Day Time Talk Shows

Okay... people say that I watch a lot of TV, HOWEVER, there are certain things that even I won't touch... namely, almost anything on Daytime TV, including talk shows (with the exception of Ellen D.), soaps, etc. Here is why:

Genius

Mmm... came across a DELICIOUS little tid bit about an upcoming Entourage episode... highlight the following to learn something about Lloyd, Ari's loyal right-hand-man: [ Lloyd is part of a gay-assistant mafia, and will use his mob connections to help Ari out of a tight place. ]

Tell me that's not great?!?!?

My Spidey Sense Is Tingling

Let me preface this post with this: so far I have been unimpressed with the Spiderman franchise. I am more more in love with the dark X-Men series, or even the new take on Batman... I find Spidey too cheesey, and I think Tobey McGuire is one of the worst comic-book castings I've seen since Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl.

This being said, I just saw the teaser trailer for Spiderman 3 (supposedly coming out May 14th, 2007) and it looks freakin' awesome. Maybe they can actually pull themselves together and make a good Spiderman movie... click HERE to check it out for yourselves!

O.C. Is Bitch Slapped

During the summer juggling of fall line ups, the OC has lost some ground... looks like Fox doesn't have faith in its primetime soap, and has minimized its episode order from 22 down to 16, with a possible schedule change so it doesn't have to go up against juggernauts CSI and Grey's Anatomy.

Click HERE for the full article.

Less Is More

Last night's episode of SYTYCD actually left me a bit flat... nobody really blew me away... very few couples actually had chemistry. And this seasons, the couples are stuck together unless their partners get voted off, so there is a slim chance that we'll get to see if they have real chemistry with somebody else on the show.

My favorite couple right now is Benji & Donyelle. The whole "I went away on a mission and came back to my supposed girlfriend's wedding invitation" story really got to me - and although he's not as good looking as Dmitri or Musa - there's something so *cute* about him - as my sister K put it - he just looks happy all the time! As for Donyelle, I didn't really feel one way or another about her until Nigel started ripping on her weight.. "in a good way" (what an ass.) At that point, I wanted her to win the whole thing. Can a curvy girl get a BREAK once in a while?????

But actually, the only really feedback I have from last night was the large, blonde judge's eye makeup... she must have thought she was channeling Rene Zellweger with the squinty eye thing she was trying to do - but believe me - she didn't get there. It was distracting.

Also - a quick rant on the camera work. The camera man must think he is being really artistic, but all the crazy filming is making me dizzy, and I feel like we're missing a large part of the dances because of all the panning in/out/around. Please just give us a good angle and stick with it.

And They're Off

Season 3 for Project Runway has been cast! I have a feeling we're going to get a lot of the "Santino Effect"... everyone realizing that they can stay on the show via the producers as long as they have a strong "character" that brings in viewers... even if their clothes suck. Click HERE for the full article and cast list.

Don't Judge Me

So, I normally save my writings on Lifetime for their ridiculous made-for-tv movies, like "She Cried No", starring Candace Cameron and Zack Morris. But, while I was out sick a few weeks ago, I found out that Lifetime runs an array of sit-coms during the day, which are not the pick of the litter, but are still better than soaps and Springer. During commercial breaks, I noticed ads for their new summer sit-com - Lovespring International. I was slightly interestested, (its produced by Will of Will and Grace), so I recorded the first episode... not bad! (I shudder as I say this about a Lifetime original!)

LI focuses on the staff of a match-making agency. There is no laugh-track, and the characters are still more charicatures, but there is definitely some promise here. The first episode was pretty funny (I laughed out loud a few times) ... the second episode start Eric McCormick himself, but wasn't as good (even though it did prominently feature sharks!)

Anyway, if you catch an episode while channel surfing (which there is a good posibility you will, as Lifetime plays it like 8 million times a day) don't click away immediately. (That is the best endorsement I can give a lifetime channel show.)

