Stars: Elizabeth Mitchell, Morris Chestnut, Joel Gretsch, Logan Huffman, Laura Vandervoort, Morena Baccarin, Scott Wolf, Charles Mesure
Writer:  Scott Rosenbaum, Gregg Hurwitz
Director: Bryan Spicer
Network: ABC, airs Tuesday nights
Original Telecast: March 15, 2011

The second season of V comes to a close with “Mother’s Day” which goes balls-out killing off major characters and essentially planting major seeds for a huge reboot if the series returns for Season Three.

All I can say is, “it’s about time.”

The events (scripted by Scott Rosenbaum and Gregg Hurwitz) during this hour completely shakes up the foundation of the series and gives the show hope for a far more satisfying and action-packed Season Three (if ABC decides to be generous and give it a reprieve, which we hope).

Granted, the handful of episodes that have been produced for V over the course of two seasons really add up to one full regular season (though stretched over two years though, it feels like an eternity to get to the point where the Vs actual intentions and plans are finally implemented).

“Mother’s Day” begins with the Fifth Column, headed by F.B.I. agent Erica Evans (Elizabeth Mitchell) determining its time to take out the head of the V beast – Anna (Morena Baccarin).  She’s stepping up her timeline for overtaking earth, plus, her daughter Lisa (Laura Vandervoort) is oozing fertile genes and she’ll need Erica’s son Tyler (Logan Huffman) to knock her up in order to create the next generation of Vs.

The plan doesn’t work though – as it requires Lisa to murder her own mother, and she can’t do it. However, this standoff is promising as Anna discovers there is a purpose for human emotions. They can be used as a very useful weapon.

Back on the ship, the plan to instate Diana (Jane Badler) as the new Queen, seems to be working. She holds a meeting where she says the Vs and humans and can live in harmony side-by-side, but (SPOILER ALERT) Anna returns and brutally kills her mother with her tail.

Graphic, gory and totally cool, it’s completed with the great line Anna tosses off to Lisa  – “Now that’s how you kill your mother.”

Using the last remaining embryo Anna has, she creates a vicious clone of Lisa to do the nasty deed with Tyler, meanwhile Ryan (Morris Chestnut) tries to reclaim his daughter who outright rejects him (among other nasty things).

Erica also discovers most of the Fifth Column, except for Chad (Scott Wolf) and Father Landry (Joel Gretsch), have completely gone off the grid and disappeared after their latest attempt at eliminating Anna has failed.

Before the episode is over, Anna has found a way to Bliss the entire world, while Erica is kidnapped by Lars Tremont (Marc Singer who was the star of the original 1980s mini-series and TV series). He takes her deep underground where she finds her former F.B.I. partner and boss there – apparently this underground organization dubbed “Project Aries” is the last line of defense in stopping the Vs and it TOTALLY has resources.

And hey, we finally get to see what a V looks like without any skin, and that’s a milestone unto itself.

The episode ends on a pretty grim note (with two other regulars on the show killed) and the Vs, apparently in total control, but it also opens up tons of opportunities for the future of the show.

One of the major problems with V after it initially shut down during the first season to reboot, was it was stuck with characters and main cast members that couldn’t be easily disposed of. So for the last season and a half, there has been some unnecessary fat that needed to be trimmed. And the ranks are considerably reduced now, allowing the show to go in whatever direction it chooses if it were to continue.

Just the addition of Singer as Tremont was a major coup. Damn, the guy still has the gravitas and weight to be at the forefront of taking down the Vs. Bring the show back and make him co-lead with Mitchell and you have one awesome show.

V has had a rocky road for two seasons, but if “Mother’s Day” is an indication, the series is finally getting to the place where it can finally break free and become the show fans were patiently (and, okay, maybe not patiently) waiting and pining for.

CLICK HERE for AX’s exclusive interview with V star MORENA BACCARIN reflecting on Season 2 and beyond

CLICK HERE for AX’s exclusive interview with executive producer Steve Pearlman

CLICK HERE for AX’s exclusive interview with V star LAURA VANDERVOORT

CLICK HERE for more “V” reviews, exclusive interviews and news

CLICK HERE for AX’s Exclusive Joel Gretsch interview

CLICK HERE for AX’s first interview with MORENA BACCARIN on V

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