TV – V (2009-11): Series and Serials

This is my second look at V, since I've now finished both seasons. Before getting into the review, recent TV SF programmes have made me ponder the way in which these are constructed and in particular the difference between series and serials. This is largely ignored these days, when every episodic programme is referred to as a "series" (and divided into "seasons" rather than "series"), but there is a distinction that is worth bearing in mind. A series consists of self-contained episodes with a common background and characters but with a complete story in each episode, so they can be watched in any order. A serial is one continuing story which is chopped up into short segments to fit the needs of TV programming, so it is essential to watch them all, in the right order; if you try to start half-way through you won't have a clue what's going on.

In practice, most series tend to have elements of serials within them: those like Star Trek or the X-Files usually have some minor continuing plot threads running through them (developing relationships between characters, for example). Some series occasionally incorporate stories that take more than one episode to complete, so in effect they have mini-serials within them. Others have a roughly equal mix between the two, in that each episode contains a mini-story but the continuing plot threads are equally important (from what I can recall, Farscape was like that). Finally, a few programmes evolve over time: Fringe, for example, started as an X-Files type series but continuing plot threads which were of minor importance at the start gradually came to dominate, so that by the final season it had effectively morphed into a serial.

I find that serials are generally more satisfying than series – like enjoying a well-planned multi-course meal rather than lots of separate snacks – but I imagine they are more of a risk for the TV companies. The problem is, the viewing figures at the launch are probably as good as they're going to get; new viewers are less likely to join later because if they've missed the start, they won't understand what's going on, so the viewing numbers are only likely to decline through the duration of the programme. Series don't have this problem so if the initial episodes are well-received they can gather an audience over time. I suspect that this makes long-running serials more vulnerable to being closed down than series.

I should add that serials are also more of a risk for viewers, who may become hooked on the story only to find the programme is cancelled before reaching a conclusion. This is more of a problem in the USA than the UK, simply because planned programme runs are generally much longer. In the UK, serials usually consist of only a few episodes that are all made together, and are shown as one continuous "season". One exception was the BBC SF serial Outcasts (reviewed on this blog three years ago), which ran for one season of eight episodes and finished on a multiple cliff-hanger, only to have the planned second season cancelled due to poor viewing figures. In that particular case I can't really argue because the show was riddled with flaws and plot inconsistencies, but I found it strangely fascinating and was sorry it was cut off.

Which brings me back to V, another serial that was closed down earlier than planned, after 22 episodes. In this case it seems unjust, because it is right up there with the best TV SF I've seen. It's got everything: alien invasion with vast starships hovering overhead; strong characters, very well played, who develop throughout the story (the scene-stealer throughout being the manipulative and deceitful alien leader, an amazing performance by Morena Baccarin); a great plot which is thought-provoking, tense and dramatic, with a lot of uncertainty about who the good guys and the bad guys are (or those changing from one to the other); and twist after plot twist keeping viewers on edge of their seats.  It's also aimed at adults, which means there's an intelligent script containing some severe moral dilemmas, the setbacks for the heroes at least match the triumphs, and the good guys are not invulnerable, or always right, or always virtuous. It just kept getting better as it went along and deserved to be highly successful, but the initial viewing figures had dropped by half at the end – possibly because the good guys were having such a rough time that it certainly doesn't qualify as comfort viewing.

Ironically the final episode does indeed achieve a dramatically satisfactory ending, just not what viewers would expect. Had the serial been planned to end in that way it would have made TV SF history for the originality and audacity of its conclusion; so it's still very much worth watching, even in its curtailed form.

The Engines of God by Jack McDevitt

I'd not come across this author's work until this one was chosen by the Classic SF discussion forum as a monthly read, but it sounded interesting enough for me to get hold of a copy.

The Engines of God does indeed have a classic SF plot: ancient alien remains are found scattered around the galaxy following the discovery of faster-than-light space travel. Most of them are elegant sculptures – including one in our Solar System on Iapetus, a moon of Saturn. But more puzzling are some starkly contrasting blocky structures, to a rigid arithmetical formula, close to planets which have, or had, civilisations apparently incapable of space travel. Furthermore, these structures seemed to be linked in some way to disastrous collapses of the native civilisations.

