Question:
Regarding last week's column comparing Alias and 24 — why on earth would you compare them? 24 is supposed to be a gritty, hard-edged drama, and Alias is escapist adventure. Is this because they ran in the same timeslot once? Because the main characters work for the government? You might as well throw in The West Wing while you're at it. I guess your straight-faced reply to the question annoyed me because it featured more of the backhanded praise you've been giving Alias lately — with a lot of phrases like "Oh, it's better" or "We have that much to look forward to." Personally, I don't see what people's problems with season three have been — I miss Lena Olin, too, but there have been great storylines with Sloane, with the relationship between Jack and Sydney, with Lauren turning evil and now with the introduction of Syd's sister, whom I liked on introduction. You once said that people were too quick to dismiss, nit-pick and give up on good programs — so why are you so milquetoast about Alias all of a sudden? You've never extensively backed up either a change of heart or a continued love of the show. — Suzanne T.
Matt:
I think my take on Alias nowadays can best be described as ambivalence: still enjoying the ride, but wish it were better. And it's been that way pretty much all season, from the introduction of Lauren to the haphazard exposition about Syd's missing years to the recent hodgepodge of Rambaldi twists. Seems to me people tend to play Alias and 24 against each other and weigh their respective feelings for both because they premiered during the same season and have both had ups and downs in the ratings and in the affections of their fans. Also, both are hardcore genre shows that inspire intense loyalty among their followers while capturing the critical attention of the media and industry. (Both were on the American Film Institute's top-10 list last year.) Some weeks I could turn this entire column into an Alias and 24 forum. Fun as that would be, it wouldn't be right. And yet, here we go with more.
Question:
Alias is better, hands down, than 24 and here's why. The only way that 24 can have new seasons is if some writer can think of an entirely new and different story to become the day that is 24. But honestly, how many times can a rich, well-dressed man take control of the world? If you talk about predictable, 24 is just another Die Hard. I will definitely concede that 24 is a good show and is entertaining but it has nothing on Alias. Alias has stories every week that resolve in one episode and so many intertwined plots and storylines, it far surpasses any criticism for lacking creativity. The mere storyline of Milo Rambaldi is pure genius and affects directly every season and every episode. 24 does not have anything close to a Rambaldi story. Each season is a continuation of a previous season and the show itself is ascending toward a spectacular climax. The absence of Lena Olin is just creating tension and mystery, it does not take anything away. — Mark
Matt:
From where I sit, the Rambaldi storyline is threatening to turn into the monster that ate Alias. As with the mythology of The X-Files, which was initially mesmerizing but eventually so convoluted and even pretentious that I came to prefer the stand-alone episodes much better, I worry that Alias is taking the McGuffin sideshow of the Rambaldi prophecies way too seriously for its own good. I know cult fans love mythologies and wildly complicated backstories, and Alias at its best grounds these flights of fancy with twisted emotional resonances, but right now, I'm much more riveted by 24's doomsday scenario of biological terror, blackmail and heroism. The fact that 24 has no need for — and would not know what to do with — a Rambaldi-like story doesn't make it a better or worse show. Simply different. By the way, to give Alias at least one positive note (I still wouldn't dream of missing it), I was quite impressed by the first appearance of Mia Maestro as Syd's sister. Just the sort of new blood the show could use.
