V
verdantheart
Guest
Has the season so far been one long “Prelude” (3:07)? Or is it just this episode? I mentioned that the previous episode felt a great deal like a set-up. This one sets the pace quickening--toward a huge emergency. The episode begins with a nightmare, and ends with a nightmare come to life.
Sydney’s nightmare begins with flashes of color and sound--shapes of doves or pigeons and the distorted ringing of churchbells. Finally, a stone angel seems to flap its wings and fall upon her. She seems to wake in a locked lab, where she finds that the scar on her abdomen has reopened into a large wound from which she pulls yards of bloody tubing. At last she truly wakes--screaming and crying.
She’s had enough and shows up at the CIA psychiatrist’s office--but not to talk about group sessions. She wants to know about the dangerous procedure that she and Jack have been arguing about: neuro-stimulation. The psychiatrist agrees with Jack, however, that he would “consider death as an option before this procedure.” He shows Sydney Kenneth Blake, a CIA agent who was lost until he was recovered in South Korea. Blake volunteered for the procedure and they learned that he went through intense and prolonged torture. Blake was left with severe brain damage, yet the NSC considers him a “successful test case.”
In Mexico, the police capture Simon Walker’s confederate Javier. Javier offers intel regarding Sydney/Julia as a bartering chip.
In LA, Dixon shuts down the office for the entry of a sensitive operative: Sloane. It turns out that the Covenant has grown tired of simply using Sloane’s organization as a cover for their activities and assigned him an operation: to steal the OS for a Chinese satellite-based maser capable of committing assassinations. Sloane insists that Sydney be assigned if they want him to continue as a double agent--he wants the best. Jack objects, but Sydney overrides him, pointing out that their objectives are in line. If they are caught, they share the same fate--and if Sloane betrays her, she has the pleasure of killing him.
After the meeting, Jack pulls Vaughn aside, having gotten wind of Javier’s arrest. He suggests that Vaughn make an excuse to have Vaughn and Lauren beg off the case on the basis of conflict of interest. Vaughn objects to the interference and pushes Lauren as their best chance of keeping the NSC off their backs. Jack, however, is anything but confident of that possibility.
Marshall shows Sydney the op tech for her mission, including a special remote-controlled miniature car to disable the surveillance system and a cell phone to corrupt and copy the OS.
Sydney and Sloane attend the party in Beijing, where their host is convinced that they are having an affair. While Sloane chats with their host, Sydney releases the car and alerts Marshall. As Marshall works with Dixon looking over his shoulder, Sloane insists that they dance considering their host’s attention on them. Once Marshall disables the surveillance, they stage a quarrel so that Sydney can slip away for the rest of her mission. As she corrupts and downloads the OS, however, the surveillance team briefly spots her and attacks. She fends them off and completes her mission.
In Mexico, Vaughn and Lauren stop for a boy who has apparently been struck by a car--but as they approach, he gets up and pedals away. Well-armed mercenaries approach and take the pair into custody. One of them reports back to his contact who tells him that their payment will be in the confessional of a certain church, as arranged. The voice is clearly Jack’s. At the jail, Jack transfers a large bribe into the hands of the policeman and is left alone with Javier. He slowly approaches Javier’s cell.
When Lauren and Vaughn finally arrive at the jail, they discover that Javier has apparently hung himself. The policeman tells them that no one has visited.
On their way back from the mission, Sydney hands Sloane the corrupted chip as he reflects how often she must have done that on missions he assigned her. Sloane gives Sydney an envelope sent to him in her handwriting--apparently by Julia. Inside is a small envelope for Sydney containing a key and a numeric cipher.
When Vaughn returns from Mexico, he confronts Jack about their abduction and Javier’s murder. He knows who’s behind it. Jack stonewalls, knowing Vaughn hasn’t a shred of proof. Frustrated, Vaughn grabs Jack and threatens to kill him if he endangers Lauren again. Jack simply says, “And perhaps you finally understand the moral compromises you make when someone you love is in danger,” and pushes Vaughn off.
Meanwhile, in the parking garage, Lauren can’t start her car. It’s Sark, of course, bearing the news he meant Javier to pass along for him: the goods on Sydney. He leaves her sitting on a bomb.
