Alias, season premiere

[selenak]

Courtesy of monanotlisa, I have now seen the season premiere of Alias. All in all, I liked it a lot. I need to figure out one of these days though why some shows make me fall in love (such as the Jossverse ones, or B5 and DS9, or B7, or as the newest example Battlestar Galactica), and some (read: Alias) just make me fall in like, which means I'm not prone to get upset over things that enrage the passionate fan (hence, for example, my thinking re: Lauren last season "boys, you flunked that character and storyline, you could have done much better", not OMG BETRAYAL).



I already wrote a post many weeks ago, re: season 2, about the way the show coyly flirts with prostitution undercovers. Some old thing here in the train scene. Speaking of the train - Vartan, you just can't do action scenes. Vaughn, go back to monitoring.

Angela Bassett rocks! Let's keep her.

Well, naturally the CIA wants its own SD6. They've recruited every single agent Sloane ever hired anyway and undoubtedly, given his talent, rue the day he ever left them. No wonder they finally went for Sloane himself. *veg* It would be nice if the show followed up on the implication regarding the CIA's ethics, but probably not, or only occasionally, a la the season 3 asides re: Allende.

Anyway: the lovely, quiet moment between Sydney and Dixon made me squee in jubilation. Partners again! I missed them as partners.

Every single charged look between Sydney and Sloane made me squee as well, but for other reasons.*eg* andrastewhite, who feels the delicious vibe of wrongness as well, made the comparison to Merlin/Nimue, and I wouldn't be surprised if the show went there at the very end. Because Sloane is the wily wizard who taught Sydney the black magic of spying, and might eventually tell her the final spell which entraps him forever. Anyway, go on with the fascinating mixture of paternal and decidedly unpaternal feelings, Arvin. And may I say it's good to see you back in charge?

I'm just waiting for the moment where he orders Vaughn to bring him coffee, though. Irina did it in season 2. Incidentally, the reason why Sloane included Vaughn in his requested personnel is probably that Sydney would have told V. otherwise anyway, and this way he can use him as a means of control.

Speaking of Vaughn: No, the post-Loyalty Wesley stubble does not make him more interesting. He still has my vote for character to be killed off. Isn't one supposed to be this season? The thing is: as long as he was Sydney's handler, Vaughn had his uses in the show. That situation ended mid-season 2. His other function is her love interest, and that's played out as well. Aside from that? Dixon is a better partner for her as an agent. So is Weiss. Take a hint from Buffy and Angel, JJ, let it end.

What I do like: The S/V sex was realistic given the situation, and had a realistic aftermath - note that both weren't exactly glowing with happiness even before Vaughn brought up Jack. Sydney was looking distinctly uneasy and uncertain, in fact.

Now for the big one: the Irina revelation(s). Firstly, I can see JJ's point. He spent one season trying to lure Lena Olin back in vain. Judging by all we knew, she's just not interested. And he couldn't keep Irina sending emails and her sister forever. Plus if anyone killed Irina, it just had to be Jack.

That doesn't mean I think the execution of How To Deal With No Lena is flawless, though given that there is a lot of set-up - Sydney herself asks "why would she want to kill me?" which means we'll find out sooner or later (probably later, near the end of the season), I haven't completely made up my mind on it. Also, how did Lauren know? From Katya, presumably. Moroever, I'm guessing that this is Abrams' ultimatum to Lena Olin: right now Irina is only Mostly Dead. If Olin finally agrees to return, she has faked her death. If Olin doesn't return, the death is real.

So, till we find out more, the working theory on why would Irina put a contract on Sydney seems to be that handy Rambaldi prophecy about the Passenger and the Chosen One - i.e. rather than have both of her daughters dead, she sacrificed one. Which would also explain Katya's turnaround. Hm.

Meanwhile: I did like the use of the musical theme for Irina from season 2 and the deliberate visual echo of Irina's walk-in at the start of season 2 in the scene where Sydney and Nadia walk to her tomb.

