The Best Show on TV

Of course, I'm writing this after I have already reviewed Season 2, but better late than never. This show is head and shoulders above almost any program there is on TV. I'm constantly amazed by the look, because it seems as if this is just a really long movie, with its superb acting and in-depth plots that you just don't see on the average show. I hate to say that I never watched Alias until this season, so I had to start taping Season 3 this year, until I had finished watching Season 1 and 2.

The Plot
It starts off with Sydney Bristow, (Jennifer Garner) a college student being recruited by the CIA, at least that is what she thinks. In reality, it is an organization named SD-6, which is a worldwide criminal sect that deals in weapons, espionage, and trade of black market material. SD-6 is just one cell of a group of 12. Syd doesn't know this yet.

She carries out the missions the ruthless leader Arvin Sloane (Ron Rifkin) gives her and thinks she is working for the United States government, when in actuality she is working for the very thing she thinks she is fighting for. She is told not to disclose information about her job to anyone. However, feeling the need to come clean to her fiancee, Danny, she reveals her job to him. In a drunken stupor, he talks on her answering machine, leaving a message letting her know that he loves her, despite the heavy duties of her job. Unknown to him, it is recorded by SD-6 and Sloane orders his death. Syd finds him gunned down in her bathtub and realizes this is not your average run-of-the mill government organization.

Of course, Sloane wants her executed as well and her dad, Jack (Victor Garber) shows up to save her, revealing to her that he is a double agent working to bring down SD-6. She never has had a good relationship with him, but this emotional conflict between them is something to watch with pleasure the whole season. It is realistic to the utmost sense, bringing father-daughter relationships to a place in which almost everyone understands.

Learning about SD-6, she enlists in the real CIA and meets her handler, Michael Vaughn (Michael Vartan) and his best friend and partner, Eric Weiss (Greg Gunberg). Vaughn gives her the CIA counter-mission everytime she is sent on a SD-6 mission. You can feel the sexual tension between them the whole season. This soon is resolved, but I don't want to give everything away!

Syd's missions usually involve snatching up or finding information to Milo Rambaldi's artifacts, a 14th century inventor, whom Sloane is obsessed with and is convinced that his artifacts hold some clue to an enormous finding. When Syd goes on her missions, you can find the helpful Marshall Flinkman (Kevin Weisman) nearby, telling her the specs of her high-tech gadgets she will use. Marshall is one of my favorite characters, providing hilarious moments and keeping the serious meetings light.

Syd has a faithful partner at SD-6, Marcus Dixon (Carl Lumbly) who soon starts to question her loyalty because of many unanswered questions and weird signs. Her friend, Will Tippin (Bradley Cooper), an intrepid reporter starts snooping around Danny's death and soon gets more than he bargained for when he starts to see conspiracies all over the place and is threatened by SD-6 to back off his investigation. Francie Calfo (Merrin Dungey) is Syd's best friend, but her character takes a major turn in the 2nd and 3rd seasons. Here, she is basically a character to show Syd's circle of friends.

A side note: Almost every episode ends with a cliffhanger that leaves you gasping for air and wondering what the heck is going to happen next. A tremendous ploy and it really makes you want to immediately see the next episode. This, combined with me being addicted to this show, made for many a long night.

Another cool thing is that you see so many environments and different countries that you think the film crew actually went to those places all over the globe. In actuality, all those sets were on the Disney studio, save for the one episode in Las Vegas.

The special features includes deleted scenes, a gag reel, tv trailors, making of the pilot, and audio commentaries for select episodes. I highly recommend you watch the finale episode with the commentary after seeing it the first time, because the actors really make some funny comments throughout the whole thing and shows how much they genuinely like each other.

The acting in this show is really quite good. I'm partial to Jennifer Garner, but she definitely is not just a pretty face. She displays tremendous acting chops and can show a wide range of emotions very well. Ron Rifkin is great in his role of Sloane, showing a quiet dignity, yet a ruthless side that is really quite shocking to see. Victor Garber is tremendous. He gives the great dad performance, while at the same time, showing he can switch it up and be action man to the rescue. His emotional control is superb.

Switching to the special effects, you really think that this is a movie production, with accurate reproductions. Of course, everything is not realistic, but what do you expect out of a spy show? The audaciousness is sometimes the best part of stunts.

Jennifer Garner is fabulous and really makes this show. I can't imagine anybody else in this role, because she portrays it that realistically and shows her emotional conflict that she has to go through everyday, such as lying to her friends about her job. She won a Golden Globe for her great portrayal of Sydney Bristow. I personally think she was robbed at the 2003 Emmys.

Alias is the greatest show on TV and people who like great TV, should give this fabulous set a try. I truly believe if you give it a chance, it will become one of your favorites.