A ‘V-Part One’ ReWatch

• Also known as V: The Original Miniseries
• Written and Directed by Kenneth Johnson
• May 1, 1983
• NBC

Episode Cast

Humans

• Mike Donovan-Marc Singer
• Juliet Parrish-Faye Grant
• Ben Taylor-Richard Lawson
• Caleb Taylor-Jason Bernard
• Elias Taylor-Michael Wright
• Kathleen Maxwell-Penelope Windust
• Robert Maxwell-Michael Durrell
• Robin Maxwell-Blair Tefkin
• Polly Maxwell-Viveka Davis
• Abraham Bernstein-Leonardo Cimino
• Stanley Bernstein-George Morfogen
• Lynn Bernstein-Bonnie Bartlett
• Daniel Bernstein-David Packer
• Ruby Engels-Camila Ashland
• Kristine Walsh-Jenny Sullivan
• Harmony Moore-Diane Cary
• Eleanor Dupres-Neva Patterson
• Arthur Dupres-Hansford Rowe
• Tony Wah Chong Leonetti-Evan C. Kim
• Sancho Gomez-Rafael Campos
• Brad-William Russ
• Sean Donovan-Eric Johnston
• Marjorie Donovan-Joanna Kerns

Visitors

• Diana-Jane Badler
• John-Richard Herd
• Steven-Andrew Prine
• Martin-Frank Ashmore
• Willie-Robert Englund
• Brian-Peter Nelson
• Barbara-Jenny Neumann
• Lorraine-Greta Blackburn

Reptilian aliens known as the Visitors come to Earth but some humans begin to suspect their kindness holds a sinister agenda.

As television events went in the ‘80s, few were bigger than V (or V: The Original Miniseries). Between the marketing campaign and cryptic commercials, it looked like nothing else before with what the world finally saw being a unique blend of science-fiction and political allegory. It must be pointed out ‘V’ does not stand for ‘Visitor’ but for ‘victory’.

The allusions to Nazism and general fascism are hard to miss for those with even a passing knowledge of WWII. The posters put up throughout the film are clearly inspired by those created by the Third Reich. The uniforms of the aliens though red have clear parallels to those designed for the Nazis by Hugo Boss. Yep. They really did that. For me as a kid the Visitor symbol was disturbingly close (as intended) to a swastika. Obvious but not painfully.

We open on a very topical ‘80s moment with the heroic Mike Donovan (Marc Singer) and his friend/coworker Tony (Evan C. Kim) covering a revolution in El Salvador. Tony is certainly a character with snarky humor which is a contrast to the more serious Donovan. Tony makes a few racially oriented jokes that might not make the cut today like referencing the time in Cambodia where when if Mike had been killed he could simply blend in.

This has perhaps one of the best shots of the film where we see a mothership for the first time in a moment of superior (for the ‘80s) TV special effects that not only communicates the ship’s size but reinforces the powerlessness that humans have against these arrivals. The BEST shot though is one from an archaeological dig involving Robert Maxwell (Michael Durrell). In the sky is yet another mothership while in the foreground is a partially exposed skull in the dirt driving home the stakes of the coming events without telling all of them. That is perhaps the one that viewers recall the most.

Before we actually meet a single alien, we are quickly and efficiently introduced to many of the major human characters with hints or strong indications of how they will react further along to this global change. Other characters-alien or human-linger in the background of this film until stepping into the fore rather than appearing from the ether.

In some ways V with its characters and storylines takes its cues from the presentation of the disaster genre of the preceding era. Storylines or characters intersect in ways they do not realize with an individual acting as a bit of a link or being in the same area at the same time with events of one sometimes affecting the other though the characters are never aware.

The first sight of the Visitors (whose real species name is never given) is when they land on top of the UN Building was probably shocking for what it wasn’t rather than for what it was. After all these are aliens and viewers would fully expect them to look alien, but the appearance was human with the first one looking quite fatherly. Knowing they were the ultimate villains of the series you knew some twist was coming which made this first appearance frightening.

John’s (Richard Herd) speech in that scene is unsettling when you carefully listen to it. It’s peace and kindness but in those words of peace and kindness is also something dark and sinister. If you listen you understand he is the enemy. His pronouncements of good intentions occasionally allude to darker intentions.

For the purposes of the series and of this remaining in the public consciousness there were two very important casting decisions made. That was of the human Mike Donovan and the alien scientist Diana (Jane Badler). Mike was the heroic man of action with that was involved because he learned the truth and fought to protect his son more than humanity.

Mike is present to film the alien arrival along with reporter (and his ex-lover) Kristine Walsh (Jenny Sullivan) giving him a level of celebrity and Kristine access to a level of success she never could have imagined. The cracks and paths are set early even if you cannot see where they lead.

Mike is one of many divorced TV dads. Perhaps one of the more authentic moments is a brief interaction with his ex-wife Marjorie (Joanna Kerns). It looks like his son Sean (Eric Johnston) loved Dad but Dad was not a big deal until he was among the first news people to interact with the Visitors turning him into an instant celebrity. Marjorie complains about his fame and how she cannot compete with that. How petty and jealous do you have to be to get that bitter over an ex’s success?

