Alias 4.7: "Detente"
Written by Monica Breen and Alison Schapker
Directed by Craig Zisk
In which Sydney’s disdain for Sloane and his current authority causes trouble when she and her sister Nadia violate orders during a mission to prevent the spread of a deadly weapon…
Status Report
One of the major sticking points this season has been the difficult suspension of disbelief regarding Sloane. There’s such a terrible history associated with the character, even during his presumably first round of “making amends”, that it seems ludicrous to think that anyone, never mind Sydney and the rest of the team, would willingly work for him.
This episode was promoted by the network as something of a “sister act’, which is really only a small part of the episode’s charm. Sure, Sydney and Nadia make like the Paris/Nicole type, all in the name of bonding with another supposed ditz to get top secret information from a Russian crime boss, but that’s not the overall concept of the episode. As much as the relationship between the two sisters is highlighted, it’s used as a means to a much more interesting end: exploring Sydney’s deep conflict with her current employment situation.
It’s been a long time coming, and it doesn’t help that the network tossed the episodes around like a salad, dumping a couple of episodes ahead of this one in the hopes (one would think) of getting new viewers hooked on the whole Sydney/Vaughn relationship. All well and good, but it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to realize that Sydney’s issues with Sloane should have come up almost immediately following the season premiere. And indeed, this episode was supposed to follow “The Awful Truth”, directly connecting Sydney’s doubts in the premiere and quickly following up on the strained relationship between Nadia and Sloane.
Even taking the bizarre episode order into account, this is exactly what a lot of fans were hoping for, especially the ones who didn’t buy the whole revamped status quo. Nearly every episode has Sydney snapping at her boss with biting sarcasm, and he just seems to take it. The simple assumption is that he has a long-term agenda, still unfulfilled, and ignoring Sydney is the easiest thing for the plan. This episode, however, delves into the complexity of the relationship.
The goal in this episode (stand-alone again, at least plot-wise) is preventing the spread of a weapons technology called “Black Thorine”, essentially a super-explosive. Russian crime bosses have it or want it, as usual, since this series is obsessed with post-capitalism Russian crime syndicates. The CIA wants the technology safely contained and out of enemy hands (and likely into theirs), and so who do they call? Sloane and his team, of course!
There are complications on the mission, but they are nothing compared to the complications that arise between the characters. This is where the previous episode failed and this one succeeds: moving the characters forward and exploring their motivations. The first third of any season of an arc-driven series should be spent laying the foundation for plot and character threads, and since the plot aspect has been hobbled by the network thus far, the character drama needs to step up to the plate. “Nocturne” failed to add anything new, rehashing the past for new viewers; this episode takes a more balanced approach.
As one would expect, Sloane wants a relationship with his daughter Nadia, and that includes little things like stopping by at the house for after-work drinks and conversation. It’s still not clear why Nadia would forgive Sloane for what happened at the end of the third season, but she seems more than willing to let bygones be bygones for the moment. Nadia seems to be taking the practical approach to the whole situation: she hasn’t seen anything firsthand, and she needs to figure out where she fits in this new world on her own terms.
Sydney comes back from a mission to find him sitting there at the counter, all smiles, and she instantly tells him to take a hike. This is a natural enough reaction, but it also is very telling: she doesn’t take Nadia’s feelings on the matter into consideration at all. Sydney’s so wrapped up in her own issues over Sloane (however justified) that she can’t comprehend how someone wouldn’t instantly hate the man based on her version of events.
That’s not a writing error, especially since Nadia seems to regard Sydney with something approaching suspicion or wariness several times during the episode. It almost seems as if she might have heard some things about Syndey from Sloane during their Rambaldi trek, between the seasons, and maybe she’s trying to assess whose version of the truth fits her own experience. She wants the relationship with her sister, but as well as they work together, the lines are slowly being drawn. If Nadia can set aside the past and move forward, but Sydney cannot, it could play into the larger dynamic.
That dynamic includes the truth about Irina and Sloane’s possible agenda. There’s something going on between Jack and Sloane, which could simply be a matter of Jack keeping a very close eye on his old ally/enemy. Whatever the case, Nadia will eventually learn the truth about Jack, and thanks to the information that Sydney has, it’s unlikely that the sisters would come down on the same side. The question is: would Sloane use that situation to gain Nadia’s allegiance, thus setting the stage for a future conflict between two fathers and two daughters, with Irina and her legacy being at the center of it all?
Consider that even Vaughn and Weiss, old friends and allies to the end, are slowly but surely choosing sides. Vaughn would obviously back Sydney, but if Weiss gets close to Nadia, that could break the friendship if it comes down to it. For that matter, Dixon would ultimately back Sydney against Sloane, something made very clear in the previous episode. One would also expect Marshall to stick with Sydney, but depending on the circumstances, that could be a false assumption.
