... whoa, step out of the wayback machine.
This week on Tuesday was the mid-season premiere of "V", the souped-up remake of the '80s miniseries. I remember it being quite popular when I was in highschool, and the DVD viewing I had a couple of Christmasses ago revealed it to be a show that did not age well. The ideas were good, but it still came up looking dated. So I was really excited to see what they were going to do with it.
It's clear from the pilot that while some story elements are updated (single-mom FBI agents, viral web media) they're still sticking with the basics of the original plot. Can I give spoilers for a show that was partially written 25 years ago? Let's mention what's new and different.
I liked the implication that the underground anti-V movement has been around for years... however if they try to work in that the original mini-series was the first visit, I will be disappointed. I don't think they can though, with the rehash of some of the plotlines.
Just so I don't spoil anything for those who haven't seen the original, let's talk about cast members. Since I like to spot familiar faces, I had a grand time with this pilot. Of course everyone who has my taste in shows immediately recognized Allen Tudyk and Morena Baccarin from "Firefly" from the commercials before the show even aired. It's a shame Allen's characters all seem to die right away. We also have notable members from "Lost" (Elizabeth Mitchell), "The 4400" (Joel Gretsch), and "Smallville" (Laura Vandervoort).
It's interesting to me that they're trying to make a series out of this instead of a mini-series. Do they really think they can carry on with it for a number of seasons, or are they expecting to wrap it up after only one season? The one-season idea smacks of planned obsolescence and doesn't sit well with me, especially when there are shows with original plotlines out there which are or have been in danger of cancellation and no one wanted to see them go.
I enjoyed the pilot, but wonder where they're going to take the story. Yes, the establishment of an underground movement was a nice touch. I also think it was a smart move to have the true nature of the visitors revealed right away. Let's not act like some of us have forgotten about the original.
ReplyDeleteI can't be mad at the addition of such eye candy as Morris Chestnut, sweet chocolate thunder! Hopefully we'll see more of Tudyk as well, it's sci-fi so entirely possible.
Everyone on that show is incredibly pretty, men included.
ReplyDeleteIt's true Alan can return... I seem to recall from the original (it's been a while) that the visitors were really tough to kill, not to mention the fact that the aliens are just walking around in manufactured "meat suits" so technically they could bring him back several times over.