"Alias" In Dreams... (2005)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Jennifer Garner

Writers:

J.J. Abrams (creator)
Jon Robin Baitz (writer)

TV Series:

"Alias" (2001)

Original Air Date:

11 May 2005 (Season 4, Episode 19)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

Sydney and the rest of the team finally capture the Sloane impostor and bring him to APO where they...

Plot Keywords:

Orchid | Auction | Monk | Experiment | Bee

Cast

Jennifer Garner	...	Sydney Bristow
Ron Rifkin	...	Arvin Sloane
Michael Vartan	...	Michael Vaughn
Carl Lumbly	...	Marcus Dixon
Kevin Weisman	...	Marshall Flinkman
Mía Maestro	...	Nadia Santos
Greg Grunberg	...	Eric Weiss (credit only)
Victor Garber	...	Jack Bristow
John Benjamin Hickey	...	Father Kampinski
Angus Scrimm	...	Calvin McCullough
Joel Grey	...	Another Mr. Sloane / Corporal Ned Bolger
Amy Irving	...	Emily Sloane
Mark Gantt	...	Balfour
Mia Mazo	...	Karina
Nick Spano	...	Brother Angelo

Runtime:

Germany:42 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

Bad Robot

Trivia:

Although he's credited in the title sequence Greg Grunberg does not appear in this episode.

One Character ..One Episode !

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

At this phase of (Alias) they made something good maybe not all the continuous shows could do it, they made episodes starring mainly one character of the series' family, for the beauty of the character or its actor ?, or for the sake of the continuance itself ?.. Whatever the real reason was, It turned out to be nice altogether and scarce too because in other successful long shows they might've never made something like that. For instance I've seen a documentary about "Miami Vice" which lasted for some years and they never ever made one episode about one of the female characters whom were co-starring the show even in the most rainy days of it when the writers nearly didn't find anything to present.

So at those days of season 4 you'll find : (Ice) as (Vaughn)'s episode, (The Orphan) as (Nadia)'s episode, (Tuesday) as (Marshall)'s episode, then (Mirage) as (Jack)'s episode, and at last (In Dreams...) as (Sloane)'s one.

This one is solid, wonderful, and moving. I loved the clever Sci-Fi which managed to be original and emotionally effective to watch rarely the soft side in Mr. Sloane (actually this is the first time to see his tears), but the basic weak point that he's crying over his late daughter who died because of a natural cause, so I don't think utterly that the mighty (Arvin Sloane) could be that sensitive over a matter he just has no hand in it, furthermore there are so many crimes he did in the past could bother him, not to forget that he already got another daughter (Nadia) and she with him indeed ! I thought that it might've been harder if he was partly the reason why (Jaclyn) died so he got the motive to blame himself eagerly. Also I didn't buy the cock-and-bull story about putting what in the water to be who and how that didn't work because whatever !!, still the thing to irritate more is that manipulation of the characters : Bad, Good, Bad, Then Good !, some will say that's the beauty of it, some will say that's the ugliness of it, but who said that this show is about thinking ?

I loved the powerful music (whether at the bees' revolution or during the critical moment of Sloane's past), the cinematography of the dreams' sequences, that exotic spectacular location of (Sloane)'s heaven, the directing of the whole thing especially the action out the auctions' hall.

The Academy award winner (Joel Grey) was so wicked as (Arvin Clone), the forever charming (Amy Irving) was sensitive as the bereaved wife even if it was just for couple of minutes, and for sure (Ron Rifkin)did such a fine job (maybe his best), but maybe with another script has stronger incentives that would've been greatly unforgettable.

P.S : this is the last one of what I call a character's episode as they'll devote themselves to the season's climax.. Good work though.