Alias

Alias really is the best series you could watch. It incorporates crime, justice, drama and sci fi in such an enjoyable way i really cant do it justice. This episode was created initially as a movie then was turned into a series. Cleverly written, with the elements of sadness and intrigue and action is really the perfect combination. From the very start with the crazy red wig and sleek black outfit, im not sure JJ Abrams even knew what he had just created. Sydney Bristow is introduced to the audience along with her estranged father, dead fiancee and the ever amazing Michael Vaughn. This really is the best series of all time.

This pilot is just amazing, for so many reasons. Let me start with how it started. A mysterious woman with red hair being tortured... what the heck?



The episode's clever structure is clear from the start. Present time is Sydney being tortured, and shes flashing back, in which we learn how she got to that point.



Classic flashback technique, yes. But has it been used in a pilot episode before? Surely, but has it been so effective? Hell no.



Second thing I noticed: wow. Jennifer Garner - the actress out of nowhere suddenly appears on small screen and instantly amazed me. Her performance as Sydney Bristow, a double agent(or triple, if you count her normal life!) is just outstanding.



I think women actresses are more difficult to admire because their range is very limited. They are almost always leashed to a man character therefore their role usually is just to be a lover. Not Sydney. She's more ofa man than I think all of us :D



The idea of a woman superspy-agent might be a little cheesy but that's what this show is aiming for. It's unique setting and mood can mostly be thanked for the 60's style spy-setting.



Sure, the technology is modern(presented by the awesome Marshall!) but the technics are oldschool.



This episode has some very impressive action sequences. Remember, this is 2001... and it's only a TV show. But the action sequences in the pilot were so good, it actually felt like watching a hollywood blockbuster. Loved the fights too. This show is more about hand to hand combat instead of gunning, and I can't believe how well it's done. It doesn't looks fake or phony; Jennifer Garner is just incredible!



The shocks and twists of the episode seem to be never ending. Of course, the biggest one was when someone who we thought would be a regular cast member - Danny - simply got killed by the people who Sydney works for. This creates the basic conflict between the two greatest characters on the show, Sydney Bristow and Arvin Sloane.



Arvin, the man who's pure evil, yet he still has a special place for Sydney in his heart. I loved this dynamic and I was really excited to see how it would play out after this pilot. All I can say it will be amazing.



Another remarkable character; Jack Bristow; Sydney's father, who also works a spy... while he wasn't very involved in the pilot JJ ensured it that we would have more questions about him than answers by the end. Loved the mystery! And not just surrounding Jack and SD-6, but the mission objective. Recover a / the mueller device which appearently creates some sort of red ball. What's up with that? Is it just red herring? Not exactly... wait and see.



Sydney's personal life might not be as exciting, but Will Tippin is a very likable character. Overall, this pilot did an incredibly good job introducing the major players and setting the groundwork, but also it was one of the most entertaining hours of television with lots of faast paced action and blockbuster twists. And of course, Jennifer Garner is an amazing eyecandy.

I am not sure even what to think. When I read about the story, it sounded very exciting and the start of the pilot was little confusing for me as it looked to be just another life but soon we start to get the idea that she is not a usual girl.. so I liked the change the char does from the start to the end. A great development and the story what at first seemed little slow, got the wind off in the end too.



But somehow I was still excepting little more - maybe more action, more mystery, more danger. Not that it did not had any of it, it had... but just little more.

Buen comienzo, algo loco y difícil de edificar pero bueno. Ahora entiendo de dónde salió J.J. Abrams. Debo confesar que estaba un poco indeciso en comprarme la primera temporada pero por suerte lo hice. No apostaba mucho por Jennifer Garner (nunca me pareció una mina linda) pero se defiende. La historia es un poco... nebulósica (sic) pero se las ingenia para atrapar. También tiene un cierto aire de "Misión Imposible" pero bueno, quién no se inspiró en algo? Doble agente por obligación, pobre noviecito muerto, personajes un tanto endebles por ahora, espero que la serie me siga atrapando como lo hizo este episodio.

Wow!That was an excellent,flawless pilot.An episode full of relentless action,torture and twists.I made the mistake to watch this and l got totally hooked...



The show has many themes such as lies,trust and familly affairs but its main theme is Sydney Bristow's double life.Sydney Bristow is the lead character whose friends think that she works for a bank,Credit Dauphine.Credit Dauphine is in fact a cover for SD-6,which Syd thinks is a covert branch of the CIA.When she gets engaged to Danny Hecht,she tells him the truth about SD-6 but,while she's on a mission in Taipei,SD-6 head Arvin sloane finds out what Danny knows and has him killed.That's when Syd learns all the truth-that SD-6 is not part of the CIA,but actually a member of the Alliance of Twelve and an enemy of the United States-and she realizes that her life is a lie...



This pilot introduced the incredible talents of Jennifer Garner and she is definitely perfect for the role.Sydney Bristow is the ultimate heroine;she is heroic,brave,athletic,emotional,charming and above all sexy.Here was a beautifull woman who not only slipped into various disguises with the ease of a mannequin but boasted a wide-ranging acting talent that seems refreshing and new.We have just met her and l feel l know her for years.From her stress over her university courses to her breathless acceptance of Danny's proposal to her bewilderment when her father suddenly shows up in the parking garage to her stoned act in Taipei{Whoa!}to her desolate fury in Sloane's office,Garner carries the episode with a grace and beauty that few actresses would be able to achieve.So convincingly does she act under those aliases that she seems a totally different person.She's just amazing.



