Alias

Double Agent

Season 2, Episode 14, Aired 2/2/03

Episode Summary

Sydney, Vaughn and Jack must determine whether CIA agent Lennox is who he says he is after his deep cover mission is compromised.

9.0

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Cast & Crew

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Kevin Weisman

Marshall J. Flinkman
Jennifer Garner

Sydney Anne Bristow
Merrin Dungey

Francine 'Francie' Calfo

Fan Episode Reviews (6)

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The inconsistency caused by this episode beeing originally designated to be shown before episode 'phase one' clearly shows.

5.3

"Mediocre"

By t_a_k, Sep 19, 2010 Report Abuse

This episode - unlike the previous one - was disappointing for me. For starters I felt while watching, that this episode has not been originally designated to be aired as one. The characters just don't match their motives and feelings and after reading about parts of this episode were designated to be aired before 'phase one' I know why. The inconsistency shows.

Secondly I found the plot really stupid. Two men beeing Lennox didn't fit. The destruction of the prototype seemed far to easy to me; the laboratory beeing watched by only 5 guards in a regular train-yard? Not plausible.

Third thing, that I found strange: Where is Tippins? Why is he not home with his newly found lover Francine? And if he ain't there, where else is he and why didn't his whereabouts even got mentioned? That's why the replacement of Francine seems kind of a weak spot for the upcoming episodes (I hope there will be a proper explanation for this or I'll be strongly disappointed about it).

What I did like though is the incertitude I felt about the remaining Lennox really beeing the real Lennox. I'm still not sure, whether he's not a clever placed second double agent (apart from the false Francine) of the (still remaining unknown) new enemy, the CIA is facing. Same goes for the new intern in the CIA-headquarter. She too could be a double agent.moreless

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Two of us

9.0

"Superb"

By napen, Jan 08, 2009 Report Abuse

Si Sidney y Michael se pueden dar el lujo de estar juntos (al menos por ahora) es gracias a mi nuevo dolo el seor Arvin Sloane. Y digo por ahora porque tener a la falsa Francie en casa... mirndote con esa cara de super mala mientras tens sexo... que miedito...
Pusieron en claro el tema de cmo puede ser posible que haya una mujer igual a Francie. Habr slo dos copiados? Arvin posea esa tecnologa o se la habr facilitado Sark? Irina sabr de todo esto? Ser una falsa Irina? Creo que en algn momento ped un cambio y vaya si me lo concedieron!moreless

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Syd:"One thing about my fiance.I was lucky to have known him for as long as I did."

9.0

"Superb"

By alias004, Sep 06, 2008 Report Abuse

After the shocking revelations of "Phase One",any episode would be a disappointment,but "Double Agent" is surprisingly good.Actually the show takes a breather,but this doesn't mean that the writers have plans to slow it down and take it easy for a while.As natural,because of the dissolution of SD-6,this episode is a fresh,new start.A new storyline was introduced here,a new character appeared coming in to the CIA and generally you can feel it when you see Syd standing in the rubble of what was once SD-6...

So,maybe this is the first completely self-contained episode of the show.It started with a new plot and it ended it in the same episode.The main theme here was about James Lennox and Emma Wallace,CIA agents,lovers and also engaged,who two months ago went on a mission to investigate a man called Marcovik,who was working on the mysterious project "Helix",something with terrorist applications.When something goes wrong,Lennox is captured and Syd amd Vaughn are sent to Cayo Concha,to download information on Helix and find Lennox if possible.They do so,but Lennox says he was kidnapped four weeks ago.Why didn't Wallace report him missing?Then Lennox is put in Federal costudy when the CIA analyse the data on Helix and discover that it is a gene resequencer that alters the patient's genetic code,making them an exact duplicate of someone else,down to their DNA.When Weiss spots Lennox on video footage of Berlin,he is arrested on suspicion of being a double.The CIA question him and they decide he is innocent.Later,he and Syd are sent to Poland in order to find and destroy Helix,but as they're ready to do so,another man appears claiming to be the real Lennox and Syd has to find out who says the truth...

Lennox is in the same situation as Syd was and I understand him.He lost his love as Syd did.Syd totally understands him and she was the only person who was convinced from the beginning that he was saying the truth.This fault of her,to easily believe and trust others,is what makes her humane and more amiable to us.Anyway,Ethan Hawke was really good here and quite convincable.

