Nope, it's not the latest dance, it's your new mission. ;-) Amid rumors that the 4th season of Alias was shown out of shooting sequence, blogger Uncle found a post which claims the true episode order is: 1, 2, 3, 7, 4, 6, 8, 9, 5, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. For the rest of the month and into Jan., let's try out the new order and see what we think. The first jump goes from 3-7, how about we try to get there by the end of Dec? Use this post to discuss along the way, have fun and Happy Holidays everyone! -SRG
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
The Season 4 Shuffle
Nope, it's not the latest dance, it's your new mission. ;-) Amid rumors that the 4th season of Alias was shown out of shooting sequence, blogger Uncle found a post which claims the true episode order is: 1, 2, 3, 7, 4, 6, 8, 9, 5, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. For the rest of the month and into Jan., let's try out the new order and see what we think. The first jump goes from 3-7, how about we try to get there by the end of Dec? Use this post to discuss along the way, have fun and Happy Holidays everyone! -SRG
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
26 comments:
Hope everyone had a good Christmas. I got a few toys and I wasn't overly over worked as in past years (only 80-90 hour weeks instead of 100-110), but it also means a little less money, but that's where we're at isn't it?
I gotten through E8. What I am noticing so far is in Syd and Vaughn's relationship, and in the progression of Syd and Nadia's relationship. They are both seem to take a more steady and logical growth when shown in the shooting order.
I'm not in far enough to get much difference in the Rambaldi storyline, but some of the missions make a little more sense as far as fitting into the Rambaldi part. You can see how some of the things they are dealing with end up fitting into the Rambaldi part, whereas before, at least for me, they got lost in the shuffle.
My DVD's are out on loan. Hope to enjoy their safe return by week's end.
Here's a highly uninspiring take on "Dollhouse" 1.1
The highly uninspiring takes are piling up. Nevertheless, I will wait and form my own judgment.
Here in Canuckistan, we enjoyed a "Star Trek" marathon on Space during Christmas and Boxing Days. Interestingly, "Star Trek: First Contact" featured Alfre Woodard and James Cromwell a full 12 years before they ended up working for the Janus Group in MOWE. I can be accused of trivial pursuit occasionally.
BTW, I watched "Quantum of Solace" the other night, and I must say that Daniel Craig IS James Bond.
Try as I may (and I have tried), I've never been able to sit through a Pierce Brosnan or Timothy Dalton Bond flick, but "Casino Royale" and QOS are much more viewer friendly versions of 007 in much the same way that the Christian Bale Batman flicks are far superior to the Keaton/Clooney/Kilmer predecessors.
Quality TV shows are extremely rare right now, so I have to seek refuge in movies. I'm very much in favour of annual instalments of "Mission: Impossible" and Jason Bourne movies. There just isn't enough great spy stuff out there to choose from.
In the adventure realm, I was disappointed with the latest Indiana Jones movie. I was looking forward to it, but it just lacked the quality of earlier efforts. Maybe HF is just too long in the tooth. Could be time to bring in Indiana Jen to carry on the tradition. She needs something to get her off the fluff treadmill.
Glowing review of "Serenity" on blu-ray.
Daniel Craig is totally James Bond for me, his gritty portrayal of Bond's physical strength as well as mental intellect is fantastic. I have to say though I felt QoS had TOO much action which took away from the story. The plot was rather intricate and I felt like just when they started explaining something there would be another fight or chase, which I honestly got annoyed w/ by about half-way through. Casino Royale had awesome action as well as "down time" showing more emotion and developing the story, letting the viewer breath. All-in-all I did enjoy QoS though, and would like to see it again to see if I can pick up the plot better.
I just started on S4 last night and watched APO 1-2. Not my favorite eppies, but one thing I do enjoy is the interesting chemistry between Syd and Tamazaki (sp?). More to come, happy new year everyone!
SRG, I also think CR was a more well-rounded Bond flick, although I enjoyed both. For some reason (budgetary concerns???), QoS was almost 40 minutes shorter than CR, so it was definitely a stripped-down sequel. Kinda like "Bond-Lite".
Craig, IMO, despite the initial objections to his portrayal of 007 on the grounds of his blondness, etc..., is the best Bond so far (sorry, Sean).
But aside from the leading man, I think a key ingredient in the resurgence in Bond popularity is the content of the Craig films. Gone are the crazy cartoon villains with their gold members and their star wars weapons, replaced by more realistic evil shenanigans centered around such mundane realities as fresh-water rights. This refreshingly real approach moves Bond away from well dressed, high-scoring ladies' man who just happens to do a little of Her Majesty's Secret Service on the side, to a more Jason Bourne-like character (sans the memory loss).
