Alias (TV Series) Pandora (2005) User Reviews

Vaughn goes rogue!

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 13 September 2010]

As this episode opens Dixon is chasing two people and shots are fired; as Dixon collapses to the floor the man who shot him removes his balaclava and we see that it is Vaughn! The action then moves back forty-eight hours to show how we came to this point. Vaughn has not returned to APO after stealing the transformer coil in the previous episode; instead he is meeting the man who told him to steal it. After refusing to hand over the item until he is told more about his father he is told he must do a second job: help steal an 'instruction manual' that is being transported by the CIA. This mission appears to be going well until his partner in crime opens fire on the CIA, which ultimately leads to Dixon being shot. At this point Vaughn confronts his contact and demands to know who hired him. While this is going on we learn that Nadia has been seeing her aunt Katya Derevko in secret, when Sydney finds out she goes and sees her aunt to tell her not to see Nadia again; here Katya tells Sydney that it wasn't her mother that hired somebody to kill her, she goes on to explain how she could find out who it was… when she finds out it turns out it was the same person who tried to corrupt Vaughn; somebody they both know very well.

This was a gripping episode that constantly changed the viewers' opinion about what was going on; has Vaughn become corrupt in his search for his father? Can Katya be trusted? Is Sloane up to his old tricks and just who is the man we see in the final scene? Michael Vartan put in a good performance as Vaughn and it was good to see the excellent Isabella Rossellini back as Katya. As always the action sequences were well choreographed and exciting.

Great beginning & ending....and the middle is not bad, either

[gridoon2024 · 8/10 · 14 January 2010]

"Alias" has had A LOT of "What the hell?" episode endings so far, but the one of "Pandora" may just top them all. Something similar has happened before, even in this series, but there is a surreal quality about this particular scene that makes it stand out. The opening scene is quite a shocker as well. As for the rest? "The world is never black or white", a returning Katya Derevko says at one point. "No one is a single thing", Sloane says at another. That's the theme of this episode: the mystery surrounding several characters' "true" selves, but here in particular Sydney's mother and Vaughn's father. Vaughn himself takes a walk on the wild side, as his desperation to find out the truth about his father leads him to participate in a daring heist for a Rambaldi manuscript, transported and guarded by the CIA! It's fun to see the underrated and beautiful Izabella Scorupco ("GoldenEye") as one of his new "accomplices". One thing I have reservations about is how easily Sydney seemed to forgive Katya for a) trying to shoot her in the head, b) stabbing Vaughn in the back, when she was apparently working for the Covenant. Maybe they'll deal more with that later. *** out of 4.

Blow My Mind !

[elshikh4 · 9 November 2007]

They made what they were good at. And made it so good as well.

Here, we have 3 coherent and smart plots. Firstly, an unseen head of evil organization who promised (Vaughn) that he could see his living father, but not before couple of dirty operations for that organization's benefit first. Secondly, some facts from (Sydney)'s sly aunt, about the one who wanted (Sydney) to believe that her mother tried to murder her. Thirdly, (Jack)'s deadly illness which was hunted by (Marshall), along with some secrets about hidden agenda between (Jack) and (Sloane). So, after good action, thrill, some twists; especially at the last 5 minutes, we discover that the head of the evil organization and the man who tried to kill (Sydney) once is one person, the same good old Lucifer of the whole series: (Sloane). However, since the cliffhanger doesn't let the chance to be smartly breathtaking, we witness, in a brief scene, the mastermind of all of this in (Santiago) as a copy of the real (Sloane)! So you'll find yourself in the eager yet enjoyable condition of (!!!!) aside from (????). And let me tell you, very few shows can put you in that condition.

Actually (Alias), with other contemporary shows, built the glory of the 2000s TV. A glory that couldn't happen unless by the writing's powers and successful formulas. Notice well: (Lost), (24), (The Shield), (Prison Break).. They are all connected in themselves, not quite like any show with just detached episodes. In the 2000s, with (Alias) and its likes, it became necessary at the action shows to make continuous storylines, as well as a cliffhanger, for at least every episode as the old melodramatic soap operas' traditions.

(Alias), as a good action, spy thriller, sci-fi, and drama, made everything cool for some time. Though, after a while, the formula became just good spying missions in stand-alone episodes, or what looked like that considerably, and forget about all the effective drama, continuous lines, and great cliffhangers. The main reason, if you read about the show, is that the producers thought that the complicated stories of (Alias), in addition to its blow-my-mind twists, fatigue the viewers. Therefore, they forced writing stand-alone episodes, particularly in that fourth season. Nevertheless, the writers made a surprisingly superb move, like the old times, and ended "Pandora" this way to bewitch us with that scary duplicate of (Ron Rifkin); to ask confusingly is this man (Sloane)'s twin?, his son?, his double? Is he a terrorist that copies him?? Well, we'll know soon. But the thing which we already knew was that (Alias)'s writers excelled in making such suspenseful finales. Sadly, that excellence didn't become frequent in those days of the show.

PS: (Izabella Scorupco) made a short yet memorable appearance, to be one of the best guest stars that this show blessed us with. I don't know why this fine actress didn't make it to stardom after her wonderful performance in James Bond's (GoldenEye) 10 years earlier?!!

Vaughn goes rogue and STILL the most boring character EVER!

[jeffmonkeyboy · 5/10 · 10 August 2019]

What is there to say. Vartan has the charisma of the paper bag which he can't act his way out of. Thank god for Isabella Rosellini.