It's Complicated, & Secret, But We Have Wigs...

So, Ayden asked for help while she's away. She's a smart girl—she knows I can't tell her no. Before I get started, I figured I should tell you who I am and how I know our lovely Ayden. My name's Brandi, but I write Twilight fan fiction under the pen-name beegurl13. I met Ayden a couple of years ago when she wrote a story for a contest I was co-hosting. Since then, we've tweeted lots of times, emailed even more, and I've written things for charity drives that she was heading up. She knows I'm always willing to help, which is probably why she asked me to help out now. :) I write a little bit, I read a lot more than I should, I cook sub-par meals for my family, I clean only what must be cleaned, I spent hours every week talking to my bestie on the phone, I wash more laundry than any mother of four children should be legally required to wash, I spent lots of time working on newsletters, invitations, and record keeping for my particular job at church, and I sleep. Well, I try to sleep, when I can. Oh, and I also obsess over Twilight and Robert Pattinson. I can't stop, I've tried. My hubby hates it...and I don't care.

Ayden told me that I could write about anything I wanted, that there was no limit to my crazy, and I'm gonna test that theory out. That being said, I thought I'd discuss something that I was obsessed with for years, and that I feel never received the amount of love or support it should have. Something that brought me hours of joy, heartbreak, and excitement. Something that was pretty much just endured by the network it was on. Something that people ignored and turned a blind eye to, saying it was silly and young and undeserving. It's my favorite television show ever—ALIAS.

What is ALIAS, you're probably asking. It started in September 2001, just after the happenings of September 11^th. I'd seen the commercials for it during the summer. I was excited beyond any normal amount of excitement. It starred Jennifer Garner, who I love, Michael Vartan, who I adore, and Victor Garber, who I think is amazing. Plus, it had all kinds of costumes and disguises and mystery about it. I was in love from the first commercial, and I still am.

Sydney Bristow, the lead character played brilliantly by Jennifer Garner, is a spy. She's working for the US government, in a black ops division, or so she thinks. After returning from a mission, she comes home to find her fiance dead, and her world implodes. She refuses to return to work, instead opting to spend time on her college studies. Soon enough, she realizes that since she won't go back to work, she's seen as a loose end, and they want her dead. It's then that she finds out who she's really working for—the enemy. She's working for the exact people she thought she was fighting against. With that knowledge, she makes up her mind, and she returns to the agency known as SD-6. After informing them that she's back, she high tails it to the actual CIA offices, and becomes their newest double agent. It's at that point that the story gets interesting. See, that's when she meets her new handler, Michael Vaughn, played by the amazingly beautiful Michael Vartan. The sexual tension between the two of them is astounding right from their first shared moments on screen, and he becomes her most trusted confidant. Soon enough, Sydney learns that she's not the only double agent working for the CIA. There's another one...her father, Jack Bristow, played by Victor Garber. He's gruff, emotionally withdrawn, and overly protective of his daughter. The two of them must learn how to work together and trust each other, which proves to be a task easier said than done.

ALIAS ran on ABC for five seasons, during which we saw a lot of amazing costumes and wigs, heard more foreign languages than I knew existed, and felt so much sexual tension, you'd swear your TV set was melting. At this point, ten years ago, we were deep into season one, and cursing the screen each week as Sydney and Vaughn continued to battle against their growing attraction to one another. Not only are these three amazing actors in the show, but also someone else, who at the time was not very well known on the Hollywood scene yet. I'm sure no one would have any problem recognizing him now. You heard of Bradley Cooper? As in, The Hangover? Yeah...he plays Sydney's friend Will, who has a little crush on Syd. It's cute, and pretty fun when he finds out about her life. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that no one in her life knows she's a spy? I didn't say that? Oh...well, they don't. And that makes the show all the more fun.

If you can find it, give ALIAS a try. Like I said, there are five seasons of it, and we see some awesome stunts, experience some shocking moments, and suffer through some serious heartbreak. All in all? It's total win, and I couldn't love it more.

Oh yeah, and Michael Vartan is hot. Did I forget to mention that, too? Ugh...those green eyes of his. Yummy. :)

Thanks Ayden. Gotta say...I'm both curious and nervous about what you're gonna ask me to do for you next... :D

beegurl13/Brandi