Let's Talk Alias

Commentary: The ALIAS Legacy

2011-05-31T06:04:00.000-07:00

Taken from the comments in our last article, this excellent post was written by blogger Robetron. - SRM
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It's a shame, but ALIAS is far enough in the past that people forget it was ALIAS that ushered in a new era of television action-drama. Before Alias (officially, "BA") nothing was AS well written, well produced, and well acted while so crammed full of movie-style action.

Now it's been a while since the show-creators have figured out what works, and they have all borrowed from ALIAS (which, of course, borrowed extensively from other, lesser-quality productions).

From The Unit to 24, from LOST to BSG, from Chuck to Nikita, and a dozen others, it was ALIAS that open the eyes of TV watchers to realize that great TV doesn't have to compromise quality.

(Perhaps, that is one of the more disappointing aspects of the way it all ended - everyone was looking at ALIAS as the gold-standard for high quality TV, and then they pooch-kicked the game winning field goal try.)

Sure, there were some good precursors like Buffy, Angel, and Firefly (though, I think Firefly was during the ALIAS run). But they were very genre-specific in their appeal. People woke up to good TV about the same time they woke up to the many realizations that came with 9-11-2001.

There have been good dramas also, like The Practice in the era of BA. But nothing combined story, acting, character development, and tons of action balancing it all on a razors edge until ALIAS.

But that's the past. There is a whole new generation being raised to enjoy the benefits of ALIAS' pioneering, but without an appreciation for its efforts. It's a history-repeating problem that has continued since time immemorial.

You think there is a single 16 year old today who knows what the world was like pre- 9/11? Do you remember what life was like pre-"60's revolution"? (Shhh, don't answer, Uncle. I'm making a point).

Do we have any idea what the sacrifices were and how people generally conducted themselves pre-Great War? How can we possibly appreciate a country won by defeating the greatest military on the face of the planet in the Revolutionary War when we cannot even appreciate what an innovative program like ALIAS has done for TV watching in the last 5 years?

The year 2001 has been shaping our social conscience ever since in a multitude of ways, not the least of which is the effect ALIAS has had on how TV is made and watched to this present date.

Yes, I made those historic comparisons a little tongue-in-cheek, but the truth of the matter is that ALIAS changed things, and those changes continue til today.

So... uh, what great program will be dissed and placed on the chopping block this week?

-R.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-14T10:31:00.000-08:00

Happy 2011 y'all! Hard to believe this will mark five years since Alias' last season. The pic above was chosen for two reasons: 1. to point out even though Alias-Media is no more we still have access to episode screen captures (link now in the right sidebar) and 2. because it's still one of my all-time favorite Sydney aliases ("hey, it's not a date!").

Not much new to post, although I've seen the number 47 eeeeverywhere lately. Plus my husband and I are rewatching season 2 at the moment and I'm noticing 47s in parts of each episode I hadn't noticed before. New Chuck is back on this coming Monday, woohoo! :)

Fall Spy Lineup

2010-09-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again! Time for the various networks to try and wow us with their lineup of new shows. We've heard many rumored spy-themed shows, but I only found two definite n00bs in the spy lineup this year (let me know if I missed others!):

Undercovers
NBC Wed. 8/7C
Premiere Sept. 22
Premise: From our beloved J.J., former CIA husband and wife are pulled back into the line of duty after supposedly being "retired." (Image from NBC's site)

Nikita
CW Thurs. 9/8C
I missed the premiere...
Premise: Nikita was rescued from death row by a secret U.S. agency known only as Division, who faked her execution and told her she was being given a second chance to start a new life and serve her country. What they didn't tell her was that she was being trained as a spy and assassin.

Returning favorites:
Human Target - FOX Fri. Oct. 1 8/7C
Fringe - FOX Thurs. Sept. 23 9/8C
Burn Notice - USA Returning in November!

Newest Recruit: Covert Affairs

2010-07-14T06:14:00.001-07:00

For those who weren't aware (as I wasn't before Page48's post yesterday), USA's newest spy series "Covert Affairs" premiered last night (7/13) at 10pm. This is the first new show I've made a point of watching since...well, it's been a while. And I'm happy to say while I had a few annoyances with little things, I'm glad I stayed up past my bedtime to see it.

*** BEWARE: Some spoilerish content below***

The plot for about the first half seemed a bit weak, but got stronger toward the end with a few twists I didn't see coming. I didn't care much for the instant beach cheesy-ish flashbacks in the first scene, and the unnecessary dumming-it-down flashback toward the end of the "real" bad guy (uh yeah I remember him...just saw him 20 mins ago...). I do like the characters of Annie and Auggie so far. I'm undecided on their two CIA superiors at this point, but like the complexity their marriage adds to the dynamic. I wonder if the likable Auggie will end up being more than what he seems as the friendly blind tech-opps guy (w/ way more mojo than Marshall could ever hope for). Overall I give the pilot an A- for decent character development, good action (I liked the more realistic fight scene at the end that was anything but neat and pretty), and the possibility for interesting serial plotlines along with weekly mission fun. I believe I will be tuning in next week. :)

What did you think?

Photo from USA Network website

Alias 2.0?

2010-05-28T05:55:00.001-07:00

Could it be true? The rumormill is abuzz with news of a possible "reboot" of Alias on ABC:

E-Online: Is This Alias 2.0 News Too Good to Be True?
yourTV.com: Alias primed for reboot

It sounds like ABC wants the "idea" of Alias, but without all the mythological "hoopla." So, for us avid Alias 1.0 fans, is that really going to be Alias? Is it going to be a mission-of-the-week Alias? Technically, if you think about it, most of the series (especially season 1) was like that, but what held it together as a whole was the ongoing stories of relationships along with the mystery of Rambaldi. Not to mention some killer cliffhangers between episodes.

I hate to be the Debbie-Downer about this, but I just don't see how an Alias 2.0 could live up to the show we know and love. Especially without the cast we know and love. What do y'all think about this?

Things To Look Forward To

2010-03-08T12:47:00.001-08:00

Wow, been a while eh? As you can see I've been at a loss lately for new article topics (and busy over on Let's Get Lost). But it does seem us spy-thirsty Alias fans do have some upcoming items to look forward to. Tops on my list is the movie above Salt. Sounds like some good action-packed identity-stealing double-crossing fun. Uncle has also mentioned the TV series Human Target and The Unit as watch-worthy. What else has wetted your spy appetites?

p.s. anyone know how to get rid of these damn spammers? This blog has been around for like 6 years and this is the first time they've made an appearance...wish they'd go back in their holes...

What's Up?

2009-11-03T19:05:00.001-08:00

Hey all,
Sorry for being MIA lately. What's new? Anyone see the premiere of V tonight? Thoughts?

I had a dream the other night that I was flipping channels and "happened" upon a made-for-TV Alias movie. In the dream I was like "oh, when was this made?" In real life of course I'd be excited and disgusted at the same time (made-for-TV...really??)

Anywho, hope y'all are doing well and had a good Halloween. :)

TBT Memories

2009-09-30T10:09:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun little article idea from blogger ilovealias4ever (who's on Australian time). Remember when you first saw Truth Be Told?

********

I can't help but make note of the fact that for all you internationals who are a day behind, it was 8 years ago today that our beloved spy-series first premiered.

*sigh* Where did all those years go...?

I'm sure it has been done before, but what are everyone's memories of the ALIAS premiere?

Where were you?
Did you watch with anyone?
What did you think?
How did you react?
Did you think it would become one of the greatest television series?

Spy-ettes

2009-09-14T14:19:00.001-07:00

For your reading enjoyment I thought you'd be interested in askmen.com's Top 10: Female Spies. Of course my first thought when I saw the link on digg.com was "ooo Syd better be on there," and then realized these were REAL spies...like not in TV-land...hehe. Makes for an interesting read!

I Spy...a Spy

2009-08-14T05:35:00.000-07:00

I really don't watch much TV, especially during the week, so it was mere coincidence that I had on the idiot box in the background last night when all of a sudden I heard a familiar voice...Dixon?? Yup, I happened to be tuned to ABC, which happened to be showing a Grey's Anatomy repeat (a show I've seen maybe once in my life), which happened to be guest starring our very own Dixon...err...Carl Lumbly. Man it was good to see him on screen, though a little sad to think this is what his career has come to. I can't help thinking it's such a waste of talent. Nothing beats the raw emotion of Syd's confrontation of Dixon in Phase One, telling him the truth about SD-6 and him struggling to defend his world that's crashing down.

Anywho, I digress... Funny how blogger ilovealias4ever also posted about seeing Victor Garber in Nurse Jackie (which is a TV show I'm guessing?) last night. I also had no idea Rachel Nichols is starring in G.I. Joe until I recognized her in the trailer, guess she latched on to that whole kicking-butt thing. Who else have you seen lately (other than dear Balthazar in the tabloids) from our beloved show?

The Tunes of Alias

2009-07-23T05:53:00.001-07:00

Page 48 wrote a great post about his favorite music from Alias, which I thought would make a fun article seeing what other musical memories our bloggers have. For me every time I hear No Doubt's Hella Good I picture the scene above from S2's "The Getaway." Same for Blur's Song 2 that always brings back the awesome garage car chase in S3's "Blow Back." I've copied Page's post below, what other spy-music do you remember?
--------------------
By Page48
Okay, kids, from time to time here on LTA we hit a dry spell when no one has a bloody thing to say about anything.

We are at such a point RFN (right effing now), so I have decided to make the ultimate sacrifice. Yes, I have decided to stay up late, drink beer and rediscover (for my benefit as well as yours) some of the musical highlights of the 4.77 seasons of joy that "Alias" gave us.

While these are only a few of the many songs featured in "Alias", they are among my personal faves. I have chosen, where possible, to present live versions of these songs performed (of course) by the original artists.

As I chose these songs and scoured Youtube for the performances, I was thrown into a sort of post-"Alias" depression. The beauty of not only the show, but the very carefully selected music makes me long for the days when there was always new "Alias" to look forward to.

Was this a great show or what???

Fleetwood Mac's Songbird from season one's "The Box" (part 2).

Bob Dylan's Shelter From The Storm from season two's "Trust Me"

Joni Mitchell's River from season two's "The Indicator"

John Fogerty's Bad Moon Rising from season two's "Passage" (part 1)

U2's Walk On from season two's "Passage" (part 1)

AC/DC's Back in Black from (as if I need to tell you) season two's "Phase One".

U2's Bad from season four's "Authorized Personnel Only" (BTW, how many people reading this blog remember watching "Live Aid"?). Is there anything in this world more uplifting than U2 in their prime?

Cat Steven's The Wind from season four's "Authorized Personnel Only"

Bob Dylan's Lay Lady Lay from season four's "Before the Flood" (which, for the uninitiated, gets it's name from the 1974 live Bob Dylan album from which this particular performance comes)

Elton John's Your Song from season five's "Fait Accompli"

Who canceled this show and what the hell were they thinking? Will we ever see the likes of this again?

I Spy...47

2009-07-12T18:47:00.001-07:00

Since we often have bloggers post about their encounters with the Alias-favorite number of 47, I thought it would be fun to have an article specifically for that. So, whenever you come across "47" in some random non-Alias or Alias-related way, post it here! Just think of it as a pun-intended game of I Spy. ;-)

This Deserves its Own Article

2009-06-22T12:28:00.000-07:00

Thank you Uncle111 for bringing this to our attention: Alias may be coming to Blue-ray! If it's true it looks like it's because of JJ's newfound fame, so I guess we can thank Lost/MI3/Star Trek for that...

Speaking of the latest rumors and newfound fame, anyone else hear that Bradley Cooper when on a date w/ Jennifer Aniston? They make about as much sense together as a couple in my head as she did w/ John Mayer...not so much...

Idea Clone

2009-05-29T17:36:00.000-07:00

After watching episode 4.19 - In Dreams, I'm utterly convinced Joss Whedon is/was a fan of Alias. I remember posting before that I thought the concept of personality imprints from Dollhouse seemed a lot like the Sloane Clone fiasco we saw in season 4. Well I was semi-wrong, the idea isn't "a lot like" it, it's exactly like it. Marshall talked about how the real Sloane had extensive scans done on his brain, how the real Sloane's brain wave patterns match exactly to those of Sloane 2 because they were "digitally imprinted." The Clone didn't just believe he was Sloane, he was him, with the same memories, thoughts, desires, etc...just like a Dollhouse imprint. Marshall even talked about how the technology could be used to create "sleeper agents"...sound familiar??

I guess there's no real agenda in pointing this out, it just amazed me as I kept watching the episode how the technology used was exactly the same. Funny how at that time it seemed utterly crazy that this could be real, and now there's a network show based solely on this idea.

