Alias (TV Series) The Index (2005) User Reviews

Can Sloane be trusted?

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 6 September 2010]

When an item known as 'The Index' is stolen Sloane orders the team to go to Paris to acquire the decoder disc required to read it. Dixon however is suspicious that Sloane wants The Index for himself as it contains information that could be used to blackmail a lot of people. He confides in Sydney and she makes a modified version of the disc after the recovery so that Sloane can't access the information. Dixon later asks her if she can access Sloane's home phone so that he can listen to his encrypted calls. Sydney succeeds as always but Nadia catches her and while she doesn't tell her father it is clear that her relationship with her sister is damaged. With access to the calls it becomes apparent that Sloane is planning to restart the Alliance. The team head off to Belgium to catch him in the act of handing over the Index but as they move into arrest him they learn that another APO agent is the one actually meeting the Alliance members; Jack Bristow! Is he corrupt? What will the Alliance do when they learn that the disc is a fake? While all this was going on Vaughn went to visit his comatose uncle and received evidence which suggested his father might not be dead after all.

This was a fun episode where it looked as if Sloane was going to be exposed as a traitor once again, there was plenty of action and a very funny scene were Sydney deliberately gets arrested in Paris for vandalising Weiss's van. While I wasn't expecting Sloane to get exposed this early in the season it came as quite a shock when it was revealed that it was Jack meeting the Alliance not Sloane.

Awesome mind-f*** of an episode

[gridoon2024 · 8/10 · 8 January 2010]

Sloane calls in the APO team and assigns them their new mission: steal a decoder from the French police, so that the incriminating files encoded on a mobile computer which was stolen from a CIA facility cannot be read and used for blackmail. But Dixon suspects that Sloane only wants the decoder for himself, as part of his plan to re-build the Alliance. Sydney agrees to help him find out the truth, but cannot avoid getting Nadia involved in the situation. Lots of parallels with season 1 in this episode, as Sydney not only has a mission and a countermission, but later has to perform a dangerous operation inside Sloane's own house, just like she did in "Page 47". Lots of twists as well, but one in particular near the end first left me with my mouth hanging open, then made me smile out of admiration for the simple way a TV series could still have me completely fooled in its 76th episode. Everything works in "The Index", from the big action moments (Sydney's Jackie Chan-type jump to a helicopter, Nadia's climactic slam-bang rescue operation) to the small character moments (Nadia's birthday cake speech, Dixon's and Director Chase's (Angela Bassett) subtle flirting at the end). Even Vaughn's seemingly irrelevant subplot turns out to have a purpose. *** out of 4.

Other Old Accounts.. But Amusing

[elshikh4 · 6/10 · 3 November 2007]

As I said in previous comments about some episodes from the fourth season; it's "The merchant's old accounts" as I meant the writer's old yet effective ideas again. Here, just look at the first 15 minutes to understand it well: (Sydney) is working as a double agent again to destroy the same - supposed to be evil - man (Sloane), some information about the return of the alliance!, and another sneaking into (Sloane)'s house by (Sydney) under the cover of a dinner in honor of his daughter (it was a dinner in honor of his wife at the first time!), to steal something from him, and so on!

Despite all of this, the story was clever, especially with some good action; (Sydney) in France to steal a devise from the police, (Nadia) in a great car, like (Magnum)'s red Ferrari, shooting the gang, one by one, to save (Jack) in the nick of time. Some good drama; (Sydney) deceived (Nadia) to disclose her father, so (Nadia)'s feelings for her cheat family right in the middle of her first birthday among this very family! And, for sure, the tasty feast of twists at the end; (Jack) is the one who works to revitalize the alliance, (Jack) and (Sloane) are in it together for noble purposes, (Vaughn) discovers some secrets about his father's death, and finally, for a good cliffhanger to end the episode, we know that (Jack) and (Sloane) are planning for obscure goal!

But, as always, if you'll make the hideous sin, namely: the thinking, you'll find some ugly questions: How could (Jack) and (Sloane) work together to destroy the new rising alliance secretly?!! That was so childish not to tell anybody like it's a surprise party "We're the bad guys, No.. We're working with the bad guys, NO, NO.. We're the good guys who are working with the bad guys to exterminate them"! How come that (Hayden Chase), the big flashy CIA agent, played by guest star (Angela Bassett), goes to discover the conspiracy with just (Sydney), (Nadia) and (Dixon)?? OH MY GOD, where are the swat?, the attack team?, the mod squad? Or anybody?! How come that the proficient old terrorist is dealing with (Jack) as he's still the head of (Sloane)'s operations at the former SD-6?!! Well, he must be the stupidest terrorist in the world not knowing that (Jack) is CIA all along, like the whole of the alliance already knew in the middle of season 2, and that (Sloane) is now gone legitimate as the head of APO??!! How come that that terrorist didn't kill (Jack) after discovering his truth?!, instead, he just manacled him! Actually, why didn't he kill him by one cheap bullet?!! I love (Jack) of course, but the script should have made the evil guy say even some cliché stuff like: "I must know who you're working for?? I won't leave you until you tell me!". And look at the end: When (Sydney)'s team discovered the truth, all of them just had been forgiven by the CIA so easily! Then we have (Chase) flirting with (Dixon)! OHH, they're very nice people indeed, not as intelligence agency, but as the Brady Bunch!

Although, the ultimate secret of (Alias)'s fun is: Shut up, and don't you ever think. Frankly, if you applied this rule here, you'd have some real fun which maybe wasn't available at a number of the fourth season's other episodes.

PS: I just loved the look upon (Sloane)'s face when (Weiss) called him by his first name (Arvin), in well-meaning, on the dinner table. WAW, that was one unforgettable embarrassing moment, and one of the most acrid, scary, and contemptuous looks that I've ever seen in my life. Absolutely a perfect scene. Thanks to the writer, the director, and the actors; particularly the foxy (Ron Rifkin).