Tonight, Ethan Hawk gueststars.

Should be another great episode!!! Last week's ending was awesome.....the beginning was not too shabby either.

I think they did some re-shoots to make this episode make more sense because tonights was originally supposed to be the post superbowl episode.

Well, I think it's safe to say ABC has butchered another excellent television show. Why did they ruin Alias? Why did they cut everything special out? Oh well, at least they'll get cancelled this year and can focus on a movie.

I don't know what your talking about, they left in her getting out of the pool & that was pretty special to me

I thought it was a great episode. I don't watch any other T.V. shows at all, but I can't get enough of this show. Ethan Hawke was pretty good. And although the plots are extremely over the top, Jennifer Garner has my attention every minute. I really think she is going to blow up huge after Daredevil & unfortunately she will be to big to do TV anymore.

Ruin Alias? No way. This was a great episode. It was a bit confusing at first, but the plot was constructed well enough that I could piece everything together before they told us what 'Project Helix' was. I was certain that the Ethan Hawke with Sid was the 'right' one, but they did have me questioning my logic for a moment there.

If this is a part of the "dumbing down" of Alias I've been reading about I'm all for it.

I thought it was good.

She looked amazing in that blue bikini

I hope every episode doesn't turn into a Syd/Vaughn fest at some point in the show now.

Ethan Hawke was good. I hope they have him back again.

The previews for next week looked great.

well the first thing that went through my mind tonight was, "i guess they went back and did some reshoots to make it follow last week's episode because there was no way that was supposed to come before last week." anyway, i thought that it was a pretty good hour but i am sensing a couple of things that are bothering me...

a. i really hope that they don't start having these special guest stars with the same regularity. earlier in the season it was faye dunaway, tonight ethan hawke and then next week as well. i am all for a special guest star but they seem to be overdoing it a bit. they don't need a special guest star, they have enough good writing and star power in the regular cast to do just fine.

b. ok, let me preface this by saying i am not crazy, but i hope that they don't start sticking cheesecake shots of syd in skimpy clothing every week. last week with the lingerie and this week with the blue bikini (which i enjoyed much more then last week ) to me, this show shouldn't have to rely on that. while it certainly is good to see, i kinda like it more when they only give it to us every so often. IIRC, last year they only did it once.

oh yeah, last one, i agree with mrx that i hope they don't turn it into syd/vaughn mooshy every week. however, i am expecting some problems with those two lovebirds by season's end, just for the simple fact that things can't go that smoothly storywise.

I loved the Fast Times homage at the pool. There will be plenty of guys having a Judge Reinhold moment with that sequence.

All in all, another great episode. Sydney gave Francie a strange look when she didn't make a big deal about meeting Michael, so it's only a matter of time before she starts to get curious about her.

Great use of The Cars' Moving in Stereo ala the Fast Times at Ridgemont High Phoebe Cates pool scene. Makes me nervous though that the song (along with many others in this series) will be changed for the upcoming dvd's.

One thing caught my ear in this suspension-of-disbelief episode of face duplication, Hawke's character said that there were two other subjects that'd been duplicated. We know of one other but who's the third? Any ideas? I'm thinking Sloane but the way this show is going it could be anyone. If it can be done without their knowledge it might be Sydney.

I think it's way too early to make such judgements. Alias isn't ruined... it's changed, yes, but that doesn't mean they threw it in the crapper.

Why did you hate this episode so much? Sure, there's no more going back and forth between SD-6 & CIA... but it's just plot development. What I think is special about this show is the writing and the music. The "double agent" premise was interesting, and I will miss it, but there are a lot more things that are special about the show than that.

I think that Lennox (Ethan Hawke's character) said that two people had been duplicated, not two others. One being Lennox, two being Francie.

As an aside: I think Ethan Hawke is a great name for a spy.

Yep. Great ep. Still better than most other stuff that's on right now.

The Lennox/Lennox storyline was a bit confusing. I liked it, though, even though, IMO, it was just a reason for Ethan Hawke to show up. And the Emma character - she was new right? Syd said she knew her, but I've never seen her on the show before.

Fake Francie is fairly unbelieveable. Considering Syd can speak German and beat the crap out of people, she couldn't notice her roomate became a cold, nonchatlant evil-person. The real France would have been squealing during that scene with Vaguhn, so one would have to wonder a bit.

Too bad Irina wasn't in this episode. Sure, there's nothing for her to do, but still, it's nice to see her. No Marshall or Dixon either.

The Ethan Hawke scenes probably were intended to air during the Super Bowl, but since they made that switch, they probably just re-shaped the episode, by adding the Evil Francie and Syd & Vaguhn scenes. I liked this episode, it was good, but a bit underwhelming, after last week's episode. The pace difference was really obvious, and I had just gotten used to my jaw dropping every five minutes.

I don't mind the cheesecake scenes, as long as they don't get overdone. If every mission is just an excuse for her to get half-naked and then beat the crap out of some ugly middle-aged man, than I might mind a bit.

