Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Episode 5.13 "30 Seconds"

Yeah, so- the episode was urgh... F%*#ing CRAZY!! I LOVE ALIAS!

I am going to go step by step, from one character to another, from one place to the next. I am going to take it nice and slow, so-that-we-can-all-just-WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT?? Let's get at this NOW!

Sloane-
It begins and ends with Sloane- always has, always will. Sloane meets with Joseph to discuss Nadia's cure. Sloane isn't prepared to risk his daughters life in order to save it. Joseph tells him to "have faith in Rambaldi." Joseph seems to say that Rambaldi put Nadia in her condition and Sloane should trust that Rambaldi will get her out.

Sloane's faith in Rambaldi returns and he decides to saves his daughter. Nadia wakes nearly a year after the team's romp in Svogda. Her sister has a daughter, Vaughn is dead, Jack is running APO and Rachel, Grace and Renee are all new faces. She doesn't trust her father and she is angry that his actions put her in a coma.

Jack, after he catches Sloane injecting Nadia and Sloane gives him some research story, begins to suspect that Sloane might have acquired Nadia's cure from P5. Jack asks Dixon to investigate. They plant bugs and then Jack and Nadia track Sloane to his private storage unit. Sloane leaves with a suitcase and when Jack and Nadia break in all they find are Nadia's clothes and evidence of Sloane's research into Nadia's illness. But, we know Sloane better than that- he has the true Rambaldi page.

I will say it again- I LOVE ME SOME EVIL SLOANE! I love the furrowed brow, I love the mercilessness, I love it! Welcome back Arvin!

Page 47
Peyton makes a call to one of Ana's former colleagues, Mortiz Koler. Koler is hired to decipher a hidden message on the page. Sydney and the team intercept the call. It turns out Renee once worked with Moritz. Moritz discovers the page is a fake. SO- all along, the DSR and the CIA were in possession of a counterfeit Rambaldi page.

Later, Nadia discovers that he father has the Rambaldi page. In a fit of frustration and rage, she forces him to choose between the page and herself. Sloane says, "Please do not make me choice between the two things that mean the most in my life." Jump back- Sydney told Nadia that Sloane was very devoted to her while she was sick. Nadia asked, "More than Rambaldi?" Sydney said yes. What we have to remember is that Nadia is part of Rambaldi- she had to show Sloane were the Sphere of Life was. To support this- Sloane told Nadia, "I will need you more then you will ever need me." Aside, Nadia tosses the page into the fire and there, in the flames, the Rambaldi symbol appears on the page. Sloane dives for the page and in his quest, shoves Nadia into the glass table. All I have to say is- a shard of glass to the neck is not good!! NADIA DIES! NADIA IS DEAD! THE PASSENGER IS DEAD. How can the prophecy be filled without Nadia? What about Nadia's vision of gunning Sydney? What about the symbol ?

If Sloane has returned to the fold and death is a necessary part of his plan to finish out his 30 year project- then why bring Nadia back from her coma? If she plays no part in the true endgame, why was she needed at all? Was it a large manipulation? Has Sloane been the ultimate puppeteer? Is it possible that Nadia needed to be awakened in order to get angry and toss the page into the fire to expose the pages hidden message? Oh, the questions. (Oh, is there a connection between Sloane's 30 years and 30 seconds?)

PS. I love Mia Maestro and I am sad she will not be with the show in the end. I loved her character- her innocence and her south American charm. But, all is fair in love and Rambaldi- I guess.

Renee-DUNZO
Well, they did give Renee a very nice send off. She kicked some butt in one of the first scenes and she took charge with her alias when she was sent to seduce and kidnap Moritz. She was beginning to trust Sydney and then Sydspinoza pulls a switchblade and ends the French tart's life. Sad and VERY unexpected.

