Back to the Beginning

Is anyone else as bored as I am? I feel like a comedian with no new material!! So, I am going back to the old material, as in season 1, baby! Yes, folks, we are going back, all the way back to the beginning. Starting with tomorrow's post, I will be reviewing season 1 episodes. I am hoping by the end of the hiatus that we will have covered seasons 1-4. This will give us a chance to talk about character development, what plot lines worked and which didn't and rediscover the fabulousness that is Alias!

So, pop in your season 1 DVD tonight. Take some notes. I'll post a brief synopsis and any new and fun information I discover.

Dirty Little Secret

We have been anticipating Michael Vaughn’s return since his funeral in episode 5.01. We’ve picked up on every clue, clung to every mention of his name, and we now know his brief return in episode 5.09 “Horizon” will be due to a drug-induced hypnosis. With the news that Alias is now in the middle of their final season, is it possible that Michael Vartan will return for good, to finish out the series?

According to the filming schedule of his down-under film, Rogue, Vartan will be back state side by February. Alias will still be on maternity hiatus (that is if Jennifer Garner pops that kid out ever). It has been reported in interviews with various Alias producers that they have not forgotten the importance of Sydney and Vaughn’s relationship to the show and they insure fans that their investment in the love a la Bristow-Vaughn will not go unsatisfied.

There are so many questions still unanswered that are related to Vaughn and his past. Who was his father? Is Bill Vaughn dead? Did Irina kill him? How was Bill Vaughn connected to P5? What did Michael learn in his seven year investigation with Renee? If Michael is dead, who wanted him killed? If he’s alive, where is he and what is he doing?

It only seems right that one of the most vital characters be carried through to the end. Vaughn’s relationship with Sydney launched the show, caused the most tension, the most heart-felt moments and made us believe in the craziness of their daily lives. Vaughn saved Sydney from a double-life. She saved him from Lauren. Now Sydney is pregnant, and she’s been struggling with the idea of raising her child without Vaughn. We’ve seen her reservation, we’ve seen her angst. She and Vaughn have been through the thickest of thick and the thinnest of thin and to end the season without a happily-ever after would not do their love justice, or the show.

With Vartan’s film conveniently wrapping up around the time of Alias’ hiatus return, we may get the happily-ever-after finale, both fans and Sydney and Vaughn, deserve.

Classic Sark

At the ripe age of 21, David Anders joined the cast of Alias as the devilishly delicious Brit, Julian Sark. From the moment he murdered the leader of the FTL, Sark has been Sydney Bristow’s number fan, as well as her most playful antagonist. He has played negotiator with Alexander Kassinau, Covenant benefactor and errand boy, ungrateful son of Lazarey, sidekick to Kazari Bomani and Lauren’s little boy toy. He’s kissed Sydney, shaken hands with Ana Espinoza and talked haircuts with McKenas Cole. He’s a man of many talents and many allegiances. Julian Sark will return this season, running and jumping into the sack with our girl Rachel, while once again egging on the agents of APO. What is Mr. Sark up to? Who is he working for? What role will he have in the reported 5 episodes he will be appearing in during the last season of Alias?

Last we heard, Sark was able to escape Sydney and Vaughn, while turning Ana Espinoza over to the CIA. He’s burned many bridges, how is it that he is still alive? Still operational? He’s always had a connection to Sloane, is it possible he is working with Sloane again? Let’s hope we get some answers…

Truth Be Told

Okay Alias, we have come to terms with your departure. We have always known Sydney Bristow would one day settle down, we were just hoping it was another 20 years from now. Alas, we are grateful for the 5 fabulous years you’ve given us. Now, we want the truth. We want it all laid out there. We look forward to a BANG of an ending and we are hoping that this ending includes the answers to so many questions, questions that can demolish as many mysteries as possible. Here is a starter list of some of the questions that need to be answered before the series is laid to rest:

-Who is behind P5?
-What really happened to Vaughn’s father? Did Irina really kill him?
- Is Nadia really Sloane’s? Jack’s?
- Who is Rambaldi? What is his endgame?
- Is Vaughn alive?
- What is S.A.B. 47?
- What is the significance of the number 47?


Any others? Let’s get a nice list going! Alias has 15 episodes to go! 15 episodes to cram as much satisfying information into as possible. I will compile a list of all of your ideas for unanswered questions and update the list everyday.

An End in Sight

Happy Thanksgiving All.

My father woke me this morning with the sad news that Alias' mission will be complete this May. Though I am in deep, turkey-eating denial, I can say that I am not surprised. The show offered a world of intrigue and espionage, enough to last us a life time. The actors, writers, producers and crew put in 5 long, hard years of work to deliver a superb piece of television drama. Let us be grateful and thankful for those 5 years.

Though it would seem this site would have no further use, now that the show it is so dutifully dedicated to will no longer be in viewing, I fully intend to finish out the season. With the remaining 12 episodes housing all of Alias' secrets, you can bet this blog, along with the message boards, will be picking, discussing and piecing together the mystery that is Alias.

Thank you to all of you who have been loyal fans of not only the show, but of this blog. Your comments, questions and suggestions have given me great inspiration. I intend to use all I have learned to pursue different endeavors. So, lift your heads, wipe your tears, we'll get through this together! Hang in there and we will finish out the season as it so deserves.

Behind the 5

We meet Joseph Vlasko in episode 4.14 “Nightingale.” He is a research scientist for Project Nightingale, who has ties to Elena Derevko. Jack and Sloane have tracked him down, through Sydney and Vaughn, who are investigating Bill Vaughn’s death. Sloane tells Jack that Vlasko must be eliminated, as he may warn Elena about their agenda, or worse, he could talk to Sydney, which would be a disaster. Eventually Sydney and the APO team join forces with Jack and Sloane in stopping Elena and her endgame. If it was so imperative that Sydney not know what Vlasko knew, why would Jack and Sloane agree to bring her and the team in on the plan to stop Elena?

We also know that whatever Jack and Sloane’s plan is, it involves blackmail. They were able to obtain a true copy of the Blackwell Index, a database of blackmail-worthy information on high ranking government officials and criminals. When the list is operational, Jack asks Sloane, “Does it have what we need?” And Sloane replies, “Oh, yes and more.” What type of information do they need and on who? If their secret plan was really to bring down Elena, what would what be the need for the Blackwell Index?

We know the Index is used to bate the French man who knows Irina’s whereabouts (Vaughn and Sydney lure him to a bathroom in a sex club.) We also know Marshall and Weiss use the Index to bribe a Russian official into calling off the air strike on Elena. But had Jack and Sloane planned for these uses, or did they have alternative plans for the list?

If Sloane had spent the greater part of his 30 year Rambaldi quest working with Elena, and had a hand in the development of the Mueller Device and construction of the artifacts that produced the big red ball, why was Sloane not aware of how to dismantle the device? Why was Irina the only one privy to this information?

Sloane
All of this leads to more questions, questions pertaining to this season. In the last episode, Sloane rolls on Dean and then is bribed by a P5 messenger to kill Dean to save Nadia. Think back to season 2, when Sloane fakes Emily’s death in order to save her and to ultimately bring down the Alliance. He made us, the audience, as well as Jack and the Alliance believe he was being blackmailed, that someone had Emily in custody, complete with physical evidence, her finger. We come to find that Sloane and Emily had staged everything to rid themselves of the Alliance. Could Sloane be doing the same now? Could he be feeding APO information enough to bring down P5 in order to get rid of the obstacles in his way? Could Phase 2 have been infiltrating international governments to gain power and access to materials, money and weapons? What is Sloane’s plan? Do you believe he is behind P5?