Sydney’s having a repeat of her nightmare when Jack’s call spares her the icky tube part (isn’t that nice of him?). He’s solved the cipher included with the key. The cipher is also in Sydney’s handwriting, but she doesn’t recognize it. Jack does, however. It’s a cipher of Irina’s devising, one that she taught him during the year that they worked together. The message turns out to be an address in Rome, an apartment purchased about a year ago.
Vaughn rushes to the parking garage and hugs Lauren in relief. Lauren spills the news, that Julia Thorne and Sydney Bristow are one and the same--and watches Vaughn’s face. It’s obvious that this is not news to him. He tells her that he was ordered to keep the secret, but she’s angry that he kept it from her, his wife. Vaughn argues that the NSC will force Sydney to undergo neuro-stimulation, but Lauren insists that the NSC would never force such a procedure on a US citizen. Vaughn realizes that Lauren already reported the facts to her superiors and runs.
He calls Sydney as she deplanes and takes her to another plane he has ready. She decides to go to Rome. They say their tearful farewells and hug goodbye.
Dixon asks Vaughn where Sydney is, but he claims not to know. Jack realizes that Vaughn has helped her temporarily evade authorities and asks how far he would be willing to go to assist Sydney.
Meanwhile Lauren accompanies Dixon into his office and informs him that the NSC is taking over and Lindsey will arrive to assume control. The CIA office is under lockdown.
In Rome, Sydney checks out Julia’s apartment. As she lies down on the bed, she hears the flapping of wings and looks up through the skylight--at the stone angel from her dreams--atop a church. As splashes some water on her face and looks through the medicine cabinet, authorities break in and take her into custody.
Analysis . . .
This whole firestorm is set into motion by Sark, who has decided it’s time for Sydney to pay--for the injuries she inflicted on Allison (never mind that they were in self-defense) and the assassination of Lazarey, his father. After setting up Javier to pass on the information doesn’t work, he gives it to Lauren in person.
For Vaughn, trusting Lauren to do the right thing with respect to Sydney is a no-brainer. For Jack, it’s also a no-brainer--as in you’d have to lack a brain to assume that Lauren, an insecure ambitious woman, would automatically go against the organization that she works for, trusts in, and respects, to protect a woman she barely knows, who poses a threat to her marriage, and against whom there exists strong evidence of criminal activity. Jack once again sees Vaughn as naïve--and he’s exactly right. Lauren not only reports Sydney, but sees Vaughn’s withholding his knowledge of the facts from her--even under orders--as a personal betrayal of their commitment as husband and wife. Vaughn tells Jack that he knows Lauren better than Jack does and Jack responds “I would hope so,” but it turns out that Jack has a better handle on the situation, doesn’t it? Vaughn is looking through the eyes of who he wants his wife to be, not who she is. Jack has had the sad experience of finding out who his own wife is and realizing that his hopes for her and the reality of her are two very different things.
Moving on. Vaughn still doesn’t get it, does he? Even after all this time? After all of the morally questionable things that he’s seen Jack do for Sydney’s sake. Perhaps he just writes it off, thinking to himself that Jack’s just that kind of guy. He’s immoral. He cuts corners. Even after Sydney all but assassinated Sloane for his sake. But that was so easy to forget, wasn’t it? After Sark’s miraculous presto-chango, Sloane turned up alive and Vaughn could forget all about Sydney’s moral sacrifice. He still doesn’t get it. Until--maybe--until--he threatened to kill Jack--ironically enough--for Lauren’s sake. “And perhaps you finally understand the moral compromises you make when someone you love is in danger.” Point made. You’d think that by now it would have gotten across. All of the bending of the rules, all of the moral compromises Jack has made were for Sydney’s sake--not his own. They weren’t done because Jack enjoys doing things that way, or they were the easy way, but because Jack felt that he was pushed to the wall and they were the only way left to him. Jack pushes Vaughn away and Vaughn is left with no answer.
