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''Alias'' is an American
action Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...
thriller and
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
television series created by
J. J. Abrams Jeffrey Jacob Abrams (born June 27, 1966) is an American filmmaker and composer. He is best known for his works in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. Abrams wrote and produced such films as '' Regarding Henry'' (1991), '' F ...
, which was broadcast on
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
for five seasons from September 30, 2001, to May 22, 2006. It stars
Jennifer Garner Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. Born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Garner studied theater at Denison University and began acting as an understudy for the Roundabout Theatre Compa ...
as
Sydney Bristow Sydney Anne Bristow (played by Jennifer Garner) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the television series ''Alias''. She is an American woman with a Russian-Canadian family background who works as a spy for the CIA. Sydney is dep ...
, a
double agent In the field of counterintelligence, a double agent is an employee of a secret intelligence service for one country, whose primary purpose is to spy on a target organization of another country, but who is now spying on their own country's organi ...
for the
Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
posing as an operative for
SD-6 Alliance of Twelve The Alliance of Twelve is a fictional international organized crime group in the television series ''Alias''. It is involved in the trade of intelligence and weapons as well as in blackmail. SD-6 is one of its subsidiary cell ...
, a worldwide criminal and
espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangibl ...
organization. Main co-stars throughout all five seasons included
Michael Vartan Michael S. Vartan (born November 27, 1968) is a French-American actor, known for his role as Michael Vaughn on the ABC television action drama ''Alias'', his role on the TNT medical drama '' Hawthorne'', and his role on the '' E!'' drama '' The A ...
as Michael Vaughn,
Ron Rifkin Ron Rifkin (born Saul M. Rifkin; October 31, 1939) is an American actor best known for his roles as Arvin Sloane on the spy drama '' Alias'', Saul Holden on the drama '' Brothers & Sisters'', and District Attorney Ellis Loew in '' L.A. Confiden ...
as
Arvin Sloane Arvin Sloane is a fictional character played by Ron Rifkin. He was the former director of SD-6 on the television series, ''Alias''. ''TV Guide'' included him in their 2013 list of The 60 Nastiest Villains of All Time.Bretts, Bruce; Roush, Matt; (M ...
, and
Victor Garber Victor Joseph Garber (born March 16, 1949) is a Canadian-American actor and singer. Known for his work in film, television, and theatre, he has been nominated for three Gemini Awards, four Tony Awards, and six Primetime Emmy Awards. He has also ...
as
Jack Bristow Jonathan "Jack" Donahue Bristow, played by Victor Garber, is a fictional character of the ABC television series '' Alias''. He is the father of the central character Sydney Bristow, played by Jennifer Garner. For playing the character, Garber r ...
. The first two seasons of ''Alias'' mainly explore Sydney's obligation to hide her true career from her friends and family as she assumes multiple aliases to carry out missions as well as her efforts to take down SD-6 with the help of the CIA. The series' later seasons deal with multiple
character Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
and
plot driven In a literary work, film, or other narrative, the plot is the sequence of events in which each event affects the next one through the principle of cause-and-effect. The causal events of a plot can be thought of as a series of events linked by th ...
storylines, with a recurring focus on the search for and recovery of artifacts created by
Milo Rambaldi The following is a partial list of characters from the TV series, ''Alias''. Overview Main characters Recurring characters McKenas Cole McKenas Cole was portrayed by Quentin Tarantino. Formerly an operative for SD-6, he defected from the ...
, a fictitious Renaissance-era figure with similarities to both
Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, Drawing, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially res ...
and
Nostradamus Michel de Nostredame (December 1503 – July 1566), usually Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed seer, who is best known for his book ''Les Prophéties'' (published in 1555), a collection o ...
. ''Alias'' was well received among critics and has been included in several "best of" lists, including the
American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Leade ...
's top ten list for television programs in 2003. The series also received numerous awards and nominations. ''Alias'' is considered to be part of a wave of television series from the late 1990s and early 2000s that feature
strong female character The strong female character is a stock character, the opposite of the damsel in distress. In the first half of the 20th century, the rise of mainstream feminism and the increased use of the concept in the later 20th century have reduced the concept ...
s, alongside ''
Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film of the same name, also written by W ...
'', '' Xena: Warrior Princess'', '' La Femme Nikita'', and '' Dark Angel''.


Plot


Season 1: 2001–2002

Seven years before the first episode,
Sydney Bristow Sydney Anne Bristow (played by Jennifer Garner) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the television series ''Alias''. She is an American woman with a Russian-Canadian family background who works as a spy for the CIA. Sydney is dep ...
was an undergraduate student. She was approached by someone who claimed to work for the
Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
and offered her a job as an agent. Having accepted, she was assigned to a unit called
SD-6 Alliance of Twelve The Alliance of Twelve is a fictional international organized crime group in the television series ''Alias''. It is involved in the trade of intelligence and weapons as well as in blackmail. SD-6 is one of its subsidiary cell ...
, which she was told was a secret "Black Ops" section of the CIA. She became a
field agent In espionage, a field agent is an agent who works in the field as opposed to one who operates at the office or headquarters. A field agent can work alone or in a group but usually has a case officer who is in charge. Field agents can be undercover ...
. In the pilot, she tells her fiancé Danny Hecht (played by
Edward Atterton Edward Atterton (born 24 January 1962 in Tamworth, Staffordshire, England) is an English actor and businessman.https://www.manta.com/c/mmd610z/london-jigsaw Biography Atterton was born in 1962 to Dr David Valentine Atterton (1927-2002),The Fou ...
) that she is a
spy Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangib ...
and as a result of her revealing SD-6's existence to him, Danny is murdered by SD-6. She discovers that her father
Jack Bristow Jonathan "Jack" Donahue Bristow, played by Victor Garber, is a fictional character of the ABC television series '' Alias''. He is the father of the central character Sydney Bristow, played by Jennifer Garner. For playing the character, Garber r ...
is also an SD-6 agent and that SD-6 is not part of the CIA; instead, it is part of the
Alliance of Twelve Alliance of Twelve The Alliance of Twelve is a fictional international organized crime group in the television series ''Alias''. It is involved in the trade of intelligence and weapons as well as in blackmail. SD-6 is one of its subsidiary cel ...
, an organization that is an enemy to the United States. Sydney decides to offer her services to the ''real'' CIA as a double agent. Having learned that her father is also a double agent for the CIA, she begins the long and arduous task of destroying SD-6 from the inside. Major plotlines from season 1 include Sydney hiding her triple identity from her friends, both in her personal life and in her SD-6 job,
Will Tippin William "Will" D. Tippin is a fictional character, portrayed by Bradley Cooper. He is one of Sydney Bristow's friends on the ABC television series '' Alias''. Character biography At the beginning of the series, Will was just Sydney Bristow's frie ...
's investigation into Danny's death, and the past activities of Sydney's mother. Sub-plots include Sydney's friendship with Francie, Francie's romantic relationship with Charlie, and Sydney's developing relationship with her CIA handler Michael Vaughn, of whom she is skeptical at first but grows to trust as her life becomes increasingly stressful. Season One focuses on the development of Sydney's character, and allows the audience to become familiar with her.


