SYDNEY BRISTOW
Episode 20 – Blood Ties
“Who Are You?”

JJ Abrams did not disappoint. This episode had so much packed into it; it was sometimes hard to keep up with the action.

The first act opens with Vaughn and Dixon talking at the CIA gun range. Vaughn has wanted to get out of Lauren’s devious actions by having the CIA arrest her, but Dixon asks him to continue so they can feed more disinformation to the Covenant while Jack and Sydney continue to try to find The Passenger.

The scene switches to Sydney bringing the Hourglass to Jack. She is startled to see Sloane still alive and realizes Jack did help. Sloane says he appreciates her help since she might have felt something at his death. She tells him she didn’t grieve for him, but for the fact, she wouldn’t see her sister. Jack wants to know how the hourglass will help. Sloane tells him he found another Rambaldi manuscript, which gives him a formula for an elixir that when given to the Passenger will put her into an altered state of consciousness and channel a message to the Passenger from Rambaldi describing his endgame. The Covenant is after her and would probably give her too much, which would kill the Passenger. She gives Sloane the Rambaldi artifact and he smashes it on the ground. Green goo bubbles up and forms a hard substance.

Lauren meets up with Vaughn at the CIA and they discuss a vacation to Figi. Vaughn says they should go since being away together at her mother’s doesn’t count. He receives a phone call from Thomas Brill, but tells Lauren it was about a suit he left at the cleaners. Brill wants him to meet him at the fourth floor freight elevator at the Transatlantic building. Lauren leaves and Weiss follows.

In the freight elevator, Vaughn meets with Brill who tells him about his father. He was with him on his final mission, which was not sanctioned by the CIA. It seems, my God, that Bill Vaughn was a member of the Magnificent Order of Rambaldi (in his spare time). He actually stole the little girl from the KGB and his didn’t trust the CIA. He took her to the Order for safety. He obviously was going to tell Vaughn more, but we shifted scenery.

The scene shifts to Weiss following Lauren who pulls into a gas station. When she gets out of the car, it isn’t Lauren.

Brill leaves the meeting after telling Vaughn where the girl is. He tells him to make sure they don’t get the girl; otherwise, his father’s sacrifice would be for nothing. Vaughn leaves the elevator and is on his way to investigate further, but shortly after that is hit over the head.

Jack and Sydney with Sloane go to Washington D. C. to see if they can find the members of the Trust who have the key artifact needed to further locate the Passenger, Sloane’s daughter. Sloane walks by Bell who is amazed at the reappearance of a man who was supposed to be dead. Meanwhile, Jack tells Sydney that she is his daughter even though Sloane’s implication that Sydney might be his caused Jack to check their medical records.
“Even during that short time, Sydney, I want you know my feelings for you never changed.”
They intercept the phone call Bell makes to The Trust.

Final scene shows Vaughn hanging by the wrists, bloody and wet. Sark tells Vaughn that the torture he is about to inflict will give him great pleasure.
That took all of 12 minutes.


Weiss has reported losing Lauren. Dixon also relates they’ve lost contact with Vaughn. Weiss is to put together a team to find them.

Jack tells Sloane he has to get a five-second lock on each member of the Trust in order for him to download it to the computer which he will then uplink to Sydney. Meanwhile Sydney, dressed and acting like a sweet, beautiful nerd who is doing research on dinosaurs, meets one of the Smithsonian officials who is charmed by her intellect. He takes Sydney to the analysis section next to the vault where the artifact rests. Meanwhile Sloane invades the Trust’s meeting and wearing special glasses gets eye prints from the five men who double-crossed him. Jack uplinks the prints to Sydney who uses them to open the cold storage vault where the artifact Sloane gave to The Trust rests. The Smithsonian nerd catches her and she apologetically gases him, and then leaves with the artifact.