Another great element of this show is the wide variety of skillfull actors and the chemistry between them such as Victor Garber who plays Jack Bristow,Syd's father who goes several iterations here:at first he seemed like a cold bussinessman who has the role of the absente father,then an ally of Sloane and finally we learn his true identity and his true allegiaces as he is prooved to be a patriot who loves his county and puts his life in danger every day for her.



some other characters were introduced here;Will Tippin,a journalist who's a friend of Syd's,but he has a crush on her,Francie,another friend of Syd's who works in catering and doesn't think much of Syd's father,Arvin Sloane,head of SD-6 and Syd's evil boss who at first seems all bussiness who cares about her,but later he kills Danny,Marcus Dixon,a man who loves his familly above all and he's Syd's partner on SD-6 missions and Marshall,SD-6's technical expert who provides gadgets on agents inside SD-6.



At the last moments of the episode two more characters made their appearance;CIA agents Michael Vaughn and Weiss.We don't get much information about them,only that Vaughn become's Syd's handler at the CIA.



Miscellaneous:



--Syd's motivations seem to stem from her mother's death.She wants to become a teacher like her and she is proud of her,but she feels uncomfortable when she has to discuss about her.



--Syd's red hairdo is an homage to the excellent film Run,Lola,Run about a girl who has a limited amount of time to find money for her boyfriend or he'll be killed.



--The fight scene in the garage and the car chase with Jack are particularly impressive.



--The theme song is amazng and the music complements are excellent.



--The woman with the magenta hair that Syd was using as a non-agency alias is Will's sister,Amy!



Highlight:



Syd,charming Suit and Glasses.



Oops:



Syd leaves her cell phone on the ground in the parking garage as a decoy,but when she fnds the agent it disappears from the ground.Immidiately following the fight she picks it up again and jumps into the car.



--This episode's injuries:Syd is bruised during the assassination attempt and looses teeth in Taipei.



--This episode's locations:Taipei,Taiwan



--This episode's aliases:On their mission to Taipei,Syd and Dixon pose as representatives of Modero Plastics.On her second mission to Taipei Syd has no backing from SD-6,so she disguises herself as Amy Tippin,Will's sister.



--This episode's hot look:At the reception Syd wears a long,shocking red sleeveless dress.When she uses the alias of Amy,she wears a red wig and a union jack T-shirt.



--This episode's language skills:Chinise(Syd),Hebrew(Dixon)and Demotic(Mueller)



--Marshall's gadgets:a lighter that scrambles all video signals in a 420-yard radius and a lipstick that is actually a camera/grid analyzer/laser that takes pictures from three axes.



Excellent...



alias004

Wow. Just wow. An amazing pilot episode from start to finish.



The structure was brilliant – how at the beginning we see red-haired Sydney in the middle of something we know nothing about, and then bit by bit the story gets revealed (albeit in a slightly confusing manner!). I've always liked episodes which start at the end and there was a general non-linear way of how this episode played out, which was a nice touch.



I loved how all the characters were introduced, and developed so well in such a short amount of time – there was a great first Jack scene with the phone call to Danny, and a bumbling Marshall with his gadgets.



The action sequence in the car park was great, I love when Jack comes to the rescue and Sydney just points the gun at him and goes "Daddy?" It's so innocent and such a contrast to the huge fight scene five seconds earlier.



Overall the episode was well acted and well directed, a sign of (hopefully) good things to come. I know I'm hooked!

Meet Sydney Bristow - spy, fiancee, and English Lit major. She's recently developed a problem with her boss, since he did something to her that wasn't really nice. This episode is an outstanding set-up for what was to become a fun, exciting, yet sometimes heart-breaking series. It establishes most of the main characters and lets us know their relationships with our heroine as well as the main premise for the next two seasons. Definitely suspend your disbelief, because some of the plot elements are a little fantastical, but that just adds to the fun! Plus, the stars are good-looking and you just love to hate the villains. Who could ask for anything more?

At first I was a little confused with the flashbacks between Sydney being held captive but I really liked it and I think it added to the episode. I was glad to see Vaughn at the end as well as Weiss, though I always thought he was in it later on, but apparently not. I don't think I saw the first series or maybe I did, I can't remember, but after watching this episode I definitely don't like Sloane, I don't think I'm the only one who doesn't. I'm not sure what to think about Jack though, whether to like him or not. I've always been 50/50 with regards to Jack. Sometimes I like him and other times I don't. All in all though this was a great first episode, and I'm looking forward to re-watching the rest of the series.

Sydney is a CIA agent and also in college. Her boyfriend, Danny, has just proposed and she accepts. She tells him that she is in the CIA, which leads to his death. Sydney learns that her father is also in the CIA, things get complicated when she finds out that she is working for the enemy. The bond between her and her father is not very strong. She goes on a mission to retrieve something (I don't know what, I forgot). She succeeds! She is going to be a double agent.



This episode was fantastic! I loved everything! The action, suspense, drama, everything! I'm a little confused though on some things, but that's okay. This episode gets a 10 from me!