Archeologists are on the case, trying to discover more about the various aliens and their relationships. But their best hope – a well-preserved ancient temple on a planet where the natives have died out – is threatened by a terraforming project to create a new Earth, as the old one is heading steadily into the environmental disaster zone. 

The heroine of the tale is space pilot and amateur archaeologist Priscilla Hutchins, who works alongside the professionals as they battle with deadlines and try to grasp the significance of what they are finding. The plot steadily widens in scope and accelerates in pace as more discoveries are made, and there is a thunderous finale in the best traditions of wide-screen SF when what had appeared to be an abstract historical problem becomes horrifyingly real.

The book has some flaws: the story contains some padding in stretching to over 500 pages, for example detailed descriptions of the play-acting the characters get up to while on a long voyage. There is also an irrelevant and rather long section concerning a visit to a planet that ends disastrously, but which doesn't advance the plot at all. And while the characterisation is generally adequate, the heroine never really comes alive and the treatment of all of the female characters is a bit clichéd: they are all amazingly attractive, and Hutchins is repeatedly told by admiring men just how beautiful she is. Despite these criticisms it is a gripping tale, its hugely ambitious plot the first in a long while that has managed to spark in me some of the "sense of wonder" which drew me to SF in the first place. Recommended.

I see that although this was written as a stand-alone, several other tales subsequently appeared which are set in the same universe and feature the same principal character. More to add to my reading pile!

The Ring of Ritornel by Charles L Harness

Charles Harness was an American SF writer whose first novel, The Paradox Men, I reviewed on this blog in November 2007. The Ring of Ritornel was his second novel, published fifteen years later in 1968.

The story is set in the far-distant future when humanity has settled this galaxy and spread to neighbouring ones. In the first part of the story, the principal character, James Andrek, is a young boy and the action focuses on his father, a spaceship captain, and his brother Omerle, Poet Laureate to Magister Oberon, the ruthless absolute ruler of the Home Galaxy. Disaster strikes when his father dies and his brother disappears from the Great House of Oberon, and the search for Omerle comes to dominate Andrek's life.

Fifteen years later, Andrek has qualified as a lawyer and obtained a post in the Great House in order to further his investigations into his brother's disappearance. He soon finds himself in deep trouble and is sent on a dangerous mission, but acquires some unlikely allies who enable him to discover what has been going on. Andrek then faces decisions which are critical not just for him but for all of humanity, and the conclusion is unexpected and unconventional.

Like other stories by Harness, this is on the far-out fringe of SF and contains some mystical aspects which add a distinct element of fantasy, particularly concerning the tussle between the rival religions of Alia (everything occurs as a result of chance) and Ritornel (everything is cyclical and keeps returning to the beginning). The emphasis is on the major themes of humanity's future and especially the capacity for enhanced abilities. A lot of scientific and pseudo-scientific explanation is included, some of which is decidedly dated in its assumptions, and some events had me scratching my head; it's best just to go with the flow and not try to pick it apart. Despite this, Ritornel is a fast-paced page-turner that I enjoyed reading again. There is a strong flavour of A E van Vogt in the themes and writing style, so if you like fiction similar to Vogt's Weapon Shops and Null-A series, you will probably enjoy Harness' work.

TV – V (2009-11)

What is it about female law enforcement officers, or is it just me? The SF series which I've enjoyed the most over the past year have all featured these as their lead characters: Fringe (with the excellent Anna Torv as FBI/Fringe Agent Olivia Dunham); Continuum (with Rachel Nichols as Protector Kiera Cameron) and now V, with FBI Agent Erica Evans (Elizabeth Mitchell). At a stretch, even the quirky Orphan Black could be included, since Tatiana Maslany plays multiple characters including a police officer. And in a different genre, there's the return of the terrific Danish/Swedish serial The Bridge, featuring Sofia Helin as the strangest detective you're ever likely to meet. However, enough of my predilections and on to the review.

