"Taken"

Written by J.R. Orci
Directed by Lawrence Trilling


In which Dixon’s children are abducted by Sark in a complex gambit to acquire a Rambaldi artifact, and Sloane is framed by Lauren in the process...

Status Report - Final Analysis







Status Report

After a run of underwhelming transitional episodes, events finally begin to unfold in something approaching a sense of direction. As usual for the series, the importance of a given episode seems directly related to the Bristow family history and its connections to the central mystery of Rambaldi. Some things are confirmed in the process of demonstrating how important Rambaldi is to just about everyone in the world, while plot threads from recent episodes reveal inherent weaknesses.

Once again, the Covenant is making a move that appears to be related to the importance of Sydney in the overall Rambaldi mystery. Considering that “Full Disclosure” seemed to place Sydney’s importance in context, at least from the point of view of the Covenant, one has to wonder what the next phase of the operation might be. Is this more of the same, an attempt to create a reborn Rambaldi out of Sydney’s genetic material, or some additional facet of a much larger plan?

Deciphering the ultimate goal of the Covenant is the basis of the season, since Sydney’s missing time was directly linked to that goal. Taking custody of Lisenker was supposed to help the CIA unlock the secrets of the Doliac Agenda, the supposed master plan of the Covenant over the years. But thus far, nothing more has been said about the Doliac Agenda or that master plan, which doesn’t quite make sense, especially in light of this episode.

That leaves the audience to look closely at the scheme played out in this episode, to understand why the Covenant does what it does. The timing of this operation is curious. Why did it need to be linked to Sark’s escape from custody? The plot involving Dixon’s children and the acquisition of a Rambaldi artifact doesn’t seem to be a direct consequence of that escape plan, so why place one in relation to the other?

The only reason given in the episode is to provide Lauren with a scapegoat: Sloane. Hacking into the FAA systems to track the plane carrying Sark would leave a trail, so Sark and Lauren decide to frame Sloane as the leak within the CIA operation. Using Barnett’s access seems to demonstrate that Sloane was using the therapist as a means of double-crossing the CIA.

All well and good, except that Sloane is obviously the man running the Covenant. It certainly appears that Sark and Lauren are unaware of this fact, but the frame still doesn’t make complete sense, even taking that ignorance into account. For one thing, how did Lauren gain possession of Barnett’s access codes, independently of Sloane? And how could Sloane be unaware of a Covenant operation related to Rambaldi to such a degree that a frame could be successfully executed?

A somewhat more logical explanation is that Sloane had this gambit in mind ever since the events of “Full Disclosure”. Having obtained Sydney’s genetic material and the Rambaldi artifact containing Rambaldi’s preserved tissue, Sloane attempted to create a viable child with the Rambaldi DNA. While Sydney seemed to destroy the lab holding the genetic material, there’s no reason to expect that the necessary materials to continue the project weren’t saved.

Assuming that at least one set of viable tissue had been saved, the next stage of the project could conceivably require additional Rambaldi artifacts. If there’s one thing certain about Rambaldi, it’s that his massive schemes were often self-contained; he created everything one would need to generate the effect he was looking for. Some modern items might be substituted in some unique cases, but Sloane’s lifelong search for all of the pieces of The Telling suggests that Rambaldi devices need Rambaldi pieces to work.

So, Sloane would likely require specific Rambaldi items that either haven’t been acquired yet or have been compiled by the Department of Special Research. Upon learning which items are needed for the next phase of his plan, Sloane would seek the necessary resources to cover his tracks. Sark and Lauren were clearly meant to rise in the ranks to their current positions of power within the Covenant. Sloane would have to know that Lauren’s status with the CIA would eventually be compromised, and that measures would need to be taken to retain her cover as long as possible.

His affair with Barnett could be seen as a necessary part of that plan. Once again, there needs to be a certain amount of persuasive ability on Sloane’s part for this to make sense; otherwise, how could one explain his supposed undeniable charm? Barnett certainly should know better, but also, the circumstances of their affair practically require some measure of mind control for Sloane to gain her access codes without any hint of suspicion.