The first time I saw this episode I was just blown away and now I have the entire series seasons 1-5 on DVD sense I love this series so much. It's to bad this series had it's series finale I miss watching new episodes. J.J Abrams should get back to work on Alias or a sequel of it because I'm not going to rest till this show or a sequel of it gets launched. I love everything about this show it's, Characters, Missions, Scripts, Storyboard's, Storyline's, ETC. Bring this show back ASAP before I have a heart attack for not watching new episodes. My compliments to J.J Abrams for such a finely created series and J.J if your reading this let me say we miss this show and we want more of it. I take my hat off to this show.

Storyline spoilers-In the very first episode of Alias Sydney Bristow finds her fiancé dead because she told him that she works for the CIA. Later she finds out the truth that she is not working for the CIA she is working for the enemy then she goes to the real CIA and becomes a double agent along with her father over all this is a good start to the series even if the main story of Danny getting killed has been done before and is nothing new that I have not already seen but writing is done a nice job of making it work and the episode does not die over all I like the way the series started I give it a 9.8 Rating.

Truth Be Told is one of my favorite episodes of the series. It's really hard to say that the pilot episode of a show is your favorite but that's the case for me with Alias. The timeline was all over the place but that doesn't mean that you couldn't understand what was going on. An extremely convoluted plot was packed up nicely in a little 60 minute story. All main characters were introduced and they made us care about them. Sydney Bristow, Daniel Hecht, Francie Calfo, Will Tippin, Arvin Sloane, Marcus Dixon, Jack Bristow, Michael Vaughn, and even Eric Weiss whose name we don't learn till further episodes. It also introduced one of Sydney's many aliases, the iconic neon red haired Sydney. Amazing episode and the series is just beginnig.

This is probably the best pilot i've ever seen apart from Veronica Mars. I was hooked the minute I turned it on. The look of the show is just so amazing. I found myself confused with the story at times, but that's what I loved about it. I think the idea of having a double spy in a tv show like this is just so perfect and creative. It's interesting how the rest of the series will be to watch, especially with the weave of lies that have been created in this pilot episode. Everything in this episode flows together really well. The music choices are amazing and the show has some very surprising scenes at times when you don't expect them. I'm extremely excited to watch the next episode and the remainder of this awesome series.

I thought the beginning thirty minutes to this episode were kind of slow and a bit boring, but it picked up one the CIA and SD-6 actually got invlved in the show and Sydneys boyfriend was murdered in cold blood in his bathroom. The back and forth scenes with Sydney being captured confused me at first, but I think JJ Abrams tied it up nicely at the end of the episode, having her escpae from the man and killing everyone in her path. Character Devolopment only focuced on Sydney for the most part - which is to be expected of a television pilot. I thought the pilot episode was very good - with a lot of action and drama from the middle portions of the show onward. Hopefully the show can continue on an upwards climb.

Sydney's boyfriend Danny proposes, then is assassinated. She is worknig for the CIA, but not really, but then really... It set up an environment in which they could have went anywhere with the basic spy story. It was rivoting and one of the best episodes of the series, which is rare for a show. So amazing and original. It also begins the relationship of Sydney and Vaughn and the accidental chemistry. We see Will and Francie and their importance to Sydney. We also see Jack when he is really grumpy.

Alias was a series that hooked people, when they actually gave it a chance. The puilot episode is extremely different than what one would expect if they started part way through a season. Telling the story of how Sydney became a double agent, this episode is far more personal story than it is spy. There are some spy elements, but JJ Abrams seemed to really be focusing on developing the characters than to be setting up an exciting spy show. Thankfully, while this episode isn't the greatest, it pays off in the long run. Some highlights include the chase scene in the parking ramp. This really helped to set up a sense of danger. It was also really fun to see how Sydney wound up working for the CIA. But as mentioned before, this episode is best viewed as an introduction to the characters, rather than to the ideas that the show would later come to embody.

Alias is not just an espionage action show. If anything, the series' roots are in family interaction, and our relationships with the ones we're related to. Over the course of five seasons, Sydney's relationship with her family was by far the most relatable and interesting story arc the show ever produced, thanks in most part to the completely believable performances from the actors playing them. The pilot, entitled Truth Be Told, perfectly sucks you in to this world, in which college student Sydney Bristow discovers the truth about the people she works for, and begins to understand the real reasons behind her troubled relationship with Jack, her father.



Unlike the mainly ensemble-centered shows on the air during 2001, Alias rests solely on the shoulders of relative newcomer (at the time) Jennifer Garner, and she is literally stunning in the role, conveying more emotions and inner conflicts in an hour than an Oscar winner displays in several movies. From the complete guilt and remorse she shows after finding Danny's body, to the cocky-ness in the torture chair, Garner makes this character her own, and gives her a series of different character traits, creating a character unique to this type of genre show, where spies are usually shown as cold, emotionless cyphers.



The rest of the cast are also excellent. Victor Garber is perfect in the role of absent father to Syd, Ron Rifkin reeks of mystery and deception as Sloane, Kevin Weisman is hilarious as Marshall, and both Bradley Cooper and Merrin Dungey become immediately loveable and relatable as Sydney's best friends, who are completely clueless over the fact that Syd's a kick-ass spy.