But when Lauren puts Sydney in danger, Vaughn remembers that Lauren isn’t the only person he cares about. If Sydney undergoes this procedure, she’ll end up as good as dead, won’t she? He does all he can, which is run to Sydney’s defense. He wants to kiss her goodbye, but balance that against the fact that he just threatened to kill Jack over what was--let’s face it--a comparatively mild threat to Lauren. The man is conflicted over affection for two women--yes, perhaps he loves Sydney better, but he’s married to Lauren, and he needs to make a choice. He can’t just tell himself he loves Lauren, stay married to her, and string Sydney along with a bunch of mixed signals. That’s Alice, only a thousand times worse because he’s made a formal commitment to Lauren and stringing Sydney along--or Lauren--at this point would simply be reprehensible. So he doesn’t want to hurt anyone. Someone’s going to be hurt whether he wants her to be or not. They’re both hurting already. Sorry about that.
Sloane is still working away on Sydney. The shoe really is on the other foot, isn’t it? He doesn’t like the Covenant using his organization as it pleases, sending him out on missions as it chooses. No doubt he returns a corrupted OS to them with a certain satisfaction, but the thought that Sydney so often subverted his own operation in similar fashion can only fill him with a sense of acute irony. But he got to handle the diplomatic end of the mission and leave the technical, sweaty end of it to Sydney. Plus--a dance with Sydney! Who could ask for more?
Ah, the message and code! The message clearly indicates that Julia knew about Sydney, even if Sydney knew nothing about Julia. This means that Julia also knowingly withheld knowledge of her existence from her father. Her sending of the encoded message to Sloane for Sydney indicates that she planned her retransformation into Sydney. That it was sent to Sloane means relatively little; she could not send it to Jack because he was in prison--no doubt his mail was being watched. She could feel confident that Sloane would not be able to decipher the message. In fact, that was probably why Sydney did not get the key until this moment: Sloane wanted to have a chance to decipher the message himself and figure out Sydney’s/Julia’s (and thereby, perhaps, Irina’s) game--perhaps even before she did.
Speaking of Irina . . . Irina taught this code to both Julia and Jack. The question is, did Julia use this code at this time as Irina’s agent? Or did she transfer this to herself as Sydney independently? This makes a great deal of difference in how “helpful” Irina is being. Obviously, because Sydney didn’t recognize the cipher but Julia used it, we can only assume that Irina taught her the cipher in her Julia persona. Could it have been someone else that Irina taught the cipher to (it was a cipher of her invention)? Maybe, but I doubt that she spreads it around widely--that would defeat the purpose.
Therefore, we can only draw the conclusion that Irina knew that Sydney was alive during the two-year period. However, when Jack told her that Sydney was alive, she pretended to be surprised. Did she know that Sydney was alive before Jack did? As I have theorized, I can only reiterate that it is very likely.
However, the fact that Irina taught the cipher to both Julia and Jack is a connecting thread that she knowingly placed through the three of them. If there’s any hope that she’s trying to extricate her daughter from a dangerous situation, that would be it. However, past experience leads us to take note that if there’s a dangerous situation on the landscape, Irina is more likely a formative cause than caught up in it somewhere. She is not above using her daughter to her own ends, but she also does not want to cause her daughter’s death. Perhaps she is treading both sides of this equation. Meanwhile, I can’t see her sending the message “Your daughter is alive. She is an assassin. Do nothing. The situation is too dangerous.” (Like that would work.) I see it as far more likely that Irina would set Jack’s imprisonment up to make sure that he could do nothing, perhaps somehow knowing that he found out. Or is this cipher-connection merely part of her plan? A way of transferring this valuable secret that Julia holds from the Covenant to the protection of the CIA. Does she intend that Sydney become Julia again now that she’s protected by the CIA? White king, red queen, white queen/red queen--Jack, Irina, Sydney/Julia (the pawn transformed into queen) . . .
No matter how you slice it, though, it’s clear that Irina knew that Sydney was alive but did not reveal that fact to Jack--or certainly that she found out. That she feigned surprise indicates that she probably knew earlier rather than later. Jack does not seem at all surprised by this turn of events, so this is probably what he expected to find out ever since he discovered that Sydney was alive. No doubt once he picked up the video Jack couldn’t picture any better than I could how Irina could fail to turn up a lead with her contacts. Irina’s cooperation is much more reliable in the event of Sydney’s death than her survival.