Jack
Sloane has betrayed Sydney more times than we can count, but to be fair, hasn’t her father betrayed her as well? It’s so easy to point the finger at Evil Sloane and so easy to feel sorry for SpyDaddy, to forgive him and accept his betrayals as his way of protecting Sydney. Now, as Director of APO, Jack is calling the shots. He is in charge, and with Vaughn gone, it’s easy for us to have a soft spot for Jack as he helps Sydney through her pregnancy. However, as I watched episode 5.07 again last night, I caught something. While Sydney is interrogating Dean, Jack conveniently interrupts before Dean can give Sydney the access codes. Then, later, Sloane conveniently kills Dean before Sydney can ask him about the access codes. As I have mentioned, there are no coincidences on Alias. Was Dean, like Vlasko, a necessary casualty to cover Jack and Sloane’s tracks, to keep their workings a secret from Sydney and the team?

If Sloane and Jack are in fact behind P5, what was the motive behind killing Vaughn? Surely they knew that if Vaughn was killed by P5 that Sydney would want to bring the people behind the group to justice. Certainly they don't underestimate their most skilled agent? But perhaps they believe they can contain her.

What else do these episodes tell us about Jack and Sloane? What are your theories about who is behind P5? Why is it easy for us to hate Sloane for all he's done, but not Jack?

Alias Answers by Paul

Over the years Alias has had us asking many a question. Never have they given us satisfying answers, answers the tie up plotlines in neat packages and lead us on to the next line of questioning. BUT, we have some answers!! Someone actually has some answers for us!! A blogger caught the piece I posted on Lauren and the many questions she left us with at the end of season 3. This blogger, we will call him PAUL MY DEAREST (because I think I love him), found the answers in a season 4 episode, answers that have been in front of us this entire time!!

He writes:

You posted an article about it last week, about the final conversation with Lauren at the end of season 3! :) But it occurred to me that this wasn't actually a case of the writers dropping the storyline. To referesh your memory, here is what Lauren stated at the end of season 3:

“Do you think the CIA couldn’t find you when you went missing or that you learned what happened to you by chance?”

“If your mother’s really been trying to help you since she left, why haven’t you spoken to her?”

“You can’t believe that you and your sister just happen to be agents.”

“We’re both pawns in the same game. The difference between us is I know who controls me.”

“There is a bank in Wittenberg, a numbered vault-proof.”

Now, here are my thoughts to tie these together. We learn in season 4, throughout the entire season, various clues that I believe can piece this puzzle together. Here goes: The headmistress was Elena, and she shows up when Nadia is a teenager to encourage Nadia to accept the job from the government. We also learn near the end of season 4 that Elena had been keeping tabs on both Sydney AND Nadia for YEARS. So she obviously knew where Nadia was and could have directed Roberto Fox to recruit Nadia! Hence, "You can't believe that you and your sister just happen to be agents." She may have maneuvered Nadia's offer from Roberto Fox. Remember, he didn't actually work for the government at all!!! Elena says to Nadia when she is in prison, “I believe people come into our lives for a reason.” It is very possible that Elena was referring to herself in Nadia’s life, or Roberto Fox.

Also, we learn from Katya near the end of season 4 that Elena was the "Man" behind the Covenant ALL along. Although we only see Quentin Tarantino's character McKenas Cole as Covenant leadership, he clearly says that he is merely, "The man in front of the Man." He then makes Sark and Lauren co-chairs of the new North American cell. Perhaps Lauren found out in the interim (unbeknownst to us) who the "Man" really was. Hence, “We’re both pawns in the same game. The difference between us is I know who controls me.”Next, because it was Elena who manipulated Jack to kill "Irina" all along, this could be the ONLY way that Lauren knew that Jack had killed Irina, let alone where the vault was!!! “There is a bank in Wittenberg, a numbered vault-proof.” This is actually quite shocking in a way. If my line of reasoning is correct, Lauren may have been privy to much more information than we were led to believe, even more so than Sark. She always did seem to have the upper hand over Sark, with her manipulation of killing the Covenant leadership in direct collaboration with McKenas Cole. Is it possible she knew she was working for Elena?!?! She obviously had information that only Elena would have known!

OK, now here's where I delve into some truly shocking ideas! It was just revealed to us that Prophet 5 is embedded in world governments...could this possibly include the DSR??? Kendall??? He is obviously a very important character that seems to be underused. “Do you think the CIA couldn’t find you when you went missing or that you learned what happened to you by chance?” POW! We know that Elena wanted the Rambaldi tissue, but is it possible that she was playing BOTH sides?? Trying to get it through the Covenant by manipulating Sydney AND trying to get it via Kendall and the DSR by manipulating Sydney? Or is it possible that Prophet 5 (embedded in world governments) was using Elena and we STILL haven't seen the top of the command chain? Either way, this raises doubts in my mind as to whether the DSR is "good" or not? Remember, Dean was able to get inside APO and infiltrate the CIA...that would be even easier for Kendall! Not to mention, do you remember how all those Rambaldi artifacts were stolen from the NSA in season 2??? How would anyone but Kendall (Project Black Hole) have known where they were to steal in the first place? Either way, that statement makes me think that someone in Prophet 5 is in the US government...and my guess is Kendall! Again, this also brings in the comment, “We’re both pawns in the same game. The difference between us is I know who controls me.” Elena has been manipulating Sydney too, giving even more credence to the idea Lauren may have known about Elena!

“If your mother’s really been trying to help you since she left, why haven’t you spoken to her?” We see Jack communicate with Irina throughout the season via instant messenger, but Jack wasn't REALLY talking to Irina! Elena was manipulating him the whole time! Elena already had Irina locked up and was interrogating her. Jack was speaking with her placed double! That is why when Jack asked her about the Passenger, she closed down the user account and disappeared. Jack was getting too close and Elena decided to cut him off. Of course, this would also suggest that Elena has been manipulating Katya! It was through one of these conversations to save Sydney in North Korea that brought Katya to Jack's door. Clearly, Elena needed Sydney alive, and since Elena was able to manipulate Jack, using Katya to do this would certainly be within her power.Another quick thought...Elena must have been manipulating McCullough and the Sloane Clone, again to get the orchid for her scheme! She was behind the manipulation of Vaughn to believe that his father was still alive. Remember, the cipher text in the book Vaughn was given led him directly to Nadia's headmistress, Elena!This explanation would account for that weird conversation between Lauren and Sydney, and given what we already know about ALIAS, this explanation is even far-fetched. Perhaps the writers didn't drop the ball on that conversation after all and the explanation is still to be revealed.

Excellent observations and clarifications PAUL MY DEAREST. I, too, re-watched the episode explaining Nadia’s past and found MY DEAREST’s statements to be very plausible. I think it is highly likely that all the answers we are longing for are buried deep in old episodes, in encrypted conversations and heavy back story. This is why re-watching old episodes is so important; it gives us a better understanding of the characters and the plot and where the story maybe headed. Please, go back and watch episodes 4.10-4.13!!
Thank you to Paul for this fabulous piece. Stay tuned for more answers about…Bill Vaughn.

Episode 5.07 "Fait Accompli"

Did ya’ll see the eppy last night? Because if you didn’t I am weeping for you! Weeping I say.

OH-MY-GAWD (like Janis from Friends, but less nasal). BEST EPISODE YET! I am just so overwhelmed. I am still processing the excitement. Okay, okay, I'm coming down now. Let's start with a running list of all the information PACKED into last night's episode.

