ALIAS – EPISODE 5 – SYDNEY
Welcome to Liberty Village
“They called us cold.”

What an episode! It rocked and not because the action between Sydney and Vaughn and their adventure in Liberty Village somewhere in Russia, but what wasn’t said between Jack and Sloane, what was said between Jack and Marshall, and between Alexei and Jack! Talk about mystery…it gets better and better every week

The opening shows what seems to be a robbery of a device, which we later learn is an electromagnetic pulse weapon. The robber/killer takes it home to what seems an ordinary suburban home with his wife greeting him.

Switching to LA, Vaughn, Sydney, Weiss, and Nadia are talking about bowling. Weiss wants to take Nadia at that moment…it’s after ten at night...to go bowling. Vaughn and Sydney decline. He tells them they aren’t spontaneous any longer and leaves.

“Do we analyze everything we do?” Sydney asks. Of course, their cells ring and it is off to APO.

There, they learn about a the electromagnetic weapon and a new organization called the October Contingent which is loosely put together with former KGB, GPU, and any dissatisfied former members of a Russian intelligence group. The group seems to be living in a village 300 miles south of Petrozovdosk.

Among the most recent contacts made by the group were a couple the Tabakoffs from Chechnya. The Germans captured them and Sloane assigns Sydney and Vaughn to take their place. Their objective is to learn what the October contingent is planning and to retrieve the weapon. They will be unable to have any contact with APO except by a watch Sydney will wear. It will be tuned to a GPS satellite to triangulate their location and contact is limited. No one will be able to handle them from inside Russia. However, the watch can photograph and send short bursts of images.

They meet with Tom, who we know is the leader of the group. He tests their knowledge of American-speak and changes their identities from the Tabakoffs to David and Karen Parker. He takes them to the town and shows them their new home, saying “Welcome to the neighborhood.” Inside are others who live in the village. Sydney, using her photo watch, sends pictures back to APO. The various couples are identified. All are criminals and terrorists.

When the party is over, Vaughn and Sydney are handed a pie and inside the fake cover, a gun and told they have until tomorrow to learn to assemble it in less than twenty seconds. Tom reminds them they are being evaluated and it is obvious if they are not up to snuff, they’ll be gone in an instant. Vaughn tells Sydney he’ll work on the gun. She goes out for a late night run to recon the village. She sees Tom’s house and walks toward the window, which shows his wife reading.

Tom catches her, but she wiggles ‘free’ by saying she did want to thank his wife for her help. He knows she has been out looking around, but tells her that is acceptable under the circumstances. Sydney gives an honest appraisal of what she saw. He seems to be pleased.

Sydney returns to the house, as Vaughn is successful in assembling the gun in less than twenty seconds. Unknown to our heroes, they are being watched by hidden cameras. Tom and his wife think the new pair is careful and both agree that what happens tomorrow will tell them more. She and Vaughn talk with the shower running and she complains, “They called us cold!”

Meanwhile Sloane has asked Jack to visit a contact he has in Moscow who is in the intelligence community. After first turning him down, Jack reluctantly agrees knowing he will have to give Alexei something in return. He meets the Russian who first turns him down when Jack asks for help to extract the two undercover agents. He does not mention his daughter is one of them. The Russian says the government doesn’t approve or know, but in an off-hand way he also tells Jack, there are some in the government who do know. Then he tells Jack it will cost him.

At Liberty Village Tom tells the pair that they are going to buy a car and it’s going to be a test. He tells them the town has its own gas station, supermarkets, bowling alley, and almost everything you would find in a small American town. He hands Sydney a pair of rings: engagement and wedding band. “This will help with your intimacy issues.”

At APO, Jack brings in a bag of books to Marshall. They were books he bought for Laura who collected 19th Century literature. These were the books that the KGB encrypted her assassination orders. Now the Russian Alexei wants them back. Jack tells Marshall there must be a reason and he wants him to find it. Alexei we learn was her chief supervisor during her years in the United States.

Back at the auto dealer, Sydney and Vaughn meet Phil who is their salesman and talk about buying a convertible. It’s part of their test. Phil thinks they are newlyweds. Vaughn tells the story of how he proposed to his wife and spins a tale about going to Santa Barbara and visiting the zoo. He says he proposed to her kneeling on one knee in front of a giraffe with a crooked neck. Sydney is surprised and almost stunned. Was this what Vaughn planned to do that fateful weekend of Sydney’s disappearance?

He tells them that another couple wants the same car—a convertible and the pair will have to win in order to get the car. The loser dies. Their salesman says the manager, Lloyd, gave them a head start. Vaughn and Sydney see them begin to assemble the gun. They hurry and in the ensuing battle, Sydney guns down the woman. Using the car, she strikes and kills the man. Later in their bathroom, they talk about Santa Barbara and end up showering together. They cannot escape. “This place is like a prison.”

Meanwhile back APO, Marshall calls Jack into his lab and tells him he found the reason the Russians want the books back. He reads the sentimental words Jack wrote on the flyleaf.

To Laura, All my love forever and a day, Jack….

Marshall says after analyzing the ink he discovered Irina had added a dot, which was a different ink. It turns out that it was a microdot. When Marshall went over it, he found reference to The Sentinel. Jack shrugs it off, saying the Sentinel is now deceased operative and the Russians can have it. He leaves Marshall staring at him in disbelief. AHA!

