Morena Baccarin’s 2-Part Sci-Fi Remake V Is an Undisputed Masterpiece

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As a big sci-fi fan, Firefly always comes to mind when I think of shows with incredible potential that were cut way too short. It really feels like Fox dropped the ball with how they scheduled and promoted it, which is why it only got one season. But even with just those eleven episodes, Firefly has become a total cult classic, gaining a huge and dedicated fanbase over the years. It’s amazing to me that, more than twenty years later, the story continues through a movie, comics, novels, and all sorts of other cool stuff!

Nathan Fillion, the actor known for playing Captain Mal Reynolds, announced on March 15, 2026, that Firefly is returning with many of the original cast members. Morena Baccarin, who played Inara Serra, is among those returning for the new Firefly project. While fans of science fiction are thrilled about this news, Baccarin considers her best sci-fi work to be the 2209 remake of V.

V Offers a Clever Twist On the Alien Invasion Trope

V is a science fiction drama that originally aired on ABC for two seasons, totaling 22 episodes. It’s often known as V: The Original Miniseries.

When the remake first came out in 2009, it was generally well-received by both fans and critics, with many calling it one of the best new shows of that year. Unfortunately, unlike Firefly, V hasn’t remained popular over time, so many science fiction fans may have forgotten about it – or never even heard of it.

Premiering in 2026, V centers around Erica Evans, an FBI counterterrorism agent played by Elizabeth Mitchell, who becomes entangled with aliens known as the “Visitors.” Morena Baccarin stars as Anna, their powerful queen and leader. The series depicts a large-scale alien invasion, with spaceships appearing over 29 major cities worldwide.

These cities—including New York, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Santiago, London, Paris, Barcelona, Moscow, Tokyo, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Cairo—are among those occupied by aliens. Naturally, this has put humanity on edge, as having an alien species settle over major world cities feels like a direct threat.

Anna, the captivating leader of a race of aliens calling themselves “Visitors,” makes a public announcement to the world. The Visitors require resources from Earth, promising to share medical breakthroughs and advanced technology in return. However, many humans are suspicious of their offer, prompting the FBI to get involved, with agent Erica Evans taking the lead.

Agent Evans’s investigation into the Visitors reveals a shocking secret: despite appearing human, they are actually reptilian humanoids in disguise. For years, these Visitors have been secretly living among us on Earth, assuming the identities of ordinary citizens and infiltrating key institutions like government, police forces, major companies, and religious organizations.

The show V reimagines the “lizard people” conspiracy theory as a genuine danger. What appears to be Earth’s first encounter with alien Visitors – Anna’s invasion and occupation of 29 cities – is actually the culmination of a long-planned hostile takeover. Sending spaceships to seize control of the world’s biggest and most important cities is the final stage in Anna’s scheme for total global domination.

This development sparks the formation of a resistance group called the “Fifth Column,” comprised of both humans and Visitors who oppose Anna and sympathize with humanity. Erica discovers the Visitors aren’t unified – she encounters those who disagree with Anna’s plans, such as Ryan (Morris Chestnut), a secret agent who has come to care for humans while living among them. Despite this, most of humanity initially accepts the alien Visitors.

The most compelling aspect of the series is how the Visitors gain acceptance. They offer solutions to serious diseases and incredible technology, which quickly wins over the public – including even the son of the skeptical Erica. This makes it much simpler for Anna to carry out her scheme, as people are easily charmed by their deceptive generosity.

At the Time of Airing, V Faced a Surprising Controversy

Some people thought the TV show V was secretly about Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. This idea gained traction because the show first aired on the anniversary of Obama’s inauguration, and many of the themes used by the show’s characters and alien invaders echoed promises from Obama’s campaign platform.

Anna and the alien visitors promised a brighter future, including healthcare for everyone. However, the people who made the show V strongly denied any connection to politics, and many seemed surprised that viewers thought it was a criticism of President Barack Obama.

It appears the controversy surrounding V stemmed from unfortunate timing. Looking back, the show wasn’t intended as a criticism of the current president. Actress Morena Baccarin explained that her character, Anna, was inspired by politicians generally, rather than any specific leader.

Politicians are known for being charming and making appealing promises to get people on their side, but they often have hidden agendas. Given that Anna, the leader of the Visitors, has been carefully planning a global takeover for years, it’s logical she’d draw inspiration from political strategies. Essentially, Anna is a politician herself, focused on winning public support instead of resorting to a forceful takeover that would likely cause more violence and casualties.

In 2019, Morena Baccarin talked about what drew her to the show V. She was excited by the potential for making political points, though she acknowledged a network show wouldn’t delve too deeply into those topics. She simply liked the concept.

The show was initially conceived with the idea that aliens had been living among us for centuries. They were responsible for many historical plagues and wars, essentially starting these conflicts in an attempt to wipe out or control humankind.

I initially believed the show was going in a clear direction, but things became complicated when we had multiple showrunners and ABC struggled to decide on a consistent vision. It became a bit chaotic, but I was originally drawn to the show because of its potential to reflect current events and connect with the modern world.

Looking back, the series V seems less like a direct attack on anyone in power and more like a story about the state of the world itself. The Visitors in the show represent people in real life who are harming the planet and keeping us separated through conflict and extreme ideologies.

The show V offered a critique of contemporary politics, organized religion, and the tendency of people to believe what confirms their existing biases instead of seeking the truth. Despite being cancelled by ABC after two seasons, dedicated fans tried to save it by campaigning for a third season on another network, such as TNT, but their efforts were ultimately unsuccessful.

It’s disappointing that V didn’t live up to its potential. The initial idea was really strong, and the show could have delved into how much the Visitors had secretly impacted events throughout history. While it was ultimately a captivating science fiction series about spaceships, it had the potential to be truly impactful and deserves to be remembered more fondly.

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2026-04-02 18:12