Well, technically you've already met them, but this is the first episode where they get substantial screen time and reveal themselves. And in typical "Alias" fashion, they are not exactly who they superficially appear to be: she is not a bad girl but a victim of a deception that's very similar to Sydney's SD-6 experience, and he's not a rebellious, arrogant loner but a helpful agent and a willing team player. The series has always been gifted with a superb regular & guest cast, and it looks like Nichols and Getty will be no exceptions (Nichols also has a beautiful music theme written for her by Michael Giacchino). "The Shed" also introduces Amy Acker as a sexy hitwoman who is working for Rachel's boss, Gordon Dean, except that she knows exactly what he's up to. Upon learning the truth, Rachel agrees to help the APO team hack into Dean's secure computer server to learn the details about the upcoming sale of a dangerous chemical weapon. This episode has a lot of spy stuff, as Rachel has to "hide" her operation in plain sight, with some action on the side. But the Sloane subplot, about him getting a temporary release from prison to meet a Russian who may have a cure for Nadia's condition, doesn't really amount to much. *** out of 4.
4 Reviews
Sydney gets a new partner
Tweekums29 January 2012
Warning: Spoilers
When an associate of Gordon Dean steals two vials of the deadly Substance 33 Sydney is sent to Prague with Marshall and APO new boy Thomas Grace; she isn't too happy about her new partner but Dixon has his own job to do; escorting Sloane to a meet that could yield a cure for Sydney's sister. Once in Prague they quickly apprehend a hacker called Rachel who is working for Dean. The problem is she is convinced that she is working for another division of the CIA; in just the same way Sydney did when she was recruited into SD-6. Once she has been convinced of what is going on she agrees to return to her office so that Marshall can copy the data off Dean's server and retrieve Substance 33. A simple enough task but this being Alias things don't go according to plan and the results are explosive!
This was a great episode from the start when Dean's operative, Kelly Peyton, stole Substance 33 in a stylish scene to the end where she sets off a bomb to destroy evidence of their activities; while it was only a small part Amy Acker did a good job in the role; I hope she gets a larger role in future episodes. Rachel Nichols did a decent job as the duped hacker Rachel Gibson and Balthazar Getty was okay as the new guy Thomas; it will take a bit longer for me to decide whether I like the character or not; he seems a little too keen. The secondary story with Sloane and Dixon didn't really go anywhere but no doubt it is setting things up for a later story line.
This was a great episode from the start when Dean's operative, Kelly Peyton, stole Substance 33 in a stylish scene to the end where she sets off a bomb to destroy evidence of their activities; while it was only a small part Amy Acker did a good job in the role; I hope she gets a larger role in future episodes. Rachel Nichols did a decent job as the duped hacker Rachel Gibson and Balthazar Getty was okay as the new guy Thomas; it will take a bit longer for me to decide whether I like the character or not; he seems a little too keen. The secondary story with Sloane and Dixon didn't really go anywhere but no doubt it is setting things up for a later story line.
something's I could not digest
nekhrun-thebatgod19 April 2008
Warning: Spoilers
There are a few thing;s I could not digest in this episode:
* This episode was plotted in 2005. Marshall gives a credit card to Rachell to transfer the algorithm code. He says it can hold 250 gigs of data. Since when memory cards can hold 250 GB of data? With the thinness of the card, it must be flash memory card. Even today, there isn't any memory card which can hold that much data.
Second, Rachel plugged the card into keyboard, which is generally a USB port, not a Firewire port, as shown. Again, the thickness of a firewire or a usb port is not very thin that it can slide back into a credit card. Very weird.
* And the last, they made pregnant Sydney climb stairs up to 10th floor.
* This episode was plotted in 2005. Marshall gives a credit card to Rachell to transfer the algorithm code. He says it can hold 250 gigs of data. Since when memory cards can hold 250 GB of data? With the thinness of the card, it must be flash memory card. Even today, there isn't any memory card which can hold that much data.
