Synopsis of The Prophecy
Written by TK
A Dr. Carson Evans shows a Senate Select Committee page 47 of the Rambaldi manuscript and asks for funds to investigate Sydney Bristow. The funds are granted.
Somewhere else, Sydney runs from a pack of dogs and men in fatigues shooting at her. She finally gets away by jumping off a cliff. Luckily, she has a parachute on her back.
Back in L.A., Sydney writes to Vaughn telling him that she just got back from Brazil, and she got surveillance photos of someone they think might be The Man. She's forwarding Vaughn copies.
Vaughn comes into his office to find Dr. Carson Evans going through his stuff. It turns out she is from the DSR, the NSA Department of Special Research. They research "fringe" science, paranormal stuff, and have been empowered to take all of Vaughn's files on Sydney.
Vaughn runs to Director Devlin, outraged. Devlin tells Vaughn that there's nothing they can do, but tells Vaughn what little he knows about the investigation.
Sydney and Vaughn meet. Sydney starts talking about her photos, but Vaughn says there's something more important. He tells Syd about the DSR investigating her because of her appearance in the Rambaldi document. Sydney says that picture could be any one of thousands of women who have lived since the document was written. It doesn't look that much like her. It could even be her mother. Vaughn says the DSR has partially decoded the document, and it indicates that the woman in the picture is alive today. He warns Sydney that at their next debriefing, the DSR is going to want to question her. They're calling the document "The Prophecy."
Dr. Evans and her crew question Sydney with Sydney's consent. They won't tell Sydney what the prophecy says. They put her through a battery of psychological and intelligence questions. Vaughn observes from outside the room. Haladki joins Vaughn, says he was brought in to facilitate interagency cooperation. Vaughn isn't pleased to see him. Haladki leaves and then comes back a little while later. He says they have to cut this short. Vaughn asks why, but Haladki won't tell him. Haladki whispers in a guy's ear, and the whisper passes through the rest of Dr. Evans's crew. Dr. Evans says they need to switch to a physical exam. Sydney refuses, saying they can't touch her until they tell her about the prophecy. They refuse. She gets up to leave, but one of the guys blocks her way. She tells him to get out of her way or she'll move him herself. He finally backs down and she leaves. Haladki can't believe they just let her leave.
At Francie and Syd's apartment, Will asks Francie to join him at a basketball game 'cause he got free tickets from someone in the sports department. Sydney comes out and tells her friends she had a dream in which someone said they had a prophecy about her. She asks if that sounds good or bad. Francie and Will agree that "prophecy" sounds bad.
Sloane tells Sydney that thanks to her surveillance photos, they've figured out that the Man is Alexander Khasinau. Sark sent a communiqué to Khasinau regarding the loss of the Rambaldi manuscript. Khasinau is former KGB, and is running an impressive organization now, backed with Russian mob money. Khasinau knows he's a target and has gone into hiding, so for now, there's no mission for Sydney, but Sloane asks if she would visit Emily again, because Emily hasn't been feeling well and seeing Sydney always lifts her spirits.
Back in his office, Sloane confides in Jack that the Alliance is holding a vote to see if they should declare war against Khasinau. Sloane is worried, because he really wants to go after Khasinau, but the other members of the Alliance aren't necessarily leaning that way. Sloane is going to start working on the swing votes to get them to go his way. He starts by calling Edward Poole, head of SD-9.
Poole and Sloane speak on the phone. Poole assures Sloane that he's all for declaring war against Khasinau. Sloane is relieved, and then asks Poole for help convincing the other swing votes, Oscar Dunst and Jean Briault. Poole says he was going to wait until the upcoming meeting, but he has some intel he wants to show Sloane, and he'll bring it to L.A. tomorrow morning.
Sydney visits Emily. Emily talks about how nice Will was, and suggests that he might be more than a friend to Sydney. Sydney says she still feels guilty even talking about dating. Emily mentions that she'll be dead by next Christmas. She talks about how she was diagnosed with cancer, and how long she took to do anything about it because she was so paralyzed with terror. Sydney realizes she has to do something about this prophecy.
Sydney goes to Dr. Evans and tells her to run all the tests she wants.
Poole shows Sloane proof that his friend Briault is actually taking money from Khasinau. Sloane doesn't want to believe it. Both men agree that if it's true, and the vote is sabotaged by Briault being in Khasinau's pocket, it could destroy the Alliance. They mention that Briault is a very cautious man, so IF there were going to be a hit, the hitter would have to be someone Briault knows and trusts. Sloane still refuses to believe it.
