What I’m Watching: V

V: Season 2, Episode 3 “Laid Bare” (C)

I’m puzzled by this show. On one hand, it’s not afraid to do things like have its heroes torture and then kill one of their alien prisoners, but it can’t match that same dark tone with the appropriate intensity or compelling plotting. The show is also showing signs of sloppiness, as the usually succinct and proper Anna lets out an uncharacteristic “gonna” when describing the benefits of the Internet, in addition to her entirely unnecessary self-congratulatory demonstration of the effectiveness of her plan to a bewildered Chad. I’m glad that something has propelled Chad to actually join up with the Fifth Column, because at this point the show just feels like it’s plodding along without much aim at all. I find it hard to believe that Ryan is actually informing on his fellow Fifth Column members given the ferocity with which he skins a member of his own species, and I’m far more interested in Anna’s admittedly brilliant choice to have Tyler be the one to videotape Jack before Anna recut his words and took them out of context to appear as if he was inciting violence. I do also like the fact that a distraught and disturbed Lisa came to Erica for comfort after Anna’s plan to train her in queenship took too much of a toll on her. I still don’t quite see the purpose of having Anna’s mother on the show since all she seems to be doing is chewing a lot of scenery while events play themselves out elsewhere without her having much, if anything, to do with them.