Reruns on Cable
Cancelled
Not Watching Anymore
Alias
The end, for me
Prophet Five, 09/29/05
Hmmm maybe someone does have a spine
Garner to Quit
Thursday
State of the Show
Golden Globes
The Big 5 - #2
Season In Review
The Two, 9/28/03
Matt's Awards
Second Double & The Telling, 05/04/03
Countdown, 04/27/03
Endgame, 03/30/03
Truth Takes Time, 03/16/03
A Dark Turn, 03/02/03
Firebomb, 02/23/02
A Free Agent, 02/09/03
Double Agent, 02/02/03
Phase One, 01/26/03
News
The Getaway, 01/12/03
A Higher Echelon, 01/05/03
The Abduction, 12/15/02
Passage (2), 12/08/02
Passage, Parts 1 & 2, 12/1/02 & 12/8/02
Passage Pt 1, 12/1/02
Counter Agent, 11/17/02
Salvation, 11/10/02
The Indicator, 11/03/02
The Indicator, 11/3/02
Dead Drop, 10/20/02
Cipher, 10/13/02
Trust Me, 10/06/02
The Enemy Walks In, 09/29/02
The Enemy Walks In, 09/29/02
(Air Date 5/19/02)
Almost Thirty Years (Air Date 5/12/02)
Rendevouz (Air Date 5/5/02)
Review
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Alias: The end, for me
Sunday 10.09.2005
alice ttlg || 06:34 PM
It's several things. The actor's real life has intruded into the show, I'm just not really interested in a pregnant Sydney and I liked Vaughn, I liked the relationship and I'd rather leave the mystery of who he really is and why the deception unanswered. Last season wasn't great and it seems a good time to do what I did with West Wing, just pretend it's been cancelled and stop watching. I recorded the last two weeks of eps but just couldn't bring myself to watch them, it's a better ending to just leave it as it was last May and move on to other things.
Besides, if I ever really want to know what happened, I can rent the DVDs when they come out and watch it without interruption and no breaks of weeks between new eps.
Alias: Prophet Five, 09/29/05
Tuesday 10.04.2005
MattM || 09:51 AM
After an absoluetly dismal fourth season I wasn't encouraged about heading into a firth and possibly final season for Alias. There was talk of Rachel Nicols taking over the show. There was was pregent Bennifer II (if those two break up will he be dating Jennifer Aniston or Jennifer Love Hewitt next?). The only cheery rumors seemed to be of Vartan's departure. That indeed is what they appeared to have done (although we have learned not to premutarily bury anyone in a show like this) and have set up what I think will be a terrific revial. I love the plot of Prophet Five. I love Sloane finally in jail. I love the fact that the annoying bad actress Rachel Nicols seems to be a computer geek. I think the long overdue death Vaughn-Micheaux was handled extremly well despite the horrible covering of Garner's belly in the early part of the episode they introduced her pregency very smoothly and now is part of the story. I liked they skipped ahead four months so she can be pregent. I think this was an outstanding start to the season and I can't wait for the rest of the season to unfold. I will make my prediction here that Vaughn-Micheauex is truely dead and won't be coming back. Still I do wonder if that baby will have three last names now? Bristow? Vaughn? Michauex? Ahhh questions...questions I love Abrams if I die and go to heaven I think very show on TV will be made by either Abrams or Whedon.
Alias: Hmmm maybe someone does have a spine
Friday 08.26.2005
MattM || 07:28 AM
Well yet another interesting development over at the Alias lot. Now rumors are flying that Vaughn will be killed off early on (or is dead or dying) at the start of the season. Rumors have it that he has shot his final scenes. That could set up a very good season maybe not as good as turning him into a villian but still a hunt for Vaughn's true idenity and purpose should be a hell of alot more interesting of a season then Nadia's whining and more Rembaldi stuff....although I doubt we've heard the last of Rembaldi. Still as much as I like Vartan it is long overdue time for him to leave. I just hope the same can be said for Nadia and Sloane as well. Well maybe this season will be an interesting one after all. Think I will bump the show to yellow just on this hopeful rumor as well.
Alias: Garner to Quit
Sunday 08.14.2005
MattM || 10:29 AM
The rumors have started that Jennifer Garner is set to quit after this season of Alias to do all those successful movies she has done. I can see Ben Afleck is hard at work at ruining her career. Granted I saw this coming for quite some time but that is not what really surprises me. The show has passed it's prime and this season has to be the last unless they can do the major gutsy overhaul that is needed. The truely shocking part of this rumor is that Rachel Nicols (formely of the Inside)is going to take over for season 6. Excuse me while I have X-Files flashbacks. I am sorry to tell Abrams the show without him was bad enough but to throw in some actress who really can't act to replace Garner would be horrific at best. This season was cringe worthy enough now to have it set up for her to take over??? I hope and pray that this only some really stupid rumor.
