V and the human buffet

Posted on November 12, 2009 by Dr. Robinson, LC Communication Studies Professor

As I write this, it's only been minutes since I watched the pilot for the new ABC science fiction series <I>V</I> and I've got to say that I'm already worried.  The special effects are good.  I think the alien ship that travels to Earth has intriguing internal and external designs and that little ball robot thing that attacked the human resistance meeting late in the pilot episode was cool (my pet name for that ball is "Phantasm 2.0").  I also like the cast, particularly the wonderful Morena Baccarin as the alien visitor's leader Anna.  What concerns me is the overall plot.

You see, I'm afraid that unlike the original <I>V</I> mini-series, this time the aliens are not planning to eat the human beings.

Ever since I first saw the "To Serve Man" episode of the original <I>Twilight Zone</I>, I have been inordinately fond of the human buffet subgenre of the alien arrival story.  Don't get me wrong, I thrill to a plot about creatures from space bent on world domination.  Ultimately though, whether Mars needs women or bodysnatchers are invading, our own vanity is fed by narratives about aliens out to us.  In these examples, humans are special.  We tell ourselves these alien invasion stories because deep down, we're vain enough to think humans are worth conquering.  In other words, the aliens want us and all our stuff because we are just that cool.  No wonder we often imagine these creatures in the color of jealous green.

When humans are on the menu though, things are enticingly different.  After all, it's both terrifying and humbling to be knocked from the top of the food chain.  In this mode, our planet is only special to the degree that say a McDonalds is special to a hungry traveler on the interstate.  Humans become McNuggets, tasty guilty pleasures indistinct in their 10-piece packages.

For me, a human smorgasbord plot goes quite a way to help even the worst movies.  I can almost forgive the dreadful movie Signs because at least the stupid space marauders were after people as tasty treats.  Why did I call them "stupid"?  Well, the aliens were vulnerable to water.  Water hurt/killed them.  Yes, that water-the substance which when seen from space quite noticeably covers a good hunk of the planet and seems to precipitate all over the place too.  I'm not sure how those aliens missed that fact... or forgot to wear water-proof outfits.

By the way, I know that technically I just broke a Nerd Factor rule and spoiled <I>Signs</I> for you, but if I keep you from seeing it, trust me I've done you a favor.

This new series of <I>V</I> is a "re-imagining" of the old.  While the Visitors clearly have designs upon us, I wouldn't want for everything to be a carbon copy anyway.  I do hope, just for the eerie fun of it, that at some point the producers of this new show remember that aliens do sometimes come running for the great taste of humans.