For that to have any dramatic context, especially in light of the third season, the core relationships within the conflict must be established and the issues of contention put into place. An eventual breakdown in the relationship between the two sisters (who are fated to kill/destroy each other anyway) wouldn’t mean much if they weren’t first allies and potential friends. Nadia is the closest thing to a close family member that Sydney has left in her world, since her relationship with her father is more than a little strained. Similarly, any future conflict between Jack and Sloane would work better if it were established that they were working towards the same goal.
JJ Abrams indicated that the fans should be patient with this season, since two goals are in play: gaining the trust of new audience coming out of “Lost”, and then giving Sydney’s world more life, so that conflicts begin to have meaning again. When Will and Francie were around, there was always the threat that something would sever that relationship (and in fact, that’s what happened). In the third season, Sydney became so isolated that it became less about her precarious relationships to those around her and more about plot considerations that had no gravitas without the relationship element.
So the scenario, suggested heavily by this episode, is that the writers are taking the first third or half of the season to slowly but surely set up several key relationships that, if Sloane goes rogue again (or even begins to appear to go rogue), will be sorely tested. Sydney makes it very clear in this episode that she has no intention of ever forgiving Sloane for what he’s done, and by staying, she’s making it clear that she has no intention of letting those feelings get in the way of keeping him under very close watch. She’s gotten used to playing these games, after all, and like Dixon, she wants to be there to take Sloane down when the day of betrayal comes ‘round again.
As already mentioned, this episode would have been better in its original context, coming after “The Awful Truth” or even “Ice”. Dixon’s conversation with Sydney doesn’t quite mesh with his confrontation with Sloane in the previous episode; it feels like this conversation should have come first. Equally, Sydney and Nadia really establish a working relationship in this episode, based on a sense of mutual trust and affection. Having it happen this far into the season isn’t necessarily a major problem, but it muddies the character development threads a bit.
Back to the scenario, this could explain why the producers weren’t so worried about mixing the episodes around. Provided that the episodes all contain some element to establish key character relationships, and that those elements aren’t directly dependent on a specific progression of episodes, then it’s merely an annoyance. Ultimately, of course, all of these pieces should culminate in something with a more serialized flavor, or the one reasonable explanation for the structure of the season would disappear. All of this needs to come together in the end if the writers want to have any chance of satisfying the audience, new or old.
What’s interesting is the contrast between “Lost” and “Alias”. “Lost” has an incredibly tight continuity, highly serialized, but episodes are effectively stand-alone in the sense that character development is covered through flashbacks that give context, episode to episode, to character decisions as the story moves forward. So it’s possible to watch “Lost” week to week and enjoy it. This is the essence of a balanced series structure: each episode should have a certain value in and of itself, but each episode should also add to the big picture, so that when taken as a whole, the individual stories add up to a much larger long-term story.
Earlier seasons of “Alias” were like that, with the hook of cutting off the final resolution to each episode’s plot thread and leaving it for the teaser of the next episode. If it had been a question of simply taking that resolution and shifting it back to the end of each episode, that’s one thing. But it’s still not clear whether or not the individual pieces are adding up to a greater whole. The previous episode was evidence for deep concern; this episode restores some hope. The network needs to work with the writers/producers to allow the series to find that balance again.
It can be very hard to remain patient with the pacing and structure of the season thus far. The stripped down continuity is inconsistent at best, or so it seems when the episodes are so disconnected. While only one episode has truly been devoid of character development (“Nocturne”), the odd scheduling (both on the calendar and episode order) has made it hard to recall that the other six episodes (counting the premiere as two) have had plenty of strong character moments, because the episodes themselves have varied in quality.
This episode has plenty of things that make it work: Sydney and Sloane facing each other down, sexy action with Sydney and Nadia in the field, and references to Sloane’s past criminal activity. Sloane’s dressing-down of Sydney and Nadia was also unexpected. But it also had some predictable elements as well: how the situation at the hotel was resolved, the complication with the exchange, and Sydney’s decision to remain with APO. The plot itself held very few surprises. The end result is an episode that is fairly average, and until some of these earlier episodes are placed into a definitive larger context, this will continue to be the case.