-I heart Rome.
-Renee can really pack a punch.
-Sydney, while on mission in Rome, runs into her old English professor!
-Sloane turns on Dean. The team stages a coup of all coups.
-Mr. Dean meet Mr. Shovel, Shovel, Mr. Dean. How do you do? (Rachel really knows how to handle garden tools.)
-Dean takes a trip right back to the ‘70’s thanks to Marshall’s special blend of LSD.
-Sloane is approached by a P5 messenger, who strikes an uncanny resemblance to Mr. Sanko, an old friend of Mr. Sark’s. Sloane must kill Dean to save…ring, ring, Sloane, you better get that, it’s Nadia, she’s awake.
-Nadia comes out of her coma.
-Nadia goes back in her coma, complete with her blood shot eyes and fits of rage.
-Dean doesn’t know who he is working for, they have remained anonymous.
-APO goes to Seattle!! (My hometown folks! ABC is loving the rainy city right now ala Grey’s Anatomy.) They need the Glenheim Tower access codes.
-Sloane kills Dean, hoorah! (With cyanide no doubt.)
-But he kills him before Dean can give Sydney the access codes (BOO!)
-Peyton toasts her take over of “The Shed.”
-Sloane is double crossed by the P5 messenger.
-Jack constructs a crib.
-Jack miscalculates the construction of the crib.
And scene!

Callbacks:
-In the opening scene, Renee is after a statue which houses an access key card. The statue is busted during a fight, revealing the key card. This connects back to Sloane and Sark in season 2, when Sloane meets Kabir. Sloane launches a weapon that incinerates people in a church. Kabir gives him a statue which Sloane later breaks in order to retrieve the missing piece of a Rambaldi page inside. (Could this act be telling us tht Sark is in our midst? I think so!)
-Grace sprinkles himself with alcohol at the race track to distract Dean. Vaughn did the same on a Paris mission. Sydney sprayed him down with a bottle of Champagne and he drove up to a gated building thinking it was a private party. He distracted the guards long enough to let Sydney slip inside. (Could this be telling us Vaughn is in our midst? Yes!)

Fait Accompli:
I believe the title was refering to Nadia. Sloane felt so utterly helpless in the first scenes of the show, feeling as if he could do nothing but come to terms with a life without his daugter. Also, perhaps it's fait accompli that the Alliance has returned, or what looks to be similar to the Alliance. Hmmm..

P5:
While under the influence, Dean tells Sydney that his employers insisted he kill Michael Vaughn and that they have plans for her as well. Could this be referring to her kidnapping? Dean was scared, very scared, aside from the hallucinogenic drugs. Who ever, or whatever is running this organization, they have some pretty evil dudes shaking in their boots!

12:
Ah, the return of 12. The information the gang retrieved about P5 was interesting. P5 is a group of 12 government agencies dealing in all things evil. A Credit Marquee was mentioned. Sounds very much like Credit Dauphine (dauphine is the wife of dauphin, or a nobleman), and Sydney nailed it on the head, “sounds an awful like the Alliance.”

Hope:
Hope was a very subtle theme in this episode. Sydney hoped that by capturing Dean APO would learn all about P5 and the people that killed Vaughn. Sloane feared he would never find a cure for Nadia, but was given a glimpse of hope by the P5 messenger. I hope that Vaughn returns and never leaves us again. We all hope Alias’ new time slot will mean higher ratings and extended contracts. And as I had hoped…

Next week on Alias-
SARK RETURNS as the physical representation of all that is right and all that is wrong with the world. Swoon! Drool! Oh, Blonde and British! He returns as Bob, Rachel’s little one night stand. How absolutely clever of the writers! Does Sark know that Rachel works for APO or is it a wild coincidence? Either way, I hear he is BACK for at least 5, yes Ladies, 5 episodes. He is on set as we speak!

I loved it. LOVED I tell you! It was packed with information, there was more than one thing happening at a time. There was intrigue and surprise, angst and HOPE. It was truly old school Alias, complete with Sydney's old professor. What do you suppose was the significance of bringing him back? A reminder of Sydney's life before? Or, did they bring him back because they are on a role bringing back old faces (Nadia, Sark, Vaughn)?
What did you think? Let’s get down to the nitty gritty. What conclusions did you come to? What ideas do you have about P5? WHAT IS GOING ON?

T.T.T.T (Things to Think about on Thursday)

As we gravitate into tonight’s episode, anticipating the return of Nadia and the flashes of Vaughn’s return, let us keep a few things in mind.

-Sloane and Jack: We are still in the dark in regards to Sloane and Jack’s secret under workings. Their scenes reek of ambiguity and unspoken understanding; there is an air about both of them that smells of clandestine knowledge and ulterior objective. Let’s see if we can’t catch something in an eyebrow lift or a long, uncomfortable stare.

-Nadia: Though it is unknown as to what capacity Nadia will return in tonight’s episode, I think that it is important that we zero in on anything she has to say or anything that is said about her. Her storyline is one that can answer many questions and tie up many loose ends.

-“Fait Accompli”: Let us see what we can learn about the episode from the title. How does the title apply? Who or what is it referring to?

-Sydney and Rachel: These two are going to best buddies for awhile. How is their relationship similar to Sydney and Francie’s? Sydney and Nadia’s? What does the episode tell us about Rachel and her former-affiliation with Dean?

-Sydney and Baby: Sydney has done an amazing job of incorporating her pregnancy into her work (in the casino, at the General’s engagement party.) She is able to compartmentalize her fear about giving birth and raising a child in order to accomplish her professional goals. Do we see two different Sydney’s in the episode? If so, what are the differences? Also, keep an ear out for Vaughn references. He is back soon!

Does anyone have anything to add? Any tips, clues, ideas?
Stay tuned for an episode review and comments! Happy Blogging and Happy Viewing!

Child of the Chosen One

*Beware: May Contain Spoilers*

Any day now. Any minute. Any second the media will be bursting with the news of arrival Garner-Affleck. Of course congrats are in order, but Alias fans are much more interested in the birth of baby Bristow-Vaughn. In last week’s episode we saw Sydney pick out a rocking chair for her little one, preparing for the birth of her seemingly fatherless child. If you have seen the pictures for this week’s episode, Jack helps her prepare by setting up the baby’s crib, still clad in his suit and tie. And if you have been very bad, like myself, you have perused the pictures of Vaughn’s return, the episode scheduled to air on December 15th. The synopsis for "Horizon" indicates that Sydney and Vaughn are to be reunited after Sydney is kidnapped and put under hypnosis by a familiar face. This face is interested in Sydney’s future and that of her unborn child’s. This got me thinking…

Technically, Sydney’s child is the child of the Chosen One. I am guessing this is very important to those who still follow the word of Rambaldi (Sark, Ana Espinoza, Sloane?, Irina?) The last time the child of the Chosen One is mentioned is in season 3 whenSark is in possession of the Rambaldi DNA, and Sydney learns that the scar on her stomach was to extract eggs in order to create a child. The lab is destroyed and it is never spoken of again. So, who wants Sydney and her baby now? And why?

Could it be…?

Sark- He’s a Rambaldi believer, ex-Covenant and CRF solider. Sark has the means and the money to kidnap Sydney, if not for the baby, then for old time sake.

Irina- Her motives have never been clear. It is obvious that she truly cares for her daughter, but she seems conflicted. She may realize her ultimate endgame may hurt the people she loves (Jack, Sydney and Nadia.) Does Irina’s new grandchild have a role in this end-game?

Sloane- Mr. Rambaldi Expert himself has motive. That is, if he still believes Sydney is the Chosen One. Perhaps he kidnaps Sydney has leverage for something else.

Vaughn- We have tangoed with the idea that Vaughn might not be as nice as we all hoped. He could be harboring a dark secret, related to P5, his father or both. Maybe he kidnaps Sydney in order to be reunited with her, or perhaps her hypnosis brings Vaughn back to life.

