ALIAS – Episode 3 – Sydney
The Awful Truth
“A satisfying lie can do more than…”

Judging by the name of the episode, I thought for sure we were going to learn why Irina Derevko had put out a contract on Sydney Bristow, her oldest daughter. Again, JJ did not disappoint, by completely skirting the issue—the question every Alias fan wanted to know.

The opening takes place in the Bahamas. Syd and Marshall show up at one of those banks that take care of your money with no questions asked. In her nasal New York accent, Syd describes herself as a plumber’s wife. The banker wants to know if she has the deposit and Marshall, who says he’s her moneyman, opens the case, showing a large amount of cash. Pleased, the bank manager gives her a new account number, telling her no one will ever know what it is. He gestures to the safe next to his desk.

In the meantime, Vaughn is at the New Accounts desk trying to get the woman there to locate his account, which he says he has at the bank. He is getting very angry. In walks Dixon wearing dreadnaughts. It only takes a moment to start a fight, pre-arranged of course.

In the manager’s office, Sydney and Marshall hear the commotion. The manager leaves to see what has happened. Instantly, Marshall is at the safe and using the equipment hidden under the money to get into the safe. Sydney rifles the account box and finds what she is looking for just as the manager finishes throwing both Vaughn and Dixon out of the bank. When he enters his office, he finds Sydney at the safe and wants to know what she is doing.

“I’m robbing your safe.” …Or words to that effect. Naturally, telling the truth here earned her a laugh.

The scene moves back to L. A. to Syd’s apartment where there are many friends celebrating Eric Weiss’s birthday. Vaughn and Sydney notice Weiss is quite taken with Nadia, and she with him. He is telling her about the Magic Castle and she says she would love to go with him, because she is interested. Pizza arrives and Marshall is loading up with three large pieces.

Then Jack arrives. Vaughn spots him first and nudges Sydney. Did she invite him? She didn’t, but she does go up to him asking what he’s doing here. Jack wants to know if she is going to tell Nadia. Sydney says she plans to before someone else does. After all, it would be better coming from her than a stranger. Jack says he understands Nadia is now living with her and Sydney says she is her sister.


When the next act opens, Sloane is congratulating the team for getting the information. CIA knows that the terrorist group located in Germany is obtaining money to pay a certain Martin Bishop a lot of money for the VALTA computer he stole. It is a high-end computer which has unlimited capabilities. There mission is to locate where Bishop has hidden it and either bring it back or destroy it. Bishop has a reputation of a ladies’ man and his wife has been missing for a few years. Law enforcement believes he killed her.

Sloane tells Sydney after the team disperses that he is happy she asked Nadia to stay with her. Sydney responds that if she had known it would make him happy, she wouldn’t have done it. Sloane is not happy to hear that at all. Yeah, Sydney! She doesn’t trust him any further than she could throw him.

Meanwhile Jack is in charge of testing Nadia’s capabilities as an agent. She is talking to her father, glancing uneasily at Jack, “Is he always so cold?” Oh my, could we fill her in on why. Of course, Sloane says, “Yes.” Sloane invites her to have dinner with him at an Argentine restaurant he found and she agrees.

The team is now in Spain. They are waiting for Martin Bishop who is driving toward them. Marshall has rigged the car, which has Sydney in it hanging by her seat belt. Bishop sees the car and stops. He jumps out running toward it as it catches fire (courtesy Marshall in a nearby van). Sydney is screaming for help and Bishop can’t get the seat belt off. Then Marshall releases the seatbelt and Sydney is pulled from the car. They run back toward Bishop’s car and about fifty yards away the car catches first front to back.

Sydney tells Bishop she is running from a guy who was abusive and she doesn’t want him to call the police. Intrigued, he invites to stay at his home. Phoenix is in!

We next see Sydney showering as Martin looks at her. He goes through her suitcase and purse. He doesn’t find anything suspicious including her watch, one of Marshall’s innovations. When she comes into the room, she tells him her name is Charlene. He reveals this is the room of his ex-wife. He doesn’t tell her much more. He tells her not to go outside for security reasons.
Hah, as if this would stop our Sydney.

Using a powerful scope on a rifle, Vaughn directs Sydney to the room where she can access the information where the VALTA computer is hidden. He also tells her where the guards are located. One-guard approaches the bathroom, but he hears her inside and turns away not knowing it is a tape recorder.

