Alias season 2

Alias
Season 2
Season 2 DVD cover
No. of episodes22
Release
Original networkABC
Original releaseSeptember 29, 2002 (2002-09-29) –
May 4, 2003 (2003-05-04)
Season chronology

The second season of Alias premiered September 29, 2002 on ABC and concluded May 4, 2003 and was released on DVD in region 1 on December 2, 2003. Guest stars in season two include David Carradine, Ethan Hawke, Richard Lewis, Faye Dunaway, Rutger Hauer, Christian Slater, and Danny Trejo. The thirteenth episode of the season, "Phase One", aired after Super Bowl XXXVII.

Cast

Main

Recurring

Episodes

See also: List of Alias episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release dateUS viewers
(millions)
231"The Enemy Walks In"Ken OlinJ. J. AbramsSeptember 29, 2002 (2002-09-29)11.31[1]
Sydney confronts her mother, Irina Derevko, who shoots Sydney in the shoulder and takes her captive. After escaping, Sydney searches for Vaughn, not knowing if he is dead or alive after having been swept away by a wall of water released by the destruction of the full-sized "circumference" device in Taipei. Will learns more about Sydney's clandestine activities as a CIA Agent working as a double agent within SD-6. Marcus Dixon must decide whether or not to inform Sloane of Sydney's suspicious activities.
242"Trust Me"Craig ZiskJohn EisendrathOctober 6, 2002 (2002-10-06)9.73[2]
253"Cipher"Dan AttiasAlex Kurtzman & Roberto OrciOctober 13, 2002 (2002-10-13)9.44[3]
Will finally meets Vaughn and Sloane is haunted by his wife's death. Sloane, who drinks only water is seen drinking whiskey in his office. We are told that Emily's garden is dead but Sloane finds it in full bloom.
264"Dead Drop"Guy BeeJesse AlexanderOctober 20, 2002 (2002-10-20)10.08[4]
275"The Indicator"Ken OlinJeff PinknerNovember 3, 2002 (2002-11-03)10.60[5]
Sydney discovers a terrifying secret when she's sent on a case to track down a new generation of weapons. Meanwhile, Vaughn suspects Jack of setting up Irina to take a fall. Sloane tells Jack the truth about Emily's death.
286"Salvation"Perry LangAlex Kurtzman & Roberto OrciNovember 10, 2002 (2002-11-10)9.33[6]
Sydney's trust in her father begins to fade. Meanwhile, Sydney and Vaughn may have been exposed to a deadly virus while in Taipei. Sloane, haunted by Emily's death, begins to unravel. Vaughn enlists Will to help research a case.
297"The Counteragent"Dan AttiasJohn EisendrathNovember 17, 2002 (2002-11-17)9.65[7]
Sydney races to find a cure for Vaughn, but in order to find the antidote, Sydney must make a deal with Sark that could endanger Sloane's life. Meanwhile, Will continues his research for Vaughn and discovers some disturbing inconsistencies involving 20-year-old standardized IQ tests. Sydney finds out that Vaughn has a girlfriend.
308"Passage (Part 1)"Ken OlinDebra J. Fisher & Erica MesserDecember 1, 2002 (2002-12-01)9.10[8]
Sydney, Jack and Irina must put aside their differences and go undercover as a loving family in order to seize six nuclear warheads from an abandoned facility in Kashmir. Meanwhile, Sloane announces to a suspicious staff that Sark will be working with SD-6, and later he is contacted by an unknown group claiming that Emily is still alive.
319"Passage (Part 2)"Ken OlinCrystal Nix-HinesDecember 8, 2002 (2002-12-08)9.21[9]
Sydney and Jack continue on a mission to take control of six nuclear warheads. Irina meets up with Gerard Cuvee[a] and we discover where Irina's loyalties lie. Meanwhile, Sloane informs the Alliance that Emily may still be alive.