Diana cannot fake kindness and charm like John. It is all cold and superficial. Despite her strong connection to this story, Diana is not a prominent figure. She stays a supporting character who helps flesh out the world but isn’t the main threat or much of an authority figure. Largely she is relegated to giving a tour and looking a bit sinister in a later scene. We learn how she will be down the road via some interactions with the ever excellent Andrew Prine as the Visitor named Steven who is the liaison to the public making him a rough equivalent to Joseph Goebbels.

Steven charms and makes the connections with business, government, and entertainment that are needed to control the world. In conversation on the ship, he hints that Diana slept her way into the assignment while also implying her use of sexuality turned a prime assignment into a sort of exile. Prine could always bring a layered nuanced performance to any character and his Steven was the perfect glad hander.

In hindsight the most surprising casting is Robert Englund portraying the very sweet and innocent Willie. A far cry from the dangerous and sinister Freddy Krueger he is known for. It’s rather jarring knowing that now and seeing him then. He is a very talented actor that never got to really become known as the talented character actor he certainly was yet he managed to become a cultural icon.

Mike’s remarried mother Eleanor Dupres (Neva Patterson) has a pushy and overbearing nature that comes out in full force after the arrival of the Visitors. She sees an opportunity to climb the social ladder and immediately begins pushing her husband Arthur (Hansford Rowe) to become involved. She’s almost the human Diana. All superficial charm. Any warmth she displays masks her cold and calculating nature. She represents the collaborator who will gladly sell out her own for material game. 

As human characters go Daniel Bernstein (David Packer), the grandson of Holocaust survivors, is the darkest. More so than the Visitors. Why? Because he is that broken or generally not quite right individual who under normal circumstances would self-destruct or be an ineffective non-factor in the world. He is creepy and directionless while filled with an anger and rage that he doesn’t quite understand but also doesn’t care about.

History is filled with them. They only become truly dangerous when authoritarian governments come into power because they get purpose and power over others along with the ability to indulge whatever whims or desires they think they are entitled to. He is the blatant collaborator willing to sell out his own.

Each character and each storyline bring a different narrative aspect to the occupation. We see everything from the people who know the truth to those trying to figure out what’s going on and even the young girl just trying to live her life in extraordinary circumstances.

Robin Maxwell (Blair Tefkin) harkens back to any number of stories I’ve heard of Parisian girls just trying to be young woman during a confusing or turbulent time and taking up with a Nazi. Every occupying force, whether they are necessarily friendly towards the people of the area or not, have a few soldiers that take up with the locals.

 

Something the kids at school couldn’t stop talking about the day after they saw this was Diana eating a gerbil. A bit cheesy today but an excellent demonstration of their alien nature. That and the reveal with the ‘skin’ torn off along with the true eyes were great reveals accomplished with great practical effects.

V gets into media control and the creeping nature of fascism and all things that happen under authoritarian regimes. Wrapped in a science fiction story, this is the barest of sugar coatings. Those they can influence get to stay and others that they can’t get disappeared. Authority figures that can be discredited with any and all institutions infiltrated.

I think the presentation overall could’ve benefited from taking things a bit more slowly. Not several more episodes but an additional two-hour episode with this portion of the story. Mike Donovan goes from a celebrated cameraman (who is also a bit of an investigative journalist) to national/planetary pariah before the credits.

Juliet Parrish (Faye Grant), a physician, goes from doctor in a relationship who’s getting increasingly viewed as a threat by the average American to organizing the beginnings of a resistance. That is a huge leap for a person. It all sprung out of nowhere. Some more time explaining that. That and the breakdown of the relationship she had at the start would have been more meaningful. Kristine Walsh selling her soul for a plumb public relations gig needed a bit more time. She may have been success hungry but turning Mike over was a bit of stretch without more scenes.

Writer/director Kenneth Johnson puts in a lot of effort to draw parallels between 1930s Germany and the events of the film. Abraham Bernstein (Leonardo Cimino) is the one who really drives it all home. He is a concentration camp survivor. His speeches are direct connections between the present and the past.

What really works for me is the scene just before the end of this part when Abraham catches some boys vandalizing a poster with red spray paint. Even though it sounds like he’s scolding them for the vandalism he is upset they are doing it wrong. Cimino’s voice and fear in his eyes as he educates them brings a bit of a lump to your throat. V is much more interested in drama than cool stuff.

V is a smartly written dramatic miniseries with some action. It has a little something to say but doesn’t focus on commentary over telling a good story. This packs in a lot. Perhaps it’s because of the compressed nature that it feels like something is always happening or being developed. There’s never a moment wasted. Something is always feeding into an individual or the grander narrative.

While aliens revealing themselves to the world is an out there story, what happens during the story is something if you have even the most minimal knowledge of history can draw parallels to. The motivations of the characters are very human. More importantly the characters may be flawed but they’re not dysfunctional. They make their mistakes and have their imperfections, but when it comes right down to it you can look up to them a bit. They are stepping up to the challenge. Not because they are heroic but because they must. Life has forced their hand. They’re not less bad than the bad guys. They represent a distinct philosophy from the others.

V Part One is a high point of 80s science fiction on television and of the 80s miniseries. Must see viewing fans of great television or great science-fiction.