This was a fast-paced episode. The transition between the pilot and the second episode was beautifully accomplished. Sydney Bristow is moving into a new house, she has returned full-time at SD-6, she begins her counter-missions for the CIA, and she gets closer to her father. Brilliant.

The beginning flashbacks were well done. I loved when Sydney, in a black wig, runs down a hallway, chased by two guards. She escapes and we get a backdrop of the Eiffel Tower. The second flashback shows her going  to Memphis, Egypt, where she meets Ineni Hassan, SD-6’s arm dealer. This guy is cruel. He kills his employee because of a defective gun. Who would work for him? He is SD-6’s source of weapons so we can see him as a potential villain for our hero.

That classic scene in the trailer with Vaughn cracked me up. Upon the request to draw a map of SD-6 and its alliances, Sydney answers, “Does it look like I have braces in my face?” It’s true. These games of “Joey’s Pizza?” are stupid. She wants to take down the enemy. The chemistry between Vaughn and his agent began to brew in this episode. He begins to care and worry for her. While she was on a mission, he was restless. That aggravated me. Doesn’t he have faith in Sydney? He stood his ground against his superior and Weiss called him “Balls of Steel.” Great!

Sydney in a blond wig and the blue dress made my night. She can do anything. She can even fight in that thing. My heart was racing in the airport when the dead drop for the disks were made. They cut it pretty close. This was an I-almost-had-a-heart-attack moment. I might end up dead by the end of this series. Then in Virginia, Sydney was standing over a nuclear bomb that was about to detonate. That scene was intense and poor Marshall thought Syd was dead on the phone. I cracked a smile.

Updates on the family issues! Sydney slapped her father. He told her the truth. He knew about Danny’s death. But in reality, Jack tried to protect Danny. He had scheduled a flight to Singapour. Will stuck his nose where it didn’t belong. I hope he doesn’t get involved in this SD-6 thing. He told Sydney about his findings and she acted indifferent. However, in reality, she was shocked. She knew immediately that her father was the person who tried to save her fiancé and we got a nice moment between the two. Sloane will soon begin to suspect something. That facial expression after Jack’s leave was scary. He doesn’t believe she needed a break.

Syd’s Tips

-          When stuck in an elevator, escape through the ceiling and attach yourself to the cables. Slide right down.

-          Keep a lock pick in your glasses.

-          When stealing documents from a folder, replace them with coasters.

Mission Files

MAIN OBJECTIVE: Locate and obtain Russian nuclear device.

SD-6 MISSION

ALIAS: Maid at the Bryusov Gazetny Hotel/club patron at the Banya Club

LOCATION: Moscow, Russia

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS: Russian

MARSHALL’S GADGETS: A blue spot that makes people fall asleep instantly when touched.

OBJECTIVE: Acquire the stolen files stored in discs.

CIA COUNTERMISSION: Sydney had two perform two brush passes with Vaughn at the airport to exchange the disks acquired at the club.

CIA MISSION

ALIAS: Woman in burka

LOCATION: Cairo, Egypt

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS: None

MARSHALL’S GADGETS: None

OBJECTIVE : Obtain the nuclear core.

Quotable Quotes

-          Vaughn: “This is not about killing an arm of the monster; this is about killing the monster.” That’s so true.

-          Sydney: “You said you wanted the plan. I’m giving you the plan.” She’s so commanding.

-          Sydney: “Ya, can you show me what a paper bag looks like again?” Hysterical.

-          Weiss: “You’re girlfriend’s name is Alice.” How funny is this? But it’s true. Vaughn is going crazy over a small mission. Does he care about Sydney that much?

Final Notes

-          We meet Francie’s boyfriend, Charlie.

-          I also love Sarah Shahi who plays Will’s assistant, Jenny. She actually wants to go out with him. That would be awkward if they went to dinner with Syd and Francie.

-          Cliffhanger: Sydney is held at gunpoint by Ineni Hassan with a nuclear core in her hands. That’s insane!

Good episode, but it’s not good enough to deserve a high rating. This set some stuff up, but there were no big jaw-droppers. 3 out of 5 stars.

-          Next Episode

-          Alias season 1

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