Merely a Mother (A Picture Article)

After a successful trip to Kashmir, Irina Derevko is returned to CIA custody. Sydney has asked that she be allowed time outdoors. There on the roof of CIA headquarters, Sydney and Irina embrace in a very emotional moment between mother and daughter. Irina explains that though she considered it an honor to be chosen, as a woman, to represent her country, to work for the KGB, she was a fool for abandoning her daughter.

Irina’s embrace with Nadia on the CIA jet in season 4 is very much reminiscent of this scene. Irina seems to bottle up all her regret and releases it in a shared moment with her daughters. All her mistakes bleed away and her past fades and she is merely a mother, for one brief moment. When the guns are turned on Irina and Sydney, they back away with their hands up, as if to surrender, to give in- the guns a reminder of the position each of them are in, on different sides of the law.

Sydney’s feelings for her mother have been up and down since the moment she was told Irina was in fact KGB and alive. Irina went from being a loving mother and wife in Sydney’s eyes, to being a killer. When Irina turns herself in to the CIA, she plays on Sydney’s emotions, hoping, not only for the sake of her plan, but for her own happiness, that Sydney will trust her and forgive her. Irina never says as much, but it is apparent in other scenes with her daughter that it pains her to see the kind of life she has encroached on Sydney- one of chaos and danger.

I love this scene because it is so raw and emotional. We see the strong, determined Irina break down and along with Sydney, we see the gentle, loving woman underneath.

These captions appear in episode 2.10 "Abduction." Thank you to Lisa for the photos and a huge thanks to Alias-Media for their awesome vault of episode pics!!