Alias is back and unlike 24's return, Alias' return is a bit of a let down. I am glad that they decided to drop a lot of the mythology stuff from the story like (that damned Rambaldi!). I stopped watching last season because they were getting a little too deep into their own mythology and that just wasn't fun to keep up with anymore. The show is still action packed and quick paced, but it is a little too self-aware and overly indulgent on trying to be cool. There are too many of the slow motion shots of people walking straight towards the camera. There are too many shots that are staged shots where the characters are standing in a "cool" formation. The new APO office is a bit too "cool" to be functional -- come on a black ops division that has an interior designer. The show is a bit too removed from reality now with its new look. I am glad that they are returning (like 24) to their action roots, but there are some choices that are making the show a notch down from being like its former self in the first season.