Season 1, Episode 1

Parity

US Airdate: 14th October 2001

Writer- J.J. Abrams Director- Ken Olin

Guest Stars: Aharon Ipale (Hassan) Evan Dexter Parke (Charlie) Gina Torres
(Anna) Keone Young (June Litvack) Mark Rolston (Lambert) Greg Grunberg (Agent
Weiss) Carole Gutierrez (Laura Stenson) Duane Journey (Sniper Team Leader) Luis
Medina (Eduardo Benegas) Randy Mulkey (Navy SEAL) Russell Alexander Orazco (MC)
Alfonso Paz (Lead Security Officer) Tony Sears (SD-6 Agent) Anthony Vatsula
(Doorman)

Plot: This episode opens with Sydney holding the bright green plutonium core of
the bomb. Hassan catches her and holds a gun to her head. Using the core as a
distraction, she is able to knock Hassan unconscious and escape.

Back in L.A., Sloane sends Sydney and Dixon on another mission--to retrieve a
lockbox. Sloane tells them the box contains what appears to be some sort of
digital code encrypted into two sketches drawn by the 15th century “prophet”
Milo Rambaldi. Both SD-6 and Russian agency K-Directorate are after the same
sketch, and Sydney finds out she is up against her nemesis, Anna Espinosa. 
Sydney and Vaughn meet at the pier and Sydney tells him about the mission. 
Vaughn tells her he’s been replaced as her handler by a senior officer.

In Madrid, Sydney visits a show at the Auto Museo to steal the lockbox--only to
find Anna there as well, already in possession of the box. However, after an
intense fight, Sydney is able to get it from her.

Back home, Will is curious about Danny’s murder and requests surveillance
footage from traffic cameras around Danny’s apartment on the night of the
murder. Will discovers all the traffic cameras near the apartment mysteriously
malfunctioned that night.

Later, Will and Sydney have an evening out. Slightly drunk, flirting turns into
a kiss, shockingly discomforting for both of them.

Francie confides in Sydney that she and her boyfriend Charlie haven’t been
intimate in a while. Francie discovers Charlie had no college review to attend
the previous night and confronts him. Charlie reassures her that he is not
having an affair, and Francie is incilined to believe him, until she finds a
matchbook with a women’s name and phone number written on it.

At SD-6, Marshall discovers that he is unable to force open the lockbox because
if he does the sketch will be technologically destroyed. So a meeting in Berlin
is arranged between K-Directorate agent Anna (who has the key) and Sydney; they
plan to open the box together. Sloane knows that K-Directirate is unaware of
the fact that there are two sketches in the entire code.

Before the mission, Sydney meets her new handler, Lambert. She takes an intense
dislike to him and refuses to work unless Vaughn is promoted and put back on as
her handler.

In Berlin, Sydney is relieved to hear Vaughn at the other end of her CIA wire
earpiece. Both SD-6 and K-Directorate have snipers placed strategically in case
the other attempts a double-cross. Sydney and Anna confront each other,
exchanging words. When Anna opens the lockbox with the key, both agents are
horrified at what they find...

Best Bits: Sydney and Anna’s fight for the lockbox in Madrid, Vaughn’s promotion
and return as Sydney’s handler.

Best Quotes:
1. -Sloane: Marshall, would you please go back to work?
-Marshall: Just to clarify, I’m not being fired?
-Sloane: Back to work means not fired.

2. -Sydney: Who am I talking to?
-Vaughn: Your invisible friend.
-Sydney: Good. Where are you?
-Vaughn: Satellite relay station back in L.A., watching you from a 200-mile
orbit
-Sydney: My guardian angel.
-Vaughn: I was going to say the same thing to you. Thanks for the promotion.
-Sydney: You’re welcome.

Music:
Miranda Lee Richards- The Beginner
Ryan Adams- La Cienega Just Smiled
Bill Bonk- Rings A Bell
Spooky Daly Pride- Go Get It