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Alias

Episode 02.02, "Trust Me"
Written by John Eisendrath
Directed by Craig Zisk

Now this is what I'm talkin' about. In Alias' second outing of the season, we get the real goods — the costumes, the adventure, and many displays of the ever tricky balancing act inherent to this show as it walks a needle-thin tightrope between action and angst. Thankfully, all of this is accomplished minus Therapist Patricia and gratuitous flashbacks. Oh, and Agent Sean-From-Felicity isn't dead! Huzzah!

First of all, gotta say that the addition of Mama B. is an ingenious, crackerjack device, and we're reminded of it many a time in this episode — her relationship with Sydney gives Alias the same nervy spark that Syd's relationship with Daddy B. did in season 1. As y'all will remember, Mama B. turned herself in to the CIA last week, claiming that she wants to cooperate. In this ep, she only wants to cooperate if she can speak to Sydney, and naturally, intrepid Girl Spy is a little reluctant. Before she can get too deep into her stewing, however, Sloane sends her on a mission to Rabat to retrieve a particular disk containing info Mama B. used for blackmail.

After being pressured ever-so-slightly by Kendall (ladies and gentlemen, once again: creepy genre staple Terry O'Quinn!), Vaughn takes it upon himself to speak with Mama B., and naturally, she rattles him. Still, she does give him one crucial piece of intel: before Syd cracks open the safe containing the blackmail disk, she must pull the fire alarm right next to it. Of course, Syd doesn't do it, and then an alarm goes off, and see what happens when you don't listen to your Mama, Intrepid Girl Spy?

Anyway. The crackly Syd/Mama B. face-offs are what make this episode — the sequence wherein Syd confronts her, all firm resolve and harsh enunciations, then walks away and completely breaks down, is a potent, wondrous moment for the character, and gives us a quick, jolting glimpse at the naked emotion beneath Syd's steely exterior. And Lena Olin...such magnificent casting. The expression in Mama B.'s eyes is almost always unreadable, and yet...she somehow manages to give us an idea that there's always something going on, and that something is far from the one-dimensional evil this character might have expressed on a lesser show. Time and time again, we're left to merely wonder, "What the hell is this woman thinking?" The chemistry between Syd and Mama B. crackles, bounces off the walls, and generally invigorates an already solid cast.

And speaking of that cast, they're all doing great, sparkly work so far. Even Pill isn't all that annoying...being a disgraced fake drug addict agrees with him. And did I sense the tiniest of sparks between him and Francie? Hey, if it gives Francie more to do, I'm gonna go out on the most precarious of limbs and say that I am a-OK with that.

And how cool is Daddy B.? He obviously has a few issues when it comes to Mama B., and I personally am counting down the milliseconds 'til they meet next 'ep. Also, Victor Garber somehow manages to imbue lines like "I'm not really into interior decorating" with an unmistakable cool. Who won the Emmy, again? I demand a recount.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention one of the niftiest displays of editing yet, which is the tightly-wound scene in which Vaughn and Syd go on a mission together and then happen to spy Sloane on the premises. Thus, Syd must complete her mission and avoid Sloane and keep her flippy black wig in place. The tension throughout this sequence is awesome, and I do like seeing both Sloane and Vaughn out in the field. It just gives things a little extra juice.

Not that Alias needs it, what with all the Mama B. stuff and Sydney's increasingly twisted family dynamics and the fact that I actually might not be totally annoyed with Pill this season. Now we just need to make sure we avoid Therapist Patricia and bring back Agent S-F-F, and it'll be all good.

Episode Rating: 9 out of 10

Sarah Kuhn has all the juice she needs. You can read more of her nerd-centric insights over at Entertainment Geekly.

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