Dean- Dean would stand to gain the most from Sydney’s kidnap. She poses a large threat to Dean and his operation. By kidnapping or eliminating Sydney, he would be freeing himself of his most determined antagonist. Perhaps deep in the corners of Sydney’s mind is stored information that may be beneficial to Dean, hence the hypnosis.

Who do you think kidnaps Sydney? Why? And how is her child involved?

Bits 'n' Pieces

I love the French. I love French food, French music, French men. My boudoir is decorated in French décor, the walls lined with black and white photos of the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. Hence, I spied with my little eye the title for Episode 5.7, “Fait Accompli.” The term means accomplished fact and the definition states that it is an accomplished or presumably irreversible deed or fact. Interesting. Could it be speaking to Sloane and his pact with Dean? Could it be that Vaughn’s death is a fait accompli? Or perhaps it is referring to Nadia’s condition. Keep the title in mind as you watch tomorrow’s episode. Is there any significance of the title being in French? Is there a connection to Renee or Vaughn?

Cliffhangers Let Loose

Alias has given us its fair share of cliffhangers. After an action packed episode, with shoot ‘em up gun fights and lives hanging in the balance, Alias writers have always fed us a final spoonful of suspense, such as Vaughn presumed drown or Sydney waking up in a Hong Kong alley with two missing years behind her. These cliffhangers have kept us moving from episode to episode, season to season with certain expectations. We expect to be stunned, shocked and shaken by turn-on-the-dime plot twists and character revelations. We expect to gasp, grunt and grumble as writers leave us begging for more information, one more scene, or a single last clue.

Starting in season 4, Alias began wrapping their episodes up into pretty little packages, solving a case-worth of issues in one forty-minute episode. Wham bam- conflict and resolution in the time it takes to wash a load of whites. Season 5 has inherited this trait, or lack there of. We are missing the jaw-dropping, nail biting final episode scenes that got us hooked on Alias in the first place. Did we not cover our mouths in horror when Sydney comes face to face with her dead mother? Did we not spend several sleepless nights tossing and turning about what could possibly be indicated in the Wittenberg papers? Did we not rock back in forth all summer after Vaughn announced that in fact, his name is not Michael Vaughn?

Aside from where have all the boys gone (Vaughn and Weiss), where have all the cliffhangers gone? For those that might not have watched from the beginning, could they be missing one of the key elements of the original Alias? Could Alias and ABC be dummying up, or down-playing plot ideas to attract a broader audience? If so, is it working? Not working? What are your thoughts? What are your favorite cliffhangers?

"Solo" Answers

The post for Episode 6 “Solo” was bombarded with questions. I am hoping to clear up a few of those for you.

SOLO
I found some interesting connections between the episode and its title, “Solo.” We can automatically connect the title to Rachel and her first solo mission. The title can also be related to the fact that she’s alone, that her family has been placed in witness protection and she is now on her own. Sydney is also solo, alone without Vaughn. I found the contradiction of the title and the final scene of the show interesting as well. In the final scenes we see several instances of family. Sloane visits his daughter in the hospital; his only living family. Rachel pulls a picture of her family from her desk, and Syd is playing Vaughn’s recorded voice to their baby. These scenes would indict both loneliness and despair, but also the comforts of those you love (Sloane holding Nadia’s hand, Rachel’s picture and Vaughn’s voice.)

The Vaughn Tape:
At the end of the episode the camera pans into Sydney’s room where she is playing a recorded tape of her and Vaughn on a mission. The comm. conversation was an instance we did not witness as an audience. Though it could be possible that this conversation transpired while Sydney was in Syberia acquiring the music box from the icy caves, I am fairly certain Jack was on the other end of those comms. I have a feeling the writers fabricated the tape, as to incorporate information or clues, such as “of course, we’re in this together.” The playfulness between the two on tape was important too. It was a reminder of how comfortable they were working together and how much she depended on him.

As for if tape proves Sydney knows whether Vaughn is alive or not, it’s hard to tell. Though it would seem strange to have the baby recognize the voice of someone that is no longer living, it could have been a sentimental moment. Sydney might have been listening to the tape for herself and sharing it with her baby, or she might have played the tape so that the baby will recognize his/her father’s voice upon his return.

Side note: The conversation on the tape reminded me of the “Guardian Angel” comms conversation in season 1. Sydney is scheduled to meet face to face with Ann Espinoza, in order to open a briefcase containing a Rambaldi code. She requests that Vaughn be put back on her case and when she turns on her comms he is there on the other end, watching her from a 200 mile orbit.

Three Rings of the Rule of Three:
Though I have yet to go back and study the various rings of Sloane, I am certain in “Solo,” that he is wearing 1 single ring that is composed of 3 rings. I do agree that the ring receives heavy camera time and whether or not this is intended is unclear. As I have said before, everything on Alias is done for a reason. Always remember the rule of three. If it’s mentioned three times or more, it’s important.

I suppose each ring could represent the members of his family; Emily, Nadia and himself.
We can dig deeper and define the ring as a symbol of love and devotion, which he shows toward Nadia in this particular episode. The 3 bands may prove to be nothing more than a ring symbolizing those feelings.

Sidenote: Jennifer Garner makes various comments about Ron Rifkin’s hands and rings in the audio commentary season 1 finale.

Mr. Drink Water:
Arvin Sloane used to be a rather thirsty man. I have made several comments on this blog pertaining to Sloane’s consumption of water. Throughout season 2-3, we can see Sloane pouring or drinking water in each of his scenes. Uncle111 may have a better understanding, but I was under the assumption it was explained at the end of season 4. Apparently he drank the water in order to become immune to the “disease” that is spread when Elena launches the red ball. However, I remember hearing something to the effect that Sloane thought the water was good, that by drinking the water it changed human behavior for the better, as mentioned by the Sloane Clone during his APO interrogation. I will look into this further for more information.

You all have been asking some great questions. I believe I have enough material to hold us over the winter hiatus. Side note: I am on the hunt for some guest writers. If you are interested and you have an idea you would like to research and write about, please contact me. I am looking to expand the site and offer more information, and this upkeep requires a bit of assistance.

Again, thank you for all the support. Happy Blogging!

PS. There will be scheduled blog maintenance today at 9pm PST. Sorry for the inconvenience.

People's Choice

The 32nd Annual People's Choice Awards are right around the corner; airing on Jan. 10 on CBS. I wouldn't normally post information like this, but I think our Sydney Bristow deserves some recognition. Jennifer Garner is nominated for Favorite Female Action Star and Favorite TV Female Star. Check out www.pcavote.com and vote!

Help during the Holiday Hiatus

We are fast approaching the holiday season and the birth of bundle Garner/Affleck. This means Alias will be off the air on maternity hiatus December-March. No tears and no worries, I plan on keeping the blog in full swing, though there will not be new material to deciper, analyze and discuss. The blog is a great place to keep the Alias fire burning during the cold season, so I am soliciting suggestions for blog content. Are there any topics related to Alias, old and new, that you would like to see discussed? Do you have any plegding questions you would like answered about your favorite Alias episodes or characters? SRG and I are up for the research and the writing, so if you have any ideas, please contact me via e-mail girlscout35@hotmail.com. Of course, I will be re-watching season 4 and season 5 episodes that I have taped, and posting about any new clues, hints, coincidences I find. I encourage all of you to do the same. Take notes, and let me know if you find anything!

Though Alias will be in hibernation, Let's Talk Alias will be wide awake, doing what it does best...positively posting about the fascinating genius that is Alias!!

