Nadia vs. Ana

A little history-

Ana takes Nadia prisoner in 4.08 "Echoes." Ana mysteriously appears at an outdoor cafe and whisks Nadia away to an undisclosed location. There Ana gives her a brand- the Rambaldi symbol and explains to Nadia that Sydney is a curse to all of those around her. Ana is fully aware that Nadia is the Passenger and that Nadia plays a large part in Ramabaldi's end-game.

Speed forward- Nadia is returned to APO and she and Sydney go on a reconisance mission to track Ana at a meet. There, Sydney goes after Ana and Nadia after one of Ana's associates. After Nadia stabs the associate- she asks him about what Ana and the group is going to do with a bomb or a weapon. He tells Nadia. Ana gets away from Sydney and Nadia goes in search of Ana. From behind pieces of hanging plastic- in the dark, Sydney and Nadia draw their guns on each other, thinking the other is Ana. Just then- Ana shoots Nadia. Why? Because Nadia knew her agenda, she knew the information the associate had given her. Ana even went to the hospital to finish the job, but the gang was able to foil her plan.

Why would Ana want to kill the Passenger? Surely Ana knew of Nadia's importance.

Now in the light that Ana could very well be the Chosen One Rambaldi was speaking of- Ana and Nadia will be at it again. As I posted in the previous article-

I found this on a post that Uncle 111 placed on the ABC Boards.
Nadia told Syd that while she was under the influence of the green fluid she had a hallucination."I saw something awful. Sounds and fast images, they went by very quickly, but there was one vision that felt so real...We were both together, scared and upset, holding guns aimed at each other. And I remember my hands were shaking...and I pulled the trigger. Blood was pouring down your chest and I wanted to say I was sorry, but you just looked at me as if you'd been expecting it. As if you knew all along, knew I was going to kill you."

It is highly possible and most likely- that the Sydney that Nadia kills is Ana. Ana would expect to be killed by the Passenger- especially if they are in great battle. I can't see that the real Sydney would expect her sister to kill her. Sydney and Nadia both have been very adamant about caring about each other and never doing anything to hurt one another. I think this is just another example of the vague context of the prophecy which can easily be filled by Ana.

I think the writers have done an amazing job of coming full circle. The guns drawn on each other between Sydney and Nadia in the season 4 episode and the anticipation of the guns that could be drawn between Nadia and Sydney Espinza is really, writing genius. Alas, this is all speculation. The writers have the right to render us completely surprised- and I wouldn't put it passed them!!

What are your thoughts? Are there any parts of the Rambaldi propehcy that we haven't talked about? Parts that could be applied to this new developement- Ana as Sydney?

Thoughts On Spoilers - srg-alias

Hi all,
As requested, I'm removing the comment from the Rambaldi article containing press release spoilers about the upcoming Alias episodes. The comment was posted by an anonymous user, and I don't want to discourage that person from returning to our blog, we definitely appreciate everyone's help in keeping us up to date on all that is Alias. However, in the future please only post the link URLs to the spoilers (linking to another site) rather than posting the spoilers themselves on the blog. Ocassionally we do have articles specifically about spoilers with plenty of warning for our spoiler-free readers, but we try to avoid unexpected spoilers in our comments for other articles. I know Girlscout, Jenn and I are very happy that we have so many different bloggers visiting this site and we want to keep it friendly for all who choose to read spoilers and who chose not to. Thanks again to all the readers and posters who help keep this a respectful and intelligent safe haven for Alias blogging. :)
- srg-alias

Rambaldi Recap

Let me begin by saying how extremely proud I am of this, our tiny little blog. In the last three days it has come to life, hundreds of visitors with theories and ideas, comments to add and share. I have been pouring over the comments and taking notes on certain pieces of information and I want to take a moment and recap some of what has been said here in the last 48 hours. I hope that this will give all of us a chance to completely comprehend what is taking place on Alias as of late, so that we may understand all that as happened in the past.

This is my understanding of the last 4 seasons, starting with the most recent developments, and how they are connected to the overall story arc:

P5 tasked Ana Espinoza to kidnap Will in order to draw Sydney out of her maternity leave. As predicted, Sydney went after Will and a heavy rival battle commenced. Ana was able to cut Sydney in the arm and P5 gofers were able to profile her DNA. In order to save Will from a head explosion, Sydney had to produce page 47 of the Rambaldi manuscript. When she did so, she was drenched in some sort of red goop that was then used to genetically manipulate Ana into a Sydney double.

According to the Rambaldi prophecy on page 47:
“This woman here depicted will possess unseen marks. Signs that she will be the one to bring forth my works. Bind them with fury, a burning anger unless prevented at vulgar cost this woman will render the greatest power unto utter desolation. This woman, without pretense, will have had her effect, never having seen the beauty of my sky behind Mt. Subasio. Perhaps a single glance would have quelled her fire.”

We know that Sydney’s fire has been quelled. Sydney was able to see the sky behind Mt. Subasio- thus I am fairly certain that Sydney is not the Chosen One. Some bloggers have mentioned the Irina stated that the symbol for Rambaldi, represents her two daughters doing great battle over something or someone. Though Ana is not really Sydney- she possesses the unseen marks of Sydney-her DNA, DNA which is the combination of Irina and Jack. So, technically, Ana as Sydney is Irina’s daughter.

It has not been confirmed that Sydney and Zombie Nadia’s fight in Svogda was the battle spoken about in the prophecy- but, contridictory to Rambaldi's prophecy- both did survive. We have to remember- the fight on the roof was Elena’s endgame, not Rambaldi’s.

The doubling technology was researched and developed by Elena from the writings of Rambaldi. Sloane was indeed working with Elena at the end of season 2- thus how Francie was doubled. We also have to remember that every move the Covenant made in season 3 was ordered by Elena. She sent Sark and Lauren after the Passenger. She sent them to find her in order to get the coordinates of the secret location of the Rambaldi Sphere of Life. Once Sloane found out Nadia/the Passenger was his daughter, he knew he had to protect her from Elena’s endgame. He had to find the Sphere before the Covenant. Luckily Nadia gave the Covenant the wrong coordinates. It is still unclear how much Nadia knows about Rambaldi and the part she plays. Seemingly raised by the Elena- how did Nadia escape her radar? How did she even get into Elena’s hands? Was it truly Bill Vaughn that rescued her?

I found this on a post that Uncle 111 placed on the ABC Boards.
Nadia told Syd that while she was under the influence of the green fluid she had a hallucination."I saw something awful. Sounds and fast images, they went by very quickly, but there was one vision that felt so real...We were both together, scared and upset, holding guns aimed at each other. And I remember my hands were shaking...and I pulled the trigger. Blood was pouring down your chest and I wanted to say I was sorry, but you just looked at me as if you'd been expecting it. As if you knew all along, knew I was going to kill you."
It is highly possible and most likely- that the Sydney that Nadia kills is Ana. Ana would have expected to be killed by the Passenger- especially if they were to do great battle. I can't see that the real Sydney would have expected her sister to kill her. They both have been very adamant about caring about each other and never doing anything to hurt one another. I think this is just another example of the vague context of the prophecy which can easily be filled by Ana.

In season 4, Elena had Irina doubled and framed for the hit on Sydney. Elena needed the real Irina to help her build the Mueller Device over Svogda. Sloane had to protect his daughter from Elena’s endgame- from Elena’s version of Rambaldi’s endgame. Thus, he pretended to be working with Elena at the end of season 4, in order to gain access for the group to shut Elena down. If Elena had accounted for every possible scenario like she stated, is it plausible that she too had a double made of herself? This woman ran the Covenant for several years completely undetected- I can’t imagine she didn’t anticipate that Irina would be freed and that the team would come after her.

All of this wraps back to P5. Some of what we do know about Prophet Five is they were a small, anonymous group affiliated with the US government. They tasked a group of mathematicians (Bill Vaughn), scientists and members of the Army Corp of Engineers (Sloane) to decipher a page of an ancient 15th century text. Once the group deciphered the text, P5 begin killing members of the group. To protect his family- Bill Vaughn changed his name (and his son’s) and began working for the CIA, as did Sloane. Sloane then decided to leave the CIA and joined a group of ex-patriot missionaries called the Alliance of Twelve. After all his missteps, Sloane was finally brought to trial early this season. But the five P5 benefactors were able to bribe someone on the inside and Sloane was set free- only to become a mole in APO for Gordon Dean. Aside, what exactly was Gordon Dean's role in P5 or Ivan Curtis? Were these men merely pawns in the larger game?

Now we know that P5 is run by twelve individuals. For the first time on Wednesday, we saw their faces. For 30 years this group has been operating under the radar, completely anonymous and now, in need of Sydney’s DNA, they are willing to show their faces. Interesting… Sloane didn’t seem to know any of them- but they seemed know him. They stated that it would be his job to “keep your eye on the endgame, like you always have.” If Sloane is Nadia’s real father- perhaps years ago P5 knew that they would need Sloane eventually, to help find Nadia- a key piece to the Rambaldi endgame and that is why he was not killed like the other members of the group.

Some on the blog have asked if the12 men could be the 12 CIA agents that Irina supposedly killed. I don’t think so. P5 was formed well before Irina killed those officers, after Bill Vaughn helped decipher the code. But perhaps, the 12 agents needed Irina to "kill" them, in order to disappear. I do believe there is some significance to the number 12. There are 12 apostles (this ties into the Cardinal- meaning central, fundamental, the key), 12 members of a jury, 12 months in a year, 12 inches in a foot. (PS. Does anyone remember the exact number of Covenant bracelets that Sark and Lauren stole?)

