Just wondering how many Alias fans there are out there. Over the past two weeks, I started watching the first season, and really like it. Sure, it is hokey, and sure, there is some silliness here and there, but over all I have found that I really like the show.
BTW- I think one of the best series ever made was Boomtown. I was furious when it got cancelled.
BumperStickerist
Sorry … the lead actor’s hair color in Boomtown was not to be gotten over.
First season ‘Sledge Hammer!’, now that’s entertainment!!
RW
My wife & I love Alias. The last two episodes, however, have been beyond silly.
Here’s a cute game to play: guess how far into each episode Jennifer Garner’s character will cry. She’s ALWAYS crying.
Flugelhorn
I agree with you on Boomtown. Very Pulp fiction-esque. Great show. It would have been better suited to HBO where the audience is a bit more discriminating in their taste and not so easily confused by non-linear story lines.
The first season of Alias was great. It wasn’t doing what they hoped in the ratings so they went through several phases of “Dumbing” down. They changed the entire dynamic and what remains, after the 3rd re-write, is a watered down version of the first season. I have been extremely disappointed in this season.
John Cole
Bumper-
You are talking aboiut David McNorris, played by Neal McDonough (who currently is in NBC’s Medical Investigation). A lot of people did not like his character,- he was one of my favorites.
Two of my favorite episodes were “Blackout” and “The David McNorris Show.” I guess I just liked his character.
Another thing I liked about the show was how many guys from “Band of Brothers” appeared in “Boomtown.” McDonough, Wahlberg, Ray Gomez was in both, and Frank John Hughes was in both.
I suggest you give the show a second chance- it reall was a great watch.
Jim Treacher
Boomtown veered between “oh my God, this is too good for TV” (the thinly veiled SLA episode with the suburban housewife who killed somebody in a bank robbery in the ’70s) and “oh my God, how did this get on TV?” (the one where Mykelti Williamson took on the Russian mob by jumping off the roof of a motel blasting away with a machine gun). Then they brought in Vanessa Williams, did away with the differently-chronological stuff, and it was goodbye.
The drunken DA was awesome, though. The bit where he gave a great, witty toast at some ritzy dinner, and then they go back to it later from another character’s perspective and he was plastered and belligerent, it almost made me want to cut down on my drinking. Did you know the actress who played his wife is now the mom on The O.C.?
I actually liked last season of Alias better than this season. And I liked Melissa George. That’s right, I’m the one.
John Cole
Jim-
That speech was from the episode I referred to above, “Blackout.” I agree- it was chilling. I thought the Warron Zevon scene in the car right before the bender started and the scene when he woke up in the driveway were frigthening.
Fortunately, the show had more of the genius than it did the stupid scenes you discussed, and you are right- the whole time it was on, I thought ‘this is too good for television.’
Dreamworks had a hand in it.
HH
Definitely wait for the DVDs at this point because watching the current season will be very confusing… but season 2 is the best so far. Season 4 hasn’t had much yet but they have been airing them out of order (Fox did that with Firefly and the series got progressively better) so I’m holding out hope that it can be salvaged. Besides the Russian “suburb” episode was good up until the last five minutes or so, and this last episode’s Dixon/Sloane scene made up for the rest of the episode (one of the worst ever).
And yes if you’re gonna get some more Teevee DVDs you could do a whole lot worse than Firefly (the 2nd biggest TV-on-DVD success story, after Family Guy).
HH
“Dreamworks had a hand in it.”
Like Freaks and Geeks, that other great NBC DreamWorks show over before its time. Get that one too.
RW
***”nd this last episode’s Dixon/Sloane scene made up for the rest of the episode (one of the worst ever).”***
Ditto.
I told my wife 30 minutes into this season that I’m officially predicting that Sloane is running YET ANOTHER clandestine operation and is fooling the others once more and that whatshisname’s wife is still alive, as well.
Al Maviva
Boomtown – good show. Worthy successor to Homicide. Not quite The Wire or The Shield, but hey, who is.
Alias – all I can do is quote ESPN.com’s “The Sports Guy.”
“Things you’ll never hear around the water cooler at work:
1) “Hey! Did you catch Alias last night?
Marcus
Jennifer Garner is one of the least attractive women on TV. Seriously, she looks like a guy.
HH
Then I must be gay.
Gary Farber
What I love about Alias — although for various reasons I’ve been taping episodes this season, and haven’t yet had time to get very far in watching them — soon, soon! — is that it is so gloriously celebratory of going over the top. They’re not just not afraid of going over the top, into absurdity in plots and situations and premises, they revel in doing so, and then ratchet it up yet again. This makes the show rather insane, but in a far more entertaining way than, say, well, other shows that have been insane, such as second-season Twin Peaks, which had no idea where it was going.
I like 24 very much, mostly because of the structural tension, although I have to immediately agree that anyone who takes the plot developments seriously is probably being silly. It’s a fantasy, not an attempt to mirror reality, or be prescriptive.
John Cole
I couldn’t agree more, Gary. One of my favorite scenes was the two part show in season 2 when all three Bristows go to disarm some nukes. There is a scene with all three of the fighting off about 20 men, and they are standing upright, AK’s a blazing.
It was so absurd. I loved it. Reminded me of the A-Team.
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