V

[burlivesleftnut]

The preview that aired during Dollhouse with the Muse song over it definitely made me want to see it more than I did before. It was action packed! But I think putting a Muse song over anything makes it seem more exciting.

[Pacino86845]

ABC is running that spot pretty often nowadays, and I must agree that it looks very impressive... almost movie-level impressive!

The production values look great, and the concept of the show is cool... I am not familiar with the original at all, so I have no idea what to expect. It looks a bit like District 9 except these aliens are here to school us puny humans.

I for one...

[Pacino86845]

In very crap low quality, you can watch the first 9 minutes of the new V!

Basically all that happens is the alien ships arrive, the clip ends with the hot alien chick's face showing up on the underside of the ships, but she doesn't say anything yet. Then some porno music comes on as the credits roll.

How the hell is ABC running two very similar shows on its schedule? I am thinking they will drop the less successful show between Flashforward and V, unless they want to become the new science fiction network... maybe science fiction is cool again?

[Nick]

How the hell is ABC running two very similar shows on its schedule? I am thinking they will drop the less successful show between Flashforward and V, unless they want to become the new science fiction network... maybe science fiction is cool again?

Both involving Lost actors.

[TheBaxter]

abc seems to think that by putting actors from Lost in it's other sci-fi shows, that will make all the Lost fans watch those shows. when in reality, we'd much rather just see them back on Lost.

[Ribbons]

Yeah, they're definitely trying to get people to associate the show with Lost in order to tune in. Compare the posters, even:





I also think Monica (?) Baccarin's 'alien ambassador' owes something to Tricia Helfer's character on Battlestar Galactica. That said, what little I've seen from the show does look surprisingly good.

[Pacino86845]

Funny you should mention BSG, 'cause that V poster makes me think of this:

[Ribbons]

OSNAP!

[Maui]

Didn't V and Alien Nation (TV series) come out around the same time or atleast within a few years of each other? I was a big fan of both shows - probably a bigger fan of Alien Nation. I'll be checking out this show though - the clips have me intrigued.

[papalazeru]

Didn't V and Alien Nation (TV series) come out around the same time or atleast within a few years of each other? I was a big fan of both shows - probably a bigger fan of Alien Nation. I'll be checking out this show though - the clips have me intrigued.

No way. V was very early 80's. Alien Nation came after the movie with James Caan and that was 88.

Interestingly enough, Alien nation had a good idea, not likeWar of the Worlds. Bleurgh!

[Maui]

Didn't V and Alien Nation (TV series) come out around the same time or atleast within a few years of each other? I was a big fan of both shows - probably a bigger fan of Alien Nation. I'll be checking out this show though - the clips have me intrigued.

No way. V was very early 80's. Alien Nation came after the movie with James Caan and that was 88.

Alright, thanks for that. I'm too lazy to look it up.

[papalazeru]

Didn't V and Alien Nation (TV series) come out around the same time or atleast within a few years of each other? I was a big fan of both shows - probably a bigger fan of Alien Nation. I'll be checking out this show though - the clips have me intrigued.

No way. V was very early 80's. Alien Nation came after the movie with James Caan and that was 88.

Alright, thanks for that. I'm too lazy to look it up.

So am I, it's just one of the few stupid junk points that manage to fit into my tiny head.

[Bayouwolf]

Pilot ep gets a resounding...well...Meh.

Maui has already yelled at me once about spoilers (Being I'm a east coaster, and she's a west) so I'll reserve comments until tomorrow.

I will say this though...

Too much, too soon.

[Ribbons]

Well, it is a miniseries (ostensibly), so keep in mind that there are only 3 episodes left.

[Bayouwolf]

Well, it is a miniseries (ostensibly), so keep in mind that there are only 3 episodes left.

I just didn't expect to learn so much in so little time. (Well, I already knew from watching the original, but still...have Americans really become so A.D.D. that Michael Bayesque pacing is really required to keep us interested FOR 4 FUCKING HOURS???)

[BuckyO'harre]

To echo the earlier critiques...
Everyone claps?
EVERYONE?!
No crying? No hugging?No screaming?