There are so many concrete, and yet so many vague connections between the groups of Alias (SD-6, the Alliance, the Covenant, P5). I would like for us to make a concrete “map” of connections that might help us figure out exactly who this Cardinal is. If the Cardinal is indeed lumped in with P5, then how is Grace involved? The only way for Grace to get a hold of the Cardinal is through Allan Korman- a man in Witness Protection who apparently killed Grace’s wife. This all circles back to Jack and his decision to hire Grace aside from his secret.

Have I missed something? Oh yes- Vaughn’s connection. Seven years ago, on the cusp of Sydney becoming a double agent, Vaughn was approached by Renee Rienne, with information about his father. This is when Vaughn learned his father was a mathematician and that his name had been changed. Vaughn and Renee were able to track down James Lehman, who was also a part of the group who deciphered the P5 page. Vaughn said he became Sydney’s handler because in her statement about SD-6, she mentioned the Mueller Device- which Vaughn had heard about in his research about P5. (There is another connection between SD-6, the Covenant and P5- the Mueller Device). Vaughn and Renee began searching for the P5 manuscript so that James Lehman could once again decipher it. But why? What for? Did P5 attempt to kill Vaughn in order to stop them from finding out what is in the text? Lehman said the manuscript was about amino acids and genetics. Perhaps the text had further information on cloning or doubling and P5 planned to use it to fulfill Rambaldi’s prophecy (hence, doubling Ana as Sydney).

We do know that P5 thinks Vaughn is dead. Even Irina thinks Vaughn is dead. The plot to fake his death came from Jack and Sydney. But even if Vaughn was alive, why would P5 care? He doesn’t have access to the manuscript anymore. Perhaps Vaughn and Renee know more than they are telling. And if Vaughn was killed because of his investigation, then why not Renee? DiSantis and his men had an opportunity to kill Renee when they kidnapped Sydney. Also- remember what DiSantis said to Dean once he was extracted from Renee's care- "The girl's alive. She's working with the CIA and now she goes by the name Renee Rienne." So, we know Renee is not her real name. But what is her role in all of this?

I think we are getting close. I think we have defined and placed the important stuff and all the rest will fall in line in the next couple of episodes. It was so interesting reading all of your comments and theories. I love that you all answer each others questions and help each other to better understand. That is what I intended. I hope you are all having a great time, because I know I am.

So, what have I missed? What do you think of the overview?

And So It Begins

Again, what I am about to post is why I love, love, love this blog. And, as Blogmaster, I reserve the right to change my mind, to completely and utterly flip my view. And I think this comment did it!

This is a comment from Blogger PKRM. I think he hit the nail on the head. PS. I owe some credit to Robetron as well. He also hit the same nail on the head- and I didn't read his entire comment. I am sorry Robby- I owe you one.

OK, here goes:

Sydney told Anna it was a waste of time, "We disproved these writings years ago." AND THEY DID! However, SYDNEY IS NOT THE CHOSEN ONE...ANNA IS!By replicating Sydney, she has all those physical characteristics that Rambaldi wrote about. By replicating Sydney, she is "the woman here depicted." I'm going to venture a guess Anna has never seen Mt. Subasio. Anna, unless prevented, will render the greatest power unto utter desolation!Also, the Passenger and the Chosen One will do battle, and only one will survive!!! We already know Nadia will be back, and using this theory, Nadia will be the one to kick Anna's butt up and down the Los Angeles coast! We have missed the entire point until now! Sydney CANNOT be the Chosen One, she's disproved it! However, Anna with Syd's genetics can fulfill that prophecy...and who better? The most psychotic Rambaldi lunatic aside from Sloane since the very beginning! And we know that Rambaldi knew about genetics, they were all over in his work. The very paper, "The fifth prophet," that named our current bad guys was about "advanced genetics 500 years ahead of its time" according to Lehman in the Season 5 pilot!Also, Gordon Dean said that Prophet 5 had "plans" for Sydney...this is what he was talking about! This is also why Peyton was concerned kidnapping Sydney to find the Horizon could "compromise their larger agenda!" This isn't tacked on, this is the whole point!P5 is trying to fulfill the Prophecy on page 47!!! What do you think???

It was right there in front of us the whole time! Rachel asking about Rambaldi- her reading the script to everyone!! It was a MAJOR CLUE. And now that Sloane has the cure for Nadia, she will be back to fulfill her end of the prophecy.

Remember when Nadia's doctor freaked out on Sydney in season 3? He was fearful that the Chosen One would do harm to the Passenger. We kept thinking- why would Sydney hurt her sister? WELL, because the Chosen One is not really Sydney!

So, now we can look forward to a battle- an epic Rambaldi battle between Sydney Espinoza and Nadia! The great thing is- Nadia will have the real Sydney's help to defeat their ultimate enemy!

PS. When did I actually say that I thought this was a filler? I don't think I said that. I think I said that it felt odd that the writers seemed to be focusing on new story. I didn't say filler. Who is putting words in my mouth?? I am off to watch the episode again with all this new insight. Don't forget- SpyChat tonight 6:30pm MSN Messenger. But I will be on all day.

Stay tuned for my bit on Sloane and the 12. I got some good stuff.

Hash It Out

As I said to my dear friend last night- "Either you'll love it or you'll hate it." And by the looks of some of the comments from my episode post, I think it's fair to say, I was right.

I would like to address a few things-

1. I do agree that there are some aspects of this episode that maybe considered filler and I am well aware of my past statements about fillers. But, we have 4 episodes left- 4. We do not have time for new storylines.

2. Spoilers or no spoilers- I don't care who you are, the minute they said the word DNA- you had to know what was coming.

3. I would like to applaud the writers on their treatment of Little Izzy. Often when a show introduces a baby or a child, they tend to be pushed to the background and forgotten. For instance, Ben and Emma on Friends were always at grandma's or staying with the other parent. I love how they brought in the SpySitters, that way we know she is being taken care of and protect- ease of mind for us and Sydney.

I have a very heavy day here at work, and I would like to address and chat about everything from last night. It will all have to wait until later. But you guys keeping hashing it out!! Have fun!

Episode 5.12 "There is only one Sydney Bristow"

Or so we thought. But I will get to that later.

The 12
Arvin Sloane walking into a room with 12 men, 12 men who control his fate, that hold the key to the well being of a woman he loves seemed very appropriate. The faces of the 12 were mysterious and strange, but the set up was very familiar. P5 needs him to draw Sydney back in. And though Sloane insisted Sydney would not be willing to come back because of her daughter- Sloane also knew that if he advised Sydney against returning, that she would openly defy him.

What I noticed:
-Conrad Solanko said to Sloane, “You will keep your eye on the endgame like you always have.” Is this a nod to the fact that Sloane has been working with P5 this whole time?

I am very happy that Nadia will be cured, even if I can't stand her father and the little triangle he is in with P5 and APO. I just want nasty, smarmy, manpulative Sloane back. Is that too much to ask? Come on Ron, don't you wanna play the bad guy again? You know you do!!

ANA-BANANA
First, Ana can kiss my glass! I am so done with the accent! She shoved Syd around, acting all high and mighty after being broken out by- Peyton- mousy little Peyton, but Syd got the best of her! Until the weird, red blood shower. Sometimes Alias goes so far way from itself I don't even know what's happening. Either way- the train fight was DY-NO-MITE, and if that is all Ana is good for, then keep it coming.

A Place Called Home
Alias returned to the days of personal drama. In the soft glow of Sydney’s apartment, we get a mere glimpse of the quiet intimacy that is Sydney’s new life as a mother- and Jack’s new life as a protective grandfather. It has been a very long time since we have had moments like this and they were welcome! How cute is Baby Izzy? And how cute was SpyGramps with the knives? "She can't lift her head, I think we're okay." HA!

Oh, Will! I love Will. Sydney’s moments with Will were a very strong call back or fall back to the Alias of ole. Their easiness together after 2 years apart is a testament to both of their characters and their friendship. I love that in the face of danger, they still want that closeness of catching up, sharing their lives. I did feel that Will’s return was somewhat unnatural, probably due to the fact that writers wished to bring back some of the original cast for the end of the series. I would have rather remembered Sydney and Will’s last meeting- in season 3- then a meeting in which they have to save each other from Ana Espinoza. But, that’s just the me that loves the laid back parts of their personalities and not the action or drama side of their relationship.

Feelings
The kidnapping of Will and the return of Ana conjured up a range of feelings for Sydney. In this episode (well, really every episode), we have to think of her character in two parts. In one hand we have the woman who fights evil, the butt-kicking super agent who wants to get back at her old nemesis. On the other, we have the friend and mother who wants to protect the ones she loves. When these two merge, we get a sort of super character, a super Sydney with little regard for the rules and her own life. This is the Sydney of old. She wasn’t hesitant or preoccupied, she was on a mission. PS. Combine all of these feelings with hormones- a 4 week old baby at home and a "dead" fiance in a hut somewhere and WOW. The girl can definitely compartmentalize.

HEAVEN
Sydney in the field= ALIAS heaven. The team working as a unit= ALIAS heaven. We have grown accustom to single missions- self contained, in and out with the intel-type mission. I happen to love the group missions, with everyone playing their part- accents, wigs, script, and the slipping of gadgets. I loved seeing Will in an alias- always fun, complete with accents! Their scene on the train was almost a carbon copy of their scene in the hotel. No early Stones, but he was good. Call back- Will saving Sydney on the train is a call back to when Vaughn saved her in the opener for season 4. *Tear* I miss Vaughn.

The Double Doubled
Doubles have been done- and Alias went digging in the archives for this one. Personally, I am not down with the double. It felt like a last minute add, it felt happenstance- which seems odd for P5. P5 has been acting as if their plans have been laid out for years and this set-up- the tasking of Ana, the kidnapping of Will, the retrieval of Sydney’s DNA, seemed too sudden. I felt that there is far too much storyline already in motion for the writers to be taking this road.

