Alias 4.19: "In Dreams..."
Written by Jon Robin Baitz
Directed by Jennifer Garner
In which the imposter Sloane is captured, forcing the real Sloane to reveal his true intentions while running Omnifam and delve into his own past for the key to preventing Yelena’s plan…
Status Report
As revelations go, this episode packs more of them into one hour than practically any other episode of “Alias” since “Full Disclosure”. In the course of four acts, the writers took four seasons worth of character development for Arvin Sloane and made perfect sense of it by placing bookends on his 30+ years of Rambaldi obsession. In the process, Sloane’s status as one of the most complex “villains” currently on television is secured.
Comparisons have been made between “Alias” and “X-Files”, and once again, there are some elements that are shared. The difference seems to be a consistency that was missing from the “X-Files”, because the lingering plot elements are coming together nicely in this series’ fourth season. If Sloane was patterned somewhat after the mastermind of the “X-Files” mythology, Cancer Man, at least in this case the writers have taken the time to explain Sloane’s motivations in full. Not only is he obsessed, but his obsession is now revealed as the result of the terrible loss of a child.
All season long, Nadia has served a dual purpose: her personality brings out the best and worst in Sydney, and her presence gives Sloane a reason to seek redemption. Her relationship to and with Sydney is likely to become a central factor in the season finale, but for quite some time, she’s been the grounding rod in Sloane’s complicated life. She’s the one reason why he could turn back from the brink of madness and self-righteous villainy.
The best villains are, of course, the ones that don’t consider themselves to be evil. Sloane falls squarely in that category. Sloane suffered a terrible loss of a daughter, and as such, he wanted to prevent pain and suffering in the world. He simply saw it as a matter of short-term sacrifice made justifiable by long-term reward. In the end, the Rambaldi plan wouldn’t just render immortality, but it would also recreate the human race in Rambaldi’s conception, rooting out the aggression and violence that causes such pain.
Suddenly Sloane’s obsession with drinking water, so evident since the third season premiere when his creation of Omnifam was revealed, is given context. The Mueller device is given a purpose. Oddly enough, the Circumference could still contain the water with the “additives”, as per “Almost Thirty Years”, even as it serves as an override to the genetic alterations of Rambaldi’s grand plan. The preserved flower of “The Passage”, though not directly referenced, suddenly gains a possible meaning: not only was it preserved over time in a perfect state, but it was also a critical piece of the Rambaldi puzzle.
This also explains why certain people would be so eager to implement the changes under their own watch. The one who implements the Rambaldi design would also have the ability to control those altered by the Rambaldi formula. Sloane, Yelena, the Magnific Order, the Covenant…all of them are actually under the impression that the world would be better if they were the rulers of a planet of drones. And more to the point, that’s exactly the kind of thing that Rambaldi, having suffered so much in his own life, would want to see: a world where war and strife are a thing of the past.
The “genetic alteration” scheme is obviously meant to be implemented on several fronts. The water additives (reminiscent of latter-day “X-Files”) were distributed to the third world countries, but what about the industrialized world? Nightingale might work better on a large scale, and perhaps the Circumference devices (at least the really big ones) are meant to hold the water or serum necessary to expose large populations quickly. Whatever the case, while Sloane was busy trying to save the world from itself, Yelena (possibly as leader of the Covenant) was working on how to use Sloane’s own actions against him.
What would be the purpose of using a Mueller device to incite violence in those modified with the Rambaldi formula? For someone looking to take control of the world after the change, it would be an easy way to control through fear. The premise is this: “Accept the change and our rule, or look what kind of mindless army we can unleash.” Yelena is apparently more than willing to implement this plan.
How does this fit with the rest of the Rambaldi mythology? It makes a lot of sense, actually. Irina’s endgame, which was never as simple as it seemed, is now revealed as a lifelong attempt to prevent Yelena from completing her plan. Irina always told Sydney that “truth takes time”, and certainly, it has taken a few years for the hidden truths to be revealed. Irina’s endgame, of course, looks to be revealed at the end of the season as well. In the end, Irina could turn out to be as tragic a figure as Sloane.
Turning back to Sloane: it looks like this episode explains a bit more about what he was trying to find at the end of the third season. Nadia become the living embodiment of everything he wanted and lost so long ago, and thus the one thing that could replace Rambaldi in his life. Thus Sloane was set on his current path: trying to protect Nadia and Sydney from being implicated in Yelena’s attempt to take advantage of what Sloane created, while also using the APO resources to combat Yelena and reverse the damage.