Meanwhile Vaughn is being tortured. Sark approaches him with the electrical bar,
Complimenting on his strength and will, he says,
“Once more, where is the Passenger.”
Vaughn looks at him, saying, “Holding that thing, you almost look like you reached puberty.”
Sark angrily jams the bar into him. Vaughn screams as Lauren enters the room. Gutsy move on Vaughn’s part.

Back in Washington DC, Sloane places an orb with green fluid onto the artifact machine, which then grinds out what looks like four lines of squiggles. “We’ve found her,” says Sloane


In the next act, in the torture chamber, (Vaughn is still hanging), Lauren pleads with Sark not to use the Inferno protocol (oops that word again). He hits her and has his men take Vaughn down and strap him onto a bed.

Back in a van in Washington D.C. Sloane says the brain scan can be read by a certain satellite. Jack returns to tell them that his contact (He has a lot of them.) has found her in Chechnya where she is going by the name Talia Kozlov. She is being detained. Jack is concerned they might have to re-evaluate her status. Sydney tells him that after she was told her mother died, she daydreamed a lot about how her mother would lead her girl scout troop, take her shopping for school clothes and she would be her best friend; then when she learned who her mother really was she was devastated. She declares she won’t be fooled again.

In the torture chamber, Lauren releases Vaughn and tells him to get away fast, before Sark returns.

Sydney sneaks into prison, looking for her sister. Using a small explosive device, she is herded into the prison-detention without having to pass inspection.

Back in L.A., Vaughn staggers out into the road. He hails a SUV that bypasses him, and then stands in front of an eighteen-wheeler, which stops. He gets in telling the driver he has to make a phone call. The trucker hands him a cell phone. He calls the CIA and is about to tell them the Covenant found out from him where the Passenger was. Then he notices the trucker seems “too interested” in the conversation. “By the way,” he says, “did Sydney get back from Hong Kong?” Jigs up! He and the trucker have a fight. The truck hits some parked cars. Vaughn escapes and there is an explosion. He stands to watch. (Dummy!) Sark and Lauren catch up with Vaughn and Lauren kicks him out.

In the prison, Sydney checks the infirmary when all else failed. She locates a Talia Kozlov and goes inside, slowly looking at all the women. In a shielded area, she sees a girl in restraints, supposedly comatose.

Act Three opens with Sydney standing next to her sister’s bed, talking to her. She tells her she’s her sister and that she’s going to get her out. By the way, she says, my name is Sydney.

Dixon orders all surveillance tapes in a five-mile radius be downloaded. They have to find Vaughn.

In Los Angeles, Vaughn is now on a bed in restraints and Sark is ready to send some kind of deadly fluid into his veins. He says the CIA was not above using the inferno protocol on him while he was in prison. This fluid will make him talk. It’s then that Sark gets a phone call. He’s told where the Passenger is. He tells Lauren to kill Vaughn. She increases the fluid. He asks whom he has to thank for the information. (We don’t hear of course.)

Helping her sister, Sydney wheels her out of the infirmary. The guards intervene and the two have an awesome fight, finally defeating their adversaries. Talia has come out of her catatonic state with a bang. She handles the fighting with all the aplomb of an intelligence agent. It takes the both of them to put down three burly guards.

Marshall Dixon and Weiss using tapes they locate Vaughn. A special forces team led by Weiss enters the house and rescue him.

Hidden in a corner, Syd and Talia talk. Syd finds out her sister is working for Italian intelligence. Syd says she’s taking her to her father. As she helps her up, Talia tells Sydney that her real name is Nadia.


Final act starts in an old house somewhere in Chechnya. Jack and Sydney are talking while Sloane watches over his sleeping daughter. Sydney tells Jack that Will once told her his sister Amy was a total flake, but in reality, he really loved her. Jack reminds her she said she would not be fooled twice. Nadia wakes up and sees Sloane. She says she knows who he is. Sloane tells her he understands why she might not want to see him, considering his cruel past. He wants her to know why and that he’s changed. “I was ashamed of the man I was,” he says.

