I Spy a Finale

UNIVERSAL REMOTE

For the last five years, Jennifer Garner has been my TV girlfriend. What exactly does this mean? It means that if I could be with any woman currently on television (and had never met my wife), it would be Jennifer Garner. It is not just a sex thing, although she is obviously sexy. It's about attraction which is more complicated. Needless to say, I'd put her #1 in my speed-dial if the opportunity arose. Which it never will.

So set your TiVos everybody because Alias finally returns for its final run tomorrow at 8:00. Despite some major missteps in the last few seasons, Alias is still one of my favorite all-time shows. I still remember the joy of the first episode where bad-ass secret agent Sydney Bristow slinked around in that famous red hair kicking bad-guy butt. Too bad she is not even the best character on the show.

That would be Victor Garber's Jack Bristow. He is one of my three or four favorite TV characters of all time, right up there with Jack Bauer, Tony Soprano, and Dale Cooper. Garber is a terrific minimalist. With his furrowed brow and clipped enunciation, he makes Jack a riviting character without a lot of pyrotechnics. But when he does lose his temper, watch out. I will especially miss his scenes with Lena Olin's duplicitous ex-wife Irina Durevko. They were full of more undercurrents than you can count.

In any case, the final eight hours of Alias will start tomorrow with a two-hour episode and end May 24 with a two-hour finale. In between, Weiss, Vaughn, Will and Irina will all be back for final appearances. I'd love it if Francie popped up but I can't remember if she is dead or not. (Not that this matters on Alias.) Alias was not a perfect show. But when it was clicking (like in the first two seasons), it was truly perfect entertainment.