The look of the show is heavily influenced by European filmmaking, most notably the cult classic Run Lola Run, in which Alias takes a lot of its visual style from. This is most obvious in the scenes featuring Sydney in her red wig, which, as well as being used in the show's original promotional campaign, eventually became one of Alias' most iconic images. Writer/director JJ Abrams also uses a variety of different shots and angles to showcase this all-action spy series, with quick camera swoops and aerial shots used sparingly throughout the pilot. The locations also look immediately cool and dramatic, including the underground roughness of the SD-6 headquarters, to the uber-glamour of the Japanese party. Coupled together, the pilot really looks like a feature film, and like nothing you've seen on TV before.



Combining everything you could possibly want in a pilot; Truth Be Told brings the audience everything they could ask for, and yet leaves enough hanging that the viewers just need to tune in for the next hour. Featuring spectacular performances, inventive writing, and some of the most tense action scenes you can find through your TV set, this is a true series classic and a perfect opening to one of television's greatest shows.



Director: JJ Abrams

Writer: JJ Abrams

Rating: A+

Syd:"You killed the man i love."

Sloane:"No,agent Bristow,you did."





Wow!That was a stunning,astonishing,nailing pilot.A pilot full of relentless action,torture and twists.I made the mistake to watch it and i got totally hooked.





The main theme of this show is,of course,Sydney Bristow's double life.She is a grad student and her unique after-school job as an agent for SD-6,a top-secret division of the CIA,means hiding the truth.After being warned not to share her true identity with Danny,her fiance,she tells anyway.Her life is spun sideways when he is murdered.If that weren't enough,she discovers that SD-6 is not part of the CIA,but an enemy of the United States,and her own father,Jack,might be a double agent...





Jennifer Garner was just wonderful here.Syd is heroic,charming,athletic,emotional and sexy.She is the ultimate heroine and choosing Jennifer Garner for the part was the best move.I really liked the scene where Syd,who was under the alias of Will's(Syd's friend)sister,kidded the Chinese torturer guy.I was amazed by her acting skills.First,she is the cute grad student and then the sexy Amy(Will's sister).They were two completely different persons.I think that Syd can be anyone she wants to be.





Another interesting character,and my favourite one after Sydney,is her father,Jack Bristow(Victor Garber).He went through several iterations in this episode:at first he seemed like a cold,severe businessman;then an evil ally of Sloane;and finally his true "identity" was revealed when we learned that he was a double agent,like Syd--a man who puts his life in danger for his country.It seems that he has suffered a lot and despite the fact that he loves his daughter more than anyone else,his relationship with her is a little bit damaged.I like this man.





Of course,some other characters made their appearence here.We met Syd's bastard boss,who at first appeared to be all business until he murdered Danny;Dixon,Syd's partner at SD-6 missions,a married guy who loves more than anything else in the world his familly;Marshall,the bumbling gadget guy at SD-6;Francie,Syd's best friend and roomate;and Will Tippin,Syd's friend too,who is a common reporter and he is in love with her.





We also had two more character introductions at the end of the episode;Mr.Vaughn and Mr.Weiss who are CIA agents.Unfortunately,we didn't have the chance to learn more about them.



Comments



--Syd has parental issues not only with Jack,but also with her mother who died many years ago and her death is to painfull for Syd to discuss.



--Syd believed for the past seven years that she was working for the CIA and not for the Alliance of twelve.



--The woman with the magenta hair that Syd was using as a non-agency alias is Will's sister,Amy!



--I really enjoyed all the pop music and the theme song is great.It has been lodged in my mind!



--This episode's scenery:Taipei



--This episode's gadget:Marshall's lighter which is actually a scrambler and a lipstick which is actually a camera.



--This episode's aliases:Chinese woman and Amy.



--This episode's hot look:the skin-tight red dress at the party in Taipei and of course,the famous magenta hair.



--This episode's language skills:Chinese(Syd),Hebrew(Dixon) and Demotic(Mueller).





The best pilot ever!!!Alias is my favourite show!!!



aliasthe1st

Opening scene must have been weird for those who watched it when it first aired. I think no one didin't quite have undrstood the idea. As we now know the pilot was a hit and that famous red hair got.. well, famous. I think that the episode is well-written and it don't have that same clumsines as many other pilots have. The work that Jennifer Garner does is just amazing! Right from the first episode that girl got it going. Briliant. Of course Michael Vartan (Vaughn) is very good and hot! :D One of the stars particularly in this pilot, is Bradley Cooper (Will) even tough he looks so silly with those blonde hairs. He just makes it perfectly clear what kinda guy Will is and what he likes and does. Episode is full with well-done moments. Of course the BITE ME, when Syd founds Danny dead (list goes on and on) But my absolut favorite is when Syd walks into Sloane's office right after when she has found Danny! Syd/Jen never has looked so terribul as she looks in that scene. She has been tortuted and etc but she always managed to survive looking gorgeus. Now, she looks tired, mad, dirty, sad.. Make-up all over, covered with blood. My only reason for liking this scene isn't just this but still... Acting is amazing in this too. Garner and Ron Rifkin (Sloane) do some excellent dialog. This scene tells alot about Alias.



Over all I think this episode is great strating for amazing series and it gives you answers but also leaves you wanting to hear more.