Suddenly there is an explosion outside and we see the Covenant’s men, led by Sark and Lauren enter. Jack and Sydney rush to fight the intruders. They fight them off and rush back into the room to find Sloane and Nadia gone. The Covenant is banging at their door. When Sark and Lauren appear, they find the room empty. There is a cellar door open leading to the outside. Lauren says Sloane betrayed them. They leave. Above them, hiding is Jack and Sydney who now realizes Sloane had played them. He tipped the Covenant after they led him to his daughter, The Passenger, and now he had her to himself.

When they return to LA, Syd goes to the hospital to see Vaughn. He tells her not to try to find Nadia. He has learned his father was trying to protect the girl when Irina killed him. He doesn’t want her to find Nadia, because in the end according to more of the Prophecy that Brill told him, the Passenger and the Chosen fight and neither one will survive.

Final scene shows Nadia handcuffed and chained to a gurney-type table, dressed in a white gown. Sloan enters and fills a syringe with the green elixir. She asks him not to do this, but he says he wishes it could be done another way. He injects her with the elixir: she screams and seemingly has a “fit.”

RANDOMIZING

Why does Nadia look so Italian, when her mother and father don’t have black hair or olive skin? No question, but I was theorizing again. If Nadia is in Italian Intelligence, why in the world would she end up in Chechnya? What would the Italians be doing in that part of Russia?

Irina cut off Jack when they spoke via computer email when he asked about The Passenger. Just the fact he said The Passenger alone, revealed to her he knew that she had an affair and she was the mother of Sloane’s daughter.

DISCUSS
Given my randomizing do you think possibly that Nadia still might not be The Passenger? Could it be she is only an Italian agent sent to Chechnya to draw out Irina or Sloane? Could the Passenger be someone else?

Do you think Sloane really loves his daughter? Alternatively, does he love Rambaldi’s puzzle, which will lead him to the answer of the master scientist’s endgame?

Is it possible Irina has also been watching over her daughter that is if Nadia is the real one? She was in a Russian labor camp and certainly, Irina would have access to records.

Is Jack right to warn Sydney about “dreaming” too much about having a sister to love, given what she experienced with her mother. Do you think Irina lied when she said she loved both Jack and Sydney? If she didn’t lie, what is her relationship with them now? What is her relationship with Nadia?

Vaughn torture experience—do you think it wised him up, especially since he knows what has happened to Sydney in the past. Does he now think of others first?

By the way, if you have any theories or questions be sure to ask.

Next week: Sydney, you have more family than you thought.

I don't know about you guys but to me the episodes seem to get more intese, probable due to the fact that people are "dying" all the time. anyhow wonderful summary column you got up, and so fast too!

well since she is intelligence and all, she could possibly be on a mission.

always possible but I'm pretty sure it's Nadia and I wouldn't be surprised to see her next season.

he seems to love Rambaldi more than his daughter to me anyway.

maybe, he did seem al little over-concerned about Syd when in the hospital, but then again isn't he always?

for some reason that doesn't sound like a good thing.

and the quetions I didn't answer I simply have no idead as to what the answer could be, but I hope to find out before the season ends. and thanks for the pm of course.

LightTraveller Posted on Apr 26 2004, 03:54 PM

I'm not sure why the Italians would want to have anything to do with the RUssia vs Chechnya thing. Sorry, but she's got to have a better reason to be there.

Good God almighty I was a little :wacko: after that eppy myself....first off though, cause the shipper in me needs to vent....FINALLY LAUREN IS OUT OF THE BLOODY PICTURE!!! :reallyexcited:
Do you know how big of a grin I had when Sydney walked in Vaughn's room and he held out his hand for her to take!?? :wub:
:D 'nuff said.

k...on to discuss... :)

I was wondering about the whole "WHY Italian Intelligence?"...but then my dad pointed something out to me....something that I think everyone has forgotten, he remembers these things and it helps make a WHOLE LOTTA SENSE on things......he mentioned that in Alias history, if you must, that wasn't Italy where someone (who, he couldn't remember, CIA, Jack, ?) said that Irina pretty much called "Home" as in a permanent house of residence, not homeland like Russia.....he said it'd make sense for her daughter, who she wanted to keep safe, to be in the Italian Intelligence where she was near to keep eye. :huh: *shrug* Something he pointed out that I thought needed mentioning. I don't really remember the whole Italy home thing for Irina, so if anyone can point out, that would be nice.

