V
verdantheart
Guest
[Sorry for the lateness of this column . . . It's been one of those weeks . . .]
I just want the ghosts to go away.
Tell me about it.
~ Sydney and Vaughn
Among echoes we hear in “Echoes” (4.08) are the reverberations of the names of Rambaldi, Irina, Anna Espinosa, the Covenant, Lauren, and Sark.
We begin as Sydney and Nadia discuss Weiss. Nadia mentions how sweet and funny he is, but Sydney worries that Nadia might break his heart. They’re interrupted by a call from the office. Meanwhile, at the office, Vaughn and Weiss are discussing Nadia. Vaughn advises Weiss to “take it slow” thinking that Weiss was “weird” when another relationship ended and Weiss worked it out by building ships in bottles for months.
Jack and Sloane have been in Sloane’s office all morning and emerge portentously. Sloane announces that his agreement precludes his working on cases that deal with certain agents; therefore, he must recuse himself from this case. Jack is taking over for the duration. Anna Espinosa, once assumed dead, is the agent in question. She is to appear for a dead drop in Brussels in 36 hours and the team is assigned to surveillance.
Nadia, however, upon the information that Anna is a Follower of Rambaldi, excuses herself and Sydney takes her out to lunch to discuss it. Nadia tells her about hallucinations induced by the GRE (green Rambaldi elixir)--one in particular. She and Sydney pointing guns at each other. Nadia shoots Sydney--and Sydney looks as though she expected it. Sydney starts to tell her about the prophecy, but is interrupted by a phone call. It’s Anna, who has called her away from the table long enough to abduct Nadia. She has friends in high places with laser-equipped weapons pointed at Sydney, too--plus an assignment for Sydney.
Sydney reports what’s happened to Jack. They scrap the mission and reframe it. Sydney will go in Anna’s place and pick up the package.
In Brussels, Sydney meets Anna’s contact. He wants the assassination of Wilhelm Karg in exchange for the package. In exchange for the usual proof (the index finger and a convincing picture), he’ll fork it over. But there is a 40-minute time limit.
Sydney quickly transforms herself into a call girl and presents herself as a present for Mr Karg, who eagerly falls into the trap and less eagerly gives up his index finger. Meanwhile, Anna brands Nadia with the <o> symbol of the Followers of Rambaldi.
Sydney delivers the index finger to Anna’s contact and receives the “last remaining sample” of--whatever it is--which turns out to be a phosphorus-based putty, according to Marshall. It’s harmless on its own, but when mixed with certain neurotoxins: “booyaka!” Marshall suggests that the Cadmus Revolutionary Front (CRF), an offshoot of the Covenant, might be interested in it for the creation of a chemical bomb. Their link . . . Sark.
Sydney discusses things with Jack. She wants to turn the sample over. Sloane enters and says that it’s an unnecessary risk because Anna won’t kill Nadia because that’s not Nadia’s destiny. Sydney isn’t buying, however, and talks Jack into doing things her way.
Sydney exchanges the sample for Nadia, but not without the usual pleasantries--that is, a knock-down-drag-out. She goes to the parking garage and frees Nadia from a car trunk.
Meanwhile, Vaughn visits Sark in Federal prison. They come to no agreement--other than sending Sark to a darker hole for solitary confinement. Vaughn emerges to report to Jack that the meeting went as expected. Jack says that they’ll send in the surgical team that night.
Nadia arrives back at APO to be greeted by Weiss and Sloane. As Dr Jain looks her over, Nadia tells Sydney that Anna told her that they’d be torn apart. Sydney tells Nadia that she had come across an audio tape of her mother reporting to a contact in Hamburg, explaining the symbolic meaning of the <o> symbol. The brackets represent her two daughters and the circle represents the object that they are to “do great battle over.” According to Rambaldi only one of the daughters will survive. Nadia asks Sydney if she believes the prophecy, and she responds that she doesn’t but that those who do are dangerous--and that many of Rambaldi’s prophecies have come true.
That night, Sark is gassed and injected with tracker. It is supposedly undetectable and is also equipped with an explosive. During the transfer, the van rolls and Sark is broken out.
Intelligence comes in regarding a meet that Anna has scheduled in Estonia. Sydney remarks that Anna never checked the sample, but Jack shrugs it off, saying that Marshall wouldn’t have been able to produce a good fake in time anyway.
