SYDNEY BRISTOW
Episode 19 – Hourglass
“The Passenger is your destiny.”

IRINA. HAVE INTEL ABOUT COVENANT ENDGAME. NEED INFORMATION.
WHAT DO YOU NEED?
INFORMATION ABOUT THE PASSENGER.
IRINA? (long pause)
CONNECTION ERROR
RE-ESTABLISHING CONNECTION
USER ACCOUNT CLOSED

The opening acting begins with the computer conversation between Jack and his (former, ex, or still) wife, Irina Derevko. Jack is sitting in his car in downtown Los Angeles. With the question he asked, he has now lost contact with Irina. She closed the account.

The scene shifts to Nepal and the monastery where Conrad, the monk from the second season, is praying. A gun appears pointed at his head and Sark demands to know where the Passenger is, giving him five seconds to decide. Conrad takes the gun away from Sark, like candy from a baby and calls him by name, which astonishes him. He wants to know how he knew? The ensuing tussle finds Sark finally on the floor. As Conrad approaches, he is hit by a tranq fired by Olivia Reed. She tells Sark to find the manuscript, which will help locate the passenger. If encrypted, they will take the old man with them. (Now where in the world did she come from/with…at least it was only from London. These people in Alias fly around the world in no time flat!)

Back in Los Angeles, Vaughn has asked Sydney and Jack to meet him on the roof. There he tells them he now knows Lauren is the mole. Jack informs him to stay with her, allowing the CIA to catch up. He will tell Dixon to secure the agency so she has no more access to any further sensitive material. When Vaughn asks why him, Jack responds nicely “Because you are the one who married her.”

Later downstairs Lauren comes over to talk to Vaughn, telling him she missed him that morning and in the ensuring conversation, Vaughn agrees to go for counseling as Jack and Sydney watch from Sydney’s desk

Now the agency is secure, Dixon and Marshall tell Jack and Sydney they intercepted a communication, which indicates the Covenant has captured someone who knows where the Passenger might be. Marshall, with a twinkle in his eye, tells Sydney that she and Vaughn are going in “old school.” That means as we watch, they are in the desert on horseback doing one of the old fashion run-down-and-jump-on-the-truck rescues which happens.

Sydney jumps on and into the truck and throws the guard out. She unties Conrad and after jumping on her horse, reaches for him. Meanwhile in the lead truck, Sark catches sight of the two CIA agents and takes a rifle, leans out of the truck and fires, dropping Conrad. As he drives on, Sydney jumps down to Conrad’s side. The wound is a death-wound. She unties the cloth from around her head and face. Conrad sees her now and knows whom she is, saying:

“The Passenger is your destiny.”
Sydney leans down, “…Is the Passenger my mother?”
He shakes his head slightly, answering: “-- Is your sister!” Then Conrad dies. Something tells me he knows beforehand what the outcome of the meeting with Sark will be. He knew he was going to die.

As the next act unfolds, Sydney tells her Dad about the unknown person who has told her she has a sister and that sister is The Passenger. Jack relates that her mother had an affair, which he was not going to tell her about including the man’s name, but with the information that The Passenger is her sister, he does.

Next is a very powerful scene between Sloane and Sydney. The gist of which was Sloane begs her not to focus on his execution, but to help Jack get to the truth about the Trust. She replies she cares only about the “sister I never knew I had.” Now Sloane is really upset as he tells her that he only learned that he had a child two years back (before Sydney was taken by the Covenant) and when as head of Omnifam, he inoculated millions against disease, he gained access to thousands of medical databases searching DNA for his child. He failed. He tells her to be sure Jack is right that he does not have information to stop the execution that he only wants to protect his child. Damn, if he’s not almost crying.

Meanwhile, in a meeting between Jack and Dixon, Marshall and Weiss interrupt with the news the Covenant has the information, but not the code key. Jack then suggests how they will set up Lauren to get the wrong information. Jack tells Marshall he’ll have to let her see the wrong information and “act normal.” (This is a pretty funny scene.) They call a briefing and give out the information and Lauren takes the bait. She goes to Marshall’s office and takes his thumbprint off his coffee cup. Downstairs in the documents room, they watch her copy the fake code key.