This of course is aside from the fact that- WE HAVE SEEN DOUBLES BEFORE! Here is a list of the doubles we have seen on Alias:
-Good Sydney versus Bad Sydney, season 3
-Lauren as Sydney, season 3
-Sydney as Lauren (to fake out Sark), season 3
-Ethan Hawke’s character
-Irina
-Francie and Alison Doren

There are some aspects of the double story that I like. I look at the double as a chance for the real Sydney to kill or get rid of the other Sydney. It is very representative of the two Sydney’s we always see- the super agent and the woman. Sydney is a mother now and now that the series is coming to an end- she may very well be killing or getting rid of the super agent Sydney. If you are feeling uneasy about the whole double thing, just remember- the last time Sydney fought her double (in her dream in season 3)- the good Sydney won!

-Remember: The origin of the doubling project comes from Elena. She had Alison Doren doubled to be Francie, she had Irina doubled. I think there is a very clear connection between P5 and the Covenant.

PS. Yes, I think Ana as Sydney's double will be fulfilling the prophecy and Irina was right that night on the roof in season 2, Sydney will be the only one who can stop her. The return of the Rambaldi page and the number 47 was a given. I am also hoping to get an answer to all of this 47 nonsense. JJ-WHAT THE HECK DOES IT ALL MEAN?
The page has important information regarding the DNA and physical attributes of the Chosen One. Ana and P5 needed it, of course, to make sure Sydney Espinoza (which is what I plan to call her) turns out exactly has Rambaldi predicted. Isn't that cheating?

Now, if are not feeling any enthusiasm from this post, there is a reason. I was slightly disappointed in this episode. It felt forced. I felt the writers were showing us too much of the purpose behind what was happening. We knew why P5 needed Will, we knew why they needed Sydney’s DNA. I was not surprised by Ana being cast to be “the other Sydney Bristow.” It felt predictable. I might say I was even bored. I hate saying this. I hate saying I was bored.
Also, there was no connection to last week. No mention of Tom, the Cardinal, hardly any mention of Irina and the Horizon. I feel in this stage of the game, the episodes should be focusing on Sydney, Dixon, Sloane, Jack, Vaughn and Marshall- the original gang.
Aside, I am excited to see where this is going. I am excited for the return of Vaughn and Nadia- but I felt this episode, in light of the 2 hour slam bam that had me biting my nails to the bone- was *yawn*.

I had a very hard time putting my ideas together for this blog. I had a very hard time finding an angle to focus on in a true positive light. I never want to talk negatively about the writing or the epsiodes, but the entire eppy left me wanting more, only because there wasn't much. Perhaps I will feel differently in the morning.
I will be rewatching the episode again tomorrow. So, hold your breath- I tend to crumble under my love for the show!!

Don't forget- MSN Messnger chat tomorrow 4/27 at 6:30pm. Just add girlscout35@hotmail.com and let's talk Alias!

Headline: "Blogger Pieces Together Puzzle"

What I am about to post is why I LOVE this blog! Love it!

In relation to my article on Ana Espinoza- Blogger Robetron has quite possibly found the missing link we have all been desperately looking for. Are you ready?

I hate to keep hitting the same drum over and over, but this will nto be the first time someone in CIA custody has reappeared. A certain smooth-criminal claimed to be "the man in front of The Man" in S-3. At first, in S-2 his loyalty was to "The Man" whom we know to have been Irena. In S-3, he was the highest level of the Covenant to which Lauren and Sark were able to access. Elena, supposedly ran the Covenant as a Straw-man for the CIA while she was getting other secret things accomplished. She managed to get Jack to murder Irena's double.

I think the Covenant used to be Irena's organization and Elena usurped it from her (remember she captured Irena and tortured her for information).

Stay with me now... I have not deviated from your Blog article. Recall, for the moment, a little McKenas Cole-history. Where was he when betrayed by Arvin Sloane and was captured? That's right: Russia. He learned a lot of new tricks in Russia, didn't he? From whom do you suppose he learned them?

Let me continue: What nationality were the Derevko sisters? That's right: Russian. Did they have any ties to the Russian government? Yes, indeed! Now, a little reminder of our infamous "Cold-War baby." Born in (Communist) Cuba, and raised... where? That's right: Russia. She became a part of K-Directorate. What happened to them? They were taken over, and consumed by "The Man."

Did old Russia have any interest in the occult (15th century prophets, and the like)? Yes! Joseph Stalin had been in search of the third lens of the Rambaldi-scope thing that show a map of the under-sea-floor cave (where the keys were hidden). Clearly he passed on his interests to the next generation (which would be the Derevko sister's generation).

How about a summary. Irena has been involved with P5 since it's founding. She held influence over certain members of the highest level of CIA officials (Davenport and maybe others). She discovered that her trusted luetenant, McKenas Cole was stil alive and had him secretly released. Now, thanks to Thomas Grace looking into Witness Protection files, Irena is having her favorite former K-Directorate assassin go after Sydney's closest friend, Will. Boy, oh boy, is Syd going to be mad at Grace!

What do you think of this reasoning?

THANK YOU ROBBY!

I have something to add- Remember in season 1 when Cole broke into SD-6? He had with him a British-Asian woman who was posing as his girlfriend. Actually, she was a British spy undercover. I believe she worked for MI-5. Was MI-5 not the agency that was suspected of having a mole a few episodes back, when Jack and Elizabeth (an MI-5 agent) were after Sark and a plasma bomb? Is it possible that Cole has other connections inside MI-5?

Also, Cole is privy to all that happened to Sydney during her two missing years. He was the one who had her stab Christopher Ryan while she was pretending to be Julia Thorne,-which later got her in trouble with bomber, Daniel Ryan.

Cole also has ties to Sloane. If Cole were still angry with Sloane about ditching him in enemy territory- then it would seem viable for Cole to torture Sloane with the cure for his daughter.

The Return of the Arch-nemesis

Ana Espinoza- born in Cuba, the last of the Cold War babies, has been giving our gal Sydney grief since season 1. A former K-Directorate assassin, turned freelance terrorist, Espinoza has either been one step ahead, or one step behind. We know little of her history with Sydney before season 1, but she was introduced as Sydney’s top rival- equally clever, equally strong and equally kick-ass.

The last we saw, Ana had just helped Sark escape CIA custody and they were on their way to trade a Ramaldi artifact. She and Sydney battle it out, and finally- our girl wins! Ana has been lurking for years; she kidnapped Nadia and now it looks like she has fancy for kidnapping. She is after Will and only Sydney (the one and only) can save the day.

Tonight- while you bask in the glory that is old-school Alias, let’s see if we can’t find the answers for…

-How Ana was able to escape CIA custody.
-How Ana was able to gain access to the Witness Protection files in order to track Will down.
-How did Ana even know about Will?
-Is it possible that Ana is the Cardinal? Was Tom able to access Will’s Witness files while in Langley and pass it on to Ana?
-Is it possible that Ana has been working for P5 all along under the cover of freelancer? Perhaps that is how she was able to escape the CIA, with contacts inside the CIA.

I will be posting my episode recap tonight at 9:30pm PST. Tonight’s recap will be slightly different than last week’s. Though I plan to write as I watch, the article will be less of a play by and play and more of a complete synopsis of the episode- including call backs, references and any and all ideas I may have about where the story is taking us.

I am so thrilled that Will is back! Ecstatic! But, first and foremost- our gal Syd is back in action!! No more preggo! Just a sweet baby and a mom on a mission. YAHOO!

PS. Yahoo TV has 3 clips of tonight's episode. Looks A-MAZ-ING!

JJ and Jen- by SRG

Morning all, happy Alias Day. :) Normally we don't post random news on the people surrounding Alias, but I was pretty amused by the nods IMDB (the Internet Movie Database www.imdb.com) gave our fav Alias stars today. Evidently JJ's new project will be a Star Trek film. Personally, I'm not a Treky, but I was amused by the poll on their homepage about what JJ will bring to the new movie to "Abrams" -ize it. Check it out here, all Alias and Lost fans will probably get a kick out of some of the choices such as, "Send the Enterprise on a mysterious quest for the 'Rambaldi device'" and "Constantly refer to the Klingons as 'the Others'."

The IMDB news also features a short graph on Jen about the end of Alias:

Alias star Jennifer Garner is devastated her hit TV show is ending after five seasons, because the character is such an integral part of her life. Garner, who plays superspy Sydney Bristow, is happy the show is finishing its run while it's still on top. She explains, "It feels like it's time. To me, this show had a finite amount of stories that we could tell. (The writers) shove a ton of story into every episode. So we've told, in five years, what some people would do in seven seasons. We've done Sydney right, and now it's time for her to go off into the sunset. But that doesn't mean that my heart doesn't break, and I'm not going through a total identity crisis, because I am."

Also FYI, Alias Media has posted a couple pics from the Reprisal episode.
-srg-alias

Filming Finale

I have it on good authority (per Kristen E! Online) that today is the final day of filming for Alias. No more site scouting, no more read-throughs, no more set, make-up, costumes and lighting. The Alias sound stage will be cleaned and closed, base camp will be cleared and all cast, crew, writers, producers and directors will partake in one last slap of the clap board, one last call to action, one last "CUT."

Let's Talk Alias would like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to all those intimately involved (WE HEART JJ) and to all fans and viewers who have made Alias what it is and always will be.

Now I will save the rest of the sappy stuff for the finale. Sniff, sniff...

Episode Title Update

I am a bit perplexed. I have 6 possible titles and only 5 episodes left. Tomorrow night's episode is 5.12 "There is only one Sydney Bristow." As I understand, the rest are...

