V S1E7: John May

"I want those bodies on this ship."

Commencing random thoughts...

Well we finally learned the most important thing about John May: he was hot to death. Death is always more tragic when a pretty person dies, don't you think? With this episode, it feels a bit like they're clearing the decks of dead-end storylines, what with Georgie and John May taken off the table for good, plus the major change in Val's status quo.

But by far the best part of this episode was the confrontation with the bubbleheaded V girl dating John May's stepson. Now THAT'S what we're talking about! More neck snapping of lizards and less standing around and talking, please. We said before that this show needed to rack up a body count in order to sell the high stakes. Nice to see them taking it in that direction. It was also nice to see Erica acting like the highly trained agent she is. She was able to sniff her out immediately and tripped her up without breaking a sweat. We need to know that these characters have a chance against the impossible challenges they're up against and that means showing them as capable and driven.

Second-best part of the episode: Anna and her fabulous nightgown, which would make Alexis Carrington green with envy. And speaking of green, Anna's not looking so hot. Thankfully she has her magic mirror to check her makeup in, like a good Disney witch. But while we loved her nightgown and mirror, we were a little grossed out by her gigantic pool of eggs. Ew.

So Joe isn't Tyler's dad. We all kinda saw that one coming. Thankfully they didn't play it out. Of course, this forces the question: If Joe isn't his dad, who is? This has to be why Anna is so interested in him. What other reason could she have for paying attention to this annoying kid? Does this mean he's a V hybrid? That doesn't seem likely. For one, no tail.

Anna offers a slick explanation for the "John May Lives" message. She's a masterful politician and spin doctor who knows exactly how to use the media to her advantage, which may be the scariest and most dangerous thing about her.

Although that egg thing was pretty scary.

Can you tell we're squicked by the egg thing?

In other news, the shitty green screen is hurting this show terribly. Everyone stands around the V ship having important conversations and looking like they're floating in mid air. Some of those shots of Joshua had some awfully fuzzy edges. Maybe that's why Joshua is seemingly able to go all over the V ship, having conversations with 5th Columnists and killing Georgie without seeming to ever be in danger of being found out. The green screen makes him too hard to see. Seriously, V people. Spend the extra cash. The old sets on the original Star Trek looked more believable than the V ship.

And Georgie gets a big sendoff. We're glad they treated it like an important thing but we're equally glad to see the character go. He never really grabbed us and seemed like too much damaged goods to be effective for the resistance in the long term. Besides, the group needed a good death and the other characters still have potential.

Speaking of potential, is John May's stepson going to become a regular? We'd like to see the cast expanded and he's got a lot of potential. Besides, Ryan said he killed him and we saw some sort of funeral or memorial service but we didn't see a body and that's always telling.

"Broken toys." Chad figures out the Vs are picking damaged, but high-potential people for the Live Aboard program. Why? We have absolutely no theories on that one. Chad remains a character hard to pin down. Is he for or against the Vs. Is he digging for information to expose them or is he just blackmailing them for more perks? "I think we'll be helping each other for some time to come." One thing's for sure, he has Anna's admiration for being so wily and standing up to her.

We're glad Val found out the truth even if it was in the lamest way possible: "Why, here's a hidden panel that I've never noticed before in this house I've apparently lived in for years!" Like we said, they're clearing the decks of the dead weight. Even if it was sloppy, it's the right direction to go in because her wide-eyed cluelessness was getting old and making her a too-passive character. Where did she go? What does she know? She can't possibly have it all figured out, but she saw that ultrasound.

Boo-hoo, Tyler. Intellectually, we know he's right to be upset that Erica lied to him but he's such an annoying character and so much time is being spent on him that we can't work up the sympathy. Just answer the questions: who is his father and why is Anna so interested in him? Then kill him. Erica would be more interesting if she was avenging her son's death.

Still, we think this was the best one yet. They clearly have a plan and a direction for the show and we remain intrigued. Keep the action coming and keep the stakes high (and keep dressing Anna in fabulous nightgowns in front of magic mirrors) and we'll keep coming back.

Photo credit: ABC TV

In other V news, congrats to commenter Ki.lo for telling us what her favorite moment was from the last episode:

"My favorite moment was fleeting & real: Just as Erica was leaving sonny-boy with his Dad-alike, her face crumpled and dissolved into tears. You blink, you miss it -- but it hit home with this mother of a college-aged son living far, far away."

Hear, hear! Elisabeth Mitchell rocks and we love when she does those fleeting facial expressions. A poignant moment, even if we do want to see Tyler dropped down an elevator shaft. Drop us a line Ki.lo (tomandlorenzo@gmail.com) and tell us where to send your "I heart V" shirt.

[Photo Credit: ABC TV]

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Labels: V Season 1, V Series