Sydney talks to her father and wants to know about The Trust and information that might clear Sloane. After all, he should not be executed for something he did not do, violate his immunity agreement. Jack flat out lies to her saying he doesn’t have any evidence to back Sloane’s story.

Somewhere in Los Angeles, Sydney and Vaughn are watching Lauren from inside a van. She is waiting for someone to arrive. She waves and lo and behold, Vaughn and Sydney see that she has passed the information to her MOTHER? Oh my God they think!

In the next act, Lauren and Vaughn have gone to see Dr. Barnett (who looks a little raggedy) for counseling. There is a measure of mistrust between the pair (wonder why?) and Vaughn admits to having a history with Sydney as well as going away on trips with her. Barnett asks them if they ever go away together and the pair admit they do not. She then asks if they have a trip planned soon and Lauren says she’s going Virginia to see her mother. Barnett using her artful prods gets them agree to go together.

They arrive at the homestead. Vaughn takes the suitcases upstairs. Olivia wants to know what’s going on and Lauren tells her they are in counseling and going away was the upshot of their first interview. Vaughn meanwhile puts something in the lampshade’s light socket before returning to the porch for lunch. He signals to Marshall and our favorite op tech starts the electronic search for the safe. The safe holds the stolen Rambaldi manuscript.

While eating lunch, Vaughn receives a phone call. He tells Lauren and Olivia that it’s Weiss who needs some backup on a couple of reports. He leaves the table and conversation, walking into the study where he locates the safe. Using a special gizmo, he places it next to the safe’s dial and voila, the safe opens. He finds the scroll, opens it, and begins to scan it with a special watch that sends the copy back to CIA op center.

Suddenly Marshall tells him that someone else entered the house. Olivia and Lauren were talking and they realize Vaughn has been gone for some time. As she wanders through the house trying to locate him, Vaughn keeps working. Finally, the study doors open and she see him looking at something on the desk. He admits it is their wedding pictures, which he knew her parents kept in the study.

“It was the happiest day of my life,” says Lauren.
“Mine too!” says Vaughn. (Sydney who is listening is well, shall we say, saddened.)
“I want to be that happy again.” Lauren responds. This leads to what sounds like a very, very personal moment. Sydney says, “Turn it off.”

The next act opens with a briefing where the group, sans Lauren, is told the code key when applied to the manuscript has revealed there is a Rambaldi artifact near by. It was sold to Mason Radon, a front man for the Yakuza. He owns a building in Little Tokyo. On the first floor is a nightclub. On sublevel two, is his personal art gallery including the Hourglass. According to the manuscript, the Hourglass will reveal the location of the Passenger to only one man, her father. Sydney says Sloane who is to be executed in six hours.

Jack tells Sydney the Department of Justice’s Legal Policy man is overseeing the execution. Sydney is desperate to find her sister. Jack says she might be a danger to Sydney and she responds that she could help—that she might be an innocent victim.

“With Irina Derevko and Sloane as her parents? I don’t think so.” Oh, so Jack.
Sydney then tells him she requested all of Senator Reed’s documents, personal effects, letters and memos. Jack realizes he’s caught. “Dad, are you really so bitter you would sacrifice my sister in order to get payback for a 25-year old affair?”
“Sloane deserves to die.” He says.
“But not for this,” she answers.

Jack tells her the Director of Legal Policy is coming to oversee the execution. He will see to it he gets the documents on the Trust that should clear Sloane. He wants to know what she found and Sydney says she found nothing. The documents haven’t arrived. Now she won’t have to look. I guess Sydney’s been taking lessons on how to fool people from Mom and Dad.

Sydney and Vaughn are in a van outside the nightclub waiting to locate the way to the art floor. He apologizes to her for the Virginia scene (sex, I believe) and she tells him not to worry she (Lauren) is his wife. “Not for long,” is his response.