Other than the result of Lena Olin's unavailability, the two main reasons for Jack killing Irina were obviously to

a) Bring Sydney and Jack from their season 3 closeness back to the early season 1 hardly speaking point and cause as much father and daughter angst as possible.

b) Create a situation in which Nadia echoes season 1 Sydney almost exactly; finishing the premiere with a vow of revenge, also on uneasy terms with her father, and, to quote Sloane, "with a desire to make things right". Which makes Sydney season 1 Jack, in a way. This promises to be intriguing.

As I longed for more concentration on the family relationships, this makes me a happy watcher. Oh, and before I forget it: Sloane and Jack being back to meaningful shorthand conversation about shared secrets they keep from Sydney - hmmmm. Love it. The fact Sloane knows could indicate all kind of things. Either way, it won't endear him to his own daughter once she finds out. I still can see Sydney and Nadia getting drunk together and talking about whose father is the more twisted son of a bitch.

No. More. Asian. Torture Guys. Please.

Comments

[thesecondevil]

He still has my vote for character to be killed off. Isn't one supposed to be this season?

Yeah, but I think that was supposed to be Irina. On the subject of her death, I was reading the TWOP recap yesterday and the recapper suggested the idea that maybe Vaughn was the one who actually did the killing. Which would make sense, but I don't know whether JJ would go there, plus it would definitively end the S/V pairing on the show.

My favourite two parts of the premiere were:

1) Marshall admitting he visited Sark and that they had eggs
2) The Sloane/Sydney interaction, Sloane just loves creeping Sydney out.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

The eggs story cracked me up as well. And I'm so with you on b).

Vaughn as Irina's killer: the only possible hint I see for this is the fact that Sloane and Jack are watching Vaughn and Sydney when Jack says that the complete truth would be worse for Sydney than detesting him.

Otoh, my suspension of disbelief is stressed enough as it is by Vaughn being able to gallivant about with a punctured lung and torture marks in the last eps of season 3. If they ask me to believe he could go against Irina Derevko and win during that period (and it can't have been earlier, due to the last correspondance between Jack and Irina), it breaks down altogether.

[buffyannotater.livejournal.com]

If they ask me to believe he could go against Irina Derevko and win during that period (and it can't have been earlier, due to the last correspondance between Jack and Irina), it breaks down altogether.

I don't really buy that theory either. Vaughan was completely self-centered at that point, focused on Lauren as his enemy at this point, and her betrayal of him. I doubt he had much room in his mind at the time to also think of offing his father's murderer, too. And what would his other motivation be if he had done it? Helping Jack of all people out? Identifying his situation with Jack's is one thing, but becoming the Avenger of All Wronged Husbands? I don't buy it. And, again, even if it was to protect Syd's life, Vaughan was too self-centered at that point to have taken that job on himself. Not to mention the fact that he would have had no time during his quest to find Lauren, and Jack would not have given such an important job to someone who was so psychologically disturbed at the time. I can't see Jack entrusting such an important order to Vaughan ever. He couldn't be sure that he wouldn't tell Syd, and Vaughan's relationship with him, which had been gradually improving, had been strained ever since he married Lauren.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Identifying his situation with Jack's is one thing, but becoming the Avenger of All Wronged Husbands? I don't buy it.

Precisely. And I really don't think Jack would have let anyone else but himself kill Irina. (Well, the state in season 2, when he had framed her, but other than that, no.)

I stand my belief that Irina is dead unless Lena Olin does a last minute turnaround and tells JJ Abrams she's willing to come back, in which case we'll find out Jack and Irina somehow set this up.

[buffyannotater.livejournal.com]

I stand my belief that Irina is dead unless Lena Olin does a last minute turnaround and tells JJ Abrams she's willing to come back, in which case we'll find out Jack and Irina somehow set this up.

