ALIAS – Episode 21 – SYDNEY
SEARCH AND RESCUE
“I knew you’d come.”

SHE’S BACK and how. Lena Olin returned as Irina, mother to both Sydney and Nadia in a smashing episode. Long wished for and long anticipated, the actor did not disappoint from the opening scene to the ending. I believe no one really cared that Jack killed a Helix protocol, so long as the real one showed up. By the way, pardon me if some of the dialogue is a bit off, but you’ll know it’s close.

Opening scene: The British Embassy in Vienna: Jack watches from the balcony as men and women enter the party. Then SHE arrives, long hair flowing, beautiful, and exotic. A man hands her an envelope, which she reads. She leaves as does Jack. Jack is standing by a swimming pool. Irina arrives, a glass of champagne in her hand, talking about a boring party.

He asks her to dance. They do. Damn it was so romantic. As they dance, Jack says:

“You broke my heart, Irina.”
“That was another life time. I won’t do it again,” she responds.
“Good to know,” he says.
She looks at him and they kiss. (I died and went to heaven) And this time it is not a five second one either. There is hunger in that kiss and desire. Oh my God, there was fire.

“How did it feel giving the order,” Jack asks as they break apart. “How did it feel? Was it difficult ? Were you able to remain cold and indifferent?”

Irina looks puzzled.

“How did it feel to pay a man to kill your own daughter?”
“You weren’t supposed to find out.” She says at last.
“Why? I need a reason.”
“Jack, it had to be done,” she answers.
Jack pulls his gun and puts a bullet through her head. She falls backward into the pool.

CUT and we know Jack has been re-living the moment of his killing his wife, Irina Derevko. Sydney has told him what Dixon said. Her partner still insists he saw who he saw. She thinks he’s still delusional from losing so much blood. She tries to comfort Jack. Each tells the other their feelings. Sydney is trying to believe that it’s all part of Yelena’s plan.

Jack insists, “I killed a woman I believed to be your mother!”

“They want us to pursue this…to make you live with what you did,” says Sydney.

Weiss, at last, catches up with Vaughn. He wants to know if his friend has spoken to Sydney. He shakes his head. Weiss tries to encourage him.

Jack goes to Marshall and wants him to check the Blackwell Index for known associates of the Covenant. They find a name, Lucien Nisard, who also has close ties to that organization. Marshall wants to know if Jack knew Sloane would become the bad guy again. Jack says no.

Meanwhile Nadia is studying some files. Vaughn notices that they are on Martin Bishop, the man she believes killed her mother. Vaughn tells her she’s going to end up in a dead end. He suggests she talk to Jack.

She goes to him and asks about Martin Bishop. “I’m tired of lies, Jack. I want the truth.”

Jack tells her that he killed Irina, because he found out that she arranged for Sydney to be killed. He also admits that Yelena set him up.

She is surprised. “Did Sydney know?” He nods. “I hope she is alive and you should too!”

The group gathers in the briefing room. They have heard that something terrifying happened in Russia, in the city of Sovogda. News broadcasts show no pictures, but the citizens are being told the city has some sort of military cordon around it. Marshall gets a message from a hacker friend who sends pictures. It’s shows chaos in the city. Hovering above the section of the city is a huge red ball: it’s Mueller’s Rambaldi ball. Evidently, it is responsible for the mass violence and aggression seen among the citizens. People are behaving like homicidal maniacs.

“It’s them,” whispers Sydney who sees the red ball.

“No one can stop it, but Irina Derevko.” Jack says. They have to find out if she is still alive and where. Lucian Nisard is the key.

While readying themselves for the mission, Vaughn approaches Sydney. (We know he has the ring in his pocket.)

“We’ve been tasked to find the woman who killed my father, your mother, who is supposed to be dead by the way, and disable a giant red ball over a Russian city.” He tries to go on with his proposal, but Marshall interrupts, asking them if they are ready to roll.

Sydney approaches Nadia knowing Jack told Nadia the truth. “I should have told you.” She apologizes. “I’m sorry.”

“You may not believe our mother is alive, but I do. Please find her.” She begs.

