Scene Cap of the Day

"Doesn't she have any friends to tell her she looks like trash?"

Ah, sisterly love. I absolutely love this scene, well, I love this episode. The moment Sydney and Nadia walk into the bar as Felicia and Denada is priceless. Decked out in borrowed courture, the sisters get in the good graces of Miss Bridget, the forgotten girlfriend of a criminal. They are able to get into the hotel room of this criminal and download information from his laptop and his PDA while he's still IN THE ROOM!! Awesome team work, incredible acting and might I say- hair, make-up, outfits- LOVE IT!

Scene Cap of the Day

Doug and Phil, two very lucky grasshoppers.

This is one of my favorite scenes of all time. Aside from being shot beautifully on the roof of the ABC building, with a magnificent view of LA, Sydney and Vaughn share a little moment. I love how comfortable they are together, how Sydney can open up about her mother and her father. After this scene, Vaughn sets up a feed into Irina's hearing. She is being accused of betraying her agreement with the CIA by sending Sydney and Vaughn into a building wired to explode. Of course, we all know it was Daddy Jack who did the betraying. Later, Jack is tried in a hearing with Senator Douglas, after admitting he set up Irina. Jack gives an amazing speech, while Sydney watches from the Rotunda.

Here is the excerpt:

"Sydney Bristow, my daughter... has come to believe that when I look at her, I see the embodiment of all my flaws. And this afternoon when I learned that she may have been exposed to a life-threatening disease, I realized that she might die believing that. But nothing could be further from the truth. When I look at her, when I look at the little girl who raised herself to become one of the most extraordinary human beings and one of the finest agents I've ever had the privilege of knowing, I see only the promise of my own redemption. Turning myself in was the only way I could think of to make that clear to her, to prove that despite... my limited abilities as a father, I love her more than I could ever say."

I am bawling my eyes out! GAWD- you think about how alone Sydney felt as a child, without a mother, and seemingly, with a reclusive and cold father. And then, you picture her sitting there, listening to her father speak this way about her- HEARTBREAKING!! I love Jack Bristow, I love this show! I WANT IT BACK NOW!!

PS. This episode is 2.6 "Salvation" written by my favorite writers, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.

PPS. I am off to the island tomorrow afternoon. I am toting with me my laptop, so that I can FINISH THE CD's! YES, musical friends, I am going to finish them even if it kills me. I SWEAR UP AND DOWN, on my Alias DVD's, that I WILL finish them THIS WEEKEND!! YAHOO!

Alias: A Secret Life Book Club Review

She is young and she is inexperienced. Sydney is asked by her SD-6 handler, Wilson, to hop a plane to Paris where a reconnaissance mission awaits her. She could not be more thrilled to be traveling to her first mission- and in Paris! We see her finesse her way with Francie, telling her that she will be in San Diego, apologizing for missing the beach and the frat party. Sydney knows that lying to her family and friends is part of the job- which makes her feel completely and utterly alone. That is until she arrives in Paris where her partner is Agent Noah Hicks. Rough around the edges and a few years older than Sydney, Noah takes the lead on the mission and makes Sydney brew and blush in the process.

Sydney and Noah have been tasked to investigate K-Directorate and their possible association with a high-end fashion designer, Monique L. Posing as a young married couple, Sydney and Noah aka Carrie and Nick Wainright, visit the designer’s boutique in order to plant bugs and cameras. Sydney plays her roll of spoiled trophy wife well, which enhances her confidence enough for her to explore the boutique. While rummaging through a darkened office, Sydney is confronted by a large guard. Knowing her fighting skills are minimal, Sydney uses her acting skills to soften the guard, who eventually lets her go. Noah and Sydney return to the hotel to discover their room has been bugged. They flee the hotel and spend the day as tourists.

Later, after a jaunt around Paris, Noah picks up their surveillance feed from an old antique shop. In order to listen to what was recorded by the bugs and watch the video picked up by the cameras, Noah and Sydney have to find a safe place. How about an old boat on the Seine? Perfect! In the midst of reviewing the feed, Noah and Sydney are chased down by members of K-Directorate.

The duo is able to escape to a safe house where they stock up on weapons, clothes and transportation. They head to the boutique to investigate something they heard on the feed. Once there, Noah discovers a secret passage in the dressing room. He forces Sydney to stand guard at the opening to the passage while he explores. Then, all the sudden, Sydney loses Noah on comms. Alone and scared, Sydney ducks in hiding as Monique comes storming out of the passage. But where is Noah? Instead of apprehending Monique, Sydney heads down the passage to find Noah. She finds him in a room full of ammunition and firearms. The boutique is housing K-Directorate's stock pile of weapons. Just then, Sydney and Noah hear voices booming down the passage. There is no way out! Noah then finds a trap door, filled with water. He and Sydney dive inside and close the hatch. They have to swim out, but is there a way out? Sydney is terrified! Her mother died under water, trapped in a car, drowning. There was no way Sydney could swim out, not in the dark. Finally, Noah forces her to swim and they finally surface on the Seine.

With no time to return to the safe house for more supplies, Sydney devices a plan that will expose Monique and destroy the weapon stock pile. Sneaking back to the boutique, Noah and Sydney find themselves alone on a dark street with a mysterious man. Noah grabs Sydney- forcing her into a doorway and kisses her. Once the man passes, Noah pulls away. Sydney is both stunned and saddened that Noah’s kiss was merely to keep their cover and not based on any feelings he may have for her. Aside, they take care of two guards outside the boutique and make their way back to the passage. Noah sets the weapons to explode and he and Sydney once again escape through the watery hatch. They watch from the shore as the boutique emits loud explosions, drawing fire engines and the police. The watch as Monique and her goons are arrested.

