Alias, complete and uncut

Apparently, many people are upset that Alias will be airing uninterrupted episodes next season.

OK, so that's not really the problem. The problem is that said uninterrupted episodes won't start until January. Yes, of 2005. So, the most convoluted drama on television takes an eight-month hiatus (grrr!).

But let's accept the fact that the production schedule of "Alias"--with all its location shooting--is much more demanding than that of, oh, say just about any other show on TV.

And let's also think that giving the writers more time to get their plots straight will help to avoid strangle lapses in the plots. They're labyrinthine without any screwups or forgetful mistakes as it is.

Most especially, after the finale we just had, featuring both figurative and literal backstabbing, who knows what the hell is going on? I don't think the writers have plotted themselves into a corner, but I do think they kind of forgot to have a long-term plan.