Alias starts off with its fast paced action trademark. The relentless action is perhaps one of the fastest in modern tv. Only 24 has an equal amount of action. Sydney Bristow makes a very cool central character. She's strong, smart and self reliant. The other characters are also interesting, like Arvin Sloane, Jack Bristow and many more. There are a great collection of characters, the show's really fast paced. The gunfights are awesome, their enemies are equally impressive, they are perfect adversaries to our hero. the nice thing about this is that the threats don't look silly, they work well for the show.

When one thinks back on Alias, who can forget the image of a heartbroken, crimson-haired Sydney Bristow having her teeth pulled out by a Taiwanese torture expert? This brutal act of torture set the tone for much of the rest of the series. Sydney would be pulled into a world of international intrigue, facing torment and death at every turn, trying to protect her loved ones by keeping that dangerous world at bay.



From the very beginning, in this pilot episode "Truth be Told," our heroine, the scrappy Sydney Bristow must juggle her personal and professional lives. Unfortunately, that proves to be quite difficult since she is a spy for a covert branch of the CIA called SD-6. When Sydney told her fiancee, Danny, what she did for a living, SD-6 had him killed. Thus began the formula for the rest of the series: the idea that somehow one's personal life can have the most profound implications on the international stage.

The true star in this pilot and for the rest of the series was undoubtedly the charming and multi-talented Jennifer Garner. She brings unbelievable range to her role as the over-stretched spy, Sydney, certainly one of the most demanding parts in television history. Not only must Garner train for endless fight sequences throughout the series, she had to bring an emotional sensitivity necessary for the exploration of her character's personal life. Her reaction to Danny's lifeless body in "Truth be Told" conveys the most primal horror and guilt over the fact that her job killed her beloved. Her reaction here is not histrionic, but overwhelmed, as she realizes for the first time what it truly means to be a spy, that you must lie and deceive your loved ones continually, or they will be drawn into your world of intrigue as well, only they are completely unprepared for the horrors they will face.



From this moment and for the rest of the series Jennifer Garner conveys a sense of intense isolation as she knows she must act as gateway between the world of intrigue and her personal life, seeing that no one from her life of espionage can hurt her friends and family, and that the people close to her never know what she really does. The only person with whom Sydney can connect is her distant father, Jack Bristow, played with emotional constipation by the versatile Victor Garber. She has had little relationship with her father in the past, but now has the opportunity to get to know him as she finds out that he is a spy as well. One of the most interesting aspects of the series is how through her career as a spy she learns more about her own family. By working with her father, who she had previously never suspected of being a spy, she can better understand what made him the emotionally disconnected individual she has known her whole life. And in the process he serves as an example of the dehumanizing effect of being a spy, and how Sydney hopes never to become as cold and calculating as him.



J.J. Abrams, who directed "Truth be Told," chronologically staggers the narrative here, juggling the focus of the show between Sydney's life as a spy involving intense action scenes and her personal life as a friend, daughter, and grad student. The very first scene in the series swiftly cuts between Sydney being tortured in Taiwan and her struggle to finish an in-class essay. Truthfully, none of the other characters are as interesting as Sydney, with the possible exception of her father, who could be seen as what Sydney will be like in 30 years. Ron Rifkin's Sloane, the main villain for the series, is given little development in the early episodes, so it seems like Sydney is fighting the system more than just one cartoonish villain.



The production values in this episode are staggeringly good, better even than most theatrical-released films. The lighting is low-key with high-contrast between light and shadow, especially in the scenes in the Taiwanese torture chamber. This episode is such a high watermark that J.J. Abrams' recent movie "Mission: Impossible III" borrowed heavily from this pilot episode including the fragmented narrative beginning with Tom Cruise being tortured followed by a lengthy flashback to how he got in this situation, the exact structure of the Alias pilot episode.



"Truth be Told" doesn't set up the formula for most of the episodes in the rest of the series, but it does capably establish the mythology. It turns out Sydney wasn't working for the CIA at all and that SD-6 was the very enemy she thought she was fighting. So SD-6 didn't just kill her fiancee, they stole years of her life, making her complicit in terrorism. She joins the real CIA at the end of the episode vowing to take down SD-6 as a double agent from the inside. All the complex Rambaldi mythology would come later, but for right now this show wasn't science fiction, it was a James Bond-style series with a captivating female lead, complex character dynamics, and a genuine emotional core. While in the later seasons it became much more about the sci-fi elements, here the characters were real people juggling their work and personal lives. The question is, who is the real Sydney Bristow and who is the alias: the down to earth grad student, or the international woman of mystery? The series would attempt to give the viewer an answer. What that answer is you have to determine for yourself.

This is when the world was introduced to Jennifer Garner

Who used to be a semi-regular on Felicity(Where she was married to Scott Foley at the time!)

As Sydney Bristow, an agent to not just one but two agencies!! As well as being a college student

Poor girl as she never, ever, gets rest while not just living her "real" life but fighting to save the world.

What is worse, she is an agent to a corrupt organization as well as the CIA

Man this gal can kick butt!