Final Analysis
Overall, this episode finally deals with Sydney’s aversion to working with Sloane and her motivations for remaining with APO. Sloane’s criminal past rears its ugly head in an unexpected manner, which is always good, but the plot is fairly standard and holds few surprises. There are some hints to the development of key relationships and future conflicts, but they remain only possibilities, which leaves the overall pertinence of this episode in question.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 7/10
Season Average (as of 4.7): 7.0
Directed by Craig Zisk
In which Sydney’s disdain for Sloane and his current authority causes trouble when she and her sister Nadia violate orders during a mission to prevent the spread of a deadly weapon…
Status Report
One of the major sticking points this season has been the difficult suspension of disbelief regarding Sloane. There’s such a terrible history associated with the character, even during his presumably first round of “making amends”, that it seems ludicrous to think that anyone, never mind Sydney and the rest of the team, would willingly work for him.
This episode was promoted by the network as something of a “sister act’, which is really only a small part of the episode’s charm. Sure, Sydney and Nadia make like the Paris/Nicole type, all in the name of bonding with another supposed ditz to get top secret information from a Russian crime boss, but that’s not the overall concept of the episode. As much as the relationship between the two sisters is highlighted, it’s used as a means to a much more interesting end: exploring Sydney’s deep conflict with her current employment situation.
It’s been a long time coming, and it doesn’t help that the network tossed the episodes around like a salad, dumping a couple of episodes ahead of this one in the hopes (one would think) of getting new viewers hooked on the whole Sydney/Vaughn relationship. All well and good, but it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to realize that Sydney’s issues with Sloane should have come up almost immediately following the season premiere. And indeed, this episode was supposed to follow “The Awful Truth”, directly connecting Sydney’s doubts in the premiere and quickly following up on the strained relationship between Nadia and Sloane.
Even taking the bizarre episode order into account, this is exactly what a lot of fans were hoping for, especially the ones who didn’t buy the whole revamped status quo. Nearly every episode has Sydney snapping at her boss with biting sarcasm, and he just seems to take it. The simple assumption is that he has a long-term agenda, still unfulfilled, and ignoring Sydney is the easiest thing for the plan. This episode, however, delves into the complexity of the relationship.
The goal in this episode (stand-alone again, at least plot-wise) is preventing the spread of a weapons technology called “Black Thorine”, essentially a super-explosive. Russian crime bosses have it or want it, as usual, since this series is obsessed with post-capitalism Russian crime syndicates. The CIA wants the technology safely contained and out of enemy hands (and likely into theirs), and so who do they call? Sloane and his team, of course!
There are complications on the mission, but they are nothing compared to the complications that arise between the characters. This is where the previous episode failed and this one succeeds: moving the characters forward and exploring their motivations. The first third of any season of an arc-driven series should be spent laying the foundation for plot and character threads, and since the plot aspect has been hobbled by the network thus far, the character drama needs to step up to the plate. “Nocturne” failed to add anything new, rehashing the past for new viewers; this episode takes a more balanced approach.
As one would expect, Sloane wants a relationship with his daughter Nadia, and that includes little things like stopping by at the house for after-work drinks and conversation. It’s still not clear why Nadia would forgive Sloane for what happened at the end of the third season, but she seems more than willing to let bygones be bygones for the moment. Nadia seems to be taking the practical approach to the whole situation: she hasn’t seen anything firsthand, and she needs to figure out where she fits in this new world on her own terms.
Sydney comes back from a mission to find him sitting there at the counter, all smiles, and she instantly tells him to take a hike. This is a natural enough reaction, but it also is very telling: she doesn’t take Nadia’s feelings on the matter into consideration at all. Sydney’s so wrapped up in her own issues over Sloane (however justified) that she can’t comprehend how someone wouldn’t instantly hate the man based on her version of events.
That’s not a writing error, especially since Nadia seems to regard Sydney with something approaching suspicion or wariness several times during the episode. It almost seems as if she might have heard some things about Syndey from Sloane during their Rambaldi trek, between the seasons, and maybe she’s trying to assess whose version of the truth fits her own experience. She wants the relationship with her sister, but as well as they work together, the lines are slowly being drawn. If Nadia can set aside the past and move forward, but Sydney cannot, it could play into the larger dynamic.
That dynamic includes the truth about Irina and Sloane’s possible agenda. There’s something going on between Jack and Sloane, which could simply be a matter of Jack keeping a very close eye on his old ally/enemy. Whatever the case, Nadia will eventually learn the truth about Jack, and thanks to the information that Sydney has, it’s unlikely that the sisters would come down on the same side. The question is: would Sloane use that situation to gain Nadia’s allegiance, thus setting the stage for a future conflict between two fathers and two daughters, with Irina and her legacy being at the center of it all?
Consider that even Vaughn and Weiss, old friends and allies to the end, are slowly but surely choosing sides. Vaughn would obviously back Sydney, but if Weiss gets close to Nadia, that could break the friendship if it comes down to it. For that matter, Dixon would ultimately back Sydney against Sloane, something made very clear in the previous episode. One would also expect Marshall to stick with Sydney, but depending on the circumstances, that could be a false assumption.
