So Rachel was SD-Sixed, just like Sydney. That makes sense. Now we know why she was working for Dean. Unfortunately, unlike Sydney – who walked right back into SD-6 and made it work – Rachel blew it. Yes, she's just a technie, not a field agent, but still.
Most of this episode felt like a Rachel Gibson/Tom Grace bonding exercise, and I do sorta like Grace. I liked the way he handled Peyton and Rachel in the smoking scene, and the way he just dropped everything and went after Rachel when the building exploded. But if Rachel is going to replace Jennifer Garner (no!), that would make Tom Grace a replacement for Vartan (no!)
More interesting than Rachel, because she actually had a personality, was Amy Acker (Fred from Angel) as Gordon Dean's accomplice, Peyton. Look at the way she took command in the teaser, and stole every scene they were in together from Rachel. Wouldn't she have been a more interesting choice for a new cast member? I mean, if she weren't evil and all. Couldn't they bring her back, and pair her with our guy Sark?
The Nadia-in-a-coma situation was finally addressed, but it's not good that she's the only survivor. At least there's hope they might bring Mia Maestro back if Sloane is out there actively beating the bushes for a cure.
Bits and pieces:
— Dan pointed out that Vaughn is the second fiance that Sydney has lost. I hadn't quite processed that.
— Why did Tom Grace take this job if it's not his kind of assignment? Don't tell me we have yet another double agent.
— Does everyone has a replacement? Gordon Dean is actually a more jovial version of Sloane. And no, again, please.
— Peyton is right about there being a lot more smokers in Europe. Not that it's really a social necessity.
— Dixon and Sloane had to work together here. No love lost, for sure.
— "Plan B" apparently meant, "blow everybody up."
— Vaughn's (and Sydney's?) address is 2541 Zephyr Ave, Venice, CA, 90291. Just one subscription? When my mom passed away, I was on the phone cancelling things for days. (I don't mean that facetiously, by the way; it's a fact.)
— I notice his "old friend" kept the money. Won't Sloane be needing $300,000 at some point?
— Marshall: "Substance 33. Remarkable stuff in an 'end of civilization' sort of way."
— This week's itinerary: Istanbul, Omsk, Prague. Prague was the most fun.
I liked this episode better the second time I saw it, but I still wasn't thrilled. Two out of four spies,
Billie
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
this ep almost has as many recurring characters as Lost season 3 does, if you count Nadia, Weiss and Michael in the Previously On section, Carrie and Mitchell which Marshall mentioned, and Isabelle Vaughn.
ReplyDeleteRenee isn't in this ep though.
lol I forgot about Yelena Derevko at the very beginning of the episode!
ReplyDeleteAmy Acker! Hooray!
ReplyDeleteI love Amy Acker, so bonus points for that.
I like Balthazar Getty, too. (I'm a Lost Highway fan.)
And Rachel Nichols as Rachel Gibson isn't bad, although I always want to tell her to put her eyebrow down. I think I watched her in The Inside, although I have only vague recollections of that series.