Other aspects of the Rambaldi endgame are suggested. Was the Page 47 prophecy related to this pacification program or something else? Is Sydney meant to be tempted by anger and rage into using the Mueller device to wreck havoc, with Nadia fated to prevent that from happening? The sisters are meant to war over control of something, and it certainly looks like the Circumference fits the symbolism of the Eye of Rambaldi. Or will they switch roles, should Nadia learn about Jack’s assassination of Irina? For that matter, Sloane could slip back into Rambaldi madness again, and Nadia’s trust is tenuous as it is. (After all, “the greatest power” could very well be Rambaldi’s own endgame.)
There’s also the little question of whether or not the rebirth of Rambaldi, meant to be a melding of Sydney and Rambaldi’s genetic materal, ties into this pacification plot. Was the reborn Rambaldi meant to control the new humanity? In that case, those plans could still be in effect; imagine if the end of the fourth season prevents Yelena’s plan but ends up exposing Sydney to the prospect of a possible Rambaldi baby. (Yep…that addresses ye olde Rumour Mill!)
In terms of the Sydney/Nadia parallel, both now have reason to believe that their fathers have concealed something terrible from them. As usual, it seems that Sydney is the less reasonable of the two. At least Sloane actively took the steps to create the false Rambaldi serum and introduce it to a huge chunk of the world population. Jack found out about it and then developed a strategy to contain the damage. Sydney’s not seeing the big picture. Exactly what else was Jack supposed to do, other than place constraints around Sloane and further implementation of the technology?
It definitely feels as though this season is designed to wrap up the Rambaldi threads in a major way. In fact, so many things are coming together that it’s going to be quite interesting to see how much is still left on the table. Going back to the days of SD-6 and the Mueller device from the first season, the flower from “The Passage” and Sloane’s connection with Emily in the second season, Omnifam and Sloane’s purpose in the third season, and revealed the scope of Sloane and Jack’s pact, this episode takes a season with minimal Rambaldi elements and drops it squarely into the biggest Rambaldi gambit yet.
In fact, there was so much happening in this episode that it had to be a major challenge for Jennifer Garner as a directorial debut. Indeed, that was the main weakness of this episode. The pacing was the definition of “frenetic”, and it almost felt like the editing was designed to ensure that no scene lingered too long. While this kept events moving at a blistering pace, it also lessened the emotional impact of Sloane’s painful memory recovery process, which should have been mined more sympathetically.
Jen was also visibly distracted; in several scenes, she wasn’t playing Sydney in character, as if a bit too aware that she was stepping out from behind the camera to make an on-screen appearance. Only the scene with Jack at the beginning felt natural, though that scene also brought a possible plot thread to an abrupt end; it was way too easy for Jack to be cured so quickly. But now that the genetic alteration aspect of Nightingale is tied to a much larger Rambaldi plot, it’s easy enough to forgive. And getting to watch the APO staff spar with Arvin Clone, even for just a little while, was worth the price of admission!
If this episode is any indication, the last three episodes of the season are going to be filled with shifting alliances, tons of uncovered truths, and more Rambaldi than anyone could have ever asked for. It’s been great seeing so much of Dixon in the field, and even Nadia got to step into Sydney’s usual shoes. The writers seem to be setting Nadia up for some serious heartache, since Sloane chooses her in this episode, but could easily fall back into the Rambaldi addiction if things continue to expose him to old patterns.
Consider this: for the first time, all the major players are going to be front and center by the series finale: Sydney, Nadia, Jack, Sloane, Irina, Yelena. Plots going back as far as the beginning of the series will finally be revisited. And that’s just what is apparent from the past few episodes. There’s no telling how crazy things will get in the next couple of episodes (though running episodes 20 and 21 on the same night could kill some fans)! What is certain is that the series will likely be forced into another premise shift, and unlike the third season, the anticipation of the finale is unlikely to be disappointed.
