Why Alias matters

I couldn't resist sharing this Alias montage—edited beautifully by Clara—with you:



Ah, fond memories! Little reminders of just how brilliant Jennifer Garner was as Sydney Bristow. Jennifer understood what it would take to be widely accepted as a female action star, and set herself purposefully to the task. She built up her statuesque and already athletic (from years of ballet training) frame into a genuinely daunting physical presence—consequently, when Sydney gave some menacing hoodlum a beating it looked routine—and she even did many of her own stunts and fight scenes. Jennifer, in fact, became so convincing that for a time she was the biggest action star on television, male or female, period.

Alias was a high watermark in female action and paved the way for what hopefully will be even more to come. We have Jennifer Garner to thank for much of that.