Check out my Alias crossword!!! Have fun!
http://www.armoredpenguin.com/crossword/Data/2006.05/22683.0.html
I know, it's a tiny tiny link!
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
It's Raining in Seattle
Hello, I have just updated the Grey's blog. Check it out! www.theanatomy.blogspot.com
No worries, I have not forgotten about Alias! I am currently working on a large Alias-related crossword. It will be posted later tonight- come back and test your word skills!
No worries, I have not forgotten about Alias! I am currently working on a large Alias-related crossword. It will be posted later tonight- come back and test your word skills!
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
We Were Lost
So, finally! Amanda and I updated the Lost blog with the recap from the finale!! Aren't you so happy?? Check it out!! www.letsgetlost2.blogspot.com Sorry about the long delay. Enjoy!
Let's Talk Book Club
All right ya’ll- the show is over, but the stories go on. Starting this Friday, June 2nd, Let’s Talk will be launching the Alias Book Club. We will be starting with the prequel, Recruited: An Alias Prequel by Lynn Mason. The book is a glimpse inside Sydney’s first year at UCLA and her struggles as she decides whether or not to take a position at SD-6.You can find the book at http://www.amazon.com/ for $5.99. It’s listed at a young adult reading level, which might be a little boring for some of us die hard readers, but it should be fun nonetheless.
I will be picking up my copy this Friday and will probably finish it over the weekend. I don’t expect everyone to finish in 2 days, so I will post Monday on the first part of the book.
For the complete list of Alias books, visit http://www.alias-media.com/ and click on the link “Alias Books” in the left hand column. There are 18 books listed and I hope to read them all.
Update:
Soundtracks: YAHOO! I have finished making the Alias Soundtracks! It took forever! I will be picking up padded envelopes and postage on Friday and will ship everything out later that day. You probably won’t receive them until Monday or Tuesday. I can’t wait for you guys to rock out to our fav. Alias songs!!!
T-shirt Contest: I know, I know, where are the entries? Who is the winner? Sorry! I am a horrible BlogMaster at the moment. I have been frantic trying to clean out my e-mail box and mapping out my ideas for the next phase of the blog. Bear with me. We will have a winner soon!!
Monday, May 29, 2006
Eternal Life
So, Sloane is caught between a rock and a hard place! His love for Rambaldi and lack of loyalty and love for his family cost him everything- including the enjoyment of eternal life.Let's trace back Sloane's obsession. It all started with Sloane's position in the Army Corp of Engineers and it's study of Rambaldi's work. After the death of Jacqueline, Sloane found comfort in Rambaldi's words of eternal life. Sloane wanted a life without the pain of losing the people closest to him. However, in his quest for all things Rambaldi, he lost everyone- Emily, Nadia and even the respect of his only remaining family, Jack and Sydney. Irina's quest lost her the same thing- her family. How ironic- that on the quest to protect and enjoy the lives of the people you love for eternity-Sloane and Irina lost all they planned to live for.
Let's talk about this eternal life. Doesn't it seem strange that eternal life wouldn't matter to Sydney? She lost many people in her life- Danny, Emily, Nadia, Vaughn, her father. She's lost just as much, if not more than Sloane and Irina combined and yet she offered no interest in ridding herself of that pain in the future, especially as she continues to live a life of danger in the CIA. What do you suppose keeps her from dousing herself and her family in that red Rambaldi fluid?
What about Dixon? He lost his wife and he has his children to think of. Why was he not interested in Rambaldi's promise of eternal life?
How about Sark? If he was able to get a hold of the eternal life serum, than is it plausible he will still be around causing trouble for Izzy, has it is likely that her family background and her genius will toss her into a life of a spy? (I smell spin-off. David Anders (Sark) and Amy Acker (Peyton) are not yet tied to new work- could they be working on a spin-off???)
What are your thoughts on Rambaldi's eternal life?
PS. We are going to start reading the Alias books. If you have read some of them and would like to help with the recap-please e-mail me. I have yet to read any of them and Jenn is making a list of the assumed order the books were published in so we can start at the beginning. There are 8 books that are published and 4 more have yet to be released. If you think about it, that's 12 more episodes of Alias!! YAHOO!!
Friday, May 26, 2006
Direction
Now that Alias is gone, there are many roads this blog can take. I know that recently it's been a place to pick apart the finale for holes and indescrepancies and it has been very cool to see who remembers what from way back in season 1 and how it fits or doesn't fit into the finale. I understand how this picking might be a little unnerving for those of you were satisfied and happy with the ending.
I hope that it is understood that I can not satisfy everyone's wants and needs when it comes to publishing posts, expressing my ideas and thoughts- and it is not my intent to lessen your feelings for Alias or the finale. I opened this blog because I had ideas to share and some knowledge and insight about storytelling, writing and character development. I think everyone is aware of my thoughts on the finale, and I want to thank those of you who have supported me or who have given me the respect and allowed me to have those thoughts. I hope you feel that Jenn, SRG and I have given you the same support and respect. I justify my bitterness with how much I love and understand Alias, not just as a TV show, but as literature- a book on screen if you will. (Haven't you ever read a book you love and you get to the end and think, "What? That's it?")
I am happy that the blog has been a place of middle ground- some with great love for the finale and all it was and some who were left a bit disappointed and wanting more.
I would like the blog to become a place where we can talk about writing. I started blogging about Alias because of the storytelling, content, the plot and storylines and of course, the characters. Okay, and because of Michael Vartan. Haha! Talking about the writing isn't just about discussing our favorite quotes and shocking twists- but really digging into who the characters were, where the stories went right and wrong and how Alias got from point A, the pilot, to point B, the finale.
(Angie, Uncle and Donna- I hope you will contribute your writing knowledge!!!)
I would also like for us to talk about the production, the behind-the-scenes of making a successful TV show. How are shows like Alias made? What type of preparation went into making the show?
It will be interesting to read your comments as Jenn, SRG and I post about some of the nitty gritting of Alias and what made it exceptional.
If you have other ideas about how to keep Alias alive, and if you are interested in starting your own blog, be it for Alias or anything else, I very much recommend www.blogger.com. The site is free and easy- I post all my sites through Blogger. I would gladly post a link to your blog here and share the wealth.
I would love now to read your feedback about the new direction of the blog. Good, bad, ugly? What are your thoughts and ideas?
I hope that it is understood that I can not satisfy everyone's wants and needs when it comes to publishing posts, expressing my ideas and thoughts- and it is not my intent to lessen your feelings for Alias or the finale. I opened this blog because I had ideas to share and some knowledge and insight about storytelling, writing and character development. I think everyone is aware of my thoughts on the finale, and I want to thank those of you who have supported me or who have given me the respect and allowed me to have those thoughts. I hope you feel that Jenn, SRG and I have given you the same support and respect. I justify my bitterness with how much I love and understand Alias, not just as a TV show, but as literature- a book on screen if you will. (Haven't you ever read a book you love and you get to the end and think, "What? That's it?")
I am happy that the blog has been a place of middle ground- some with great love for the finale and all it was and some who were left a bit disappointed and wanting more.
I would like the blog to become a place where we can talk about writing. I started blogging about Alias because of the storytelling, content, the plot and storylines and of course, the characters. Okay, and because of Michael Vartan. Haha! Talking about the writing isn't just about discussing our favorite quotes and shocking twists- but really digging into who the characters were, where the stories went right and wrong and how Alias got from point A, the pilot, to point B, the finale.
(Angie, Uncle and Donna- I hope you will contribute your writing knowledge!!!)
I would also like for us to talk about the production, the behind-the-scenes of making a successful TV show. How are shows like Alias made? What type of preparation went into making the show?
It will be interesting to read your comments as Jenn, SRG and I post about some of the nitty gritting of Alias and what made it exceptional.
If you have other ideas about how to keep Alias alive, and if you are interested in starting your own blog, be it for Alias or anything else, I very much recommend www.blogger.com. The site is free and easy- I post all my sites through Blogger. I would gladly post a link to your blog here and share the wealth.
I would love now to read your feedback about the new direction of the blog. Good, bad, ugly? What are your thoughts and ideas?
Some Answers? I think not!
BTW- SpyChat tonight! 6pm PDT, we are going to discuss the holes.
This was posted by Kristin at E! Online. All I have to say is...nice try! The black type are my comments.
Your Lingering Alias Questions--Answered! After Monday night's fantastic series ender (hahaha, right!!), many of you fellow fans posted on our message boards the unanswered questions still weighing heavily on your minds. Truth be told, I really wanted answers to some of them, too, so I e-mailed executive producer Jeff Pinkner, who graciously emailed right back the following answers.
Q: In the finale, did Irina say, "Rambaldi is alive," "Rambaldi is love" or Rambaldi "is life"?A: "Rambaldi is life...Through him we can live forever."
Q: What was the horizon?A: The horizon was the Rambaldi-designed glass sphere that activated the pedestal in his tomb and then received the liquid from the hovering red ball. Pretty sure the Horizon in "Maternal Instinct" was something long and flat that fit in a small cloth cover. Who are they trying to kid?
Q: Given the actions of Nadia at the end of the show, was she truly just a figment of Sloane's imagination/conscience?A: She was his conscience. I think killing Nadia--whom he deeply loved--caused some sort of emotional/psychotic rift for Sloane. Why all the sudden would Sloane's conscience disappear? That makes no sense!!
Q: Is Sloane going to live forever under a rock, or is he eventually going to die?A: Sloane is immortal, living forever buried 200 feet beneath the earth. Good!
There you have it. The classified intel. (I'm gonna miss saying that.) Unfortunately, Jeff wouldn't tackle whether the highlighted letters in the city names or the number 47 meant anything, so I'll have to harass JJ Abrams next time I see him.
Man, that was a sorry attempt to answer any questions!
This was posted by Kristin at E! Online. All I have to say is...nice try! The black type are my comments.
Your Lingering Alias Questions--Answered! After Monday night's fantastic series ender (hahaha, right!!), many of you fellow fans posted on our message boards the unanswered questions still weighing heavily on your minds. Truth be told, I really wanted answers to some of them, too, so I e-mailed executive producer Jeff Pinkner, who graciously emailed right back the following answers.
Q: In the finale, did Irina say, "Rambaldi is alive," "Rambaldi is love" or Rambaldi "is life"?A: "Rambaldi is life...Through him we can live forever."
Q: What was the horizon?A: The horizon was the Rambaldi-designed glass sphere that activated the pedestal in his tomb and then received the liquid from the hovering red ball. Pretty sure the Horizon in "Maternal Instinct" was something long and flat that fit in a small cloth cover. Who are they trying to kid?
These are pictures of the Horizon in the vault in Vancouver- not a sphere! In the top picture is looks square even!
Q: Did Irina fall on the sphere? In the final shot, one hand was bent behind her back after she fell. Could she have squished the ball but then have been resurrected by it? It did take a while to work on Sloane. A: No, the ball rolled away, presumably recovered by Syd, who would have had it destroyed. The Sphere rolled away? Um, it was sitting on the glass window- the same one Irina fell through- so that means the ball had to have gone down with her, right?Q: Given the actions of Nadia at the end of the show, was she truly just a figment of Sloane's imagination/conscience?A: She was his conscience. I think killing Nadia--whom he deeply loved--caused some sort of emotional/psychotic rift for Sloane. Why all the sudden would Sloane's conscience disappear? That makes no sense!!
Q: Is Sloane going to live forever under a rock, or is he eventually going to die?A: Sloane is immortal, living forever buried 200 feet beneath the earth. Good!
There you have it. The classified intel. (I'm gonna miss saying that.) Unfortunately, Jeff wouldn't tackle whether the highlighted letters in the city names or the number 47 meant anything, so I'll have to harass JJ Abrams next time I see him.
Man, that was a sorry attempt to answer any questions!
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Holes
Dark Alias and I were talking about the finale and he asked me if I remembered the flash back in which Jack tells Sydney that her mother died in an accident. Of course I remembered, but I also remembered that when we first learned of Laura Bristow's death, Jack was apparently in the car. The couple was supposedly coming home from a night at the movies and Jack lost control on the wet roads. Dark is watching the season 1 episode "Q&A." This is the episode where Sydney learns how her mother was able to fake her death. MAN, could we find anymore holes in the finale??? Thoughts?Also, we learn in the finale that after Laura Bristow's death and after Jack was hauled into jail, Sydney went to live with Sloane and Emily. How come Sydney didn't know this? She was old enough to remember her mother's death and her mother, how come she didn't remember living with Sloane and Emily? We were not made to believe that Sydney only met Emily after working at SD-6? Umm, I am confused.
Where are they now?
I know it’s been days since the finale of Alias- we’ve moved on (sorta) and so have the actors. Wonder where you can see them next? Check it out…
Jennifer Garner:
Catch and Release, to be released January 2007.
Charlotte’s Web, currently in post-production.
Sabbatical, currently in pre-production.
Be With You, currently announced.
The Kingdom, currently pre-production-begins production June 2006.
(She plays a CIA agent, go figure). This film is to be directed by Peter Berg aka Noah Hicks, the Snowman. He also directed Friday Night Lights.
Victor Garber:
Justice, a new TV drama premieres this fall, Wednesday’s at 9pm on Fox.
Ron Rifkin (Sloane), Balthazar Getty (Grace), Patty Wettig (Dr. Barnett):
Brothers and Sisters, a new TV drama premieres this fall, Sunday’s at 10pm on ABC. This show is directed by Alias director, Ken Olin.
Michael Vartan:
Rogue, to be released December 2006.
David Anders (Julian Sark):
Left in Darkness, to be released 2006.
Greg Grunberg (Weiss):
Heroes, a TV drama premieres this fall, Monday’s at 9pm on NBC.
Rachel Nichols (Rachel Gibson):
Resurrecting the Champ, currently filming.
Kevin Weisman (Marshall):
Clerks II, completed 2006.
High Midnight, currently announced.
Carl Lumbly (Dixon):
Nujoma: Where Others Wavered, currently in post-production.
Lena Olin (Irina Derevko):
Devil You Know, currently in post-production.
Awake, currently in post-production.
I am looking forward to both Victor Garber and Ron Rifkin’s new shows. Should be good! Also, very cool that JG is sticking to her CIA roots. I am all over that movie when it comes out.
Jennifer Garner:
Catch and Release, to be released January 2007.
Charlotte’s Web, currently in post-production.
Sabbatical, currently in pre-production.
Be With You, currently announced.
The Kingdom, currently pre-production-begins production June 2006.
(She plays a CIA agent, go figure). This film is to be directed by Peter Berg aka Noah Hicks, the Snowman. He also directed Friday Night Lights.
Victor Garber:
Justice, a new TV drama premieres this fall, Wednesday’s at 9pm on Fox.
Ron Rifkin (Sloane), Balthazar Getty (Grace), Patty Wettig (Dr. Barnett):
Brothers and Sisters, a new TV drama premieres this fall, Sunday’s at 10pm on ABC. This show is directed by Alias director, Ken Olin.
Michael Vartan:
Rogue, to be released December 2006.
David Anders (Julian Sark):
Left in Darkness, to be released 2006.
Greg Grunberg (Weiss):
Heroes, a TV drama premieres this fall, Monday’s at 9pm on NBC.
Rachel Nichols (Rachel Gibson):
Resurrecting the Champ, currently filming.
Kevin Weisman (Marshall):
Clerks II, completed 2006.
