V
verdantheart
Guest
Here's the column:
Question:
What are your and other critics' thoughts on Alias this season? I know a lot of people haven't been liking it as much as they often do. I think it's just as good as usual. I love the fact that they're slowing it down to deal with the Syd/Vaughn/Lauren thing and focusing less on the missions. I know that'll change soon, so I think it's crucial that they're laying the emotional groundwork now. I also love that after four years (if you count the time Sydney was gone), Jack and Syd are finally building a stable relationship. My only hope is that they'll use Dixon more because it seems what happened to him in the first part of last season is happening to him again. — Ally
Matt:
First off, let me just say that I could fill a weekly forum just about Alias given the volume of mail this show continues to generate. I'm sorry I can't address everyone's comments or complaints, but there are other shows out there, hard as that may be to believe. But few, I'll admit, that stimulate so much passionate buzz, which is why I'm leading off the column with Alias again. (Keep in mind that all of this is being written before Sunday night's episode aired with the much-anticipated return of Evil Francie.)
To generalize from the comments I've been hearing, from fellow critics and from my mailbag, I would say one constant has been the ambivalent-to-negative reaction to the character of Lauren and the actress playing her. It was inevitable that die-hard fans of the Syd-Vaughn relationship would be unforgiving toward her, and one of the more entertaining responses came from Patricia R., who in her rant suggested renaming the show Days of Our Spies. She writes, in part: "Vaughn and Lauren have zero chemistry, and Lauren is uninteresting, annoying and the actress isn't very good. They're trying to shove her and the marriage down my throat with all the kissy-poo scenes, and it just made me gag too much to keep watching. I can't believe that J.J. Abrams called this triangle mature, sexy, creative and compelling! It's so not any of those things! And, anyway, you'd think he'd have gotten his triangle ya-yas out on Felicity. I thought Sydney and Vaughn were a couple that had so much drama built into their relationship that they'd never get boring, if they were written with any care. They were just as interesting and involving after they got together, and were really something special. But now they're just another standard TV couple, with lame, contrived, annoying obstacles thrown in their way. Those are a dime a dozen. What a waste of their fabulous chemistry."
I think this is overstating it a bit — for one, how great was Vaughn's guilt-ridden dream that Sydney had stabbed him again — but I have yet to warm to Melissa George's performance as this problematic character. She has no electricity in her scenes with Jennifer Garner, and sparks don't fly between her and Michael Vartan. This is a big problem for me, but not enough to keep me from siding with those who, like Ally above, are exercising patience with a show that has rewarded our loyalty time and again. Basically, I'm enjoying Alias this season, but am still waiting to be blown away. Given the show's track record for shocking revelations and reversals, I'm content to wait a bit longer. On smaller issues: I love Sloane becoming a double agent (much like Sydney at the beginning of the series), I howled when Marshall smacked Sydney on the rear during their mission, and I agree with those frustrated by Dixon staying behind a desk. Much as I like the personable Greg Grunberg as Agent Weiss, he's miscast as an action figure. I miss Dixon going into battle at Sydney's side.
~~~
A few of my own comments:
I agree that Ms George & Mr Vartan are showing little chemistry, but let's not blame it all on Ms George, shall we? It takes two to tango. They tested specifically for this aspect and I suspect that the possibility that Ms Garner would not be seeing the tests (whereas she definitely would be able to see the episodes) might have some influence on Mr Vartan's ability to relax into the role. Some of this problem might have to do with--er--outside relationships . . .
Further, it perhaps would have helped if Ms George were a little stronger & more immediately accessible. Choosing an actress with a British/Australian accent makes things even more difficult because American audiences tend tend to find the (educated British) accent cold and reserved--a prejudice, I know, but a real one. So if they want the audience to warm to her, they have their work cut out for them, and they know they're starting out with one foot deep in the bog with her married to Vaughn.
But I have to differ on the "never get boring" part. It was getting to the point where they were going to have to start throwing a series of "lame obstacles" in front of them just to keep things interesting. This is, at least, a real obstacle.
