| Truth Be Told SpyDaddy to the Rescue - In the glorious world of Alias, the best, most dynamic meetings between two characters always begin with one or both of them pointing guns at each other, and usually include shiny taupe-colored getaway cars, phenomenal driving/shooting coordination by experienced CIA agents, and of course - an enemy. And this is how our favorite father and daughter are first introduced to us. Could we have expected any less from a show like Alias? I think not. Sydney, quite obviously, is more than a little shocked when, after having beaten up an armed guy in a parking garage, her father drives up to save her from the remaining hit men, who are also driving a car. When she hears tires screeching in the distance, she grabs the nearest gun and whirls around, only to find herself staring at her own father�the father she probably hasn�t seen in years, the father she tried to hide her engagement from because she didn�t want him to ruin it. The father who told her fianc�, �Sydney doesn�t give a damn what my opinion is!� The father who Sydney believes is innocently selling airplane parts at Jennings Aerospace. The two estranged family members suddenly find themselves in the same car�yes, they are actually in the same car�driving away from Sloane�s vile henchmen. Jack reveals to Sydney that she is not working for the CIA, but for the Alliance, the very people she thought she was fighting against. Our poor, grief-stricken young spy has a hard time accepting what her daddy is telling her. I�d say I don�t blame her, but seeing as Jack knew about the attempted murder, where she was, and is now trying to send her to another country to keep her safe, I think that is a pretty good indication that he knows what he�s doing and can be trusted. I mean, he had me totally convinced. Sadly, Sydney is not so easily swayed, and when Jack tells her to get into a car that will take her to the airport, she refuses. Instead she glares at Jack and in a chillingly cold tone says, �Who are you to come to me and act like a father? If you want to help me, stay away from me.� And thus, we can conclude that father and daughter are not off to the most agreeable start. Trust Me - This has to be one of my all-time favorite Syd/Jack scenes. They are politely hostile - and yes, in Alias there is such a thing as being politely hostile! - and incredibly enough manage to convey a lot to each other without actually saying much. Jack comes to meet Sydney when she�s visiting Danny�s grave. He tells her he�s sorry about Danny�s death, and Sydney gives him a dirty look and tells him to hit the road. She gets him right where it hurts, saying, �I accept what I�m doing now because I have to. That doesn�t mean I have to accept you.� Jack, however, is not intimidated by her, and reveals that he knows she went to the CIA for help. He thanks her for not naming him in her statement, says it was kind of her. Who else thinks her motives for leaving him out were anything but kind? Riiight. So Sydney now realizes that her father is not the enemy, but in fact a double for the CIA just like her. If this information indeed changes how she views her father, one would never know. She�s still glaring at him. I especially love this scene because it sort of foreshadows their relationship for the entire season - Sydney questioning Jack, Jack trying to earn Sydney�s trust, Sydney trying to earn Jack�s trust. It�s all kind of summed up in two simple lines, though their relationship is anything but simple. When Sydney asks Jack, �How do I know that what you�re telling me is the truth?� and Jack replies, �I guess we�ll just have to learn to trust each other,� I get goosebumps. Every time. And as Jack walks away and Sydney stares at him, holding that cell phone in her hand, I am captivated. Whether it�s by good acting, or good writing, or having watched the whole season, or all three - this scene leaves me staring hypnotically at the TV long after that black background and those white Alias letters have graced the screen. |
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| Muchas gracias to AliasForever for this commentary. |