Real talk: If this is your first time watchingAlias,buckle in — because you’re about to go on a hell of a ride. The ABC drama putJ.J. Abramson the map as a storyteller with the ability to ramp up high-octane narratives balanced with deeply emotional storytelling; the mix of soap opera and spy thriller fun made it a guilty pleasure that isn’t all that guilt-inducing. Plus, if you are a fan of wigs, you’re in luck — many episodes feature extended sequences where the main characters wear wigs while on spy missions. It’s always a treat.
Premiering in 2001,Aliasmade a star out ofJennifer Garner, and the twists that ensue from the pilot’s beginnings, including the show’s signature “24 hours earlier…” storytelling, immediately grab your attention. But it’s the strong supporting cast who help keep you invested, including a pre-stardomBradley Cooperas Sydney’s best friend Will,Merrin Dungeyas Syd’s other best friend Francie, the dreamyMichael Vartan, and the magnetic perfection ofVictor Garberas Sydney’s erstwhile SpyDaddy. Plus, there was the stellar guest cast, which included over the yearsAmy Acker,Jonathan Banks,Patrick Bauchau,Angela Bassett,David Carradine,David Cronenberg,Faye Dunaway,Amanda Foreman,Vivica A. Fox,Ricky Gervais,Joel Grey,Rutger Hauer,Ethan Hawke,Djimon Hounsou,Jason Segel,Sarah Shahi,Justin Theroux,Danny Trejo,Patricia Wettig, and more
Aliashasn’t been available on any streaming services for a few years now, after being removed from Netflix in 2016, but it is now available on Amazon Prime Video, just as people are looking for new series to explore. There are elements of the show that don’t hold up as well as they used to — as just one example, the degree to which the show actively objectified Garner in every episode feels a little creepy in the year of our lord 2020. But the best 15 episodes picked below represent the show at its wiggy best, though honestly there’s good reason to just watch from the beginning, and experience for the first time, or once again, all the twists in store.
Season 1, Episode 1: “Truth Be Told”
The extra-long pilot forAliasstill makes efficient work of establishing the show’s premise: Sydney Bristow is a young graduate student with a secret life as a CIA operative — or, so she thinks. Given the sizable numbers of elements involved, including a twist-per-minute rate that’s totally off the charts, that makes it an impressive feat.
Season 1, Episode 3: “Parity”
This is just one curve of the roller coaster, but it introduces the character of Anna Espinoza (GinaTorres), whorules,as well as the mystery of Milo Rambaldi, the fictional 15th inventor/artist/genius whose inventions and other works would become the most important part of the show’s mythology.
Season 1, Episode 12: “The Box (Part 1)"/13: “The Box (Part 2)”
Basically a bottle episode/homage toDie Hard, this two-parter features a delightfully sniveling performance by guest starQuentin Tarantinoand some great moments of suspense. It’s also worth taking a moment here to shout outRon Rifkinfor five years of commitment to a character who always had to live in the realm of evil, but found a lot of nuance within that definition.
Season 1, Episode 22: “Almost Thirty Years”
As a show obsessed with twists, it stands to reason thatAliaswas masterful when it came to season-ending cliffhangers, and “Almost Thirty Years” stands out for how it also goes full circle back to big moments from the pilot. The big twists of this finale are unforgettable, all capped off by Sydney’s last game-changing line.
Season 2, Episode 1: “The Enemy Walks In”
There are plenty of big reasons why this episode is anAliasclassic, but the most important is this: It’sLena Olin’s first appearance as Irina Derevko, after which the show would never be the same. The character would be badly abused in future seasons, as she abruptly shifted from the fascinating grey areas she originally dwelled into pure villainy. But her initial introduction was perfect.
Season 2, Episode 8: “Passage (Part 1)” / 9: “Passage (Part 2)”
While it didn’t last nearly long enough, the complicated dynamic established in Season 2 between Sydney and her parents (not to mention between Jack and Irina themselves) was one of the show’s most captivating elements. This episode features their first big mission together, and it’s both incredibly fun and incredibly intense.
Season 2, Episode 13: “Phase One”
“Phase One” is the infamous post-Super Bowl episode that opens with a cold openso shameless in its intentionsthat it actually loops back around to becoming funny. As pandering as it might be, though, it features some great spy missions on top of a major plot-resetting conclusion — not to mention a moment that Sydney/Vaughn ‘shippers had been waiting for for years. No episode ofAliaseverAlias-ed as hard as this one. It’s iconic.
Season 2, Episode 19: “Endgame”
“Endgame” makes this list largely on the basis of one sequence, where Sydney, trying to evade the oversight of the CIA (and her father) executes perhaps one of Sydney Bristow’s all-time greatest identity changes, all with the supplies from a drugstore. You’ll never look at shelf paper the same way again. It’s also a strong stand-alone episode featuring guest starChristianSlater, and a heartbreaking final moment.
Season 2, Episode 22: “The Telling”
Some of the show’s biggest secrets come out in the Season 2 finale, which leads to a truly epic brawl that is as physically brutal as it is emotional. (Six words that bring the walls crashing down: “Francie doesn’t like coffee ice cream.") And just when you think it’s all over… There is yet another jaw-dropping twist, arguably one of the greatest a J.J. Abrams series ever executed.
Season 3, Episode 1: “The Two”
The follow-through on the Season 2 ending is the most interesting part of the Season 3 premiere, but what makes it worth watching is the repercussions for Sydney, as she copes with what’s happened not just to her, but to the people she loves and had left behind. (It’s one of Garner’s best performances.)
