Episode Report Card LuluBates: A+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Georgie Porgie
By LuluBates | Season 1 | Episode 6 | Aired on 04.06.2010
e is stunned into silence and Val asks if he has kids. Yes, two dead ones, thanks for the reminder, lady! The look on Georgie's face is of a man thinking something through. He appears to make a decision and then quickly excuses himself leaving Val alone to let the next stranger into her apartment.Father Jack is hard at work re-stocking hymnals or whatever it is priests do in the empty main hall of worship. (I would know what this was called if I could remember a lick of art history, but, my brother is an actual art historian, so I promptly forgot every single thing I learned in my college courses and just call him when I need to know something because THAT makes a lot more sense. It's like people who ask Twitter a question instead of looking it up on Google like decent folk. Jack's OCD straightening of the hymnals (OCD is a gift from God, too, so don't mock) is interrupted by the arrival of one Chad Decker. He wants to know what Father Jack wants from him. Jack doesn't seem particularly surprised to see him. He probably spent all day praying for it and since he is a priest, his prayers get priority delivery. So, there's Chad all wrapped up in a USPS flat rate mailer right on Father Jack's apse (?) (nave?). Chad wants answers from Father Jack, but Jack doesn't have any answers that Chad wants. He thinks Chad needs to look for answers on the mother ships, not in the church. Um...isn't that almost heresy? I am really struggling not to add some mentions of priests, defrocking and child abuse scandals. I hope you all appreciate my efforts. Send indulgences this-a-way! Chad can't believe what the priest just said to him. Is he really supposed to go behind Anna's back and try and find dirt on the Vs just because a priest has a hunch that they are up to no good? Father Jack points out that Chad must suspect that the Vs are up to something sinister, too, or else he wouldn't be there talking to him. If Father Jack really wanted to find dirt on the Vs, he should have approached for Harvey Levin or those guys at the Smoking Gun, not the V world's Katie Couric. But, Chad has Anna's ear, or at least her attention, and he may actually be willing to go along with the priest on this mission from god. And now I have a vision of Father Jack and Chad dressed up as The Blues Brothers. Anyone up for a re-boot?
Erica is still overseeing Tyler's transition from her custody to his father's, when her phone rings. This gives some credence to her claims of being overworked and Tyler's dad looks sort of smug about it as she wanders off to listen to Georgie's call in private. Georgie is nervous about Ryan and, now that he mentions it, so is Erica. He wants to go up to the ship and look for Ryan, but Erica tells him to sit tight and wait for her. Georgie is noncommittal as he hangs up, BECAUSE HE IS ALREADY ON THE SHUTTLE. Georgie, Georgie, it's noble to try, but what exactly do you think you can do to help Ryan if the Visitors have him? Erica announces that she has to go and Tyler sheepishly asks if he can stay with his dad. Erica feigns ignorance of the arrangement and says that he can stay if he wants to. She hugs him and heads back to the city. Was that a near tear as she walked off? Was that a risked wrinkle? Does she actually care?
Meanwhile, up on the ship, Ryan is failing his test and crying his eyes out over Beaches because that shit is touching and only a cold blooded snake would not see how much Bette Midler loves Barbara Hershey. Joshua announces that Ryan failed the test and Ryan gets a frantic look in his eyes. Joshua intones: you aren't from the ship, you reacted to a crying baby when you boarded, you were seen taking phosphorus and you failed the test, you are Fifth Column. Ryan looks more and more panicked. And then Joshua sticks out his hand and introduces himself. Ryan is more than a little surprised. Joshua introduces the V in Black as Samuel, another member of the Fifth Column. Gah, that just sounds like a 90s boy band. Ryan has barely regained his composure, but manages to ask how many other rebels are on the ships. Joshua quickly gives him the rundown: there are not many rebels onboard and there will be fewer soon due to Anna's testing; Anna is birthing soldiers; and Ryan needs to leave the ship ASAP and what the hell is he doing there anyway? Ryan nods and reports that the Fifth Column on Earth is large, but disorganized and he is there to embed a message in Anna's announcement. A call to arms, to be precise. Joshua offers to embed the message for him, because, really, Ryan needs to get off the ship now-ish. They agree to become pen pals via some untraceable out-dated tech that John May used to use and then Ryan turns to leave. Before he can go, though, Joshua asks about the phosphorus. Ryan doesn't admit the tadpole is his, but Joshua warns him that once he gives the human woman the phosphorus, there is no going back. Ryan nods solemnly and turns to go. I thought Vs and humans weren't supposed to be able to reproduce, so how does everyone on the ship know that phosphorus is what you give knocked up human women?