Happy Hiatus and Happy Holidays! From your friends at Let's Talk Alias.

Episode 5.6 "Solo"

First, I just want to say a little thank you to all who enjoy the blog. I love writing and I love Alias and it only seemed right to merge the two. All of your comments and praise is wonderful! Spread the word. Post the address on message boards and tell your friends. Let's keep it going! Now...

YAHOO! YAHOO! Yahoo! That’s all I have to say. Well, aside from BRAVO, BRAVO, BRAVO. We are rolling with the best of Alias ladies and gentleman, and it all started last night with “Solo.” Let’s get at it….

Open on a typical, single family home in suburbia. Mom, dad, son and daughter are nestled around the television watching football. Classic. Then, in the shadows, they are taken captive. Rachel’s family is whisked away to a government facility, where she must spill the beans about her European past time; espionage. Unlike Sydney, Rachel is awarded the luxury of telling her family what she does for a living, before they are placed in witness protection. So, the Gibson family is kickin' it in Wisconsin with our favorite reporter friend. (Oh, I miss Will Tippin.)

Sloane meets with Dean for the first time as a double agent for APO and The Shed. Dean has the strong hold, he has the winning hand. He knows Sloane will do whatever he can to save his daughter. Dean’s first request; find Janos Vak, a weapons designer. Vak, a smarmy Hungarian, has designed a targeting software system. Dean wants it, so does APO. Enter Renee. Just for a butt-kicking moment.

Rachel: Woman of the Hour
Codename: Oracle. What can a codename tell us about Rachel? Hmmm. Well, as defined by Webster’s dictionary, an oracle is a shrine at which inquiries are made of a particular deity through the means of divination. In English, an oracle is like a god’s magic eight ball. It is also defined as the agency by which the inquiry is answered, such as a priest. How this relates to our mousy Rachel, not sure, but the writers picked the name for a reason. Let’s wait and see.

Finally, Rachel is in training. With Grace. She asks for advice, he tells her to fight dirty. Ain’t that how it always is ladies? They are setting us up folks; a vulnerable girl, her life spinning out of control, saved by the strong, handsome man with experience. Sound familiar? Oh, love a la Sydney and Vaughn. Can we talk about the sexual tension?! Cut it with a knife!

So, Rachel is tasked on her first mission: to assist Marshall on op-tech, while Syd and Dixon go old school to steal a secured PDA with information on Vak. Rachel slips up, running instead of fighting, but that doesn’t stop Jack from assigning Rachel to an even more dangerous mission. She is to fly solo; seduce Vak and get the software. Clad in a red wig, a sexy dress and a tube of Marshall’s lethal lipstick, Rachel goes in and…comes out alive. She ain’t no Sydney Bristow, but she did pretty damn good, even as she comes face to face with her ex-best friend. Peyton and Rachel have a nice heart to heart about liking each other, while Peyton holds a gun to Rachel’s chest. Two clicks from a tad hokie, Peyton is willing to put personal ahead of professional for about a split second, before Rachel pulls the brush aka ice pick on her. Is Peyton not Rachel’s Anna Espinoza? Love it, love it!

I like Rachel. She plays vulnerable very good, but does it with a fierce determination. She is insecure, but adamant about bringing down Dean and assisting Sydney in tracking down the people that killed Vaughn.

Sydney
(Glowing and gorgeous by the way.)
I was shocked to learn that our little Miss Bitter from season 4 wrote a letter of recommendation for the man that killed her fiancé and her friend. Alas, I suppose it is Sydney’s way of helping her sister. Sydney knows Sloane will do whatever it takes to save Nadia.

Let’s all take a moment of silence for Vaughn. Sydney is missing her man. She is dipping into single mother mode, coming to the realization that she will be raising a baby on her own. She can’t physically participate in the Vak mission, but like Vaughn did back in Sydney’s double agent days, she leads Rachel on a successful mission. Sydney and Rachel’s work together will be vital in bringing down Dean, as was Sydney and Vaughn’s work in bringing down SD-6. There are many reflective moments in this episode, where Sydney speaks about and remembers Vaughn. It was his voice that kept her going and as we see in the final scene, it still is.

Vaughn
Vaughn this and Vaughn that. Sydney talked about him so much, I expected him to walk into a scene in his leather jacket with his gelled hair. I suppose I didn’t realize how much Sydney relied on Vaughn during her years at SD-6. I suppose I hadn’t calculated all the instances where he saved her life over comms, aside from saving her life physically on missions. This brought forth a very tangible break between Sydney and Vaughn’s personal and professional lives. Maybe for the first time, I was able to see Sydney and Vaughn as two separate people, not as a CIA unit and not as an intimate couple. I was able to see where they merged as one. Two became one together, and now those two are separated, leaving one (and a half) behind. This, of course, is the very core of Alias.

When Sydney is rocking softly in the baby store, she smiles at a man and his daughter. When asked by the clerk if her husband has been helpful, instead of telling the woman she is a widow, she says, “He’s been great. He wishes he could do more.” Man, does he! He’s off somewhere in hiding while his fiancé, nearly 6 months preggo with their child, is traipsing around the world looking for his “killers.” But, as he said on the tape, in the heartbreaking final scene, they are in this together, and I have no doubt, after last nights episode, that Vaughn will be back.

Sloane and Mean Dean (Celebrity Death Match Part 1)
Nothing like one smarmy guy meeting with another about advanced weapons to launch us back into the world of Alias. Sloane doesn’t like his role as Dean’s mole in APO. He doesn’t like it one bit, and he tells Dean so by refusing to give him the weapon. Dean fires back however. He may hold the secret to Nadia’s recovery. Speaking of Nadia, how nice was it to see the beautiful Mia Maestro? Even in hospital garb and bad florescent lighting she looked wonderful. I look forward to seeing her again, in future episodes, as Sloane’s story progresses. We will continue to see him and Dean butt heads as both struggle to fulfill their end-games.

Callbacks
Oh, I live for callbacks, and there were many.

-The spork! Marshall and the spork. Love it.

-Lethal lipstick. Remember Nadia and the lethal lips when she came to work for APO?

-Sydney has doubts about Rachel going into the field. Jack says, “This is the same as you being sent back into SD-6.” Sydney replies, “It’s not, I had Vaughn.” She did have Vaughn and Rachel will have Sydney.

-Rewind back to season 2: Sydney acquires Server 47 intel by boarding a plane. The only way she could get on the plane? Pose as a high priced hooker! Hello! Rachel makes her way onto the oil rig posing as a hooker! Sydney got the shrimp-eater and Rachel got the champagne-chugger with a thing for baby talk.

So, what did you think? Are you with me on the YAHOO's and the BRAVO's? Did you catch anything I've forgotten? Any insight, theories? Bring it on!!

What do you see...Through the Looking Glass? By Robetron

Thanks to Robetron for this insightful piece.

As we all have come to know, Alias can be very subtle about its clues. So much so, we often find ourselves straining to understand why things happen in a seemingly purposeful way, and sometimes, it has no real purpose or relation to the plot. For instance, was there any true purpose for Irina to make such a big deal out of seeing the horses walk down the road? Seemingly, there was none. Was there a reason why the people manipulating Vaughn put the needle full of unknown drugs in a book at the library? There does not seem to be any special purpose. Both of these transitional scenes support the over all story (or else the director and writers would not have put them in the show), but some of their details do not seem to have any point. This is perfectly acceptable. This happens in real life too. However, are these two examples really pointless?

