A year after Liberation Day, courtesy of the red-dust bacteria, the humanoid-like aliens develop a resistance to the micro-organism. Nathan Bates, the industrialist who manufactures the biological weapon used to defeat the aliens, wants to get his hands on the aliens' technology. He aims to profit from it, making a deal with Diana. Rebel leaders Mike Donovan, Ham Tyler, and Julie Parish know that Diana can't be trusted, so they are constantly trying to figure out what Diana is up to and will do anything to stop her. Following on from the successful series V (TV Mini Series 1983) and V: The Final Battle (TV Mini Series 1984), we are once again brought back to the conflict between the human race and the ruthless Visitors. Despite the somewhat conclusive ending of The Final Battle, there was enough left up in the air to warrant more stories to be told, which ultimately resulted in this series that had a more episodic style approach. There are many notable differences between this product and the previous two, with some main ones being: the drop in quality compared to the movie-like visuals of both mini-series and the Visitor's altered vocals being completely dropped with them now sounding like regular humans, which is never brought up, despite being a prevalent aspect of the other shows. On the plus side, however, all the original cast returned to continue this next exciting chapter in the series, which easily made it all the more entertaining seeing their lives at the beginning, just doing their own thing, being free. Donovan goes back to being a reporter with Martin as his cameraman, Julie continues her work now as a scientist for Science Frontiers, Elias opens a bar with some help from Willie, and Robin looks after her daughter, Elizabeth (the Star Child) with the help of her father, Robert. Unfortunately, this cannot last as the previously captured Diana escapes her trial and swiftly returns to her ship, which has been hiding behind the moon along with the other vessels of the original occupation. Now with the red dust that helped win the war slowly dissipating in some areas of the world, the Visitors begin their invasion once again in the areas free of the dust. Nathan Bates, however, has a trick up his sleeve (literally) as he carries a device that should he die or it be removed and the red dust will be re-released into the atmosphere. Therefore, there was a coalition put in place with Los Angeles becoming an Open City for both humans and Visitors. Regrettably, things go downhill as the war, once again, continues with each member returning to the fight as the resistance, including Ham Tyler (the best character in the series) with new additions like Kyle Bates (Nathan's son). Star Child, Elizabeth, being half human and Visitor, undergoes a peculiar change from a young girl to an 18-year-old in a matter of hours. Her telekinetic powers make her a formidable asset to the team in their fight. Diana continues to be a highlight, now donning a wild 80s hairdo, who constantly battles with new character, Lydia. The two equally try to out bitch the other in many hilarious ways. One aspect of this show I found most questionable and disappointing, was the killing off of multiple original cast out of nowhere. I won't name people but from episode one to later down the line, they just get rid of some of the coolest characters depressingly and unnecessarily that felt like a betrayal. Another addition to the series was the focus on the Visitor's way of life by bringing in traditions and religions that felt like they were making it up as they went, especially considering what had already been shown. I even noticed some plot holes with some important facts coming into play that would later be forgotten, despite being detrimental to the story. Now I'm not hating on the show, my Dad and I continued to have a great time with this instalment in the V collection, but our main gripe was that the show had no conclusion, being cancelled. Overall, V the series is another fantastic addition to the franchise that offers more explosive action and sci-fi fun for viewers. Whilst not being anywhere near the standard of the last two, this one offers enough to be enjoyable to fans, mainly thanks to the entertaining cast.
The Battle begun in V (TV Mini Series 1983) continues as small groups of human resistance fighters fight a desperate guerilla war against the genocidal extra-terrestrials who dominate Earth. The war is told from the viewpoint of the resistance group based in Los Angeles, CA as they struggle to find weaknesses of the aliens they can exploit. Following directly on from the original V mini-series, this show bridges over all the plot points and character stories into one explosive adventure. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the original mini-series with my Dad and we enjoyed this one just as much (maybe even more). Whilst carrying forward all the elements of the previous story, this one offers more individual plot threads and new characters who instantly rose to a favourite status between us. Set four months after the Visitors first arrived on Earth, we still follow the resistance group led by Julie and Donovan as they concoct new methods to prove to the population of the unsettling truth about the Visitors. From exposing Supreme Commander John in front of a worldwide broadcast, trying to spring Julie from Visitor captivity, disrupting Visitor control of water supplies and a final stand aboard one of the Visitor's Motherships. With each attempt, the stakes only grew higher with the dangers rising and casualties building up to match. Seeing characters from the first series, unfortunately, die or be killed was very upsetting, especially when some of them went out under tragic circumstances or heroic sacrifices. However, that is the risk with war and this show doesn't shy away from delving into the consequences of it. Both sides feature exceptional actors who elevate the story with their outstanding performances. New addition, Ham Tyler, played by Michael Ironside, brings a serious yet comedic side to the group with his quick quips and a great amount of eruptive action. He doesn't make the best impression on other members of the resistance with his abrupt and determined manner when it comes to ridding the world of Visitors. He has a 'somewhat' steady relationship with Donovan and even gives him the nickname Gooder because of their very different morals. Tyler