5.13 "30 Seconds"
5.14 "I See Dead People"
5.15 "No Hard Feelings"
5.16 "Reprisal"
5.17 "All the time in the world"

I had read that "The Coming" would be used as a title, but that has been ex'd. I orginally had 5.16 as "No Hard Feelings" but that is actually 5.15's title. According the Spoilerfix.com, these are confirmed and final. Thanks Sidewinder for the hint!

PS. Spoiler inside the comments!! Watch out.

Survival

Alias-Media posted this little article that I thought was rather clever. I wanted to share...enjoy.

'Alias'
Perhaps the only world as topsy-turvy as the Los Angeles of "24" is the entire planet Earth in "Alias." It probably goes without saying that the only thing deadlier than working for the CIA is working for any number of terrorist organizations with epic names (The Alliance, The Covenant, et al.). Here's a simple rule: If you're a bad guy, and you're standing in a room with Sydney, and she says something witty and jocular, be prepared to have your face kicked in (in typical super-spy fashion, she's keen on those one-liners). And sure, Sydney is totally awesome and way hot, but never, never, never have a relationship with her. Remember Danny Hecht? Dead. Noah Hicks? Dead. Michael Vaughn? Well, he's still alive -- for now.

http://tv.msn.com/tv/HowToSurvive-2"

Really Gotta Hold on Me

Will Tippin is one of my all time favorite characters on television. His character is a great combination of comic book news reporter and sincere best friend. His brotherly love and child-like curiosity have both softened us and excited us. According to Alias Unclassified: The Official Companion, viewers first reacted to Will in a negative way. Viewers knew his actions-looking into Danny’s death, would only lead to trouble for Sydney, as well as for Will. Some thought it best that Will just die and leave Sydney to bring down SD-6 alone. I think what needs to be remembered, as we approach Will’s return, is that writer's kept him for a reason- because he is part of both of Sydney’s lives.

Sydney lives in two worlds, one more than the other. Back in season 1, Sydney had the daunting task of keeping her CIA secret from her friends. She lived her CIA/SD-6 life and she lived her at-home-cooking-dinner-with-Francie life. Will became the one connection for both. He became the friend she could tell ALL her secrets to and for Sydney and for us, that was a relief. Once Will was gone, Vaughn filled that void, as her relationship with him grew intimate and her father too, took on a more personal role.

Another aspect we have to remember is that Sydney, though she may appear to be the girl next door, complete with dimples, she is a super spy. Will, however, is the boy next door. He is very representative of the average, everyday guy. We, as an audience, are able to identify with that- thus, we are able to live in Sydney’s world, through Will. In tomorrow’s episode, he will be back to pay tribute to Sydney- to thank her personally for protecting him and to thank her for us- for taking us on all her grand adventures.

Alas, with Tippin’s return, I know if will be hard for some of us to focus on anything other than that messy bed head and those bright blue eyes. With Sydney back in action it will be hard for us to focus on anything but the back flips and roundhouse kicks to the face that we have missed so much. And though I put no faith in ABC or their promos- they state that many of our questions will be answered.

-Keep an eye and ear out for information pertaining to old episodes- especially episodes including Will and Ana Espinoza.
-Keep an eye and ear out for anything connected to Horizon and/or the Cardinal.

But really, as I said last week- enjoy the episode. Enjoy all the Alias-ness! Enjoy Will and Ana- enjoy Baby B-V and suck up all that is. Be thankful we made it to 100 episodes and that perhaps, finally, we may get our answers! Maybe…

Declassified- The Official Alias Companion

YAHOO! I love getting stuff in the mail and today I got a double YAHOO, when I recieved by Alias Declassified: The Official Companion by Mark Cotta Vaz. The book is amazing- a deep, inside look at creating the first season of Alias. There are behind-the-scenes captures with cast and crew, set decoration, prop information and brief episode recaps. The book is 202 pages of Alias fun, complete with a DVD featuring interviews with the cast, background on characters and secrets about the first year of Alias.

I ordered the book on Amazon.com and it cost me $16.24 including tax and shipping. It's worth it people. Check it out!

Off the Table

Hi All,

As many of you know, I have offered to make copies of my Alias soundtracks. I had posted that Wednesday would be the last day to put your order in- but, I have to take the offer off the table today! I had a flood of orders over the weekend, which will have me busy until the end of time.

I plan to offer the CD's again once I am able to get this batch copied and shipped. As I mentioned, I plan to have all out by the end of May or before.

I had offered the soundtracks for free- but with the cost of purchasing more CD's and postage, I have asked that those of you who have put an order in, please make a donation using PayPal. There is a link located in the right hand column. All left over donations will go to the Pediactric Epilepsy Project.

I have completed a list of songs for both CD's, so if you would like to know which songs are featured, e-mail me (girlscout35@hotmail.com) and I will send you a list.

I am sorry that I have to put the lid on this project, but I plan to open it back up as soon as I am able. Thanks for the donations and thanks for supporting the blog!

Jack, Irina and Thomas Grace: Trifecta of Profecta?

Marcus Dixon, Marshall Flinkman, Rachel Gibson and Thomas Grace are tasked by acting APO Director Jack Bristow to break into CIA headquarters in Langley to pull a hard drive with information about Sydney's communication. Dixon, Marshall and Rachel head into the mission with fake ID's. Thomas Grace however, does not. Why?

How convenient was it for Thomas to be able to use his wife's death and his former affiliation with the agency to break in- not only to recover the information about Sydney, but to find information on Allan Korman- the man who was told (by who, we don't know) to kill Grace's wife.

If Kirman was placed in Witness Protection- it had to be because he defected or was granted immunity for Amanda Grace's death in return for information on his organization. Either way, Thomas Grace knew he could get a message to the Cardinal through Korman.
We do know that Thomas Grace's affiliation with the CIA was terminated- that he is, as everyone else in APO, is no longer "working" for the CIA. We know Jack had enough faith in Grace for him to use his real name. Why? Why risk being identified? Why risk using his real identity? Was there not another way for Grace to get access to a CIA computer? In connection to Grace contacting Kirman with a message for the Cardinal- Davenport's transport is sabotaged by Irina Derevko. Now, it could be a coincidence, but when has Alias ever been about coincidences?

At the same time Grace was gaining access to the Witness Protection files, Rachel was pulling the hard drive in the archives room. Jack was very adamant about Rachel retrieving the hard drive. He practically yelled at her- which was understandable considering his daughter and grandchild were missing. I believe he needed more information from that hard drive than Sydney's whereabouts. The drive gave them information on which members of the CIA have Alpha Black clearance- thus putting Jack in a room with 7 suspected moles. Bang- Davenport was the mole and Sydney was rescued.

Jack didn't seem surprised to hear from Sydney that Irina had appeared at her house. Jack went immediately to Sydney's and together the family devised a plan to retrieve the Horizon. I will admit that Irina did seem disappointed when Jack said they all would be going together. But the looks between Jack and Irina was almost a conversation without words. I think Jack and Irina had made a plan in which Irina would retrieve the the Horizon herself, but perhaps she deviated from the original plan. Jack found this suspicious and decided that he better accompany Irina to Vancouver.

As I have said before, I believe Jack and Irina have been working together. But I believe they have different agendas. Irina loves to use Jack and Sydney as resources. She loves to drag them into her plan, just to use them and run. I see this mission as no different. Jack and Sydney tend to be easy targets, only wanting to complete their family- looking for a connection with Irina, a connection they have wanted since her "death." Sydney wants a mother- especially now and Jack wants back the woman he knew as the loving wife and mother.

I have mentioned that I think the Cardinal is Katya Derevko, because I believe the Cardinal is connected to Irina. Which means, in turn, that Grace is connected to Irina through the Cardinal. Some have stated on the blog that they don't believe Katya is the Cardinal because she doesn't seem capable of being in charge or having a strong influence. But, why not? She's been lurking. Perhaps she has been gaining power underground. I didn't think Sark was strong enough to lead- but he was given the entire North American cell. (Okay, I take that back. he had super baddie Lauren doing most of the dirty work). Also, who said the Cardinal was in charge? Perhaps the Cardinal is just another agent, another player??

With the workings of Grace inside the CIA headquarters, I believe Jack and Grace have some alternative agenda as well. So, are all three in the middle of all this? Are they pulling the strings? Are these three connected to the happenings of P5? If yes, then how so? how is Grace's wife death connected?

PS. Let us keep in mind that Elena Derevko had access to Project Helix (to double Irina). She told Irina and Sloane in the season 4 finale, that she took every precaution to make sure her endgame would came to light. Though it would seem that the gang thwarted her plan- the Derevko's have a way of distracting you with one hand, while stirring the pot with the other. As much as I would dislike the return of Elena- I think her influence is more than we are to believe. She was the mastermind behind Nadia's illness and the brought utter distruction to Svogda. I don't think we can count her out- as long as Rambaldi and his endgame is still a mystery.

PSS. There is a scehduled outage on the Blogger today at 4pm PST. Sorry! It will be up again soon after.

Message Board Brother

Hi All,

Blogger Dark Alias has offered a link to his Alias message board. You can see the link in the right hand column, labeled "47Alias47." It will be a great place for us to talk and a chance for you to post your own threads and ideas. Please check it out! And remember- please show all bloggers and boards the same respect we all show in here. It's all upbeat, positive talk about our favorite show! Happy boarding!

Music Orders

Hi All,

As I, and others predicted, I recieved several requests for my Alias Season 1-4 Music Mix and my Sydney/Vaughn Music Mix. I am thrilled to make copies and share some of our favorite music from the show- but with the list growing, it might be costy.

If you put an order in, I would appreciate a donation of any amount you choose- big or small to help pay for materials and postage. Please see the PAYPAL link located in the right hand column under my stats bar. Any extra money left over once the mixes are shipped will be donated to the Pediatric Epilepsy Project (Weiss aka Greg Grunberg's son suffers from epilepsy).

