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Alias S1 (and a bit of S2)
I am SO addicted to Alias. I was looking for a new show to inspire my new TV spark I haven't been feeling lately and decide to randomly try Alias. I had seen a little bit of a S1 episode a long time ago and then had watched the beginning episodes of what I think now was S3 on TV but I only remember it vaguely. Suffice to say I was confused and stopped watching. But after only checking out the Pilot, I was HOOKED. Big time. So much so that I marathoned most of S1 in a day.
It's such a fun show! I love how fast it is because I hate being bored by plots and yet it doesn't sacrifice character and relationships. And Sydney is awesome. Along with Jack who is love. The cliffhangers are great (and so much better when you don't have to wait!) and it's got that James Bond vibe I dig. The part I really like is I truly am scared for Sydney which builds suspense and anticipation unlike something like House where I could care less whether the patient lives or dies. And gah Jack and Sydney...more under the cut.
Okay first I have to say, I have to say, I don't ship anyone on the show. Not yet anyway because I am OMG SO EXCITED for Jack and Irina. Back to that later. But I don't think I have ever been as enamored by a platonic relationship as I have for Sydney and Jack. It's hard coming up with words how I feel about them. I'm having a hard time coming up with words for them as I type. Um okay...first I just LOVE their dynamic. I find it so much more interesting when there's that distance between parents and children or just couples in general, for example Emily and Lorelai is more interesting to me than Lorelai and Rory. Because working on getting closer in the face of that distance intrigues me and gives me something to squee about everytime they do get closer or share a moment or something. And OMG Jack and Sydney are the masters of giving each other significant looks. And I squee a little each time. God, I'm easy. But I LOVE the trust issues and the angry at the past issues and all the history between them and if there's one thing I've found, I love shared history. That can save couples for me that I would otherwise have no interest in or even dislike.
And then there's Jack. Oh, Jack. I don't even know where to begin with him. First there's Victor Garber. Let's start with Titanic as that's where it all begins. I was your typical Titanic lover when I was nine or ten and had the crush on Leonardo DiCaprio and loved Jack and Rose and got all obsessive and even fannish about it. But I always had this thing for Thomas Andrews and made sure to see who played him: Victor Garber. He was cute even though he was and is much older than me but there's just something about him that appeals to him in his aura or presence or something. I don't know. But part of the reason I started watching the show (way back when) was because of him and he definitely helped with motivation. And then I learn he's a hardcore agent but double agent who is controlled and intelligent and awesomely takes down boys and yet always protects his daughter and I'm hooked. And OMG his woobie heart. Cause it IS so woobie and I fall for it hook, line and sinker. There's Sydney who he adores and then there's his wife that traumatized him and messed him up and now he tries to hide it but there's these moments where it's right there. And he's got the saddest eyes, it breaks my heart.
So it just *kills* me that he cares so deeply for Sydney and yet can't show it to her with his...weak communication skills. And yet he *tries* or he says it in his expressions and actions and I'm so putty for it. I swear I aww half the time he's on screen especially when he's trying to connect with her or just can't. I love all their looks in SD-6 and secret talks, they say so much without saying anything at all. One of the key moments that stuck out to me was the failed dinner in the early episodes and Jack watches her but just can't do it :( And then I LOVED when Sydney went to rescue him! And then Sydney helped tend to his wounds, awww. And I love them working together like in The Box. And then whenever Jack talks about Irina he has such a pained expression on his face, it breaks my heart. The videotape with her calling him a fool? Oh god, that was the saddest thing ever :( Poor, poor Jack. I can see why he would close himself off after that. But I love that undercurrent of great emotion and passion when he tries to protect Sydney or even when Irina is brought up. Then there's the sad bar drinking :( One of my favorite and yet most frustrating moments is at the end of The Box Pt. 2, when he goes up to Sydney and instead of giving her a hug like everyone else is doing, he holds her shoulder. I wanted a hug! Ah well, they've still got a long way to go. Have I mentioned I love Daddy issues?
