Alias

The mediocricity of early season 5 episodes starts... now.



...1... was by no means a bad episode, but it didn't really stand out either.



The episode had, for me, 3 bright points.



First, Eric Weiss leaving. It's so sad. First, Sydney loses her fiancé(for the second time... and if we count Danny, then for the third), and now, she loses one of her best friend.



Eric leaving was definitely a sad moment, and the show's actually starting to feel something different. I call it the season 5 syndrome. It gets better as we're closing in to the series finale, but until then...



The second good thing about the episode was Tom Grace. He only had a few brief scenes, but... that guy's great. Out of the 3 new regulars, people tend to hate Tom the most. I don't understand that. I think Tom's a cool addition, because, he's low tech, he doesn't like kung fu(he even mentions that in a later episode), he says what he thinks... and he simply has the appearance. No wonder Jack likes him.



Finally, the ending was great. A pretty good twist. The episode was, as usual, about retrieving a bomb, however, in the last few scenes it was revealed that it isn't a bomb, but a box, with a man inside.



Now, for the downside. Reneé Rienne is the worst character in the history of Alias regulars, in my opinion. She seems like a regular bad guy, but on the good side. Basically, her character lacks depth, and there's really nothing interesting about her.

Her stealing the box without the knowledge of the CIA or Sydney is interesting, but nothing to get shocked about.



Another problem is how empty it felt. The effects of the time advancement show. The characters live their "normal" life, like nothing happened.



And finally, Sloane is going nowhere. He is by far the most interesting character in the series, but it feels the writers are just using him as a time filler. For now.



Overall, while this one had some good moments, it felt really like an average Alias episode. But average Alias still means highly enjoyable, so...

Losing Eric Weiss and Micheal Vaughn in back to back episodes is a huge hit to the casting for the final season of the show. Im sure Alias didnt want to lose either of them, but because of contract issues had to lose the both of them. While Eric wasnt as big as Micheal was, it was still hard to lose another regular in the second episode of the season. The episode itself was confusing, but I like that from JJ Abrams based shows. The man in the frozen coffin has woken up, though we dont know what his purpose is yet. Renee is the one who must have helped raid the facility as she is the one that has the body. I thought the man from the plane would have lasted a bit longer, but his death just opens up more questions.



The fact that from the first episode of the season we skipped a head four months in time was interesing. I suppose its for the best. Sydney has somehwat moved on and we dont need to have many filler scenes of her getting all upset. Shes on track for revenge now - not crying over it. Season 5's story, while somewhat confusing, is still one of the better devoloping storyarchs this show has seen in a very long time.

This episode overall was very good if you ask me. We got to meet a new character, Rachel Gibson. Not to mention the creepy evel Gordon Dean that is always lurking around the evil parts. Anyways, we learn that Rachel is really going through what Sydney went through all those years ago with SD-6, so she overall joins CIA. Also, later on we see a man hooked up to a machine, which we don\'t know what is going on. To me, I secretly think since it is the last season it could be Rambaldi? Nahhhh... But what I didn\'t like about this particular episode in which I rated it so poorly is Weiss returned to Washington DC. Weiss was one of my personal favorite characters, along with Marshall, woohoo, he\'s still on.

For those who were hoping that we\'d heard the last of ancient manuscripts, this episode was probably a letdown. Ditto for those who were hoping to see Nadia, those watching to see Syd wearing a skimpy outfit, and those with a strong aversion to seeing extremely handsome agents get brutally shot.



Personally, I wasn\'t thrilled to learn that Jennifer\'s pregnancy would be written into the story line, but I suppose it is more practical than trying to cover it up. Given what we know about the characters and the life they lead, the last thing we would expect (pardon the pun) is that they would want to bring a baby into that world. At the same time, starting a family would have been the next logical step for Syd and Vaughn. They were already engaged to be married, and with Sloane no longer the head of APO, their continued employment would be less of an obligation. Of course, this is Alias, so we should know better than to look for a happy ending.



For the record, I do not think Vaughn is dead. If he had died by the train tracks where he was shot, I might have believed it. But the way it happened, with him falling asleep right before the monitors started to flash . . . it\'s all too convenient. If his death was indeed faked, the question becomes, \"Who is behind it?\" If it was the bad guys, then Vaughn\'s situation mirrors Syd\'s; recall that the Covenant faked her death so they could be free to try to brainwash her. In this case, I think it\'s more likely that APO orchestrated it to protect him from Dean and the other baddies. The key evidence for that is the way Vaughn started to get sleepy - I think we were supposed to view that as him starting to \"fade\" - right after drinking from whatever Syd was giving him.