Sloane warns Sydney against pursuing Anna together with Nadia, saying that if Anna has her way only one of the two sisters will return alive.
Vaughn and Dixon are dispatched to Johannesburg to crack down on CRF headquarters, while Sydney and Nadia head to Estonia to watch Anna’s meet. In Johannesburg, Vaughn and his team find Sark alone with a bottle of Champagne. He proposes a deal.
In Estonia, Sydney and Nadia watch as Anna’s contact appears. Anna pops up and strangles the man, but before they can intervene, Karg pulls a gun on them. As Nadia fights him, Sydney pursues Anna. Karg pulls a knife and slashes Nadia, but ends up impaled on his own weapon. Sydney catches up with Anna and they trade shots. Nadia asks why the CRF wants to make the bomb and Karg whispers something in her ear. She runs to help Sydney. Sydney sees a shadow; she and Nadia face each other, guns ready. As they relax a little, Anna shoots Nadia from behind and runs away. A shocked Sydney holds her sister, begging her to stay with her . . .
Analysis . . .
Sark is willing to make a deal, but he’d rather take Vaughn on a wild goose chase first. He asks Vaughn whether it was the “infidelity or the espionage that motivated you to kill the woman I loved,” but can we take him at his word? He goes on to say, “She once actually told me that she longed to love you, but the mundane existence you provided couldn’t hold a candle to my passion.” Vaughn belts Sark one after this, but claims, “That wasn’t for sleeping with the woman I was married to--I couldn’t care less about her.”
Well, well. Vaughn admitted to a complete stranger (and in front of a woman we know he loves), that he loved Lauren and he didn’t back down from that statement to Sydney, so, really, can we say that this is anything but a hollow attempt by Vaughn to prop up his bruised ego? Meanwhile, Sark, who is unable to strike Vaughn, is not weaponless. Even if Sark has doubts about Vaughn’s feelings for Lauren, he must know that establishing any doubt in Vaughn’s mind about Lauren’s preference for Sark over Vaughn has got to hurt. One has to wonder if Sark is simply playing with Vaughn’s mind by claiming to have been in love with Lauren, or if this is a truthful admission. If it is truthful, why confide in Vaughn, of all people? Why hand Vaughn a weapon to use against him at some future date? That alone sets my teeth on edge and gives it a loud clang of falsehood.
Further, was the runaround simply about “the bubbly,” as Sark would have Vaughn believe? Hardly. It was about showing up the CIA--and more specifically Vaughn. What could be more fun than showing that he was in control all along--that they need something from him, so they’d better come through? That he can control some things, even from behind bars--when given the opportunity? And he wants to show Vaughn that he can out-smart, out-fight, and just plain out-agent him any day, any time. Don’t think so? Well, let’s put it down to this: he wants a better bargaining position. This gives him one.
Anna brands Nadia with the symbol of the Followers of Rambaldi, telling her that, “One day, whether you want to or not, you will help me destroy [Sydney].” Anna and Sydney have long been rivals, but Anna’s eagerness to destroy Sydney is interesting. Why is it this personal? Of course, it seems pretty personal with Sydney as well, doesn’t it?
OK, on to Sloane. There are certain agents that are on his no-no list, and Anna Espinosa is one of them. Hm, why is that? Is it because she is a Follower of Rambaldi? She wasn’t in one of his organizations--as far as we know . . . (And who else, dead and alive, are on that short list?) OK, questions, but no good answers.
Now that we have Rambaldi in our sights, let’s get to Nadia’s vision . . . apparently while her hand was busy automatically writing--and she was somehow simultaneously decoding all of this writing in her head (!)--she was also having a series of hallucinations! Talk about multitasking! She doesn’t remember them well, except for one: “This one vision . . . it felt so real. . . . We were both together, scared and upset, holding guns, aimed at each other. And I remember my hands were shaking. And I pulled the trigger. Blood was pouring down your chest. I wanted to say I was sorry, but you just looked at me as if you’d been expecting it, as if you knew all along--knew I was going to kill you. I know I must wound insane.”
Sydney eventually gets the chance to give Nadia the information about Irina’s explanation of the <o> symbol, that it represents her two daughters doing “great battle” over some mysterious central “object” and that “according to Rambaldi only one of the daughters will survive.”