Though I did find the plot a bit flimsy and the narration too forward and predictable, I did enjoy Sydney’s internal monologue. We taste her self doubt and her fear as she follows Noah on the Paris mission. We learn too, that she has somewhat of a crush on her partner- often finding false feelings in his cover as her husband. I thought it was interesting how much she thought about home, Noah and Francie while she was on mission. The Sydney we first encounter in the pilot is very focused on mission, but perhaps it seems that way because we aren’t aware of her internal monologue.

What did you like or dislike about the book? Anything you noticed about Sydney? Anything you found interesting about Noah?

Next up, Alias: Disappeared by Lynn Mason.

Scene Cap of the Day (SCD)

Back in SpyDaddy's arms, nice and safe.

This is the cap I tried to post yesterday with my season 3 review. This is after Sydney has been rescued from Fort Williams by her father and the gang. I love this moment- one, because Sydney was finally safe and sound (well, sorta) and two, Jack did everything in his power to save Sydney and it worked. Lovely tender moment. Syd and SpyDaddy had a great relationship throughout season 3. Hardly any secrets, hardly ever a fights. It was nice to see them finally fall into a "normal" relationship.

Season 3 Hee Hee

Man, that Campbell/Shapker is one bad son-of-a-, well you know. Hate him. Poor Sydney. Outside the torture chamber Sydney is locked up in, Lauren confronts Lindsey about not being an active part of the investigation. Lindsey drops the blackmail card, mentioning that it might be wise for Lauren to turn the other cheek, considering it was Vaughn who helped Sydney evade the NSC. Oh, poor, poor Lauren. Yak!

Meanwhile, Jack and Vaughn meet Brill in the park to go over plans to break Sydney out. This is the first time we are made aware that Brill knew and worked with Bill Vaughn. More on that later. Next on the list, Jack takes Vaughn to one of his secret storage units. I just love that Jack has a little hideout, a little stock pile of weapons, money, passports. Makes me wonder what he has used those for in the past...hmmm...

Sydney gets shocked by Dr. Evil and then makes a risky attempt to escape. BANG, she's clothes-lined by a guard and Lauren catches glimpse of Sydney's mistreatment. Oh, the moral dilemna. Really, how far did Sydney think she was going to get? I mean, this is a secret government prison- I doubt there are just a handful of donut-eating guards with tazers.

Back in LA and the boyscouts are tracking blueprints at the FEMA building. Jack is sooo good. Vaughn and Sloane head underground to run cameras up to Jack. Loving the tunes as well- "What do I have to do, to prove my love for you?" Catchy little jingle. So, Sloane lays on the manipulation by taunting Vaughn with talk about Sydney and Lauren. Vaughn doesn't crack. Sloane does, however, give a great performance over the phone as Senator Blackman, allowing Jack to get access to the prison's blueprints. This whole scene reminds me of Ocean's 11 and 12. The music, the plot- so fun, one of my favs. So, Jack is seconds from making a clean escape from FEMA, when they realize something is off. Then Sloane pulls the hero card and takes a bullet for his friend. Jack questions Sloane's heroic effort, trying to find reason in why Sloane would need Jack's sympathy. Sloane later explains that if he really wanted to obtain something unbeknownst to the CIA, he would have better luck if Jack and Sydney were dead. Apparently Jack and Sydney are his "absolution, his penance."

Vaughn turns to Marshall for help with the prison's security codes. He looks good people! Good! Vaughn, not Marshall. Well, Marshall looks okay too. Lauren busts in with knowledge of Sydney's treatment and states that she wants to help.

Sydney's taking a little nap at Fort Pain when Lindsey stops by to threaten her new friend, Campbell. This of course causes Sydney to break and give Lindsey the coordinates from the code found in Julia's apartment. Damn Lindsey and Shapker, the little monkey. Then, Shapker puts into words the human imbodment that is Sydney Bristow- "Empathetic suffering is harder for you to sustain than physical torture." But, she is also very smart. Sydney, the sly cat she is, gives Lindsey the wrong coordinates. However, it doesn't matter, he takes Sydney in for the scary brain melting surgery anyway. At the exact time of Sydney's surgery, Daddy and Vaughn are outside with the team waiting for Lauren to override the security system from inside. As she does it, Shapker suspects something is up and knocks Lauren out cold. WHAT? Why would Shapker think it was Lauren? Makes no sense.

So, the team comes in, looking every much like the Covenant and grabs Sydney. YAHOO, Lauren actually saves the day and pumps Shapker full of lead. Sloane flies up in a heli and the team is off. On to dream therapy, crazy memories and the return of Will. Cue blackout-
A L I A S!

PS. I am having photo posing issues, stay tuned for the Scene Cap of the Day (aka SCD).

PPS. Amanda has updated the Lost blog with some interesting information on Michael's character and next season... www.letsgetlost2.blogspot.com

Scene Cap of the Day

Kicking ass and taking names!

Pretty sure this is where I first decided that I wanted to BE Sydney Bristow. The parking garage fight scene in which Sydney learns that SD-6 is after her and that her father is also an agent is our first glimpse into her double life. Now she is on the run and really- she's been running ever since.

PS. I will be watching a few more episodes of season 3 tonight- notably the episodes involving Sydney's break-out and the return of Will Tippin! Love him! So, I will have another lengthy recap for you tomorrow morning. Also, I will be finishing up "Alias: A Secret Life" which is the second book in the series. Be looking for a book review in the next couple of days.

PSS. Uncle 111 has updated Omega 17 with season 4 and season 5, episodes 1-11 transcripts. Check it out!

http://groups.google.com/group/alias-omega17

Wee Season 3

I just absolutely love that Sydney is so utterly disgusted by Sloane in season 3 that she can't even take his arm on a mission! Love it! He tells her she looks lovely and she says "Spare me." He asks her to dance and she replies, "Like hell!" Seriously, JG is amazing in season 3.
A-MAZ-ING!

