TV Talk: A re-assessment and a couple of re-affirmations.

V - This week's episode was so much better than the previous that it renewed my interest to the point that I actually can't wait until next week. That's amazing considering I was ready to give it up altogether a week ago. Even the reveal of Lisa being Anna's daughter and their implied plans for Tyler has made the "rebellious teenage son" storyline palatable. All it took was some good writing, better pacing and a plot that move forward. Of course, now that it's getting good there's only one episode left until the show goes on hiatus until March of next year. I hope the new showrunner is able to continue with the increase in quality, and then some.

Tuesday's episode of Sons of Anarchy was the best of the series so far (I know! I keep saying that!), and that is saying something. It was all about coming clean, with Gemma getting the ball rolling last week with her sit-down with Clay and Jax (I won't say what they talked about, in case you haven't seen the show). It was as if her courage, her willingness to bare her soul and risk injury to her pride, set an example for the rest of the Club, as secrets were spilled and enemies faced and revenge was taken in the most surprising of ways. Please watch this show.

Modern Family continues to be my favorite new show. Last night's episode was laugh out loud funny: I loved Manny drinking his espresso and getting spritzed in the face by Jay, Phil's list of gifts he wants and Mitchell and Cam burping Sal, and -- Oh, don't take my word for it, just watch it!

TV Talk

V - So, what did I think of V? Well, if you had asked me that last week, after the pilot, this is how I would have responded (from an e-mail I wrote to friends):

I liked it. I liked the way they cut to the chase, dispensing with most of the major plot points of the original miniseries in the first episode - they're lizards, they're up to no good, etc., there are rebel/good Vs - instead of dragging out what a lot of people who watched the original series already knew. I thought the opening was very effective. Even though I knew what was coming, I was still on the edge of my seat. I think the cues to 9/11 and Erica's "Counterterrorism Unit" FBI badge got me in the right frame of mind.

I'm very happy with the cast, too. Elizabeth Mitchell is great, of course, and Alan Tudyk and Morena Baccarin from Firefly, and Tom from The 4400 (Father Jack) - love them all. Scott Wolfe has never done anything for me, but he's a good choice for the news anchor type. Morris Chestnut's a good actor, too.

But today is a different day, the second episode aired last night, and overall I'm pretty disappointed. Not enough to stop watching, but enough to make me think about it. If last night's episode is anything to go on, this is just a whiff of a show, with no depth whatsoever, terrible dialogue and even some pretty bad acting from some pretty good actors. I'm hoping for better next week.

FlashForward - I'm still struggling with this show, and I won't bore you with repeating the same criticisms over and over. The problems are still there, but they keep doing things with the overall mystery that keep me coming back. Last week's was one of their better episodes, mostly because of the game-changing death of Agent Gough, who had a flash forward and so according to the show's mythology so far, is supposed to be alive on April 29, 2010. He was able to take control of his fate (sadly), so what does that mean for everyone else? Does Demitri have to die? Is Olivia pre-destined to cheat on Mark? (do I care? NO.)? It's an interesting wrinkle.

Fringe - Not much to say about last week's episode except that it was a solid stand-alone that provided a more in-depth look at Broyles, which included the fact that he was married and has kids (or a kid, not sure). If you ever find yourself thinking, "Agent Broyles needs to smile more", you're wrong. He really doesn't. Oh, and that ash effect was AMAZING.

Sons of Anarchy - With the airing of last night's exceptional episode, Sons of Anarchy officially joined the ranks of the absolute best dramas on television. I'm going to cheat here and share a quote from Alan Sepinwall's review:

"Balm," the best episode so far of this exceptional second season of "Sons of Anarchy," comes along at a perfect time. "Mad Men" has just gone on hiatus. "Breaking Bad" won't be back until sometime in 2010. If you don't have DirecTV, "Friday Night Lights" won't be on TV until next summer. So "Sons of Anarchy" is, at the moment, the best drama on television, and an episode like "Balm" makes it clear the title shouldn't just be by default. Pound-for-pound, this series is as engrossing, as funny and as moving as all those others.

I don't know how the writers manage to juggle all of the intricate plot threads they have going on, and do it so well. When one of those threads pays off big time, like it did last night, it's a beautiful thing. The final scene was a long time coming, and when it did, it was so surprising, so moving, that I was in tears. Season 1 just came out on DVD. You should check it out.

The Visitors arrive tomorrow night!

As far as I'm concerned, this show has 2 things going for it right now: 1) I was a big fan of the original 80s miniseries, (as cheesy as it has proven to be) and 2) I like a lot of the cast: Juliet from LOST, Tom from The 4400 and Wash and Inara from Firefly. Those people alone are enough for me to want to at least check it out.

I am preparing myself for large-scale disappointment but hoping for the best. It doesn't have to be amazing. Just better than FlashForward. And really, that's not too mush to ask. Really, I'm serious, it won't take much to be better than FlashForward.

Keep your eyes on the skies.

"Beginning Friday, ABC will launch an expensive skywriting campaign to promote the November 3 premiere of V. To draw people’s gaze upwards, just as the series’ spacecraft does in the sci-fi opener, the network is enlisting skywriters to draw gigantic V’s over 26 U.S. landmarks. "

I think it is safe to say that we won't be seeing anything here in CT, but I bet my NY or Boston area friends stand a good chance of spotting one!

(thanks, movieline!)