2005-2006 Season, Alias, CSI, Everybody Hates Chris, Love, Inc., Reunion, Smallville, The Night Stalker, Without a Trace: Thursday
Thursday 08.11.2005
MattM || 07:18 AM
Thursday was once a strong hold for great shows. It was the must see night on TV. Now its the well lets see do we really want to subject ourselves to these shows night. The returning shows are Alias, Smallville, CSI, and Without a Trace. Alias has been swimming steadily with sharks after jumping the shark sometime around her dad not dying of radiation poison. The show, neglected by Abrams, is in desperate need of an overhaul but I know we won't get it. The biggest problem is the total lack of chemstry between Vaughn and Sydney. Since they broke up their chemstry has been more and more forced. Now he has to pretend she's having his baby. What would be great is Vaughn as the villian now that could save the show. They need desperatly to get rid of Sloan and Nadia too while they are it. Maybe have Vaughn kill her father now that would make for a great 6th season but I know this is a pipe dream and they don't have the guts to do it. Smallville is another show in serious decline. It makes me so mad at how they have screwed this show in the ground. I love Superman (although at heart I am a Batman fan) and they for the first time try to retell the Superman legend. They had a chance and they blew it. Much to often they ignore Lex but when they focus on him it usually winds up good. They turned Lana into this whiney person who most times I d like to strangle and they seem to have no idea what to do with Chloe. Although I haven't fully declared the series as jumped the shark but its definatly on the diving board and getting ready for the big jump and I fully expect it will this season. CSI will hopefully improve after that awful experiment of splitting the team up with out actually splitting the team up but what do they do about Katherine? Hello your promoted. HAHAHAHA just kidding! I don't know where they go from here but it might be intersting or in all likelyhood it will be stupid. This show has always been a tad overrated but now I don't know what they are going to do I just hope they get it righted because I do like this show. Without a Trace left us with the cliff hanger of who dies who lives. I vote Danny off the island because they just totally screwed up his character and the way they were handling it. I seriously doubt Martin is going. Vivian should definatly go away too. Still I just know how this is going to play out. They both somehow survive. Vivan comes back and the team reunites. Sam now at Martin's deathbed realizes she loves him and he has a miracle recovery. Tears fall, kleenex is needed, blah blah a wretched season follows.
Last year the effect of Lost reviving the near dead genre of sci-fi/horror shows has been stunning. This year could be the revival of sit-coms. Two strong shows on CBS as mentioned earlier and the another on UPN of all places. Chris Rock is one of the A-list comedians and a show narrated by him about his childhood I think has real promise to develop into a great sit-com. If CBS had any guts at all they would not have let this go to UPN. Although I think it is highly ironic it winds up here. After all it was Rock who called UPN the Under Paid Negros network. Of course the other new sitcom could set back sitcoms to extinction. Love Inc. aka the show that preemptively ran off Shannon Doughtery. So now they ran off a big name and they replace her with....Busy Phillips???? Ignoring that this is a huge rip off from Miss Match but to stick a no name in a lame plot sitcom? There is just no way on earth this could be good.
The new dramas start off with my other highly anticapted series in Night Stalker. I really like the concept and I have a feeling it is going to be good. Still I have my doubts about the actors in this series and their ability to handle it. Reunion is the other new series a show with the most orginal concept of telling the story of 20 different people at a reunion and how they got where they are in each episode. I just can't see how this works but maybe just maybe. Also what do they do about season 2? Another reunion? Surely they won't have the guts to do a revolving cast. Now that would be interesting.
Alias: State of the Show
Wednesday 05.04.2005
MattM || 08:30 AM
Sad to say I am starting to smell sharks. The Sloane plot line has hung around at least a season and a half too long now. The sister plotline has been weak and the chemistry between Vartan and Garner has sailed since she dumped him for J-Lo's leftovers. This season has been just boring to me. This was one of the best shows on TV and now I can't even say its a top ten show anymore. My hope is that FINALLY once and for all Rimbaldi, Sloane, the many sisters of her mother, and her sister will all go bye-bye. Maybe even throw Vartan under the bus too. God and I won't even get into the Jack being a glow in the dark man. We just know he is going to survive....maybe with an extra arm or a third eye...now that would be cool.
Alias, Desperate Housewives, Jack & Bobby, Law & Order: SVU, Nip Tuck, TV Awards: Golden Globes
Monday 01.17.2005
MattM || 02:34 AM
Congratulations to the Golden Globe for giving a much deserved award to both Desperate Housewives and Nip/Tuck. Even more impressively was the Golden Globe for Teri Hatcher. Talk about something I never saw coming in a zillion years. This actress' career was dead and over with. She was stuck doing Radio Shack commericals with Howie Long. I never figured her much for an actress but she has absolutely shone in this series and deserves her award. Yet as per usual there is the smoking crack award. Naming Mariska Hargitay of SVU as best acrtress in drama over Joely Richardson, Jennifer Garner, Christine Lahti, and Edie Falco (that is the deserving order) is an absolute joke. First off she isn't that good of an actress to begin with. Secondly she is on a mediocre show. And finally she is least deserving of any of those nominees. How she got nominated is beyond me. Still congrats to the Golden Globe for getting so many things right.