So, here I am- lying in bed, blogging, watching Alias. My life is complete. I am actually watching episode 3.7, which has one of my favorite scenes of all time between Jack and Vaughn. The NSC tasks Lauren and Vaughn to pick up Javier Perez in Mexico City. Jack is worried that Javier will spill the beans to Lauren about Sydney and the Lazarey murder.Vaughn takes offense and then Jack has them ambushed. Oh, love me some SpyDaddy strategy. So, Jack hops on down to Mexico and strings Javier up in his cell. Pobre Javier!

Vaughn figures Jack put the armed rebels on their trail and confronts him. Seriously- it's the greatest scene of all time! Vaughn gets right in Jack's face, grabbing him by the collar. Jack shoves him back and says "Perhaps finally you understand the moral sacrifices you are will to make when someone you love is in danger." Oh, the tension, anger and frustration! I am telling you, it is that scene that makes season 3 so damn good!

Okay, I think we established the fact that Sydney did not send Sloane a letter in the mail the day before she woke in Hong Kong. It had to have been forged by the Covenant in order to prompt Sydney to investigate her missing 2 years. The Covenant needed the location of the Rambaldi DNA, which Sydney hid. So, Sloane gives her back the letter with the code, which ends up being the location of Julia Thorne's apartment in Rome. Why in the sam hell would Sydney Bristow actually believe that she would have sent a letter to Arvin Sloane? COME ON! She hates the dude's guts! She wouldn't have sent him the key and location of her apartment. She had to have known right then that it was all a set up by the Covenant, by Sloane. But, perhaps she is so utterly desperate to find out what happened to her that she was going to take any lead, even if it came from the man that killed Danny and lied to her.

Also, if Sydney did decide to have her memory erased why would she leave herself clues? She didn't want to know what happened to her!!!

Oooh, Sark in the car with Lauren. Now, did we decide that as a member of the Covenant that Lauren must have already known who Lazarey's killer was? Or no? Because she acts really surprised in the car after she takes a peek at the pictures Sark gives her. So, then she gives A-hole Lindsey a call and Vaughn realizes what Lauren has just done- put Sydney in danger. Crap! Vaughn contacts Syd and takes her to Dover- to a flight anywhere. Sydney of course HAS to go to her penthouse apartment in Rome. Vaughn has just sacrificed his marriage and his position at the CIA to help save Sydney. "Why are you doing this?" she asks. He replies, "Even though some things change, some things don't. I'm not going to lose you twice." GAWD, melt my heart, are you kidding! PS. Vaughn is looking mighty fine in this episode. I mean, the sultry blue eyes are killin' me. No wonder Lhaaheim is so obsessed!

Lauren's pissed and spends the remainder of the episode with a scowl on her face. She wipes Dixon of his standing at the CIA- obstruction of justice my backside. Lauren instructs that the LA office is to be in lock down until Lindsey arrives. She's so frickin' smug the whole time. I just want to grab her by her chipmunk cheeks and skake the accent out of her!! Sorry, I took it a little far.

Back in the Rotunda (which I miss dearly) Jack realizes that Vaughn is the one who helped Sydney flee the country. Jack asks, "Tell me, what else are you willing to do to see Sydney through this?" Vaughn replies with a smirk, "What did you have in mind?" Ah, well, a little plan I like to call BREAKING INTO A HEAVILY GUARDED GOVERNMENT FACILITY. Sweet!

Sydney arrives in Rome and she flips on the lights like she's lived in that apartment for years. She sees the images from her dreams and then takes a trip to the toilet. While rummaging through Julia's medicine cabinet she is taken into custody by what I believe to be an NSC team. Pobre Sydney!

On to 3.8- Sydney in big bad NSC lockdown. Is it me or does Robert Lindsey have a bit of a speech impediment? HAHA! I love that Dixon makes an ass of him by turning over his badge without a fight. Gosh, Lauren even starts to look evil in this episode. She plays her little "ignorance is bliss" game. "Oh, Lindsey is letting me write the brief, blah, blah, blah..." She and Vaughn have a a lash of words and then she is off to "particpate in an orchestrated cover up."

Now, the boys are cooking up a sweet plan to get our girl out. This is sooo fun! I love all this behind the scenes stuff, making plans, evading the law. LOVE IT! Can I be a spy already? I am surprised the CIA hasn't contacted me. Jack is looping Sloane in on plan. SURPRISE! They are going to make the break out look like the work of the Covenant. Off to FEMA to get the blueprints of the facility and to play a little chess in the park with my man Brill... (cue black out) A L I A S

More to come later. YAHOO TGIF!

Scene Cap of the Night

This scene cap is to refresh your memory. As you may have noticed, I have changed the blog song to Sarah McLachlan's "World's on Fire." This song plays during this scene in season 4, when Vaughn stops by Sydney's house after the group is introduced to APO. Vaughn says that he misses Sydney and then asks to come in. Sydney says no "because we both know what will happen." Oooh la la. I love this scene because finally- Syd and Vaughn can be together!

PS. Syd had the cutest hair-do in season 4. Love it!

Omega 17

Hi All,

Uncle 111 has finished archiving transcripts from season 3. If you are interested in taking a look, pop on over.
http://groups.google.com/group/alias-omega17

Also, there is a sister site set with archived information as well. Note that the address is Zephyr Ave. Sydney's street address. Clever!
http://groups.google.com/group/2541-Zephyr-Avenue

PS. In related news, my sister recieved a copy of the Alias pilot script from eBay yesterday. It's just a Xeroxed copy of the original with the copied signatures of Merrin Dungey (Francie), Bradley Cooper (Will), Kevin Weisman (Marshall) and Greg Grunberg (Weiss) from those of the signatures I can read. I was flipping through it and noticed a lot of lines were changed. Once I can actually sit down and look at the whole thing, I will give you a mini-report on the differences.

