Alias Season 3 Episode 9

This episode merits a 10 rating purely for Jack's expressions alone. Not only do we get to see him smile (TWICE!) but his reactions when listening to a doped up Kaya and Brezzel were flippin' hilarious! Victor Garber rarely gets to do comedy, but here it really goes to show that actions (or in this case reactions) speak louder than words.





The remainder of the episode, much like Dr Brezzel's procedure, is experimental, trippy, and downright entertaining. There's so much to pick at and long-term fans are rewarded quite a bit, where fans who only jumped on at season 3, I'm sure, will have no idea what's going on. The continuity touches alone boost this above your average Alias dosage, but the fact that it happens to be compelling, funny, and awkward is simply icing on the cake.





Akin to that of Buffy's ''Restless'', this episode serves to hint at what's to come - some of the dreams being rather literal, others open to interpretation: there's some great visual gags on offer, I loved Marshal and Weiss using a rambaldi artifact as an ashtray, very amusing. The fight between Syd and Lauren was also neat, and it does a good job casting even more mystery over her -- was she simply a shape shifter, or does she have ties to Sydney's disappearance. That birthday scene where she cuts the cake only for blood to ooze from it was a startling piece of imagery aswell.





I especially loved the transitioning from one dream to another. The part where Syd opens the van that leads into a hallway looked ace. Or seeing 3 different Sydneys at different time intervals onscreen at the same time. Very surreal. And, of course, you had Good Syd (in white) against Bad Syd (in black). A very Matrix-esq fight scene ensues, as well as conformation that the covenant had been using Sydney for the past 2 years.





Jennifer Garner should be allowed to run around in slow motion in every episode. I couldn't get enough of her as she raced through those hallways, she looked amazing. And that cliffhanger was a doozey. The best of the season by far (''Oh my God...''). Could it be any more of a tease?





There are too many classic moments in this one: Sydney delivering a nasty right hook to Lauren being a personal highlight, even if I do like her character. And Lindsey is snivelling fiend, although he should know better than to blackmail Sloane. It aint gonna end well.





It's the first 10 for this season! It's nice to mix up the formula every now and then, but I wouldn't want every episode to be this wacky. All in all, it was a stunning episode. Some great casting in the form of David and Sarah, and everyone seemed to be on top of their game.





(p.s. How awkward was that scene when Syd kissed Vaughn thinking she was in a dream-state? I felt soooo bad for her...)