Welcome to the second installment of “Retrospeculative TV,” our feature in which we look at classic SF shows as if they were new, in our attempt to draw attention to the shows that had a formative influence on ourselves and our genre. There are many shows that get overlooked or forgotten when the heavy-hitters like Next Generation-era Trek or the New Galactica, or Stargate go striding by, and that’s a shame.

So here we are at the fourth and final (possibly) episode of this new and re-jiggered version of “V”. As you may or may not know after tonight’s show, the series is going on an extended hiatus with a scheduled return date sometime in the late spring. A lot of the final decision on whether or not it will actually return is probably tightly tied up in how well the viewership has held up on the show over its short run. So chances are probably not very good.

Having said that, tonight’s show was another incremental improvement over the previous episode. If it keeps improving at this rate the show should be completely average by mid-next season.

Tonight, we are going to forego the ordinary play by play and discuss the deeper implications of robots (such as the Red Tornado) creating more robots (such as the Tornado Champion/Tyrant)

As a co-creator of several Republibotlets, I feel uniquely qualified to address this issue.

Oh, who am I kidding. I'm as clueless as the Red Tornado. You make the little 'bots, you think they're cute, they start asking questions you can't answer and turn into rebellious big 'bots.

Republibotlet 2.2: Why was I put on this earth?
Republibot 2: Seemed like a good idea at the time?

I cannot get over how consistently excellent this show is. There's a magic to the language, to the performances, to the plotting, to the cinematography--- all far better than we deserve.

Tonight is no exception. King Silas faces an insurrection and sends David in to quell it singlehandedly.

If that were the whole story, it'd still be compelling. However, add into the mix Silas' plans AROUND the insurrection, The Queen's observations, The King's loss, The Prince's machinations and the Princess's uncanny ability to get to the wrong place at the wrong time, and WOW.

Owing to bad planning and entirely too much real life, I wasn't able to watch this episode until Sunday, and even then it was a struggle to fit it in. But I watched it, and I ended up being disappointed. There's little more annoying than longing for something for a half a week longer than anyone else, and it being pretty meh when you finally get to see it.

Wow!

You know, it's easy to forgive massive missteps like last week when they completely knock it out of the park like they did tonight! Seriously.

Echo is programmed to be an ass-kicking backup singer for a Riana-like singer that someone is trying to kill. Sierra, the blonde Japanese girl, is assigned as her backup. They infiltrate the singer's agency separately and with no real difficulties, until it becomes apparent that Rianna *Wants* to die, and is encouraging her stalker/executioner. Said whackjob kidnaps Sierra, and so Echo endangers the singer to rescue the other active, and save the day. This they then do.

Meanwhile, in the Helo plot, Paul the FBI guy gets set up by his Russian Mob informant, and is shot and hospitalized.