has no love lost for the Visitors, which even stretches to members of the Fifth Column (Visitors on our side) like Martin or the friendly Willie. I loved seeing more of Martin's relationship with Donovan grow in this series as the two work closely to bring an end to the war. During the show, Donovan is captured and receives truth drugs from Diana to uncover members of the Fifth Column, which he gives away Martin, who was in the room with them. Seeing him instantly fight back and rescue Donovan was incredible and displayed their friendship perfectly. Willie continues to be hilarious with mixing up words but also gets time to shine by helping the resistance. Julie is a brilliant leader who is respected and trusted by everyone, even after undergoing many traumas with torture from Diana. Diana is easily the highlight of any scene involving the Visitors. Her presence in every scene is elevated thanks to her cold demeanour and ruthless behaviour. Other notable villains include Daniel, who has fully turned into a real piece of work who does truly unjustifiable things and gets his just reward for it in the end. Another significant plot point is Robin's pregnancy with Visitor Brian. She experiences a great deal of stress but eventually has her child, Elizabeth, known as the Star Child, who possesses unique abilities left quite ambiguous and felt very convenient to wrap up the story. The series has a decent conclusion that ties everything neatly together whilst leaving some elements up in the air that would be continued in yet another series, despite this being the 'final battle'. Overall, The Final Battle is a worthy follow-up to the original V mini-series that brings forward new ideas and characters whilst bridging over all the stories started in the last one. The effects still hold up and match the level of quality as the previous instalment. Whilst not being the end so to speak, this made for a decent finale that can be enjoyed as such or as a second segment in the adventure. This series certainly merits a watch. Also, check out V (TV Series 1984-1985) for more.
Seasons & Episodes: 1 Season - 3 Episodes (4h 32m)
The main cities of Earth are surprisingly visited by 51 huge alien spacecraft, and their leader introduces themselves as friendly people looking to cooperate with Earthlings. They inform the people that their planet is dying and have come to request the use of Earth's natural resources to save it. They appear human, although their voices have a strange distortion to ours. Soon, they blame scientists for sabotage and uprising against the Visitors. Journalist Mike Donovan and medical student Julie Parrish disclose the real intentions of the aliens while groups of people organize resistance against the hostile invaders. V is a popular TV mini-series from the 1980s that I think is one of the most impressive-looking programs I've ever seen. There have been many spectacular mini-series over the years that have quite a big budget, which gives them that movie-like quality but with the advantage of a longer runtime. Being able to span out the story further and develop all of the elements is much better than a film. However, nowadays movies are reaching the 3-hour mark, which is getting a bit ridiculous and I prefer having it in two parts to break it up like this series does. Considering my huge love and appreciation of sci-fi, additionally the 80s, I was drawn to this series, which I watched with my Dad, and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. The greatest aspect of this program was the exceptional visual effects. I was blown away by how grand they all look from the motherships in the sky to their interiors, the transport shuttles flying around in dogfights and the Visitor's weapon firing. Everything feels expensive and looked like the quality expected from a big-screen production such as Star Wars but with the appeal (during the time) of being on your TV at home. I like how they pay homage and nod to other sci-fi productions of the time with my favourite being Star Wars, where in one scene where a shuttle arrives to a musical band performing the iconic opening theme at a ceremony, which was phenomenal. The show consists of multiple points of view from varying characters who slowly begin to interlock in one overarching narrative as the Visitor's intentions are slowly made clear. We mainly follow Mike Donovan, who, through his Journalist duty, uncovers the unexpected truths of the Visitors and is left on the run. Alongside Julie, a doctor accused of being dangerous, who later becomes a leader of the resistance to battle back. One of my favourite characters we occasionally follow is Willie, a Visitor who has difficulty with English and is quite nervous and is very comedic with his constant mixing up of words. The Visitor's relief mission on Earth gradually becomes more like an occupation, bearing resemblance to the actions and tactics of the infamous Nazis. Eagle-eyed viewers will notice their emblem looks similar and their actions speak volumes to some of our main characters like Abraham Bernstein, a Jew who survived the horrors of WWII and quickly saw a resemblance. However, not everyone was able to realise since Abraham's grandson, Daniel, is brainwashed, joining the aliens in their atrocities. Also, the character Robin falls in love with one Visitor, unknowing, of course, the truth about them. Spoilers ahead, skip past the red if you haven't seen the show already. *Spoilers* The Visitors are aliens, but despite their strange voices and sensitivity to the sun, they appear like humans. Until Donovan boards a mothership, uncovering the startling truth. The Visitors are reptiles. The reveal is superbly done by witnessing Diana's iconic scene of devouring a whole live guinea pig and another alien taking his eyes off to show lizard ones instead. Their designs/models are incredible and spectacular looking. Luckily, not all the Visitors are bad, as a small group called the Fifth Column helps out when they can without getting discovered. Overall, V, the original mini-series, is a true spectacle in all categories. With so many interesting and captivating characters to follow, and plot points that connect into one cohesive story filled with outstanding effects and phenomenal directing, V is certainly, worth your time. Check out V: The Final Battle (TV Mini Series 1984) to see how the adventure continues.
Seasons & Episodes: 1 Season - 2 Episodes (3h 17m)