So it comes down to a question of belief. Nadia asks Sydney what she thinks, and Sydney claims that she doesn’t believe the prophecies of that “15th-century lunatic.” On her own part, Sydney confronts Sloane, “From where I’m standing, it was your madman obsession in Rambaldi that dragged me and Nadia into this endless pit of confusion. So, given that, let me ask you. What is it you believe?”
He replies, “I believe that if the two of you go out on this mission and Anna Espinosa has her way, only one of you will return alive.”
Why does Sloane believe this--or does he? Certainly this seems to be close to the way things are turning out. Is Anna right on top of this object that they’re supposed to be fighting over? Or is it that Anna got a mirror of the moment Nadia described . . . is that what Sloane was thinking of? An opportunity to “push fate”? (Now, that seems like a bit of a stretch . . .)
Jack is not asked this question, nor does he offer his opinion. However, he sends Sydney and Nadia to Estonia without hesitation. Is this his answer? And if so, what, exactly, is he saying?
Random thoughts . . .
Let’s see . . . Rambaldi . . . Irina . . . Covenant . . . Sark . . . Anna . . . Lauren . . . and (drumroll, please) a for-real cliffhanger! That sound you’re hearing is the cries of “All is forgiven, Mr Abrams!” rising up to the heavens . . .
On a related note . . . what did I say?
Sorry, season 3 writers, I still don’t buy the idea that Nadia was somehow able to auto-write all of this Rambaldi felgercarb while in pain and half-delirious, alter it, and decode it all at once. And now she’s hallucinating at the same time?! Sorry. Nope. Too much. I thought it was ridiculous then and it's even more ridiculous now. You can have the automatic writing, the pain, the alterations, the delirium, and the hallucinations, but I draw the line at the in-the-head decryption! If Marshall can’t do it in his head, she can’t do it in hers--and definitely not under those circumstances. Forget it!
Discuss . . .
Both Sydney and Vaughn seem to worry about Nadia breaking Weiss’ heart. Vaughn, upset that Sydney’s “taking it slow,” tells Weiss that he should do just that. Is this what we should worry about, or is there any chance Weiss could break Nadia’s heart?
Sark tells Vaughn that he loved Lauren. Is he telling the truth or playing with Vaughn’s head? If he’s telling the truth, why would he confide in Vaughn? If not, how would this lie help him manipulate Vaughn?
Sark obviously meant to deal all along. Why the run-around? Was it really for the fun, for a better bargaining position, or to show Vaughn up? What do you think the most important reason was for Sark? Why?
Turning to Vaughn. He tells Sark that he “couldn’t care less about” Lauren, but that’s not what he said a few weeks ago--and he hasn’t amended that statement to Sydney as far as we know. He told Sark the punch wasn’t about Lauren, but didn’t say what it was for. Why did Vaughn hit Sark, and how does he feel about Lauren, anyway? Is their struggle about ego?
Any idea why Anna would be so hell-bent on “destroying” Sydney? Do you think the brand is supposed to help in ways other than to serve as a constant reminder of the FoR? Why is it so personal between Sydney and Anna?
Nadia apparently receives info about the bomb that we don't. Want to speculate? Is this bomb more than just the usual McGuffin?
Think about Vaughn/Sark and Sydney/Anna. Any comparisons or contrasts that you’d like to make?
Why do you think that Anna Espinosa would be on Sloane's "don't touch" list? Is it just the FoR thing? Or is there more behind it?
Do you think Sydney really doesn’t believe the prophecies, or she’s refusing to believe them? That is, do you think, in her heart of hearts, she believes them or not? Do you think Nadia’s getting shot will make her more or less predisposed to believe in them--or have no effect?
We know that Sloane’s a believer. Why do you think that he said he thought only one of the sisters would return from the mission--if Anna got her way? Was that what he thought, or some sort of message to Sydney? Surely you don’t think the prophecy is in play at this early stage, right? Do you think he knows more about what the CRF is after than he's sharing?
Do you think Jack’s a believer or not? In the past he has claimed not to believe, and he sent the sisters out with no problem, but I could see this signifying either way. What are your thoughts?
What about Nadia? She hasn't taken a position yet. Do you think she will be a believer or not?
Now, are you a believer? Do you believe in Rambaldi's prophesies? Come clean, now.
Next:
Sloane calls for revenge . . . and . . . hm . . . that looked like the return of the dreaded GRE . . .