The tube and the paperback

This evening I will be diving into the third disc of Season 3. We are edging up on Lauren learning about Sydney's role in the Lazarey murder. I love that scene when Sark appears in the back seat of Lauren's car. They are both working for the Covenant, but neither of them knows it. At that point, we don't even know that Lauren is a back-stabbing, two-faced, British beeyotch- but to have foresight makes the scene so much better! Then Sydney gets taken into custody by Director Lindsey and the boys have to do their thing and break her out! Love it! Can't wait!

Moving on- now that we have finished reading the first book, we will be moving on the the second. For your reading pleasure, we will be reading and discussing "A Secret Life" by Laura Peyton Roberts. My copy should be coming from Barnes & Noble today, so I will have plenty to read this weekend by the lake.

PS. Is it me or does that look nothing like JG? Kinda weird.

Scene Cap of the Day

Can we have a moment of silence for Syd?

Look at Sydney's boys- all the men in her life lined up to pay their respects. This is such a perfect picture to demonstrate the love and respect each of these men had for Sydney. They believed in her, they trusted her and I am sure many of them felt, in this moment, that they let her down. PS. I love Kendall!

Scene Cap of the Day

This has got to be the sweetest moment of all Alias moments.

The fact that moments later, Sydney offers up a drawer at her apartment for Vaughn is just enough to make my heart melt time and time again!

PS. I have wireless internet!! I have been plugging into the cable connection for the last 4 months, the cord only stretching to the couch. Last night my room mate discovered that I have had wireless internet this whole time!! And I thought I was so computer sauvy! I guess not! So, now my dreams have come true- I can blog and watch Alias IN BED!!

PSS. I sound lazy and fat. I'm not...usually. I like to say- though I may not be physically active, I am mentally active. It's the same right?

New blog? I know, I know...

I have started yet another blog. This blog is not about TV, well, okay it is. It's about everything and anything and it's open for everyone. It is more of a personal blog- about me and my life and hopefully about everyone elses. So, swing on by and check it out!

www.singingshower.blogspot.com

Reverse Recap

GAWD, season 3 is packed with role reversals. Love it! I sat down and watched the second disc of season 3 last night and sakes alive, there are some wildly fantastic and utterly ironic moments. Here is some of what I adore...

The moment Julia Thorne runs a knife through Michael Vaughn- greatest moment in TV history! She catches him up by his jacket collar, stares him straight in the eyes and says, “You never should have betrayed me.” OUCH! Big ouch! Can you even believe the irony of this situation. He betrays her by marrying Lauren and then "betrays" her as a CIA agent. The moment is so intense I can hardly stand it!

Later, Vaughn wakes, in a dream state, to Sydney at his bed side. They speak about how much they miss each other and then, Sydney pulls back and stabs him again. The dream is very interesting- one, because we are led to believe it is real and two, because Vaughn’s true feelings about Sydney’s return are revealed. Earlier in the season, after Sydney’s return to the CIA, she visits Vaughn in his classroom where he teaches French. He tells her how close to death he came, that he was overwhelmed by grief and his love for her. Then he says, “But I don’t regret moving on with my life.” Um, yeah right! I would say dreaming about Sydney ramming you with a knife is some sort of symbol of regret and guilt.

Simon Walker- Brillantly yummy! That is all I have to say about that.

I know we all break down the moment Sydney runs back to Vaughn’s hospital room for her jacket and she stumbles upon an intimate moment between Vaughn and Lauren. Her eyes well up, the music swells and we remember- Sydney and Vaughn are no longer together. We see Sydney pining for Vaughn- much like how he pined for her in the first two seasons. Vaughn would steal secret glances, watch her play golf with Will and Francie- it’s very much the same as Sydney watching Vaughn and Lauren together.

Another role reversal played out in season 3 is the situation in which Sloane plays double-agent for the CIA and the Covenant. As Sydney says, it’s “classic” that Sloane would be placed in this position and that he would use Sydney’s experience as a double to manipulate in order to have her placed as his handler. I love Sloane in season 3. This cheap shots at Vaughn and Lauren are so inappropriate and totally out of line, but I bloody love it! I love how slimy and calculated he is. Yes, it makes me giddy!

Vaughn recovers and is back on the ice with Weiss in no time. He feels horrible about keeping the Lazarey murder a secret from Lauren, but he knows he has to in order to protect Sydney. Good old Weiss gives him a tip- “That’s why people from the CIA don’t marry people from the NSC. Don’t poop where you sleep.” LOVE IT! Weiss is just full of funny quips this season. I wish there would have been more of him in the end.

Season 3 also houses the return of Alison Doren, aka Evil Francie. Her return sparked many questions for me- such as, why do the bad guys always walk? They have this strut-like walk, even when they are in a hurry. They never run, they just walk, with the look of death on their face. I noticed this as I watched Evil Francie maneuver down the corridor of the abandon hotel, with Sydney and Vaughn after her. Sydney and Vaughn are frantically running to catch up, yet Evil Francie continues to walk. What is that?

Formality aside, Evil Fran and Syd get into a hell of a showdown. I love this fight more than the original. It was very well done, very well shot and very entertaining. Francie is eventually shot by Sydney, only to recover minutes later in order to escape CIA custody. Is this eternal life? What is the serum or medication that the Rambaldi manuscript provided? If Evil Francie was unable to die, how was Will able to kill her? Did he kill her? Why didn't Sloane take the medication? This is one of the reasons I was so upset about the finale- Alias starts to break it's own rules. They give us this set of rules- Rambaldi and his prophecies. They throw Sydney into the mix and we suspend and stretch our disbelief. What I can't believe is that the Covenant would have access to this serum of life and Sloane would have no knowledge of it. Are the mediation in season 3 and the red goo and the Horizon in season 5 the same thing? I am sooo confused!!

