The Safe House - Expositions

JENNIFER GARNER won a Golden Globe for her role as Sydney Bristow on the hit ABC series, "Alias." Not bad recognition for an actress with a brand-new show.

In season two, the most obvious change to the espionage drama is the addition of Sydney's mother -- a mother Syd thought long dead in a car crash. If you think our spy girl had a gamut of emotions to play last year with the murder of her fiancé and the discovery that her estranged dad was a double agent, you ain't seen nothing yet!

"Sydney's mother was such a huge part of last year, even though she didn't appear until the very final episode," Garner tells ET. "I felt her on my shoulders, so to have her be here, be able to play scenes with me, and to have her be LENA OLIN, who is just a gift, has made the year come alive."

For her part, Olin was convinced to take on the part of double-dealing Irina Derevko by series creator JJ ABRAMS -- and the excellent performances by the cast.

"I watched four shopping bags full of 'Alias,'" Olin admits. "When I got offered the role, I hadn't seen the show, so JJ sent me four bags. I thought, 'I can't go through this,' but I started and I was hooked. The acting is so good and the relationships were so interesting."

The casting of the Academy Award nominee to play opposite the Emmy nominee is also worth noting, due to the strong resemblance between the two women. Garner is quick to point out that the 'Chocolat' star is too young to be her mother in real life, but she feels that they "could be related," and Olin agrees. She points out that they both have large hands for women, and the first time they met there was an instant connection.

As for Garner, she is happy to have another woman on the set, making it less of a boys' club.

"The guys all make fun of us because now Lena and I can talk about lipstick and where did you get that coat," Garner laughs. " I've become more of a girly girl having her around. It's fun. I love my guys, but it is so nice to have another girl on board."

As for where the story is going, this year is really about the family drama. It focuses on your average dysfunctional family set against the backdrop of espionage.

"We have all been pulled between our parents at some time or another," Garner states. "Or felt like we need to side with one or the other, and Sydney is definitely going through that. Meanwhile, there is the hint of a possible romance happening with one character in particular for Sydney, which is really, really fun to play. It is nice to have a few light moments. But the most interesting thing, and the most overriding theme is this family aspect of the show."

And how does Olin view her addition to the show?

"To have someone who hurt you so much," she shares, "she ruined Jack's life, she ruined a big, big part of Sydney's life. To have her show up and they have to deal with it is great."

Visit the set of "Alias" on tonight's ET, and then catch the next episode when it airs on ABC, Sunday nights at 9.

Homepage photo courtesy of ABC

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