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Scripps Howard News Service
May 2, 2003
Garner, story make action-packed 'Alias' accessible
by Dave Mason
Whether she's kicking a villain around in a fight or wearing one of
her million disguises, Sydney Bristow makes a great spy in "Alias."
The series ends its second season at 9 p.m. EDT/PDT Sunday (May 4) on
ABC.
There are plot spoilers in the next paragraph.
In Part 1 of the two-hour episode, Sydney (Jennifer Garner) begins to
question Will Tippin's (Bradley Cooper) identity when he's arrested
for espionage under suspicion of being a double agent.
In Part 2, Sydney finally confronts her mysterious mother, Laura
Bristow (Lena Olin), who reveals her true motivation. And Sloane (Ron
Rifkin), who runs the villainous SD-6 agency, begins to carry out his
new big plan, Oh, oh.
Garner, a 31-year-old Houston native, has won a Golden Globe for her
portrayal of Sydney, and creator/executive producer J.J. Abrams is
impressed with the character and the actress.
Regarding Sydney, he said, "She has found a strength she didn't know
she had."
Regarding Garner, Abrams had only praise.
"Jennifer is the right person in the right role at the right time,"
Abrams said. "She's beautiful, but she's got a very accessible
beauty. You don't feel like she's a stuck-up woman."
Garner's knack for naturally showing emotions shines in both "Alias"
and as Elektra Natchios in "Daredevil," the big-screen movie released
in February.
Garner will reprise Elektra in an as-yet-untitled film scheduled for
a 2004 release. (At first, Elektra appeared to have died
in "Daredevil," but Daredevil, played by Ben Affleck, got a piece of
jewelry suggesting she was still alive, somewhere.) Abrams, who also
created "Felicity" and wrote the screenplay for the
upcoming "Superman" movie, said all the action in "Alias"' is
secondary to what's happening to the characters.
"It's a spy show that has a romantic, dramatic component," he said.
Sydney has known a lot of betrayal, beginning with her discovery that
SD-6, the CIA division for which she spied, is actually the cover for
an enemy agency that's working against the CIA. Sydney and her
father, Jack Bristow (TV and Broadway star Victor Garber), work for
the real CIA as double agents within SD-6.
The mission is a personal one for Sydney; SD-6 killed her fianci in
the pilot episode. "She's trying to destroy SD-6; it has given her
life a purpose, a specific goal," Abrams said. "Part of it is
patriotism; part of it is revenge. Part of it is what's right and
what's morally just."
In addition to the spy stories, more personal drama happened this
season when Sydney was reunited with her mysterious mother. And
Sydney has seen some signs of romance this year, in her relationship
with her supervisor at the real CIA, Agent Michael Vaughn (Michael
Vartan).
Recently Sydney told fellow agent Marcus Dixon (Carl Lumbly) at SD-6,
who believed he was doing good deeds for the CIA, that he actually
was working for the bad guys. Earlier this season, Lumbly spoke of
seeing his character change as he began to have doubts about his
work. "For the first time in his life, he's not as sure as he has
been," Lumbly said at a Hollywood press party.
Until this season, Marcus had been certain he was doing something
good for society, Lumbly said.
He said the character now is going through the same kind of
predicament Enron employees faced when they found out their company
had broken the law.
Lumbly said he approaches the series in the same way he approaches
everything. "There's a joy in the work for me."
Dave Mason is television editor of the Ventura County Star in
California.
© The E.W. Scripps Co. 2003
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