V Review: “A Bright New Day”
I have the give V credit, every time I’m about to tune out, the show seems to sense it, and throws out a few curveballs that smack me right on the head. Last week things were pretty dull, though that would have been true of any episode after the explosive pilot, and this week with “A Bright New Day,” we’re somewhere in between.
The Vs have visas now, which allows them to roam around the country freely, even though they probably could had they just changed out of their uniforms because THEY LOOK COMPLETELY HUMAN. Seriously, how are there not more people who think that the V have been here for years? How the hell are you supposed to know if someone is a V or not? Because they’re slightly socially awkward and really hot? And now with granting them visas, it’s going be impossible to tell who’s who. Are they going to be in uniform all the time? Maybe wear little red Vs on their chest like it’s 1939 Poland?
Whatever, let’s jump right over that plot hole and into the meat of the episode. Erica has been called into a V peace center to investigate a death threat against the aliens. Using her super FBI skills, she tackles the assailant and saves Anna’s creepy #2, who is extremely grateful and now most definitely has a crush on Erica. When snooping around the V center, she also discovers that that the little silver patches on all the V’s jackets, are actually cameras, transmitting everything they see back to the mothership. Hmm…
“Back Lizard Boy, I got this.”
Meanwhile, Father Jack is trying to prove his usefulness by sorting through Erica’s FBI files of alien conspiracy theorists. He stumbles across George, the man who led his meeting at the warehouse, and sets off to his house to investigate.
George however, is currently meeting up with V turncoat Ryan, who has just gotten back from trying to recruit an old buddy who turns against him. When he tries his next old buddy, guess what? He turns against him too. You think he’d stop recruiting at this point. In this scene however, we actually learn a ton of the V and the motivations behind the rebellion.
Ryan’s former V traitor buddy has flipped sides again so that he can be “reconnected.” It’s implied that Anna “connects” the other Vs, giving them some sort of drug or mind meld that creates their serene demeanor we see every day. However, Ryan says that it’s how she manages her subjects, by making them emotionless and submissive. I can already see how this whole rebellion got started.
A few thousand feet up, V infiltrator Dale is getting rebuilt, and is going on a spirit journey to remember just who whacked him in the head and saw his “true form.” But once he realizes it’s Erica, the healer assigned to him reveals that HE is a traitor and injects Dale with something which hopefully doesn’t kill him for good before darting away to recruit Erica to the resistance.
“What do you call these? Computers? Adorable.”
Back on earth, Anna is “dealing” with the head of the anti-V movement, a woman whose husband was one of the “hundreds” killed on V arrival day around the world. Really, six hundred people in the entire world died in the confusion of an alien invasion? Six hundred people died from falling off the roof hanging Christmas lights by the time this episode was over.
Anyways, Anna has a little private chat with the woman, who comes out of the meeting singing Vs praises. I’m not sure if it’s legitimate sweet talking or if Anna “connected” her to whatever had Ryan’s friend jonesing so hard, but either way, it’s another PR victory for the Vs.
Last, but not least, poor Tyler continues to be seduced by the insanely hot Lisa, who would make me betray all of human kind for a five minute make-out session. She tells Tyler he’s reinstated as a V peace patroller, and to celebrate they head back to his place. Of course they’re interrupted by Erica, and being the quick thinking alien she is, Lisa strips down to her underwear so she doesn’t see her V uniform. The highlight of the episode by far.
I would blow up planet earth for you.
The night concludes with the gathering of Erica, Jack, Ryan and George in the first official meeting of the V resistance, take three, and Anna hovering in her ship revealing that the assassin was a V plant and that Lisa is actually her daughter, who is on a mission to do….something with Tyler. Hopefully it involves nudity.
In any case, V is keeping me watching, although I’m going to be pretty bummed out once it takes its hiatus until March. Who the **** cares about the Winter Olympics anyways? V’s not a perfect show, but it’s smoothing out it’s rough edges, and I’m looking forward to a full season to see just where they’re taking us.
Bonus Question: Did the Vs design their ships with the letter “V” everywhere before or after everyone started calling them Visitors?
Nail on the head with the highlight of the ep. Personally, I think it’s the highlight of the show. I’m a believer of V now.
I’d like to show her my lizard tongue…
I am with you, the show surprised me. As soon as they pulled the amnesia line all I could think was `Well here is the plot of the next 10 shows as he slowly remembers. I am happy they didn`t pull that cliche, it saved me from leaving the show for good.
Lisa is obviously going to fall in love with Tyler and betray her mother and the V’s—hopefully there is a spanking involved.
Is Dale dead for real this time? I wish this show would QUIT TOYING WITH MY EMOTIONS.