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Review/Recap: V 1.11 “Fruition”

Written by Cory Barker
Follow Cory on Twitter @corybarker
Check out Cory’s TV-centric website: www.tvsurveillance.com
Podcast available on iTunes
Email: barkerc65@gmail.com

Penultimate episodes are always a little tricky. On one hand, the effort has to bring together all the important story arcs in a way that sets up tension and suspense for the finale. On the other, it has to be entertaining and good enough to stand on its own so people want to tune in for the finale. Although “Fruition” is definitely more of the former than the latter, it presents enough interesting developments that the finale is certainly going to be an anticipated one. However, after last week’s fantastic episode, this did feel like a partial dip in quality, even if it heavily featured an introductory showdown between Erica and Anna.

Speaking of, those scenes were well done and fairly intense, but I didn’t feel like they really progressed the story that much. We already knew that Anna was the one who attacked Lisa and there was no way that she would out her mother in front of the FBI. We also already knew that Erica is pretending to take down the Fifth Column while being an integral member, so her comment to Anna that she’d make Fifth Column her number one priority wasn’t that revelatory. It would have been nice to see Erica flip Lisa during their office conversation, but Anna intervened at just the right moment. Sure, that sets up more conflict between these two mothers because they’re both smart enough to know the other is lying, but with only one episode to go, the pay-off surely won’t come until next season.

Anna’s manipulation of Chad, however, was great. She knows exactly how to play him into doing whatever she wants and Scott Wolf played the jealousy and desperation of being out of the loop fantastically. I know I praise his work a lot in my recaps, but he’s really just that good.

Meanwhile, though I have praised the use of media manipulation so far, I’m hoping that season two doesn’t feature it in every episode. It’s not that Anna’s hasty decision to leave earth wasn’t a smart one, it’s just that it feels as if all her plans are being carried out in one way, and we have to believe there is more to it than that. There’s only so many times I can watch Morena Baccarin walk away from a podium with a creepy, knowing smile on her face.

I’m also not sure how I feel about Hobbes’ decision to work with the Vs in hopes of getting them off his back. I know we’re supposed to understand that he’s a mercenary and he doesn’t care about anyone but himself, but it felt random and simply a way to create faux drama between the team inasmuch that we don’t know if he’ll side with the Vs when it comes all down to it. He’s repeatedly been the most aggressive towards Vs in the past and again, though it’s supposed to give another layer to his character, it’s a lame one.

Bullets!

- Ryan’s struggling with his humanity and feelings was a nice little beat, but all the characters telling him “you haven’t been the same, man!” came out of nowhere just so the writers could explore that story. He seemed fine in the previous episodes.

- So there’s some compound that could do dangerous things to someone and the Vs want it! That’s all I remember because it felt like another MacGuffin.

- Tyler has gotten progressively less annoying in recent weeks. Good work, writers.

Eggs! Creepy.

Like I said up top, not the best episode and a little disappointing after last week’s stellar effort, but it was entertaining and moved a lot of pieces into place for the hopefully-exciting finale.

Grade: 3.5/5

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V airs Tuesday nights on ABC.