Though all this Helix story is totally unrealistic,even if they're trying to make it appear as a next-generation technology,it is quite intriguing.We take the answer we needed about Francie.And talking about Francie,Syd is very clever and she immidiately noticed her strange behaviour.Not for the first time,Syd's professional life follows her home.Sloane has had access to Helix and the plan to replace Francie with a duplicate makes sense.Is there a strategic reason to spy Syd at home?Does Sloane have wider-ranging plans to use Helix?I'm worried about Syd.When she finally puts the pieces together and discovers what is going wrong,will it be too late?

Finally,the scene with Syd and Vaughn making sex that we have been waiting for happens,but the two have an unexpected "audience" without Syd's knowledge.Ew..

Miscellaneous:

--The main title theme song was omitted as in "Phase One".

--We had a new member here:Christine Phillips of the Clandestine Services Bureau.What a great way to start your new job,watching somebody blown off.

--Syd couldn't hide that smile when Vaughn told her that he had broken-up with Alice.

--With SD-6 and the Alliance destroyed,Syd has no countermissions anymore.As such,all her missions are now for the CIA.I'm afraid that Alias might loose it's complexity and that the missions won't be as good as season's 1.

--That move with Syd jumping on the wall was awesome.

--Vaughn actually sees Syd's house for the first time and he likes it.

--Number 47:Lennox is being kept in Room 47

--If Sloane already knew Jack and Syd were double agents,that might explain the mysterious letter Sark gave him in the back of the ambulance in "The Counteragent"

--Vaughn jabs a needle in Jezek's neck and tells him he has a short time to live before he'll have a heart attack.It's a very "Xena" moment-she would always perform a neck pinch on her victims that would slowly cut off the blood supply to their brains and kill them if they didn't tell her everything in time.

--This is the first time a real name(Osama bin Laden) is used on the show when the characters talk about terrorists.

--Irina,Dixon,Marshall,Sark and Will weren't in this episode.Irina,particularly,twice in a row.

--The chase in the train was good with lot of tense

***Highlight***

The shocking beginning with Emma Wallace on the street,wrapped with C-4

Lennox:"I could have sworn you were a blonde."
Syd:"I was.My hair's usually brown.Hard to keep track."

Kendall:"Is there anything you would like to add?"
Lennox:"We were engaged"

Weiss:"You like Italian food?"
Christine:"I have a boyfriend."
Weiss:"Yeah,me too."

Syd:"And as hard as it is,I would rather feel it than not feel anything."

Vaughn:"You are so beautiful."
Syd:"Dinner's ready."
Vaughn:"We do have an oven,you know.We can reheat."

--This episode's injuries:Lennox has acid dripped in his eyes.

--This episode's locations:Cayo Concha,Dominican Republic;Poland

--This episode's aliases:Syd as the girl from the pool who lures Jezek into the changing room by making eyes at him.Later,to get into Markovic's base she poses as a client of Jezek's.

--This episode's sexy look:For one more time...Syd wears a very small blue bikini and then takes off the top.

--This episode's hot look:Syd wears a light business suit and blond wig.

--This episode's cool look:In Poland Syd and Lennox wear black combat gear and beanie hats.

--This episode's gadgets:Project Helix:a gene resequencer that alters a patient's genetic code,making them an exact duplicate of someone else,down to their DNA.It would allow someone like Osama bin Laden to adopt a new identity and allow someone to create decoys of themselves.It only works on people of a certain 'genetic disposition'.The person who adopts the new identity has to spend a couple of days in a coma.In order to distinguish the people who change identity,there's deliberately a flaw-an ocular scan will reveal a slight flaw in the duplicate's iris.
Also,in Poland,Syd uses a fiber-optic camera to locate the tumblers of the lock.