Setting the enigmatic Irina aside, what do we know about Julia? There is an important 1-year-ago period in her life. This is when the Lazarey assassination, the rental of KNG Microtech offices in London, the purchase of the Rome apartment, and Jack’s imprisonment all happened. It’s hard to believe that all of this activity is purely coincidental. She had some interaction with an elite group of thieves headed by Simon Walker--why? She’s an assassin, not a thief. She crossed paths with Irina--certainly long enough to learn that cipher. She’s aware of Sydney, and by extension the facts of Sydney’s life. Did she not care about that life? Her father? Vaughn? She was apparently tortured extensively by that Covenant doctor (You were my favorite). The med bottle is apparently some type of antibiotic (perhaps for that wound/scar?). But who she really is, what the Covenant wanted with her, and what her own plans were are currently as much a cipher as those numbers that appeared with her key.
Random thoughts . . .
What do you want to bet that Jack and Vaughn have already left the building? I don’t think the lockdown is going to find them locked down. Lindsey’s going to be sooo disappointed when he discovers he’s missed his old friend!
You think Jack wanted Javier to get a good look at him as he moved in? Remember, Javier knew exactly who he was. Trade info on my daughter, will you?
At last Sydney sees what neuro-stimulation really does! Not only does Jack want to prevent Sydney from undergoing it, but Vaughn, the CIA psychiatrist (death is an option) and Sydney herself now do too! Thank you and goodnight.
Those who decided that Sydney and Sark must fall into each other’s arms simply because they are both attractive people can now take a break. It ain’t gonna happen any time soon, folks. And this ain’t Buffy the Vampire Slayer, either. Sark ain’t Spike, he isn’t the romanticist Spike is, and Sydney isn’t--and isn’t likely to fall into--the same type of deep clinical depression that Buffy was in.
Speaking of Sark--where is his head? I thought he believed in self-preservation. His fingerprints are all over this and he must know that Jack will be ready to hunt him down and put him down like the rabid mongrel he is. He'd better hope Sydney survives with her mind intact! Just to give Jack some distraction.
I was kind of disappointed when Sydney didn’t get to go to Rome with Jack. It’s been so long since they’ve gotten to do something together . . . He’s a good lone wolf, but Bristow & Bristow are dynamite.
I had an additional thought, as I often do . . . what if Julia and any conspirators she had anticipated that the NSC would close in upon Sydney and knows that (and I'm making an assumption here, partially based on the title of episode 3:09) the neuro-stimulation process would bring about the re-emergence of the Julia personality in Sydney? Through means of a "breaking point," as it were? Was the Covenant doctor that Sydney killed involved in her transformation (not just torture)?
Discuss . . .
The tight hugs with Lauren; the near kiss with Sydney: do you agree that Vaughn is conflicted?
Do you think it’s natural for Lauren to feel betrayed? Do you think from a professional viewpoint, however, she should understand? What about the NSC? Do you understand their actions from the perspective of national security, or do you think it’s an overreaction based on interagency rivalry and Lindsey’s personal hatred of the Bristows?
What kind of “moral compromises” would you make for someone that you loved?
Why do you think Sloane didn’t pass along the key earlier? Do you think he wanted to try cracking the cipher himself? Do you think he succeeded?
Do you think Irina was involved in Sydney’s disappearance? In the creation of the Julia persona? In Sydney’s reappearance? All, or just some of these things?
Do you think Irina kept the fact of Sydney’s survival from Jack before he was imprisoned? Why do you think she lied about knowing about it after Jack told her Sydney was alive? And do you think Irina may have been behind Jack’s imprisonment?
Do you think Irina taught Jack her cipher so that Julia could use it to connect to Sydney? Do you think she means for Sydney to “become Julia” again? Do you see Julia as Irina’s agent?
Some speculate that Sloane and Irina are both involved in Sydney's disappearance. What do you think?
Next:
Jack initiates Operation Bristow! Always a good thing.
Oh yes . . . folks, because of Thanksgiving vacation, the next column will be delayed, probably by about a week. Sorry about that!