According to this paragraph lifted from IMDB, the resemblance to Bourne is not entirely coincidental:
Dan Bradley was hired as the film's second unit director on the basis of his work on The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, so the film would continue the contemporary gritty action style begun in Casino Royale (2006). Alexander Witt, the second unit director on Casino Royale, was also second unit on The Bourne Identity.
I have to say, it works for me.
I got my first iPod for Christmas (I know, I know)and I'm putting Alias episodes on it so I can watch whenever I want to. I also got the Bourne trilogy DVD's. I'm looking forward to watching those with my brother during lunch as he's never seen them.
Uncle, you must have had pictures of Santa in a compromising situation. That'll do it every time.
Anybody waste their free time looking for famous people on Facebook? Well, I occasionally do that, after I run out of high school classmates to look for.
Now, we all know that anybody can be anybody on the internet, so healthy skepticism is, well, healthy. However, sometimes you have to look at the body of evidence and say..."maybe".
Check this out. Sure, anybody can throw up a pic of VG, but cycle through his 'friends'. Just keep hitting that refresh button until you start seeing names like Vartan, Grunberg, and several Jack Bristow's, but also legitimate playwrights, cartoonists, singer/songwriters. There is also an Orci on his friend list, who leads to JR Orci of "Alias" fame, which leads to Zack Whedon of "Fringe" fame, so this particular VG page looks legit to me.
Now, I'm not currently a member on Facebook, but wouldn't it complete your life to take a screen cap of yourself on "Alias" cast members' FB pages. It would almost be like being a somebody to someone other than your Mom...or it might just get your name on a potential-stalker list.
Well I'm one of the many that have been sucked into Facebook. It makes me a bit doubtful seeing that "Michael Vaughn" is a "friend" of VG when he's not a real person...
I'm 5 eppies into the new season 4 order. It makes SO much more sense having #7 earlier in the order with Syd's constant scathing speeches about Sloane. I remember getting a little annoyed by that the first time I saw it because in the show order she had been working at APO for a little while at that point, it was like why is she ranting more about this now? It also helps develop Syd and Nadia's relationship better like Uncle said.
I still have yet to see Firefly or Serenity (and always get mixed up which is the TV show and which is the movie), but I was introduced to Whedon's project "Dr. Horrible" a couple days ago which was pretty damn funny (except for...well...I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it yet). ;-)
SRG, I haven't felt any strong tug to check out Dr. Horrible. I'm pretty sure I don't want to see Capt. Mal (Nathan Fillion)looking that buffoonish.
I've gotta say, having Alias on an iPod is really nice.
uncle111- because the signin function isn't working.
Unfortunately, I do not have any of the seasons on DVD, or I would watch them in this order to see the difference. I do however, have netflix and I have been watching season 3. Which leads me to my question-How did Lauren know that Sydney was in Rome in her apartment after Vaughn helped her escape the NSC?
Anon-
That was a MUCH debated question when it aired. My best recollection of my own answer was that Sloane was behind it. I will have to go back and look at my files tomorrow for a fuller answer.
Thank you for your quick response! I hope you will be able to find something. Also, does anyone know if the plan from the get-go was to make Lauren part of the covenant or did they change her because everyone hated her so much? I know that they always did a very good job of surprising the audience but you would think that there would have been some kind of hint from the beginning.
Yup, Syd got the key for "Julia's" Rome apt. from Sloane, supposedly in an envelope delivered to him in her writing. I always figured her writing was forged, but by whom I don't know. Did they say that Lauren somehow knew where she was? I know she turned Syd into Lindsey as Lazaray's killer, but I don't think they ever say how they knew to find her in Rome...
Regarding the other question about Lauren's duplicity, my guess would be that it was intended from the beginning. Season 3 tells a very solid, cohesive story based around the main plotline of Syd trying to find out where she was for 2 years. It's sort of the opposite of season 4 in that regard; there are very few standalone episodes, and even the ones that would be counted that way (ex: Facade) still further along the main storyline. If you go back and rewatch the season you pick up on small things with Lauren that you wouldn't notice the first time around. For example when Lauren helps rescue Syd from Lindsey's custody and certain brain-damaging surgery, it's not out of the goodness of her heart like you originally think. It's because the Covenant doesn't want Syd going brain dead before they can find out where she hid the Cube. I'm pretty sure the writers had the story set from the start...now where they went from the end of the season is anyone's guess...
Yes, Lauren knew where Sydney was. I can't remember who she was speaking to but it was Lauren that said they knew where Sydney was and that they would have her in custody soon. I agree with you that season three, like one and two, were very well done. At the time, I hated it, but now I see how good it was.