Alias: The Big 5 - #2
Monday 11.22.2004
MattM || 07:18 AM
Much like Shield it started to amazingly strong and stayed strong in season 2. Last season it seemed to slip but only by a hair. I hope that Abrams does get more involved with this show like he has said he would but I just don't know where he is going to get the time. Mission Impossible 3, Lost and Felicity 2 is a pretty full plate. I really do have to wonder where it goes from here. Still it left us with its usual assortment of questions. So I won't say much since most of it has already been hashed and rehashed....I just wish Season 4 would hurry and start.
[gf is a felicity fan adds] What's this about Felicity 2? I haven't seen anything on it... (December 27, 2004 09:05 PM)
Alias: Season In Review
Thursday 06.24.2004
MattM || 11:06 AM
This show continues to slide and it is begining to concern me. With Abrams now focused on other projects I have to wonder if it can ever be as good as it was in the first season. Still that is not a knock on this show. But its hard not to notice that in season it was a bright green and season 2 altough not quite as good was very very close. This season, however, was clearly inferior to the first too. The show when it is and was at its best was a Buffy-esque story of a girl trying to live a normal life in anything but normal circumstances. Struggling through school while jetting off halfway around the world. Missing important things because she was busy donning the red wigs. That was great stuff. The second season was great two as she came to grips with her family and the truth of her mother. This season the whole sister and Rembaldi and everything else just never clicked and I think they got to far away from the shows orginal greatness that it hurt it badly. Still it was the best show on TV hands down this year from start to finish. The complainants about it are nit picking really. Sarc is simply the best villian on TV. That being said I think its time for us to move away from him because ok they can NOT keep catching him and him getting away its getting to be a bit silly. The whole sister thing was a bit much but what really hurt it this year was the absence of Sydney's mother not really the shows fault but her aunt was weak very very very weak. I also hope that next year we don't get a Vaughn Sydney lovefest as I think that will be very unrealistic and hope they build to it and maybe culiminate in getting together at the end of the year. Still, the ending left us with much mystery and a huge cliff hanger that we have to wait for now for 6 whole months ugh. I just wish I could shake this feeling that ABC is going to cancel it after next year.
Alias: The Two, 9/28/03
Sunday 09.28.2003
alice ttlg || 09:56 PM
This show just keeps going! It's truly amazing how it keeps delivering week after week, year after year. I love this show, it's just solidly good all the time, the twists keep coming and just at the right times. I wondered where they'd go near the end of last season, they'd pretty well exhausted the Rimbauldi plot line but they did a great job of both ending it and using it to leapfrog to another. And this season is starting off great. I love that no matter what, Sydney stays true to her principles and doesn't waiver. She may screw up but then she goes out and makes it right and moves on.
Alias, Angel, Boomtown, Buffy, Smallville, TV Awards: Matt's Awards
Sunday 06.01.2003
MattM || 12:09 AM
So here we are at end of a wretched TV season. Which I so correctly predicted. This season I would say is the worst ever but next year shapes up to be even worse. Every new show save Boomtown that was worth a damn got cancelled. Even Boomtown I give slim odds of making it past mid season of its second year. Returning shows went down in flames such as Friends, 24, all the L&Os (all they had been sliding badly for years), Enterprise, and on and on. This season SUCKED. On the bright side it sure makes handing out the awards pretty easy when you only have one choice instead of the myrid number of choices I had last year. So here we go:
Best New Show: Lets see the nominees are Boomtown.....John Doe oops that got cancelled uh how about Haunted oops no thats gone too.......lets see now uh um Firefly? nope never mind....uh ok Fastlane right? hahahahahahaha what that got cancelled to? Truely I think the second best new show might be 8 Simple Rules thats how pathetic this competition is for the award. Boomtown clearly wins this in a Regan/Mondale fashion. Novel idea a show that makes you think has gripping character development and solid dialogue mixed into good to great cases. No wonder its going to fail. Nice to Graham Yost no longer be the bus guy and really come into his own. The actors on this show did an awesome job on this show. There are no honorable mentions for this category as there is no other good new show that survived but honorable mention would have gone to John Doe if only FOX hadn't cancelled that.
Best Season For a Returning Show: Now this is a slightly more interesting field. Although most of the year shows sucked three really stood out. Smallville, Alias, and Angel. The award has to go to Alias. Last years winner of the Best New Show makes it for Best Returning Show because from start to finish (despiste my gripes) it was an excellent outstanding show. I don't think there is a bad actor on this show despite the fact that half of them came from Felicity (wonder when Keri Russell will turn up as the invincible secert agent who gets beaten when Garner cuts her hair off). I really was nervous about the direction of the show but they handled everything perfectly and kepts us guessing and on the edge of our seats the whole way. The ending shocker was by far the biggest surprise and most unforeseen twist any show could have put on us. Honorable Mention goes to Smallville which was shaky at times but by the end of the season had pulled it all together and was simply outstanding. Ditto for Angel but I think Smallville was just a little bit better.
