Alias: The Great Rewatch

Over the last few months I rewatched the television series Alias. For those who haven't watched before Alias, it's the story of Sydney Bristow, double agent for the CIA and SD-6. Or at least that's what it is on the surface. Underneath it is a gripping family drama about the dynamics of a strained father-daughter relationship trying to find it's feet once again and even more strained mother-daughter relationship.

AND NOW FOR THE SPOILERS....

Season one and two remain the high points of the series. In seasons one and two, when JJ Abrams was always at the helm, the show did it's best to give Sydney a fascinating work life and an interesting personal life too. I really think that

For me, it's season three where things go off the rails. In season three Sydney s stripped of all her friends, except work pals. Not only do we have to deal with a completely retarded Vaughn, who I dislike most of the season, and the stupid Lauren and her eyeliner of doom. Also, I never like the lack of explanation of Lauren's evilness, however, I have to respect her choice of making the best with Sark. Rowr! I think what would have made season three really great was to have Will stick around and possibly delve into a Syd/Will romance. Because by keeping Syd single you sort of knew at some point she and Vaughn would get back together. And honestly, I am not sure he deserved to get her back. One thing I do love about this season is that Marshall gets a love story. Aww! Geek love!

Season four is by far my least favorite season to watch. One reason, Nadia. Ugh. There is just something about Mia Maestro that I never learned to like. Maybe it was her delivery or maybe it was her utter stupidity as a spy. I don't know. I am grateful though that Weiss finally got some in season four, eve if it was short lived.

Season five, oh season five. I get what they were going for here. I really do but you final season is not the time to go looking for an audience, mm'kay? I mean, they should have just gotten their asses back on track. Although, I have to admit that the final four episodes of the show are pretty amazing. I did get sucked back in there with the whole Ana/Syd combo, the Syd/Sark team up, and the final comeuppance of Sloane. However, and this is a big however, I do not know what Lena Olin did to these people to warrant such a totally awful character assassination of Irina Derevko. Irina may have been many things but I never once thought that her end game meant trying to actually murder her daughter. I mean, come on people. It does not gel with the story you have been telling for the previous four years. In my mind, that storyline just sort of doesn't exist in the finale. But for me the best scene, the scene that makes me cry every single time I watch it is the final Sydney and Jack (Spydaddy) scene. It's just amazing that interplay of these two characters. It was so moving and it felt so real.

Alas, I conclude by saying that Alias is a pretty fine show that really paved the way for more ass kicking females on television. I think if JJ hadn't abandoned the show to go make movies that Alias could have been amazing the whole way through and not had so many peaks and valleys. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend you watch Alias. If you have seen it, well, watch that shit again. It's pretty good.