High Midnight, currently announced.
Carl Lumbly (Dixon):
Nujoma: Where Others Wavered, currently in post-production.
Lena Olin (Irina Derevko):
Devil You Know, currently in post-production.
Awake, currently in post-production.
I am looking forward to both Victor Garber and Ron Rifkin’s new shows. Should be good! Also, very cool that JG is sticking to her CIA roots. I am all over that movie when it comes out.
T-shirt Contest
Hello All,We had several entries for the Let's Talk T-shirt contest. You all came up with some great, creative ideas. I am going to send copies of the designs to Jenn and SRG tonight and hopefully we can narrow the group down and announce a winner sometime tomorrow.
If you have any last minute entries, please send them to me via e-mail. girlscout35@hotmail.com
PS. Let's Get Lost will have a recap of the AWESOME season finale a little later today! Be sure to check it out. www.letsgetlost2.blogspot.com
PPS. I have re-designed the Grey's Anatomy blog. Take a peek! The Grey's blog will be poppin' soon with trivia, contests, links and insider information on the upcoming season. I will also be watching season 1 on DVD and recapping. Stay tuned! www.theanatomy.blogspot.com
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Barrellin' Through
First, I want to say BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO bloggers! We made it through, we did it. We survived and look, we are still in one piece. The blog didn't disappear, I didn't have a mental break down and really, there is tons more to discuss.
I want to say I am so proud of the respect and maturity that has been shown on the blog in the last 24 hours. It would have been easy for us all to fall apart, to be offended by others ideas and comments, but we are bloggers with class. Blogger Paul posted this nail-on-the-head comment which I think sums it all up: "Those who wanted the ambiguity gone and the answers to be clear were disappointed (and rightly so), and those who enjoyed the ambiguity enjoyed the finale (coming to a conclusion that they are satisfied with on their own)."
Thank you Paul!!
NOW- I absolutely have to share these photos with you! Bloggers Sarafu and Desiree sent these pictures to me from their Alias party.
I want to say I am so proud of the respect and maturity that has been shown on the blog in the last 24 hours. It would have been easy for us all to fall apart, to be offended by others ideas and comments, but we are bloggers with class. Blogger Paul posted this nail-on-the-head comment which I think sums it all up: "Those who wanted the ambiguity gone and the answers to be clear were disappointed (and rightly so), and those who enjoyed the ambiguity enjoyed the finale (coming to a conclusion that they are satisfied with on their own)."
Thank you Paul!!
NOW- I absolutely have to share these photos with you! Bloggers Sarafu and Desiree sent these pictures to me from their Alias party.
Thanks ladies and babies for sending the photos in. Sorry that I didn't give you girls a ring. I was a mess. To see more pics of Sara and Desi's fun party, check out Sara's blog www.fuhead.blogspot.com My pics are on their way!
Now, I am sure you are all wondering what exactly the blog is going to be up to now that the show is over. Well, we are going to be honoring the greatest of Alias of course. Starting next week, I am going to ask you to watch your favorite episodes and send in your very own recaps. I have decided to start with season 3 and work toward the pilot. Send your recaps to me and I will post them. Everyone is welcome to participate. So, dust off the DVD's and get crackin'!!
Episode 5.17 "All the time in the world"
You all know I love Alias, ABC, JJ, the cast and the writers. I have a huge amount of respect for their years of hard work and dedication- but I suppose I am feeling a little disgruttled about all of our hardwork and dedication. This finale was suppose to be the pay off and it felt like betrayal to me.
I understand that many of you want to love the finale, that you refuse to look at it in a negative light because it would mean that your love for the show was meaningless, pointless and unimportant. This post is not intended to change your mind. It’s not intended to make you feel bad about liking, loving or feeling satisfied by the ending. This post is merely a recap of my ideas and thoughts on the finale.
The final hour was to be THE hour. The pace picked up, the music was cued and then I think I fell into a deep spiral of disappointment, depression and desire to kill.
Love Lost
First, it was a cloud of sadness that seemed to take over- that sadness then morphed into only what I can explain as “I HATE LAUREN” anger! From there, Starbucks Mom and I had a hard finding anything remotely Alias or entertaining about the whole finale.
I felt the writing was haphazardly formed on pages- loose ends were not tied, but cut in order to meet the time restraint and at an attempt to satisfy. We here at Let’s Talk have been piecing together the complex and creative puzzle of Alias from day one. The twists and turns, the shock and awe-we have reviewed, rehashed and reexamined every last detail from every season, storyline and character. Now, I can mostly certainly say, the writers did not. If they had- then I think we would have seen an entirely different Alias finale.
Many of you posted that perhaps our own exciting, deep and complex theories here on the blog set us up for disappointment. We expected great things. We expected closure and answers and WHY WOULDN’T WE? The writers of ole gave us the meat. They built the expectation on their brilliant writing, their puzzling clues and their outrageous cliff-hangers. Not to mention the promotions!! What happened to the couch-gripping moments (Sydney defusing a bomb buried in a grave- Jack facing Geiger in the torture room- Vaughn being caught in the Mueller Device flood)? They disappeared- right down the tube.
There are no excuses- ABC Executives are not an excuse, time limitations are not an excuse. Alias has had plenty of finale episodes (hello, Season 1 and 2!!) that packed as much action, suspense and drama as any full length feature film. Alias has never had a problem with details, with fill and fast pace and last night it felt as if the show took a snooze. If you and I and Joe Blow can come up with 14 alternative endings during one hour of SpyChat with punch and fire and enormous amounts of WOW- then why can’t a room full of paid, professional writers do the same? I am just at a loss for words!
For the Love of Rambaldi
Most of this lack of detail comes from the Rambaldi storyline. In season 1 we learned about a prophet who lived 500 years ago and his ideas and designs about using technology to get closer to God. His role grew as we learned about SD-6, the Alliance and Sloane’s obsession with finding Rambaldi’s truth. We were thrown for a loop when we found out that Sydney was part of Rambaldi’s prophecy- that she was the “woman here depicted” who would save the world from “utter desolation.”
From El Dire, we learned that Rambaldi’s message was for peace. We learned that Sydney had a sister, the Passenger, who also had a special connection to Rambaldi and the prophecy. The definition of the notorious symbol for Rambaldi was described to us by Sydney, as a battle between the Chosen One and Passenger- a fight that would come down to a simple sphere. The clock, the cube, the manuscript, the green fluid, the hourglass, El Dire, the Rambaldi DNA, the Sphere of Life, Page 47, the Horizon and the countless other artifacts became pieces of the puzzle. What was the point of all globe-trotting and artifact stealing? What was the reason behind the number 47? The answers seemed to be buried along with Sloane.
Inconsistency and plot holes are one thing, season to season, but episode to episode is just plain laziness. Though we’ve seen little of Irina over the years, the woman we’ve always known as Sydney’s mother and international criminal was not the woman we saw last night. Her feelings about Sydney and Nadia have always been clear. She always loved her daughters, always tried to protect them, even when she was using them for your own gain. She was never a strong, whole-hearted believer in Rambaldi, but more interested in learning about the roles her daughters played in his prophecy. Somewhere in the frenzy of the final moments, we lost the meaning of Irina’s truth- “The Truth Takes Time.” Well, time is up!
Now we will never know how Irina’s capture by Elena was connected to Irina’s endgame. Did she merely need to get rid of her sister to fulfill her own evil endgame? If her intention was eternal life, what was the point? She didn’t have a motivation to live forever outside of evil- she had nothing to live for- no family, no love. Where had she been all those years? What was she working all? All of this was for a little red sphere with live-forever juice??
As for Sloane and his obsession-when did Rambaldi go from being about “faith, peace, love, and eternal life” to the billions of dollars he would receive from the reconstruction of the cities he planned to bomb? He repeatedly spoke of the “greater good” and even continued to drink large amounts of water, which only lead us back to the harmonious affects of the Mueller Device and the peace it would bring. Sloane has always had access to large amount of money- the Alliance, the Covenant, P5 were all big high rolls with cash and power. Sloane wiped them out, how much more power can you get?
Even some of the flashbacks in Sydney’s life seemed inconsistent. Jack seemed surprised that Sydney was able to piece together the complex puzzle at such a young age. I always assumed that Jack’s intended use of Project Christmas as a way to protect Sydney from the life of spydom. He wanted her to be able to withstand torture, physical and mental and to identify traitors like Irina and Sloane. Jack had always stated that he had never intended for Sydney to be involved with the CIA- he even mentioned it in his last words to her. That would suggest, along with Sydney’s flashback meeting with Sloane, that she herself chose the life of a spy which takes away from her character. She blamed Jack for taking away her choices in life.
Also, Sydney’s role in the Rambaldi scheme changed. Sloane had always been protective of Sydney- he always said that he loved her like a daughter and that she had some purpose. Why would Sloane keep her around if she was the Chosen One, the one who would stop him?
A couple random loose ends:
-If P5 used Sydspinoza to lure Sydney into P5, what was the point? Why did P5 need Sydney? What was their endgame? We won't ever know because P5 is dead!
-What about Renee? Was she merely the vessel for the chip that would lead to the bunker?
-Who was the Cardinal?
-Who was the mole inside MI5?
-Where is Katya? She is the last surviving Derevko and she's just as dangerous as the others.
-Who was DeSantis, how and why was he in that cryogenic-box?
-How did BV and Renee's know that Renee and Vaughn would find each other?
-What was SAB47?
Where is the Love?
I will not completely disregard the last hour- I will not denounce it for all eternity (no pun intended). There is plenty that I enjoyed about the final 60 minutes of Alias:
1. I enjoyed the return to micro self storage. I will forever be in love with that dank, dirty will chain linked storage room.
2. I loved the flashbacks:
-Young Sydney piecing together the puzzle.
-The much-anticipated return of good old Francie and her playful relationship with Sydney.
-The blow up between Sydney and Jack about her job at Credit Dauphine. -Sydney’s meeting with Sloane about her promotion and advancement at SD-6.
These were all very important flashbacks that helped us to better understand Sydney’s position, her recruitment and personal decisions about becoming an agent. I will get back to this later…
3. I loved Sark pulling the gun on Vaughn, and Jack pulling the gun on Sark and then Sloane’s gofers pulling their guns on Jack. So classic!
4. Vaughn and Sark’s little fight- “YOU SHOT ME!”
5. I loved the torture of Kelly Peyton. How fabulous was it to see her squirm over the snake? To me, that made her human. That made her more complex. And yahoo Rachel, a little payback is always great!
6. Jack’s death- though sad, was very important to the end. He was finally able to take responsibility for the life he had chosen for himself and Sydney and by stopping Sloane from wreaking more havoc.
7. And who could not love little Jack and Izzy, on the beach with mom, dad and Uncle Dixon? It was precious, was it not?
8. Sloane spending all of eternity in a cave under a rock was not the most creative or clever way to punish Alias's number one spy villian, but I can live with that.
I know I said I would be satisfied if the writers left some questions unanswered, but as far as I am concerned they didn’t answer any! There was no nice little package with a bow! Yeah, sure Vaughn, Syd and the kiddies are safe at the beach- but Dixon wants their help finding Sark and Izzy is a super genius? I know, spin off material is great- but it was like, okay, “see ya next week for the conclusion of Alias: The Made for TV Movie.” BOO!
All of this leads to one large question from a writer’s point of view-
IS THIS WHAT JJ INTENTED FOR HIS MEGA HIT SHOW?
OKAY- hit me with it! I am prepared! Ready, aim, fire!
I understand that many of you want to love the finale, that you refuse to look at it in a negative light because it would mean that your love for the show was meaningless, pointless and unimportant. This post is not intended to change your mind. It’s not intended to make you feel bad about liking, loving or feeling satisfied by the ending. This post is merely a recap of my ideas and thoughts on the finale.
The final hour was to be THE hour. The pace picked up, the music was cued and then I think I fell into a deep spiral of disappointment, depression and desire to kill.
Love Lost
First, it was a cloud of sadness that seemed to take over- that sadness then morphed into only what I can explain as “I HATE LAUREN” anger! From there, Starbucks Mom and I had a hard finding anything remotely Alias or entertaining about the whole finale.
I felt the writing was haphazardly formed on pages- loose ends were not tied, but cut in order to meet the time restraint and at an attempt to satisfy. We here at Let’s Talk have been piecing together the complex and creative puzzle of Alias from day one. The twists and turns, the shock and awe-we have reviewed, rehashed and reexamined every last detail from every season, storyline and character. Now, I can mostly certainly say, the writers did not. If they had- then I think we would have seen an entirely different Alias finale.
Many of you posted that perhaps our own exciting, deep and complex theories here on the blog set us up for disappointment. We expected great things. We expected closure and answers and WHY WOULDN’T WE? The writers of ole gave us the meat. They built the expectation on their brilliant writing, their puzzling clues and their outrageous cliff-hangers. Not to mention the promotions!! What happened to the couch-gripping moments (Sydney defusing a bomb buried in a grave- Jack facing Geiger in the torture room- Vaughn being caught in the Mueller Device flood)? They disappeared- right down the tube.
There are no excuses- ABC Executives are not an excuse, time limitations are not an excuse. Alias has had plenty of finale episodes (hello, Season 1 and 2!!) that packed as much action, suspense and drama as any full length feature film. Alias has never had a problem with details, with fill and fast pace and last night it felt as if the show took a snooze. If you and I and Joe Blow can come up with 14 alternative endings during one hour of SpyChat with punch and fire and enormous amounts of WOW- then why can’t a room full of paid, professional writers do the same? I am just at a loss for words!
For the Love of Rambaldi
Most of this lack of detail comes from the Rambaldi storyline. In season 1 we learned about a prophet who lived 500 years ago and his ideas and designs about using technology to get closer to God. His role grew as we learned about SD-6, the Alliance and Sloane’s obsession with finding Rambaldi’s truth. We were thrown for a loop when we found out that Sydney was part of Rambaldi’s prophecy- that she was the “woman here depicted” who would save the world from “utter desolation.”
From El Dire, we learned that Rambaldi’s message was for peace. We learned that Sydney had a sister, the Passenger, who also had a special connection to Rambaldi and the prophecy. The definition of the notorious symbol for Rambaldi was described to us by Sydney, as a battle between the Chosen One and Passenger- a fight that would come down to a simple sphere. The clock, the cube, the manuscript, the green fluid, the hourglass, El Dire, the Rambaldi DNA, the Sphere of Life, Page 47, the Horizon and the countless other artifacts became pieces of the puzzle. What was the point of all globe-trotting and artifact stealing? What was the reason behind the number 47? The answers seemed to be buried along with Sloane.
Inconsistency and plot holes are one thing, season to season, but episode to episode is just plain laziness. Though we’ve seen little of Irina over the years, the woman we’ve always known as Sydney’s mother and international criminal was not the woman we saw last night. Her feelings about Sydney and Nadia have always been clear. She always loved her daughters, always tried to protect them, even when she was using them for your own gain. She was never a strong, whole-hearted believer in Rambaldi, but more interested in learning about the roles her daughters played in his prophecy. Somewhere in the frenzy of the final moments, we lost the meaning of Irina’s truth- “The Truth Takes Time.” Well, time is up!
Now we will never know how Irina’s capture by Elena was connected to Irina’s endgame. Did she merely need to get rid of her sister to fulfill her own evil endgame? If her intention was eternal life, what was the point? She didn’t have a motivation to live forever outside of evil- she had nothing to live for- no family, no love. Where had she been all those years? What was she working all? All of this was for a little red sphere with live-forever juice??