Season 2: 2002–2003

The second season begins with the introduction of
Irina Derevko Irina Derevko () is a fictional character on the television series ''Alias'', and a main character during the second season of the series. Irina, played by Lena Olin, is the mother of the central character, Sydney Bristow. Biography She is firs ...
, Sydney's mother, who soon becomes a key character in the series. Midway through the second season, the series underwent a "reboot" of sorts with Sydney successfully destroying SD-6 and becoming a regular agent for the CIA, still in pursuit of former SD-6 leader
Arvin Sloane Arvin Sloane is a fictional character played by Ron Rifkin. He was the former director of SD-6 on the television series, ''Alias''. ''TV Guide'' included him in their 2013 list of The 60 Nastiest Villains of All Time.Bretts, Bruce; Roush, Matt; (M ...
, his associate
Julian Sark Julian Sark is a recurring fictional character portrayed by David Anders on the ABC television series ''Alias''. The series follows Sydney Bristow, an operative working for an organization called SD-6 which she believes is a covert branch of the ...
, and the Rambaldi artifacts. Sydney's friends at SD-6,
Marcus Dixon Marcus Dwayne Dixon (born September 16, 1984) is an American football coach and a former defensive end in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He is the defensive line coac ...
and
Marshall Flinkman Marshall J. Flinkman is a fictional character on the television series, '' Alias''. Flinkman, portrayed by Kevin Weisman, is the tech geek at SD-6 and then later the CIA. When a field agent is sent on a mission, Marshall serves in a function sim ...
, are finally made aware of her dual identity and recruited into the CIA. Sydney also begins a romantic relationship with Vaughn, now that their relationship will not endanger them. In the second half of the season, it is revealed that
Francie Calfo Francine "Francie" Calfo is a fictional character on the television series ''Alias,'' portrayed by Merrin Dungey from 2001–03 and again in 2006. Initially the best friend of lead character Sydney Bristow ( Jennifer Garner), Francie is murdered ...
, Sydney's best friend, was murdered and replaced by Allison Doren, a woman who was transfigured to look exactly like her. Allison was then in a position to spy on Sydney and Will. The end of the season saw Will possibly murdered and Sydney killing Allison and then falling unconscious. Sydney awakens two years later in Hong Kong, unable to remember the two years that have passed. She soon learns that her friends and the CIA believed her to be dead, and Vaughn found a new love and is now married.


Season 3: 2003–2004

The third season takes place two years after the events of season 2, with Sydney having been missing and presumed dead. DNA evidence in a badly burned body confirmed her death to her family and friends. The truth, however, is that Sydney was kidnapped by a terrorist organization called The Covenant, who tried to brainwash her into believing she was an assassin named Julia Thorne. Eventually Sydney voluntarily had her memories of the two years erased in an attempt to forget some of the deeds she was forced to undertake as Julia and to ensure that one of Rambaldi's most dangerous artifacts would never be found. As Sydney recovers, she begins investigating her absence while reintegrating into the CIA. There she deals with the facts that
Arvin Sloane Arvin Sloane is a fictional character played by Ron Rifkin. He was the former director of SD-6 on the television series, ''Alias''. ''TV Guide'' included him in their 2013 list of The 60 Nastiest Villains of All Time.Bretts, Bruce; Roush, Matt; (M ...
had become a world-renowned humanitarian after being pardoned, and that Michael Vaughn had married NSC agent
Lauren Reed Lauren Reed is a fictional character played by Melissa George in the ABC television series '' Alias''. She is Michael Vaughn's wife during the third season of the series. Character biography Lauren is the daughter of Senator George and Olivia ...
. Reed is later revealed to be a member of the Covenant and a lover of
Julian Sark Julian Sark is a recurring fictional character portrayed by David Anders on the ABC television series ''Alias''. The series follows Sydney Bristow, an operative working for an organization called SD-6 which she believes is a covert branch of the ...
. The
National Security Council A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a na ...
plays a role as a government organization that holds massive unsupervised power, with a Guantanamo-like detention facility, considerable influence over the CIA, and driven by questionable motives. Sydney later discovers that her mother and Arvin Sloane had a child together, the result of an affair between the two years before Sydney's birth. She locates her half-sister, Nadia, and rescues her from being killed by the Covenant. At the end of the season, Sydney goes on a mission and encounters Lauren. After they battle, Lauren begins to taunt Sydney by saying she has information about her past. When Vaughn shows up, Sydney goes to him, leaving Lauren a chance to attack again. Vaughn shoots Lauren, and she dies, but before she does she gives Sydney the number of a security deposit box where she can find information about her past.


Season 4: 2005

Season 4 begins where season three ended: with Sydney uncovering a shocking, classified document called "S.A.B. 47 Project." It is explained that the document authorizes Jack Bristow to execute Sydney's mother, who mysteriously placed a contract on Sydney's life (this was apparently something of a
retcon Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which established diegetic facts in the plot of a fictional work (those established through the narrative itself) are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subs ...
to cover for actress Lena Olin presumably not returning to the series). The first page refers to Sydney as the "active" subject of a "project" that began on April 17, 1975, a possible reference to Project Christmas, and also setting up Jack as either the real head of (or somehow involved with) the Covenant and/or being a descendant of Rambaldi or Rambaldi himself. Sydney joins a
black op A black operation or black op is a covert or clandestine operation by a government agency, a military unit or a paramilitary organization; it can include activities by private companies or groups. Key features of a black operation are that it i ...
s division of the CIA, patterned after SD-6 and run by her one-time nemesis Arvin Sloane. The new division is dubbed "APO": '' Authorized Personnel Only''. Members of APO (all hand-picked by Sloane) include almost all of the recurring characters from previous seasons, including Jack, Vaughn, Sydney's former partner (and third-season CIA director)
Marcus Dixon Marcus Dwayne Dixon (born September 16, 1984) is an American football coach and a former defensive end in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He is the defensive line coac ...
, the computer and technical genius,
Marshall Flinkman Marshall J. Flinkman is a fictional character on the television series, '' Alias''. Flinkman, portrayed by Kevin Weisman, is the tech geek at SD-6 and then later the CIA. When a field agent is sent on a mission, Marshall serves in a function sim ...
, and Vaughn's best friend
Eric Weiss Eric Weiss is a fictional character, played by Greg Grunberg, from the television series '' Alias''. He is one of Sydney Bristow's CIA co-workers. Character biography Eric Weiss was a field agent at the CIA. He is a friend of most of the people ...
(brought in after having to be rescued by Sydney and Vaughn, who he previously believed to have left the CIA). Sloane's daughter and Sydney's half-sister
Nadia Santos Nadia Santos is a fictional character in the television series ''Alias'', and a main character during the series' fourth season. She is played by Mía Maestro. Biography Introduced near the end of the third season, Nadia is the daughter resulti ...
also eventually returns to join APO. During the season, an Arvin Sloane impostor, jokingly identified as "Arvin Clone", acquired the technology to implement a Rambaldi-predicted apocalypse. Using Omnifam, the real Sloane had polluted the world's drinking water with chemicals that caused feelings of peace and tranquility. However, these feelings can be reversed with the Mueller device. The third Derevko sister,
Elena Elena may refer to: People * Elena (given name), including a list of people and characters with this name * Joan Ignasi Elena (born 1968), Catalan politician * Francine Elena (born 1986), British poet Geography * Elena (town), a town in Veliko ...
, had built a giant Mueller device in Sovogda, Russia, which drove the residents to insanity. Sydney, Jack, Irina, Nadia, and Vaughn parachute in, destroy the device and kill Elena. But Nadia is injected with the tainted water and driven insane. She battles Sydney until Sloane is forced to shoot his own daughter. Nadia is later put into a coma while a cure is sought and Irina is allowed to escape. The season concludes with Sydney and Vaughn becoming engaged. On a trip to Santa Barbara, Vaughn confides a shocking secret: his name isn't really Michael Vaughn; their initial meeting wasn't coincidental; and that his allegiance may not be to the CIA. Before he can divulge any more information, another car crashes into theirs and the season ends.


