Alias

Authorized Personnel Only (2)

Season 4, Episode 2, Aired 1/5/05

Episode Summary

Sydney unwillingly teams up with her father to hunt down a modern-day samurai. Meanwhile, Nadia doesn't want to go back to the spy business, but is forced to when Sydney's life is jeopardized. Sydney finds out the reason behind Jack's misdeed and Nadia makes an unsettling promise.moreless

9.0

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Cast & Crew

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Greg Grunberg

Eric Weiss
Kevin Weisman

Marshall J. Flinkman
Jennifer Garner

Sydney Anne Bristow

Fan Episode Reviews (3)

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A solid continuation from the first part, with some great character work and a lot more drama/humour.

9.0

"Superb"

By MovieMark, Oct 13, 2009 Report Abuse

The second part to this season's premiere contains the meatier aspects of the story Syd isn't happy, and I certainly wouldn't want to get on her bad side. She chastises Jack to such an extreme I almost thought he was about to weep. She verbally slammed him as though he were Sloane, woman has a got a venomous bite.

It's great having Marshal back in the mix, and I loved his little 'uhm, Syd, Sloane is behind you' moment, it was so entirely in character. He's such a loveable baboon. Bringing Nadia into the fold was also a cracking movie. She is such a stunner and I can't wait to delve into her background. She's part Bristow, so she's bound to have plenty of baggage.

The resolution to season 3s finale is hazy at best. Jack had Irina killed because Irina hired an assassin to kill Sydney. But why? It makes no sense whatsoever. The last time we saw Irina, she was almost praising her daughter for being the chosen one, so it's a little fuzzy. I'm guessing JJ didn't quite know where to take Lauren's warnings and so brought in this storyline as a water under the bridge type thing.

Sydney with a sword, we should get more Sydney with swords. Her fight scene with Tamazaki was great and filled with tension, it didn't really click with me that Irina hired him to kill Syd until he said his client had been murdered. And his torture device, one of the best Alias torture scenes ever. Overall, this is a nice return to form. There are a lot of familiar trappings, akin to the first 2 seasons, and I like that. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed season 3, but with Dixon back as a field agent, Weiss as Syd's confidant and a whole load of familial drama, things are looking good for this season.moreless

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Review

8.4

"Great"

By cavanagh15, Aug 15, 2007 Report Abuse

A rough start to season four, which Im sure no one could imagine once we all found out that it was JJ Abrams who was going to be writing the first two epsiodes. JJ doesnt go out writing his last two Alais epiodes with a bang and I consider these past two episodes, or one "giant episode" however you want to look at it, to be a very big letdown for the beginning of season 4. The cliffhanger at the end of season 3 was perfect, but the answer now that we have it in season 4 is horrible. When we looked at the cover sheet of the file at the end of the season nothing on it looks like the entire file is going to be about Sydneys mother. Everything looks like something was done during Project Christmas, something that would drive Sydney to hate her father. Either way, learning that the cover had nothing to do with what was inside I feel the writers had an overall plan and then failed to execute it. The mission has come to a close, with Marshall and Nadia joing the team in this episode. Seems like the APO really is the new SD-6, lots of individual missions without a big overall gameplan. I liked it for the SD-6, but that was a while ago. I dont see a big storyarch for the season yet. Overall, bad start for season 4...no other way to describe it.moreless

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Marshall(Quietly): Sydney... Sloane... is here. Sydney: I know.

8.4

"Great"

By _SemperFidelis_, May 05, 2007 Report Abuse

Much better than part 1.

The opening was impressive. Marshall is just funny. His comment about Sark... I laughed so much. Him being recruited to APO was hilarious too. The team is all set! Well, Weiss is missing. For now...

The last season cliffhanger comes to a resolution, but unfortunately, it's a bad one.

So, it's revealed that Jack killed Irina - he was authorized to do that. However...

Lauren's last words to Sydney was that she[Syd] was "controlled" by someone/someones and it's not just a coincidence. Now, that doesn't make sense.

What makes sense, is, though, that, the writers changed their minds...

By the end, it's revealed, that, of course, Jack was not seeking for pure vengeance. Irina hired a hitman TO KILL Syd. Why? -Another question. My guess would be to protect the passanger... Speaking of which, this episode had nothing to do with Rambaldi either. Uh oh.

Overally, good episode. Not the best, but if watched together with part 1, it's a really good experience. Almost feels like working with SD 6 again!

The BEST line was once again by Marshall. His note to Dixon. That he was all boring and unfriendly as a leader. And how right he was!

I'm glad that Dixon is a field agent again - much better for his character.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- In the scene where Sydney is crawling through the vent in the museum the footage was, in fact, unused footage from the Season 1 two-pater The Box Parts One and Two. Edit
- Sydney's cover for APO is that she works in a bank, the same cover she had for SD-6. Edit
- Marshall drives a Mini Cooper. Edit
Notes
ADD NOTES
- This is the last episode J.J. Abrams wrote for Alias. Edit
- J.J. Abrams directed some secondary scenes in the season premiere episode. Edit
- This episode averaged 15.757.000 viewers, which is the second highest score in the history of the show. Edit
Quotes
ADD QUOTES
- (Sydney and Weiss are at Sydney's house) Weiss: I just... I just don't see it, you're working in a bank? C'mon, what kind of a job is that? Cashing checks, making change, "Excuse me, next in line please." Sydney: I'm a loans officer, I travel, service accounts. Weiss: Wait a minute, that cover job you had for SD-6? Sydney: I happen to be good at it. Weiss: Great! That's stimulating stuff, watching someone else's cash, Syd come on seriously since you left the spy biz you're a bore! Sydney: It's an adjustment is all... are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner? Weiss: I'd love to, but I've got to go save the world, see you. Sydney: Bye. (Weiss goes to the door and opens it, Nadia is standing there) Weiss: Hello. Nadia: Hi. Weiss: I'm Eric Weiss, 38, single... Nadia: Nadia. Weiss: How are you? Nadia: Good (To Sydney) Is this a bad time? Sydney: Not at all Nadia, this is Eric he was just leaving. Weiss: No no no, I can stay... (Sydney waves Weiss goodbye) or go. Nice to meet you. Edit
- (Jack and Sydney sit in total silence waiting for a contact) Jack: This is the best conversation we've had in weeks. Edit
- Marshall (To Dixon): How cool is this? Steal a sword so we can fight a bad guy, in order to catch and even bigger bad guy, come on come on you would have never let us do this back in the CIA, you know, when you were double breasted series robot Dixon... not that you were... just... a little authoritative... I'm sorry. Edit
Allusions
ADD ALLUSIONS
- Marshall: Okay, Phoenix, you are hot... and I mean that in many ways. In Egyptian mythology, the phoenix is a mythical sacred firebird, which is reborn from its own ashes at the end of its life-cycle. It is a symbol of the resurrection, of immortality, and of life-after-death. Edit
- Marshall: Merlin to team. Merlin is the name of the wizard featured in the several accounts of the Arthurian legend. Marshall was given this name because he is a computer wiz. Edit