Ep 12. The Box (1)

Sydney Bristow is a spy for the CIA, who has just discovered a powerful new organization called SD-6, which she thought she was working for, is actually an enemy agency working against the United States. In this episode, titled "The Box (1)," Sydney and her team are tasked with retrieving a small device called The Qurong Project, which has been stolen by a rival spy organization. The Qurong Project is a highly advanced piece of technology with the ability to create earthquakes.

The episode begins with Sydney and Marcus Dixon on a mission to retrieve the Qurong Project from a safe house in Hong Kong. Although the mission is successful, they soon discover that it was a trap, and they are ambushed by a group of Chinese militants. In the ensuing chaos, Dixon is shot and left for dead. Back in Los Angeles, Sydney is able to find the Qurong Project but is soon captured by a group of Russian mercenaries who are also after the device. Sydney is taken to a secure location called "The Box," where she is tortured and interrogated in an attempt to extract information about the Qurong Project.

Meanwhile, Sydney's father, Jack Bristow, is dealing with his own set of problems. Jack has been trying to protect his daughter from SD-6 but has been forced to work for them as a double agent. He is now tasked with retrieving the Qurong Project from Sydney and delivering it to SD-6. Jack enlists the help of a former SD-6 agent, Billy, who agrees to assist them in the mission. Together, they devise a plan to rescue Sydney from The Box and retrieve the Qurong Project.

At The Box, Sydney is subjected to a variety of painful and brutal torture techniques, including waterboarding and electrocution. However, she is able to resist the interrogators and refuses to give up any information about the Qurong Project. In a heart-wrenching scene, Sydney is briefly reunited with Dixon, who is also being held captive at The Box. Despite his injuries, Dixon encourages Sydney to not give up and reminds her of their mission to protect the United States.

Ultimately, Jack and Billy are able to infiltrate The Box and rescue Sydney and the Qurong Project. However, their victory is short-lived, as they are soon ambushed by a group of Russian mercenaries, who kill Billy and take the Qurong Project. The episode ends with Sydney and Jack reuniting and coming up with a new plan to retrieve the device and prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.

Overall, this episode is a thrilling and action-packed installment of Alias, filled with pulse-pounding suspense and intense sequences of torture and violence. It sets the stage for the second half of the show's first season, as Sydney and her team continue to uncover the truth about SD-6 and work to bring down their enemies once and for all.