Basically, the season premiere of Alias has introduced nothing new – it's brought back the same formula and line-up which made the first season such a success, but it's done so in an innovative way. Characters are back in their old positions, alliances have been shaken up a bit but remain essentially the same, and yet the show feels fresh again, something which creator J.J. Abrams is highly adept at doing. Not that Alias ever really got stale, mind you, but so much of last season was mired in the "Where was Sydney during those two years" plot arc that the main business of the show – watching Sydney take on different aliases, keep secrets, fight the bad guys, and constantly have to reshuffle her head space while doing so – was often pushed to the side. Now it's all back on the table again, and it's all exciting again. Don't tell anyone, but I think this may be a great season.
B+
