Rockne S. O’Bannon helped make the classic “ unknown among us ” serial publication Alien Nation , and his show Farscape frequently dealt with ethnic differences among aliens . So it was a pleasant surprise to see O’Bannon writing an episode of ABC ’s V remaking . He was n’t exactly able to rescue the show from its common incoherency , but at least there were a number of thought - call forth moments .
Spoilers ahead …
organized religion has always been one of the more interesting topics that that the new V serial has seek to deal with — by making one of its main characters a Catholic priest , V seemed to be preparing to say something about religion and society . But although we ’ve seen a bunch of Father Jack as a public figure lately , and there ’s been a lot of talk about Anna attempt to destroy the human person , last night ’s episode was the first fourth dimension we ’ve really make out with faith as a social institution in ages .
Back in the other episodes of the show , we were tell the Catholic Church had endorsed the Visitors , and at one point early on it seemed like Father Jack might get unfrock for mouth against them . But now it twist out things were always a fleck more complicated than that — and now we find out that the Vatican actually has reservation about sweep up these outlander . This sets up a meeting of societal / spiritual leadership , in which Anna see something about the nature of faith , and whether you require miracles to sustain it .
So in one of the installment ’s two main plots , Anna goes to Rome , with Chad Decker in tow , to sweet - talk the Cardinals . And the instalment managed to work in a few keen second — chief among them the one where Anna get her first coup d’oeil of the human idea of Hell . It turn out that one of the Cardinals is actually a fivesome sleeper factor , and Anna wind up strong - arming him into come with her .
And when the Vatican balks at befuddle its accompaniment behind Anna , she threatens to unleash so many “ miracles ” that the church ’s follower will flock to her instead of the church service . And she does a eldritch affair with aristocratical Energy Department that I still ca n’t quite make out , even after watching it a few time . The compounding of the threat of succeeding miracle and the weird aristocratical energy trick is enough to change the Cardinals ’ minds , because apparently they ’re really well impressed .
And then , in the installment ’s other big plot , three human “ ataraxis ambassadors ” are murdered by the radical chemical element of the Fifth Column , and Erica is upset because her Word Tyler could have been one of the victims . ( enter your own snarky input about being disappointed that he was n’t . ) So Erica vow to cover down radical Fifth Column leader Eli Cohn — but first , she ’s got to bamboozle yet another new partner , this time an onetime friend from her honorary society day . When Erica last gets to Cohn , he offer to give her a span of scapegoats for the “ peace ambassadors ” slaying , and she folds like an Autobot becoming a Camaro .
Oh , and Tyler freaks out and vandalizes Father Jack ’s church .
This was n’t exactly a slap-up hour of television , and I ’m still not clear on why the Catholic Church decided to become Anna ’s target - weasels just because she evidence them some down lightness . Or why Erica and her bunch decided to team up with Eli Cohn just because he offered them a couple of patsies . It seemed like that TV thing of mass making determination that the plot of ground require them to make .
But it was a bit of a whole step up from other late episodes , mostly because there were some nice character present moment dissipate here and there — like the revelation that Father Jack pop two men in Iraq when he was an Army chaplain , which felt like the kind of grounding detail that his character sorely take . Or the origination of an old friend of Erica ’s , who in reality has a material history with her and can both bond with her and make her uncomfortable . And the way in which Anna seemed genuinely bummed and jealous over Father Moureau ’s fervid veneration to Anna ’s mom . This show ’s big weakness has always been its characters , and at least last night they got a few moment of reality here and there .
But of course , seeing O’Bannon writing an episode of V just made us long for his own creation , the greatly superior Farscape . Give John Crichton a few minute , he ’d make short work of these lizard masses .
Television
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