Crossings is the 12th episode of Season 3 of Alias and the 56th episode overall. Jack contacts a mysterious woman with ties to Irina to help him free Sydney and Vaughn, who have been captured and face a North Korean firing squad. But Jack is faced with a curious conundrum when the woman tells him that she will not put the rescue plan in motion until he fulfills a favor - assassinate Sloane.
Plot Overview[]
In a North Korean jail, Syd passionately kisses Vaughn before they're both led, in chains, to a firing line.
The backstory: In Los Angeles, the CIA learns of a phantom offshore brokerage account. Encoded in the names of the stocks is a message — a top Covenant official, Leonid Lisenker, wants to defect. Syd and Vaughn will travel to N. Korea and, posing as auditors, spirit him away.
Lauren asks Syd out to dinner during Vaughn's hockey night but Vaughn warns her not to socialize with Syd. Later, Lauren secretly meets with Mr. Zisman, a Covenant agent, to discuss Syd and Vaughn's assassination. Lauren hesitates but soon informs him that they'll board a jet at Dover Air Field. The Covenant poisons the pilots.
Mid-flight, Syd gets angry at Vaughn's aloofness and says they can no longer work together. The jet veers out of control as the poison pilots take ill and die. Syd and Vaughn gain controls and take evasive maneuvers to avoid incoming missiles. The jet goes down. They survive the crash and flee the N. Korean military. They have 8 hours to meet the defector. As Syd and Vaughn commandeer a jeep, she admits to sleeping with Will but says she's moving on.
Jack suspects the Covenant is responsible and Dixon, disobeying orders, the team to help in any way. Sloane calls to offer help but Jack denies him. He instead contacts Irina, who directs him to Syd's apartment. Once there, he meets Katya, Irina's sister, who confirms Syd's survival and offers her help on the condition he murder Sloane. She calls it a "preventative measure."
In LA's Koreatown, Jack and Katya enter a restaurant and call on the owner, Mr. Cho, to repay a debt to Katya. When he declines, she stabs his hands with skewers and demands he contact Mr. Kwan.
Syd and Vaughn arrive in Gai-Li and identify Lisenker. They see him with Sark, who's been informed of the defection through Lauren's treachery and is posing as a CIA agent. As a knife-wielding Syd confronts him, N. Korean troops appear. Sark flees as Syd and the others are caught.
Jack enters Sloane's Zurich office, prepared to kill him. Meanwhile, Katya calls Sloane to tell him to back off Irina. She says he's not protected by his friends, even by Jack, — who's visible on Sloane's security system — and that his life is a favor from her. She then calls Jack and tells him to abort. Sloane tells Jack that he never forgot what it feels like to narrowly escape death.
Syd and Vaughn are beaten in prison. Vaughn admits he pushed her away on purpose. She says they always find each other. They kiss passionately before they're led out to the firing squad. One soldier turns on all the others, it's Mr. Kwan. They then rescue the Lisenker and escape.
They're welcomed back to the CIA. Syd notices that Vaughn runs to Lauren. Jack tells Katya he knows what she did, that she destroyed Sloane's trust in him. He wonders to what advantage it served Irina. She says Irina's intentions will become clear to him some day. And then she kisses him ferociously.
