Episode Report Card Manimal: C+ | 303 USERS: C+ YOU GRADE IT Spy Vs. Spy
By Manimal | Season 1 | Episode 3 | Aired on 2001.10.14
Tons of government types troop into a giant, brightly lit stadium. They set up. Sydney, clad in your everyday urban girl warrior uniform of basic black separates and boots, strides to the center of the stadium. Sydney clicks her ear mike and asks, "Who am I talking to?" Cut to Vaughn at a satellite relay station in LA. "Your invisible friend." She says, "My guardian angel." He says right back atcha kid, and thanks for getting me the promotion. Wait. WAIT WAIT WAIT. How is Sydney able to speak on that mike and not be heard by SD-6? Ahhh! God. Okay. Zen. Zen. Let it go. Let it go.
SD-6 offices in LA. Sloane and Spy Daddy watch Sydney's progress. Sloane asks if they spoke about Sydney's mother. Spy Daddy says they did, and he lied about the real cause of her death. Is anyone surprised by this? Be quiet -- you were not!
Ana strides in wearing grey. She asks Sydney how her Russian is. They speak for a few lines. You know, it would be nice to get translations for the foreign dialogue that goes beyond "hello," "goodbye," or "thanks." Ana needles Sydney about working for the agency that killed her one twue wuv. Gina Torres' Russian accent is about as good as Shannon Elizabeth's "Czech" accent in American Pie, by the way. Jennifer Garner relies on sucking in her cheeks to convey emotion. Sorry, hon. That only works if you're Garbo.
Sydney snaps and asks Ana if she brought the key. Ana asks her if she brought the box. Close-ups of their faces as they kneel to unlock the box. Okay. So we've seen this exact scene in Pulp Fiction, Repo Man, and Indiana Jones and Raiders of the Lost Ark. How many movies have paid this homage to Kiss Me, Deadly? I'm starting to think homage just means "rip-off." They unlock it. Close-ups of their faces. Sydney looks terrified. She breathes, "Oh my God." Gina Torres' facial expression here is great -- she looks frightened, exhilarated, and overwhelmed, simultaneously.
Next week: Sydney has to guard Patel, find some weapon, and safeguard the WTO. I wonder if she manages to get her paper in on time.