Alas, there were some clues given. Renee used to work with Moritz and Moritz used to work with Ana- hmm, interesting. What I would like to know is- what is her connection to Vaughn? What is the chip they find? Who was Renee Rienne and why was she killed? She must have known something and Ana must have known that Renee knew. This isn't the last we will hear of one of the CIA' most wanted criminals.

Two for the Road
Yes, I know that was the title of tonight's Lost episode, but what I am getting at is, where was Sydney? You would think with two of them roaming around, we would have seen more of her, or umm, them. I will agree with one of the bloggers- Sydspinzo seems to be carrying some baby weight and Sydney B. does not. Interesting. You think they might have filmed the Sydspinoza scenes earlier? Possibly. Aside, I am sure we will be seeing more Syd next week! YAHOO!

Time After Time
Oh, how time played it's part. Let me recap- Bill Vaughn gave Vaughn a watch. TIME. Irina gave Sydney earrings, "Truth takes TIME." Sloane had 30 seconds TIME to save Nadia. Jack tells Sloane to "Give it TIME" when Sloane voices his worry about Nadia not wanting a relationship with him. Nadia arrives at Sloane's house with "I needed to take some TIME." The 12, the 12 numbers on the face of a clock. The Rambaldi clock was one of the first items stolen by Sydney way back in season 1. Clock=TIME. Time plays a part here people and we are missing a link- what is the connection?

The writers hit us tonight-twice. Two deaths. One, indeed, was someone close to Sydney and involved in APO and the other was someone not close to Sydney and not involved with APO. I believe there is one death left and it involves someone close to Sydney. Any predictions?

Next Week on Alias-
If Sydspinzo lays one hand on Michael Vaughn, I will double myself as Chuck Norris and roundhouse kick her where it counts! It's all out war people, all out Alias war!

Okay, I know I am missing some stuff. Anyone? What are your thoughts?

41 comments:

Anonymous said...

:-\ I'm confused about the baby fat! I think Syd B. is definitely still showing some belly (which, I really really like since it's realistic!) but Sydspinoza should NOT be carrying any baby fat since she never got pregnant... Also, in reality Sydspinoza would still have an accent, I think, language and language ability or preference is not biological but comes out of our training as children... Does that make sense? This might just be an inconvenient detail for the writers, which they'll ignore..

As far as the prophecy, why wouldn't it be Syd and Sydspinoza deuling that's the real meaning of the prophecy? We know it's "Irina's daughters" wouldn't 2 Sydneys fit that as well as Syd and Nadia?

and I thought even the 'real' Page 47 still looked very different from the one we saw in the earlier seasons. again, I think that's just some production thing that we're not supposed to care about.

Angela said...

I think we're really looking at two sets of prophecies, the latter of which seems to have been invented for season four. I think we saw the resolution (or almost all of it) for the prophecies about the two sisters battling over the Big Red Ball in season four--remember Irinia saying "When red horses run through the streets and angels fall from the sky . . . etc? And all those things happened that night." And, after last night, we know that the Passenger and the Chosen One DID do battle and one did NOT survive--I mean ultimately, Nadia died because of Rambaldi.

The writers have apparently taken us back to season one and the first prophecy--and they may be willing to ditch the "greatest power" deal because now they're hinting that there's a HIDDEN prophecy that we don't even know about . . . and what do you want to bet that it'll be discovered and fulfilled in these last three episodes.

Not much humor last night, was there? Not nearly as much as last week.

And one thing bothered me--at the end, we had a Sloan voice over when he was explaning to the Scottish dude why he was joining P5--because he's been chosen. But on screen we saw Marshall running in to tell Jack something, then Jack goes to Sloane's house and finds Nadia. What did Marshall say? Was he telling Jack about the incident with Syd and the Gang, or was he talking about Nadia? Would seem to be the latter, but what tipped him off? Did Sloane call APO, was it an alarm of some sort? I guess the thing that bothers me is the thought that Sloan might have just walked off and left Nadia there in the glass. Not a very respectful way to treat your daughter.

So we have evil Sloane back--not that he'd ever gone very far.

Angie

Angela said...

