Other reviewers make it sound like what they call "clip shows" are a necessary evil.
They are not.
In fact, they have their antecedents in the 1960s when some TV shows literally ran out of budget during production and had to cobble together an entire show of clips from earlier episodes just to make delivery and not be in breach of contract.
In fact (this review written 2015) they are very rare in the current generation of TV. Thankfully.
This was toward the end of the first season of Alias and even stranger was penned by no less than JJ himself.
My guess is that this was not about money. Rather, the producers had the data and saw that not only was the series being picked up but they had a possible hit on their hands. Under those circumstances the plan would have been to try to capture an even larger audience they already had by running an episode which filled in the backstory for late adopters.
No, it is NOT especially entertaining, other the fact that, on two occasions in the episode, Garner gets to deliver what has to be the most unique catchphrase in the history of spy dramas .... "DADDY?"
They are not.
In fact, they have their antecedents in the 1960s when some TV shows literally ran out of budget during production and had to cobble together an entire show of clips from earlier episodes just to make delivery and not be in breach of contract.
In fact (this review written 2015) they are very rare in the current generation of TV. Thankfully.
This was toward the end of the first season of Alias and even stranger was penned by no less than JJ himself.
My guess is that this was not about money. Rather, the producers had the data and saw that not only was the series being picked up but they had a possible hit on their hands. Under those circumstances the plan would have been to try to capture an even larger audience they already had by running an episode which filled in the backstory for late adopters.
No, it is NOT especially entertaining, other the fact that, on two occasions in the episode, Garner gets to deliver what has to be the most unique catchphrase in the history of spy dramas .... "DADDY?"