You know, I'm usually opposed to remakes or anything of the kind, but sometimes it actually pays off, as was the case with the first season of ABC's V.
The show is about an alien invasion, but before you say been there done that, hear this out. These alien spaceships just one morning appear over every major city in the world and their Queen, Anna, claims to be of peace. The humans start calling them Visitors and start almost borderline worshiping them, but are these aliens really here to help us, or do they have more sinister motives? If you guessed the latter, then you're correct. The Visitors turning out to be evil, emotionless lizards disguising themselves in human skins. But not all hope is lost for the humans, cause a small resistance group named the Fifth Column, made up of humans who know the truth and Visitors who turned rogue and learned human emotion, bands together to fight Anna and the V's.
Now, I never watched the original V, which aired back in the mid-80s, so I have no clue how similar the two really are, but what I can say is that this V show is a powerhouse science fiction program that entertains and enthralls from beginning to end. Just about each episode of the first season was enjoyable to watch, and had some sort of action set piece to cap it all off. While there were points in the season where it felt as if the show was kind of running its wheels, just trying to find some traction with their constant back-and-forths of whose side is this person really on, is this V fifth column or are they loyal to Anna, etc. Regardless, it's hard not to be amazed at a show of this quality on network television.
The special effects are a marvel for a weekly TV program, the interiors of the spaceships being entirely CGI, and I'd venture to say at least half of the season took place on Anna's ship over New York City. Speaking of Anna, the sinister Queen Bee of the V's, I think her character can definitely go down in television history as one of the most heartless, and overall, evil beings ever. She is truly evil incarnate, and Morena Baccarin plays her to icy perfection, making you just wanna sometimes slap her for her divine ability of deceit. The rest of the cast is solid, but no one else really stands out quite as well as Baccarin does as Anna. Though, I do think it is extremely awesome that one of the main characters who joins the resistance against the V's is a Catholic priest named Jack played by Joel Gretsch; very inspired storytelling I think.
While we never saw a V in their authentic, lizard form, they've given the audience some nice little clues as to what it might look like, such as when you saw a V baby wrapped in blankets and a slimy little tail poked out from underneath. V definitely knows how to make the viewer feel tense, and also just genuinely creep you out at all the right moments. So as it is, I actually greatly enjoyed the first season of ABC's V, and I am extremely glad that the show has gotten picked up for a second season, cause it would be a shame to not see where this all goes from here.
I give V-Season 1 an A!
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