As for Sloane and his obsession-when did Rambaldi go from being about “faith, peace, love, and eternal life” to the billions of dollars he would receive from the reconstruction of the cities he planned to bomb? He repeatedly spoke of the “greater good” and even continued to drink large amounts of water, which only lead us back to the harmonious affects of the Mueller Device and the peace it would bring. Sloane has always had access to large amount of money- the Alliance, the Covenant, P5 were all big high rolls with cash and power. Sloane wiped them out, how much more power can you get?
Even some of the flashbacks in Sydney’s life seemed inconsistent. Jack seemed surprised that Sydney was able to piece together the complex puzzle at such a young age. I always assumed that Jack’s intended use of Project Christmas as a way to protect Sydney from the life of spydom. He wanted her to be able to withstand torture, physical and mental and to identify traitors like Irina and Sloane. Jack had always stated that he had never intended for Sydney to be involved with the CIA- he even mentioned it in his last words to her. That would suggest, along with Sydney’s flashback meeting with Sloane, that she herself chose the life of a spy which takes away from her character. She blamed Jack for taking away her choices in life.
Also, Sydney’s role in the Rambaldi scheme changed. Sloane had always been protective of Sydney- he always said that he loved her like a daughter and that she had some purpose. Why would Sloane keep her around if she was the Chosen One, the one who would stop him?
A couple random loose ends:
-If P5 used Sydspinoza to lure Sydney into P5, what was the point? Why did P5 need Sydney? What was their endgame? We won't ever know because P5 is dead!
-What about Renee? Was she merely the vessel for the chip that would lead to the bunker?
-Who was the Cardinal?
-Who was the mole inside MI5?
-Where is Katya? She is the last surviving Derevko and she's just as dangerous as the others.
-Who was DeSantis, how and why was he in that cryogenic-box?
-How did BV and Renee's know that Renee and Vaughn would find each other?
-What was SAB47?
Where is the Love?
I will not completely disregard the last hour- I will not denounce it for all eternity (no pun intended). There is plenty that I enjoyed about the final 60 minutes of Alias:
1. I enjoyed the return to micro self storage. I will forever be in love with that dank, dirty will chain linked storage room.
2. I loved the flashbacks:
-Young Sydney piecing together the puzzle.
-The much-anticipated return of good old Francie and her playful relationship with Sydney.
-The blow up between Sydney and Jack about her job at Credit Dauphine. -Sydney’s meeting with Sloane about her promotion and advancement at SD-6.
These were all very important flashbacks that helped us to better understand Sydney’s position, her recruitment and personal decisions about becoming an agent. I will get back to this later…
3. I loved Sark pulling the gun on Vaughn, and Jack pulling the gun on Sark and then Sloane’s gofers pulling their guns on Jack. So classic!
4. Vaughn and Sark’s little fight- “YOU SHOT ME!”
5. I loved the torture of Kelly Peyton. How fabulous was it to see her squirm over the snake? To me, that made her human. That made her more complex. And yahoo Rachel, a little payback is always great!
6. Jack’s death- though sad, was very important to the end. He was finally able to take responsibility for the life he had chosen for himself and Sydney and by stopping Sloane from wreaking more havoc.
7. And who could not love little Jack and Izzy, on the beach with mom, dad and Uncle Dixon? It was precious, was it not?
8. Sloane spending all of eternity in a cave under a rock was not the most creative or clever way to punish Alias's number one spy villian, but I can live with that.
I know I said I would be satisfied if the writers left some questions unanswered, but as far as I am concerned they didn’t answer any! There was no nice little package with a bow! Yeah, sure Vaughn, Syd and the kiddies are safe at the beach- but Dixon wants their help finding Sark and Izzy is a super genius? I know, spin off material is great- but it was like, okay, “see ya next week for the conclusion of Alias: The Made for TV Movie.” BOO!
All of this leads to one large question from a writer’s point of view-
IS THIS WHAT JJ INTENTED FOR HIS MEGA HIT SHOW?
OKAY- hit me with it! I am prepared! Ready, aim, fire!
Episode 5.16 "Reprisal"
This is part one of my finale recap:
Her voice over was cinematic- the flashed photos of dead agents and civilians killed while investigating Prophet 5 was a visual masterpiece and very representative of Sydney’s own struggle with terrorist groups over the years. Prophet 5, over the span of thirty years, has infiltrated thousands of government agencies in order to make a massive world power play for money and power. We watch as APO does what they do best- weave in and out of situations with skill and improv. They work as a team to idenitify their targets and then the fight begins.
Trifecta of Profecta
Sloane, Sark and Peyton form a strategic alliance, once they have acquired the amulet. Together they form Profit 3, a group set on financial take-over and global economic domination. I thought it all came down to faith, but I suppose, what it really comes down to is money and power.
Sloane informs Sark and Kelly that P5 won't hesitate to eliminate them now that their assignments are complete. It is no surprise that Sark takes the offer to save his skin and Kelly Peyton isn’t far behind- as Sark is part of the alliance package. *Wink* Oh, steamy glares from Little Miss Muffet. Um, yeah, Sark looked good- real good.
I loved that this trio formed for their own purpose. It was very classic Alias for this loyal-less villains to create their own powerful group. With their new found power, they kidnap Marshall and Rachel to hack in and find a secret Rambaldi cavern. Simultaneously, Sloane sets in motion a plan to destroy all his obstacles- P5, APO and Sydney Bristow.
The Taken
Grace stops in on Rachel to talk to her about his wife- which leads to all we had hoped from the beginning- that Grace and Rachel would be the next spy couple. They lay one on each other and then in embarrassment, Grace slips away. Enter Sark. He knocks on the door and snatches Rachel. I found the whole scene rather awkward. I was confused about whether or not Grace was aware that Sark was coming and exactly what his intensions were by visiting Rachel. I did love Rachel shyness and what seemed to a school girl crush on a somewhat broken man.
Arvin uses Mitchell as a lure to kidnap Marshal and WELCOME BACK CARRIE!How proud am I of Marshall and Rachel? How outstanding was their stand against Sloane and the gang? And WOW, the return of Carrie Foreman! I love, love that Carrie Foreman! Jack and Sydney let her in on Marshall’s secret and together they track Marshall and Rachel to Mexico.
When Marshall and Rachel refuse to assist Sloane- Sloane's subconscious and/or Nadia’s ghost makes him see that he may in fact need help in persuading them. He interrupts Sydney and Isabelle on an outing. I NEARLY DIED! If Sloane even put a hand on Isabelle I was going to lose it! But he merely hands Sydney the phone and forces her to convince Marshall to help. Call to classic Alias- Sydney slips Marshall a code. I love me some spy stuff!
Later, while rescuing Marshall and Rachel, Sydney and Vaughn learn the location of the cavern- Mt. Subasio- the very mountain that proved the prophecy wrong.
Mt. Subasio with a Mad Man
At the icy mountain cavern (which was filmed on the poorest green screen ever- but I suspended my disbelief), juxtaposed with Sark’s actions and the Kelly Peyton’s mission- Sydney winds her way around numerous frozen corridors- the music builds and then she…STUMBLES UPON SANTAS WORKSHIP! Just kidding, it was Sloane and his old man necklace. Sloane isn’t surprised to see her. In fact, he says, “I knew you would come.” He speaks to Sydney about his intentions. Sloane reveals that Sydney once lived with him and Emily and that they had done their best to comfort her once her mother died. They covered her room with shelves of stuffed animals and one morning when Arvin woke Sydney her stuffed animals were all over the floor. She said that they were drowning and that she had to save them. This scene was juxtaposed with Marshall’s return to APO and then Sloane states that he has always wondered when Sydney would learn that she couldn’t save everyone.
Parallel to this scene- Sark rigs APO and the train station for a massive explosion and Kelly makes the trek to Zurich to kill the 12.
I want to say- I love Kelly Peyton, even if her character is one dimensional and underdeveloped. I love that she is the one to pull the guns on P5, the very group that made her. It is a testament to her evil inner-workings and her lack of loyalty. She houses many of the same qualities as Irina. However, I did find the deaths of the 12 very troublesome for the plot. All season the writers have been building up the mystery and danger of P5. The groups ability to infiltrate governments undetected and their connections to powerful people made them terrifying enemies. I was disappointed by their deaths and that we learned nothing about how they acquired their power and what their Rambaldi-related intentions were.
Back at the rock-Sloane raises the amulet into the seeping sunlight in the cavern and tells Sydney, “Sydney, you are not allowed to see this” before shooting the ice out from under her. Sydney tumbles down a dark cavern.
Meanwhile, in LA, Grace and team struggle to get civilians and officials out of the subway. Grace comes across the bomb on one of the subway cars. He and Dixon decide that Grace will stay and defuse the bomb. There, on the track, Grace decides to sacrifice himself. WHAT? Get the hell out of there!! Are you kidding me!!?? We know Grace was harboring guilt and regret about the death of his wife, but he had plenty of time to get out of there!! In the episode we also learned about his feelings for Rachel. I was not surprised by Grace’s death, but I was surprised at the circumstances of his death. He said his goodbye to Rachel and then took a seat as the train and the tunnels around it collapsed. Goodbye Grace.
Grace’s death, too, seemed anticlimactic. His role in breech on the CIA and his connections with the Cardinal left me begging to know more. If he truly cared about Rachel and wanted a relationship with her, as he stated on comms, why would be sit down and allow himself to be blown up?
What do you want to be when you grow up?
While Sydney lies dying in the frozen cavern, she has several flashbacks revealing bits about her past. A small Sydney sits at her desk in school, and she is having a hard time drawing a picture of what she wants to be.
She also flashes to the night her mother died and we were able to see Jack’s hurt and Sydney’s scared expression as she realized that her life would be changing.
I loved the flashbacks. They were very revealing about Sydney’s psyche and her relationship with her father and her professional mind set. She was expected, even as a small girl, to be strong, to save her father.
As this is happening, Vaughn repels down the cavern to save Sydney with the little love and CPR. Oh, Vaughn, always there when needed.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first hour. I felt it was a solid hour of set up for what could only be a stellar ending, even if it was rather slow moving. I felt it held very much the core of Alias- but at the same, I felt it developed more questions. I will get to these questions in the second half of my recap.
Sorry that it has taken me so long to post. I believe much of my disappointment comes from the last hour of the show. So, now I am diving into that.
Stay tuned….
Her voice over was cinematic- the flashed photos of dead agents and civilians killed while investigating Prophet 5 was a visual masterpiece and very representative of Sydney’s own struggle with terrorist groups over the years. Prophet 5, over the span of thirty years, has infiltrated thousands of government agencies in order to make a massive world power play for money and power. We watch as APO does what they do best- weave in and out of situations with skill and improv. They work as a team to idenitify their targets and then the fight begins.
Trifecta of Profecta
Sloane, Sark and Peyton form a strategic alliance, once they have acquired the amulet. Together they form Profit 3, a group set on financial take-over and global economic domination. I thought it all came down to faith, but I suppose, what it really comes down to is money and power.
Sloane informs Sark and Kelly that P5 won't hesitate to eliminate them now that their assignments are complete. It is no surprise that Sark takes the offer to save his skin and Kelly Peyton isn’t far behind- as Sark is part of the alliance package. *Wink* Oh, steamy glares from Little Miss Muffet. Um, yeah, Sark looked good- real good.
I loved that this trio formed for their own purpose. It was very classic Alias for this loyal-less villains to create their own powerful group. With their new found power, they kidnap Marshall and Rachel to hack in and find a secret Rambaldi cavern. Simultaneously, Sloane sets in motion a plan to destroy all his obstacles- P5, APO and Sydney Bristow.
The Taken
Grace stops in on Rachel to talk to her about his wife- which leads to all we had hoped from the beginning- that Grace and Rachel would be the next spy couple. They lay one on each other and then in embarrassment, Grace slips away. Enter Sark. He knocks on the door and snatches Rachel. I found the whole scene rather awkward. I was confused about whether or not Grace was aware that Sark was coming and exactly what his intensions were by visiting Rachel. I did love Rachel shyness and what seemed to a school girl crush on a somewhat broken man.
Arvin uses Mitchell as a lure to kidnap Marshal and WELCOME BACK CARRIE!How proud am I of Marshall and Rachel? How outstanding was their stand against Sloane and the gang? And WOW, the return of Carrie Foreman! I love, love that Carrie Foreman! Jack and Sydney let her in on Marshall’s secret and together they track Marshall and Rachel to Mexico.
When Marshall and Rachel refuse to assist Sloane- Sloane's subconscious and/or Nadia’s ghost makes him see that he may in fact need help in persuading them. He interrupts Sydney and Isabelle on an outing. I NEARLY DIED! If Sloane even put a hand on Isabelle I was going to lose it! But he merely hands Sydney the phone and forces her to convince Marshall to help. Call to classic Alias- Sydney slips Marshall a code. I love me some spy stuff!
Later, while rescuing Marshall and Rachel, Sydney and Vaughn learn the location of the cavern- Mt. Subasio- the very mountain that proved the prophecy wrong.
Mt. Subasio with a Mad Man
At the icy mountain cavern (which was filmed on the poorest green screen ever- but I suspended my disbelief), juxtaposed with Sark’s actions and the Kelly Peyton’s mission- Sydney winds her way around numerous frozen corridors- the music builds and then she…STUMBLES UPON SANTAS WORKSHIP! Just kidding, it was Sloane and his old man necklace. Sloane isn’t surprised to see her. In fact, he says, “I knew you would come.” He speaks to Sydney about his intentions. Sloane reveals that Sydney once lived with him and Emily and that they had done their best to comfort her once her mother died. They covered her room with shelves of stuffed animals and one morning when Arvin woke Sydney her stuffed animals were all over the floor. She said that they were drowning and that she had to save them. This scene was juxtaposed with Marshall’s return to APO and then Sloane states that he has always wondered when Sydney would learn that she couldn’t save everyone.
Parallel to this scene- Sark rigs APO and the train station for a massive explosion and Kelly makes the trek to Zurich to kill the 12.
I want to say- I love Kelly Peyton, even if her character is one dimensional and underdeveloped. I love that she is the one to pull the guns on P5, the very group that made her. It is a testament to her evil inner-workings and her lack of loyalty. She houses many of the same qualities as Irina. However, I did find the deaths of the 12 very troublesome for the plot. All season the writers have been building up the mystery and danger of P5. The groups ability to infiltrate governments undetected and their connections to powerful people made them terrifying enemies. I was disappointed by their deaths and that we learned nothing about how they acquired their power and what their Rambaldi-related intentions were.
Back at the rock-Sloane raises the amulet into the seeping sunlight in the cavern and tells Sydney, “Sydney, you are not allowed to see this” before shooting the ice out from under her. Sydney tumbles down a dark cavern.
Meanwhile, in LA, Grace and team struggle to get civilians and officials out of the subway. Grace comes across the bomb on one of the subway cars. He and Dixon decide that Grace will stay and defuse the bomb. There, on the track, Grace decides to sacrifice himself. WHAT? Get the hell out of there!! Are you kidding me!!?? We know Grace was harboring guilt and regret about the death of his wife, but he had plenty of time to get out of there!! In the episode we also learned about his feelings for Rachel. I was not surprised by Grace’s death, but I was surprised at the circumstances of his death. He said his goodbye to Rachel and then took a seat as the train and the tunnels around it collapsed. Goodbye Grace.