Anna finds Lisa watching Tyler TV. Lisa claims that whatever nefarious scheme she and her mother have planned for Tyler is working out well. Anna, with a mother's firm disapproval, points out that since Tyler is not actually ON the ship then Lisa's plan isn't progressing as well as it should be. Lisa looks pouty at her mother's tone, but it's true, Tyler is not onboard. Anna tells Lisa to get Tyler there.
Erica has reached the church and is unpleasantly surprised that Georgie hasn't checked in with Father Jack. Kyle explains it all: Georgie is up on the UFO with some sort of weapon that could make it through V security. Both Erica and Father Jack are stunned that Kyle (the mercenary) would send Georgie to outer space on his own. Kyle and I would like to point out that 1. He's a mercenary, 2. He is only their friend because they are blackmailing him, 3. He couldn't really care less about what happened to George and 4. His sending Georgie up after Ryan is a harshly realistic choice. Georgie's kind of expendable, but Ryan is the key to the entire rebellion. Without Ryan their cause is lost. Erica punches him in the face and Father Jack takes the name of the lord in vain (in god's house! And still no smiting!) for sending Georgie to his death up there. Um, guys? Georgie is a grown up and KYLE DOESN'T LIKE ANY OF YOU.
Georgie has landed on the mothership and is waiting for security clearance while Ryan has finished his mission, (stupidly) stripped off his V jacket and is headed for a shuttle back to Earth. This is totally going to end like Sleepless in Seattle where Meg Ryan is dragged off and skinned alive. On the ground, the mothership is playing Anna's message announcing their live aboard program. People from across the globe, from all walks of life, will be invited to live with the Visitors and see their way of life (probably not the man eating mating rituals). Meanwhile, Joshua is hacking into the V computer system trying to embed the call to arms to the Fifth Column. He is typing feverishly and finally succeeds. The mothership flashes: John May Lives, confusing most earthlings, but really exciting Kyle, Erica, Father Jack and even Joshua, who actually cracks a smile at his success. Since he is on board the ship, Georgie does not know of the mission's success, but he is pleased to see Ryan attempting to blend in with a crowd of humans heading for a shuttle. Ryan does not exactly hide in the background and the V security officer notices him. As Ryan boards the shuttle, the security guard runs after him and Georgie springs into action. He knifes the guard as the shuttle door closes. He has enough time to tell Ryan to go be with his wife and child and yell, "Long Live the Fifth Column!" before the Vs take him down. Oh Georgie! Ryan looks horrified, but also kind of touched as his shuttle heads back to earth.
No. 2 announces to Anna that the Fifth Column used a human to embed a message in her live aboard announcement. She looks shocked that they were able to get on board, but is not bothered by the news. In fact, she thinks everything is going as planned. No. 2 is surprised by this new positive outlook. Has Anna been watching Oprah again? Anna thinks the embedded message will give the Fifth Column on the ground the confidence to come out and organize. While the Visitors are winning the hearts and minds of the humans via the live aboard program, they will be crushing the Fifth Column, too. See? Now THAT is her Best Life.
Ryan finds Val painting the nursery yellow. She smiles when she sees him and tells him that his friend Georgie stopped by to say hi. Ryan cringes when she says that, but Val doesn't notice, because she is pregnant and can only think about her. This is her Me Time. For the next nine months or whenever it is that the baby will tear out of her stomach. Ryan smiles that he has to go back to work, but wants to make her a cup of tea first. She smiles gratefully and goes back to painting. In the kitchen, Ryan dumps half a bottle of phosphorus into a quarter cup of tea, doesn't stir, and then carries it to Val. Maybe phosphorus tastes like peppermint and honey?
Anna has gathered everyone who has failed her empathy test. She gives them each a suicide pill; those who are loyal will take the pill and die at her request, the others are obviously members of the Fifth Column. All but three take the pills and Anna introduces Joshua to his margin of error. Now he can skin them. Joshua nods glumly while No. 2 protests that this test will cost countless lives among the fleet. Anna shrugs leaving Joshua and No. 2 to glance nervously at each other.
Ryan is steaming mad when he barrels into the church. He can't believe they let Georgie go up there. He is particularly mad at Kyle, probably because you can't really yell at a priest (or at least not a priest who is a stand up guy; you can yell at evil kiddy diddlers) and Erica usually has a gun. So all things considered, yeah...yell at the new guy. Why does everyone act as if Georgie had no say in his own destiny? I mean, it was probably a bad choice, but what did Ryan think they would do if he didn't make his 4 o'clock deadline? Cry and try to find a new rebel V to join their ranks? And is Georgie really as inept as everyone seems to believe? Is he truly mentally incapable of making an adult decision?