Still Watching the Skies: Episode 142 “V and V: The Final Battle”

By Robert Reineke

This month, Cody, Robert, and Nat are joined by Kurt Halfyard of ScreenAnarchy to fight a fascist takeover as we discuss the 1980s’ mini-series V and V: The Final Battle.

V was an NBC mini-series which first aired on May 1, 1983 and May 2, 1983. It was a success and was followed up by V: The Final Battle a year later.

V was something of a slow burn on the first night, taking its time to reveal that the alien “Visitors” who had allegedly come in peace were space fascists who came to take charge of Earth and strip it of its resources.

Created by Kenneth Johnson, who had been responsible for much of the successful science-fiction and fantasy television shows of the 1970s including THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN, THE BIONIC WOMAN, and THE INCREDIBLE HULK, and the not so successful CLIFFHANGERS, V revealed itself to be an allegory for the Nazi takeover of 1930s Germany and a tale of resistance. It asked “Could it happen here?”

Perhaps inspired by STAR WARS in a different way than the franchise which was doing more of an American Empire vs. the Viet Cong riff, V featured a cast of characters that included reporters, scientists, and everyday working people banding together to resist an invasion that seemed to be almost assured of succeeding, especially when the highest forms of power and wealth seemed disinterested in opposing the fascists. Especially when there was money to be made. And this was all happening during the lifetime of those that survived the Holocaust and who’s warnings were being ignored.

The allegory wasn’t particularly subtle, but it doesn’t mean it wasn’t effective. And it pulled off one of the seminal reveals of that age of television when the true nature of the Visitors was revealed with Jane Badler running away with all the scenery as the face of the Visitors.

Meanwhile, on the side of humanity, Marc Singer and Faye Grant turned out to be reluctant, perhaps unqualified, leaders of the Resistance. Roles that would continue through a second mini-series with admirable support by the likes of Michael Ironside and a pre-Nightmare on Elm Street Robert Englund.

So how does it all hold up? We have a lot of thoughts on that. As well on how well the allegory plays? And, does it maintain itself through the whole story?

No need for Visitor led conversion to enjoy the podcast; give us a play below or download the episode. Also, feel free to let us know what you think by commenting on our page at Facebook or you can Email Us at skiespocast@gmail.com as we appreciate feedback. And a reminder that Kurt and Nat have done a series of podcasts on the subjects of I, Claudius, The Prisoner, and Pride & Prejudice.

Time tracks:
0:00:00 – V Discussion
0:45:19- V: THE FINAL BATTLE Discussion
1:44:23- Next Movie and Outro

Next month, we get beastly with 1986’s THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU. We hope you’ll join us.

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Robert Reineke

Robert Reineke was born in the dark era before cable television, but somehow survived based on a steady diet of Universal Monsters, Hammer Horror, 1950s science fiction, and Godzilla on his local UHF station. As a college student, he discovered the works of David Lynch and Akira Kurosawa which opened up different vistas for him. When he’s not doing useful things like heading up environmental investigations and cleanups or designing sewers, you can find him watching movies, writing about them, and talking about them. He’s a booster of the Milwaukee Film Festival. Somehow he puts up with young whippersnappers Nat Almiral and Cody Lang on the Still Watching the Skies podcast.