The challenge with ABC’s roster of programs is that it leaves a lot of room for comparison.  There’s Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice.  There’s Wednesday’s sitcom night with Hank, The Middle, Modern Family and Cougar Town.  Of course, there’s also veteran sci-fi series Lost and newcomers Flash Forward and most recently, V.  It’s all fine and dandy if the quality remains consistent across the board, but that’s hardly ever the case.  Luckily, V’s pilot reassures viewers to be a superior debut for the season.

Most of you know of the franchise’s origin, so I’ll skip the introductions and get right down to the nitty gritty.  The pilot is good.  Truly.

Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice

What the pilot does especially well is remaining consistently solid in every aspect of the piece.  Production value?  Very high.  Writing?  A few spotty moments here and there, but there’s a nice balance between the mythology and personal development.  Acting?  Pretty solid throughout.  While the pilot does not excel in any particular department, as a whole package, it is quite entertaining.  It doesn’t rely on one gimmick (ahem, Flash Forward) and hope for the best.  There’s competency in more aspects than one and that alone sets it apart from its competitors.

Femme Fetale

The cast also helps to elevate the story.  While I had full confidence in Elizabeth Mitchell (but Juliet *sniff*), the remaining cast members also perform well enough for me to buy into the story.  There’s definitely a strong female presence on the show thanks to main character Erica and the Visitors high commander, Anna.  While one functions as the emotional pillar to the story, the other sends chills down your spine with her barren yet excruciatingly cordial persona.  Again, these are characters that you can hang on to as the story grows more epic and out of this world.  For sci-fi series, this is essential.

Flash Forward versus V

I make the comparison because I am sure I’m not the only one.  In essence, V has an unintended marketing scheme in that even after only one episode, it feels far superior to its debut counterpart.  The writing is of a higher quality and consequently, the characters sound sharper, the acting is better and the series is just more enjoyable.  This is coming from someone who has seen every episode of Flash Forward so far.  Between the two series, I fully tip my hat off to V and cannot wait for more.

Again, I emphasize the fact that the pilot of V is not perfect by any means, but it has all the ingredients to make it a series that can grab loyal viewers and really take us on a journey.  With Lost to end next year, there might be an measurable replacement for my sci-fi thirst after all.

Rating: 8.7/10

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