Alias Episode Guide
Click an episode title below for more information, including quotes and a detailed episode summary.
Spoiler Alert! This guide contains specific plot details. Do not read if you want to be surprised.
Season 1
01. Truth Be Told - Sydney Bristow discovers that her secret life as a spy is more dangerous than she realized.
02. So It Begins - Sydney's latest mission is to bring down an arms dealer linked to a missing nuclear weapon. Meanwhile, Will begins to investigate Danny's murder.
03. Parity - Syd works against, then with her sworn nemesis. Francie frets over her guy's possible infidelity.
04. A Broken Heart - Syd and Dixon stop an explosive plot to disrupt a world-trade seminar. Also, Vaughn opens up to Syd about his love life, and Jack feels the heat over a secret he's keeping from his daughter.
05. Doppelganger - Vaughn helps Syd pull a fast one on SD-6 after she's sent to abduct a German engineer, but it's Jack who must step in when Sloane gets suspicious. Meanwhile, Will comes face-to-face with "Kate Jones."
06. Reckoning - Syd pieces together Jack's role in her mom's death, and Francie's guy explains his sneaking around.
07. Color Blind - Syd uncovers a shocking connection while freeing an assassin from a mental asylum; Jack faces off with Vaughn before explaining his KGB connection to Sydney; and Will hits the deadest end of all in his search for answers.
08. Time Will Tell - As Syd hits Mexico for info on Rambaldi's clock, Will struggles to kill a front-page piece on Danny's murder until a high-tech bug in Kate Jones' car takes his story in a new direction.
09. Mea Culpa - Will makes contact with the mystery man on the other end of Kate Jones' bug, and Sydney is suspected as the SD-6 mole.
10. Spirit - Sydney's interrogation is halted when another agent becomes the target of SD-6 suspicions. Jack and Syd deal with a rogue arms dealer. Vaughn gives Syd a meaningful Christmas gift.
11. The Confession - When Syd is sent into a trap, Vaughn must negotiate with a well-connected CIA prisoner. Syd learns of her mother's secret life.
12. The Box, Part 1 - Jack and Syd must save Sloane and the others when SD-6 is assaulted by an unknown group. Meanwhile, Will is asked to continue his investigation of SD-6.
13. The Box, Part 2 - Against orders, Vaughn goes to SD-6 to help Sydney.
14. The Coup - Francie and Charlie complicate Syd's mission with Dixon in Vegas. Elsewhere, Sark "negotiates" with K-Directorate.
15. Page 47 - Vaughn asks Sydney to exploit a friendship to gain access to Sloane's house, and Will is threatened to stop his investigation.
16. The Prophecy - The Rambaldi quest leads Syd and Vaughn to break into the Vatican. The DSR takes Sydney into custody because of her bizarre link to an old text.
17. Q & A - As the FBI grills Syd about her past and Rambaldi's doomsday prophecy, Jack and Vaughn race to free her before SD-6 suspects anything is amiss.
18. Masquerade - An old flame resurfaces to help Syd snag a device that may hold the key to her mother's KGB work and possible whereabouts. Meanwhile, a mysterious plane ticket has Will and Francie fearing that Syd has something to hide.
19. Snowman - An old videotape of Irina surfaces, and Syd learns something about Noah.
20. The Solution - Syd and Vaughn set a trap for Khasinau with news of more Rambaldi serum; Sloane's wife lets Syd in on a little secret; and Will confronts Jack about his kidnapping following a phone call from his unnamed informant.
21. Rendezvous - Will makes a startling discovery while helping Jack smoke out Deep Throat in Paris. Meanwhile, Dixon begins to question his partner's allegiance, and the Alliance fills Sloane in on the plans for Emily's elimination.
22. Almost Thirty Years - Syd and Jack go against both SD-6 and the CIA after a mole within one of the groups puts Will in jeopardy.
Season 2
01. The Enemy Walks In - A mother-daughter face-off leaves Syd injured and Irina on the run. Meanwhile, Jack goes to extremes to keep Will alive after his SD-6 exposé hits the stands.
02. Trust Me - After surrendering to the CIA, Irina refuses to talk to anyone but Syd, who struggles with how much to believe her.
