V: 1x02: "There Is No Normal Anymore" 11/10/09 - Grading & Discussion

[Greylock Crescent]

Re: V: 1x02: "There Is No Normal Anymore" 11/10/09 - Grading & Discuss

I don't remember if the Fifth Column was fleshed out more in the short-lived first V TV series or not.

I don't think it was (once again, going on memory here) ... in fact, I don't think a whole heckuvalot was fleshed out in that series. By all accounts, it was a trainwreck from the start with insufficient funding and bad ideas.

Actually, now that I think about it, there was a whole arc about Diana being married. So I guess you could say that the Visitor "mythos" was explored in a bit more detail. But I don't recall it getting into ethics or morality beyond the internecine power struggles between Diana and other power-hungry Visitors.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Re: V: 1x02: "There Is No Normal Anymore" 11/10/09 - Grading & Discuss

^ If memory serves Martin (the Visitor sympathizer in the original) says something like: "Some of us do not agree with the Supreme Leader." So basically, the explanation is that some Visitors object to the plan and its moral and ethical implications. It worked within the context of the original show, but the motivations weren't developed very much beyond that.

At least, that's what I remember anyway.

Temis,

I think Sam hits it on the head. From what I recall, there wasn't much explanation beyond there being some Visitors opposed to the Leader's plans for Earth. I don't remember if the Fifth Column was fleshed out more in the short-lived first V TV series or not.

Thanks for the info. See, that wouldn't be remotely enough for me. I see no point to having alien characters if they are going to behave in ways that are indistinguishable from humans. (Same goes for robot characters - frakkin' skinjob Cylons!)

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Re: V: 1x02: "There Is No Normal Anymore" 11/10/09 - Grading & Discuss

There was an episode of the original V, where Donavan and Julie go undercover aboard the mother ship. They get get caught and claim to be Vs who just look like Donovan and Julie. To prove this they pull off their human faces to show Lizards underneath. Then after the evils Vs leave they pull off the Lizard masks to show their true human faces!!!!

I tried to find this on YouTube but couldn't. I only found a clip where they knocked out a couple aliens and replaced their faces with Donovan and Julie faces.

You can watch this episode for free (and it's completely legal) on TheWB.com:

http://www.thewb.com/shows/v/secret-underground/0c088967-927e-441f-9473-54f8216a19bb

If you want to see the scene that Nerys Myk described, skip ahead to the 22 minute mark. Watch for another 2 minutes. Cringe at how unbelievably stupid this show became.

That's so stupid I think it somehow went full circle back to awesome.

 

[Amaris]

Re: V: 1x02: "There Is No Normal Anymore" 11/10/09 - Grading & Discuss

I just watched it this evening on Hulu and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm annoyed that after the fourth episode it's going on hiatus, because I'm interested in following along with it. I liked the Pilot, but I consider this episode much better in pacing and exposition as it moves quite briskly. Overall, a high score from me. B+

J.

 

[stj]

Re: V: 1x02: "There Is No Normal Anymore" 11/10/09 - Grading & Discuss

The premise of the show logically implies that "we" the US are confronted with a superior culture. "We" get to be on the receiving end of the cultural imperialism. In other words, Wells' War of the Worlds in the good novel version, instead of "Do we win?" hack melodrama.

But this show is more about, so far, paranoia about conspiracies. With the shout out about universal health care, and the uncanny resemblance to David Icke (look him up on wikipedia, folks!) this really have unsavory undertones. The show is getting massive revamping from the networks so I'm going to try to keep up and see if it changes. But if it keeps on, it'll be like BSG: Only people who like the underlying politics will overlook the bad writing.

The widespread buzz about the excellent pilot sure was misleading.

 

[cbspock]

Re: V: 1x02: "There Is No Normal Anymore" 11/10/09 - Grading & Discuss

The premise of the show logically implies that "we" the US are confronted with a superior culture. "We" get to be on the receiving end of the cultural imperialism. In other words, Wells' War of the Worlds in the good novel version, instead of "Do we win?" hack melodrama.

But this show is more about, so far, paranoia about conspiracies. With the shout out about universal health care, and the uncanny resemblance to David Icke (look him up on wikipedia, folks!) this really have unsavory undertones. The show is getting massive revamping from the networks so I'm going to try to keep up and see if it changes. But if it keeps on, it'll be like BSG: Only people who like the underlying politics will overlook the bad writing.

The widespread buzz about the excellent pilot sure was misleading.

How are the V's superior, besides their technology? If they follow what was done in the original, the V's turn out to be Nazi's.

So by what episode is Obama going to apologize to the Visitors???


-Chris

 

[stj]

Re: V: 1x02: "There Is No Normal Anymore" 11/10/09 - Grading & Discuss

^^^How is the US superior besides its technology?

The bizarre dialogue about worship and devotion, quite aside from using words in ways not heretofore seen in English, is referencing the supposed tidal wave of irrational adulation for Obama, agent of change. Perhaps I've missed any other explanations. Feel free to offer them. Or alternatively explain how they know that such is merely abominably stupid writing instead of sly political reference?

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Re: V: 1x02: "There Is No Normal Anymore" 11/10/09 - Grading & Discuss

^^^How is the US superior besides its technology?

The formula for power, for humans or aliens = technology + money (or resources) + political will.

Maybe I should take back the technology part of the equation. With money, you can buy technology. But you can't buy political will, and that will seems to be the V's real trump card. They have some quality, perhaps inherent to their species that allows them to be unified and to push their agenda forward with and impressive degree of unanimity.

Which is why I hope the presence of defectors among the V's is more than just "well, they're just like people" because that would be unimaginative vs making some attempt to give them truly alien qualities that would give them a formidable source of political will.

But once again I'm getting my hopes up that a sci fi show will push beyond just the expected sort of thing and do something surprising and challenging. Most likely, the V's will be just like humans, with nasty power-mongers at the top and a few hapless dissidents scrambling around at the bottom, while the great mass follow along in sheep-like fashion (Lisa being the example).

it'll be like BSG: Only people who like the underlying politics will overlook the bad writing.

I think you're being overly optimistic to think that the writing for V will have even BSG's degree of thought. Any left-wing (or is it right-wing this time?) agendas you may see in the writing are wishful thinking. I strongly suspect this is going to be squarely brainless middlebrow entertainment for the masses.

Or alternatively explain how they know that such is merely abominably stupid writing instead of sly political reference?

They threw universal health care in there because they heard about it on the news and thought it might inject some degree of topical relevance into their formulaic pap. The "devotion" stuff is too general to be necessarily referring to Obama. The presence of a priest as a major character makes me think that some religious analogy will be set up that really is religious, and not political.

 

[stj]

Re: V: 1x02: "There Is No Normal Anymore" 11/10/09 - Grading & Discuss

^^^You're saying it's just godawful bad writing. But all the seeming gibberish about devotion makes sense if you see the US population as being led to destruction by a charismatic (mis)leader. How do you know these people just don't understand English very well? (Which is not to state my personal political beliefs, but to state a widespread view which appears to be the the show's view as well.)

For your amusement:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Icke

 

[clint g]

Re: V: 1x02: "There Is No Normal Anymore" 11/10/09 - Grading & Discuss

Im giving it an above average. Much better than the pilot, this episode felt decently paced

 

[Anwar]

Re: V: 1x02: "There Is No Normal Anymore" 11/10/09 - Grading & Discuss

Taped it, saw it, liked it.

I'll leave it at that.