Alias "Phase One" Talkback (Spoilers)

[Chibi Kageboshi]

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BRILLIANT! JESUS......
Where to start? the Aliance down? sheeeesh. They killed sidney's friend that was uncalled for! and who was it that killed her? looked exactly like her! Sid and Vaughn finaly kiss! i dont know if this is good or bad cause usualy when they get together they end up pulling them apart.... omg... this is like a season finale type episode... jesus...

[czyznyck99]

Yes, this was definately one of the most shocking episodes to date, it even rivals the Season 1 finale. I had highly suspected Sark was still in cahoots with his own agenda, but now the game just went up a couple of thousnad notches. Poor "Francine" finally has a role to play now .

Looks like the intro may very well be on its way out the window, much like the plane crew at the beginning. In the wise words of Weiss, "you can have her." The Super Bowl went on waaayyy too long , but at least it ended on a convenient enough hour so that we can still watch this thriller of an episode. Too bad the ABC promo people still haven't caught on to what makes this show great. (It's not Jennifer Garner in lingerie, BTW.) The romance thing between Vaughn and Sydney is still a little too weird for me, and boy, did Dixon looked pissed. Great episode. 4 stars.

Later.

[David Lucas]

I liked the show, don't get me wrong. I've NEVER seen it before, but to be completely honest. After the last 10 seconds I was pissed. It reminded me so much of 24 it actually annoyed me. I LOVE 24, with a passion. 24 to me, is the epitome of television. I just don't konw about alias, it ends with a super huge cliffhanger just like 24. It ends with a complete and sudden black out all that was missing was the real time clock.

The first episode of 24 had a double agent, kill a buncha people, and jump out a plane before it exploded. It also had a body double to pose as someone else (the photographer) to infilrtate a certain group to advance the story line.

In this alias, the female character is a double agent, she kills a bunch of people on the plane, and jumps out of it before it crashes. At the end we find out that the friend of hers is dead and that a body double is taking over her place.

I'm sorry, I had to watch 24 afterwards to get the taste out of my mouth. It was like trying to eat a grilled steak your dad makes after eating filet mignon, oh well. Bring on Nina Myers any day.

[czyznyck99]

Well, the thing about Nina Myers is that she had everyone fooled after the first couple of episodes. One of the good things about Alias is how creatively they cover Sydney and Jack's trail. As far as the cliffhanger thing goes, they have always done that with Alias as well as 24. It's hard to say one copies the other since they both started a season ago at about the same time. Either Alias is 24 without a clock or 24 is Alias with a clock, take your pick .

In retrospect, I think the shock of Sloane willingly destroying the Alliance was enough to bowl me over. Holding off Francine's "appearence" could have been saved for a while. And promoting Ethan Hawke made no sense afterwards. Tease the story, ABC promo fools, not the guest stars. 24 definately outclasses Alias in that category.

Later.

[Joe Wagner]

And that was just during the first five minutes (Jennifer Garner is easily one of the hottest women in Hollywood today).

I was surprised by how many revelations were made during this episode, especially with the destruction of the Alliance. I had a feeling that Zarc had a role to play with Sloan and the revelation that Sloan had known about his two Bristow double agents the entire time was a stroke of genius (really explains why he was so willing to protect them at all costs).

While I'm not to sure about the relationship thing between Sidney and Vaughn I did like the idea of Francie and Will getting together - altho I guess that's over with now. The death of Francie was probably the most shocking thing to happen in the episode and really sets itself up for some exciting stuff. As for Dixon - I have the feeling he feels completely betrayed by Sid's lack of trust (telling him the truth about SD-6 only when she was forced to) and I hope that he will find a way to work with the CIA and team with Sid again. I am also hoping that the techno genius will find a new home with the CIA. Should be interesting to see what role Sloan's new network will play and if it will have any connection to Sidney's mother (who is still in CIA custody and been gradually earning the trust of Jack, Sidney and the entire CIA).

-Joe!

[czyznyck99]

Originally posted by Joe Wagner
Should be interesting to see what role Sloan's new network will play and if it will have any connection to Sidney's mother (who is still in CIA custody and been gradually earning the trust of Jack, Sidney and the entire CIA).

