Monday, July 02, 2007

Tequila and Ice cream

Have we talked about the ice cream/tequila scene? Have we? In the near two years this site has been up and running (100,000 hits people!!)- I cannot believe we have not discussed the ice cream/tequila scene.



Last night, due to the fact that I cannot find my season 5, disc 4, I went backwards and watched episode 1.2 “So It Begins” and 1.3 “Parity.” And now I apologize- because I made a comment about how fast Vaughn moved on after Sydney “died” and in actuality- Sydney moved on pretty fast after Danny’s death- she kissed Will. So, while Vaughn was pining away in his tiny CIA office and Sydney was suppose to be grieving for her fiancĂ©- she locked lips with her best friend in an air of tequila, chocolate syrup and I am a sure, a bit of loneliness and desperation.

We all love that moment when Sydney comes running home from a mission to slip Danny’s engagement ring back on her finger. We all love the song, as she soaks in a tub of bubbles and regret. She almost found comfort in the fact that her mother had died the same way- that Laura Bristow knew the truth and that had caused her death. It almost felt familiar, something shared between father and daughter. Once Sydney learns that Jack tried to save her and Danny from the wrath of SD-6, Sydney began pushing to have a real relationship with her father. What struck me about these two episodes was this-

Jack Bristow told his daughter the truth about his work- only after Sydney found herself in the same situation. He lied to her about her mother- let her believe he was the cause of her death. We, the audience, hate him for this and we love him for it- for lying to her, for upsetting her. In hindsight, we see how Sydney reacted to all this news- the news about SD-6, the news about Jack and the CIA, about Irina and her “death” and her involvement with the KGB, Project Christmas. She freaked out. There was sobbing and dry-weaving and total uncertainty in her life, her decisions. He wanted to protect her and we want to protect her, but we always felt for her in those moments where she felt betrayed. Did all of this confusion motivate her? Or make her vulnerable? And is that what we love about Sydney- the fact that she is this no-nonsense super spy who kicks ass and takes names, but has this reservoir of vulnerability for her family and friends? Do we love that her greatest weakness is empathy? Do we love that she, grieving, kissed Will, because all we wanted was for her to be happy?

I think the answer is…
HECK YEAH!

Also- question: Should I be talking about Alias in past tense or present tense? I mean, technically the characters still live in our DVD’s, but the show is over. I always wondered about this. Help me out.

10 comments:

Page48 said...

I don't think Syd's empathy was a weakness, GS. It set her up for a lot of heartache, but it's part of what made her a world class spybabe. Even on assignment, she was always on the lookout for the innocent bystander, and tried to make sure they weren't caught in the crossfire.

How many times did she tranquilize someone and then apologize? Remember Brad, the bartender whose security card she swiped? Realizing she had placed him in a difficult situation, she hauled this hapless slob thru the mean streets while she went about her business and, if memory serves, even made sure he had a ride back to the US.

The one glaring exception to her professional empathy was the way she spoke to the unconscious waitress in Sydney in the finale, after she clocked her and stole her uniform. A scene that could only have been written by someone who had never seen "Alias" before, and an example of what we have spoken of before, where an actor coulda/shoulda spoken up and said, "I don't think Sydney would act this way."

Sydney, without empathy, could have been a menace to everyone in her path, but she had a well defined sense of values and rarely strayed from them, even when the values of those around her seemed highly flexible at times.

About the kiss. The kiss was a complicated issue. Who hasn't been it Will's shoes? He was so into Sydney, but he never had a real chance with her and he knew it. Still, you could see how it killed him when Syd told him about her engagement to Danny. Those were the words that Will Tippin NEVER wanted to hear, although he knew it was inevitable sooner or later.

With Danny's death, it would not be hard for Will to imagine that he might have been granted a second chance at becoming Sydney's man. I'm sure the kiss initially gave Will a considerable sense of false hope, which would soon be dashed. I also think that Sydney would have almost immediately realized that she was dragging Will's heart around. Alcohol is responsible for a lot of kisses that should never take place.

Sometimes, when a line gets crossed, there is no turning back. Feelings get hurt, egos get bruised, and suddenly it's the beginning of the end. Sydney and Will were able to get past that, and we're all mighty grateful that they did.

Will's association with Sydney Bristow cost him dearly in many ways. A broken heart over Sydney's choice of men, an affair with Evil Francie, a loss of his career as a writer, a trip to witness protection resulting in a forced separation from Sydney, a bomb in his head. But, at the end of the day, Will loves Sydney loves Will. I'm okay with that.