Modifications:
1) Random thought about neuro-stimulation.
2) Delay of next column
3) Random thought about the possible re-emergence of Julia via the neuro-stimulation procedure
Sydney’s nightmare begins with flashes of color and sound--shapes of doves or pigeons and the distorted ringing of churchbells. Finally, a stone angel seems to flap its wings and fall upon her. She seems to wake in a locked lab, where she finds that the scar on her abdomen has reopened into a large wound from which she pulls yards of bloody tubing. At last she truly wakes--screaming and crying.
She’s had enough and shows up at the CIA psychiatrist’s office--but not to talk about group sessions. She wants to know about the dangerous procedure that she and Jack have been arguing about: neuro-stimulation. The psychiatrist agrees with Jack, however, that he would “consider death as an option before this procedure.” He shows Sydney Kenneth Blake, a CIA agent who was lost until he was recovered in South Korea. Blake volunteered for the procedure and they learned that he went through intense and prolonged torture. Blake was left with severe brain damage, yet the NSC considers him a “successful test case.”
In Mexico, the police capture Simon Walker’s confederate Javier. Javier offers intel regarding Sydney/Julia as a bartering chip.
In LA, Dixon shuts down the office for the entry of a sensitive operative: Sloane. It turns out that the Covenant has grown tired of simply using Sloane’s organization as a cover for their activities and assigned him an operation: to steal the OS for a Chinese satellite-based maser capable of committing assassinations. Sloane insists that Sydney be assigned if they want him to continue as a double agent--he wants the best. Jack objects, but Sydney overrides him, pointing out that their objectives are in line. If they are caught, they share the same fate--and if Sloane betrays her, she has the pleasure of killing him.
After the meeting, Jack pulls Vaughn aside, having gotten wind of Javier’s arrest. He suggests that Vaughn make an excuse to have Vaughn and Lauren beg off the case on the basis of conflict of interest. Vaughn objects to the interference and pushes Lauren as their best chance of keeping the NSC off their backs. Jack, however, is anything but confident of that possibility.
Marshall shows Sydney the op tech for her mission, including a special remote-controlled miniature car to disable the surveillance system and a cell phone to corrupt and copy the OS.
Sydney and Sloane attend the party in Beijing, where their host is convinced that they are having an affair. While Sloane chats with their host, Sydney releases the car and alerts Marshall. As Marshall works with Dixon looking over his shoulder, Sloane insists that they dance considering their host’s attention on them. Once Marshall disables the surveillance, they stage a quarrel so that Sydney can slip away for the rest of her mission. As she corrupts and downloads the OS, however, the surveillance team briefly spots her and attacks. She fends them off and completes her mission.
In Mexico, Vaughn and Lauren stop for a boy who has apparently been struck by a car--but as they approach, he gets up and pedals away. Well-armed mercenaries approach and take the pair into custody. One of them reports back to his contact who tells him that their payment will be in the confessional of a certain church, as arranged. The voice is clearly Jack’s. At the jail, Jack transfers a large bribe into the hands of the policeman and is left alone with Javier. He slowly approaches Javier’s cell.
When Lauren and Vaughn finally arrive at the jail, they discover that Javier has apparently hung himself. The policeman tells them that no one has visited.
On their way back from the mission, Sydney hands Sloane the corrupted chip as he reflects how often she must have done that on missions he assigned her. Sloane gives Sydney an envelope sent to him in her handwriting--apparently by Julia. Inside is a small envelope for Sydney containing a key and a numeric cipher.
When Vaughn returns from Mexico, he confronts Jack about their abduction and Javier’s murder. He knows who’s behind it. Jack stonewalls, knowing Vaughn hasn’t a shred of proof. Frustrated, Vaughn grabs Jack and threatens to kill him if he endangers Lauren again. Jack simply says, “And perhaps you finally understand the moral compromises you make when someone you love is in danger,” and pushes Vaughn off.
Meanwhile, in the parking garage, Lauren can’t start her car. It’s Sark, of course, bearing the news he meant Javier to pass along for him: the goods on Sydney. He leaves her sitting on a bomb.