And Mommy issues. Sydney and Irina are just as good! Betrayal really makes relationships interesting. And yes, she's probably totally playing Sydney in developing the bond but a part of it is real. That's what I love about her relationship with both Sydney and Jack, it's gray and complex and can't be clarified by black and white reasoning. I do think she wants to know Sydney better and maybe find some forgiveness...but I also definitely think she has some ulterior motive in doing this. And I just have to say the episode title for 201 is perfect with "The Enemy Walks In" working for both Irina walking into see Sydney and then walking into the CIA. Anyways, I love Irina. She's intelligent, a mastermind and is incredibly intriguing. I love her facial expressions, how I'm always wondering what she's thinking about and the way she plays off of people and gets them to expose themselves (not just Sydney but Vaughn too). And speaking of Vaughn, it is fun seeing her trying to show his psychological reactions to her killing his dad. I think to her it's like a game and I love it. But Sydney's where it's at. I love how Irina gets her to think about her past especially with the "turkey" moment which was so cute! I don't care if it's a front, I want to believe it's real and she does truly care no matter the reality. And I want Sydney to really have a mother *sigh*
And then poor Jack must watch Sydney and get scared she's making the same mistakes as he did. I absolutely love his reactions to all this. His faces continue to destroy me. And the counselor sessions are love! I love getting to see more into his mind and reactions. My favorites being how he still calls her Laura (awwww), how angry and emotional he is about her and how she destroyed his life (thanks psychiatrist/psychologist ie President from Prison Break!) So now about Jack and Irina...*squee* I love how tragic and doomed it all was with him being in love with her (or so he thought...) and her doing it all for the job. I really love how there was a time where Jack could be so loving and caring and damn, I really, really want a flashback. Betrayal to me IS one of the worst sins you can commit on a personal level and I can definitely understand why he'd grow so cold to her. But I really want to see how it used to be because how he acts now is so different. So throughout S1, I was dying to see them together to see how Jack would react to Irina and how she would to him. I was worried about Irina (and still am) that maybe she really did have no feelings at all for him and that would be no fun. But then...203 for the motherfucking WIN! I totally squeed and clapped at that because THAT is what I have been waiting for all season (I knew she was still alive before). And it AMAZING. And Irina admitted she did feel "powerfully" that way sometimes!! Yay :D And Jack...oh, Jack. His stone cold face and yet the hurt in his eyes, the SIGNIFICANCE of finally meeting her again after almost thirty years and having to face her. But I totally predicted he would say "I will kill you", hee, but it just shows how deeply the betrayal went, how devastated he was that he would swear that he would never trust her again. But I really, really hope they find some way to have some kind of relationship cause that would be awesome and interesting and oh yeah, hot. SpyRents, yay!
So because of all of this, I understand why Jack did what he did in 204. He really does want to protect her from what he went through. I have to say, I love when he watches Irina through the cameras especially when they led her away in chains (to a song I *love*). Oh, Jack. And then Sydney admits to him that she had hoped for what he was so scared of her and that he was right and that she was sorry and then...WE GOT A HUG OMG YAY!!!! First hug and omg it was awesome. This is totally equivalent to the first hug for a romantic couple and my squee button went into overdrive. I love how he went to her to comfort her because he understands and just awwwww. And okay, it was tainted because he set it all up and I'm sure she'll find out eventually and there'll be more trust issues but for now I'm enjoying what I've got now. HUGZ! I do think Jack shouldn't have done it but I understand it. How much do I love them? SO MUCH. They're still my favorites. I am so amazed at what the show is doing with them and giving me.
Can't Jack and Irina/Laura and Sydney all be a a happy family? Sure it'd take away what I love about them but that's my dearest wish for them someday however idealistic and unrealistic it may be. The best part about the three of them is all of their relationships are fascinating and tied up in each other. You can't have one without the other two, they're all so connected. And of course all understand what it is to be spies. Spy Family! I have to admit, they are all so awesome that it's making the other spy parts and other relationships a bit more boring for me as I am all about MORE Jack and Sydney and Irina and Jack PLEASE show *begs* A part of me wishes it could be The Bristow show all the time but the show practically IS about them on it's own so that's okay. I'll just continue to love them and eat up all the show gives me.
