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"The Masterpiece"
V: The Final Battle (part 2,
hour 1)
0:00-47:21 on Side 2, Disc 1 of the DVD set
Teleplay by Brian Taggert and Diana Frolov
Story by Lillian Weezer & Diana Frolov & Peggy Goldman & Faustus
Buck
Directed by Richard T. Heffro |
Diana subjects Julie to the
conversion process.
(This episode begins with Ham Tyler photographing the
resistance HQ and ends with Ruby's death at Daniel's hand.)
Read the story summary of the mini-series at the
V Wiki
Didja Know?
For the title of this hour, I borrowed from Diana's dialog at
the end of the previous episode
"Unmasked". Beginning the conversion process on Julie, she
says "I'll break her. She's going to be my masterpiece." The
final chapter of that episode is also called "Diana's
Masterpiece" but it's in this hour that Diana spends her time
subjecting Julie to the horrors of the conversion chamber.
Starting here, Dennis McCarthy takes over the music duties,
though the opening theme remains the one written by Barry De
Vorzon and Joseph Conlan. McCarthy continues as the composer all
the way through the ongoing TV series.
This episode introduces Squadron Commander Pamela, played by
Sarah Douglas. Sarah is probably best known as Ursa, one of the
Phantom Zone criminals, in the movie Superman II.
Didja Notice?
At the beginning of this episode, we see even more of the area
around the resistance headquarters and see a definite
residential neighborhood. And a couple of guards stand outside
the HQ, one holding a rifle. And this isn't thought of as
suspicious by the residents? There might even be some passing
Visitor troops who would be very interested to see this! It sure
didn't seem to be too difficult for Ham Tyler to find! And why
haven't they moved out of there already when they know that
Julie has been captured?
The camera Tyler uses at 2:15 on the DVD is a
Nikon brand, possibly a Nikon FE, manufactured from 1978-1983.
The car with CA license plate 324 UCD Tyler hides behind as he snaps photos of the Resistance headquarters is a 1977
Toyota Corolla Liftback.
The rifle Sancho holds against Tyler at 2:20 on the DVD is an M16.
When Mark confronts Tyler outside the HQ, Tyler says, "You're in
my way, piglet." Piglet is a derogatory term for a cop in
training (or sometimes a female cop). With one sentence Tyler
manages to convey that he knows Mark is a former cop, insult him
by calling him a pig, and draw the insult further by inferring
that Mark is not even a full-fledged cop!
At 2:41 on the DVD, Chris Farber jumps out of an old camper
shell to get the jump on Mark and Sancho to free Tyler. It may
be that Tyler and Chris have been hiding out in that camper
shell for some time, spying on the resistance. Tyler may have
deliberately wanted to draw the rebel fighters' attention by
stepping outside and taking pictures with his camera. If my speculation is true, it implies the resistance is not being
nearly attentive enough of its surroundings. Tyler also points
out that the HQ is bottle-necked front and back. He says, "Place
isn't a camp, it's a tomb."
The gun Chris wields against Mark and Sancho is a MAC-10.
I wonder how Tyler got that scar on the side of his face? Actor
Michael Ironside got it walking through a plate glass door while
drunk!
As Tyler and Chris walk through the resistance headquarters
with their two captives, at 3:39 on the DVD there are several
large plants growing under heat lamps that appear to be
marijuana plants! I suppose they must be Elias' crop which he is
using to both make money for the resistance and to bribe Daniel
and his other Visitor connections.
As the Visitor transport flies past the skyscrapers of Los Angeles at 4:39 on the DVD, three of the buildings have logo signs mounted on them that identify them as corporate banks:
Bank of America, First Interstate Bank (now defunct), and Security Pacfic National Bank (now defunct).
The Security Pacific Bank building is the same one seen previously (from a street level view) in
"Visitors, Victims, and Victory"; the bank
is seen yet again from outside the Resistance headquarters a
couple minutes later as the Visitors debark from the transport to conduct their raid at 6:37.
Tyler tells the assembled members of the L.A. resistance that
there is a worldwide network now and they should join. What is
the name of this network? Is it the World Liberation Front which
we later hear about in the ongoing TV series?
The police squad cars that join in the Visitor raid are 1979
Dodge St. Regis models. I've not been able to identify the model of the police van with CA emergency vehicle license plate 36925.
At 6:52 on the DVD, wires can be seen emerging from the squad car's rear side window, connecting the police light bar mounted on the roof to electrical power!
