The Many Faces of Alex

"The Many Faces of Alex" is the eleventh episode of VR.5 that aired on May 5, 1995. This episode guide is from the VR.5 FAQ and was originally written by the authors of the FAQ.

Synopsis
Sydney is assigned to a blind contact by an increasingly careless and world-weary Oliver--a contact that turns out to be Oliver's former partner and lover, who may know the whereabouts of Sydney's "late" father and sister.

Main Cast

 * Lori Singer (Sydney Bloom)
 * Michael Easton (Duncan)
 * Anthony Head (Oliver Sampson)

Guest Stars

 * Mark Phelan
 * Kathleen Misko
 * Jeannine Renshaw
 * Markie Post (Alex Miller)
 * Tracey Needham (Samantha Bloom)

Crew
Written by: Jacquelyn Blain

Directed by: John Sacret Young

VR.5 was created by: Adam Cherry, Geoffrey Hemwall, Michael Katleman, Jeannine Renshaw, and Thania St. John

Executive Producer: John Sacret Young

Co-executive Producer: Thania St. John

Co-executive Producer: Eric Blakeney (2,3,5,6,8)

Supervising Producer: Michael Katleman

Producer: Naomi Janzen (2-10)

Producer: Jack Clements (2-10)

Producer: Mel Efros (1)

Co-producer: Geoffrey Hemwall

Observations

 * Sydney can be "kicked out" of VR.5 from within.
 * The Committee (TC) seems to have overlooked Alex's feelings for Oliver.
 * Duncan and Samantha smooched in the sixth grade.

Spoilers

 * Oliver seems to have become completely disenchanted with TC.
 * Oliver only started working for TC officially in the last five years, although he was probably working for them unawares before that.
 * Sydney's father and sister seem to be alive.
 * TC must be truly international if they were hiding the Blooms (Sam & Joseph) in East Germany.
 * Both twins may have been told that the other was dead.
 * Samantha may have been publishing monographs under a pseudonym.
 * Sydney's father seems to have achieved VR.8 (personality transfer), but may not have accomplished it successfully yet.

Questions/Answers/Speculation
The following contains SPOILERS.


 * 1) Is VR.8 a one-time, permanent transfer or does it make "copies"?
 * 2) * The example of Samantha and Alex seems to indicate that it makes copies.
 * 3) Is Duncan a traitor (i.e., does he work for TC)? How did TC know where Oliver and Alex would be?
 * 4) * (Speculation by William Wood): Duncan is probably not working for TC proper--he just helps Syd either directly or indirectly, through Oliver. Oliver could have been traced via his cellular phone, or Sydney's phone could be bugged, etc., etc., etc.
 * 5) Who took Alex from the safe house? Who tried to kill Oliver and/or Sydney? Who killed Alex (in reality and/or in VR.5)?
 * 6) * Possibly The Splinter Faction (TSF)

Goofs

 * A scene in this episode was a little humorous, according to David Shaler: " Are there palm trees in Germany?? I'm asking this because in the scene when Oliver runs out of the train station yelling at Alex, there is a palm tree in the background."