P.S. I think next week's title "I See Dead People" refers to the return of Francie.

But in what capacity? The evil Allison Doren, for sure, but what's she up to? And where has she been?

Angie, guessing again

Unknown said...

First of all, the location of this Moritz guy was 47 North something in Zurich. 47 North? 47 Norte? Hmmm...

Poor Renee. I liked her. Why did P5 need her dead?

Nadia?!>?!>! What was up with Sloane's "Death is neccesary..." speech?

I STRONGLY dislike Sydspinzo. Looks like next week she gets to Vaughn. Ugh. How did she know it was an ambush? Grace said something like, "Someone must have tipped her off." Who? What the crap?!

Hate that Nadia had to die at his hands, but LOVE evil Sloane. Alias ending without evil Sloane would be... wrong.

Predictions on the next death-- Irina. Dying to save Syd & company and Syd will finally see that after all these years, Irina is not evil. Truth takes time.

SRM said...

haha I noticed the fake background too Mike, that was less than the usual quality of Alias graphics, and also I was sooo hoping the "real" page 47 would be the version from the first two seasons but alas, perhaps the props people spilled coffee on the original or something, ah well.

Enough of my criticism, that really was a fantastic episode. Between that and Lost I seriously had a hard time falling asleep last night because my adrenaline was running so high!

Well Robby, I'm guessing you're pretty happy because all our big theories went out the window as soon as Nadia died, so evidently none of them were in anyway spoilers! It amazes me that Alias can still shock me, I love it. Interesting theory about the eggs ihaa... Here are things we know for sure:

1. Sydspinoza definitely knows she's Anna, no brain transplant there. Anna showed in the last episode that she could speak English w/o an accent when she tricked Will, so it doesn't surprise me that she talks just like Syd (evil Francie did as well).

2. The original Chosen One/Passenger prophecy is done, there's no going back to it now that Nadia's dead (that really shocked me btw). I agree that maybe there's some new prophecy that came out from the flames on the original page 47 (LOTR anyone??). I guess now it doesn't really matter if Nadia was Sloane's or Jacks...I really thought they had an interesting storyline from that but oh well.

3. Renee must have known something more about P5 than they wanted, I don't think Syd E. would have killed her just for the heck of it (then again she is super evil). How sad was it that the real Syd finally got Renee to trust her and then she died thinking Syd killed her??

GS, all I could think while listening to Sloane's insane voiceover at the end was how thrilled you must be, I know how much you love evil Sloane!! There's definitely no hope for him now...he killed his own daughter, left her lying in shards of glass w/o even closing her eyes, he's definitely gone over to the dark side and there's no going back for him.

Anonymous said...

Last night I couldn't wait to get on this blog and read what everyone was saying. But now that I'm here I'm wondering if I saw the same episode. I was very disappointed.

First I'm disappointed in ABC as there seem to be an exorbitant amount of commercial breaks in the last two episodes and each break is longer than the last. With so few episodes left and so much left to say, every hour should be packed with material and not commercials.

I'm also disappointed in the set designers. Did they think we would have forgotten what Sloan's house looked like? We saw quite a lot of it, including his office, during season one and yesterday's set looked nothing like it. In fact, I almost wondered if it was used to imply that what we were seeing wasn't real ~like Sydney's kitchen during her drug-induced dream sequence.

Mostly I'm dissappointed in Nadia's death. Unlike many of you I never thought she was an important character but was there a reason to bring her out of a year long coma just to kill her off? It felt like a writer's clunky way of tying up loose ends.

The writing last night was only so so until the last five minutes. I literally stopped in my tracks and perked up the minute Sloan started his voiceover. The final scenes were obviously written by another writer (perhaps next week's writer) and patched on to this episode. To my ear it was far superior to the previous 50 minutes.

All in all I was so dissapointed that, with only a few more episodes left in the series that us loyal viewers would "rewarded" with a mediocre filler episode.