I agree. At this point, Lena Olin has made it so clear that she doesn't want to return that I do believe she's dead, and that J.J. killed her when it became apparent that she would never be able to make a return appearance on the show, in the flesh. Although Katya was created to stand in for Irina, I can see him wanting her to be able to develop as her own character when she appears, rather than merely carrying out commands from her invisible sister. Unless this was all a huge ruse on the part of Abrams and Olin, and she is already signed up to return.

[buffyannotater.livejournal.com]

No. More. Asian. Torture Guys. Please.

I actually liked this Asian torture guy. He wasn't the same stereotypical completely insane villain as Suit and Glasses, getting off on inflicting excrutiating pain on people. He was charming, cultured, witty, a good match for Syd both verbally and physically (in the nemesis sense), and seemed to respect Syd, so when he turned on the water it was more like, "Oh, well, I'm really enjoying our little chat, but this is the part where I have to torture you for a moment," than "Mwahahahaha!" Another point is that there is no way for even the most PC-person to think of Suit and Glasses as anything but the Scary Asian Man, and this guy didn't make me think "Scary" or "Asian," but "Cool villain! Why'd they have to kill him off so soon?"

[selenak.livejournal.com]

As villains go, he was cool, but the memories of Suit and Glasses makes me wince.

(Mind you, as we also saw the distinctly Caucasian SD-6 torturer at work, plus of course Jack and Sloane on occasion, I never had the impression Alias implied torture was a non-white thing.)

[monanotlisa.livejournal.com]

Speaking of the train - Vartan, you just can't do action scenes. Vaughn, go back to monitoring.

It's not Vartan's calling, no. As for Vaughn, I think he held up remarkably well and think a certain reluctance fits his character, but yes-- there is always this touch of distaste on his face. Personally, I think you have to differentiate, though: he is fine out in the field-- as long as not in direct contact with the enemy-- remember the Mile High sequence with Sark? "Pained" doesn't quite cover it. Same with Tamazaki.

They've recruited every single agent Sloane ever hired anyway and undoubtedly, given his talent, rue the day he ever left them. No wonder they finally went for Sloane himself. *veg* It would be nice if the show followed up on the implication regarding the CIA's ethics, but probably not, or only occasionally, a la the season 3 asides re: Allende.

I must agree-- in real life, you just KNOW Sloane would be a big hit with the old men Up There, cigarette-smoking and such... & ;-)

More later!

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Now you're making me wonder about a Sloane-meets-CSM story.*g* But I can't write X-Files characters. Anyway, yes, when I found postings asking how the CIA could employ someone with Sloane's record, I always felt like saying "have you looked at American politics recently"? Methinks the only problem American intelligence would have with Sloane is his belief in Rambaldi-ism (can so see Our Arvin recommending to invade Pakistan instead of Iran because the next Rambaldi artifact is there), because otherwise? His ruthlessness would certainly only be seen as an asset.

BTW, the post arrived very late in the afternoon today, but I now have The Awful Truth.

[monanotlisa.livejournal.com]

Now you're making me wonder about a Sloane-meets-CSM story.*g*

Hee! CSM would so be Sloane's bitch it's not even funny. Hey, even *Mulder* totally had CSM by the lapels of his dun suits several times!

Anyway, yes, when I found postings asking how the CIA could employ someone with Sloane's record, I always felt like saying "have you looked at American politics recently"?

Let's be honest-- "recently"? American presidents before this one were far more subtle and were in possession of intelligence and a certain fondness for other allied nations, but as for US interests being the #1 priority...

Methinks the only problem American intelligence would have with Sloane is his belief in Rambaldi-ism (can so see Our Arvin recommending to invade Pakistan instead of Iran because the next Rambaldi artifact is there), because otherwise? His ruthlessness would certainly only be seen as an asset.

Absolutely. In the sad but true category.

BTW, the post arrived very late in the afternoon today, but I now have The Awful Truth.

What a clunker of a line that was, indeed.

And hey, did you read my LJ yesterday/today??
/self-promotion

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Since I don't want to post to your recent entry, for fear of inadvertendly reading a spoiler, I take it the first Whedon boy did good?