Forgot One

I also managed to watch the first episode of TNT's Saved. It's really good! I do love watching Tom Everett Scott do that thing he does. Basically, TES is a paramedic, who dropped out of med school a few years ago, much to the chagrin of his Head of the Department father. His ex-girlfriend dumped him (which I think is the reason he dropped out) and now she's not only working at one of the hospitals he takes his patients too, but she's about to move in with some boring fuddy-duddy (btw, she told him this after one last tryst in the ambulance). His ambulence partner is divorced (never married?) and has a son, who lives with his mother and her new husband. The other ambulence is driven by a hardened female and a newbie driver from the midwest, who is the comic relief because he goofs up everything. A kind of cool thing they do is they do 5 second "flashbacks" of photograph stills of what led up to the reason why the paramedics were called in the first place. It's cool pretty cool, and adds to the story without wasting precious plot minutes. I think their tag line to the ego-maniacal explains it all: "We do everything you do, but at 60 mph."

Check it out, its a good one. And TES is yummy.

Long, Hot Summer

So... this weekend's heat proved that summer is here, which normally means second-rate reality shows, or re-runs, re-runs and more re-runs. HOWEVER, this summer, it looks like we've got a good mix of programming running... here's what I've been watching so far...

Entourage
Its back and better than ever. We don't have to deal with annoying Mandy Moore. Ari is more Ari than ever, with Lloyd as the loyal sidekick. And the boys are... well the boys! This season (22 episodes!!!) we're dealing with Vince becoming a bigtime movie star, and how he and his buddies deal with it. He's over Mandy Moore, and apparently will have a different girl in every episode. Eric is still with Sloan, and they are going to have some bedroom adventures, apparently. Turtle will be dealing with his new role as Saigon's agent. And Drama will of course be dealing with his own career. Some other interesting things to keep an eye out for: another high school friend comes to Cali, but the established friends aren't too thrilled with the idea. Also, Ari will be facing off against a new *female* rival agent. This is going to be a great season... the only complaint so far, is that HBO has discretely cut air time, with the episodes only seeming to last about 22 minutes. But I'm not complaining, since this season is much longer than the previous 2.

Windfall
So the TV critics weren't too kind to this show, which basically follows the winner of a super mega jackpot. But I'm actually kind of having fun watching - its definitely soapy, and would never make it during the regular season, but its fun enough for summer. Like Reunion, great concept, but very mediocre acting. Some of the characters I just don't care about (i.e. the whole plot with the guy who asks the lawyer to cash in his ticket for him, because he's running from bad people/the law, and maybe he murdered somebody but maybe he was framed). But some plots are interesting, like the 17 year old who married the mail order bride in order to help her and help himself get the money. You don't need to watch all the episodes, so if you miss a few here and there, it could still be a guilty pleasure now and then!

Its Always Sunny In Philadelphia
Missed this one on FX last season, due to my obsession with Starved (who's cancellation I'm still angry about!) But they started playing a few episodes on Fox, to get ready for the new season (still on FX), and it actually is quite funny. The atmosphere is very "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (which never seems to be coming back). The plots are ridiculous, which makes it fun. If someone had told me this show was about "young twenty-somethings that own a bar together", I would definitely have said pass, but its funny, so I watch the upcoming new season.

So You Think You Can Dance
Aahhh.... the first show covered in our blog has come back for a second season. The first few "try-out" episodes were not much fun to watch, because they were too focused on the "judging" instead of the dancing. And the judges seemed extra mean this year. Then there were two semi-final Vegas episodes - I would say the same thing - we barely saw any actual dancing! Then finally, we had our first "real episode" and cut show last Wednesday and Thursday... I have the same sentiments as last year... I couldn't watch this show without TiVo... I tend to fast forward through everything except the actual dancing. I was upset at the couple who was cut, because this was the first time I actually thought a Paso Doble was executed well on the show, and I really think that Benji and his partner sucked - it was unbelieveable to me that their ridiculous 80's flashdance didn't make the bottom 3. Oh well - there's always this week.

