Alias - Alias 1x22 - "Almost Thirty Years" Episode Re-Discussion

Andie · 09-21-2008, 12:18 AM

Episode Description -

Quote:

Will, tranquilized and badly beaten, is dragged into a dingy storeroom, where Mr. Sark asks him about "the circumference"... with no answers. A sinister Taiwanese interrogator -- "Suit And Glasses," who tortured Sydney months before -- enters with an array of frightening instruments.

Sydney receives a call from Sark, setting up the exchange of her friend for the Rambaldi page that was stolen in Paris and the ampule of solution... to take place in Taipei, in 24 hours.

Jack agrees to help recover Will. He can easily get the ampule from CIA storage, but recovering the page will be tricky -- it's in an offsite SD-6 vault located off the coast of Santa Barbara... and they will need Sloane's fingerprint and voiceprint in order to gain access. Jack suggests that they study the Rambaldi page themselves and determine its value, before negotiating further with Sark. He also tells Sydney that she must keep her plan from Vaughn -- the CIA has a mole.

When Vaughn explains to Sydney that Will is still likely to be alive, he senses that she hiding something. Later, he tells Weiss that he suspects that Sydney has her own plan to rescue Will.

Her cancer now in remission, Emily is out of the hospital. At a remote beach house, Sloane finally tells her the truth about SD-6.

Later at SD-6, Alliance member Ramon Veloso explains to Sloane that they only allowed Emily to live because her future had been pre-determined her by lymphoma. Sloane demands that her life be spared... but protocol insists that she be terminated. If he carries out their order, however, Veloso affirms that he will become a fully-fledged member of the Alliance.

Wearing a concealed recording device, Sydney visits Sloane in his office, to speak candidly about Emily... In reality, she is distracting him while Jack hacks into Sloane's computer to collect the needed passwords, and takes a voiceprint and fingerprint

Having now stolen the Rambaldi page from the remote SD-6 island vault, Sydney climbs out of the water, only to be confronted...by Dixon. He demands to know why she used the codename "Freelancer" on Mount Aconcagua... Sydney is pleading when she insists that she is not betraying her country, but also that she cannot reveal the truth to him... and Dixon walks away.

Meanwhile, Vaughn is summoned into a meeting with Devlin and Haladki. Weiss has reported that Vaughn no longer fully trusts Sydney, and now they all need to know what may be hiding.

Jack calls Devlin. After taking the ampule from the CIA, he assures that he will return the stolen item once his mission is completed... Devlin demands that Jack return immediately.

Since Will has disappeared, his friend Abby, at the newspaper, goes straight to editor Litvack, with his sealed envelope about SD-6. And the editor agrees to run the story...as front page news.

Using the Rambaldi solution, Jack and Sydney finally expose the mysterious page. It reveals drawings for the same "Mueller device" stolen by Sydney in prototype stage, from Taipei months ago. Jack explains that this might explain Khasinau's search for "the circumference," a precise set of instructions for building the device in this drawing.

On a hunch, Jack abducts Haladki, who under pain of torture, admits to being the CIA mole...and that he has been working for Khasinau. The instructions are for a "battery" that Khasinau has been constructing in a Taipei lab... And after a treacherous, and deranged Haladki spills all...Jack silences him, for good.

Vaughn later finds Sydney alone at a train station. He has figured out what she is planning, and agrees to help save Will. With Jack, they will fly to Taipei...and while Jack makes the exchange for her friend, Sydney and Vaughn are to simultaneously detonate the lab where the battery is located.

At home, Sloane mixes a powder into a glass of wine. With resolve, he and Emily raise their glasses for a final toast... and she forgives him for the mistakes that he has made.

Meanwhile, after hours of torture, Will still hasn't revealed much about "the circumference." When he is finally unchained, he plunges a syringe into the neck of his sadistic interrogator. Guards seize Will, and drag him from the room.

In an alleyway, Jack meets with Sark and exchanges the page -- the drawing, now exposed -- for Will, who has been spared, bloody, but alive... Sobbing, Will embraces the stony-faced man who has handed him back his future.

