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Alias (by Rachel, 13, Girl)

"I think the name Alias suits the show perfectly. If it went by any other name, it wouldn't fit. Alias means a different identity, and that's exactly what Sydney has. She's a different person than her friends think she is. She goes by a different name on each mission. Only SHE know who she really is."

Rating: **** four stars (incredible)
Television Subcategory: Drama

Country

Canada 

Station

ABC

What is this show or episode about?

The show is basically about a girl in her 20s, Sydney Bristow. She lives in L.A. and she's a grad student, and she's also a spy for an organization called SD-6. Now, SD-6 is really a team of bad guys telling innocent recruits (people who they choose to work for them) they're a "branch of the CIA", but they really have a anti-government kind of thing going on. When Sydney was recruited by SD-6, they made her swear to secrecy, but she told her fiancee, Danny, and her boss, Sloane, killed him. She learned from her dad, who is also, by the way, an SD-6 agent, the whole truth about the people she works for. As the beginning of the show says, "She had been working for the very people she thought she was fighting against." So she went to the CIA and became a double agent for them, like her dad. That's where she met her handler, Michael Vaughn. 

How frequently do you watch this show?

Every time it's on, I'm glued to the television 

Do you like the plots or stories of the show? What do you like or dislike about them?

I really like the plots of the show - they always keep you guessing. I know this from experience. My sister, brother and I are always trying to find out what will happen next, and the result on the show is so different from anything any of us every guesses will happen. I love that the show is so unpredictable. 

Is there anything you would like to see happen in the story of the show right now?

The thing I (and probably the majority of the show's fans) want to see happen the most is for Sydney to get together with her handler Vaughn. Because of their situation, they can't be seen together in public, because if the wrong person sees them, they could both be killed. That's what makes it so exciting - you see, they like each other as more than just friends, but they can't admit that to each other because it's too dangerous for them to be together. 

Who are the main actors and actresses on this program, or the people who star in it?

Sydney Bristow (grad student and double agent) is played by Jennifer Garner. Jack Bristow (Sydney's dad, also a CIA double agent) is played by Victor garber. Michael Vaughn (Sydney's friend and handler and the only person she can really talk to and trust) is played by Michael Vartan. Marcus Dixon (Sydney's partner in SD-6) is played by Carl Lumbly. Marshall (I don't know whether that's his first name or last name. Anyways, he's the guy who makes all those awesome devices that Sydney uses on her missions) is played by Kevin Weissman. Arvin Sloane (the head of SD-6, Sydney's boss) is played by Ron Rifkin. Will Tippin (one of Sydney's close friends) is played by Bradley Cooper. Francie Calfo (Sydney's best friend and roommate) is played by Merrin Dungey. 

How would you describe the acting?

Fantastic! 

Do you feel like you know the characters in the show personally, or that you can relate to the characters or people in it? Who is your favorite or least favorite?

I really can't relate to any of them, their lives are so much more complicated than mine is. Sydney, Vaughn and her dad are in the most danger in this show. I'm completely safe where I am. Will is investigating Sydney's fiancee's murder. He could be killed if Sloane finds out. Francie thinks Sydney trusts her with her deepest secrets. Sydney probably would tell Francie, but she can't after what happened to Danny. 

What age group would most enjoy watching this show? Any ages who wouldn't like it or shouldn't watch it?

I think anyone 12 or older would love this show, that is, if you're all into this high-tech spy/drama stuff. I don't think anyone under the age of 12 should watch it because of all the violence, especially when Sydney is on her missions - someone always ends up dying or being beaten, but not her 'cause she kicks butt! 

Do you know any interesting facts about the show, its actors or creators?

I don't know much yet, but I'll tell you what I know. Uh... the creator of Alias, J.J. Abrams, also created the show "Felicity", where Jennifer Garner guest-starred as Scott Foley's ex-girlfriend, and that's how the two of them met. Now they're married. I think that's how Jennifer Garner landed her role on Alias, too. I also know that Michael Vartan was born in France and speaks French and English fluently, and that Sydney was born in West Virginia and loves cooking and gardening. 

What, if anything, would you change about the way show is written, staged, or produced? Do you like the way the characters talk, what they wear, what the set looks like, etc.?

The only thing I would ever change about the show is that I would make it easier to understand. It's one of those shows that you have to see from the very beginning to understand the whole thing, and you can't miss an episode because so much happen in each episode, and if you didn't see one, you lost the whole story. Other than that, I absolutely love everything else about the show. I noticed that Sydney's style of dressing for missions is totally different that when she's at school or at the SD-6 or CIA headquarters. She wears all these disguises - wigs, clothes, accessories - you name it, she probably has it. 

Do you have any other comments about yourself or the program that would give us a better understanding of your review?

I think this show is really easy to like, if you know what I mean. My family watched it once, and we liked it. We tuned in again the next week, and after that, we haven't missed and episode. I usually have to see a show 4 or 5 times before I know if I really like it, but this show I only had to see twice. If you watch it, you'll probably like it a lot.