It has become a ritual, watching Alias every week. I have been doing it for so long. I even followed it to Wednesdays. But, halfway into the new season, I feel that I must make a statement, rather a plea, to the writers of the show. There are several key things that Alias just doesn’t have, key things that made it my favorite show. These things that I have been sitting and waiting for all this season, hoping each episode that they will appear. So, in a desperate attempt to both vent my frustrations, and pray that somehow, somewhere a writer of the show will hear this, I have decided to spell out what I miss about my favorite show Alias. Here it goes.
1. This season, there has been no real threat that continues on from episode to episode. In season one, we had K-Directorate, we had SD-6, and we had the Alliance, not to mention Syd’s mom and other things related to that. The second season, we had more of the same, and saw the Alliance crumble, but gained a new enemy, the Covenant. The third season saw Vaughn’s wife (why did you kill her off??? She was awesome!!!!) betray him and join the Covenant, cavorting with Sark. Juicy. So far this season… Anna Espinosa’s return is really the only cohesive element, and that was a blast from the past. A much needed blast from the past. (Sark’s return does not count, since he acted all high and mighty and turned Anna in. And see, even when there is a cohesive element, you end it right away, before it even has a chance). Bummer.
2. Get the sister out of there. She is a major distraction. I have nothing wrong with the actor, I don’t even have anything that I don’t like about the character, but I do believe that Sydney wouldn’t be all happy go lucky, running around with her sister. It just isn’t her. Plus, the main character of the show is Syd, and now there is a copy of her, so that is just really distracting. They have hinted that based on the Rambaldi prophecy, one sister will kill the other, and I say, in the words of Jean Luc Picard, “make it so”. Let’s see Sydney kill her. Or Sloane. Anyone, really. It would bring some excitement and take away the distraction. Maybe it would shake Syd enough for her to get some balls again.
3. Cliff hangers. The show used to always end on them. Always. That was a staple of the first season, and one of the MAJOR things that I fell in love with about the show. You would have to come back next week to find out what was going to happen, after we end seeing Sydney fall down a hole. Fade to black. That is was all you got. Was she okay? Did she survive?? (well, of course she did, she is the star of the show, but there is an element of suspense there that led the show, that is COMPLETELY gone. Bring it back.)
4. APO, CRF… gag me. The names of all of the terrorist cells used to be so good. K-Directorate… that is a great name. I could see a great punk band having that name. The Alliance, SD-6… pure gold. The Covenant… does anyone else feel this magic? But APO… lame. Lame. Lame. Lame!!! Almost anything else would have been better. And CRF is promising, but I cannot remember what it stands for!!!!
5. Sydney has changed, too much. Now, I understand that characters mature, and grow over a series, hell, that is most of the reason that you watch, to see where they are going to go, where they will end up. But… they have made Sydney soft. Made her weak. Made her do and say really dumb things. Made her not really react to anything. Example: Sydney would never say, “My name is Ima.” Ima? “Ima gonna kicka your ass.” She would never say that, yet, this season, she did. Not cute. Also, when Nadia was shot, Sydney was so emotionless, that it was what I focused on more than her getting shot (also doing a little dance hoping that she was gone… but that is covered in #2). So bring back our Sydney. The Sydney that freaking hates Sloane. Watching last night’s episode (in which Dickson and Syd investigate to see if Sloane is trying to reconstitute the Alliance) one would not even know how much she hated him (and if they didn’t see season one, they wouldn’t know why), and that she should!! He KILLED HER FIANCE!!! You never get over that people. You never do. And she shouldn’t. Hold a grudge. Kick his ass. Be a bitch to him. That would be great. (and welcomed).
6. Rambaldi… where are you? Not to say that I want to be thick in the Rambaldi thing, but something like that would be nice. Something that is a cohesive element. Something that flows. Not just random missions for terrorist bombs that have nothing to do with anything, and that are wrapped up in one episode. (See # 1 & 2) We want to follow the struggle. Follow the fight. Are you with me? Something that involves cool missions that everyone is after these pieces to the puzzle, and are so evil, that they will stop at nothing to get it. That is what we need, here.
So, with that being said, I still love this show. They have introduced several promising elements that I would love to see happen. (this is directly referring to last night where Sloane and Jack were working together… PLEASE OH PLEASE TURN EVIL!!!!). It isn’t that I have a thing for the evil on the show, but you need it for Syd to be the big hero. And I miss her being just that. Too much action… bad… Not enough… Bad…Get me some more of seasons 1-3, and you will be golden. You cannot vacate what made the show what it is, just because “things change” “people change” etc. People don’t change that much. And one final note… A friend of mine suggested that the writers of the show were trying to make it more “audience friendly” and that was probably a reason for many of these things. Stop. The show has lots of fans. Lots of loyal fans. And if you return the show that we used to ADORE, I am sure you will pick up some more. Thank you.