Grace’s death, too, seemed anticlimactic. His role in breech on the CIA and his connections with the Cardinal left me begging to know more. If he truly cared about Rachel and wanted a relationship with her, as he stated on comms, why would be sit down and allow himself to be blown up?
What do you want to be when you grow up?
While Sydney lies dying in the frozen cavern, she has several flashbacks revealing bits about her past. A small Sydney sits at her desk in school, and she is having a hard time drawing a picture of what she wants to be.
She also flashes to the night her mother died and we were able to see Jack’s hurt and Sydney’s scared expression as she realized that her life would be changing.
I loved the flashbacks. They were very revealing about Sydney’s psyche and her relationship with her father and her professional mind set. She was expected, even as a small girl, to be strong, to save her father.
As this is happening, Vaughn repels down the cavern to save Sydney with the little love and CPR. Oh, Vaughn, always there when needed.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first hour. I felt it was a solid hour of set up for what could only be a stellar ending, even if it was rather slow moving. I felt it held very much the core of Alias- but at the same, I felt it developed more questions. I will get to these questions in the second half of my recap.
Sorry that it has taken me so long to post. I believe much of my disappointment comes from the last hour of the show. So, now I am diving into that.
Stay tuned….
In the Process
I am in the process of writing my recap. I am almost done! Hang in there!
PS. I still love, love, love Alias. I still love JJ and ABC. Loyalty is not lost.
PS. I still love, love, love Alias. I still love JJ and ABC. Loyalty is not lost.
To Speak Ill of the Dead
What I am about to say may be rather upsetting for some of you. I have been very loyal to Alias and ABC, and have been very adamant about keeping the blog positive and intelligent. However, I do not feel that Alias and ABC fulfilled their prophecy. What I experienced for 2 hours tonight was not Alias and I was surprised to read the many comments about "satisfaction" and "happy ending."I have decided not to post as of yet. I am still in the process of evaluating the show I just watched and it would be unfair of me to approach the recap while the air is still thick with disappointment. I will say that I am happy for our heroine and her beach front bliss, but I feel that the very foundation of the show (the creativity, the complexity and the completely shocking plot twists), the very factors that attracted us to the program in the first place, where lost and forgotten in the most important episode- the finale.
I understand that everyone is entitled to their opinions and their feelings- especially about Alias and especially here at Let's Talk. If you were left satisfied by the ending, if you cried and felt closure, than perhaps I am jealous. After five years of infatuation with the many jaw-dropping, fist-pumping, 3am DVD marathon moments of Alias, tonight's episode was equivelent to a slow balloon leak. It deflated, and frankly, I did too.
I am going to go to bed now- after Starbucks Mom and I finish eating the contents of her refridgerator. We are sad and disappointed that our favorite show was wittled down to two hours of glorified fluff and feeble attempts to disguise itself as the old Alias. Have no fear- my recap will house all the explaination and support for my feelings.Then we can all cry together and pray for a spin-off.
Love you all- good night.
Sincerely,
Your Blogmaster, GS... and Starbucks Mom
PS. Sara and Des, your pics were great! I will post them soon!!
Monday, May 22, 2006
Full Circle Finale
It is the end- but today is still Alias Day! My spirits are surprisingly high and that is because FINALLY we get the answers! FINALLY!
Like I mentioned in Wednesday's recap- we are back where we started- Sydney is determined to bring Sloane down and to finally live in peace and happiness with the people she loves. This determination, however, may cost others their lives. Sloane is just as determined, if not more so, to see Rambaldi's true work come to life. His entire life has been centered on the prophet since his days in the Army Corp of Engineers, and all his life's work will come down to a face off with Sydney Bristow- a woman at the center of Rambaldi's prophecy. Sydney is the Chosen One- and I believe she is the only one who can stop Sloane and save the world from "utter desolation."How she will stop him and who will be sacrificed is anyone's guess.
Like I mentioned in Wednesday's recap- we are back where we started- Sydney is determined to bring Sloane down and to finally live in peace and happiness with the people she loves. This determination, however, may cost others their lives. Sloane is just as determined, if not more so, to see Rambaldi's true work come to life. His entire life has been centered on the prophet since his days in the Army Corp of Engineers, and all his life's work will come down to a face off with Sydney Bristow- a woman at the center of Rambaldi's prophecy. Sydney is the Chosen One- and I believe she is the only one who can stop Sloane and save the world from "utter desolation."How she will stop him and who will be sacrificed is anyone's guess.
Sloane left Sydney with a chilling phone call, much like he did in season 2 on Sydney's graduation day. He warned her not to come after him, knowing full well she would and he did it again. Why coax her if she is the one who can foil his plan? Is he drawing her in for a reason? How is Grace's connection to Korman and the Cardinal relevant to P5 and the endgame?
PS. This is the space to post all of your reactions to the finale. Once again, please keep it short and sweet. Enjoy!! And don't forget to read the tribute blog below!
"Take a Bow..."
“... the night is over, this masquerade is getting older. Lights are low, the curtains down…”
I have never worn a red wig, lost a fiancé to my evil boss or discovered my mother was still alive. I have never traveled the world- only stopping in destinations long enough to disarm a bomb or rescue a colleague. I have never experienced physical torture or loss of memory at the hands of a terrorist group. I have never been identified by my own dental records or have come face to face with deadly assassins. I have never fallen in love over comms, renounced my father or found my portrait on a 500 year old manuscript. I have never stumbled upon a long lost sister or placed a friend in Witness Protection. But, then again, I have. Through the eyes and ears of Sydney Bristow; I have done all these things and more.
The character of Sydney Bristow, so brilliantly played by Jennifer Garner, has led us on an action-packed, heart-wrenching, jaw-dropping journey of international espionage and self discovery. From her years as a double agent, to her days of double duty as spy and mother, Sydney has been fighting in a world turned upside down by secrets, deceit, mystery and danger. Today, those of us who have been on the journey from the beginning, or merely joined in for the fun, will say goodbye to Sydney Bristow and her gaggle of enemies, family and friends.
Seven years and five seasons we have been trudging around in the belly of what makes great television. Sure, we tuned in for the action, the outfits, the gadgets and the round-the-world locations, but it was the characters that brought us back each week- inviting us into their private lives laced with the pressures of their profession and the complexitity of their involvement in the overall story. The highs and lows of their lives, were the highs and lows of our nights- if Sydney was "ripped apart", we were ripped apart. If Marshall was missing, there was a part of us that was missing too.
In one of my very first articles I published, I stated that Alias is an onion- many layers of story and emotion that add flavor but also make us cry. No question that here we have peeled away all the outer layers with our specualtion, theory and discussion and we have made our way to the core, the center, the middle- which will no doubt make us cry.
I am sad to see it go, but grateful I was able to experience it, if only from the outside- a viewer looking in. Perhaps I learned something profound from it- aside from what makes good TV. I may not have learned kung-fu or how to use a bazooka. I didn't come to like wigs or want to wear them on a regular basis. I certainly don't believe in Rambaldi and the secrets of his profecies, but perhaps I learned that even one person can make a difference if their intensions are true and good. That one person, bright and sunny can take all the matters of the world on her shoulders (with a dimpled smile) and perhaps make life easier for someone else. That even in dire times of life and death, and as the fate of the free world hangs in the balance- loyal friends and family can help you- be it an extraction or simply offering a hand under the glow of ferris wheel lights.
Alias has meant something to all of us- whether it's meant an hour with friends, or living adventures vicariously through Sydney. We all have our favorite storylines, characters, moments, quotes, songs, etc. and we will continue to enjoy the show here at Let's Talk, in syndication and on DVD. Aside from all we will miss, enjoy tonight, even if your questions aren't answered. Enjoy tonight even if the plot doesn't pan out like you had hoped. Just enjoy it, like we have every Sunday, Thursday, Wednesday for 5 long years. Through the good, the bad and the ugly. And then- say goodbye.
“…why, oh why, this show is over say goodbye. Say goodbye.” Loveyoumissyoubye!
The series finale of Alias appears tonight 9pm-11pm PDT on ABC.
Aside from all this- I am still very much in denial. I feel like Seattle weather- cloudy and gray. I am hanging in there though. I'll be okay.
I will be posting the finale recap tomorrow morning. I figure I need some extra time to process and write. I have requested tomorrow off from work- as I will be visiting with Starbucks Mom and SpyBaby Syd- needless to say, we will be blogging and e-mailing all day tomorrow. Please send me any questions and comments you may have about the finale or the show in general. Then, Thursday and Friday will be mega SpyChat days to help us hash through all we have learned.
Remember-As you gather around the TV tonight with friends and family (champagne and cake), don't forget to take pictures! E-mail them to me and I will post them for a blogger photo album. Make sure to include your name and the names of those pictured. Thanks!
Today is the day to turn in your Let's Talk T-shirt designs. If you have an entry or 2 or 3, send them to me via e-mail. girlscout35@hotmail.com
Sunday, May 21, 2006
The Eve
I am exhausted-physically and emotionally. I cut a rug at my friend's wedding, I still can't feel my feet and this morning- woken by SpyBaby Syd, I remembered that tomorrow is the finale. That is where my emotional exhaustion comes in.
I have nothing clever or insightful to say today- I need a night to reflect, collect my thoughts and write the greatest tribute blog ever. It will be posted by 9am on Monday morning Pacific Daylight Time.
Aside, I HAD HAD HAD to post the most utterly perfect screen cap from Alias ever. Enjoy!
I have nothing clever or insightful to say today- I need a night to reflect, collect my thoughts and write the greatest tribute blog ever. It will be posted by 9am on Monday morning Pacific Daylight Time.
Aside, I HAD HAD HAD to post the most utterly perfect screen cap from Alias ever. Enjoy!
Friday, May 19, 2006
How It All Will End
We can speculate until the cows come home. We can map out ideas, piece together scenes and spoilers- but we have never been able to predict Alias and I doubt we will get any closer to how the show will sign off. Personally, I will be satisfied with whatever the writers give us. They have been kind to us, I have faith and I trust they will do right by the show. But, for fun, I thought it would be great to share ideas about how you think the show will end. What ending would "quell your fire?" What big twists or cliffhangers would you lead the season out with? If you were writing the season finale-how would you say goodbye?
Ready, set, GO!
PS. Thanks Lisa for the great idea!
PPS. SAY CHEESE!! Sarafu, you posted a great idea as well!! I think it would be great if ya'll took photos during your watch of the finale episode. During the commercials (of course), gather your Alias party people together and snap a few for memory's sake. Then, send them to me via e-mail (girlscout35@hotmail.com) and I will post a photo album of sorts, to help commemorate the ending of Alias! Great idea Sara!
PPPS. Amandalicious as finally posted a recap of Wednesday night's Lost episode on Let's Get LOST. Check it out!! www.letsgetlost2.blogspot.com
PPPPS. (Okay, I know, the PS is getting ridiculous) Alias-Media has posted a tear-jerker of an article about being an Alias fan. IT IS A MUST READ- it's called "Confessions of an Alias Addict." www.alias-media.com
Ready, set, GO!
PS. Thanks Lisa for the great idea!
PPS. SAY CHEESE!! Sarafu, you posted a great idea as well!! I think it would be great if ya'll took photos during your watch of the finale episode. During the commercials (of course), gather your Alias party people together and snap a few for memory's sake. Then, send them to me via e-mail (girlscout35@hotmail.com) and I will post a photo album of sorts, to help commemorate the ending of Alias! Great idea Sara!
PPPS. Amandalicious as finally posted a recap of Wednesday night's Lost episode on Let's Get LOST. Check it out!! www.letsgetlost2.blogspot.com
PPPPS. (Okay, I know, the PS is getting ridiculous) Alias-Media has posted a tear-jerker of an article about being an Alias fan. IT IS A MUST READ- it's called "Confessions of an Alias Addict." www.alias-media.com
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Updates
Just a few tidbits:
-The T-shirt contest ends on Monday. If you have any entries, please turn them in to me via e-mail by the 22nd. Remember- the design should incorporate the name of the blog and can contain pics, quotes, drawings, etc. I have a few designs up my sleeve, which I will share with all of you. They will be available for purchase on Zazzle in a couple of days.
-I will be out of town all this weekend at a wedding. I will check in when I can and I am sure Jenn will as well. I am thinking this weekend will be the calm before the storm. SpyChat will take place on Sunday night at 6pm- we can hash out our final questions and ideas then.
I will post a special article on Monday morning and then an episode recap after the finale wraps. I have requested the day off from work on Tuesday, which I will be spending with Starbucks Mom. We plan to be blogging all day on Tuesday, so we ain't slowin' down!
-I just received word the Victor Garber's new show, Justice, has been picked up by Fox! YAHOO!! More SpyDaddy. I believe the show is about lawyers in high-profile cases. Can't wait, I love me some VG!
-I am purchasing more CD's this weekend, in order to wrap up the sound tracks for you all. This next week is going to be crazy busy, with the Alias finale and then the Lost finale. I hope to have them out by the last weekend in May. Sorry for the delay!
Don't forget to check out the recap from last night's episode below!
-The T-shirt contest ends on Monday. If you have any entries, please turn them in to me via e-mail by the 22nd. Remember- the design should incorporate the name of the blog and can contain pics, quotes, drawings, etc. I have a few designs up my sleeve, which I will share with all of you. They will be available for purchase on Zazzle in a couple of days.
-I will be out of town all this weekend at a wedding. I will check in when I can and I am sure Jenn will as well. I am thinking this weekend will be the calm before the storm. SpyChat will take place on Sunday night at 6pm- we can hash out our final questions and ideas then.
I will post a special article on Monday morning and then an episode recap after the finale wraps. I have requested the day off from work on Tuesday, which I will be spending with Starbucks Mom. We plan to be blogging all day on Tuesday, so we ain't slowin' down!
-I just received word the Victor Garber's new show, Justice, has been picked up by Fox! YAHOO!! More SpyDaddy. I believe the show is about lawyers in high-profile cases. Can't wait, I love me some VG!
-I am purchasing more CD's this weekend, in order to wrap up the sound tracks for you all. This next week is going to be crazy busy, with the Alias finale and then the Lost finale. I hope to have them out by the last weekend in May. Sorry for the delay!
Don't forget to check out the recap from last night's episode below!
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Episode 5.15 "No Hard Feelings"
We are one step closer. The answers, all the answers are right there and tonight, well, it was a set up for all those answers.
SHOUT OUT GIRLSCOUT-
Did ya catch it? Did you catch my shout out? In the car, SydAna and Peyton, musing over the previous mission and the death of Miss B. Sydney says something to the affect of, “It’s this body- I feel like I have to walk around like a girlscout." Starbucks Mom caught it first off! YAHOO! (PS. If you know the exact quote, let me know. I think I might make a T-shirt).
SydAna returns from her mission to retrieve the chip (which Kelly Peyton destroys in a glass of- no doubt crappy- champagne) and comes face to face with her enemy of all enemies, Sloane. She asks him to join her in celebratory drink- as Sydney Bristow is dead. *wink* Sydney so brilliantly coaxes and pets him to catch a flutter of regret or remorse. Sloane plays along, but we could all see the hurt in his eyes- the Chosen One, dead, Sydney Bristow, dead.