For that to have any dramatic context, especially in light of the third season, the core relationships within the conflict must be established and the issues of contention put into place. An eventual breakdown in the relationship between the two sisters (who are fated to kill/destroy each other anyway) wouldn’t mean much if they weren’t first allies and potential friends. Nadia is the closest thing to a close family member that Sydney has left in her world, since her relationship with her father is more than a little strained. Similarly, any future conflict between Jack and Sloane would work better if it were established that they were working towards the same goal.
JJ Abrams indicated that the fans should be patient with this season, since two goals are in play: gaining the trust of new audience coming out of “Lost”, and then giving Sydney’s world more life, so that conflicts begin to have meaning again. When Will and Francie were around, there was always the threat that something would sever that relationship (and in fact, that’s what happened). In the third season, Sydney became so isolated that it became less about her precarious relationships to those around her and more about plot considerations that had no gravitas without the relationship element.
So the scenario, suggested heavily by this episode, is that the writers are taking the first third or half of the season to slowly but surely set up several key relationships that, if Sloane goes rogue again (or even begins to appear to go rogue), will be sorely tested. Sydney makes it very clear in this episode that she has no intention of ever forgiving Sloane for what he’s done, and by staying, she’s making it clear that she has no intention of letting those feelings get in the way of keeping him under very close watch. She’s gotten used to playing these games, after all, and like Dixon, she wants to be there to take Sloane down when the day of betrayal comes ‘round again.
As already mentioned, this episode would have been better in its original context, coming after “The Awful Truth” or even “Ice”. Dixon’s conversation with Sydney doesn’t quite mesh with his confrontation with Sloane in the previous episode; it feels like this conversation should have come first. Equally, Sydney and Nadia really establish a working relationship in this episode, based on a sense of mutual trust and affection. Having it happen this far into the season isn’t necessarily a major problem, but it muddies the character development threads a bit.
Back to the scenario, this could explain why the producers weren’t so worried about mixing the episodes around. Provided that the episodes all contain some element to establish key character relationships, and that those elements aren’t directly dependent on a specific progression of episodes, then it’s merely an annoyance. Ultimately, of course, all of these pieces should culminate in something with a more serialized flavor, or the one reasonable explanation for the structure of the season would disappear. All of this needs to come together in the end if the writers want to have any chance of satisfying the audience, new or old.
What’s interesting is the contrast between “Lost” and “Alias”. “Lost” has an incredibly tight continuity, highly serialized, but episodes are effectively stand-alone in the sense that character development is covered through flashbacks that give context, episode to episode, to character decisions as the story moves forward. So it’s possible to watch “Lost” week to week and enjoy it. This is the essence of a balanced series structure: each episode should have a certain value in and of itself, but each episode should also add to the big picture, so that when taken as a whole, the individual stories add up to a much larger long-term story.
Earlier seasons of “Alias” were like that, with the hook of cutting off the final resolution to each episode’s plot thread and leaving it for the teaser of the next episode. If it had been a question of simply taking that resolution and shifting it back to the end of each episode, that’s one thing. But it’s still not clear whether or not the individual pieces are adding up to a greater whole. The previous episode was evidence for deep concern; this episode restores some hope. The network needs to work with the writers/producers to allow the series to find that balance again.
It can be very hard to remain patient with the pacing and structure of the season thus far. The stripped down continuity is inconsistent at best, or so it seems when the episodes are so disconnected. While only one episode has truly been devoid of character development (“Nocturne”), the odd scheduling (both on the calendar and episode order) has made it hard to recall that the other six episodes (counting the premiere as two) have had plenty of strong character moments, because the episodes themselves have varied in quality.
This episode has plenty of things that make it work: Sydney and Sloane facing each other down, sexy action with Sydney and Nadia in the field, and references to Sloane’s past criminal activity. Sloane’s dressing-down of Sydney and Nadia was also unexpected. But it also had some predictable elements as well: how the situation at the hotel was resolved, the complication with the exchange, and Sydney’s decision to remain with APO. The plot itself held very few surprises. The end result is an episode that is fairly average, and until some of these earlier episodes are placed into a definitive larger context, this will continue to be the case.
Final Analysis
Overall, this episode finally deals with Sydney’s aversion to working with Sloane and her motivations for remaining with APO. Sloane’s criminal past rears its ugly head in an unexpected manner, which is always good, but the plot is fairly standard and holds few surprises. There are some hints to the development of key relationships and future conflicts, but they remain only possibilities, which leaves the overall pertinence of this episode in question.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 7/10
Season Average (as of 4.7): 7.0
posted by John Keegan | 16:02
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