I just want the ghosts to go away.
Tell me about it.
~ Sydney and Vaughn
Among echoes we hear in “Echoes” (4.08) are the reverberations of the names of Rambaldi, Irina, Anna Espinosa, the Covenant, Lauren, and Sark.
We begin as Sydney and Nadia discuss Weiss. Nadia mentions how sweet and funny he is, but Sydney worries that Nadia might break his heart. They’re interrupted by a call from the office. Meanwhile, at the office, Vaughn and Weiss are discussing Nadia. Vaughn advises Weiss to “take it slow” thinking that Weiss was “weird” when another relationship ended and Weiss worked it out by building ships in bottles for months.
Jack and Sloane have been in Sloane’s office all morning and emerge portentously. Sloane announces that his agreement precludes his working on cases that deal with certain agents; therefore, he must recuse himself from this case. Jack is taking over for the duration. Anna Espinosa, once assumed dead, is the agent in question. She is to appear for a dead drop in Brussels in 36 hours and the team is assigned to surveillance.
Nadia, however, upon the information that Anna is a Follower of Rambaldi, excuses herself and Sydney takes her out to lunch to discuss it. Nadia tells her about hallucinations induced by the GRE (green Rambaldi elixir)--one in particular. She and Sydney pointing guns at each other. Nadia shoots Sydney--and Sydney looks as though she expected it. Sydney starts to tell her about the prophecy, but is interrupted by a phone call. It’s Anna, who has called her away from the table long enough to abduct Nadia. She has friends in high places with laser-equipped weapons pointed at Sydney, too--plus an assignment for Sydney.
Sydney reports what’s happened to Jack. They scrap the mission and reframe it. Sydney will go in Anna’s place and pick up the package.
In Brussels, Sydney meets Anna’s contact. He wants the assassination of Wilhelm Karg in exchange for the package. In exchange for the usual proof (the index finger and a convincing picture), he’ll fork it over. But there is a 40-minute time limit.
Sydney quickly transforms herself into a call girl and presents herself as a present for Mr Karg, who eagerly falls into the trap and less eagerly gives up his index finger. Meanwhile, Anna brands Nadia with the <o> symbol of the Followers of Rambaldi.
Sydney delivers the index finger to Anna’s contact and receives the “last remaining sample” of--whatever it is--which turns out to be a phosphorus-based putty, according to Marshall. It’s harmless on its own, but when mixed with certain neurotoxins: “booyaka!” Marshall suggests that the Cadmus Revolutionary Front (CRF), an offshoot of the Covenant, might be interested in it for the creation of a chemical bomb. Their link . . . Sark.
Sydney discusses things with Jack. She wants to turn the sample over. Sloane enters and says that it’s an unnecessary risk because Anna won’t kill Nadia because that’s not Nadia’s destiny. Sydney isn’t buying, however, and talks Jack into doing things her way.
Sydney exchanges the sample for Nadia, but not without the usual pleasantries--that is, a knock-down-drag-out. She goes to the parking garage and frees Nadia from a car trunk.
Meanwhile, Vaughn visits Sark in Federal prison. They come to no agreement--other than sending Sark to a darker hole for solitary confinement. Vaughn emerges to report to Jack that the meeting went as expected. Jack says that they’ll send in the surgical team that night.
Nadia arrives back at APO to be greeted by Weiss and Sloane. As Dr Jain looks her over, Nadia tells Sydney that Anna told her that they’d be torn apart. Sydney tells Nadia that she had come across an audio tape of her mother reporting to a contact in Hamburg, explaining the symbolic meaning of the <o> symbol. The brackets represent her two daughters and the circle represents the object that they are to “do great battle over.” According to Rambaldi only one of the daughters will survive. Nadia asks Sydney if she believes the prophecy, and she responds that she doesn’t but that those who do are dangerous--and that many of Rambaldi’s prophecies have come true.
That night, Sark is gassed and injected with tracker. It is supposedly undetectable and is also equipped with an explosive. During the transfer, the van rolls and Sark is broken out.
Intelligence comes in regarding a meet that Anna has scheduled in Estonia. Sydney remarks that Anna never checked the sample, but Jack shrugs it off, saying that Marshall wouldn’t have been able to produce a good fake in time anyway.