Final Analysis
Overall, this episode is a tour de force of series mythology, touching on elements from every season and linking them together with revelations about Sloane and his motivations. Like the previous installment, this episode is about one character’s psychology, and it benefits from that focus. Jennifer Garner’s directorial debut is a bit too frenzied at times, sapping some of the emotional punch, but the dense content makes up for it.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 1/2
Style: 3/4
Final Rating: 8/10
Season Average (as of 4.19): 7.6
Directed by Jennifer Garner
In which the imposter Sloane is captured, forcing the real Sloane to reveal his true intentions while running Omnifam and delve into his own past for the key to preventing Yelena’s plan…
Status Report
As revelations go, this episode packs more of them into one hour than practically any other episode of “Alias” since “Full Disclosure”. In the course of four acts, the writers took four seasons worth of character development for Arvin Sloane and made perfect sense of it by placing bookends on his 30+ years of Rambaldi obsession. In the process, Sloane’s status as one of the most complex “villains” currently on television is secured.
Comparisons have been made between “Alias” and “X-Files”, and once again, there are some elements that are shared. The difference seems to be a consistency that was missing from the “X-Files”, because the lingering plot elements are coming together nicely in this series’ fourth season. If Sloane was patterned somewhat after the mastermind of the “X-Files” mythology, Cancer Man, at least in this case the writers have taken the time to explain Sloane’s motivations in full. Not only is he obsessed, but his obsession is now revealed as the result of the terrible loss of a child.
All season long, Nadia has served a dual purpose: her personality brings out the best and worst in Sydney, and her presence gives Sloane a reason to seek redemption. Her relationship to and with Sydney is likely to become a central factor in the season finale, but for quite some time, she’s been the grounding rod in Sloane’s complicated life. She’s the one reason why he could turn back from the brink of madness and self-righteous villainy.
The best villains are, of course, the ones that don’t consider themselves to be evil. Sloane falls squarely in that category. Sloane suffered a terrible loss of a daughter, and as such, he wanted to prevent pain and suffering in the world. He simply saw it as a matter of short-term sacrifice made justifiable by long-term reward. In the end, the Rambaldi plan wouldn’t just render immortality, but it would also recreate the human race in Rambaldi’s conception, rooting out the aggression and violence that causes such pain.
Suddenly Sloane’s obsession with drinking water, so evident since the third season premiere when his creation of Omnifam was revealed, is given context. The Mueller device is given a purpose. Oddly enough, the Circumference could still contain the water with the “additives”, as per “Almost Thirty Years”, even as it serves as an override to the genetic alterations of Rambaldi’s grand plan. The preserved flower of “The Passage”, though not directly referenced, suddenly gains a possible meaning: not only was it preserved over time in a perfect state, but it was also a critical piece of the Rambaldi puzzle.
This also explains why certain people would be so eager to implement the changes under their own watch. The one who implements the Rambaldi design would also have the ability to control those altered by the Rambaldi formula. Sloane, Yelena, the Magnific Order, the Covenant…all of them are actually under the impression that the world would be better if they were the rulers of a planet of drones. And more to the point, that’s exactly the kind of thing that Rambaldi, having suffered so much in his own life, would want to see: a world where war and strife are a thing of the past.
The “genetic alteration” scheme is obviously meant to be implemented on several fronts. The water additives (reminiscent of latter-day “X-Files”) were distributed to the third world countries, but what about the industrialized world? Nightingale might work better on a large scale, and perhaps the Circumference devices (at least the really big ones) are meant to hold the water or serum necessary to expose large populations quickly. Whatever the case, while Sloane was busy trying to save the world from itself, Yelena (possibly as leader of the Covenant) was working on how to use Sloane’s own actions against him.
What would be the purpose of using a Mueller device to incite violence in those modified with the Rambaldi formula? For someone looking to take control of the world after the change, it would be an easy way to control through fear. The premise is this: “Accept the change and our rule, or look what kind of mindless army we can unleash.” Yelena is apparently more than willing to implement this plan.
How does this fit with the rest of the Rambaldi mythology? It makes a lot of sense, actually. Irina’s endgame, which was never as simple as it seemed, is now revealed as a lifelong attempt to prevent Yelena from completing her plan. Irina always told Sydney that “truth takes time”, and certainly, it has taken a few years for the hidden truths to be revealed. Irina’s endgame, of course, looks to be revealed at the end of the season as well. In the end, Irina could turn out to be as tragic a figure as Sloane.
Turning back to Sloane: it looks like this episode explains a bit more about what he was trying to find at the end of the third season. Nadia become the living embodiment of everything he wanted and lost so long ago, and thus the one thing that could replace Rambaldi in his life. Thus Sloane was set on his current path: trying to protect Nadia and Sydney from being implicated in Yelena’s attempt to take advantage of what Sloane created, while also using the APO resources to combat Yelena and reverse the damage.
