Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine Alias 2001-2006 (Spoilers)

The season premiere is this Thursday.

I must confess I was almost afraid to post about this, given the level of anti-Alias (or rather anti-Seasons Three, Four and the upcoming Five) venom on other boards. But since this is one of the few nice, reasonable boards, I'm going ahead with the post.

I have no expectations, I'm just going to wait and see how the premiere is.

My personal perspective is this: I am a latecomer to Alias. The first season that I watched was Season Four. I enjoyed it a lot. Yes, some of the stand-alone episodes were weak, but other stand-alone episodes were great (I love "Nocturne.") And I was exactly the kind of viewer they were trying to bring in, the viewers who wanted to get into the show but were having trouble jumping in because it was so complicated.

I've caught up with Seasons One, Two, and Three through renting the DVDs at Blockbuster. I think they all have their good and bad points. The following are all IMHO:

Season One has lots of action and consistently good stories, but I think it's pitched at too hysterical a level.

Season Two feels like a transitional season, like they're still trying to find the best way to structure it; the writing is more uneven that Season One. On the other hand, it has the awesome Irina Derevko. It also has some of Sydney's best disguises -- I love the scene in "Endgame" where she just runs into a pharmacy and instantly transforms herself into a sorority girl.

Season Three was a little dull as far as disguises and such, but the writing was consistently good once again, and they finally found the right structure.

Season Four is kind of a cross between Two and Three -- the writing was uneven once more, the disguises were great once more, and the structure was still in place.

Season Five? Time will tell.

I still like the show a lot and am looking forward to the new season, but my enthusiasm for the show has waned. I didn't realize there was such rancor in the internet for the other seasons though.

I agree that Irina Derevko was one of the highlights. I also like the cat & mouse game that happened between the super-spy couples, Syd and Vauhgn vs. Sark and Vaughn's wife. It gave the show some needed twists that come with being a double-agent that was kinda lost when Syd went over to the real CIA.

I was really disappointed with the resolution to the whole "two years later" storyline though. It seemed really anti-climactic and almost tacked on just to remove it as a plot point.

I for one am glad Syd's sister is in a coma. I think her presence diluted the impact of the storyline. Unfortunately, I thought the resolution to the whole Rimbaldi prophecy thing was also really anticlimactic.

The show still does its best work when dealing with the characters and their interaction. It's the spy-stuff that's been lacking lately. We'll see what happens now with this new twist on Vaughn and Syd's pregnancy (I wonder if Rimbaldi had anything to say about that?).

The bizarre love quadrangle* was one of my favorite things, too. I, too, found the Two Years Later resolution a letdown, but I liked the Rambaldi outcome (and of course Syd's pregnancy has something to do with it -- there's still more to be fulfilled.)

And I liked Syd's sister Nadia. The Season Four episode where they go on a mission together ("Detente") is one of my favorites. I hope Nadia gets out of her coma sometime this season, even if she only appears once or twice.


*I couldn't resist -- I'm a New Order fan, and Bizarre Love Triangle is my favorite song of theirs.

About the Rimbaldi storyline resolution, I should say that it was really cool to see the whole family together jumping out of the plane about to take on that giant red ball and a city full of crazed zombies -- that was really cool even if the way things ultimately ended fell short for me.

Yeah, nothing could ever quite top that skydiving scene.

As for the Season Five premiere, I'm happy to say that my lack of expectations paid off.

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Great opening scene, picking up right where the crash left off, with Sydney getting into a gunfight with enemy agents pretending to be an ambulance crew.

The new enemy organization, Prophet Five, has operatives deep inside the U.S. government itself. Could lead to some interesting plot developments.

For most of the episode, it looks like this season will be about Sydney and Vaughn trying to clear Vaughn's name while adjusting their relationship for their baby.

Then, Vaughn is brutally shot down. He doesn't survive.

So, the rumors have turned out to be true. Michael Vartan has left the show. Even knowing the rumors, I still didn't see that shocking twist coming.

Where the show goes from here remains to be seen, but it's a very promising start.

And I'm very glad that Allison Shapker and Monica Breen are still the show's main writer/producers (yes, I'm one of those viewers who pays way too much attention to the credits -- they were story editors during Season Three, then promoted to writer/producers in Season Four. They've written many of my favorite episodes, and clearly have a definite role in the show's general direction.)

It's sad that Vaughn is gone. So Syd is now 2-2 when it comes to dead fiancees hm?

I was kinda hoping the discovery of Vaughn's true origin would be more of an ongoing thing (with Vaughn on the outside, Syd on the inside and them having to be all secretive again like season 1), but it's answered right away and honestly, the new storyline doesn't seem interesting to me (especially since it sounds a lot like Rimbaldi again). Hopefully things will pick up when we find out what part Sloan will play this season and how Syd's pregnancy will affect things (I can't imagine it'll be good though -- how irresponsible would she be to go on missions in her condition?).