Just "Bravo, Aliens!Good show!"


No!


Yeah... not so good.
Though, like Ribbons said, there are only three more episodes.
Might as well see where it goes.





Jesus tried to kill Roy!

[Pacino86845]

It was ok, the show was promoted enough so that a lot of what we watched was pretty expected. I'm happy with this first episode, it's not too flashy but interesting enough to keep following the mini-series at least, that's for sure. Despite a few wrinkles here and there in the script and some of the acting, it was pretty well done.

As for spoilery parts:

I'm almost glad they got the whole Visitors-are-lizards thing outta the way... quite a few viewers know the original series, and others would just google it... so best not to pretend it's some kind of twist, get it out there now and try to do something fresh instead. I never watched the original series, so I don't know if there were any "traitor" Vees, but that's one interesting aspect. Who knows, maybe they've got more up their sleeves. We can only hope.

And Anna the leader of the Vees is totally hot!

[DanielSan]

It was ok, the show was promoted enough so that a lot of what we watched was pretty expected. I'm happy with this first episode, it's not too flashy but interesting enough to keep following the mini-series at least, that's for sure. Despite a few wrinkles here and there in the script and some of the acting, it was pretty well done.

I agree. I enjoyed it. It wasn't incredible, but it wasn't bad, either. I certainly will tune in next week.

[Maui]

Universal health care is evil!

Show was alright, like the rest of you I didn't think it was fantastic but I didn't think it was horrible either.

Some parts were well done, the arrival of the V ships (earthquake like effects, the ship over the skyscrapers)then some parts were too much (the priest stopping the crucifix from hitting the wheelchair dude) - a bit too Omenesque for me. Actually most of the church stuff was annoying. I'd rather see Father Jack in a vigilante role then a holier than thou role discussing the existence of God in a world with ETs. zzzzzzz But the V people are cool, sexy, and wear neat jackets. I thought the Firefly dude and the Lost chick were great in this. The teenage son is kinda cute too - I just hope that his relationship with that V chick will be less corny.

The show has great potential, I was engaged for the entire hour, so I'm sticking around for more!

[DanielSan]

Universal health care is evil!

Show was alright, like the rest of you I didn't think it was fantastic but I didn't think it was horrible either.

Some parts were well done, the arrival of the V ships (earthquake like effects, the ship over the skyscrapers)then some parts were too much (the priest stopping the crucifix from hitting the wheelchair dude) - a bit too Omenesque for me. Actually most of the church stuff was annoying. I'd rather see Father Jack in a vigilante role then a holier than thou role discussing the existence of God in a world with ETs. zzzzzzz But the V people are cool, sexy, and wear neat jackets. I thought the Firefly dude and the Lost chick were great in this. The teenage son is kinda cute too - I just hope that his relationship with that V chick will be a little less corny.

The show has great potential, I was engaged for the entire hour, so I'm sticking around for more!

Well put.

[papalazeru]

Nice little bit of Trivia for you.

Remember this is the episode?



Well,,,,coincidentally, it looks almost the exact spit of Calatrava's Museum in Valencia.



That's a real pic BTW, been there many a time. Those two parts of the museum are instantly recognisable in just above middle of frame and just SE of middle frame.

They've been here before?

Or they are just theives.

[Ribbons]

Now with gratuitous use of Paint!




The similarities are definitely too uncanny for it to be a coincidence. If I had to guess they were using a picture for reference while they were designing... whatever that thing is. I think "thieves" is a little strong though, I mean incorporating real buildings and/or design styles into fictional architecture is a pretty common practice.

[papalazeru]

Now with gratuitous use of Paint!




The similarities are definitely too uncanny for it to be a coincidence. If I had to guess they were using a picture for reference while they were designing... whatever that thing is. I think "thieves" is a little strong though, I mean incorporating real buildings and/or design styles into fictional architecture is a pretty common practice.

Sorry, the bit after the pictures, I was just kidding. It's obvious Calatrava designs were chosen because of their wacky take on modern designing. I'm pretty sure if you looked at some other Calatrava buildings, they are in that picture too.

It's true because David Ike said so.