Hell's Kitchen
I didn't watch this last year, but after watching Top Chef on Bravo, I thought that maybe I'd enjoy it, because I like cooking shows. Well - as T pointed out to me during one episodes - can any of these people even cook? It seems so far that they are cooking the same pre-prepared menu every night, and they are not really showing off their own cooking skills... its more like execution skills. I'll keep watching because its TiVoing, but its definitely not as good as other cooking competitions.


I think that's pretty much it... Project Runway will be returning in July I think, and I'm pretty excited about that. I've also been getting into Veronica Mars Season 1 on DVD... I've gotten through the first eight episodes, and its definitely a cute show. I'm not sure when they are releasing Season 2, but hopefully before the new season starts on the CW this fall... I'd like to add it to the regular rotation. Battlestar Galactica Season 2.5 doesn't even have a release date yet, so I may have to order it on iTunes if it doesn't get put out before the Season 3 premier on Sci Fi in October.

Oh.. and just as I predicted, I've totally stopped playing or even caring about The Lost Experience game... I stopped playing about 2 weeks into it, but kept reading the web postings about what's going on... its seems complicated as hell, and I just don't have that kind of patience. I browse through the message boards every once in awhile to see if anything super-interesting has been revealed... and it hasn't really, so I figure no big loss.

An Unadvertised Treat for CIC Fans

For all you Commander In Chief fans out there - the last we heard, ABC was thinking of running a 2 hour TV movie to conclude the series (and if ratings were good, could lead to a renewal for the 07-08 season.) Well, without saying a word, ABC has started airing the remaining episodes! I happened to catch one this past Wednesday, and the series finale will air next Wednesday at 10.

If you missed the last two episodes - don't dispair! You can watch them *for free* via streaming video on ABC.com's video page.

What Do I Watch Now?

As a friend recently pointed out, it feels like there's nothing on TV now that May sweeps are over. But of course, as many networks are realizing, people need their TV year-round! So here's a quick rundown of shows to check out this summer:

1. Entourage
This one's a no brainer. If you aren't watching this show yet, WHY? It's the best show on HBO (sorry Sopranos fans) and so worth your time. Watch it. It starts this Sunday, June 11th, at 9pm.

2. So You Think You Can Dance
I'm a recent convert to this show. I missed it last summer, so I never got into it. But after a total cable failure over the weekend, with nothing to watch except the leftovers on my DVR, I sat and watched the last 2 episodes of this show. Yes, it's started already, but, much like American Idol, they seem to spend the first month or two on the audition stage. And, much like AI, the auditions are really funny. I just hope it holds my attention throughout its run better than AI, which I like, but would never Tivo to watch later.

3. Saved (TNT, 6/12)
I know next to nothing about this show, except "Watch With Kristin" says that Tom Everett Scott's character is like McDreamy, only dreamier! That's reason enough for me.

4. The Hills
I can't help it. It's shameful, I know. But I have a weakness (much like M's weakness for Beautiful People), and it was called Laguna Beach. I have no idea why I liked, no, was addicted, to that awful, shallow show. But I'd be lying through my teeth if I didn't admit that I can't wait to watch LC intern at Teen Vogue and date Jason, that loser who all the girls liked last season on LB. Yup, they're still together, and I give them 3 episodes before he cheats on her.

5. Project Runway
A brand new season starts this July on Bravo. I can't wait. Let's hope there's not another Santino, or I might through my TV out the window.

6. Windfall
I include this show not because I think it will be good (in fact, I think it will be just awful and painful to sit through), but because I feel I should always support a show a 90210 alum is on. And in this case, it's not just any alum, but Dylan McKay! He will always be Dylan, and I honestly don't know why he still acts because I'd like to think even he knows this. But regardless, I will watch at least 1 episode of this show. Hopefully in the first couple of weeks, because I don't think it'll last much longer than that.

That's all I've got for now. I'm sure I'm missing something, but hey, it's the summer and it was hard to even come up with 6 shows to watch.

ABC Fall Preview Clips

Okay... after mistakenly finding the NBC clips, I had to check out if the other networks had them too.... I could only find one for ABC... looks like they are showing more of each show in these clips.

