A List Of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago

AND A MARGARET ATWOOD JOKE TO BOOT: You know, I've been thinking about writing for a while on how though all the brilliantly shot and staged action sequences and shots of Jennifer Garner in various wigs and states of undress get all the attention, the real center of "Alias" is one of the most tender and authentic parent/child relationships on television. But Charles Taylor over at Salon says everything I'd say and more in his piece on the show today, headlined "Alias Grace." He specifically notes that:

To treat "Alias" as if it were about nothing other than Garner's costume changes, or as though it were some spy-girl fantasy for comic-sated fanboy geeks, is to miss the wit and emotion and twisty narrative pleasure it offers.

He's exactly right--"Alias" is phenomonally addictive and well written not merely because it does the spy stuff better than just about any other contemporary TV show or movie has (which it does), but because it takes characters that might, in lesser hands, be little more than cookie cutters and give them real emotional depth, with the possible exception of Agent Michael Vaughn, whose job frequently seems to be to stand there and be really, really good looking.

New episode airs tonight at 9, after "Lost" reveals the secrets of siblings (?) Shannon and Boone.