I'm still waiting to see Irina and Sark...

alias004moreless

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Review

9.3

"Superb"

By cavanagh15, Jul 30, 2007 Report Abuse

I actually liked this episode a lot better then a lot of people on this site seem to give it credit for. Granted there were a couple of problems (supposed to be shown before "Phase One" but it wasnt) the episode overall was really good. The random CIA Agents that we had never seen before seemed like a filler storyline, but it all tied up at the end when it was learned that the entire thing was about the two people that had been cloaned. I did like how the writers told us there was only two people that got cloaned, as it takes away that mystery. I think "3" would have been an amazing decision too,but two people works for me. The entrie scene at the end trying to figure out who was the real Lennox was really well done by the entire team to make that scene was it was. Overall, very nice storyline to follow phase one - nothing huge has been deciding yet and we are all still reeling from that episode.moreless

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Now that SD-6 is no longer in existance Sydney can walk into CSI headquaters from the front door.

9.3

"Superb"

By aussieforgood, Mar 22, 2006 Report Abuse

Now that SD-6 is no longer in existance Sydney can walk into CSI headquaters from the front door. And instead of going on her usual missions fro SD-6, now she's going for the CIA.

Sloan is still on the loose & now he's on the most wanted list, and Irena didn't show up in this episode either. I really miss her, and I want to find out what she's really up to.

The whole duplicate storyline didn't really sit with me, I mean come on, altering a persons DNA? Too unrealistic.

I'm still sad that Francie is now dead, & her double looks so evil. Spying on Syd & Vaughn while they were...ummm...you know. Ewww.

Why didn't Syd notice that Francie was acting wierd, after all she did tell her about Michael & when she introduced him to Francie as Michael (from the bank) she didn't have any reaction whatsoever, the real Francie would have winked, smiled, etc. Is Sydney so happily in love now, she is blind to all the clues around her.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- When Sydney is speaking with Agent Lennox she says "My fiance was killed last year". However, in the episode "Free Agent" when Dixon asks Sydney how long she's known the truth about SD-6 Sydney says "two years". This is a serious time-line issue because Danny was killed 3 months before Sydney found out the truth about SD-6...meaning that it would have been 2 1/4 yrs since he was killed. Edit
- When Sydney is being debriefed about the fact that agent Lennox was taken into custody because he may be a double, Kendall says that even if he isn't a double they can't be sure of whether he is the man in the video who killed his partner Emma. If this was the case then why would they let him out and send him on a mission with Sydney, even after his identity is confirmed? Edit
- Number 47: Agent Lennox was being held in room 47. Edit
Notes
ADD NOTES
- This episode was nominated for the 2003 Emmy Award for "Outstanding Cinematography for a Single Camera Series". Edit
- Music from this episode includes: "Moving In Stereo" by the Cars "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face" by Coldplay Edit
- This episode was originally slated to air before "Phase One", after the Super Bowl, presumably using different footage with SD-6 still active. You can tell, the characters motivation's are still "gung ho", not consistant with the destruction of SD-6, and none of "Phase One"'s loose ends (Marcus, Marshall, Irina, Sloane, Sydney leaving the CIA, Et al) are tied up, with the exception of the genetic double. Edit
Quotes
ADD QUOTES
- (After SD-6's fall) Sydney: I was thinking... (With a smug smile) I can actually go to the CIA through the front door. Vaughn: And I can actually give you a ride. (Smiles too) Edit
- (Sydney walks into the safe house and finds it trashed, and Agent Lennox drunk) Agent Lennox: Beware of the grieving man and his bottle. Edit
- Sydney: How is this possible without obvious scarring? Jack: The procedure isn't surgical. A patient's genetic code is altered to reshape their physical attributes. Sydney: Is it reversible? Jack: It's unclear. It only works on people of a certain genetic disposition and the recipient must be induced into a comatose state for several days while their cells regenerate. The data indicates the only way to distinguish the real person from the double is by an ocular scan. A flaw in the iris was deliberately built into the procedure to tell them apart. Edit
Allusions
ADD ALLUSIONS
- Olivia d'Abo, who played "Emma Wallace" in the episode also played another Wallace, Nicole Wallace, as a guest star character on "Law and Order: Criminal Intent". Edit
- Audio/Video: "Moving in Stereo" playing as Sydney exits the pool in slow motion. The scene where Sydney exits the pool with "Moving in Stereo" in the background is a tip of the hat to the famous scene in Fast Times at Ridgemont High where Phoebe Cates exits the pool in Judge Reinhold's fantasy. Edit