One other little tidbit that I've noticed in my rewatching of season 4: although many identify this season with only stand-alone episodes, there was much more of a serial nature to this season than one would think. I believe one of the reasons for this was a purposeful change made by the producers: the removal of "Previously on Alias..." at the beginning. Over the last few days I've watched the episodes revolving around Dixon going undercover with terrorists to Jack's radiation sickness and delusions, resulting in Sydney portraying Irena to trick him into talking about Dr. Ladell. There's no way you'd have any idea what was going on if you hadn't seen previous episodes, not to mention seasons, yet every episode immediately starts w/ some mid-mission action. I'm positive this was a conscious decision, producers thinking it was sexier to pretend the show wasn't serialized to gain more viewers. I just found it interesting how it was so purposely left out even though the plots continued from one episode to the other.

Ok, that's my ranting for the night. :)

Happy Memorial Day!

2009-05-22T10:21:00.000-07:00

Wow y'all have been chattin' it up, sorry I've been out of the loop! I'm interested in checking out this "V" show you mentioned in the last thread and have some post catching up to do. Hope everyone has a nice holiday weekend! :)

New Post

2009-05-03T15:18:00.001-07:00

For the sake of a new post. :) As you can tell from the photo I'm currently watching season 3 (for the 4th or 5th time I think) and just got to watch Full Disclosure, probably one of my top five all-time favorite Alias episodes. Not to mention another reason why I love the No Doubt cover of "It's My Life." I'll never forget how my jaw literally dropped when the sniper of Lazaray was revealed, so freakin' awesome! Anyway, just felt like sharing, anyone else in the midst of an Alias series rewatching?

Unlucky 13

2009-04-14T18:53:00.000-07:00

Well that's some weird news about Fox not wanting to air episode 13 of Dollhouse. I just got to watch last week's and agree it got me excited about the show again, but now it's off the air this week and the next eppy's preview looks way B O R I N G and sickeningly stand-alone. Talk about a buzz-kill.

**some spoilers from the last eppy below**
I enjoyed all the points Robetron brought up in the last article's posts and I give the show kudos for continuing throw plot twists. Totally didn't expect Mellie's encounter w/ Ballard (very well done), or Dewitt's secret identity as MLH. I kinda wondered about Dominic since normally he'd be the last person to suspect, but quickly forgot about that idea since I was thinking it was Ivy from the start. I'm glad to see they're not being too predictable. I wonder when we'll see the reappearance of Alpha other than a quick mention regarding Echo's true nature. How much you wanna bet her new handler's gonna be a bad guy of some sort? It would be cool if they did an episode that explained how all the main characters got involved w/ the DH (including Ballard)...sidenote that oddly enough Topher's starting to grow on me...

I Miss Alias

2009-04-04T08:15:00.000-07:00

After last night's Dollhouse, that's pretty much all I have to say. I got this image from Alias Media, it's hard to believe Alias has been gone almost three years now. I've watched my five seasons of DVDs countless times, yet I still laugh, cry and watch with excitement every episode. I think it's safe to say us LTA bloggers have put Alias on a pedestal that can never be reached by any other show. Our expectations for shows like Dollhouse are through the roof, so it's no wonder we feel disappointed. I can't help but wonder (channeling Carrie Bradshaw), would we be so discouraged if we didn't have Alias to compare these shows to? My initial thought is no, we wouldn't be, but it's not like other shows haven't evoked similar human emotions to the characters and plots (Lost, Firefly...). I think that's what I'm looking for, a show where I actually care about the characters and care about their stories. Is that really so much to ask?

More TV Chatter

2009-03-20T19:19:00.000-07:00

I know you BSG fans are gonna want to post about the finale, so you're welcome to do that here. I actually have never seen BSG but am sure I'll end up watching it in the near future. :)

As for me I just finished watching the most recent episode of Dollhouse "Man On The Street." So as to not spoil anyone who was DVRing, comments are inside.

Readers beware, spoilers be here!!

Alias Connections

2009-03-06T05:43:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd give us a fresh post for all our fun show discussions. :) As many of us have noted, there are connections–be it in actors, plotlines or references to 47–to Alias in many other shows. One connection that just occurred to me the other day is the technology used in Dollhouse to imprint personalities on people's brains seems very similar to how Sloane Clone was created in season 4 of Alias. The person thinks they are, in fact, a different person, with their memories, emotions and even health issues, all tied to that personality's imprint. I think I'm always subconsciously on the lookout for Alias references in other shows, as I'm sure many of you are. Just a fun thing to keep in mind when watching current or new shows premiering during Sweeps Week. Oh and this picture really doesn't have to do w/ anything, I just love that look on our beloved Syd/JG. :)

Dollhouse Fan?

2009-02-20T19:46:00.001-08:00

I'm definitely more interested now than I was after last week's snoozer of a pilot. Episode 2 "The Target" could have easily replaced the pilot "Ghost" episode, IMO. It gave us some interesting backstory, a more exciting "engagement" (though that started off slow too...which might have been on purpose to take us by surprise when her "date" turned into a psychopath), some pretty well done asskicking by Eliza D., and something we've all been missing from new shows: a serialized plotline.

The most obvious flub was the lack of scars on the doctor (Amy Acker)'s face in the pilot. Given the timeline of events that doesn't add up at all...and you would have thought showing her all scarred up last week would have created some viewer interest in wanting to know what happened to her, but I digress. This new character Alpha is pretty interesting to me. How was he "accidentally" imprinted w/ a psycho killer's personality, and why did he leave Echo alive? It makes sense that he was her date's "friend" who gave him the drugs for the cantene, some kind of hallucinagin to cause her mental torture by bringing back memories from her real past life along with the Dollhouse slaughter. I like learning more about her handler and their relationship...but as you can tell I'm not remembering these people's character names yet. :) Next week's "engagement-of-the-week" from the previews doesn't look that interesting to me, but I'm hoping we'll still get some more serial tidbits to keep us coming back. Other random comments:

Topher's going to get on my nerves really quick, he has no Marshall charm to him at all
At this point I don't really care about the detective, and the other cops teasing him about the Dollhouse is going to get really old really fast...they're trying too hard
The last 15 mins were really what drew me in, the final shot of her doing the psycho's "salute" was well done, shows their "erasing" technology is flawed

What a Tease...

2009-02-04T08:18:00.000-08:00

Just caught this new trailer for both Dollhouse and Terminator.

I gotta say, love seeing some women kicking ass, who's excited for next Friday??

Calling all Lost fans!

2009-01-22T06:20:00.001-08:00

LTA's sister blog "Let's Get Lost" is back up and buzzing about the season premiere last night. Come check it out! www.letsgetlost2.blogspot.com.

Spy Bambina #2

2009-01-06T22:21:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: The baby's name was revealed by People Magazine....

SERAPHINA ROSE ELIZABETH

Congrats to the Garner-Afflecks! Ben and Jen welcomed their second daughter into the world today! No news yet on name, perhaps Sydney??

We here at Let's Talk would like to congratulate them and wish their family all the best!!

PS. Hi, by the way! Its been a long time. I stop in every once in awhile to admire SRG's hard work and dedication to my tiny little blog. Thanks again to SRG for holding down the fort. Much appreciated by all!!

The Season 4 Shuffle

2008-12-23T05:50:00.000-08:00

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

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T05:36:00.000-08:00

Since I will be out of town the rest of the week I wanted to wish all the LTA bloggies (and those who aren't commenters but read this blog for fun) a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Oh and if you're wondering why I've been using a lot of season 1 pics lately (w/ the exception of the last post), it's cuz I'm rewatching it for the billionth time, I love me some old school Alias. :) Happy Turkey/Tofurkey Day!

- SRG

Tough Guy (Girl)

2008-11-19T10:18:00.000-08:00

We all know she's tops on our list, but Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) didn't do too shabby either in TV Guide's latest "Tough Guy" poll coming in at #4, go Syd!!

MOWE Update

2008-11-13T10:36:00.000-08:00

Well I just read on imdb.com that NBC has canceled My Own Worst Enemy "after a string of poor ratings." They also report "It is not yet known if the remaining episodes will be aired." Sorry to those who were enjoying it, I never got a chance to watch it myself. We still have Dollhouse to look forward to...

Getting To Know You...

2008-11-05T13:11:00.000-08:00

I like Bonker's reply in the previous post about doing a "meet-n-greet" with our usual bloggies. Here's a copy of her response and I'll post my reply to get it started!
- SRG

Since it's a slow week, why don't we do a meet-n-greet. I think I know who some of you are and where you come from, but it would be interesting to see how wrong I am.

I'll start. I'm a 37 year old female living in a western suburb of Chicago. I work as an Executive Assistant and have been at my job for 8 years. I'm married without two-legged kids, but have four cats whom I consider part of my family.

Did I surprise any of you or is that what you figured from my posts?

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T11:56:00.000-07:00

From your friends at LTA. :-) Anyone know where I can get a red wig a la Truth Be Told??
-SRG

My Own Worst Enemy Fan?

2008-10-14T09:55:00.000-07:00

At the request of blogger Bonkers, here's a post for the new NBC show w/ Christian Slater that premiered Mon. 10/13. I didn't get to see it but for those that did and are interested, discuss away! :)

Fringe Fan?

2008-09-10T09:31:00.000-07:00

First, HELLO!! It's me! Remember? Girlscout?? Yes, I am back. And why am I back? Because last night my sister and I were held up in my room watching JJ's new brainchild, Fringe and HOLY CRAP- could there have been any more call outs??

Don't this picture look slightly familiar?

It should be pretty easy for us Alias Addicts to pick up and notice certain JJ-isms on TV and in movies. Last night, I found myself saying "That's so JJ" like 500 times. Or "call back to..." For those of you who haven't heard of Fringe or were not able to watch the premiere last night (which will run again on Fox on Sunday)let me recap for you.

Olivia Dunham is an FBI agent, and she's sleeping with her co-worker, John. When an international flight lands at Logan Airport in Boston and no one on board is alive, the team is called in to investigate. All passengers seemed to have come down with a bad case of...? Skin-melting disease? Either way, its gross and its deadly and Liv's on it.

If you're like me- you knew the might John said I love you that he would be dead by the end of the episode. Just another case of Hi Danny, Bye Danny. While investigating the disease, John is explosed during an explosion in a make-shift science lab. Liv is now not only on a chase to find the killer, but a cure for John. Bring in Vaughn- oops, I mean the ever so handsome, Peter Bishop (played by Dawson's Creek alum, Joshua Jackson- love him!!). He's smart, he's funny and his estranged father happens to know a little about this mystery disease. Walter Bishop has been losing his marbles in prison for the last 20 years, and when Liv has him released in order to aid in her search, Peter must take his father into his care. This makes for an interesting family reunion. Dr. Bishop demands that his old lab be refurbished and the trio sets forth to find the man that might have exposed the flight passengers and John. It is learned that Dr. Bishop once shared his lab with William Bell, a man who now runs a multi-million dollar company called Massive Dynamic.

The kicker is, John, in a drug-induced coma, is the only one who saw this man. However, Dr. Bishop has a solution- very similar to Sydney's dream therapy in season 3. Dr. Bishop is able to connect Olivia and John's brain waves in a coma-sleep like state and John is able to "show" Olivia the man's face.

Now that Liv has been introduced to the likes of fringe science, her boss, Phillip Broyles offers her a position on his team- a black ops group, in which she can pick her own team and have access to classified materials. Liv declines. All she is worried about is saving John.

Liv and the Bishops are able to track down this man, Morgan Steig, who's twin brother Richard happened to be a passenger on the plane and a disgruntled former employee of Massive Dynamic. He is forced to give them the ingredients for the cure and John is saved! Thank goodness. BUT! IN GRAND JJ FASHION- nothing is as it seems. It turns out someone from inside the agency was asking about this mysterious disease- and I will give you ONE guess. YES, good old lover boy John. When Liv learns of the truth, she and John get into a hot car chase and BAM! John kicks the bucket. Before he passes on, he reveals another bit of information, telling Olivia to ask why Broyles wanted her at the make-shift lab the night of explosion!!

As you can imagine- Olivia takes the offer set forth by Broyles and invites the Bishops to join her team. All in all, the show seems pretty promising. I enjoyed it. My sister and I hardly said a word, other than to point out Alias-like tidbits. We got a heart-broken heroine with a dead lover, a father-son (instead of father-daughter) team, mysterious diseases, a dream sequence, a troubled airline flight, and I think at one point Olivia and Peter were sitting on the exact plane set as the one Sydney and Vaughn used on their many international flights. We've got a questionable boss, a secret branch of the FBI and I am fairly certain we may someone come back from the dead.

The show was very JJ, who had the help of two other Alias-writing originals, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. Shauna Duggins, the one and only stunt double for Sydney Bristow/Jennifer Garner, also adds to the new show, taking honors in the stunts department.

SO... what do you think? Did you watch it? Did you like it? Any other Alias call outs I missed??