Help me- What exactly was the point of Ana retrieving the chip if Kelly was just going to destroy it in a glass of bubbly? I understand that the point of Ana looking like Syd was to fool the rose tattoo man into giving her the amulet. But, what was the chip for? Did I miss something?
Later, Sloane approaches SydAna about how exactly she offed the SuperSpy. Sydney says one of the most amazing things she has ever said on this show- “Sydney isn’t a martyr or a legend.” And she’s not. She’s merely a woman who wants to protect her family. BRAVO Syd for that one!
Back At Base Camp
Marshall, Jack, Vaughn and Dixon are busy keeping tabs on Syd. Um, can I say one thing- Marshall’s little sappy quips never get old! He announces to Vaughn that he cried at his funeral and Vaughn merely replies, “Yeah, sorry about that.” I died! Onward, Syd is tracked and Dixon pays a visit to the bunker- complete with a tiny portrait of the new girl in Vaughn’s life- Baby Iz. Hot socks I love having Vaughn back in action. Oooh, and the scruff, are you kidding! The man is beautiful. Sorry, boys, sorry- moving on.
We learn that it was in fact Jack’s plan to fake Vaughn’s death and what better, more successful way than sodium blah blah blah. I TOLD YOU THE CUP AND STRAW WERE IMPORTANT!! He drank the dead juice and slipped into a coma and then sat in the morgue waiting for the contact. Brill (as in the British slang for brilliant)! And it’s a good thing SpyDaddy is so morbid, because the P5 bunker was packed with information on mysterious death and murders of several people who were investigating P5. Now- if Billy V was investigating P5 and he has to die and it was in fact Irina that killed him- than maybe Irina has more to do with this than we thought.
Sark, Syd and the Slammer
SydAna is set to meet with a P5 contact, someone that will help her retrieve the final piece of the Rambaldi puzzle. Sloane said she would know him when she saw him and who should come swaggering into the bar- why, hello Sark! Yum. SydAna pays tribute to his betrayal with a few fists to the face, then they knock back a few and Sark dishes the dirt on this Rambaldi artifact. It’s in a prison- the very same prison that housed the heretic Rambaldi himself. Hmmm, interesting. So, Sark pulls a bomb from his pants (oh, did I just say that?) and he and SydAna take a trip to the clink.
One Old Dude
Okay, the old guy? Kinda creepish and I know about half of you were thinking, “This is it, this is the moment we have been waiting for- it’s Rambaldi!” Nope, sorry. Rambaldi is dead! Aside, the creepy man with the rose tattoo gives Sydney an amber amulet (say that 3 times fast). Imagine- this prophet comes to you and promises you eternal life- but you have to sit here and wait in jail for 500 years and then this girl, who I have drawn a picture of on the wall will come and you give her this. I’d say, “Yeah, right, I ain’t wasting this gift of long life in a jail cell.” Seriously!
The creepy old man did have some very interesting things to say, however. He mentioned something about stars falling from the sky and that by giving Sydney the amulet the circle would be complete. Any ideas on this one?
TomTom with a Bomb
Marshall intercepts a communication from Grace to Korman and brings it to Rachel’s attention. Rachel then plays spy (go figure) and follows Grace to his meet. Korman tells Grace he will give him the information on his wife’s death, if Grace retrieves Korman’s old car from impound. Rachel confronts Grace and Grace tells her he is investigation his wife’s death and Korman is the only person who knows who ordered the hit. Hand and hand, Rachel and Grace hotwire the car and deliver it to Korman. Korman digs around in the back seat and man, he doesn’t find change for a dollar, but a sack of ice baby!
Grace learns that the hit was meant for him. Korman waited, as Grace was suppose to be with his wife- but duty called and Grace was called away. Korman killed Grace’s wife because he thought it was Grace. Grace says goodbye to Korman and then blows him and that horrid car to bits. Bummer!
Now, wait- so Grace really was just trying to track down the story behind his wife’s death? Does the Cardinal really have nothing to do with P5 and all this Rambaldi mumbo jumbo? I am so confused! Why do we care? What is the point? There has to be one! I am thinking that Grace used this as an opportunity to contact the Cardinal and kill Korman at the same time- I think it was all a monkey, weasel, mulberry bush story. I think something else is up or at least I hope.
The Suffocation of Syd
I really hope I will never have to watch my fiancé be strangled by their sworn enemy in a maximum security prison. Sad! Sloane appears in SydAna’s cell after she has successfully retrieved the amulet. Sark is carted off by Peyton and Syd is left to fend for herself. Sloane, in thinking the woman before him is Ana, wraps his little liver spotted hands (sorry Ron, love ya) around her neck and begins choking her. When he can’t kill her he realizes that it is, in fact, Sydney. Vaughn comes to the rescue when a prison guard gets nightstick happy and the two rush home.
The Family Bristow-Vaughn
How absolutely adorable is the SpyFam? Nestled at home, in bed in Santa Monica, Vaughn spends some quality time with his kiddo. We never thought we would see this moment- complete peace, almost a harmonic stillness. But, it is short lived. Sydney receives a call a la season 2 and graduation day, from Sloane. He pulls out the one, two punch. He knows its her and he knows she will come after him.
That’s it. That was the lead in to the finale. A simple episode which brings us full circle, back to the beginning- Sydney looking to bring down Sloane and reunite with her love (or loves, plural, I should say, as I am sure Izzy B-V is included!!)
I wasn’t overly impressed with the eppy- I didn’t jump from my seat or scream. My friends and I were sure we would have an OH MY GAWD moment, but it never came. They are saving all the good stuff for the finale, I get it. So, bring it on! Let’s see it! I want the answers, I want the action and I want it 2 full hours on a Monday night! Goodnight, thank you very much, I'll be here all week and tip your waitresses!
SHOUT OUT GIRLSCOUT-
Did ya catch it? Did you catch my shout out? In the car, SydAna and Peyton, musing over the previous mission and the death of Miss B. Sydney says something to the affect of, “It’s this body- I feel like I have to walk around like a girlscout." Starbucks Mom caught it first off! YAHOO! (PS. If you know the exact quote, let me know. I think I might make a T-shirt).
SydAna returns from her mission to retrieve the chip (which Kelly Peyton destroys in a glass of- no doubt crappy- champagne) and comes face to face with her enemy of all enemies, Sloane. She asks him to join her in celebratory drink- as Sydney Bristow is dead. *wink* Sydney so brilliantly coaxes and pets him to catch a flutter of regret or remorse. Sloane plays along, but we could all see the hurt in his eyes- the Chosen One, dead, Sydney Bristow, dead.
Help me- What exactly was the point of Ana retrieving the chip if Kelly was just going to destroy it in a glass of bubbly? I understand that the point of Ana looking like Syd was to fool the rose tattoo man into giving her the amulet. But, what was the chip for? Did I miss something?
Later, Sloane approaches SydAna about how exactly she offed the SuperSpy. Sydney says one of the most amazing things she has ever said on this show- “Sydney isn’t a martyr or a legend.” And she’s not. She’s merely a woman who wants to protect her family. BRAVO Syd for that one!
Back At Base Camp
Marshall, Jack, Vaughn and Dixon are busy keeping tabs on Syd. Um, can I say one thing- Marshall’s little sappy quips never get old! He announces to Vaughn that he cried at his funeral and Vaughn merely replies, “Yeah, sorry about that.” I died! Onward, Syd is tracked and Dixon pays a visit to the bunker- complete with a tiny portrait of the new girl in Vaughn’s life- Baby Iz. Hot socks I love having Vaughn back in action. Oooh, and the scruff, are you kidding! The man is beautiful. Sorry, boys, sorry- moving on.
We learn that it was in fact Jack’s plan to fake Vaughn’s death and what better, more successful way than sodium blah blah blah. I TOLD YOU THE CUP AND STRAW WERE IMPORTANT!! He drank the dead juice and slipped into a coma and then sat in the morgue waiting for the contact. Brill (as in the British slang for brilliant)! And it’s a good thing SpyDaddy is so morbid, because the P5 bunker was packed with information on mysterious death and murders of several people who were investigating P5. Now- if Billy V was investigating P5 and he has to die and it was in fact Irina that killed him- than maybe Irina has more to do with this than we thought.
Sark, Syd and the Slammer
SydAna is set to meet with a P5 contact, someone that will help her retrieve the final piece of the Rambaldi puzzle. Sloane said she would know him when she saw him and who should come swaggering into the bar- why, hello Sark! Yum. SydAna pays tribute to his betrayal with a few fists to the face, then they knock back a few and Sark dishes the dirt on this Rambaldi artifact. It’s in a prison- the very same prison that housed the heretic Rambaldi himself. Hmmm, interesting. So, Sark pulls a bomb from his pants (oh, did I just say that?) and he and SydAna take a trip to the clink.
One Old Dude
Okay, the old guy? Kinda creepish and I know about half of you were thinking, “This is it, this is the moment we have been waiting for- it’s Rambaldi!” Nope, sorry. Rambaldi is dead! Aside, the creepy man with the rose tattoo gives Sydney an amber amulet (say that 3 times fast). Imagine- this prophet comes to you and promises you eternal life- but you have to sit here and wait in jail for 500 years and then this girl, who I have drawn a picture of on the wall will come and you give her this. I’d say, “Yeah, right, I ain’t wasting this gift of long life in a jail cell.” Seriously!
The creepy old man did have some very interesting things to say, however. He mentioned something about stars falling from the sky and that by giving Sydney the amulet the circle would be complete. Any ideas on this one?
TomTom with a Bomb
Marshall intercepts a communication from Grace to Korman and brings it to Rachel’s attention. Rachel then plays spy (go figure) and follows Grace to his meet. Korman tells Grace he will give him the information on his wife’s death, if Grace retrieves Korman’s old car from impound. Rachel confronts Grace and Grace tells her he is investigation his wife’s death and Korman is the only person who knows who ordered the hit. Hand and hand, Rachel and Grace hotwire the car and deliver it to Korman. Korman digs around in the back seat and man, he doesn’t find change for a dollar, but a sack of ice baby!
Grace learns that the hit was meant for him. Korman waited, as Grace was suppose to be with his wife- but duty called and Grace was called away. Korman killed Grace’s wife because he thought it was Grace. Grace says goodbye to Korman and then blows him and that horrid car to bits. Bummer!
Now, wait- so Grace really was just trying to track down the story behind his wife’s death? Does the Cardinal really have nothing to do with P5 and all this Rambaldi mumbo jumbo? I am so confused! Why do we care? What is the point? There has to be one! I am thinking that Grace used this as an opportunity to contact the Cardinal and kill Korman at the same time- I think it was all a monkey, weasel, mulberry bush story. I think something else is up or at least I hope.
The Suffocation of Syd
I really hope I will never have to watch my fiancé be strangled by their sworn enemy in a maximum security prison. Sad! Sloane appears in SydAna’s cell after she has successfully retrieved the amulet. Sark is carted off by Peyton and Syd is left to fend for herself. Sloane, in thinking the woman before him is Ana, wraps his little liver spotted hands (sorry Ron, love ya) around her neck and begins choking her. When he can’t kill her he realizes that it is, in fact, Sydney. Vaughn comes to the rescue when a prison guard gets nightstick happy and the two rush home.
The Family Bristow-Vaughn
How absolutely adorable is the SpyFam? Nestled at home, in bed in Santa Monica, Vaughn spends some quality time with his kiddo. We never thought we would see this moment- complete peace, almost a harmonic stillness. But, it is short lived. Sydney receives a call a la season 2 and graduation day, from Sloane. He pulls out the one, two punch. He knows its her and he knows she will come after him.
That’s it. That was the lead in to the finale. A simple episode which brings us full circle, back to the beginning- Sydney looking to bring down Sloane and reunite with her love (or loves, plural, I should say, as I am sure Izzy B-V is included!!)
I wasn’t overly impressed with the eppy- I didn’t jump from my seat or scream. My friends and I were sure we would have an OH MY GAWD moment, but it never came. They are saving all the good stuff for the finale, I get it. So, bring it on! Let’s see it! I want the answers, I want the action and I want it 2 full hours on a Monday night! Goodnight, thank you very much, I'll be here all week and tip your waitresses!
"I can see clearly now, the rain is gone..."
I am feeling better, I have come out from under my Alias rain cloud. I am exicted, I am anticipating a fabulous, action packed eppy- and I remembered- Vaughn meets little Izzy tonight!! In my cleared mood, I went surfing around various Alias sites and found this screencap:
Michael Vaughn- standing in the middle of the P5 bunker- how utterly symbolic. I am very interested to know what his father discovered about the group and how it is linked to Rambaldi and Sydney. Also, I hope for the sake of Lhaaheim, that we find out once in for all what happened to Bill Vaughn.
Post your reactions to tonight's episode here. Remember, keep them short and sweet- this is not the place for long, running recaps and such. Sorry! Have fun East coasters! And Westies- here is to 3.5 more hours! BLAH!
Alias Day... I'm depressed
The sand in the hour glass is getting rather low and the void in my heart is getting rather large. Today is Alias Day, but it doesn't feel like it. I got dressed this morning as if attending a funeral, all black and somber. "Here lies Alias...ashes to ashes and dust to dust..."Alias Day-I am usually tickled with delight- looking forward to an evening with friends, eating good food and sitting down to decipher our favorite show. But today, I am depressed. I have no notes, no ideas, I am hating Kelly Peyton more than I should and part of me actually wants to curl up in bed with season 3 and listen to Sydney lecture Vaughn on faith. I love that when Syd is nervous and scared she puts her hand on her forehead. I love that Vaughn's favorite word is insane, "I don't like it when people question my loyalty, it makes me insane." I really love when Jack gets mad at Marshall and how Marshall always makes a joke out of it. I've never been to Prague or Zurich, but I love them just the same. I don't particularly like guns or bombs, but I love disarming them. I don't understand stand half of the Rambaldi ideology, but it's fascinating, so I play along. I think Dixon is cold, but when he smiles at Syd he makes up for it. They are characters on a television show- lives created from pen and paper, from the mind of a genius to merely entertain us for an hour a week. Their lives are far from normal, their priorities far from doing the dishes, playing the bills or folding the laundry. They have agendas, they know secrets and they save the world. We love them and they are almost gone.
This is where I am suppose to give you pointers on watching tonight's episode- GAWD this is sad-
1.Watch for Sloane's encounters with "Ana." I am thinking he may see that those are Syd's eyes.
2. Where in the world is Julian Sark? I don't think it will be hard for most of you to keep your eye on little Sarky! This boy must be bringing something to the table, but what?
3. "Mom?" I have a feeling SpyMom might be back, though she's not listed as a guest star. They surprised us last time, so...
4. Saving Grace: What is Tom up to? Who is he talking to and who in the sam hell is the Cardinal?
Are you all just sick with sadness now? Have I brought the mood down enough? Are you wallowing yet? Let me know...
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
JG on a TV Spree
Hi All,Our golden girl is making the rounds to promote the series finale of Alias. Jen appeared this morning on Good Morning America (there are some great screen caps at www.jen-garner.net) The picture on the right is from her stop on David Letterman, which airs on Friday the 19th and she will be sitting down with Regis and Kelly tomorrow morning. If any of you are able to download onto youtube.com, please let me know.
PS. She looks great, no?
PPS. SpyChat tonight, 6pm PDT.
