Review of Episode 7: Detente
2/16/2005
Weiss: "Oh, God. This is the greatest girl ever."
A continuing theme this season seems to be telling someone
the truth about how you feel, but indirectly. This week, Sydney
had to channel Sloane with the bad guy, and she took the opportunity
to tell Sloane indirectly exactly how she felt about him.
Sydney has now joined Dixon in the increasingly vocal "I
hate Sloane and
don't forget it" club. Sydney keeps bringing up (too
often, in fact, which
lessens the impact) that Sloane makes her nauseous, while
Sloane has started striking back, like with that snide remark
about "Unless you need me to explain the essential nature
of confidentiality." Offering to transfer her was pointless,
and I'm sure Sloane knew it was pointless; APO consists of
Sydney's father, sister, and lover, plus three close friends
she absolutely trusts. Who could leave a team like that, Sloane
or no Sloane?
Sloane may be evil, but he's the only parent Nadia has, and
Sydney was spot on comparing Nadia's relationship with Sloane
to her own with Irina. Jack was also spot on that Sloane should
not even attempt to keep Sydney and Nadia apart; the two sisters
are developing a strong relationship at work and at home,
a relationship they both need. I have a feeling that this
season's main plotline will blow them apart, damn it. No one
ever lives happily ever after on "Alias."
My favorite scene was the double couple stuff in the hotel
room, with Sydney and Nadia up front playing glamorous Valley
Girls, and Weiss and Vaughn behind the scenes talking about
them. ("Wouldn't be weird for you, would it, if we were
dating sisters?") After last year's debacle with the
much maligned Melissa George, I'm pleased to report how much
I adore Mia Maestro. She and Jennifer Garner just fit together,
and Nadia's toughness combined with her intense vulnerability
make her extremely likeable.
I had one complaint about this one. I just don't buy the
bad guys not
recognizing Nadia, even if she was disguised as a maid. Nadia
is striking, and her face is too distinctive not to notice.
She should have worn a wig, glasses, or a fake nose, or some
combination of the three, like Sydney has done in the past.
(Although that conjures up a picture of Nadia as Groucho Marx.)
Sloane appeared blank last week when Dixon attacked him,
but he seemed hurt and vulnerable this week when Sydney did
the same. And Jack and Sloane, former close friends, appear
to be re-bonding. I keep wondering what's going on behind
the scenes, what Sloane is really up to, and what their plan
is.
Bits and pieces:
-- Nadia's code name is Evergreen. Sort of compliments Sydney's,
which is Phoenix; evergreen stays alive throughout all seasons,
and phoenix rises from the ashes.
-- When she was a delinquent kid, a judge told Nadia that
he thought she was "lost." Was that a sly acknowledgement
of their new sister show?
-- More Mission: Impossible-type music.
-- Lots of Marshall this week, ergo, lots of comic relief:
"Not much of a
sports fan. More of a Scrabble club type, maybe a Boggle tournament
if I'm feeling dangerous..." and "Will you marry
me, Mr. Bristow?" :)
-- Sydney: "He owns a fleet of sports cars: Ferraris,
Lamborghinis,
Bentleys..." Weiss: "This guy's living my junior
high fantasy." Marshall:
"Or my current one." What's with guys and cars?
At least we didn't get a
Ford Focus ad this week.
-- Marshall (excited): "Check it out. (whistles) Huh?
It leveled an entire
city block, and that's just a little drop of Black Thorine.
Imagine if you
had the whole... (realizes what he's saying) it's actually
really
depressing..."
-- This week's itinerary: Irkutsk, Monte Carlo, and a yacht
on the Black
Sea.
-- This week's hot look: the red and purple sister act, followed
by the
all-black hair-back sister act.
This episode made me miss my own sister.
The standard good "Alias" episode. Four out of
five spies,
Billie
- Review by Billie Doux
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