Some more family dysfunction. This episode was perhaps one of the best ever. I couldn’t help but smirk every time Irina, Sydney and Jack were on-screen together, This proves my theory: all three should be on all the time. Irina is definitely pissed about the CIA’s betrayal. She almost got executed for crying out loud. After all she has done for them, she deserves a pillow and a blanket. Every second of this episode was perfect. I wouldn’t change a single thing.

          What makes this episode stand out is the mission in Kashmir. It was sheer genius to have the three members of the Spyfam together on a mission. Sydney can go home and tell Will she went on a mission with her two parents. That’s our version of a vacation. That’s nice to say. I was shocked Irina made such a proposition. She really wanted to help the CIA. She knew the Front had nuclear warheads and she knew they had the codes to activate them. Why does she persist on keeping things from her daughter? Family moments of the week: 1) Irina hitting the glass wall of her cell shutting Sydney up, 2) the alias the trio used to get on a train in New Delhi and of course 3) the shooting scenes at the end of the episode.

          Firstly, this was perhaps the first time that Irina attempts to discipline her daughter. When Irina hits the glass in her cell, Sydney is startled. She has never been yelled at by her mother. This was a first for her. Watching Irina lose her patience was a nice change. She is usually in control of every situation, using her sly remarks and her tricky smirks as her ways of manipulating her enemies.

          Secondly, the trio dresses up as an American family. I can’t believe that Jennifer Garner pulled off playing an eighteen year-old. That is just unbelievable. I fell silent when Irina grabs Jack to kiss him. Watching Sydney stare at them was priceless. Freaky.

          Thirdly, the ending of the episode is something us fans really needed. We wanted to see the trio fight side by side. We wanted to see them get in trouble. We wanted to see them collaborate and figure things out. Together, they fought off the People’s Revolutionary Front. Those were some great moves on all their parts. Activating the bomb in the necklace was genius.

          Will has worked himself back into the CIA again. He is meant to be working with Sydney side to side. He is great. It took him a second to compile a list of forty names that aced the standardized tests. The FBI until this day has been unable to compile anything. That kind of scares me. I’m glad Vaughn tried giving him more than he deserved. Will deserves to make some money. He loves researching and he loves writing. I really hope he finds another job soon.

          What’s up with Emily? Is this girl dead or is she alive because either way, I’m freaked out. She is being held captive. One of her fingers was removed. What the hell are they doing to her? When Sloane confronts Jack about the glass of wine filled with a counter for sodium morphate, he explains what he did to Emily as putting her to rest. Oh sure it was. She’s all jolly and happy now. How much longer is it until Sloane finds Emily? I think she is alive. I just have this feeling.

Syd’s Tips

-          When you’re out on a mission with your father and mother, make sure you remain in control of the situation. Do not let them bicker. Stay in control.

-          If you suspect anyone is going to blow your cover, level the playing field. Warn him (or her) that you will bring him (or her) down with you.

Mission Files

MAIN OBJECTIVE: Prevent the activation of six nuclear warheads.

SD-6 MISSION

ALIAS: Sark’s associate; cadaver

LOCATION: Uzbekistan

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS: None

MARSHALL’S GADGETS: None

OBJECTIVE: Purchase the codes from Sark’s associate.

CIA COUNTERMISSION: Dead drop a copy of the codes to the CIA upon return.

CIA MISSION

ALIAS: Daughter in the Godson family

LOCATION: Muzaffarabad, Kashmir

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS: None

CIA GADGETS:

-          Exploding Necklace: Is the person wearing the necklace attempts to take it off, it will detonate. The necklace can also be detonated by a remote trigger.

OBJECTIVE: Stop Sark and the People’s Revolutionary Front by disarming the nuclear   weapons.

Quotable Quotes

-          Sark: “Are you going to wish me luck on the first day of the job or are you concerned I might reveal to Sloane that you conspired to kill him?”

Sydney: “I’m here to remind you what I hope is obvious, but I don’t want to underestimate your intelligence. If you burn me, I burn you.”

-          Sydney (to Sark): “You’re just a dog looking for a new master.” That hurts.

-          Marshall (to Sark): “Hi. Welcome. Don’t kill me.” Funniest line of the week.

-          Sydney (about going to the spa): “How about next week?”

Francie: “Next week’s great. But I am still going tomorrow.” Have fun.

-          Sydney: “(to Irina) Stop baiting him. (to Jack) Stop being such an easy target.”

-          Attendant at the train check-in counter: “What is the purpose of your stay?”

Jack: “Family vacation.”

Sydney: “Not a vacation if you’re forced to go. No offense. Cute country.”

Irina: “We agreed we were going to spend Thanksgiving together.”

Sydney: “Until I realized all my friends were going to Miami.” This was one of the best moments in television history.”

-          Saeed (to Sydney): “Your reputation rivals your father’s.”

-          Irina (to Jack): “We need to start trusting each other now.” How long will that take?

Some Final Notes

-          Sydney keeps forgetting about Francie. One of these days, Francie is going to give up.

-          I was shocked when Kendall decided to free Irina for a few days. That’s something I thought he would never do.

-          I loved watching Sydney threaten Sark in the beginning of the episode. Although I think it’s a nice twist, I don’t know what Sark’s presence at SD-6 offers to the grand scale of the Alias story.

-          Marshall’s entrance into the boardroom was hysterical. His main concern was if Sark was going to kill him or not. That would be my main concern too.

-          Will is going to figure out this whole mystery with Project Christmas. I hope he doesn’t get into trouble again.

-          Why was it so important for Irina to go to Kashmir? Couldn’t she be on comms with the field team? She wants something.

-          I support Jack’s decision about not letting Irina carry a gun. That woman is lethal.

-          Sydney getting shot was an important part of the episode. It showed Irina’s reaction to her daughter getting shot. He immediately kneeled down to catch her. Sydney has never had that.

Excellent. I need part two. 5 stars

-          Next episode

-          Alias season 2

-          Alias main