Sunday February 9, 2003
E666
Sydney must make a life-defining decision regarding her future with the agency, while Sloane re-emerges and continues his obsessive quest to piece together the mysterious Rambaldi artifacts - with the reluctant aid of a kidnapped scientist. Meanwhile, Dixon's marriage is put to the test after he tells his wife the truth about his occupation.
Write a Recap »The graduation storyline was a little off to me. We havent seen Sydney do anything as far as schoolwork as long as since the beginning of season 1, so the plot seemed to be aimed to possibly write off school and have her full job be with the CIA, which is obviously a good thing for the show. Arvin and Sark scenes stole the show - both of them portray an amazing villian in this show and it was good to see them getting some time on screen again, just giving us an overview of what they are planning on doing. I also think that the show needs to pick back up the Francie and Will storyline. Its been likely about 4-5 days in real time now, so Will had to have tried to make a move on Francie again, even though we havent seen one scene of them together since the huge reveal at the end of "Phase One". Decent episode, but not one of my favorites.
Jack:"Legally,he's right.Ethically,he's an ass." hide show
Although the last episode contained the Project Helix revelation,it didn't address the biggest fallout of the events in "Phase One":what will happen to Dixon and Marshall;what will Syd's mission be now that she's fulfilled her duty;where has Sloane disappeared to and for what reason.Because it didn't address these plot points,"Double Agent" felt more like a "filler" episode,one that was stuck in to pass the time until the writers could address the larger issues.As a result,"A Free Agent"feels like the episode that should have followed "Phase One".Despite the fact that it is similar to the previous episode,it is,after all,the episode where Sloane and Syd can finally just kick back and be enemies and this is definitely well worth watching...
The episode starts with Syd and Vaughn waking up together in bed.Now that she has brought enough information against the Alliance to shut the entire operation down,she realizes she doesn't have much of a purpose at the CIA.It's her graduation day today and she wonders what she wants to do in her life.Seriously now,when the hell did she had time to take a class this year?And talking about class,I had completely forgoten the fact that she was still going to university.Anyway,the problem is that she's proven herself so worthy to the CIA and her efforts have been so effective that Kendall isn't about to let her go that easily.And his loathsome response to her might seem like blackmail,but it's actually the only option he has.
She is graduating from university and believes it's time she graduate from the CIA as well.Until she gets that congratulatory phone call from Sloane...It's at that moment she realizes her was twofold:to bring an end to the Alliance and to make Sloane pay.His mocking voice on the other end of the phone is enough to bring that reality right to her,and she,of course,begins to reconsider her plans.Actually,nothing else could happen here.If the writers had chosen not to end her spy life,how could have been able to continue the storyline.Alias couldn't exist without Sydney on the spy world.
To the subplot now,Dixon had quite some screen time here and he's still pissed at Syd.When in "Phase One" he said that he didn't want to talk to her I thought that it was something for which he would regret later.He meant what he had said.He said that if Syd was so concerned about what might had happened to him if she had told him the truth,why tell him only when it was for her own benefit?This isn't true,actually.There wasn't any other alternative and he would have learned it anyway sooner or later.Now he is in the same situation where Syd was in the beginning.Diane turns on him for the same reason he has turned against Syd.He is in a dilemma:he has to choose between his family and the CIA.No matter how much he loves his wife and his children,I think he's going to choose the CIA.He is a patriot and now that he realizes how much damage has inadvertently caused,he will want to repair it.
Marshall,on the other hand-now the king of the CIA techies-seems unfazed by what has happened,but then again,he was never that close to Syd.Anyway,he's incredibly funny.I'm enjoying seeing him help the good guys.We also had a little of Irena and Sark.The moment between her and Syd together was very touching.Syd almost cried when she told to her mother that she couldn't see her anymore.I believe that Irena is a good person,despite all the things she has done,but up until now,we haven't seen her doing something special,except for the mission with Jack and Syd.I can't just watch her behind the bars talking to others.
Miscellaneous:
--After two episodes of absence we saw the main theme song again.
--Christian Slater had a smaller part than Ethan Hawke's,but it looks like it may continue to the next episode.What has he been preparing all this time and needs two more months?He's probably hiding something.I wonder if he is going to be able to assemble the Rambaldi artifacts for Sloane.If he does,what sort of weapon will it be?
--Irina mentioned that Jack had told her about Syd's success.Is Jack visiting Irena regularly?What's going on with them?