I really don't get how that guy was able to fake being FBI and pass security checks etc. when all it took was a phone call to find out that he had been "off the grid" for two years. It's not like nobody knew he was a baddie. The new "anti-Marshal" chick might be an interesting new element.

So, basically I'm not excited about the new season but I'll wait and see.

I should have taped it, then I could watch it again and I'd probably have an explanation for how the Prophet Five guy was able to pass for FBI. But I'm sure it's something to do with Prophet Five being a government conspiracy.

I read somewhere that Sydney will not be doing a lot of field work this season, in order to accomodate Jennifer Garner's RL pregnancy, and the new cast members will be handling most of the action stuff. I personally like the idea of Sydney shifting into a mentor role. And I have no doubt that her pregnancy is some kind of final link to Rambaldi, which will probably also turn out to be tied to Prophet Five.

I've always been SUCH a huge fan of this show. Sadly, along season 3 or so I started missing episodes and have been somewhat confused ever since.

My one concern about (which is my biggest concern about Lost) is the fact that there seems to be a need to "re-invent" it every season to keep the series and ratings up, sort of "reboots gone wild." I would have preferred a much more structured beginning, middle and end to the series with there being a set time limit (seasons) if need be. Instead it sort of feels like they're playing it by ear, adding layer upon layer as the ideas pop into their heads, thus the unevenness of the overall storyline when you put all the seasons together on one timeline.

Regardless, I love this show and am very sad to see Vaughn gone, I always thought they had such great chemsitry, but the writing was on the wall when the two actors broke up.

just saw it on DVR.

Like the new setup. I'm hooked for this season.

Like the anti marshall. She'll become important. Can't wait to see the new field agents. One of them is Amy Acker -Fred from Angel. Can't wait to see her.

I can't believe Vaughn is dead. Look at the resurrection of Irina. He's gotta be back.

Which part did Balthazar Getty play in this episode? I saw his name in the credits, but didn't catch him.

Last night's episode wasn't as good as the first one. It was one of those episodes where the show almost turns into a cartoon. Still, there's now a cryogenically frozen body (whose, we haven't been told yet) about to be re-animated with nuclear energy -- that should create some interesting weirdness. And, just as I predicted, Prophet Five is proving to have some very powerful connections.

Best things about last nights episode:

- Rachel (the Anti-Marshall) is way cool! And the mentor/disciple setup between Sydney and her really works.

- They've already picked up the Nadia plot thread. Yay! Anyone want to bet that by the end of the season, Sloane will have found the cure for Nadia and finally redeemed himself, but at the cost of his own life?

Worst things about last night's episode:

- What's-his-name (Vaughn's replacement) is a jerk with no charm.

- Dean (the evil head of Prophet Five) has a ridiculous speech about how much he enjoys serial killer novels. The producers should have demanded a rewrite of that scene.

I'm thinking that at this point, if you're some random Sydney love interest, DON'T offer a ring. It's just not worth losing your life over.

We'll see what happens with this season, but I'm less-than-enthralled with Diet Vaughn and Diet Syd.

I don't think Arvin Sloane is redeemable. I actually wouldn't put it past him, even now, to be exactly where he wants to be in the grand scheme of things.

The thing I'm most irritated with is that since Sydney lost all her eggs during season 3, that sure is some super-sperm of Vaughn's, impregnating her in that condition! (Of course, it IS Vaughn we're talking about.)

Other gripes: no Sark. I miss him. No Will. He's so cute!

However, bring Anna and Irina back for guest appearances this season (and Sark, please!) and I just might be a happy camper. 'Specially if Anna and Sark kidnap the baby for some nefarious Rambaldi purpose. Now that just might rock!

I am very concerned that this show has jumped the shark with the death of Vaughn, though. Even the whole Lauren saga didn't worry me as much as this one.

Nice to see Amy Acker, very nice to see Rachel Nichols (who says there's no life after international modeling and "Dumb and Dumberer"?). Almost makes me not notice the show sliding downhill. The show's just not the same -- I can't believe they got rid of tha main man ... Weiss! Ah well...

Honestly, It's hard to get into this season when the show seems to be steered more by real life than JJ Abrams. Jennifer Garner broke up with Vartan and is pregnant so Vaughn gets killed and Sydney gets pregnant. And it really does look ridiculous for Syd to go on missions in her condition -- is she out of her mind? Just makes her look incredibly reckless (and I thought women at her advanced pregnancy shouldn't fly?).

The show almost had me back when it looked like they were just going to start again with Rachel in the double-agent role with Syd as her handler or something but a pregnant agent taking a techie into the field is going to be hard to swallow. I'll keep watching, but they're soooo close to jumping the shark. As it is, I tape "Smallville" and watch "Alias" only if I'm home.

ABC has pulled the plug.

Ain\'t It Cool has the press release.

Just as well. All the inevitable baby drama would've just dragged the show down even further.

