TV Eye
Heads Up
By Belinda Acosta, Fri., Oct. 30, 2009
"V" stands for "visitors" in the new ABC series that premieres next week, but it could also stand for "vroom." In a few breathless minutes, V's pilot episode sprints from the gate so quickly and effortlessly, viewers have no choice but to hold on tight and enjoy the ride. Even though a lot of information is densely packed into those first few minutes, viewers remain upright, without a trace of confusion and eager for more.
A remake of the 1980s miniseries, the timing couldn't be better for this updated version. Sure, it can be added to the list of series that deal with the paranormal, but V has the drive of an action/adventure more akin to 24. And it lacks the languorous mysteriousness of series such as Heroes and Lost, and it avoids the mild pretensions of Fringe. V is essentially a sci-fi series about aliens who come to Earth, led by an enigmatic leader called Anna (Morena Baccarin). Firefly fans will remember Baccarin as the lovely Inara Serra, the professional "companion" on that short-lived series. In V, she's equally alluring, but this time with a slight edge. She claims the visitors come in peace to befriend mankind – but is that all they have in mind? Strongly divergent feelings about the visitors and what they have to offer mankind soon begin to splinter humans into opposing camps as the visitors continue their highly visible goodwill efforts.
The large ensemble cast features many familiar faces. At the head of the list is Elizabeth Mitchell. The Lost alum (last seen as Juliet, being sucked into a well) stars as FBI counterterrorist agent Erica Evans, who makes a potentially disturbing discovery about the visitors. Her suspicions are supported by Father Jack Landry (Joel Gretsch, The 4400), a Catholic priest disturbed by how quickly many are following the visitors with no questions asked. But it's hard not to fall under the visitors' thralldom, as Erica discovers when her son, Tyler (Logan Huffman), quickly joins their forces to spread the message of hope the visitors are cultivating. The visitors' PR machine is aided by Chad Decker (Party of Five's Scott Wolf), an ambitious TV news reporter who Anna has singled out for exclusive one-on-one interviews. While Chad knows this access will catapult his career, he can't help but be troubled by the unspoken demands from Anna and the visitors.
Unlike its 1980s predecessor, this rendition of V has the added bonus of employing contemporary special effects, which makes it even more compelling and realistic (and less the tragically poufy hairstyles and fashions of 1983). The series also stars Morris Chestnut, Lourdes Benedicto, and Laura Vandervoort.
V premieres Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 7pm on ABC.
Although I've already seen the pilot episode, I'm going to Twitter during the broadcast premiere. Log on, and see if you have anything to add to the chatter.
Also Premiering ...
Austin-based filmmaker Nancy Schiesari explores the ritual of getting inked among military soldiers on their way to and from Iraq in her newest film, Tattooed Under Fire. Filmed in and around Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, the film starts out as a simple documentary about camaraderie and patriotism but soon becomes an elegy for the walking wounded. What is so startling is the profound trust each of the soldiers has for the camera, telling his story evenly and calmly while the enormity of his pain simmers beneath his words and is echoed in the small scream of the tattoo needle. Also touching is the perspective of Roxanne Willis and her team of tattoo artists, who are easily old enough to be parents to many of the baby-faced soldiers. Doing their work cuts deeper than expected, particularly when they see soldiers off for the second, third, and fourth deployments. Overall, a stunning series of first-person accounts about the casualties of war and the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder on soldiers and all who come in contact with them. Not to be missed.
Tattooed Under Fire airs Nov. 10 at 9pm and Nov. 12 at 1am, on PBS.
As always, stay tuned.
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E-mail Belinda Acosta at tveye@austinchronicle.com.