Favorite New Lead: Well I was ready to do a shocker here and give it to Dominic Purcell but so much for that idea. So now I have to go to a show that really has two deserving people on it but in the end due to the finish about the baby I give it to Donnie Wahlberg. Nice to see the Earthy member of NKOTB make it. His performance although at times outshone by his co-stars from start to finish delivered a gripping and interesting character. The whole thing about his marriage and the baby was played perfectly by him. It was realistic it was fascinating and it was right on the mark. Honorable mention of course goes to his co-star Neil McDonough who was just as fascinating all year long. It was a real contrast to see one blowing up his family and one almost losing it but finding a way back home.
Favorite Returning Lead: This was a pretty weak field but much like Boomtown there was only one real performance that stood out for me. Sarah Michelle Geller in her farwell performance on Buffy. Having to play a dual role of a good and evil character was remarkable enough but also to show a heroine finally grow, take and fully accept her role, and most of all despite setbacks come out guns blazing in a heroic ending/beginning. Although her work has always been outstanding and this award is as much a nod to the last 6 years as it is for this year I think based purely on this year she still would have won it. She is an outstanding young actor that could play any part she wanted and shine. If only she would stop doing Scooby Doo movies. Honorable Mention does go to Jennifer Garner who is clearly establishing herself as one of the best actors on TV.
Favorite New Show Supporting Role: Another for John Doe but I guess not since the show is gone. So lets see....um well there isn't anyone on new shows I can give this too because John Forsythe was the only one in contention here. So I am going to have to make a huge reach here. The winner is Emily Procter. Yes she was consistenly in the shadows never given a chance to really show what she could do on CSI:Miami but the finale showed just how good she is and what she can bring to that show. Honorable mentions go to no one.
Favorite Returning Show Supporting Role: This one was pretty easy for me. Victor Garber from start to finish of Alias this season is what makes that show really work. He does such a fantastic job of playing a very conflicted man who can't let anything pierce his shield. I really believe that despite Garner's talents the show would not work if it were not for him. She might be the heart and soul but he is the backbone and strength of Alias. Honorable Mentions go to Nathan Fillion for his creepy Caleb, Gina Torres for giving us Shiny Happy People, and although its a streach to call her supporting because she is somewhere between leading and support I think Marg Helgenberger was outstanding this year as well.
Biggest Surprise of The TV Season: Was just how amazingly right I was when I called this year as being a horrible year for TV. I did not want to be right. I would have much preferred to be wrong but instead I was dead on. This season we lose Buffy, Firefly, John Doe, The Agency, Birds of Prey, Girls Club, Haunted, Miracles, and Mister Sterling. On top of that Sorkin leaves West Wing. Friends, ER, Third Watch, and 24 suffer huge drop offs from last year. Other shows didn't bounce back and got worse L&O all three of them, Boston Public, and The Practice. Networks execs are stupid and thats a given but the quality of writing is dipping dramatically. The sad thing is I expect next year to be even worse. I just hope this time I am really really really wrong.
Alias: Second Double & The Telling, 05/04/03
Saturday 05.10.2003
MattM || 02:52 PM
After I thought a really uneven season they really saved it with just an awesome season finale. I thought at first they were going for the mother redempation but I loved her sending her off to save waffle irons and boomboxes. I don't believe her totally when she says Sloane set her up somehow I think she knew but we still don't know her angle and why. The whole thing about Francie being one of the kids was really great too and makes me wonder if Sarc isn't one of them as well. Still the bombshell was the two years skipped. Which I don't think is a trick I think its legit (and yea no more Vaughn/Syndey stuff if it is). Somehow her missing two years are tied to the Rembaldi device. I think Sloane say it isn't a door to the past is the key perhaps a time device? I don't know but what a finish. I really can't wait for the season to start and see how it all plays out now. One thing for sure though is that with Friends sudden and dramatic decline, West Wing looking shaky, and Buffy's departure there is no doubt that at the start of next season this is one of the single best TV shows there is. If you are only going to watch a handful of shows on TV this is one that can't be missed.
**Extra Note** On further review after pondering the season finale I am almost sure that Rembaldi has to be some sort of time device. I mean how else did he know about all those events? Or Sydney? Hmmmm There is all sorts of possibilties out there (Rembaldi is that monk?) Sure would explain how he knew about Sydney.