LTA Hiatus

2008-08-28T11:13:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to let y'all know that I'm going to be out of town (out of the country actually) for the next two weeks, so there won't be any new posts from me for a little while. :) If anyone has something they'd like me to post please let me know by 3pm Friday, otherwise I hope to blog w/ ya when I get back!
Thanks,
SRG

Fall Rundown

2008-08-21T06:21:00.000-07:00

This is an OT post but as we're a bit low on Alias content, I thought I'd pull together the new and returning shows we've been chatting about over the last couple months for everyone's reference. Here's the rundown with descriptions, links to their websites, when they premiere and on what channel:

Burn Notice
USA - Thurs. Aug. 14, 10/9c (premiere eppy will be shown again at 4pm Aug. 21)
www.usanetwork.com/series/burnnotice
A spy recently disavowed by the US Government uses his Special Ops training to help others in trouble. (IMDB)

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Fox - Mon. Sept. 8, 8/7c
www.fox.com/terminator
Set after the events in 'Terminator 2' Sarah Connor and her son John, trying to stay under-the-radar from the government as they plot to destroy the computer network Skynet in hopes of preventing Armageddon. (IMDB)

Fringe (by our beloved JJ)
Fox - Tues. Sept. 9, 8/7c
www.fox.com/fringe
Centered around a female FBI agent who is forced to work with an institutionalized scientist in order to rationalize a brewing storm of unexplained phenomena. (IMDB)

My Own Worst Enemy
NBC - Mon. Oct. 13, 10/9c
www.nbc.com/My_Own_Worst_Enemy
Henry Spivey, an efficiency expert, lives a typical suburban life, right down to the wife, two kids, dog, and minivan. In contrast, Edward Albright is a lethal, multilingual operative. It would seem the two men have nothing in common -- except for the fact that they inhabit the same body. (IMDB)

Dollhouse (Joss Whedon of Buffy and Firefly)
Fox - Mon. Jan. 5, 2009, 8/7c
www.fox.com/programming/shows/new/dollhouse.htm
A futuristic laboratory assigns different tasks to its various residents, who then have their memories erased upon the completion of their assignments. (IMDB)

Let me know if there are other spy/action/sci-fi-related shows you'd like me to add to the list, happy viewing!
-SRG

SpyBaby!

2008-08-06T11:40:00.000-07:00

UPDATE!! The our newest Spy baby's name is EDEN ELIZABETH!!
Congrats Sara!

Hi All,

Long time, I know! Thanks to Shannon for keeping the blog up-to-date and rolling along. I am just popping in to share the happy news!!

SaraFu, long time Let's Talk bloggie and a very good friend, gave birth to a beautiful baby girl! Well, I haven't seen her, but I imagine she's gorgeous!

SaraFu is also the proud mother of Jack and Asher (our very first SpyBaby). As soon as pictures and a name are chosen, I will update. We already have a Sydney and a Rachel, can we get a Nadia??? Maybe?? No? Hahaha.

Congrats Fu!!

The Evil Ones Part 2: Irena

2008-07-16T05:48:00.000-07:00

Part deux of blogger Paul's series, sure to stir up some tasty discussion, enjoy! -SRG
-------------------

IRINA
Now this is quite a conundrum. Of all of the character shifts that happened in ALIAS, it seems the one most people had the hardest time swallowing was Irina turning into a completely horrible person. Throughout season 2 and her brief appearance in season 4, we see Irina as a conflicted person. In Season 2, we see her battling with previous choices, fighting between her obsession with Rambaldi and love for her daughter, a character who we never really see as trustworthy, but deep down who we believe really loves Sydney. In season 4, we see an almost reformed and trustworthy Irina, one who helps Jack and Sydney, and even agrees to come back into custody without flinching. An Irina who seems to be working in the best interests of Sydney by telling Vaughn to reveal his activities, and an Irina who has garnered enough trust for Jack to let her disappear again. And then POW, by season 5, she kidnaps her own daughter, betrays her in the bank, and then tries to kill her at the end! Now while I think most of us had a hard time swallowing this, I do believe (after my mulling) that this isn't as much of a stretch as we may have previously thought.

There is no doubt about it that Irina is a manipulative person with no loyalties. After all, who DIDN'T she betray? She betrayed Jack and Sydney on multiple occasions. She skillfully manipulated Sydney's desire to have a mother, toyed with her emotions by pleading guilty at her trial, and then betrayed her trust when she disappeared with Rambaldi's research on the human heart. Even though Irina makes some heartfelt speeches, she clearly puts Sydney in second place. She seems to be interested in giving Sydney many opportunities to get out of the spy trade, but was this out of love for Sydney or a desire to have Sydney out of the way???

Even in Season 4, when Irina seems to be a wonderful and reformed person, can we really believe this? While I do honestly believe Irina loved Sydney and then Nadia, it was clear that neither were as important to her as power and her own twisted beliefs. It could easily be argued that Irina manipulated Jack, Sydney, and Nadia at the end of season 4 for two major reasons: first to get revenge against Elena, and second to stop Elena from destroying the world that Irina one day hoped to rule! We can see some love for Sydney and Nadia; for example her telling Vaughn to reveal his activities. However, it makes perfect sense that the only way Irina could have known about those activities was if she were involved in what he was investigating! Even this may not have been as selfless as we initially believe. By telling Vaughn to reveal his activities, she would effectively be involving Sydney in what Vaughn was doing.

I did feel the whole "nuking all the cities to profit from the reconstruction" was a little over the top. And it DID seem that we saw a whole new Irina. But I think we can see throughout the series a woman who put Rambaldi and her own power and the dream of everlasting life ahead of her love for Sydney, and manipulated everyone to get her own way. Throughout the series, she had something to gain by appearing to be on their side, and honestly, she probably did love Sydney enough to try to get her out of the way. But at the end, there was no reason to continue to manipulate Sydney. She had the choice between everlasting life and power and her daughter, and I don't think the fact that she turned on Sydney there is quite as shocking as it may have initially seemed.

What do you think?

The Evil Ones Part 1: Sark

2008-07-09T10:24:00.000-07:00

Blogger Paul wrote up this great series about our favorite Alias baddies, enjoy part 1! -SRG
-------------------------

For a long time (since the final episode aired) I have been mulling over some of the "bad guys" in ALIAS. Many have complained that the characters in the final season took on qualities they had not displayed during the first 4 seasons. After quite a few months of thinking about this, I have come to some conclusions, or at least ideas, about how these character changes may not be as shocking as we had first thought.

SARK
My perception of Sark is that by the end he is no longer truly evil. Don't get me wrong, he is definitely not a "good" guy. After all, he was willing to murder, lie, cheat, and steal. Also, even though he is clearly showing signs of regret and hesitation at destroying major cities and murdering Rachel and Marshall, he goes along with it. However, in spite of these bad actions, Sark really seemed to progress to developing a conscience by the end of the series. By the end, we can clearly see the conflict within him over what he is involved in, but feels that he is too far in to stop now. As he states in the finale, "Mass murder isn't exactly my passion! I'm a businessman. I simply wanted to come out on the winning end."

You can see this character development throughout the series. Throughout the beginning in seasons 1 and 2, Sark is truly a heartless person with no loyalties. He sells out his employers without compunction at even the hint of torture. To me, however, Sark was most evil in season 3, where he truly displayed his nastier qualities. Even Lauren Reed, who was quite possibly one of the most vicious characters ever in ALIAS, gets upset with Sark when he sarcastically verbally abuses poor Dixon while his children have been kidnapped. He even tortured and burned his own father!

After the death of Lauren Reed and Sark's capture, however, you can see some progression of the conscience Sark seems to develop by the end. After he was incarcerated, he eventually agreed to help the CIA bring down the Covenant (even if he did maneuver some "bubbly"). He even helped Sydney and Vaughn capture Anna. At this point, he disappeared until season 5, where we see his true business qualities. Sark in season 5 was no longer the completely heartless and vicious human being we saw for the first 3 seasons. While by no means reformed, we learned in "Bob" that he had actually tried something more stable (perhaps even legal?) for a while. Of course, he got bored with it and got back into the business, but at this point, Sark was much more of a businessman than an evil character. Sark in season 5 was definitely not the Sark we had in the beginning, but I feel this was an example of excellent character development. Sark was never and will never be a "good guy," as we learn right at the very end as Dixon asks Sydney to help stop him yet again, but I don't believe Sark is truly evil anymore, maybe more of a "dubious-activity" businessman.

Truth Be Told: What really makes Alias great

2008-07-03T06:18:00.001-07:00

A big THANK YOU to blogger Bonkers for Bristow who wrote this great article! Hope y'all enjoy and happy 4th of July! -SRG
-------------------------------

We’ve spent hours discussing Alias; the outstanding writing, the award worthy acting, the intelligent story telling, the plots and the characters. While it’s true that very few TV shows have all these elements, some shows have many of them and yet, they don’t strike me to the soul like Alias does.

Why is that? I decided to really think about Alias and what really made it a great show. How about the main character? The person the show is written around? Sydney is an amazing character, with depth and emotion and internal struggle... and she can kill the bad guys with an ice bucket.

But Sydney is not the reason. The reason Alias is a great series is because of Jennifer Garner. Imagine Sydney played by Hillary Swank or Amy Adams or even Scarlet Johanson. All are good actresses, some have even won awards for their acting, but I can’t see them in the role. Jennifer is Sydney to us.

She’s a great action hero and who amongst us has not wanted to take a kick-boxing or martial arts class after a particularly great fight scene? But she’s more than a super spy. Jennifer embodies the character and feels Sydney’s emotions like her own. When she’s grieving for Danny, or telling Dixon the truth about SD-6, or even just holding Francie after learning the truth about her boyfriend, those emotions are real. We feel them with her. We have felt them before, in our own lives, so we recognize the truth in her face. Sydney becomes more than a person on TV through Jennifer, she becomes as real as the people we work with, live next to and see on the street. But more than that, Jennifer becomes a friend, a family member.

When Jennifer smiles and her dimples jump out at us, we smile too. When she’s flirting with a security guard or charming a rocket scientist we laugh with her because we feel giddy, like we’re part of the deception. And when she laughs with Will and Francie or smiles at Marshall we feel happiness bubble up in us. But when she gives those quiet, careful smiles to her father and Vaughn, we feel her uncertainty and hope and love her even more.

Jennifer is not just Sydney, though. In interviews and talk show appearances we see her as herself. She seems the type of girl I want to be friends with. She’s open and fun and quick to laugh. She’s sincere and refreshingly anti-Hollywood. She’s intelligent and caring and has the best posture I’ve ever seen. She’s the girl next door with killer shoulders. Even now with a baby in tow and softer muscles than before, she is approachable and real. I have to believe that a little bit of Sydney lives in her.

Perhaps it’s all acting and I’ve been sucked into a classic case of “confusing the character with the actress” but I truly feel that Jennifer herself is why we love Sydney and why Alias is the kind of show that inspires conversation even 2 years after going off the air.

I’m pretty sure my answer will be different than yours but that’s why we’re all still here. If we all agreed on everything, we’d run out of things to talk about. So I challenge you to really boil it down and tell us why you think Alias has struck a chord with you. Find the one thing that makes the difference for you.

Any questions?

2008-06-12T06:01:00.001-07:00

A comment in the last post gave me an idea for a new article...do you guys have any burning questions about Alias?? Something that's been bugging/irking you for a while that you'd love someone to answer? Here's an example, anon asked this:
"In the season 1 episode 'Time Will Tell,' when Jack is talking to Sydney at SD-6, he mentions that only 5 people know the truth about SD-6. Now, don't you think he would have mentioned that to the CIA, because we see Vaughn questioning frequently the true allegiance of Agent Dixon. Wouldn't Jack know the five people that know the truth and be able to tell the CIA that Dixon is not one of them."
My answer to that would be that the CIA probably never takes any information at face value, no matter who it's coming from. Yeah Jack prob told them the same thing, that only 5 SD-6 employees know the truth, but they wouldn't believe him or Sydney completely until they've done their own evaluation, which they couldn't do until SD-6 was taken down. Hope that helps...anyone else??

Update - Alias Finales: Season 5

2008-05-23T13:36:00.000-07:00

Ok folks, we're down to our last Alias finale (sniff). Over this fabulously long weekend watch the last two episodes of season 5, then follow up by watching the season 1 pilot eppy for good measure. Check back next week for some good discussion, the last thread was awesome!
-SRG

- Update - We've already got some great posts on this thread so I'm just going to keep it going and not make a new post for the series finale. Please post your thoughts and opinions on the last two episodes of Alias and the pilot here!

What's up?

2008-05-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
I'm out of town this Sat-Wed for a conference, so I plan on posting about the S5 finale/S1 premiere early the following week. Till then, what do y'all want to chat about? We had one heck of a convo about the S4/S5 transition, any other topics you want to chat about from that? Post your ideas here and I'll do a topic post before I leave on Sat. Happy almost-weekend!
-SRG

Alias Finales: Season 4

2008-05-12T18:57:00.001-07:00

In keeping with the past three, the last scene of season 4 played out with a final shot of a shocked Sydney after hearing/finding out cliffhanger news, with the added adrenaline jolt of a car smashing right into Vaughn. Every time I see it I can feel my heart pounding in my chest as I see the ALIAS pop up on the black screen, awesome awesome cliffhanger!

