Whenever I am asked to recommend a DVD collection that you could take with you on a vacation, and watch at your leisure, at the hotel, or in the plane, I usually recommend the first two iterations of CSI (LV and Miami, until Grissom left) followed by Closer.
Alias is not top of my list because it tries to do so many things at the same time; and rarely succeeds at more than a few.
Sydney as spy/student/friend/double agent would have been more than enough for an entire season, especially showcased by Garner, who manages to shine in every scene, and hold interest for male and female viewers alike.
But that is never enough.
In this episode, which I think highlights the best and worst of the series, we have all that, plus a long-dead scientist/mystic who somehow saw the future; plus the hunt for the mole; plus the whole daddy-issues thing; plus the well-intentioned former friend of the former boyfriend who keeps messing where he shouldn't oughtaa be a-messing .... and oh wait, that's not all of it, we also have Anna, who (literally) is somehow more prescient and psychic than the infamous Rembaldi because IN EVERY SINGLE MISSION she appears in the nick of time to try to steal the prize.
See the problem? Personally, I like to think that, with Alias, JJ was in his teething stage; and, like a modern alchemist, was trying to fight the "formula" that could keep viewers' interest without treating them like morons.
Alias is not top of my list because it tries to do so many things at the same time; and rarely succeeds at more than a few.
Sydney as spy/student/friend/double agent would have been more than enough for an entire season, especially showcased by Garner, who manages to shine in every scene, and hold interest for male and female viewers alike.
But that is never enough.
In this episode, which I think highlights the best and worst of the series, we have all that, plus a long-dead scientist/mystic who somehow saw the future; plus the hunt for the mole; plus the whole daddy-issues thing; plus the well-intentioned former friend of the former boyfriend who keeps messing where he shouldn't oughtaa be a-messing .... and oh wait, that's not all of it, we also have Anna, who (literally) is somehow more prescient and psychic than the infamous Rembaldi because IN EVERY SINGLE MISSION she appears in the nick of time to try to steal the prize.
See the problem? Personally, I like to think that, with Alias, JJ was in his teething stage; and, like a modern alchemist, was trying to fight the "formula" that could keep viewers' interest without treating them like morons.