It does seem like things have gone according to Derevko's plan since she has been "in custody."

Later.

[DarkAngel]

Originally posted by David Lucas
I liked the show, don't get me wrong. I've NEVER seen it before, but to be completely honest. After the last 10 seconds I was pissed. It reminded me so much of 24 it actually annoyed me. I LOVE 24, with a passion. 24 to me, is the epitome of television. I just don't konw about alias, it ends with a super huge cliffhanger just like 24.

I've been watching Alias since day one, and this never felt like a cliffhanger to me at all. It was more payoff than anything else. Since the first episode, Sydney's only goal has been to destroy SD-6 and the Alliance. With that last episode, wham!, just like that, the Alliance is no more.

Yeah, there were some new aspects thrown in at the end that were unresolved, but that's the nature of the show. Every episode thus far has introduced little things that would be picked up later. Alias has both an episodic component and overarching mythology. The writers have never lost sight of that, which is great.

In this episode, I would say the impact felt by regular viewers was largely from the fall of the Alliance. That was the stunner, and a definite wrap-up to the major plotline we've been watching over the year and a half. It's not complete closure, because the "big picture" marches on. The Sloane/Sark/Francie aspect came secondary to the Alliance fall and is set up for the next "mini-arc". This is the "New Beginning" as advertised.

I'll echo Chibi Kageboshi's opinion: Brilliant!!!!

[Ordinary Guy]

The beginning with Jennifer Garner. Whoa, man I love her!

From the commercials I thought it was going to be a retelling of the first episode. Like what if Sydney never told her fiancee about her job, she never met Vaughn, her mother was'nt a tratior, her father was'nt a double agent, etc.

Towards the end I thought it was going to end with her waking up from having a dream about how the downfall of S-D6 would play out.

I was shock that Sloane knew about them being double agents.

At first I thought it was Will who was killed, but was shocked that it was Francine. She did'nt have to be killed, she did'nt know Sydney and Will were working for the CIA.

Good episode, I just felt it came just too early in it's run for these events to happen.

[DarkAngel]

Originally posted by Ordinary Guy
At first I thought it was Will who was killed, but was shocked that it was Francine. She did'nt have to be killed, she did'nt know Sydney and Will were working for the CIA.

Yeah, I thought it was Will also. She didn't have to be killed, but then it wasn't the CIA that killed her anyway. Her replacement works for Sloane (or Sark?).

[jwoo10]

Y'know, every online opinion I've been reading seems to be outraged that Francie was "offed." However, this is actually an exciting development for me since it will finally give the great Merrin Dungey something to do (I've been thinking about Merrin leaving a nice role on "King of Queens" to basically do nothing but open a restaurant). However, it probably would've been killer (sorry, no pun intended) if Francie wasn't replaced, but was actually Sloane/Sark's mole (and that she actually had wiped out Will). I don't know where they're going with this story, but I know I can't wait.

Further evidence from this episode of why ALIAS is the best show on tv (or at least until 24 returns next week):

* Jennifer Garner's "What was wrong with the black?" line (and man, I'll never get that combo of AC/DC's "Back in Black" and Jennifer Garner in a black bikini out of my head again)

* Rutger Hauer's chilling performance

* Marshall's "Pigs in a Blanket" line

* Dixon's reaction to Syd before and after the downfall of SD-6

* The Syd/Vaughn embare at the end of the SD-6 raid

* The revelation of Sloane's manipulation of everything (I was starting to think he was the wimpiest/dumbest head of an evil organization ever with his ignorance)

* That final shot of Francie I and Francie II

I literally stood up and applauded after that episode had finished. Now if only ABC had the good sense to cut the Penn & Teller schtick at the end of the Super Bowl and started this one at a decent hour, then maybe the show would've generated a higher rating (and made me less sleepy for work come Monday morning) :-)

[Storm]

This episode proved to me why Alias is one of the best shows on t.v. "Phase One" was full of twist and turn, tying up old threads and loosing up new ones. I already knew that Bristow and Vaughn were gonna hook up but Francie. Poor Francie
If this was just another episode imagine who the season finale will be