Shows: Moron Alias
We watched the third episode of the new Alias last night, and have to say that we're really not that impressed. This episode tilted marginally back towards the interesting (ie, not just a bunch of action-packed scenes with poor CGI), but it still was ho-hum compared to prior seasons.
I think the problem is one faced by soap operas. That is, they've already done plenty, and it's getting hard to even keep up, much less top, what's gone before. I'm assuming they will soon move in with Lauren (Vaughn's ex-wife) being the niece in the arms of Irina in the picture, but that's mostly because I don't know what other female is even seen with any regularity.
The other problem is the back-story. The second season lost Will (the reporter) and Francie (the roommate), though we actually saw both a bit later for smallish roles.
Those were regrettable losses, as I think they added something interesting to the show, instead of just focusing on all the "spy drama". Then we lost Irina. We appear now to have lost Sark. Marshall's love interest (the mother of his child) hasn't shown up anywhere, or even been mentioned, this season, so I'd assume she is gone.
If you keep killing off the characters, it makes it difficult to hold the interest of viewers who have become, even slightly, attached to those characters. The tension is there, the surprises, but it's getting to the point where no one is interesting any more. And what's up with this new "covert" organization? It's like anyone can join - first Marshall, then Sydney's half-sister, then Weiss. How covert can this thing be, when everyone even remotely involved finds out, and then joins, the organization?
In the first season, it was so much more believable - with Francie and Will wondering about Syd's job, but not being dragged into it almost immediately. It's like they forgot about some characters, then when they came up they said "we'll recruit them". The writing just seems to have gone downhill a bit is all. Likely this one will drop from regular viewing unless this changes sometime soon.
