Wednesday, April 26, 2006

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!

13 comments:

Angela said...

I loved the episode, too, especially the over-the-top humor--Will talking about how his head was about to explode, his one-liners at the discussion table, the CIA "babysitters" and their suitcase filled with pacifiers, etc. Too cute! There were a couple of times that Alias seemed to leave reality and actually leap into computer generation (the jump out of the train, the weird snaking cable Syd shot from her gun, etc), but that's just ALIAS--a blend of possibility and fact.

I realized that the cut on Syd's upper arm--the one that's only "cosmetic"--will play a role next week in allowing us to figure out who's good Syd and who's Anna. (Call back to the cut on the arm she got from Dixon right before she rescued Will from the nightclub).

In any case, we're going to be on a roll from here to the end. Love it!

Angie

Unknown said...

Funniest, funniest moment ever-- "Sydney, my head is beeping!" Oh my gosh. I laughed out loud. And yeah, I tried to look at this episode in all the positiveness that I could. "Filler" is what I thought, too. But filler we needed to set up some things. The idea of another double kind of drives me crazy, but... should make things interesting. It seemed like the writers wanted to make sure we didn't forget the Alias of old-- Syd at home in her apartment with friends, Syd on a mission kicking Anna's butt, Sloane in secret meetings with strange people. I think the episodes to come will make up for this one. Oh yeah, I LOVED the moment on the plane when Syd told Will she had a daughter. How cute was that!! It was like Jennifer Garner's real emotion from being a mother herself was coming through. She was positively beaming.

Sarafu said...

I have to agree with you GS! ALthough I Love Alias through and through and have very few times (if ever) said I was disappointed in an epispde I have to say that this is one that I was. I had a hard time following everything and I wasnt sure at what they were getting at with the whole DNA thing because I was SURE that they wouldnt double her since that has already been done SO many times before. Sure enough they did!! I do see how that could bring the fullfillment of the propheny though so that at least brings some clarity. My problem with the it being a filler episode is that we dont have time for that. THere are 5 epis left. I want all my questions answered!!! That said....its still ALIAS so even though I was disappointed I still enjoyed watching every minute! I did love seeing Will and Syd interact and my favorite was Jack in the role of paranoid granpa!! How cute was that???? :) The Fight on the train kikced butt, its always good to see Syd kick some bad guy booty. Alas, There were lots of parts that I did enjoy and I am confident that next week will be nail bitting enjoyment!!!

Angela said...

Oh--there was another moment that made me laugh out loud, though it was definitely a "filler" moment--that was when Rachel said, "Who's Rambaldi?"

LOL!

Angie

SKlaft said...

First, let me say: Well said, Ihaaheim.

GS, I warned you and everyone else about digging into the spoilers. There is a reason they call them that. They spoil the whole show.

I could not disagree with you more that this was a "filler episode," or boring in the least. Personally, I found it to be one of the best episodes since season 2 and perhaps among the top ten in the whole series. It had everything we expect from great ALIAS episodes. It touched on events that took place last week by saying they had been searching for Irena, that she had betrayed P5 and disappeared. It had suspense with "what do they need with Syd's heat signature, and what in the world are they planning to do Will; what are they injecting in his head?" It had great action with multiple conflicts, and Will actually getting the better of a professional assassin. It had the sentimental side of Syd's personal life that made us relate to her in the first place. It had more call backs that I could possibly keep up with or dare to try to list just here.

Common! Back in season one when they disproved the prophesy applied to Sydney, who would have thought that it was never intended to apply to her in the first place? It applies to Anna, looking like Sydney. We all have been groaning for an answer as to how they would reconcile that problem of having seen Mt Sabastio. Well, they did it with the Helix Protocol. Sure, doubling has been done before; how do you think P5 got a hold of the technology; how do you think they perfected the flaws? By experimentation! That was not a "blood shower." It was, as they explain in the show, a chemical agent designed to extract Syd's DNA in the form they needed it to perform the doubling process. Apparently, a simple oral swab would not do the trick.

ABC promised answers. I say, they are providing them. I am sorry some of you have a poor opinion of the show last night. I certainly did not expect folks to feel disappointed in it when I logged in today. I just can't immagine what you might have been expecting, but I am glad they are going this way with the end. They are tying everything together in a superb fashion, as far as I am concerned.

-R.

SKlaft said...

Thoughts on the show itself:

The 12 brought Sloane in before them, and let him see who they are? I don't care what "deal" they seem to make with him, they love the annonnymity too much. If they wouldn't even let Dean or the Brittish guy in the room with them, they are going to try to kill Sloane before this is over.

Spy-sitters? That's a little weird, but certainly smart of Jack to get people trained in both fields to protect little Vi/ Izzy while Sydney is away. I found it an interesting method of discovering the implanted bomb.

How would P5 know how to find Will? It had to be Thomas Grace. Why would they need Will? To draw Sydney out in order to extract the necessary info and materials to fulfill their evil plans. Of course! With Sydney on maternity leave, they needed a sure-fire way of drawing her back in the field. Naturally, they went for her weakness: her friends, and Will in particular, being unprotected and in the open. (There's nothing "forced" about that.)

