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Alias 5/4/03 - 2 Hour Season Finale (1 Viewer)

Jeff Kleist

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 4, 1999
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11,266
I'm still mad that WIll isn't dead. All the dead weight could have been eliminated by keeping him good and stabbed

he's Alias' Riley, except he's not an usurper :)
 

Henry Gale

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 10, 1999
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Henry Gale
Weren't the bullet strikes on Francie/Allison extreme? It looked like the T-1000 Terminator being hit.
...if you are planning on watching a show that night, you should not read threads on that show until after you watch it.

No shit, isn't that already SOP in ***Official Movie Discussions***?
 

John Thomas

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Mar 23, 2000
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2,634
Merf! I got about 45 minutes into it until we were hit by 2" hailstorms and tornadoes. This had the only ABC station coming in with severe weather reports all the time. They were going to re-run it but they have gone off the air and haven't come back yet..
 

Jay W

Supporting Actor
Joined
Oct 5, 1999
Messages
551
Damnit, WTH! :D

That's one of the wackiest 'twists' I've seen for a finale, but damn I guess it had the desired effect as I was lost for words for a few minutes.
 

Nelson Au

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Joined
Mar 16, 1999
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Left Coast jumping in here.

I agree, WTHeck? I agree with earlier post, Syd's scare is a clue to something here. I don't believe the Hong Kong sequence is real. It must be related to Rambaldi device.

Not sure what else to add as I am at a loss to what happened, still need to think on this one!

Was amused at the half hour mark of part 2 when Jack sees and hears the rumbling from next door, the Rambaldi device rumbling! I do think that Urina is up to something bigger here and she is not as evil as she has been built up to be. Or she has so fooled me so well that her plan is working.

Nelson
 

Jason Quillen

Supporting Actor
Joined
Nov 1, 2000
Messages
622
You're kidding, right?

Alias has spent this whole season in a roller coaster pattern - when its good, its really good - but when its bad, its really really bad.

Despite being up the past couple of episodes, this 2 hour episode provided the steepest path downwards yet. It went from fun to stupid in record time. Even worse than the rocket boots.

Minor things -

Could the CIA of Alias's world even transfer a roll of quarters across the town? I don't think so. That was so obviously a trap it was baffling that they would have the characters fall for it. I mean Sloane came and told Jack face to face we was assembling the Rambaldi artifacts. Yet, they still feel compelled to transfer the heart from a secure location (and in a regular truck). No bulletproof windows? And you've armed all the agents with - pistols? Wow, you really must want to protect that artifact.

The hypnosis. What the hell were those eye things supposed to be? Why not just have Francie spin a dartboard at Wills face - its more believable than a woman giving one-handed laser eye surgery on a bed.

Dixon strangling Will. I guess that was the only min the guards weren't looking at the cameras?

Transferring Will. They said that, and I quote, Will was "a threat to national security" so they transfer him on an old bus? And the main escort is the man who's wife was apparently killed by Will? (As the evidence showed at the time - the fingerprint).

Francie hides the Body in the tub, but gets "tricked" into revealing herself as a fake. Note that she got tricked, she had a sudden epiphany after she ate the ice cream, and had to react right away so Syd couldn't get weapons. So...she wasnt planning on being exposed, or attacking Syd. Yet, she masterfully hides the body in the bathtub. What was she expecting, Syd to just stumble across it and think nothing of it? And if she wanted Syd to find the body, why not just hide in the house until she gets home? It makes no sense.

There was only one thing you couldn't see coming 10 minutes before hand...

Which brings us to the finale. That 10 min alone speaks light years about the brains behind the show. Pure, unfiltered, lazy, shock-TV. Thats it. Its just there so everyones jaw hits the floor, don't worry about any type of grounding, or coherency - just be baffled! Did J.J. Abrams watch the Planet of the Apes remake a few too many times? I think so. He must have really liked the ending.

I'm convinced they purposefully write everything as open ended as possible on this show. Once thats been done over 20 episodes, everyone working on the show gets to write on a note card, saying how the open ended points should be connected. The cards are then hung on a wall, and everyone is spun around and throws a dart at the wall - whichever index card gets hit the most wins!