Season 5: 2005–2006

As season five begins, Vaughn is abducted. Sydney learns that Vaughn is under suspicion of being a double agent and that the crash may have been a cover for his extraction. Vaughn later escapes and explains to Sydney that his real name is André Michaux. He reveals that he is investigating a secret operation known as
Prophet Five Alliance of Twelve The Alliance of Twelve is a fictional international organized crime group in the television series ''Alias''. It is involved in the trade of intelligence and weapons as well as in blackmail. SD-6 is one of its subsidiary cells ...
, which at one point involved his father. During a mission in recovering a Prophet Five book, Sydney receives a phone call from her doctor with some untimely news – she's pregnant. (This development was created to deal with the actress' real-life pregnancy.Gary Susma
Morning Sickness Becomes Elektra: Is Jennifer Garner pregnant? E! says sources confirm she's expecting a little Affleck,"
''Entertainment Weekly'', May 9, 2005.

, ''Entertainment Tonight'', July 27, 2005.
) Vaughn is later shot, and apparently killed, on orders of Prophet Five operative Gordon Dean. Four months later, as Sydney continues to investigate Vaughn's murder, she works with an assassin and associate of his,
Renée Rienne Renée Rienne (real name Renée Goursaud, alias ''Le Corbeau'', "The Raven") is a fictional character in the spy-fi television series '' Alias''. Played by Élodie Bouchez, she was introduced as a new character for the fifth season. Bouchez app ...
, in order to unearth the inner workings of Prophet Five, while at the same time trailing Dean and his criminal organization "The Shed", disguised as a black ops CIA division, very much like SD-6. Two new members are added to APO to replace Weiss, who moved to Washington, D.C. for a new job, and Nadia, who is still in a coma.
Thomas Grace Thomas Grace may refer to: * Thomas Grace (Archdeacon of Ardfert) (1770–1848), Irish priest * Thomas Grace (Archdeacon of Marlborough) (fl. 1873–1890), Anglican priest in New Zealand, son of the above * Thomas Grace (bishop of Sacramento) (1846 ...
is a brash young agent with unorthodox methods who often butts heads with Sydney. Rachel Gibson is a computer specialist who, like Sydney, was deceived into thinking she was working for the real CIA and briefly works as a mole within The Shed, as did Sydney within SD-6, before The Shed's destruction by Dean. Sydney's mom and dad help her deliver her baby girl while under attack in a high-rise in Vancouver, Canada, on a mission in season 5, episode 11: "Maternal Instinct." In an ongoing subplot, Arvin Sloane follows his own personal obsession, finding a cure for Nadia. Sloane is jailed for his actions during Season 4; however, he is released after the sentencing committee is manipulated by Dean. In exchange for his freedom, Sloane is now working for Dean as a mole within APO. Unaware of Sloane's new allegiance, Jack agrees to let Sloane rejoin APO and use its resources to seek a cure for his daughter. With the series' end, it emerges that Sloane's ultimate goal is that of immortality, for which he sacrifices his daughter Nadia's life. However, he is trapped in Rambaldi's tomb by a critically wounded Jack, who sacrifices himself via a bomb to avenge all the pain Sloane caused Sydney over the years. Thus moments after Sloane achieves immortality he is trapped for all of eternity in a cave, where even Nadia's ghost deserts him. Sydney tracks Sark and the Horizon to Hong Kong, finding Irina. After a final battle between them, Irina plunges to her death. The series ends with a flash forward to several years in the future. Sydney and Vaughn are semi-retired and married, with a second child named Jack in honour of Sydney's father. Daughter Isabelle exhibits the same ability to complete the CIA test that marked Sydney's inborn skills to be an ideal agent at that age. After Isabelle completes the puzzle, Sydney calls to her from outside, asking what she is doing. She responds by saying, "Nothing", as she casually knocks it over before running outside to join everyone.