Somehow the Visitors have managed to discover that Pascal is the
forger of the invitation that allowed the resistance to get into
the medical center gala in the previous episode and have tracked
him down. After being pushed around and beaten by them, Pascal
leads them to the resistance headquarters. But how did he know
where it was? Why would the resistance have told him about it
and/or showed it to him?
At 7:04 on the DVD, Tyler mentions that the new ammo that cuts
through the Visitor armor is a Teflon load. Chris later says
they have Teflon tips. The script may be relying on the myth
that Teflon coated bullets provide the bullet an ability to
penetrate body armor. In actuality the low friction Teflon
coating simply allows the bullets to pass through the rifle
barrel with minimal damage to the interior surface of the
barrel; this, in turn, allows a harder bullet to be used, which
is what provides armor-piercing capability.
At 7:32 on the DVD, a Fyr-Fyter fire extinguisher is seen hanging on the wall of the Resistance headquarters. Fyr-Fyter was an actual brand at the time.
After Tyler sets off the explosive in the abandoned HQ and looks
down at the exposed scaly skin of the dead Visitor caught in the
blast, he says, "Now that's a waste of good luggage." Obviously
a sardonic reference to bags and suitcases made of alligator
skin and an example of the mercenary's warped sense of humor.
Arthur Dupres finally gets fed up with Eleanor's fealty to the
Visitors and leaves her. He walks out the door of their home and
we don't see him again in the course of the mini-series. He does
show up again The Pursuit
of Diana.
As they pull into the new site for the resistance headquarters,
Elias asks, "What is this place anyway?" and Mark responds that
it's an old abandoned movie ranch. Well, it really is a movie
ranch, essentially! According to
Filminamerica.com, these scenes were filmed at Sable Ranch in Santa Clarita, CA
and it is private property that is regularly used
as a filming location for Hollywood movies.
Several old Amtrak train cars are located on the ranch property. We soon see the Resistance using them as living quarters.
Amtrak is the U.S. intercity passenger train service
At 15:31 on the DVD, Julie is unable to move her feet from the
conversion platform upon which she is standing even though there
are no apparent restraints in place.
When they examine her prior to beginning the conversion process,
the Visitors find that Julie has a congenital heart condition.
Did Julie already know about it before this?
The Visitors find that Julie has a fear and loathing of anything
abandoned or deserted due to an early trauma when she was being
followed or chased and she hid in a deserted building. She was
between 5 and 8 years old when it occurred. Julie never mentions
this event in her life. What happened to her? And if she has a
fear of abandoned buildings, she must have been apprehensive
going into the original resistance headquarters at the old water
treatment plant the first time (in
"Betrayal and Reward") when Elias
showed it to them.
| At 16:08 on the DVD, there is Visitor writing on the
computer screen as the Visitors begin the conversion
process on Julie. It appears to be the same screen as
seen at the end of the previous
episode, but with more data having scrolled onto the
screen. Portions of the same text seem to be repeated on
the screen throughout the conversion scenes. |
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| |
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| At 16:13 on the DVD, there is
Visitor writing on the console. |
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At 17:44-18:01 on the DVD, during Julie's conversion chamber
nightmare, she is being chased by an unseen enemy. He calls her
name and the voice sounds suspiciously like Robert England's
Freddy Krueger character from the Nightmare on Elm Street
movies! Could it be that England, who plays meek and mild Willie
on V, provided the voice
that is haunting Julie, here in the same year that the original
Nightmare on Elm Street was released? Listen:
Freddy Krueger
Willie Krueger
At 18:47 on the DVD, during Julie's conversion nightmare, some
kind of green fluid gets splattered in her face. Is this meant
to be as if Visitor venom has been spat at her?
At 18:51 on the DVD, during Julie's conversion nightmare, some
kind of creature leaps upon her. It looks like a 1950's B-movie
version of what a Visitor might look like!
| At 21:04 on the DVD, Visitor writing appears on the
readout screen as the conversion technician warns Diana
to be careful as she pushes Julie to the physiological
breaking point. |
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Although they had been previously rooted to the pedestal by
some unseen force, Julie's feet fall from under her as she
suffers a cardiac arrest during the conversion process at 21:44
on the DVD.
At 22:05 on the DVD, Donovan and Tyler arrive at the meeting point to talk to Martin in a GMC pickup (CA license plate 327 WED) with a magnetic sign on the door for Moir Film Vault and Storage.
This appears to be a fictitious company, though it seems that the meeting takes place in an actual film storage warehouse, as labeled film canisters are seen stacked all over.