Sydney’s having a repeat of her nightmare when Jack’s call spares her the icky tube part (isn’t that nice of him?). He’s solved the cipher included with the key. The cipher is also in Sydney’s handwriting, but she doesn’t recognize it. Jack does, however. It’s a cipher of Irina’s devising, one that she taught him during the year that they worked together. The message turns out to be an address in Rome, an apartment purchased about a year ago.
Vaughn rushes to the parking garage and hugs Lauren in relief. Lauren spills the news, that Julia Thorne and Sydney Bristow are one and the same--and watches Vaughn’s face. It’s obvious that this is not news to him. He tells her that he was ordered to keep the secret, but she’s angry that he kept it from her, his wife. Vaughn argues that the NSC will force Sydney to undergo neuro-stimulation, but Lauren insists that the NSC would never force such a procedure on a US citizen. Vaughn realizes that Lauren already reported the facts to her superiors and runs.
He calls Sydney as she deplanes and takes her to another plane he has ready. She decides to go to Rome. They say their tearful farewells and hug goodbye.
Dixon asks Vaughn where Sydney is, but he claims not to know. Jack realizes that Vaughn has helped her temporarily evade authorities and asks how far he would be willing to go to assist Sydney.
Meanwhile Lauren accompanies Dixon into his office and informs him that the NSC is taking over and Lindsey will arrive to assume control. The CIA office is under lockdown.
In Rome, Sydney checks out Julia’s apartment. As she lies down on the bed, she hears the flapping of wings and looks up through the skylight--at the stone angel from her dreams--atop a church. As splashes some water on her face and looks through the medicine cabinet, authorities break in and take her into custody.
Analysis . . .
This whole firestorm is set into motion by Sark, who has decided it’s time for Sydney to pay--for the injuries she inflicted on Allison (never mind that they were in self-defense) and the assassination of Lazarey, his father. After setting up Javier to pass on the information doesn’t work, he gives it to Lauren in person.
For Vaughn, trusting Lauren to do the right thing with respect to Sydney is a no-brainer. For Jack, it’s also a no-brainer--as in you’d have to lack a brain to assume that Lauren, an insecure ambitious woman, would automatically go against the organization that she works for, trusts in, and respects, to protect a woman she barely knows, who poses a threat to her marriage, and against whom there exists strong evidence of criminal activity. Jack once again sees Vaughn as naïve--and he’s exactly right. Lauren not only reports Sydney, but sees Vaughn’s withholding his knowledge of the facts from her--even under orders--as a personal betrayal of their commitment as husband and wife. Vaughn tells Jack that he knows Lauren better than Jack does and Jack responds “I would hope so,” but it turns out that Jack has a better handle on the situation, doesn’t it? Vaughn is looking through the eyes of who he wants his wife to be, not who she is. Jack has had the sad experience of finding out who his own wife is and realizing that his hopes for her and the reality of her are two very different things.
Moving on. Vaughn still doesn’t get it, does he? Even after all this time? After all of the morally questionable things that he’s seen Jack do for Sydney’s sake. Perhaps he just writes it off, thinking to himself that Jack’s just that kind of guy. He’s immoral. He cuts corners. Even after Sydney all but assassinated Sloane for his sake. But that was so easy to forget, wasn’t it? After Sark’s miraculous presto-chango, Sloane turned up alive and Vaughn could forget all about Sydney’s moral sacrifice. He still doesn’t get it. Until--maybe--until--he threatened to kill Jack--ironically enough--for Lauren’s sake. “And perhaps you finally understand the moral compromises you make when someone you love is in danger.” Point made. You’d think that by now it would have gotten across. All of the bending of the rules, all of the moral compromises Jack has made were for Sydney’s sake--not his own. They weren’t done because Jack enjoys doing things that way, or they were the easy way, but because Jack felt that he was pushed to the wall and they were the only way left to him. Jack pushes Vaughn away and Vaughn is left with no answer.