So, where are you in season 3? What are your favorite moments in the first half of the season? Any thoughts or ideas?

Scene Cap of the Day

This is a scene from 2.08 "The Passage." Will has come to Vaughn with information on the infamous test questions. Working side by side on the Project Christmas investigation- spying never looked so good.

Earlier in the season Will gives Vaughn a mini-lecture on the ways of Sydney's heart. That is one of my favorite moments- when Will seemingly "lets Sydney go" because he knows Vaughn makes her happy. It was a great scene to showcase Will's love for Sydney, his friendship with her and his respect for Vaughn.

Thanks to Liz for the pic and the many others she sent in!

DVD NEWS!!

YAHOO!! There has been word! It has not been confirmed on ABC or on Amazon, but this site had a blurb on Alias and the season 5 DVD release. Check it out!

http://tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=5557

Thanks to Rudy for scoping it out!!

PS. When you check out this link, check out their link to the Alias-Media article. Scroll to the bolded copy at the bottom of the article....

Says Gersh, "We learned early on that we had a special opportunity with 'Alias,' and we intend to develop it over time -- even after the show's first run is off the air."

WHAT? What does he mean "first run?" Does that mean there is going to be a second run? Thoughts?

Scene Cap of the Day

Evidence that tequila and ice cream can cloud your judgement. Um, love Will's hair!

PS. I thought it would be fun to post a new screen cap everyday from some of our fav. moments. Any suggestions? Send them my way.

Music Mayhem

Um, I hate to toot my own horn, but how absolutely cool is it to open this page and hear AC/DC "Back in Black?" Come on! That is pretty frickin' sweet! I will be changing up the music weekly, so keep in ear out for your favorite Alias tunes. Thanks to Unveiled Doppleganger (aka Dark Alias) for his help with the tech stuff.

Speaking of Alias tunes- I got some bad news and some good news about our Alias soundtracks. Bad news: Some of the packages were "Return to sender." Why? Not sure. I went into the post office and purchased all the postage and everything. Good news: I have one last batch to make and then I will send all of them- at once. I went into a Mailbox Express store this weekend- a store that specializes in mass-mailings and all your postage needs. I worked out postage and packaging for a great price with the very cute guy behind the counter! Bonus! So, no worries- the music is on it's way.

I suppose I didn't realize what a huge undertaking it would be to burn that many CD's. Alas, I felt it was appropriate to share the music and the love- so it was worth all the hassle.

Update: I will be watching the second disc of season 3 tonight. Can't wait!! Also- I have started the book! Now I am reading over time to catch up. Expect some discussion questions and a second half review from Jenn in the next few days.

PS. Uncle 111 has updated Omega 17 with season 2 transcripts. Check it out...
http://groups.google.com/group/alias-omega17

New Alias

Okay, I am done- I am done fiddling with the layout. I love it! I love the red, I love the greeny-blue, I love the black! I think it looks very professional and sharp- but perhaps I am biased.

I know some of you have commented on the white text against the black background. I do agree that it can be distracting at times, but it just looks so good! I can't help it. If it helps- try highlighting the post with your mouse, this will reverse the text to black and the background to white.

How about that new banner?? I would like to say thank you to All Alias for the great icon pictures. There are some great ones.

All right, enough of the fluff stuff, back to the dirt!

PS. I've got music coming to the blog soon! I think a little Alias tune playin' when you open the page would be Supa Swank!

Ah, Season 3

I cuddled up in bed last night and watched the first disc of season 3. Oh, how I missed it! It really does pack a punch. Aside from enjoying the splendor that is the Alias of ole, I picked up on a few things…

Jack Bristow is the greatest character ever written! I swear the man is amazing! There isn’t anything he can’t do and the first four episodes of the season proves it. Locked up by the NSC, sprung free by his daughter who supposedly killed a Russian diplomat, Jack has to save her, but the clock is ticking! Secret conversations with Irina, inner-workings with a computer genius, the lying, the cheating, he’s so damn good! Jack has some of the best lines in the first four episodes. My particular favorite: “Michael Vaughn is just a boy who was never good enough for you.” Heartbreaker! Standing there behind the glass of the prison, seeing his long dead daughter crying before him! I can’t stand it!

Later, Jack meets with Sloane to gather intel on Sydney’s missing two years. The exchange between the two men has to be one of my favorite scenes of all time, and it really connects to the scene between Jack and Sloane in the finale of season 5.

Jack states: “A world relief organization? The shear audacity of your apparent turn around would be laughable if you weren’t so dangerous.”

Sloane asks Jack to trust him- to “trust in the consistency of my obsessions.” Then Sloane lays out the story of the Rambaldi message, one word- Peace. Jack then replies, “I would have found it anticlimactic, that after expecting to assemble a weapon of ultimate power that you end up with a revelation you could have acquired from a fortune cookie.” BRILLIANT! The writing is BRILL!

Sloane then provides Jack with a disc containing all of his leads into Sydney’s disappearance. Jack asks Sloane if the disc is a means to excuse him from any involvement in Sydney’s missing 2 years. Then Jack says something and I nearly fell out of bed!! He says, “I will bury you!” And he did!! In a cave for all eternity!! Love it!

A couple other things I noticed or had questions about:

Poor Weiss! The man obviously moved up in the ranks with Vaughn out playing teacher and Sydney apparently dead and buried- but then, as both of them return, Weiss again plays gopher, no longer leading missions, no longer the point guy. I feel bad for the guy and I am kind of glad he got the promotion in Washington. He got sick of playing sidekick!