03. Cipher - Jack tries to abort Syd's continued work with Irina, who holds the key to cracking Sark's plans for a satellite. Meanwhile, Will meets Vaughn to revisit his ordeal in Taipei, and Sloane's late wife may not be so late, after all.
04. Dead Drop - Vaughn must work with Irina to save Syd from Sark's latest ambush, and SD-6 assesses Will's threat level.
05. The Indicator - A program to train children brings back memories for Syd; Jack's set-up of Irina is exposed; and Will assists Francie at her eatery's grand opening.
06. Salvation - Syd is torn between reporting Jack's recent sins and allowing Irina to pay for her past crimes. Vaughn hires Will to do research.
07. The Counteragent - The race for an antidote to Vaughn's virus locks Syd into a pact with Sark that could end Sloane's days at SD-6.
08. Passage Part 1 - Irina barters for a release from CIA custody to help a reluctant Jack and Sydney stop a group that Sark, now working with SD-6, has armed with nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, Sloane is blackmailed over Emily.
09. Passage Part 2 - The Bristows' mission to find nuclear weapons leads to Irina's ex-ally and a discovery about the power of Rambaldi's work.
10. The Abduction - Sark's loyalty to SD-6 is questioned after the Kashmir incident; an Alliance official investigating the blackmail plot against Sloane suspects Jack; Francie thinks her friends are hiding something; and Marshall's first mission goes horribly awry.
11. A Higher Echelon - Syd and Dixon race to find Marshall; Kane links Jack to a murder; Will is hired as a CIA analyst; and Irina is given access to the Echelon system.
12. The Getaway - Syd and Vaughn's rendezvous while on a mission threatens to expose their CIA covers to SD-6; Jack enlists Irina in his efforts to outwit Kane; and Sloane succeeds in eluding the Alliance.
13. Phase One - Syd works to access a secret cache of Alliance information that could hold the key to bringing them down, and Sloane's plan involves a mole with a familiar face.
14. Double Agent - A technology that allows users to alter their appearance makes it hard for the CIA to know who's who.
15. A Free Agent - With the Alliance in ruins, Syd considers leaving the spy life. But when a mathematician is abducted, it becomes ominously clear that someone from SD-6 is back in action. Meanwhile, Dixon worries about the possible end of his marriage.
16. Firebomb - Dixon debates joining the CIA as Sloane demonstrates a powerful Rambaldi device, and Syd learns that her apartment is bugged.
17. A Dark Turn - The CIA shares Vaughn's suspicious activities with Sydney, while Jack's risky union with Irina to smoke out Sloane hits a snag.
18. Truth Takes Time - A shocking ally offers to help Syd bring down Sloane before he, Sark and the escaped Irina can steal a certain technology. Meanwhile, "Francie" continues to act oddly.
19. Endgame - The CIA gets unexpected help in their efforts to track down the missing mathematician, and Sloane retaliates for his wife's death.
20. Countdown - When the CIA discovers Rambaldi's prophecy about a not-so-distant apocalypse, Sydney and Dixon mount a frenzied search for Sloane before time runs out for everyone.
21. Second Double - Will goes on the lam after being framed for treason, as Irina holds the proof Syd needs to exonerate her friend. Elsewhere, a new face at the CIA sweeps Marshall off his feet.
22. The Telling - Will and Syd learn who has been deceiving them. Sloane works to assemble a Rambaldi device, and Irina says that only Syd can stop him.
Season 3
01. The Two - Syd catches up on what's happened during her two-year disappearance.
02. Succession - Syd's search for her past leads to Sark; Vaughn returns to the CIA; and Jack confronts the reformed Sloane.
03. Reunion - Syd, Vaughn, and Lauren require Sloane's help on a mission, as Jack thwarts efforts to reveal the identity of a killer.
04. A Missing Link - Syd's latest mission puts her in touch with a shady man from her lost past, and puts Vaughn's marriage to the test.
05. Repercussions - Syd and Lauren must work together; Sloane offers to be a double-agent for the CIA; and Jack risks blowing his cover to grill Simon about Syd's lost two years.
06. The Nemesis - Syd plans to settle an old score with Allison, who reveals that the Covenant wants something from Syd's memory.
