|
TV Guide Online
October 6, 2003
Roush Room: Ask Matt
by Matt Roush
Question: I just watched the Alias season premiere, and it reconfirmed why this is one of my favorite shows. J.J. Abrams and company are always willing to take chances. This reinvention of the plot is spectacular because it keeps everything fresh. Unlike other shows, which squeeze every last ounce of life out of a situation, Alias never lets things lag. What did you think of the many twists and mysteries introduced? Personally I am most intrigued by what Sloane is doing. I know it's early, but he's hiding something. — Nat A.
Matt: To be honest, in my mailbag the premiere got mixed reviews. Sky-high expectations were partly to blame, I imagine, but there's also resistance from self-described "shippers" to the radical change in Sydney and Vaughn's relationship. As Amanda L. wrote, "What if the 'shippers' pull out and ABC loses the demographic?" Well, that would be bad. And wrong. I'm not one to prejudge, but I would hate to have missed the emotional ferocity of Syd's climactic telling-off of Vaughn: "I would have waited... and now I realize what an absolute waste that would have been." Yow. And I wouldn't sweat the disappointing ratings numbers. This is one show ABC is inclined to stand behind no matter what, in spite of the network's sorry track record for cancelling shows before their time. Alias is one of the few shows on any network that sustains the hum of fan and media buzz, and the reason that continues is precisely because of Abrams's genius at shaking things up, from the entire premise to the core relationships. I loved the first hour, improbabilities aside — those who wrote in to nit-pick seem to me to miss the point altogether — and I also can't wait to find out what vile secrets Sloane is harboring beneath his new humanitarian façade. A few other Alias matters and then we'll move on.
Question: I saw neither Bradley Cooper nor Lena Olin in the opening credits of the first episode, nor were they on the show. Are they no longer a part of the cast? — Amber L.
Matt: They're no longer part of the regular cast. I assume we'll see Will (Cooper) again before long, although I understand he's being written out of the storyline. As for Lena Olin as Syd's femme fatale mother, I would imagine Irina will re-enter the story at some point, perhaps when we least expect it. I like to think of her as Alias's version of 24's Nina — a lethal weapon best used in small, potent doses. Last season was all about re-establishing Irina in the Bristows' lives, and the season premiere made it clear she's still out there somewhere, elusive as ever. I'll miss her as a regular, but dramatically, this makes even more sense to me.
Question: I was shocked when Lena Olin didn't win the Emmy for best supporting actress in a drama. I know that I'm biased because I'm absolutely obsessed with Alias, but I do enjoy the show Judging Amy. Both of these shows are categorized as dramas, which I agree with, but they are on completely different spectrums of the drama scale. Alias is more of the sittting-on-the-edge-of-your-seat-biting-your-fingernails-wanting-to-scream kind of show, whereas Judging Amy is oh-no-that's-a-problem-I-wonder-what-I'd-do-in-that-situation-wow-that-makes-me-want-to-cry kind of show. I don't think that the characters of Irina Derevko and Maxine Gray can be equally compared either. I'm just curious of your thoughts on this. — Ariana
Matt: I won't deny I was rooting for Olin, who made a fabulous impression and was, by TV standards, a very glamorous "get." But it's hard to argue against Tyne Daly, who has long deserved an Emmy for what she brings to Judging Amy. And given the fact that she pulled out the stops in the episode dealing with the death of Richard Crenna, who played her lover and would-be husband, there was no denying her the prize this year.
© TV Guide 2003
 Back To All About Alias 2003
|
|
