The new ABC TV drama series, V, a remake of a 1980s series about an insidious invasion by extraterrestrials, may serve as a very sharp retort against uncritical public admiration for President Obama.
Writing in the Chicago Tribune, Glenn Garvin reports that the series, which premieres tonight at 8 p.m. EST on ABC, quite clearly ties its alien invasion scenario to current events and suggests a strongly satirical view of the uncritical, fawning nature of many people’s support for President Obama, especially among the press, who are of course supposed to take an objective, nonpartisan approach:
Imagine this. At a time of political turmoil, a charismatic, telegenic new leader arrives virtually out of nowhere. He offers a message of hope and reconciliation based on compromise and promises to marshal technology for a better future that will include universal health care.
The news media swoons in admiration–one simpering anchorman even shouts at a reporter who asks a tough question: "Why don’t you show some respect?!" The public is likewise smitten, except for a few nut cases who circulate batty rumors on the Internet about the leader’s origins and intentions. The leader, undismayed, offers assurances that are soothing, if also just a tiny bit condescending: "Embracing change is never easy."
So, does that sound like anyone you know? Oh, wait–did I mention the leader is secretly a totalitarian space lizard who’s come here to eat us?
Garvin calls V "the most fascinating new show" of the fall television season and says "it’s also a barbed commentary on Obamamania that will infuriate the president’s supporters and delight his detractors." He’s very impressed by the show overall:
With or without the political sheen, "V" is sweeping television storytelling at its best. Whether you choose to view it as a blood-and-guts war story, a spy thriller (unlike the original show, these V’s [the aliens] are perfect replicas of humans, so you never really know who might be sitting beside you at the bar), a high-stakes family drama (as households divide over the intentions of the V’s), a religious allegory (the V’s make a crippled man walk, filling up churches again) or just a sci-fi throwback to the days of "Earth vs. the Flying Saucers" and "The Thing," "V" is irresistible. This bandwagon is definitely worth jumping on.
And it may just suggest that it’s becoming socially acceptable to jump off the Obama bandwagon.
–S. T. Karnick
Like you Sam, I saw it as it aired and I was expecting all the hoopla about the Obama allusions to be overblown and, like you I was surprised it was as advertised. What I’m afraid of is that, with the Obama references spotlighted so openly, the Hollywood Left will start to bring pressure to bear to get the producers to cut it out. My guess is that despite the fact that the show lends itself very naturally to a commentary on big govt (read: the Obama administration) power, it won’t last long. It is just too overt and thought provoking for it survive the Hollywood thought police. I’d love to be proven wrong, but I don’t think I will be.
Thanks, Jim. I watched the episode live last night, and guess what? It was indeed as openly critical of Obamaism as reported by the Tribune,= writer. In fact, it was rather more overt about it than I expected. The aliens even offer universal health care, in a very amusing and satirically pointed touch.
In addition, I detected a strong sense of support for classical liberal populism against elitism. The government and the press in the pilot episode are corrupt and in fact heavily penetrated by full-fledged traitors and ignorant dupes. The people who have it right are a small group of resistance fighters and a larger but by no means powerful movement of tea party types who protest against the government’s collaboration with the aliens.
Prominent among the resistance fighters are a priest and a Wall Street investment expert, two categories of person seldom given complimentary roles in TV dramas.
What was also unexpected was how well-written the script was and how solid the production turned out the be. There were action, interesting ideas, plausible character motivations, and an impressive look to the visuals. Very well-done overall.
It’s interesting that although Firefly never found a big audience, the actors and actresses involved in the show have moved on to some success, most notably Nathan Fillion as the eponymous star of the excellent ABC mystery show Castle.
And I like your pun.
I’ve Tivo’d last night’s premiere, and look forward to seeing it — especially because the beauty who plays the leader of the visitors was “Inara” on the excellent Joss Whedon show “Firefly.”
I can hardly believe that a show on network television appears to be so blatantly criticizing — mocking, even — Obamamania. Never thought I’d see that. Hollywood has a ways to go, however, to even the scales (ha! a pun!) after eight years of ham-handed anti-Bush productions.