Alias: Countdown, 04/27/03
Monday 05.05.2003
MattM || 09:08 AM
For some reason this episode just didn't quite come together. There was something missing in this episode that I can't quite put my finger on but it just seemed a bit forced. Psycho Dixon just doesn't seem like the Dixon we know and love because even when his world was falling around him he didn't do this before. His anger and pain have always been silent and muted not go jump off a bridge type. I think they could have done a better job more true to his character then what they did. The only really interesting part was getting the orgins of Sloane's obession with Rembaldi and what is on that scroll which I am guessing we will soon find out. Also I have decided I don't like this Vaughn and Sydney couple thing I liked it much better when they weren't but that being said I think they have done something very few series have done and thats do a decent job of making the transition from romantic tension to being a couple.
Alias: Endgame, 03/30/03
Tuesday 04.15.2003
MattM || 04:27 AM
This is the first episode that gave me the same feel this show had during its first season. I really like Christian Slater yea I knew she was I am NSA hahaha who is spying on who. Then Francie arggggghhhhhhh someone kill that bitch. I can't imagine what Dixon is going to do now. That being said you know that Sloane ordering her to do that will be Francie's undoing. Since the leak will now lead to Will who eventually will track back to her. Because it was such a personal thing for Sloane he put her at risk. I did like Jack dealing with his own demons about his ex wife and realizing that she wasn't like his ex-wife. Still I can't wait to see the next episode I only have to wait a month for it.
Alias: Truth Takes Time, 03/16/03
Tuesday 04.01.2003
MattM || 02:50 AM
I really loved this episode they finally did everything I had hoped for......then came the earring and ruined it all. I still can't shake the sinking feeling Mom is going to be redeemed somehow at the expense of her father and I hate that. They did so much right here from handling Sloane wife to her being shot by accident. Still her dropping the disk and the earring make me very leary of the direction they are taking. That being said I do give them credit for the take down of SD-6 because that places a seed of doubt in your mind because you kept thinking during this episode theres no way they can catch him and her mother but then again you didn't think there was any way SD-6 could go down that quick either.
Alias: A Dark Turn, 03/02/03
Friday 03.07.2003
MattM || 06:10 AM
Well we reached the long awaited turning point. Up to now this has been a great season but I have held deep reservations that they are going to turn Sydney's mother into a good guy. Something I dreaded and would hate. Now we are going to find out if they have the guts to keep her evil like they should. I think a third season centered around the evil trio of her, Sloan, and Sark would be awesome but I just can't shake the feeling they are going to chicken out and make her doing this all to for Sydney and some sappy crap. Then there was Vaughn story line. Only one word for that bizairre. I think they are so hell bent on getting guest stars that they just threw this one in there and it sucked and made no sense. I don't know where they are going with it and I somehow doubt it because it seemed entirely made up to get Richard Lewis five minutes on the show. The third plot line with Francie is really good and I like how thats going and I can't wait to see more of it.
Alias: Firebomb, 02/23/02
Friday 02.28.2003
MattM || 03:34 PM
Well I kind of knew they would reel Dixon back in and I like him and I wish they would make Sydney and him partners and put Vaughn on the sidelines again. I still have to wonder how they are going to play this Francie thing out now that her bugs have been uncovered. Still this episode left us with more quesitions then answer. If the weapon isn't what he's after then what is on that piece of paper. Also kudos to Alias for getting picked up for a much deserved third season. In this season of so many good series going down its nice to have the occasional victory.
Alias: A Free Agent, 02/09/03
Monday 02.17.2003
MattM || 01:00 PM
Well they sure went the cheap route. I understand Marshall being used since a hacker is a hacker is a hacker but now they are going to bring Dixon on to? Also when did Vaughn suddenly become super field agent he is a handler. In order to remake the shows they decided to go Fastlane and chuck reality. Overall the whole thing of Sydney being drawn in was predictable and her being captured by Sloan you could see that coming from a mile away. A rather so-so episode for them and now Dixon will be drawn back in.
Alias: Double Agent, 02/02/03
Sunday 02.09.2003
MattM || 11:14 PM
Well after the shocking turn of invents they did a nice bounce back episode. I am going to miss Marshall though. He was one of the real bright spots on the show. I liked Dixon too but they seem to be all but gone now. I am still not sure about this whole Vaughn/Sydney relationship now but the plot leaves a lot of possiblities open. I think Ethan Hawke was great but still unsure just how they plan to go. The one problem in the reality department they have ignored is that Bristow never was a full agent of the CIA.
Alias: Phase One, 01/26/03
Tuesday 02.04.2003
MattM || 11:33 PM
Um ok......Well this one is awfully hard to take in. All this time fighting the Allance and poof its all gone in one episode. I had a kind of averse reaction to this at first but upon some reflection I do think I like the way they are taking and this but I was sad that they killed Francie off especially since Will and her seemed to be clicking. Still this episode leaves a lot of quesitions open just as Angel did so its hard to comment on just everything yet since I think we are only beginning to see the picture.
Alias: News
Monday 01.27.2003
alice ttlg || 08:20 PM
And yet more from Zentertainment: (I'm catching up on a couple weeks of Zen Dailys :))
Christian Slater (Pump Up the Volume) has agreed to make a guest appearance on two episodes of Alias. In the two eps, Slater will play a scientist that has been kidnapped by Sloane, the two episodes will air February 9 and 16.