This episode was the perfect way to launch a show, its a bold move to have your first scene of a woman being half drowned and cuffed to a chair, while having all the characters speak chinesse. I was hooked right away, it was refreshing to see a show not dumb things down for the audience, a great example of this, is the first encounter between, Sydney and Dixon at SD-6, they speak to each other like the were continuing a conversation they were in the middle of the last time they spoke, and what's so great about it is that the audience is yet to form a relationship with these characters, so the conversation is completely above our heads, and they know it. I also liked the way they spent so much time building up a back story for Danny, and his Relationship with Syd, only to kill him off, in the first half hour. This said to the audience, this is an exciting rid, if we can kill this character off, imagine what else we'll do this series.we meet suit & glasses, and of course the 'Run Lola Run' tribute was excellent, if you saw that movie you got it right away, and if you hadn't seen it, from a visual impact point of view, it kept you interested, and intriged to why the hell her hair was red. It made you think, wait a minute if she's supposed to be a spy, why does she have bright red hair, it sort a contradiction, but thats the whole point of Alias.

Being a pilot episode the writers were still playing around with the characters personalities, as a result the Sydney in this episode, is alot more cutting, sarcastic, fearless, and a lot more free spirited than what she would become, after the toning down process, I think they should have kept some of those traits, as I feel it gave the character more edge.

I had never seen this show before but someone recommended so I gave it a shot, and wow. I was extremely surprised.



The first episode was quite a ride, we learned why and how Sydney became a spy or whatever it is what she’s doing. Even though there are a few things I don’t understand and am confused about, but I will be watching this show more often so those questions will probably get explained.



It begins with Sydney being captured and tortured, while she’s being tortured and her teeth are taken out her mouth we see how she got there.



She was a happily girl who went to school and had her own life, a boyfriend who purposed to her and a best friend. But her secret job was something else, not something normal. She works for the government (I think) who weren’t happy when they found out that Sydney told her lover about her secret job. They murdered him immediately.



Usually, stuff that like that are rather cheesy and dumb, a character killed off in the first episode who was meant to be very important. Well, it worked. Sydney cried and suffered which was very believable, she did things a normal human being would have done. I would have gone crazy and would have tried to kill the ones who were responsible, she instead handled it calmly (well as calm as one would have)



Besides her, the father made a big impression. He tried to rescue his daughter and when he tells her that she is the same she is, she kinda looses her mind. She doesn’t like her father so much apparently.



What I didn’t get, the father said that she was working for the enemy. If he working for both or something? It got me confused.



Sydney eventually red’s her hair and she finished a job she was supposed to. She goes back to her work after being tortured with the thing her boss wanted.



At the end, she says goodbye to her lover and the father tries to make it up with her. ‘We’ll have to learn to trust each other’



This was a kick-ass pilot, the storyline isn’t really something that draws my attention but the show is very well done. I’m curious what happens next.

I never really intended to become an Alias fan because I had the impression that it was a cross between Dark Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it turns out? The first episode was better than Dark Angel and much better than the last two seasons of Buffy.



After thinking I had missed my chance of Spy bliss (with the show ending and all), a television station began airing the first season in syndication. Going into it I didn’t have very high expectations, despite having seen Abrams great work on Lost… too me it just seemed like another 'girl kicks guys ass show' maybe because James Cameron scarred me for life when he attempted to make Jessica Alba look like a person with any kind of talent, but that’s another story for another time.



The episode manages to introduce us to the characters in a stubble way without getting the viewers disinterested with the events going on in the episode and I think that is much attributed to not only the remarkable writing and directing, but also the incredible depth of acting displayed by all the cast throughout the episode.



The premiere episode starts with Sydney being tortured by enemies of the agency, though the scene is played well the installment doesn't quite catch speed until Danny proposes to Syd, I have to say given to the events that will occur later in the episode, even though Garner and the actor who plays Danny might not have the best chemistry, they still manage to sparkle in what's probably a rare moment in the series you really get to see Sydney's vulnerable side. I just think the scene was very sweet and optimistic; it really made his death sadder than it would have been otherwise.



After telling Danny that she works for the CIA, the man is unsure whether he wants to go through with the marriage and tells her he wants to go for a "walk" and that he will meet with her later that night with an answer, except he cant because Sydney has a trip to San Diego and by San Diego… she means China? I'm sorry, but I didn’t quite get the exposition of the scene. Is the party for Chinese people because Syd speaks the language for most of her time there? I probably should have paid more attention to that plotline; even still, I understood what was going on by the end… sort of.



While she's gone, Danny leaves her a message saying he knows what her job entails and that he is willing to accept it. This really made me feel for him because I thought he would leave because he couldn’t take the pressure. (And also because he wants to have a baby with her). Anyway, the CIA was listening in and him being a threat and all? They sent a really sloppy swat team to whack him. Jackasses, I was really starting to like the guy.



When Sydney comes back from the trip (job unfinished and cover almost blown), she walks in to find her place trashed (hence, the sloppy comment) and probably what she knew would happen: Danny murdered in a bathtub, well, except for the bathtub part. When I saw the scene I just kept blinking, I couldn’t believe they actually left his body in there for Sydney to see, I know Big Daddy doesn't like the man, but to break your daughter's heart like that, to make me shed a tear? Let me just say Jennifer Garner did great in the scene and added more emotion to it than any other actress could have, I'm really starting to like the girl again. I might even forgive for having Ben Affleck's child. Anyway, Sydney reacts to seeing the body the same way I would have, she chokes a bit, and then she screams. She plays it very un-"The Body" like; it comes off as reaction that is much more believable.