There may be something going on underneath the radar. I cannot say I have a handle on it, but both scenes have something strangely in common. In the middle of Season 4, Vaughn is looking for answers related to the mystery that his father lived on into the 80’s. A strange man (Roberts) contacts him insisting that he can provide Intel about Vaughn’s father, but Vaughn must go to the UCLA library to meet him. While in the library, Vaughn receives another call from the strange man, telling him to look in the children’s section for the illustrated version of Through the Looking Glass. This, as we know, is where the needle is hidden. (It is a sick game of ‘how far will you go’ and a sick idea to put it in the children’s section.) Is that important? It doesn’t appear to be, until the last episode of the season.
In “Before the Flood,” the Bristow family, as well as several others from APO, parachute into Svogda, the Russian city where Elena decides to force mass hysteria and death, while trying to institute her version of Rambaldi’s endgame. The city in chaos, Irina and Jack prepare to embark on a journey down the subway. Irina sees something that amazes her, but does not surprise her. She speaks of a Rambaldi prophecy, which may (or may not) be fulfilled in front of her. Jack looks at her tenderly and says, “You really are ‘through the looking glass aren’t you?” He is obviously implying that she is seeing what she wants to see based on her Rambaldi obsession. I ask you, is it not strange that, within seven episodes, this book would get mentioned twice?

I am not able to see a connection yet. When I have time, I am going to examine the book itself to see if there are any clues for plotlines in the show. I solicit any theories the Alias faithful might suggest, even if it is, “Move on; it’s only a coincidence.”

I have to back up Robetron on this one. First and foremost, we have to remember, that there are no coincidences in Alias. I have mentioned before, the rule of three. The rule defines that if something or someone is mentioned three times, that this thing or person is of major importance. However, the rule isn’t limited to three. There have been several references to Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass made in several seasons of Alias. Pertaining to the instances Robetron mentions, the references can be explained only as classic Alias; nothing is as it seems. It would seem to Vaughn that is father is alive. Vaughn has the journal and Roberts supporting the idea that his father is in fact alive. The mention of the book would suggest that just because it might look like Bill Vaughn is alive, he is not.

When the book is mentioned later, by Jack, it could be connected to several things. One, to the idea that it seems Sloane is working with Elena, when in fact, he isn’t. Or it might mean that though it seems Irina is helping, maybe she isn’t. Or perhaps it might seem like Irina has a Rambaldi obsession, but maybe she doesn’t, it could be a cover in order to stop her sister or Sloane.

This is the Alias I love, the Alias that stops us in our mid-day work to ask questions, to second guess, to discuss. Robetron brings some very interesting questions to the table. What can we deem as important information and what can we discard? With a show like Alias how can we not take every little tiny detail into consideration?

While Sleeping

Dreams are a series of images, ideas, emotions and sensations occurring involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Alias has been able to use dreams as a way of giving the audience important information, or to give the audience false information in order to heighten the intensity or mystery of a storyline. Some of the dreams are meant to lead the audience in a particular direction, we are often time not aware that what we are seeing is a dream sequence. Most of the dreams we have encountered on Alias can be better categorized as nightmares, based in fear and angst. This is how writers can pull on our emotions; this is how the story stays interesting. Also, these dreams allow us to go inside the characters to better understand their emotional and mental state as related to the events and issues that surround them while they are awake. I would like to discuss some of these dreams, and that they can tell us about the character and the story.

The first dream we come across in Alias, Will discloses to Francie all he knows about Sydney and the agency. Though we discover that his dream was a manipulation by Evil Francie/Allison, the dream still brings Will’s fear to the surface. He is afraid of blowing his cover and Sydney’s, and he feels guilty about lying to his girlfriend. Vaughn later informs Will that the dreams will end, as it’s normal to dream about the job and the pressure of keeping it a secret. As an audience, we are tricked into believing that Will actually tells Francie about Sydney, and then we are jolted wake, as we find it’s just a dream. This allows the writers to toy with both our emotions and our minds, keeping us guessing about what is real and what is a dream.

Season 3 houses a very strong dream theme. Sydney wakes in an alley in Hong Kong, as if she’s woken from a long sleep. Two years have past and Sydney cannot remember what has happened to her. The year brings vivid dreams, flashes of memories that encourage Sydney to take measures in order to find out what happened in those two years. She wakes from a dream in which she sees an angelic statue surrounded by flapping pigeons. Once she goes undercover as Julia Thorne, Sydney encounters this scene through the skylight in Julia’s Rome apartment. This dream is a clue, a memory; it validates her existence as Julia Thorne. Later, Sydney has a nightmare in which she pulls a bloody tube from her abdomen. She has no memory of how she acquired the scar, but she awakes in a panic, scared and frustrated. We learn later, through Kendall, that the scar is from a procedure in which the Covenant extracted Sydney’s eggs in order to make a child with Rambaldi’s DNA. The dream is foreshadow; its purpose is to let the audience know that the scar represents something dramatic and gruesome, something traumatic for Sydney.
Once Sydney is rescued from NSA custody, Sydney visits a dream doctor that might be able to help her recover her memory. In her drug-inducted dreams, Sydney comes face to face with several of her dreams (dreams defined as a wild fancy or hope.) She dreams she is in an ambulance with Vaughn. Vaughn isn’t married and the Covenant hasn’t taken Sydney hostage. This dream quickly changes pace, as Sloane appears and urges her to find out what truly happened to her. Sydney runs along white hallways and is lead into a plastic lined building here she fights Lauren. There are flashes of her a child, at a birthday party, of a bloody cake and Lazarey’s hand. All of these flashes are small clues, not only for Sydney, but for the audience. They lead to more questions about Sydney’s missing years and about the characters that may or may not have been involved.

Vaughn’s dream in season 3, again, leads the audience to believe that what he is dreaming is actually happening. He wakes in the hospital after being stabbed and left for dead by Sydney. Sydney is sitting in his hospital room and she states how much she misses him and Vaughn confides that he, too, misses her. Sydney kisses him and as she pulls away, she stabs him in the gut. Vaughn, as well as the audience, is in shock. He wakes to find Lauren in the hospital with him. We learn from this that Vaughn is still very much in love with Sydney, and that he fears she may feel betrayed by his marriage to Lauren.
In season 4, Vaughn confronts his feelings about his father in a dream in which he picks away at a star on the CIA wall. The wall begins to crumble and a hand reaches from the hole to punch Vaughn in the face. This dream is very metaphorical. The wall clearly stands for Vaughn’s perception of his father. Vaughn’s view of his father as a strong and moral man is crumbling as he learns more about who Bill Vaughn was and what he was involved in. And Vaughn literally feels punched in the face as he learns from Roberts that his father may still be alive. We have seen Vaughn wince and smile about his father, but this dream reveals a deeper hurt, a deeper suffering which really helps define him as a character.

Sloane enters into a dream state in season 4, which reveals a paternal past. We come to learn, through his dream, that Sloane and Emily had been pregnant, with a daughter they intended to call Jacqueline. The dream brought us to the breeding ground of Sloane’s paternal side, one which he bestows upon both Sydney and Nadia. We learn where this paternal feeling stems from, from the loss of his daughter with Emily, and how the pain of losing Jacqueline fueled his fight to understand Rambaldi and to find Nadia. The dream is intended to soften the audience towards Sloane, to paint him in a different light, as a loving husband and father. All season, Sydney casts Sloane as the murderous sociopath, turned humanitarian, turned CIA source. Finally, with his dream memories, we get a glimpse at the sad Sloane, a man in pain.

It has been rumored that the return of Vaughn this season is that of a dream sequence. The photos of Vartan and Garner on the beach do not confirm or deny this. If in fact Sydney is only dreaming of Vaughn’s return, the dream will no doubt reinforce her fears of being a single mother, of living alone with a child, without Vaughn. Sydney mentioned to Rachel in last episode that she was scared of being a parent alone. The dream of his return will both be a dream of wishful thinking, of a longing, and a subconscious representation of Sydney’s emotional and mental state in regards to Vaughn’s death.

