Maybe this was their strategy all along.
The extremely erratic fourth season of Alias finished with a bang (literally, but don't worry about Vaughn - no one ever seems to actually die on this show). The finale, along with the two episodes that aired the previous week, represented the very best this show can be and were easily the best hours of Alias since the second season. For the first time this year the show fully lived up to the promise of creator J.J. Abrams that things would be creatively back on track after a disappointing third season.
I don't think it's a coincidence that this sudden creative resurgence happened to coincide with the return of Lena Olin, reprising her role as Irina Derevko for the season's final two episodes. They might have been able to pull it off without her but it's impossible to deny Irina brought with her an emotional weight that has been greatly missed since she left. Olin is a fantastic performer, possibly the best to ever appear on the show, but more importantly her character seems to genuinely inspire the writers in a way no one else does.
Human drama was back in full force in the final hours, and the action was kickass. That perfect balance that made season two so exceptional was restored for a finale that brought together elements from the entire fourth season (and several prior seasons) for an exhilarating, surprising and entirely satisfying conclusion (are you listening 24 and Lost?).
In the finale, after a virus brings a Russian city to its knees, Sydney, Jack, Irina, Vaughn and Nadia race against time to stop the situation from occurring all over the globe. On the other side were Elena (Irina's sister and the woman who raised Nadia) and Sloane (Nadia's father, acting as a double agent but with murky intentions).
And that's the beauty of Alias at its best. The fact that all these characters were related upped the stakes significantly. Every betrayal, every showdown, every potential loss of life takes on greater emotional relevance.
And it didn't hurt that the finale was also just plain cool. It played out a little like a zombie movie but set against certain concepts that are deeply ingrained in the show (the Rambaldi prophecy, the Derevko sisters, Sloane's uncertain loyalties).
All this plus Vaughn proposed to Sydney. Alias fans couldn't ask for more.
If I have one complaint it would be about the lame way in which Dixon was sidelined. I love the character and Carl Lumbly, the actor who portrays him, but the writers really need to figure out a way to truly integrate him into the show. Come on, most people think there's one season left, think of something!
As for the new mysteries proposed (just who is Vaughn really?) we'll have to wait until next season to see if this is the start of something exciting or just another Sydney-wakes-up-two-years-in-the-future-because-we-don't-know-what-else-to-do style twist.
But I don't want to think about that now. Instead I'll just thank the TV gods that Alias, finally, lived up to its potential.
Finale Grade: A
Season Grade: B+
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