Cast


Main characters

''Alias'' featured an ensemble cast portraying the various people in Sydney's life. During the course of the series, every main character becomes involved in the world of espionage in some form or another. *
Sydney Bristow Sydney Anne Bristow (played by Jennifer Garner) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the television series ''Alias''. She is an American woman with a Russian-Canadian family background who works as a spy for the CIA. Sydney is dep ...
(
Jennifer Garner Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. Born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Garner studied theater at Denison University and began acting as an understudy for the Roundabout Theatre Compa ...
), the daughter of Jack Bristow and Irina Derevko, is a graduate student in English in Los Angeles. She moonlights as an operative for
SD-6 Alliance of Twelve The Alliance of Twelve is a fictional international organized crime group in the television series ''Alias''. It is involved in the trade of intelligence and weapons as well as in blackmail. SD-6 is one of its subsidiary cell ...
, which she initially believed was a
black op A black operation or black op is a covert or clandestine operation by a government agency, a military unit or a paramilitary organization; it can include activities by private companies or groups. Key features of a black operation are that it i ...
s division of the
CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
. Her fiancé was murdered in the pilot episode, and she then learned SD-6 is actually a branch of an international criminal organization known as the
Alliance of Twelve Alliance of Twelve The Alliance of Twelve is a fictional international organized crime group in the television series ''Alias''. It is involved in the trade of intelligence and weapons as well as in blackmail. SD-6 is one of its subsidiary cel ...
. She then becomes a double agent for the real CIA. She would later become a member of APO, a black-ops division of the CIA. Sydney has 41 confirmed kills through the series. *
Arvin Sloane Arvin Sloane is a fictional character played by Ron Rifkin. He was the former director of SD-6 on the television series, ''Alias''. ''TV Guide'' included him in their 2013 list of The 60 Nastiest Villains of All Time.Bretts, Bruce; Roush, Matt; (M ...
(
Ron Rifkin Ron Rifkin (born Saul M. Rifkin; October 31, 1939) is an American actor best known for his roles as Arvin Sloane on the spy drama '' Alias'', Saul Holden on the drama '' Brothers & Sisters'', and District Attorney Ellis Loew in '' L.A. Confiden ...
) was the head of SD-6 and APO, the show's main antagonist. Originally a loyal CIA officer, he is obsessed with the work of a 15th-century prophet, Milo Rambaldi. Though sometimes showing a genuine affection to the Bristows, he is always ready to hurt them and even kill them, and vice versa. * Michael Vaughn (
Michael Vartan Michael S. Vartan (born November 27, 1968) is a French-American actor, known for his role as Michael Vaughn on the ABC television action drama ''Alias'', his role on the TNT medical drama '' Hawthorne'', and his role on the '' E!'' drama '' The A ...
) was Sydney's CIA handler and later partner. He and Sydney share a mutual attraction, which eventually leads to a relationship. At the end of Season 4, it is revealed that it was not a coincidence that he met Sydney. Despite departing in season 5 as a series regular, Vartan's character was still credited as a main cast member in the first episode then special guest star in the latter part of the season. *
Will Tippin William "Will" D. Tippin is a fictional character, portrayed by Bradley Cooper. He is one of Sydney Bristow's friends on the ABC television series '' Alias''. Character biography At the beginning of the series, Will was just Sydney Bristow's frie ...
(
Bradley Cooper Bradley Charles Cooper (born January 5, 1975) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and two Grammy Awards, in addition to nominations for nine Academy Awards, si ...
) was a reporter for a local newspaper, and he is one of Sydney's two best friends. After the death of Sydney's fiancé, Will begins to investigate, and eventually learns of the existence of SD-6. The discovery threatens his life, but he later is recruited as an analyst for the CIA. He is put into witness protection at the beginning of Season Three. The character makes occasional guest appearances in later seasons. *
Francie Calfo Francine "Francie" Calfo is a fictional character on the television series ''Alias,'' portrayed by Merrin Dungey from 2001–03 and again in 2006. Initially the best friend of lead character Sydney Bristow ( Jennifer Garner), Francie is murdered ...
(
Merrin Dungey Merrin Melissa Dungey (born August 6, 1971) is an American film and television actress, known for her roles on the television series '' The King of Queens'', ''Alias'', '' Malcolm in the Middle'', '' Summerland'', '' Conviction'', '' The Resident ...
) is Sydney's other best friend. When Season 1 begins, she is Sydney's roommate and fellow graduate student. In Season 2, she drops out of her graduate program and opens a restaurant in the
Silver Lake Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
neighborhood of Los Angeles. She remains largely unaware of the spy world until the middle of season two when she is killed and her identity is stolen by a doppelgänger. She (and her double) also dated Will during the second season. *
Marcus Dixon Marcus Dwayne Dixon (born September 16, 1984) is an American football coach and a former defensive end in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He is the defensive line coac ...
(
Carl Lumbly Carl Winston Lumbly (born August 14, 1951) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Dick Hallorann in '' Doctor Sleep'', NYPD detective Marcus Petrie on the CBS police drama ''Cagney & Lacey'', CIA agent Marcus Dixon on the ABC esp ...
) is Sydney's partner and friend at SD-6. He is the first one to notice signs of Sydney's betrayal, but dismisses his thoughts as foolish. During the two-year gap between the second and third season, he became a director at the CIA. However, he later resigns as he thinks the office job just is not for him. Dixon later joins APO. *
Marshall Flinkman Marshall J. Flinkman is a fictional character on the television series, '' Alias''. Flinkman, portrayed by Kevin Weisman, is the tech geek at SD-6 and then later the CIA. When a field agent is sent on a mission, Marshall serves in a function sim ...
(
Kevin Weisman Kevin Glen Weisman (born December 29, 1970) is an American film, television and stage actor. Career highlights thus far include his lauded portrayal of Marshall Flinkman on the critically acclaimed J.J. Abrams television series ''Alias'', whi ...
) worked in tech support at SD-6. He takes up the same role in the CIA and at APO. Even though he is not field-trained, he has participated in missions on several occasions. *
Jack Bristow Jonathan "Jack" Donahue Bristow, played by Victor Garber, is a fictional character of the ABC television series '' Alias''. He is the father of the central character Sydney Bristow, played by Jennifer Garner. For playing the character, Garber r ...
(
Victor Garber Victor Joseph Garber (born March 16, 1949) is a Canadian-American actor and singer. Known for his work in film, television, and theatre, he has been nominated for three Gemini Awards, four Tony Awards, and six Primetime Emmy Awards. He has also ...
) is Sydney's father, and also works for SD-6, but he is actually a double agent for the CIA. In Season 1, his relationship with Sydney is strained. He was devastated by her mother's "death," and kept Sydney at arm's length for the rest of her childhood. As a CIA agent, he is exceptionally ruthless and skillful as evidenced by his CIA
call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assigne ...
, "
Raptor Raptor or RAPTOR may refer to: Animals The word "raptor" refers to several groups of bird-like dinosaurs which primarily capture and subdue/kill prey with their talons. * Raptor (bird) or bird of prey, a bird that primarily hunts and feeds on ...
." After Sloane left, Jack took over as head of APO. *
Eric Weiss Eric Weiss is a fictional character, played by Greg Grunberg, from the television series '' Alias''. He is one of Sydney Bristow's CIA co-workers. Character biography Eric Weiss was a field agent at the CIA. He is a friend of most of the people ...
(
Greg Grunberg Gregory Phillip Grunberg (born July 11, 1966) is an American film and television actor best known for starring as Eric Weiss in the ABC series ''Alias'', Matt Parkman in the NBC series ''Heroes'', Temmin "Snap" Wexley in '' Star Wars: The Force ...
) is a friend of Vaughn's, and also a CIA agent. He later forges a relationship with Sydney's sister, Nadia. Against his over-the-top colleagues, he keeps a more human and gentle demeanor. *
Julian Sark Julian Sark is a recurring fictional character portrayed by David Anders on the ABC television series ''Alias''. The series follows Sydney Bristow, an operative working for an organization called SD-6 which she believes is a covert branch of the ...
( David Anders) is originally introduced as an operative working for Sydney's mother, but he later proves to be an antagonist on his own. He has an instinct for self-preservation, thus making his loyalty flexible. During the third season, he becomes the partner-in-crime of Vaughn's wife, Lauren, and eventually begins a relationship with her. *
Irina Derevko Irina Derevko () is a fictional character on the television series ''Alias'', and a main character during the second season of the series. Irina, played by Lena Olin, is the mother of the central character, Sydney Bristow. Biography She is firs ...
(
Lena Olin Lena Maria Jonna Olin (; born 22 March 1955) is a Swedish actress. She has received nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. Mentored by filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, she made her screen de ...
) was a former Russian spy, and she is also the mother of Sydney Bristow. During the 1970s, she was sent to the United States, with the objective to seduce and marry Jack Bristow so she could steal information from him about a project he was working on. She has also assassinated several CIA officers, including Vaughn's father. *
Lauren Reed Lauren Reed is a fictional character played by Melissa George in the ABC television series '' Alias''. She is Michael Vaughn's wife during the third season of the series. Character biography Lauren is the daughter of Senator George and Olivia ...
(
Melissa George Melissa George (born 6 August 1976) is an Australian actress and entrepreneur. A former national artistic rollerskating champion and model, George began her acting career playing Angel Parrish in the Australian soap opera Home and Away (1993– ...
) is a NSC liaison at the CIA, and marries Vaughn during the two-year gap between the second and third season. She is later revealed to be a mole sent by The Covenant to watch over Vaughn should Sydney contact him during her involvement with them and also to steal crucial information from the CIA. *
Nadia Santos Nadia Santos is a fictional character in the television series ''Alias'', and a main character during the series' fourth season. She is played by Mía Maestro. Biography Introduced near the end of the third season, Nadia is the daughter resulti ...
(
Mía Maestro Mía Maestro (born 19 June 1978) is an Argentine actress and singer. She is known for her roles as Nora Martinez in '' The Strain'', Nadia Santos in the television drama '' Alias'', as Christina Kahlo in ''Frida'', as Carmen in '' The Twilight ...
) is Sydney's half-sister, and the daughter of Irina Derevko and Arvin Sloane. Introduced at the end of the third season, she is "The Passenger," a person who provides a direct line to Rambaldi. Prior to joining the CIA, she worked for the Argentine Intelligence. * Rachel Gibson ( Rachel Nichols) is a computer genius introduced at the beginning of Season Five as an operative working for an organization that poses as the CIA, known as The Shed. Unaware of this, she indirectly helps to apparently kill Michael Vaughn. After the truth is revealed to her, she joins the CIA in order to take down the organization that had lied to her, much like Sydney did years before. *
Thomas Grace Thomas Grace may refer to: * Thomas Grace (Archdeacon of Ardfert) (1770–1848), Irish priest * Thomas Grace (Archdeacon of Marlborough) (fl. 1873–1890), Anglican priest in New Zealand, son of the above * Thomas Grace (bishop of Sacramento) (1846 ...
(
Balthazar Getty Paul Balthazar Getty (; born January 22, 1975) is an American actor and musician. His acting debut was in ''Lord of the Flies'' (1990) as Ralph. He went on to appear in '' Lost Highway'' (1997) and had a recurring role as Richard Montana in ''Cha ...
) is an operative who is hired by Jack to join APO after the apparent death of Michael Vaughn. Years ago, his wife was shot and killed by an assassin who was intending to kill him. *
Renée Rienne Renée Rienne (real name Renée Goursaud, alias ''Le Corbeau'', "The Raven") is a fictional character in the spy-fi television series '' Alias''. Played by Élodie Bouchez, she was introduced as a new character for the fifth season. Bouchez app ...
(
Élodie Bouchez Élodie Bouchez-Bangalter (born 5 April 1973) is a French actress. She became internationally known for her role as Renée Rienne on the fifth and final season of the television show ''Alias'' and for playing Maïté Alvarez in the film '' Wild ...
) is an international terrorist known as "The Raven," who worked for years with Vaughn to investigate a group of people known as "The Prophet Five." After Vaughn's assassination by the Prophet Five, she allies with Sydney to take down the group. *
Kelly Peyton The following is a partial list of characters from the TV series, '' Alias''. Overview Main characters Recurring characters McKenas Cole McKenas Cole was portrayed by Quentin Tarantino. Formerly an operative for SD-6, he defected from the ...
(
Amy Acker Amy Louise Acker (born December 5, 1976) is an American actress. She is best known for starring as Winifred Burkle and Illyria on the supernatural drama series ''Angel'' (2001–2004), as Kelly Peyton on the action drama series ''Alias'' (2005 ...
) is a friend and former colleague of Rachel's. She works for The Shed, and later directly for the Prophet Five. Together with Derevko sisters, or maybe more, she is the most ruthless character of the show.


