V season 2 episode 6 review: Siege

After last week’s betrayal by one of the Fabulous Five, this week’s episode promises quite a bit of shake-ups in the V universe. Perhaps we’ll finally get those character deaths the show’s been needing since the first season! Maybe this will be the week that Tyler finally bites the big one! Ha, who am I kidding? There’s no way I’m that lucky.

Considering this week’s episode title is Siege, it’s only right that there be an actual siege. In this case, when Ryan the traitor goes after Eli Cohn and his men, Anna’s follow-up tracker sends word up on high and Anna gives the FBI a chance to make up for their previous mistake and getting Marcus shot (but not killed).

That’s right, it’s Feds versus terrorists, with absolutely no Visitor bloodshed. Well, except for maybe Ryan, but he deserves it for turning on his friends (even if he did also warn them about the FBI’s approach, albeit too late).

Of course, Ryan’s sudden swerve back to the V side not only saved Anna’s life, it also has ruined the lives of his fellow Fifth Column. For example, Erica is now a failure and a disgrace as an FBI agent. Father Jack Action Priest is now just Jack Action, without the Father or Priest to his name. He’s been defrocked, or laicized, and forced to turn in his collar. Fortunately, when Erica is caught red-handed in the Fifth Column base, she’s able to make up a story about being a hostage to somewhat redeem herself.

However, when her ex-husband, Joe Krycek, shows up, it merely makes Anna’s plan that much easier to accomplish. That plan, of course, is to kill Tyler’s links to humanity and completely win the boy over to the lizard side. Anna’s new second-in-command, Thomas (Martin Cummins), is only too willing to help the Waco-style slaughter commence. Eli Cohn’s tricks in response is to buy them some time, and that’s when Eli lays it in Erica’s lap.

Eli’s giving her his most trusted lieutenant and the rest of his organization, and is stepping down from the Fifth Column, via gunfire. Speaking of needing new lieutenants, while Anna is down one Ryan, she’s gaining another traitor in the Fifth Column, and it’s my favorite character on the show.

Apparently, Hobbes’ deal with Marcus continues even after the shooting, as Thomas beams down to Earth to get Hobbes’ help in dealing with/blowing up the Fifth Column 2.0’s headquarters. That’s the trigger the shootout needs, and not only is my favorite character now a bad guy, my favorite guest-starring actor on the show is now written out permanently. No more Joe, no more Eli, and probably no more Ryan, though that remains to be seen, because, as we’ve seen on V, nobody’s really dead until their guest-starring credits disappear.

I have a huge problem with one aspect of tonight’s episode. Getting Joe down to the standoff and in the same building as Erica. This was the cheapest way to revise that issue that I’ve ever seen, and it’s really unfortunate that they had to turn to a Prohibition-era bootlegging tunnel to get Joe in through the FBI blockade, right down to the obvious sleeper agent leaving a map to the hideout right in Joe’s lap. Even whiny Tyler looks good in comparison to this. If a V can find the tunnel, why can’t the FBI? I try to give this show a break, but moments like this. Yeah.

The fact that the deaths were pretty obvious wasn’t helpful. Still, it lead to serious tears from Erica Mitchell and Tyler getting a much deserved (and much needed) bitch slapping by his mother. The deaths were enough to push Erica into finally acting, rather than just reacting, and that declaration comes with a promise of action from all the involved parties.

Will that action happen? I sure hope so. The show’s got four episodes left and ratings have stagnated. I doubt it’ll be back for a third season or even get a TV movie to resolve things. Unless some wonderful cable company steps in and takes over the show (ahem, SyFy), this is probably the end of the road for V. The show’s wild turnover in the first season and the long hiatus for the Olympics means a weak second season, ratings-wise. Given that V isn’t produced by ABC’s television arm, that’s a bad sign.

Still, good luck. The writing staff and producers have done a great job of salvaging the show, but I think it’s too little too late.

US Correspondent Ron Hogan would have loved even more deaths in the siege during Siege. However, he’ll take what he can get. Find more by Ron daily at Shaktronics and PopFi.

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