It's even got the little stegasaur type fins that the cinema in the museum has..



Hard to believe but side on, it looks like this...



Sort of an armadilla/whale thingy with an eye.
Calatrava is very good at making things look startlingly different at different angles.

But it's really a tangent away from the show. I liked the opening quite a bit, especially the manipulation of the media guy. Good set up with the kid and killing off the resistance straight off was cool. Pretty much the same as the original from what I remember. I think it's going to be enjoyable.

[Fried Gold]

How the hell is ABC running two very similar shows on its schedule? I am thinking they will drop the less successful show between Flashforward and V, unless they want to become the new science fiction network... maybe science fiction is cool again?

Whether it's considered "cool" or not, science fiction usually brings in the coins (and has done for a long time even if people still like to think of it as just a genre thing).

[Brit Pop]

I dunno... it seems like the producers thought 'lets reboot V, the fans will love it because everyone else is doing the reboot thing'...

But the key to a remake / reboot thing is to have an original cast member in the pilot... no Ham.... no Donovan... nothing!

I bet Juliet is regretting leaving lost now!!!

I saw the pilot, its rushed, its sloppy, at least 80% of the characters I give not a shit about (with exception to the vicar and the nubian lizard!)

Morena Baccarin was super hot it SG1, but the short hair thing aint working.

They may have wanted to fit as much as possible into the pilot due to the fans pre-knowledge of the original series, but to me it just felt a bit too forced.

I'll give it a solid meh out of meh... If it continues, I may watch it from time to time... if it gets 'Smith'-ed - then so be it!

End Of Line

[TheBaxter]

oh boy, where to begin.

no spoiler tags below, so if you DVR'ed it and haven't watched it yet, go ahead and skip this post.

i agree with everyone that the pilot felt really rushed. but my biggest problem with it was that the entire episode, at least til the very end, was ALL EXPOSITION. everything we learn is told to us, rather than shown to us. that might be part of why it felt rushed, because it never took the time to just show something happening, instead we hear from it in a single line of dialogue from a character. for instance, we hear about the aliens curing people. the dude in the wheelchair stands up and says they cured him, they talk about expanding their healing stations in that interview, but we never actually SEE anyone getting cured or see these healing stations. the same thing goes for a hundred other things in the pilot that we're told but not shown. that was my biggest complaint with the show. they were in such a rush to establish the backstory they didn't bother to actually have any scenes of stuff happening.

a lot of other things left me scratching my head or groaning.
- the arrival of the visitors, in my mind, was underwhelming. the ships and their arrival was more impressive in the original miniseries. maybe some of that is nostalgia, but even the opening for flashforward was more impressive. and the clapping? yeah... terrible.
- what was with the army? first, they got there awful soon. 2nd, what possible purpose could there have been for keeping people from one part of the city from crossing into the other part of the city? isn't the whole city beneath the spaceship anyway? it made no sense. and then, once she DOES cross the army line, there's a whole bunch of people there just milling about anyway. and she finds her son in a few seconds, in the middle of a big crowd in a huge city.
- they skip ahead 3 weeks... that's part of why it felt rushed. those 3 weeks probably would have been the most interesting time, but they skip over it so they can get to the whole "they've been here all along" plot line.
- the protests. again, something we're told is happening, but it's never shown. why exactly are people protesting the aliens? because they're healing sick people? well, people DO protest that these days, so maybe that's no so far-fetched. but since only a small number of people know about the visitor sleeper cells and that they're reptiles, there's really no good reason given for why people would be protesting the arrival of aliens. they don't even try to explain it. maybe the protesters are people who live in high-rise apartments in the cities where the v ships are hovering, and they're upset because the ships are blocking all their natural light. they probably put up with it for the first week or so, but after three weeks of having all the sunlight blocked out of their expensive penthouse apartments, they're starting to get a little irritated, so they're out there protesting, telling the aliens "hey buddy, you want to park that thing somewhere else? you're blocking all the sunlight!" speaking of, i wonder how much the electric bill must've went up in all those cities, because now they have to keep the lights on 24/7 on account of the v ships blocking the sun.
- that priest guy says "i think i have proof" that the aliens are reptiles or have been here in sleeper cells or soemthing. and what's his proof? pictures of some guy. really? that's your proof? "hey everyone, i have pictures of a guy with a beard.... the aliens ARE OUT TO GET US!"
- and then, to provide some REAL proof, the blundering aliens break in to their meeting and try to kill everyone... and of course, fail miserably, leaving behind an actual alien body with his skin ripped off. way to go aliens. you just gave this bunch of paranoid freaks actual proof that they're not paranoid after all, and gained nothing.