In "Test Subjects" Donovan and Martin meet at Bevan Theatrical Storage, another fictitious warehouse as far as I can tell. Why the penchant for meeting at film storage warehouses? Maybe these types of warehouses tend to be unpopulated most of the time (though you'd think they'd have security guards around!).
In real world terms, mostly likely the production had cheap or free access to a film warehouse through their production company or distributor.
Tyler refers to Martin as Donovan's "gator friend".
Squadron Commander Pamela brings her mothership from space to
park it above Los Angeles, so there are now two ships
over the city!
Pamela brings news that the Leader wants the schedule sped up.
Why? Pamela implies it is because the resistance is causing
trouble, but doesn't explicitly state it.
At 27:07 on the DVD, the bunk sleeping quarters set up in the one of the Resistance Amtrak cars for the youths has the same cardboard clown face hanging on the wall in the background that was seen in the youth sleeping quarters at the old Resistance base in
"Betrayal and Reward".
Does suicide run in the Maxwell family? First Robert appears to
be contemplating it after his wife is killed in
"Plan for
Resistance" and here, at 28:04 on the DVD, Robin nearly does so
herself before her father stops her.
During Julie's second session in the conversion chamber this
episode, she sees what appears to be a giant python and a more
fantastical snake with a head that looks a bit like Godzilla!
When Diana offers to save Julie from the horrors, the woman
finally agrees and seems to think her parents are there to help.
She says, "Yes..! Mama! Papa!"
When a Fifth Columnist disguised as Donovan attempts to
assassinate Diana, he blasts two holes in the glass of the
conversion chamber. At 31:41 on the DVD, the holes and cracks
formed in the glass look like a spray-painted "V" symbol!
(The novel reveals that the disguised Fifth Columnist is
Barbara, who helped Donovan escape in
"Betrayal and Reward".)
As the ersatz Donovan breaks through the glass of the conversion
chamber, Julie sees him and looks like she vaguely recognizes
him and a spark of hope is in her face. But after he is gunned
down by security she collapses and passes out. This may suggest
her increasing attraction to Donovan.
At 32:21 on the DVD, Diana is playing with a small bird before
putting it back into a cage with others. Why are the animals not
fluttery and panicked like they were in
"Arrival" in Steven's presence?
Pamela gets a dig in at Diana by saying that it hardly seems
that her lover, the Leader, can't bear to be without her since
he has sent her 56 trillion miles away. That's pretty close! The
Visitors' home star of Sirius is about 8.6 light-years away from
Earth, 1 light-year is about 5,878,630,000,000 miles, so 8.6 x
5,878,630,000,000 = ~50.5 trillion miles. So Pamela is a little
high in her figure, but close. Then again, maybe she's measuring
in Visitor miles!
When Tyler asks Ruby how good her acting is, she says the
New
Yorker called her nurse in Romeo and Juliet the
best since Edith Evans. Dame Edith Evans was a classical actress
almost all of her long life (1888-1976). She was well-known for
her portrayal of the nurse in Romeo and Juliet in a
series of productions at various times for almost 40 years!
When Ruby asks Tyler how he became someone so dangerous, he says
if she comes back safely from her mission he'll tell her the
story of his life. Unfortunately, she doesn't and we never get
to hear it!
| At 42:10 on the DVD, there is Visitor writing on
what may be a safe at the Visitor Security Headquarters. |
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At 43:05 on the DVD, Ruby, in her disguise as a cleaning lady at
the Visitor Security Headquarters, quickly blinds a Visitor
officer with a couple blasts from a sprayer of liquid cleaner.
Wouldn't the Visitor's full ocular contact lenses protect him
quite significantly from an immediate stinging effect to his
eyes?
When Daniel shoots Ruby, a friend of his family, he not only
does it...he does it with a smile on his face.
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Notes from the V
mini series novelization by A.C. Crispin
(The page numbers come from the 1st printing,
paperback edition, published May 1984)
Pages 269-303 cover the
events of "The Masterpiece" |
Page 269 reveals that Brad's last name is McIntyre (since Mark
is not in the novel we are left to guess at his!).
Page 270 describes the resistance HQ building as being in a more
isolated area than we see in the mini-series, making it a more
logical choice and less likely for activity to be noticed.
On page 271, after he and Chris turn the tables on Sancho and
Brad/Mark, Tyler tells them, "Take us to your leader." This is
probably a bit of a reference to the proverbial aliens who
land and tell the first person they encounter, "Take us to your
leader."
In the mini-series Chris' last name is Farber. In the novel it
is Faber.
