IRINA DEREVKO
TRUST IS MY MIDDLE NAME – Episode 2

Now we are about to meet ‘Mom.’ We’ve heard about her all last season, saw her last week in a couple of brief scenes. Nothing to give us any idea about the woman Jack hates and who shot her daughter. Then took her organization’s “bible” back while holding Sydney at bay, telling her that “Truth Takes Time” and disappears.

A van arrives in a downpour. There are a half dozen or so uniformed men with rifles and a dog on a chain leash. Two U. S. Marshals enter the van and in a brief light we see a woman chained to the walls and floor of the vehicle. The chains are removed. She is brought into the U. S. Joint Task Force on Intelligence Center. Four armed guards escort her to the prison cell as multiple doors rise and fall. Encumbered by the chains, she moves slowly. Her demeanor however is not that of a prisoner. Her head is held high, almost with a look of disdain on her face. This is a woman with a purpose, which we are not privy too yet.

Kendall, the Director of the Task Force is informed she has arrived. He goes to see her and says, “I understand you wish to cooperate.” She slowly turns her head to look at him silently.

Sydney meets her father and is told her mother has been put into a cell at the center. She has turned herself in saying she will cooperate with the Task Force in the destruction of SD-6 and The Alliance. Sydney, wincing as she pulls on her jacket, tells her father she doesn’t believe in the death penalty, but hopes her mother dies for all that she did. After wanting to see her mother for so long, her turnaround is surprising. Still her mother did shoot her.

Now SD-6 is after some of the Derevko files and is sending Sydney to Rabat to get a disc, which was used for blackmail. Meeting with Vaughn she learns when Kendall arrives unexpectedly, that her mother will only talk to her and no one else. Sydney refuses and leaves to go her mission.

Vaughn volunteers to talk to Derevko if Kendall will promise that Sydney won’t have to talk to her ever. Kendall does not promise. Vaughn goes to the cellblock anyway to face the woman who killed his father years ago. She is pacing the cell when he arrives. She stares at him. He tells her that Sydney won’t talk to her unless she knows she is cooperating. At the mention of her daughter’s first name by him, Irina says, “Sydney! Interesting!” Probably blushing, Vaughn tells her the mission ‘Agent Bristow’ is on and wants to know if there is anything she should know.

Irina tells him there is a fire alarm on the wall. Sydney should pull it before opening the safe. As he leaves, she says, “You look just like him.” He stops, then slowly glances back at her. She is watching him. He says nothing and leaves. But Irina, her left arm leaning against the window, has a strange enigmatic look on her face. Are we seeing someone who might be worried about this man who obviously is the son of Bill Vaughn and who also seems to be more than just Sydney’s handler. Is Vaughn’s presence a complication she did not anticipate? Is she considering the danger or perhaps is she considering if she can use the knowledge of the relationship to her advantage.

After the failure of the mission for the CIA, Sydney decides she has to face her mother. Jack is worried. He is sure Irina is up to no good. He doesn’t want Sydney to get close to her for fear “she will gut you.” But he also withholds demands that she stay away, knowing it won’t do any good. At some point, Sydney has to see her.

Sydney goes to the Center. The marshal takes her to the cellblock. She is visibly overwhelmed by the security that is used to keep her mother locked up. When she finally arrives at the window, she sees her mother standing at the far side of the room, looking out another window. To Sydney she looks so helpless and alone. Irina turns to see her and facing her, “You didn’t pull the alarm.” Sydney looks like a child who has been chastised by her mother. “But then,” Irina continues, “I wouldn’t have pulled it either.” She comes up to the window looking at her. Before Sydney can speak, she asks, “How is your shoulder?” Sydney can’t or won’t answer. She questions her mother about the disc and who is on it. “Peter Fortsen.” Then when Sydney wants to know why SD-6 will go after him first, Irina responds, “One step at a time. Go after Fortsen, trust me.” Sydney wants to why she should. Irina looks at her. “Because I’m your mother.” She looks at Sydney without emotion. Outside the cellblock, Sydney breaks down, crying.

The next encounter is after Sydney successfully retrieves a camera that Fortsen supposedly was to give to the U. S. Government but was planning to cheat them out of it.. She brings the camera to the center and is told that Irina, although questioned for two hours, had answered none of them. She did tell them to give Sydney her congratulations on a job well done. Tired and angry, Sydney marches to the cellblock. Confronting Irina she tells her, “You are not my mother, My mother was Laura Bristow who died in a car accident twenty-one years ago. You are a traitor and a prisoner of the United States Government.” During this tirade Irina tries to ignore her with what seems to be disdain. Sydney, however, is persistent that she knows who is in charge. “Yes, Agent Bristow.” Irina says finally. Sydney turns and leaves her mother, who watches her go with a slow smile of pride and triumph on her face.

She came back into Sydney’s life by shooting her. Sydney is truly at odds with herself. She has wanted a mother for so many years and now, she has her mother. However, it has not turned out as she wished. Her mother is locked up. She can’t touch or be touched. It seems deep down, totally unfair. So she takes out her frustration on the woman who gave her life. She doesn’t want congratulations or condolences from her at all. But the truth is, she does. What son or daughter wouldn’t want a parent to praise them?

Irina is proud of her daughter’s courage, but she also knows she will get Sydney to view her as her mother and not just a prisoner. It will take time, but she will succeed.

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