Did anyone catch the latest episode? I just kept thinking they were riffing on "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind".

Nice to see Syd's mom is back -- she's always been a good element to the show. Too bad Sloane has been such a non-factor this season. Hopefully the plot with her daughter will pick up if only to see Sloane do something.

Irina's back? Like, Lena Olin was actually around?

Yup -- she revealed herself at the end of the ep as the one who kidnapped Syd and had her brainwashed in an attempt to get her to recollect a name that was on that big map of SD-6 Vaughn showed her in season one. She also appears to want Syd'd child for some reason.

Darn. I guess the producers know what they have to do to get me hooked again...

HA!

I always knew staying faithful to this show would pay off. I can't wait for the final episodes.

And the cancellation is actually a blessing in disguise, because I remember J.J. Abrams once saying that his original outline covered five whole seasons worth of stories. Once the show is over, it would be fascinating if Abrams posted this original outline, from before the show had to be changed to adapt to different circumstances over the years.

I'd be most interested to know if he originally intended the whole Rimbaldi thing to end the way it did and if he originally intended for Syd to have a sister -- that one seemed like a last minute patch.

i'm sorry to hear this show is ending at the end of season 5 !! but i guess they can't go on forever, without running out of some of the 'steam' !!

as i've only just started watching season four [ got it for Christmas ] i guess i can't comment on what's happened up until now, but i have the last 3 seasons, and i'm sure the produces will really 'bring it' for the season finale !!

how far are you through the season ?? and apart from that i can't really ask much more, without it spoiling it for myself ......

Matthew.

Glad to hear you've been enjoying the show. I'll be interested to know your opinion on the very controversial Season Four; as I said earlier in this thread, I think that apart from some weak stand-alone episodes, it's an excellent season.

So far, we're nine episodes into the final season, with the next one scheduled for Thursday March 2nd. I guess this long delay is to allow all the remaining episodes to be completed so that they can air without missing a single week.

While we wait for the new episodes, I thought it might be fun if we looked back on our favorite moments. So here's my question: What are your five favorite Alias episodes and why?

My Top Five:

1. "A Missing Link" (Season Three) Written by Monica Breen and Alison Schapker; Directed by Lawrence Trilling.

Sydney goes deep undercover as a mercenary and discovers that during her "lost years" she actually was a mercenary. At the end of the episode, she's faced with the choice of either stabbing Vaughan or blowing her cover, so she stabs Vaughan.

Wow. So many gray areas here, especially with Syd's jealousy of Vaughan and Lauren's marriage. Great line, right after she stabs Vaughan, "You should never have betrayed me." This episode, Breen and Schapker's first Alias script, is why they are my favorite Alias writers, and Trilling was my favorite Alias director (Trilling, who was also a producer, is much missed this season.)

2. "The Passage, Parts One & Two" (Season Two) Written by Debra J. Fisher & Erica Messer (Part One) and Crystal Nix Hines (Part Two); Directed by Ken Olin (Parts One & Two)

The family that spies together...etc. Syd, Jack, and Irina go on a mission together.

As far as I'm concerned, the more Irina the merrier. Great scene where the she and Jack pose as a married couple, with Syd as their bratty college-age daughter.

3. "Detente" (Season Four) Written by Alison Schapker and Monica Breen; Directed by Craig Zisk.

Syd and Nadia are teamed up on the same mission.

I may be in the minority, but I like Nadia and I think this episode was the best showcase of the chemistry that Jennifer Garner and Mia Maestro had.

4. "Nocturne" (Season Four) Written by Jeff Pinkner; Directed by Lawrence Trilling.

Syd's blood is infected with a drug that causes hallucinations and madness.

This, IMO, is the apogee of the producers' Season Four agenda: a highly effective stand-alone. Trilling once again shows that he was the most stylish director the show ever had. This is a must-see on DVD, because it restores a brief but very important scene which ABC censored.

5. "Time Will Tell" (Season One) Written by Jeff Pinkner; Directed by Perry Lang.

Syd discovers coded messages in her mother's collection of vintage books.

Even though Syd spends the next few episodes after this mistakenly believing Jack to be a traitor, this is really the first sign that Laura/Irina was not who she seemed to be. And that makes it a key episode for me.

cool post Stealth !!

i need to look over my DVDs and choose my favourites, although mine will only be up to season 3, and a few episodes from season 4, so far !!

actually, my next episode to watch is .... 'Nocturne' !! so i'm looking forward to seeing that one !!

the first one that comes to mind is from season 3, 'Full Disclosure' where Director Kendell reveals all to Sydney, about her missing 2 years, i loved that one !!

i'll get back to you with my next 4 episodes .....

Matthew.

I don't know the names of any of these, but off the top of my head:

-- The episode that pits uber couples Syd and Vaughn against Sark and Lauren. Lots of twists and double-agent turns and an interesting comparison / contrast between the (three if you count Vaughn/Lauren) couples.
-- The one where they take down SD-6. I really didn't see it coming. This was a major change in status quo and Vaughn and Syd finally get together!
-- The one where Irina breaks out and double-crosses Jack -- again!!

