Alias 5.03 - 5.05
Nov. 3rd, 2005 11:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakThanks to the gracious ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kskitten, I was finally able to catch up with Alias.
Firstly, I do not miss Vaughn in the least, despite having finally come around to him in season 4. Regarding the new kids on the block, I like Rachel and have no opinion so far about Thomas Grace, as we haven't learned anything to incite my curiosity about him yet. There is even a shy knocking of my neglected Alias muse on the door, suggesting a Sydney pov in which she wonders whether she sees something of her younger self in Rachel or of Nadia and Francie. We'll see whether it is going to develop into a ficlet.
Last season, Cloane and Elena Derevko (and in the backstory Roberto) were the Sloane doppelgangers, might-have-beens and exaggarated versions. This season, it seems to be Gordon Dean (someone loves his Watergate history), and I appreciate that they highlight the differences as well - Dean might chat amiably with Rachel about books, but he has no problems condemming her to death, whereas the only time we saw Sloane actually willing to have Sydney killed was the pilot (and you could fanwank that if you wanted as allowing for the possibility he knew Jack would save her if he got the information Jack's way, much as he tipped him off about Danny). So of course it had to be Dean behind the stringpulling to get Sloane out of jail, though I'm a bit confused why if he has that much clout the entire Cayman thing was a problem for him in the same episode. Anyway. I just loved, loved, loved every Arvin Sloane scene in these episodes. Most of all the ones with Jack, of course. (When Jack entered the court room and touched Sloane's shoulder silently, I squeed for selfish reasons as well, because I had Jack do that in a story to express an affection he can't verbalize.) They have such a strong and complicated relationship - Jack doesn't want him dead, and Jack realizes at once there has to be something wrong with Sloane's release. I think he says the literal truth to Dixon in ep. 05 - he trusts Sloane to do anything to help Nadia, and of course "anything" means a whole lot of catastrophic possibilities as well. It's trust and distrust at the same time, because they know each other so very, very well.
Meanwhile, on a meta level I got a kick out of the scenes between Jennifer Garner and Patrice B. because he played a character named Sydney in "The Pretender". (He also was a highly memorable character in Carnivale.) Not sure whether the French assassin will work as a long-term character; as with Grace, so far I'm neutral on her though of course in her quest to save her father she echoes the Alias family themes beautifully.
Because Alias has always been a family romance at its heart, Sydney's pregnancy (and Vaughn's absence from same) fit in a way other pregnancies in other shows often don't. And kudos to the writing team for coming up with scenes as the one in the casino, where Syd can use her pregnancy to her advantage in a plausible way while pulling of a great spy stunt, well played by J.G., too. ( But why wasn't there so far a Sydney-Marshall conference on babies? Mitchell definitely qualifies him as the APO expert.) So far, season 5 is fine by me. Except for missing Nadia. Which I do, desperately. But then again, if her absence means a juicy Arvin Sloane storyline, I can deal.
kskitten, I was finally able to catch up with Alias. Firstly, I do not miss Vaughn in the least, despite having finally come around to him in season 4. Regarding the new kids on the block, I like Rachel and have no opinion so far about Thomas Grace, as we haven't learned anything to incite my curiosity about him yet. There is even a shy knocking of my neglected Alias muse on the door, suggesting a Sydney pov in which she wonders whether she sees something of her younger self in Rachel or of Nadia and Francie. We'll see whether it is going to develop into a ficlet.
Last season, Cloane and Elena Derevko (and in the backstory Roberto) were the Sloane doppelgangers, might-have-beens and exaggarated versions. This season, it seems to be Gordon Dean (someone loves his Watergate history), and I appreciate that they highlight the differences as well - Dean might chat amiably with Rachel about books, but he has no problems condemming her to death, whereas the only time we saw Sloane actually willing to have Sydney killed was the pilot (and you could fanwank that if you wanted as allowing for the possibility he knew Jack would save her if he got the information Jack's way, much as he tipped him off about Danny). So of course it had to be Dean behind the stringpulling to get Sloane out of jail, though I'm a bit confused why if he has that much clout the entire Cayman thing was a problem for him in the same episode. Anyway. I just loved, loved, loved every Arvin Sloane scene in these episodes. Most of all the ones with Jack, of course. (When Jack entered the court room and touched Sloane's shoulder silently, I squeed for selfish reasons as well, because I had Jack do that in a story to express an affection he can't verbalize.) They have such a strong and complicated relationship - Jack doesn't want him dead, and Jack realizes at once there has to be something wrong with Sloane's release. I think he says the literal truth to Dixon in ep. 05 - he trusts Sloane to do anything to help Nadia, and of course "anything" means a whole lot of catastrophic possibilities as well. It's trust and distrust at the same time, because they know each other so very, very well.
Meanwhile, on a meta level I got a kick out of the scenes between Jennifer Garner and Patrice B. because he played a character named Sydney in "The Pretender". (He also was a highly memorable character in Carnivale.) Not sure whether the French assassin will work as a long-term character; as with Grace, so far I'm neutral on her though of course in her quest to save her father she echoes the Alias family themes beautifully.
Because Alias has always been a family romance at its heart, Sydney's pregnancy (and Vaughn's absence from same) fit in a way other pregnancies in other shows often don't. And kudos to the writing team for coming up with scenes as the one in the casino, where Syd can use her pregnancy to her advantage in a plausible way while pulling of a great spy stunt, well played by J.G., too. ( But why wasn't there so far a Sydney-Marshall conference on babies? Mitchell definitely qualifies him as the APO expert.) So far, season 5 is fine by me. Except for missing Nadia. Which I do, desperately. But then again, if her absence means a juicy Arvin Sloane storyline, I can deal.
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no subject
Date: 2005-11-03 12:14 pm (UTC)When Jack entered the court room and touched Sloane's shoulder silently, I squeed for selfish reasons as well, because I had Jack do that in a story to express an affection he can't verbalize.
The Sloane-Jack interactions have been so high-grade. Even touches like Sloane's Return To APO Powerwalk with Jack waiting at the end of the hall -- I squeaked.
no subject
Date: 2005-11-03 01:15 pm (UTC)Even touches like Sloane's Return To APO Powerwalk with Jack waiting at the end of the hall -- I squeaked.
Me too. Someone needs to icon that.
no subject
Date: 2005-11-03 12:56 pm (UTC)Yes, exactly -- I haven't been bothered by it in the least and think they could afford showing Sydney, avec belly and all.
Absolutely. Good plotting there.
& :-( Yeah.
God. So very.
no subject
Date: 2005-11-03 02:25 pm (UTC)God. So very.
Most shows wouldn't have known what to do with him after SD-6 was finished, but imo (and I know I'm prejudiced, but still) Sloane had the best and most consistent storyarc if you take the show in its entirety.