Click --> ABC Fall Preview Clips

Features:
Let's Rob
In Case of Emergency
Notes from the Underbelly
6 Degrees
Betty the Ugly
Men In Trees
Daybreak
The Nine
Brothers and Sisters
Help Me Help You
Traveler
Big Day

I only watched 6 Degrees and although it tries to compare itself to Lost in the opening of the clip, it looks a lot more like craptastic What About Brian.

Also - once you play one of the inital Fall Preview Clips, it gives you all 12 links in the "Now Playing" Section.

NBC Fall Preview Video Clips

Want a Sneak Peak at some of the new shows coming out this fall? NBC has posted some video clips of their fall shows. Click HERE to see clips from:

Heroes
30 Rock
Studio 60
Kidnapped
The Black Donnellys
Friday Night Lights
Raines
20 Good Years
Andy Barker, PI
The Singles Table

After watching X3 this weekend, and now this clip, I am (if possible) even more excited for Heroes. Who is that guy flashed at the end of the clip? Well done clip - giving us something but nothing. This could be my new Alias.

Also - everyone is talking about how great 20 Good Years is going to be. From the clip, looks like a modern day Odd Couple, and doesn't seem nearly as good as 30 Rock, or even The Singles Table (which has one of the chefs from Kitchen Confidential starring in it.) And Studio 60 looks like it could be particularly underwhelming. Again, these are all from the 1 - 2 minute clips posted, and I reserve the right to change my mind after the required 3 episode watch of all of them.

BTW - its not a mistake that some shows are listed twice, they are different clips - so watch them all! Enjoy!

Lost Season 3

Per Spoilerfix, on Lost's third season:

Next season, we will understand the real ramifications of Desmond activating the failsafe and what that did. The central issue of season three
will be what did happen. It sounds like Desmond's coming back. They said they want him back, we want to know why he was in prison, we want to know what happened when he turned that key that affected the entire island. That will become very important. The island was visible but only for an instant. It was also visible for an instant on 9/22/04 when the plane crashed. The foot statue
represents the history and archeology of the island. Season three will explore what happened on the island before Dharma arrived in the late 70's and who was there. The smoke monster will definitely be back in Season three. There is a good chance we saw the monster this year and didn't realize we were looking at it. By the end of next year we will realize what it was and when we saw it. Why
did the Others take Jack, Kate and Sawyer? Where is their home? That will be the story told over the first six episodes. Season 3 will also be about the main characters and their relationships. They want to service the relationships next year more than the mythology. How Locke got in the wheelchair, how Jack got his tattoos will be revealed in Season three.

Non-TVGuide Post Lost Interview

Mike Ausiello, of Ask Ausiello fame (one of the tv columns I read religiously!) gave a post-Lost finale interview, which didn't appear on tvguide's website. Click HERE to check it out - interesting take on a few things.

Some Alias Answers

I still think that the producers should have a post-series online web chat to answer the fans' questions - we have put a lot of thought into this show, and we deserve answers to EVERYTHING!! But for now, here are some answers:

From Kristen's online column:

After Monday night's fantastic series ender, many of you fellow fans posted on our message boards the unanswered questions still weighing heavily on your minds. Truth be told, I really wanted answers to some of them, too, so I emailed executive producer Jeff Pinkner, who graciously emailed right back the following answers.

Q: In the finale, did Irina say, "Rambaldi is alive," "Rambaldi is love" or Rambaldi "is life"?
A: "Rambaldi is life...Through him we can live forever."

Q: What was the horizon?
A: The horizon was the Rambaldi-designed glass sphere that activated the pedestal in his tomb and then received the liquid from the hovering red
ball.

Q: Did Irina fall on the sphere? In the final shot, one hand was bent behind her back after she fell. Could she have squished the ball but then have
been resurrected by it? It did take a while to work on Sloane.
A: No, the ball rolled away, presumably recovered by Syd, who would have had it destroyed.