Three's a Crowd
Tomorrow night will be the first hour of our three hour countdown to the end of Alias. I will be enjoying the hour at Hillary and Danny’s, along with Iceberg, Starbucks Mom, and Super Syd the SpyBaby, as we whip up a little din-din and settle in for our favorite show. I am sure we all have been circling around the endless possibilities for the finale and are all together anxious, overwhelmed, excited and saddened. It will be hard to say goodbye to characters we know so well- but what about the characters we don’t?
Rachel, Grace and Kelly Peyton hit the scene just as ABC announced the series cancellation. Their characters are hardly developed- do to lack of time and the obvious need to tie up loose ends pertaining to the original cast.
We know Grace is knee-deep in some sort of unbeknownst plan. He speaks several foreign languages, including German (Korman-Hamburg-Bunker), he has gained access to Witness Protection files and he knows the protocol for contacting the Cardinal. What is Grace up to? Is his wife really dead? How does he know the Cardinal?
Rachel- This girl has had her world turned upside! After learning that her employer was actually a terrorist- Rachel is whisked into the world of APO. Her family is placed in Witness Protection, she nearly gets herself killed on a mission and she accidentally sleeps with a bad guy. Poor thing. But aside from breaking algorithmic codes in her head, what has Rachel been up to? Not a whole lot. She’s got her suspicions about Grace, but what role will she play in the thwarting of P5?
Now, I love me some Kelly Peyton. I seriously believe that if Amy Acker had been brought on board way back in season 4, we would have a real baddie on our hands. She’s manipulative, cunning, but with the innocence of the girl next door. She has maneuvered her way around P5 quite nicely, and I guarantee we will be seeing some hand to hand combat as Syd/Ana/Syd jumps blindly into what seems to be a P5 trap. I think Peyton knows it’s not really Ana. I think everyone in P5 knows. I can’t wait to see how this plays out- but where did Peyton come from? What will be her role in the P5 endgame? Is she merely a pawn?
What do you think? Do you think perhaps the writers were thinking of more seasons when they brought in these characters? Do you think the cancellation put the X on the development? Who do you like? Who do you hate? What do you see for their future in the next 3 eppies?
Rachel, Grace and Kelly Peyton hit the scene just as ABC announced the series cancellation. Their characters are hardly developed- do to lack of time and the obvious need to tie up loose ends pertaining to the original cast.
We know Grace is knee-deep in some sort of unbeknownst plan. He speaks several foreign languages, including German (Korman-Hamburg-Bunker), he has gained access to Witness Protection files and he knows the protocol for contacting the Cardinal. What is Grace up to? Is his wife really dead? How does he know the Cardinal?
Rachel- This girl has had her world turned upside! After learning that her employer was actually a terrorist- Rachel is whisked into the world of APO. Her family is placed in Witness Protection, she nearly gets herself killed on a mission and she accidentally sleeps with a bad guy. Poor thing. But aside from breaking algorithmic codes in her head, what has Rachel been up to? Not a whole lot. She’s got her suspicions about Grace, but what role will she play in the thwarting of P5?
Now, I love me some Kelly Peyton. I seriously believe that if Amy Acker had been brought on board way back in season 4, we would have a real baddie on our hands. She’s manipulative, cunning, but with the innocence of the girl next door. She has maneuvered her way around P5 quite nicely, and I guarantee we will be seeing some hand to hand combat as Syd/Ana/Syd jumps blindly into what seems to be a P5 trap. I think Peyton knows it’s not really Ana. I think everyone in P5 knows. I can’t wait to see how this plays out- but where did Peyton come from? What will be her role in the P5 endgame? Is she merely a pawn?
What do you think? Do you think perhaps the writers were thinking of more seasons when they brought in these characters? Do you think the cancellation put the X on the development? Who do you like? Who do you hate? What do you see for their future in the next 3 eppies?
Monday, May 15, 2006
Grey's is Born
Let's Talk has another little sis; she ain't a spy and she ain't a plane crash surivor- she's a surgeon! In light of the greatness that is Grey's- my roomie and I have launched the Grey's Anatomy blog- The Anatomy of Grey's. We live here in Seattle, so it's only right that you get your info. straight from the source.
Check out the blog for episode recaps, details, dish and drama. Our first recap will be posted after we West Coasters watch the episode tonight, so stay tuned, it's comin' at ya STAT!
www.theanatomy.blogspot.com
Update: I have posted my episode recap- enjoy.
Don't worry- with all this blogging I haven't forgotten my first true love. More Alias info. coming at ya ASAP!!
Check out the blog for episode recaps, details, dish and drama. Our first recap will be posted after we West Coasters watch the episode tonight, so stay tuned, it's comin' at ya STAT!
www.theanatomy.blogspot.com
Update: I have posted my episode recap- enjoy.
Don't worry- with all this blogging I haven't forgotten my first true love. More Alias info. coming at ya ASAP!!
Shout Out
Hi All,
Just a little update:
1.Don't forget, SpyChat tonight at 6pm PDT. Be there or be...you know the rest.
2. Still chugging along on the soundtracks, sorry it's taking so long. I will be gone all this weekend for a wedding, so my efforts will be twarted again. Hang in there, I will have them out soon!
3. My fabulous roomie, Amanda, who will be helping out on the LOST blog, has launched her own personal blog. She's a sassy girl, with a sassy cat and she will be sharing her fun stories and crazy sense of humor on her new blog. You must check it out! http://blogalicious4.blogspot.com
4. I am a complete git! I forgot to thank Dark Alias for his support of the blog and for setting up a place for us to message board!! Thanks Dark!!!
All right ya'll, enjoy the 2 hour finale of Grey's and I will chat with you this evening!
Just a little update:
1.Don't forget, SpyChat tonight at 6pm PDT. Be there or be...you know the rest.
2. Still chugging along on the soundtracks, sorry it's taking so long. I will be gone all this weekend for a wedding, so my efforts will be twarted again. Hang in there, I will have them out soon!
3. My fabulous roomie, Amanda, who will be helping out on the LOST blog, has launched her own personal blog. She's a sassy girl, with a sassy cat and she will be sharing her fun stories and crazy sense of humor on her new blog. You must check it out! http://blogalicious4.blogspot.com
4. I am a complete git! I forgot to thank Dark Alias for his support of the blog and for setting up a place for us to message board!! Thanks Dark!!!
All right ya'll, enjoy the 2 hour finale of Grey's and I will chat with you this evening!
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Fitty Thousand
YAHOO! We did it! We made 50,000 hits! One week before the end of our beloved show- this website, this blog of the most loyal and intrigued Alias fans, has reached the goal- 50,000 hits. We have explored every theory, we have gone back in time to old episodes, old seasons, we have researched, hashed out and dug deep into the endless possibilties for the end of Alias.
I want to say thank you to Jenn and SRG for their countless, behind-the-scenes hours of research and writing and for taking such good care of the blog. They have become more than just my contributors- but my good friends.
A special thanks to Starbucks Mom, Angie, Uncle, Robby, Paul, Lhaaheim, Birdie and Sara for your contributions and support of the blog. Your ideas and theories, your knowledge and love of the show has brought so much to the site and inspired me to look at not only Alias, but television in a whole new way.
I want to say thank you to Jenn and SRG for their countless, behind-the-scenes hours of research and writing and for taking such good care of the blog. They have become more than just my contributors- but my good friends.
A special thanks to Starbucks Mom, Angie, Uncle, Robby, Paul, Lhaaheim, Birdie and Sara for your contributions and support of the blog. Your ideas and theories, your knowledge and love of the show has brought so much to the site and inspired me to look at not only Alias, but television in a whole new way.
And of course-thank you to the everyday bloggers from all over the country who stop in to get updates, to share ideas and meet new people. You have made this place what it is and I am so proud.
Thanks to Alias, JJ Abrams and ABC for inspiring me to open this blog- to share my ideas, my knowledge and education about literature and my love for writing. I can't believe what has become of this tiny blog. In this forum I have met so many amazing and fun people, and I know I will continue to meet more in the future. Really, I was just one girl with a small idea and you all have made it so much more than that!! Thanks all... and congrats to Paul- visitor 50,001!!
British Baddie is Back
After last week's episode, I spent some time pondering the return of our favorite boy to hate- Julian Sark. Last we saw him, he bedded Rachel and narrowly escaped the loss of his head while attached to a bomb. Now, he is back, back working for the one and only ally he has ever been truly loyal to- Arvin Sloane.We are all well aware of Julian's admiration for Sloane- he looks up to him, idolizes him and now, in Arvin's time of need, Sloane has called upon Julian to no doubt do his dirty work. But let us not underestimate Sark. He is more than a gopher. He offed the leader of the FTL, he single handedly brought down K-Directorate, he traded Vaughn's antidote for Sloane's life and set in motion a strategic alliance between Sloane and Irina. Along side Lauren he became the co-chair of the North American cell for the Covenant and eventually killed Kazari Bomani. Each time he has either evaded the CIA or become their willing partner. He's got a school boy crush on our gal Syd and a burning hatred for Michael Vaughn. And he's back. He is back at the most important time- the end.
Sark's obsession with Rambaldi has been downplayed compared to Sloane and Irina's obsession- but the man has invested nearly $800 million in the research and discovery of all things Rambaldi. His father, Andrian Lazarey, bore the symbol of Rambaldi, but so fiercely refused to get involved with the Covenant that he faked his own death. Is it possible that Sark too, plays a role in Rambaldi's end game? What does Sloane need from our little British baddie? Are Sark, Sloane and Irina once again working together to acquire all the pieces to the puzzle?
Frankly, I am glad he's back. Aside from his sparkling blue eyes, blonde locks and randy accent, Sark always has a wrench to throw in the wheel. What will the wrench be this time?
Friday, May 12, 2006
A Day for Mama
As we have mentioned before, this site is not for celebrity gossip or razzi photos- but in honor of Mother's Day, we thought it only fitting to post this adorable photo of JG and Baby Vi. Thanks to People Mag for the pic.
Happy Mother's Day to all our Blogger Mamas!!
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Our Own Decipher
YAHOO!! Thanks to Blogger Alex, we have a clear clip of the inflamed Rambaldi page.
What do you see? What do you think it means?
Simma Don Na
Okay all, we are in blog overdrive!! 60 comments, holy cow!!
I have opened this article for 2 reasons:
1. So that we can continue to post about last night's episode and not have to scroll through the globs of posts.
2. To remind everyone to keep their comments short and sweet! I love everyone's comments, I love the flow of thoughts and ideas- but some of you are posting for pages!! Hold on to some of your ideas for SpyChat, or e-mail me your longer comments and I can post them for questions.
As SRG suggested- please read through the comments before you post to prevent redundant comments and comment crowding.
Now, get back to it!! HAVE FUN!
Sincerely,
Your Blogmaster Girlscout
I have opened this article for 2 reasons:
1. So that we can continue to post about last night's episode and not have to scroll through the globs of posts.
2. To remind everyone to keep their comments short and sweet! I love everyone's comments, I love the flow of thoughts and ideas- but some of you are posting for pages!! Hold on to some of your ideas for SpyChat, or e-mail me your longer comments and I can post them for questions.
As SRG suggested- please read through the comments before you post to prevent redundant comments and comment crowding.
Now, get back to it!! HAVE FUN!
Sincerely,
Your Blogmaster Girlscout
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Episode 5.14 "I See Dead People"
Update: SRG has updated Let's Get LOST with a recap of last night's eppy. Head on over for a double dose of JJ. www.letsgetlost2.blogspot.com
I have no patience for a greeting- let's get to the good stuff shall we?
The Chip and Vaughn
The chip was implanted in Renee. The chip had an incomplete code embedded in it, along with Vaughn's real name, Andre Michaux. Speaking of Vaughn: the man looked good for being in the middle of nowhere still half shot up. And how happy was I that he knew it was Sydspinoza once she kissed him? VERY HAPPY! So, inside that gorgeous chest of his was the other half of Renee's chip. Together the chips revealed a map, of Hamburg, Germany and the location of a bunker.
But before we go there- let's talk about Little Miss I Wear Eye Make-up, Sydspinoza. Sloane and Peyton learn through APO wiretaps that Sydney is headed to Napal to meet an asset *wink* Vaughn, who might be able to read the chip. Sloane is then introduced to the P5 agent who will take Sydney's place. How absolutely fabulous was Jennifer Garner as Ana Espinoza? She was amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed Sloane's toss in about how Sydney continues to foil Ana and how Ana must have been lacking for attention as a child. She got Evil Sloane BUUURRRNN!! Ha!
PS. Speaking of burn- I was in no way worried about the little car accident and fiery crash- as Sydney always finds a way to find Vaughn. They always find each other. Aaahhh.
Sloane
So, Sloane joins forces with P5 only to become their decipher gopher. They lock him in a room (with water! Why does the man always want water? I thought we were over that!!) and they expect results. Little do they know that Sloane already knows what the page says and is stalling. I don't know if it's too much 15th century reading under bad lighting, but as he paces the room, he begins to see the ghost of his dead daughter, Nadia. Nadia- with some extra sass- paws at her father with the evil of his past.
Sloane later tells Peyton that he needs access to works by Joseph Penara in order to finish deciphering the Rambaldi page. When Peyton recovers the material- she unknowingly sends a communication to... SARK! Gawd, I love that little British baddie and I am sooo happy that he is back!! (My friend literally screamed when David Anders' name appeared in the credits!) Sloane leaves little Sarky a message- in a Catholic church no less. Catholic church-Cardinal...I think you might be on to something Uncle!!
So, Sloane is working with Sark again. The last time Sloane worked with Sark they were working with...IRINA!! I see a SpyMom come back in our future.
What is Sloane up to? Starbucks Mom and I conversed and circled around the idea that perhaps Rambaldi is some sort of myth that Sloane is using to bring about his own end. This man has been manipulating since day one. He has worked for every organization; the Alliance, the CIA, the Covenant, APO and now P5. He has used every group to gather the materials he needs for this end game. Hell- he even used Omni-Fam way back in the day. This, people, is why I love baddie Sloane! He is his own best friend. No alliances, no loyalties.
Grace
Grace, while in APO, decodes a message from an unknown contact (perhaps Korman, the wife killer) inside a technology magazine. Rachel interrupts with some speal about not being able to get over Nadia's death or being able to handle the pressure. At first the scene seemed pointless- but like my best friend, Starbucks Mom, always says, "Nothing is pointless on Alias." She then carefully explained the point to me-Rachel said something very, very foreshadowing. She said something about Gordon Dean and Sloane being right in front of her and her not being able to see their evil and their ulterior motives. HELLO!! Grace is right in front of you and he's got something sneaky going on!!!
After the conversation with Rachel- Grace makes a phone call. He needs to place a classified ad and I doubt he's got an old couch to sell. Hmmm.
Junker Bunker
Sydspinoza and Vaughn make their way to Hamburg, to the bunker. Once there, Vaughn breaks into a secret room- packed with information about P5 and all their cells. Perfect! Vaughn serves his purpose and Sydspinoza attempts to cap him. NOPE, sorry, your game is up Ana. You are a horrible kisser. A fight ensues and who saves the day? The real Syd with a kiss to make it all better. "REUNITED and it feels so good..."
I love, love, love our gal Syd! ANA ESPINOZA is now on the DEAD list!! I could not be happier!
Callback-Syd and Vaughn stumble on information that can bring down P5 and then they can be together. Sounds a lot like the take down of SD-6.