Lauren is fabulous, just frickin’ fabulous! I love that at first, we kind of like her, she’s innocent and we are curious to learn more about her. Then, she and Sydney have that heated exchange in the conference room over letting Sark go and she rattles off about how condescending Sydney is. That’s when we start to hate her! How dare she say those things about Sydney! She stole Sydney’s man! She tries to make a mends on the plane to Moscow, but no- we won’t take her back. LOVE IT! Again, incredible character. BUT, BUT, BUT- there is still a loose end. What exactly was the purpose of Lauren marrying Vaughn? Vaughn left the CIA, gave up his clearance and access to CIA files after Sydney’s death. What was Lauren going to get from him as a college French teacher? Nothing! Did the Covenant expect that Sydney would return to the CIA, hence, prompting Vaughn to return to the CIA, thus, allowing Lauren to get intel? As far as I can tell, Lauren had just as much access, if not more than Vaughn to the CIA’s information on, not only the Covenant, but Rambaldi as well. I suppose the love triangle just makes for good TV.

Also, why does Sark love wine so much? He sure does drink an awful lot in season 3!

I wanted to mention too, that 3.1 “The Two” was written by JJ Abrams- which is very evident considering all the turns the episode takes-from Jack being in prison, to Sydney breaking him out. Episode 3.2 “Succession” was written by my favorite Alias writers, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. Jeff Pinkner, Alias producer and another of my favs, wrote 3.3 “Reunion”- love the scene with Sydney and Weiss taking shots of tequila while the sweet singing of Patsy Kline plays in the background. Interestingly enough, my least favorite Alias writers, Monica Breen and Alison Shapker (who wrote the series finale) wrote 3.4 “A Missing Link” which features the great Simon Walker and the introduction of Julia Thorne.

What are your thoughts on going back to this season? I know many of you are not huge fans of season 3, but I just can’t get over how extremely intelligent it is and how deep and dark the plot gets. Can we find differences or variations of the plot between episodes, considering they are each written by different writers? Or does the story stay consistent? I loved diving back in- how about you?

PS. What are we thinking about the new layout? Good? Bad? Ugly? I have a few more banners in the works, so I might change it up once in awhile.

Debrief

Good morning all! I am thrilled to announce that I have a fully functioning entertainment center in my room as of last night and I can now dive back into Alias (season 3) this very evening!! YAHOO!

A new alias for Alias
Currently, I am in the midst of revamping Let's Talk. The look of the site and the format are getting rather ho-hum. Keep your eyes peeled for a new design, plus a few more links and features. I am hoping this will keep the site jumpin'. FEEDBACK- So, any ideas or preferences for the new layout? Do you like the blue colors? Dark colors? Light colors? Pictures? I want some of your input for the new look!

Read-through
Uncle 111 has done something fantastic- no, he hasn't convinced ABC to launch a spin-off- but he has archived season 1 scripts! Check it out! http://groups.google.com/group/alias-omega17

Birds the Word
You guys are crossword fanatics! I don't know if I can keep up! I have a few more on the way, some easy, some hard. I am sure re-watching season 3 will give me plenty of ideas. Stay tuned!

Book Worms
Jenn will be hacking out discussion questions for the first book "Recruited." Be looking for those. We are going to crack the world of Alias lit wide open, get ready! Check out Jenn's book review below.

Sista Sista
Don't forget to stop in at Let's Get Lost, The Anatomy of Grey's and Bauer Platoon for crossword puzzles, DVD info. and fun articles. Though our favorite shows are on summer hiatus, we want to keep the love alive. PS. No word yet on the release date for Alias Season 5. I am keeping my ear to the ground though!

Summer Time
Technically, it's summer, but you wouldn't know it due to the gray skies of Seattle. My weekends are filling up with beach plans and out-of-town trips, rain or shine. I am 100% devoted to my bloggies during the week- I am at your beck and call, but it might be hard for you to track me down on the weekends. Updates will be limited on the weekends, but I fully intend to stay ahead during the weekdays. Now that we are reading the books and getting back into the DVD's there will be plenty to talk about. I hope you all enjoy your summer-but keep Alias close. We ain't done yet!

More T's

Hi All,

Lhaaheim won the T-shirt contest yesterday, so if you haven't checked out her design, please check the link under the article titled "Drum roll please..."

Many of you asked if I could post some of the other entries. As I mentioned, some of the ideas were not given to me as designs, just merely written ideas. However, Blogger Desiree turned in a few ideas that she has published on Zazzle. Cute ideas Des!

Blogger Nancy turned in some great designs, too. On the first- the front says "Truth Takes Time," and on the back it gives the Let's Talk address and says "A Safehouse for the Alias Intrigued." I might make one of these, so stay tuned. On the second- the back gives the Let's Talk address and says "We're all on comms."

Many of the designs were similar and many of the designs focused on Marshall. Overall, there were some great entries. If you decide to design a shirt on Zazzle (which is free!), please let me know so that I can post a link. Thanks again to all who participated!

PS. Again, there are some great ideas and designs at Cafe Press. Check out some of the JJ shirts- "Get Lost JJ" and "J-J-E-M-E-T-I-B." I love JJ, but those are funny!

Just so you know...

I am back! Back, I say! I have returned from the pit of despair and anguish. I am going to do it people! I am going to break out my DVD's and rehash all the glory that is Alias!

I will no doubt start with season 3, my fav! I will be rewatching, so look for your favorite season 3 recaps coming soon!

It feels good to be back. I feel like the old Girlscout once again! I think it was the sight of little Asher and Tori in their little Alias onsies. How are these little kiddies every going to know the fabulousness that is Sydney Bristow if I don't keep spreadin' the word!? (Not that Sara and Des won't do a fine job of sitting them youngins down and teaching them that Sloane is bad and Vaughn is good---very good!) But, I got work to do- I have a whole new demographic to infect with Alias-itis. Muhahaha! Who's with me?

