FINALE BLOWOUT: 'Alias' Finds its Happily Ever After! Plus CBS Keeps its Title

It has been an engaging, fun and interesting run on Alias, and I'm only talking about the last two seasons (I still need to rent the earler seasons on DVDs)! This week's finale gave us plenty of closure for each of the characters that we have grown to love, but it didn't provide an answer to the series-long burning question: What exactly is all of this Rambaldi mythology and how does it bring about the end of nature? I guess that's for Sloane to fantasize about for all of eternity while the rest of us still wonder. Let's face it; Sloane has nothing better to do while he's trapped in his underground tomb, cursed with eternal life. I loved the irony that Sloane's quest to live forever through the teachings of Rambaldi gave him the eternal life he wanted, but he will spend it alone, trapped in a collapsed tomb courtesy of Jack. It seems he got the better of Sloane after all. Some random musings on the series finale:

*Tom, we barely knew thee. I knew things weren't going to end well for Tom as soon as he found the bomb on the empty subway car. With so many people to evacuate and only 3 minutes to do so (with a few spurts of 20 seconds thrown in thanks to the liquid nitrogen trick), Tom wasn't going to make it out. I thought that the way he said goodbye to Rachel and sat there on the train alone was very poignant. I didn't tear up, but I found myself thinking, "That is really sad." I do think he would have made a more galant effort to get out if he hadn't just learned the truth about his wife's murder. Hopefully, the two are happy together in TV character heaven.

*Kelly Peyton has to be the most badass character I have ever seen on a TV series. The girl was ruthless and loyal to no one but herself. She marched into that Prophet 5 meeting and blew all 12 members away in a matter of seconds. She then turned and walked out without giving it a second thought. I honestly thought that she was playing Sloane, but she wasn't. If she's the female Lex Luther to Syd's female Superman, then her kryptonite is snakes! Who knew that the all-powerful Peyton could be brought down by something as mundane as the common snake? We all have out weaknesses, and it's Syd job to figure them out.

*I may not have cried at Tom's death, but the tears were certainly flowing when Sydney said goodbye to her dying father. I loved Jack, so saying goodbye wasn't easy. His revenge on Sloane certainly made it a lot easier, though! Gotta love jack, stronger all the way until the end. Back to the goodbye scene. The fact that Jennifer Garner was absolutely sobbing had me all upset. The girl can turn on the waterworks!

*Well, it had to come down to Sydney versus her mother, right? I mean, Irina was Syd's toughest foe because Syd wanted to trust her (and often did), but in the end she knew she couldn't. I liked the way they had Irina die at her own power-hungry hand. Had she just taken her daughter's hand instead of reaching for the Rambaldi artifact, she would be alive. Of course, she wouldn't be happy because she still wouldn't have the power she so desired. I guess her death was win/win.

*Marshall's wife = AWESOME! How great was it that she stepped in for her husband when Sloane and co. took him?? She rocks! It's too bad the show ended because it would have been fun to explore her involvement now that she knows the truth about Marshall's job.

*The ending scenes were great! Yes, they were schmultzy, but I wouldn't have wanted the show to end any other way. Vaughn and Syd were happily married with two kids, living on the beach and somewhat out of the spy business, although, ready to step back in with enough convincing, and Dixon was finally in a deserving position with the CIA. And there was the best part of all, little Isabel seems to take after her mother! That's going to spell trouble in the future! I smell future spin-off ;-).

So overall, it was a very satisfying final episode for a show that has taken us through many journeys. It was nice to see that the last one showed us Sydney's happily ever after. What did you think about the finale? Were you satisfied or did it leave you wanting more? Drop me a note with your thoughts. If you missed the Alias season finale, you can click over to abc.com to watch it for free. To read other Finale Blowout editions, click on over to the Best of Pass the Remote at PassTheRemote.net.

THIS SUMMER...

PASS THE REMOTE HAS YOUR TV FIX!

Your favorite regular season primetime shows may be on hiatus for the next 4 months or so, but Pass the Remote isn't!! I have a full slate planned for this summer with a regular edition 5-days a week. There will be new weekily installments featuring some of your favorites, an all-summer long countdown of this season's best episodes from across the television spectrum, coverage of the new season of USA's The 4400, a modified Friday Fun section featuring trivia, quotes and other fun TV bits, extensive Emmy coverage from the nominations in July to the awards in August and much, much more! So, stay tuned to Pass the Remote all summer long for your complete fix for the summer TV blues!!


~Primetime Pass~
Yesterday, I told you that About Last Night was going on hiatus for the summer and today, the same is true for Primetime Pass. I will continue to let you know when summer shows premiere and when Pass the Remote summer favorites air, but the full edition of this feature will return with your favorite shows this fall. And now, the last installment of Primetime Pass for the season...

@8 p.m. - Dan Brown talks about his controversial and hugely popular book The Da Vinci Code on NBC's Dateline.

@10 p.m. - A serial rapist who lived a double life as a happy family man is profiled on ABC's 20/20.

To see what else you can catch on television tonight with customized listings for your area (via Zap2it), visit the TV Listings area of PassTheRemote.net.


QUICK CUTS

*CBS is once again this season's overall "Most Watched Network." The final numbers show that the Eye network snagged an average of 12.6 million viewers a night for the season, down a bit from last season's 12.9 million average. Both ABC and Fox are gaining on the top rated network, finishing 2nd and 3rd, respectively. ABC went from an average of 10.05 million viewers a night last season to 10.8 million, the largest gain of any network this season. The increase was mainly fueled by the network's airing of the Super Bowl and a heavily watched Rose Bowl this season, but it also credits a full season of Grey's Anatomy (which overtook lead-in Desperate Housewives in total viewers) and the popularity of Dancing with the Stars. Fox was also up thanks to a 10% increase for American Idol and a 29% increase for House. NBC was the only Big 4 network to lose viewers, going from an average of 9.78 million a night last season down to 9.72 million this season.

To get more of today's biggest TV news and headlines, visit the TV News section at PassTheRemote.Net.


That's all for today. I'm off on Monday for the holiday, but be sure to tune in Tuesday for thoughts on the second-to-last episode of Everwood!!! And more importantly, be sure to catch Everwood on Monday night at 9 p.m. on The WB. This week, the whole town gathers at the funeral of one of Everwoods most beloved citizens to celebrate a life well-lived. After the funeral, Amy begins to rethink her relationship with Ephram. I'll bring you all the details on Tuesday along with all the latest television news!!

To get more television coverage, including the network's new fall schedules and a complete archive of the best of Pass the Remote with a photo gallery featuring pictures from the set of Veronica Mars, click on over to PassTheRemote.net.