If Vaughn\'s apparent death and the buzz about Vartan\'s rumored departure was all a stunt to gain publicity for the show, I hope it doesn\'t backfire. Critics are saying that the show has quite a few obstacles to overcome this season, including their killer new Thursday timeslot; maybe this isn\'t the best time to make the fans sweat.

I have to start off this review by saying I loved the scene with Sydney and Curtis: \"It\'s a funny thing about Pregnancy, Hormones.\" This then ended with her kicking him out of the window. It is probably one of the last kicks we will see from Miss Pregnant Bristow until she delivers her baby and I enjoyed it (yes I know she probably would not have been able to kick him out the window).







Curtis implied on the plane that the person who ordered the kill on Vaughn was someone Sydney knew....and The Plot Thickens. I have no earthly clue who that could be, maybe Sloane?







And the big question is who is in the box? At first I was thinking Vaughn but the white hair made me think again. Also why would Rene steal it? It probably has something to do with Prophet 5 but exactly what I have no idea.







Weiss is gone also!! We have lost 3 characters this season: Nadia, Vaughn and now Weiss. I just don\'t think I can take anymore. I mean Nadia never did exactly click as a character for me but it is still nice to see familiar faces. I wonder if Greg Grunberg (Weiss) left to work on his new show \'The Catch\'. Well he is not dead so hopefully he will be a guest starring later in the season. We need him for the comic relief, the season 4 finale interactions between him and Marshall were hilarious and I hope we will get more.







Plus we got a new character this episode: Tom Grace. We do not really know a lot about him except that getting drunk and taking part of bar fights seems to be a hobby. Seems like a strange guy for Jack to ask to join the C.I.A but who ever knows what Jack\'s motives are. I sense there\'s more to uncover about Mr. Grace.







All in all I enjoyed the episode....I did not think it was quiet as strong as the season premiere but It was still a good way to spend a Thursday Night. Also I like the new credit sequence, better then last years even though I wish they would have taken out the soft moaning that plays in the background.







Final Ratings: 2 1/2 out of 4 Stars











- Tim Bronx

Find this and many other reviews at: www.motionpicturereviews.com

I liked the episode, but please bring back Michael. I could be totally off the mark, but I believe the man in the cryo tube is Michael's father and I believe that Sydney and Dad are hiding Michael from the bad guys. Jack makes arrangements to transport Michael to a safe place and then later he supposedly dies. I will miss Weiss but at least he didnt get killed off and can come back for future episodes.



Pregnant and all Syd still kicks butt.

I really hope that this season gets better than this. All of the elements that have made Alias interesting in the past have been erased or toned down:

- the romance angle is gone with Vaughn supposedly dead

- Sydney doesn't do as much action as before (probably Jennifer Garner didn't want to take the risks to her real-life pregnancy)

- spy daddy is in the background now

- we don't see much of Sloane

- no spy mommy

- no Vaughn and Weiss banter

- no Rambaldi quest/mystery

- no Mr. Stark or other love-to-hate baddies

- no Isabella Rossellini as Sydney's twisted aunt

- no annoying but cute Nadia...the list goes on and on.



What does this season have: Sydney, not doing a lot on screen.



I dunno, I hope the season picks up because I'm snoozing through the episodes so far.

I mean c'mon people one would think that human kind sort of had a black out in the last 500 years.

Back then they did it all electromagnetic impulse, genetics and even a nuclear bomb (or something like that). But no one of those geniuses ever his superior knowledge with anyone else? How probable is that?



Overall this episode wasn't the best one. I somehow missed the spirit of what Alias is all about. It used to be thrilling and unpredictable. I don't know why but now it appears to be the exact opposite. Well ok the action's allright but the script becomes very predictable.



I'll be sad to see this continuing all season long.

Sydney hears her baby’s heartbeat for the first time, but she’s alone, Weiss gets his dream job promotion but it takes him to Washington D.C., Marshall finds the first lead regarding who killed Vaughn but has to lie to his wife, Sydney captures the man who killed Vaughn but has to let him go, Sloane meets with Sydney and is overjoyed with her pregnancy, but is still behind bars.



But that is life, isn’t it…good things and bad things coexisting to make things interesting?