I fully expect to be disagreed with but I felt I could truly express my opinion as I have read everyone's posting for months and know that all opinions are respected. I look forward to rebuttal. :)

Anonymous said...

i know people have theorized before about parallels and interrelationships between syd and sloane. what i noticed last night was that sloane said something in his final creepy speech almost identical to what syd said to will last week: "i have hurt everyone i have ever loved." significant?

if this is the case, that they seem powerless to stop the pain in others' lives around them, they both find themselves being used for something. it's interesting that sloane sees it as his call to participate in rambaldi's design, syd sees it as a tragedy to overcome.

also, what was up with sloane's line last night, "i was chosen for this." chosen? we don't hear that word very often in alias, and it's almost exclusively used to refer to syd, isn't it?

Girlscout said...

Oh No Bonkers! That's no good. If I can tell you anything- it's to look at the content- not the set deisng or the set holes, like Sloane's office or the background. We are going to content- answers to Rambaldi questions and I agree with Angie- Syd and Nadia did their battle in Svogda and technically- one didn't survive. I think we got tons of information and that it will just keep coming. Hang in there.

Tammy said...

I don't have a huge amount to add because I'm still reading everyone else's input. But a couple things -

I guess I don't watch with a critical eye to set, etc. I did notice that Sloane's house wasn't the same as before, but that doesn't surprise me... Once Emily died, he probably moved - I would if I lost a spouse. I wouldn't be able to live in the same space.

Also, the one thing that really struck me last night was the very ending speech by Sloane. I do think somehow that him saying he had been "chosen" was a foreshadowing in some way. I don't know how, but I think that's important.

I was shocked by the events in last night's episode! Nadia and Renee in one night - whoa! I actually had Alias dreams all night long - sheesh! I can't wait to see how all of this plays out! Thanks for posting all of your ideas, input, theories - I LOVE reading it all!!

Tammy

Jess said...

I think that Sydspinosa killed Renee because she was worried that if Renee lived and told APO something about how Syd was with her, the real Syd would know that she wasn't and then APO would be tipped off to the doubling...


Mike-- I agree that Mia and the writers have been giving out false stories to throw people off and to avoid spoilers...

Jess said...

Oh and I also thought it was interesting that Sloane used the word chosen in his voiceover. Sloane has always been trying to put himself in the middle of Rambaldi's work. I mean he tried to be the Passanger (by injecting himself with the green fluid) maybe now he is trying to force himself to be the chosen one, or maybe the message he killed Nadia for to save from the fire reveals that he has a role to play too....


Ahhh!!! So many questions!

SRM said...

oh yeah, I forgot about him injecting himself w/ the Passenger fluid, that's a good point jess.

Unknown said...

Hey SRG-- Just read your comment on the new Lost blog. Is there any reason we can't go there now and post comments to each other and discuss it that way? What do you and GS think? I'm dying to talk to someone about what the heck is going on there too! :)

Girlscout said...

go for it Birdie- it's there for discussion! SRG- If you wanna post a recp- be my guest! I am not one to withhold further exploration! It was a great Lost eppy! Weird how both Alias and Lost killed 2 characters. Hmmm

Tammy said...

I have a question - When exactly is the season Finale? Is it on a Weds or a Thurs? I keep seeing May 25 - but that's Thurs!? I'm confuzled!

Tammy

Unknown said...

I heard it was Monday, May 22nd. But maybe that has changed?

(By the way, whoever is dying to talk about Lost should go check out the new Lost blog. I posted my first comment/question...)

SRM said...

actually I believe the finale is on Monday, May 22, is that correct people? Do we know if it's a one or two hour event?

Looks like a slow afternoon, I just might have time to do a Lost recap, am I able to post on that blog yet GS?

Yeah it's crazy that both Alias and Lost killed off two characters, looks like they're taking a page out of the 24 book of killing off everyone!

Anonymous said...

