I found myself immensely disappointed by the ALIAS finale. I don't really care about the Rambaldi storyline (it's all stuff and nonsense), and anything they wanted to sell us as the old man's "endgame," I think I would have tilted my head and sighed, "Oh. O.K. Fine." But I was depressed that the character arcs of Syd, Jack, Irina and Sloane simply didn't resolve themselves the way JJ Abrams and crew set them up in previous seasons. Or even during the finale itself.
As you said, Irina was the biggest disappointment. One of the most intriguing, darkly ambiguous female characters in TV history reduced to a power-mad villain. Sad. And I honestly expected better from Sloane, Irina and the writers than a standard spy apocalypse of missiles raining down on London and Washington. Where's the subtlety? The elegance? The surprise?
All the Syd flashbacks during the finale led us to believe that Syd had finally realized spying was her chosen profession, she was damn good at saving the world, and she would never quit. We flash forward after the death of Irina (glass? AGAIN?), and--Syd has quit the business. Yeah, she takes the occasional assignment from Dix, but that's obviously not her priority anymore. Sooooo....what was the deal with all that set-up during the rest of the show? Were Pinkner and Goddard paying attention at all?
Jack got his moment of revenge on Arvin, but I'm disappointed that Jack Bristow, master strategist, didn't think it all through. Sloane could still be dug out by Sark and/or any number of loony Rambaldi followers. He'd be free, and Jack? Jack would still be dead. The writers were going for poetic justice, but it smells more like a set-up for ALIAS: TNG, when Isabelle and the Flinkman boys go after the resurrected Sloane...
A belated hug
As you said, Irina was the biggest disappointment. One of the most intriguing, darkly ambiguous female characters in TV history reduced to a power-mad villain. Sad. And I honestly expected better from Sloane, Irina and the writers than a standard spy apocalypse of missiles raining down on London and Washington. Where's the subtlety? The elegance? The surprise?
All the Syd flashbacks during the finale led us to believe that Syd had finally realized spying was her chosen profession, she was damn good at saving the world, and she would never quit. We flash forward after the death of Irina (glass? AGAIN?), and--Syd has quit the business. Yeah, she takes the occasional assignment from Dix, but that's obviously not her priority anymore. Sooooo....what was the deal with all that set-up during the rest of the show? Were Pinkner and Goddard paying attention at all?
Jack got his moment of revenge on Arvin, but I'm disappointed that Jack Bristow, master strategist, didn't think it all through. Sloane could still be dug out by Sark and/or any number of loony Rambaldi followers. He'd be free, and Jack? Jack would still be dead. The writers were going for poetic justice, but it smells more like a set-up for ALIAS: TNG, when Isabelle and the Flinkman boys go after the resurrected Sloane...