But when Lauren puts Sydney in danger, Vaughn remembers that Lauren isn’t the only person he cares about. If Sydney undergoes this procedure, she’ll end up as good as dead, won’t she? He does all he can, which is run to Sydney’s defense. He wants to kiss her goodbye, but balance that against the fact that he just threatened to kill Jack over what was--let’s face it--a comparatively mild threat to Lauren. The man is conflicted over affection for two women--yes, perhaps he loves Sydney better, but he’s married to Lauren, and he needs to make a choice. He can’t just tell himself he loves Lauren, stay married to her, and string Sydney along with a bunch of mixed signals. That’s Alice, only a thousand times worse because he’s made a formal commitment to Lauren and stringing Sydney along--or Lauren--at this point would simply be reprehensible. So he doesn’t want to hurt anyone. Someone’s going to be hurt whether he wants her to be or not. They’re both hurting already. Sorry about that.
Sloane is still working away on Sydney. The shoe really is on the other foot, isn’t it? He doesn’t like the Covenant using his organization as it pleases, sending him out on missions as it chooses. No doubt he returns a corrupted OS to them with a certain satisfaction, but the thought that Sydney so often subverted his own operation in similar fashion can only fill him with a sense of acute irony. But he got to handle the diplomatic end of the mission and leave the technical, sweaty end of it to Sydney. Plus--a dance with Sydney! Who could ask for more?
Ah, the message and code! The message clearly indicates that Julia knew about Sydney, even if Sydney knew nothing about Julia. This means that Julia also knowingly withheld knowledge of her existence from her father. Her sending of the encoded message to Sloane for Sydney indicates that she planned her retransformation into Sydney. That it was sent to Sloane means relatively little; she could not send it to Jack because he was in prison--no doubt his mail was being watched. She could feel confident that Sloane would not be able to decipher the message. In fact, that was probably why Sydney did not get the key until this moment: Sloane wanted to have a chance to decipher the message himself and figure out Sydney’s/Julia’s (and thereby, perhaps, Irina’s) game--perhaps even before she did.
Speaking of Irina . . . Irina taught this code to both Julia and Jack. The question is, did Julia use this code at this time as Irina’s agent? Or did she transfer this to herself as Sydney independently? This makes a great deal of difference in how “helpful” Irina is being. Obviously, because Sydney didn’t recognize the cipher but Julia used it, we can only assume that Irina taught her the cipher in her Julia persona. Could it have been someone else that Irina taught the cipher to (it was a cipher of her invention)? Maybe, but I doubt that she spreads it around widely--that would defeat the purpose.
Therefore, we can only draw the conclusion that Irina knew that Sydney was alive during the two-year period. However, when Jack told her that Sydney was alive, she pretended to be surprised. Did she know that Sydney was alive before Jack did? As I have theorized, I can only reiterate that it is very likely.
However, the fact that Irina taught the cipher to both Julia and Jack is a connecting thread that she knowingly placed through the three of them. If there’s any hope that she’s trying to extricate her daughter from a dangerous situation, that would be it. However, past experience leads us to take note that if there’s a dangerous situation on the landscape, Irina is more likely a formative cause than caught up in it somewhere. She is not above using her daughter to her own ends, but she also does not want to cause her daughter’s death. Perhaps she is treading both sides of this equation. Meanwhile, I can’t see her sending the message “Your daughter is alive. She is an assassin. Do nothing. The situation is too dangerous.” (Like that would work.) I see it as far more likely that Irina would set Jack’s imprisonment up to make sure that he could do nothing, perhaps somehow knowing that he found out. Or is this cipher-connection merely part of her plan? A way of transferring this valuable secret that Julia holds from the Covenant to the protection of the CIA. Does she intend that Sydney become Julia again now that she’s protected by the CIA? White king, red queen, white queen/red queen--Jack, Irina, Sydney/Julia (the pawn transformed into queen) . . .
No matter how you slice it, though, it’s clear that Irina knew that Sydney was alive but did not reveal that fact to Jack--or certainly that she found out. That she feigned surprise indicates that she probably knew earlier rather than later. Jack does not seem at all surprised by this turn of events, so this is probably what he expected to find out ever since he discovered that Sydney was alive. No doubt once he picked up the video Jack couldn’t picture any better than I could how Irina could fail to turn up a lead with her contacts. Irina’s cooperation is much more reliable in the event of Sydney’s death than her survival.