--I'm still feeling sorry about Francie.She couldn't be there for Syd to congratulate her.
--Sloane:"I'm approaching the finish line of a 30-year odyssey.I won't let anyone else take the final steps for me".
So,Sloane's investigation started 30 years ago when he was in the Army Corps of Engineers and was told to study a Rambaldi manuscript.
--The scene with Gemler and his eye was really creepy.
--Sloane wouldn't hesitate to torture a kid.
--Sloane has also bought a Tuscan villa and is planning to stash Emily there.
Number 47:the magnetometer is stored in box 47 47 at the bank.
**Highlight**
The scene in the propeller...Cool!!!
Syd:"Listen to me,you son of a ****.You have been a plague on my life.You repulse me.Every time I sat across from you,listening to your lies,all I could do was fantasize about slashing your throat".
Vaughn:"Marshall,welcome to the CIA".
Marshall:"Heard that one before".
Syd:"Good call on the gun,I would have said Beretta M9".
Vaughn:"Figured I had a fifty fifty chance".
Neil Caplan:"Are you telling me these pieces exist?"
Sloane:"You're sitting in a warehouse full of them".
Sloane:"Ah.You must be the man that Sark told me about.The man that Sydney was willing to kill me for".
Vaughn:"She would have killed you for a lot less".
--Cool car chase..
--This episode's locations:Mojave Desert,California;Switzerland
--This episode's special look:Syd wears a gown and mortar board for her graduation.
--This episode's aliases:In the Mojave,Vaughn poses as an arms dealer,Mr.Ludlow.Syd is a maintenance technician in overalls.Sloane poses as an elderly man who wants to deposit $50million at the Amcor bank.
--This episode's gadgets:Gemler has a cybernetic eye,a wetware ocular implant with a twelve-hour internal memory.Caplan has built a very sensitive magnetometer.Sloane wears a mask that's lined with carbon powder that allows it to fool an X-ray.
--This episode's cliffhanger:Sloane:"You,my dear,you'll be driving me out of here".What will happen next?...
alias004
Sydney is graduating from university hide show
Sydney is graduating from university, and frankly I was as surprised as Vaughn was, seriously, *when* did Syd have the time to attend her classes, study & graduate.
Now that there's no more Alliance or SD-6 Syd wants to quit the CIA, but Kendall won't let her & tells her if she quits she wont have access to Irena anymore. I loved Jacks quote:
Jack: (About Kendall) Legally, he's right. Ethically he's an ass.
We finally get to see a little of Irena. Another good thing.
Sloan comes out of hiding and contacts Syd & warns here not to come after him. And he admits that he planned everything that went down. Evil, Evil man. I wonder what he's up to now that Syd is his "hostage"?
Dixon tells his wife the truth & the CIA has offered him a job but his wife tells him that if he accepts she'll leave him.
So this was finally some dealing with the fact tht SD-6 was destoyed. But it also showed that this story isn't nearly finished. Sydney has some major things to deal with.
Sloane planned it all. For thirty years he has been thinking about destroying the Alliance, and he's known all along about Syndey and Jack. I really wonder why he wanted the Alliance destroyed. And how he planned everything that went down, perhaps he had a lot of luck, but he's also just very smart. Scary, evil, but still smart. And he still has something with Sydney :S I wonder what he's going to do with her.
So we finally saw a little Irina again! God I do love that character. And this time she really was good. I´ve been wondering what she was like from the beginning of the season, and sometimes I belive she´s good and then I don´t but this time she showes love fro Sydney. The real kind. Telling her to stop the CIA could´ve been part of her plan but you could see in her eyes, that it wasn´t. She told Sydney to quit because it´s best for her. It was spoken like a true mother.
Sydney obviously won´t quit. The shows is the middle of the season, and has some great story´s to work with. But the fact that she wants to quit has to be delt with. Kendalls action was low, but he´s kinda right. I don´t even thinkg that Sydney could live the non-spy life. No action, no thrill. Plus, she would have loads of free time. Especially now she's graduating, wich really is a miracle.
Dixon tols his wife and now has to choose between the job and the girl. I think it would be though for Dixon to walk away from the job, because he really wants to make up for all the bad he's done. But leaving his wife and children wouldn't be the right thing either. Man, poor guy.
Oh yeah before I forget: I LOVE MARSHALL!
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