The TV Chick

I don’t watch a ton of sci-fi shows but when V came on the scene last year, I was immediately interested because of the fantastic cast. Elizabeth Mitchell was one of my favorites on “Lost” so I was happy to see her back on TV as FBI agent Erica Evans. Morena Baccarin, a sci-fi star in her own right, is striking and very talented, so I was excited to see her play “Anna,” the leader of the Visitors (more commonly known as the Vs). And I have loved Scott Wolf since his “Party of Five” days, so having him back on TV as news reporter Chad Decker has been great. V is based on the mini-series of the same name from the early 80s and centers around a group of alien life (although they have skin and look like people) led by their Queen (Anna) who claim to be at peace…always. However, we eventually come to learn that the Vs have been on earth long before Anna arrived and have some sort of mission to accomplish that most likely involves wiping out man kind. We’re not quite sure yet. And like any dictatorship of sorts, there are rebels. Some have joined together with non Vs to form The Fifth Column. The group is currently being led by Erica Evans (the aforementioned Mitchell) whose main goal besides taking down the Vs is to protect her son Tyler (played by Logan Huffman). There were a couple of traitors on the mothership, but now only Lisa (played by the absolutely lovely and stunning Laura Vandervoort) is left, and is  trying her best to appear loyal to Anna while helping Erica and the Fifth Column. There’s a lot more to it, but you get the basic idea.

Last season was broken up in a very bizarre manner. Four episodes aired in the fall/winter and then viewers had to wait four months until it came back. I definitely think this hurt the show, but it thankfully managed to get picked up for an additional season. I had to play catch up over the summer (I admit, I fell behind a few episodes), and I am so glad I did. The show is full of interesting mythology, great acting and a lot of drama. Also, last season ended on a crazy note, with Anna showing emotion (Vs are not supposed to do this) and a crazy tailed V hybrid baby being born. “Red Rain” essentially picks up where the season finale left off. Anna releases “Red Rain” on humanity (which sort of seems like blood creepily falling from the sky), leaving people admittedly freaked out. However, it’s not just humanity that’s freaked out, the commanders of her ships scattered worldwide don’t understand why she released this red rain early and not according to plan. They question her loyalty and her ability to keep her non-existent emotions in check. She proves her beastly nature as it were in a rather disturbing way.

My favorite part of “Red Rain” however was Jane Badler, who played Diana in the mini-series. She returns to V reprise her role as Anna’s mother, and is currently locked up. It’s not not entirely clear why, but their relationship is clearly strained. Diana appears at the end of this episode, coming out of the shadows. Her presence is felt even with only a few short moments. She plays a bigger role in the next few episodes, where she warns Anna about the motivations of her daughter. Jane Badler has a fantastic energy and I look forward to seeing even more from her in the future. I think V fans will be very pleased with this 2nd season premiere. There are certainly a few unexpected surprises and twists and turns. Even though I knew Jane Badler would be on, her big scene in the episode was surprising to me. I also will say that the season is off to a great start (I have seen the first 3 episodes), and I am very excited to see what the Vs have in store for us for the rest of the season.

V returns tonight at 9 pm on ABC. Be sure to tune in!