”?  Sigh.

This week’s episode kept things moving on all fronts, which I liked.  My favorite story is probably still Scott Wolf’s (and also, I am having a TERRIBLE time getting a grip on the names on this show, so hang with me as I refer to them by description or the actor’s name, and I’ll keep working on it).  I find it interesting that he’s beating himself up for the unethical interview, so he kind of maybe tries to make up for it by having his own debate with different guests on his show, but in the end, he’s still kind of the Vs’ bitch, as he brought it back around to a positive spin.  And at the end, you kind of wish that he’d just wanted to do the right thing, but you’re left with the sort of queasy feeling that maybe he just wanted the appearance of the right thing, but his own personal gain is still the most important thing to him.

Also, when Anna was watching that show, she was SCARY, dude.  And I love the acting choices she made, which were all in the face.  It reminded me a little bit of Zachary Quinto as Spock in Star Trek (probably my favorite movie of this past summer, btw), and how he was definitely not a human, but he still had some emotions and found really subtle ways to express them.  Meanwhile, I don’t think the Vs are supposed to be AS stoic as the Vulcans, and we’ve already seen that they are definitely subject to human emotions (i.e., Almost-Engaged Secret Alien).

But Anna’s face was CRAZY.  She looked shocked and upset and angry all at the same time while barely moving, and you really just had no idea what she would do.  Same thing, kind of, when Scott Wolf came up to the Manhattan Mothership to talk her down, and you could see her calming down and getting a little googly-eyed, like she had a schoolgirl crush on him.  And again, her face BARELY moved, but it was totally enough.  I think Morena Baccarin might have been as awesomely cast as possible.

Moving on to Almost-Engaged Secret Alien, I liked that story too.  (Actually, I pretty much liked all the stories, so I should probably quit saying that … but probably I won’t.)  It was cool getting to see how their healing/medical process went, and I like his Mechanic Secret Alien Friend.  Who, you know, drugged him … but still looked out for his best interests and tried to warn him about getting away from his fiance and keeping her out of danger.  I think it’s interesting because I wonder if he CAN, like if he’s strong enough to do it, and I hope they continue in that vein because it seems like in TV shows and movies where someone has to leave their One True Love or whatever, for some selfless reason or to keep them out of harm’s way, it’s always like, yeah, I’ll totally do it and not think twice, and then I’ll suffer in silence forever.  But in reality, I think that would be REALLY REALLY REALLY hard, and not that easy a choice.  Plus, most people are selfish.  I know I am, and I wouldn’t want to just leave Billy and run off by myself.  So then it becomes like a three-option question–do you leave, do you stay and carry on as normal, or do you stay and let them in on the secret?  I’d like to see the show explore this a bit.

And speaking of things I’d like to see the show explore … let’s discuss the priests.  Now, before I say what I’m about to say, let me just tell you that I am a total spoilerphobe and have no idea what’s coming next, but I AM about to speculate, so if you don’t even want to read that, skip this paragraph, okay?  Cool.  Anyway, as we were watching this, Billy said that he thinks the old priest is an alien.  And can I just say, I hope not?  First of all, it’s way too obvious.  Secondly, I think it’s a MUCH more interesting story if he’s not.  It’s two differing opinions by people of the same religious stature, and not just some master V plan of indoctrination.  I prefer that.

I do like the young priest a lot, and how jaded he’s becoming, and I’ll be interested in seeing that play out.  It’s clear that he and FBI Lady are the cornerstone of this show, and I like that, and I like that they found out what each other does for a living in this episode.  Although, and I know I might get ripped a new one for saying this, since she’s y’all’s “Lost” girl and everything, but does anyone else find FBI Lady to be a bit of a mushmouth?  I kept having to rewind the DVR and me and Billy keep looking at each other and saying, “Wha … ?  Huh?  What did she say?  I don’t know, rewind!” 

Her storyline did whiz around all over the place a little bit–I liked what happened with her convincing her director that not only did she have a hand in Alan Tudyk’s disappearance, but also that he might have been working for a terrorist cell and that she can prove it.  This was my big beef, actually–that she could prove it in one (half of an) episode, and with just ONE.  SIMPLE.  PHONE STATEMENT!  Sort of ridiculous, and not very smooth on his part either.  He’s in the FBI, hasn’t that bitch heard of a prepaid cell phone that you throw away?  Hello!

I did like her interactions with the priest, and that they found out the Vs were intercepting 911 calls.  I also liked seeing Tory from Battlestar Galactica (MORE nerd cred!) and finding out a little more about the state of the Vs’ relations with the US and other governments.  And I always like seeing the Blue Ball of Death come out of nowhere!

As for FBI Lady’s kid … I like that we have the youth element and I like the possibilities it provides, especially with seeing the inside of the ship and learning more about how they work, but I can’t quite shake the feeling that he’s a turd and I might not like him.  I mean, the flirting was kind of cute, especially Laura Vandervoort flirting, but him showing her multiple pictures of his bike and then punching a dude?  Loserville!  And yet I’m still totally interested, so they must be doing something right.

Okay, I think that mostly covers it, although there was a TON of stuff in this episode, so if I forgot something, PLEASE remind me in the comments, and join in the chat of what you did and didn’t like, what did and didn’t work, and how much you loved Anna’s high-tech closet rummaging device (which, as my TwitterFriend heroine_tv pointed out, Cher from Clueless would be WAY jealous of)!

Okay, so to answer the first question we’re all asking each other–I liked it!  Did you?