Now let's talk about the other characters. First, Vaughn. Now obviously he's the romantic interest but I'm just not buying it. He's cute and he does care about her and it is good to have someone Sydney trusts but he just bores me along with their relationship. He is very pretty though. I'm just glad I don't dislike them since I'm sure the relationship will progress. The only time I truly disliked him was when he went behind her back and tape recorded her about her father but thankfully he was redempted. I do enjoy when Jack takes him down (along with Danny and Will of course). I also really like Dixon, he's such a good guy and I love his relationship with Sydney. There hug in The Box was too cute :) I adore Marshall who is too cute with his geeky ways and his enthusiasm over it. And then there's Sloane who I at first disliked somewhat or at least was neutral about but then they played the Emily angle SO well and made me like him. Damn you, show! I feel so bad for him with his wife because he truly does love her and yet can't save her from disease or from the Alliance. He has had some of the few scenes which have made me cry. The actor is really great at this. I don't quite see why Sydney hates him so much, yes he killed her fiance although it was partly her fault (and his, an answering machine? CMON!) and he's not a good person obviously but I do like their weird almost father-daughter relationship and he can be really nice to her. What can I say, I don't mind a little evil.
A shoutout to Weiss play by super cute Greg Grunberg who I love so much on Heroes and is great on this show as well. I remember liking him when I saw S3 (I think) of the show. I've always thought Bradley Cooper was cute so Will charms me as well and I did like the journalism plot as a nice counterpoint to the main plot. The one thing I am worried about with the show is it has that Veronica Mars problem of having the main title character be a woman but having everyone else important be men (except for Francie). Even she had a blah plot compared to Will's. S2 has started getting much better at this though especially with the addition of Irina. I love how she was referred to as "The Man" and how she tricked them all with that. Awesome S1 finale revelation btw. I love the symmetry of Sydney first reconnecting with her dad in S1 and then her mom in S2. And now I'm talking Bristows again. Oh and Sark is hot. Very sexy and I can see why people ship him and Sydney together. He's a lot of fun although I need more about him to really care about him.
I love all the action sequences. Particularly in the beginning they had some amazing scenes and genuinely scary. My favorite is Doppelganger (how often is that title used on show episodes?) which totally freaked me out with the heart bomb and ambulance chase where they were about to be locked on. So good. The music is outstanding with that great soundtrack that sounds like a rushing heartbeat which keeps me in suspense even more. The tech stuff is super cool especially when Sydney does anything resembling flying. I have to say, it looks like fun to be a spy and she does make it look easy even though I know I could never do it. Later on in the season, the action stuff didn't put me in suspense as much, maybe I was used to it but the high stakes, Sydney could really die never came across to me so much. I still enjoyed them though and I do like how there was more of a focus on the big picture and end goals in terms of Rimbaldi or however you spell it. And of course there's JJ, the master of cliffhangers and he really shows it off in this series. But I love them when I'm marathoning so I don't mind at all and it makes it even more fun. Oh and a comment about the season finale. WTH, Vaughn? When you see a tidal wave heading towards you, you don't stop and stare at it, you RUN. Haven't you seen Titanic? That was very frustrating so I couldn't feel too bad for him.
I am probably leaving so much out but that's what I have at the moment. And now I have a question for those of you who have seen the whole series? I have heard reports that Alias gets bad, crazy or on crack in a negative way which is partly why I resisted watching it. So when does it get that bad? I've heard S5 but that's about all. I just don't want to see such a good show go bad although I will most likely watch all of it anyway (once I'm in, I'm in). I don't entirely trust JJ with keeping a show on track so it worries me. No spoilers, please. I scared myself just trying to get this icon without being spoiled because I'm paranoid like that.
