Looking Out My Back Door

Alias: Why The Hell Haven't I Been Watching This Show?

First, I apologize for not blogging lately. The holidays threw a monkey wrench into my regular schedule, and a nasty, long-lasting head cold threw another, larger, monkey wrench into my holidays. But I'm back now and ready to blog away...

When "Alias" burst onto the airwaves in 2001, I tried to watch it, but found myself often confused with the plot twists and abrupt changes in venue. At the same time, there was another new spy show, "Thieves," starring John Stamos and Rebecca George (who later joined "Alias," I should've taken the hint) which was easier to follow and a lot of fun. Unfortunately, it was canceled mid-season.

In an effort to grow its audience, when "Alias" came back on the schedule (I believe it was directly following the 2003 Super Bowl), it promised that new viewers could jump in and understand what was going on, even though if you had missed an episode or two in previous seasons, you'd be lost. I didn't take the bait then, but after hearing my friends Nina and Glenn rave about the show, I decided it was time to take the plunge. And the numerous promos that ABC has been airing these past weeks didn't hurt, either. This Tuesday, I gave Nina a call:

Me: "Hey, Ninja, how's it going?"
Nina: "Can't really talk, I'm trying to put the kids down for the night."
Me: "Figures. My timing usually sucks. Quick question: "Alias" starts tomorrow. I haven't watched it. Should I?"
Nina: "ABSOLUTELY! And if you don't get something, call me or Glenn and we'll fill you in!"
Me: "Cool, thanks."

Last night was it: the two-hour season premiere. I turned it on right as it started and was engrossed. Expertly and expensively filmed, it was as close to a James Bond film as anything I've seen (even closer than those two horrible Timothy Dalton Bond movies!). It even had a former Bond villain, Rick "Die Another Day" Yune, and the fabulous Angela Bassett. And Jennifer Garner was fantastic. She morphs effortlessly into her various spy roles and kicks butt just as easily. Plus, she's a good actress. I'd seen her in "13 Going On 30," and thought she was quite talented, but her portrayal of Sydney is superb. She's aided and abetted by an excellent supporting cast and terrific writing, not to mention great production and attention to detail. From what I've read, it cost about $3.5 million to produce the two-hour season opener, and it certainly looked like it. That number may even be lower than the true figure. Money well spent. I'm hooked, and am looking forward to next week. In fact, it was so good that I will probably end up buying the previous seasons on DVD. I'm not sure when I'll have time to watch them all, but have no doubt that I'll manage it. I feel a head cold coming on...

posted by Hopster @ 11:30 AM