Ep 3. Cipher

Sydney Bristow continues her missions under the U.S. government agency SD-6 while giving her boss Arvin Sloane false information about her activities. In season 2 episode 3 entitled "Cipher," Sydney is sent on a mission with her partner Dixon to retrieve a mysterious code from a heavily guarded building in Bulgaria.

The episode begins with Sydney and Dixon arriving in Bulgaria and meeting their contact, who gives them a key to access the building where the code is located. The building is known as the "Fortress," and it is owned by a dangerous arms dealer named Gerard Cuvee. Cuvee has had many high-level political and military clients over the years.

Sydney and Dixon manage to get into the Fortress undetected and make their way to the data center. Their mission seems to be going smoothly until they discover that someone else has already retrieved the code. Sydney realizes that the information is now in the hands of a rival agency called the Covenant.

After narrowly escaping the Fortress, Sydney and Dixon return to SD-6 with their disappointing news. Sloane is furious, as the loss of the code is a major setback for their operation. He orders Sydney to track down the Covenant and retrieve the code at all costs.

Meanwhile, Sydney's personal life is also in turmoil. She is struggling to maintain her relationship with her boyfriend Vaughn, who works for a rival agency called the CIA. Vaughn is becoming increasingly suspicious of Sydney's activities, and their relationship is strained as a result.

As Sydney continues her mission to find the Covenant, she discovers that they have a mole inside SD-6 who is feeding them information. With the help of her friend and fellow agent Marshall, Sydney begins to investigate and reveal the identity of the mole.

By the end of the episode, Sydney has successfully retrieved the code and uncovered the mole's identity. She also confronts the strain in her personal life by opening up to Vaughn about her secret life as a spy. The episode ends with Sydney and Vaughn kissing, suggesting a reconciliation between the two.

Overall, "Cipher" is an action-packed episode that showcases Sydney's skills as a spy and highlights the complex web of alliances and betrayals that define her world. It also delves deeper into Sydney's personal life and relationships, setting the stage for future episodes that will explore these themes in greater depth.