Um, me thinks that since she was found out by Lauren, her cover blown, she was put into hiding....why Chechnya?....Mama's from Russia and has pull there, maybe mom's did this? :huh: Not sure on this one... :blink:

Ooooh.....that's a VERY good point! That would be a very tricky thing to do to get to Irina....Sloane on the other hand....the fool was "dead" to the world...so, why would they want to lure out a ghost?? :unsure: And as far as Nadia not being the Passenger, um...I'm thinking that if Sloane was going to subject Nadia to this elixir thing, he might have been wise enough to get some blood tests or DNA first JUST to be sure it was in fact his and Irina's daughter....*shrug* just be a dumb mistake if he didn't....as far as not being the Passenger if she IS Irina's babe, how many more siblings does Sydney have running amok!!??? :huh: I could easily accept more! :D Bring on another sister I say!! :P

Yeah....he's a freak....I totally believe he'd kill his own daughter to find out Rambaldi's endgame....I'm very worried for Nadia at the moment, she doesn't have a chance with that psycho loony of a father. :(

Um....not sure of your point on this one....torture exerience yes, but wising him up? As opposed to....? It seemed to me that he thought of others first before....especially when it came to Sydney....he wasn't selfish in that matter. As far as knowing what happened to Sydney in the past, I can see your point of having a bit of knowledge now what she's gone through with the torture bit from when she was gone those first six months....he'd understand there on her part, but SHE doesn't even remember those torture months! So, yeah...little lost on that part....DAMN hot scene though with Injured!Vaughn though! :P RAWR!
:blush01:

Hehehe....her come some SpyAunties and SpyCousins!!! :reallyexcited: Or oohh, maybe more siblings??? :huh: We'll have to seee! :innocent:

Great column, great views...k...here's one I'm boggling over here.....
k...They say that Sloane had this affair with Irina...that they have this child together who is the Passenger right? k...in the show, they say that Vaughn's father was the one protecting this child and that he died because of keeping her away from Irina and the KGB, if memory serves right, Vaughn's daddy died when he was 8 years old, when Sydney was just a baby right? :unsure: ......it doesn't make sense cause if you do the math, Irina would have been pregnant not long after having Sydney, had the baby without Jack knowing about it, and losing, so to speak, the baby to the KGB for reasons unknown yet.....I'm lost here...why wouldn't Jack know about this child? How could he not know? Is Nadia or whoever actually Sydney's twin?? I'm REALLY confused here! The math doesn't make sense!! HELP!!!
k.....that's all, gotta go to school....can't wait till next time!!!
Colly E. :bunny:

I thought about that too Colly. But Sydney's age has been kinda flexible over the years too, so probably best just to keep math out of it.

So much to speculate about, so little to go on! As for Sloane, I knew he hadn't really changed. He probably only wanted to find his daughter when he realized she was an important key to Rimbaldi's endgame!

I think Nadia is the passenger, considering how much specific information they have about her. Although, I loved the new DoD technology that reads peoples brainwaves from space. Another great conspiracy theory machine!

I can't decide if Irina is trying to protect Nadia or get her. We really don't know anything about what she's been doing for two years--only things her minion Isabella Rossalini has hinted at. Is Irina still trying to get to Rimbaldi's endgame first? Or have her priorities changed?

So many questions! And you know they will leave it at a huge cliffhanger at the season finale! :angry:

sorry to burst your theories :unsure:

but nadia is argentinian not italian

unless alias released a different script to canada ---

( a la harry potter and sorcerer stone vs philosphers stone)

I watched the eppy twice and used my scriptscanner and it is defintley argentina that is said

and was it not me who swore up and down a week or two ago that bill vaughn was involved in all of this?