Are there dreams that I have left out? Have you come to a different conclusion or do you have ideas about the dreams mentioned? What have you learned from Alias dreams, about characters, about plot? And do you think Vaughn’s return is merely a dream? (Though I hate to admit it, I think Vaughn is gone. I think it is a dream, but would completely invite the idea that Vaughn is alive and waiting to reunite with his family.)

Loose Ends

Lauren Reed. Just typing her name makes me cringe. Though the British-American, deceitfully married to our Vaughn has been dead and buried for sometime, there are a few questions her death has left unanswered. At the finale of season 3, Lauren’s last words were the vault numbers for the safety deposit box in Wittenberg. She and Sydney battled it out, and there at the Covenant dig site, Lauren opened a can of worms before she became worm food. The can of worms is still open, and this is just one of the many instances where Alias writers have dropped a storyline (i.e. Vaughn's mom, his sick uncle, etc. ) or have moved on to more intense and detailed storylines. But for those of us who partake in Alias each week to chip away at the mystery that is Rambaldi, the Covenant and Sloane’s agenda, those clues or questions demand answers, a connection, and a conclusion. I am hoping here we can pick apart Lauren’s final words in season 3 and make a conclusion of our own.

As they fought hand to hand, Lauren stated: “Do you think the CIA couldn’t find you when you went missing or that you learned what happened to you by chance?”
-Sydney’s missing two years where found once Sloane handed her the key to Julia’s apartment in Rome. It can be concluded that Sloane knew Sydney had hidden the Rambaldi fluid and he needed to spark her interest in her missing two years in order to find it. If what happened to Sydney, as relayed to her by Kendall, was false or fabricated in order to manipulate the CIA and Sydney, who was involved in this and why? And what really happened to her?

“If your mother’s really been trying to help you since she left, why haven’t you spoken to her?” It is our understanding, as relayed in 4.02, that Irina was killed by Jack in order to spare Sydney from assassination. But, there were several instances in season 3 where Jack spoke with Irina via instant message. For instance, when Sydney and Vaughn were stranded in North Korea he contacted her for help. Was Jack talking to Irina then? How did Lauren learn about Irina’s death? And if Lauren was working for the Covenant, headed by Elena, did Lauren know that Irina was being held captive by her sister?

“You can’t believe that you and your sister just happen to be agents.” This is very interesting. What is the relevance? Didn’t we all find it odd, as Sydney did, that Nadia was also with intelligence? How and why? Was it a manipulation by both Elena and Irina? Jack ran Sydney through Project Christmas, so we can conclude that he influenced her decision to be in the CIA. Who influenced Nadia and was this person working with Jack?

“We’re both pawns in the same game. The difference between us is I know who controls me.” We can piece together that Lauren was working for the Covenant, possible Sloane and Elena, they control her. But who controls Sydney? If we want to put it in the context of who she is working for, that would be the CIA and Dixon, who was made Director. What doesn’t Sydney know about Dixon and could that be a connection to the Dixon mystery that may be in store for us this season? Or has Sydney been working for Sloane, or has she been manipulated by Sloane to help him meet his end-game?

“There is a bank in Wittenberg, a numbered vault-proof.” We know the documents proved that Jack killed Irina. Aside from knowing proof existed, how did Lauren learn of its whereabouts?

Aside from Lauren’s last words, another loose end in the Covenant story is Olivia Reed, Lauren’s mother. We were shocked to discover that Olivia, too, is an agent for the Covenant. She shot her own husband to protect her and Lauren’s involvement with the group and she tranqued Conrad, the monk at the mission in Napal, to help with the quest for the Passenger. We haven’t seen her since. Where is Olivia Reed? What is her role now if the Covenant was taken down with the death of Elena? Will she want revenge against the man that killed her daughter? Will she go after Sydney?

Lauren and her mother played such a large part in a large storyline. How could Alias drop these characters, as well as the storyline without proper “burial?” Was the break between seasons supposed to lessen our curiosity, cloud our memory? What can you make of the information given? Is there an end in sight?

Thanks to Uncle111 for his research. Much appreciated!

The Vaughn Family Spies

(Definitely not the VonTrapp Family Singers. Oh, visual of Vaughn singing “Do, Ray, Me.” HAHA)

Bill Vaughn was a loving father and husband. He was a decorated CIA agent and a brilliant mathematician. He kept a diary. He kept his appointments and he believed others should do the same. He set his heart by his watch. He was a follower of Rambaldi. He rescued Nadia and he was killed by Irina Derevko. This is all we know about him, other than his son was killed trying to discover the truth about him.

We first hear about Bill Vaughn in season 1, episode 6 “Reckoning.” Vaughn confesses to Sydney at the driving range that his father was a CIA agent who was killed in the line of duty. We see the affect Bill’s death has on Vaughn, we see the young boy in him who grew up without a father and we see the deep roots of Vaughn’s patriotism and loyalty. The Bill Vaughn of Michael’s childhood memories was a gentle man, moral and strong, but along with Michael, we come to learn that there might have been more to Bill Vaughn than initially thought.

Later in season 3, Michael learns from Brill, an old friend of his father’s, that Bill was a follower of Rambaldi, that he died protecting Nadia. In season 4, Vaughn learns that his father may still be alive. Vaughn is dangled the metaphorical carrot, as Roberts and the Sloane Clone manipulate Vaughn into helping them steal a Rambaldi manuscript.

We’ve seen Vaughn deal with his father’s death in several instances. When he and Sydney are informed that it was Irina Derevko that killed Bill Vaughn, Vaughn has a hard time. He understands the importance of Irina Derevko to the CIA’s investigation into Sloane and his endgame, but feels he is betraying his father by helping Irina. The death of his father, and the new information he learns about him has been a deep rooted character builder for Michael Vaughn. His actions and personality have been based on the idea that his father was an outstanding man, and as he learns the truth, his character changes. For instance, when Michael is told that his father was a Rambaldi follower, he feels betrayed. He becomes lost. He strays from his morals, as we see when he lets his hate for Lauren consume him. When he discovers his father may still be alive, Vaughn goes rogue (with Sydney’s help), stealing the transistor coil and joining Roberts and his team. And when faith in his father is restored, once Roberts admits Bill is actually dead, Vaughn returns to Sydney, saying he believes his father would never have left him and his mother, because Vaughn knows he could never leave behind the people he loves. Alas, Sydney and baby are Vaughn-less. So, as we see Sydney’s pre-CIA training through Rachel, we see Vaughn’s mother’s life without Bill paralleled through Sydney.

We find that Vaughn has been fueled all these years by the knowledge that his father was once a part of a research group, Prophet 5. Bill Vaughn was a mathematician, who later changed his name and his son’s in order to protect them from the benefactors of this group. The connection between Bill Vaughn and Sydney was the Mueller device and though his initially relationship with Sydney was based on learning more about P5, Vaughn, inevitably fell in love with Sydney, prompting him to protect her from the truth about his rogue investigation. The shades of Vaughn’s character that we’ve seen over the seasons can be directly related to his connection to his father and his relationship with Sydney. Depending on whether or not Vaughn is truly dead or not, if we do see more of him in the upcoming episodes, I predict his character will expand and contract with the arrival of his own child. His great need to protect Sydney will spill over onto their child, which will add a great parallel between him and his father and Vaughn and Jack.