If you would like to place an order, please e-mail me at girlscout35@hotmail.com with your name and address. I expect to have them all copied and shipped by the end of May.

PS. I have decided to add a few songs to each list. There are 2 discs, each with 20-25 songs. The season 1-4 mix is mostly season 1 songs with a few extras from other seasons. The Syd/Vaughn mix is a compilation of all the songs during their special moments, plus some other slow songs from heartfelt scenes. Each order comes with a song guide, with song title, artist, and in which season and scene the song appears. Enjoy!

Second Viewing Party

All right ya'll, lets get down to it! All together now! Tonight- unless you have other plans, Let's Talk Alias is going to hold a second viewing party. Pop in your tape, grab a notebook, Lemon Desani water and a frozen pizza (hahaha, Robby) and perhaps together we can figure out just exactly what Grace is up to!!

After the viewing, log on to MSN Messenger for Alias chat. Remember- invite me to your contacts list girlscout35@hotmail.com and I will in turn, invite you into the chat box.

Who is with me? I love Friday nights with nothing to do!

Q & A with JJ

Check out this interview with JJ. Interesting... www.alias-media.com

PS. Now that my brain has had time to wrapped around my first viewing of Wednesday's episode- I am going to settle in tonight and watch it for a second time. I know- it's a Friday night, I should be doing something social and exciting. Nope, just doing what I always do- digging up the good stuff for you guys! So, stay tuned and we will get deep into the nitty gritty of the 2 hour return. I am crossing my fingers that my head doesn't explode, because I am sure I am going to need it for next week's eppy.

The Game of Operation

Let us recap Sydney's entire kidnapping-

1) Jack sends her to meet with Renee in order to confirm whether or not Vaughn documented any of their P5 investigation in his CIA files.
2) Dr. DiSantis and his gaggle of fools sweep into the square and toss preggo Syd in a van.
3) Sydney wakes in a small room, packed with medical equipment, drugs and a creepy doctor.
The doctor hypnotizes her and forces her to remember Vaughn- intimite moments, conversations, events.
4) We discover Irina is behind the glass wall- that she called for her own daughter's kidnapping and that with the knowledge from the SD-6 map her "associates will be satisfied."
5)Syd is able to escape- to discover she is on a ship and then it all becomes too much as she experience pains related to her pregnancy. She stubles upon a make-shift operating room and then passes out.
6)She wakes to find herself and her baby strapped to a gurney. Her doctor is there and the Amnio is not good.

What does it all mean? Well, it means P5 went through a lot of trouble to get something other than the location of the Horizon. I have a few questions:

Kelly and the gang couldn't predict that Sydney would suffer complications- so what did they really intend to do in the operation room?

Kelly told Sydney she wouldn't make it off the barge. But she did. They left her there once they saved her baby. Why? What is the purpose of the nursery in Hungary? Do they want the baby? Do they need the baby?

Spoiler Pics

Alias-media has posted new pics for episode 5.16 "No Hard Feelings." There may be some spoilers in the pictures, so view at your own risk.

www.alias-media.com

Peter, Peter the Prophet 5 Sneaker?

Number one mystery of all time last night? Thomas Grace and his undercover covert side op into the files of Witness Protection. Who is Peter? Who is the Cardinal? And what was the message he just had to deliever?

As far as we know- Amanda Grace was murdered or presumed murdered by the photos in a CIA file. Suspect: Allen Korman. Grace tracks him down and approaches him. Korman knows Grace as Peter and insists that he was ordered to kill Amanda, he had no choice. Grace simply states that he has a message for the Cardinal.

Here is a theory…

WHO IS PETER?
It is possible that Grace used the name Peter in a deep cover op. It is also very possible that he had his named changed in order to protect himself from whatever group it was the ordered Korman to kill Amanda. We have to remember that Korman is in Witness Protect, meaning he must have defected from his organization. If the group is P5, that might be why Jack sought out Grace as a member of the team- he has P5 experience and his spouse was murdered by the group (parallel to Sydney and Vaughn). How is that for motivation?

I am beginning to think that Grace is the mole and perhaps Sloane is the decoy the writers used to throw us off. Grace had access to the information on Davenports transportation- he could have slipped it to the Cardinal (see below) and the Cardinal could have passed it on to Irina. If Grace is working with Irina- and Jack is working with Irina, then it all fits nicely into the idea that Jack hired Grace for a reason.

Ooh, Blogger Rudy asks: If Grace is working with Irina, do you think that she gave the order to kill Grace's wife so that she could set up Jack by using the death as a portal for Grace's entrance into APO? Of course this question is centered on the idea that Jack and Irina aren't working together. WOW, Rudy. You think like an Alias writer. That's a great segway- and for some reason, maybe Grace's lack of emotion when seeing his wife's killer, I don't think Grace's wife is dead? Or it was an elaborate set up all together. Maybe Grace never had a wife???

WHO IS THE CARDINAL?
Katya Derevko (because using Black Sparrow would have been too obvious). Let us assume that Irina is working for herself, and like she insisted, she was using P5 to get information on the Horizon. Perhaps she is working along side sister #2, the fabulous Isabella Rosselini! Katya and Irina have always been similar in character. We always knew Elena was bad; her allegiances were only to herself. But Katya and Irina have been very ambiguous and shady in their alliances. I am sure Katya was only using Lauren and the Covenant to get what she wanted- the Rambaldi sphere of life, which Sloane recovered with Nadia and turned over to the CIA. Katya has always been open about being in contact with Irina and working with her. Why not now?

WHAT WAS THE MESSAGE?
Grace slips Davenport’s transportation information to Katya, who relays it on to Irina and BANG car crash and gun fire, Davenport is dead.

I have mentioned in the past that Irina has a thing for getting rid of the obstacles in her way- Kassinau, the man in the bar in Hong Kong who played the hand/knife game with her, Davenport. She has an agenda and from time to time, Katya has made it known that she is aware of Irina’s plan. Katya even tells Jack that Irina’s purpose will reveal it self.

This is a rough theory. I will be re-watching the episode tonight for more clues. I will probably even have to watch it a third time to set straight all the information.

UPDATE: I am sorry West coasters, I am going to have to postpone our chat until later this evening. I should be online between 7:30-10pm PST. My roomie got a new job and we have some celebrating to do. SO- check in to MSN Messanger at the times above and we can chat away.

The Return

This article was written in real time, while I watched the show...beware of insane, Alias-obsessed blogger with low blood sugar! Now the green type is my next morning adds.

It's here, it's here!! I am actually watching "Previously on Alias..." (I would love it if ABC would just let me come down to LA and record "Previously on Alias..."). Here is 5.10 “S.O.S.” and 5.11 “Maternal Instinct.”


We left Sydney Bristow on a barge in the middle of God knows where. She, after being taken by Dr. DiSantis, was tortured by her mother in order to retrieve information on the Horizon.

The CIA has been infiltrated by someone in P5. Jack suggests that they break into CIA headquarters in Langley-AWESOME. PS. Can I remind you that Jack is the very person who sent Sydney to visit Renee in the "Horizon" episode. He sent her right in to be kidnapped. Now now he is saying to Sloane that whoever took Sydney must have been tracking her movements. Um, hello Dad, it was you!!
-Is it just me or is it pretty cool that we finally get to see Langley? All I can think of is the commentary from the season 1 finale when Merrin Dungey (Francie) mocks Victor Garber by saying "Have you ever been to Langley?" HAHAHAHA!

Thomas Grace- In Langley, Grace uses the computer to access a secure records room within the CIA for information on his wife. Allen Korman-a man in witness protection, who must know something about Grace’s wife’s death.

Rachel is sent into the transmission archives. The archives have been purged. Go figure.

Weiss on ice BABY!!! Me love me some Greg Grunberg. (We are squealing right now by the way. Little Alias pigs!) Um, pilates? Right! More like paninis.

This episode is moving so fast I forgot all about Syd- Sydney, with the barrel of her gun on sassy Kelly Peyton, stumbles on a make-shift delivery room right before passing out. Hello? Expectant mothers should not be roaming around ships holding guns to people's heads, but then again Sydney is “not like other moms.”

DEVLIN returns! YAHOO. I am a huge fan of Director Devlin. Only a high ranking official inside the CIA has access to the files in which to erase Sydney's distress call. And um, Jack is ballsy to walk into that room accusing all the directors of the CIA of being in cahoots with a dangerous terrorist group. Wait, if Jack is attending this meeting, does that mean he also has "Alpha Black" clearance? Hmmm. That would be handy. OH GAWD, he just shot that GUY! He shot him. Jeffery Davenport, former Director, we’ve seen him a few times in the past.

Grace is one sneaky dude. The last time someone used CIA resources to research the death of a loved one was when Vaughn was sure his father was alive. Hmmm. And perhaps when Grace broke the access code to the Witness Protect files, someone was able to gain access to Will Tippin's file.

SYD’S DOCTOR, what a trader!! What has she been doing to little Bristow-Vaughn? Wait, is that SpyMom in the room?

Sloane is in contact with his connection inside P5. They threaten him, as usual, with the knowledge that they have a cure for his daughter.

Grace is Peter? WHO THE HELL IS PETER? WHO IS THE CARDINAL? What is going on? Okay, remember I said that the writers would throw someone in the mix to make them appear to be the mole.

Okay, the baby is okay, on to hour two…wow, hour number two, I could get used to this.



Oooh, nothing like a car crash to start off hour 2. SPYMOM shot Jeffery Davenport too. Devlin thinks someone inside APO leaked information on where Davenport would be transported. Remember: Sloane was on the phone with his P5 contact and now he is scrambling to cover his tracks.

LEO 47 Norte is the true phrase Sydney saw on the SD-6 map. Dixon says it’s connected to France (Renee is French) and that LEO is referring to a specific mission.

