Review of
Episode 3: The Awful Truth
1/12/2005
Nadia: "Is he always so cold?"
The emotional center of "Alias" has always been
Spy Family, the familial
relationships. The show may have changed, but the relationship
angst is as strong as ever. Jack may have successfully pinned
Irina's execution on Bishop, but I'm certain that that whole
subplot is far from over.
Jack is even more alienated than before, if that's possible.
He is not a
part of the new spy group in the way that the others are.
In that scene
near the end, he was literally cut off from the others behind
the glass,
watching the younger members all laughing together. It's almost
like he
changed sides again; he now has more in common with his former
friend Arvin Sloane. I sense that Jack and Sloane are very
conscious of their mutual alienation from the group, and united
in the Irina situation and in their attempts to protect their
daughters. (Which is of course bizarre, since they keep putting
Sydney and Nadia in mortal danger.)
For me, the main spy plot this week with Bishop the literal
lady killer
served to emphasize Sydney's vulnerability. She's the star
spy, always in
the most danger, and there was sexual danger in this one as
well. How can Vaughn stand it, constantly seeing Sydney in
danger and only playing a supporting role in her life? (The
code name "Shotgun" is apt.)
Nadia just gets better and better. She saved Sydney's life
*again*. And
the psych evaluation showed that she's strong, smart, loyal
and independent, a lot like Sydney, which isn't surprising
considering the genetics going on there.
Nadia: "I've never done anything that's lasted as long
as this."
Jack: "How sad for you."
Was that actually sexual innuendo? Dry humor? Or was it just
derision? No matter what he said about not blaming her, Jack
is not an emotionally stable individual; he must find Nadia's
very existence to be a body blow, very difficult to accept.
And Nadia, like Vaughn, could take even more of Sydney's love
and loyalty away from Jack, and let's all remember that Jack
has always been threatened by Sydney's relationship with Vaughn.
Finally, Weiss is in the secret clubhouse! It would have
been impossible to keep it from him for long, anyway, since
he's so close to both Sydney and Vaughn. And I like the possibility
of Weiss and Nadia; they'd make a cute couple. Weiss is a
sweetie. He deserves his very own Sydney, since the original
is hung up on someone else.
Bits and pieces:
-- Nadia has moved in with Sydney. That gives us more opportunities
for
their relationship to develop.
-- It's occurred to me that nearly every member of the cast
has lost a
spouse or fiance: Sydney and Danny, Jack and Irina, Sloane
and Emily, Dixon and Diane, Vaughn and Lauren.
-- Nadia and Weiss admitted to liking Disneyland. That might
be a subtle
ABC plug. Better than those Ford Focus plugs.
-- Interesting crossover moment: I could swear I heard Driveshaft
doing "You all everybody" in the party scene. (That's
a fictional rock group on
"Lost.")
-- Jack: "I don't read e-vites." Why does that
not surprise me? :)
-- Weiss: "How red is my face right now?"
-- Jack: "Sometimes a satisfying lie, Sydney, can do
more good than the
awful truth." But then the truth never really goes away,
Jack. And you
know it.
-- Marshall lost it, and told Vaughn to shut up. Very funny.
-- This week's itinerary: the Bahamas, Andalusia, Malaga.
-- This week's hot look: Pretty much everyone in that opening
scene,
shades, dreads, accents, and so on. I thought Vaughn looked
odd, until I
realized that he was clean-shaven for a change.
-- This week's cool gadget: the listening device Vaughn used
to talk with
Sydney.
Fast paced and a lot of fun. Four out of five stars,
Billie
- Review by Billie Doux
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