3210"The Abduction"Nelson McCormickAlex Kurtzman & Roberto OrciDecember 15, 2002 (2002-12-15)9.59[10]
Jack meets Alliance counterintelligence head Ariana Kane,[b] who is sent in to investigate Emily's disappearance and to discover who is trying to blackmail Sloane. Meanwhile, Marshall is sent on his first mission with Sydney as his partner. Vaughn schedules Will to take a CIA psych test. Francie gets suspicious over Sydney and Will's secretive behavior.
3311"A Higher Echelon"Guy BeeJohn EisendrathJanuary 5, 2003 (2003-01-05)9.66[11]
After SD-6 recovers ECHELON software from Gerard Cuvee, Marshall is abducted and tortured by Dr. Zhang Lee. Considering Marshall expendable, Sloane employs an SD-4 replacement. Zhang threatens Marshall's mother, forcing him to rewrite ECHELON from eidetic memory. Kane investigates Emily Sloane's disappearance, forcing the CIA to back-cover Jack's tracks. Sydney's counter-mission to thwart SD-6 is to corrupt data packets in Ho Chi Minh City, but Dixon gets to the hard drive first; SD-6 begins restoring ECHELON, forcing Kendall to allow Irina's unrestricted access to ECHELON. Hired as a CIA Analyst (alias: Trade Roads Journalist), Will cautions Vaughn after learning from Francie about Sydney's "crush." Marshall launches a DDOS on SD-6, revealing his Mexico City location, covering pings by downloading Sammy Hagar's MP3 "Serious Juju" via AudioGalaxy. Vaughn overhears Kane confronting Jack about killing Irina's CIA mole, Steven Haladki (in "Almost Thirty Years"). Jack flees Kane after his cover story is blown. Marshall tricks Zhang, turning ECHELON into Pong, yelling "Go...Straight to Hell!" Sydney and Dixon rescue Marshall. Utilizing her knowledge of Russia's counterpart surveillance system SWARM, Irina locks SD-6 out of ECHELON. Jack gives Sloane leads regarding Emily to avoid being framed by Kane; Sloane immediately calls Kane.
3412"The Getaway"Lawrence TrillingJeff PinknerJanuary 12, 2003 (2003-01-12)9.42[12]
While Alliance counterintelligence head Ariana Kane tracks Sydney in order to catch her fugitive father, Jack elicits Irina's help in finding Sloane's blackmailer. Meanwhile, Sydney and Vaughn risk exposing their covers to SD-6 when they share a romantic dinner together while on a case in France.
3513"Phase One"Jack BenderJ. J. AbramsJanuary 26, 2003 (2003-01-26)17.36[13]
Sydney and Jack are confronted by the new director of SD-6, Anthony Geiger,[c] who replaces Sloane, whose whereabouts and intentions are unknown. Sydney learns of information that could destroy SD-6 and shut down the Alliance. Francie is killed by what looks like her doppelganger.
3614"Double Agent"Ken OlinAlex Kurtzman & Roberto OrciFebruary 2, 2003 (2003-02-02)11.39[14]
Sydney, Vaughn and Jack must determine whether CIA Agent James L. Lennox[d] is who he says he is after his deep cover mission is compromised in Berlin. It is discovered that an agency has built a machine capable of replicating a human being's appearance. In this case, there are two agents Lennox at large and Sydney must discover which one is the real one and which one is fake. It is hinted that the machine has been used before to replicate someone else this way.
3715"A Free Agent"Alex KurtzmanAlex Kurtzman & Roberto OrciFebruary 9, 2003 (2003-02-09)10.28[15]
Sydney must make a life-defining decision regarding her future with CIA, while Sloane re-emerges and continues his obsessive quest to piece together the mysterious Rambaldi artifacts—with the reluctant aid of a kidnapped scientist named Neil Caplan.[e] Meanwhile, Dixon's marriage is put to the test after he tells his wife the truth about his occupation.