In the mini-series, Ruby calls the resistance HQ directly to
warn them that the Visitors are on the way. In the novel she
calls Stanley Bernstein, who rushes over to tell Father Andrew. I
guess in the novel there is no phone in the HQ! Besides that, in
the novel Tyler and Chris are also aware of the Visitors'
imminent approach from a contact known only as Sam.
As they begin to rig the explosives in the HQ to set up a deadly
trap for the Visitors, Tyler tells Chris to use the same drill
as what they pulled at an armory in Afghanistan.
Page 277 reveals that Harmony's last name is Moore.
Page 278 reveals that the truck Willie is being held/transported
in is Harmony's catering truck.
In this episode of the mini-series, when Harmony asks Willie if
he wants some food and offers cheese, he just says he's not
hungry. In the novel she asks him if he can eat cheese and
Willie says he is not sure.
On page 279, after Harmony reveals she didn't fall in love with
him for his looks in the first place, Willie reveals that even
among his own people he is not considered good-looking.
In the novel, several weeks are described as having passed
between the time of the move to the new HQ at the old studio ranch
and Donovan and Tyler's meeting with Martin to discuss rescuing
Julie. During these weeks, Robin is caught in her suicide
attempt and is never left alone from then on; Donovan feels sad
and angry over Kristine Walsh's death; and Donovan becomes the
de facto leader of the L.A. resistance in Julie's absence.
Page 282 reveals that Pamela's mothership is even larger than
the typical one.
During Donovan and Tyler's meeting with Martin, the two are
disguised as LAPD cops and drive a police squad car, all
obtained by Tyler, to more easily travel without hassle through
the city.
Up to the meeting with Martin, Tyler has assumed that Julie gave
up the HQ location to Diana. But Martin tells them that she
hasn't broken yet and that Diana tortured Pascal for the
information.
On page 284, Donovan attempts to "apologize" to Martin for Tyler's rude
and crude behavior by explaining that he "has problems dealing
with people of other races, sexes, colors...you name it."
While discussing sexism and females in positions of power,
Martin reveals that a small minority of Visitors have chosen to
wear human disguises that are the opposite of their true gender.
Page 285 reveals that the idea of having someone in a
syntho-skin disguise make an assassination attempt on Diana was
Donovan's idea.
Pages 286-288 are an extra scene not found in the mini-series.
It sets Daniel up as even more of a jerk than he's been presented
so far. With Maggie looking on and pounding rock music blaring
out of his house into the neighborhood, he finishes a bottle of
his expensive Chivas whiskey and yells at his mother to get up
and get him some more. When she tells him it's all gone except
for some cheap
Black Velvet he blames his father for drinking it
all. And then he begins to have sex with Maggie right in front
of his parents!
Page 288 reveals that Julie loves poetry and one of the things
she does to keep her mind off the torture is recite poetry in
her mind. Here
she recites lines from
"The
Princess" by Alfred Lord
Tennyson. Issue #7 of the
V
comic book also picks up on this aspect of Julie's character;
the story is called "Tennyson", and in it Julie confronts the
feelings of fear we learned about in the conversion chamber
sequences of this episode. The issue ends with Julie again
reciting the same lines from "The
Princess". A nice
tie-in between two different
V
media.
Page 292 reveals that Diana has used Donovan's image as one of
the focal points of the conversion process, making him a
threatening figure in a pursuit and rape/violence sequence.
Diabolical!
When Diana is shown that the Donovan body is one of her
traitorous crew members on page 294, her crest elevates under
the human skin and she begins to rage in her native language,
breaking the synthetic skin around her mouth. It also describes
her vestigial fangs snapping wildly.
On page 296 Pamela reports that shortly before she left
(presumably the homeworld) there were rumors that the Leader had
a new consort under consideration. She further reports that the
new female is lovely and quite a bit older than Diana
"prime-molted, full-patterned." "Molted" refers to shedding of
the skin in reptiles and prime means either first or greatest.
There is an implication in Pamela's comments that older females
are generally more desirable than younger; the opposite of what
generally occurs in humans. Also, Pamela remarks that she heard
this "when she left". Does that mean this news is 8 years old,
seeing as it would take the ship 8 years to travel to Earth from
Sirius if what the Visitors have said about their gravity drive
is true? Or is this evidence that they lied about the speed of
the drive and they can actually make the trip much more quickly
(faster-than-light)?
During the resistance raid on the Visitor Security Headquarters
to rescue Julie, they also rescue any other prisoner they can get
their hands on. On page 299 Tyler realizes he has rescued the
Mayor of Los Angeles.
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