But next week will rock - as we see that sloane is just using his kid - while remember at the beginning of the year jack swore he would never allow sydney to undergo things like that (re lazarey murder)


"that will not happen to you - not as long as I am alive"

Jack may have endangered her life at times but never on purpose - persoanlly he makes for a better dad and I do not think Irina was lying

I think there was some foreshadowing with all those test tubes and such we saw back in crossings - I think nadia was created to fit the whole "5 years" time line theory and that she is argentinian intelligence for a reason and I think the last eppy is called ressurection becaue bill vaughn will be revealed and so will Irina

Lauren will likely evade capture for a while - and as a recurring character for next year it will be all about how she will show up and affect vaughn and syd.

and the fight that was prophesied for syd and nadia

I am still trying to solve that puzzle

Brenda

My thoughts exactly....never trusted that little weasel....he's just too...I don't know....short. :huh:

W..what??!??? :huh:
:blink:
:unsure: I thought Italian too.....not just from reading lenafan's review....just from watching the eppy myself.... :huh:
Argentinian??? Maybe our eppy was different here...would they do something like that??? I must go back and see the eppy now.....blows some of my speculations RIGHT out of the water.....you could be right brenda.....*shrug*...I could almost swear I heard Italian though......we must find out.... :)

And no one's helping me out here with this math/age/wtf? with Nadja's birth vs. when Vaughn's dad died and how old Sydney was when all this was a happenin'!!! :wacko:
CAN ANYONE HELP HERE!!!???? :blink:
Colly E. :bunny:

Colly E. Posted on May 4 2004, 12:48 AM

TIMELINE: Irina was pregnant when she left Jack and Sydney that's the only way this thing had to happen. Nadia then would have been born about 1982, making her about 22 now. OF course now that we've seen Legacy we know all this. Now Bill Vaughn had to have stolen her when she was about six (and under the care of the KGB). That means Bill Vaughn was killed by IRina sometime after that and after she left Jack and Sydney. So if all that we've been told is true, that would make Vaughn younger than Sydney, because he was ten when his father's body was returned...Oh oh, maybe it wasn't his body? Me thinks the writers have lost their way...
BY THE WAY I apologize for the Italian instead of Argentina. My friend and I both thot it was Italian.
B)

Another great column, but I shan't comment throughout, as I have a study group arriving soon. However, on your final comments:

Honestly, I don't know why she is there, or why she would be acting catatonic, but I'm sure heard Argentinian Intelligence? Do we know she's Italian intelligence, or is that what you heard? Also, I think they tried to choose an actress who looked a bit Like Lena Olin, and They both have similar chiselled features, and a sharp facial outline, but she was much darker than Irina or Sloane.

Too much weird stuff has happened this season of Alias...I think that Nadia is the Passenger, but let's be honest, knowing JJ, she probably isn't.

Again, being honest...can Sloane love ANYTHING? He's all about Rambaldi...how necro!

I'm sure that Irina was watching over Nadia...and she probably knows Syd knows too...

Syd is always romanticising everything...even her father when she thought he worked at the airport. So even though she knows she'll probably end up hurt...she just does it anyways *sigh*

Well...whether or not it wised him up is secondary...I enjoyed this scene even more than Sark and Lauren in the black Mustang! *sigh* It was awesome! And Vaughn is finally getting some character! Sheesh! Took JJ almost 3 seasons to flesh out his character! *snickers at bad pun* But in all honesty...(always with the honesty) I'm shallow...and half naked and dripping wet AND in shackles...it's hard to resist that! :wub:

Sorry about the Italian/Argentinian goof. I don't think I had the volumn up when she told Sydney that news. Still, what the hell was she doing in Chechnya if she was with the A-intel?
Oh well.. B)