After hastily getting herself together she rushes to Sloane's office to try and explain that he wasn’t a threat, he was just a 'good guy, a good doctor' she says tearing up, but instead of being sympathetic he degrades saying, "you knew the rules applied to you, the agency…" he beings before Sydney grabs him by his neck and basically tells him to shove it and she gets a bundle of compassion for me when she says, 'you killed the man I love' Sloane retaliates coldly by saying 'No, you did.' I retaliate by telling Sloane to kiss my ass.



The agency gives Syd a month off, which I find nice, but a little shortsighted because I don’t think four weeks will heal her wounds. Sydney takes the time to mourn and get her grades up, but apparently three months have passed and the agency is getting impatient, they need her to finish the operation that she failed before, Syd says she can't, not now, her partner kindly tells her that if she doesn't come back? Well, then they'll whack her. I would have slapped him in the face and than tell him to 'bring it on', but Syd just smiles sadly and apologizes walking away afterwards. I love her, she's a lot less bitchy than Buffy was during her last season and she's much more likeable.



Later, Sydney enters a parking lot and starts her car only to find a CIA agent waiting for her. Oops! He shoots his mega-gun in her direction this manages to only break the window because she ducks her head she hurriedly drives away from the car and loses him for awhile, but later they scuffle. I'm just going to skip most of the details of the fight since I don't remember most of it, although I definitely enjoyed the unelaborated choreography of the fight, it's quite refreshing in this genre.



After Syd gets rid of the agent, Big Daddy swaps in with his car and tells her to get in because 'there are more agents waiting for her' she gets in the car. I thought that was a stupid move in retrospect.



In the car, Sydney rightful asks Big Daddy who he is, he does not answer right away first saying that 'she does not know what she's dealing with' and there is this whole explanation about how Sydney works for the enemy that she thought she was fighting, so does Big Daddy who dose not sell airplane parts as Sydney once thought. By the time they get there, Sydney is understandably irked but The Big Dad dose not notice this telling his daughter that he 'arranged a trip for her outside of the country for awhile' as if to fake her own death, yes? He adds 'the car that will take her to the airport will only wait for two minutes before leaving with or without her' but Syd is unfazed by this, hilariously tugging on Big Daddy's face to see if it is a mask and when she sees it's not, she again asks who is he, he just tells her to go Sydney stares at him for a long while, before saying something like: "Where the hell do you come off playing the loving father?! You don’t even know me," Big Daddy looks really hurt by this, but Syd just stares at him some more before leaving. Perfect scene played by both actors and Sydney? You go, girl! There is also this wonderful shot of Sydney running away from the car. Definitely a great description of the father he was.



Being the girl she is, though Syd still wants to take care of the unfinished mission, but since she can not leave the country using her own passport (the CIA after her and all that) she calls for the help of the incredibly awesome Bradley Cooper… I think his character's name is Will (sorry, it takes me at least two episodes to memorize names) Syd asks Will if she can take his sister's passport and a few thousand bucks. Will first thinks she owes some people some money she basically says that it's 'much more complicated than that' Will agrees I think because he's secretly in-love with her, call me crazy.



After coping his sister's look (blazing red hair included) Syd heads for the airport, again is she going to China? There is memorable reveal of her in her new look. I got to say she looks hot. At the counter (I'm going to call it the counter), Sydney and the woman have some very amusing banter. JJ Abrams actually manages to get the term 'totally pops' in the moment. It was completely amazing.



After reaching her destination and changing her clothes to Spy Black, we go back to the beginning of the episode. Sydney is still being held by the enemies, a little toothless due to one of the torture tactics (seen earlier in the installment), Syd is hurting and some guy tries to bargain with her, he has a pill that we'll ease her pain he will give it to her if she tells him who she works for. At first she considers it, but then Sydney seemingly tricks him into leaning in and when he does she gracefully knocks him down with her head and than they scuffle some more before Sydney goes free again, some amazing fight work.



I'm gonna skip the rest of what happened, it's very long and like I said? I didn’t really get who were the bad guys, I'm sure I'll pay more attention next week, but for now Sydney gets the thing and leaves the building pretty much unharmed… uh, except for the teeth.



It now comes time for the 'she's back and she's bad' slow-motion montage, watching more than my needed share of Ally McBeal I pretty much know what I'm getting, but the scene turns out okay, not at all overly-pretentious. Syd struts back to the agency and heads to Sloane's office after barging in she throws the U-shaped thing on his desk. Sloane looks pleased. Sydney just says 'she's back' and that she needs a week off: 'She has midterms'. I respond to that like a certain arrogant, humorless Television without Pity recapper would, saying 'Heh,'



We cut to one of the best scenes in the series. Sydney goes to a counter and there is all this blah about how she wants to see a guy, but she can't, except… she can? Anyway, want to hear a little secret? The guy is Vaughn! And like many Fangirls already know? Michael Vartan is a pretty, pretty man, but more than that he's charming and incredibly awesome, he's also a great actor. He can do no wrong in my eyes. I love him. You know what? I'm not going to forgive Jen for being with Ben, because being with anyone other than Michael would be just wrong.