Across town, Sydney and Vaughn find the Mueller device, behind lock and key, in a Taiwanese dance club. It is, in fact, similar to the prototype she retrieved before...only much, much bigger.

Sydney detonates the explosive, unleashes a tremendous flood... and she and Vaughn dash through the underground complex, trying to escape the approaching torrent.

Sydney makes it through a security door, but cannot hold it open long enough for Vaughn, who is trapped -- on the wrong side, in a room filling, perilously fast, with rushing water... and seconds later, Vaughn is gone. When Sydney turns, she is knocked out by sharp blow from a security guard.

She awakens to a familiar scene: she is once again chained to a chair, in a Taipei storeroom. But this time, instead of "Suit And Glasses," her interrogator is Khasinau... who explains that "his boss" has questions for her.

Puzzled, Sydney admits she thought "The Man" was the one in charge... But Khasinau is not "The Man." The door opens... "The Man" is a woman... Sydney's mother.

Source: ABC

**Yellow Mustang Girl** · 09-22-2008, 09:26 AM

I was rewatching S1 but stopped.... I need to get caught up to the episodes we are supposed to be discussing

Tugi · 09-22-2008, 03:08 PM

This is my favourite Alias episode ever. There's something going on in every little second of it. To think so much happened in only 40 minutes...

Fortyseven · 09-22-2008, 06:05 PM

Yup, this is my all time favorite as well.

**Yellow Mustang Girl** · 09-23-2008, 01:11 PM

Oh, if it's both of y'all's favorite episode, I MUST rewatch it soon then

Fortyseven · 09-25-2008, 12:05 PM

I left my DVDs at my college apartment but I feel the need to comment on this one anyway. I think I've seen it way too many times!

- I love all the callbacks to the Pilot. Suit and Glasses was such a unique villain and this was a very interesting way to bring him back.

- I also like that this episode doesn't have a teaser but goes to the opening credits right away. It kinda adds the overly dramatic element to it.

- The Syd/France/Sark phone call scene is so incredibly done. It's a perfect example of Syd's two lives blending together. I wish Francie had more to do in the finale, but I guess they had lots of important stories to tell.

- And aw, Jack helps Syd because her best friend is in trouble. I like that Jack acknowledges the impact of friendship on one's business. I love that bit where he asks Devlin if he considers them friends, that was such a nice touch. And the look on Jack's face after Will thanks him for saving his life!

- Syd's blueberry suit is classic. And the Syd/Dixon scene that follows it is so nicely played.

- The Sloane/Emily scene is probably one of my top 5 moments of this show.

It's so amazingly done. The music, the inaudible dialogue, the emotional reactions. Perfection!

- I will never get over Vaughn's slow running.

He stares at the water like 5 minutes before deciding running might be useful. COME ON, DUDE, work with me here!

- The nightclub scenes were very entertaining. Probably one of my all time favorite missions. Very cool.

- The last 5 minutes are incredible! Everything's happening so fast and the cliffhanger was mind blowing!

- ONE IN FIVE, YOU LITTLE BITCH. ONE IN FIVE!

**Yellow Mustang Girl** · 09-26-2008, 12:27 PM

I'm almost up to this episode in my rewatch

Fading Letters · 09-27-2008, 07:44 AM

Haha, the flashback with Will screaming as he sees Syd is so brilliant.

Oh Sark torturing and questioning Will. I totally forgot that they ‘know’ each other. And I totally forgot Dr. Lee. He’s such a great villain.

Aww, I didn’t remember that scene with Sloane and Emily at the end of S1. It’s really great that he finally confides in her and trusts her with this knowledge. And the music during that scene is brilliant. Their acting is great too. So realistic.

Sydney breaking into SD-6 is very nerve-racking. And then Dixon asks about the ‘Freelancer’ nickname. So exciting! But it’s good to see that Syd and Jack work together as a team. They have so little connection during that time.
And I have to say, that I like the scenes between Sloane and Sydney. Despite his bad interests, he really does care about her. I think it’s cute that he tries to comfort her. And seriously, he is a good guy, it’s just his Rambaldi obsession that makes him evil.