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Jennifer Garner as Sydney Bristow
- Ron Rifkin as Arvin Sloane
- Michael Vartan as Michael Vaughn
- Carl Lumbly as Marcus Dixon
- Kevin Weisman as Marshall Flinkman
- Melissa George as Lauren Reed
- Greg Grunberg as Eric Weiss
- David Anders as Julian Sark
- and Victor Garber as Jack Bristow
Special Guest Stars[]
- Griffin Dunne as Leonid Lisenker
- and Isabella Rossellini as Katya Derevko
Guest Starring[]
- Arnold Vosloo as Mr. Zisman
- Byron Chung as Colonel Yu
- Francois Chau as Mr. Cho
Co-Starring[]
Featuring[]
- Emma Bering as Sloane's Secretary
- John D. Kim as Soldier
- Randall Park as Korean Soldier
Uncredited[]
- Anthony Eisenhower as Pilot
Trivia[]
- International titles:
- German: Überläufer (Defector)
- French: Ennemi intérieur (Inner foe)
- When Jack is talking to Irina via instant messenger, he types his message, presses send, and the message displays. However, when Irina types her message, it comes up a word at a time. The messenger they are using must use one method or the other, not both. [edit]
- Goof: When the plane starts to dive, because the pilots are dead, Sydney and Vaughn start to move up an incline. This means they are moving to the tail of the plane, not the cockpit, though they were grabbing the seats to resist the force of the diving plane. [edit]
- Number 47: Sydney and Vaughn's plane's registration number is N9748C
- Griffin Dunne and Isabella Rossellini were billed as Special Guest Star in this episode.
- The book Jack is reading when he meets Katya in Sydney's apartment is the copy of Alice in Wonderland that Weiss gave Sydney in "Reunion".
- The song delicate was on another job Abrams show Lost.
- This is the first time Elena Derevko is directly mentioned in Alias. The first time she actually appeared on the show was in 4.12 The Orphan.
Aliases Used[]
Gadgets[]
Music[]
- "Delicate" by Damien Rice (changed in Netflix version to "Brake" by Melissa McClelland)
Filming Locations[]
- California Science Center, Exposition Park, Los Angeles, California, USA
Allusions and References[]
Quotes[]
- Marcus Dixon: I have just been informed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff that we've been ordered to stand down. Given our tenuous relations with North Korea, their official position on Sydney and Vaughn is to disavow. Unofficially, I say, Screw 'em.
- Sydney Bristow: I've done everything I can to try to make this ridiculous situation work. You, me and Lauren working in the same office...
- Michael Vaughn: Yeah, and I have tried to walk around with this fake smile on my face, pretending everything was fine, just the way it used to be. That's not working for me anymore.
- Sydney Bristow: This is it. When we get back, one of us has to go.
- Michael Vaughn: We're not gonna make it out of here. There's something I need you to know.
- Sydney Bristow: Vaughn...
- Michael Vaughn: In my life, there's only one person...
- Sydney Bristow: Don't do this.
- Michael Vaughn: Look at me.
- Sydney Bristow: Vaughn...
- Michael Vaughn: The only reason I pushed you away...
- Sydney Bristow: Please...
- Michael Vaughn: The only reason I didn't know how to be around you... (hear marching)
- Sydney Bristow: They're coming.
- Michael Vaughn: Sydney...
- Sydney Bristow: I know, Vaughn. I know. We'll find each other. We always find each other.
- Sark: If I may ask, who is our source of intel at the CIA? and how do we know he;s reliable?
- Mr. Zisman: Mr. Sark, Do not burden yourself with unnecessary details.
- Sydney: I slept with Will.
- Vaughn: What?
- Sydney: In Warsaw.... we got drunk and we slept together.
- Vaughn: How am I supposed to react to that?
- Sydney: However you want to.
- Vaughn: Bad enough being a fugitive in North Korea. Now I have to find out that you slept with Will.
- Sark: Well I assure you, The United States will be happy to have you.
- Lisenker: Yes, The Covenant must be stopped. What they are planning keeps me awake at night.
< Season 2 | Alias Season 3 | Season 4 > | ||||||
#01 | The Two | #07 | Prelude | #13 | After Six | #19 | Hourglass | |
#02 | Succession | #08 | Breaking Point | #14 | Blowback | #20 | Blood Ties | |
#03 | Reunion | #09 | Conscious | #15 | Façade | #21 | Legacy | |
#04 | A Missing Link | #10 | Remnants | #16 | Taken | #22 | Resurrection | |
#05 | Repercussions | #11 | Full Disclosure | #17 | The Frame | |||
#06 | The Nemesis | #12 | Crossings | #18 | Unveiled |