3816"Firebomb"Craig ZiskJohn EisendrathFebruary 23, 2003 (2003-02-23)8.61[16]
Sloane ingratiates himself to terrorist drug smuggler Ahmad Kabir[f] in order to trade a Rambaldi-designed WMD for a statuette, which is later revealed to contain a missing section of another of Rambaldi's manuscripts. Asked to name a demonstration target, Kabir chooses his ex-wife Alia Gizabi, who is currently attending a religious ceremony at a cathedral with scores of other parishioners. Vaughn begs Dixon to aid the CIA in rescuing Sydney. Will is called upon to participate in a crucial CIA briefing session. Sydney notices that something with Francie is not quite right. Sark sets off Rambaldi's weapon, revealed to be a reusable and adjustable neutron bomb; at only 10% yield, it incinerates 62 people within the church. Rescued by Sydney and horrified by her ex-husband's mass-murder, Alia agrees to help the CIA track down Kabir and the weapon.
3917"A Dark Turn"Ken OlinJesse AlexanderMarch 2, 2003 (2003-03-02)10.69[17]
Sydney begins to question where Vaughn's allegiances lie when she learns through CIA Agent Mitchell Yaeger[g] that Vaughn is under investigation. Meanwhile Irina and another crucial Rambaldi manuscript – concerning the secret of eternal life – are used as bait to try to catch Sloane. It turns out Vaughn had only been investigating Irina through his own means because the Agency was slow and he wanted to see if he could catch her in a lie or discover additional information. Sydney also welcomes Dixon to the CIA.
4018"Truth Takes Time"Nelson McCormickJ. R. OrciMarch 16, 2003 (2003-03-16)9.66[18]
Sydney faces off with her mother, while Emily must decide whether to side with her husband or betray him.
4119"Endgame"Perry LangSean GeraceMarch 30, 2003 (2003-03-30)9.89[19]
Sydney defies her father in her attempt to rescue kidnapped scientist Neil Caplan, while Sloane, seeking revenge for the assassination of his wife orders that Dixon's wife be taken out. Meanwhile, Allison in the guise of Francie manipulates an unsuspecting Will for his agency connections.
4220"Countdown"Lawrence TrillingR. P. Gaborno & Jeff PinknerApril 27, 2003 (2003-04-27)8.03[20]
A Rambaldi manuscript prophesizes that an apocalyptic event involving a heart will soon take place. Assassin Emilio Vargas[h] is sent to Panama to kill Proteo Di Regno and cut out his unique heart. Dixon's grief leads Vaughn and agency psychologist Dr. Barnett to question his intentions, as his thirst for revenge on Sloane intensifies. Sloane receives a life-changing revelation from a mysterious monk named Conrad[i] in Nepal. Sydney and Dixon hunt for the killer to recover the stolen the heart before the prophesied countdown reaches midnight.
4321"Second Double"Ken OlinStory by : Breen Frazier
Teleplay by : Crystal Nix-Hines		May 4, 2003 (2003-05-04)10.10[21]
Sydney begins to question Will's identity when he's arrested for espionage, under suspicion of being a double. Meanwhile Sark and Irina plot to recover the Di Regno heart, and Sloane makes Jack a business proposal.
4422"The Telling"J. J. AbramsJ. J. AbramsMay 4, 2003 (2003-05-04)10.10[21]
Sydney confronts her mother, who reveals her true motivation. Sloane, for his part, begins to execute his new grand plan, Will struggles to figure out who's behind his set-up. Sydney and Allison have a vicious confrontation, which in turn leads to a starling revelation by Vaughn to Sydney!