Oh, I hated it back when Dixon didn’t trust Sydney and believed her to work against the CIA. He should know her better than to think she does evil. There’s always a reason why she does things. He should know that by now, he’s her partner after all.
Aww, come on Dixon! Don’t be so damn righteous. It’s still beyond me why he thinks that she’d work for the bad side (well, she does but you know what I mean). He of all people should believe her. She saved his life after all.

Haha, I loved when Jack questioned Haladki. He totally deserved that.

This episode has so many great scenes. I totally love the one at the train station. It’s really really great and a very sweet Syd/Vaughn scene.
When Vaughn talks about his Dad, there is so much tension. He trusts her so much that he opens up to her and supports her.

I wish that Sydney knew that the device is way bigger than the size of a shoe. It would spare us all a lot of worry.

And Will totally rocks when he suddenly gets up and kicks all their asses.

I just wish that Sloane hadn’t tried to kill Emily when she forgives him. Of course, we know she doesn’t die but it’s a sad scene anyway. And we’ll never really know if he actually tried to kill her and failed or if he just acted as if. (But maybe I am just too stupid to see it.)

Syd’s outfit with the blue wig is very hot. I wonder how Vaughn could walk behind her without fainting at the sight of her.

And this just came to my mind during Jack’s encounter with Sark: Does Sark have a British accent? I always thought he has but I can’t hear it.

If he does, I probably watched too much British stuff to realize it. If he doesn’t, well then I just thought wrong.

And I love how Will clings to Jack. I think it’s a very important step in Jack’s relationship with Sydney.

And of course room 47! All these 47 references. You just gotta love that. And of course 47 means bad things are gonna happen.

And then Sydney going “Vaughn, it’s bigger than I thought” while being incredibly calm.

But I am concerned for Vaughn. He seems a bit retarded. Standing there and looking at the water. If he wants to do that he could just turn on the water in his sink.
But poor Sydney. She must be going mental when she sees how he’s gone.
And then she’s captured just because she didn’t think about herself and run away. Poor thing.

But the end scene is brilliant. It’s so great when she thinks that Khasinau is The Man because the audience thinks that too. Until the very end. No one would’ve thought that it’s her mother. I agree with Dave, JJ never topped such a cliff-hanger. (But

you can totally hear that this is not Lena who plays Irina.

)

Fortyseven · 09-27-2008, 01:17 PM

Yeah, the casting director April Webster does the Irina voice.

I saw her name in The Nanny credits and totally recognized it!

And ooh, I forgot about Jack killing Haladki!

I remember being very happy about it!

**Yellow Mustang Girl** · 09-28-2008, 11:59 AM

This season finale was awesome

The ending was heart-wrenching... I remember waiting all summer waiting to see if Vaughn was alive or not

Gabriela · 10-01-2008, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fading Letters (View Post)

But I am concerned for Vaughn. He seems a bit retarded. Standing there and looking at the water. If he wants to do that he could just turn on the water in his sink.

Yeah, Vaugh doesn't seem to catch on too quickly that there is a great tidal wave of water gushing right towards them, that the building is going into lockdown, and that there is a good chance he will die if he does not run. For a trained CIA agent who is supposed to react in a split-second to dangers around him, he's a little slow

This really was a fantastic episode! It just brings me back to the very first episode every time I watch it.

**Big Head want Dolly** · 03-14-2011, 12:31 AM

**Yellow Mustang Girl** · 03-14-2011, 05:00 PM

Watching this one right after 1.21, right?

**Big Head want Dolly** · 03-15-2011, 10:33 AM

Yes

But if that's too fast for anyone we can always have a short break in between and start this episode at xx:00

**Violent Delights** · 03-15-2011, 12:16 PM

That sounds like a good idea

time to refill our drinks

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Fan Forum > TV Shows - Past > Alias > Alias 1x22 - "Almost Thirty Years" Episode Re-Discussion