Vaughn's Back! Whoops, 'Alias' was Just Kidding!

Even though we all saw it coming, it was still somewhat of a bummer to learn that the whole "Vaughn's back!" was nothing more than a series of Syd's memories invoked by Prophet 5. I found myself feeling sad for Sydney all over again when she had to once again say goodbye to Vaughn. It was nice to see the two together again, and in new scenes. The show totally could have gone through the archive and pulled out the scenes they needed from old episodes, but they went the extra mile and re-shot them to give us extra dialogue and reaction from Syd. I thought it worked really well, and it was a nice way of allowing Syd to let go. The do-over of the hospital scene posed an interesting question. Did the "doctor" give Vaughn something that led to his death? Syd said something about the last time she gave him that substance to drink, he ended up dead. Perhaps it wasn't just the shooting that killed Vaughn after all. I totally thought Syd gave Prophet 5 the correct information, so I was very happy to learn that she did not. Of course, this is going to get her in hot water as soon as they figure it out.

Ok, so Vaughn's back/not back was no surprise, but that doesn't mean the entire episode was predictable. Not in the slightest bit! Irina Derevko was pulling the strings on Prophet 5's kidnapping and extracting information from Syd!!?? The same Irina Derevko who is also her mother!? How in the world did they manage to keep Lena Olin's appearance a secret in this day and age of internet gossip?? Of maybe I'm the only one who didn't know? Now the question is, what does Irina want with Horizon's location? And after she thought she got the correct location, she left, leaving Syd (who still doesn't know that her mother is behind the whole thing) alone with Kelly "I had Gordon Dean killed so I could have more power" Peyton. Syd used a syringe to get the better of Miss Peyton and then hurried out of the room. I totally fell for the whole editing trick with the shots of Syd interlaced with the shots of Jack and Renee and thought they were all at the same place. What was up with that creepy nursery Jack and Renee encountered at their location? Is it set up for Syd, and if so, did her mother set it up so she could have Syd and the baby with her? In true Alias fashion, the show ended on a huge cliffhanger that we'll have to wait until March to resolve. As Syd made her way through the different rooms, she went out on what seemed to be a roof. There was the sound of a helicopter pulling away, and Syd walked over to the edge only to learn that she was on huge ship in the middle of the ocean! How will anyone ever find her out there? You've got to hand it to Alias, nobody does cliffhangers better than they do.

About Last Night... CBS won the first hour of the night with comedies Still Standing and Yes, Dear, followed by NBC's E-Ring (r) and ABC comedies George Lopez and Freddie. At 9, Criminal Minds on CBS won the hour, followed by ABC's Lost (r) and Fox's Trading Spouses. The final hour of the night went to CBS's CSI: NY, followed by Law & Order (r) on NBC and ABC's Alias. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~



The Santa Clause - Tim Allen stars in this family film about a man who accidentally kills Santa, and therefore, must assume his duties. 8 p.m. ABC

Everybody Hates Chris - Julius and Rochelle can't afford to buy Chris the Christmas gift he wants after the water heater breaks. 8 p.m. UPN

The O.C. - It's the third annual "Chrismukkah" episode. The gang searches for the best Christmas trees and Summer feels some of the holiday blues. 8 p.m. Fox

Joey - Two back-to-back episodes, but the second one is Christmas-themed. In the second episode, Joey throws a holiday party at his apartment, but he has to iron out some wrinkles between him and Alex. 8 p.m. (holiday episode 8:30 p.m.) NBC

Reunion - Each chapter takes place during a different season of 1994, starting with New Years. 9 p.m. Fox



QUICK CUTS

*NBC's Will & Grace is going live again. The comedy will air a live episode on January 12th, just as it did earlier this season with the premiere. In the episode, Karen throws a birthday party and ends up staying in the bathroom with her friends for most if it. Once again, the show will do two different versions - one for the East Coast and one for the West Coast. Will & Grace is in its 8th and final season on NBC.

*Dancing with the Stars contestant Romeo will not be a part of the upcoming season as originally announced. The young rapper/actor is suffering from a basketball injury and is unable to compete in the reality dance competition that pairs celebrities with professional dancers. Romeo's father and hip hop mogul Master P will take his place when the season begins January 5th on ABC.

*And finally, congratulations to the writing staff at Veronica Mars. The show picked up a Writers Guild of America nomination for the second season opener, "Normal is the Watchword." In the episode, Veronica investigates doping allegations at Neptune High and the season's bus crash mystery is revealed. Series creator Rob Thomas penned the episode. The awards will be handed out February 4th at ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for thoughts on television's funniest comedy Everybody Hates Chris (you've gotta love a show that keeps it real even for a Christmas episode!). Plus, all the latest television news and a jam-packed edition of Primetime Pass with plenty of Holiday Highlights (yes, it's getting very close to Christmas and the specials just keep rolling in)!