Q: Given the actions of Nadia at the end of the show, was she truly just a figment of Sloane's imagination/conscience?
A: She was his conscience. I think killing Nadia--whom he deeply loved--caused some sort of emotional/psychotic rift for Sloane.

Q: Is Sloane going to live forever under a rock, or is he eventually going to die?
A: Sloane is immortal, living forever buried 200 feet beneath the earth.

There you have it. The classified intel. (I'm gonna miss saying that.) Unfortunately, Jeff wouldn't tackle whether the highlighted letters in the city
names or the number 47 meant anything, so I'll have to harass JJ Abrams next time I see him.

Some Quick Thoughts

1. Note to the creators of Big Love: I am tired of seeing Bill Paxton's ass. You've made your point. It's HBO and you can show nudity. But please for the love of God, keep Bill Paxton and Chloe's clothes on from now on

2. 24: Boy President Logan sure can't last very long in the sack. Also, the Chinese must have had some sort of warp device to get Jack to that boat.

3. Lost: M's post made me tired just looking at it. That show seems like work.

4. Top Chef: Watching the finale tonight probably. . . Will be rooting for Harold.

4 Toes

The Lost Season Finale.... wow. Did they really give us any of the answers we were looking for? Or will Lost mimic Alias, paralleling the Dharma Initiative with Rambaldi, where the build up is so that we can never get a satisfying answer? Anyway, let's get to it:

Charlie
Although he wasn't really featured in this episode, I just have to ask - what was up with him? He was really creepy in the jungle when talking to Locke about Desmond. He was really creepy in the aftermath of the non-pushing of the button. Is he on something again? Is the weird vaccine affecting him somehow? Something was just not *right*. But looks like he got his Claire back....

Eko vs. Locke
I think this can be summed with with Locke's line from last night: "I was wrong." Although we don't know if either of them survived, I think this battle of faith is over. I think Locke's faith is restored in himself, the island, and his friendship with Eko... if either of them survive.

Michael
Okay... we know he's not returning as a series regular next season, but something tells me that we have not seen the last of him... and its not going to be so easy to get off the island. We still are unresolved on *why* Walt was kidnapped ("we had a real find" in Walt, said "Henry")... but off they go. What an evil guy. With the looks Jack, Kate & Sawyer were giving him as he sailed off, he'd better hope there's something else besides the island!

The Others
Zeke is now Tom. Mrs. Klugh is now B. "Henry" is appparently in charge. They know that the survivors know that their beards/costumes are fake. They didn't seem too affected by the non-button pushing explosion. They now have Jack, Kate & Sawyer. They think that they "are the good guys". So again, we know more, but still know nothing. I love that "Henry" turned out to be the guy in charge. Remember in the hatch he said: they'll never give you Walt. Somehow, I believe that he'll follow through on that! He's going to be a season regular next for S3, so that's pretty exciting. He should definitely win some kind of award for his performance this season. (Apparently, he was only slated for a couple shows, but then he was so mind-blowingly awesome, that they converted him to a regular!!!)

Hurley and the Parrot
I definitely heard it say Hurley (after several Tivo rewinds...) How does this relate to the Polar Bear, the Shark and other animals? It makes me think that the Pilot in Season 1 was not eaten by the defense system, but by some genetically-crazed animal experiment.

Jack, Kate, Sawyer
"Wait... you guys were talking about me?" Don't play innocent, Kate... you've been playing these guys against one another since the first day on this island! I find it interesting that the others requested the love triangle, and only wanted Hurley as a messenger back to the camp. I wonder what kind of freaky experiments they might be subject to? Originally, I thought they were "cutting of the head of the beast" so to speak - by removing the "leaders", they would make the surivors of 815 weaker. But then, I think Sayid ("the only one who's been in a war"), Locke & Eko are very capable of leading, so I changed my mind.

The Hatches
The one in the "village" was a fake, as Sayid discovered, complete with a fake hatch. The Pearl tubes deposited the careful work of its inhabitants into an empty field. And the Swan is for real. I wonder what the other hatches hold? Interesting that Jack discovered Locke's drawing of the hatch map in all that mess....

