[Previous entry: "Lost Finale"] [Next entry: "Rent and Other Stuff"]
05/27/2005: ""Well, for starters, my name isn't Michael Vaughn.""
I watched the Alias finale last night. Alias, like Lost, was created and produced by J.J. Abrahms. I've seen every episode of all four seasons of Alias. Seasons 1 and 2 are seriously incredible television. Season 3 was weaker, and Season 4 has had some good episodes, but has been lackluster on the whole. The cliffhanger at the end of season 2 is absolutely incredible. I didn't they'd top it. Well, turns out, they sorta did. They did the thing thing that Lost was supposed to do. They made me jump up out of bed, screaming "Holy Shit!" I even went and got my wife, who doesn't watch the show, just to show her how unexpected it was. If you haven't seen it and want to, don't click the read more link. Otherwise, check out how J.J. got this one right. (MAJOR SPOILERS)
Here's some quick background for non-viewers. For the last four seasons, Sidney Bristow and Michael Vaughn have been building a tremendous relationship. For the first season and a half, it was an insane flirtation, cuolminating in an amazing redefinition of the show (and initial kiss) after the super bowl in 2003. Season 2 ended with Sydney waking up from a fight (where she was knocked unconscious) to discover the more than two years had passed and that Vaughn had married another woman in the interim. It was jaw-dropping. Season three found her searching for her missing years and Vaughn discovering that he had married a double agent. Season 4 brought them back together, and in the penultimate episode, Vaughn propsed marriage to Sydney. In the last episode (the events of which were okay, but not that interesting), the final scene has Vaughn and Sydney heading off in a car on a vacation after the big battle. In the car, they agree to elope, so as to avoid all the wedding non-sense. Then Vaughn changes his tone.
(this is all paraphrased except the last line)
V: "Sydney, I love you."
S: "I love you, too."
V: "I love you so much, and I have to tell something about myself. So there are no secrets."
S: "What, Vaughn? I mean, you're not going to tell me you're a bad guy, right?"
V: (looks at her, with difficulty)
S: "Vaughn? You're not a bad guy, right?"
V: "Well, for starters, my name isn't Michael Vaughn."
S: (total disbelief, doesn't quite comprehend)
BAM!!! - A car smashes into their car, and the screen goes black.
They have just set up a complete redefinition of the charaacter of Michael Vaughn. Or whoever he is. Without explaining the whole history of the show, it's hard to detail how momentous this is, but Vaughn could easily be one of two or three very important but unseen people in Syd's life that have had a major influence on the show. It was also remarkably jarring... I was nodding off to sleep and this scene ripped me out of the fog - completely awake.
I wish Lost had been like this. It was phenom.