Alias, is anyone watching this season?

[jewels]

Spoiler ahead:TWO Sloanes? Aaaaaarrrrrghh.

That just blew my mind, as the show has done on a regular basis. I can stand JJ Abrams wacky plot twists because they consistently lead somewhere even when they just pull you deeper into the rabbit hole as they go. Characters I care about though. And they are getting some really high brow guest stars, Isabella Rosellini tonight. I was upset about Dixon, relieved by Jack's explanation of that; concerned about Jack's health, (still want to know what he and Sloane have cooking on the side) and it was wonderful to see Vaughn return to Syd.

[Eris]

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How creepy is Joel Grey as faux Sloane...I really like this plot twist. I totally didn't see it coming either. I was expecting real Sloane to be behind everything. And though Katya (but never Isabella R.) has annoyed me in the past, I really liked her in this episode. I was really upset about Dixon too and was worried that Vaughn in pursuit of information about his father might actually kill Dixon. It was fascinating to see the events happen and then see it from Vaughn's perspective. I am very worried about Jack's health but I am happy that Marshall is trying to help him. I'm curious to see how they're going to proceed with this. Because even though Jack has done some questionable things, he really does love Syd and I'd hate to see his character leave the show. He's one of my favorites. I was also glad to see Vaughn return...I wondered how long they were going to keep Vaughn as a rogue agent. I do wonder what Sloane's motivations were for keeping it a secret. I can believe that he did it just for Sydney's sake (both because he cares about her and because of Syd's relationship with Nadia) but I also think that he could have had ulterior motives.

[Eric Paddon]

I had never watched an episode of "Alias" until about three weeks ago when on a lark I bought Season 1 on DVD, and promptly got hooked in and then went through Season 2 and Season 3.

Now, I have been reading all the summaries of Season 4 episodes so far to get me up to speed for tonight and frankly, I think I picked the right time to get started because Season 2 with Lena Olin fascinated me the most and her absence in Season 3 was something that I think contributed greatly to that season lacking in a lot of areas. So it's all too appropriate that the first time I actually watch an episode on TV coincides with her returning because I would have been going nuts if I'd been among those waiting two solid years of real time as to whether or not she'd come back.

[Eric Paddon]

Watching last night, I was struck by how utterly irrelevant Season 4, which I had seen no episodes of, had been up to last night because last night's episode finally picked up where most of the major dangling issues of the last couple years had remained unresolved and did so magnificently.

Seeing Lena Olin return gave me the kind of thrill I think I always would have felt if they'd made a Galactica episode for real with Cain returning! Hopefully she'll stay on board for next year.

[Eric Paddon]

Well, tonight's the season finale and I hope for two things. #1-That Lena Olin not get bumped off or turn bad, but be put in a situation where she can return next season on occasion and #2-They FINALLY dispense with the whole Rambaldi thing forever and start anew with a clean slate.

[jewels]

Eric, I think they might have just cleaned too much slate.

FRACK!

VAUGHN! Sydney! Oh, FRACK!

[Eric Paddon]

Actually since I'm not that emotionally caught up in the whole Vaughn-Sydney thing, this was one cliffhangar where I can be intrigued by the possibility of what happens next but not be frustrated by the long wait.

I was happy I'd pegged the most favorable outcome for Jack-Irina that could have happened. Irina stays good, Jack lets her go so as not to go back into custody, they exchange a kiss and the door remains open for Lena Olin to return again as she suggested she might next season. The only plot developments in Alias that have the potential to upset me are (1) Irina dying (2) Jack not being Syd's father or (3) Jack turning bad and I don't have to worry about any of those possibilities.

[jewels]

I know these characters have 9 lives, but Vaughn looked especially dead with how fast that car? hit them. I love the Syd/Vaughn thing. But I've seen it since the beginning and know about all the prior relational losses Syd had while at SD6. Plus Vaughn has just been cool.

[Eric Paddon]

Since I saw season 1 recently when I blitzed my way through the first three seasons on DVD, I'm trying to think of how the cliffhangar can be reconciled to what was established back then with all of that still relatively fresh in my mind

#1-If Michael Vaughn is not his real name, that means Bill Vaughn wasn't the real name of his father since the man killed by Irina was obviously his real father, or else he would not have said to Irinia, "You killed my father" when she knows his real big secret.

#2-That suggests to me that Vaughn was a Rambaldi nut big time from the beginning following in his father's footsteps. Or it could mean he was involved with the Russians in the past, which Irina would have been in a position to know. I'm not buying some of the off the wall theories some message boards are posting of Vaughn being a Helix altered version of Syd's murdered fiancee from the pilot!

[Eric Paddon]

Getting ready for the season premiere of this, Jewels? :) I have a feeling that no matter what happens, this is the last season.

[Eric Paddon]

Well, it wasn't a very enthralling season premiere from my standpoint (though I know the women in the audience will say otherwise! :))

[Eric Paddon]

This is just a theory, not a spoiler. I think Bill Vaughn lives!

[jewels]

Arrgh! I caught CSI tonight instead....dratted.

I thought Bill Vaughn probably had something to do with Michael Vaughn/Henri dying last week....

Maybe I've watched too much Alias? :)

[martok2112]

Jennifer Garner just doesn't do anything for me.

[Eric Paddon]

Since this is the first time I'm actually watching the show on a week to week basis after getting introduced to it through DVD, that prevents me from being among the long-time fans who are probably getting tired of the whole thing now.

No, Bill Vaughn wouldn't have ordered the hit since the theory is that he is the identity of a mysterious corpse being resucitated by cryogenics that seems to be of great concern to the villains.

And come on Martok, how can you say that about Jennifer after the never-to-be-forgotten, "What was wrong the BLACK?!" episode teaser in Season 2? :D

[martok2112]

Since this is the first time I'm actually watching the show on a week to week basis after getting introduced to it through DVD, that prevents me from being among the long-time fans who are probably getting tired of the whole thing now.

No, Bill Vaughn wouldn't have ordered the hit since the theory is that he is the identity of a mysterious corpse being resucitated by cryogenics that seems to be of great concern to the villains.

And come on Martok, how can you say that about Jennifer after the never-to-be-forgotten, "What was wrong the BLACK?!" episode teaser in Season 2? :D


:D

I've never really watched Alias, although I am sure it is a great show. :) But I did see her in Daredevil...and even in pics. I don't know. She's attractive, but just not quite my kind of attractive as far as chicks are concerned. :)

[Eric Paddon]

The most recent episode played more like a pilot for a new show than legitimately advancing the current storyline. And there's no way you're going to sustain this show beyond this season if "Alias" suddenly becomes focused on the new exploits of a new spy in the same situation Sydney was in back in Season 1.

My one other complaint. Just get rid of Sloane. He's now become dead weight to the series (and frankly, I can't stomach these twists and turns of Sloane from evil to ally to evil to ally etc. The best indicator of how the show has forgotten its origins was last week when Sloane apologized to Sydney for the loss of Vaughn. She should have looked him in the eye and said, "It's not like I haven't been through something like this before."