Side note: When it is believed that Bill Vaughn may still be alive, it comes from the dates in a journal that is given to Vaughn by the nurse at his uncle’s hospital. We come to find that the nurse is a fake set into play by Elena and the Sloane Clone. Jack mentions to Sloane that Sydney and Vaughn are investigating Bill Vaughn and that there was a journal they didn’t account for. If Bill Vaughn was in fact dead, and if the journal was a fake, what journal is Jack referring to? Did Jack and Sloane have a hand in faking Bill Vaughn’s death, by destroying documents, journals?

Thanks to SRG for her great research related to this piece!!

The Scheme Team

They are up to no good. Jack and Sloane. They are up to no good, with good intentions. Maybe. Both men have a tendency to operate with an ulterior motive, with a hidden agenda; they have since day one. Sloane, as Director of SD-6, used his operatives to secure priceless Rambaldi artifacts, which offered him a glance at eternal life. Jack, as a CIA double agent, used both his ties at the CIA and at SD-6 to keep his daughter safe. Their relationship was one built on trust and friendship, threading back to their days as true CIA operatives. The interactions between Jack and Sloane, both past and present, have always been extremely ambiguous; lifted eye brows, staring contests and bits and pieces of information meant to suck us in. And after years of turmoil, deception, and faked deaths (Irina’s, Emily’s and Sloane’s), Jack and Sloane are together again, hatching a plan that may or may not be good for Sydney.

Season 4 first shed some light on the inner workings of the two amigos. As mentioned in my Bits ‘n’ Pieces article from last week, Jack informs Sloane that “The Russians are looking for Elena Derevko.” And Sloane in turn replies, “Then we must move up our time table.” Though it is known that Sloane and Jack were on a hunt to stop Elena’s endgame, could this also be referring to something else? What time table are they speaking of?

Later on in season 4, either episode 4.14 “Nightingale” or 4.15 “Pandora” Sloane states, “For twenty years Joseph Vlasko’s been off the grid. Now we find him, through Sydney of all people. He could alert Elena to our agenda, or worse, he could talk to Sydney, which would be a disaster. Unless of course, you want to destroy everything we’ve worked for.” For those of you who don’t remember Joseph Vlasko, he was a member of the group researching Nightingale, Jack shot him after he refused to give up Elena’s whereabouts. This all took place in the episode in which Sydney is trapped in the radiation room and Jack must expose himself to high doses of radiation to save her. Aside, Sloane’s statement struck me as odd. What could Vlasko have said to Sydney that would have been a disaster for Sloane and Jack? And what does it have to do with Elena? What exactly is Sloane referring to when he says, “…everything we’ve worked for?”

Now, with Sloane’s return to APO we can suspect that he and Jack are back on their band wagon. I began to think about Sloane’s role in the CIA and APO. It was a position granted to him by turning in the Rambaldi box, once he and Nadia had secured it. Now he has full access to the CIA and all its resources. When SD-6 was brought down, it was Sloane’s doing. He fed the information about Server 47 to Sark, who fed it to Sydney which led to the SD-6 raid and the end of the Alliance. Sloane must have known before hand that Sydney and Jack were double agents, or else the slip of information would have been useless. Was Sloane in the know all along? Has he been playing the CIA since day one? Has this been his endgame, working his way back into the CIA in order to complete his mission? And is Jack involved? These are questions I hope will be answered as season 5 progresses. What are your thoughts? Do you have any theories as to what Jack and Sloane are up to and who maybe in bed with them?

Bits 'n' Pieces

First, my couch has to be the best place to watch Alias ever. And as I was lounging on my couch last night, perusing episode 4.05 "Welcome to Liberty Village," I came across an interesting tidbit of information. In the episode, Sydney and Vaughn go into deep cover as two Czech terrorists auditioning for a spot in the October Contingent, a radical group of Russian ex-patriots. Jack contacts Alexi, one of Irina's commanding officers when she was with the KGB, to gather information about the location of Liberty Village, the trqining ground for the group. In return, Alexi asks for Irina's books, the books Jack bought her as gifts from a small bookstore in Prague when they were married. Jack, suspicious as to why Alexi would want the books now, has Marshall analyze them for any hidden information. Encoded in an ink dot is code namename "sentinel." When Marshall asks about the significance ocode namedename, Jack brushes him off, offering that it was the name of a murdered CIA operative. But, Jack goes to Sloane with the information. Jack states, "The Russians are looking for Elena Derevko." And Sloane returns, "We must move up our time table."

I did a little research on the word "sentinel." The term has several meanings. A sentinel is one that keeps guard or is posted as a guard. But more interesting is this definition: "being an individual or part of a population potentially susceptible to an infection or infestation." AH HA! Was Elena not in control of a massive world take-over involving contaminated water and zombie-like mind altering? Was not the entire city of Svogda representative of a sentinel? Gosh, I love Alias and all its mystery and I love my couch!

Gone to the Birds

Raven, Sparrow, Nightingale, Phoenix and Mockingbird and soon the stork will be visiting the set of Alias. The show is going to the birds,figuratively. Let's take a look at the meaning behind some of these birds, and what part they play in the mysterious nature of Alias.

RAVEN : (aka Renee Rienne)
Ravens have been known to guide travelers to their intended stopping points.
A bird renowned to be of ill omen (perhaps due to its color) the raven is said to have the worst nature of all birds according to legend, even associated with the devil. Again, perhaps this is because the bird is supposed to have the ability to see the future. Raven symbolizes change in consciousness and is the mark of a shape shifter, a trickster.
-Renee is just one of the stepping stones on Sydney's journey to learning the truth about P5. In a sense, Renee is very much a guide, a link for Sydney to learn the more about Vaughn and his dealings with P5. Renee has been cast as a fugitive, undercover, her loyalties unknown, but she is aware of P5, and she may be able to predict or foresee the outcome if Sydney is to get involved.

SPARROW : (aka Katya Derevko)
The sparrow has a mixed reputation depending on what area of the world you live. According to some, the sparrow hops around because it is his punishment for crying 'He is alive, He is alive' when Christ was on the cross, therefore signaling to the Romans to prolong His torture. The hop is thought to symbolize the fact that the legs are bound together as punishment for the lack of sympathy shown by their song. To kill a sparrow or to have one fly into a house is considered unlucky too.
-As we know, Katya hops around from one allegiance to another.

NIGHTINGALE: (The name of an old Russian radiation project). The name of the bird stands for poetry or song. The parents patiently teach their young to sing. It is a good omen. Some, however, interpret its cry as a cry for help from a 'poor soul in purgatory' or a plaintive warning of an impending death. It also symbolizes acts of charity being rewarded. -Nightingale was the name of the project in which Jack risked his life to save Sydney from lethal exposure to radiation. Jack became deathly sick from this. Also, Vaughn went rogue in order to learn more about his father, only to discover that his father was, indeed, dead.

PHOENIX: (aka Sydney Bristow) Denotes the utmost examples of spirituality, a personality who bounces back from adversity, refuses to be defeated In mythology, the bird had a life of 500 years, because it is consumed in fire only to rise from the ashes, it represents resurrection and immortality. -We have seen Sydney rise from adversity and come back from the dead. She literally rose from the ashes after her apartment was burned in season 2 and will, no doubt, in the future overcome hardship to protect herself, her friends and her family. No better code name than that!

MOCKINGBIRD: (aka Rachel Gipson) Mockingbirds are known for their sweet song. -Rachel sang, she gave up all information on Dean that was detrimental to bringing down is operation and seizing his assets. Her innocence and sweetness are representative of a mockingbird.

What do you think? Any other connections you've made in regards to Alias and its many bird-metaphors? Do you have any insight or information to add? I had trouble finding information on Mockingbirds.