Sydney and Vaughn go to Ibiza, Spain and to a nightclub (where else) to locate Lucien Nisard. They look for him and spot him as they dance. Briefed on the man’s personal profile, it seems he’s a bit kinky in his sexual habits.

“You want to be rough, or me to be rough?” Sydney asks.
“You are always rough.” He says.
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.” He retorts.
“Are you talking about home or on ops?”
“Both, hey I’m not complaining.”
“Are we on coms,” asks Sydney.
“You both are on coms right now,” says Jack back at APO with Marshall. Oh, oh, I think that was more information than Jack wanted to hear…or Marshall.
“We’ll both be rough,” says Sydney laughing.

They go to the bar where Nisard is watching. They practically make out and then move to a nearby sofa. Sydney gives Nisard the come-hither finger and they all move to the bathroom. Where Sydney rough plays rough and removes the man’s PDA. Vaughn downloads it to Marshall at APO.

Sydney hears Marshall and Jack discover the words HELIX PROTOCOL on Nisard’s PDA. She wants to know if Irina was doubled. This woman can play hard. She finally gets him to talk…a little…

“A follower agreed to do this…to do what is necessary.” Meaning she was willing to be killed if Jack found her.
“Is Irina Derevko alive?” Sydney shoves his head in the toilet under the water when he doesn’t answer. He cries out.
“Of course, she is,” he admits laughing, as she brings him up. Sydney, stunned, now knows for sure her mother is still living. She has to believe.

Jack, Nadia, and Sydney head for Guatemala, in country. He tells them there is a river that leads past the camp where Irina is a prisoner. They are miles up river. Jack tells them to be careful and he will be waiting at the pick-up point. The two girls talk and both say that they have been experiencing feelings of dread and don’t know why. Nadia asks Sydney to let her tell Irina who she is. Jack interrupts and hands a backpack to Nadia who tells him they contain clothes for Irina from CIA Storage.
Syd and Nadia ride down river and it is dark by the time they arrive at Irina’s prison. They have Comlinks and Jack is watching the infrared satellite feed that shows moving guards and one non-moving person—Irina.

Sydney and Nadia sneak into camp. Following Jack’s direction, they enter a small clearing. He tells Sydney that they are fifteen feet away from her. Sydney goes to the spot and looks around. There is nothing but jungle growth.

“Phoenix, you’re standing next to her.” Jack says.

Sydney and Nadia look around and then at the ground. They find a metal lid of some kind with a lock on it. They clear the lid; Sydney picks the lock, and then lifts the lid.

“Mom?” She looks down, focusing her light, and sees her mother sitting, her head resting on her knees. Her wrists are bound. Irina looks up slowly, staring into the light trying to comprehend the voice and words. “Mom? I’m here.”

“Sydney?” Irina looks terrible. She has not been treated well.
“Mom, are you okay?” Sydney can barely hold her tears back.
“I—I knew you’d come,” whispers Irina.

Oh well, heck and other words that elude me. She’s back, but in poor condition. Sydney gets down in the box, cutting the straps that bind her, and helps Irina up as Nadia reaches for her mother’s wrists. They head out, but trip over a string with cans tied to it, rattling the hell out of the silence. Suddenly Sydney is caught by in a rope trap and hauled up, hanging upside down. Irina wants her knife so she can cut her down. The guards rush forward. Nadia shoots one of them. Then she runs back to engage the guards, fighting them off and giving Irina time to cut Sydney down. As they keep running toward the river, more guards in a jeep chase them. Sydney throws a grenade and blows it and the guards up. They get in the boat and head down river for the meeting point with Jack.

They find the clearing where Jack is waiting. Irina approaches him and they look at each other. She’s not saying a word and he isn’t either.
Then he says softly, “Irina.”
She throws a punch to his jaw. That was for a number of things I think, but mostly for ‘killing’ her. I’m sure Yelena taunted Irina…telling her the man she was married to killed her.

On board the plane, Sydney and Irina talk. Nadia and Jack watch and listen as Irina tells Sydney she found a Rambaldi manuscript, Il Diluvial, the Flood. It describes an apocalypse. She destroyed the manuscript.

