Remarkable, Really - Mr. Sark/Sydney Bristow (Alias)

[sarkastic.livejournal.com]

Title: Remarkable, Really
Author: sarkastic
Pairing: Mr. Sark/Sydney Bristow
Fandom: Alias
Spoilers: Up to season three

A Quick Note: I stopped watching Alias halfway through the fourth season, and I've seen none of season five. This will mainly focus on the first two seasons and the beginning of season three, as that is the only Alias that I am a fan of. Also, I apologize if this has some factual errors. The mythology of Alias is very complicated and I haven't watched the first two seasons in over a year. Please correct me if you see something wrong.

Remarkable, Really

I. Sydney Bristow



Sydney Bristow (played by Jennifer Garner) was recruited into what she believed was a top-secret branch of the CIA known as SD-6 but what was actually a terrorist group that was slowly destroying everything (and everyone) she loved. She became a double agent for the CIA and worked hard to keep her status a secret from the Powers That Be of SD-6 - namely Arvin Sloane, who pretends to be a father figure to Syd - who wouldn't hesitate to kill her. Sydney is guided by a strict set of moral codes that she believes she does not break, even though she commits the same acts of murder and sometimes torture that the people she is fighting against commit. She believes her actions are justified because she is fighting for good and against evil.

II. Mr. Sark



Mr. Sark (played by David Anders) is a young man of Russian descent but was raised at an English boarding school. The writers never actually came out and said how Sark became an assassin/spy, but it seems likely that he was recruited and trained by Irina Derevko - Syd's mother. Sark is intelligent, cunning, sophisticated, and pragmatic. He is always in control of a situation, whether the other characters realize it or not. For the first two seasons, almost all of Sark's actions were ordered by Irina or Sloane. However, he always used them to his own advantage, slowly gaining more power and influence.

III. Canonical and Subtextual Evidence

When most people think of the relationships on Alias, they think of Sydney and Michael Vaughn, her on-again/off-again CIA handler. For me, that connection pales in comparison to Sark/Syd. Sark has openly admired Sydney and obviously respects her abilities. He sees Sydney's strength and persistence despite any large pay-off for her work, and he definitely appreciates her physical beauty.

"Whatever Arvin Sloane pays you, it can't be enough. Would you consider coming to work for me if it meant I'd let you walk out of here? I believe if you took the time to hear the comprehensive offer, you might actually say yes." - Sark, 2x04 'Dead Drop'

"You and I, we're destined to work together. I truly believe that." - Sark, 2x07 'Counteragent'

"You are so good, do you know that?" - Sark, 2x07 'Counteragent'


In one very memorable scene in 1x21 'Rendezvous', Sydney serenades Sark in a Parisian club. She caresses him in what some have called a loverly way, and he gives the biggest smile the audience has ever seen in the entire series. That's how the two "officially" meet, although Sark doesn't find out it was Sydney until later.

"Please pass along to your daughter how much I enjoyed her stage show in Paris. She has a marvelous singing voice." - Sark, 1x22 'Almost Thirty Years'

After Syd wakes up in an alley and can't remember the previous two years, she soon turns to Sark for answers, who allowed himself to be captured by the CIA for one of Irina's plans. All he could offer was pleasant surprise that she was still alive. For once, he really didn't have his hand in an operation.

"If I'm to understand what you're saying, you have no idea where you've been for the last two years. . . . None? . . . Unbelievable! I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh, it's just . . . I'm speechless. Sydney, if Sloane had intended to abduct you, I wasn't privy to it." - Sark, 3x02 'Succession'

In the same episode, Sark is traded with a terrorist group for a hostage CIA agent. In a rare moment of vulnerability, he opens up to Syd with his fears. She makes eye contact with him for a moment, but has no answer to give him.

"My life's in danger, isn't it?" - Sark, 3x02 'Succession'

They always seem to keep running into each other despite Syd's best efforts to avoid him.

IV. The Appeal

Alias was my first real fandom. I started watching the show during the hiatus between season two and season three because of a need to get my mind off some crappy stuff that was happening in real life. From the first episode, I was addicted to beautiful, angry, rebellious Sydney Bristow and her world. I quickly became bored with the lack of chemistry between Sydney and Vaughn, and I also thought that Syd would be much better matched with someone who had a bit deeper thoughts than Vaughn. With Sark's guns-a-blazing entrance onto the show near the end of the first season, I knew I was seeing the perfect match for Sydney, both physically and intellectually.

