The longer V goes on, the more I think the writers have no plan whatsoever. A science fiction show needs a gameplan, a clear idea of where everything is going. If you're going to create a show about invading aliens and resistance members, you need to know where things are going, and not just vague ideas, but a real framework for each character and future arcs.
We see that the writers have a good grasp on general ideas, with the Visitors ingratiating and implanting themselves into human culture, Anna's mother trapped in the dungeon, and the search for the human soul. These are good ideas--great, in fact--for any show. The details inside each episode, however, are flimsy and that's where the real weakness lies. The writers want to get on with the big ideas and often miss key components like character and plot
What the writers do with Hobbes this week is an egregious example of using a character just so the next phase of ideas can begin. Hobbes was introduced in the first season and has stuck around since then. In "Seige," he follows the Visitor's order and betrays the cause he's been fighting for. Why? For a woman the writers pull out of thin air. Logically, making a character do something extreme (aside from a 24-style mole reveal) requires ongoing character development, building up characters through backstory or memorable events. Hobbes, though, hasn't been developed at all; we know next to nothing about him except that he was a wanted mercenary, and his role in the Fifth Column hasn't exactly been distinguished (although we can say that about pretty much everyone).We can understand why Ryan would flip, seeing him in anguish over his baby several times, but why would Hobbes flip after hearing this woman's voice for a second? Since when was he this susceptible to manipulation? Where is his paranoid nature?
The positive outcome of this silliness is that Joe dies (not the dying part, but the consequence), which inflames Erica to take the fight to Erica. We'll likely see Erica struggle to find the line of acceptable behavior, but in the process, Hobbes has been diminished into nothing more than a tool to jumpstart the plot.
The stuff with Diana is getting really, really bad. The writers have absolutely no idea what to do with her. They got Jane Badler, then realize they didn't know what to do with her, so they stuck her in this dark hole to do nothing.
SLAP!!! Now all Tyler needs is full-on beating.
Score: 7.5/10
