Parity
The episode starts with a LONG intro explaining the dealio. You know, Syd is a spy working for a bad, bad organisation but really working for the CIA where she has a hot handler and also works with her father who is also a double agent spy man. After the previouslies, we are back with Syd in Cairo where she has gun to her head and holding a little ball o’ Plutonium. So what does she do? She does what only she can – throw the ball in the air – FIGHT! – catch the ball -FIGHT!. This scene is intercut with a scene with Syd the Grad Student, making excuses for not handing in an assignment – “There was a black out where I was staying. Honestly.” Cue shot of her shooting out the lights in a corridor in Cairo to try to evade capture (I guess. I am not completely sure why that was necessary other than for the gag). I do like this whole ‘two lives collide’ thing they have going. Seeing the high octane action juxtaposed with the mundane is funny and surreal. Anyway the upshot is that she gets an extension to her essay. Oh and she manages to escape with the plutonium.
After the credits, Syd and Francie are talking at Syd’s place about (boring, cheater) Charlie and fathers. Syd is sad that things aren’t better with SpyDaddy. Deciding that she wants to know more about what is up with him, she goes to see him and being that they are both double agents, he isn’t that pleased to be having a conversation IN BROAD DAYLIGHT in the open about them being SPIES. Because it’s secret. She has been doing this shit for 7 years; she really ought to be a bit more stealthy.
SD-6. Sloane is giving the crew a 411 on Rambaldi – this is the first introduction of the spooky, dull and rather important to the whole Alias story 15th century prophet/scientist/headcase. He was inventing a mobile phone in 1400s. Apparently. ANYWAY. Essentially all we need to know is that they have part of a code written by Rambaldi but they need another part. They need to get a box with the code inside. The key to the box is in the possession of K-Directorate – especially Anna Espinosa played by an annoying Gina Torres. Everyone raves about her – and maybe when I get my act together an actually watch Firefly I will understand why – but her accent in this show gets on my nerves. So both SD-6 and K-Directorate will be after this box. Syd has to go to some place (I have already forgotten which country!) to a car museum where they are unveiling a new prototype. She will pose as a petrol-head (well something like that anyway) and sneak up and steal the box during the party. Cue scene with Syd writing the plan. Very simply. Because the CIA is stupid.
I have already changed my mind about Will since episode 1 – he really is cute as a button. CAAB Will is at Syds house talking to her about his writing assignment when Syd is phoned by her dead-fiance’s landlord asking her to pick up some of his things. While she is talking, a call for Joey’s Pizza comes in on her landline which Will takes – code for her to call even cuter as a button Vaughn. Syd asks Will to pick up Danny’s things while she goes for a ‘quick run’ (aka meeting with her handler).
Vaughn is stretching. MMMMMMM. He wants her to give the code to the CIA. He also asks her about Anna Espinosa who is apparently very scary and communist and shit. He is very yummy and concerned – my favourite Vaughn combo: “Be careful out there”. AW. He also tells her he has been replaced and she looks surprised and more than a little put out.
CIA offices. Vaughn is angry. Weiss is a bit worried about how angry he is. Weiss suggests that Vaughn is jealous that the new handler will get to see her all the time when we won’t. Vaughn protest too much that he isn’t. CUTE SCENE!!! “I know I’m off the case. And I want her to come back” Double AW.
Still at the CIA, her new handler is a sleazebag . “Look at her, wouldn’t kick that out of bed”. Vaughn looks like he wants to kick him. IN THE HEAD.
At the party, Syd is looking hawt in a red dress which is very sexy and flattering and I am digging her light red hair – very szuszi. I hate having to recap the action parts – all you need to know is that
- Anna has also shown up as expected as a waitress (no slink dress for HER)
- Whilst Syd is trying to get out of the vault, Dixon has to ram Anna’s support team’s van and he TURNS IT OVER! HA!
- Syd fights Anna for the box.. She has bare feet (having kicked off her high heels when running to catch Anna who go to the box first) and each time she kicks Anna, the sound is a lot harder and louder than you would expect for someone with nothing o their feet. Also it would really hurt, kicking someone in the head. Syd is NAILS.
- Syd (of course) manages to get the box, leaving Anna looking super-pissed.
Will is picking up Danny’s things and as he has a nosey around the dead man’s crib (good name for a band?), he notices a traffic camera outside his window and immediately starts super sleuthing, getting into hot water at work in the process. His editor: “Don’t make regret hiring people in their twenties”. Eventually he manages to get her to let him work on the case for one week. There is also a cute chat between CTAB and Syd on the phone. Syd sounds kinda comforted and very happy to hear from him which makes him even happier.
Syd is in a trailer/van/something small and dark with her sleazoid handler. He gets her dead fiancés name wrong. Because he’s a douche. Apparently, they are meeting to get to know each other or as he puts it to “have a little face time with my girl” EUW. More sleaziness. Syd is not at all impressed. She chews him out. Sleaze: “I just love your spirit”. Syd: “That’s heartening” (meaning, “you’re a douche”).
Will, Francie, Cheatin’ Charlie and Syd have dinner. There is some talk of naked cleaning. They are playing poker and Will is rubbish at bluffing. He is so cute – did I mention that already? Francie says to Syd “How come I can never tell with you”. Francie? It’s because she a SPY! Will gets a call from Pretty-Jenny-From-The-Office-Who-Clearly-Has-A-Crush-On-Will-But-He-Is-Too-Into-Sydney-To-Notice-Or-Care to say all the traffic cameras a mile around Danny’s apartment were out the night of his murder – UH OH! WEIRD! Will, honey? Please just leave it. You will only end up getting tortured-by-teeth-extraction and set up by the CIA as a druggie to save your life, thus getting you fired and discredited as a journalist. And you still won’t end up with the girl (although you will get to shag her in Season 3).
Cut to Syd and Will having ice cream in the kitchen. Sydney is in her cups and rambling on about tequila and ice-cream. Will: “My god is this story going to end”. HEE! Flirtatious teasing – my speciality! They share ice-cream. AND THEN THEY KISS. More accurately, she kisses him. And then it is awkward. They don’t say anything about it – she obviously feels guilty because it’s Too Soon. And he feels bad too, immediately telling her he has Danny’s stuff. He goes to get it before she can tell him it was a mistake because he so doesn’t want to hear that. Poor Will.
At SD-6, the box which Syd acquired cannot be opened. Sloane has brought in their best game theorist – Jack! He decided that rather than Syd infiltrating K-Directorate, he has made a deal with them. They have he box, K-Directorate have the key. They will go to somewhere neutral and open the box together. K-D don’t know that only part of the code is in the box so it doesn’t matter if they get it. Jack tells Syd that her mother died in the accident: “I never lied about that”. Erm, you did so!
Lambert tells Syd she has to wear a wire – very risky given the circumstances and she ain’t best pleased. She demands Vaughn be promoted so he can be her handler again and have him on the other end of the earpiece, or the CIA get nothing.
Will tells his editor about the strangeness of the camera: “Don’t make me regret working for people in their fifties [beat] forties!”
While Syd is getting to do her spystuff, Francie is bugging her with theories of cheatin’ Charlie. So boring. Francie is a whiney bitch sometimes. Just sayin’.
At a stadium covered by snipers from K D and SD6, Syd and Anner meet in the middle of the people. Vaughn is on the other end of the earpiece:
Sydney: My guardian angel
Vaughn: I was going to say the same thing to you. Thanks for the promotion.
Sydney: You’re welcome.
After a bit of trash talk (‘you’re fiancé is dead ha ha etc etc), Anna and Sydney open the box and acid starts to eat the paper with the code and SCENE!
square eyes 