The plot of V is an SF classic: vast alien spaceships arrive over the world's major cities, with a message of peace, love and all that. The aliens, who are called Visitors (or V for short) seem indistinguishable from humans, are physically very attractive and want only to help, as they demonstrate by setting up healing centres where their superior technology can cure many previously untreatable ailments. Anyone might think that all this sounds too good to be true, and of course it is – otherwise there wouldn't be much of a story!

Agent Evans has her suspicions confirmed when she discovers that the Visitors have had sleeper cells operating on Earth for many years, with one being very close to home. Not knowing whom to trust, she soon becomes involved in a secret campaign against the aliens, aided by a few friends and renegade Vs. As well as these concerns, she worries about her teenage son, who is literally being seduced by the Vs. Normally I dislike family dramas being added to SF stories, but this one is integral to the intriguing plot and adds to the tension.

I've so far seen the first six episodes of Season 1, and have been gripped by the story. Mitchell is no Torv, but she makes a decent fist of the role. Much more compelling is Morena Baccarin as the creepily flawless leader of the Vs. I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the series, although I understand it was cancelled before reaching a satisfactory conclusion. There's apparently a campaign going on to get it reinstated, so all may not be lost.

I also saw the pilot episode of another US TV serial, The Tomorrow People. Yet another familiar plot, this time of adolescents acquiring super-powers and being hunted by a shadowy organisation; shades of Jumper (the film, not the vastly superior book), and the X-Men films. This is actually quite watchable but is clearly aimed at the teen market so I'm not sure how long I'll persevere with it.

Cursed, Taken & Chosen, by Benedict Jacka

These are the second, third and fourth of Jacka's Alex Verus novels, the first being Fated. I reviewed this in July 2013 and had the following to say in the way of introduction:

"Alex Verus is a young man who runs a present-day magic shop near Camden Market (which will surprise no-one who knows Camden!). The difference is that while most of the shop's contents are mundane and sold to passing tourists, some are not – because unknown to those tourists and to the overwhelming majority of the population, a world of magic coexists with our own. Verus is a diviner, whose skill is the ability to see the consequences of future choices so he can pick the best course of action to obtain the outcome he wants. This is highly useful in a world in which he has to contend with formidable Light and Dark mages, some with lethal powers. Fortunately he has some magical non-human friends, plus his assistant, a young woman called Luna who suffers from a strange hereditary curse." 

Cursed is set a few months after the events described in Fated. There are various references to the earlier adventure, which it is desirable to read first, but Cursed nevertheless stands on its own. This time, Verus finds himself the target of several assassination attempts and becomes involved with a literally enchanting young woman while he tries to work out who is after him, and why. There are the usual twists and turns in the plot and the resourceful Verus finds his closest friends in deadly danger as he is apparently faced with nothing but bad choices.

Taken is the next episode in the saga, in which apprentice magicians keep disappearing and Verus becomes involved in trying to discover what is going on. It all seems to focus on a combat tournament between apprentices being held in a curious old mansion. On the way, he has to deal with a powerful non-human being, an inimical Dark Mage, and an attractive young apprentice with an unusual power, before bringing the house down in a rousing finale.

In Chosen, Verus' past as an apprentice to a Dark Mage comes back to haunt him as is relentlessly pursued by a vengeful group for something he'd much rather forget. We learn a lot more about his early history and what formed his personality and attitudes. This is his toughest trial yet, and sees him finally running out of choices as he is stretched to the limit of endurance.

These are just as good as Fated and proved an equally quick read, being just as difficult to put down. I actually read Taken in one evening, and Chosen is the author's best yet. Fortunately, there is a clear hook in the final paragraph that indicates not only that we will hear more of Verus, but also that he will be faced with problems far worse than anything he's dealt with so far.

I am still undecided about whether I prefer these tales to Ben Aaronovitch's somewhat similar series, the first of which, Rivers of London, I reviewed last December. I am beginning to conclude that Jacka's addictive novels are more fun, more of a quick, feel-good read (albeit getting more serious as we learn more about Alex Verus), with the Aaronovitch ones being a little more complex, slower and a shade darker. I'll be doing some more reading of Aaronovitch's work before reaching a conclusion.