Recurring characters

Characters are listed in order of appearance on the show. In addition, ''Alias'' also featured many other famous actors in roles ranging from single-episode guest appearances to semi-recurring characters, including
Jonathan Banks Jonathan Ray Banks (born January 31, 1947) is an American actor. Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Chillum Heights, Maryland, while attending Indiana University Bloomington Banks did theatre. In 1974, he moved to Los Angeles where he be ...
as Frederick Brandon,
Raymond J. Barry Raymond John Barry (born March 14, 1939) is an American film, television, and stage actor. He was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his performance in the film ''Steel City (film), Steel City''. Personal life ...
as Senator George Reed,
Tobin Bell Tobin may refer to: Name * Tobin (surname) * Tobin (given name) Places in the United States * Tobin, California * Tobin Bridge, near Boston, Massachusetts * Tobin Range, a mountain range in Nevada * Tobin Township, Perry County, Indiana * Tobi ...
as Karl Dreyer,
Peter Berg Peter Berg (born March 11, 1964) is an American director, producer, writer, and actor. His directorial film works include the black comedy ''Very Bad Things'' (1998), the action comedy ''The Rundown'' (2003), the sports drama '' Friday Night Lig ...
as Noah Hicks,
David Carradine David Carradine ( ; born John Arthur Carradine Jr.; December 8, 1936 – June 3, 2009) was an American actor best known for playing martial arts roles. He is perhaps best known as the star of the 1970s television series ''Kung Fu'', playi ...
as Conrad,
David Cronenberg David Paul Cronenberg (born March 15, 1943) is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror genre, with his films exploring visceral bodily transformation ...
as Dr. Brezzel,
Faye Dunaway Dorothy Faye Dunaway (born January 14, 1941) is an American actress. She is the recipient of many accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and a BAFTA Award. In 2011, the government of France mad ...
as Ariana Kane,
Griffin Dunne Thomas Griffin Dunne (; born June 8, 1955) is an American actor, film producer, and film director. Dunne studied acting at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City. He is known for portraying Jack Goodman in '' An Amer ...
as Leonid Lisenker,
Vivica A. Fox Vivica Anjanetta Fox (born July 30, 1964) is an American actress, producer, and television host. Fox began her career on ''Soul Train'' (19821983). She eventually continued her career with roles on the daytime television soap operas ''Days of O ...
as Toni Cummings, Ricky Gervais as Daniel Ryan, John Hannah as Martin Shepard,
Rutger Hauer Rutger Oelsen Hauer (; 23 January 1944 – 19 July 2019) was a Dutch actor. In 1999, he was named by the Dutch public as the Best Dutch Actor of the Century. Hauer's career began in 1969 with the title role in the Dutch television series ' ...
as Anthony Geiger,
Ethan Hawke Ethan Green Hawke (born November 6, 1970) is an American actor and film director. He has been nominated for four Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award. Hawke has directed three feature films, three off-Broadway plays, and a doc ...
as James Lennox,
Djimon Hounsou Djimon Gaston Hounsou (; ; born April 24, 1964) is a Beninese-American actor and model. He began his career appearing in music videos. He made his film debut in '' Without You I'm Nothing'' (1990) and earned widespread recognition for his role as ...
as Kazari Bomani,
Richard Lewis Richard, Rich, Richie, Rick, Ricky or Dick Lewis may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Richard Field Lewis Jr. (1907–1957), American radio network owner * Dick "Rocko" Lewis (Richard Henry Lewis III, 1908–1966), American entertainer * Rich ...
as Mitchell Yaeger,
Peggy Lipton Margaret Ann Lipton (August 30, 1946 – May 11, 2019) was an American actress, model, and singer. She made appearances in many of the most popular television shows of the 1960s before she landed her defining role as flower child Julie Barnes i ...
as Olivia Reed, Sir Roger Moore as Edward Poole,
Richard Roundtree Richard Roundtree (born July 9, 1942) is an American actor. Roundtree is noted as being "the first black action hero" for his portrayal of private detective John Shaft in the 1971 film ''Shaft'', and its four sequels, released between 1972 and 2 ...
as Thomas Brill,
Jason Segel Jason Jordan Segel ( ; born January 18, 1980) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Marshall Eriksen in the CBS sitcom '' How I Met Your Mother'', as well as for his work with director and ...
as Sam Hauser,
Christian Slater Christian Michael Leonard Slater (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor and producer. He made his film debut with a leading role in ''The Legend of Billie Jean'' (1985) and gained wider recognition for his breakthrough role as Jason "J.D." D ...
as Neil Caplan,
Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, dark humor, non-linear storylines, cameos, ensembl ...
as McKenas Cole,
Justin Theroux Justin Paul Theroux (; born August 10, 1971) is an American actor and filmmaker. He gained recognition for his work with director David Lynch in the mystery film ''Mulholland Drive'' (2001) and the thriller film ''Inland Empire'' (2006). He also ...
as Simon Walker,
Keone Young Keone Joseph Young is an American actor. He is best known for his television roles as Dr. Michael Kwan in '' Kay O'Brien'' (1986), Mr. Wu in '' Deadwood'' (2004–2006) and as the dual roles of Judge Robert Chong and Mr. Wan in ''The Young and t ...
as Professor Choy, and
Danny Trejo Danny Trejo ( ; born May 16, 1944) is an American actor. He has appeared in films including ''Desperado'', ''Heat'', and the ''From Dusk Till Dawn'' film series. With frequent collaborator and his second cousin Robert Rodriguez, he portrayed ...
as Emilio Vargas.


