V's Great, If You Like Aliens, Politics

Most critics agree that ABC’s much-hyped alien drama V is a well-made show with good acting. But does this remake of the 1983 miniseries feel original? Is it a conservative screed? Here’s what they’re saying:

• Who cares if V is believable (it’s not)? All Heather Havrilesky wants is for “these aliens to be a little bit different than the last imaginary aliens.” But as she writes for Salon, V swiftly gets to the business of “building a resistance,” and “suddenly this might as well be Fringe or The X-Files or any one of hundreds of shows” with conspiracies and aliens.

• Okay, sure, writes Mary McNamara for the LA Times, “but just because something's a chestnut doesn't mean it isn't worth watching.” Overall the pilot is “pretty terrific.” It’s the same old tale in a “fine, fun and attractive package.”
• But the Obama parallels—the aliens conquer humanity on good looks and universal health care—are pretty distracting, says James Poniewozik in Time.“I checked the production notes to make sure Glenn Beck was not credited as the screenwriter.” Still, it’s hard to get worked up over the show’s “B-movie politics.”