I can't really remember any other specific episodes, but there were a lot of them -- this show was consistantly great for longer than most before this season.

Specific moments/episodes I loved:

1. the sight of Francie's murdered body, only to have the camera pan to Francie's evil double!!!

2. the awesome kickbutt fight scene with evil Francie and Sydney to the "death" which acted as a springboard for Syd's missing year storyline

3. Vaughn and Sydney posing as a married couple in the suburban spy neighbourhood and having to face off with another couple at the car dealership - a great hybrid idea on the Truman Show/The Most Dangerous Game concept

4. Syd and Vaughn's car crash and Vaughn's revelation: "My name isn't Michael Vaughn."

5. the triumphant return of Vaughn ---alas, one can only dream

Thank you all. This is simply wonderful.

Matt, "Full Disclosure" is a favorite of mine as well; even though Terry O'Quinn is excellent on Lost, I still think he's always at his best when he's called on to bring much-needed substance to generic authority figure characters such as Kendall.

And please share your thoughts on "Nocturne" in this thread once you've seen it. I would be very interested to read them.

Drake, I totally agree on the Syd/Vaughn versus Sark/Lauren one; as I've said before, I think the whole bizarre love triangle-turned-bizarre love quadrangle was one of the best things about Season Three.

Owl Lad, good call on the Truman Show/Most Dangerous Game episode; another great example of a Season Four stand-alone that really did work.

If anyone else wants to contribute their favorite episodes/scenes, you're still welcome to.

And here's the next question: what was your favorite one of Sydney's aliases?

It's difficult to choose just one, but I choose Beatrice Cunelli, the very wealthy and very demanding Italian lady on holiday in Morocco.

No one else has a favorite Sydney alias? Oh well.

Here's another question: who do you think will still be standing when the end credits roll for the final time?

My guesses are:

Alive: Sydney, Rachel, Nadia, Dixon, Marshall, Boring New Guy Whose Name I Can't Be Bothered To Remember

Dead: Jack, Sloane, Irina

Interesting -- so the parents have ultimately pay for their sins? Any predictions about Syd's baby?

I want to say that Nadia will die, but she's the source of Slaone's redemption and I think JJ wants to redeem him. I almost feel that one of those two has to die. Irina will probably vanish again, her fate undetermined.

Marshall's wife will reveal herself to be a witch and use a time traveling spell to allow Sydney a chance to save Vaughn...

Regardless of who lives or dies I really wonder whether JJ Abrams will opt for a "happily ever after" kind of ending or leave us with a "WTF?!?" ending. Hard to say (this is the guy behind "Lost" after all). I'm leaning towards him wanting to wrap things up sentimentally (this is the guy behind "Felicity" after all) especially since the overall arc of the series has been about Sydney trying to reconcile her work and her family life. It would be incomplete if she didn't manage to do that by the end (which is why killing Vaughn was such a wrong move).

Or the last scene will be Felicity Porter-Covington waking up from a five year coma and saying to Ben, "I just had the weirdest dream"...

That's where I think it seems to be headed -- if it happens, I won't be 100% happy (I'll come back to that in a moment) but at least I'll know my prediction was right.

I predict the last shot will be of Sydney with her baby, and it will be either hinted or stated that she is determined to be the Anti-Irina.

Adding to the possibility that Sloane rather than Nadia will die: I read a very minor item last month (can't remember where, sorry) reporting that Ron Rifkin had filmed his final scenes for Alias, and was headed to New York to star in a play.



There is a dark side to me that wishes that would happen, because Irina is the ultimate wish-fulfillment character for that side of me -- she gets away with everything, and always looks beautiful doing it. But I still predict that all three of the shows parental figures will meet their end. I should add that I think the only way Jack and Irina -- the most indestructible characters in the Alias Universe -- could ever die is if they kill each other.





I predict the "happily ever after" ending because, as I've said in the Lost thread, it's my opinion that Lost is a JJ Abrams show in name only. I agree that the death of Vaughan has diminished the possibility of a fully satisfying ending, and it's sad when real life intrudes on a good TV show's story the way it has with Alias. I have a feeling we're going to see Vaughan near the end, as a guardian angel to Sydney and their baby.




Better yet, Felicity will be sitting at the bedside, and the one waking up from the coma will be Hannah Bibb, the character Jennifer Garner played on that show!

some cool thoughts on how you think the series will end !!

i'm not sure what sort of ending i'd like to see ??

a happy resolve or a 'cliffhanger' leaving more questions .........

Matthew.

Still five weeks to go. *sigh*

This thread's last question for the moment is a poll question:

Which Alias character was funnier: Marshall Flinkman or Eric Weiss?