From there, let me just say that I haven’t seen any of the original series and hadn’t even heard of it until recently, so I have nothing really to add from that perspective.  I fell in very much like, which is good for a sci-fi geek girl like myself, who finds falling in love with new stuff kind of challenging.  But it could BECOME love, if say I’m having a really shitty day and V offers to take me out to the Olive Garden just to be nice.  That’s what Billy does, because he is the best BF ever, and if V really wants to know how to make me fall in love, they could get tips from him.  Or from BSG.  Which reminds me, I wasn’t into the pilot of BSG at ALL, so V is already ahead there.  In general, I thought it moved quickly, had interesting characters and an interesting premise, looked amazing, and was super fun.  I’m completely stoked to see more sci-fi on network television (especially since the bitches at Comcast don’t think SyFy should come with my regular cable), and I am SUPER thrilled to have something to watch on Tuesday TV Wasteland.

Obviously this show has some serious geek cred, what with it being a remake and all the Whedon alums, plus an actress from Lost, a production team with an impressive nerd pedigree, cool effects, and hello … it’s about aliens.  Speaking of, did anyone else catch Laura Vandervoort, AKA Smallville’s SuperGirl?  That’s twice now that she’s been cast as an alien.  A very hot alien, no doubt, but how many times do you get cast as an alien before you start to wonder if it’s you?  And I can’t believe I’m saying this, because in general, while I love Smallville madly (and kind of hate it too), I don’t generally think they’re better at anything that anyone else, but … they really need to bring back whoever was doing her makeup over there.  She looked really washed out on the mothership, and their lighting didn’t even look fluorescent.

Where was I going with this?

Oh, right.  Obviously it’s not a lot of geek cred, and a lot of potential, but there are a couple issues that I would worry about.  First of all, it was pretty easy for me to suspend disbelief while watching the show, but then later as I continued thinking about it, I realized that I usually cut sci-fi shows a lot of slack because they exist in a different world than ours.  But V wants to take place in modern day America and hold onto some of that reality, and if they want to do that and maintain integrity, they have to either operate in reality or explain whatever different set of rules we’re working with. 

The thing is, I like the thought of there being a resistance made up of more or less average Joes, and I like focusing on it from the perspective of the common people, but in doing that, you miss out on a LOT of what happens behind the scenes, which was part of the awesomeness of Battlestar Galactica (sorry, I’m not trying to be obnoxious with the comparisons).  Because you dealt so much with Roslin and Adama, you were watching the people responsible for making decisions and their thought processes in doing so.  Here, we know that the Visitors met with the UN, but that’s about it.  I just have a hard time believing that people would be so immediately accepting of all this and that the US in particular would just let them wander in and do whatever they want, especially re: setting up healing centers.  But it may just be something I have to get over if I want to enjoy the show, and I definitely do.

Because the storylines that we DO have are really working for me, especially the one with the priest.  His conversation with the older priest was so interesting and seemed exactly how a converation like that might go, and I don’t know … I just found that a fascinating angle to take.  (Also, I should probably make it perfectly clear that I don’t know anyone’s name yet besides Anna’s.) 

I liked the FBI angle too, mostly because of story possibilities and the mom/agent was pretty good too–loved when she called the kid about the video and said that she was SO proud.  I was truly shocked when Alan Tudyk turned out to be an alien in disguise, and less shocked but still excited when the black guy turned out to be a good rebel alien.  Also, that guy’s future? fiance is one of the hottest girls I’ve ever seen.  And the way the teenage son’s obession with the aliens ties into Agent Mom’s storyline also really works for me.

I have to say though that my favorite story of the episode was Scott Wolf as the reporter stuck in an ethical dilemma, probably because I was most interested in seeing what he’d do and because there again, it seemed like something that could legitimately happen.  And I liked that even though he did it, he didn’t seem to like it and he seemed to kind of hate himself for it, but he couldn’t say no to doing it again because the promise of fame was just too much for him.  But you know, being the new guy’s bitch doesn’t usually end well–just ask Gaius Baltar.  (OKAY, I’m sorry!)

So I’ve heard people saying, “ZOMG it’s totally about Obama!” or “It’s obviously about terrorists!”  Well, I could see how certain things could be taken either way for both of those arguments, but nothing that I thought ran throughout the whole episode even, and it’s WAY too soon to call the symbolism for a series, if there even is intentional allegory.  So my vote is that we all chill out on that for awhile, but given that this is the internet, doubtful, so … as you were. :) 

A couple other odds and ends before I turn it over to you guys–I love the spaceship.  It is GORGEOUS.  I loved how the bottom flipped over into screens–I was so mesmerized, and I was especially taken with the inside, which looks so sleek and awesome (particularly the city they were looking down over).  And, total nerd moment, I got SO EXCITED during the interview with Anna because the red chairs they were sitting in?  We totally have those in my office!  Y’all, my office has spaceship furniture!  How cool is THAT?

Speaking of the interview, I’m trying to place who Scott Wolf is looking like.  My initial thought was Michael J. Fox, but now I kind of think it’s like Michael J. Fox and Seth Meyers had a baby.  Anybody else have any better ideas? 

Did anyone else fah-reak out when they started cutting skin flaps (cleverly in the shape of a V, of course)?  I was gonna get totally grossed out, and I was all WTF, but it did definitely serve a purpose both for the meeting and for the audience, so we could get an idea of what’s underneath the Visitor skin.  And I liked having just a taste, with the skin and one eyeball–very cool and restrained.

And finally, the last segment was totally action packed and surprising and I enjoyed that a lot, but I was so pissed at the promo monkeys for spoiling me WAY too hard for next week re: Alan Tudyk/Wash.  If for some reason, anyone there sees this, TELL THEM NOT TO DO THAT AGAIN.

Alright, what did everyone think?  I can’t WAIT to get your thoughts–did it meet your expectations?  Did you have a favorite part?  Do you think you’ll be able to overlook the issues?  And which geek fandom idol (if any) did you tune in for?  Share it in the comments!