07. Prelude - A mission with Sloane nets Sydney a key piece of info on her past, as Sark spills the identity of his father's killer to the person who would benefit most from Miss Bristow's arrest.
08. Breaking Point - Syd lands in NSC custody, and Vaughn and Jack seek Sloane's help in rescuing her.
09. Conscious - Rocked by a recent discovery, Syd allows an eccentric doctor to mess with her head in an attempt to access her memories.
10. Remnants - Allison comes face-to-face with two of her most vengeful victims; the mysterious St. Aidan's identity is revealed; and Lindsey's attempt at blackmail ends badly.
11. Full Disclosure - Kendall comes clean with Sydney, who realizes that she's been tricked into helping The Covenant.
12. Crossings - Lauren continues her work as a mole; Syd and Vaughn reconnect when they're captured on a mission; and Irina keeps it in the family when Jack asks for help in finding his daughter.
13. After Six - The CIA works to gain intel on the Covenant; Sloane makes a confession to Dr. Barnett; and Sark suggests that he and Lauren make a power play.
14. Blowback - The good guys and the bad guys are after a powerful new weapon, as things heat up between Sark and Lauren.
15. Façade - The CIA races to stop a vengeful bomber with a connection to the Covenant -- and to Julia Thorne.
16. Taken - The Covenant kidnaps Dixon's children and demands an exchange. Incriminating evidence is found against Sloane, but a verbal slip leads Jack to suspect someone else.
17. The Frame - Jack presents Senator Reed with his evidence of a mole, and the Covenant goes to extremes to keep Vaughn from leaving Lauren. Meanwhile, Sloane's pardon is revoked.
18. Unveiled - The Covenant continues its search for "The Passenger" with the CIA not far behind. Vaughn finds evidence of Lauren's betrayal.
19. Hourglass - The CIA feeds a mole phony intel and gains a valuable Rambaldi clue, but they'll need Sloane's help to use it.
20. Blood Ties - Vaughn is captured by the Covenant. The CIA tracks down The Passenger.
21. Legacy - Sloane uses Nadia to reveal a message from Rambaldi, as the others try to find them.
22. Resurrection - Sark is caught by the CIA. Sloane seeks Nadia's help on a Rambaldi quest. In a face-off, Lauren taunts Sydney about "the truth" as Vaughn gets his chance for revenge.
Season 4
01. Authorized Personnel Only - The old gang joins a new black ops division of the CIA, and things heat up between Vaughn and Sydney.
02. Authorized Personnel Only, Part 2 - Nadia returns and joins APO, where the latest mission hits Syd close to home. Syd and Jack's relationship remains strained over Irina.
03. The Awful Truth - Syd wants to tell Nadia the truth about their mother, but Jack prefers to give Nadia "closure."
04. Ice - While searching for a new bioweapon, Vaughn's alias offers him a chance to deal with his late wife's betrayal.
05. Welcome to Liberty Village - Vaughn and Syd pose as a "normal" couple to infiltrate a group of mercenaries. Meanwhile, Jack learns of a search for a certain Derevko.
06. Nocturne - The team races to find answers when one of them is infected with a drug that heightens its victim's fears.
07. Detente - While Nadia and Syd work well together, Syd struggles to get past her feelings for Sloane.
08. Echoes - Anna returns to stir up trouble, and Vaughn faces off with Sark. Meanwhile, Nadia and Weiss get closer.
09. A Man Of His Word - When Anna and Sark team up, Jack's risky move to find them strains his affiliation with Sloane.
10. The Index - The APO team is tasked to find a stolen collection of CIA data, but Syd and Dixon question Sloane's plans for it. Elsewhere, a visit to an ailing relative resurrects a mystery about Vaughn's father.
11. The Road Home - APO's latest mission has Syd seeking help from a civilian and leads Jack to a loose end from his past. Vaughn's father's journal raises more questions.
12. The Orphan - Nadia's past has current connections -- even to Vaughn's quest for answers about his father.
13. Tuesday - After Syd's cover is blown, a situation at APO leaves only Marshall to go and save her.
14. Nightingale - Syd clues Jack in on the ongoing mystery of Vaughn Sr., but when the latest search for truth goes awry, Jack puts himself in harm's way to protect his daughter.
