For seven years, Sydney Bristow believed she was working for a covert branch of the CIA, named SD-6. However, when she tells her fiance of her job, Arvin Sloane, head of SD-6 and an old family friend, has him murdered. With this life-shattering event, Sydney learns not only that SD-6 is a mercenary group of terrorists, but that her father, too, works for SD-6. Sydney then works with the CIA as a double agent, trying to bring down SD-6 with her father, a second double. This is only the beginning of a path of betrayal, murder, lies, and disbelief. Sydney Bristow pushes through trials of love, learns the truth about her mother, loses a friend in an utter form of incredulity, pitfalls herself into months of torture and puzzlement, and is tormented with countless revelations to come.

Sydney says to CIA Agent Michael Vaughn, "The L.A Kings are in town next week." She also says that they are playing the New York Islanders, and she suggests that they go. This episode was aired January 20th 2002; the Kings actually played the Islanders one night before this episode aired.

Vaughn:
Look, if I'm not back in a couple of hours I'm probably dead.


Agent Eric Weiss:
Good to know.

Revealing mistakes: During the title sequence, a moving automobile explodes. The hood flies off just as the tail of the car is sent upward, revealing an empty engine compartment.

J.J. Abrams