Production and crew

Produced by
Touchstone Television The second incarnation of Touchstone Television (formerly known as Fox 21 Television Studios) was an American television production company that is a subsidiary of Disney Media Networks' Walt Disney Television owned by The Walt Disney Company. It ...
and
Bad Robot Productions Bad Robot is an American film and television production company founded on May 27, 1999 and led by J. J. Abrams and Katie McGrath as Co-CEO. Under its Bad Robot Productions division, the company is responsible for the television series ''Alias' ...
, film production primarily took place in the greater Los Angeles area. Studio shooting primarily took place at the Walt Disney Studios in
Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, w ...
, along with some outdoor shots near some of the studio's famous buildings (such as the original Animation Building or the ABC building, which appeared as a building in Hong Kong in the season 1 episode "The Coup"). Despite its worldwide locales, only one episode was ever filmed outside the Los Angeles region, in
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
,
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
. *
J. J. Abrams Jeffrey Jacob Abrams (born June 27, 1966) is an American filmmaker and composer. He is best known for his works in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. Abrams wrote and produced such films as '' Regarding Henry'' (1991), '' F ...
– executive producer *
John Eisendrath John Eisendrath is an American television series producer and writer. He created and served as the executive producer and showrunner for the series ''Outlaw'', ''Playmakers'', and currently serves as executive producer on NBC's '' The Blacklist' ...
– executive producer (Season 1–3) *
Alex Kurtzman Alexander Hilary Kurtzman (born September 7, 1973) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for his work on the ''Star Trek'' franchise since 2009, co-writing the scripts to ''Transformers'' (2007), '' Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'' and ...
– executive producer (Season 2–3) *
Roberto Orci Roberto Gaston Orcí (born July 20, 1973) is a Mexican-American film and television screenwriter and producer. He began his longtime collaboration with Alex Kurtzman while at school in California. Together they have been employed on television ...
– executive producer (Season 2–3) *
Jeffrey Bell Jeffrey Jackson Bell is an American writer and producer best known for his work on television. He began his career writing for '' The X-Files'', where he stayed for three seasons, then became a writer/director/producer on '' Angel'', becoming it ...
– executive producer (Season 4–5) *
Jeff Pinkner Jeff Pinkner (born November 16, 1964) is an American television and movie writer and producer. Life and career Born to a Jewish family,Jesse Alexander Jesse Alexander is an American television writer and producer. He was a co-executive producer and writer on '' Heroes''. Originally from Santa Barbara, California, Alexander attended Sarah Lawrence College and AFI Conservatory. At Sarah Lawrenc ...
– executive producer (Season 5)


Themes

* Family: Describing the family aspects of the show, Garner stated that ''Alias'' is about "this woman and her father and trying to figure out what is always a complicated relationship in the context of life and death at work." *
Prophecy In religion, a prophecy is a message that has been communicated to a person (typically called a '' prophet'') by a supernatural entity. Prophecies are a feature of many cultures and belief systems and usually contain divine will or law, or pr ...
: A good deal of ''Alias'' revolves around the
prophecies In religion, a prophecy is a message that has been communicated to a person (typically called a ''prophet'') by a supernatural entity. Prophecies are a feature of many cultures and belief systems and usually contain divine will or law, or prete ...
of
Milo Rambaldi The following is a partial list of characters from the TV series, ''Alias''. Overview Main characters Recurring characters McKenas Cole McKenas Cole was portrayed by Quentin Tarantino. Formerly an operative for SD-6, he defected from the ...
. The viewer is first introduced to a prophecy about a woman who will "render the greatest power unto utter desolation". Later, as Sloane completes part of the Rambaldi prophecy he has received his own prophetic message. The Rambaldi storyline seemed to come to a close with the conclusion of
Elena Derevko The following is a partial list of characters from the TV series, ''Alias''. Overview Main characters Recurring characters McKenas Cole McKenas Cole was portrayed by Quentin Tarantino. Formerly an operative for SD-6, he defected from the o ...
's endgame at the end of season four, but the fifth season introduced its own "prophet" (also in pursuit of Rambaldi) in the form of the mysterious organization known as
Prophet Five Alliance of Twelve The Alliance of Twelve is a fictional international organized crime group in the television series ''Alias''. It is involved in the trade of intelligence and weapons as well as in blackmail. SD-6 is one of its subsidiary cells ...
, which ended up being a reference to Rambaldi and the final part of his endgame, immortality, which had been set up in the first season, though this was only one part of his plan. The first part was world peace, which
Elena Derevko The following is a partial list of characters from the TV series, ''Alias''. Overview Main characters Recurring characters McKenas Cole McKenas Cole was portrayed by Quentin Tarantino. Formerly an operative for SD-6, he defected from the o ...
perverted and attempted in Season 4. *
Trust Trust often refers to: * Trust (social science), confidence in or dependence on a person or quality It may also refer to: Business and law * Trust law, a body of law under which one person holds property for the benefit of another * Trust (bus ...
and
betrayal Betrayal is the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust, or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organizations or between individuals and organizations. ...
: Much of the first three seasons of the show revolved around issues of
trust Trust often refers to: * Trust (social science), confidence in or dependence on a person or quality It may also refer to: Business and law * Trust law, a body of law under which one person holds property for the benefit of another * Trust (bus ...
and
betrayal Betrayal is the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust, or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organizations or between individuals and organizations. ...
. Most obvious is the betrayal of Sydney by
SD-6 Alliance of Twelve The Alliance of Twelve is a fictional international organized crime group in the television series ''Alias''. It is involved in the trade of intelligence and weapons as well as in blackmail. SD-6 is one of its subsidiary cell ...
which starts the show. However, the show includes numerous other examples of betrayal including Irina's betrayal of Jack, Sloane's betrayal of the Alliance, Sydney's betrayal of SD-6 and Sydney's lying to her friends. The first season can be viewed as a story of Sydney learning to trust her father and the second season can be viewed as Sydney struggling with trust issues relating to her mother. *
Clandestine operation A clandestine operation is an intelligence or military operation carried out in such a way that the operation goes unnoticed by the general population or specific enemy forces. Until the 1970s, clandestine operations were primarily political in ...
s: The government agencies that Sydney works for are conducting secret operations in various countries regularly. The same applies of course to the mentioned illegal agencies which are battled against. Those clandestine operations deal with collecting the sought-after Rambaldi artifacts, but also with aspects like illegal arms trade or blackmailing. To further their objectives, the
CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
or APO, respectively, arrest criminals from other countries and bring them to interrogation facilities of the CIA.


Costumes, hair and wigs

Head Hair Designer Michael Reitz was nominated for Outstanding Hairstyling for a Series at the Emmys 5 years in a row (2002–2006); as well as 3 nominations and 1 win at the Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards. Notable contributions to the hair stylist team include: * Karen Bartek (3 Emmy Award nominations) * Julie Woods (1 Emmy Award nomination) * Grace Hernandez (1 Emmy Award nomination) * Kathrine Rees (1 Emmy Award nomination) * Yesmin Osman (1 Emmy Award nomination) ''Alias'' was also known for the variety of its costumes. ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' wrote that the show "features the most outrageous array of sexy costumes since ''
Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
'' went off the air". Laura Goldsmith was the costume designer and she received one Costume Designers Guild Award nomination.


Reception


Critical response

The New York edition of '' Time Out'' listed the show in their top 50 TV shows of the decade 2000 – 2009. ''Alias'' also appeared in
UGO.com UGO Entertainment, Inc. was a website that provided coverage of online media in entertainment, targeting males aged 18–34. The company was based in New York, New York, United States. History The company started in 1997 as Unified Gamers Online ...
's list of Top 50 TV Shows of All Time. In 2010,
Kristin dos Santos Kristin dos Santos (née Veitch; born February 24, 1975) is an American entertainment reporter, writer and host, specializing in the coverage of television, award shows and all things Hollywood. She is best known as E!’s resident TV (and award- ...
of E! ranked it number 4 on her list, "Top 20 TV Series of the Past 20 Years".