Eeeeeeeeeeeeek! My favorite guy! He never really turned up again much on West Wing, I hope they give him more to do here.
Alias: The Getaway, 01/12/03
Friday 01.24.2003
MattM || 12:11 PM
Ok this episode was a bit dumb. Oh yea lets have dinner while SD-6 is investaging your father they won't notice. That was just sooooooooooooo damn stupid. Untrue to their characters and just idiotic. Neither of them is that dumb. I liked Sloan pulling off the "murder" of his wife and getting away with the money. A very nice set up indeed by him but the whole dinner thing was so dumb it just ruined the episode. Oh yea and PS to anyone reading Epguides their list is wrong this sunday's episode is Phase One and Double Agent is next Sunday and bump everything down from there.
Alias: A Higher Echelon, 01/05/03
Saturday 01.11.2003
MattM || 12:19 AM
This is the first episode all season that I liked as much as the first season episode because it got back to what makes this great. Tense edge of your seat action mixed in with a solid family spy story. I loved Marshall NOT being taken out of SD-6 and suprising everyone by holding up under torture and setting the computer to signal SD-6 and play pong. Him saving the day with his neurotic compulsion of having a parchute only made it more perfect. I wish they would do more with Dixon they seem to largely have ignored him this season and I think the show suffers because of that. Still seeing him as a Dreadlock having DJ was pretty funny. I just hope the show does more of this and doesn't make her mother a good guy.
Alias: The Abduction, 12/15/02
Sunday 12.29.2002
MattM || 11:25 PM
I really don't like how they are building up her mother as this reformed person whos doing it all because of her daughter. I do hope thats a ploy but it seems less and less likely by the day. This year just flat out isn't as good as it was last year as it seems to be going more for a demented family drama then a spy show. Faye Dunaway was good in her role as the investigator and I liked seeing Marshall being forced into action but why are they kidnapping him? And who wants to bet its Sark behind it (although I hope its also her mother as well but then again who else would know he has more value then even Syd and that he would be forced on this mission?). I really miss Dixon though I wish he would show up again.
Alias: Passage (2), 12/08/02
Friday 12.20.2002
MattM || 07:31 PM
Ok the Vaughn to the rescue thing is really getting old. I am getting tired of him coming to the rescue and Sydney having that stupid smile. Once ok cool twice ok fine but the 500th time is just dumb. I really don't like this whole mother is a good guy crap and they seemed determined to go that route. Also what happened with the bearer bonds I mean they lost the signal and then never went back to that story. I think they should have done just a little more. There is alot to like about this series but this year is definatly a down turn from last year.
Alias: Passage, Parts 1 & 2, 12/1/02 & 12/8/02
Friday 12.13.2002
alice ttlg || 11:15 AM
I love this show. My brother and I have been talking about when to go see the new Bond movie and I realized last night while watching part 2, that this is Bond and it's better. The movies have gotten stuck on a formulaic plot and it revolves around a single character so there's not a lot of leeway there, hard to come up with original things movie after movie so it's boiled down to how good Brosnan looks in a tux and how big the special effects are and now nifty the gadgets are and how cool the car is.
But this show, this show is really good. There's all the nifty Bond-type stuff, Syd makes a great female Bond, with all the splashy flashy outfits and wigs and accents and she's got nifty gadgets too! Then there's the great character stuff, the bigger cast gives them so much more than Bond, I like the triangle of Syd and her parents and the triangle of Syd, Vaughn and Will (poor Francie's getting left out in the cold!) The only triangle missing a part is Syd, Sloane and Dixon, whatever happened to Dixon? I loved the problem of him being a good guy working for the bad guys but knowing it and Syd knows and will she tell him but he's disappeared from the show lately. (hmmm, Sark has become a regular according to EpGuides.com....)
Now, my brother has been bothered all this season, he thinks they're redeeming Sydney's mom, making her into a good person. I don't think it's that simple and I don't expect her to stay completely evil, that's what I love about this show, it's all shades of gray. Her dad is shades of gray, she's gone thru so many changes in her relationship with him in a year's time, from bad to good, to bad to good and who knows where next so she knows nothing is black and white, no-one is all good or all bad. So I expect they'll do the same with her mom, she's been an evil person, she's been a good one at time too, nothing's black and white.
I have a comment about Part 2 which I know my brother hasn't seen yet, so I'm using invisible ink to write it, highlight the area below with your mouse to read it. :)
He's going to hate this ep, especially the ending. Because her mom does good things and Sydney doesn't hate her so much anymore. But they're never going to be a happy nuclear family, her mom is still in prison and isn't getting out permanently, so Syd will still have to visit her thru a plexiglass wall, a constant reminder of the evil she's done. No-one is all black or all white and this ep illustrated that beautifully. Regardless of how they got married, they did have good times together, doesn't negate what she did, but what she did doesn't negate the good times either.
