By now, two months after the rest of the new shows have premiered, you've surely been beaten into submission regarding the plot of V by ABC's marketing department, storing its plot in your brain even if you're unaware of it. Another of ABC's twisting and turning, creepy-crawly shows that repay the audience's dedication, V is a reboot of the '80s miniseries in which aliens arrive on Earth. Surprisingly devoid of tentacles or evil plans, these aliens (led by Morena Baccarin's Anna) are attractive and kindly. They heal the ailing, they promise peace, and they even prop up ailing economies by drawing in an influx of tourists, all eager to take a tour of a real life alien space craft. Oh, and they're actually evil terrorists who have been plotting to decimate the world for decades, while perfecting a human mask that covers their scaly skin.

But FBI agent Erica Evans (Elizabeth Mitchell) is on to them, along with the world's most unlikeliest priest, played by hottie Joel Gretsch. Erica's son, however, has fallen for their peace love and understanding message hook line and sinker, partially because they're all so damn hot when they talk about it.

V isn't a bad showit just seems slightly redundant, especially as part of ABC's new season, even as the "visitors," as the aliens are called, become increasingly inventive. Much of the piloteven the cinematographyfeels alarmingly similar to the first episode of FlashForward, from the FBI lead character to the swift evocation of people's lives before a momentous global event changed the world forever. The cast (including Scott Wolf as an ambitious television journalist) are all uniformly excellent and the production qualities are top-notch, but for a show that must cultivate and maintain a large fan base in order to succeed, the biggest question isn't whether Erica will be able to reveal the visitors for what they are, but how the writers will manage to keep everyone interested for more than a season. Whether or not these visitors will cut be forced by the powers that be to cut their trip short remains to be seen, but the outlook isn't good for their long-term residence.

Pictured L. to R. Joel Gretsch and Elizabeth Mitchell
Photo credit: ABC/David Gray.