Reviewers are people too and I think the most outstanding opening episode for a brand new series was, is, and always will be POI.
(Also a JJ Production, but who's counting?)
But setting the record best season-opener is this episode of Alias.
The first 3 minutes -- not a long time in the scheme of the universe -- hits the viewer with the following:
* new titles. Don't snicker. The old ones were terrible. These are better
* The Perils of Pauline ... oops .. Sydney .. who was left tied to a chair and seemingly stayed there all summer waiting for the story to continue. Boy that must have been uncomfortable
* the a-ha that the ringleader is Sydney's mom! Double play here. She gets to trump her already series-unique repetitive line of dialog from S.01 ("DADDY?") with something even better - "MOM?"
* Mom is played by Lena Olin, one of the most photographic faces of all time. (But this casting director knows how to pick em -- the series also features dual Amys -- Amy Irving and Amy Acker. No expense spared.)
and the piece de resistance
* in their first dialog since Sydney was a baby, Mom skips the introductions and starts to interrogate her daughter. Responding to the implied threat (a gun) Sydney responds bravely with "What are you going to do, ground me?
" following which Mom shoots her, but not fatally I repeat for the historical IMDb record -- best season opener of all time.
And there are still 40 minutes of content to go .. happy happy joy joy
(Also a JJ Production, but who's counting?)
But setting the record best season-opener is this episode of Alias.
The first 3 minutes -- not a long time in the scheme of the universe -- hits the viewer with the following:
* new titles. Don't snicker. The old ones were terrible. These are better
* The Perils of Pauline ... oops .. Sydney .. who was left tied to a chair and seemingly stayed there all summer waiting for the story to continue. Boy that must have been uncomfortable
* the a-ha that the ringleader is Sydney's mom! Double play here. She gets to trump her already series-unique repetitive line of dialog from S.01 ("DADDY?") with something even better - "MOM?"
* Mom is played by Lena Olin, one of the most photographic faces of all time. (But this casting director knows how to pick em -- the series also features dual Amys -- Amy Irving and Amy Acker. No expense spared.)
and the piece de resistance
* in their first dialog since Sydney was a baby, Mom skips the introductions and starts to interrogate her daughter. Responding to the implied threat (a gun) Sydney responds bravely with "What are you going to do, ground me?
" following which Mom shoots her, but not fatally I repeat for the historical IMDb record -- best season opener of all time.
And there are still 40 minutes of content to go .. happy happy joy joy