Look out, Syd; its a trap! Woah! Will! Where did you learn to fight? Oh, wait, Syd will ask. What sort of information can they possibly get from a heat signature? (Ooohh, the heart size and details from the prophesy! Cool!)

I always knew Will would make a good spy. now that he manned-up and stopped being a mealy-mouthed reporter, he as cool a-cat as any of them. I wish they would have brought him back sooner to do this more often. he's really quite good with the accent, and certainly quick on his feet. "Porcillin lilly?" "I was on a roll." Ha! (Call back!)

Truly a great fight on the train, but did anyone else catch the symbolism? Remember when Syd fought herself in the dream-state? the lighting was identical. Good Syd was wearing white, and bad Syd was wearing black. Same with Her and Anna in that scene. not only is this a call back, but a portent to Anna becoming evil-Syd.

A chemical shower, where Syd couldn't breathe... Call-back! remember Syd being trapped in that underground bunker when gasoline came showering down? This time, though, it wasn't gasoline, but a harmless chemical designed to extract DNA and empty into the cannesters beneath the train. The whole thing was a set up!

Flying out of the train! Yikes! Call back to Season 4 ep.1 where the bad guy was flung out over a bridge. I was just hoping we would not hear the same sickening clang of their bodies against the girding. (How in the world was Syd able to find the trigger for Will's head-bomb under water after that fall?! - Give me some of the same vitamins she's taking!)

Ahh, yes. The Helix Protocol, complete with provicillium to maintain the change as Anna begins to double Sydney. The prophesy! The prophesy, the prophesy! Sydney can climb every side of Mt Sabstio and see the sky from every angle, and the prophesy will never apply to her! It would only be her immage! Sydney Espinosa is the true bringer of misfortune! Wooo hooo! This is getting good now!

Sloane has the vure for Nadia! That's great. Now he has to figure a way to explain how he got it so that Nadia's awakening is not too suspicious. I guess we'll see how that works next week. Wait! The prophesy! The prophesy, the prophesy! Nadia has to be awake, and fight Sydney Espinosa, kill, her, and complete the whole cycle!

Yes! This show is so great, I can hardly stand it.

-R.

Eliza said...

am i crazy or did I see Tom's reflection in the side view mirror of anna's car?
(when she goes to will's house...the camera pauses on the side view mirror...who's face is it? I thought it was Tom, but the other boards burned me for thinking that!)

uncle111 said...

I too LOVED this episode. They actually found a good way to tie up the Rambaldi storyline with Anna filling the Chosen One spot and she and Nadia doing battle.

Now, what was the Horizen from last episode. When Jack scanned it it looked lie a broken piece of stone or tablet, maybe a torn paper. Is it the missing piece of something that completes the new doubling technology?

Unknown said...

Oh! Wasn't the doctor who was torturing Syd for Irina the same guy who did the procedure on Anna? Am I right or did he just look familiar for another reason? If what Uncle is saying is true, that the Horizon has to do with the doubling, did Irina steal the Horizon just to give it to P5? I think she is making it look like she's working for and with P5, but really has her own agenda. Peyton is clearly working for P5, but remember in the bank when Jack told Irina to call off her people she said, "They're not my people."

Anonymous said...

I liked the eppy last night too, but I have one question regarding Prophet 5's tactics for acquiring Syd's DNA - did the writers blunder?
Why did P5 allow Syd to be taken back by APO from the ship, without even a fight? These people had prepared a nursery for her, and on the ship Peyton confidently tells Syd she won't get to leave, yet when they get word of APO coming they all flee, leaving Syd behind. They likey had more men then what APO fit in 2 choppers, plus the advantage of knowing the boat.
Because of letting Syd go P5 had to devise the whole Will scheme, do the set-up in the train, etc - so much more time and energy when they already had her.
It could be argued Irina wanted Syd free because she guessed she had been given a false codename when Syd was tortured, but that was only 6 hrs or so earlier, judging by how the events happened on the ship - what tipped her the info was not accurate? And how did she convince P5 to let Syd go when that meant delays in getting her DNA?
What do you think?

Girlscout said...

I am with you Anotheraliasfan. They had plenty of opportunity to get Syd's DNA on the ship-why did they have to get Will and convince Sydney to come back to work? Seems like a lot of extra work to me.

Unknown said...

Could it have anything to do with the fact that she was pregnant on the ship? Maybe they needed her to be not pregnant? Not that your DNA would change, but... maybe because of the pregnancy hormones? I have no idea. I'm no doctor. Just an idea.

Anonymous said...

It's been hard for me on spoilers but I try not to read any that give away major stuff. I like the episode last night too.

It seriously is like the Alias of ole becuase they are cramming alot in isn't that what we used to like come on it ROCKED!!

Robetron about what you said when Nadia wakes maybe that explains why she'll be mad at sloane ala the way he obtained the cure.

About the writers ironing in the procedure maybe they did it because they couldn't get Gina to come back so they just decided to kill two birds with one stone.

Seriously can't wait for the remaining episodes looks freakin' exciting.