While I agree with many Alias fans that season 4 got a bit out of hand resulting in a city full of murderous zombies, I still think it was good to see the Rambaldi plot finally produce a near-Armageddon event. I felt let down when season 2 ended with Sloane constructing the much-anticipated Rambaldi Device, us hearing the machine rumbling and seeing the walls shaking, only to find it scribbled out the word "Peace." While it seems very plausible that Sloane lied and it did more than that, we still never really found out the point. At the end of season 3 Sloane goes off on an adventure with Nadia to find the Sphere of Life, which is barely mentioned on the season 4 opener and waved off as it was handed over to the CIA and Sloane became head of APO. We finally saw the capabilities of Rambaldi's technology, how disastrous it could be in the wrong hands. Because of that, I can forgive them for the zombies. Some choice moments for me: Syd accepting Vaughn's proposal (yeah I'm a sap), Jack telling Elena he's trying to have more fun (LOL), and like Page48 mentioned in the previous post, Irena not hesitating a millisecond before shooting Elena in the head and telling Syd with certainty to cut the blue wire. I also think it was a good choice turning Nadia into a zombie, because that too fulfilled the Rambaldi prophecy that either The Passenger or The Chosen One would fall that day. We briefly get Nadia back in season 5, but we all know how that ends. :-\ The only thing that really irks me is I can't watch Irena's heartfelt goodbye to both Jack and Syd knowing how they mangle her character in season 5...I still get pissed about that...anyway, I degress...

Like I said before, the cliffhanger for season 4 was fantastic, one of the best IMO ("my name isn't really Michael Vaughn"...CRASH!!!!), and I believe we got a pretty satisfying follow up in the season 5 premiere. It was hard seeing Syd wrestle with her faith in Vaughn, but I greatly enjoyed Dixon recounting his doubt of Syd's allegiance from season 1 and reassuring her that if he could do it again, he would have given her the benefit of the doubt. They did a very good job filming around Jen's growing belly (I remember thinking how I didn't notice it at all the first time I saw it, which was the intention I'm sure), and I loved how they still gave the audience a surprise by Syd telling Vaughn she's pregnant right before the two jump off a cliff, nicely done. Watching Syd go through his "death" and funeral breaks my heart every time, can't hold back the tears even though I know the outcome. Like Page also mentioned, no matter how much of an Alias fan you are, it's impossible to believe anyone would survive the deluge of bullets Vaughn took to the chest. I wish they had at least revealed later when we find out for sure he's alive that he had been wearing a vest to a. make it plausible he survived and b. show he had at least been a little prepared given the situation. I also have an extremely hard time believing Gordon Dean got through APO's security so easily, and using his real name!! Are you kidding me? They wouldn't have checked w/ Chase first to make sure he's legit before letting him through the subway door?? Those are my two scars on an otherwise well done transition between seasons. Where they went from there is...another story...

This week

2008-05-06T07:03:00.000-07:00

Ok our next homework assignment: watch the S4 finale and S5 premiere episodes over the next week. It's hard work but someone has to do it, we'll compare eppies early next week. Get to it Alias bloggies! :)

Alias Finales: Season 3

2008-04-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

The season 3 finale had it all...a killer opening, action packed fights, plot twists and great acting all leading up to an intriguingly mysterious cliffhanger ending. If you watched the behind-the-scenes DVD extra on how the opener with Lauren posing as Syd and blowing up the Rotunda was done, you can really appreciate everything that went into that seemingly short 10+ minutes of the show. As we've said before, this was movie-quality (or better) TV.

As the episode continued there was even more satisfaction for the audience as Vaughn took out some much pent-up aggression on both Sark and Lauren, only to be stabbed by a mystery enemy, causing Syd to go searching for Lauren and the Rambaldi piece. In doing so she discovers Katya as the betrayer (who actually stabbed Vaughn and almost shoots Syd), and has a knock-out fight w/ Lauren who starts asking her questions. She claims they're both "pawns in the same game", wonders why Syd hasn't talked to Irena if she's been helping her, states it can't be a coincidence that both Syd and Nadia came to be agents, and there's proof of everything in a numbered vault in Wittenburg. Just when it seems she's bested Syd, Vaughn shows up to save the day and shoot the b*@ch dead (while the audience cheers), but not before she gasps out the vault numbers to Syd. Vaughn and Syd finally get in a good make out session (cheering again), and all seems happy, but her curiosity leads her to the vault where she finds top secret files about "Project S.A.B." (which we assume stands for Sydney Anne Bristow, especially since the project's initiation date is her birthday). That's about all we can see, other than its lead officer is none other than Jack Bristow, who shows up and tells a borderline-hysterical looking Syd that she was "never supposed to find this."

There was sooooo much speculation that summer over what Project S.A.B. could be. As I've mentioned before, season 3 was the first season I saw in regular airtime, so I was going nutty waiting for the season 4 premiere. Finally it was time, and we got a special 2-hour premiere, which was even more exciting.

On their own, APO pts. 1 and 2 were pretty awesome episodes. The gang gets back into the black ops sector, Vaughn and Syd reunite, she gets a new roomie in her sister Nadia, and they go after a tricky (and rather steamy) enemy who claims he used to have a contract on Syd's life. All the while we see Syd's hatred of her father and still don't know what happened between them. When it's finally revealed what happened in Wittenburg, it has to be one of the biggest let downs I've ever felt from a TV show. Supposedly those documents showed nothing other than information on Irena's past along with a request from Jack to kill her, which was granted. Nothing, I repeat NOTHING was mentioned about "Project S.A.B." It seemed fairly obvious that when the season 3 finale was written, they had NO idea what was going to happen in season 4. The end of APO pt. 2 still had a good shocker; that Irena had put the hit out on Syd which is why Jack killed her, but still, the disappointment over the resolution of the season 3 cliffhanger overshadowed that by a lot. Every time I watch it I get irritated, knowing how good it could have been. Sigh.

This weekend

2008-04-18T05:54:00.000-07:00

Catch up on your season 3 finale and season 4 premiere! Since 4.1 and 4.2 were shown back-to-back let's watch them that way for our review as well. Have a great weekend!
-SRG

Alias Finales: Season 2

2008-04-08T10:08:00.001-07:00

In the commentary for the season 2 finale episode "The Telling," they talk about how they filmed a few different reactions for Syd hearing for the first time she's lost 2 years of her life in addition to the love of her life. Screaming, denial and violence were all options, but in the end it was sheer shock registering on her face before the ALIAS credits appeared. IMO it was the best way to handle the scene, considering that's how the fans must have felt. How did you all react the first time you saw this cliffhanger ending?

The entire finale episode is packed full of action, tension and suspense. Will comes so close to figuring out who the second double is, Syd is on the verge of capturing both Sloane and Irena, and Jack is taken hostage and is helpless to stop Sloan from finishing the Rambaldi Device. In a way, the one stable thing throughout the episode is the relationship between Syd and Vaughn as they try to plan a vacation to Santa Barbara. This certainty is torn away when we see Vaughn struggling to tell Syd what's going on at the end and happens to wipe his face with his left hand, revealing a wedding ring.

The beginning of season 3's "The Two" gives the viewer a false sense of relief as Syd beats the crap out of Vaughn thinking he's a double as the real Vaughn would never be married to someone else. Unfortunately Dixon informs her of the truth in the hospital; Vaughn is indeed married, she's been presumed dead for almost two years, Jack is in solitary prison and Will is in witness protection. There are many heart wrenching scenes in this eppy, from Syd's visit with Jack (you probably know this, but I love you), to her confrontation of Vaughn in the hospital (you wanna know how I am?? I am HORRIBLE...ripped apart!) There is a small amount of resolve at the end when Jack is freed and reunited with Syd, only to show her a video of a woman slitting a Russian diplomat's throat who turns out to be her. Can you even imagine seeing yourself do something like that and not remembering??

Overall I think the flow from season 2 to 3 was smooth, though heartbreaking given Syd's new life. The only let down I felt was the build up of the Rambaldi Device in season 2 and finding out all it did was rumble and shake only to write out the word "Peace." Ah well, what did you all think?

Get ready...

2008-04-04T10:37:00.001-07:00

To discuss the season 2 finale and season 3 premiere next week! Catch up on these two awesome eppies over the weekend and come back next week to discuss. In the mean time, enjoy! :)
-SRG

Thank you Empire

2008-04-02T13:57:00.001-07:00

For including Alias in your list of the 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. Our beloved Alias comes in at #35, naturally we would put it much higher in rank, but it's still good to see it get some props. :)

Alias Finales: Season 1

2008-03-25T08:43:00.000-07:00

"Mom?"

Three words: SO FREAKIN' GOOD! As I've said in previous posts, I got into Alias in season 3 and caught up by renting seasons 1 & 2 over my Christmas break that year. I totally didn't see that cliffhanger coming, and to my advantage, was able to run out to the video store that night and rent the next set of DVDs. For all of you who were watching Alias in season 1, I can't imagine the anxiety of waiting an entire summer to find out what happened next! Did anyone come up with any interesting theories besides what really happened? IMO it was obvious the writers already knew the direction the show would head in season 2 by how smoothly it transitioned. One of the only discrepancies was the fact that they hadn't cast Irena's character yet, so you can tell the voice of the woman who says "I've waited almost 30 years for this" in season 1 wasn't our beloved Lena Olin. She had a slight accent, which didn't fit with the idea of Irena fooling everyone into thinking she was an American named Laura, but other than that, it was an awesome way to leave the audience on the edge of their seat.

I also really enjoyed the change in Will and Syd's relationship from this point on. Instead of just a sidekick friend pining after Syd, Will became a confidant, someone who knew the real Syd and
could help her cope with the crazy life of a spy. As sad as it was, I still can't help but laugh when he's on the flight home w/ Syd and Jack and asks "what about me?" to which Jack responds "...you're going to have a hard time." So, let's hear your thoughts and opinions on the S1 finale/S2 premiere!

Baby On Board

2008-03-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

More Alias babies in the mix folks! I didn't even know Merrin Dungey was in a relationship. Well, maybe she's not, but she's knocked up. Congrats Francie!

Like to give a shout out to Fu and Des, both are having the next round of spy babies here on Let's Talk! We have a Jack, a Sydney, and a Rachel- can we get a Sloane? Maybe a Marshall?? OOOHH, Vaughn, that's a fun name! I would settle for an Isabelle even!

The Dreaded Credits

2008-03-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

We all know that feeling, watching the last episode in a season of Alias, our heart pounding faster and faster as the tension and the action build, dreading every second that the screen is going to go black with the title credits appearing, starting the long months of waiting until the new season starts and our questions can be answered. In its 5 seasons, Alias left us with some of the best finale cliffhangers, making its faithful viewers anxiously await the next season's premiere. Here at Let's Talk Alias we're going to explore what made these cliffhangers so great and how the following season's premiere followed up on our questions and launched into a new season. We'll start with the season 1 finale, "Almost 30 Years" next Mon., so take the time to rewatch this episode along with the season 2 first episode "The Enemy Walks In" over the next week and come back with your comments and questions. If you have any ideas on what else we can discuss in this theme please let us know!
-SRG

I know Kung Fu!

2008-03-05T08:02:00.001-08:00

Any time I finish watching a season of Alias DVDs I reward myself by watching the blooper reel. Last night I finished season 3, and even though I've seen them many times, was still laughing out loud at the bloopers. Season 3 is definitely my favorite blooper reel, mostly because of Vaughn/Michael Vartan who's a total goofball. The part where he's making a funny face and hand gestures while exclaiming "I know Kung Fu!" crackes me up every time. I think we've discussed this before, but I felt like reliving the more humorous side of Alias, so what are your favorite blooper tracks?

Coming Up Daisies

2008-02-21T15:09:00.000-08:00

Hello to my ever-so loyal bloggies! So sorry to have been MIA, but my basketball girls are #1 again this year and we are off to the finals tournament!! As you can imagine, this hasn't left much room for blogging, let alone watching my favorite show, but hey, I am still alive and so is my love for Alias.

It just so happens that I have met a few new friends who love Alias as much as me and we have scheduled a little day-long marathon. On top of that, last night, on the bus ride home from our last home game, I discovered that one of my players loves Alias too! YAY! So, even though I may not always be present in the blog world of Alias, Alias is always present in my life!

This little pic popped up on People Magazine this morning. Ain't that a pretty face?

100011011101010101100

2008-01-30T14:33:00.000-08:00

I know, I know- I fell off the face of the Earth. My bad! It's been busy in the life of Girlscout- very busy. My girls are 7-1 so far this season and I just got a new car. Lots going on. However, I am very sorry for neglecting you. I love you and I'm sorry.

Remember this...? Syd's super close encounter with Ana and the weird suitcase with the goo? I love this scene. I love that JG has her jaw clenched the entire time. I love that just an episode before this- they were kicking each other's ass. And I mean, it can't get any better than Vaughn, her guardian angel in orbit.