Sydney does sorta of waddle! HAHAHA

Irina is back at it. She is a fabulous storyteller. Truly, Lena Olin never stops. How does this woman step into this role and play it so well? Irina is so fantastically... I don't even know. I am so with Marshall, I love a good secret conspiracy.

I need a breath and a break. Anyone got a cookie? I had brownie instead.

Renee and Dixon sittin’ in a tree…oops I mean Renee, sittin’ on a car. They need information from Berstand, who has information on the LEO mission. The mission was pertaining to a package, stored in Vancouver. The Queens Bank.

What is with all the curious glances between Irina and Jack? Irina looks disappointed that the family will be going on the Canadian trip together. Oh, right, Irina slips intel to Kelly Peyton. Can we please be reminded that it was Irina who shot her own daughter in the shoulder because she had to prove her loyalty to “The Man.” She did it to give Sydney enough time to escape. I think Irina is up to her old tricks… her ambiguous tricks.

Who knew a trip to the bank could be so fun? I heart SpyFamily. What kinda of accent is that? WHAT A SHOW! Call back to the Thanksgiving train ride in Kashmir. Some families play miniature golf, the Bristow’s go to Vancouver to get mysterious packages. ROLE MODELS? HA. Ohh, Kelly is there- Irina is there, what the heck is going…oh, SpyDaddy never trusted SpyMommy, we should have known. I have always thought that Jack and Irina are working together. The scene in the bank vault doesn't really help this theory, but perhaps Jack isn't fully aware of all of Irina's plans. Baby Bristow is on the way!!!!

I think I have low blood sugar, maybe whiplash, this is moving soooo fast. I can’t even comprehend.

Sloane is the mole, he’s the leak, the crack. But maybe not. He could be the person the writers threw in to look guilty. Okay, in the last 5 minutes Syd has gone into labor and Peyton shot down a helicopter. So, am I understanding correctly-Irina was using P5, as I suspected, to get information on Horizon and was going to ditch them after?

The truth takes time my behind! I want the truth NOW! Why is Irina always speaking in riddles? SpyDaddy is kickin’ some mousy Peyton ass. Peyton is so not dead! Call back- Plastic hanging from the ceiling- Syd’s dream in season 3.

A mother-daughter heart to the heart with guns is always fun, especially while the daughter is on her way to being a mother herself. Irina never wanted Sydney? Harsh. So, she decided to be a bad mother in order to be a good agent, and now, at the pinnacle, with Horizon in hand, she decides to be a mother? Um, I think I might be missing? Also, if Irina was working for P5, even if she was just using them, then why not get the cure for Nadia, her other daughter, while she's at it? Poor Nadia!

Gawd, Sydney Bristow is amazing! She is giving birth in a bank!! WHAT? I loved the moment when Irina said something to the affect that Sydney will learned that she can't be good at both being an agent and a mother and Sydney said through contractions "watch me!" YAHOO! What about when she was talking about Vaughn and the beach? SOOO cute!

BABY GIRL!! BABY BRISTOW-VAUGHN!! And then blah blah blah, they need diapers, blah blah blah SYDNEY KNEW VAUGHN WAS ALIVE!! Blah blah, donkeys and monks and VAUGHN!! VAUGHN!! (Jenn and SRG, are you jumping on the couch? Because there is some couch jumping here!!) HOLY TAP DANCING DIXON that was an episode!

They were not kidding when they said that they were going to be packing episodes with tons of information. I can’t decide if I want to cry or scream or rock back in forth. WAS IT NOT FABULOUS? I love love love Lena Olin! What an amazing character! What an amazing actor! Such a presents. Jack was a smiling fool this eppy, he was smiling left and right! Weird! Anyone feel transported back to season 1? I did. I got on the JJ time machine and wow, here I am, back in the Alias of ole. SWEET!

What questions do you have? Here is my list…

Who killed Grace’s wife? Is she really dead?
What is Horizon? We still don’t know. Why does Irina need it?
Who is Peter? Who is the Cardinal? What is the message?
Baby what? No name? (I kinda want Syd Jr.)


All right all. I have to sit and simmer. I am so high on Alias right now, I won’t be down for days. SO, discuss and ponder and get some questions ready for chat. Remember- 8am EST and 6pm PST. MSN Messenger- add girlscout35@hotmail.com.

UM, WAIT- scenes for the next!!! WILL! ANNA!! Sydney back in action- I can’t think right now, my head hurts.

PS. Let's Talk at 1,220 hits yesterday alone! I am thinking we might break that today!

Times a wastin'

T-minus 1.5 hours for us west coasters! I am dying!

Oh, the tunes of Alias

Here I am, at work, bopping my head to the tunes of Alias. I love the first season mix, the fast pace action mix, complimented by the soft emotional strains. I have to share! So, if you would like a copy of "Season 1 Cuts" or a copy of "Syd and Vaughn Slow Mix, Seasons 2-3" here is your chance.

E-mail me your name and mailing address and whether you would like one or both of the mixes. No charge, no postage- just sharing music!! You can expect your copies in the mail by the end of May.

PS. The season 1 mix includes Jennifer Garner's rendition of "Since I fell for you." Some of the songs have tech glitches, but my sister did a great job.

PPS. This is limited time only, so get your names to me by April 26th. Thanks!

THE DAY

Today is the day. We have arrived, my loyal Alias fans. April 19th is here and tonight, in the glow of our television screens, we will begin to piece together a five year puzzle. Expect massive amounts of information, fast pace plot lines, overwhelming scene changes and most of all- intrigue, tension and some butt-kicking! Airing tonight are episodes 5.10 “S.O.S.” and 5.11 “Maternal Instinct.” Here are some refresher tips for all you viewers looking to read between the lines…

1.THE RULE OF THREE: Clever writers draw attention to something or someone by mentioning it three or more times. So, keep an ear and eye out for people, places or things mentioned frequently.
2.CALL BACKS: Keep an eye and ear out for things mentioned that happened in past episodes (names, dates, missions, tech equipment, re-used themes, etc.). Sometimes those past episodes can hold a clue for the future.
3.RAMBALDI: This dude has played a large part in the mystery that is Alias. Gather all bits of intel having to do with this guy!
4.MOLE ALERT: We have a mole in either APO or the CIA, so be aware of anything suspicious activity. Remember though, writers might throw an obvious decoy into the mix to throw us off.
5.QUESTIONS: Mid-episode and you have a question? Write it down and bring it to the blog! I will be blogging like mad, before, during and after the episode.
6.HAVE FUN!! Note that theses tips are part of my over-analytical personality. As you know, I love to pick apart every last bit of information- but truly, I want you to enjoy tonight for the pure entertainment value. Enjoy all that is on the surface, just as much as what is underneath. Have fun picking apart the deep stuff, but also enjoy the funny quips and jokes, enjoy the sentimental moments. This is the beginning of the end my friends!

Again, I will be posting my recap of the episode tonight at 11pm PST. For you East coasters, I will be up bright and early tomorrow for an open MSN Messenger chat at 5am PST (8am EST). Tomorrow night at 6pm PST will be open chat for all West coasters. Everyone, east or west, is welcome to e-mail me any questions or comments and I will do my best to reply to all. My e-mail is girlscout35@hotmail.com Again, the MSN Messenger chat schedule is:

East coast: April 20th, 8am EST
West coast: April 20th, 6pm PST


THIS IS IT!! I have 12 hours on my end! It’s go time…

PS. There is a scheduled maintenance outage on Blogger today at 4pm PST. Sorry, but it will be back up for posting soon after!

Messenger

Okay, I am not the Passenger... but I just set up my Messenger. It will be perfect for chatting with all of you about...well, ALIAS!! My e-mail is girlscout35@hotmail.com. So, for all you MSN Messengers, let's get talking...

I am a horrible person...

WARNING: The link provided has MAJOR spoilage!

I said I would stop. I even admitted I have a problem, which is the first step towards recovery. But I just can't get over my spoiler addiction! I just can't! If you are with me- then MAN, have I got one for you!!! Check out this link- peruse the photos, you'll see... (copy and paste the link in the address bar).

http://photo.wenn.com/index.php?action=search&tb=&fp=1&st=0&hs=&start=1&session_
id=66eb308acd9422b95ea72ce08c68a2d2

If you are having trouble putting 2 and 2 together, e-mail me. girlscout35@hotmail.com
I have so much respect and envy for all of you spoiler-free viewers. I love you! PS. Just updated my e-mail address, I had it posted wrong all day!! Oops, if you sent an e-mail try again!

Where will you be?

So, spill it! Where will you be tomorrow night at 8pm?

My friend Laura and I will be at the home of our very dear friends, Hillary and Danny- along with their own SpyBaby, Nolan. I got them hooked on Alias last summer. We spent entire weekends watching season 1-4 and now, we are back at. Each Wednesday night, we prepare a fabulous meal, sit and discuss the previous episode and then, dim the lights, start the tape and dig in to all that is Alias. That's where I will be...what about you?

T's for Tomorrow

This last Christmas my sister discovered Zazzle. Zazzle is an online company where you can design and create your own appeal- T-shirts, sweat shirts with graphics and logos, etc. Over the last few months my sister and several friends have created Alias-wear. Some graphics and pictures are restricted by the site for copyright reasons, but for the most part, you can create anything you want. My sister created a T-shirt for me; the front says "Vaughn Lives" with my codename (Girlscout) on the back. My friend Laura created a tank top with "I Heart Sark" written across the chest. Check out zazzle.com and purchase an already designed T or create your own. Here is the link- in the right hand column, just search "Alias." Have fun, I'll be wearing my "Vaughn Lives" tomorrow!

http://www.zazzle.com/products/apparel.asp

Heads up www.cafepress.com has some amazing Alias T-shirts. Check it out! I am all over the "Joey's Pizza" T-shirt!

