Sydney learns the T-Wave Camera she had stolen was a prototype, and that the Asiatic Space Agency and their client Sark will launch the real camera, which can see 100 meters through solid matter, into space in 72 hours from a site in Sri Lanka. Her mission is to wire it so SD-6 can tap into the image.

At the CIA, Kendall wants Syd to talk to Irina because Sark has assumed control of her organization, so she must know what he's looking for. Meanwhile, Jack tells the CIA psychiatrist that he wants to keep Sydney away from Irina. She notes that Jack refers to his ex-wife as Laura.

Irina tells Sydney that Sark is after a Rambaldi-designed music box. Encoded in the tune is a numerical equation for 0-Point Energy. Sydney rebuffs Irina's attempts to talk about her childhood. Later, Jack warns Syd about Irina, but says he trusts her judgement.

Marshall gives Sydney a hydraulic luge disguised as a suitcase. A grieving Sloane gives her something more personal: Emily's seed box. As part of her counter-mission, Vaughn gives her a circuitboard to attach to the camera and suggests bringing in Will, who's been stying with Syd and Francie, because he may remember the code Sark was w**king on that activates the music box. When they do meet, Will is surprised at Vaughn's youth and is jealous at how much he knows about their lives.

In Sri Lanka, Sydney disguised in a red wig as a European business woman, appears at the launch facility as Dixon breaks down the surveillance. She then dons a worker's jumpsuit and luges through the exhaust ports to the launch deck. A suspicious Sark speeds the launch. Syd barely completes wiring the circuitboard and luges out at 125 mph. The camera locates the music box in the center of a Siberian ice cavern.

Under hypnosis, Will remembers the names on Sark's computer — Dosteyevsky, Nabakov, Tolstoy, Checkov. Vaughn notices Sydney's feelings for Will. Later, Irina decodes the names and warns Sydney about Sark's ruthlessness, saying she wants the chance to explain herself.

Sloane receives a ghostly call from the Baranka B&B in Sonoma, CA — where he an Emily were supposed to go before she died.

Jack confronts Irina, who says they had their good moments together. He threatens to kill her if Sydney is harmed. She asks cryptically, "You haven't told her what you did to her after I disappeared, have you?"

In Siberia, Sydney receives the code from Vaughn and plays the music box. She records the tune and acts to disable the artifact. The SD-6 team is ambushed by Sark's men, however, and Sydney falls under the ice.

Sark's back!! :wub:

Typical Jack, he can't talk to Sydney about not wanting her to see her mother so he tries to strategise his way out of the situation :lol: . Also, very intriguing that he still thinks of Irina as "Laura". Their first confrontation was as tense as you'd expect it to be, and I liked the way that Irina noted that Jack was no longer under any illusions about her. I also thought that the idea that Jack did something to Sydney after her mother disappeared was introduced well - both in the way that Sydney told her father that she had gaps in her memory from around that time, and when Irina asks "you haven't told her what you did to her after I disappeared, have you?".

As for the missions, not the best disguises they've had - especially the red suit :lol:. I also liked that the Rambaldi story came back into play.

I thought that Will and Vaughn's first encounter was interesting. Is it just me or did Will seem disappointed that Vaughn was so young and handsome? He also seemed a bit weird when Vaughn said that the picture frame was just a gift. I also liked the way that the tables were turned on Vaughn as he watched Sydney's reaction to Will's hypnosis. It seems that this may have been the beginning of a possible love triangle between Sydney, Will and Vaughn. I don't recall anything from the commentaries about whether the writers considered exploring this though, does anyone know whether they considered it?

Something else I just noticed this time around was in the scene where Sloane gives Sydney Emily's seed box. When Sydney tells him "It's not your fault" after he talks about Emily and her garden etc (which always struck me as an odd comment to make), Sloane gives her this strange look. I'm not sure what this means, does he suspect that Sydney thinks he killed his wife?

And the first cliffhanger in s2 - yay!! :yahoo:

I think there was something in the S1 commentaries about Sydney having a relationship with either Vaughn or Will; they hadn`t decided at the beginning. I can`t recall anything about a love triangle, though. :shrug:

Ah, Patricia Wettig as the psychiatrist - there`s something in her accent , I keep waiting for her to say Fuhgeddaboutit. ;)