Desmond
So the infamous hatch resident returns! Turns out the survivors are trapped in some kind of weird snow-globe like area (bermuda triangle-ish?). So Desmond was running with a purpose as he escaped from the hatch - back to his fixed up boat (courtesy of now-dead Kelvin Inman). But little good that did him! (BTW - where did all the Dharma booze come from? I didn't see anyone else enjoying it on the beach, with the latest drop?) What else did we find out about Des? He was dishonorably discharged from the royal army, he's read every Charles Dickens book except "the Mutual Friend" (which's he's going to read right before he dies), he was dating Penny Widmore (WIDMORE!), but Daddy Widmore did not approve and broke them up, he was racing around the world for "love" in Libby's boat (was this pre-institution or post-institution Libby? And I wonder if her dead husband David will have a connection to any of our survivors... ie like Hurley's Dave?), he was in the US for awhile (so unlike the other survivors, he may not have started out in Sydney,) and he shaved every day for the first two years in the hatch, and he took his vaccine every 9 days while he was down there (btw, do we know if Claire ended up using the vaccine on herself or Aaron?) And let's not forget, his chase of Inman lead to the delay of button pushing, which ultimately caused flight 815 to crash! Although that seems like a lot of facts, that's really not a lot of information.... and of course, many more questions are raised. Good flashback!

The Washer & Dryer
The producers said on a local radio show that there was a specific purpose of the washer & dryer, and how they were a lot more modern than a lot of the other appliances in the hatch... and last night, we distinctly saw them fly towards the magnet. Was that the purpose? I hope not, and I think there still may be some kind of story to be told there!

Inman & Razinksi
What did one snowman say to the other? I smell carrots. Interesting that Kelvin repeated the same lines to Desmond - starting with "Are You Him?". (And we still don't know who the mysterious "him" is... Henry perhaps?) Kelvin Inman, if you remember, was the one that converted Sayid to become a torturer in the first Iraqi war. I wonder who else's life he's been a part of. Looks like after the war, he was *a part* of the Dharma Initiative. I wonder if all the partipants of the hatches/experiments were drafted as a part of the DI, not just a external test subjects. And it was him and Razinski who were painting the glow-in-the-dark hatch map that Locke saw in "Lockedown". But he wasn't painting it in UV lights... so did they know that the UV lights were there? Looks like it... and if they did, why didn't they just trigger the lights while they painted? And WHO THE HELL IS RAZINSKI???

Penny Widmore
The daughter of powerful gabillionaire Charles Widmore, and inlove with our Desmond... her note caused him to not kill himself (combined with Locke's questions to the island and banging on the hatch skylight), but she is engaged to someone else? Also, could be the savior of our survivors... she has a team in Siberia or someplace looking for electromagnetic anomolies... how does she know to look for that? Did she spy on her Dad? Was she initially a part of Dharma? Is she still engaged to that guy?? Ack!

And finally....
The Big Foot
"I do not know which is more disquieting, where the rest of the statue is or the fact that it only has four toes." This was the biggest mystery of them all... what the hell was that????

GREAT episode... they say that this story could be told over 8 seasons... hopefully they can keep the momentum going, and keep the ABC execs off their backs (to gain new viewership)... Good Luck for Season 3 Lost, I hope your fate is better than Alias.

What Now?

The reason we watched Alias is because of the amazing character development, the intelligent writing, the intricate plot, the good acting, and of course, a continual mystery. We like three-dimensional people on the small screen - with understated humor and stories that make us *think*. That being said, here are my picks for the Alias "replacement":

Existing Shows:

1. Lost
Lost is obviously that natural choice, because it has all of the above, and unlike Alias, JJ handed the reigns over to very capable writer/producers. With Alias, you can tell when JJ himself left the show for dead.