Where Sydney judges both Sark and herself in black and white, he sees a myriad of shades of gray. He understands what Sydney refuses to see: both their actions, when it comes down to it, are only to further their own goals. Both of them have killed and tortured people for their own personal reasons. Sark doesn't see one of them as morally superior to the other; he sees two people trying to obtain their independence from controlling masters. Sark wants to become the new master, but Syd wants to eradicate that entire world of masters and servants. Different endgames, but the same means.

Most people think Sark and Syd represent polar opposites of good and evil, but they are more alike than one would ever think from a brief description. They are both masters at manipulation, raised in not-so-loving environments that forced them to take control of their own lives at a young age. They are the same in the way they set their trap: they catch their "prey" in a moment of weakness and use that moment to get what they want. They are both talented physical fighters and extraordinarily gifted mentally. Strangely enough, Sark spent years with Syd's mother, Irina, who Syd never knew until she was older; and Syd spent two years working with Sark's father, who Sark only knew as an abusive monster in his childhood. Their shared parental issues are greater than one would think possible. Upon a deeper look at their characters, a person can see just how well the two compliment each other.

V. Fandom Guide

General:

• proclivityfans - My own Sarkney community, the first large, successful one on livejournal. Anything Sarkney-related can be posted here - fics, fanvids, mood themes, icons, etc.


• Alias-Media - A general Alias site, one of the largest on the internet.


• David Anders Official - The official David Anders website.


• David Anders dot Net - One of the few DA fansites out there, with very strong tendencies toward Sarkney.

Fanfiction:

-Authors:
[The following is not a comprehensive list of all the Sarkney writers' archives in the Alias fandom. I apologize if anyone was not included. This is just an introductory guide and I only included those that had archives in some other form than lj memories, so I had to leave out some great authors.]

• A Work in Progress (voleuse)


• Allusions (auburnnothenna)


• Behind the Red Door (redrover1980)


• CG's Pub (cognacgirl)


• Midnight Tea (eretria)


• Rez Fanfiction (rez_lo)


• Sarkasm (corngirl_jo)


• Track Four (fatema)


• FanFiction.net: gabbysilang, serenitysea


• Skyehawke: shadesofbrixton

-Ficathons:

• My Sarkney Ficathon


• My Sark Ficathon
  

-My Top 5:
[These are my personal favorite Sarkney fics that I think a newbie would enjoy. Some are pure humor, some very angsty, most of them pretty damn smutty.]

• Complicity by Red (NC-17, WIP)


• Bad Wigs, Black Leather, and Guns by Auburn (R)


• Left Turns by Kim (NC-17)


• Magenta by Eretria (Mature, WIP)


• Endless Winter Mile by Brix (R)

Fanvids:

• Sarkasm - The best Alias vids out there, and some of the best fanvids in all fandoms.

VI. Last Words

You may be saying, "Well, this is all lovely, Peggy, but why should I ship these two crazy kids?" The answer is relatively simple. This pairing is the perfect place to find real passion and a great story of mutual understanding. Sark/Syd addresses a certain proclivity of all those who love relationships that have meaning, that don't involve bad angsty music and whining, and that are almost poetic in their sexuality.

In short, Mr. Sark and Sydney Bristow's relationship is one that is remarkable, really.

Comments

[electrcspacegrl.livejournal.com]

Yay! Someone else ships Sydney/Sark! If you haven't seen all of season three, there are some great Sark moments where it's made perfectly clear how he feels about Sydney. That man is on fire and I love every moment he's on screen.

[bloodred-snow.livejournal.com]

Huh?

You didn't know anyone else shipped sarkney? Sorry, but dude, that shocked me. I've been sarkney since umh, I fries laid my eyes on the blondie. lol.

GREAT essay.

[electrcspacegrl.livejournal.com]

I'm not very active in the Alias fandom and I don't know what the popular opinions are for this show. Is Sarkney very popular?

[bloodred-snow.livejournal.com]

I just said fries when I was meaning to sya first. lmao. I want fries now.

