“V” Ep 4 “It’s Only the Beginning” Review

“It’s Only the Beginning” is, somewhat ironically, the final episode of “V” until March. It concluded with some fairly heavy hitting cliffhangers, yet I must admit I’m on the fence about the series as a whole.  So much of me really wants to love this show. I was a huge fan of the original series, I am a Sci Fi fan, and I love the cast, particularly what Morena Baccarin is bringing to her role as Anna. There are genuinely compelling moments in the series, most of which take place on the ship and focus on the stories of the visitors themselves. This week the ones that shone above the rest were the introduction of Anna’s “bliss” and her bizarre sadomasochistic schoolmarm punishment of the physician’s staff “Now, if the guilty party doesn’t step up…”

Yet as a whole there are many aspects of the plot that I am having some trouble investing in. Perhaps if the show had been more of a re-imagining rather than a strait reboot it would be easier for me to engage in it. As it stands, it seems to be rushing through some of the central themes of the original series. Yes “V” and human procreation was possible then as well – but I have to wonder why they are bringing in this element so early. Perhaps there is some end that the creators are trying to reach, some place where the series takes flight as its own entity. In the interim, it seems that there is a lot more attention being paid to quickly reaching certain plot points rather than intricate character development. I had trouble buying into the scenes with the ramshackle resistance. Things just seem far too easy for them. A priest, even one who was an army chaplain, does not necessarily know how to treat a bullet wound. Even in the army, he was still a priest not a doctor. Also, exactly how old is the gun he had in that box at the close of the episode – and why did he have it there – placed so gracefully atop a folded American flag?

In addition, it seems somewhat implausible that a sleeper agent who has been on Earth for upwards of twenty years, and has long since deflected from the fold as it were, can so easily and readily tap into a “V” security system and blow up a warehouse. Although, of the rebellion, I am finding Morris Chestnuts portrayal of Ryan both the most believable and the most enjoyable. Finally each of the resisters feels far too comfortable and “at the ready” in terms of gunplay. Yes, Erica is in the FBI, and now we discover that Fr. Jack was in the army, still the effortlessness of their transition into an A team like gang of quasi-freedom fighters seemed almost comical to me. One moment particular in the warehouse when they all ran out of frame to the left seemed especially Scooby Doo to me. It just lacked the sound effect and image of their feet turned into a blur of wheels.

Once again, I find the rapid acceptance of the “V”’s by the government and populace in general somewhat perplexing and implausible. They seem to understand far too much about our cultural idioms for “beings” that claim to have just recently found us. Would that not raise some measure of suspicion? Would people not imagine that they had somehow been spying on us? How do they know enough to joke about the seeming incurability of the common cold? How do they know enough about our immune systems to develop a “super vitamin”? To open healing centers? How do they know enough to banter and play with us using our common vernacular? It is one thing to understand a language and quite another to really know how to use it. It seems like the writers are relying on “the easy way out” for the development of both the “V”’s and the resistance. There seems to be very little attention to detail or the creation of sound character logic. However I did like the twist that they would poison us with our own flu shots.

Anna stands out as a character because the actress is paying impeccable attention to detail in the creation of her character. She moves in her body as if it is an effort, an affectation, yet without drawing so much attention to it that it becomes a caricature. While I enjoyed Anna’s scenes on the ship I cannot express how much I dislike the Tyler/teenage storyline. The addition the coincidence of Tyler as patient to Ryan’s fiancé was again, way too far for my suspension of disbelief to stretch. Nor do I understand why this child, of all others on Earth stands out as remarkable, someone to use for a far greater purpose for Anna and the “V”’s. Again it feels as if the show is somehow tied to the stories of the original series rather than allowing this series to develop in an organic fashion. There also does not seem to be a full understanding of the significance that these storylines had in the original series. The young man turned “V” advocate in the original series worked as a parallel for the Hitler youth, for family turned against family, neighbor against neighbor during the time of the Third Reich. What role is Tyler serving as a character in this reimagining? Just what is this show trying to say in terms of social commentary – if anything?

When the series comes back in March I hope to see a renewed emphasis on character development with a focus on the show’s strongest characters, and a reworking of and/or de-emphasis on its less compelling characters and stories. We as an audience are happy to suspend disbelief in almost any given world or reality as long as it creates and then sticks to a strong internal logic. When no attention is paid to logic at all we assume that it is laziness on the part of the creators or condescension. Please take the creepy bald “V” guard away and never bring him or anything close to him back. Over the top does not begin to express how I felt about this character. This is a fun show with some great elements to it, so I hope the series will shore up what has been lacking so that what is truly valuable about the show can shine. I will look forward to seeing more Joshua and the fifth column on the mother ship, Anna’s bliss secrets revealed, and how far Chad Decker will go to prevent his allegedly impending aneurism. Those are my thoughts; I’d love to know yours. Please post your comments below here on ThinkHero. You can also follow us on twitter @thinkhero and @jrothc – that’s me.

Thanks guys!

Roth