We see our first glimpse of Vaughn in the series; he is carrying doughnuts and what I'll pretend is Pepsi, because? I adore Pepsi, don’t you? Anyway, the goods are for Syd, but she's busy writing a really long report about how the CIA is working on helping the enemies that they are suppose to fight (I think it bares mentioning that Vaughn works for an important government branch. It's more important than the CIA? I'll have to check about that). After she's done with the report Vaughn gets Sydney into his office (no, not for sex, but that would be very steamy) in short Vaughn wants Syd to work as a double agent reporting her missions and movements to him she reluctantly agrees. There is this awesome moment where Syd looks like she's about to cry (having her teeth violently removed and such) she puts on a sad smile and begins to weep; Vaughn kindly asks if he can get her a dentist to ease the pain; she just shakes her head before a weeping sound escapes from her mouth. The whole thing just made cry, I know it doesn't sound like much, but you just have to see it. What are my final thoughts on the scene? Well, I'm looking forward to more scenes like this in the future. Garner and Vartan have amazing chemistry, really. You can totally see why they went out… really.



We are very near the end of the first episode, Sydney is visiting Danny's grave when Big Daddy stalks up behind her and tries uneasily to start conversation, first he apologizes for what he did to Danny: Syd is unresponsive, then he says that he had no choice: Syd is unresponsive, finally he says he can relate (I only just watched the first episode so I'm not sure, but maybe that means he had to whack Big Mommy "Lena Olin" after telling her or maybe her finding out what his job is, and you know, that's how she died I could be wrong, though). Syd responses saying he can't. Sydney pauses before addressing the fact that even though they work together? She can't trust him. Big Daddy says that, maybe they'll have to learn to trust each other and slowly walks away. Hey, Daddy? Maybe you should have been more open with her in the first place, but feh, maybe I'll learn to like you. Sydney just watches him walk away, before her cell rings, she answers it: And that's All Folks!



The episode really is a great testament to what Alias is, it is also quite fulfilling to watch and even if it dose not exactly leave you wanting more it does make you feel glad that you actually watched it. One thing that cannot be taken away from the episode: It doesn't disappoint. Oh, and also? Michael Vartan is a pretty, pretty man who can do no wrong.

"Alias" is probably one of the smartest and most incredibly addicting action shows that I have ever seen. At the time of this review I have seen the pilot about four times and it's still as impressive as it always was.



I won't go into details about the plot, as there are tons of other reviews here, and a recap, where you can get that information.



Anyway, the show is full of action, but that doesn't mean it's unintelligent or just there to give you an adrenaline rush. The show is in fact VERY intelligent, in fact, as I've already stated. There are quite a lot of scenes that are there just to appeal to the male audience, obviously, but these don't take away from the overall show.



Emotion and family also pay a large role in the series. Sydney's grief over losing Danny is very belivable and touching, and it's easy to feel for her. Syd is also estranged from her seemingly cold-hearted father, who is the one who reveals to her that she is not working for the CIA - but the enemy.



The least pleasant part of the episode was probably Sydney being tortured by the evil Oriental man. Especially when her teeth are pulled. Ouch.



I started watching "Alias" after the first season of "Lost", which was also created and produced by JJ Abrams. I only started watching this show because I'm a huge "Lost" fan, but I have to admit that I find this to be the more addicting show.



If you like stories about espionage, family drama, friendships, secrets, and small elements of sci-fi, "Alias" may be the show you need.

It was so sad the way Sid cried when she found Danny,dead in the tub.I kinda cried with her.I mean it would be really freaky if you found someone you loved dead in a tub too. But it was a really suspenceful way to start the series. They didn't really have to kill Danny,they really didn't. But then again it's just a TV show. Anyway,if you didn't know I bough the first season on DVD. So thats manily how I saw it. But i really did think it was sad.

I thought this episode was amazing!!! I espcially loved the part where she flippe her chair on Suit and Tie. This ep was really cool and if you missed this episode but saw all the other season one episodes this is still reason enough to buy the 1st season on dvd. A must see episode!

Words just cannot do justice to how good this episode is as the pilot, but I'll try to write it out anyway.



The stunts, effects and acting are all of movie standard. In fact, thats exactly what it is like, a huge action motion picture; only that it'll be back again next week!



What immediately makes it stand out is the way the story is told. In what is to become a classic ALIAS techique, the episode cleverly starts unfolding from the beginning AND middle of the story! Both parts are brilliantly juxtaposed in a way which not only stimulates the mind, but also cleverly parallels the central theme of the confusing double ife of Sydney Bristow.



Not once during this episode does the plot feel contrived or cramped like many other pilots often do to quickly introduce audiences to the characters. The story feels completely natural and believable. How many shows that blend drama and spy action, all on a TV budget, can you say that about?



Within the fifteen minutes, there are already at least 5 great moments that are cool/witty/funny/sweet/touching/all of the above! The sript and direction really speak for themselves. Take one hour off and give this episode a chance and your full attention and I dare you to say that you weren't blown away!

This pilot was one of the best ever!



I saw Alias for the first time in season two and I thought is was very good. Then I decided that I wanted too see the first season, and I was not disapointed! It was a bit confusing when I saw it, but I loved it every seconds!