Reception

Despite earning critical acclaim from USA Today[22] and attracting the largest audience of the series with 17.4 million viewers,[23] "Phase One" retained just 19 percent[23] of the Super Bowl XXXVII audience and has the dubious distinction of earning the lowest overall ratings for a program airing after a Super Bowl since at least 1987[23] and the lowest rating ever (8.3 rating) in the age 18-49 demographic for a post-Super Bowl program.[23] Much of this can be attributed to the fact that the episode didn't air until 11 p.m. on the East Coast, which also meant it was not eligible for the week's list of top primetime shows ranked by Nielsen Media Research and thus, the episode's viewership numbers were not factored in the series' overall 2002-2003 season average. This late slot was partially due to a decision to include a Bon Jovi performance in the post-game show.[24]

In 2009, TV Guide ranked "The Telling" as #84 on its list of the 100 Greatest Episodes.[25]

Home release

The 6-DVD box set of Season 2 was released in region 1 format (US) on December 2, 2003, in region 2 format (UK) on June 7, 2004 and in region 4 format (AU) on July 4, 2004. The DVDs contain all episodes of Season 2, plus the following features:

  • Deleted Scenes
  • Gag Reel
  • Audio Commentary with cast & crew
  • The Making of The Telling – An In-Depth Look at the Season Finale
  • The Making of the Video Game
  • Featurette: Undercover: The Look of Alias – A Look at Costume Design, Makeup, and Disguises

(A skit filmed for Monday Night Football was advertised as being in the set, but was removed from the DVD set before release.)

Notes

  1. ^ Derek de Lint as Gerard Cuvee
  2. ^ Faye Dunaway as Ariana Kane
  3. ^ Rutger Hauer as Anthony Geiger
  4. ^ Ethan Hawke as CIA Agent James L. Lennox
  5. ^ Christian Slater as Neil Caplan
  6. ^ Eli Danker as Ahmad Kabir
  7. ^ Richard Lewis as Mitchell Yaeger
  8. ^ Danny Trejo as Emilio Vargas
  9. ^ David Carradine as Conrad

References

  1. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Sept. 23-29, 2002)". The Los Angeles Times. October 2, 2002. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Sept. 30-Oct. 6, 2002)". The Los Angeles Times. October 9, 2002. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 7-13, 2002)". The Los Angeles Times. October 16, 2002. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 14–20, 2002)". The Los Angeles Times. October 23, 2002. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2002)". The Los Angeles Times. November 6, 2002. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Nov. 4-10, 2002)". The Los Angeles Times. November 13, 2002. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Nov. 11-17, 2002)". The Los Angeles Times. November 20, 2002. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Nov. 25-Dec. 1, 2002)". The Los Angeles Times. December 4, 2002. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Dec. 2-8, 2002)". The Los Angeles Times. December 11, 2002. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Dec. 9-15, 2002)". The Los Angeles Times. December 18, 2002. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Dec. 30, 2002-Jan. 5, 2003)". The Los Angeles Times. January 8, 2003. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 6-12, 2003)". The Los Angeles Times. January 15, 2003. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Best & Worst: Post-Super Bowl TV". Zap2it. Archived from the original on September 25, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  14. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2003)". The Los Angeles Times. February 5, 2003. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 3-9, 2003)". The Los Angeles Times. February 12, 2003. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 17–23, 2003)". The Los Angeles Times. February 26, 2003. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 24-March 2, 2003)". The Los Angeles Times. March 5, 2003. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (March 10–16, 2003)". The Los Angeles Times. March 19, 2003. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (March 24–30, 2003)". The Los Angeles Times. April 2, 2003. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (April 21–27, 2003)". The Los Angeles Times. April 30, 2003. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ a b "National Nielsen Viewership (April 28-May 4, 2003)". The Los Angeles Times. May 7, 2003. Retrieved April 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ Bianco, Robert (January 23, 2003). "Super 'Alias' will bowl you over". USA Today.
  23. ^ a b c d Fitzgerald, Toni (January 29, 2003). "How ABC fumbled its Super Bowl edge". Media Life Magazine. Archived from the original on May 14, 2012.
  24. ^ "Super TV: A look at some of the best post-Bowl episodes".
  25. ^ "TV Guide's Top 100 Episodes". Rev/Views. Archived from the original on June 22, 2009. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
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