So Matt, go watch the show and then come back and read that! :)
[MattM adds] Your right and wrong here. The main reason for disliking this episode is the Vaughn to the rescue and Sydney stupid smile is getting very old. Thats the number 1 reason. I understand what your saying about her mother but I reject what your saying about shades of grey (because I love the way they have done that with Sloane) because I think they are trying to hard to make her good and remorseful for what she has done. (December 21, 2002 09:06 AM)
Alias: Passage Pt 1, 12/1/02
Tuesday 12.10.2002
MattM || 03:28 PM
The highlight of this episode was the them posing as a family boarding the indian train. Man and you thought your family was screwed up nothing like a family outing for the Bristows!! I still don't like this redempation track they have her mother on. I love Sark and he is the most interesting thing to watch but the rest of it is kind of boring although the mysterious students who got those test scores right will be interesting to find out.
Alias: Counter Agent, 11/17/02
Wednesday 11.27.2002
MattM || 12:59 AM
I really thought the whole Vaughn getting sick was going to make this a bad episode but they handled it brillently. More importantly is what is Sark's game here? You know he's up to no good but damn he's fun to watch. Also the girlfriend of Vaughn a rather interesting twist. I really hope they keep these as lovers never meant to be ala Buffy/Angel. Overall a really great episode though.
Alias: Salvation, 11/10/02
Monday 11.18.2002
MattM || 08:40 AM
Quite frankly at this point I am tired of this poor mother crap they are pulling on this show. I agree with her father more and more. I also hated how they handled this quickie arrest, quickie trial, and the great lie that gets 'em all free. It was forced and it was just boring. Also this ebola type thing. I am sorry if they were exposed to it they would have kept them a lot longer then just a few hours. Lastly if her father had gone to prison that would have blown their cover why didn't they just use that as an excuse? Then theres this whole Emily thing I mean of course her body isn't there DUH. If someone is messing with him then first they would do is take the body. This episode was just way way way overdone and easily one of the worst they have done. Also I am getting really sick of this poor Will stuff. Kind of wish they had killed him off.
Alias: The Indicator, 11/03/02
Thursday 11.07.2002
MattM || 10:44 PM
This show makes Buffy look like happyville. So basically, all she has to trust is Will and Vaughn now. I know they had to take her father down a peg but this is pretty drastic. I still have to wonder if now they will try to rehab her mother. I really hope not. Also something about Francie is making me wonder what they are up to and I get the feeling it's not good. Lastly as far as Sloan goes, I do not believe Emily is alive but whoever is messing with him is doing a great job. I can't wait to find out who it is.
Alias: The Indicator, 11/3/02
Tuesday 11.05.2002
alice ttlg || 04:27 PM
I don't talk about this show much because it's usually just solidly good, week in, week out. Poor Sidney has been thru so many twists and turns since the show started, it's a wonder she's not in the nuthouse! But they do it well, without making it soap opera-ish or maudlin, she's not always strong or perfect, sometimes she makes mistakes, sometimes she needs help and they've handled that well, from her going to Will in the first season but asking just for company because she couldn't talk about what she upset about to going to the shrink in the first ep this season after her mother turned herself in, telling the shrink that was one problem she wasn't sure she could handle and this ep, going to Vaughn after finding out about what her father did.
They've also done something with this show that most network execs hate and discourage and that most shows aren't able to sustain, they've managed to carry out a continuing long term plot. The battle between SD-6 and the CIA is not the real story of this show, that's window-dressing, an excuse for her to dress up in wild outfits and wigs and do all the James Bond stuff that the network execs love and she does it well and it's fun but what this show is really about is Sidney, her father, her mother, the people who make up her pseudo-family, Will, Francine, Arvin Sloane, Dixon. And over the last year and into this season, they've turned and twisted all of this, Sidney and her past and her relationships and the people she thinks she knows, into all sorts of contortions and done it well. It reminds me of the best of John Ludlum's books where the main character usually starts out with one fairly straightforward perception of their life and page by page, ep by ep, pieces are turned and each person, each thing is revealed to be something else and then later something else again...
Alias: Dead Drop, 10/20/02
Saturday 10.26.2002
MattM || 01:34 AM
More and more, I get less sure I like the direction of this show. Now they are going to make her dad evil and mom a victim? I sure hope that's not what they are gunning for. I like the stuff with her dad because that is true to his character but I'm not sure I like this stuff with her mom. Then there's the Emily is really alive thing. Um, someone has some explaining to do. I did like the testing of Will by the SD-6 operative. Overall, another very good episode.
Alias: Cipher, 10/13/02
Saturday 10.19.2002
MattM || 09:37 AM
Now there's the classic ending for Alias. I love when it ends like that. You know it is going to turn out alright but it leaves you wanting to see just how she gets out of it. As much as I hate to say this, my instinct is that they are going to somehow "rehab" her mother into this decent person. I really hope I am wrong but that is what my gut feeling is. I know that they are intending to take her father down a peg or two since she has gotten close to him. They will take him down and build her up. I only hope that building her up is not permanent.
