V - Re-Imaginging The Original Series

My predictions for the series are this, using the standard recipe for made for TV series;Burp! (Excuse me, I just threw up a little in my mouth).But in my own wishful thinking, here are some elements of the plot I hope happen (many of them funny);

Thanks for the interesting and amusing response. =)

I have to agree with your comment about the complete lack of racial diversity on the show. It's quite appalling, actually.

The original series featured three black main characters (2 were resistance, 1 was a V), a Latino, and a couple of Asians. In the new series, I've seen the one black guy and a couple of Indians (eg. from India) and that's pretty much it - even in crowd scenes.

I've noticed that there virtually no representation of Asians, Latinos, or Middle Eastern people (eg. Arabs, Persians, Turks, etc) on any network TV show in the US. If you watch TV, you'd think they don't exist at all. I find it ironic and sad that in a huge muticultural city like NYC (where the show is primarily set) there only whites and a token black couple. And all of the V's are white, too. Apparently nothing has changed since the 1950's as far as TV goes.

It's interesting that you mentioned BSG. The original series was campy as hell (like the original V) but they did a pretty good job with the new characters. I was delighted when I found that one of the BSG characters, the 2nd in command older guy, was a alcoholic - because it made him more believable as character.

In the new version of V, the only character I've seen who seems to have any depth at all is Anna, and that's mostly plot-driven. The FBI Mom, her son, the V Girl, the Priest, the Black V & his wife, the Reporter, the Sinster V Suit Guy: all of them are basically cartoon characters. They don't have any depth. The resistance leader (the one whose family was killed) is mentally unstable and that's something at least. Now, I'm taking into account that there have only been four episodes. By way of contrast, when Star Trek:TNG first came out, the characters were rather flat the whole first year. - Hopefully as V goes on, their will be more depth.

One thing I have to say that I find totally absurd is exactly how lax the resistance people are about electronic security. They have open conversations on their cellphones all the time which is leaving a huge electronic trail that could easily connect all of them. Also, the FBI mom is always looking things up in the database - that she is logging into under her own name. Nobody is going to notice that she's doing searches on all these people? Yeah, sure. Also, when they broke into the warehouse to investigate in in Episode 4, they didn't think to wear masks?

Finally, the show is just a bit irritating in that they mention plot-related things, but don't explain them at all; presumably saving it for future episodes. I can understand that - sort of - but I wonder why bother to bring up a plot device and then abandon it till later? For example, in Episode 4, the Black V lets them know that the V's are making "R60" and they go to the warehouse to get rid of it - but nobody ever explains what "R60" is or what the significance of it is. So why mention it at all?

All this aside, I still enjoy the new series because it has a lot of potential. I was really glad that they made it clear the V's were reptiles right at the beginning instead of dragging it out over 6-7 episodes. The characters, though currently flat, also have some potential. The writers reversed some of the original plot devices also which is nice. For example, in the original, Anna has a V-boy seduced a human girl; in the new series, it's the V-girl who's after a human boy. There's a lot of little reverals like that. Also the skin of the V's is apparently grafted directly onto them and is alive, unlike in the original where is was more like a paper suit they wore.

I also like that Anna uses the "Bliss" broadcast to control the other V's. I think it's a hilarious and unintended parallel to TV itself. =)

My plot predictions as of right now:

1) The elderly priest at the Church is a V sleeper agent, who won't reveal himself till late in show in some collossal screw for the Priest.

2) The V-girl is going to fall in love with the Man/Boy (to use your term) and at some point is going to reject her V programming and join the Resistance - which will eventually lead to a showdown between V-girl and Anna.

3) Before prediction #2 can happen, though, the Son is going to inadvertantly (or maybe deliberately) betray FBI Mom to the V's in a fit of impetuous teenage angst.

4) The wife of the black V will get captured at some point as leverage against the black V to turn himself in.


Things I would like to see happen in the series:

1) Anna ends up knowing some kind of crazy Matrix-style martial arts and there is a scene where she kicks the crap out of a bunch of people.

2) The Priest and the FBI Mom do not fall in love because that's just too predictable. However, the wife of the Black V gets killed and the FBI Mom falls in love with him - but that will probably never happen.

3) The often-alluded-to Original Fifth Column brings a fleet of ships from the V's homeworld and has a huge battle with the other V's.

Something that would be hilarious:

Commercials from the V's homeworld advertising human-as-food in fast food style spots (viz. "Come on DOWN to Xyrek's Hot Cajun-style Egyptian Burgers! Fresh Egyptians straight from Planet Earth, coated with a sugary barbecue sauce and our secret spices! Buy two and get your choice of free fries or a 40-oz. Dr. Pepper! Xyrek's is the HOME, HOME, HOME of the $10 Egyptian!" etc.

-ITL-