Dixon brings a man up to see Jack. His name is Marvin Bell and is the policy director they were expecting. Jack has the information on the trust, but as Bell speaks Jack’s radar goes off. This man is probably a member of The Trust and Jack will not get what Sydney wants—Sloane’s release. Bell is adamant about seeing the son of a bitc*h is executed. He tosses the documents in his drawer.

Now the second great scene is about to take place between Jack and Sloane. I think it is the best ever between the two.

Jack comes to Sloane’s cell with a bottle of wine and two glasses. He reminds Sloane that in 1974 in Saigon, he toasted Jack on the birth of Sydney. Now Jack intends to toast Sloane on the birth of his daughter. Sloane tells Jack that Irina betrayed them both. She sought information from him also. Jack coldly says that she was his wife and Sloane states that she was nothing more than a KGB spy doing her job! He scoffs at Jack’s sentimentality. Sloane drinks wine as Jack speaks. Jack says he knows now that Sloane was angry because he and Irina had something he did not—Sydney! He knows Sloane brought Sydney into this life because of that anger and envy. To make everything clear (a Jack phrase) Jack wants Sloane to know that when he finds his daughter, what he did to Sydney will not compare to what he will do to Sloane’s daughter. That would scare the bejeebers out of any man, Sloane or whoever. Jack takes a drink of the wine, his cold stare daring Sloane.

The last act intercuts scenes from the execution and Sydney’s successful snatching of the Hourglass. The best way is to describe each event separately.
Sydney goes to the nightclub, but the bouncer won’t let her inside. Then Vaughn interrupts wanting to get in to join his friends. Sydney ducks to one side as Vaughn interacts with the bouncer. Once he sees she’s inside, he backs off. She gets to the second sublevel. Contacting Marshall, she tells him to open the door with his magic, which he does easily. However once inside she sees a sensor roaming the room. Marshall tries, but can’t douse it. The guards are coming. Syd decides to go for the Hourglass and with guns blazing, killing guards right and left, grabs the Hourglass. She drops one gun in doing so. She is out of ammunition when one last guard comes down the stairs. Desperate, she gets ready to hit him with the butt end, but he is killed by Vaughn who got in someway.

Meanwhile back at the execution Sloane is brought down in handcuffs. He is met first by Marcus Dixon, who tells him he has prayed for him and that he hopes his soul will find peace in the next life. Jack and Sloane meet eye to eye, but say nothing. In the witness room, Marion Bell from DOJ, Marcus and Jack wait while Lauren joins them. She got permission from Justice. She wants to see this traitor die. Bell stands as Sloane is tied down for the final act. He asks him if he has any last words. Sloane who says, “This is as it should be.” He says that when and if his daughter is found alive she will be told of his passion to find her. The deadly fluid is put into his veins and the doctor pronounces him dead.

Sydney, walking toward her father, sees Sloane being wheeled out in a body bag.
“Sydney!” Jack says.
“Don’t! There’s nothing you can say.” She says right back at him, turning and walking away.

Lauren meanwhile called her mother to tell her Sloane was dead and he wouldn’t interfere with The Covenant’s hunt for the Passenger. Olivia tells her the code key doesn’t work and she knows Vaughn has played her. He won’t do it again he mother promises.

In the morgue, a pair of hands reaches down and unzips Arvin Sloane’s body bag. It is pulled back open. Then a very long needle (shivers) is inserted into the neck and fluid injected. Suddenly Sloane jerks back to life. The camera pans up to show Jack watching. (I knew this the moment he offered Sloane his favorite wine and I’ll bet quite a few of you did also.) He even reminds Sloane that he should have guessed the wine was laced with the same stuff he and Emily used to fake her death.

“I did this because and only because I need you.” Now that was spoken with chilling effect as Sloane may realize just what Jack needs him for…

Next week: Blood will tell.





RANDOMIZING

This episode was marvelous in that we saw Marshall many times being his wonderful funky nerdy self. In spite of the drama and it was heavy, there were many laughs.

DISCUSS

So if the above is true what was Sloane being so smarmy about whenever he had a conversation with Sydney in the first and second season? I mean there were times I thought he was going to ask her to sleep with him. Why did Irina talk about the agreement that way she did in Truth Takes Time? She was adamant that he never talk to her about loving Sydney again.