Drum roll please...

We have a winner ladies and gents! The T-shirt contest has been simmering on the back burner for several weeks, but we have a winner! Congratulations to Lhaaheim! Liz's play on the Mastercard commercials was great!

So, I had some issues with Zazzle. They didn't like my use of the Mastercard symbol. I went in and changed the shirt. We are up and running. Check out the T-shirt here:

http://www.zazzle.com/products/product/product.asp?product_id=235038127264115816&success=true

As for all the other entries- there were some great ideas! Please, if you were not chosen, head on over to Zazzle and make up your T. I will gladly post the link.

Again, congrats Liz! You will have a shirt coming to ya soon!

PS. I had half a mind to make a T-shirt that said, "I invested 5 years in Alias and all I got was this lousy T-shirt!" Okay, the bitterness is over. I finally caught a season 2 episode on TBS this weekend. I nearly burst into tears! It was 2.17 "A Dark Turn," the one when Irina gets extracted from the CIA by Sloane. There is an awesome chase scene and Kendall is on comms. So good!! I might have to dive back in people, I might have to dive back in!

Technical Difficulties

Okay, so I am on the last leg of the Alias soundtracks and CRAPPER, my iTunes will not allow me to make any more copies. Apparently I am only allowed to make a certain amount of CD copies from songs I purchased on iTunes. SOOOOO, I have to make a copy of one of the CD's I have already made and then burn from that. It is going to take me a little longer than I predicted. I know, I know, you all are waiting, but I promise, I am almost done.

If you have any questions, let me know. I am making a huge effort to get them out by this Friday!

Sorry and thanks for your understanding!

Grey's Crossword

Grey's Blog-

Hi all, Amanda updated the Grey's blog with a crossword. We are spreading the literary love everywhere! Check it out! www.theanatomy.blogspot.com

More where that came from...

YAHOO, more more more. Enjoy!
http://www.armoredpenguin.com/crossword/Data/2006.06/32000.0.html

Update:

I will be in Let's Talk overload this weekend. I will be finishing the book, finishing up the last of the CD's and finalizing the T-shirt contest! Next week will be a busy week around here, so stay tuned!!

Have a good one!!


PS. Des and Sara- I might stop by for a dip in the kiddie pool and a climb on the jungle gym. You think Jack, Asher, Daniel and Tori will mind?

Filling time with words

More crosswords! Don't ya just love them??!!

http://www.armoredpenguin.com/crossword/Data/2006.06/20855.0.html

17 Days

It has been 17 days since we lost Alias. It seems like forever ago. My DVD’s are sitting patiently on the entertainment center- next to the TV- each box leaning on the other. I stare at them as I turn on the TV to watch 30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray or American Justice on A&E. I think about them when I am nestled in bed for the night- making a mental list of my favorite moments. I dust them off when company comes, but for the most part, they sit there, untouched- existing in a world of cardboard and paper.

When are you going to watch them, you ask? I will watch them when the sting goes away, when I stop rehashing the finale in my head, trying to make sense of it all. I will watch them when I can’t bare the thought of living without seeing Vaughn’s furrowed brow and Sydney’s dimples. I will watch them when I can’t remember what Jack’s voice sounds like or Will’s laugh. It will be a rainy Sunday, no doubt, drops of sky patting the windows in the front room. The house will be quiet- the cat blinking slowly, the dog dreaming about long runs. I will pour myself a shot of tequila (for the elephant in the room) and I will watch Alias all over again. It could be this Sunday, or the next, or maybe a rainy Sunday a year from now. Either way, the DVD’s will still be there, leaning on each other (as I do on all of you), waiting.

Uncle's Question of the Day

In S1/E4 Sloane tells someone at SD-6 that his last 10 years Rambaldi worked on a single project. We assume it was his endgame/Horizon/Sphere of Life/Immortality, and whatever would make that possible. What were the clues Sloane was tracking down to discover what Rambaldi's endgame was or how it was to be achieved? Can we list the Rambaldi inventions, documents and prophecies, etc. in the order they were revealed in a way that we can see the bread crumbs along the path they were leading us down? What do these things, and the order they were brought into the show, tell us about Rambaldi and his endgame?

To get the ball rolling- we first see the Mueller Device and then- the golden sun map Sydney finds in Malaga (after a fight with Ana), which fits into the Rambaldi clock. Next...

More Crosswords!!

More, more, more!!

http://www.armoredpenguin.com/crossword/Data/2006.06/18055.0.html

Uncle's Question of the Day

Here is another great topic offered up by Uncle 111. Thanks!!

How many times did Irina try to get Syd out of the spy business, and why?The two that are easiest to spot were:1- Saving Syd's baby and later telling her that she would have to choose between being a spy and being a mom, because you can't do both.2- When she was in CIA custody and she told Syd that if she didn't leave CIA so she could still see her that she would refuse to see Syd.What other things that happened can you think of that fit as Irina trying to get Syd to retire and get her out of the way?

PS. I can't even look at season 2 pics without thinking, "DAMN! It so was good!"

Who's Bad?

This question was posed by Uncle 111 inside one of the comments. I thought I would post for all to answer:

Criminals are usually very selfish. So, what made the bad Rambaldi seekers like Elena's people, DiSantis, etc., willing to die for the cause when their dying would mean they would be left out of whatever the endgame was? What was in it for them? They couldn't really believe they were sacrificing for the good of mankind. Evil people don't think that way and all of their actions show they were evil.