Setting the enigmatic Irina aside, what do we know about Julia? There is an important 1-year-ago period in her life. This is when the Lazarey assassination, the rental of KNG Microtech offices in London, the purchase of the Rome apartment, and Jack’s imprisonment all happened. It’s hard to believe that all of this activity is purely coincidental. She had some interaction with an elite group of thieves headed by Simon Walker--why? She’s an assassin, not a thief. She crossed paths with Irina--certainly long enough to learn that cipher. She’s aware of Sydney, and by extension the facts of Sydney’s life. Did she not care about that life? Her father? Vaughn? She was apparently tortured extensively by that Covenant doctor (You were my favorite). The med bottle is apparently some type of antibiotic (perhaps for that wound/scar?). But who she really is, what the Covenant wanted with her, and what her own plans were are currently as much a cipher as those numbers that appeared with her key.
Random thoughts . . .
What do you want to bet that Jack and Vaughn have already left the building? I don’t think the lockdown is going to find them locked down. Lindsey’s going to be sooo disappointed when he discovers he’s missed his old friend!
You think Jack wanted Javier to get a good look at him as he moved in? Remember, Javier knew exactly who he was. Trade info on my daughter, will you?
At last Sydney sees what neuro-stimulation really does! Not only does Jack want to prevent Sydney from undergoing it, but Vaughn, the CIA psychiatrist (death is an option) and Sydney herself now do too! Thank you and goodnight.
Those who decided that Sydney and Sark must fall into each other’s arms simply because they are both attractive people can now take a break. It ain’t gonna happen any time soon, folks. And this ain’t Buffy the Vampire Slayer, either. Sark ain’t Spike, he isn’t the romanticist Spike is, and Sydney isn’t--and isn’t likely to fall into--the same type of deep clinical depression that Buffy was in.
Speaking of Sark--where is his head? I thought he believed in self-preservation. His fingerprints are all over this and he must know that Jack will be ready to hunt him down and put him down like the rabid mongrel he is. He'd better hope Sydney survives with her mind intact! Just to give Jack some distraction.
I was kind of disappointed when Sydney didn’t get to go to Rome with Jack. It’s been so long since they’ve gotten to do something together . . . He’s a good lone wolf, but Bristow & Bristow are dynamite.
I had an additional thought, as I often do . . . what if Julia and any conspirators she had anticipated that the NSC would close in upon Sydney and knows that (and I'm making an assumption here, partially based on the title of episode 3:09) the neuro-stimulation process would bring about the re-emergence of the Julia personality in Sydney? Through means of a "breaking point," as it were? Was the Covenant doctor that Sydney killed involved in her transformation (not just torture)?
Discuss . . .
The tight hugs with Lauren; the near kiss with Sydney: do you agree that Vaughn is conflicted?
Do you think it’s natural for Lauren to feel betrayed? Do you think from a professional viewpoint, however, she should understand? What about the NSC? Do you understand their actions from the perspective of national security, or do you think it’s an overreaction based on interagency rivalry and Lindsey’s personal hatred of the Bristows?
What kind of “moral compromises” would you make for someone that you loved?
Why do you think Sloane didn’t pass along the key earlier? Do you think he wanted to try cracking the cipher himself? Do you think he succeeded?
Do you think Irina was involved in Sydney’s disappearance? In the creation of the Julia persona? In Sydney’s reappearance? All, or just some of these things?
Do you think Irina kept the fact of Sydney’s survival from Jack before he was imprisoned? Why do you think she lied about knowing about it after Jack told her Sydney was alive? And do you think Irina may have been behind Jack’s imprisonment?
Do you think Irina taught Jack her cipher so that Julia could use it to connect to Sydney? Do you think she means for Sydney to “become Julia” again? Do you see Julia as Irina’s agent?
Some speculate that Sloane and Irina are both involved in Sydney's disappearance. What do you think?
Next:
Jack initiates Operation Bristow! Always a good thing.
Oh yes . . . folks, because of Thanksgiving vacation, the next column will be delayed, probably by about a week. Sorry about that!
Modifications:
1) Random thought about neuro-stimulation.
2) Delay of next column
3) Random thought about the possible re-emergence of Julia via the neuro-stimulation procedure