Was the agreement to carry his child and he would leave Sydney alone? Is it possible it was a one-sided affair?

Jack has promised Sloane to do something far worse to his daughter, if he finds her, than he did to Sydney. What could he possibly do worse? Kill her? Take your best shot at this one.

When Sloane was “courting Dr. Barnett” not only did he reveal he had an affair, but also he thought Sydney was his daughter. Are we to assume the affair was long-term –before Sydney was born or was it short term and he was playing with the doctor’s blond head?

Do you think Jack’s radar went off when he heard what Marian Bell had to say about signing Sloane’s pardon? Do you agree?


Thanks for taking time to read this. It took me quite some time to get it ready

Lenafan,
I got it just fine, will read tonight at bedtime.
Wottamom

Lenafan,
Time is running out where is MOM???
wottamom

Hmm

I agree things are heating up and many possibilities are available to us

I am thinking that sloane and Irina came together as part of some grand blackmail scheme - ie sloane or the KGB had prearranged this "two children two daughter" of rambaldi a long time ago.

It could even be a biblical refercne two children one mother etc - solomon

I am wondering if irina was not predestined to be the vessel that carried two ships - as it were and maybe she is not or was not completely aware of her destiny

I think she had a choice in that her emotions could have allowed her to choose good or evil (Jack or Arvin) and that to complicate things neither father nor daughter is completely good or evil

remember back when katya said "you were with her for 5 years" to jack?

we thought it was the writers screwing with history

I think it was deliberate and it refers to the time she was with sloane

there is somehting to truth takes time and it takes time for irina to piece it all together as well- she seems to be learning as she goes and I think she is motivated by her love for Jack and Sydney and also Nadia

bell and olivia reed are there for a reason- what I am not yet sure

I think Irina wanted to keep it fair - jack knew nothing of nadia while sloane knew too much of sydney

I think irina wanted to keep her lives seperated.

"My love for you and your father was not a contrivance"

so whom did she contrive love for???

So I wonder is the sister good or evil or predisposed to greed like sloane

was she cultivated in a test tube - how did our Irina stay pregnant and look after jack and syd while nadia was carried- then born

I have not yet looked up all the meanings and or anagrams for names but we all know irina means peace - I know nadia is aidan backwards _ and thats about it

I still believe bill vaughn is out there somewhere and he holds some missing information

also -

jack seems to have no family at all - why is that??

we are going to get inforation about blood ties that is the last thing we are expecting and I think it will blow us away and have us stewing for about 12 to 16 weeks - just like every year LOL

I love this show

Brenda

wonderfully done really!

all I have to say is that I hope Irina kills Sloane, he deserves it.

lol, never thought of that*still laughing*sorry just thought it was funny.

maybe not, he could always be lying, I don't think he would be as heartless as to kill her, I could see him take his anger out on Irina though.

short-term seems more possible, but I really dunno.

yeah, that was kinda obvious and funny.

one thing that puzzles me the most is if Sloane and Irina had an affair, how was she able to hide her pregnancy from Jack? sure he presumably went on a lot of assignments but not for 9 months right?

thank you for the pm and the lovely summary.

Maybe the agreement .... did refer to 'Nadia' .... in a way so that Sloane would not be able to manipulate Sydney. But Sloane said that he only realized that he had a daughter until around the time Sydney disappeared .... it might have been that moment late in Season 2 ... when he visited the Monk in countdown ... you know the episode called 'countdown'. That moment was prophesized in Rambaldi too I think.

Jack being Jack ... I don't think he'd take the idea of Sloane/Irina's daughter lightly enough to leave her alone ... he might do something to get under Irina and Sloane's skins.

I think Jack was being cautious .... with all the double dealing and backstabbing ... he would need to be sure that the person he tells isn't either part of the Trust, Covenant .... Lauren also signed Sloane's pardon as well .... and we all know how loyal Lauren is to the joint taskforce, lol.

I think Sloane was toying with Barnett on that one. The affair with Irina was most likely pretty short ....