You Took Away My Choices

2008-01-03T09:23:00.000-08:00

Ah, Alias. I love you.

Do you remember the moment? That moment, after Sydney returned from discovering the 12 new weapons and she learned that she herself was involved in Project Christmas? The very project her mother had been investigating, thus earning the trust of Jack Bristow.

I love that moment. Sydney wakes suddenly from her hypnosis and she races to meet Jack. It's pouring down rain, Jack is unaware of her knowledge and then she lays into him about taking away her choices in life! Man, classic! Project Christmas seems to be a perfect plot propeller. We know Evil Francie was subjected to it as Alison Doran and hell, even Vaughn could have been a mini-spy soldier. However, I wasn't really cuddly with the fact that Sydney didn't make her own choice to be a spy. It seemed like such an independent decision, an independence that is so very much Sydney and that independence seemed to be dashed when she, and we, discovered it was a lie. Bummer.

She looks a little pissed. Hahaha!

PS. I am happy to announce that we have another Let's Talk Alias spy-baby on the way. Our very first and very loyal bloggie, Sarafu, is preggo with baby #3. Her son Asher was our very first spy-baby. Congrats to Sara and her family and I'm crossing my fingers for a little pink bundle!

Previously on Alias...

2007-12-18T15:06:00.000-08:00

(I am fairly certain I have used that header before. HAHAHA!)

Hi All,

Sorry I have been long gone from the blog these days. I spent all last week at a basketball tournament, I tried fitting in some Christmas shopping and I celebrated my 27th birthday on Sunday. Long week!

Now, for some good news. I have all of next week off- from work and basketball. The room mates will be out of town for the holiday and you can bet your bottom I will be on the couch with my Alias DVD's. YES- more to come- new articles and more fun topics to discuss. So hang in my friends. I am back!

Are you ready for this?

2007-12-13T09:19:00.000-08:00

JJ Abrams has been working on a top secret (no pun intended) project for what seems like a million years now. Today I watched the trailer for this new project titled Cloverfield- about a large monster that attacks New York.

Now before you poo-poo the whole idea of a huge monster attacking the most popular city in America ("Hello, King Kong did it like 60 years ago!")- watch the trailer.

The movie was written by one of my favorite Alias writers, Drew Goddard and is directed by Matt Reeves, JJ's partner on Felicity. I think it looks pretty good. It's very sci-fi, mystery, "what the hell is going on?" which I totally enjoy- you know, like Alias.

Whatta ya think?

On the road back...

2007-11-27T13:47:00.000-08:00

Last night I was snuggling in with my Boogs and watching my new TV love- October Road and guess who showed up? Kevin Weisman aka the greatest gadget man ever, Marshall Flinkman. Yep. He is a new cast member.

October Road is about Nick. Nick left his friends, family, girlfriend Hannah (played by Laura Prepon- formerly of That 70's Show fame)and his small hometown of Knight's Ridge, Massachusetts after high school graduation to conquer New York and become a writer. Basking in the greatness of the big city, Nick becomes an instant literary hit when he publishes his first book- degrading not only his hometown, but using his friends as characters, flaws and all.

After 10 years, Nick returns to Knight's Ridge with a bad case of writer's block and discovers that his friends aren't exactly happy with his success. He also learns that his long lost love, Hannah, has a kid- just about 10 years old. As he struggles to regain his voice and reclaim his friends, Nick fights with the choices he made and the consequences. (Oh, and Nick ain't half bad to look at either!)

Kevin Weisman plays a rivaling writer in the small town. His character may stay around for awhile. Welcome back to TV kid, hope your run lasts longer than Francie's!!

Check out October Road, Monday's at 10pm on ABC.

Giving Thanks!

2007-11-21T11:09:00.001-08:00

I just love the Thanksgiving episode. I love that Sydney helps Francie cook the turkey and that Will brings Jenny to dinner. I love that Sydney gets all dressed up and brings leftovers to her dad the next day.

Sydney sure does have a lot of the thankful for.

I wish you all the best this holiday weekend. Enjoy your friends and family. Enjoy turkey and mashed potatoes. Enjoy all the football too! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,

Girlscout

"I see it around me.."

2007-11-16T11:08:00.000-08:00

"... I see it in everything."

Oooh, good song, during one of the most satisfying Alias scenes ever- and in more ways than one. It’s a very nice song, but not exactly representative of the scene. My Sundown by Jimmy Eat World appears in episode 2.15 “Free Agent” the morning after Vaughn and Sydney’s first night together. FINALLY! I mean, really writers, it was a long time coming! We agonized through one and half seasons of hidden feelings, flirting and close calls.

The song starts in the opening scene, panning from the foot of the bed, through the folds of sheets to Sydney and Vaughn, facing each other, relaxed and happy. They talk about being late for work and Sydney mentions her graduation. It’s a soft, hazy morning moment. As all things Alias- perfection!

Friday Fun: Song of the Day

2007-11-09T08:52:00.000-08:00

Okay. I have not been here. At all. For days. It's bad, I know. So from now on, I will post each Friday. Something fun, something interesting, something from back in the archives to keep us entertained.

Today is Song of the Day!

Today's song is "Give You Back" by Vertical Horizon. The song appears in the pilot, at the end when Sydney visits Danny's gravesite and she learns that Jack is also a double agent. The song is perfect in the fact that Jack can never give Sydney back her old life or Danny. It sucks, but its the truth. Truth be told. See what I did there? Ha!

I was thinking- I watched the pilot only after I began watching season 2. I already knew Jack was a double agent- so the moment he hands her the cell phone was lost on me. What about all of you? Was it a shock to learn Jack was also a double?

Oh and by the way, how are all of you???

Til next Friday- Girlscout over and out.

Bradley with a Blade

2007-10-31T12:21:00.000-07:00

I am well aware of the consensus on this blog related to foul language and TV- so I am guessing most of you have never watched an episode of the FX hit Nip/Tuck. The show is vulgar, sexist, disturbing and I LOVE IT! It's dirty and it makes me uncomfortable, but I loved it in the beginning and I love it even more now because- ladies and gentleman- our very own Bradley Cooper aka Will Tippin, is now a series regular!!!

He looks fantastic playing a stuck up Hollywood actor on a sleazy medical show. He's outrageously egotistical, obnoxiously self confident and deliciously delicious. Nip/Tuck might not be the show for you- but check out this tiny clip...

Nip/Tuck airs Tuesday nights at 10pm on FX.

Song of the Day

2007-10-29T10:44:00.001-07:00

I thought I would post something- anything. The blog has been quiet lately and that is because basketball season is here! Anyway- here is the Alias Song of the Day...

"I Shall Believe" by Sheryl Crow, appeared in season 2, episode 7 "Counteragent." Vaughn had been diagnosed with the weird finger bleeding disease and Sydney goes on the mission to save him- giving up Sloane to Sark. In the end, Vaughn is saved, Sloane and Sark go into business together and at the end of the day, Vaughn has one more thing to say... but Syndey gets away.

I love love love this season and the song. It's perfect.

MIA

2007-10-19T14:45:00.001-07:00

Sorry I've been MIA. Basketball season is here, which means your loyal blog master is busy busy.

So we are several weeks into the new TV season. What show is really got you hooked?? Heroes has me all wrapped up, not to mention Bionic Woman, Grey's and a new fav, Women's Murder Club. My TiVo is flat out fried!

Anyone catch Victor Garber on last night's episode of Ugly Betty and Amy Acker (aka Kelly Peyton) playing a baddy on Law & Order Criminal Intent? Victor looked fabulous! Gawd I miss that guy on TV!

So catch me up, how are the new shows doing and have you spotted any other Alias alums?

Killer Legs vs. "Killer" Legs

2007-10-04T11:45:00.000-07:00

The Bionic Woman. It premiered last week and I finally caught episode 2 last night. As I expected, BW touches on many of the same characters, themes and plot-lines as Alias. Really, the biggest form of flattery is imitation. Below are a few flattering points:

Opening Sequence: Um, excuse me, but were Jae and his gang running down the same dang hallway as Alias used time and time again? Also, Jaime's bar gig looks and sounds very similar to the varies night clubs Sydney and the gang used as a meeting place or on missions.

Dead Fiances and Car Crashes: I swear I have seen that car crash scene before... where, oh where did I see it? Oh right, at the end of Alias season 4. Weird. And come on, a dead fiance in the pilot?

Alice in Wonderland: Jaime looks a bit lost- in a world she doesn't understand. How did she get there, what is happening to her, who is she working for? Alice in Wonderland was a major theme on Alias. Sydney's world was upside down from day one, packed with friends and foes alike. No doubt Jaime will run into the same sort of issues on her journey to self discovery and ridding the world of terrorists.

Handler: Sydney had Vaughn, Jaime has Antonio- formerly known as Preston Burke on Grey's Anatomy. Jaime might not fall for him as a love interest, but he's already meeting her in coffee shops undercover.

Arch-nemesis: Sydney had Ana Espinoza, and Jaime has Sara Corvis- the original Bionic Woman. It's lovely to see these two spare, knocking knuckles and mechanical body parts. More to come I am sure...

The Boss Man: Jaime's boss, Jonas Bledsoe (formerly Garrett Macy from Crossing Jordan) seems to be a nice mixture of the slime that was Arvin Sloane and the cool as a cucumber of Director Kendall. I like him, he cares about Jaime- but I am sure there is plenty she doesn't know.

Geek Squad: BW is not lacking in technology. Alias had Marshall and all his pen bombs, microphone purses, supa swank sunglasses and various other gadgets. BW has Nathan- he can fix a ringing bionic ear with a tap to the skull. Pretty sweet!

Friends-Family Plan: Sydney had Will and Francie- not to mention every innocent sole ever, to protect. Jaime has little sis. Father has yet to make an appearance, but I am sure we will be seeing him very soon and maybe he has a secret... We love our bad- ass heroines when they are kicking ass and taking names, but we also love them when they can make it home in time for dinner.

I'm not overly impressed with Michelle Ryan's acting ability. I thought the tequila (TEQUILA- ah, I miss Will) scene was very unconvincing, however, Ryan's look is definitely Bristow-esque a la girl next door, a cute face and well, killer abs. Oh, and Jaime's workout and training scenes were a tad longer than Bristow's one frame silhouette in boxing gloves. I feel that as Jaime learns more about her abilities and who she is fighting, the more we will learn and like her character. I am loving the little sis right now and I am dying to know why Will had a file on Jaime 2 years before he met her.

So, what do you all think? Thoughts?

El Fin

2007-10-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

It is the finale again. Uncle has posted the final 2 part installment of his Alias Revelations screenplay. Head on over to The Uncle Gun to read the last piece of the puzzle, then come on back over here to chat up the new material.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a brief overview of the Bionic Woman- I finally watched it and man, there was enough Alias pumped into to last me for awhile.

A Pass at Premeires

2007-09-28T08:35:00.000-07:00

So, it was premiere week- a week packed with returning shows and new shows and tons of critical acclaim. I thought we would take a stab at a few shows.

Any favorite new shows we should be checking out?

Any comments or questions about returning shows?

I'll say a few words, if you don't mind...

Private Practice (Grey's Anatomy spin-off): Not sure I am on board for this. I only caught the last 30 minutes, but it felt forced. I'll give it another go next week.

Big Shots (Starring Michael Vartan aka. Vaughn): Ahhh, Vaughn! Anyone else get a little miffed when he kissed his character's wife? I was like, "um excuse me, you have Syd and Izzie at home!" The show is definitely racy and a little naughty, to say the least, but it was fairly enjoyable. Oddly, the only character I didn't believe was Michael's. But that is probably because he will always be Vaughn to me. Big Shots airs Thursdays at 10pm on ABC.

Grey's: AHHHHHHHHH HOW I MISSED YE! So good last night people! So good. Back to the old Grey's with fun quips and upbeat music. Loved it. Love Lexi- very excited for her role to expand and grow. I am all obsessed with the show again. I probably won't be recapping, though I have already opened a blog and had planned on it. I think I just want to enjoy it this season- no racing to write a summary. Grey's airs Thursdays at 9pm on ABC.

I am loving How I Met Your Mother- that show is hilarious. I am pumped for Project Runway, which will air November 14 at 10pm on Bravo. Top Chef is almost over, The Office kicked butt last night with a full hour of laughs- and JIM AND PAM!! Love them!

Any word on Bionic Woman? I have yet to watch the episode I Tivo'd, but my friend said it was good. I will probably watch it tonight. Very stoked for some action!

All right people- lay it on me...

Next...

2007-09-24T16:05:00.000-07:00

Uncle has posted the second to last installment of Alias Revelations. Head on over to Uncle Gun now!

Next Monday Uncle will post a double installment as the finale of his screenplay. I will post links to all installments soon after that and then we can discuss the piece as a whole.

Thanks again Uncle!

