Alias/Trust Me

Trust Me
Season 2, Episode 2
Airdate	October 6, 2002
Production Number	E653
Written by	John Eisendrath
Directed by	Craig Zisk
← 2x01 The Enemy Walks In	2x03 → Cipher
Alias — Season Two

Trust Me is the second episode of the second season of Alias, and the twenty-fourth episode overall. Sydney is given the choice to act on information her mother has provided.

Starring: 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), David Anders (Julian Sark) (credit only)

with Lena Olin (Irina Derevko)

and Victor Garber (Jack Bristow)

Special Guest Star: Terry O'Quinn (FBI Special Officer Kendall)

Guest Starring: Tony Amendola (Tambor Barceló), Wolf Muser (Ramon Veloso), Joseph Ruskin (Alain Christophe), J.D. Hall (Judge Freid), Wendle Josepher (Vicki Crane)

Co-Starring: Soren Hellerup (Petr Fordson), James Kohli (Concierge), P.J. Marino (Felon), Scott Alan Smith (Chris Schmidt)

Featuring: Benson Choy (Soldier), Joel Guggenheim (Agent on Call), Alex Morris (Homeless Man), Sam Aylia Sako (Burly Security Guard), Krikor Satamian (Naj), Kevin Sutherland (Monitoring Agent), Michael Yavnieli (Driver)

Plot Overview

The fallout of Khasinau's death and Irina Derevko's surrender has both the CIA and SD-6 moving quickly to collect the pieces. Of initial interest is a disc containing blackmail material that Derevko used to coerce support from powerful people. The disc is housed in the personal safe of Mohammed Naj in a Rabat Hotel. Sydney and Dixon head to Rabat with the intention of stealing the disc, while the CIA countermission is to hand off the disc to a CIA operative at the hotel.

While in custody, Derevko refuses to talk to anyone but Sydney who wants nothing to do with her. Vaughn is brought in to talk to get given the connection the two share, as Derevko directly led to his father's death. Informing her that Sydney is after the disc and asking if there is anything she should be warned about, Derevko notes the informal way Vaughn refers to Sydney and tells Vaughn that a fire alarm next to the safe must be pulled before opening the safe.

Sydney checks into the hotel undercover, with a false reservation provided by Dixon via computer, and gets the key from a manager. While using an automatic safe cracker, she is contacted by Vaughn who relays the information her mother provided. Not trusting her, Sydney ignores the advice and opens the safe, triggering an alarm. Sydney quickly collects the disc and runs outside and is about to make the switch when Dixon arrives to help her get out of the building. She gives Dixon the real disc and they leave without difficulty.

Without the blackmail disc, the CIA has no information as to what it contains of what SD-6 is going to do with it. Assistant Director Kendall leans heavily on Vaughn and Sydney to convince Sydney to talk to her mother. When Sydney does talk to her, Derevko tells them that the key figure on the disc is Peter Fortson. Traveling to Helsinki on a CIA operation, Sydney prepares to rappel from the roof of Fortson's building as she sees Sloane arrive. Vaughn provides a brief distraction by tripping a waiter and gives Sydney enough time to rope down to the 14th floor. Cutting into the glass, she gains access to Fortson's lab and takes a T-Wave Satellite Camera, the valuable object Derevko suggested SD-6 would be interested in. Sloane lets Fortson see compromising photographs of his daughter and is led down to the 14th floor to get the camera himself. Sydney barely avoids detection but is able to rappel to the ground floor and escapes by car with Vaughn. Finding the T-Wave camera missing and unable to explain the whereabouts, Sloane's men shoot Fortson while Sloane tries to get him to talk.

Notes

• Sydney beat a hotel manager. Sloane's henchman shoots a man in the leg.

• Marshall gives Sydney an undisguised metal detector and a cell phone and metal cone used to listen to a safe tumbler and mechanically detect the combination. The CIA gives Sydney a subvocal microphone, pen with a cutting laser in it, and glass removal suction cups.

• Sydney goes undercover as Beatricia Cunelli, a married Italian socialite.

Music

• Supreme Beings of Leisure - "Touch Me"

• Catie Curtis - "Fusco's Song"

• Bob Dylan - "Shelter from the Storm"

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• Sydney is provided a method to get secret access to a CIA facility. It involves dropping a coin in a derelict's cup, jogging past a number of concealed bug and tracking detectors, verification that she is untraced through an out of order phone ringing, and entering a code into the phone to open a shipping container.

Characters

• Sloane is sworn in as a full partner of the Alliance of Twelve, an induction that includes the injection of a mysterious substance.

• Will is sentenced to probation, drug rehab, and 100 hours of community service for possession of heroin.

• Francie resorts to an illegal liquor license from the mafia for her new restaurant.

Quotes

• Sydney: Let's get something clear. You are not my mother. My mother was Laura Bristow. Laura Bristow died in a car accident 21 years ago. You are a traitor and a prisoner of the United States government. (as Irina looks away) Look at me! We will interact only when necessary. You will address me as Agent Bristow and answer only the questions I ask. There will be no personal anecdotes. No comments about my job performance. No condolences or congratulations. Do you understand me? (Irina doesn't answer) Do you understand?

Irina: Yes... Agent Bristow.