Alias: The Complete Second Season (2003)

Just when you thought J.J. Abrams' whip-smart spy family drama couldn't get any better, long-lost Mom comes into the mix. Alias: The Complete Second Season scores a major coup with Lena Olin as Irina Derevko, a presumed-dead ex-KGB agent who gives herself up to the CIA and forces her way back into the life of her daughter, Sydney (Jennifer Garner). Watching Garner, Olin, and dad Victor Garber reach emotional depths amid all the high-flying stunts, techno-savvy gadgetry, sleek costumes, and puzzling plot twists is a marvel. Enhancing the series' complexity and texture is a die-hard assembly of supporting players -- notably Ron Rifkin as evil SD-6 director Sloane and Terry O'Quinn as hard-nosed FBI official Kendall. If the flashy action and enigmatic story line get you the first time, the actors really acting warrants a second viewing.

EXTRAS A short blooper reel, making-of featurette, alternate takes, and audio commentary reveal that shooting the show is as much fun as watching it.