Spoil Sport

I love spoilers. It’s a problem. When I first introduced Alias to my friends, I had a very hard time watching each season without spoiling an aspect or two of the plot. More often than not I was sworn into secrecy, but I always managed to let an item or two slip. I am all about inside information, revealing episode synopsis’ and surfing the net for the latest and greatest information. But I think I have reached my end. Last night, while watching the Alias promos and Googling anything and everything Alias, I stumbled upon a major spoiler. MAJOR! My heart leapt, for the spoiler is for the good- and it hit me, in that moment, that the show is ending. These characters, that have so graciously let us be a part of their lives- the good, the bad and the ugly, will now go on living life without us- stacked away in the writer’s room library amid story arcs and old scripts.

Spoilers are meant to prep us. Small bits of information are leaked from the set to get us excited about what is happening and what will happen. I am assuming we all know that Will is returning, and some may see that as a major spoiler. But, wrap your head around the idea that perhaps what they aren’t telling us is BIGGER and BETTER. We knew Vaughn would be reprised in Sydney’s hypnotic state- that was a spoiler. But we had no idea Irina Derevko was behind the glass. We had no indication that Lena Olin was even on set or that her character would be back so soon. It was a wonderful, so-classic- Alias, surprise. Again, that is what we love about Alias; moments when we have to catch our breath or blink a few times to realize what is happening, to take what they have thrown at us.

In a little over 24 hours, Alias will return. There will be high and low moments- some we have anticipated, some we will have never expected. There will be promos with information, clips and spoilers, there will be weeks of buzz and on-set photos giving away plot and storyline. But I am done. I am done reading and peeking and I am done sharing. I want to be surprised. I want to savor every last twist and turn. I want to jump off the couch, I want to scream and giggle and I want to share the looks on the faces of my friends who have been in the dark completely.

You are all welcome to inform me when spoilers are posted and I will still post links to those spoilers. Who am I to squash the curiosity of others? For I am sure I enticed that curiosity a time or two! I hate to be a spoil-sport, but my spoiler days are over… at least for today…*wink*

UPDATE: I can't do it!! I broke down! I am a spoiler FREAK! I am spoiling and spoling and spoiling, someone stop me!!

Being okay...

After I posted that long and crazy list of unanswered Alias questions, I had a thought. Alias has had us tied up in confusion, scratching our heads, and boggling our minds since day one. There have been mighty cliffhangers and plot twists that have left us with troubling questions about the past, present and future of Alias and it's characters. We have been in and out of all the possible answers and now many viewers fear that our questions will never be answered in the mere 8 hours of Alias that remain. Some fear disappointment and let down. Some fear they will walk away from May 22nd with a bad taste in their mouth. I say, FEAR NOT! It would not be our loveable, action-packed Alias if they didn't leave us with some mystery, some unanswered questions that will have us chatting until the end of days. They can't give us all the anwers and they probably won't- and truthfully, I wouldn't have it any other way! Leave us with a bit of confusion, leave us scratching our heads and I am all for having my mind boggled. It's why we love the show, it's why we have stuck through the hard stuff, the rough seasons and the murky plot lines. Alias will have it's ending, we will have our ending- with answers, but more importantly, more questions. I think I'm okay with that.

PS. Anyone catch What about Brian? last night? A-MAZ-ING! Way to go JJ, you've done it again. There will be another episode tonight on ABC at 10pm. Check it out!

Dum, dum, dum

My stomach aches with anticipation. The anxiety is killing me. The promos make me sweat and even the idea of sitting down and actually watching the 2 hour return gives me goose bumps. We are almost there. TWO DAYS- 2, dos dias! I am overwhelmed.

SO, here is the SOP for Wednesday:

All of you east coasters who will have the pleasure of viewing the return 3 hours before me- ya'll better keep your little mouths zipped for us west coasters. My episode recap article will more than likely be posted at 11pm PST- as soon as I get home from the view party and have time to process.

I will be blogging as I watch- as to make sure I catch as much information as possible. If I scratch notes during the show it's a bit hard for me to read what I wrote. Hehehe.

On Thursday morning, I imagine the blog will be in full swing, with tons of hits and tons of posters. Everyone remember to keep an open mind and respect all bloggers! I am sure you will! Between episodes I will write several articles pertaining to what questions have been answered by the episode and what we can possibly expect from the next episode. I am all ears and eyes for any ideas and comments. You got questions? Ask away!

Aside, here is our mega list of questions we want answered. Some I know will be answered for sure (as I have watched every sneak peek promo, every clip, read every spoiler and even called on a few contacts for info.). This is a long list and if you would like to add any...please comment here or e-mail me at girlscout35@hotmail.com.

Happy Blogging!!

1.Who is the chosen one? (Syd, Irina, Baby-Bristow Vaughn)
2. Who the heck raised Syd? Who is this nanny?
3. Who is dead who is actually alive (basing that off the title “I see dead people”)?
4. Is anyone related to Rambaldi? Why is he so connected to this one family, if there is no blood line?
5. Nadia, the doctor and Elena/Bill Vaughn knowing she was the passenger, how did that play out?
6. Bill Vaughn? Alive, dead, what has he been up to?
7. Who is running P5?
8. What is Jack's endgame? I think he may have one too.
9. Will Syd leave the CIA?
10. Will Vaughn leave the CIA?
11. What happened to A.G. Doren/Evil Francie? Will Syd or Will kill her?
12. The 12 CIA officers that Irina killed, did she really kill them? Are they still alive? Are they running P5?
13. Has Irina seen Mt. Subasio?
14. What happened to Olivia Reed?
15. What is “Horizon”?
16. More about Rambaldi’s family and childhood history? Not only who he is but what made him who he is.
17. I would like more info on the numbers 47, 30 and 12. They keep coming up for various reasons.
18. Jacquelyn? I think there might be more to this story.
19. Will Weiss and Nadia get back together when she wakes up?
20. What is Carrie doing?
21. Where is Rachel’s storyline going, their must be something we are missing?Where has Chase been and why does she only show up in crucial times when she needs power?
22. Chase and Dixon, are they still dating?
23. Judy Barnett? Where did she go?
24. How did Gordon Dean get into APO? Did he have help? Who helped him?
25. What does Ivan Curtis know that Syd will not believe?
26. What is Kelly Peyton’s end game? Does she have goals or is she just a pawn trying to work her way up the terrorist ladder?
27. Why did they kill Vaughn? What were they afraid he knew or was about to find out? Did they make a mistake by “killing” him?
28. Who knew Vaughn was alive!?!
29. Where have Devlin and Kendall been?
30. What is Irina’s endgame?
31. What is Sloane’s hidden agenda?
32. Where is Katya? Who is she working for?
33. Who dies?
34. If Ana is back, how did she escape CIA custody from season 4?
35. What happened to McKenas Cole?
36. What happened to Olivia Reed?
37. What does Jack know about Grace? Who was Grace married to?
38. Where are Vaughn and Weiss and what are they doing?
39. Who is Renee and what have she and Vaughn been investigating about P5?
40. ????

Double Duty

Let's Talk Alias would like to wish a

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to both Sydney Bristow and Jennifer Garner!

JG and her character, Sydney Bristow have plenty in common. Aside from middle name and birthday, they are now new moms in high-demand professions. After Alias wraps, JG plans on taking a much deserved break from Hollywood. For Syd, a break would be nice...don't you think?

Happy Easter to everyone and again, Happy Birthday to Sydney and Jen. Stay tuned tomorrow when I post a list of our most wish-to-be-answered questions. It's getting pretty lengthy. Happy egg hunting!

Complete Episode Title Guide

Here is the complete list of titles for the remaining episodes of season 5.

5.10 "S.O.S." (Part 1 of 2 hour return)
5.11 "Maternal Instinct" (Part 2 of 2 hour return)
5.12 "There is only one Sydney Bristow"
5.13 "30 Seconds"
5.14 "I see dead people"
5.15 "The Coming"
5.16 "No Hard Feelings" (Part 1 of the finale)
5.17 "All the time in the world" (Part 2 of the finale)

It is still unclear about either or not the finale will be 2 hours or 2 1/2 hours. Producers have asked the powers that be at ABC if Alias can have an extra 1/2 to give the show the proper send off. I will keep you posted!! YAHOO! IT'S ALMOST HERE.

WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY

If you are like me, you’re watching my Alias countdown ticker, rocking back and forth slowly and squeezing your fists hoping the numbers will fly by faster and our favorite show will be here. If you are like me, you are constantly watching ABC- no matter the program, waiting to catch a promo- 15 seconds of Sydney and the action that will ensure next week. If you are like me, you don’t have the emotional strength to watch one more DVD- you can’t watch the beginning without thinking about the end. But at the same time, all other shows, even LOST, just don't seem to hold your attention or entertain you. You’re excited, but perhaps you’re heart feels a little heavy and a sense of loss seems to be following you around.

In 5 days, Alias- our fabulous, well-written, spectacular, action/drama packed standard of great TV, will be back on the air. I have fresh VRC tapes ready to go. I have my dinner plans mapped out for Wednesday evening and my lap top is charged and ready for blogging as I watch. Sydney, in her pregnant glory, will be back at it with Daddy Dearest, SpyMom and a gaggle of returning friends and foes. The promos and interviews, spoilers and such have been pumping us up for a hell of a farewell, some even saying it will be the best we have ever seen. So, what are we supposed to do with ourselves until Wednesday?

