Kenneth Johnson's original 1983 mini-series V - along with its 1984 sequel V: The Final Battle - was oddly one of my favorite television shows. Actually, it still is. But I say "oddly," because although the story was trite - aliens landing on Earth, claiming they want to help us, only to eat us - the media savvy and political implications were compelling.
Damon Knight's 1950 short story "To Serve Man," adapted into one of the most enduring Twilight Zone episodes in 1962, told the story best. Aliens land, cure our illnesses, bring peace, want happiness for us - because they view us as livestock. V in 1983 expanded this story to show the aliens - The Visitors - manipulating the media, and provoking underground freedom fighters all over the world who discovered the truth about The Visitors. Indeed, V posted a dedication "to the heroism of the resistance and the freedom fighters, past, present and future." In 1983, freedom fighters encompassed everyone from the Hungarians who bravely stood up to Soviet tanks in the 1950s (viewed as heroes by most Americans) to Contras fighting the Sandinistas in power in Nicaragua in the 1980s (viewed as heroes mostly by Ronald Reagan and his supporters).
Tonight's V had political analogies, but a little more obvious and less complex than the 1980s version. Tonight's Visitors promise "universal health care," a clear and unnecessary shot at the good work Obama and the Democrats are trying to do right now in Washington. A more apt connection was made tonight between the Visitors and terrorists.
Actually, the Visitors are referred to as the "V's" in this incarnation, and I prefer the "Visitors". But V 2009 does have Father Jack Landry (Joel Gretsch, who played Frank Vasser on Journeyman), which opens up some good theological threads (I'm suspecting his superior might be a Visitor undercover), and Lost's Elizabeth Mitchell has a top role as Erica Evans.
The new version also has the winning mix of good and bad Visitors, and Visitor-collaborator and rebel humans as the original, as well as some echoes of Battlestar Galactica (the Visitors as Cylons), and an appealing media criticism component, so I'm going to give it a chance. And kudos to ABC for stepping up with science fiction a lot more than once this decade - Lost, Invasion, FlashForward, and now the return of V.
5-min podcast review of V
TIP:
Enter the amount, and click "Tip" to submit!
FrogTown Diva
Melissa Miles McCarter
aging hippie chick
Misha Turner
Nick Leshi
gail maria
Salon.com
Comments
The updated version was really interesting - I really wish it had been a longer premier than simply an hour. I thought the way it was brought into the present was very well done and I'm looking forward to more.
That's your opinion and you are in the minority - Most Americans believe that what Obama and the dems are doing in Washington is pure socialism and the recent election results reflect that - as they will in the 201o elections. Probably better to keep your political commentary to yourself.
And, what, you took a survey and know what most Americans think? Don't project your views on to others.
I've noticed, here, there, and everywhere, that these right-wing Neanderthals - not all right-wingers, but the Neanderthals (with apologies to the prehistoric Neanderthals) - jump into conversations whenever they can, to spew their lies and venom, with a view to intimidating what they see as the opposition.
Best thing is to just hold a mirror up to them.