Either that or they had no idea where to go with the show once SD6 was gone and Sloane was inevitably captured / killed. Well, they don't wanna wrap Sloane's story up yet, so they prolong it with some time traveling nonsense. And it is undoubtedly Sloane's work - it can be seen in a few difference places in this episode when Sloane talks.

So, we're stuck with the Alias equivalent of the X-Men Days of Future Past story - or maybe it will be the equivalent of Its A Wonderful Life - and Syd will see how bad the world is since shes been gone for 2 years. Either way, its a pretty lazy way of keeping Sloane around past his expiration date.

Doesn't seem Alias will get back to its season 1 level. Its become so diluted and dumbed down that S1 and S2 seem like two different shows.

If this was Marshal's show this wouldn't be a problem - he's funny, so its ok if the story lines are silly / stupid. But its not - its trying to be taken seriously. How am I supposed to take anything seriously in this show when they can't even setup rules to play by? The show has no grounding, it just does what it wants, as it wants - without exception. Thats even worse than if the writing was just bad - at least then I'd know they were trying (and playing by some - ANY rules).

The best part was the Syd / Francie fight. And NOT the choreography - but the fact that there was no music. Made the fight seem...real, and urgent.

JQ
 

BobV

Second Unit
Joined
Jun 16, 1999
Messages
275
Ok, don't ask me to give detailed answers why, and I probably won't go on debating this, but I thought I would chime in so people don't get the idea that most didn't like the finale. I totally disagree with most in this thread and have to say that I loved this season finale. I twas excellent and imaginative.

You people are being FAR too critical with a show that is based around quasi-intelligent, fun, entertainment with lots of plot twists.. that's the show people, you knew it going in, the show has slapped you in the face with that premise starting with the premiere episode. What are you all freaking expecting? Some TV incarnation of a literary classic?

Excellent show. I also believe that most here are presupposing WAY too much... for instance Vaughn being married. He may be, but did he say he was? No. They "brought him back in"... why? Maybe cuz he was on some kind of deep cover assignment in which he had to appear married? I dunno, but if there's one thing this show has taught me about itself is that as soon as I think I have it figured out, I don't... and that's freakin' great :) .

As well, someone commented about the 2 year jump like, "they pull the ole '2 years later' thing". Holy, I'm not sure about you guys, but I haven't seen many shows that have done that. Took me totally off-guard. I will say, if it turns out being a cheap dream like Dallas I'll be a bit choked.

This show is the best thing on TV. That's my opinion, and I'm stickin' to it :) .
 

Joel C

Screenwriter
Joined
Oct 23, 1999
Messages
1,633
Jason Q-

The thing about this show is, I can see why you have complaints, and I say they are valid. But I watch TV primarily to be entertained. If I get more than that, bonus. The seasons of Buffy that worked with metaphor and raw emotional power were great, the ones that didn't (seasons 4 & 5) were still entertaining, so I liked them. Seasons 6 & 7 don't entertainme.

I won't claim that Alias is profound, but it is engaging, well acted, and more or less well written (at least from a dialogue/characterization standpoint). It doesn't bother me if the plots don't quite hang together, because I am greatly entertained from episode to episode.

Oddly enough, you suggest it was "up" recently--maybe it was in terms of what you look for in the show, but for me, the last two or three episodes were fairly mediocre, and I can't say I was feeling the Alias love with the Dixon plot a week ago. Second Double and The Telling, on the other hand, kept me entertained throughout, logical mistakes and plot holes aside.

I know it is kind of stupid to say things like, "just a TV show," and I do think escapist fare can be brilliant, but I don't know if JJ is trying to make anything more than grand entertainment. You aren't wrong for not being entertined if the things you mention bother you, of course,.

I'm just happy that lots of stuff happens, personally. And I don't think the show has been "dumbed down" at all. If anything, it has gotten even more convoluted. Because season one certainly wasn't any more plausible.
 

