Product Details

• Actors: Jennifer Garner, Ron Rifkin
• Format: Anamorphic, Box set, Color, Dolby, Full Screen, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: Bulgarian
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 6
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: September 7, 2004
• Run Time: 940 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (233 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0001I55ZQ
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #46,439 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Alias - The Complete Third Season" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The third season of Alias found super spy Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) waking up in Hong Kong with a monster hangover and two years in the future with nary a memory. What's worse, her world has been turned upside-down with the evil Sloane (Ron Rifkin) now a world-famous humanitarian and philanthropist, and, even worse, her true love Vaughn (Michael Vartan) married to a seemingly great gal. Nice way to go back to work, eh? After coming up with one heck of a cliffhanger in season 2, Alias proceeded a bit aimlessly through these 22 episodes, and as a result, the parts were truly greater than the whole. With Lena Olin no longer around as Syd's duplicitous mother, and the addition of admirable yet bland Melissa George as Vaughn's wife Lauren, Garner found herself for the first time without a compelling female foil to play off of. By dividing its focus equally between the quest for the enigmatic Rambaldi device, Syd and Vaughn's now-contentious relationship, and the uncovering of Syd's missing years, Alias lost a little of its power without a larger story arc. The loss of regular cast members Merrin Dungey (Francie/Alison) and Bradley Cooper (Will)--both of whom do make great guest appearances--also divest the show of the personal life that kept Sydney human and approachable. Still, Garner is stellar as always, the plot twists come fast and furious, and secret identities are revealed. This season does have a great panorama of guest actors including Ricky Gervais, Justin Theroux, Djimon Hounsou, David Cronenberg, Quentin Tarantino, Vivica A. Fox, and Isabella Rossellini as Syd's long-lost aunt. --Mark Englehart

Product Description

The mystery and excitement reach unimaginable heights in ALIAS' spectacular third season. Special Agent Sydney Bristow awakens to an all-new world of intrigue from the very first moment of episode one, and her life is turned upside down as the action accelerates through the season's final frame. All 22 episodes plus must-see special features are included in this 6 disc set.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 51 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Steep quality drop; still better than most TV August 4, 2004

By J. SHARP

Format:DVD

This is an honest, reasoned review from a devoted fan of Alias. I know that I will get plenty of negative votes simply because I am not giving it five stars and saying nothing more than "THis is dEfinately kewl. Buy iT now!" So be it.

As has been said many times before, Season 3 was a huge letdown from the previous two (which are stunningly excellent). This decline can be traced back to the episode that aired after the Super Bowl in Season 2. When the creators used that epsiode (one of the most exciting in TV history) to "restart" the series so new viewers wouldn't have to learn all the backstory of SD-6 and so forth, it eroded and (in Season 3) eventually wiped out all the best elements of the show. The Rambaldi elements became incredulous. The twists, turns, and liaisons became arbitrary, forced, and repetitive. Worst of all, the crackling tension in the relationships has downshifted into sniping and griping. And Lena Olin is sorely missed.

The fall of SD-6 and the end of Sydney Bristow's double life may be likened to the Scoobies of "Buffy" graduating high school. It may have been inevitable but things were never the same after.

I love "Alias" and I still ask people to ty it out - both so my friends can enjoy it and so its ratings will improve! The feature film flavor still lingers, the actors are all engaging, the look and music are still cool, and Jennifer Garner is so sweet she should be illegal. It's better than 95 percent of the pablum on the tube. But, for the first time, it didn't kill me to miss an episode during this season. I stopped caring so much about what happened to Sydney Bristow. That's an unfortunate loss.

39 of 46 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Alias... the best! May 24, 2004

By A Customer

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

This season may not have been like the previous 2, but it was still wonderful TV and still the only hour of TV that I absolutely will NOT miss. If you have been on the fence about buying the DVD for Alias, don't...if you watch the show from season 1 through season 3 you will be as excited and desperate to see season 4 premiere in January of 2005 (ABC). I only got into this show after buying the DVDs for season one and becoming an absolute Sydney Bristow addict.

First, the writting is great, the suspense and action is always a plus, but it is the cast the really makes this show unforgetable. Jennifer Garner as Sydney Bristow... quite simply no one else could do this character justice, Victor Garber as Jack Bristow.. he was one of my favorites before and I love him more now. Michael Vartan as Michael Vaughn and the list goes on...

I will say this if you are looking for a series that gives you the whole package (innovative, creative, suspenceful, great character development, action packed, lots of eye candy and a little romance thrown in to the mix) this is your show. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would. Go ahead get these DVDs you deserve it!

I can't wait for season 4.....Is it January yet???

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Two years of Syd's life wasn't only thing lost in Season 3.. November 25, 2004

By N. Chiemelu

Format:DVD

How about that which made the first two seasons (Season 1 especially so great). I think the show (and I could be speaking very prematurely here as JJ Adams is a genius on Whedon scale and could pull the show back to greatness) really jumped the shark in the second season when it killed off Francie and got rid of Will. They were really the ones that I enjoyed and I found myself particularly watching the scenes when Syd was just being Syd and interacting with her friends. What made the show great was the balance between her spy life and her real life and the fact that the show as like James Bond but more human and complex.

Season 3 devolved into Sydney crying every episode, Jack doing all the dirty work to protect his precious, weak little Syd, the Rambaldi arc getting out of control and lots of little side stories that were just naff. I'm sorry but seeing a topless Ron Rifkin (I think the actor and character is genius though) made me gag ever so slightly. I did enjoy Jack getting it on with Isabella Rosselini who I hope shows up again in Season 4 ("I think you're hot Jack, deal with it" I love it!) And the long-lost sister storyline was pretty much the nail in the meandering, nonsensical coffin that was Season 3. Now that Greg Grunberg is getting his own series (yet another JJ brainchild), Sydney will have no friends and it'll be the Spy, Spy Daddy, Spy Boyfriend and Spy Partner (Dixon, whose character was just shelved and ruined by making him director of the Rotunda). Bring back the Francinator and make her a big baddy instead of Sark's henchgirl/bed buddy! I don't agree with the Amazon reviewer that Melissa George was lackluster but I think she could have had more luster. I wasn't sad to see her go though and am not exactly clamoring to have her back. Will, on the other hand, please, please, please restore this show to the greatness that it was for 2 brief seasons.