I vote for Marshall, so that starts us off at:

MARSHALL -- 1

WEISS -- 0

my vote goes to Marshall !! much funnier IMO !!

loved the episode from season 4, where he has to be the agent to save Sydney !! i thought it was interesting that in this same episode, it featured Marshall's car as being a silver MINI !!

wonder why they picked this car, over anything else !!?? i suppose in the US where most cars a pretty big on the whole, a MINI is probably the smallest car you guys have on the roads !!

Matthew.

i've now come to the end of season 4 !!

great final episodes, although on the whole, i thought this season lacked 'direction' in some way !? [ does that make sense ! ] i just thought the 2nd and 3rd season had a more defined storyline running through them ! this one sort of seemed to have more 'one off' episodes !!

don't get me wrong, i still loved it !! and there were some great moments, i thought the SLONE 'clone' was great and Joel Grey was some great casting !!

the episode directed by Jennifer was great and it was cool seeing some of Slone's 'backstory' and the return of Amy Irving !!

the episode where Syd has to pretend to be Irena [ to Jack ] was amazing !!

and of course the return of Irena in the final 2 episodes was brilliant, she's such a great character !! and Lena Olin is cool !! hope she returns in season 5 !!

and of course the cliffhanger with the car crash was unexpected !! [ although i knew Vaughn dies, i had thought it had happened during the end battle, and not after the fact !!

and the reveal that Michael Vaughn is not his real name is interesting !!??

i had read in some gossip magazines [ here in the UK ] that Jennifer Gardner had got Michael Vartan taken off the show, because of their break-up from dating each other !!??

i hope this isn't true !!?? as that would be really sad on her part !!

on my DVD there are loads of outtakes, that feature many scenes of Michael and Jennifer together laughing when they mess up a scene, they seemed to get on really well still !! although i suppose they would show clips of them not getting on !!

guess i'm gonna have to wait a while till we get season 5, i now hope the ending has some big RAMALDI storyline that ties all the elements together from the 5 seasons !!

Matthew.

MARSHALL 2, WEISS 0

Oh god, driving in the States is such an exercise in absurdity, with all those big stupid things that barely fit inside the lanes.

The purpose of all the one-offs was to make the show more accessible to viewers who, in the past, had been intrigued by the show, but found it too confusing to jump right in. I was one of those viewers, and Season Four was the first time I really started following the show. This approach paid off, because Season Four's ratings were actually some of the best in the show's history, despite the uneven week-in-week-out quality. This current season's ratings went down because of the timeslot change, and the bad buzz from the Michael/Jennifer rumors and from the not-very-well-kept-secret that Michael was leaving. Plus ABC probably decided that since there were now enough episodes now for a rerun package, keeping Alias on the air was longer a priority (it's one of their most expensive shows, and in its first three seasons, it had a reputation for constantly going over schedule and over budget.

Irina is one of my favorites, and it looks like she's going to dominate the second half of Season Five.

I hope so, too, because despite many viewers' wariness of Rambaldi, I think it's really the backbone of the show.

The next episode has been delayed until April 19.

season 5 starts here in the UK at the end of this month !! and for the first time [ whilst watching 'ALIAS' ] i'm up to date with it, so when the new season airs, i can now watch it each week, as it's on !!

i can't wait ......

Matthew.

Excellent. And, as always, feel free to share your thoughts in this thread.

Okay, here's the schedule for the remaining episodes:

Wednesday, April 19, 8:00 (2 hours)

Wednesday, April 26, 8:00

Wednesday, May 3, 8:00

Wednesday, May 10, 8:00

Wednesday, May 17, 8:00

Monday, May 22, 9:00 (2 hours) (Series finale)

I'm not usually here at LW at night, but I'm going to be making exceptions on the above nights, to get my thoughts down as soon the episodes are over.

Firstly, I'll vote for Marshall - I mean, the guy's last name is "Flinkman", he was created for comedy! I think the second funniest character isn't even Weiss, it's Jack - either as straight man or when he shows his really dark sense of humor (usually when he's about to kill someone), it usually comes out of nowhere.

I'm psyched about these last episodes - I actually stopped watching the show when they brought in new characters and got rid Vaughn and sidelined Garner for her pregnancy. It was like the last season of "X-Files" in terms of a show losing what made it fun. But now it seems like they're going to throw everything and every old character back at us for the show's final round -- this should be fun!

Marshall 3, Weiss 0.

I agree that Jack has had some of the show's funniest moments. I didn't include him only because he's not a "comedy relief" character.

I stand by what I said earlier in the thread -- I think the first couple episodes of the new season were promising. But after that, it all started going very wrong. I still kept watching, though, hoping they'd find a way to turn it around. And they did, even if the cancellation was the catalyst. Yes, this show is definitely ending at just the right time.

On the other hand, it's hard to let go, especially since I didn't get into it until the fourth season.

When it's over, I think I'm gonna hit the reset button by using this thread to review all the episodes.

Hmmm...