2. Battlestar Galactica
This show is not as obvious - and its hard for non-Trekkies to make the decision to watch a show on the Sci-Fi network. I did it out of sheer curiousity (I am normally against killer robots in outerspace), but I implore you to give this one a chance. Rent Season 1 and I guarantee you will not be disappointed. For the girls out there - Starbuck is the next Sydney Bristow - a girl who can kick ass, and look good doing it. This show is about humanity - real people trying to survive. If you liked Alias because you loved thinking about what "good vs. evil" really means, you'll love BSG. Seasons 3 starts this fall with a primetime spot.

Upcoming Shows (a list of show that I think look good for the fall, but obviously no committment yet!):

1. Heroes (NBC)*** (My choice for best new show next season!!!)
This one looks like X-Men (which I LOVE), without the superhero costumes. Its looks to be about self-discovery and acceptance. And our beloved Weiss will be starring!

2. Traveler (ABC)
This is the one about the college friends who get set up for an terrorist attack - and the only one who can save them looks like he never existed. I think this one isn't being shown until the mis-season change-up, but looks interesting for the mystery.

3. The Nine (ABC)
About the lives of nine hostages of a bank robbery, and what happened to them afterwards... looks like this could have great character development and flashbacks a la Lost.

4. 6 Degrees (ABC)
JJ's new show about 6 people who's lives intertwine, but they don't know it. Looks like character, character, character... I'm a little skeptical after JJ's fantastically crappy What About Brian.

5. Jericho (CBS)
About a small town isolated after a nuclear disaster. Has hints of Lost about it, but could be great like Invasion.

6. Vanished (Fox)
After a lot of research, I found out that this one is not just about a kidnapping, but really about a mystery that stretches back hundreds of years.... Rambaldi anyone??

Stay tuned as I use the summer months to dissect the new shows as new information becomes available.

Alias is Over

Nothing I could write would do justice to my favorite show. I'll tell you, until Season 4, it was all I could think about. Then, after recovering through a rocky first half, Season 4 recovered and Season 5 delivered. But with the cancellation of the series, as much as the writers/producers/cast of the show say that they got to end it "their way", it left all the questions unanswered. Sadly, I am disappointed. This show came back with a vengence, but did not give us the finale we deserved. Here are some of my thoughts:

So, Rambaldi's end game was really *not* revealed, in my opinion.... was it just living forever? And if you can't die, how did the clock fixer from Season 1 die from being shot? The only thing I liked about it was that Sloan will now forever be in a living tomb, trapped under some rocks.

Also, something that made me angry was the whole Cardinal subplot, mixed in with some Tom/Rachel lovin'. Any other season, I would have been game, but all I was thinking was WHO THE HELL CARES? Go back to the characters we actually care about!!

And does anyone know if Thomas was involved in the kidnapping of Rachel? It all seemed so suspicious, but nothing was confirmed! I'm leaning towards yes, because it made his noble death in the subway an easier choice. (He stayed behind to keep spraying the bomb with nitrogen to slow down the timer, but didn't have time to escape himself.)

And how anticlimatic was the revelation of the Horizon (if you can even call it a revelation.) So, that, too, would give Irena unending life? What did the Mueller device have to do with it? And although the opening scene was awesome, with all the photographs, highlighted with the last one taken as Sydney zooms down the side of a building (in Sydney, Australia no less!), it really seemed that the writers couldn't think of a good explaination for Prophet 5, so they just killed them off. So was it all a ploy for power? (Thus the London/Washington attack plan?) For money? For eternal life? For all three? I JUST DON'T KNOW!

What I did like was how evil Sloan & Irena turned out to be - at least we know they are definitely *bad*. I liked how Sark *kinda/sorta* had a problem with mass killings - and how they left room for him to have a spin off (I would definitely watch it over a Tom/Rachel/Peyton spin off!)

I also enjoyed the backstory of how Sydney came into the agencey - however, it wasn't necessary, because we already kind of knew how she was recruited.

I guess that's it for now - I may ramble more later. Tonight is Lost's season finale, which sadly promises to be a lot better than Alias'.

Oh - one more thing - I found it cheesy that they ended with the little "thank you note" to the audience, instead of the final "Alias" on the black screen.