From
www.scroopme.comA Dark Turn: Rearranging the pieces
by Coreen Kremer
3/2/2003
Ever play the game Jenga? Players remove one block at a time from the tower, and stack it on top. The last player to stack a block without making the tower fall wins the game. The Rambaldi obsession is equivalent to the game's tower. One player cannot make a move without first scrutinizing and understanding how the other player's move affects the integrity of the tower. The player who can isolate the weak spots and successfully maneuver around them will be the one setting the last block atop the tower, holding the Rambaldi secrets, in the end.
But in the race for Rambaldi, are the players in it for themselves, have alliances shifted, or could this new development be a ruse concocted by Jack and Irina to flush out Sloane's next move?
The words, "You know me, I love games" spoken by Irina, reiterate what a dangerous, compelling and secretive woman she is. Her agenda has been suspect for some time and seemingly has come around to prove she's been playing the CIA all along, but has she? Does anyone doubt the fact that she truly hates Sloane? Does anyone really believe she willingly wants Sloane to be the one to unlock the Rambaldi secrets, especially if they mean everlasting life? Does anyone doubt her affection for Sydney, she could have killed her twice but did not, and the fact remains that she knows her daughter will not leave the CIA until Sloane is stopped.
In retrospect, her last speech to Sydney appears she knew the outcome of this tryst would mean her freedom, but why turn herself in to the CIA in the first place if only to be extracted by Sloane a few months later? Maybe because she and Jack are setting their own trap. Jack and Sydney have both complained about CIA red tape keeping them from doing their job, Jack has been known to make up the rules as he goes along and when you throw in the timing of when Sark joined forces with Sloane, an elaborate trap seems likely.
In addition, Irina and Jack work well together as a team. Their brainstorming sessions often find them finishing each other's thoughts and sentences. Between the two they rationalized Sloane's deception with Ariana Kane, they also figured out Sloane's motive behind killing Yuri Karpachev and Jack does not care about Rambaldi. He admits that he steered clear of the obsession that overtook Sloane because of Sydney. Irina partnering with Jack makes sense because his long-term goal is not Rambaldi but rather Sydney's freedom.
Not to forget, Jack was wounded deeply by Irina's initial deception. It's difficult to imagine that after all the years harboring ill feelings towards this woman, he'd be that stupid to trust her completely after she hurt him so, even if she's banked some trust. True, there are sparks between them and that kiss most likely turned into something more but for Jack to remove the tracking device and just let go of the little control he had without an ulterior motive seems out of character. Jack, ye of showing little emotion, does not seem the type to succumb to feminine wiles, no matter how long it's been.
And what about the four, not so stealthily but quite thorough, months Vaughn spent investigating Irina only to find out that "she's clean"? Of the intensive list of people Vaughn mentioned he investigated, one name was left off
Jack. Furthermore, Sydney and Vaughn, two proven players in this game, were left out of the mission and Vaughn thought it odd.
That leads us to Freplica's hypnosis of Will. Not long ago Sydney's apartment was found to be "bugged" and Jack led the investigation into who could be the culprit. He didn't seem to believe the evil genius behind the planting of the devices was the plumber. Does he suspect Francie? The dots that are difficult to connect are how the bad guys knew Will was researching the satellite but he and Vaughn did have that conversation in the kitchen. Could another bug have been planted?
Prior to Irina willingly walking into the CIA she had her daughter trapped in a warehouse at gunpoint. Instead of killing Sydney, she shot her right hand man Khasinau and chimed, "Truth takes time." Irina turned herself in to the CIA for a specific purpose, and now, with the rearrangement of the pieces, why may soon be revealed.
Quote worthy:
Sydney: "Show off." Vaughn: "Yeah, a little bit"
Marshall, "You're Syd's mom, that's really cool cause your daughter
awesome by the way."
Agent Yager, "What is your priority? National security or your new boyfriend?"
Sydney, "Would you betray someone you love?" Yager, "I guess that answers the intimacy question."
Kendall to Jack: "When the hell did we switch places?"
Kendall: " Jack, you make this happen, you can have my job." Jack: "No thanks."
Sydney to Vaughn, "Who do you think you work for? Nothing's private."
Vaughn, "I could not sleep at night knowing I was somehow helping her."
Additional Intel, all about Vaughn:
Having Vaughn struggle with loving Sydney and not forgiving the woman who killed his father really rounds out his character. Happy to see it addressed.
But could Vaughn be that lame that he'd use his government issue auto to traipse all over town when working on something he knew the CIA would frown upon?
Anyone else think Yea Sydney! when she opted to give Vaughn the benefit of the doubt?
Anyone else think Yea Weiss! when he opted to give Vaughn the benefit of the doubt and help Sydney?
Final thought:
For an episode without much action, save Irina's knife wielding scene in the strip club, "A Dark Turn" had me on the edge of my seat. I give kudos to writer Jesse Alexander for putting the show's main character on the back burner while ably advancing the story through the actions of characters that we don't see enough of.
Next week: Re-run of "Phase One"
It does sort of look like Kendall. Anyone know?
Thank You!
Why do they always have the best episodes and never show a new one next week
man Merrian's good at being evil 
and a little more
but now he thinks she betrayed him...I don't think she did...or atleast I'm hoping she didn't