'V Wars' Season 1: How the Netflix thriller will provide a sci-fi discourse on the grave issues the world faces today
Netflix's 'V Wars' is set to be released on the streaming platform this week. Starring Ian Somerhalder, Adrian Holmes, Laura Vandervoort, and Kimberly-Sue Murray, the show will explore a world where melting polar ice caps have released a virus that causes a dormant gene in humans to reactivate, leading to vampirism.
Unlike most vampire genre shows, 'V Wars' will be more science-fiction than supernatural, delving into the issues of biology and genetics instead to explain a human turning into a vampire. Right from its premise, 'V Wars' addresses a major concern of the 21st century: global warming. At a time when students and young people around the world go on climate strikes led by Greta Thunberg to force governments to act on climate change, 'V Wars' provides a fictional look at what could happen.
Sure, there may not be a release of a vampirism-causing virus, however, rising global temperatures threaten not just food and water security of many nations, but also has been researched for its effects on the increase of infectious diseases.
Further, in the comics, when some humans turn into vampires, this leads to a social divide of the society into a "humans vs. vampires" situation. Because of fear, the first response of both sides is violence and in the comics, there are comparisons drawn between the Bloods (vampires) and terrorist factions. However, many of the vampires are peaceful beings, choosing instead to survive on animal blood and coexist with humans. However, this does not stop them from being targeted by bigots.
This is frighteningly similar in our world, where there are rampant Islamaphobia and xenophobia. As the number of refugees increases annually, so do countries' resistance to provide asylum. Interestingly, it has been suggested that global warming will lead to a rise in something called "climate refugees", those who leave the areas that are most affected by global warming.
So, when Ian Somerhalder says that 'V Wars' will be a much different show, we believe him. Though 'V Wars' is sure to be bloody and violent, the sci-fi horror series could give its viewers a lot to think about.
The first ten episodes of 'V Wars' will be released on Netflix on December 5th.