Director Devlin makes a big deal of cooperating with the DSR, but he and Dr. Evans end up arguing when she complains that she's not getting enough out of the CIA. Devlin says that Sydney is too well-placed as a double-agent to be taken into custody by the DSR, and they're taking this prophecy business too seriously.
Sydney undergoes a number of physical tests, including an MRI and a spinal tap.
Devlin complains to Dr. Evans that his agent is being treated like a lab rat. Haladki speaks up and says that he has long worried about Sydney, like when she met with a Rambaldi disciple on the Amalfi coast at the exact moment his death was prophecized. The tests are necessary to see if Sydney displays any of the abnormalities that are described in the Rambaldi text.
Sydney meets with her father and tells him she's in danger of having her cover blown if the DSR takes her into custody. Jack's cover is also in danger. Sydney worries that the DSR is misreading the text. Jack says he knows that the code key they're using they reverse-engineered themselves. Sydney asks where Rambaldi's original code key is. Jack says it's at the Vatican.
Jack begs Devlin's help to get the code key. Devlin is reluctant to defy the DSR. Jack says he'd go himself, but he has to cover SD-6 while Sloane is in London.
Sloane can't sleep. He gets up in the middle of the night and calls Poole and tells him he'll take care of Briault.
Sydney meets with Vaughn and tells him she's going to break into the Vatican and she needs his help. He thinks she's crazy, but agrees to go with her.
Francie and Will are getting ready to go to the basketball game while Sydney prepares for a business trip. Will asks her if the prophecy she dreamt about came true, and she says not yet. Will asks where she's going on her business trip and she says Boston.
In Rome, Vaughn and Sydney are dressed like workmen. They talk their way into a building and then scramble down to the basement. Vaughn mentions that his favorite restaurant in the world is in Rome, and suggests they go check it out tonight for dinner. Sydney says that would be fun until SD-6 saw them together and had them both killed. Vaughn says the food is so good the risk is almost worth it. In the basement, they explode a hole in a wall, and then quickly disable the alarm that is tripped. They open one of the many crates in the room and find a painting of an old pope done by Rambaldi. In the frame of the painting, Sydney finds the code key. Vaughn takes pictures of it. A security guard catches them, but Sydney takes him out and they make a run for it.
Jack asks Sloane if Poole is with them. Sloane wonders where Sydney is. Jack says she's at school. Sloane says he was just informed by the lab that page 47 of the Rambaldi manuscript is a counterfeit. Sloane says that Sydney's school work is a liability. Jack says her education is important to her. Sloane says Sydney should re-examine her priorities. Jack mentions Sloane is going to London a day early. Sloane says he thinks they have the votes, and soon they'll be at war with Khasinau. He wants Jack to follow up on the counterfeit page 47 while he's gone. And Sloane wants Jack to tell Sydney that they need to talk.
Sloane actually goes to Montreal, where he meets with Briault in the middle of the night near a fountain. They greet each other as old friends. Briault shows off a picture of his new grandson. Sloane shoots Briault.
In London, Sloane arrives at the Alliance meeting. There is a moment of silence for Briault, then they start talking about Khasinau. They take the vote. 6 to 5, they decide to open diplomatic relations instead of declare war. Sloane looks to Poole. He realizes Poole tricked him.
Outside the building, Sloane confronts Poole as being the one who is actually in Khasinau's pocket. Poole denies everything. Sloane says that Poole used him, and he will be sure to repay the favor. Poole sends his regards to Emily.
Poole gets into his waiting car. Khasinau is there waiting for him. They have a friendly conversation in Russian.
Sydney meets with Vaughn. Vaughn says that he gave the code key to the DSR, so soon they'll know the truth. He tells her to go home and relax, and next time they're in Rome, they'll have to check out his favorite restaurant. She says she'd like that.
Sydney gets home and finds a note from Francie and Will. She joins her friends at a club. They're dancing and having a good time, until suddenly Sydney notices that she's surrounded by DSR agents. She tells her friends she has to make a phone call and leaves the club. The DSR agents leave with her, guiding her to the back of a waiting truck. Sydney is surprised to find Vaughn waiting for her, but even more surprised when she's shackled and told she is now in the custody of the federal government. Vaughn tells her that the code key they were using was correct, and the original translation wasn't wrong. She matched the three physical traits that Rambaldi said to look for. Sydney asks what the prophecy is. Dr. Evans tells her: "This woman here depicted will possess unseen marks, signs that she will be the one to bring forth my works, bind them with fury, a burning anger. Unless prevented, at vulgar cost, this woman will render the greatest power unto utter desolation."
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