Well, not as popular as S/V maybe but we do okay, I guess. lmao. The ones I hang around are mostly from SD-1.net and a few of us have kinda moved to our own place even though we have not left SD-1 compleatly. :)

I don't want to break some rule and look like I'm advertising this new place, so lol, If you wanna know just tell me. lol.

I think we're fun, but a little crazy and so it might not be everybody's cup of tea. We're pretty much known to each other as sark-ho's which means Sarkaholics. :p We're only a few on the new one because so many of us have left Alias and such, plus, at least on SD-1 we were over 400 that at least had a number. lmao.

[electrcspacegrl.livejournal.com]

I thought the fries thing was kind of cool actually. I was wondering what it meant. :)

Sure, I'm interested in the SD-1 community. Why not. I don't have a lot of time to devote to another fandom right now as my focus is mostly VM and Buffy/Angel/Firefly, but with this being the final Alias season I might as well read what others are saying about it. I just rewatched the 4th season on DVD and I'm kind of into the mythos. I'm a big Rambaldi fan. I just wish they would get on with it and wrap up that story in a satisfying way. If they leave Rambaldi out of the final season I'm going to kick something.

Btw, without spoiling our gracious host/ess, were you as excited as me when you saw the preview for the next episode? I totally squeed my pants!

[bloodred-snow.livejournal.com]

lol. Nope, just a typo.

Ah, well, SD-1 is one and then there's this one taht practically almost just us crazy sark fans. lmao.

Hehe. I can't wait, looks so damn hot and if only it wasn't that damn rachel. The actress is totally a sark fan but argh. lol.

I'm still obssesed with Buffy. lmao. My nickname is Dru. hehe.

I'm not sure if you've been there so here's Sd-1 : SD-1.net (http://www.sd-1.net/) and well, the other one : APO (http://www.freeboards.net/index.php?mforum=amusementpark&) (does not mean what you might think it does).

[electrcspacegrl.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I'll check them out. What's your handle in APO?

[bloodred-snow.livejournal.com]

No problem. Glad to help. On both places it's Dru. I have no life. Hehe.

[electrcspacegrl.livejournal.com]

Dru's cool. Have you seen this (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/idw/0306/SpikevsDrac02b.jpg)?

[bloodred-snow.livejournal.com]

No, I hadn't. That's cool.

[rosemerry.livejournal.com]

Sark/Syd addresses a certain proclivity of all those who love relationships that have meaning, that don't involve bad angsty music and whining, and that are almost poetic in their sexuality.

What a perfect way to sum up the pairing! Excellent essay! :)

[illuxtris.livejournal.com]

a person can see just how well the two compliment each other.

Sadly, the Powers That Be of Alias doesn't seem to see that and we were given some freak show about how Sark loved Lauren (or better yet -- Sark loved. Er.), yadayada.

I've nearly forgotten the reasons why I ship Sarkney, the only thing I can remember is that there is that chemistry, that tingle of electricity on the screen when they're on it. I'm glad you've reminded me of them. :)

[wikidwitch.livejournal.com]

Word, babe. Word.

I truly believed that a Sark & Sydney relationship was on the cards right up until halfway through Season 3. But then Lauren became teh Big Bad and the writers took Sark and essentially turned him around. Suddenly he was Lauren's lackey - rather than playing by the rules to accomplish his own goals, he was helping her achieve her ends before considering himself. I wouldn't go so far as to say that Sark is selfish, but I couldn't - and still can't - see where his admiration of Lauren came from.

I'd say it was at that point that any thought of a potential Sark/Sydney pairing in canon became implausible. He was no longer the Sark that had initially inspired the ship. However, toward the end and during his S4 appearances, I could see some of the old Sark returning.

In the beginning I thought Sydney and Vaughn had some undeniable chemistry. They were very cute during the angsting phase of their relationship. However, their chemistry soon fizzled out (and Season 3 certainly did nothing to rectify this situation). But Sark and Sydney have always had the best chemistry on Alias - arguably moreso than Jack/Irina - and I agree that they are the prefect compliment to each other. There's always been that undercurrent of sexual tension between them and at times it's abundantly clear, particularly with Sark, that the potential is there, sitting just out of reach.