My thoughts:

In television, we tend to see super villains (Sloane, Elena , Irina etc.) with rather incompetent and insecure sidekicks. The villain is the "alpha dog" with all the control, all the power. The sidekicks however, are easily manipulated and usually hold the villain up on a pedestal. Sidekicks tend to be lacking in the parental area and latch on to the villain as a mentor, a teacher, someone who can help them. Elena rendered great power, how she was able to obtain this power, we will never know- but she used the world of Rambaldi to coax people into performing certain tasks. Elena's sidekick, the man with the thick framed glasses, found that by doing Elena a service, he was serving a higher power, he had a purpose. He probably felt like he didn't have a purpose before and Elena gave him one. Like DiSantis- I don't think Elena's sidekick planned to sacrifice himself for the cause. I believe they both felt they would be with the project until the end. I am sure Gordon Dean, Ivan Curtis and the others didn't plan on death either.

As for those who did sacrifice themselves- the Irina double for instance, we have to assume that massive brainwashing and manipulation took place in order for these followers to feel that their death would contribute to the plan- to the endgame. What strikes me as odd is that these people chose to die, when the endgame turned out to be eternal life. Suck don't it?

Ohh, what about Sark? Where does he fall in this?

Update

Hello All,

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I spent mine with a gaggle of friends in Seattle, partaking of the unusually humid weather and the fantastic sushi. Let's get to the updates:

Book Club
I know things have been slow around the blog as of late. I am in the midst of launching the book club and I have yet to read a significant amount of pages to give you a recap- so, hang in there. I hope to have a general overview and discussion by Wednesday. FYI: We are reading Recruited: An Alias Prequel.

DVD's
No word yet on the planned release date of the season 5 DVD. I imagine we will hear soon. My sister has lost herself in the world of Alias...again. She pulled an all-night Alias marathon on Saturday night, finishing all of season 3 and the first half of season 4. When she picked me up from the ferry the car was rattling with Alias tunes. I need to dive back in to my favorite seasons, but I want to finish the book first.

Tunes
Okay- I am on to the second batch of CD's. I finished the first 15 copies, now I have about 10 more, so about 20 CD's. I should have those finished, packed and posted by Friday. You should all be receiving your Alias music orders in the next couple of days. The post office said it might take longer than regular mail because of the odd size of the packages. So, it might take as long as next week.

Crosswords
I am obsessed. I really can't stop. Be expecting more crosswords in the weeks to come. You are welcome to ask questions or request clues if you get stumped. Have fun!!

All right, here is a good week of talk. Any suggestions for topics?? Let me know!

I heart crosswords

Okay, I might be addicted!! Here is another!!

http://www.armoredpenguin.com/crossword/Data/2006.06/30675.0.html

Ready, set, READ

All right, the day has come! Today, Let's Talk Alias is starting it's Alias Summer Book Club! We are launching the club with Recruited: An Alias Prequel. I am picking up my copy at Barnes & Noble (my heaven!!) today on my lunch break! I hope to be finished with the book by Monday- but I will only review the first half of the book then, as not to rush all of you.

So, pick up your copy and get reading!!

More Words

By popular demand- a new crossword. This is a toughy!! Have fun!!

http://www.armoredpenguin.com/crossword/Data/2006.06/31279.0.html

24 Blog

Blogger Sidewinder e-mailed me a few days ago, asking if I was still planning on starting a 24 blog. As much as I would love to dive into a new show and a new blog- I am one busy girl. Too busy! It's a struggle to keep up with the three shows and the three blogs I have already!! So, I suggested that Sidewinder take a crack at the blogging thing- and he took my advice. Please, take a gander at the Bauer Platoon!

www.palmer4prez.blogspot.com

Nice work Sidewinder!

Rambaldi was right?

I was scanning an older post- the one titled "Eternal Life" and I was blown away by Lhaaheim's find about the prophecy and it's relation to the finale. She found these answers on Wikipedia. Thanks Liz!!

Here is what she wrote:

The prophecy applied to the Alias storyline: "This woman here depicted will possess unseen marks. Signs that she will be the one to bring forth my works. Bind them with fury, a burning anger unless prevented at vulgar cost this woman will render the greatest power unto utter desolation."

Sydney possessed unseen marks in her gift for three dimensional problem solving, which may fulfill the spirit of the prophecy. The letter is fulfilled by three actual physical anomalies mentioned by Rambaldi that Sydney possessed: DNA sequencing; platelet levels; and the size of her heart. At SD-6 she was directly responsible for bringing forth the works of Rambaldi by collecting them for both SD-6 and the CIA. Jump to the series finale where the culmination of collecting the Rambaldi artifacts (binding Rambaldi's works) has led Arvin Sloane and Sydney to a face-off. After Jack Bristow is shot by Arvin Sloane, Sydney displays a "burning anger" by brutally shooting Arvin Sloane. This sequence of events triggers "the greatest power" storyline.

The greatest power which Sloane and Irina Derevko are both seeking is that of immortality. The greatest power is "rendered unto utter desolation" because it is forever lost. Arvin is trapped forever in Rambaldi's tomb under rock and Derevko dies while trying to retrieve the last remains of the "greatest power" contained within the Horizon device.

Sydney unfortunately had pretense in climbing the Mt. Subasio in an effort to disprove she was the Chosen One. In the end, Rambaldi accurately predicted that Sydney would ensure his greatest work of immortality would never be used again. However, in the series finale Sydney and Sloane go inside a cave in Mt. Subasio, Sloane is in possession of a Rambaldi artifact (the amulet), moments later the sun rises and shines through a hole in the cave's wall. When the rays of sunshine hit the necklace it reflects something in the wall, but before Sydney is able to see what it is, Sloane shoots the ground around her and she falls... by doing this the prophecy is fulfilled: "never having seen the beauty of my sky behind Mt. Subasio"... with "the beauty of my sky" he referred to what the sun rays would reveal, and "behind Mt. Subasio" meant inside the cave.

Awesome Lhaaheim!