Actually, I specifically wasn't trying to compare the two. I went into the new V with an open mind, and a total willingness to accept it on its own merits. Would they find a fresh angle on the story? Turns out they did, and in the end, I still didn't find it very compelling. In fact, I found it boring. And if I'm typical of the average viewer, if you fail to hook them in the beginning, you have almost zero chance of getting them later on.

That last part is probably why I can't get worked up over Baccarin's performance, because I just found the show to be... dull. She's no doubt giving a fine performance, but my total antipathy towards the show is reflected in my lack of interest in her character (or anyone else's). And I know she can give a fine performance; her roles in Stargate SG-1 and Firefly (which I didn't personally watch) are a perfect example.

(But... seriously... Monica? The hair? Please do something. That hair does not suit you at all. Jane Badler proved that you can do "evil lizard queen" and still look good. Please, just... please.)

As far as the original being an allegory to Nazi Germany, V is hardly the first TV show/movie to do that. It works if it's done right, and in my opinion, V did it right: they showed that even after 50 years, humans still haven't learned from history, and will allow themselves to be lead into Hell (and beyond) with false promises of a newer, better world. It could be any dictatorship in history; the Nazis were the parallel because they're the most recognizable (there's a reason the Visitor symbol in the original series had a more than passing resemblance to a swastika).