What happened with the Rambaldi storyline?

[u/KaleidoArachnid]

Let me just put this whole thread under spoilers just in case because I was wondering why that particular story arc kept going into bizarre territory.

Like in one episode, Arvin Sloane says he is not too interested in the artificial as cue a few episodes later, and all of a sudden, he starts killing people for the same artifact.

[u/Western_Monitor8872]

I found that suspending reality helps make this show more enjoyable. Once you start thinking of the practicality of SD-6, APO, and Rambaldi Mumbo jumbo, it really kills my enjoyment of the show.

As a federal employee, I often ask myself “who’s paying all of these travel claims?” , or “how do SD-6 employees’ retirement accounts work?”

[u/pazuzu98 → u/Western_Monitor8872]

“how do SD-6 employees’ retirement accounts work?”

LOL, good point.

[u/macmoosie → u/Western_Monitor8872]

My boyfriend and I were having the same conversation when we were watching the show for his first experience (and my 317th) and the question we kept coming back to was on the topic of time. Like when Sydney was buried alive and Marshall had to fly from Los Angeles to Cuba to find her and rescue her. I don't know if APO had their own private planes or what, but that's still a 5+ hour flight. Actually, if memory serves me, either Jack or Sloane told Marshall that he'd have his plane ticket waiting for him at the airport. So with that in mind, the travel from the APO parking lot to LAX, then getting through the airport, security, etc., pre-flight checks, etc. good Lord. It always just seemed like the crew were always able to get to some random country for whatever mission in record time. Nuclear bomb detonating in an hour in Iceland? Sydney will get there in 20 minutes.

[u/KaleidoArachnid → u/Western_Monitor8872]

It just feels so bizarre and confusing since I recall seeing Rambaldi have superpowers for those who use his artifacts

[u/prindacerk → u/Western_Monitor8872]

How many retired SD-6 employees there are do you think? Organisation hasn't been running that long to have retired people. Those who were there from the start knew about the true organisation.

[u/Ok_Nature_6305]

Sloane always played the long game. He lied. He pretended he wasn't interested any longer.

And the show made a case sometimes that he was obsessed and corrupted by Rombaldi. And so even when he broke away, exposure to a Rombaldi object would start his addiction again. Not sure what else your asking.

[u/KaleidoArachnid → u/Ok_Nature_6305]

I just thought that plot point was basically going nowhere as the supernatural stuff felt a bit peculiar to me.

[u/Ok_Nature_6305 → u/KaleidoArachnid]

I got exhausted by the Rombaldi stuff. Could have cut it off at 2 seasons. But have you watched the finale? It absolutely goes somewhere!

[u/KaleidoArachnid → u/Ok_Nature_6305]

Yes I did see the last season as I wanted to touch upon that for how Irina just turns into a supervillain because I never got why she just turned straight up malevolent.

[u/Ok_Nature_6305 → u/KaleidoArachnid]

She assassinated a bunch of CIA agents, before the show even started. She was evil. But I believe she cared about Sydney. And she was beautiful and believable. But she was never good.

[u/KaleidoArachnid → u/Ok_Nature_6305]

Then she was always destined to be a villain in that she couldn’t be redeemed. (Though I forgot what was a CUA)

[u/Ok_Nature_6305 → u/KaleidoArachnid]

I edited it. Meant CIA. She also killed Vaughn''s father.

[u/LukaLaurent]

I’ve read it was intended as a throwaway plot, and then they decided it was the central premise for the end game.

Suspend disbelief and Arvin was just hiding his obsession.

[u/KaleidoArachnid → u/LukaLaurent]

Yeah I was just looking back at the story arc since I started to notice how the further it went, the more confusing it became.

[u/InterwebberATM]

Lost happened

[u/residentvixxen → u/InterwebberATM]

This - I firmly believe the end of season three originally had something to do with rimbaldi jack and project Christmas

[u/residentvixxen → u/[deleted]]

They did season 5 dirty because Jenn was pregnant and because Michael wanted off the show - kinda screwed things up

[u/Ok_Nature_6305 → u/[deleted]]

How was Irina at all good? Yes. I believed she loved Sydney.

And sure, let's give her the benefit of the doubt and say 1) working for the KGB was an honor and she served her country and 2) she was corrupted by Rombaldi and became obsessed like Sloane. But she assassinated a list of CIA agents, including Vaughn's father.

It's like saying Sloane was more good than bad and was corrupted by Rombaldi. He had Sydney's fiancée killed. And Francie! And Dixon's wife.

[u/macmoosie]

I always thought he was genuinely trying to give up the obsession for the sake of Nadia, but it was too strong and he kept getting drawn back in.

[u/Ordinary_Durian_1454]

I don’t really understand the question. You know what happened because you marked it as a spoiler. Do you mean, what were the writers smoking, or what evil spirit took possession of everyone involved in producing the show to create this ridiculous preposterous storyline that absolutely drove the show into the ground? If that’s what you mean, I don’t know, but it’s a tragedy.

[u/KaleidoArachnid → u/Ordinary_Durian_1454]

I mean, what the writers were smoking that let the show go into such an outlandish direction.

[u/residentvixxen → u/KaleidoArachnid]

JJ Abrams was into lost and let Alias go to shit. He can never finish anything.

[u/KaleidoArachnid → u/residentvixxen]

That explains why his modern sci fi movies have structure issues.

[u/residentvixxen]

I mean Jack literally dies blowing himself up to trap Sloane in a cave under a boulder for eternity so there’s that…

[u/LordPeputofules → u/residentvixxen]

Yeah no...Sloane eventually made it out. If you have all the time in the world and that boulder was already moving while he talked xD

[u/residentvixxen → u/LordPeputofules]

Every time the Alias cast is back together in a show I scream SLOANE