The first hour was great, the second hour a little iffy but still good.

<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">It's a girl!

But how is it that, in 2006, we still can't see a realistic childbirth scene on TV?

Wait, there's more -- Vaughn's alive, in some Far East monestary.

At the start of the second hour, it looked like Irina was fooling Jack and Syd way too easily. But as Irina herself says, "It's never simple." Seems she's not the head of the evil organization, but rather she's using them for her own ends.

Boring New Guy's a double agent. Can't wait til he dies.

When even Marshall is stumped by a computer problem, Rachel has the answer.

Weiss appeared in the first hour, to help get our friends out of a jam. "Next time, just call."

The evil organization has their claws in the CIA itself.

Irina has a shocking but memorable speech about how she only had Syd under KGB orders, but when she held Syd for the first time, she realized she had to choose between being an agent or failing as a mother. "I chose to fail as a mother." A good reminder of why I never want to have children.</span></span>

Can't wait for the next episode.

<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">Ana Espinosa's back!</span></span>

The UBB instant-spoiler thing is amazing. This post was the first time I ever used it.

That monestary scene was weird -- they almost certainly took old footage of some kind to splice the character in there (notice the preview for next week uses that same footage of the character as well).

It's always great to have Lena Olin on the show - she's so much better than those new agents. She just reeks of mystery and danger when she plays Irina. Amy Acker was good too (I suppose that finger twitch means we'll be seeing her again).

And yeah, that childbirth scene wasn't the best... she was in labor for what, six minutes?

Agreed.

Agree on Boring New Guy, but disagree on Rachel. I like her.


And she wasn't screaming and making threats. That scene was obviously filmed before Jennifer Garner had actual child-bearing experience to draw from.

After being tortured, thrown and punched and endured all that other uber spy stuff do you really think that giving birth would really harm Syd?

Trust me, it would.

Meanwhile, Nadia's recovery has depended on Sloane keeping a foot in both camps; he gets the cure for Nadia, but at the cost of helping the evil organization further their plans. From the previews for next week's episode, I predict that Sloane's going to die next week.</span></span>

The only things I liked about tonights episode both revolved around Rachel:

1. She slapped Boring New Guy. It was part of their cover, but still...priceless.

2. She had the best line: "Uh, guys, who's Rambaldi?"

Oh, and Sydney has named her daughter Isabella.

It was certainly nice to see Will again, but I don't know about his sudden ass-kicker status (Kragh Magah? Really?). At least he gets to bail Syd out of trouble for a change. I didn't mind the Syd duplicate thing so much since the process has been established already (I just hope we can avoid another "which one should I shoot?" scenario).

I missed something - when did we find out Syd and her dad faked Vaughn's death?

But that's exactly what bothers me -- it's been done before. This is like the writers splicing together the Lauren-disguised-as-Syd/Syd-disguised-as-Lauren bits from the end of Season Three (which worked because they were over with quickly) and the Francie-impostor plot thread from Season Two (which was one of my least favorite things about that season.)

It all stinks of creative bankruptcy, and it couldn't be at a worse time.

I didn't see it, either. I think the producers and writers have lost track of the plot threads, and forgot to show it in an earlier episode. Very sloppy.

Ah well, just a few episodes to go. And it's somewhat comforting to recall that "Alias"'s ancestor, "Mission: Impossible", fell apart in its fifth season, too.

And who knows, maybe it'll get better before it's over. The previews for the next episode looked promising.

I was talking to a friend and she said that in the birthing ep, Syd ask Jack to do something for her. He agrees and then the very next scene is the horse guy and monk flash to Vaughn. So it could be extablished that they already knew last show wihtout really implying it.

I liked the show. It was a definte setup show for the finale and a chance for Bradley Cooper to have some fun coming back. The train scene I have to say was pretty funny. That moustache was riducously chessey.

Drake, I agree with you. No WAY Will Tippen gets the drop on Anna Espinosa like that. I mean, she's the evil Sydney, for crying out loud.

As far as the Anna-becoming Syd's genetic double, yes, it's been done three times before, yes, it's in danger of becoming as ridiculously cliched as the "72 hours earlier" Alias plot, but there's one small thing you may be forgetting...

There can only be one reason they performed that process on Anna. They want her to fulfill the prophesy from page 47.

And that's kinda cool.

You didn't like Evil Francie? Wow, that's one of my favorite plots from the ehtire 5-year run.

I love Evil Francie!

The whole "we faked Vaughn's death" thing caught me offguard, so thank you, rtvu2, for pointing out the way that worked...

I feel a lot of momentum, the synthesis of a lot of plots (dangling or not) from the entire run, as well as bringing back as many fan faves as possible... I think Alias can go out with a true bang! I really hope they pull it off...

My wife and I just sat through the 2 hour episode and last Wednesday's latest ep last night in one sitting. (Having a second child really cramps the TV timetable, but we're lovin' the extra pair of pattering feet.)

