In the tenth episode of the third season of Alias, Sydney discovers a clue in her dreams and makes contact with an old friend. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Alias.Â
Trigger Warning: For discussion of consent
HELP ME, THIS WAS A LOT. (The eternal mood for Alias, I suppose.) “Remnants,†more than anything else, made me realize just how much I miss Will being a part of the dynamic. It’s undeniable that he has chemistry with Sydney, but I also understand why his character had to be phased out. He was always the outsider, the character meant to represent the “normal†world. And as he got pulled into the world of the CIA, that fundamentally changed his role within Alias.
Still, I had a lot of fun watching “Remnants,†which provided us with another huge clue in the mystery of Sydney’s missing two years. It’s because of this that Will returns to Alias, and with him, we are brought right back to Lazarey. It’s a twisted path to that moment, of course, and the reveal that Will was in Sydney’s dream was ridiculous enough by itself. I HAD NO IDEA WHERE THIS WOULD GO FROM THERE. It’s an unearthing, though, a chance for the writers to focus Sydney’s attention elsewhere, and y’all… look. LOOK. I’m just happy to see her happy, even though it’s such a temporary thing. I could feel just how overjoyed she was to reconnect with Will, to spend time with her oldest friend. There’s an energy in “Remnants†that is infectious, and I’m sure it’s one of the reasons I remarked on video that I really loved Will and Sydney working together again.
But what does this all mean? This is about as much confirmation as we need that the Covenant—through Sark—does not want Sydney to recover her memory. At the same time, they’re also after her connection to Lazarey and Rambaldi, which… y’all, this arc is gonna make a resurgence, isn’t it? I’m into it! It brings out the worst in Sloane, who I still don’t trust. It provides a science fiction edge to Alias that fascinates me. And y’all know I love a good mystery! At this point, there are now two of them warring for attention. I feel like I’m close to learning the truth about Sydney’s missing two years, though one detail revealed here confuses me: Why would Sydney willingly remove her memories, setting in motion this entire nightmare? Was she trying to protect herself after being controlled by the Covenant? I could that being a justification, but surely there was a better way that she could have re-adjusted to the memory loss than being dropped off in Hong Kong without any help.
I’m just guessing at this point because I STILL DON’T KNOW WHAT I’M DOING. So, let me talk about one thing I do feel more certain about: the men in Sydney’s life and their devotion to her. “Remnants†manages to parallel three separate storylines by showing us how Jack, Vaughn, and Sloane all devote themselves to someone they care about. What’s fascinating (and frustrating, of course) about them is that they’re willing to go to such violent and bizarre lengths to prove their love to her. For Jack and Sloane, that’s kind of par for the course at this point. Jack expresses his love in incredibly paternalistic ways. Sloane… well, he organizes the assassination of Richard Lindsey, so I GUESS THAT’S A LOT OF LOVE THAT HE HAS FOR HER. Granted, I hate him, and I am mostly revolted by his “love†for Sydney. But then there’s Vaughn, who appears to have taken Jack’s advice and will distance himself from Sydney in order to “help†her. It’s such a sloppy technique, and y’all, it’s gonna backfire on Vaughn. Jack is not the person to listen to when it comes to romantic advice!!! It’s not a good idea!!!! And using cruelty on a person because you apparently love them is NEVER A GOOD LOOK.
These men are a MESS, y’all.
So: Sydney has a piece of Rambaldi’s living flesh now. What purpose that can serve is a goddamn mystery to me, but apparently it’s important. (When Marshall first revealed it, I had a theory that it was the part of Sydney’s brain that held her missing memories, but that is scientific bullshit, so WHATEVER.) I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HER IN THOSE TWO YEARS!!!!!
The video for “Remnants†can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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