Alias: Season 2 (on DVD - Spoilers Ahoy1) (1 Viewer)

[EricW]

(Admin note - be aware that pretty much anything in Season 1 or Season 2 of Alias is fair game to be discussed, and if you haven't finished either season sets, go finish them, and then come back and discuss them, else you might spoil some fun twists and turns for yourself. Please do SPOILIZE anything from Season 3 because some folks might just be waiting for the DVD season set later this year.)


i must say, i'm not really enjoying the first few eps of this season. it took my 3 sittings just to get though ep2. either the shows aren't as good as the first season or the novelty has drastically worn off in the last 3 months. i'm really hating the Kendell guy - i really despise irritating characters that have no supoorting reasons for being annoying (like the police chief guy in the movie Die Hard). the fact that Vaughn acknowledges his annoyance doesn't make it better.

but beyond that, the episodes are getting pretty outlandish and predictable. how many times is Vaughn going to go to Sidney and say "i hate to ask you this, but could you talk to your mom? .... i know this hurts you, and she killed my dad, but could you talk to your mom? ... if there was any other way, i wouldn't ask you this, could you blabh blah blah?"

i could go on and on, but i'd just say overall the writing isn't as good.

the required suspension of belief is getting mighty thin compared to the entertainment effect it's generating...

 

[Rob Speicher]

I just finished the season yesterday, and the payoff is well worth it. Then again, I didn't find myself as bored as you seem to be, even early on.

 

[Jodee]

I remember when watching the season on TV last year, thinking I just did not enjoy it as much as Season One. It does get better, though.

And I am seriously enjoying Season 3 right now.

 

[Nicodemus]

I've never seen season 1 (it was on at the same time with Farscape) but as I'm watching season 2 from tv, two things bug me dearly with this show. Firstly, the technology is far too advanced - Sidney waltzes in and out of any building without any trouble, it's too easy and predictable. And secondly: in every episode so far there's always been a new GADGET/WEAPON/THING which they're supposed to acquire. It's getting really repetitive as those "things" are mainly just mcguffins.

I believe I'll keep watching but so far Alias haven't had the impact I thought it would have.

 

[Eddy-C]

Alias is best watched in sequence. so if you start watching in the middle of season 2,all those mcguffins(the rambaldi artifacts) may seem unimportant to you but they are actually a long thread running through all 3 seasons.

 

[Mikel_Cooperman]

Give it more of a chance Eric. It's a great season. Sometimes seasons take a few episodes to get things going.
I dont remember any episodes that were hard to get through.

Outlandish?
This is Alias. What are you looking for? Hill Street Blues?

 

[EricW]

This is Alias. What are you looking for? Hill Street Blues?

i'd settle for James Bond while Alias is supposed to be just as fantasitc, it tries to root itself emotionally as well. but now there's so much "oh don't worry about that" and "don't worry about that either" you lose track of what matters. Sidney goes before a hearing in a room full of senators and aides in the CIA building, she routinely goes on missions for the CIA and both her and dad go see a CIA shrink, and SD6 doesn't know about any of this...

although i admit this whole training-Sidney-at-age-6 thing is interesting.

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

Firstly, the technology is far too advanced - Sidney waltzes in and out of any building without any trouble, it's too easy and predictable

Actually, I'm always struck by how no operation involving Sydney infiltrating a seemingly secure building ever comes off without either an all-out fight or a near miss. In that sense, I would disagree with easy and agree with predictable.

Regards,

 

[Mikel_Cooperman]

But 24 takes its liberties too. You either except those things or dont watch.
Theres always one or two reality shows always on to watch.

 

[EricW]

comes off without either an all-out fight or a near miss

how about a job where everything goes smoothly and find some ~other~ way of making it interesting?

 

[Tim Glover]

I did a search for an Alias Season 2 dvd review here and there's not one. David Boulet did a great review on Season 1 though.

I guess this is the place for Season 2 stuff?

Here's my quick .02 worth. I love Alias btw. Bought Season 1 without ever having seen the show. It was so highly recommended that I couldn't pass it up. I wathed it all and loved it.

Purchased Season 2 last month. Started off with a bang then kind of dipped a bit, but WHOA has it charged back up! I'm nearly done having only 3 episodes left. There have been many surprises for me this season. The episode, "Phase One" literally blew me away! As did, "A Dark Turn".

The video and audio do seem improved from Season 1. Just a little cleaner and a tad more LFE in the sound dept. Not nearly enough LFE for these ears but ok.

More when I finish the set.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Just added the spoilers warning in the thread title in case people just wander in and get something spoiled for them.

It's still a strong season, especially with Irina in the mix, and how the show shifts gears in mid-season, and makes it work as a springboard into season 3.

 

[Tim Glover]

How about we use spoiler tags because I read Patricks post thinking it was ok, but I've only got 3 episodes left for season 2, and don't want anything spoiled.

 

[Patrick Sun]

It's going to be untenable because who knows who has watched what when. Otherwise, this entire thread is going be filled with spoiler text. I suggest finishing the season 2 set, and come back to discuss.

I've amended the first post of this thread to reflect this predicament, in order to save some people from reading spoilers before they have finished the season 2 set.

 

[Tim Glover]

Sounds good. I expect to finish the final disc tonight and can rejoin the discussion.

 

[Tim Glover]

Finished the final 2 episodes last night. Wow! The Telling wasn't quite as dramatic as season 1's cliffhanger, but still chilling nonetheless. Especially, the fight between Francy's double and Will. And the major action between Francy's double and Sidney.


Didn't see this coming either:
"you've been missing for 2 years!"


#*&%$! What the?????? I suppose Season 3 will flesh this out?

Still a terrific dvd set and and a season 2 that overall lived up to expectations.

 

[JohnAP]

I really enjoyed season 2 when it was on tv. As far as the show getting predictable or falling into a set formula, J.J Abrams obviously saw that starting to happen and so reinvented the whole premise in one episode halfway through. He's since reinvented the show again with this season, so I don't think there's a chance of them ever letting it get boring.

As far as the gadgets and some other elements being too advanced or not realistic, I think that's kind of a ridiculous complaint. The show doesn't make any bones about being part science fiction/fantasy, even though on the surface, its setting resembles that of more realistic shows about law enforcment, the CIA, etc.

 

[EricW]

As far as the show getting predictable or falling into a set formula, J.J Abrams obviously saw that starting to happen and so reinvented the whole premise in one episode halfway through.

i agree. after taking several sits just to get through the first 2 discs, i watched discs 3+4 in one sitting. i just finished the 2nd season set and am completely satisfied. while the stories are still unbelievable, my suspension of belief was totally there.

question: it's kind of obivious that Sloane always hints that Sidney may be his illegitimate child - does this get played up in season 3? (answer in spoiler text please)

 

[Rob T]

I've watched it from the beginning (when season 1 started up on ABC), I'm finishing up the extras in the 2nd set now and I still love it very much.

 

[Kevin Porter]

question: it's kind of obivious that Sloane always hints that Sidney may be his illegitimate child - does this get played up in season 3? (answer in spoiler text please)