Alias commentary (4x07)

[vaznetti]

A few comments and questions

I liked it, overall, but I agree with corngirl_jo that it was very clear that the episode was shown out of order--and I saw elsewhere that it was supposed to be the third episode of the series. That makes sense, I think: Nadia was still coming to terms with Sloane, here. Dixon's speech to Sydney was clearly prior to his outburst to Sloane, shown last week. And Weiss's relationship to Nadia was also at an earlier stage than it was when he was thinking about sleeping over.

It also would make sense of Sydney's "not in my house" comment to Nadia--because it's not her house as well, yet. Otherwise, that's just cruel and self-centered. (But, you know, par for the course for Sydney.)

Weiss, by the way, after he made that comment about "dating sisters" to Vaughn, was clearly lost in a very personal fantasy about a threesome. But was it a threesome with Sydney and Nadia, or with Vaughn and Nadia? I leave that to you to decide.

I would probably watch Arvin Sloane read the telephone book, but I do wish he were a little less inscrutable here. At the very end, as he looked out from his office at Sydney, Nadia, Weiss and Vaughn, his expression changed behind his hands--I wasn't sure, though, if he was smiling or grimacing. I'd like to say smiling, because then we could have some hint of an overarching plot--the nefarious plans of Crazy Uncle Arvin, for example. Did anyone else notice that?

I really miss the story arc.

Of course, watching an episode where the characters are chasing after some kind of dangerous black substance in canisters did send me to the happy XF flashback place, so I'll just pretend that this is all a giant XF crossover, and we'll be seeing Marita any day now. Insert mytharc at will, with mysterious resurrections.

I rather liked the interaction of Nadia and Sydney--the little rivalry between them on the firing range, the bonding moment where they're playing at rich Eurotrash. It distracted me from the plot holes, of which there were too many to count. Nothing that happened on that yacht made any kind of strategic sense, for example--if I were writing that scene I'd have a little chart and map to let me know how many people there were, and who was where, and if I can make the effort, so can the writers.

I don't know what to think about Sydney and Nadia's great disguise being "a girl," so I'm just going to forget about it. Dodgy politics, dodgy ideas about gender, whatever. I'm just here for the shiny and the Sloane.


I notice that the television gods are angry with me, because I will be away in Oxford next week. Typical. I'm as happy about the preview as you would expect, of course.

Comments

[par-avion.livejournal.com]

Did anyone else notice that?

Yes!!! I thought he might be smiling behind his hands, but why? Is Sydney playing into his (assuredly) Evil Plan?

[vaznetti]

Is Sydney playing into his (assuredly) Evil Plan?

I really hope that this will turn out to be the case, although at the moment I don't really believe that there's any kind of arc at all. So instead I can just sit back and daydream about Sloane and his plans for world domination.

[rez-lo.livejournal.com]

I will be away in Oxford next week.

I hope this is a well-deserved break?

Meanwhile, are you recording, or would you like DVDs made for Galactica, Alias, other?

but I do wish he were a little less inscrutable here.

I'm inclined to believe this is the writers' solution to The Pointless Mission of the Week: they throw in a little unexplained smirking by Arvin because they know it'll keep us watching. Later, they'll make up a reason.

I think it'll be something new about either Sydney's or Nadia's parentage, personally, or maybe the truth about "unto utter desolation." Because there is no Arvin with Rambaldi, I don't care what they say.

[vaznetti]

I hope this is a well-deserved break?

I think it's healthy that I've been able to just shrug and say, "oh, well," about missing Sark next week, because I'll be with my husband. That's what I'm saying "Finally!!!!" about.

I think I can torrent Galactica on Friday night, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to get Alias that way as well, when I return; would you mind copying it to DVD, just in case? I'd be really grateful.

I agree, by the way, that Arvin's Mysterious Smiles are just a sop to the longterm viewer, and at the moment there is no plan. I long even for the return of the twisted mess of the S3 mytharc, because the Sydney Show just doesn't do it for me.

But you meant to write, "there is no Arvin without Rambaldi, right?

[ayrdaomei.livejournal.com]

it was very clear that the episode was shown out of order--and I saw elsewhere that it was supposed to be the third episode of the series. That makes sense

Oh my, that makes so much more sense. There was much retreading of stuff that has already been established and I was like...er?

[vaznetti]

Awesome icon!

Yes, I was scratching my head a bit, until I found that tidbit about the original order. It makes any number of things better.

[monanotlisa.livejournal.com]

Of course, watching an episode where the characters are chasing after some kind of dangerous black substance in canisters did send me to the happy XF flashback place

No kidding. Didn't all of us ex-X-Philes perk up at that?

Did anyone else notice that?

Yes. It may have been wishful thinking, though; a grimacing Uncle Arvin would mean things have spun out of his control-- if only slightly, if only emotionally--, that Sydney's words of loathing affected him to the point of upset...and that just doesn't seem much like Sloane, The Man With A (Nefarious) Plan on this show.

And I loved, loved, loved the Sydney/Nadia moments. Can we have her shift to the Dark Side slowly now, please?