# Alias (2001)

> A young agent secretly working as a double agent for the CIA infiltrates a criminal syndicate while concealing her true loyalties from everyone she knows.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/1937

## Facts

- Seasons: 5
- Episodes: 105
- Episode runtime: 43 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: action, drama, thriller
- Created by: J.J. Abrams
- Network: ABC
- Cast: Jennifer Garner, Michael Vartan, Victor Garber, Ron Rifkin, Carl Lumbly, Kevin Weisman, Greg Grunberg, Rachel Nichols
- TMDB rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0285333/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: propulsive, melodramatic, tense, glossy, breathless

## What critics say

Audiences rate Alias as a positive, action-driven spy series with a strong lead performance and escalating serialized mythology.

## Synopsis

Alias (2001-2006) is an American spy thriller series created by J.J. Abrams for ABC. Jennifer Garner stars as Sydney Bristow, a young woman who discovers she has been secretly working for a criminal organization called the Alliance of Twelve, and she becomes a double agent for the real CIA. Victor Garber plays her father Jack Bristow, Michael Vartan plays fellow agent Michael Vaughn, and Ron Rifkin plays the sinister Arvin Sloane. The engine of the show is Sydney's constant struggle to keep her true allegiance hidden from family, friends and enemies while she takes on dangerous undercover missions, each one full of disguises, martial arts combat and close calls. Across five serialized seasons, the story builds a dense web of betrayals and hidden identities. Its tone mixes propulsive action with melodrama and emotional strain, and its atmosphere is glossy and fast paced. Set in present day Los Angeles and across the globe, it is a sleek spy drama with a strong mythology. Fans of Nikita, The X-Files and Covert Affairs will find resonance in its blend of espionage, personal stakes and conspiracy.

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