I'm reserving judgement on the new storyline and direction the show's taken until I see more episodes.

But I do have one question.....

Do we really need a 3 hour remake of "The Music Man" starring Mathew Broderick preempting Alias in two weeks on Feb. 16th? Actually I can answer that question .... no !

At least there's the Marrried With Children Reunion to watch while Alias takes that week off.

Quote:

Originally posted by freedexter
The Lennox/Lennox storyline was a bit confusing. I liked it, though, even though, IMO, it was just a reason for Ethan Hawke to show up.

Noooooooooooooo...

Dammit, ABC was supposed to be dumbing this show down so more people could "get it". Please repost and say you absolutely understood every aspect of it before they want to change it further...

Quote:

Fake Francie is fairly unbelieveable. Considering Syd can speak German and beat the crap out of people, she couldn't notice her roomate became a cold, nonchatlant evil-person. The real France would have been squealing during that scene with Vaguhn, so one would have to wonder a bit.

I wholeheartedly agree. Unless Franna gets her act together, I don't see this plotline going on for long...

Quote:

Too bad Irina wasn't in this episode. Sure, there's nothing for her to do, but still, it's nice to see her. No Marshall or Dixon either.

SECOND week in a row that Lena's name is in the credits. Is that in her contract or something?

About Marshall & Dixon...how long could it take to de-brief? And why isn't Syd or Jack more on top of their situation?

And, while i'm sure Marshall will jump at any chance to be a part of the "good" fight, i'm sure Dixon will have to do a lot more soulsearching and I hope this is the basis of an entire ep [or at least a full half hour]

I think I need to stop reading the internet/entertainment news. Once I read that they were showing the eps "out of order", that kinda helped form my negative opinion of the "reboot" of Alias. If I hadn't known that, there would've been nothing out of the ordinary in this ep [Unless, like someone here reported, they filmed new scenes?]

I agree with this and i'll go one further by saying that I don't like the Vaughn/Syd coupling. Longing for someone from afar is fine, but hooking up is like Richard Dreyfuss shoveling the chum into the water... And I thought it was funny how Vaughn casually dismissed his previous relationship at the beginning of this ep.

As for the guest appearances...I really don't mind them.

Quote:

Originally posted by AJW
Do we really need a 3 hour remake of "The Music Man" starring Mathew Broderick preempting Alias in two weeks on Feb. 16th? Actually I can answer that question .... no !

I think you should've stopped with "Do we really need a 3 hour remake of "The Music Man"..."

Point well taken but having it preempt my favorite show adds insult to injury.

I don't think it was dumbed down, really. That part was just odd...it wasn't as if it was obvious who was whom (did I use the correct forms there?) and it just seemed to mildly rub me in the wrong way.

I wouldnt say it is runined but it sure is not the same show. Video Montages ala Miami Vice, the whole Vaugn and Sydney thing just doesnt fit and the bikini scene make me think they are doing this to get more viewers. But what about the old ones?????
As for the guest appearances, are they trying to outdo Friends and Will and Grace. I just think it is disracting. Next week Christian Slater....

Theres a whole article about the risks involved in the changing of the show in the current Entertainment Weekly issue.

I agree that Vaughn and Sydney feels a little... off. "Oh, yeah, Alice and I broke up. This morning. I know we got back together recently, but it's been over for a long time. Say, what are you doing tonight?"

Sydney just had the biggest "durrrrrrrr" grin on her face in this episode... I think it was right after Vaugn told her about his breakup.

Oh sure...they will get cancelled this year.....I would not bet any money on that.

BTW....what was wrong with last night's episode??? It was not the greatest by far but it was not horrible either. Alias has good writers.....hopefully they will tighten up the story in the upcoming episodes. I think the new threat from Sloan should be interesting.

I wouldnt say it was ruined yet. But the reboot kind of wiped out many of the things that made the show so great. I'll give it a chance before casting judgement. But this episode wasnt one of the better ones IMO. I just hope it doesnt turn into "The Agency".

As Sydney was leaving the apartment with Vaughn....Sydney does realize that something is not right with Francie. I took the way she looked at Francie with somewhat of a forced smile that she felt something was wrong with her friend. Wait until the next interaction between the two.

Yeah, I immediately thought of the "Die Another Day" angle as the episode unfolded.

I thought Maryam D'abo did a bang-up job portraying a very scared woman all wrapped up in C4. The running booger was a nice touch.

How did the fake Lennox even get a call into CIA-LA?

I liked how Sydney forced the fake Lennox to expose himself. That's good clear logical thinking in a short amount of time.

FFrancie (Fake Francie) is getting awfully creepy and voyeuristic. I was laughing when FF wasn't getting Sydney's non-verbal "Yes, that Michael". Sydney's going to put it together, probably by the end of the season that FF is not who she appears to be.

Oh, glad to see Sydney and Michael finally get it on (it's only the calm before the storm, though). Too bad they didn't have "Let's get it on" playing in the background as they cut to the credits (with FF spying on them).