Syd as Ana as Syd
I LOVE THE ALIAS WRITERS!! LOVE THEM!! How fantastic is it that Syd now has to go deep undercover as Ana, as Sydney?? This all led me to one idea- I believe that Ana's purpose was to get the real Sydney to work with P5. Sydney has only ever wanted to rid the world of Ana Espinoza. P5 had to know that she would want to take her down, even more so since she stole her face and kissed her man. They must have known that Sydney would want to get inside P5 in order to discover it's end game and the double was the perfect opportunity- not only for Syd, but for P5. Now, P5 has the real Chosen One- they have the real link and they just needed the double to lead her in. GENIUS!
I love that the real Syd was able to save Vaughn, but angry that Sydspinoza was the first he saw of Syd since the day he "died." I am sad that little Izzy was introduced by that retched woman and I am sad that the Alias writers weren't given ample time to give them a true reunion.
Conclusion-
So, what did Renee's father and Bill Vaughn discover about P5? How will the information help in the smack down on P5? Why did Renee's father and Bill Vaughn implant chips inside their children?
What does P5 want with Syd?
What is Sark's role in all this?
Why is Sloane contacting him?
Who is Grace contacting?
I loved Vaughn's return! I loved JG and her acting! I loved the twist-Syd as Ana as Syd! Next week can only be better, so... what did you think? What did I miss?
PS. SpyChat tonight at 6pm PDT. Just log in to MSN Messenger and add girlscout35@hotmail.com To all my European Bloggies- let me know what times work for you and we can schedule a chat.
I have no patience for a greeting- let's get to the good stuff shall we?The Chip and Vaughn
The chip was implanted in Renee. The chip had an incomplete code embedded in it, along with Vaughn's real name, Andre Michaux. Speaking of Vaughn: the man looked good for being in the middle of nowhere still half shot up. And how happy was I that he knew it was Sydspinoza once she kissed him? VERY HAPPY! So, inside that gorgeous chest of his was the other half of Renee's chip. Together the chips revealed a map, of Hamburg, Germany and the location of a bunker.
But before we go there- let's talk about Little Miss I Wear Eye Make-up, Sydspinoza. Sloane and Peyton learn through APO wiretaps that Sydney is headed to Napal to meet an asset *wink* Vaughn, who might be able to read the chip. Sloane is then introduced to the P5 agent who will take Sydney's place. How absolutely fabulous was Jennifer Garner as Ana Espinoza? She was amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed Sloane's toss in about how Sydney continues to foil Ana and how Ana must have been lacking for attention as a child. She got Evil Sloane BUUURRRNN!! Ha!
PS. Speaking of burn- I was in no way worried about the little car accident and fiery crash- as Sydney always finds a way to find Vaughn. They always find each other. Aaahhh.
Sloane
So, Sloane joins forces with P5 only to become their decipher gopher. They lock him in a room (with water! Why does the man always want water? I thought we were over that!!) and they expect results. Little do they know that Sloane already knows what the page says and is stalling. I don't know if it's too much 15th century reading under bad lighting, but as he paces the room, he begins to see the ghost of his dead daughter, Nadia. Nadia- with some extra sass- paws at her father with the evil of his past.
Sloane later tells Peyton that he needs access to works by Joseph Penara in order to finish deciphering the Rambaldi page. When Peyton recovers the material- she unknowingly sends a communication to... SARK! Gawd, I love that little British baddie and I am sooo happy that he is back!! (My friend literally screamed when David Anders' name appeared in the credits!) Sloane leaves little Sarky a message- in a Catholic church no less. Catholic church-Cardinal...I think you might be on to something Uncle!!
So, Sloane is working with Sark again. The last time Sloane worked with Sark they were working with...IRINA!! I see a SpyMom come back in our future.
What is Sloane up to? Starbucks Mom and I conversed and circled around the idea that perhaps Rambaldi is some sort of myth that Sloane is using to bring about his own end. This man has been manipulating since day one. He has worked for every organization; the Alliance, the CIA, the Covenant, APO and now P5. He has used every group to gather the materials he needs for this end game. Hell- he even used Omni-Fam way back in the day. This, people, is why I love baddie Sloane! He is his own best friend. No alliances, no loyalties.
Grace
Grace, while in APO, decodes a message from an unknown contact (perhaps Korman, the wife killer) inside a technology magazine. Rachel interrupts with some speal about not being able to get over Nadia's death or being able to handle the pressure. At first the scene seemed pointless- but like my best friend, Starbucks Mom, always says, "Nothing is pointless on Alias." She then carefully explained the point to me-Rachel said something very, very foreshadowing. She said something about Gordon Dean and Sloane being right in front of her and her not being able to see their evil and their ulterior motives. HELLO!! Grace is right in front of you and he's got something sneaky going on!!!
After the conversation with Rachel- Grace makes a phone call. He needs to place a classified ad and I doubt he's got an old couch to sell. Hmmm.
Junker Bunker
Sydspinoza and Vaughn make their way to Hamburg, to the bunker. Once there, Vaughn breaks into a secret room- packed with information about P5 and all their cells. Perfect! Vaughn serves his purpose and Sydspinoza attempts to cap him. NOPE, sorry, your game is up Ana. You are a horrible kisser. A fight ensues and who saves the day? The real Syd with a kiss to make it all better. "REUNITED and it feels so good..."
I love, love, love our gal Syd! ANA ESPINOZA is now on the DEAD list!! I could not be happier!
Callback-Syd and Vaughn stumble on information that can bring down P5 and then they can be together. Sounds a lot like the take down of SD-6.
Syd as Ana as Syd
I LOVE THE ALIAS WRITERS!! LOVE THEM!! How fantastic is it that Syd now has to go deep undercover as Ana, as Sydney?? This all led me to one idea- I believe that Ana's purpose was to get the real Sydney to work with P5. Sydney has only ever wanted to rid the world of Ana Espinoza. P5 had to know that she would want to take her down, even more so since she stole her face and kissed her man. They must have known that Sydney would want to get inside P5 in order to discover it's end game and the double was the perfect opportunity- not only for Syd, but for P5. Now, P5 has the real Chosen One- they have the real link and they just needed the double to lead her in. GENIUS!
I love that the real Syd was able to save Vaughn, but angry that Sydspinoza was the first he saw of Syd since the day he "died." I am sad that little Izzy was introduced by that retched woman and I am sad that the Alias writers weren't given ample time to give them a true reunion.
Conclusion-
So, what did Renee's father and Bill Vaughn discover about P5? How will the information help in the smack down on P5? Why did Renee's father and Bill Vaughn implant chips inside their children?
What does P5 want with Syd?
What is Sark's role in all this?
Why is Sloane contacting him?
Who is Grace contacting?
I loved Vaughn's return! I loved JG and her acting! I loved the twist-Syd as Ana as Syd! Next week can only be better, so... what did you think? What did I miss?
PS. SpyChat tonight at 6pm PDT. Just log in to MSN Messenger and add girlscout35@hotmail.com To all my European Bloggies- let me know what times work for you and we can schedule a chat.
FYI- Deaths and Duties
Here a list of the significant deaths on Alias and a list of presumed dead... it's Alias, there is always a presumed list. HA!
Dead
Danny Hecht
Eloise Kurtz
Noah Hicks
Jean Briault
Haladki
Alexander Kassinau
Francie Calfo
Emily Sloane
Diane Dixon
Andrian Lazarey
Senator Reed
Kazari Bomani
Lauren Reed
Elena Derevko
Ivan Curtis
Gordon Dean
Nadia Santos
Renee Rienne
Presumed or Faked
Evil Francie
Emily (with her missing finger and everything)
Sydney ("dead" for 2 years)
Irina/Laura Bristow (and the double)
Vaughn
Bill Vaughn
Sloane (Jack saved him)
Now here is a list of the several agencies some of the characters have worked for over the years. Very interesting...
Alliance/SD-6
Sloane
Jack (double with the CIA)
Sydney (double with the CIA)
Dixon
Marshall
Noah Hicks (double with K-Directorate)
CIA
Vaughn
Weiss
Devlin
Haladki (double for The Man)
Jack
Sydney
Carrie
Marshall
Dixon
Kendall
Lauren (double with the Covenant)
Bill Vaughn
Sloane
Covenant
Sark
Lauren
Elena
Olivia Reed
McKenas Cole
Sloane (double with the CIA)
Irina?
Katya?
APO
Sloane
Jack
Vaughn
Dixon
Sydney
Weiss
Marshall
Nadia
Director Chase
Grace
Rachel (was working for The Shed- a branch of P5)
Renee Rienee (kinda, sorta)
P5
Gordon Dean
Ivan Curtis
Dr. DiSantis
Kelly Peyton
Irina?
Joseph
Ana Espinoza (Sydspinoza)
The 12
Sloane
Anyone I missed? Can anyone see a connection? Obviously, Sloane has come full circle. He has worked for every group, including P5, back in the day when it was researching the Profecta Cinque. Hmmm.
Dead
Danny Hecht
Eloise Kurtz
Noah Hicks
Jean Briault
Haladki
Alexander Kassinau
Francie Calfo
Emily Sloane
Diane Dixon
Andrian Lazarey
Senator Reed
Kazari Bomani
Lauren Reed
Elena Derevko
Ivan Curtis
Gordon Dean
Nadia Santos
Renee Rienne
Presumed or Faked
Evil Francie
Emily (with her missing finger and everything)
Sydney ("dead" for 2 years)
Irina/Laura Bristow (and the double)
Vaughn
Bill Vaughn
Sloane (Jack saved him)
Now here is a list of the several agencies some of the characters have worked for over the years. Very interesting...
Alliance/SD-6
Sloane
Jack (double with the CIA)
Sydney (double with the CIA)
Dixon
Marshall
Noah Hicks (double with K-Directorate)
CIA
Vaughn
Weiss
Devlin
Haladki (double for The Man)
Jack
Sydney
Carrie
Marshall
Dixon
Kendall
Lauren (double with the Covenant)
Bill Vaughn
Sloane
Covenant
Sark
Lauren
Elena
Olivia Reed
McKenas Cole
Sloane (double with the CIA)
Irina?
Katya?
APO
Sloane
Jack
Vaughn
Dixon
Sydney
Weiss
Marshall
Nadia
Director Chase
Grace
Rachel (was working for The Shed- a branch of P5)
Renee Rienee (kinda, sorta)
P5
Gordon Dean
Ivan Curtis
Dr. DiSantis
Kelly Peyton
Irina?
Joseph
Ana Espinoza (Sydspinoza)
The 12
Sloane
Anyone I missed? Can anyone see a connection? Obviously, Sloane has come full circle. He has worked for every group, including P5, back in the day when it was researching the Profecta Cinque. Hmmm.
Alias Day
Alright! It is Alias Day and what better way to start off the day then with a few tips and trades for watching tonight’s episode. Tonight, while watching 5.14 “I See Dead People,” keep the following in mind:
The De-Tale of Two Syds
Tonight we will be getting a double dose of Sydney Bristow- well, sorta. Sydspinoza will be in full force tonight and I don’t want us having any confusion. As I have mentioned, Sydspinoza tends to do business with a scowl or glare-accented by heavier make-up. She will no doubt be awkward in conversation, especially with Vaughn, and will seem unsure of herself. There will be over acting, followed by strange glances. Of course, Alias will give us the classic looks of deceit and guilt- so it should be fairly easy to tell the two apart. Remember- we know there is a double, the characters don’t- the purpose of the double is for intrigue, not to confuse us.
Mole Material
With Sloane now full fledge bad guy, we can expect that he won’t be hanging around APO. So, that means P5 will have to get their APO intel from another source. Be looking for another mole- someone leaking information from inside APO.
The Dead
In relation to the episode title- I believe we will be seeing some long gone familiar faces this evening. Sloane will be haunted by visions from the past. How do these visions (characters) affect the story? Depending on who returns- what can their role in the past tell us about their role now? Why did they come back? Will it be Emily? Nadia? Elena? Francie even?
Vaughn, Renee and the Chip
VAUGHN RETURNS tonight!! Let's see if his love for Syd is blind or if he picks up on the double. I feel a Sydspinoza-Vaughn fight coming on! YAHOO!
Aside from Vaughn's love-hate relationship with Syd/Sydspinoza, there will be his relation to the mysterious chip. There has been much speculation on the blog about what the chip is and what it contains. We know it has some connection to Vaughn and that it might reveal information about his dealings with Renee. Grab on to any and all information regarding the chip. What was it for? Why was it implanted in Renee? What does it have to do with Vaughn?
All in all, I am very excited about this particular episode. Though doubles have been used before on Alias, they always add a little spice. Let’s see if we can’t gather enough information to finally put some of our questions to rest!
I will be posting my episode recap tonight at 10pm- that is, if I can concentrate- as I will be watching LOST tonight. Remember, the LOST blog is open and I am hoping SRG might be posting another recap for us. Also, remember- this post is not for running recaps as you watch the show. Keep comments small. We will have SpyChat tomorrow night at 6pm, so we can hash out the big stuff then.
Happy viewing and happy blogging!
Update:
-Alias Soundtracks: They are taking slightly longer than I expected. It takes about 20 minutes per CD and many of you ordered both CD's. No worries. I am chugging along on them and hope to have them sent soon.
-T-shirt Contest: Remember, the T-shirts must incorporate the name of the blog and what we do here. Drawings, graphics, pictures and quotes are allowed. Have your entries turned in by May 22nd. Good luck and have fun!
The De-Tale of Two Syds
Tonight we will be getting a double dose of Sydney Bristow- well, sorta. Sydspinoza will be in full force tonight and I don’t want us having any confusion. As I have mentioned, Sydspinoza tends to do business with a scowl or glare-accented by heavier make-up. She will no doubt be awkward in conversation, especially with Vaughn, and will seem unsure of herself. There will be over acting, followed by strange glances. Of course, Alias will give us the classic looks of deceit and guilt- so it should be fairly easy to tell the two apart. Remember- we know there is a double, the characters don’t- the purpose of the double is for intrigue, not to confuse us.
Mole Material
With Sloane now full fledge bad guy, we can expect that he won’t be hanging around APO. So, that means P5 will have to get their APO intel from another source. Be looking for another mole- someone leaking information from inside APO.
The Dead
In relation to the episode title- I believe we will be seeing some long gone familiar faces this evening. Sloane will be haunted by visions from the past. How do these visions (characters) affect the story? Depending on who returns- what can their role in the past tell us about their role now? Why did they come back? Will it be Emily? Nadia? Elena? Francie even?
Vaughn, Renee and the Chip
VAUGHN RETURNS tonight!! Let's see if his love for Syd is blind or if he picks up on the double. I feel a Sydspinoza-Vaughn fight coming on! YAHOO!
Aside from Vaughn's love-hate relationship with Syd/Sydspinoza, there will be his relation to the mysterious chip. There has been much speculation on the blog about what the chip is and what it contains. We know it has some connection to Vaughn and that it might reveal information about his dealings with Renee. Grab on to any and all information regarding the chip. What was it for? Why was it implanted in Renee? What does it have to do with Vaughn?
All in all, I am very excited about this particular episode. Though doubles have been used before on Alias, they always add a little spice. Let’s see if we can’t gather enough information to finally put some of our questions to rest!
I will be posting my episode recap tonight at 10pm- that is, if I can concentrate- as I will be watching LOST tonight. Remember, the LOST blog is open and I am hoping SRG might be posting another recap for us. Also, remember- this post is not for running recaps as you watch the show. Keep comments small. We will have SpyChat tomorrow night at 6pm, so we can hash out the big stuff then.