Random thoughts:

At the end of the 2 hour show, upon Vaughn's return (which I never doubted), I said, "and everything is right in the universe again." But the sci-fi transformation of Ana Espinosa into evil Sydney is where this show really jumps the shark for me. I mean, how do you change the height of a person? Not to mention, we lose a great actress. Then again, the previous poster's comment about how The Chosen One will bring destruction makes sense if it's enacted by Ana-cum-Sydney.

Seeing Will was great even if he was kidnapped and tortured again. If his witness protection gig has been compromised and he's asking Syd to be his best man, is there any point of him being in a witness protection program anymore? Having Sydney find the deactivator for the detonator after Ana threw it in the water was also hokey for me.

Best line: "Mommy's got to go to work."

Introducing Rachel and Thomas Grace has done zero for me. Why didn't they continue the show with Nadia as Syd's interim replacement? Why bother with the Rachel character?

On Irina: LOVE, LOVE, LOVE !!! She can do no wrong.

Lastly, I see Jennifer Gardner's cred at the end of some shows as exec producer. What does this entitle her to do exactly?

It's great to see such animated discussion.

KP, the idea of using the Syd-impostor to fulfill the Rambaldi prophecy had occured to me, but I didn't post anything about it, because I want to see where the writers go with this before I comment on it.

Something else else else that bothers me about Ana-turned-Syd-impostor is that now we'll never see a Syd-vs.-Ana-to-the-death scene. Even if they do a Syd-vs.-"Syd" fight scene, IMO it's going to be difficult to pull off without looking ridiculous, even with body doubles and CGI.

I don't like Evil Francie because I didn't like the way Season Two ended with something as mundane as a catfight in Syd's kithcen.

Owl Lad, the reason Nadia's not the interim agent is because Mia Maestro did not want to commit to a full season. And in answer to your other question: I'm not sure EXACTLY what Jennifer Garner's executive producer credit entitles her to, but here's my guess: it allows her to indulge her ego by having Sydney go out in the field when she should be behind a desk; and the Syd-impostor thing also feels like a personal indulgence for Her Majesty, giving her even more screen time than she already had.

I'll come back at 9, with my thoughts on the latest episode.

For the first fifty minutes, it seemed to me like the show was halfway back on course. And then...god, it's just painful. Here's the spoiler box:

<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">They bring back Nadia, and kill her in the same episode. I'm sure that won't matter to people who didn't like her, but I did like her.

And what makes it even worse is that her death was a cheap contrivance to turn Sloane evil again. We're just getting one redundant thing after another.

And I don't buy the French lady -- supposedly a skilled mercenary -- getting caught off-guard by Evil Syd long enough to allow Evil Syd to slash her throat and kill her.

I'm glad there's only three episodes to go. This is getting unbearable.</span></span>

Senseless, senseless...

Is there any redemption for this show?

Majorly disappointed, but doomed to see it to the end.

That's the same question I've been asking myself this past week.

Maybe...just maybe...if the Good Syd vs. Evil Syd confrontation ends with Irina having to shoot one of them. She is, by her own admission, a bad mother, but she'll still recognize the real Syd.

And then...Syd and Irina, the avenging angels, slaughtering all the evildoers.

Yeah, that would be okay with me.

I've also been thinking about how That Horrible Scene from last week could have played out differently, but I'll put that in a spoiler box:

<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">The struggle between Nadia and Sloane ends with Sloane falling into the fireplace; he beings to burn to death, and soon the house is on fire, too; Nadia grabs the remains of Page 47; with no time to lose, she must choose whether or not to save her father; she chooses to leave him to die in the inferno; now Nadia will have to live with her decision, and all the guilt it implies.

Now that, IMO, would have been shocking in all the right ways. Powerful rather than senseless.</span></span>

My sentiments exactly. Back at 9 with the usual thoughts and spoilers.

ZZZZZ...Huh? Oh, um, yeah, Alias.

God, was that boring. Still, here's the spoiler box with the latest:

<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">30-year old computer chips inside Renee and Vaughn. :rolleyes: Individually, worthless; together, they revealed the location of Vaughn's father's underground bunker with all data he accumulated about the evil organization.

Evil Syd intercepted Good Syd and spent most of the episode trying to convince Vaughn she was Good Syd. Once they find the bunker, Evil Syd and Vaughn get into a fight which has all sorts of unintentional, and very queasy, subtext when filtered through the gossip about how much Jen 'n Mike hate each other in real life. In the end, Good Syd sneaks up behind Evil Syd, and shoots Evil Syd in the head. Good Syd is now posing as Evil Syd in order to infiltrate the evil organization.

I found it rather telling that Her Majesty seemed equally bored whether she was playing Good Syd or Evil Syd. She could have at least tried to imitate Ana's accent or something.</span></span>

Two more episodes to go...:yawn:...until then...ZZZZZZZZ

Yeah, the accent thing got to me too. I was really hoping for a big push toward a huge, satisfying series finale, but this week's episode was really flat and doesn't seem to be leading anywhere I particularly want to go... oh well. I'll keep watching... at this point, I can only be nicely surprised if they pull a rabbit out of the hat and make it all work.

