Episode Report Card Manimal: C+ | 1 USERS: A- YOU GRADE IT Color-Blind
By Manimal | Season 1 | Episode 7 | Aired on 11.24.2001
Los Angeles. SD-6. Sydney is holding her head as if she's got a bad headache as she fills Sloane in on some of the facts. She tells him that she helped Shepard escape in exchange for Parkishoff's body. Then she tells him that Shepard's training was breaking, and he couldn't stand the thought of what he'd done, and killed himself as they were crossing into Bulgaria. Sloane murmurs that if there's some off-chance that he did survive, he's sure they'll hear of it soon. Man, is Sydney clueless! I would be packing my bags and flying to Madagascar just at the tone of Sloane's voice. You know he thinks she's as phony as a three-dollar bill.
Vaughn. Warehouse. Sydney tells him the same story, but then abruptly stops at the suicide part, and reveals that she can't stand to lie to one more person. Well, it sure seems like she's made a bad career choice, then, huh? Vaughn tells her that there are people who will want Shepard found. Sydney says that Shepard is as much a victim of SD-6 as she is. Right. Except for the part about "being a victim," since the whole fallacy of the show is that Sydney had a choice, both upon being recruited and when she found out the truth. She also had a choice in telling her fiancé. Apparently she doesn't have a choice in being a self-centered bratling. Sydney tells Vaughn where Shepard buried Parkishoff's body.
Vaughn confesses that he was worried. Sydney mistakes his meaning. Vaughn corrects her, and says that he was worried -- about her. He tells her he contacted her father, and that her father knows Vaughn pulled his file. Sydney blinks, then shakes it off. Vaughn's beeper goes off, and he says something about their SD-6 computer virus being a gold mine. He tells Sydney to go home and get some rest, and to have a happy Thanksgiving. Sydney's eyes widen and she mutters, "Oh, God."
Someone's apartment. I think it's Francie's, since it's noticeably bare of tchotchkes, but it's hard to say since Sydney opens the door. The air is filled with smoke. Sydney says, "Francie?" and Francie is irate, asking if Sydney was ever going to call her back. They play The Bickersons some more, and Sydney asks about the oven fire, pointing out that Francie just moved in. Ah hah! Francie says that she fricasseed the turkey. Sydney starts to laugh. Francie asks if she's okay. Sydney hugs her and says she's glad to be home. Francie is weirded out, and says, "Okay, but the turkey's really burning."
Cue generic alt-rock and some slo-mo scenes of happy, laughing multiethnic friends cooking and drinking wine in the kitchen, like some sort of upbeat Benetton ad before they got all weird and started doing ads of oil-covered ducks and bedside death rituals.