Alias - Season 1 Details

An excellent spy series

I was unsure about this series at first; there was no doubt it had an engaging plot right from the start and the characters were all well played and the dialogue well written. However it also had a very banal side to it, comprised of the main character's (Sydney Bristow) social circle, who unaware of Sydney's true identity as a CIA agent live out their ordinary lives involved in such mundane activities as school, gossip, weddings, and affairs. There is a stark contrast between the secretive highly dangerous life Sydney leads as an undercover agent, to that of her 'home' life when not on a mission, when we are subjected to the trivial details of her friends social lives. I can only imagine that this was created in order to appeal to a wider audience; those that enjoy spy thrillers, and to those that enjoy soap operas.

Fortunately for the show the good outweighs the bad by a large degree. The action and suspense is brutal and realistic, the plots are convoluted and will keep you guessing all the way. And certainly by disc 4 onwards it seems the writers have a better understanding of their characters and the overall storyline, as things begin to get very interesting and the more mundane characters and aspects of the show thankfully take a back seat.

The primary characters are excellent in each of their roles, and certainly one of the best is Sydney's enstranged father, a cynical verteran CIA agent who keeps everyone at arms length yet obviously is desperate to strengthen ties with his now grown-up daughter. I can only imagine that the 2nd series will get even better.

excellent series just couldnt stop so i have had to go out to buy the whole series available.