Happy viewing and happy blogging!
Update:
-Alias Soundtracks: They are taking slightly longer than I expected. It takes about 20 minutes per CD and many of you ordered both CD's. No worries. I am chugging along on them and hope to have them sent soon.
-T-shirt Contest: Remember, the T-shirts must incorporate the name of the blog and what we do here. Drawings, graphics, pictures and quotes are allowed. Have your entries turned in by May 22nd. Good luck and have fun!
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Renee- A Chip Off the Old Block
Renee Rienne was a CIA Top 8 Fugitive. She had been on the run for years- and it just so happened, for the last 7 years, she was working along side Andre Michaux- our very own Michael Vaughn.Early in season 5, we learn that Renee was a sick child and that her father entered into medical experiments with P5, in order to pay for the medical attention his daughter needed. I believe those experiments were related to Dr. DiSantis, brain transplants and cryogenics (as confirmed by the man in the box, Dr. DiSantis himself).
P5 later kidnaped Renee’s father. To save his daughter, he placed her in a closet and told her to be quiet. Renee witnessed her father’s abduction and years later launched a search to find him. In her search she apparently found information on Bill Vaughn or Mr. Michaux. She was able to track down his son, living under a new name and convinced him to help her search for her father and bring down the group that took him. Together they gathered information on P5 and the whereabouts of a cryogenic chamber, which Renee believed contained her father.
Vaughn decided to tell Sydney of his off-books research when he was abducted by P5. Vaughn has information on the whereabouts of a manuscript. P5 wants it. As he was about to handover the manscript to James Lehman- Ivan Curtis- the keeper of the Cryo-box, steps in and “kills” Vaughn.
How is the work that Vaughn’s father did for P5 related to Renee’s father and the medical experiments? What information did Renee run across related to Bill Vaughn? How was Renee able to track down Vaughn with his new name? What is the connection between P5 and the Mueller Device- which eventually lead to Vaughn purposely becoming Sydney’s CIA handler? What information does Vaughn have that would require him to fake his death? What information did Renee have that would have forced Ana to kill her?
What will this chip they find in Renee tell us about her relationship with Vaughn and about their connection to P5? Ideas, comments, theories? We got a big eppy tomorrow, I mean BIG, so let's hash it out!
PS. SpyChat tonight at 7pm PDT. My European bloggers- let me know what times work for you!
PPS. Jennifer Garner will be on Regis and Kelly on May 17th to promote the Alias finale.
Monday, May 08, 2006
SpyChat
Hi all,
Just an update: SpyChat has been moved to 7pm PDT. I am sorry if this is a tad late for you East coasters. You are welcome to log-in before 7pm and chat. Usually there are several bloggers on-line before scheduled chat time.
We will be discussing some of the listed topics from the article below. Make sure you check it out and bring all your ideas, thoughts and theories with you.
To join SpyChat, you must have MSN Messenger. Just add girlscout35@hotmail.com as a contact and at 7pm you will receive an invitation to join our room. See you there!!
Just an update: SpyChat has been moved to 7pm PDT. I am sorry if this is a tad late for you East coasters. You are welcome to log-in before 7pm and chat. Usually there are several bloggers on-line before scheduled chat time.
We will be discussing some of the listed topics from the article below. Make sure you check it out and bring all your ideas, thoughts and theories with you.
To join SpyChat, you must have MSN Messenger. Just add girlscout35@hotmail.com as a contact and at 7pm you will receive an invitation to join our room. See you there!!
What we know, what we don't and all the gray in between
What We Know
-Vaughn is alive and in hiding.
-Ana is doubled as Sydney.
-Sloane has once again gone to the dark side.
-Tom Grace has a secret.
-Jack knows the secret.
-Irina has the Horizon.
-Sloane has the true Rambaldi page 47.
-Isabel is the sweetest thing ever.
-Marshall likes to play with toys.
-Sydspinoza always has a glaring look and lots of eye make-up.
Gray Area
-Is Tom’s wife really dead?
-Is Renee really dead?
-Is Nadia the Passenger and is Sydney the Chosen One?
-What did Renee know about Ana that would make Ana want to kill her?
-As Sloane been manipulating this situation the whole time?
-Is Jack working with Irina?
What We Don’t Know
-Who the Cardinal is.
-Where Irina is.
-What Vaughn knows and why P5 wanted him dead.
-What role Sydney places in this.
-Who the mole is.
-What Grace’s secret is.
-What the rest of the inflamed writing says on the Rambaldi page.
-Where Katya is.
-Why Sloane said Sydney's name once the page was thrown into the fire.
-HOW THIS WILL ALL END!!
I have been hearing that the next episode is the one to watch. I hear many of our questions will be answered in regards to the prophecy and the roles that Sydney, Renee and Vaughn play in P5’s plan.
Are there any more concepts, ideas, facts, etc. that I have forgotten? Do you know something I don’t know?
PS. Don't forget- SpyChat tonight at 6pm PDT. We will be discussing some of these topics and hashing out new ideas before this weeks episode.
PPS. Tune In: Jennifer Garner will be on David Letterman on May 19th.
-Vaughn is alive and in hiding.
-Ana is doubled as Sydney.
-Sloane has once again gone to the dark side.
-Tom Grace has a secret.
-Jack knows the secret.
-Irina has the Horizon.
-Sloane has the true Rambaldi page 47.
-Isabel is the sweetest thing ever.
-Marshall likes to play with toys.
-Sydspinoza always has a glaring look and lots of eye make-up.
Gray Area
-Is Tom’s wife really dead?
-Is Renee really dead?
-Is Nadia the Passenger and is Sydney the Chosen One?
-What did Renee know about Ana that would make Ana want to kill her?
-As Sloane been manipulating this situation the whole time?
-Is Jack working with Irina?
What We Don’t Know
-Who the Cardinal is.
-Where Irina is.
-What Vaughn knows and why P5 wanted him dead.
-What role Sydney places in this.
-Who the mole is.
-What Grace’s secret is.
-What the rest of the inflamed writing says on the Rambaldi page.
-Where Katya is.
-Why Sloane said Sydney's name once the page was thrown into the fire.
-HOW THIS WILL ALL END!!
I have been hearing that the next episode is the one to watch. I hear many of our questions will be answered in regards to the prophecy and the roles that Sydney, Renee and Vaughn play in P5’s plan.
Are there any more concepts, ideas, facts, etc. that I have forgotten? Do you know something I don’t know?
PS. Don't forget- SpyChat tonight at 6pm PDT. We will be discussing some of these topics and hashing out new ideas before this weeks episode.
PPS. Tune In: Jennifer Garner will be on David Letterman on May 19th.
Friday, May 05, 2006
Who's Back?
Interesting little tidbit I fell upon today. Check out this link-
CAUTION- SPOILER
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0777308/
This is from the Internet Movie Database- a archives house of all TV shows and movies. This link is for episode 5.14 "I see dead people." Check out who is returning for the eppy- there are some surprises.
Beware that some comments posted here may have spoilers!!
CAUTION- SPOILER
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0777308/
This is from the Internet Movie Database- a archives house of all TV shows and movies. This link is for episode 5.14 "I see dead people." Check out who is returning for the eppy- there are some surprises.
Beware that some comments posted here may have spoilers!!
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Getting Lost Early
Hi folks,
Just wanted to let everyone know that we were so excited by the crazy events on Lost this Wednesday that we decided to get a head start on our little sister blog, Let's Get LOST. The first article and episode recap has been posted for anyone that wants to discuss, have fun!
~ srg-alias :)
Just wanted to let everyone know that we were so excited by the crazy events on Lost this Wednesday that we decided to get a head start on our little sister blog, Let's Get LOST. The first article and episode recap has been posted for anyone that wants to discuss, have fun!
~ srg-alias :)
Let's Talk Update
The blog has been busy the last 3 weeks. Here is a recap of what’s happening here at Let’s Talk Alias:
-I have asked Jenn256 to join the Let’s Talk team as a Contributor. Along with SRG, Jenn is a very loyal Alias fan and a fantastic theorist. She’s my “Slow-Mo” gal. If you have questions about tiny details in certain scenes- ask Jenn, she’s got TiVo and she loves to go back. Welcome Jenn!
-We love to chat here at Let’s Talk- so it made perfect sense that we should implement SpyChat. Sign-in to MSN Messenger and add girlscout35@hotmail.com. Dates and times for SpyChat are announced in the scrolling marquee, located under the blog title on the main page. It’s a great place to talk real time about theories, characters and anything and everything Alias. Join us!
-Let’s Talk as launched a T-shirt Contest. I am asking all bloggers interested to submit up to 3 designs for a blog T-shirt. The winner will get a T-shirt FREE! The design must include the blog name and can have pictures, quotes, drawings, etc. Please have all entries turned in by May 22nd. Questions? E-mail me at girlscout35@hotmail.com
-We are putting Let’s Talk on the map! Check out the Blogger Map link in the right hand column under My Stats and pin point your hometown. Let’s see where all our bloggers are from!
-Last, but certainly not least, Let’s Get LOST: A Life Raft for LOST Lovers will be up and running on June 1st. Near and dear to it’s big sister Let’s Talk Alias, the LOST blog will include all your Let’s Talk favorites- recaps, character sketches, in-depth discussion, theories and more. You are welcome to post comments there now and next week LostChat will begin. Stay tuned and enjoy!
I will be re-watching the episode tonight on www.abc.com. Don’t forget- SpyChat tonight, 6:30pm PDT. Tomorrow I will post a more in-depth look at some of the last night’s information, along with anything we hash out in SpyChat. Then, I will be off for the weekend!! I am taking a much needed mini-break this weekend- complete with a friend’s bachelorette party and a limo ride!
PS. Don’t forget to check out last night’s recap below.
PPS. Check out scenes from next week’s Alias on www.aol.com.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Episode 5.13 "30 Seconds"
Yeah, so- the episode was urgh... F%*#ing CRAZY!! I LOVE ALIAS!I am going to go step by step, from one character to another, from one place to the next. I am going to take it nice and slow, so-that-we-can-all-just-WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT?? Let's get at this NOW!
Sloane-
It begins and ends with Sloane- always has, always will. Sloane meets with Joseph to discuss Nadia's cure. Sloane isn't prepared to risk his daughters life in order to save it. Joseph tells him to "have faith in Rambaldi." Joseph seems to say that Rambaldi put Nadia in her condition and Sloane should trust that Rambaldi will get her out.
Sloane's faith in Rambaldi returns and he decides to saves his daughter. Nadia wakes nearly a year after the team's romp in Svogda. Her sister has a daughter, Vaughn is dead, Jack is running APO and Rachel, Grace and Renee are all new faces. She doesn't trust her father and she is angry that his actions put her in a coma.
Jack, after he catches Sloane injecting Nadia and Sloane gives him some research story, begins to suspect that Sloane might have acquired Nadia's cure from P5. Jack asks Dixon to investigate. They plant bugs and then Jack and Nadia track Sloane to his private storage unit. Sloane leaves with a suitcase and when Jack and Nadia break in all they find are Nadia's clothes and evidence of Sloane's research into Nadia's illness. But, we know Sloane better than that- he has the true Rambaldi page.
I will say it again- I LOVE ME SOME EVIL SLOANE! I love the furrowed brow, I love the mercilessness, I love it! Welcome back Arvin!
Page 47
Peyton makes a call to one of Ana's former colleagues, Mortiz Koler. Koler is hired to decipher a hidden message on the page. Sydney and the team intercept the call. It turns out Renee once worked with Moritz. Moritz discovers the page is a fake. SO- all along, the DSR and the CIA were in possession of a counterfeit Rambaldi page.
Later, Nadia discovers that he father has the Rambaldi page. In a fit of frustration and rage, she forces him to choose between the page and herself. Sloane says, "Please do not make me choice between the two things that mean the most in my life." Jump back- Sydney told Nadia that Sloane was very devoted to her while she was sick. Nadia asked, "More than Rambaldi?" Sydney said yes. What we have to remember is that Nadia is part of Rambaldi- she had to show Sloane were the Sphere of Life was. To support this- Sloane told Nadia, "I will need you more then you will ever need me." Aside, Nadia tosses the page into the fire and there, in the flames, the Rambaldi symbol appears on the page. Sloane dives for the page and in his quest, shoves Nadia into the glass table. All I have to say is- a shard of glass to the neck is not good!! NADIA DIES! NADIA IS DEAD! THE PASSENGER IS DEAD. How can the prophecy be filled without Nadia? What about Nadia's vision of gunning Sydney? What about the symbol
If Sloane has returned to the fold and death is a necessary part of his plan to finish out his 30 year project- then why bring Nadia back from her coma? If she plays no part in the true endgame, why was she needed at all? Was it a large manipulation? Has Sloane been the ultimate puppeteer? Is it possible that Nadia needed to be awakened in order to get angry and toss the page into the fire to expose the pages hidden message? Oh, the questions. (Oh, is there a connection between Sloane's 30 years and 30 seconds?)
PS. I love Mia Maestro and I am sad she will not be with the show in the end. I loved her character- her innocence and her south American charm. But, all is fair in love and Rambaldi- I guess.
Renee-DUNZO
Well, they did give Renee a very nice send off. She kicked some butt in one of the first scenes and she took charge with her alias when she was sent to seduce and kidnap Moritz. She was beginning to trust Sydney and then Sydspinoza pulls a switchblade and ends the French tart's life. Sad and VERY unexpected.
Alas, there were some clues given. Renee used to work with Moritz and Moritz used to work with Ana- hmm, interesting. What I would like to know is- what is her connection to Vaughn? What is the chip they find? Who was Renee Rienne and why was she killed? She must have known something and Ana must have known that Renee knew. This isn't the last we will hear of one of the CIA' most wanted criminals.
Two for the Road
Yes, I know that was the title of tonight's Lost episode, but what I am getting at is, where was Sydney? You would think with two of them roaming around, we would have seen more of her, or umm, them. I will agree with one of the bloggers- Sydspinzo seems to be carrying some baby weight and Sydney B. does not. Interesting. You think they might have filmed the Sydspinoza scenes earlier? Possibly. Aside, I am sure we will be seeing more Syd next week! YAHOO!
Time After Time
Oh, how time played it's part. Let me recap- Bill Vaughn gave Vaughn a watch. TIME. Irina gave Sydney earrings, "Truth takes TIME." Sloane had 30 seconds TIME to save Nadia. Jack tells Sloane to "Give it TIME" when Sloane voices his worry about Nadia not wanting a relationship with him. Nadia arrives at Sloane's house with "I needed to take some TIME." The 12, the 12 numbers on the face of a clock. The Rambaldi clock was one of the first items stolen by Sydney way back in season 1. Clock=TIME. Time plays a part here people and we are missing a link- what is the connection?
The writers hit us tonight-twice. Two deaths. One, indeed, was someone close to Sydney and involved in APO and the other was someone not close to Sydney and not involved with APO. I believe there is one death left and it involves someone close to Sydney. Any predictions?
Next Week on Alias-
If Sydspinzo lays one hand on Michael Vaughn, I will double myself as Chuck Norris and roundhouse kick her where it counts! It's all out war people, all out Alias war!
Okay, I know I am missing some stuff. Anyone? What are your thoughts?
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