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V good, V promising

One of the things I love most about the interweb is the fact that it has rendered the traditional waiting time for American imports to worm their way onto our networks obsolete.  This weekend I *acquired* the first episode of 'V', the reimagining of the cult sci fi series.

I was never really a fan of the original. Even when I was first getting into sci-fi, the cheap sets and wobbly acting put me off (although the similarly shoddy Babylon 5 managed to hook me) so I came to this new series with no real expectations, other than being intrigued by the presence of two ex-Firefly alumnus, Morena Baccarin and Alan Tudyk.

The first thing to note is the similarities between this and the other big new sci-fi event show of the year, Flashforward.  Both sport large ensemble casts dealing with a global event, although V's grand unveiling of the Alien Visitors was perhaps the more enticing, as are its cast, who seem to be a little more capable in the acting department than Flashforward's.

V gets stuck into the action pretty quickly, and doesn't hang around for very long before establishing that all is not exactly what it seems with the Visitors.  But the most interesting thing here is the way the show deals with the reaction to the visitors. We get footage of riots and full churches, a general sense of people projecting their hopes and fears onto the blank slate that the Visitors represent.

All in all, a very capable and interesting start, a timeless premise executed in an interesting way.  And Morena Baccarin remains a paragon of loveliness, even if her character gives me the screaming heebie-jeebies.