Oh you're right, now I remember Lauren telling someone that they didn't have Syd in custody but "we know where she is." She was Sloane's CIA contact, sounds like he blabbed...
I remember now. Lauren had tracked down some leads on Julia Thorne in the Lazarae "muder" case and found the Italy apartment. Sark told her that Syd was Thorne.
Ah yeah, I remember Lauren finding the office leased to Julia in Rome. Doesn't explain how she knew she's be at the apartment though...
It was a reasonable law enforcement guess. She used it to hide out before. And, here's where my "Sloane's behind it all" theory back then came from. Syd didn't know/remember the apartment till Sloane gave her the letter. He did that right before Sark told Lauren Syd "killed" Lazarae. Seemed logical she would use the apartment to hide and that Lauren would put 2 and 2 together, with a little help from Sloane, or without.
About the only bright spot to not watching "Alias" for long spells is being able to watch a years-old scene with fresh eyes.
One scene that really brings back those gorgeous memories happens early in 4.1, with the elaborate hoax in Shanghai which sets up Syd's alibi for leaving the CIA.
Forget the plot or the fact that you already know what this scene leads to and just allow yourself to bask in the glory of Sydney Anne Bristow hitting full stride through the streets of Shanghai, skimpy skirt, bare midriff, black wig, and some high decibel JET pounding away in the background.
This is everything that "Fringe" isn't and watching Jen wasting her time in Cyrano last night makes me wanta bury my head in my hands and cry like a baby for the loss of those good old days. Well, either that, or grab a beer.
Page-
That 4.1 scene was one of my favorites.
OMG, I forgot how gorgeous Jen looked in S4. Whoever said boys don't make passes at girls who wear glasses never got a load of Syd rockin' those corrective lenses. Wouldn't a super spy like Ms. Bristow go for the laser treatment courtesy of you, the American taxpayer? Just wondering.
What a contrast in the whole style aspect of the series compared with S1. The unfriendly confines of SD6 compared to APO? No contest. Syd's early-days business suits compared to her sleeveless, zero body-fat S4 look? Whew, Get me a glass of water!
To think that I used to whine and bitch at the self-contained model as S4 originally aired. Today, I would kill the neighbour's puppy for an episode like 4.7, which seemed to have nothing to do with anything other than the Syd/Nadia/Sloane relationship (sure, a little spy stuff thrown in).
If there is a special continuity arising from the airing of 4.7 right after 4.3, it's lost on me. 4.3 was all about Jack lying to Nadia about Irina's killer, but the subject was dropped completely in 4.7. The only common theme that I noticed was Nadia saving Syd's bacon for the 2nd eppie in a row. Other than that, the two shows could have aired in different seasons.
On another note, "Burn Notice" is back on Jan. 22nd. 'Bout time.
Yeah, we'll NEVER get a big-screen "Alias" adventure, but Hollyweird can't wait to inspire a new generation of crack dealin', gun totin', morally bankrupt shitheads with the upcoming release of "Notorious" (the Biggie Smalls story), who gave us such gems as Big Booty Hoes. Makes Don Imus sound like Mother Theresa.
Now, for reasons known only to her, Director Chase herself (Angela Bassett) agreed to appear as the mommy of this late POS. Anybody with at least $50 in a piggy bank should run, not walk, from garbage like this. I would fire my agent if he brought be crap like this.
B.I.G. should be, but sadly, isn't, an embarrassment to his race. His deification defies logic, as does Angela Bassett's willingness to participate, for profit, in keeping his memory alive. If I was Angela, I would wash my hands after I cashed that cheque.
Page-
Fortunately I don't even know who Biggie is.
JG/Syd was wonderful to gaze at. Wish she was giving us new Syd action. I have really been enjoying having her on my Ipod. If anyone wants me to burn the mp4 files to a disc so they can load them on their iPod say so and we'll get something worked out.
Looking forward to Burn.
Yeah, I wish Jen was giving us new Syd action, too.
Watching S4 is my first run-through in over 2 years. It's great to watch the whole team in action in far flung regions of the world. How is it possible that ratings for a show of this caliber would be so low as to warrant an early demise?
Watching 4.7 followed by 4.4 turns up an interesting technique used in both episodes. In 4.7, Syd uses personal comments about her experience with Sloane to convince the baddie to co-operate, knowing that Sloane is listening in on the conversation. In other words, her comments were meant for both parties to hear. Then, in 4.4, Vaughn, under cover as a priest, is recounting his real-life past regarding Lauren, knowing that Syd was on the other end listening in. His words were also meant for both parties to hear.
Here's something I like to look at once in a while. Syd's apartment on North Sycamore is also fun to check out, although my experience with Google maps is that it doesn't always point to the right spot.
Post a Comment