At Liberty Village, Tom tells Sydney and Vaughn that they are going to America after walking into their bedroom and finding the pair sleeping together. (Sydney was snuggled next to Vaughn who was holding her.) They are going to move to Chicago and set up their assets with Pierce Financial. A disaster will strike the New York Stock Exchange of monumental proportion. They will have access to a server in Chicago. The result will be a massive re-distribution of wealth. He asks Vaughn and Sydney what they know about electromagnetic pulse weapon. He shows it to them.

After being asked about Irina, Jack tells Alexei that he hasn’t heard from Irina for a long time (over a year?). Alexei makes an interesting comment: “Her attachment to you made her work problematic.” Jack stares at him coldly without emotion.

Marshal tells Sloane that the Tabakoffs are being moved to maximum facility in Havel Germany, but that they announced it over an unsecured line. Sloane orders word sent to Sydney and Vaughn to get out.

In Liberty Village, as Tom is talking to Sydney and Vaughn, his cell rings. It’s his wife, Diane, who tells him to kill one and save the other for interrogation. Sydney takes on Tom telling Vaughn “they’re on to us.” They kill him and the other man who was with Vaughn. As they run outside, they are sprayed with bullets from a helicopter. Sydney uses the electromagnetic weapon and the helicopter crashes into their house blowing it to smithereens.

In Los Angeles Sloane talks to Jack about the Sentinel after telling Sydney and Vaughn that they did good work. The Russians are looking for Elena Derevko.

On the way back, Vaughn asks Sydney if she thought they could divert the plane for their own use. He wants to take her to dinner in Paris. She says, “Absolutely.” As they leave, the communication table, Sydney has left the rings on it.

REMARKS AND DISCUSSION
What a terrific show! I apologize if I missed anything, but the action and dialogue and scene cuts came fast and furious. After seeing it twice, I still might have missed something

My one objection is that Weiss and Nadia were only in one scene. Damn! I’m sure there are others of you who thought the same.

As I mentioned at the beginning, I think the most telling scenes with the ones involving Jack, Alexei, and Sloane.

Jack says he doesn’t want to talk to Alexei yet…considering… considering what…that Elena Derevko is on the loose. Elena Derevko is being sought by the Russians and no doubt by Jack and Sloane. Where does she fit in the scheme of things, besides being Irina’s sister? Older? Younger? We’ve never been told which one of the Derevko sisters is the oldest.

Who is the Sentinel? Is it Elena? What was in that encoded message Irina sent? Have you any guesses?

Jack tells Marshall the Sentinel is deceased. Do we believe him?

Who is that the baby Irina held in her arms?

Do Jack and Sloane have a secret they share about Irina, the baby and the Sentinel?


OLD STUFF
By the way, I went back over ICE and noticed that the picture of the baby in Irina’s arms was reversed during the last scene. Baby held on the right and then on the left by Irina. Did any of you catch it? Somebody in the production end did something wrong? ON THE OTHER HAND, did Jack switch pictures?

REMARKS AND DISCUSSION
What a terrific show! I apologize if I missed anything, but the action and dialogue and scene cuts came fast and furious. After seeing it twice, I still might have missed something

My one objection is that Weiss and Nadia were only in one scene. Damn! I’m sure there are others of you who thought the same.

As I mentioned at the beginning, I think the most telling scenes with the ones involving Jack, Alexei, and Sloane.

Jack says he doesn’t want to talk to Alexei yet…considering… considering what…that Elena Derevko is on the loose. Elena Derevko is being sought by the Russians and no doubt by Jack and Sloane. Where does she fit in the scheme of things, besides being Irina’s sister? Older? Younger? We’ve never been told which one of the Derevko sisters is the oldest.

Who is the Sentinel? Is it Elena? What was in that encoded message Irina sent? Have you any guesses?

Jack tells Marshall the Sentinel is deceased. Do we believe him?

Who is that the baby Irina held in her arms?

Do Jack and Sloane have a secret they share about Irina, the baby and the Sentinel?


OLD STUFF
By the way, I went back over ICE and noticed that the picture of the baby in Irina’s arms was reversed during the last scene. Baby held on the right and then on the left by Irina. Did any of you catch it? Somebody in the production end did something wrong? ON THE OTHER HAND, did Jack switch pictures?

***

great column, loved it and the episode too.

REMARKS AND DISCUSSION

I agree, who exactly is Alexi to Jack anyway?

I really wonder who's going to guest star as elena, if anyone is going to play that part at all.

great question, no idea.

lately, I find it hard to believe anything anyone says on alias, so no I don't believe Jack.

will we ever know?

I think they probably do, and I hope we as viewers will find out soon.


OLD STUFF

yeah, I think someone in editing screwed up on that, or maybe it was just the camera angle.

LightTraveller said

He is probably old KGB antagonist and contact...kind of a mutual scratch my back and I'll scratch yours...not a friend.

and also said

No it was one of the production assistants who was in charge of photos OR as I suggested here or elsewhere...it was deliberate to throw us off or to see if we are paying attention. I tend to think absolutely nothing...knowing Alias. :wacko:

B)