Sydney’s comments to her doctor, about not being very good at asking for help, were an obvious set-up for her heart to heart with Jack. Sure that moment was moving and sure Sydney does compartmentalize but she does not have trouble asking for help. She’s the heart of the show, the center from which all the relationships revolve. Over the years she has forged relationships with almost everyone, and has opened herself up to Dixon, Vaughn, Jack, Weiss, Nadia, Irina and even, for a bit to Aunt Katya.



In fact, her newest relationship with Renee should prove to be interesting. Teaming with the number 8 person on the CIA’s most wanted list to track down your fiancé’s killer is about a rogue as it gets (though not unusual for the likes of Sydney et al) but maybe during the course of their investigation their new alliance will also provide Sydney with some friendship. With Nadia in a coma, Sydney is once again friendless and even more so now that Vaughn is dead and Weiss moving on.



Sydney’s mission in avenging Vaughn’s death is a small piece in a much bigger puzzle. Using the nuridium for a bomb with devastation capabilities the size of “Hiroshima times 50” would have been one thing but using it to power a cryogenic chamber twists the plot into a very different direction. Curtis said to Sydney many times that she has no idea what she’s become embroiled in and even commits suicide once it is clear there was no other escape for him. But he wasn’t afraid of Sydney, he was afraid of who he’s working for. And what is with the body? It must be someone spectacular to go to all that trouble to keep him alive. Because the DSR could not identify the body, I suppose we can rule out Bill Vaughn, Rambaldi and Walt Disney. But who could it be? And did it appear to anyone else that Renee stole the body from the DSR? Can she be trusted? If Vaughn trusted her, it is difficult to not to give her the benefit of the doubt but then again, truth takes time.



Interesting to note:



Sloane’s reaction to seeing Sydney was perfect. “You’re beautiful” says it all. He may have his own agenda and may make questionable choices but his love for the women in his life should never been underestimated. He has proven that Emily, Nadia, Sydney, even Irina and Jacqueline are special to him in their own ways. I have no doubt that when he saw Sydney, pregnant and thriving even though she recently lost Vaughn, he was proud of her and happy too.



I was happy that Weiss was not killed off and that his character has the opportunity to return. It makes sense for him to go, but the last shot of him standing in the hallway, alone was bittersweet.



Cool stuff:



Being a part of an off the radar CIA division has its perks! Using that Stealth to board Curtis’s plane was crazy cool.



Loved how Syd, Dixon and Weiss made it seem like they were letting Curtis go. When Syd roundhoused him out the window, I thought maybe her hormones had taken over but she’s the consummate professional.



Ponderables:



What was in the file on Thomas Grace that raised Jack’s brows?



How much longer will Sloane remain in custody?



Will Jack ever congratulate Sydney or express his feelings about being a grandfather?



Best quote:



Sydney: “You called him Michael?”

Renee: “Yeah…but don’t worry, he was crazy about you.”



CMK714

I used to review as Gingerbead Girl on Tvtome.com

This is the near last scene in the episode, but for me is the best. Sydney's been shut off for every one since the season 2 and she seems to become like her father every day. I wanted to see them both close the distance, and hug each ohter, but every time, something kept them apart. At least I saw this scene and my heart was jumping in my chest : Sydney finally admits her loneliness to Jack, who manages to respond correctly at last! She asked him to go to the doctor with her!



the rest of the episode is classical in Alias. I love the intruder plane scene. I thougth of the principle of the submarines and I found that creative and unexpected. And the end makes my moth waters....



Milo do you hear me?

ok, am I the only one who's thinking this?



Vaughn actually isn't dead (faked his own death, with help from Curtis and some of that fancy fake death serum) and is the head honcho of this new enemy. And the guy in the cryogenic chamber is his oh so talked about dad or Rambaldi.



Either that or we'll be blessed with another Irina Derevko plotline which I still think will lead back to Vaughn and his dad.



Either way, they didn't totally take Michael Vartan off the cast, he's just a guest appearance now like Lina Olin.



Well that's my 2 cents. Do you agree??

The second episode and Weiss is leaving... which makes me a bit sad. Marshall was the obvious comic relief, but Weiss was more of the subtle comedic moments and he was also very good at diffusing tense or ackward moments. Don't know where Greg is going, but I can't wait to see what he will be doing.



The best moment was with Marshall on the phone and Carrie catching him doing APO spywork, "I'm not having an affair. I know you're not." Heehee... Carrie smiling makes my heart melt. I want more Carrie in Alias! Anyway... two more characters so it seems, I know nothing about the actors, so this will be interesting. IMHO, it will be hard to replace Vaughn and Nadia.



