Friday, April 07, 2006

Episode Recap 5.05 "Out of the Box"

Happy Friday All! Here is the previously posted recap article on 5.05 "Out of the Box."


Due to the major distractions I experienced while watching last night’s episode, and the complex plot and storyline that is Prophet Five, I walked away utterly confused. But in a good way! In an Alias way!

Let’s get down and dirty and try to alleviate some of my perplexity…

Roomies
Sydney doing yoga, Rachel in her old pajamas and the sweet, realistic nature of their morning conversation shot me straight back to season 1 and Francie. I love the idea of Rachel and Sydney living together. As Sydney mentioned, they are both in a transitional period of their lives, and who better to understand each other than Rachel and Sydney. I look forward to watching Sydney’s nurturing side surface, and seeing Rachel come out of her shell.

The Joker and the Jack
In season 2, I believe Sloane approaches Jack in the very restaurant that they met in last night. Last night, Sloane asks to be reinstated at APO for Nadia’s sake and we learn that Jack has already put in the request. I was shocked! What? Jack wants Sloane back? And then I remembered; these two are in some secret cahoots. They have plans we are unaware of and having Sloane back at APO will benefit not only Nadia and Gordon Dean, but this hair-brain scheme that Jack and Sloane concocted in season 4.

Sloane is approached by the mysterious Shed contact and finally introduced to Gordon Dean, “one of his benefactors.” I am guessing there are either 12 benefactors (old Alliance roots) or 5 benefactors (hence, Prophet 5). Either way, Dean has a mole inside APO, a mole that will show no mercy if his daughter’s life is threatened. *Side note: I wonder if will occur to Gordon Dean to ask Sloane where Sydney lives. Sloane’s been there, he’s been in the house. Wouldn’t that make sense if you were trying to kill Rachel or Sydney? I suppose that’s just too easy for Alias.

I literally got chills watching Arvin Sloane waltz back into APO, Jack standing at the end of the corridor. And I imagine Sydney will not only get chills, but a serious case of déjà vu when she returns from her mission with Grace. Speaking of…

Side by Side
Grace and Syd side by side, I love it! I love him, I truly do. He’s not terribly smart when it comes to math and science, he’s a man of few words, but I can already feel chemistry between Thomas Grace and Sydney Bristow. Not in the Vaughn sense of chemistry, but in the Dixon sense. Grace and Syd are still learning to trust each other. They are still learning about each others strengths and weaknesses, which could mark a very fun friendship for the both of them.

Rienne on the Run
We find Renee held up in Marseille with her frozen papa, after ambushing a US storage facility in Frankfurt to steal a drug that can wake her father. Sydney and Grace find her just as daddy is waking, in a fit of hysteria after being on ice for 23 years. Did we not all grab a pen and paper and do the math? 23 years, Vaughn’s dad was killed in 1979, damn, that’s 26 years. Bugger! Ah, well, it wasn’t as if it was Renee’s dad anyway. It turns out Mr. Science Experiment was actually the doctor that developed the chamber, Mr. Aldo DeSantis. This we find out after the DSR files don’t coincide with the files recovered in San Francisco. DiSantis is extracted and is met by Dean. DiSantis says, “the girl is alive and she is working with the CIA.” Hmmm. So, this is where the trail failed me. I am lost! Is the man in the box really her father, just with a different brain? Or is it a different man all together? Because wasn’t it mentioned by Marshall or Rachel, that the files contained evidence that the frozen man had had a transplant? HELP ME! This storyline is giving me a headache! But in a good way! In an Alias way!

Nod to Vaughn
Did anyone shed a tear as the camera panned into the hockey rink? Were you not expecting to see Vaughn on the ice in his hockey gear? Instead we find Diane Lewis, the one woman keeping Sloane from reinstatement. We soften for Sloane as he pleads with Diane to let him return to APO, to use their resources to cure his daughter. Then we cringe as he shares photos of Diane’s daughter and threatens her life. Good old Sloane! I love him this way! Smarmy and stealth! Welcome back Arvin.

Next Week on Alias
Ohhh, Rachel on her own mission! Can’t wait to see if the girls got what it takes!!


Check out www.alias-media.com or www.spoilerfix.com. They have posted from tidbits about upcoming episodes, including speculation about who might "pay the ultimate sacrifice."

11 comments:

SKlaft said...

GS, your introduction to the recap said it all. The more I think about this episode, the less sense it seems to make, given what we know today. Maybe this episode was designed to solidify our (and Syd's) confidence in Renee's trustworthiness, or maybe it was supposed to resolve the "hey, there's a guy in that box" part of the story. Maybe I am wrong, but this episode seemed to add nothing but confusion to the overall ALIAS story and even more to the present theme in season 5. The best part of this episode is the cozy little domestic exchange between Rachel and Syd in their apartment.
(If I moved in, would every day begin with the music... "Come and knock on our door... We've been waiting for you...." -?)
-R.

Girlscout said...

"This kiss is hers and hers and his, three's company too." I love that song! I just downloaded it.

SRM said...

yeah I'm with you guys, this was prob my least fav episode of the season, it just didn't make much sense. Maybe some of our questions will be answered about why they picked up this storyline in the end, but at this time it seems pretty useless. I'm off from work, have a good weekend everyone!

Girlscout said...

It was rather uneventful in the grand scheme of things. And yes, perhaps it could be titled a filler eppy, but it really didn't fill towards anything. Fillers are suppose to build up the next episode and it really didn't.

SKlaft said...

Looking at the picture that accompanied this article, I am struck by the set design.

Who decorated Syd's house? Can this REALLY be Sydney's tastes? Based on her first two homes that we see in earlier seasons, I would never guess that she would have an olive colored couch and a bear-fur rug. I do not claim to be any kind of expert, so ladies, correct me if I am wrong, but this looks really tacky to me. What do you think?

Girlscout said...

Robby, Sydney has only had 2 houses- her apartment with Francie (and Will most of the time) and her place which she later shares with Nadia. I happen to think her place is distinctly her. Very clean and modern, not to cluttered or messy. PS. Love the couch and rug actually.

Unknown said...

Is it really only 11 days until the return of our show?!?!? In comparison to how long we've had to wait, this is NOTHING! I can't believe it. I don't think I've ever been more excited for the return of a show. Wow... 11 Days.

SKlaft said...

GS, in the pilot episode, we see the apartment or house where Danny was told of her job. If that wasn't her place, then she at least had a place we never saw.
Anway, I guess its a matter of preferences. I wouldn't have that couch and rug if someone paid me to take them.

:D -R.

Girlscout said...

Oh, Robby you are right. She lived with Francie in that house. Nice call. I forgot about that. She moved into the new place in episode 1.02.

SRM said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
SRM said...

Love the new blog banner GS! Did you guys see that Mia/Nadia is starring in the 10 Commandments special ABC is showing (beginning tonight)?