Hi Sara!
Excellent review!
I'm afraid I can't get more detailed than that, since I only saw bits and pieces of the episode. Well, except to say that thanks to your review, all the bits and pieces make perfect sense. I *did* see the end, with Jack on the outside looking in, though. Victor Garber. What an actor.
I really enjoy the relationships on the show. For me, there are two major categories of eps: Smack Jack eps and Hug Jack eps (I almost always wanna do both within a single ep, so the designation is based on proportion). This past ep was Smack Jack, IMO. Although he nearly succeeded in turning it around at the end there. (I am such a sucker.)
The one thing that remains constant for me and my sketchy watching is that Jack loves Sydney. So this belief colors my theory here:
During the season premiere, the thing that struck me about the hand-picked members of APO: Sydney is the key. There was no one there who would not sacrifice his life (and career) for her. The fact that Arvin Sloane held so much power over Sydney (and through her all of the other members of the group) would strike Jack as a major threat. So, as long as he can keep on Nadia's good side, he has similar leverage against Arvin. (BTW, is Sydney the only person who knows the truth?) If Arvin threatens Sydney for any reason, Jack wants to be able to threaten right back. (See? Hug Jack / Smack Jack.)
Whose idea was it for Nadia to join APO? I missed that part.
Linda, paranoid, but not as much as Jack, I hope
P.S. Just so you know, the only reason that I have not yet fully succumbed to the many, many charms of
Alias: I'm a wimp. It's hard for me to sit still during (much less enjoy) those suspense scenes where someone I care about is in serious danger of being caught with lives and an entire mission at stake. So first-run
Alias eps are difficult for me. JJ Abrams & co. are just *too* good at ratcheting up the tension past my level of enjoyment.
Alias re-runs are better for me, although the tension is still pretty high.