Syd and the Side

2007-09-21T13:03:00.000-07:00

There is no denying that Sydney Bristow is a super agent- but she wouldn’t be half the agent without another half - her side-kicks. Over the years Sydney has launched many missions on her own, but it’s the missions with friends and family that really get our hearts pumping.

This topic has inspired this week’s poll question- Which is your favorite Sydney side-kick? Be sure to read the brief synopsessssss (hahaha) before casting your vote.

Marshall: Marshall has always been the brains behind the missions, but when he steps into the field- it can be pretty hilarious, as well as pretty frustrating for Sydney. Sydney often has to play babysitter, as Marshall doesn’t have a lot of field experience or training. Sure, he can hack into a super computer, but yelling Ewok at dudes with guns isn’t the best line of defense. But the man is funny!

Dixon: He is Sydney’s original side-kick. Partners from their days at SD-6, Syd and Dixon are like clock work. They often separate on missions in order to perform different tasks- but Dixon always has Sydney’s back and vice versa. They get the job done and they get the job done well.

Unborn Isabelle: Okay, she’s not exactly an agent or field trained- but you have to admit that she helped mom out quite a bit. I think Sydney was able to get away with a lot more and remain unsuspecting when she was carting around little Izzie.

Jack: Daddio is a pretty good side-kick. He often has insight into something Sydney might not have see or think of. He’s experienced, he’s smart and his number one goal is always to protect Sydney- not bad traits for a side-kick.

Vaughn: Vaughn has the ahhhhh! factor. It’s definitely cute to watch these two flirt in high danger situations. They love to play off of each other, they love dressing up and being new and different people. Come on, they are pretty hot together!!

Nadia: Nothing like a sister as a side-kick. Nadia and Sydney always seem to finish each other’s thoughts on missions or in bad situations. They are fun and girly, but kick-ass at the same time.

Aside from casting your vote- let’s talk about our favorite side-kicks!
1, 2, 3, GO!

Double, double, double

2007-09-18T16:17:00.001-07:00

There has been a lot of talk about doubles on the blog as of late- mostly due to Uncle's screenplay. The Helix Protocol is front and center right now in the Alias "spin-off" and last night while I was watching 3.1 "The Two" (again) something came to mind.

The episode opens where season 2 left off- Vaughn and Sydney in a safehouse in Hong Kong, where Syd is alive and missing 2 years of her life. Vaughn explains all that he knows, as he is not with CIA and is not privy to Jack's location or where Sydney has been. Sydney holds back tears and just when we think she's going to take some time to process what has happened to her- she swings a lamp at Vaughn's head and demands to know who he is working for. She thinks Vaughn is a double- and rightly so. With the double of Francie and several other Alias characters, its very logical that Sydney would believe that someone would be pulling one over on her.

As I was watching her beat the daylights out of the very real Vaughn, I wondered- did we, in that first moment, believe that perhaps Vaughn was a double? Did we ever think- as she sat there staring at him, that perhaps it was all an elaborate hoax? If not, then why? We had just as much information about Helix as Sydney, we knew it could be a possibility- why not Vaughn?

Well, it's a simple answer really- Vaughn has always been Sydney's truth. He, as a character, is meant to be her real life, her honesty, her truth. The writer's might have fudged up a few things when it comes to plot holes and storyline, but they have never faltered in who the characters are and what they stand for.

Amen!

"She cried more, more, more..."

2007-09-18T09:49:00.001-07:00

Uncle's fourth installment of his screenplay is up and available at www.theunclegun.com. If you would like to catch up on his first three installments, please scroll down- links are posted below.

Thanks and happy reading!

PS. I watched a little season 3 last night. More to come- I have a few things to talk about.

Catch Up

2007-09-14T13:05:00.000-07:00

Hello,

Uncle has mentioned that a few of you would like to catch up on his screenplay by reading the last 2 installments. Below are the links...

Installment 1

Installment 2

For the current installment, check out www.theunclegun.com

Thanks and happy reading!

Alias Song of the Day

2007-09-14T08:24:00.001-07:00

Today's Alias song of the day is from one of my favorite episodes- "Remnants" featuring the return of Will Tippin.

Take It Off by the Donna's pumps through the system while Syd and Will go in search of the Rambaldi secret serum- both dressed as British rockers. Will sports a great early Stone's accent and it's so nice to see him and Syd together again! Love it!

"I'm ere, she's ere, we made it."

Fallen but not Forgotten

2007-09-11T08:37:00.000-07:00

We talk a lot about the CIA and the FBI here at Let's Talk Alias. We talk about international terrorists and weapons of mass destruction, about Sydney and the gang saving the world, time and time again- but today, let's not forget about the real Sydney Bristow's, the real life heroes who risk their lives everyday to protect our freedom and make our nation safe. Let's not forget to thank the firefighters and police officers who ran into burning buildings and lost many of their own helping others that fateful day in September. I am sure we all don't need to be reminded to fly our flags today- to stand as proud Americans, together, united.

9.11 Never Forget

Breach

2007-09-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

A couple of days ago I mentioned receiving some rather disturbing emails from a woman who claims that I am having an affair with her husband. I do not know her, her husband or her situation. She was given information about me from this website and because she insists that I am who she thinks I am, it has forced me to take some security precautions.

As you may or may not have noticed, I have blocked my profile. Readers will no longer be able to reach me via email- which, as you can imagine, is very upsetting. I have always been open to exchanging emails with bloggers and fans of the show, so it breaks my heart to have to cut off communication. Everyone will still be able to reach me here, on the blog for sure.

In the next couple of days I will be shutting down my Girlscout35@hotmail.com address and opening a new one. For those of you who have emailed me before, who are in my address book- I will be sending out an email with my new address. You are welcome to reach me at the new address, but I ask that you use discretion and not share the new address with others. If you have not emailed me before and you are a regular visitor to Let's Talk, you have until Wednesday, September 12th to email me at my Girlscout35 address. Then I will record your email and send you my new address.

Thanks to everyone who has voiced your support during this interesting ordeal. I suppose when you put yourself out there on the internet, you're open to crazy people looking into your life. I want to say again, how sorry I am that this woman feels she has received accurate information. She is sorely mistaken and I hope that in time she will find peace.

Sincerely,

Girlscout Forever

PS. On a happier note- today is Uncle's Screenplay Day!! Today he will be posting installment number 3. Stay tuned for more discussions on his piece- I think we should start talking about it like we would a real episode. Uncle mentioned that he maybe posting the piece earlier than 7pm PST today- so be sure to check in at www.theunclegun.com to read the new section. Thanks and enjoy!!

Alias Song of the Day

2007-09-07T10:30:00.001-07:00

I thought I would add a little element for those of you who purchased an Alias soundtrack from me last year.

Today's Alias Song of the Day is Cat Stevens- The Wind, featured in episode 4.1-2 "Authorized Personnel Only."

It's the perfect song, as Sydney, devastated by the news that her father ordered her mother's assassination, is consoled by Vaughn in the round, red hallway of APO. Cute, hair, cute jacket, a beautiful Alias moment.

PS. Check out the new poll in the sidebar. Get to voting!

Oh, PPS. Here is a little trivia- well, more like an inquiry on my part. In what episode did Sydney wear this cute navy jacket? It's up for auction on eBay and the seller has other Alias items that need to be identified. I offered to help- knowing I have all of you bright bloggers who love all the little Alias details as well. Can you help me out?

We interupt your regularly scheduled....

2007-09-06T14:29:00.000-07:00

...program for this brief blog updated.

I have a rather serious matter to discuss.

The past couple of days I have been receiving messages at my Girlscout e-mail address from a woman who believes I am having an affair with her husband. She said she received a photo of me from this blog site and she continues to bash me. Her husband's name is Kevin. I informed her that I do not know a Kevin, that most of my blogger's have screen names, that I am not in any physical contact with anyone who visits this site and that I am sorry for her pain, but that she is mistaken.

If this matter pertains to you, please take action to halt these emails. I may love Alias and all its stealthy moves, but I am not a mistress and I am not having an affair with Kevin.

Thank you!

Now back to the program that is already in progress... (Uncle's screenplay post below).

Screenplay: Part 2

2007-09-03T13:38:00.000-07:00

Hi Ya'll,

Today is Labour Day and, well, Uncle Screenplay Day. To read the second installment of Uncle's Alias screenplay- click the link below at 7pm PST for further instructions. This post is open for comments and opinions and questions. Uncle has done a great job of taking all our constructive criticism and answering all of our questions. Thanks again Uncle for sharing with us!!

Now- head on over to www.theunclegun.com

Don't forget!

2007-08-27T14:18:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to head over to Uncle's site at 7pm PST today to read the first installation of Uncle's Alias screenplay. He will be posting portions of his piece every Monday and then launching a chat session for everyone to discuss and give feedback.

For more information- check out Uncle's site at www.theunclegun.com

THANKS UNCLE and ENJOY ALL!!

"Grandpa" Garber

2007-08-20T09:19:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry but I had to post this picture (original source from People.com), it's just too darn cute! I love how close Jennifer and Victor are in real life, we know their father/daughter bond on Alias wasn't just acting. :)

NEWSFLASH: NEW ALIAS MATERIAL

2007-08-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

You may all be familar with loyal LTA blogger, Uncle. He is one of my big commenters and he always gives great insight into episodes and theories. If you've been living in a bunker, you may be unaware that Uncle has been working on an Alias screenplay for months- months! He has been deligently researching and scrawling out new scenes and missions for an Alias mini-series.

Lucky for us- Uncle is going to share his material!! Starting August 27th, Uncle will be posting sections of his screenplay each Monday at 7pm PST. Just visit www.theunclegun.com and you will recieve further instructions on how to view the readable version of the script. I have had the pleasure of reading the first section, and PEOPLE- its great!! I am so excited to read the rest. Uncle does a great job of setting the scene, using Alias flashbacks (a la JJ) and creating a new world which is very much the Alias of ole. I know you all will enjoy it.

Thanks to Uncle for taking the time to give the fans a little bit of what we've been missing. If we can create enough buzz, perhaps a few important eyes will be reading the script as well. Cross your fingers!!

AUGUST 27th, 7PM PST, WWW.THEUNCLEGUN.COM

What's Your Damage?

2007-07-26T08:34:00.000-07:00

I’ve found it. I have found an Alias substitute!!! Can you believe it!?

The FX Network has a new original series that debuted on July 24th called Damages, starring Glen Close, Rose Byrne, Tate Donovan and Ted Danson.

Meet Ellen Parsons (Byrne), a twenty-something lawyer fresh the bar examine. Ellen is a good lawyer, so much so, that she has several offers, from several different firms. We first meet Ellen wondering the streets of New York, barefoot, in a trench coat covered in blood. Yeah, got your attention, huh? She stumbles into a police station and WHAM, we back track 6 months to reveal how such a promising young litigator winds up in a murder mystery (oh Alias, how I love flashbacks!)

Meet Patty Hewes (Glen Close)- New York’s most revered and most feared litigator. She runs her firm with an iron fist and she has it in for Art Frobisher (Ted Danson). Frobisher is a billionaire and when he asks his employees to invest in company stock, he ruins their lives when he sells his own shares. Patty is determined to make Frobisher pay, but her clients are getting antsy to settle. Meanwhile, as Ellen is getting settled at Hewes & Associates, she learns that her fiancés sister, Katie is employed by Frobisher and may have the information Hewes needs to finally put Frobisher away. Now Ellen begins to think that Patty hired her just to get her hands on Katie- but when Katie’s dog is murder as a threat to keep quiet, Ellen runs straight to Patty.

In grand Alias tradition, nothing is as it seems- as Patty did know about Ellen’s connection to Katie and it was actually Patty who hired someone to push Katie into testifying, by killing her dog.

Flash forward-the episode ends in a police interrogation room- where a disheveled Ellen asks for a lawyer- as the police have just found her fiancé murdered- in a bathtub. IN A BATHTUB!! I nearly fell out of my seat! This show is fantastic. It’s fast paced, it’s well directed, well acted, beautifully shot. Glen Close is, well, Glen Close. She’s superb as the cunning and unfeeling Patty Hewes. Tate Donovan puts on a good show as Patty’s wielding sidekick, who is used to getting fired for show. Ted Danson, I’m usually not a fan, but man, he kicked it up a few notches for this one. Tons of slimy go-to-guys, tons of backstabbing, tons of law bloody and guts. I am in people, I am totally in!

Check the show out at FX! They will be re-airing the pilot today at 7pm EST. If you missed it, get on that and then get back to me. I think we have a winner!

PS. In my YouTube euphoria, I finally watched Catch & Release. Not as bad as I thought it was going to be- very sweet actually. Also- have you noticed the little video reel on the sidebar? Super cool huh? Now, to watch Alias scenes and fan music videos, just click click click. Enjoy!

Who Cut This?

2007-07-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

Seriously- who cut this scene!? What a great way to introduce Dixon. What a great way to show us Sydney's approach to the CIA. And its a great set up for Sydney and Dixon's playful relationship!