Second, Rachel plugged the card into keyboard, which is generally a USB port, not a Firewire port, as shown. Again, the thickness of a firewire or a usb port is not very thin that it can slide back into a credit card. Very weird.
* And the last, they made pregnant Sydney climb stairs up to 10th floor.
How Silly !
elshikh413 November 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Once upon time, there was a girl named (Sydney), she was working for the CIA, UNTIL she discovered that she was working for the other side, for the same enemy she fights! (That was in Alias's first season).
After that, we knew about another girl named (Nadia), or Sydney's half sister, and how a sweet girl like her was working for the Argentinean intelligence, UNTIL she discovered that she was working for the other side, the same enemy she was fighting!! (That was in Alias's fourth season).
And now, we meet (Rachel) who ran into (Sydney), and we know that dear (Rachel) was working for the CIA, UNTIL she discovered that she was working for the other side, for the same enemy she fights!!! (And that is in Alias's fifth season).
So ladies and gentlemen, what can we learn from that?:
_You must observe your girlfriend carefully. Firstly, for her real hidden activities. Secondly, for her sake (as she may work ignorantly for the wrong side!). And thirdly, for your own safety, whereas (Sydney)'s 2 previous fiancés got killed because of the spying business!
_What a weird world that we live in. All the nice girls are secret agents, and how dull are them all too, working against their own homeland like this!
_The CIA must be aware about all of these organizations that copy its personality. Clearly, and according to the show, they are too many to stand!
_If you had been recruited by the intelligence, then demand an assured proof, or call them in their home, because - as you see - nothing is secure these days!
_The final thing to learn: this is not the good show that I used to watch!
At last, here a good idea for the writers of (Alias), and maybe it will be a nice cliffhanger for this poor season, and a nice ground for a sixth one too: what if the real CIA is not the real CIA?! What if all of these conflicts from season 1 till now are just operations done for the wrong side?! So now (Sydney), with the rest of her team, who have been deceived all along must revenge, and maybe it'll end with them working under the authority of their very enemy!! But HEY, this is silly, it has been done before, and in that same show already. But, honestly, aren't the previous too??!!
So goodbye Alias as a great show once, which was working so fine, till we discovered lately that it works.. for the other side!
After that, we knew about another girl named (Nadia), or Sydney's half sister, and how a sweet girl like her was working for the Argentinean intelligence, UNTIL she discovered that she was working for the other side, the same enemy she was fighting!! (That was in Alias's fourth season).
And now, we meet (Rachel) who ran into (Sydney), and we know that dear (Rachel) was working for the CIA, UNTIL she discovered that she was working for the other side, for the same enemy she fights!!! (And that is in Alias's fifth season).
So ladies and gentlemen, what can we learn from that?:
_You must observe your girlfriend carefully. Firstly, for her real hidden activities. Secondly, for her sake (as she may work ignorantly for the wrong side!). And thirdly, for your own safety, whereas (Sydney)'s 2 previous fiancés got killed because of the spying business!
_What a weird world that we live in. All the nice girls are secret agents, and how dull are them all too, working against their own homeland like this!
_The CIA must be aware about all of these organizations that copy its personality. Clearly, and according to the show, they are too many to stand!
_If you had been recruited by the intelligence, then demand an assured proof, or call them in their home, because - as you see - nothing is secure these days!
_The final thing to learn: this is not the good show that I used to watch!
At last, here a good idea for the writers of (Alias), and maybe it will be a nice cliffhanger for this poor season, and a nice ground for a sixth one too: what if the real CIA is not the real CIA?! What if all of these conflicts from season 1 till now are just operations done for the wrong side?! So now (Sydney), with the rest of her team, who have been deceived all along must revenge, and maybe it'll end with them working under the authority of their very enemy!! But HEY, this is silly, it has been done before, and in that same show already. But, honestly, aren't the previous too??!!
So goodbye Alias as a great show once, which was working so fine, till we discovered lately that it works.. for the other side!
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