Sydney wants to know what Yelena did to her.

“I was kept in darkness with little food or water where or how long I don’t know. I didn’t know whether I was alive or dead. I expected her to kill me. She questioned me. She injected me with something that caused excruciating pain and I would go into cardiac arrest. She would stabilize my heartbeat and let me rest. She did it dozens and dozens of times until I couldn’t fight it. I told her everything.

“Sydney, I wish I could spare you, but I need you to go with me to Sovogda.”
Jack thinks things are already being done.
“I built these. I know how to shut them down.”
He orders a change in course.
She asks where she can go to clean up and Sydney shows her the bathroom. As she passes Nadia, Nadia hands her some clothes.

Suddenly it dawns on Irina who Nadia is. ”Sweetheart,” she cries and she hugs her.

Meanwhile back at APO, Director Chase wants to know where Jack is. Vaughn tells her he’s in the field. Why? To rescue Irina Derevko. She’s angry.

Comfortably dressed and clean, Irina joins them and they discuss where and what to do. She is stunning in black, she has Jack looking, and he’s not angry. Jack is called to the pilot’s phone. He listens, turning to the women. “We’ve been given new orders from Langley.” The look on his face tells all. When the plane lands, it is met by six vehicles, sirens blowing. Irina is arrested. (Boy, its overkill in the number of agents needed.)

Back at APO, Sydney and Chase have a face-off. Adamant that Irina Derevko pay for her crimes against the CIA, Chase doesn’t want to budge. She tells Sydney that Russia is going to destroy the ball with an air strike. Sydney says that’s exactly what Yelena wants so that terrible toxins will be released into the air, killing millions more. Still Chase won’t budge.

Now, Sydney is angry because she trusted her (Chase) when she was recruited to APO and found out that Sloane had been put in charge. As it turned out, she says, he is on the loose and in partnership with Yelena Derevko and there’s a weapon out there being used against humanity and the only one who knows how to disarm it, is her mother, Irina Derevko.

Sydney says, “Please, Director Chase, this time you have to trust me.”

Handcuffed, Irina is brought to APO to face Jack, who is waiting. They stare at each other with such emotion you could cut it with a knife. He explains to her that if she helps them, she will return to CIA custody and she will live in prison the rest of her life. Ah well, at least she’ll be close to her kids, grandchildren, and Jack. She signs the agreement. (We know this isn’t going to happen!)

“How’s your jaw,” she asks.
“I’ve been through worse,” he says.
“Jack, I understand why you believed you had to kill me. The truth is, if the situation had been reversed, I would have found another way.” She just as good as said, she loved him too much to pull a trigger.

“I can’t imagine this will be of any comfort considering what you’ve been through, but the truth is,” he responds, “there wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t regret what I did.”

“And about my indiscretion with Sloane, I hope you can accept my apology.”

“For all the things you’ve done, that’s what you are apologizing for?” He is incredulous, but smiles. “I hope you will get to know Nadia. She’s exceptional.”

She says with a smile, “I wonder where she gets that from.” He stares at her with a ghost of a question on his face.

Sydney, Vaughn, Nadia, Jack, and Irina are loaded onto a plane and flown to Russia. Irina and Nadia talk. Nadia want to get to know her and have time with her. Irina agrees. During the flight, Vaughn finally proposes to Sydney and gives her the ring. He tells her had planned to ask her to marry him on the beach in Santa Barbara, but things happened.

“Will you marry me?” He asks.

She is so happy and she tells him he can do it again on the beach.

The team jumps out of the plane, heading for danger.

REMARKS:

I have so many remarks, that I can’t put them all down. My mind is running rampant with all the possibles, probables, and wishes.

So, I am not going with my usual outline ending with questions. I think I’ll just wait until next week.

I am with you this episode was amazing!

cannot wait to have the whole season on dvd and for S5 to be on

wow

and you know I am working on my fic for you to beta this weekend

you are the best girl

if there was no time differnece I would have called you while I was watching but that would have wrecked it for you

so I was good :P