Sloane warns Sydney against pursuing Anna together with Nadia, saying that if Anna has her way only one of the two sisters will return alive.
Vaughn and Dixon are dispatched to Johannesburg to crack down on CRF headquarters, while Sydney and Nadia head to Estonia to watch Anna’s meet. In Johannesburg, Vaughn and his team find Sark alone with a bottle of Champagne. He proposes a deal.
In Estonia, Sydney and Nadia watch as Anna’s contact appears. Anna pops up and strangles the man, but before they can intervene, Karg pulls a gun on them. As Nadia fights him, Sydney pursues Anna. Karg pulls a knife and slashes Nadia, but ends up impaled on his own weapon. Sydney catches up with Anna and they trade shots. Nadia asks why the CRF wants to make the bomb and Karg whispers something in her ear. She runs to help Sydney. Sydney sees a shadow; she and Nadia face each other, guns ready. As they relax a little, Anna shoots Nadia from behind and runs away. A shocked Sydney holds her sister, begging her to stay with her . . .
Analysis . . .
Sark is willing to make a deal, but he’d rather take Vaughn on a wild goose chase first. He asks Vaughn whether it was the “infidelity or the espionage that motivated you to kill the woman I loved,” but can we take him at his word? He goes on to say, “She once actually told me that she longed to love you, but the mundane existence you provided couldn’t hold a candle to my passion.” Vaughn belts Sark one after this, but claims, “That wasn’t for sleeping with the woman I was married to--I couldn’t care less about her.”
Well, well. Vaughn admitted to a complete stranger (and in front of a woman we know he loves), that he loved Lauren and he didn’t back down from that statement to Sydney, so, really, can we say that this is anything but a hollow attempt by Vaughn to prop up his bruised ego? Meanwhile, Sark, who is unable to strike Vaughn, is not weaponless. Even if Sark has doubts about Vaughn’s feelings for Lauren, he must know that establishing any doubt in Vaughn’s mind about Lauren’s preference for Sark over Vaughn has got to hurt. One has to wonder if Sark is simply playing with Vaughn’s mind by claiming to have been in love with Lauren, or if this is a truthful admission. If it is truthful, why confide in Vaughn, of all people? Why hand Vaughn a weapon to use against him at some future date? That alone sets my teeth on edge and gives it a loud clang of falsehood.
Further, was the runaround simply about “the bubbly,” as Sark would have Vaughn believe? Hardly. It was about showing up the CIA--and more specifically Vaughn. What could be more fun than showing that he was in control all along--that they need something from him, so they’d better come through? That he can control some things, even from behind bars--when given the opportunity? And he wants to show Vaughn that he can out-smart, out-fight, and just plain out-agent him any day, any time. Don’t think so? Well, let’s put it down to this: he wants a better bargaining position. This gives him one.
Anna brands Nadia with the symbol of the Followers of Rambaldi, telling her that, “One day, whether you want to or not, you will help me destroy [Sydney].” Anna and Sydney have long been rivals, but Anna’s eagerness to destroy Sydney is interesting. Why is it this personal? Of course, it seems pretty personal with Sydney as well, doesn’t it?
OK, on to Sloane. There are certain agents that are on his no-no list, and Anna Espinosa is one of them. Hm, why is that? Is it because she is a Follower of Rambaldi? She wasn’t in one of his organizations--as far as we know . . . (And who else, dead and alive, are on that short list?) OK, questions, but no good answers.
Now that we have Rambaldi in our sights, let’s get to Nadia’s vision . . . apparently while her hand was busy automatically writing--and she was somehow simultaneously decoding all of this writing in her head (!)--she was also having a series of hallucinations! Talk about multitasking! She doesn’t remember them well, except for one: “This one vision . . . it felt so real. . . . We were both together, scared and upset, holding guns, aimed at each other. And I remember my hands were shaking. And I pulled the trigger. Blood was pouring down your chest. I wanted to say I was sorry, but you just looked at me as if you’d been expecting it, as if you knew all along--knew I was going to kill you. I know I must wound insane.”
Sydney eventually gets the chance to give Nadia the information about Irina’s explanation of the <o> symbol, that it represents her two daughters doing “great battle” over some mysterious central “object” and that “according to Rambaldi only one of the daughters will survive.”
