Original Air Date: May 3, 1983
Written and Directed By: Kenneth Johnson
Produced By: Chuck Bowman

Following a dedication to the resistance fighters of the past, present, and future, V opens with a scene set in war-torn El Salvador. Cameraman Mike Donovan and his sidekick soundman Toni Leonetti are interviewing a guerilla resistance leader when suddenly a helicopter gunship attacks the rebel camp. The two newsmen try to make a getaway in an old pickup truck, but the chopper follows them with guns blazing and missiles launching. Soon their truck overturns, and Mike creates a diversion so Tony can get away. He directs his camera at the chopper that's about to gun him down but it abruptly flies away, leaving a confused Mike to wonder why he is so fortunate. Then he turns around to see a gargantuan alien ship floating toward him from the horizon.

In subsequent scenes the other major characters are introduced as they witness more Visitor Mother Ships descending to hover above Earth cities. Juliet Parrish, a bio-chemist and medical student, and her scientist colleagues watch on television as a Mother Ship approaches San Francisco; Robert Maxwell, an anthropologist, witnesses a Mother Ship fly over a dig in the mountains; in a Los Angeles suburb the huge ship is watched by the rest of the Maxwell family, the neighboring Bernstein family, Eleanor Dupres, and others. The news is saturated with reports about the fifty alien ships scattered around the world. Each is several miles in diameter, and they exhibit some sort of radio and electrical interference that prevents jet fighters and even missiles from getting too close. Soon all the ships are stationary, and the worlds waits to see what will happen.

The next day, the Mother Ships send a signal announcing their arrival and requesting a meeting with the Secretary General of the United Nations. In the media event of the century, all eyes watch that evening as a shuttlecraft descends from the New York Mother Ship and lands on the roof of the U.N. building. The alien who emerges from the craft is remarkably human in appearance — except for a reverberating voice and an aversion to bright lights. He introduces himself as John, the Supreme Commander of the "small" fleet around the planet. He announces that the Visitors have come to Earth from Sirius IV because they need help producing certain chemicals to save their environmentally-ravaged home world. In exchange, John promises to share knowledge that will solve Earth's environmental, agricultural, and health dilemmas. Then the Visitors will leave as they came — in peace.

The Visitors are quickly integrated into Earth society. In Los Angeles Humans and Visitors work side by side at the Richland refinery, the first U.S. plant retooled to produce the alien compounds. By popular demand, the youth group "Visitor Friends" is created for children and young adults to learn more about the Visitors. Kristine Walsh, a reporter with romantic ties to Donovan, is made the Visitors' official spokesperson. The aliens soon permeate all aspects of society from children's toys to dinner parties. Visitors are even the objects of others' affections.

But many people are suspiscious of their new friends from outer space. Scientists begin disappearing, including colleagues of Robert and Julie. Soon there is news of a conspiracy of scientists (especially those involved in anthropology and biomedicine) who have been schemeing to seize control of Visitor Mother Ships. Scientists are discredited, arrested, or continue to simply vanish. Public opinion grows increasingly strong against those involved in the sciences.

Intent to shed some light on the secrets of the Visitors, Mike smuggles himself aboard a tanker flying up to the Los Angeles Mother Ship. There, he films the Visitors transferring the tanker's useless chemicals to vents that simply release it back into the air above the city. Mike then uses the internal ductways of the ship to spy on various quarters and the Visitors that occupy them, including one room where Diana describes something called a conversion process to Steven. Ever since the aliens' arrival, nobody has seen them eat much of anything, but Mike soons discovers the reason — they eat live animals, like mice and guinea pigs, whole! Mike moves on to another chamber where he watches a Visitor remove his humanoid eyes to reveal reptilian eye slits. The Visitor discovers Mike and tries to beat him up, but Mike manages to escape and jump on the next transport to Earth — but not before exposing the Visitor as a lizard who only looks human because he wears a mask!

Mike takes his video tape to a studio where it will be aired across the country. But almost immediately their broadcast is interrupted by the Visitors who now control the air waves. John reports that the scientific conspiracy continues to sabotage Visitor interests and, at the request of the planet's governments, martial law is declared. In addition, John shows Donovan's photo and states that he's now a wanted fugitive for crimes against the Visitors. As shock troopers break into the television studio, Mike narrowly escapes with a copy of his tape.

In the midst of martial law and evening curfews, embryonic groups of concerned citizens form and meet in secret. One such group includes Julie, her colleague Dr. Benjamin Taylor, and police officer Brad. They wonder what they can do to fight the growing power of the Visitors, then realize the key must be with scientists like anthropologists and medical doctors — only people in those fields are being ostracized. The group needs greater numbers and more contacts, though, so Julie agrees to contact Kristine Walsh to see if she might be a suitable mole. When Julie arrives outside Kristine's apartment, she discovers that a man — Donovan — is already there and sneaking into the woman's place. Mike is hoping to convince Kristine about what he saw, but he's forced to make a hasty retreat as Visitors ambush the place. After watching the event from her hiding place, Julie isn't sure who to trust and decides not to confront Kristine.

Later, Julie, Ben, and Brad steal some medical equipment and supplies to assist their growing Resistance movement. During their escape Julie is shot by a Visitor laser weapon and Ben is fatally injured. They escape and seek refuge with Ben's street-smart brother, Elias Taylor. But there is nothing that can be done for Ben, and he passes the Resistance torch to Elias before he dies.

At the end of the episode, Abraham Bernstein, a World War II survivor of the Nazi death camps, runs into a group of kids defacing a Visitor propaganda poster. It looks as if he's about to chide them, but instead he shows them the proper way to show their defiance — with a bold "V" spray-painted over the poster. For victory!

• The confrontation between the guerilla camp leader and the helicopter gunship is recreated at the end of the second episode when Julie squares off against Diana's attacking Skyfighter.
• The meeting on top of the United Nations building occurs at 0100 Greenwich Mean Time (8 p.m. in New York).
• Diana remarks that the Visitors have had gravity drive technology for about a hundred years.
• Several thousand personnel are aboard each Mother Ship.
• The Richland plant begins work with the Visitors three weeks after their arrival.
• The Visitor Friends youth group is designed for ages 12–20.
• William originally learned Arabic but was then assigned to Los Angeles with little time to learn English.
• Martin refers to Steven as "The Supervisor."
• Stanley Bernstein remarks that you need a special permit to make a long-distance phone call, and even then you usually can't get through.

Next ›