Nothing much really happened, just that the suicide of that Layman guy tells us that the ultimate bad guy/girl must be really terrifying. Also... that Renee girl is a double-crossing biatch... nothing unexpected here.



It's still worth watching, but it needs to maintain pace.

With Rambaldi apparently gone for good (or not - that's to see): Where are the writers going to now?



Either Rambaldi isn't as dead as expected (maybe only cryogenic? ;o)) or there is an even greater plan for all things to happen.



I really hope that Alias will keep up being an excellently written series with good characters, find action and humor and the right dose of the impossible mysteries.



Overall killing Michael Vaughn cries for some kind of "Hey, I am not really dead, look!"-game and if that's true I will not be very amused, as this realy is neither very new nor original. But let's see, I don't watch Alias because of Michael, that's for sure... ;-) (No offense!)

After watching the season premiere, I was slightly disappointed. However, the 2nd episode seemed to put things back on track as we now have some new developments - it seems the show is back to its classic form with a new cliffhanger at every episode.



All in all, a nicely done episode.

About 3 months have passed since the big event that ended the first episode as Sydney is going to be working with Renée Rienne this year. Also seen this episode is Balthazar Getty as Thomas Grace - but where is Rachael Nichols? I don't think we've seen her yet. I'm sure these new additions to the cast will provide interesting twists to the story as we discover the true meaning behind Vaughn's storyline.



With the new cast of ALIAS, we see a new opening intro. It looks quite snazzy...and did you notice the 1-frame Rambaldi logo?



Rambaldi is back, folks! Rejoice! There has been little mention of him thus far, but he's back.



I am also very glad to see the return of the "previously on Alias" intros. This could mean that we're heading back toward the seasonal story arcs - unlike season 4 where we had 10 or 12 standalone shows. I am fan of these ongoing plots, and with the set-ups in this episode and the previous one, you know that ALIAS has a lot in store for us.



This episode brought one thing to my mind, however, that I was not fond of. In seasons 1 through 2, we had a definate enemy - Sloane. Even when there were smaller enemies in individual episodes, Sloane was always there. Then came season 3 where we had Sark, Lauren, and various other Covenant bad guys. Season 4...well, yeah. Standalone episodes make ongoing bad guys difficult. But now, I want a real bad guy! Sloane is in jail right now, Irina is a "good" guy (she IS, you know you love her!), so who's the big bad guy? As of now, we've only been dealing with the little folks. I know I'm asking this very early on in the season so maybe we'll see our big bad guy sometime soon.



Overall, a great episode that lives up to the season 2 high point that ALIAS had. If this is the last season of the show, ALIAS will definatly go out in a blaze of glory.



-Ken

With much of the outside interference already dealt with in the wake of the season premiere, the writers turn towards the next challenge in this episode: dealing with the notoriously fatal “baby plot”. All the drama behind the scenes was bad enough, but nothing kills a series faster than having an action lead suddenly get pregnant. Granted, the writers didn’t have much choice, but it doesn’t change the fact that options dwindle and plots get a bit cliché.



It’s clear that the writers are struggling with the idea of Sydney being sidelined due to her condition, and there are shades of the infamous “absent center” concept that the writers for “X-Files” tried to use when Mulder left Scully behind with a bun in the oven. This series has always contained certain similar plot elements to “X-Files”, but this is not the best plot thread to replicate.



There’s even the hint, perhaps open to interpretation, that the person in the advanced cryogenic device is Vaughn. While it’s true that it could be someone else (like, say, Rambaldi), the implication is there. JJ made it clear that things are not what they seem in the whole “Vaughn is Dead” plot arc, and this seems like a big clue that he wasn’t lying.



All things being equal, that entire plot thread is not that bad, and it actually continues to explore the idea that Sydney’s extended “family” has some serious issues. When SpyDaddy is the best support one can muster up in a personal crisis, it’s a sign that life has taken a disturbing turn. If the writers weren’t playing Dodgeball with using the Rambaldi mythology as the basis for all this intrigue, it would probably work better. As it is, there’s the impression that the writers are trying very hard to keep the same level of mystique that Rambaldi lends to a plot thread.



But other factors keep intruding on the plot, and in this case, it’s Sydney’s pregnancy and the need to address it. Yes, it’s important that the character have a new and unexpected relationship to deal with, since the aspects of being the daughter, sister, and lover of spies have been covered. The only relationship left is the reversal of the earlier dynamic: being the SpyMommy herself. It brings Sydney’s arc full circle, to a certain extent, since she also gets to live the role of SpyDaddy, tracking down the truth about a duplicitous love.