I can't wait til I finish S3 so I can finally see some of the vids I know of to the show with context. If anyone has any S1 (or up to 204) vids they know of, let me know. I highly recommend the show for anyone who has yet to see it!
It's such a fun show! I love how fast it is because I hate being bored by plots and yet it doesn't sacrifice character and relationships. And Sydney is awesome. Along with Jack who is love. The cliffhangers are great (and so much better when you don't have to wait!) and it's got that James Bond vibe I dig. The part I really like is I truly am scared for Sydney which builds suspense and anticipation unlike something like House where I could care less whether the patient lives or dies. And gah Jack and Sydney...more under the cut.
Okay first I have to say, I have to say, I don't ship anyone on the show. Not yet anyway because I am OMG SO EXCITED for Jack and Irina. Back to that later. But I don't think I have ever been as enamored by a platonic relationship as I have for Sydney and Jack. It's hard coming up with words how I feel about them. I'm having a hard time coming up with words for them as I type. Um okay...first I just LOVE their dynamic. I find it so much more interesting when there's that distance between parents and children or just couples in general, for example Emily and Lorelai is more interesting to me than Lorelai and Rory. Because working on getting closer in the face of that distance intrigues me and gives me something to squee about everytime they do get closer or share a moment or something. And OMG Jack and Sydney are the masters of giving each other significant looks. And I squee a little each time. God, I'm easy. But I LOVE the trust issues and the angry at the past issues and all the history between them and if there's one thing I've found, I love shared history. That can save couples for me that I would otherwise have no interest in or even dislike.
And then there's Jack. Oh, Jack. I don't even know where to begin with him. First there's Victor Garber. Let's start with Titanic as that's where it all begins. I was your typical Titanic lover when I was nine or ten and had the crush on Leonardo DiCaprio and loved Jack and Rose and got all obsessive and even fannish about it. But I always had this thing for Thomas Andrews and made sure to see who played him: Victor Garber. He was cute even though he was and is much older than me but there's just something about him that appeals to him in his aura or presence or something. I don't know. But part of the reason I started watching the show (way back when) was because of him and he definitely helped with motivation. And then I learn he's a hardcore agent but double agent who is controlled and intelligent and awesomely takes down boys and yet always protects his daughter and I'm hooked. And OMG his woobie heart. Cause it IS so woobie and I fall for it hook, line and sinker. There's Sydney who he adores and then there's his wife that traumatized him and messed him up and now he tries to hide it but there's these moments where it's right there. And he's got the saddest eyes, it breaks my heart.
So it just *kills* me that he cares so deeply for Sydney and yet can't show it to her with his...weak communication skills. And yet he *tries* or he says it in his expressions and actions and I'm so putty for it. I swear I aww half the time he's on screen especially when he's trying to connect with her or just can't. I love all their looks in SD-6 and secret talks, they say so much without saying anything at all. One of the key moments that stuck out to me was the failed dinner in the early episodes and Jack watches her but just can't do it :( And then I LOVED when Sydney went to rescue him! And then Sydney helped tend to his wounds, awww. And I love them working together like in The Box. And then whenever Jack talks about Irina he has such a pained expression on his face, it breaks my heart. The videotape with her calling him a fool? Oh god, that was the saddest thing ever :( Poor, poor Jack. I can see why he would close himself off after that. But I love that undercurrent of great emotion and passion when he tries to protect Sydney or even when Irina is brought up. Then there's the sad bar drinking :( One of my favorite and yet most frustrating moments is at the end of The Box Pt. 2, when he goes up to Sydney and instead of giving her a hug like everyone else is doing, he holds her shoulder. I wanted a hug! Ah well, they've still got a long way to go. Have I mentioned I love Daddy issues?