Alias: Trust Me, 10/06/02
Monday 10.14.2002
MattM || 12:25 AM
This episode did not really grab me as much as the others have. I think because I am somewhat worried about what their plans are with her mother. I do not think they are going to try to redeem her but somehow I got the vibe that they might be angling for just that. Perhaps it's because I have been watching so many shows jumping the shark lately. I do think Jennifer Garner is a terrific actress who manages to show that a woman can be tough and vulnerable all in the same person. I think she should reconsider doing the Elektra role because she is getting dangerously close to being typecast. I really do not understand that whole thing about the liquor license that was really very forced. Francie going to the mob? I mean, come on now. I know they want to do something in order to build up a possible romance with Will and he needs something right now but um, I don't know about this. I also hope they are not seriously going to go into the romance thing with either Vaughn or Will as I think that will hurt the series. She needs a boyfriend outside of work, um, oops, had that, got him killed, still I think that would be the best way to go but I think the Mother story should dominate this season, not a romance.
Alias: The Enemy Walks In, 09/29/02
Wednesday 10.09.2002
MattM || 02:01 PM
Way too much stuff crammed into an hour made this one of the worst episodes they have made. They needed to slow down and take their time. Overall, I liked the way they handled Will, Vaughn, Dixon, and Sidney and their various problems and issues but it would have been way better if they had concentrated on one or two at a time. This would have been great if they had given it a two hour premiere and pushed Practice back one week. Overall, I really do like the stuff about the mother but what is she up to by turning herself in? Also is it just me or is anyone else getting a really bad vibe off that CIA shrink? Something tells me she has another agenda we have yet to see. I know she is Ken Olin's wife and fellow Thirtysomething costar but she is getting way too much face time to not have some other larger role to play.
Alias: The Enemy Walks In, 09/29/02
Sunday 09.29.2002
alice ttlg || 08:28 PM
Eeeeeeeek! I can't stand to watch this! I know it's going to come out okay, but still, this show is brilliant at suspense! Poor Vaughn, he and Will have really been tortured to pieces and this show is still just as terrific as last year, better than the best of Bond and Mission Impossible and they do it all in a one hour format on TV every week, it's quite amazing!
Alias: (Air Date 5/19/02)
Friday 05.24.2002
alice ttlg || 11:12 PM
Stop killing all my favorite characters!
And I already know that Vaughn dies even tho I haven't watched the last ep yet, someone happened to mention that on a Buffy list but I also know the actor's been signed for a full 22 eps next season, I sure hope he ain't coming back as a ghost!
I liked Noah, too.
Alias: Almost Thirty Years (Air Date 5/12/02)
Thursday 05.16.2002
MattM || 11:35 AM
A great wrap to a terrific first season. This clearly belongs as the best new series of the 2001-2002 season. They went 22 episodes without having a serious downturn. It will be hard to top that in season 2 but the potential is definately there. The stuff about the traitor, Dixon, Sloan, father/daughter, etc etc etc has been great and although this episode doesn't answer all of the questions just yet, it left us facing a long summer until we know more. One question though I am dying to know: How many hair colors can Jennifer Garner look good in?
Alias: Rendevouz (Air Date 5/5/02)
Friday 05.10.2002
MattM || 06:00 AM
Just when you think things will work out, they don't. Just when you have everything figured out, you don't. There are so many reasons to love this show from the character development to the roller coaster ride to the great action and finally to the surprises. What happens to Will? Although it doesn't look good now. What happens to Sloan and his wife? What about Dixon? And isn't it Sunday yet? I can't wait for the season finale but another steller effort by J. J. Abrams and company.
Alias: Review
Friday 04.12.2002
alice ttlg || 04:00 PM
It's so nice to see a good strong female character in an action show. She's a female Bond but more complicated and interesting, far more three-dimensional, she's even got friends, normal ones outside the spy world who are interesting in their own right, not just there to ask how her last trip went so she can lie about it.
She's got a dad, too, with his own troubles and issues, doesn't just stand around worrying about her and he's got a good poker face, it's never quite clear exactly how much of a good guy he really is....Ambiguity is a Good Thing.
And this whole Rambaldi plot woven in and out through her other weekly exploits, I like it, although I hope they've learned from the X-Files and don't drag it out forever and ruin it. Give us a resolution this season, we'll come back next season for the next plot arc. I like the imagery they've used, the old guy in the apartment in Italy, talking as if he knew Rambaldi, the sunset over Mount Subasio, nice sense of poetry.
And the eps that don't involve Rambaldi have added new insights into the characters, Sloane in the eps with Quentin Tarantino, standing up to painful torture and then at the end, standing all alone, while everyone else hugs each other, happy to be alive...we see the human side of an evil man, left all by himself.
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