Question:
What are your and other critics' thoughts on Alias this season? I know a lot of people haven't been liking it as much as they often do. I think it's just as good as usual. I love the fact that they're slowing it down to deal with the Syd/Vaughn/Lauren thing and focusing less on the missions. I know that'll change soon, so I think it's crucial that they're laying the emotional groundwork now. I also love that after four years (if you count the time Sydney was gone), Jack and Syd are finally building a stable relationship. My only hope is that they'll use Dixon more because it seems what happened to him in the first part of last season is happening to him again. — Ally
Matt:
First off, let me just say that I could fill a weekly forum just about Alias given the volume of mail this show continues to generate. I'm sorry I can't address everyone's comments or complaints, but there are other shows out there, hard as that may be to believe. But few, I'll admit, that stimulate so much passionate buzz, which is why I'm leading off the column with Alias again. (Keep in mind that all of this is being written before Sunday night's episode aired with the much-anticipated return of Evil Francie.)
To generalize from the comments I've been hearing, from fellow critics and from my mailbag, I would say one constant has been the ambivalent-to-negative reaction to the character of Lauren and the actress playing her. It was inevitable that die-hard fans of the Syd-Vaughn relationship would be unforgiving toward her, and one of the more entertaining responses came from Patricia R., who in her rant suggested renaming the show Days of Our Spies. She writes, in part: "Vaughn and Lauren have zero chemistry, and Lauren is uninteresting, annoying and the actress isn't very good. They're trying to shove her and the marriage down my throat with all the kissy-poo scenes, and it just made me gag too much to keep watching. I can't believe that J.J. Abrams called this triangle mature, sexy, creative and compelling! It's so not any of those things! And, anyway, you'd think he'd have gotten his triangle ya-yas out on Felicity. I thought Sydney and Vaughn were a couple that had so much drama built into their relationship that they'd never get boring, if they were written with any care. They were just as interesting and involving after they got together, and were really something special. But now they're just another standard TV couple, with lame, contrived, annoying obstacles thrown in their way. Those are a dime a dozen. What a waste of their fabulous chemistry."
I think this is overstating it a bit — for one, how great was Vaughn's guilt-ridden dream that Sydney had stabbed him again — but I have yet to warm to Melissa George's performance as this problematic character. She has no electricity in her scenes with Jennifer Garner, and sparks don't fly between her and Michael Vartan. This is a big problem for me, but not enough to keep me from siding with those who, like Ally above, are exercising patience with a show that has rewarded our loyalty time and again. Basically, I'm enjoying Alias this season, but am still waiting to be blown away. Given the show's track record for shocking revelations and reversals, I'm content to wait a bit longer. On smaller issues: I love Sloane becoming a double agent (much like Sydney at the beginning of the series), I howled when Marshall smacked Sydney on the rear during their mission, and I agree with those frustrated by Dixon staying behind a desk. Much as I like the personable Greg Grunberg as Agent Weiss, he's miscast as an action figure. I miss Dixon going into battle at Sydney's side.
~~~
A few of my own comments:
I agree that Ms George & Mr Vartan are showing little chemistry, but let's not blame it all on Ms George, shall we? It takes two to tango. They tested specifically for this aspect and I suspect that the possibility that Ms Garner would not be seeing the tests (whereas she definitely would be able to see the episodes) might have some influence on Mr Vartan's ability to relax into the role. Some of this problem might have to do with--er--outside relationships . . .
Further, it perhaps would have helped if Ms George were a little stronger & more immediately accessible. Choosing an actress with a British/Australian accent makes things even more difficult because American audiences tend tend to find the (educated British) accent cold and reserved--a prejudice, I know, but a real one. So if they want the audience to warm to her, they have their work cut out for them, and they know they're starting out with one foot deep in the bog with her married to Vaughn.
But I have to differ on the "never get boring" part. It was getting to the point where they were going to have to start throwing a series of "lame obstacles" in front of them just to keep things interesting. This is, at least, a real obstacle.