U.S. television ratings

Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of ''Alias'' on
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
. The season 2 episode " Phase One" aired as a lead-out for Super Bowl XXXVII. Despite earning critical acclaim from ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'', and achieving series-high ratings of 17.4 million viewers, it was unable to fully benefit from the post-Super Bowl time slot due to ABC airing a 40-minute post-game show (unusually long even by Super Bowl standards), which pushed its start time past 11:00 p.m. ET. The episode retained only 19 percent of the Super Bowl audience, and has the dubious distinction of earning the lowest overall ratings for a program airing after a
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
since at least 1987, and the lowest rating ever (8.3 rating) in the age 18–49 demographic for a post-Super Bowl program, until ''
Elementary Elementary may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''Elementary'' (Cindy Morgan album), 2001 * ''Elementary'' (The End album), 2007 * ''Elementary'', a Melvin "Wah-Wah Watson" Ragin album, 1977 Other uses in arts, entertainment, a ...
'' in 2013. Its ratings peak was reached in its fourth season, when ABC moved the program to Wednesday, in a 9:00 p.m. time slot following another (yet more successful)
J. J. Abrams Jeffrey Jacob Abrams (born June 27, 1966) is an American filmmaker and composer. He is best known for his works in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. Abrams wrote and produced such films as '' Regarding Henry'' (1991), '' F ...
' drama, ''
Lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...
'', while airing the season's episodes in (almost) consecutive weeks beginning with the January 5, 2005, 2-hour season premiere (watched by 15.8 million viewers; the second most-watched episode in the series) and ending in May 2005. However, the fourth season was the only season in which this near-consecutive-week schedule was used, and the increase in audience numbers was minimal, as it faced competition from the results broadcasts of
season 4 Season 4 may refer to: * "Season 4" (''30 Rock'' episode), an episode of ''30 Rock'' See also * * Season One (disambiguation) * Season 2 (disambiguation) Season 2 may refer to: * ''Season 2'' (Infinite album) * '' 2econd Season'' See also * ...
of ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
'', then nearing the peak of its popularity. Coming off its most-watched season, ''Alias'' was moved to Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. in the fall of 2005 by ABC in an effort to invigorate the network's weak Thursday-night lineup. However, the move proved unsuccessful for the series, receiving the lowest viewership in the show's history. ''Alias'' became another scripted show in the history of ABC to not survive more than a year in this timeslot since ''
Mork & Mindy ''Mork & Mindy'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 14, 1978, to May 27, 1982. A spin-off after a highly successful episode of ''Happy Days'', "My Favorite Orkan", it starred Robin Williams as Mork, an extraterrest ...
'' was cancelled in 1982. In November 2005, ABC announced that the current fifth season of ''Alias'' would be its final one. ABC then temporarily aired ''Alias'' on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. in December, receiving the lead-in support of ''Lost''. The ABC network gave the show a 4-month hiatus (allowing Jennifer Garner to give birth to her first child); however, when it was brought back in April 2006, its new time slot was Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. Notwithstanding, the viewer numbers still remained dismal, culminating in a 2-hour series finale airing on Monday, May 22, 2006 (broadcast against both the season finales of the hit dramas,
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
's '' 24'' and
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
' ''
CSI: Miami ''CSI: Miami'' (''Crime Scene Investigation: Miami'') is an American police procedural drama television series that ran from September 23, 2002 until April 8, 2012 on CBS. Featuring David Caruso as Lieutenant Horatio Caine, Emily Procter as Dete ...
'') which attracted 6.68 million viewers. In comparison, the first season averaged 9.7 million viewers.


Awards and nominations


Awards won

;Golden Globe Awards: * Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama
Jennifer Garner Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. Born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Garner studied theater at Denison University and began acting as an understudy for the Roundabout Theatre Compa ...
(2002) ;Saturn Awards: * Best Network Television Series (2003) * Best Actress in a Television Series
Jennifer Garner Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. Born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Garner studied theater at Denison University and began acting as an understudy for the Roundabout Theatre Compa ...
(2003) * Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series
Victor Garber Victor Joseph Garber (born March 16, 1949) is a Canadian-American actor and singer. Known for his work in film, television, and theatre, he has been nominated for three Gemini Awards, four Tony Awards, and six Primetime Emmy Awards. He has also ...
(2003) * Cinescape Genre Female Face of the Future
Melissa George Melissa George (born 6 August 1976) is an Australian actress and entrepreneur. A former national artistic rollerskating champion and model, George began her acting career playing Angel Parrish in the Australian soap opera Home and Away (1993– ...
(2004) ;Screen Actors Guild Awards: * Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Jennifer Garner Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. Born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Garner studied theater at Denison University and began acting as an understudy for the Roundabout Theatre Compa ...
(2004)


Awards nominated

;Emmy Awards: * Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Jennifer Garner Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. Born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Garner studied theater at Denison University and began acting as an understudy for the Roundabout Theatre Compa ...
(2002–2005) * Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Victor Garber Victor Joseph Garber (born March 16, 1949) is a Canadian-American actor and singer. Known for his work in film, television, and theatre, he has been nominated for three Gemini Awards, four Tony Awards, and six Primetime Emmy Awards. He has also ...
(2002–2004) * Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (2002)
J. J. Abrams Jeffrey Jacob Abrams (born June 27, 1966) is an American filmmaker and composer. He is best known for his works in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. Abrams wrote and produced such films as '' Regarding Henry'' (1991), '' F ...
* Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Lena Olin Lena Maria Jonna Olin (; born 22 March 1955) is a Swedish actress. She has received nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. Mentored by filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, she made her screen de ...
(2003) ;Golden Globe Awards: * Best Television Series – Drama (2002) * Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama
Jennifer Garner Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. Born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Garner studied theater at Denison University and began acting as an understudy for the Roundabout Theatre Compa ...
(2003–2005) ;Saturn Awards * Best Network Television Series (2004–2005) * Best Actress in a Television Series
Jennifer Garner Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. Born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Garner studied theater at Denison University and began acting as an understudy for the Roundabout Theatre Compa ...
(2004) * Best Actor in a Television Series
Michael Vartan Michael S. Vartan (born November 27, 1968) is a French-American actor, known for his role as Michael Vaughn on the ABC television action drama ''Alias'', his role on the TNT medical drama '' Hawthorne'', and his role on the '' E!'' drama '' The A ...
(2004) * Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series
Victor Garber Victor Joseph Garber (born March 16, 1949) is a Canadian-American actor and singer. Known for his work in film, television, and theatre, he has been nominated for three Gemini Awards, four Tony Awards, and six Primetime Emmy Awards. He has also ...
(2004) * Best Actress on Television
Jennifer Garner Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. Born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Garner studied theater at Denison University and began acting as an understudy for the Roundabout Theatre Compa ...
(2005–2006) ;Screen Actors Guild: * Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Jennifer Garner Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. Born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Garner studied theater at Denison University and began acting as an understudy for the Roundabout Theatre Compa ...
(2003)


Cultural influence

In August 2003, the actual
CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
enlisted Jennifer Garner to appear in a recruitment video, which would be shown at fairs and college campuses. A CIA officer said: "Jennifer and the character of Sydney Bristow both reflect a lot of the qualities we look for in new career field officers."


