In the fifth episode of the third season of Alias, THIS HURTS. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Alias.Â
It’s appropriate that this episode is titled “Repercussions†because it so heavily deals in that exact concept. What are the consequences from “A Missing Link� From Arvin Sloane’s sudden (YET STILL UNBELIEVABLE) redemption? From Syndey’s return to everyone’s life? From whatever Sydney did during those two years she can’t remember?
IT’S ALL ADDRESSED AND IT ALL HURTS.
A Missing Link
Look, I figured that Sydney had tried to stab Vaughn in the most… survivable way possible? That’s a weird sentence, but IT’S APPLICABLE. THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED. Though… maybe there was a better option than stabbing Vaughn in the lung? Maybe????
But the greater point is that Sydney’s choice reverberated outward. The CIA loses track of the bio weapon because she chose to put the tracker on Vaughn instead. Then, it’s used to murder everyone in a prison in order to free Kazari Bomani, which sets into motion another potential disaster. And while that heist is incredibly entertaining—so far, I have loved every mission Marshall has gone on!!!—the main focus in “Repercussions†is on the contentious and uncomfortable relationship between Lauren and Sydney. Y’all, IT’S SO UPSETTING. But it’s a good thing that the writers don’t ignore the ramifications of both Sydney’s return and Vaughn nearly dying on this mission. If anything, it brings all these issues to the forefront. Now, Sydney and Lauren have to deal with them openly.
And oh lord, is it ever a mess. Which isn’t a criticism! I think this had to be messy and awkward because it’s such an unfortunate situation. Lauren has felt threatened since Sydney came back, and this mission certainly hasn’t helped. Then, there’s the whole complication of whether or not Sydney intended this as a means of punishing Vaughn for not waiting while she was gone. AND HIS DREAM SEQUENCE CERTAINLY SUGGESTS THAT’S A LEGIT SOURCE OF ANXIETY FOR HIM. (Also: so mean.)
How do you solve this? There’s no real resolution here without someone getting hurt, and in the end, it’s Sydney who gets the rawest deal. I’m glad that Lauren ultimately decided against forcing Sydney to transfer out of the Los Angeles office, but that doesn’t make matters better for Sydney. She still has to watch Vaughn be in love with someone else. IT IS THE MOST ANGST WE HAVE EVER SEEN ON THIS SHOW, and there was a lot of angst between Vaughn and Sydney for like a season and a half. Plus, Lauren and Vaughn seem deeply in love, so… this is gonna last, isn’t it?
Simon
I was excited by the prospect of Jack and Sydney tricking Simon and using that to get more information out of him. I DESPERATELY NEED TO KNOW WHAT SYDNEY DID FOR THOSE TWO YEARS. Somehow, she was reprogrammed into Julia, and she worked alongside Simon as a part of his team. But what exactly did she do? How did she become a part of his life, and why? These are such vital questions, and unfortunately, we won’t get the answers from Simon himself. I was impressed by the way that this episode built up to that confrontation between Simon and Jack because by the time it arrived, I was TERRIFIED. Simon learned the truth in the midst of it, but would Jack find out? Had he just lost millions of dollars? Would he still be able to get the truth out of Simon?
In hindsight, it’s not surprising that Jack would kill Simon. It’s very much in character for him, especially given that he has this fucked up sense of how to protect Sydney. And it’s not the first time he’s killed someone onscreen, either. But Simon’s death is another repercussion: Jack lashed out once Simon taunted Jack regarding Sydney. Y’all, Jack can’t deal with the idea that Syndey was taken from him for two years, can he? How much you wanna bet that that plays a part in it?
EVERYTHING IS SO MESSED UP, Y’ALL.
The video for “Repercussions†can be downloaded here for $0.99.
Mark Links Stuff
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