I know, I know, I am totally YouTube Alias scene crazy right now. But man, they have some good stuff over there. Go check it out!

PS. This scene was meant to appear in season 5, Reprisal, in which Sydney has several flashbacks. It looks vintage Alias to me, so nice work on the crew's part for making it look old school Boo on Film Editors Julius Ramsay and Heidi Scharfe who cut the scene in the end. HAHAHA!

"Okay, Vaughn, the backpack is getting ridiculous..."

2007-07-24T11:31:00.000-07:00

You know what else is ridiculous? How this show never seizes to amaze me. Seriously, in this short clip we can completely grasp, understand and appreciate Sydney and Vaughn's relationship- while at the same time, Sydney submerges us in the spy story. Oh, and Vaughn doesn't have a shirt on. Bonus!

The In-between

2007-07-23T18:27:00.000-07:00

I wouldn't necessarily say it starts in episode 2.5 "Indicator," as Sydney's struggle between wanting to trust her mother and wanting to be a good agent starts the minute Irina wakes into the CIA- but this episode sure does start the dominos a fallin'.

Irina has just given Sydney and Vaughn the location of her organization's operations manual- a hut in the middle of nowhere. Jack is so frustrated by Irina's ability to coax Sydney, that he sets up his wife by rigging the building with explosives. This, of course, threatens her deal with the CIA and Irina is sentenced to death. Meanwhile, Sydney can't believe she fell for her mother's lies and comes running back to daddy. Though Vaughn isn't a huge fan of the woman who killed his father, he still doesn't buy that Irina set them up. Vaughn digs a little deeper and finds that Jack was indeed the one who arranged to have the building wired.

Sydney is then sent on a mission to track down 12 new-generation weapons- which turn out to be 12 children at what looks to be a camp for spies. Sydney recognizes a puzzle at the home of the operation's leader and discovers that she was subjected to invasive tests by Jack in order to protect her from deceit. So, in other words, Jack fought fire with fire- using Irina's deceit as an excuse for his own. Sydney gives Jack what for and writes a letter to save Irina.

Here is Sydney, sitting between her own curiosity about her mother and her duty and loyalty to her country. Her father complicates the situation with his lies and his unstable past with Irina. Jack's bitterness and anger towards Irina only binds Sydney more. I am still trying to figure out how this girl turned out half way normal and with a smile on her face.

We have talked about the Bristow family dynamic numerous times. Jack questions Irina at every turn, Sydney questions herself at every turn- who should she believe? The father she never knew or the mother she never knew? Despite everything, Sydney still does everything in her power to have her father released from prison and her mother's death sentence reversed.

Aside from this game of back and forth- Sydney struggles with her feelings for Vaughn when he becomes sick with the bloody fingernail disease. She watches Vaughn in a vulnerable state, forcing her to recognize her feelings and her relationship with Vaughn. In the end, Sydney risks everything- her position at SD-6 and the life of her enemy, Arvin Sloane to save Vaughn. Does Sydney never get over this in-between? I don't think so. Even in the end, it is implied that Sydney and Vaughn continued to work for the CIA, even after starting a family. This puts Sydney in a position to play back and forth, between spy and parent. Will she morph into the person her father was- using to lies to protect Isabelle and Little Jack? For the hell she gave Jack in the first episodes of the show- it would seem Sydney would be opposed to keeping her children in the dark. However, I think patterns repeat themselves, especially in families and I think after seeing all she has seen, Sydney would be the first to subject her daughter to the same tests in order to protect her.

But alas, we shall never know. Perhaps Isabelle will live a happy normal life- and become an agent on her own.... ha! Right!

ROCKIN'

2007-07-23T14:58:00.000-07:00

Look what I got...

Yes siree, I got me my first blog award, nominated by my dear friend and loyal blogger Sarafu!! How nice!! Can you believe I have been doing this for going on 3 years?? I have posted 464 posts and more than 100,000 people have stopped in. I think its safe to say there is no end in "site" for me. I'll be blogging until the day I die.

Check out my other endeavors...

The Anatomy of Grey's (Under Construction)

Private Practice (Under Construction)

Pick Me A Plum (On hiatus)

Okay, okay, so some are a work in progress and the other is taking a break- that's because I am trying to re-light the fire over here at Let's Talk!! Stay tuned for more on all of these blogs- including a possible new blog dedicated to the Bionic Woman.

Thanks again Sara!!

The Formula

2007-07-19T11:57:00.000-07:00

The guts. The insides. The bare bones. The heart, the core, the life force. I have been spending a considerable amount of time thinking about the raw and rare center of Alias. It seems to be a perfect marriage of drama and action, a unique combination of literary story telling and the advancement of modern technology and television. I said before, and I will say it again, JJ Abrams is a genius. But why? Why exactly are his show and movies so, so, damn good? It’s the formula.

The formula is a point, a specific idea that is driven home each and every scene, each and every episode, which makes the show familiar and understandable. For example- for has crazy and outlandish as the Rambaldi storyline is- all we really need to know is that Sydney is involved, Ramabaldi is bad, and she is going to do everything in her power to stop it. Who cares about the prophecies or the artifacts- it is really about Sydney, her reaction to Ramabaldi, her ideas about him and how that is carried throughout the show. The formula works in the same way for Sydney as a character. Three of Sydney’s main traits are her loyalty, sense of patriotic duty and her ability to still show a vulnerable and naïve side. Each episode drives these traits home. Perhaps not directly or as plainly, but we certainly walk away feeling as if Sydney is a good friend, someone we understand and know. That is part two of the formula- the ability to relate.

Sydney works for the CIA. She is defusing bombs and wielding weapons and kicking serious bum- and perhaps none of us can really relate to that. What we can relate to is being a working student, with roommates, a boyfriend, a father, a crazy mother, a daughter. Sydney’s “real life” struggles are familiar, identifiable. And we don’t necessarily become detached from her when she is whisked away on a mission- we live vicariously through her. That is part three. Who wouldn’t want to have the fast action life of a super spy? Who wouldn’t want to defend their country behind the scenes, stopping bad guys and saving lives?

So, we have 1. A point 2. Ability to relate and 3. Vicariousness. Next up, number four, that little marriage I spoke of before- Drama and Action, I now pronounce you husband and wife. What a successful relationship! And no one does it better than JJ Abrams. We meet Sydney with her head under water- her red wig floating, her face frantic and scared. Not five minutes later, she is standing in the lawn at UCLA, her boyfriend on his knee singing “Build Me Up Buttercup.” And it works. We believe it. Why? Because of number five- Suspension of Disbelief. I have talked about this little literary device before. It is our ability to believe that Sydney and the gang can do whatever they want, whenever they want, because in TV land, there are no boundaries. They are the CIA for gosh sake!

I bring all this up because we have been searching for a show with this same formula. We want something that has a strong point- a strong story that is hammered home each week. We want to relate and live vicariously- we want action and drama and we want to let go of all rational thought. Hence why I think Bionic Woman might be exactly what we are looking for.

Now, I have talked enough. It’s your turn! What well plays into the success of a TV program? The actors? The directors? Talk to me people.

Sydney's Iconic to Jamie's Bionic

2007-07-18T09:05:00.000-07:00

Nearly three years ago when I started this little slice of Alias wonderment, I signed myself up to receive TV Guide. I figured I needed to have THEE magazine dedicated to the ins and outs of TV and it’s programming. I also began receiving weekly e-mails from TVguide.com, which is great now that my subscription to the magazine has expired.

This morning I received such an e-mail and this week’s cover story? The Bionic Woman. And what did TV Guide have to say about The Bionic Woman? Tons of good stuff! Like this…

“So while Jamie Sommers will still have supersonic hearing and speed, the new bionic babe will feel more like a character out of 24 or Alias.”

YAHOO!! I’ve been missing Alias a lot lately- the fast action genius of such a fantastic drama/action with all the characters I love and want to be friends with. So, seeing this little line of happiness made me, well, happy! I know we’ve all been looking for something to fill the void- clinging to the return of our favorite actors to TV (Ron Rifkin, Michael Vartan, Victor Garber, David Anders) hoping we can taste a little bit of what we crave so much. Perhaps this new show- that looks and feels very much like Alias to me- will be the extension of Sydney Bristow and her gang of do-gooders. Perhaps we will connect with this Jamie Sommers as she discovers that her doctors have made some fairly important decisions regarding her future without her and that she must adapt and cope with the changes. Maybe we will become increasing interested in her love life. Maybe, just maybe, we will dig in and root for this girl has she uses her new physical powers to take down the bad guys.

I don’t want to get our hopes up- because you know, Alias can never be replaced- but I would like to have hope again, wouldn’t you?

Check out the article here at TV GUIDE and check out The Bionic Woman at NBC.com.

Can't Get No

2007-07-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

Thanks to DLove, I watched the final episodes of Alias last night. As satisfying as is was to watch Sydney Bristow raise her gun and empty her clip into the chest and head of her most hateful enemy, I am feeling the same as I did the first time I saw it- unsatisfied. Argh!

What a horrible feeling to have after 6 years. What a terrible way to go out- on a low note. I still have so many questions! I am still so utterly confused by Tom Grace’s role on the show- why bring him in if you were just going to throw the Cardinal at us and then have the character commit suicide for no apparent reason- especially after he made a connection with Rachel??!!!

And for the love of all things, after 5 years do not try to convince me that Jack Bristow was not in the car with his wife when it went plunging into the river! He told Sydney in season 1, they were in the car on their way back from a movie and the car went off the road. Sydney blamed him once she found out about FBI Agent Collier and the possibility that Jack night be selling secrets. There is never a conversation about Jack not being in the car- yet, the flashback seen in Reprisal shows Jack at home with the police, telling Sydney about her mother. At that point in time, Jack still didn’t know about his wife, not until they arrested him and Sydney had to go live with the Sloane’s.

AND THAT’S ANOTHER THING! I know I have babbled on and on about this- but how could Sydney Bristow FORGET she lived with Sloane and Emily!!!??? When we first meet Sydney and Sloane in season 1, there is no evidence to suggest the two knew each other before hand. Of course later we find out that Sloane and Jack have been friends forever and that Sloane was well aware of Sydney- but at some point Sloane tells her that he knew her, but that he was away with Emily (where they lost Jacqueline) and that he checked in “in his own way.” So, season 5 roles around, Jack tells Dixon he sent Sydney to live with Sloane, and in an icy cavern on Mt. Subasio, Sydney vaguely remembers this as Sloane tells a story about drowning stuffed animals. WHAT?

For 2 hours, everything felt rushed. Everything felt limp and fake- even the fight scene between Irina and Sydney. Gosh, don’t even get me started on Irina. She was always cool and calculating and in the final season, she looked like she had been bit by a rabid dog!

I was okay with Sloane in the finale. Sloane has always been consistently inconsistent. You never know what he is going to do- except, you always know he is going to make alliance with someone and then somehow stab them in the back. He is always speaking about protecting the people he loves, and wanting to use Rambaldi for peace and blah blah blah- but he killed Danny, Francie, Diane (remember Diane!!??), Nadia and the list goes on. The man has no conscious until season 5, in the form of his dead daughter. Nice of Mia Maestro to hang around, but Sloane doesn’t have a conscious, never did. Why have him all the sudden be questioning his faith?

Okay, I know, I know, this post is discombobulated and totally pointless, but I just had to vent. What are you thinking about the finale now? Have you gone back and watched it? How did you feel? What did you like or not like? Are you satisfied?

PS. I will tell you- I got a lump in my throat when Jack Bristow stood, bullet riddled and nodded to his daughter. Even in the end, that old man wanted to protect Sydney from anymore pain- especially the pain of losing him. Gotta love Jack B!

YAY! Mail!

2007-07-10T09:33:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Blogger D Love, I now have in my possession, season 5, disc 4. Thank goodness! It was going to drive me mad not being able to watching the series finale.

Thanks D!!

I so love getting mail from my bloggies!

Seeing Double

2007-07-03T08:19:00.000-07:00

Amy Tippin. Remember Amy Tippin? You know, Will’s pink haired sister. Amy Tippin appears in 3 episodes of Alias during the first season- she attends Danny’s funeral in the pilot and she takes in the tunes of Francie’s boyfriend Charlie when he debuts as a singer.

Amy never really served a purpose to the plot- aside from being a perfect Alias for Sydney- but the actress, Nancy Wetzel sure did serve a purpose. Before the fabulous Shauna Duggins stepped in as JG’s stand-in and stunt double- Wetzel played the part of not only Amy Tippin, but Sydney Bristow. She has performed various stunts as Sydney, as well as other JG characters, including Elektra, and most recently as a double and extra on Catch and Release (remember- JG was newly knocked up during the shooting of that film).

Currently Wetzel is working on the unnamed JJ Abram’s project for HBO and has appeared in other JJ related pieces, including What About Brian.