15. Pandora - Vaughn's quest leads to a dangerous alliance and a shocking revelation. Meanwhile, Nadia seeks to learn more about her mother.
16. Another Mr. Sloane - Sloane claims that the latest evidence against him is a set up, but the truth is far more bizarre. Nadia fears the return of Sloane's Rambaldi obsession.
17. A Clean Conscience - Dixon infiltrates a group of baddies to search for a powerful new weapon, and the return of a woman from Nadia's past leads Jack and Sloane to confess a secret they've been keeping from their daughters.
18. Mirage - When a previous gamble catches up with Jack, the APO team constructs an elaborate ruse to help him.
19. In Dreams - Sloane must relive a painful memory to stop an impostor from completing a plan that he set in motion.
20. The Descent - The revelation of Elena's scheme revives Sloane's interest in Rambaldi, as an undercover Dixon spies a very familiar face. Meanwhile, Vaughn asks for Jack's blessing.
21. Search and Rescue - Irina may hold the key to preventing her sister from fulfilling Rambaldi's vision for a cleansing of the world.
22. Before the Flood - Irina and the APO team journey to stop Elena as the stage seems set for a prophetic showdown.
Season 5
01. Prophet Five - Vaughn's investigation into his past leads to a top secret project that people will kill to keep hidden. Meanwhile, Sydney receives some news from her doctor.
02. ...1... - APO's search for the murderous Gordon Dean leads to Sloane's former contact, a high-tech storage chamber, and the woman whose story mirrors Vaughn's. A new agent joins the team.
03. The Shed - APO catches Dean's computer specialist, who quickly learns that her employer is not what she thought. Elsewhere, Sloane continues his hunt for a cure for his daughter.
04. Mockingbird - Rachel proves to be an asset in the fight against Dean, who intensifies efforts to get his agent back.
05. Out of the Box - Syd and Agent Grace visit Renee when her attempt to save a man may have aided Prophet Five, and Dean wants Sloane to return to APO.
06. Solo - Rachel's first solo mission leads to confrontation with one of her betrayers.
07. Fait Accompli - APO finally catches up with Dean only to learn that his employer is very effective in silencing leaks.
08. Bob - Rachel's rendezvous while on a mission provides a lead when an undercover Jack is captured.
09. The Horizon - Sydney's abduction leaves APO with a clue to finding her, while Prophet Five tries a kinder, gentler form of interrogation.
10. S.O.S. - APO must work around a high-ranking CIA cover-up to save Syd. Meanwhile, Agent Grace takes the chance to confront his own demons.
11. Maternal Instinct - Irina returns and joins Jack and Sydney on a quest to retrieve a certain Rambaldi device. Syd goes into labor.
12. There's Only One Sydney Bristow - Prophet Five uses two familiar faces to get Sydney right where they want her.
13. 30 Seconds - Nadia's sudden cure raises Jack's suspicions and renews a dangerous obsession for Sloane. Posing as Sydney, Anna takes out a member of the team.
14. I See Dead People - Anna attempts an intercept when Syd takes a valuable clue to Vaughn, while Sloane talks Rambaldi with Prophet Five.
15. No Hard Feelings - Posing as Anna, Sydney works with Sark to seek another piece of an ancient puzzle, but Sloane has his own agenda. Meanwhile, Agent Grace attempts to settle an old score.
16. Reprisal - As APO closes in on Prophet Five, Sloane's strategy continues with kidnapping, torture, and a deadly assault against his enemies.
17. All the Time in the World - With Sloane set to achieve Rambaldi's ultimate vision, Jack goes to extremes to stop him. Elsewhere, Sydney confronts Sloane's accomplice in a deadly showdown.
About This Guide
Episode reviews start at episode 19 of season one, and most episodes after that have reviews or comments or both.
Note that visitor-contributed reviews, comments, etc. are welcomed/encouraged! Even though I've already added the episode information here, feel free to send your thoughts, and I'll add them to the appropriate ep.
Additional information about Alias can be found in the menu at the upper left.
Acknowledgments: The first two and a half seasons of recaplets on this page are modified versions of those found at TVGuide.com. The season one episode summaries are from the (now closed) Alias section of ABC's site. The rest of the episode summaries and recaplets were written by me.
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