Other aspects of the Rambaldi endgame are suggested. Was the Page 47 prophecy related to this pacification program or something else? Is Sydney meant to be tempted by anger and rage into using the Mueller device to wreck havoc, with Nadia fated to prevent that from happening? The sisters are meant to war over control of something, and it certainly looks like the Circumference fits the symbolism of the Eye of Rambaldi. Or will they switch roles, should Nadia learn about Jack’s assassination of Irina? For that matter, Sloane could slip back into Rambaldi madness again, and Nadia’s trust is tenuous as it is. (After all, “the greatest power” could very well be Rambaldi’s own endgame.)
There’s also the little question of whether or not the rebirth of Rambaldi, meant to be a melding of Sydney and Rambaldi’s genetic materal, ties into this pacification plot. Was the reborn Rambaldi meant to control the new humanity? In that case, those plans could still be in effect; imagine if the end of the fourth season prevents Yelena’s plan but ends up exposing Sydney to the prospect of a possible Rambaldi baby. (Yep…that addresses ye olde Rumour Mill!)
In terms of the Sydney/Nadia parallel, both now have reason to believe that their fathers have concealed something terrible from them. As usual, it seems that Sydney is the less reasonable of the two. At least Sloane actively took the steps to create the false Rambaldi serum and introduce it to a huge chunk of the world population. Jack found out about it and then developed a strategy to contain the damage. Sydney’s not seeing the big picture. Exactly what else was Jack supposed to do, other than place constraints around Sloane and further implementation of the technology?
It definitely feels as though this season is designed to wrap up the Rambaldi threads in a major way. In fact, so many things are coming together that it’s going to be quite interesting to see how much is still left on the table. Going back to the days of SD-6 and the Mueller device from the first season, the flower from “The Passage” and Sloane’s connection with Emily in the second season, Omnifam and Sloane’s purpose in the third season, and revealed the scope of Sloane and Jack’s pact, this episode takes a season with minimal Rambaldi elements and drops it squarely into the biggest Rambaldi gambit yet.
In fact, there was so much happening in this episode that it had to be a major challenge for Jennifer Garner as a directorial debut. Indeed, that was the main weakness of this episode. The pacing was the definition of “frenetic”, and it almost felt like the editing was designed to ensure that no scene lingered too long. While this kept events moving at a blistering pace, it also lessened the emotional impact of Sloane’s painful memory recovery process, which should have been mined more sympathetically.
Jen was also visibly distracted; in several scenes, she wasn’t playing Sydney in character, as if a bit too aware that she was stepping out from behind the camera to make an on-screen appearance. Only the scene with Jack at the beginning felt natural, though that scene also brought a possible plot thread to an abrupt end; it was way too easy for Jack to be cured so quickly. But now that the genetic alteration aspect of Nightingale is tied to a much larger Rambaldi plot, it’s easy enough to forgive. And getting to watch the APO staff spar with Arvin Clone, even for just a little while, was worth the price of admission!
If this episode is any indication, the last three episodes of the season are going to be filled with shifting alliances, tons of uncovered truths, and more Rambaldi than anyone could have ever asked for. It’s been great seeing so much of Dixon in the field, and even Nadia got to step into Sydney’s usual shoes. The writers seem to be setting Nadia up for some serious heartache, since Sloane chooses her in this episode, but could easily fall back into the Rambaldi addiction if things continue to expose him to old patterns.
Consider this: for the first time, all the major players are going to be front and center by the series finale: Sydney, Nadia, Jack, Sloane, Irina, Yelena. Plots going back as far as the beginning of the series will finally be revisited. And that’s just what is apparent from the past few episodes. There’s no telling how crazy things will get in the next couple of episodes (though running episodes 20 and 21 on the same night could kill some fans)! What is certain is that the series will likely be forced into another premise shift, and unlike the third season, the anticipation of the finale is unlikely to be disappointed.
Final Analysis
Overall, this episode is a tour de force of series mythology, touching on elements from every season and linking them together with revelations about Sloane and his motivations. Like the previous installment, this episode is about one character’s psychology, and it benefits from that focus. Jennifer Garner’s directorial debut is a bit too frenzied at times, sapping some of the emotional punch, but the dense content makes up for it.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 1/2
Style: 3/4
Final Rating: 8/10
Season Average (as of 4.19): 7.6
posted by John Keegan | 16:47
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