And Mommy issues. Sydney and Irina are just as good! Betrayal really makes relationships interesting. And yes, she's probably totally playing Sydney in developing the bond but a part of it is real. That's what I love about her relationship with both Sydney and Jack, it's gray and complex and can't be clarified by black and white reasoning. I do think she wants to know Sydney better and maybe find some forgiveness...but I also definitely think she has some ulterior motive in doing this. And I just have to say the episode title for 201 is perfect with "The Enemy Walks In" working for both Irina walking into see Sydney and then walking into the CIA. Anyways, I love Irina. She's intelligent, a mastermind and is incredibly intriguing. I love her facial expressions, how I'm always wondering what she's thinking about and the way she plays off of people and gets them to expose themselves (not just Sydney but Vaughn too). And speaking of Vaughn, it is fun seeing her trying to show his psychological reactions to her killing his dad. I think to her it's like a game and I love it. But Sydney's where it's at. I love how Irina gets her to think about her past especially with the "turkey" moment which was so cute! I don't care if it's a front, I want to believe it's real and she does truly care no matter the reality. And I want Sydney to really have a mother *sigh*
And then poor Jack must watch Sydney and get scared she's making the same mistakes as he did. I absolutely love his reactions to all this. His faces continue to destroy me. And the counselor sessions are love! I love getting to see more into his mind and reactions. My favorites being how he still calls her Laura (awwww), how angry and emotional he is about her and how she destroyed his life (thanks psychiatrist/psychologist ie President from Prison Break!) So now about Jack and Irina...*squee* I love how tragic and doomed it all was with him being in love with her (or so he thought...) and her doing it all for the job. I really love how there was a time where Jack could be so loving and caring and damn, I really, really want a flashback. Betrayal to me IS one of the worst sins you can commit on a personal level and I can definitely understand why he'd grow so cold to her. But I really want to see how it used to be because how he acts now is so different. So throughout S1, I was dying to see them together to see how Jack would react to Irina and how she would to him. I was worried about Irina (and still am) that maybe she really did have no feelings at all for him and that would be no fun. But then...203 for the motherfucking WIN! I totally squeed and clapped at that because THAT is what I have been waiting for all season (I knew she was still alive before). And it AMAZING. And Irina admitted she did feel "powerfully" that way sometimes!! Yay :D And Jack...oh, Jack. His stone cold face and yet the hurt in his eyes, the SIGNIFICANCE of finally meeting her again after almost thirty years and having to face her. But I totally predicted he would say "I will kill you", hee, but it just shows how deeply the betrayal went, how devastated he was that he would swear that he would never trust her again. But I really, really hope they find some way to have some kind of relationship cause that would be awesome and interesting and oh yeah, hot. SpyRents, yay!
So because of all of this, I understand why Jack did what he did in 204. He really does want to protect her from what he went through. I have to say, I love when he watches Irina through the cameras especially when they led her away in chains (to a song I *love*). Oh, Jack. And then Sydney admits to him that she had hoped for what he was so scared of her and that he was right and that she was sorry and then...WE GOT A HUG OMG YAY!!!! First hug and omg it was awesome. This is totally equivalent to the first hug for a romantic couple and my squee button went into overdrive. I love how he went to her to comfort her because he understands and just awwwww. And okay, it was tainted because he set it all up and I'm sure she'll find out eventually and there'll be more trust issues but for now I'm enjoying what I've got now. HUGZ! I do think Jack shouldn't have done it but I understand it. How much do I love them? SO MUCH. They're still my favorites. I am so amazed at what the show is doing with them and giving me.
Can't Jack and Irina/Laura and Sydney all be a a happy family? Sure it'd take away what I love about them but that's my dearest wish for them someday however idealistic and unrealistic it may be. The best part about the three of them is all of their relationships are fascinating and tied up in each other. You can't have one without the other two, they're all so connected. And of course all understand what it is to be spies. Spy Family! I have to admit, they are all so awesome that it's making the other spy parts and other relationships a bit more boring for me as I am all about MORE Jack and Sydney and Irina and Jack PLEASE show *begs* A part of me wishes it could be The Bristow show all the time but the show practically IS about them on it's own so that's okay. I'll just continue to love them and eat up all the show gives me.
