Alias (Season 4)
ABC
2005
Rating:


Creator J.J. Abrams was so aware of season three's shortcomings that he insisted on a fourth season for "Alias" just to set things right. Compared to the seriously flawed fourth season, season three now seems like classic television. "Alias" was once a brilliant show about Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner), a grad student working as a double agent for the CIA to bring down the evil shadow agency SD-6, run by criminal mastermind Arvin Sloane (Ron Rifkin). As Sydney globetrotted to kick ass and collect elements of the centuries-old device created by the mysterious prophet/inventor Rambaldi, the show's most potent moments were always the ones between her father, Jack (Victor Garber), and Vaughn (Michael Vartan), her CIA handler and lover.

By the time Sydney toppled SD-6 in season two, the series began to derail, but it didn't truly fly off the tracks until this season. Against all logic, Sloane was allowed to run the CIA black ops unit APO, and against even greater logic, Sydney and her partner Dixon (Carl Lumbly) agreed to work for him, even though Sloane ordered the executions of both of their loved ones. Abrams was further handicapped by the series mostly abandoning its serialized roots and employing stand-alone episodes, most of which were pointless. By the end of the season, Sydney revisited the giant red ball that served as season one's spectacular finale. The thrill of seeing the weapon used was diminished by the fact that the ball caused the people of Moscow to turn into zombies. Yes, zombies. And that sums up "Alias'" fourth season. What was once one of the most energetic and original series on television has become a walking dead show.

Posted Saturday, July 30, 2005

Link to this review:
http://filmzeus.pressbin.com/tv/alias.season4