So it comes down to a question of belief. Nadia asks Sydney what she thinks, and Sydney claims that she doesn’t believe the prophecies of that “15th-century lunatic.” On her own part, Sydney confronts Sloane, “From where I’m standing, it was your madman obsession in Rambaldi that dragged me and Nadia into this endless pit of confusion. So, given that, let me ask you. What is it you believe?”
He replies, “I believe that if the two of you go out on this mission and Anna Espinosa has her way, only one of you will return alive.”
Why does Sloane believe this--or does he? Certainly this seems to be close to the way things are turning out. Is Anna right on top of this object that they’re supposed to be fighting over? Or is it that Anna got a mirror of the moment Nadia described . . . is that what Sloane was thinking of? An opportunity to “push fate”? (Now, that seems like a bit of a stretch . . .)
Jack is not asked this question, nor does he offer his opinion. However, he sends Sydney and Nadia to Estonia without hesitation. Is this his answer? And if so, what, exactly, is he saying?
Random thoughts . . .
Let’s see . . . Rambaldi . . . Irina . . . Covenant . . . Sark . . . Anna . . . Lauren . . . and (drumroll, please) a for-real cliffhanger! That sound you’re hearing is the cries of “All is forgiven, Mr Abrams!” rising up to the heavens . . .
On a related note . . . what did I say?
Sorry, season 3 writers, I still don’t buy the idea that Nadia was somehow able to auto-write all of this Rambaldi felgercarb while in pain and half-delirious, alter it, and decode it all at once. And now she’s hallucinating at the same time?! Sorry. Nope. Too much. I thought it was ridiculous then and it's even more ridiculous now. You can have the automatic writing, the pain, the alterations, the delirium, and the hallucinations, but I draw the line at the in-the-head decryption! If Marshall can’t do it in his head, she can’t do it in hers--and definitely not under those circumstances. Forget it!
Discuss . . .
Both Sydney and Vaughn seem to worry about Nadia breaking Weiss’ heart. Vaughn, upset that Sydney’s “taking it slow,” tells Weiss that he should do just that. Is this what we should worry about, or is there any chance Weiss could break Nadia’s heart?
Sark tells Vaughn that he loved Lauren. Is he telling the truth or playing with Vaughn’s head? If he’s telling the truth, why would he confide in Vaughn? If not, how would this lie help him manipulate Vaughn?
Sark obviously meant to deal all along. Why the run-around? Was it really for the fun, for a better bargaining position, or to show Vaughn up? What do you think the most important reason was for Sark? Why?
Turning to Vaughn. He tells Sark that he “couldn’t care less about” Lauren, but that’s not what he said a few weeks ago--and he hasn’t amended that statement to Sydney as far as we know. He told Sark the punch wasn’t about Lauren, but didn’t say what it was for. Why did Vaughn hit Sark, and how does he feel about Lauren, anyway? Is their struggle about ego?
Any idea why Anna would be so hell-bent on “destroying” Sydney? Do you think the brand is supposed to help in ways other than to serve as a constant reminder of the FoR? Why is it so personal between Sydney and Anna?
Nadia apparently receives info about the bomb that we don't. Want to speculate? Is this bomb more than just the usual McGuffin?
Think about Vaughn/Sark and Sydney/Anna. Any comparisons or contrasts that you’d like to make?
Why do you think that Anna Espinosa would be on Sloane's "don't touch" list? Is it just the FoR thing? Or is there more behind it?
Do you think Sydney really doesn’t believe the prophecies, or she’s refusing to believe them? That is, do you think, in her heart of hearts, she believes them or not? Do you think Nadia’s getting shot will make her more or less predisposed to believe in them--or have no effect?
We know that Sloane’s a believer. Why do you think that he said he thought only one of the sisters would return from the mission--if Anna got her way? Was that what he thought, or some sort of message to Sydney? Surely you don’t think the prophecy is in play at this early stage, right? Do you think he knows more about what the CRF is after than he's sharing?
Do you think Jack’s a believer or not? In the past he has claimed not to believe, and he sent the sisters out with no problem, but I could see this signifying either way. What are your thoughts?
What about Nadia? She hasn't taken a position yet. Do you think she will be a believer or not?
Now, are you a believer? Do you believe in Rambaldi's prophesies? Come clean, now.
Next:
Sloane calls for revenge . . . and . . . hm . . . that looked like the return of the dreaded GRE . . .