so, in other words, this isn't a very smart show, or very well-produced. and yet, i'll keep watching, because it's still a cool premise, i like the way they've updated the idea by having sleeper cells of visitors who were planted on the planet ahead of time. i like the good guy visitor, and the priest guy from 4400, and juliet. i hate juliet's son, but i hated the traitor kid from the original V too, so that's a wash. i hate scott wolf, but since he'll be playing a weaselly bad guy, i guess that's ok. anna v is kinda hot and kinda weird-looking... she simultaneously makes me horny and creeps me out. she looks like an alien already. peter gallagher v is also creepy. maybe that's why people were protesting them, because they have such creepy leaders. like they're not even trying to hide their creepiness. i think i'm gonna start a drinking game with this show, every time there's a shot of anna v staring out a window or at somebody with that half-cocked mona lisa smile, you take a drink. that will make the show more entertaining.

[papalazeru]

Lisa is Hawt!

Morena is Hawt!

Juliet is Hawt!

I'm watching. If only for the acting.



...

Wait... I got that wrong.

I think a lot of us want it to be good because it's a really good concept and it has been done really well in the past (District 9).

I agree with wanting to shown more instead of having it handed to you, it was one of the reasons that made Chidlren of Men such a pleasing experience.

I was talking CeeBeeUK earlier concerning this...It could end up like BSG, where the miniseries was Meh! but the show was frakkin' awesome.

We can but hope. Also, this show was completed like, aeons ago...I think it might be too late to green light it. Getting the cast back together for a series might be too much to ask.

I watched 'The invaders', 'The War of the Worlds', I'll most likely watch this..and pray that it's good.

[Fried Gold]

The pilot is a bit....lame.

Some really dodgy acting. Two extremely annoying characters (including one who surely no-one can believe ever came out of Elizabeth Mitchell).

The intro tries to compare the scenario with events such as JFK's assassination and the 9th November attacks, yet clearly ignores how people reacted to those very events. Extra-terrestrial life arrives on Earth...and everyone just smiles all the time, or goes to church (and lot of that stuff about the Catholic Church is a bit out of date. Check out Father José Gabriel Funes papers, some of which the Vatican semi-endorsed).

Science would be all over this.

The whole thing just comes across as entirely unconvincing to me. For a primetime show, audiences should be expecting way more than this.

[Leckomaniac]

Well, V was the highest rated debut this season for a scripted show. It beat THE CLEVELAND SHOW and NCIS: LA for that honor.

Will they stick around? I guess we will see.

[justcheckin]

I just checked this out... it seems pretty cool. I remember the old V and I rather liked it. I never watched the whole series because in 1983, I was 6 years old. I remember wanting to watch it. When I did catch an episode I thought it was cool.

[Bayouwolf]

Episode 2 was everything I asked the pilot to be, except they decided to take it too far.

We finally get some insight into the V's that have been here for a while, but the story did little to forward the progress of the resistance...They jumped 3 weeks into the future in the pilot, but for whatever reason, decided to run this one like an episode of 24...
I understand the need to move the story along a bit, but have some type of continuity ffs...

I think what they were trying to do was build tension between the chick from LOST and her supervisor, and between the token black guy and his "friends"... For me at least, they failed. I really don't have a vested stake in any of the characters, they could live or die and I wouldn't give a crap.

I'll keep watching out of morbid curiosity, but this show has some very lame story telling qualities.

On a side note, did anyone else notice that this week they totally ripped off Phantasm?

[Jakester]

I have a vested interest in Juliet's sweet, sweet breasticles.

