Parity (14 Oct. 2001)

SD-6 has heard of some engineering plans done in the 16th Century hidden in a car tycoon's vault in Madrid. Sloan sends Sydney to steal those plans. However, a rival of Sydney's, Anna ... See full summary »

Director:

Mikael Salomon

Writers:

J.J. Abrams (creator), Alex Kurtzman,

Stars:

Jennifer Garner, Ron Rifkin, Michael Vartan

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Jennifer Garner	...	Sydney Bristow
Ron Rifkin	...	Arvin Sloane
Michael Vartan	...	Michael Vaughn
Bradley Cooper	...	Will Tippin
Merrin Dungey	...	Francie Calfo
Carl Lumbly	...	Marcus Dixon
Kevin Weisman	...	Marshall Flinkman
Victor Garber	...	Jack Bristow
Evan Parke	...	Charlie Bernard (as Evan Dexter Parke)
Gina Torres	...	Anna Espinosa
Aharon Ipalé	...	Ineni Hassan (as Aharon Ipale)
Keone Young	...	Professor Choy
Elaine Kagan	...	June Litvack
Mark Rolston	...	Seth Lambert
Carole Gutierrez	...	Laura Stenson

Storyline

SD-6 has heard of some engineering plans done in the 16th Century hidden in a car tycoon's vault in Madrid. Sloan sends Sydney to steal those plans. However, a rival of Sydney's, Anna Espinosa, a Cuban-Russian agent for a Russian spy organization called K-Directorate, is also vying to get the plans. As usual, Syd must deal of her moves with the CIA as well as keeping contact with her new handler after Vaughn is reassigned. Sydney also try to know more of the truth from her estranged and mysterious father to her own past. Meanwhile, Will continues to grow more obsessed with Danny's killing when the police close the case for lack of clues, and Danny discovers that all traffic cameras in the area of Sydney's apartment went off-line during the time of the killing which he believes points to a greater conspiracy.

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Plot Keywords:

heroine

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 October 2001 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Stage 4, Walt Disney Studios, 500 South Buena Vista Street, Burbank, California, US

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bad Robot

Technical Specs

Runtime:

45 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First reference to Rambaldi and first reference to Anna Espinosa.

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Goofs

When Sydney swings on the chain into Anna, Anna's hair alternates between being loose and tied in a ponytail between shots.

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Quotes

Sydney Bristow: I don't want it to be like that anymore, I'm just sick of it. I mean, I always had this feeling that maybe someday, I don't know, my dad and I would connect. That things could start to get better.
Francie Calfo: Well, you know my opinion of your dad.
Sydney Bristow: I know.
Francie Calfo: But listen. If you can find it in your heart to forgive him for being the kind of guy he's been all your life, which I would find impossible and could never do, then you should make a real effort.

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Soundtracks

"Words Tangled in Blue"
(uncredited)
By Barzin

User Reviews

The first mention of Milo Rambaldi

The previous episode ended with Sydney holding a ball of plutonium that she had extracted from a nuclear bomb while arms dealer Ineni Hassan pointed a pistol at her head; clearly not a good situation. Of course Sydney managed to escape in style; rendering the weapon useless and remaining unidentified. Back in L.A. she returns to SD-6 and learns that the Mueller Device that she recovered in the pilot episode was in fact based on a design created my one Milo Rambaldi; and Italian scientist/prophet whose work is being acquired by various intelligence agencies; both governmental and criminal. In order to understand how the device works SD-6 needs a code that is kept in a vault in Madrid; Sydney and Dixon are dispatched to retrieve it. In Madrid Sydney runs into Anna Espinosa, an agent working for K-Directorate, a Russian equivalent of SD-6. Anna beats Sydney to the case holding the code but Sydney manages to get it off her; the only problem is to open the case they need a key and Anna kept that. I a rare moment of agreement SD-6 and K-Directorate decide to share the knowledge so Anna and Sydney meet once again... but we will have to wait till the next episode to learn what the case contains. Away from her missions Sydney finds that Vaughn has been replaced as her handler and is unimpressed with his replacement and Will makes a breakthrough in his unofficial investigation of Danny's murder.

This episode started well with an exciting escape and was followed up by a second exciting mission; this was helped by Gina Torres' great performance as Anna Espinosa; K-Directorate's answer to Sydney who clearly knows she is one of the bad guys and relishes it... stylish and probably more deadly than Sydney. Some amusement was to be had when Sydney told her new handler what she thought of him. This episode features the first mention of Milo Rambaldi somebody we will hear a lot more of in future episode although here his importance is just hinted at. The side story involving Will's investigations into Danny's murder are getting more interesting now; no doubt it is only a matter of time before he comes to the attention of SD-6. I'm less keen on the soapy scenes where Sydney hangs out with Will, Francie and her boyfriend; I know they are meant to show how Sydney is trying to have a normal life outside SD-6 but is seems a distraction and whether or not Francie's boyfriend is having an affair is too trivial to care about given what is going on in the rest of the episode; thankfully this didn't take up too much time so didn't spoil the episode. With another cliff-hanger ending I want to know what was in the case that surprised Sydney and Anna so much!