(S01E08) "Your girl's got a baby lizard in her terrarium?" - Kyle to Ryan

Somewhere in the past few episodes, 'V' has gotten really good. I've always loved the show -- and haven't watched the original series yet, so can't compare -- but I found myself waiting impatiently to see what would happen in this episode. And also see how much scarier Anna could get. I swear she gets scarier every week. She's one scary lizard-chick.

What do you think will happen between Anna and Chad? He's having those weird erotic dreams about her, and I found myself wondering if she'd somehow implanted something into his head. But maybe it's just her weirdness that's making him a little crazy.

Could there have been any more ripped-from-the-headlines stories when Chad and Anna were at the World Progress Forum in Geneva? First, we had the little island nation of Timbal getting ravaged by a monsoon. Anna knew that it could take a full day for other leaders to get help to the island. "While they play politics, we'll take action," she said. "Dispatch rescue shuttles to the island. Bring them blue energy."

Then she used that leverage to get the organizers to let her give her presentation. "Blue Light," she proclaimed. "Clean, sustainable energy. No pollution, no infrastructure needed. Just power, the same power that runs our ships. Blue energy is the answer to your world's most pressing concerns, and to the people of Timbal, it was an answer to crisis." It was like she was doing some bizarre commercial or something.

Anyway, the secretary general wasn't as impressed as others at the forum. "Anna came here under the guise of diplomacy, but played politics with tragedy," he told Chad. "She used the people of Timbal to gain public and political clout. The question is, if they're just visitors, why does she need that clout?" He's got a really good point, but it's hard to cut through Anna's bull when she's saving the world and looked upon as a god.

What do you think is going on with Lisa? Do you think she's really starting to turn, that her feelings for Tyler are true? It sure seems that way to me. And the interesting thing is that he seems destined for something greater. He may have turned against his parents, but I'm still seeing this John Connor-type future in store for him. He even said himself, "Ever since I was a kid, I always knew something amazing would happen to me."

Sure, he may have thought he was talking about meeting Lisa, but here's my theory, and feel free to tell me I'm full of it:

Tyler will rise up and be a leader, and since Lisa is starting to turn, she'll be by his side and they'll be this dynamic duo. My only question is, which side will they be on? He's turned against his parents and wants to live aboard the ship, but the way things are going, it seems like they'll be on the side of the Fifth Column.

And don't forget that Joshua lied to Anna about the fact that Lisa didn't pass the empathy test. He told Anna she had, and he'll be back to ask a favor of Lisa one day. It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out. It's definitely shaky ground, because they can't really trust Lisa yet. But they've got the goods on her.

And Lisa's caught smack in the middle. She's got Joshua and his crew on one side, and Anna on the other, crushing eggs in her hands and telling her, "The future of our species depends on your leadership, your judgment. The soldier's egg is weak, but it can still teach us something. There is no room for human emotion, for weakness of any kind ... Joshua said you passed the empathy test. I never doubted you." Yikes, scary lizard mom.

When Ryan incinerated the doctor taking care of Val, then put his hand out to her and said, "Let's go, trust me," who else pictured Arnold Schwarzenegger putting his hand out to Linda Hamilton and saying, "Come with me if you want to live"? After that incident, you'd think that Val would trust Ryan. Let's hope so anyway.

Oy, there were a few times when I was actually screaming at the TV set. One was when Val went to the doctor, another was when Erica et al let Alex Caruso be used as bait for the terrorists (who turned out to be humans). Don't do it! It won't end well! Jack told your dad he'd keep you safe! And by the way, Joel Gretsch was a standout in this episode, when he connected with Alex's dad at the veteran's hospital (noting the First Ranger Battalion tattoo on his arm, and telling him he'd done two tours in Iraq as an Army chaplain), then prayed over Alex when he died. Really well done.

What do you think the terrorist meant when Erica asked why he'd done it, and he said, "Because we can't win"? Could the terrorists, in a weird way, actually be on the side of the Fifth Column? Are the terrorists making a statement that it's inevitable that the Visitors will win, and since that's the case, why forestall it? If that's the case, though, killing seems pretty drastic.

I'll leave you with this:

Anna: "There's tragedy every day all over your world, so many opportunities to help."
Chad: "They think you're a god."
Anna: "And what does that make you?"
Chad: "A believer ... you're not just visitors. You're here to stay. But are you here for our benefit or yours?"
Anna: "I need people I can trust, and who trust me. Do you trust me, Chad?" (Note that's the same thing she said to him in his weird dream at the beginning.)

Your thoughts on this episode?



Watch clips and episodes of 'V' on SlashControl.

Follow @jboursaw on Twitter.