Alias

THE SHOW: In case you didn’t know, “Alias” is the best show on television. No, really. It is. Now that the Simpsons have gone goofy, Futurama is off the air, and ER is ready for euthenasia, producer J.J. Abrahms and star Jennifer Garner’s serpentine spy drama has no competition. For those that still aren’t in the loop, Garner plays Sydney Bristow, a grad student recruited by the CIA (or so she thinks) to live the life of a full-fledged secret agent. The James Bond cliches are all here: dangerous missions, clever gadgets, and deadly hand-to-hand combat. But “Alias” succeeds where even its big screen cohorts fail by putting a human face on all this espionage. Sydney is far from infallible (even though she is tougher than “La Femme Nikita” and better looking than most Bond girls), and it’s how her work interferes with her real life that give the show its heart. I defy anyone to watch the pilot episode and not be hooked. TV doesn’t get any better than this. THE FEATURES: This 6-disc set includes every episode from Season One (yes, even the Quentin Tarantino one), widescreen enhanced with Dolby Digital sound. But beside the awesome presentation, fans can look forward to a few intriguing extras, including deleted scenes, a short gag reel, stunt breakdowns, and audio commentaries on several episodes. On DVD-ROM, there’s a ScriptScanner function which requires a Windows operating system (we Apple misfits have to miss out, I guess). FINAL SCORE: Since I’m sure no one would buy a season set blind, I urge you to catch a couple “Alias” repeats during the summer. For those that have already anticipating the fall premiere, this 6-disc set is a perfect re-cap to get ready for Season 3!