“Hearts and Minds”

The beginning of “Hearts and Minds” confused me.  It made me feel like I had missed an episode or two, when I knew that I had not.  It turned out that it was one of those episodes that starts in media res and then flashes back to show how we got to this point of disequilibrium.  Gimmicky?  Sure, but it is a gimmick that often works.  After a boring middle of the season, V finally started realizing its potential with this episode.  Plot-wise, things were finally moving forward: the Visitors and the Fifth Column were both making serious strikes at each other.  Acting-wise, the cast was given more conflicts to chew on, as characters were becoming privy to more information.  Laura Vandervoort especially demonstrated development as Lisa, as she became more in touch with her human side and had to deal with a mother who would break her own daughter’s legs to get what she wants.  Tension built as the promise of a tête-à-tête of Erica versus Anna (the constantly smirking Elizabeth Mitchell and the always chilling Morena Baccarin) was unfolding.

Next up: Modern Family