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4.3 The Awful Truth

Nadia: "Is he always so cold?"

The emotional center of "Alias" has always been Spy Family, the familial relationships. The show may have changed, but the relationship angst is as strong as ever. Jack may have successfully pinned Irina's execution on Bishop, but I'm certain that that whole subplot is far from over.

Jack is even more alienated than before, if that's possible. He is not a part of the new spy group in the way that the others are. In that scene near the end, he was literally cut off from the others behind the glass, watching the younger members all laughing together. It's almost like he changed sides again; he now has more in common with his former friend Arvin Sloane. I sense that Jack and Sloane are very conscious of their mutual alienation from the group, and united in the Irina situation and in their attempts to protect their daughters. (Which is of course bizarre, since they keep putting Sydney and Nadia in mortal danger.)

For me, the main spy plot this week with Bishop the literal lady killer served to emphasize Sydney's vulnerability. She's the star spy, always in the most danger, and there was sexual danger in this one as well. How can Vaughn stand it, constantly seeing Sydney in danger and only playing a supporting role in her life? (The code name "Shotgun" is apt.)

Nadia just gets better and better. She saved Sydney's life again. And the psych evaluation showed that she's strong, smart, loyal and independent, a lot like Sydney, which isn't surprising considering the genetics going on there.

Nadia: "I've never done anything that's lasted as long as this."
Jack: "How sad for you."

Was that actually sexual innuendo? Dry humor? Or was it just derision? No matter what he said about not blaming her, Jack is not an emotionally stable individual; he must find Nadia's very existence to be a body blow, very difficult to accept. And Nadia, like Vaughn, could take even more of Sydney's love and loyalty away from Jack, and let's all remember that Jack has always been threatened by Sydney's relationship with Vaughn.

Finally, Weiss is in the secret clubhouse! It would have been impossible to keep it from him for long, anyway, since he's so close to both Sydney and Vaughn. And I like the possibility of Weiss and Nadia; they'd make a cute couple. Weiss is a sweetie. He deserves his very own Sydney, since the original is hung up on someone else.

Bits and pieces:

-- Nadia has moved in with Sydney. That gives us more opportunities for their relationship to develop.

-- It's occurred to me that nearly every member of the cast has lost a spouse or fiance: Sydney and Danny, Jack and Irina, Sloane and Emily, Dixon and Diane, Vaughn and Lauren.

-- Nadia and Weiss admitted to liking Disneyland. That might be a subtle ABC plug. Better than those Ford Focus plugs.

-- Interesting crossover moment: I could swear I heard Driveshaft doing "You all everybody" in the party scene. (That's a fictional rock group on "Lost.")

-- Jack: "I don't read e-vites." Why does that not surprise me? :)

-- Weiss: "How red is my face right now?"

-- Jack: "Sometimes a satisfying lie, Sydney, can do more good than the awful truth." But then the truth never really goes away, Jack. And you know it.

-- Marshall lost it, and told Vaughn to shut up. Very funny.

-- This week's itinerary: the Bahamas, Andalusia, Malaga.

-- This week's hot look: Pretty much everyone in that opening scene, shades, dreads, accents, and so on. I thought Vaughn looked odd, until I realized that he was clean-shaven for a change.

-- This week's cool gadget: the listening device Vaughn used to talk with Sydney.

Fast paced and a lot of fun. Three out of four spies,

Billie





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