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I've started watching Alias. Seen up to the two-parter. Jack and Sydney are my favourite characters so far. The bland and ummemorable love interest is my least favourite. I'm not really shipping Sydney/Will either, but damn at least he has a personality, and his voice doesn't send me to sleep. The Vaguan (sp?) actor can't really act can he?
Oh I like the head of SD-6. When he was laughing about "the box", that was cool.
Oh I like the head of SD-6. When he was laughing about "the box", that was cool.
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(no subject)
Date: 2005-11-13 10:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-11-13 11:33 pm (UTC)The relationship with her dad is what I'm more invested in at the moment
(no subject)
Date: 2005-11-14 04:38 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-11-13 11:09 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-11-13 11:38 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-11-13 11:33 pm (UTC)And YES, Jack is a fantastic character ( my favourite) and it's his realtionship with Sydney that's the most interesting and important part of Alias. The show is about family (and how fucked up family is) more than it's about spies and mysteries.
I love Alias so much. I pimp it out to all my friends and I've already gotten several hooked! (I don't do this with SV, FYI.)
PS. Perverted is my favourite word to describe me ever!
(no subject)
Date: 2005-11-13 11:37 pm (UTC)I need more than the guy mayb having a crush, to care about them, y'know? I did like the scene where he holds her hand when she's crying by the sea. But er that's the only moment I've liked those two together so far lol. I'll see how it goes :D
(no subject)
Date: 2005-11-13 11:45 pm (UTC)On the other hand, Sydney and Will also have wonderful chemistry, but in a different way. When I watch Alias, I see Sydney's desire for Vaughn as something she can't control (and thats not a spoiler, btw, I saw if from the get go), even though she has the option to be with her wonderful friend who loves her more than anything. I dunno. That speaks to me because it's so real. We don't always want the one who we get on with the best. We want the one who keeps us awake at night.
Keep watching and keep me informed!
(no subject)
Date: 2005-11-13 11:59 pm (UTC)From the first, Sydney/Vaughn just seemed so obvious. And this is my cynical side coming out, but to me it didn't feel like a lot of thought was put into making them an intriguing couple to root for. More that let's make Sydney's handler a nice guy who has a thing for her. They could almost replace Vaughn with any other cute actor IMO, because the ship itself isn't distinctive enough to get me involved. A bit of romantic comedy type dialogue or something would help the ship appeal to me, instead of just feeling they're the couple because he likes Sydney and that's about it.
I guess it depends on whether you see the actors chemistry carrying over and selling the ship. And I'm not seeing it at the moment. I'll give my opinion again when I reach the end of the season :)
(no subject)
Date: 2005-11-14 12:53 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-11-14 12:56 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-11-14 01:08 am (UTC)Oh, but you should keep watching now, cause you're about to hit Sark's first ep!
(no subject)
Date: 2005-11-14 01:22 am (UTC)Oh yes! What she said. About Sark. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2005-11-14 02:58 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-11-14 01:20 am (UTC)Yet another person not impressed with Vaughn. Hee!
I love Jack, Syd and Marshall the best! :) Sloan (head of SD-6) is magnificent evil bastard. He and Lionel could write a book together.
There are also few more characters I love but I'm not gonna mention them, because I don't know how spoiled you are.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-11-14 02:29 am (UTC)Think of Peta Wilson's performance as Nikita (Alias is a ripoff of LFN after all). Peta gives Nikita plenty human vulnerabilty and fears but Nikita is a clear-headed competent operative who's in control of herself. Peta does very well portraying that. Garner makes Syd come across like she's some pampered supermodel who's gotten caught up in some espionage thing she totally doesn't belong in, a character who undoubtably wouldn't last long at all. The sort of work Syd and Nikita are in isn't for the faint hearted and Garner makes Syd come across way too much the faint hearted. Like she might pass out from fear any moment. Watch the eyes. THAT'S a tough field agent? Riiiiight.
Also, Garner's acting is stiff, unresonant and closed off, not open, and she isn't very good at giving Syd SINCERE humanity and human vulnerabilty (yeah, she looks scared out of her wits way to much of the time, but genuine deeper vulnerabilty we don't get). Peta did much better there too, making Nikita come across like a real organic human being. Syd comes across like mannequin. And Garner seems to go for forced hamming instead of real feeling and it's patently fake.
And when Peta fought she looked like she was fighting, taking care of business, one two three, efficent uncompromising operative. When Garner fights it looks like she thinks it's all about making a point or something. Go into serious stuff with that attitude and you'll get yourself killed. In so many ways, Garner's Syd doesn't look like she'd survive long. And she doesn't come across like a real organic human being either.
Garner's perfrormance bothers the heck out of me. And I find it impossible to feel for a character who's given that little real depth of humanity. Plus the way she's so unconvicing as a tough operative, the way the show has this female hyper-tough super-spy come across like such a scared wuss... it feels to me like the show doesn't really believe that women really can be genuinely tough capable types who can control their fears. And I've seen way too much of that sexist attitude on the screen and it really pisses me off.
In closing, compare Garner's Syd to Peta's Nikita, SMG's Buffy and Claudia Black's Aeryn Sun. All of those three are so much more convincing both as tough and capable AND as human beings (or Sebacian beings ;) ), real people. Not to mention that those three put in performances that feel genuine, Garner doesn't.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-11-14 11:47 am (UTC)But yeah I agree with what you just said ;) Well except I do like Sydney, but she does cry a lot and Nikita was way tougher and cooler. Nikita wouldn't have just her bf she was a secret agent, then cried and yelled at her superiors for doing what they said they would do. She would have had cool plans hatched with Walter and Birkoff.
How much of Nikita did you watch, right to the end? I love the first three seasons, saw some of season 4, and none of the final season.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-11-14 01:30 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-11-14 02:48 am (UTC)You can also see that Sloane and Jack are basically LFN's Operations split up into good and evil. Except, unlike Syd and Vaughan, Sloane and Jack are really well acted.
Syd's mother Irina, who pops up later, can even be compared to Madeline.
Will Tippin is well acted by an actor who brings much humanity to the part. Marcus Dixon and Eric Weiss are also well acted. Marshall's also good.
Sark is a prissy twat and I wish he'd been squashed like the bug he is the moment he first appeared. Alas he isn't and he's got a huge and inexplicable fan following.
The show is flashier and smoother than LFN but it has less depth and sincerity.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-11-14 02:51 am (UTC)Vaughan is a washed out imitation Michael.
Date: 2005-11-14 02:59 am (UTC)Re: Vaughan is a washed out imitation Michael.
Date: 2005-11-14 03:12 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-11-14 11:55 am (UTC)And yeah I did think Weiss is cooler than Vaughan. At least Weiss doesn't have the personality of soggy cardboard.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-11-14 01:32 pm (UTC)As for Syd/Vaughan, it continues to be an ongoing mess for years. lol
(no subject)
Date: 2005-11-14 01:40 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-11-14 03:09 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-11-14 02:23 pm (UTC)