Okay, okay, we’ve done this 500 times it seems, but let’s do it again! Let’s get us a list of questions we want answered… I will start…

1.Who is Rambaldi? How are Sydney, Nadia, Irina and Sloane involved?
2.Who the heck is Renee and what exactly have she and Vaughn been investigating?
3.WHAT IS IRINA’S ENDGAME?
4.WHAT IS SLOANE’S HIDDEN AGENDA?
5.What does Jack know about Tom Grace? Who was Grace married to?
6.Where was Vaughn and Weiss and what were they doing?
7.WHO IS THE MOLE IN APO?
8.WHO DIES?
9.WHAT HAPPENED TO MCKENAS COLE?
10.If Ana Espinoza is back, how did she get out of CIA custody?
11.Will Syd leave the CIA?
12. What is Baby Bristow-Vaughn's name?
13.Okay, you’re turn….

I will compile all the questions and post them Monday. You can e-mail your questions (girlscout35@hotmail.com) or post them in the comments section. Now, can I get YAHOO, because we have 5 days!

PS. If you didn't know, I am a huge fan of Watch with Kristin on E!Online. She posted a great article today featuring an interview with Kevin Weisman (Marshall Flinkman). This article is why I love that TV Diva!! Check it out... http://www.eonline.com/Gossip/Kristin/Archive2006/060414b.html

HOLY PROMO

Please, please, please go and check out this Alias promo!! It gave me the chills and got me all FIRED up!!! 6 days people!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvQJpLeI9uE&search=alias%20promo

Last Episode Recap 5.09 "Horizon"

Hi All! Here is the last previously posted episode recap article for 5.09 "Horizon." It's a doozy!

HOLY COW!I think my head has stopped spinning so that I may articulate my observations about last nights episode. If I don't say it enough in the next couple paragraphs, I LOVED IT! By far the best episode of the season thus far and it can only lead to more! I LOVE VAUGHN, I LOVE IRINA! I LOVE ALIAS! Okay, I'm okay... oooh, I have a headache now.

I saw her reflection in the glass and I thought I was watching season 2 by mistake. SPYMOMMY is back!! Irina Derevko, played by the talented Lena Olin, returned to Alias last night in a WHAM BAM episode filled with all the goodies Alias has to offer. I don't even know where to begin...oh, yes I do...THAT WAS NOT SYDNEY'S APARTMENT- The opening sequence with Sydney and Vaughn in the apartment had several clues that established that what was happening was not happening in reality. One- that was not Sydney's apartment. Though it was rather similar to her apartment, the lay-out of the kitchen and bathroom is different than what we have seen in past episodes. Writers will use similar props and sets during dream sequences to suggest that things aren't as they seem. For instance, when Will dreamt he told Francie all about the CIA, he was sitting at the dining room table drinking a glass of wine. At the time, Will was in AA and wasn't supposed to be drinking; that was a clue to tell us that what was happening was not indeed happening.

Jack and Syd hit up the hospital for a little baby birthing tutorial. I loved how Sydney said, "And this is where I will get the epidural right? Because I don't like pain." HAHA, I had to laugh. The woman as been tortured, shot by her mother, and rumbled with a room mate. COME ON! She lives for pain!Okay, onto the grit! Vaughn's papers are stolen from high security storage byP5 gopher, Kelly Peyton. What a nasty girl!! APO is tasked to find out what exactly P5 needs from Vaughn's research and notes from his old SD-6 and Covenant missions. We come to understand that the bit of information P5 and Dr. DeSantis are looking for is the location of something called the Horizon. Whether this is a device or a manuscript, we cannot be sure, but I guarantee it’s Rambaldi related.Jack sends Sydney to meet with Renee. Renee tells Sydney that there is nothing in Vaughn's old files that would be of use to P5. Perhaps that is because we, along with everyone else, don't know how far P5 reaches or apparently how far SD-6 and the Alliance reached. Sydney is then nabbed by two goons and whisked away in the standard kidnapping vehicle-a black windowless van!

Aside, it occurred to me that Jack set in motion Sydney's kidnapping by sending her to meet Renee. Are you following me? I think Jack was in on it! I think Jack is working with Irina!!!As for the creepy baby room, obviously Irina has some issue with SpyGrandbaby. Perhaps a child by the Chose One is of value to P5. OHHHH, just had a thought, stay with me...Perhaps Jack knew what P5 wanted from Vaughn. Perhaps he knew through Irina who was working with them. So, to protect Sydney and Vaughn, Irina put the "hit" on Vaughn and Jack set up his fake death. Now, Irina, who is obviously working for someone else, has to use Syd to play her game. Remember, she had to shoot Sydney in the shoulder to convince her employers she was loyal. This is the same thing. I think Irina is trying to stop P5...maybe even another evil sister...

Now, let the memories of Vaughn begin-

Hospital- A man, an orderly, comes into Vaughn's room and if you blinked, you missed him place the cup and straw on the table next to the bed. Remember, I mentioned in the premiere episode review that the cup and straw was a clue to Vaughn's fate. Whatever was in that cup put him in a coma did so to convince P5 he was dead.Moving on- Sydney then told Vaughn, "I gave this to you and then you crashed." She wasn't willing to give him a sip. She wasn't willing to lose him all over. But Vaughn repeated, "They are using me against you. I need to go away." This ambiguous statement only lead me to believe that Vaughn is indeed alive; that faking his death and hiding away was in some way protecting Sydney.

Korean Prison- "We'll find each other, we always find each other." Ain't that the truth? Back in the dank, musty prison in Korea, Vaughn and Sydney share a moment with their baby. In the season 3 scene we understand the tension as being geared to wanting what you can't have. Sydney couldn't have Vaughn because he was married to Lauren, and in the scene last night, she couldn't have him because he was "dead." I loved how that played into Vaughn wanting to experience his child.

Micro-self Storage- Okay, the chain link fences were killing me! They took us way back to micro storage!! I heart micro-self storage! Sydney lays all her plans on the table. She wants to stop running, she wants to stop hiding. She doesn't want people to know who she is or what she knows. She wants to escape; she wants to go away with Vaughn to a deserted island. I was hoping she would plug Lost here, you know, "let's get lost on some island." No dice, but still a very honest scene. I suppose it reflects Jennifer's own need to move on, to live a happy, normal life away from the show and the razzi.

Pier- Um, why weren't they playing Sarah McLachlan? Come on, that is just as much a part of the scene as Sydney and Vaughn. Vaughn says, "You kept the darkness from taking over me. You are going to take these guys down." YES SHE WILL, so you can come back home safe and sound!!Blood Van-In the van we do discover why Vaughn needed to go away. He had the name from the SD-6 map. The name on the map is something Vaughn must have known that P5 wanted and that they would come after him for that information. She gives them the name X-23 Norte. Is this a name, a code, location?

Beach- Standing on the sandy beach in their perfect place, Vaughn reveals that Sydney had given P5 the wrong name from the map. He said, "You gave them the wrong name, they will find out and I can't be here for that." Throughout the hypnosis Vaughn tells Sydney to make him go away, say goodbye to him because if she doesn't, they win. Perhaps Vaughn is the only person who knows the whereabouts of the Horizon and as long as P5 doesn't know where it is, Sydney is safe. This also leads me to believe the piece is Rambaldi related (along with the SD-6 references and of course, the return of Irina.) Vaughn has always shown concern for Sydney in regards to the prophecies of Rambaldi. He begged Sydney to give up the search for Nadia, in fear that Nadia would harm her. He also offered to destroy the discs that opened the Rambaldi box, which he believed would also be of danger to Sydney.Let me add that Vaughn in all of these “memories” is NOT Vaughn, he is Sydney’s subconscious. As Paul so cleverly pointed out in the comments, there are two Sydney’s in all of these scenes. One Sydney misses Vaughn and wants to be with him and the other is the Sydney that knows she is under hypnosis and that P5 is looking for something.

Everything that Vaughn says is actually Sydney trying to tell herself to let Vaughn go because she knows they are using him against her. Aside from the obvious callbacks, I found some similar storylines. Sydney gives the wrong information to P5, much like Nadia gave the Covenant the wrong location to the Rambaldi dig site in season 3. Jack and Renee stumble upon a makeshift nursery, which reminded me of Jack's psych-eval hypnosis dream from season 1, in which he sees a young Irina holding a baby and then Irina transforms into Sydney. Not sure if there is any connection, but it was a flashback for me.IRINA! I couldn't even believe it! I nearly jumped out of my seat! There was no indication! Yes, it makes sense that she would want to protect the baby and is invested in Sydney's future, but there was no word Lena Olin at even returned to the set! Thank goodness she's back. Is she good? Is she bad? Is she good pretending to be bad? She is so good at that. She tells Peyton "Now my associates have the location of the Horizon." Who are her associates? Why did they have to get the information from Sydney? Does an SD-6 map no longer exist? What is the tie to SD-6? If she is a leader of P5 (maybe with SpySis Katya) then why hasn't she cured Nadia? Why does she need Sloane? (Man, Sloane and Jack are getting kicked by the Derevko woman! Pansies!)

DeSantis kicked the bucket, after being shot and losing an ear. That was hilarious, well, in a morbid, sick sorta way. Jack pulled out that knife and I was like, "ooh sharp knife." Then he slices the old doc's ear off! Hahaha! Gosh, hard life- kept in a box for 20 years, shot, cut and shot again. Hmm, Rambaldi just doesn't seem worth it to me. More people lose their lives than are promised eternal life.

Tid bit- Thomas Grace was married??? What do you suppose was the significance of this little reveal? Could it be someone we know??? Lauren? hehehe! I love Alias!I don't even know what else to say, other than the episode ROCKED!! So much information, so much going on, the return of old characters, the opening of old wounds. THIS IS WHY I BLOG PEOPLE! It was magnificent! Bravo writers! You roped us right back in and now we have to wait, tick tock, tick tock...2 months and counting...anyone else need a drink, a stiff one?

PS. VAUGHN IS SOOOOO NOT DEAD!