V - The Complete First Season

V for victory; V for visitors; V for visa--these are the words that come to mind after watching the first season of “V.” Following in a similar vein as the recently ended, critically acclaimed, “Battlestar Galactica,” “V” aims to resurrect its original franchise that aired in 1983. The new “V” series aired from November 2009 to May 2010, with the second season is scheduled to start in January 2011. As I have never watched the original “V” series, I didn’t know what to expect from the pilot episode.

Set in the post-9/11 world, the opening episode takes us right into the center of the action. We are introduced to big alien spaceships circling above the major cities of the world. Of course, the first sign of alien ships invites panic from the people of earth worried of an impending doom awaiting them. But as things settle down, the mother alien ship broadcasts a message to all the important cities that their intent is to not destroy the earth; in fact, they bring a message of peace and want a strategic alliance with the earth. The new breed of aliens call themselves the “V.”

The show focuses on five principal characters: an FBI agent, Erica Evans (Elizabeth Michell); Father Jack Landry (Joel Gretsch); Ryan Nichols (Morris Chestnut); Erica’s son, Tyler (Logan Huffman); and V’s Commander-in-Chief, Anna (Morena Baccarin). A chain of events is triggered after Erica’s partner goes missing as a result of an unplanned mission. Soon, Erica becomes the prime suspect in the case, but her own investigation reveals inconsistencies in the case. Along the way, we see ex-V’s teaming up with the other V’s on earth, Erica, and the priest, as they try to find an answer to Anna’s real purpose. Meanwhile, Tyler has a crush on a girl from the “V” camp and also has some issues with his mother, Erica.

“V” aspires to be thoughtful by asking the questions: Who are these aliens who have entered the earth and what do they have to offer? What is their real motive? Is their psychological construction different from human beings? Nonetheless, considering that “V” reminds us of other popular TV shows like “Battlestar Galactica” and “Fringe” and of movies like “District 9” and “Independence Day,” for viewers diving into this new show, the real question for them would be: Does “V” provide a satisfying and entertaining TV show? After witnessing an uneven first season, “V” misses its mark to be something unique.

The opening sight of an alien mother ship and the reaction of the people to it clearly resemble the Hollywood hit “Independence Day.” As we are presented with various story arcs, then we realize that “V” is another “Battlestar Galactica” wannabe. Of course, this realization seeps in really early on the series, and you are left to wonder how “V” is different from “Battlestar Galactica.” We have aliens who look and think like human beings in every way, thereby making it difficult to distinguish between a human being and a V alien. More so, the V’s have skillfully mixed themselves in with the human race. In addition, within the “V” regiment, there are good and bad V’s. It is in these aspects that the “V” series is similar to the concept of Cylons in “Battlestar Galactica,” which is hardly an original concept if you are familiar with “Battlestar Galactica.”  The concept of an alien invasion has been rehashed many times now, and the “V” series does not break any new ground.

Indeed, as the series progresses, we see several thematic elements borrowed from the TV series “Fringe” and the movie “District 9.” Elizabeth Mitchell’s lead character reminds us of the lead female protagonist, Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), in “Fringe.” Both shows feature beautiful FBI agents, but while you cheer for Agent Olivia in “Fringe” during the course of her revelations and encounters, you can’t feel the same for Erica. In addition, as the alien forces gain ground in getting their immigration status on earth (Episode 3), one can’t help but think of “District 9,” in which aliens were granted visas as a legal way to live on earth.

Erica playing the dual role of a mother as well as an FBI agent fails to impress. Mitchell, who played the character of Juliette in the “Lost” series, lacks Juliette’s sparkling personality. Erica’s character is poorly developed, and her stereotypical mother’s image always overshadows her professional character as an agent. For instance, when Erica finds out that Tyler is mixing with the “V” crew, she never questions how and why V’s are striking a friendship with Tyler. Instead, Erica is shown as a clingy mother who questions Tyler’s every action and second guesses him all the time. Not only does this breaks the flow of the story line, it also makes it irritating for viewers to watch Erica in this mode. Rather than understanding Tyler’s teenage behavioral patterns, Erica’s character comes across as ignorant of Tyler’s needs. Perhaps Tyler has a history of telling lies or hiding facts from Erica, but it seems like writers have no idea how to deal with the mother-son relationship in a deeper and satisfying way.