Parodies

The ''Alias'' production team has participated in at least two spoofs based upon the series and featuring cast members. * The first was produced in 2002 for a segment of ABC's ''Monday Night Football'' in which Sydney (Jennifer Garner) is ordered by Sloane (Ron Rifkin) to infiltrate the locker room of the Washington Redskins National Football League, NFL team in order to steal the coach's playbook. Syd disguises herself as a cheerleading, cheerleader and distracts the "Hogettes", a group of Redskins fans, with a glass of beer before stealing the book. Upon returning to SD-6 headquarters, she is horrified to find Sloane wearing a pig mask and oinking. This skit was advertised as being included in the season 2 DVD box set, but it was dropped from the set at the last minute, presumably due to copyright reasons. Another specially filmed ''MNF'' segment featuring Garner was included in the season 3 DVD set, but this was not, strictly speaking, a spoof. * Another faux ''Alias'' "episode" was produced for a 2003 TV special celebrating the 50th anniversary of ABC. Featuring most of the regular cast of the series, the skit began with Jack Bristow preparing Sydney and Vaughn for a mission, and informing them that they will have a new partner – Detective Columbo (TV series), Columbo (Peter Falk). Columbo, in his usual eccentric behavior, proceeds to wreak havoc at CIA headquarters, accidentally shooting Vaughn with an anesthetic dart and volunteering to wear a skimpy bikini intended for Sydney during the mission. Columbo reveals that his mission is not to aid the CIA but rather to help The Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney Company/ABC head Michael Eisner better understand the show. His work completed, Columbo departs, leaving Jack to utter a confused, "Dear God, that was strange." Other spoofs and humorous references include: * In an episode of
Bradley Cooper Bradley Charles Cooper (born January 5, 1975) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and two Grammy Awards, in addition to nominations for nine Academy Awards, si ...
's sitcom Kitchen Confidential (TV series), ''Kitchen Confidential'',
Michael Vartan Michael S. Vartan (born November 27, 1968) is a French-American actor, known for his role as Michael Vaughn on the ABC television action drama ''Alias'', his role on the TNT medical drama '' Hawthorne'', and his role on the '' E!'' drama '' The A ...
guests as a rival French chef. Cooper's character makes a quip along the lines of, "it's almost like we used to work together". * ''MADtv'' created a season 1 spoof. * In episode 23 of ''Robot Chicken'', the series is re-imagined with the part of Sydney being played by a Orca, killer whale (''"Whalias"''), complete with red hair and lipstick. The sketch features Sydney undercover in a glamorous party at SeaWorld, pretending to be a prize-winning cellist. A fight scene occurs in typical ''Alias'' style. * In episode 57 of ''Kim Possible'' the characters (due to the use of a Pan-Dimension Vortex) find themselves appearing in various fictional television shows similar to the main plot point of the movie ''The Last Action Hero''. Each of these television shows is clearly a spoof of a real world television show. During one such "appearance", Kim lands in a night club where she is confronted by a character with bright red hair. The character orders Kim to "Tell me what I want to know." In response, Kim addresses the character as "Miss Tries Too Hard." and adds "Nice Wig." A brief ''Alias''-like hand-to-hand fight sequence then ensues. The end of the segment involves characters talking about "The Device." In the context of the episode, the device is "The Pan-Dimensional Vortex Inducer", but asking about a "device" would also track with the plot of many ''Alias'' episodes.


Reboot

In May 2010, ''E! Online''
Kristin dos Santos Kristin dos Santos (née Veitch; born February 24, 1975) is an American entertainment reporter, writer and host, specializing in the coverage of television, award shows and all things Hollywood. She is best known as E!’s resident TV (and award- ...
reported that ABC was toying with the idea of rebooting ''Alias'', but getting rid of the mythological Rambaldi elements to make the storylines more accessible for a mainstream audience. Subsequently, ''Entertainment Weekly'' columnist Michael Ausiello confirmed that ABC was in the early stages of developing a reboot, but that the potential series probably would not make it beyond the development phase.


Merchandise


Soundtracks

Varèse Sarabande released a season one soundtrack containing 26 tracks. These tracks were used in the show, including the opening theme. All of them are composed by Michael Giacchino, except for the opening theme which was composed by
J. J. Abrams Jeffrey Jacob Abrams (born June 27, 1966) is an American filmmaker and composer. He is best known for his works in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. Abrams wrote and produced such films as '' Regarding Henry'' (1991), '' F ...
. The tracks share a similar dance genre, however a few tracks, such as "In the Garden" share more of a slowed down tempo. A second soundtrack was also released containing music from the second season, but did not receive as much praise as the first soundtrack. A soundtrack for ''Alias (video game), Alias: The Video Game'', composed by Chris Tilton (who also provided additional music for later episodes of the TV series), was also released, but can only be downloaded online. The original soundtrack was removed from the versions of the show available on streaming services such as Tubi. DVDs appear to have the original soundtrack on them.


Video game

The video game ''Alias (video game), Alias'', based on the series, is a virtual camera system, third-person stealth action title developed and released by Acclaim Entertainment for the Personal computer, PC, PlayStation 2 and Xbox (console), Xbox. The plot was written by the creators of the show and the game features the voices of the cast principals. It was released on April 6, 2004, and has a rating of Entertainment Software Rating Board, T for Teen. The game is set between episodes 19 and 20 of season 2. The game allows the player to be Sydney (and briefly on one mission Vaughn), and sends her on various missions to many different locations. The missions become more difficult as you come closer to finishing the game. The game includes using many spy-skills that Sydney uses in the show. Prior to the Acclaim release, ABC Television produced an episodic games, episodic downloadable video game ''Alias: Underground'' which is available through ABC's website. The game was a 3D third-person stealth action game much like the Acclaim production, with missions released monthly during the original broadcast of the TV show's second season.


Original novels

A number of original novels based upon the series have been published, primarily for a adolescence, teenage reading audience. Due to the intricate and story arc-based nature of the series, most novels published to date have been prequels to the series, some focusing on Sydney in her early missions for SD-6, and others focusing on Vaughn's missions before meeting her. Their canon (fiction), canon status with regards to the televised series has yet to be determined. Although aimed at young readers, the books tackle serious subject matter, such as one volume which details the first time Sydney kills someone. # ''Recruited'' – Lynn Mason (2002) # ''A Secret Life'' – Laura Peyton Roberts (2003) # ''Disappeared'' – Lynn Mason (2003) # ''Sister Spy'' – Laura Peyton Roberts (2003) # ''The Pursuit'' – Elizabeth Skurnick (2003) # ''Close Quarters'' – Emma Harrison (2003) # ''Father Figure'' – Laura Peyton Roberts (2003) # ''Free Fall'' – Christa Roberts (2004) # ''Infiltration'' – Breen Frazier (2004) # ''Vanishing Act'' – Sean Gerace (2004) # ''Skin Deep'' – Cathy Hapka (2004) # ''Shadowed'' – Elizabeth Skurnick (2004) The second series of novels, titled "The APO Series", fit into the season four timeframe and are published by Simon Spotlight Entertainment. # ''Two of a Kind?'' – Greg Cox (April 26, 2005) # ''Faina'' – Rudy Gaborno, Chris Hollier (April 26, 2005) # ''Collateral Damage'' – Pierce Askegren (June 28, 2005) # ''Replaced'' – Emma Harrison (July 26, 2005) # ''The Road Not Taken'' – Greg Cox (October 4, 2005) # ''Vigilance'' – Paul Ruditis (December 6, 2005) # ''Strategic Reserve'' – Christina F. York (March 7, 2006) # ''Once Lost'' – Kirsten Beyer (April 25, 2006) # ''Namesakes'' – Greg Cox (July 11, 2006) # ''Old Friends'' – Steven Hanna (September 2006) # ''The Ghost'' – Brian Studler (November 2006) # ''Mind Games'' – Paul Ruditis (December 2006) # ''A Touch of Death'' – Christina York (December 2006)


Trading cards

Inkworks released the official trading cards for the series. Season One was published in 2002, Season Two in 2003, Season Three in 2004, and Season 4 in 2006. Each release included a full set of base cards and various inserts, including autographs and memorabilia from the cast.


References


Further reading

* Stacey Abbott and Simon Brown: ''Investigating Alias: Secrets and Spies''. I. B. Tauris, 2007, .


External links

* {{Authority control Alias (TV series), 2000s American drama television series 2001 American television series debuts 2006 American television series endings American action television series American spy thriller television series Espionage television series American Broadcasting Company original programming Television series by Bad Robot Productions English-language television shows Saturn Award-winning television series Serial drama television series Super Bowl lead-out shows Television shows adapted into novels Television shows adapted into video games Television series by ABC Studios Television shows set in Los Angeles Terrorism in television Television series about the Central Intelligence Agency Works by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci Television series created by J. J. Abrams