Wow. Can you consider this pilot an episode? Or was it a feature film? It was stocked with action, drama, espionage, deception, hold-me-to-my-seat-or-else-I’ll-break-my-tv shock, and of course Jennifer Garner. In my opinion, this is the best pilot I have ever seen. I can almost visualize a big board in the writers’ room with all the storylines sketched out for the rest of the series. There’s so much to talk about. WARNING! Possible rambling lies ahead.

What can I say about Jennifer Garner? She is truly convincing. She looks like a hard worker and to play a character with so many dimensions, with so many character traits, must surely be a treat for her. Sydney Bristow is a grad student, struggling to juggle her work life with her school life, as well as her personal life. Having lost her mother awhile back, we are still reminded of the love Sydney had for her. Francie explains, “Your mom would be so proud.” Sydney answers with a grin, “She would.” She has a questionable relationship with her estranged father, a man who until recently ignored his daughter. There is no connection between the two. However, that garage scene where Jack rescues Sydney is priceless. Sydney stares in awe: “Daddy?”

          Now, of all the characters in the pilot, Jack Bristow seems to be the most interesting. You can dissect every inch of his personality, and yet, there will always be some sort of a hidden surprise. He’s an airplane part exporter, then he’s an agent for SD-6, then he’s a double agent for the CIA. Add the fact that he’s trying to be a better father… you have Jack Bristow.

          I need a moment to confess my undying love for Merrin Dungey. I love her character and I love the way she plays her role. “You are schizophrenic,” she tells her friend Sydney. Dungey plays a clueless, innocent best friend. She plays the part of a you-have-to-love-her-or-else-you’re-inhuman character. Do you want to marry her? Calm down! I also like Will Tippin.  He’s an honest guy who has a crush on his best friend. He happens to be a journalist who has a crazy sister. Love his character.

          Do we need a few words for Arvin Sloane? Okay, I hate him. He was a father figure for Sydney and you could see the constant stares and friendly looks in the first scenes. That love quickly vanished. That’s the way it should be. He is complete slime. Ron Rifkin is without a doubt perfect for this part. Diving into the television world after his success in Broadway, he is a great baddie. We love to hate him. I love to hate him.

Marshall Flinkman is hysterical. I love his gadgets. They are so cool and come in handy in the field. No, really? I loved how he wanted the lipstick cam to hold 47 pictures. He was so psyched about it.

          Last but not least, Danny Hecht is murdered. Why did he have to die? He was such a good guy who finds out that the girl he wants to marry is a CIA agent. Of course he’s going to get drunk and ramble on while leaving a message on Sydney’s telephone. I’m starting to ramble as well so I better stop.

Syd’s Tips

-          Make sure you keep a lock pick in the heel of your designer shoes.

-          When you’re caught somewhere where you shouldn’t be, act drunk and complement the guard’s tie.

-          When wanting revenge on a shameful man, steal his car.

Mission Files

OBJECTIVE: Identify and obtain the Mueller Device

SD-6 MISSION

ALIAS: Employee of Modira Plastics

LOCATION: Taipei, Taiwan

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS: Mandarin

MARSHALL’S GADGETS:

-          Lipstick Camera: This cool lipstick takes pictures with three axes from one vantage point. It has a 45 picture capacity.

-          Cigarette Lighter/ RF Scrambler: This cool device can disrupt any video signal in a 420-yard radius.

UNAUTHORIZED MISSION

ALIAS: Amy Tippin

LOCATION : Taipei, Taiwan

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS: Mandarin

MARSHALL’S GADGETS : None

Quotable Quotes

-          Sydney:“I work for the CIA.” Wow. That was a simple explanation on Sydney’s part. Little did we know that the story stretched farther than we could see.

-          Dixon: “If there’s one rule you don’t break, that’s the rule you don’t break.” Dixon, you were bang on. But if Sydney had not broken this rule, we would have no Alias.

-          Sydney: “You killed the man I loved.”

Sloane: “No Agent Bristow, you did.” OUCH!

-          Sydney: “I’m back. I’m taking a week off, I’ve got midterms.” Loved the authority.

-          And the big one:

Jack: “I guess we’ll just have to learn to trust each other.” How long will that take? I’m betting the whole series.

Some Final Notes

-          What’s this guy Mueller about? What is that demotic writing? That flying red ball in the glass case was cool. They left this hanging and we have to hope for a satisfying answer.

-          The music was awesome. I particularly loved “Under the Gun” by the Supreme Beings of Leisure. Also, Michael Giachinno’s music was great. He is the musical composer for the show.

-          We heard the writers mention the number 47. Marshall wanted to make the capacity of pictures his camera holds go from 45 to 47. I heard we have to keep an eye on that number.

-          I loved Marcus Dixon as the nice guy at work. He’s a great partner to have.

-          I was not thrilled with the introduction Michael Vaughn and Eric Weiss received. It was kind of underwhelming. Hopefully, we’ll get some future character development.

-          B I T E  M E. That was priceless.

Although I plan to write the reviews through the perspective of a new fan, I will assign ratings through the perspective of a die-hard series-long follower, which I am. 5 out of 5 stars. Classic episode.