I did enjoy the second episode much more than the first, but yeah, I don't care if anybody lives or dies. Although, I'd kind of like Juliet's son to discover the truth about the Visitors and get eaten, maybe by Supergirl. He's an annoying little fuck.

[Fievel]

The Phantasm orb thing was in the pilot, too.

I want FBI Lady's son to be anally probed by the aliens until he dies. I don't know if it's the actor of the character, but I haven't hated someone on screen so much in a long time.

I like the slowed down pace now. I hope they take their time in setting up the Resistance.
But still, the show is far from being good.

And my shallow comment of the week for this series - Anna looks ugly with short hair compared to how the actress looked on Firefly.

[TheBaxter]

i'm with you all. this show just isn't very good, and none of the characters are interesting or compelling in the least.
and even though i kinda liked the idea that the visitors had been on earth for a while already, now i'm seeing how that, combined with their human disguises, is going to basically end up as being a retread of BSG and the human-looking cylons, where we're going to end up wondering whether certain characters are or are not really aliens.

[Tyrone_Shoelaces]

I think this alternate take of the arrival would have worked so much better.

[TheBaxter]

I think this alternate take of the arrival would have worked so much better.

awesome!

i sense a new internet meme starting. how long til someone uses the same scene with the dramatic chipmunk, or something.

[Ribbons]

I think this alternate take of the arrival would have worked so much better.

awesome!

i sense a new internet meme starting. how long til someone uses the same scene with the dramatic chipmunk, or something.

Maybe the aliens think he's our leader

[papalazeru]

so, in other words, this isn't a very smart show, or very well-produced. and yet, i'll keep watching, because it's still a cool premise, i like the way they've updated the idea by having sleeper cells of visitors who were planted on the planet ahead of time. i like the good guy visitor, and the priest guy from 4400, and juliet. i hate juliet's son, but i hated the traitor kid from the original V too, so that's a wash. i hate scott wolf, but since he'll be playing a weaselly bad guy, i guess that's ok. anna v is kinda hot and kinda weird-looking... she simultaneously makes me horny and creeps me out. she looks like an alien already. peter gallagher v is also creepy. maybe that's why people were protesting them, because they have such creepy leaders. like they're not even trying to hide their creepiness. i think i'm gonna start a drinking game with this show, every time there's a shot of anna v staring out a window or at somebody with that half-cocked mona lisa smile, you take a drink. that will make the show more entertaining.

You know what Bax? It's not that well made but it's getting better.

I find the fact that they blur the lines as early as the 2nd ep quite interesting. I think it's got fantastic potential (even though we all know it won't go anywhere). It could be cheap to make too....but the idea tht the line can be blurred on both sides with the ideal being the end goal is very interesting and one which could play out well if they do it right.

Personally, after the 3rd ep, I'd give it at least 2 series...maybe 4 if they can devise a good story but for gods sake have an end point.

[TheBaxter]

the last episode was an improvement, but it's still lacking.
it was nice to see that cute alien chick in her undies, at least.
the fact that the assassin was really a V secret agent and it was all a PR stunt was pretty predictable though. and the one woman whose husband died changing her mind 180 degrees after talking to anna strained credulity. although, if it turns out that her change of heart was due to the V's killing her and replacing her with an impostor, or if anna turned into a lizard and sucked her brains out, then it would be a bit more convincing.
do you think we'll actually see a full-on lizard before the series goes on hiatus after this week?

[TheBaxter]

oh, one other thing. what was up with the "timestamps" at the bottom of certain scenes. 12:03pm. 9:16pm. etc. like this was an episode of 24 or something. it's like they were trying to give the episode some extra Punky Power by showing the exact time, as if that somehow would enhance the drama or excitement otherwise lacking from the script. it was pretty amateurish.

[TheBaxter]

dammit! when anna told that guy to take that other guy and have him skinned, i thought for sure we'd finally see a lizard. cock-teases!
well, no more V for oh about 4 months. how will we ever make it?

[RogueScribner]

WTF? They have this HUGE armada and they're waiting for, what? For us all to get sick first? LAME!

