The Safe House - Expositions

SYDNEY BRISTOW, the sexy and slithery secret agent on TV's "Alias," is facing an "egads!" dilemma. After being pursued for several nerve-wrenching moments by relentless police cruisers, she has willfully driven her Buick Regal off a pier and into the frothy ocean below. Now, with water filling the cab and Sydney in danger of becoming fish food, an intriguing question suddenly pops into the head of this spellbound viewer.

What would Jack Bauer do?

Jack Bauer, of course, is the dogged federal agent on "24," TV's other outrageously addictive rookie spy show. His icy calm and years of experience undoubtedly would be an asset to Sydney right about now.

If only poor Jack wasn't tied up with problems of his own: As we speak, he's trying to foil an assassination attempt on a presidential candidate and oh, by the way, save his imperiled wife and daughter.

Then again, Sydney repeatedly has demonstrated that she can survive awful quandaries without any male coddling. The girl can take care of herself. Still, even she would have to admit things are looking pretty freakin' hopeless.

Can she escape? Will she? And how?

Don't touch that dial.

• • •

Sydney (Jennifer Garner) and Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) are the main throttles on turbo-charged TV thrill rides that plunge viewers headlong into their distinctive realms of suspense and intrigue. Both actors captured Golden Globe awards for their performances earlier this year, and their shows have been exuberantly embraced by hard-core viewers and critics.

But who between them reigns supreme? Which agent does a better job of kicking bad-guy butt? And more importantly, as they race through the season's stretch run, which show is proving to be the coolest of the cool?

Fortunately, no one's forcing me to choose between "24," which airs tonight on Fox (9 p.m. Channels 2 and 40), and "Alias," which airs Sunday nights on ABC (9 p.m. Channels 7 and 10). And even if some rogue agent held a gun to my head, I might have a tough time deciding.

Both shows feature an exhilarating breakneck pace. Both are pegged to fearless multitaskers who juggle on-the-job dangers with personal-life pressures. And both deliver stories that contain incredible -- yes, sometimes ludicrous -- plot twists and cliffhangers.

In terms of technical aesthetics, "24" has the edge. The show's "real-time" gimmick -- each episode qualifying as one hour in a single, action-packed day -- is a refreshing blast of televisual innovation. And the snazzy split-screen storytelling not only makes it easier to keep track of the various characters and subplots but serves to intensify the beat-the-clock tension.

"Alias," on the other hand, dabbles more in comic-book-style escapism. Like a wily chameleon, Sydney is a master of undercover guises (many involving skintight dresses and stiletto heels) who takes us on a whirlwind tour of nail-biting missions in exotic locales. Along the way, she deploys all sorts of killer gadgets and bone-crunching kickboxing moves to fend off ruthless enemies. The show is part "Charlie's Angels," part "La Femme Nikita" and part James Bond adventure.

Even with all the buzz, "Alias" and "24" have yet to become bonafide Nielsen powerhouses. Still, they both pack heat. "Alias," already renewed for next season, attracts the younger viewers that advertisers crave, and it is a rare bright spot in ABC's horrendous crash-and-burn season.

"24," meanwhile, has seen its ratings improve in recent weeks and continues to hold its own on one of prime time's most competitive nights. Although the show has yet to receive a renewal notice from Fox, it's a solid bet to return next fall -- possibly with some format changes.

The serpentine narratives of both shows probably have scared off some viewers who believe they're too late to catch-up with all the plot entanglements. But while the shows can appear to be complicated jumbles ("24" is the more lucid of the two), they're by no means impenetrable. My advice: Don't sweat the small details. Simply sit back and enjoy the ride.

Anyway, even the most ardent "Alias" fan might be hard-pressed to explain all its inner workings. Let's see: Sydney is a spunky grad student by day and plucky double agent by night who works for the CIA alongside hunky Michael Vaughn (Michael Vartan), who could be a potential flame. But she also works for SD-6, a nefarious underworld spy ring she hopes to destroy. Meanwhile, her snow cone of a dad (Victor Garber) also works as a CIA mole at SD-6 and her mom, a onetime KGB agent long believed to be dead, really could be alive. And then there's ... oh, just forget it!

The main thing is to keep an eye on Garner, who, by necessity, dominates "Alias" more than Sutherland does "24." And she's definitely worth watching. Garner has the physical dexterity needed for all that high-kicking and body-slamming, but also is blessed with an acting range that is unusual among action babes. As the put-upon Sydney, she impressively balances heavy-duty toughness with plenty of emotional fragility.

While "Alias" tends to percolate with full-bodied personality -- as well as welcome doses of humor and romance -- the lean and sleek "24" prefers a more straightforward approach (think of it as the "Law & Order" of spy thrillers) that hitches itself, via snappy editing and camerawork, to the continuous flow of action and events rather than character exploration.

The result is a palpable sense of frenzy and urgency rarely found on other TV action shows. "24" aspires to being an unrelenting, minute-by-minute pressure cooker. Nothing more. Nothing less. And it succeeds in grand style.

Just one complaint: Lately, the "24" writers seem to be straining to maintain that adrenaline rush. In recent weeks, some soap opera traits have surfaced. Among them: Jack's wife (Leslie Hope) developed amnesia after a fiery car accident from which their teen daughter (Elisha Cuthberth) escaped without a scratch. I could sense eyes rolling all over America.

Maybe the upcoming appearance of Dennis Hopper, who plays a big, bad Balkan war criminal over the last five episodes, will distract me from those missteps. Or maybe not.

Either way, I can hardly wait to see what happens next.

• • •

Which finally brings us back to a very soggy Sydney. As her car settles to the ocean floor, it becomes apparent that her strategy is not only to survive but remain submerged long enough to avoid her would-be captors.

So, of course, she calmly unbuckles her seat belt, rolls down the driver's-side window, squirms out through the opening and swims toward the car's back tire. Then, with skillful efficiency, our resourceful heroine rips off the hubcap, wraps her voluptuous lips around the valve stem and begins sucking in air.

Preposterous? Maybe. But Jack Bauer would be so proud.

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