Elizabeth S

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The hypnosis. What the hell were those eye things supposed to be? Why not just have Francie spin a dartboard at Wills face - its more believable than a woman giving one-handed laser eye surgery on a bed.
Those black gadgets holding Will's eyes open were to allow FakeFrancie to do the laser eye business to leave protein deposits to set up Will. As Syd told Will later, he HAD the deposits, which a double would have from taking the medication which prevents the body from rejecting the changes.
 

Kevin Porter

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jan 10, 2002
Messages
948
If you notice when Will is stabbed (of course its out of frame) its most likely in the stomach. And when Sydney lifts her shirt up in the safehouse she has the kind of scar he would have. Just something to think about...
 

SpenceJT

Second Unit
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Jeff Spencer
If you notice when Will is stabbed (of course its out of frame) its most likely in the stomach. And when Sydney lifts her shirt up in the safe-house she has the kind of scar he would have. Just something to think about...
;)

Many of you take this show too seriously and feel as though you've been betrayed. Heck, I'm as dismayed as anyone else, but give the writers a chance to fill in the back story! They've surprised us in the past haven't they?

On the other hand, if the powers that be wanted to re-tool the show, a two year jump would give them the opportunity to write some characters out for the next season. Perhaps the writers put themselves into a corner with the whole romance angle. Heck, they may even write Will and Syd hooking up, but PLEASE keep someone kissing those incredible lips of hers in every episode! {ahhhh drool}

Also, remember daddy Bristow turning over his position to bald man? The conversation had something to do with protecting Sydney, but the way it was delivered gives me the feeling that old Mr. Bristow has some kind of insider information on the future. Perhaps Sloan has let him in on a few things?

I for one can't wait for the next season to air! I'm very curious about all of the questions left unanswered, and the new questions and story possibilities created by this two year gap. ;)
 

Patrick Sun

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 30, 1999
Messages
39,660
Nifty things about the 2 hours of Alias:

Irina's escape was pretty cool.

Seeing Will "busting a cap" on the bad guys.

The "all out trash the apartment fight to the death fight between FakeFrancie and Sydney.

Seeing Sark head meeting the chair/table repeatedly.

I was fearful for Jennifer Garner's teeth after seeing her and Michael Vartan on ice with hockey sticks. See this thread for more details.

Marshall and Weiss exchanging advice on women. Haha.
 

Matty P

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Jan 18, 2001
Messages
167
One of the best parts of the finale....seeing Kane Hodder as one of Sloane's henchmen!!! And I personally saw a couple of "Matrix" references like when Vaughan and Syd walked into the lobby together and when Irina jumped off the building shooting her weapon like Trinity in the Reloaded trailer....just some random thoughts
 

Eric Samonte

Screenwriter
Joined
Mar 31, 1999
Messages
1,318
Nice ending, very unanticipated....much like lat week's 24 when.."The bitch is back"...ala Alien 3.

On another note, transfering a terribly important artifact and/or person ( Will ) should have been handled more efficiently. Can anyone say helicopter or airplane? Geez, the notion that they had to write it so they can use them big ass Ford Expeditions.....
 

Brett Jason

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Jun 16, 1999
Messages
218
A couple of thoughts:

The scar on Sydney's stomach was just a quick foreshadow to the twist, i.e that there has been a long passage of time since the Francie fight (wounds have healed). Also, I'm guessing Vaughn was wearing the ring as a tribute to Sydney, something along the lines of this is the ring I would have given you had our relationship continued.

No resolution on anything Rambaldi was a major letdown.
 

Patrick Sun

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 30, 1999
Messages
39,660
Yeah, when I saw the scar, I thought to myself, "OMG, they gave the genes-whatchamacallit treatment (of Sydney's DNA) to Allison!" This would the exactly the sick twisted thing that Sloane would do if he couldn't make the real Sydney do what he needed her to do in lieu of the prophecy.
 

ChadM

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Jun 5, 2000
Messages
234
Just got to work, before I read this thread I am going to say that ending sucked ass! I really thought they would bring down Sloan and start something new next season.

I think this show will soon travel done X-files road where it just no longer makes sense.

Now I am going to read this thread.
 

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