[Maui]

WTF? They have this HUGE armada and they're waiting for, what? For us all to get sick first? LAME!

That was one cheesy looking armada. It reminded me of something out of Space Balls. I'll admit the show has gotten a bit better but not by much. The relationships on the show are the biggest WTF to me. These actors are working with an extremely lame script. Also, the show can only get by so far with zooming in on Anna's freaky/sexy alien face. zzzZZZZzzz

[TheBaxter]

Also, the show can only get by so far with zooming in on Anna's freaky/sexy alien face. zzzZZZZzzz

well, if you watched the show the same way i do, you'd enjoy those shots a lot more.

i think i'm gonna start a drinking game with this show, every time there's a shot of anna v staring out a window or at somebody with that half-cocked mona lisa smile, you take a drink. that will make the show more entertaining.

[papalazeru]

i think i'm gonna start a drinking game with this show, every time there's a shot of anna v staring out a window or at somebody with that half-cocked mona lisa smile, you take a drink. that will make the show more entertaining.

I have a vrrry shimler game *hic*

I taik a lil drrrrrrrinky ever....ever.....ever.....E.V.E.R....everyTIME, Laura Vandervoort givesh me a warm fuzzy feelin' somewheeeeere on mah body....

*hic* Um five minutesh into epishode 4.....n sheeeee has tha cuuuutest liiiiiiiiiiiiil dimples. *hic*

[so sorry]

i think i'm gonna start a drinking game with this show, every time there's a shot of anna v staring out a window or at somebody with that half-cocked mona lisa smile, you take a drink. that will make the show more entertaining.

I have a vrrry shimler game *hic*

I taik a lil drrrrrrrinky ever....ever.....ever.....E.V.E.R....everyTIME, Laura Vandervoort givesh me a warm fuzzy feelin' somewheeeeere on mah body....

*hic* Um five minutesh into epishode 4.....n sheeeee has tha cuuuutest liiiiiiiiiiiiil dimples. *hic*

*googles Laura Vandervoort*



*falls out of chair*

[papalazeru]

i think i'm gonna start a drinking game with this show, every time there's a shot of anna v staring out a window or at somebody with that half-cocked mona lisa smile, you take a drink. that will make the show more entertaining.

I have a vrrry shimler game *hic*

I taik a lil drrrrrrrinky ever....ever.....ever.....E.V.E.R....everyTIME, Laura Vandervoort givesh me a warm fuzzy feelin' somewheeeeere on mah body....

*hic* Um five minutesh into epishode 4.....n sheeeee has tha cuuuutest liiiiiiiiiiiiil dimples. *hic*

*googles Laura Vandervoort*



*falls out of chair*

OH yeah





OH yeah

[stereosforgeeks]

Hahaha they used Sigur Ros for the "bliss" scene. Seems pretty appropriate actually.

[Brit Pop]

I love sci-fi.... this much is true...

but V does nothing for me except to annoy me...

I find myself bored with each episode, its constantly like they're building up to wonderful scenes and fantastic plot lines that we all know 'probably' aint gonna happen.

All they needed was either Marc Singer or Michael Ironside to do the broefest of cameos and I would have been more interested.

I cannot quite put my finger on why I dont like this show, it would take one of you to vocalise it better than me... I think I see that they are taking the best bits from the original V series and repackaging them for us...

1) Lizards in skin (but they all know we know that so they are holding off on the reveal)
2) 5th Column - The nazi-esque resistance just aint that poignant anymore.
3) Inter-breeding - not interested.
4) Beastmasters son got converted in the original, now Juliet's son is getting the same.... again... not interested!
5) Control of the media - Kent Brockman did it best with 'Hail Ants'.... not interested.

I think that the 80's V is far superior to this debacle.... the only plus points this time around are Supergirl and the Priest...

you can keep the rest... wheres Ham Tyler when you need him?!?

End Of Line.

[Fievel]

Anna manages to look less and less attractive with each on-screen appearance.
Shame on them.

This series is boring..... but it's an intriguing boring.
I don't give a shit about it, yet I'm curious to know what happens next.
It's like the Heroes Disease all over again.