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Advance Review Of The Opening Episodes Of V Season 2!

Review by Craig Byrne
VisitorSite.net Webmaster

A year and a half ago, when I first saw the V series pilot, I saw a show with a lot of potential. There was a great conflict, and there were actors and characters that I quickly enjoyed. The effects impressed me.

As the first season went on, stopped and re-started production, and changed producers a few times, the show became a little inconsistent in tone and it was questionable what the show's direction would be. I am happy to say that as Season 2 begins, many of those concerns are alleviated and questions will be answered.

Fortunately for the show, as I mentioned before, there are characters and actors on this series that I think are fantastic in embodying their roles. I've seen other shows (I'm looking at you, Flashforward and The Event) where the characters seemed so foreign and uninteresting to me that I couldn't go further. Here, I think there's something for everyone, and with some new additions, there are even more characters to root for.

The Season 2 premiere could work even if you have not seen the first season - there's a handy-dandy "Previously on V" for that. It immediately gets in on the action and the reaction to the red sky. And then what's next? Of course, we'll see the reaction of people on the ground and those in the Visitor ships to what Anna had done. As it's been revealed in several interviews, many of which were posted on this very site, Anna may have played that card too early. How is that going to make her look? And is she herself becoming a bit too human for her liking?

Season 2 also has two new characters that I am very excited about, and I'm also happy to say that they don't take away from the ones that already exist at all. On the good guy side, there's Dr. Sid, a somewhat geeky scientist who will be helping the Fifth Column. He's played by Bret Harrison, who starred in one of my favorite short-lived shows in recent years, Reaper. (Talk about a show that deserved a better chance). Reaper's loss is V's gain, however, as I think the doctor will give the show some more well-needed humor. After all, Hobbes can't be expected to make ALL of the one-liners. Another thing I appreciate about this character is that he is so different from Reaper's Sam. Bret uses a completely different voice and his mannerisms are absolutely different. Then again, that's what acting is all about, isn't it?

And then there's the most anticipated new character on V - Diana, played by Jane Badler. If you grew up watching the original V, or even if you saw it as an adult, you know that Jane Badler playing the original Diana was one of the Most Awesome Things on Television. Sure, it's slightly camp and a bit over the top, but Diana - then and now - oozes evil, and you really can think there's a sneaky lizard under all that. Every time I see Badler on the screen I make a geeky grin. She's fantastic in the role - I would have been disappointed if the producers had gone with anyone else. Some have wondered why everyone is so excited that Jane Badler is coming to V, with the press talking about it as if she's the biggest star in the world. Well, to sci-fi fans who love V, she IS, and all of that praise is deserved, because she played what is arguably one of the biggest and best sci-fi characters of all time, and really, one of the best villains of TV history - right up there with J.R. Ewing and Alexis Carrington. I hope she is in Season 2 as much as possible, and I'm curious what is planned for her. Part of me would love to see Diana eating Anna for lunch, but since Morena Baccarin is one of the leads of the show, I doubt that will happen, even though as much as I love Anna, there just is no topping Diana in my heart.

So how are the episodes?

The season premiere, as I mentioned before, is a fantastic re-introduction to the series. There's aftermath, there are big reveals, and it immediately hits the ground running, though to me, the character moments are what make the episode shine the brightest. The relationship between parents and their children is a theme seen in all three of the first episodes, and we start with Elizabeth Mitchell's Erica Evans, as always, seeing Tyler's safety as her first priority. Ryan has parental issues as well, with the birth of his child at the end of the previous season, and Anna will do his best to use that child to manipulate him. Lisa seems to be veering away from her parent, instead drifting toward Erica in a relationship that I hope is explored more fully as the season goes on. And - what's this? - we learn of Anna's mother, Diana, in a spoiler that has been broadcasted all over the place for months.

Perhaps the weakest of the first three episodes is actually the second one, "Serpent's Tooth," as a lot of it seems to be setup. The scenes between Anna and Diana still make this one a "can't miss," but I admit that there were characters and situations that didn't interest me much in Episode 2. It's not a bad episode by any means, but it didn't excite me as much as the season premiere did. There is a very iconic V moment echoed in the show, which you'll have to see to know what I'm talking about. There are also some nice character beats with Father Jack and Ryan that I think bond the characters more.

Fortunately, the show rebounds again with a very solid third episode, which is full of more action, character development, and Anna-manipulation. You're starting to see where the characters are going, and there's a very "Justice League" like scene near the episode's end.

There is a lot about V in general that shines in the opening episodes, that I didn't really get to mention before in this review. Christopher Shyer's Marcus is, as always, phenomenal. I love that the character speaks very little yet says so much just by seeing his face. He looks very suspicious of Anna after the release of the red sky, and there's even a moment where I swear it looks like he's rolling his eyes at her. He may be the Smithers to Anna's Mr. Burns, but it works. I'm so glad he's back. Another character who is back is Mark Hildreth's Joshua, who of course has changed since last season's finale. It's supporting characters like these that make V special, and the show is very lucky to have them. There are also subtleties that I wonder if they're even intentional - for example, Lisa has wavier hair this time around, much like her grandmother Diana. Could this be a hint of a Lisa/Diana alliance later in the season? I hope so. On the subject of Lisa, I really like that her character is growing - Laura Vandervoort is much more than a pretty face, she's also a very good actress, and I'm glad to say that there are scenes - particularly ones shared with Morena Baccarin, Mark Hildreth, and Elizabeth Mitchell - that show off her talent as the character of Lisa is evolving - literally. Lisa took a very interesting turn as Season 1 ended and I think it'll be even more interesting to see where she goes next.

I think Scott Rosenbaum and the production team listened to the fans in giving us a V that is more like what we were hoping for all along. They're not hiding from sci-fi anymore; they're embracing it. I hope people give it a chance, because I'd really like to have a FULL 22-episode Season 3 next year. The show is on at 9PM tonight - don't miss it!

Here are some extras to tie in to the episode for your enjoyment:

Message Forum - Countdown/LIVE Thread - Official ABC Description - First 14 Minutes - Elizabeth Mitchell Interview - Scott Wolf Interview - Charles Mesure Interview - Logan Huffman Interview - Jane Badler Interview - Steve Pearlman Interview

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V returns Tuesday night, January 4 at 9PM (ET) on ABC.