Speaking of stunts and Shauna Duggins- what has she been up to? For those of you who watch the out-takes, bloopers and the behind the scenes material on the DVD’s, you know Shauna Duggins is JG’s number one stunt and stand-in. Duggins and Wetzel have worked together on several JG projects, including Elektra, Daredevil, Catch and Release and several season 5 episodes of Alias. Shauna has also done stunts for X-files, Kill Bill, What About Brian, Lost, Brothers & Sisters, The Kingdom (for JG) and Gone Baby Gone (directed by Mr. Garner, Ben Affleck) just to name a few. After serving as stunt double on Alias, season 1 and 2, Shauna was promoted to Stunt Coordinator- and if you can find the Easter Egg on season 4- you see that Shauna passed the Crew Member of the Week torch on to another member of the crew.

It’s always nice to know who’s behind the scenes, making sure our gal JG stays safe and that those fight scenes look killer.

Tequila and Ice cream

2007-07-02T15:33:00.000-07:00

Have we talked about the ice cream/tequila scene? Have we? In the near two years this site has been up and running (100,000 hits people!!)- I cannot believe we have not discussed the ice cream/tequila scene.

Last night, due to the fact that I cannot find my season 5, disc 4, I went backwards and watched episode 1.2 “So It Begins” and 1.3 “Parity.” And now I apologize- because I made a comment about how fast Vaughn moved on after Sydney “died” and in actuality- Sydney moved on pretty fast after Danny’s death- she kissed Will. So, while Vaughn was pining away in his tiny CIA office and Sydney was suppose to be grieving for her fiancé- she locked lips with her best friend in an air of tequila, chocolate syrup and I am a sure, a bit of loneliness and desperation.

We all love that moment when Sydney comes running home from a mission to slip Danny’s engagement ring back on her finger. We all love the song, as she soaks in a tub of bubbles and regret. She almost found comfort in the fact that her mother had died the same way- that Laura Bristow knew the truth and that had caused her death. It almost felt familiar, something shared between father and daughter. Once Sydney learns that Jack tried to save her and Danny from the wrath of SD-6, Sydney began pushing to have a real relationship with her father. What struck me about these two episodes was this-

Jack Bristow told his daughter the truth about his work- only after Sydney found herself in the same situation. He lied to her about her mother- let her believe he was the cause of her death. We, the audience, hate him for this and we love him for it- for lying to her, for upsetting her. In hindsight, we see how Sydney reacted to all this news- the news about SD-6, the news about Jack and the CIA, about Irina and her “death” and her involvement with the KGB, Project Christmas. She freaked out. There was sobbing and dry-weaving and total uncertainty in her life, her decisions. He wanted to protect her and we want to protect her, but we always felt for her in those moments where she felt betrayed. Did all of this confusion motivate her? Or make her vulnerable? And is that what we love about Sydney- the fact that she is this no-nonsense super spy who kicks ass and takes names, but has this reservoir of vulnerability for her family and friends? Do we love that her greatest weakness is empathy? Do we love that she, grieving, kissed Will, because all we wanted was for her to be happy?

I think the answer is…
HECK YEAH!

Also- question: Should I be talking about Alias in past tense or present tense? I mean, technically the characters still live in our DVD’s, but the show is over. I always wondered about this. Help me out.

Burned Times 2

2007-06-28T14:22:00.001-07:00

So, I pulled out my season 5 DVD’s last week and got to watching disc 3. I finished in one night, of course, and was ready to move on, when I noticed- disc 4 is missing. It’s MIA people and I am dying! I have to finish the season. I can’t watch just four episodes and not finish the season!! I searched the house high and low- nothing. It has simply vanished.

If you have season 5 on DVD and you would like to put this poor girl out of her misery- is it possible for me to get a burned copy from you?? I mean, it has all the extras on it! The bloopers, the commentary. HELP ME!!

You can contact me at girlscout35@hotmail.com Thanks!

This all started with a BABE!

2007-06-26T08:14:00.000-07:00

Remember the pilot? Of course you remember the pilot. Danny gets down on one knee and proposes and Sydney is ecstatic. And then all this elation and normalcy is out the window the minute Danny Hecht says the word “baby.” Baby, family, future- a couple of choice words for a young international super spy. In that moment (on the couch in their old apartment), Sydney feels she is forced to tell Danny about her position at SD-6, which of course, leads to his demise. This, in turn, leads us on a 5-year journey with Sydney Bristow, as she ultimately takes down Sloane, time and time again, avenging not only Danny’s death, but Francie’s, Will’s kidnapping, Vaughn’s near death and Nadia’s murder. The Alliance, Rambaldi, CIA, Covenant, Prophet 5, we would have heard nothing about all of this if someone hadn’t yelled procreation.

Last night I was watching season 5. Yes, I had the strength to put the DVD in the player and actually sit down and watch four back-to-back episodes. Watching Sydney give birth and then care for little Iz only reminded me of how this whole story got started. She had to tell Danny about her job- clearly he was thinking of settling down and having a family and she was thinking about globetrotting and catching bad guys. It seemed only fair that she tell him the truth, to prepare him for the sort of life she had already been living. That back-fired, we know, but in the end, Sydney was ready to embrace this baby, family, future scenario, and kudos to her for doing so. Forget the whole “working mom” bit. Simply- Sydney Bristow deserved a damn break. She deserved some down-home normalcy and it don’t get more normal than rocking a baby to sleep on the lid of the dryer and pouring tall glasses of lemonade for guests.

It is only implied that Sydney and Vaughn went back to work after Irina’s death- and that the birth of their second child set the play in motion to leave the CIA and settle on the beach- looking back now, that seems like the most logical scenario. We always knew Sydney wouldn’t be able to stay away- and for Vaughn, the CIA had been his whole life until he met Sydney. Irina told Sydney during Isabelle’s birth, that she had to choose between being an agent and a mother- she would either fail at one or both. She chose to be an agent and she told Sydney that she would have to make a choice too- she couldn’t do both. Sydney simply said, “Watch me.” And look, after 5 years, we have watched Sydney Bristow make a family with everyone around her- Francie and Will, Jack and Nadia, Weiss, Marshall, Dixon. And if all that didn’t prepare her for motherhood, then I don’t know what would have.

We have known from day one that Sydney had a knack for compartmentalizing. She had this uncanny ability to move from one mission to the next, from her daily life to her professional life and no doubt, from spy to mother. It just seems funny now- to look back on the old Syd and see the precise moment her world changed. The precise moment our world changed- the TV world changed. All because of baby.

Where Are They Now?

2007-06-25T14:49:00.000-07:00

I have done a few updates on the cast since the finale of Alias last year. We’ve seen the faces of our favorite spy friends all over the small screen and a few on the big screen. We all know that Merrin Dungey (Francie) will play side-kick to Kate Walsh’s Addison Montgomery on the Grey’s Anatomy spin-off, Private Practice. Ron Rifkin (Sloane), Patty Wettig (Judy Barnett) and Balthazar Getty (Tom Grace) will appear for another season of Brothers & Sisters, directed by my favorite Alias director, Ken Olin. Greg Grunberg (Weiss) made a smash hit of Heroes, and will now be joined by former Alias castmate, David Anders (Sark). The goofy Amanda Foreman (Carrie Flinkman) will again play goofy Ivy, on JJ’s drama What About Brian? Spydaddy Victor Garber will be back, again, in a courtroom role on Eli Stone and Michael Vartan is finally back on primetime television, starring in Big Shots with the saucy Dylan McDermott. JG, between trips to the park and diaper changes, is busy filling her acting and producing schedule with many a movie coming soon. That’s all well and good, our favs are keeping busy, but…

But what has happened to all the Alias writers- the very brains that come up with the elaborate and complex story that was Alias? I can tell you what they are not doing- feeling sorry for themselves, or apologizing for the last 2 seasons of Alias. They have moved on- some to bigger and better things.

Season 1 had some of the best and brightest writers. They created the Alias world- the characters, the relationships, the storylines. JJ Abrams, who wrote both the pilot and the season 1 finale is now working on three projects- two are untitled and the third- Star Trek- sure to be his next big hit. He’s moved on from Lost, which is noticeable and still manages to dabble in producing on Lost, Six Degrees and What About Brian?

Jesse Alexander, one of my all time favorite Alias writers, is now heading up the writing and producing team over on Heroes. Jeff Pinkner, another amazing Alias writer, moved on with JJ to Lost, and is still there, holding down the fort and the vision. Roberto Orzi and Alex Kurtzman- who wrote several of my favorite episodes over the first 3 years of Alias, are also still with JJ- they will be attacking the Star Trek story. I have no doubt their love for action and drama will combine well for the film and its nice to know JJ is giving work to the people who made him a star in the first place.

So, here is a little challenge for you… track down some of your favorite Alias supporting characters, writers, directors, etc. and tell us what they have been up to. Did Alias do them in, or are they out there, still making a name for themselves?

Come and Gone

2007-06-12T10:58:00.000-07:00

I check in periodically. I log in and read comments, look at previously posted articles, browse news sites for information on the former stars of Alias and the many writers, producers and directors behind the show. Yesterday I realized, I completely missed the anniversary of Alias’ demise- the series finale.

I have been chatting back and forth with Page and Uncle (see the post below), throwing out justification for season 4 or lack of justification. We have been discussing the changes in Alias from season 1 to season 4 and how the lack of Executive support, horrible writers and an obviously tired cast and crew caused Alias to cave in on itself in season 5. Aside from all this discussion, which might seem harsh and more like a verbal bashing- I love that I can still pop in the DVD’s and watch all that is good about the show. I can remember key lines and certain moments that have defined the characters we love, and enveloped us in their world.

I will admit- I still get angry. I get frustrated. It is so easy to watch a season 1 episode and curse the sky- “Why? Why TV Gods, did you have to take away such a genuine program. Sydney had her whole life ahead of her!” I know it seems rather ridiculous now, to get all bent out of shape because of a TV show that ended a year ago. Some ask why I still post, why Let’s Talk is still standing long after the final moments of its purpose have come and gone. I don’t know. I can’t explain it. I just can’t let go. Not yet.

“We’ll find each other. We always find each other…”

She looks rather reluctant to say goodbye, doesn't she?

See the Light

2007-06-10T18:09:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday afternoon and I while flipping channels I came across an episode of Alias. I love that. I love when I stumble on an episode, one I haven't seen in awhile. All I have to do hear the opening credits and see the faces of our beloved characters and I am hooked all over again.

Season 4, episode 8, "Echoes". Nadia is taken hostage by Sydney's number one sworn enemy, Ana Espinoza. In hindsight, its rather ironic that Sydney is forced to play Ana in order to save Nadia's life. Poor Nadia, having to spend the evening tied up and branded by Ana, Sydney, Vaughn and Dixon gallivanting around cutting off ring fingers and staging a death. No fair. Sark makes an appearance, which, of course makes the episode that much better. And the fact that he wants to see Lauren's body and wants Vaughn to go with him? OH THE DRAMA!

I love this episode, but I can't help but notice how different it is. Not just this episode, but all of season 4. The way it was shot, the colors, the urgency of every scene. They shot more outside, in the evening, when the California sun was melting, creating a beautiful marriage between the light and the film. I love it. I love how you can see Sydney's freckles in that light- how her cheeks and Nadia's are rosy and healthy. I love that APO is stark and bright, but their faces are soft and certain. I love the contrast, I love the combination. It's just another reason why I love this show- why I love the cast and crew. Daniel Attias, who directed this episode, did an amazing job. Season 4 was very much a call back to season 1 in technique and process. Season 4 had this new, innocent feeling. Maybe it was Nadia being welcomed into the world of Alias. Maybe it was the freshness of Sydney and Vaughn and how their love changed over the course of all that affected it. Maybe the writers and directors decided to take a new look at the show and give it new life. Either way, whatever it was, it was good- even though during the original airing, I was probably complaining.

And, come on, Sydney fighting with Ana in the boutique? One of the best moments of all time. "Another spring, another June, another sunny honeymoon..."

Possible new spy thirst quencher?

2007-06-07T12:03:00.000-07:00

Has anyone else heard of the new USA show called Burn Notice? I keep seeing ads for it, and it looks somewhat intriguing. It's about a spy (not sure if he's CIA) who is suddenly "fired" from his job while on a mission, but has no idea why and aims to find out. More info can be found on the USA website (FYI a trailer for the show w/ sound starts automatically on this page), first episode is 10pm EST on June 28th. Just thought I'd throw that out there if anyone else is craving some new spy fun. :)

Looks Like Bloopers

2007-06-04T21:49:00.000-07:00

Oops, looks like Ben and Jen caught us spying. Hi ya'll, no Alias updates, but take a look at these photos! Is that last one not a blooper face?? I think we've seen that face before. Hahaha!! Glad to see JG out and about- would be happier if they were pics from the set of an Alias movie. Uncle, how's it coming?

Feeling a little "Lost?"

2007-05-24T08:29:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to put in a little plug for you Lost fans that a recap for last night's whopper-of-a-finale is posted and ready for discussion! Check it out at www.letsgetlost2.blogspot.com.
-SRG