Meanwhile in LA, Jack is testing Nadia and has been at it for two hours. She is getting exasperated with him and snaps her answers. He is being a bastard, but later tells Sloane he is almost through. I’m sure most of the readers thought he was being mean also.

In Spain, Sydney locates the stolen computer. A waiting strike force of CIA agents is led by Weiss who doesn’t know its Sydney in her black ops role who has provided the Intel. Vaughn tells her to leave, but before she can, she runs into Bishop who has returned. At that moment, Weiss is leading the attack, but Bishop’s men cut down the team. However, Weiss destroyed the computer when he tossed a grenade into it. He is captured.

Martin is propositioning Sydney to live with him when he receives a phone call telling him the CIA destroyed the computer and that the information came from his own server. Vaughn warns Sydney to get out, but getting no response enters the house to find it empty. Back in L.A., Sloane tells Jack the strike force, which was wiped out, destroyed the computer. Jack realizes Sydney is in deep trouble.

“I’m going to Spain and take Nadia with me.” Sloane wants to know how she did and Jack tells him she passed with high marks. There is a proud smile on Sloane’s face.

On the plane, Jack hands Nadia an eyes-only document. (Oh no, he’s not going to tell her about Irina? My heart nearly screeched to a stop.) However, the scene dissolves before we know what she is reading.

In a room somewhere, Weiss is astounded to see Sydney. “Oh my God, you’re in black ops!”

Sydney grins, but doesn’t have much time to talk. Bishop comes in and threatens her, slugging her when she refuses. Eric objects to his manhandling her. Martin fires the gun at Weiss, missing him by inches, then tells Sydney he will kill Weiss if she doesn’t tell him what he wants to know—which is who is the informant in the terrorist’s group. They had planned to buy the computer from him. However, Vaughn and Dixon are having a battle with his guards and Bishop runs. Sydney gets loose and chases him into an underground parking garage.

She jumps onto the roof of his car. He tries to shoot her and then he tries to dislodge her by swerving the car. However, she pulls her own gun and shoots through the roof of the car, hitting him in the shoulder. He slams on the brakes, sending Sydney to the ground rolling. He jumps out with his gun pointed at her. Sydney just knows she’s going to be shot, when suddenly three shots hit him, knocking him to the ground.

Sydney turns to see Nadia rushing toward them with smoking Glock. She pours another six shots into him. Sydney gaped open-mouthed. She wants to know why.

“Because he’s the one who killed our mother!” Nadia says angrily.

Later Sydney confronts Jack. He tells his daughter that

“A satisfying lie can do more good than the awful truth!” with that, he turns, and leaves.

YEAH JACK!




REMARKS AND DISCUSSION

I really liked the interaction between Jack and Nadia. He was so cold and she was so hot. There was a moment when I thought the truth would come out. It did, but it was an awful lie.

The proud look on Sloane’s face when Jack told him Nadia had passed reminded me of Season 2. There were a couple of times when Irina had the same look on her face when Sydney was told she was getting a reputation as a great agent. Both times I remember were in Passage 1 and 2. I thought then how sad it was that Jack had not even told the two men that she was Sydney’s mother. Darn him.

I thought it was a rather complicated way to have her ostensibly quit the CIA. That could have been accomplished by her just doing it after learning the CIA had given Jack the sanction to kill her mother. Of course, then it would not have been quite as exciting.

Do you think Jack accomplished what he set out to do—stop Nadia from finding out The Awful Truth, or will it still haunt him?

What about Sydney? Is she going to be satisfied not knowing why (if she really did) Irina put the contract out on her own daughter?

Did you like Dixon’s new call sign, Outrigger?

Unfortunately the number one techno idiot did not get her video tape set right, so I have nothing to refer too except my notes and memory. So these are the only questions, remarks I have on the third episode.

*** B)

heehee love reading columns


REMARKS AND DISCUSSION

I thought those two were so angry at each other they might start a fight.

true that

I think Nadia will find out eventually that Jack killed her mom, but I don't think she'd actually kill him.

I don't think that if syd found out why irina out a contract out on her that it would make much of a difference, it still doesn's give back her mother(if irina's really dead)

I like all of their new call signs, especially Vaughn's, shotgun!

yet another great column !!! can't wait for the next one.

I think nadia reminds him of laura and irina - in a way he does not see with sydney

these two could end up fighting like cats and dogs or they could develop a friendship that makes Sydney jealous

of course "the awful truth" will always be in the way and I suspect it will pop up when Jack least wants its to.


I like the new call signs for the characters - and I love that marshall has more to do with missions


Brenda