Unfortunately, it's clear that the writers are on some serious crack, so hope for the future has somewhat flown out the window.

At the very least we'll always have fanfic :)

[bluebear-74.livejournal.com]

I love how you’ve divided up the sections, well done!

I wish the writers had the same thoughts because everything you said is so true! I use to ship S/V but that was really because there was no one else to ship her with, then Sark came along and he was prefect in every way for her.

"Please pass along to your daughter how much I enjoyed her stage show in Paris. She has a marvellous singing voice."
According to the sub tiles in the DVD he says: "Please pass along to your daughter how much I enjoyed her stage show in Paris. She has her mother's singing voice."

[serenitysea.livejournal.com]

That is a serious article of contention between a lot of people -- a few weeks ago, there was a big argument about it.

I think it can safely go either way, but I know a lot of people prefer to believe it to be one or the other.

[few.livejournal.com]

I definitely think it's "her mother's" (for starters, Syd's singing voice is anything BUT "marvellous" :))--I don't hear enough syllables for "marvellous", and since this is just before we learn that The Man is Irina, I think it's a deliberate hint that Sark's been working with her (or at least, that he knows her). Probably intend to throw Jack off.

Regardless, I miss the days when Sark was still Sark and it was so easy to ship them in canon, instead of just in fic. *sigh* He respected her professionally in a way Vaughn never has, he challenged her, the few times they had the opportunity they worked so well together...and Sark wouldn't have needed rescuing nearly as often as some other people we could mention.

(Hmm...I should probably get around to coming up with a S/S icon at some point, shouldn't I?)

[bluebear-74.livejournal.com]

I can go either way to, I honestly thought it was marvellous when I first heard it, but then after people started saying it was her mother's I re-watched the scene and it sounds it can be "her mothers" too.

[serenitysea.livejournal.com]

since this is just before we learn that The Man is Irina, I think it's a deliberate hint that Sark's been working with her

And here I thought it meant the complete opposite; that it couldn't possibly have been "mother's..." for that very reason.

I guess this means I'll have to dig out the S1 DVDs then, and watch it myself. Oh, what a hardship. ;D

[burningchaos.livejournal.com]

I have always found Sark more to be Sidney's match then Vaughn. She, in my mind, needs a man as strong as she is. Also I always thought she and Sark played cat and mouse a bit more then anything else. With as good of agents as they are how could they have not killed one another yet? They are each other's favorite opponent, the one who challenges them. Which makes them the perfect pair.

Wonderful esssay. =)

[rosiew.livejournal.com]

So very sport on, awesome essay. I don't think there is any another relationship that I consistently come back too, it holds me body and soul.

[serenitysea.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love you. What a fabulous job, Peggy. You've really outdone yourself on this one.

[justineith.livejournal.com]

Excellent essay. You really summed up the relationship well :)

[merfdawg.livejournal.com]

You summed it up beautifully. Try as I might, I can't get over those crazy kids. Love them. Glad to see someone drawing the comparisons and articulating them so well for everyone!

[moscow-watcher.livejournal.com]

Very interesting. Finally, I read explanation why I love seeing them together. Great essay!

[applecede.livejournal.com]

Fabulous! Definitely something I will point people I'm trying to convert to :)

[amaliak.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

You really have put it all in a nutshell. Most of us who feel really strongly about Sarkney will go on and on and on and on, but I'm so glad that you've gotten the point across so clearly.

Again, thank you.
cheers.
--Lex

[spuffy-seeker.livejournal.com]

awesome work. it's nice to see an organized work that logically puts the two together. usually it's just "wow they are so hot together!!!"

thanks.

~Sara

[angel-kathryn.livejournal.com]

WOW - great work! :)

I love this pairing so much - they complement each other so well.

[-citanul.livejournal.com]

Awesome summation of their relationship. I see them as on much more equal footing than Syd and Vaughn. Great job! :)

[callherblondie.livejournal.com]

This, my dear Peg, is why I heart you so much. My God, Sarkney owns me body and soul and mind and typing fingers. They are it for me and it's been years, but they still haunt me and I think they always will because they are so right.

Needless to say, I loved this post and am going to put it in my memories. Thank you so much for doing this. :)