V Episode 1.01 Pilot

The Visitors have arrived.

FBI Counterterrorism Agent Erica Evans (the always rockin' Elizabeth Mitchell of Lost) stares in disbelief at one of the 29 massive alien ships hovering over the major cities of the world. Erica makes her way through the panicked streets of New York to find her troubled teenage son, Tyler (Logan Huffman), just as a video image of Visitor's High Commander, Anna (Morena Baccarin), fills the sky. For an alien, Anna looks pretty darn human (i.e. stunningly beautiful) as she soothingly says, "Don't be frightened. We mean you no harm." The word you're looking for is "whew!"

The Visitors need water and a mineral which is abundant on Earth to survive. In exchange, they'll share their technological advances, including cures for the sick. Anna's closing words, "We are of peace, always" brings cheers from the masses. The people of Earth embrace the V's (that's their nickname) as there are 65 ailments they can cure. Life on Earth is good, right? Not so fast.

At St. James' Church, Father Jack Landry (Joel Gretsch) is skeptical as he addresses his suddenly plentiful flock. But even Father Jack is amazed when a wheelchair-bound member of his congregation can suddenly walk after a visit to a Visitor Healing Center. These places give new meaning to the term "universal" health care. Father Jack's doubts return when a gravely-injured man claims to know the real reason the V's are here. The man gives Father Jack an envelope and makes him promise to attend a secret meeting.

Businessman Ryan Nichols (Morris Chestnut) is planning to propose to his girlfriend, psychologist Dr. Valerie Stevens (Lourdes Benedicto). Valerie is deeply in love with Ryan but is concerned by the mysterious phone calls he's been receiving ever since the Visitors arrived. The man on the other end of the line is Georgie, an uneasy acquaintance from Ryan's mysterious past. What's Georgie so anxious about? We're guessing it has something to do with those folks just in from out of town.

Erica worries because her son has become so captivated by the Visitors. Tyler goes behind his mom's back with best bud Brandon for a tour of the New York ship. They meet the beautiful Lisa (Laura Vandervoort), a recruiter for the V Peace Ambassador Program. Tyler's obviously smitten, so he forges Erica's signature on the consent form to help spread the V love. He even gets a cool uniform!

Anna also pumps up the V PR by recruiting ambitious TV journalist Chad Decker (Scott Wolf) for a one-on-one interview. Her only caveat: "Just be sure not to ask anything that would paint us in a negative light." When Chad balks, Anna threatens to bail. The draw of a worldwide audience is too much for Chad, so he caves to her demands. Anna assures Chad that she'll be calling on him again. Anyone else getting an ominous feeling?

Erica and her partner, Dale, have been tracking a terrorist sleeper cell. The terrorists are always one step ahead of the feds. At an abandoned hideout, Erica and Dale discover a hidden basement holding a ton of explosives and a dead man who had been tortured. There's also a variety of fake passports and I.D.'s.

Erica finds a text message on the victim's cell phone about a sleeper cell meeting. The text warns that all new members should be prepared for "the test." Erica decides to crash the meeting, as Dale waits outside. No one else can know about it, as she suspects there's a mole in the FBI tipping off their moves.

The secret meeting is run by Georgie, the man who has been asking Ryan for help. "The test" involves an incision behind each attendee's ear to confirm the presence of skull bone. This is to ensure that no one there is a Visitor, as Georgie claims the V's have disguised their appearance by cloning human flesh over their own reptilian skin. That's right; we said "reptilian."

Erica is skeptical of Georgie's claim that the Visitors have actually been embedded among us for years implementing a plan to exterminate everyone on the planet. Father Jack produces an envelope with photos of suspected Visitors living on Earth. One of the pictures shows a suspected terrorist who was seen on one of the phony passports Erica found. She realizes that there truly is a sleeper cell...a sleeper cell of Visitors!

Gunfire erupts as a team of assassins storm the meeting. Erica breaks free from a killer's stranglehold, stunned to see that the person trying to murder her is Dale. He's the mole! She grabs a metal bar and smashes Dale's head. A gash reveals that green reptilian skin we mentioned earlier. As Dale's alien eye opens suddenly, Father Jack rushes Erica out of the building.

Everyone else is dead, except for Georgie, who is being pursued by an assassin. But before the killer can strike, Ryan springs from the darkness to take him down. Ryan is hurt, his arm cut. Guess what's underneath his skin? Georgie is freaked at first to discover that the man he trusted is really a Visitor in disguise. Ryan says that there are others like him; traitors who will help fight Anna.

Erica tells Father Jack she doesn't know who to trust anymore. They have to build a resistance to the Visitors, carefully recruiting others. They'll fight, but it won't be easy. The V's have a pretty good head start. Erica says, "They're arming themselves with the most powerful weapon out there...Devotion."

Let the resistance begin.