Question: I'm a 30-year-old woman who is beyond delighted to see representations of real women on TV this season. It's nice to look at Sally Field, both as an actress and her character on Brothers & Sisters, and not get the sense that life ends for women with marriage and kids. Mrs. Walker is a complex, intelligent character, as are the other women represented in the show. I recently discovered Alias on DVD and cannot say enough about Lena Olin, either. She's gorgeous and fierce, while not trying to be 25. I also love that these women don't look like they've been Botoxed within an inch of their life. I remember growing up watching Golden Girls and Designing Women with my mom. I know lots of young women who still find these reruns delightfully funny. It seems like that genre has been missing from TV in the last few years. What do you think the odds are that we'll see more of these characters or women-focused shows in the future? Do you think TV execs will ever get comfortable with women ...
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Question: First of all, great to see Alias back in (in my opinion) top form. I still care about these characters, and I can't wait to see how it all wraps up. Likewise, another great episode of Invasion. The story keeps moving along, with quite a bit revealed each episode — certainly more than I expected when I got into it in the first place. I've been particularly impressed with Evan Peters as Jesse; I've loved the "kids return to school" aspect of the show, and Jesse has really become a centerpiece to all of the aspects of the show. His drunken shooting practice at the end of the episode was wonderfully acted — muted and subtle instead of over-the-top (as it could very easily have been). What I'm really excited about, though, is May 3, which — if my calculations are correct — will be what I've been waiting for for nearly a year: consecutive new episodes of Alias, Lost and Invasion. What a great night of television: three shows with different stories, characters, styles and even color ...
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Question: This interminable waiting game that ABC is playing regarding the fate of Alias is not to be had! What can we, the fans, do about it? Anything?
Answer: ABC confirmed late Tuesday that Alias is returning in just seven short weeks on Wednesdays at 8 pm. There are eight episodes remaining — reduced from 13. Here's how they're being scheduled:
- April 19, 8-10 pm/ET: Two-hour episode. Syd's baby is born and Vaughn's fate is revealed. Michael Vartan, Lena Olin and Greg Grunberg return.
- April 26, 8-9 pm: The 100th episode. Bradley Cooper returns.
- May 3, 8-9 pm: Currently in production. Devlin returns.
- May 10, 8-9 pm: TBD
- May 17, 8-9 pm: TBD
- May 24, 8-10 pm: Two-hour finale.
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The countdown to Alias' hotly anticipated series finale officially got under way last week when new mum Jennifer Garner returned to the set to begin work on the show's last 10 or so episodes. And although ABC has yet to announce when (or where) the spy drama will complete its run (what's up with that?), there's every reason to believe that the 5-year-old series will go out the same way it came in: with a huge bang and a ton of hype. Not one to diminish expectations, executive producer Jeff Pinkner declares, "We want every episode from here to the end to top the one before it." OK, if ever there's a statement that demands a few follow-up Qs, it's that one. So, let's get to it.
Ausiello: What are some of the big returns you have planned?Pinkner: Lena Olin's coming back for the 99th episode, which is our second one back.
Ausiello: Really? Just for the 99th?Pinkner: Well, no, she's actually going to be back for a co
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Question: What'd you think of the latest episode of Alias (the last one before the break for Jennifer Garner's maternity leave)? I've been rather critical of the show (even if I'm still horribly addicted and would never give it up), but this episode, featuring flashbacks to "classic" Alias moments, blew me away. For the first time this season, I'm excited to see the next episode —which is, naturally, months away. Kudos to the producers for keeping the secret of who is behind Prophet 5 so well kept (at least Lena Olin wasn't credited). Can we expect the same quality for the last 13 episodes of the series? Wouldn't it be great for Alias to go out on top, after these years of hailing its past brilliance?
Answer: That really was a terrific episode — creatively structured, suspenseful, harking back to the show's emotional core. And the Lena Olin reveal was remarkable, on its own merits and also because I didn't have a clue it was coming. In this age of spoilers, that really is a refreshing
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