Now let's talk about the other characters. First, Vaughn. Now obviously he's the romantic interest but I'm just not buying it. He's cute and he does care about her and it is good to have someone Sydney trusts but he just bores me along with their relationship. He is very pretty though. I'm just glad I don't dislike them since I'm sure the relationship will progress. The only time I truly disliked him was when he went behind her back and tape recorded her about her father but thankfully he was redempted. I do enjoy when Jack takes him down (along with Danny and Will of course). I also really like Dixon, he's such a good guy and I love his relationship with Sydney. There hug in The Box was too cute :) I adore Marshall who is too cute with his geeky ways and his enthusiasm over it. And then there's Sloane who I at first disliked somewhat or at least was neutral about but then they played the Emily angle SO well and made me like him. Damn you, show! I feel so bad for him with his wife because he truly does love her and yet can't save her from disease or from the Alliance. He has had some of the few scenes which have made me cry. The actor is really great at this. I don't quite see why Sydney hates him so much, yes he killed her fiance although it was partly her fault (and his, an answering machine? CMON!) and he's not a good person obviously but I do like their weird almost father-daughter relationship and he can be really nice to her. What can I say, I don't mind a little evil.
A shoutout to Weiss play by super cute Greg Grunberg who I love so much on Heroes and is great on this show as well. I remember liking him when I saw S3 (I think) of the show. I've always thought Bradley Cooper was cute so Will charms me as well and I did like the journalism plot as a nice counterpoint to the main plot. The one thing I am worried about with the show is it has that Veronica Mars problem of having the main title character be a woman but having everyone else important be men (except for Francie). Even she had a blah plot compared to Will's. S2 has started getting much better at this though especially with the addition of Irina. I love how she was referred to as "The Man" and how she tricked them all with that. Awesome S1 finale revelation btw. I love the symmetry of Sydney first reconnecting with her dad in S1 and then her mom in S2. And now I'm talking Bristows again. Oh and Sark is hot. Very sexy and I can see why people ship him and Sydney together. He's a lot of fun although I need more about him to really care about him.
I love all the action sequences. Particularly in the beginning they had some amazing scenes and genuinely scary. My favorite is Doppelganger (how often is that title used on show episodes?) which totally freaked me out with the heart bomb and ambulance chase where they were about to be locked on. So good. The music is outstanding with that great soundtrack that sounds like a rushing heartbeat which keeps me in suspense even more. The tech stuff is super cool especially when Sydney does anything resembling flying. I have to say, it looks like fun to be a spy and she does make it look easy even though I know I could never do it. Later on in the season, the action stuff didn't put me in suspense as much, maybe I was used to it but the high stakes, Sydney could really die never came across to me so much. I still enjoyed them though and I do like how there was more of a focus on the big picture and end goals in terms of Rimbaldi or however you spell it. And of course there's JJ, the master of cliffhangers and he really shows it off in this series. But I love them when I'm marathoning so I don't mind at all and it makes it even more fun. Oh and a comment about the season finale. WTH, Vaughn? When you see a tidal wave heading towards you, you don't stop and stare at it, you RUN. Haven't you seen Titanic? That was very frustrating so I couldn't feel too bad for him.
I am probably leaving so much out but that's what I have at the moment. And now I have a question for those of you who have seen the whole series? I have heard reports that Alias gets bad, crazy or on crack in a negative way which is partly why I resisted watching it. So when does it get that bad? I've heard S5 but that's about all. I just don't want to see such a good show go bad although I will most likely watch all of it anyway (once I'm in, I'm in). I don't entirely trust JJ with keeping a show on track so it worries me. No spoilers, please. I scared myself just trying to get this icon without being spoiled because I'm paranoid like that.
I can't wait til I finish S3 so I can finally see some of the vids I know of to the show with context. If anyone has any S1 (or up to 204) vids they know of, let me know. I highly recommend the show for anyone who has yet to see it!