Girlscout said...

Yeah, because there is only one Sydney Bristow.

SRM said...

ditto everything page said, especially "Alcohol is responsible for a lot of kisses that should never take place." Ain't that the truth...

Also keep in mind there was a 3 month lapse in time between Danny dying and SD-6 trying to kill Syd. In the pilot when Dixon tries to get her back to work he says "they gave you a month off, it's been 3." It was probably more like 4 months when the drunken kiss happened, which granted isn't much time at all when grieving over a dead fiance, but it's more time than what we actually see her go through, and as page said, alcohol can enhance certain feelings that have been lingering under the surface.

ILA4E said...

I wish I could get in here more often to post my thoughts/ feelings on everything you write here, GS. This is such a fantastic blog, and I just love talking about ALIAS.

Speaking of which, I still refer to ALIAS as present tense. I can't bring myself not to!

In regards to Jack (and all other desceased), I still find it extremely difficult to refer to them (Jack, mainly) in past tense.

Is that obsessive? That I can't let go...? Meh! I don't care.

The kiss between Will & Sydney was really just something that happened in the moment. Sydney loves Will (notice the present tense), but as a best friend. She doesn't love Will the way she loves Vaughn, for example.

Sydney was grieving and lonely, and that's all that kiss was about. I think she just needed to feel something again.

Another good example is in REMNANTS (S3EP10), where she sleeps with Will -- she admitted being/ feeling lonely then. The whole thing with Vaughn sorta became too much to handle.

MAN I AM LOVING THIS!

Thanks for keeping this blog going!

LOVE BREE

Girlscout said...

Gosh, Will really got dumped on! He has loved Sydney since day one and she blew him off after the second kiss and then again, in season 3. Wow! Hmmm. Sydney is always watching out for everyone, you would think she would have realized that her actions, lonely or not, affect Will on a deep level. He was in love with her! And then, just has he is happy and ready to settle with the painter, Sydney's job gets the best of him. So sad. Poor Will!

I only said Sydney's empathy was a weakness, because the CIA said so- remember Robert Lindsey and the whole jail cell coup they pull over on Sydney?? She couldn't see that man get hurt, even if it meant exposing something she was sworn to protect. That might be a bit of a weakness in her line of business- but not a character weakness. It's very enduring- its very believable, that she would sacrifice herself- but then again, Sydney always has a plan to back up this weakness- like giving Lindsey the wrong coordinates. Hahahah!

Girlscout said...

And thanks Bree!! More is coming, I am still watching season 1 again- then one to season 2 and so forth. Tons more to come!

Long Live Alias!

Page48 said...

Yeah, Syd was great at giving out bogus co-ordinates, regardless of the quantity/quality of drugs in her system. What a gamer!

"Sleeping/shagging/doing it" with Will in whatever country that was was a definite lapse in judgment on Syd's part. The ice cream kiss should have taught Syd to be a little more careful, in light of Will's obvious love condition.

She had a knack for torturing the poor boy, though. Remember the night that Syd dropped by Will's place and curled up on the couch with him, carefully wrapping his arms around her in such a way that he couldn't help but get a handful of the Bristow Sweater Puppies. I'll guarantee you that Will's blood was pooling in the nether regions. She absolutely had to know what she was putting Will through, and yet kept repeating that behaviour.

Add up the physical and mental torture that Will endured over the years since meeting Sydney, and it's a miracle that he didn't wind up in an institution. A weaker man, let's say me for example, would be barking at the moon.

Girlscout said...

Sweater puppies? I think you just aged yourself Page!

I KNOW!! Poor Will, but at the same time, Sydney couldn't help how Will felt about her. She was just being herself and he fell in love with her. I mean, so did Vaughn, the very second they met. He was head over heels. Alice Who??? It's just the charm of Sydney Bristow.

Page48 said...

Alice Who indeed!

If I'm Michael Vaughn and I've made a love connection with Sydney Bristow, the first time Alice leaves the house, I've got her bags packed, her subscriptions cancelled, her goldfish flushed, her toothbrush tossed, her name off the mailbox, her towels folded, her email blocked, her speed dial off my phone, her beer drunk, my old love letters in the fireplace, a note on the kitchen table, and a pre-paid cab running in the driveway when she gets home.

"Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore".

Anonymous said...

Oh Page, I laughed so hard when I read your entry. How hilarious. Alice does indeed NOT live in Vaughn's "house" anymore!

Long Live Alias!!