Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Professional and Preggo

Sydney Bristow is pregnant. She’s the lead agent in a black ops division of the CIA and she’s pregnant. But, did we really think that would slow her down? She returned to SD-6 after they murdered her fiancé. She was back in the office the next day after being shot in the shoulder by her mother. Not much sidelines Sydney Bristow; not boyfriends, bullets or babies. Some have commented on the unrealistic actions of Sydney as an expectant mother, that writers have approached Sydney’s pregnancy carelessly. What these fans are forgetting is that 1) this is dramatic television and 2) we are talking about Sydney Bristow. It is very realistic for her character to be active, influential and not easily deterred. She wouldn’t be Sydney if she wasn’t out on missions, stretching her limits, meeting deadlines and nabbing the bad guys. And aside from being held 200 feet up in a car by a magnet, Sydney’s kept out of harms way. She is realizing her limits as an agent and her potential as a handler, which is a great transition for a character that will soon be feeding, burping and rocking baby to sleep.

As I mentioned in my article “Spy Bun in the Oven,” Alias took a turn when Jennifer Garner announced her pregnancy. Fans were worried that the butt-kicking that is Alias would disappear, and so far, we haven’t seen many fight scenes, with or without Sydney. She’s given her fair share of injuries, a couple swift kicks to the face, but the last four episodes have been lacking in physical action. I predict with the training of Rachel we’ll see more fight sequences, and as Thomas Grace gets more comfortable in his new position, he too will be breaking out the punches. And no worries, Sydney will be back once the baby is born (no doubt Garner is equally missing the action).

What are your predictions for Sydney as a working mother? Will we be seeing Baby Bristow-Vaughn in APO headquarters, being passed around the conference table? How can Sydney be a super spy and a super mom? Will Alias return to its Felicity roots with more Syd at home? And will Vaughn be back to be daddy?

4 comments:

Andrew said...

I think we're going to have to see Sydney come to terms with not being able to do as much. It should be interesting as she begins to feel less capable of doing what she used to do so well.

Kiki said...

I agree that it will be interesting to see Syd deal with perhaps frustration at not being able to do everything herself. It will add a good dynamic in her relationship with other characters. I see the potential too for a sort of gender role reversal from Syd/Vaughn to Rachel/Grace. Syd, the female was the passionate butt-kicker and I can see that jump in with both feet attitude in Grace, a male. Vaughn on the otherhand has been our thoughtful boyscout and that dynamic is reflected in the innocence and contmeplative nature of Rachel. Of course, there turned out to be more to Vauhgn then met the eye, and I think that's what we love about all the characters. One thing that makes a character successful is not strying from the core of what makes them who they are. So I think Syd will continue her fiesty ways with the pregnancy. Why should it change her.

SKlaft said...

Very insightful KLG, and spot-on in my opinion. I like the new dynamic. I hope Syd's sidline coaching is temporary, but I think its great. As the story develops and her pregnancy advances, I hope it brings back out the humanity that may (and I do mean "may") have been missing in some episodes since S-3.

SRM said...

I agree w/ everyone, don't really have more to add. I think you're right GS that she wouldn't be Sydney Bristow if she wasn't still kicking some butt and taking some names. :)