In the twelfth episode of the second season of Alias, how the hell is this not a season finale??? If you’re intrigued, then it’s time for Mark to watch Alias.Â
WHAT DO I EVEN SAY. HOW DID ALL OF THIS HAPPEN IN A SINGLE EPISODE.
Teamwork
With each passing episode, I remain more convinced that Irina is telling the truth and that I’m making a huge mistake in believing her. It’s Lena Olin’s fault, as she takes the story and makes it seem so real. In “The Getaway,†she gains a bit of Jack’s trust as he battles against Agent Kane. (More on her in a bit.) These little pieces of faith are important in developing their relationship after… well, after a long, long nightmare. If she’s genuine, then she has to offer things to Jack to prove herself. While she’s certainly provided intel that has always been beneficial to the team, I totally get why Jack himself requires much, much more than just intel.
So, is the start of enough? Is this a path towards trust and reconciliation? Irina’s help undoubtedly helps Jack put together the truth of who stole $100 million from The Alliance, and in doing so, she helps clear his name and keep Jack’s cover story in place. At this point, I don’t see how Irina could be using all of this for some secret plot. Which means… well, maybe I shouldn’t say that. MAYBE I AM RUINING THIS.
Taking Risks
It’s not lost on me that as Irina and Jack attempt to be civilized and helpful to one another in a way we’ve never seen, “The Getaway†also shows us a glimmer of possibility in Vaughn and Sydney. Of course, this is Alias, so any good moment is inevitably coated in tragedy and tension, and this is PERHAPS THE MOST UNFAIR EXAMPLE OF THAT.
One thing I appreciated about it—aside from the UNBELIEVABLE scene in which Vaughn and Sydney begin to discuss whether or not to just head up to a private room and GET IT ON!!!—is that the writers have these characters be very open about the fact that this was a bad idea. Emotionally speaking, this was exactly what these two needed to do, so in that sense, Weiss’s advice to Vaughn was spot-on. But in this context, this was just downright foolish! Agent Kane was watching Sydney’s every move. Did they somehow think they’d escape her? The point is that they didn’t think; they took a huge risk because they thought it would be worth it. And it could have been! BUT GODDAMN AGENT KANE RUINED EVERYTHING!!!
Y’all, this was truly edge-of-your-seat entertainment. Once those agents identified Vaughn as a CIA agent, I 100% could not predict what was going to happen. And I adore that this threat was leveled so believably. I was convinced that this would get back to Kane, and Sydney would be exposed as a double agent. The answer to this threat was satisfying from a storytelling perspective, though from an emotional one, I wanted to FLING MYSELF INTO SPACE. And that’s important: you can’t deliver a high-stakes threat like this and not give a response that feels appropriate. Here, that means that Vaughn had to kill two SD-6 operatives and risk being removed as Sydney’s handler. In Sydney’s case, she accepts that she can’t ever be with Vaughn; their predicament makes it too complicated and too risky.
CUE MY ANGUISHED WAILS FOR A MILLION YEARS. Is the universe ever fair?
Agent Kane / Emily
Not once did I theorize that Kane was behind the theft that set all of this shit into motion. NOT. ONCE. In hindsight, I can now see how her insistence to focus on Jack was biased. She might have adapted that strategy once she realized Jack really was hiding something, but from the start, she just chose who she saw as the easiest target. From there, chaos unfolded, and OH LORD, WAS IT FUN TO WATCH. A really good suspense plot has to keep the endgame hidden from the audience, and as “The Getaway†barreled toward that shocking ending, I couldn’t figure this shit out. It seemed inevitable to me that Sloane was going to figure out the truth and both Sydney and Jack would be exposed. And once that hung over everything, it was hard not to feel an overwhelming sense of panic while watching this episode.
Yet even when Kane is shown to be the one behind the theft of the $100 million, Alias isn’t content resolving just one plot. No, the big secret is finally revealed: ARVIN SLOANE WAS FAKING THE ENTIRE FUCKING TIME. HE NEVER KILLED HIS WIFE, AND IN FACT, HE WAS TORMENTING HIMSELF. Emily is alive in the Philippines, sans a finger SHE CUT OFF HERSELF AND MAILED TO HER OWN HUSBAND IN ORDER TO SELL THIS NARRATIVE.
I AM DONE.
EXPIRED.
FUCKED UP.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS SHOW.
The video for “The Getaway†can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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