All those things make sense thematically, but they can’t overcome the reality that this pregnancy plot element is the kiss of death. It’s not just that it cuts down on Sydney’s ability to perform to her usual level, though certainly, her inability to get drop-dead sexy every week is a major problem for a series built around that element. It’s the need to address Sydney going through the typical pregnancy issues. It’s been done a million times, and frankly, the writers can’t make something that standard look fresh. It’s not their fault; it’s something a lot of good shows encounter and falter over.



The producers and writers are addressing this issue by bringing in new cast members to pick up the slack. This episode includes the introduction of the “Vaughn replacement”, Thomas Grace, who gets the shortest and least useful character entrance on the planet during that bar fight. OK, so he’s rough around the edges and definitely not a Vaughn clone. Good to know! But it doesn’t change the fact that with Weiss leaving, this transitional period is painfully slow.



A bit more interesting (and useful to replacing Garner’s sex appeal) is the slow but intriguing introduction of Rachel Gibson, played by the gorgeous Rachel Nichols. Making her loyalties less than obvious is a nice touch, and she ought to do well as Sydney’s stand-in. She may be more similar to Sydney than Grace is to Vaughn, but that’s all for the better. (The writers can’t get her into those outfits Sydney used to wear too soon!)



The issue is that the process of getting these new characters into place and establishing the new dynamic takes time. Take a look at “Stargate: SG-1” and how long it took for that new dynamic to settle in; it was at least the first third of the season, given that the plot can’t simply stop moving forward to accommodate the transition. Adding the “baby plot” to that transition is just making the process more difficult.



One might get the impression that this was a bad episode. In fact, it wasn’t bad at all. The overall plot, connected to a large and complex mystery centering on the truth about Vaughn and his death, is not a bad move. And thematically, Sydney’s situation is bringing her arc full circle. But the mechanics of removing old cast members and replacing them with new faces is hampering the pacing, and Sydney’s pregnancy is very difficult to pull off. Seeing Weiss and Dixon in action was a lot of fun, but even the most true fans of the series would have to admit that having Sydney on the sideline is far from ideal.

What are the writers thinking? I am guessing J.J. is too busy on LOST to really care about ALIAS right now. I am so sad that Vaughn got written out like he did, and I will not have any patience for him being revived somehow, if the rumors are true. It's just so hard to care anymore. I am finally calling it quits on Alias. No more of this nonsense. I don't like the mythology anymore, and sad to say, I just don't care about the characters anymore. It was a boring episode, and there is better quality stuff out there. I'm going to be switching to Everybody Hates Chris.

OK...I am one of the legions of loyal Alias fans, but even I must say that there were a couple of things that I just had a hard time believing, like Syd doing the roundhouse that sent Curtis flying into the canal below. But hey, years of physical conditioning could have her in excellent shape, end of first trimester and all.



And speaking of trimester, I could not get over the size of her belly, let alone that we had reached the end of the first trimester already - someone please correct me if I'm wrong! We just found out last week that she was pregnant - are we on fast forward this season?!



The thing that I had the hardest time believing was when Curtis pulls the handle of the door on the plane and was immediately sucked out of the plane – but Syd was not even fazed by any air pressure change.



Anyway, these are details that a fan such as I can overlook for the plot lines.



Several poignant, wonderfully acted scenes stand out in this episode:



Syd seeing her baby’s heart beat for the first time. The gamut of emotions she went through was simply heart-rending. I couldn’t help but analyze her expressions – awed, elated, and saddened at the same time - the most obvious of which was "I wish Vaughn was here to see this".



Weiss telling Syd about his promotion. As his long-time friend, of course she was happy for him, but saddened because yet again, her world was changing with Weiss leaving. She used to be able to count on Vaughn, Weiss and Nadia being there, but now, she feels there is no one. Greg Grunberg’s performance was a lesson in subtlety. His loyalty and love for Syd were obvious as he he suggested that it was a bad time to leave.



Jack’s softer side. When Syd was expressing her fear of being unable to continue without Vaughn, Jack's pain and helplessness as a father was so vivid as he realized that there was nothing he could do to help his daughter. It’s wonderful to see Syd and her father once again prove that when the chips are down, they really are truly there for one another.



A couple of thoughts on Balthazar Getty’s Thomas Grace:



Good intro to his character. We can expect a bad ass agent who is not afraid to afraid to get his hands dirty.



Things to ponder:



Who is in the casket, and why in the heck is Renée Rienne with body?

Why should we trust Renée Rienne just becauase Vaughn did?