Your Number Six is here...albiet sniffling and sneezing and coughing..but I'm here!!!
WHAT AN EPPY HUH?.... :lol: k...discussage time.....

That scene from TTT keeps popping back up in my mind too!! I wanted to know more about that when it happened and now I REALLY want to know!! :huh:

And it being a whole one-sided affair thing is exactly what I think, cause..HELLO? :huh: How do you cheat on Jack? With SLOANE?? :huh: They don't even compare!! I think Irina was forced somehow someway....*shrug* Just opinion... :blink:

oooh...when Jack threatened to do to Sloane's daughter what Sloane did to his....the first thing I thought of was that he wouldn't kill her, he'd never do that to Sydney. She is her sister. And that he wouldn't harm her either....for Sydney's sake again and for the fact that if he tried....Husband or not, Irina would woop his arse six ways from Sunday! :P I think...as a 'turn-about is fair play' move that Jack will have this sister of Sydney's join the CIA...join Jack's side of the game. :D Good idea? :unsure: *shrug* Just thought it'd fit. :blush01:

I think that he was playing with the doctor's head a little but was a little 'loony' so to speak in the way that...Sydney is Irina's daughter....His daughter is also Irina's daughter......and since she wasn't around...Sloane, in a way, saw Sydney as that daughter....even before he knew he had one, he just had this pull to her like it was known unconciously.....besides, to me anyway, I think Sloane was always jealous of Jack's wife and family....he'd act like that towards Sydney cause he wanted to BE Jack. :unsure: :huh: Make sense at all?? :unsure: Yeah..well.... :blink:

As far as the Marion Bell issue....I completly forgot what that was all about..so sorry, I'm lost on that one. :blink:

And till next time lenafan!! For tonight's eppy, which will be a doozy I can tell!! :reallyexcited:

Colly E. :bunny:

And have you noticed that they are never jet-lagged? I wanna be able to do that!!!!

I was in hysterics when Lauren did this and Marshall was all WoW! Over her the same way he did to Sloane (with the whole evil genius thingy)!!!

How funny was this!!! I loved seeing him n such distress...hehehehe...

Hehehe *giggles* "gizmo"

This scene!!! There was a commercial break!!! I nearly had a bloody heart-attack!!!!

Wasn't it just! But I'm wondering why he didn't say "Arvin Sloane"? It would have conveyed more *Umph* to the scene.

Let's not forget that she used the oldest spy-trick in the book on her father, and he believed her! She is GOOD!

Can I say WOW!!!! to Victor Garber on the performance of this scene! Like damn!!! He scared the piss out of me!!!

I loved the way she whipped out the guns...not sound naughty, but that was damn sexy!!!

Dum dum dum!!!!!!

Losing...grip...on...cliff...*gasp*

Sloane is a creepy guy...but I would like to also say that perhaps Irina didn't know who's was who's? And there is always the fact that Sloane may have thought that Sydney was his. Nut again with the time confussion? Sloane had an afair...is that a whole affair, or is that just a once off? In which case, what sort of age is this sister of Syd's? But wouldn't Jack have noticed if his wife was pregnant again? So what about Sloane then? How can he think Sydney was his if she was 5 when Irina was assumably pregnant/dead? Me=confused.

I don't know...but I want some Irina to sort this out for us!!!

Oh no...death could not be worse...drag her into the spy world...I'm not sure really...Sloanje took away Syd's options, perhaps he will do the same? Jack can be a creepy guy (even though I love him) so I don't wanna know what his plans are, or if he is maybe all talk??

It must have been, given what I've said above. Although, maybe he was just getting lonely down below and guilty up above? But come on...of course she was going to tell someone. There is no doctor/patient confidentiality in the spy world. He must be doff if he didn't think she would say anything...so maybe he was playing the CIA?

I think he knew it would've been useless to argue, and perhaps he even agreed with him there for a bit? I got that vibe as opposed to a 'trust' vibe, but that's just me.

It was a great episode and an awesome coulumn! Thanks for pointing some of those things out for me!

PS: Do you know the title/artist of the song when Syd was getting to the hourglass?