TVSquad

This was hinted at a few months ago, but now it's official: on November 21, the same day the Alias 5th season DVD set is released (with tons of extras), Buena Vista is going to release a limited edition (40,000 copies) Complete Alias set. The set is going to come in a box that looks like a Rambaldi artifact, and will include 29 discs! The discs will have every single episode of the series, and there will be a bonus disc hidden inside a secret compartment in the set that will include many extras, including interviews with the cast and Jennifer Garner's first interview she ever did.

Not enough for you? The set will also include a hardcover book that will answer all of your Alias question, with an intro from J.J. Abrams himself. All this for only $200.

A few days ago I said I wanted the Complete West Wing set that was coming out this fall for Christmas. But if you wanted to buy this one for me instead I wouldn't mind. Your choice.

(S05E16/S05E17) TV finales can be so tricky. You want to please longtime fans, you want to bring some closure, but you still have to tell a good story. Some finales are great (Newhart, The Fugitive, Cheers), while others are downright horrible (Seinfeld, The X-Files). I'm happy to report that this episode ranked in the former category.  Was it perfect? No, not at all. But it certainly tired up all loose ends and provided a very entertaining last two hours. What else could you ask for?

ABC has been playing with the schedule lately, so it's sometimes hard to find out when our favorite shows are going to have their finales. The Grey's Anatomy season finale aired on a Monday, and that Oprah special got switched around because of the President's speech. And now, since Lost is having a two hour finale this Wednesday, Alias has to switch nights for its two hour series finale. (Lost gets first dibs over Alias on the ABC schedule, of course.)

The finale airs tonight at 9, and promises to answer all the important questions: what is the ultimate Rambaldi plan? Who will live and die? Will Sloane turn good again at the last second? What caused the crash of Flight 815?

Oh, wait, that's the other show.

(S05E15) It's funny that after five years of elaborate disguises, wearing tight dresses and bright red wigs and bright blue wigs and faking Eastern European accents, the biggest and most difficult disguise that Sydney Bristow has had to don is ... herself. Or, more accurately, Syd pretending to be Anna Espinosa pretending to be Syd. Kudos to Jennifer Garner for giving a good performance as Anna. She could have just played herself (since she was herself), but she plays it just differently enough to make you believe it's Anna underneath.

(S05E13) I like the disguise and accent that Syd uses at the start of this episode, on a mission with Renee' to steal a microchip at a call center in Jaipur. I think she was impersonating Kellie Pickler in five years.

While APO searches for Anna Espinosa, Sloane tries to use Prophet 5's cure for Nadia. But he has to kill her first ...

The ratings for the return episode of Alias last Wednesday were actually up 20% from the previous episode back in December. But it still wasn't enough to make an impact that night, as American Idol, The Amazing Race, Unanimous and Bones did better. The first hour tied for 9th on the night, while the second hour was 8th.

But who cares? The show is ending anyway! Ha!