History Series / Alias

* SurpriseCarCrash: Used to set up the end-of-season cliffhanger from season 4. The bad guys are defeated and Sydney & Michael Vaughn decide to elope instead of having the big wedding ceremony that's being planned. As they drive off:

The series follows Sydney Bristow (Creator/JenniferGarner), an agent for SD-6, a black-ops division of the CIA, who discovers that – whoops! – it's not actually a black-ops division of the CIA so much as a faction of a powerful [[WesternTerrorists terrorist group]] called The Alliance. She turns [[TheMole double agent]], then learns that her father Jack (Creator/VictorGarber), a supposed salesman, is ''also'' a double agent for the CIA. Sydney then must divide her loyalties between a team of good men at SD-6 – who simply don't know their boss is the devil – and a team of (mostly) good men at the CIA.

The series was notably [[ReTool retooled]] three separate times; each time, character relationships and roles changed in fundamental ways. It's also notable for [[RetroactiveRecognition the sheer number of A-grade Hollywood personnel who participated in the series]], ranging from the main cast (Garner and Creator/BradleyCooper are but two examples), to memorable recurring players (Creator/QuentinTarantino and Creator/DjimonHounsou are two more examples).

The series was notably [[ReTool retooled]] three separate times; each time, character relationships and roles changed in fundamental ways. It's also notable for [[RetroactiveRecognition the sheer number of A-grade Hollywood personnel who partook in the series]], ranging from the main cast (Garner and Creator/BradleyCooper are but two examples), to memorable recurring players (Creator/QuentinTarantino and Creator/DjimonHounsou are two more examples).

The series follows Sydney Bristow (Creator/JenniferGarner), an agent for SD-6, a black-ops division of the CIA, who discovers that – whoops! – it's not actually a black-ops division of the CIA so much as a faction of a powerful [[WesternTerrorists terrorist group]] called The Alliance. She turns [[TheMole double agent]], then learns that her father Jack (Creator/VictorGarber), a supposed salesman, is ''also'' a double agent for the CIA. Sydney then must divide her loyalties between a team of good men at SD-6 – who simply don't know their boss is the devil – and a team of mostly good men (and a few pricks) at the CIA.

The series is pretty much full of ImpossibleMission episodes, but with a twist: Sydney must perform her mission for the CIA, while appearing to be performing her mission for SD-6. There's also a large element of [[SoapOpera soap opera]]-like storytelling at play as she learns all kinds of secrets about her parents and their MysteriousPast, as well as recurring use of WigDressAccent.

[[caption-width-right:350:I can be anyone I want to be.]]

-->-- '''Sydney Bristow''', ''opening narration''

The series follows Sydney Bristow (Creator/JenniferGarner), an agent for SD-6, a black-ops division of the CIA, who discovers that – whoops! – it wasn't a black-ops division of the CIA so much as a faction of a powerful [[WesternTerrorists terrorist group]] called The Alliance. She becomes a [[TheMole double agent]], and then discovers her father (Creator/VictorGarber), a supposed salesman, is also a double agent for the CIA. Sydney then has to divide her loyalties between a team of good men at SD-6 who simply don't know their boss is the devil, and a team of mostly good men and a few pricks at the real CIA.

''Alias'' is a SpyDrama TV series created by Creator/JJAbrams, which was broadcast for five seasons on Creator/{{ABC}} from 2001 to 2006.

The series follows Sydney Bristow (Creator/JenniferGarner), an agent for SD-6, black-ops division of the CIA, who discovers that -- whoops -- it wasn't a black-ops division of the CIA so much as a faction of a powerful [[WesternTerrorists terrorist group]] called The Alliance. She becomes a [[TheMole double agent]], and then discovers her father (Creator/VictorGarber), a supposed salesman, is also a double agent for the CIA. Sydney then has to divide her loyalties between a team of good men at SD-6 who simply don't know their boss is the devil, and a team of mostly good men and a few pricks at the real CIA.

->''"My name is Sydney Bristow. Seven years ago I was recruited by a secret branch of the CIA called SD-6. I was sworn to secrecy, but I couldn't keep it from my fiancé. And when the head of SD-6 found out, he had him killed. That's when I learned the truth: SD-6 is not part of the CIA. I've been working for the very people I thought I was fighting against."''

* CIAEvilFBIGood: Averted, as it ''was'' a show about CIA agents. Virtually all FBI agents depicted were either misguided or actively malevolent, and a significant storyline in season two is the FBI putting Sydney through a tribunal for being a suspected terrorist.

The series follows Sydney Bristow (Creator/JenniferGarner), an agent for SD-6, black-ops division of the CIA, who discovers that -- whoops -- it wasn't a black-ops division of the CIA so much as a faction of a powerful [[WesternTerrorists terrorist group]] called The Alliance. She becomes a [[TheMole double agent]], and then discovers her father, a supposed salesman, is also a double agent for the CIA. Sydney then has to divide her loyalties between a team of good men at SD-6 who simply don't know their boss is the devil, and a team of mostly good men and a few pricks at the real CIA.

** There are [[CloningBlues doubles of characters]] running around.

* SpotTheImposter: Played with, via [[CloningBlues Project Helix]]. Sydney figures out Allison Doren isn't Francie, but Jack believes he's killed Irina, and Anna Espinosa successfully doubles Sydney herself before people catch on.

* LateArrivalSpoiler: Oh yes. Everything from the pilot, with its NothingIsTheSameAnymore plot -- Sydney's father is a double agent, her fiance is killed by Sloane, and Sydney becoming a double agent herself -- but there are a few other things that you ''will'' find yourself spoiled for by looking at just about any press for the show:

* MacGuffin: Whatever Rambaldi artifact Sydney was sent after each episode, ranging from something as small as a vial of liquid (which revealed secret writing in Rambaldi's journal) to a city-sized bioweapon.