The plot primarily focuses on the main purpose of the “V” team’s visit to the earth. Are they here to share their technologies and medical advancements? Or are they trying to invade the earth? Using this as a main foundational element for the story, the scriptwriters have crafted side-story arcs that will eventually add to the main story line. However, that is not the case here as there are a few glaring plot holes. The side stories involving the V’s already residing on the earth do not quite add up.

After aliens arrive, the humans quickly believe that they are here to stay peacefully. Given the timeline of this event set in the post-9/11 world, no one talks about the looming security threat to the U.S. Even so, we never see the President of the U.S. or higher military officials talk to the head-of-staff, Anna, to strike a diplomatic deal. Obviously, the role of the National Security Agency is also missing from the story. Instead, we are left to believe that diplomatic ties are being developed behind closed doors. At least, the writers could have crafted realistic scenarios against the backdrop of the sci-fi theme.

Still, in spite of the negatives, the show boasts terrific visual design. The splendor of the alien mother ship and the view from the top are both breathtaking and fascinating. The ship’s interior model is meticulously designed and the arrangement of objects is precisely defined. The costumes, though very simple, work perfectly with the overall composition of the show’s sci-fi world. In addition, the series contains nicely-done action sequences that definitely hold your attention and add an abundance of thrilling moments.

Here is the list of episodes for season one:

Disc 1:
1. Pilot
2. There is no normal anymore
3. A bright new day
4. It’s only the beginning
5. Welcome to the War
6. Pound of Flesh

Disc 2:
7. John May
8. We can’t win
9. Heretic’s Fork
10. Hearts and Minds
11. Fruition
12. Red Sky

Video:
The 1080p Blu-ray transfer is rendered using a VC-1 codec. This is a sharp-looking transfer with vivid colors and consistent detail. The color palette comprises includes whites that are presented with a well-balanced contrast ratio. The close-ups reveal superior details, and skin tones are lifelike. There is some inherent softness in some scenes, although it might be deliberate.

Audio:
As with some other shows from Warner Bros, we get a lossy 5.1 Dolby Digital track on the Blu-ray disc. The show has a number of action sequences, and this track ensures a full workout of all the channels. The dialogue is consistently clear and sharp. You can also feel the bass triggered in the action scenes. Overall, this lossy track performs well.

Extras:
Disc 1:
We get a featurette, “The Actor’s Journey from Human to V,” in which actors talk about their characters, the original series, and challenges involved in transforming the series for the new generation.

Disc 2:
Starting off, we get an interview segment, “Breaking Story: The World of V.” Here, filmmakers provide their thoughts on injecting new elements to the “V” mythology.

Up next, we have a featurette on special-effects, “An Alien in Human Skin: The Makeup FX of V.” The show’s creators discuss the special effects in the series and makeup application.

Next, a visual effects segment, “The Visual Effects of V,” is a primer on the series’ jaw-dropping visuals.

We also get a set of unaired scenes and a commentary track on Episode 11, Fruition.

Parting thoughts:
The “V” mythology fails to impress in the first season. Undoubtedly, the “V” series will always be compared to “Battlestar Galactica,” which was a better show in every way. The story line for “V” is hardly original, and the writers seem to struggle in defining a niche for the show. I hope the writers are able to add more depth to the characters by making them multidimensional in the future. The Blu-ray edition offers impressive audio and video qualities, with a number of informative extras. Fans of the show should definitely check it out.

Quote: “…an uneven first season.”