The timing of the operation can be explained more easily if it’s assumed that Sloane stole Barnett’s access codes and then waited for the right time to make a move on the Rambaldi artifacts he needed. Sloane makes sure that Lauren and Sark have the access codes, and that they set him up as the guilty party when it comes to accessing information for the Covenant using that access. This provides Lauren with cover, but it also leaves Sloane with a solid enough alibi to deny involvement.

Except, of course, that Sloane had to know that his involvement wouldn’t be so easily denied. Barnett certainly knows that she was used, which does nothing for Sloane. He does nothing to support his own claim of innocence, and his behavior with Barnett is erratic enough to leave questions in anyone’s mind. Indeed, that is the gaping hole of the entire rationale behind this episode…what has come before doesn’t provide a solid foundation for the intrigues suggested.

On the other hand, by forcing Dixon and his team to compromise themselves, Sloane gains an advantage over his opponents. If he can demonstrate his own innocence well enough, it further damages the CIA operations at a critical moment, leaving the Covenant to complete whatever is outlined in the Doliac Agenda. Even with all the information at the disposal of the CIA, they still don’t know as much as Sloane and the Covenant regarding the intended endgame of Milo Rambaldi.

In the absence of a larger context within which to evaluate the interrelationship between Sloane and the activities of the Covenant, it seems impossible to fully reconcile some of the coincidental and convenient aspects of Sloane’s relationship with Barnett and how it came into play. One can only hope that a future episode, perhaps leading into the season finale, will give a satisfying rationale.

Far more interesting is the nature of the Rambaldi artifact at the center of this episode’s gambit. Once again, there is a Rambaldi box, not unlike the one that contained the tissue sample. However, this Rambaldi artifact quite clearly makes a reference to Irina, something that raises eyebrows, at the very least. One would think that DSR would have been extremely interested in figuring out why Rambaldi would make reference to a specific name like that. One would also wonder how DSR could possibly miss the connection to Sydney’s mother.

It just as interesting to note that Sydney had no idea that Kendell’s team had possession of this artifact. This continues to bring up the question of whether or not Sydney is the “Chosen One” after all, despite her striking resemblance to the woman depicted in the DSR Rambaldi wall poster of “page 47”. Such a reference underscores the need to explain Irina’s current operations, since she is once again placed at the center of the current Rambaldi mystery.

Now two important questions must be raised: how does Irina fit into the overall Covenant project to bring about Rambaldi’s “second coming”, and does this have anything to do with Sloane’s choice over 30 years ago to initiate an affair with her? And then there is the overarching question that still hasn’t been answered: just how much did Sloane and/or Irina know about the Rambaldi artifacts over the years, since many of their choices suggest that they knew about artifacts that weren’t discovered until recently?

Unlike most of the disappointing episodes of late, the focus is directly on the schemes of the Covenant and the Rambaldi mystery, and that makes all the difference. “Alias” has certainly focused strongly on the “soap opera” elements of personal relationships and betrayals, but much of that has been supported by the rich tapestry of the series mythology. When the love triangles become emphasized, there’s a balance that is lost along the way. The series depends on that balance to keep its limited audience happy, as the loud grumbling this season has demonstrated.

It’s also very good to see Dixon in the middle of the action again. His character has been left to exposition far too often this season, and perhaps this is a sign of things to come. It seems that some serious issues are coming to the surface, threatening to force everyone in the CIA operation to take action and be accounted. With the final revelation that Lauren’s true colors have dawned on Jack, events are rushing towards a confrontation. What remains to be seen is whether the nature of that confrontation will manage to place the mid-season slump into a satisfying context.


Final Analysis

Overall, this episode was a strong blend of Rambaldi intrigue and interpersonal conflicts. Despite some questionable plot twists regarding Sloane and the Covenant, the entire production maintained a high level of tension from beginning to end. As a whole, some major questions of motivation still need to be answered, but this episode brings the season that much closer to the necessary moment of revelation.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10




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