At e-online Kristin's Chat from acouple of weeks ago included this:
Q: Who is dying on Alias?
A: So far, I know of three: One person very close to Sydney, one person who is a main character but not close to Syd and one person who is neither close to Syd nor a main character.

After last night's episode it seems like Nadia is the death very close to Syd, Renée is the person neither close to Syd or a main character, so what's left is a main character who's not close to Syd. This would eliminate Jack, Dixon, Vaughn, Marshall as the last death. You could argue for Sloane & Irina either way. They are both not close to Syd because of their choices to work "for the dark side." They are both close to Syd in a twisted, tangled way - one is her mother who chose spying over motherhood and abandoned her daughter for twenty + years, and the other is her sometime boss/sometime protector (in a weird way) who was married to her surrogate mother (Emily) and who has destroyed much of what & who she loves, used her, but at the same time seemed to genuinely care for her. How dysfunctional is that!?! Even though Syd has claimed to always hate Sloane and never trust him, at times she has both trusted him and exhibited tenderness toward him as Nadia's father and as a grief-sticken husband for example. I wonder if, maybe in the end, Dixon will get to kill Sloane and avenge his wife's death and make the world safe for Syd, Vaughn & baby Isabelle?

Girlscout said...

Nice Mommer- thanks for the info. on the deaths. Sloane is a very complex character and the only reason I can see has to why he is always protecting Sydney and seemingingly caring for her is because he needs her for the prophecy.

SRM said...

I think Sloane does have some genuine caring feelings for Syd, but overall I agree w/ GS, he always seems to manipulate people for his own purposes, much like Irena. I honestly hope Syd gets to kill Syd in the end, everything he's put her through and now choosing Rambaldi over her sister and thus killing her, her hatred for him will definitely be boiling.

SRM said...

woops, typo, I hope Syd gets to kill SLOANE haha, not Syd...although she prob will kill double Syd...

Angela said...

I just watched last night's eppy again and have two thoughts:

1) the reversal of Nadia's death and the time Sloane fell through the glass retrieving the sphere of life. Same argument between them, but the first time it was Sloane with glass sticking out all over him. He pulled through that, but not poor Nadia.

2) Who tipped off Anna? This time I noticed that the curly haired document expert put a little electronic something in his pocket as Anna's green car tore past him the second time. I wondered if she'd given him some kind of device to signal if it was a trap--and he used it, then quickly hid it. Sounds like something a super spy would do, no?

Back to real work,
Angie

Anonymous said...

GS, I agree that Sloane is evil through and through, but I think he's also capable of love. Consider how he loved Emily. I think he genuinely cares for Syd (again in a way twisted by the evil that has corrupted him), but he has chosen to act to further his endgame. Sloane always ends up being willing to sacrifice anyone he cares about - even his wife for Rambaldi. He is obsessed and consumed by Rambaldi and has "sold his soul" to see the prophesies fulfilled. One thing I like about Alias is the complexity of the characters – sometimes their actions and storyline are almost "action hero"-like, but the show is saved from it's fantasticality (is that a word?!) by the depth of the characters.

SRM said...

I guess I just assumed that Sloane tipped of P5 about APO's trap after Nadia died.

SRM said...

man I can't type today...tipped OFF...

Angela said...

I suppose Sloane could have tipped Anna off--though the timing seems VERY coincidental--I mean, she was there, and then she's gone.

Did anyone else read the tag line for next week's episode? (at www.aol.com/alias). About where this mysterious computer chip is found?

Egads!~

angie

uncle111 said...

When we see the LOTR thing with Page 47 there appears not only the Rambaldi symbol, but approximately 10 symbols/letters.

Anyone know what they are or mean?

Sloane has been convinced for sometime that he is in Rambaldi's writings, and he has always seen himself as the one who will bring about Rambaldi's endgame. Now hw is convinced of it. Did last night push him into being criminally insane?

Eliza said...

one question, Sloane's page 47 was the real page 47, right? I mean it looked the same as it did in the 1st season?

SRM said...