The fight betweeen Anna and Vaughn also struck me for all the wrong reasons - as when Vaughn was killed or Syd getting pregnant - real life stuff brought me out of the drama of the actual story.

Still, it must be pretty messed up to get to beat up on your ex on tv like that

Something else else which occured to me recently is that maybe the show's plunge in quality has a lot to do with ABC extending the hiatus. It was originally supposed to come back in early March, and was then put off until mid-April. This has given the writers and producers a lot fewer episodes within which to resolve the series. I wouldn't be surprised if the 2 hour special, the last good episode before the downfall, was the only episode which had been completed before ABC threw a wrench in the original plans. Certainly a lot potentially interesting stuff -- the evil organization's ties to the U.S. government, for example -- has been swept under the carpet, possibly due to the time compression. It could be that some of the writers and producers are just as unhappy with the way the show is going as the viewers are.

Back at 9, etc.

Underwhelming...predictable...humdrum...

There's no need for spoilers this time.

Basically, Syd retrieves an amulet for the evil organization. She escapes with her life (but not before being reduced to a damsel in distress; GRRRRR ), and we have a sticky-sentimental closing scene with Syd, Vaughn, and baby Isabella, which doesn't work because the actress and the actor can't hide how uncomfortable they are being in the same room with each other. Then Sloane interrupts by calling Syd and gloating that now nothing can stop him (yet another familiar Alias trope dusted off and propped up to tedious effect.)

And the plot thread involving Boring New Guy has been needlessly complicated to show that he's actually not a villain, and that he Rachel are meant for each other.

2 hour ending this Monday at 9. A mercy killing of a TV show if there ever was one.

When it's over, I'm starting reviews of the first four seasons, just to remind myself that this was once an exceptional show.

Hm. Well, it's over.

Some very good parts, some ho-hum parts. Aside from the body count it seems like we've seen this all play out before. Maybe the series only had about three seasons worth of stories in it.

Ultimately, as with most finales, there's the sense of needing to wrap things up, of giving us certain things that we knew we'd see. It was still entertaining and I think the show left on a strong, if not sensational, note. I thought the flashback sequences were a nice touch, filling in certain details in a key part of Syd's life. I also really liked Marshall's heroic moment.

So it ends. Here's the final spoiler box:

<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">Syd's mother and father both die.

Irina's death is lame (after a catfight with Syd, she falls through a skylight trying to reach the Rambaldi artifact). In fact, the whole way she's used in the episode is a disservice to one of the greatest villainesses in the history of entertainment. She doesn't even appear until the final half hour. The nuclear strike thing was arbitrary and...well...lame.

Jack sacrifices himself so that the shot-to-pieces-by-Syd-yet-mystically-resurrected Sloane (don't ask :rolleyes: ) can spend eternity buried under tons of rock inside Rambaldi's tomb. (I can't believe I just typed that. :rolleyes: )

That final stinger with Isabella, now a grade-schooler, putting together the same puzzle that Syd put together as a little girl was both stupid and creepy, downright unforgivable.

At least Boring New Guy died (another self-sacrifice), and Rachel survived. Other survivors: Vaughn, Dixon, Marshall...and Sark, just in case there's ever an Alias reunion TV movie and they need a familiar villain. Dammit, it should have been Irina!</span></span>

Now then, it is going to give me great pleasure to hit the reset button and start posting reviews of the first four seasons. I'm hoping to post the first few tomorrow night; from there on, I can't say how soon the rest of the reviews will come. Hopefully, in a couple months.

(This past weekend, I "cheated" and watched the first few Season Two episodes. The difference in quality is simply astonishing.)

And I was also thinking, I could put together a good fanfic out of the alternate scenarios that I've posted in this thread. Hopefully before the end of this year.

Alias is dead, long live Alias (but only the first four seasons.)

Agreed.

Disagree! Season Four kicks ass, and I'll defend it to my last breath!

Too little too late.

It all went downhill for me after season 2, which is too bad because when this show was hot, it was SIZZLING! I couldn't get enough of it. Too much effort went into it's "re-inventing itself" season after season to grab new viewers. I just lost interest. I fear we're slowly going down these same avenues in Lost and Battlestar Galactica.

okay !!

as it's almost 2am here in the UK, i don't have time to make a FULL post, but i've just finished watching the FINAL episode of 'ALIAS' season 5 !!

i got the boxset for Christmas, and i started watching it last Sunday !!

first response ..... i LIKED it !! [ from now being able to read these last few posts, you guy's didn't seem to like it too much ] i think it helped that i watched them so closely together ??

anyhow, gotta go to bed [ i'll post more tomorrow ..... ]

Matthew.