NO, it's definitely NOT the same prop they used in the first two seasons for page 47. If you have the season 2 DVD you can compare it with the drawing that's on the cover, it looks really different (especially the drawing of Syd/Chosen One). Just a prop issue I suppose, you'd think they would know that anal fans (like us) would notice, oh well...

Angela said...

Well, of course (slapping side of head). Sloane tipped off P5. That's why Marshall, who must have still had taps in place, ran in to tell Jack, who went to Sloane's house, where he found Nadia.

Duh. Sometimes I miss the obvious.

Angie

uncle111 said...

One BIG question is:
Do we know that the "woman here depicted" on Page 47 is the Chosen One? Everyone interested in Rambaldi, including Conrad, who started Sloane on his Rambaldi quest, believed Syd is the Chosen One, but does that mean that the two are the same? And could they be wrong, especially now that we know there is a hidden message on Page 47 that could change all that we think we know about Rambaldi's prophecy?

I don't think we have enough information or time to figure it out before they tell us

SRM said...

I believe it is certain that woman depicted is The Chosen One, but I don't remember where the actual term "Chosen One" came from since it's not in the prophecy, does anyone else?

Unknown said...

Oh, good one Angela. I think you totally got it! Also, was it you that pointed out the whole glass shard in the neck thing? Very very strange.

I did not catch what Sloane said when he saw the page in the fire, but that's interesting. I think he's evil and all, but somehow still cares for Syd. Sounds twisted, but I really don't think he'd harm her.

Unknown said...

And holy preview on aol.com Batman!!!

uncle111 said...

I wonder if when Sloane said Syd's name, after seeing the LOTR event on Page 47, if something in what appeared closed the loop for him in the hidden message, and something about Syd's place, or lack thereof, in Rambaldi's endgame.

Angela said...

(I'm sorry I'm posting so much--I'll be quiet tomorrow. Promise.)

I had a couple of other thoughts--one, I think the prop master changed the picture on p. 47 simply because Syd's/Jen's face looks way different in season 5. It's filled out now, from the baby. The picture from season 2 doesn't look nearly as much like her now.

And I think Sloane whispered "Sydney" as the picture was burning because it was her picture burning . . .

And I had one last thought about that substitution cypher text. If it's a true code in text, it should have been visible, i.e., evident even on the fake copy. I mean, letters are letters. But the writers want us to know/believe that the code is only on the ORIGINAL p. 47, so it has to be something visible only when heated or immersed or something. Remember how the writing/picture only became visible when immersed in the special Rambaldi fluid? Maybe the secret code will only be visible when activated by another substance: heat, water, blood . . . ah.

I have a hunch--merely a hunch--that the third and final prophecy will somehow involve a sacrifice. I'm betting on Irina.

Angie

Girlscout said...

Oh Angie, you are just making up for lost time. We love your questions and such. There is so such thing as posting too much in here!!

Eliza said...

srg -
weird, I guess I thought the fake that the CIA had looked noticably different...then the one Sloane had all along looked more like the season 1 prop. I guess I was hoping the writers intentionally put a fake there to stir our interest...and then it turned out Sloane had the real one..drat, guess I'll go back and compare. :)

Sarafu said...

HOLY COW, it took me Literally a full day to get all that read!!! I dont have a Ton of time during my day but how great is it that there is SO much activity on this Not So little blog!!!
I am going to go and watch the episode for a 3rd time after reading all of this. It seems everytime I watch it I notice something I didnt before. And can I just say that JJ is a genuis!!!!

SRM said...

ya know what's funny, when I rewatched the eppy I noticed that they took Renee out of the opening credits and listed her name as a "Guest Star", so I guess we should have seen it coming. Oh well, I love being surprised (even if it's a tragic surprise)...

Andrew said...

Renee has had "Guest Star" status since the return from the hiatus. I just thought it meant a decrease in pay and no guarantee that she'd be in every episode... not a death certificate. Oh well, she was fun while she lasted.