Irina? Hrmmmm. Well, for one thing, I actually think she's a pretty loyal person. I think her main problem is not disloyalty, but that she takes too much on herself. People like that tend to be really overachieving, perfectionistic control freaks. They are very intelligent and highly capable, but the problem is that they also tend to have a certain arrogance about them where they believe that they and only they can do X. She's also rather narrowminded, because she examines scenarios and decides that yep, that's the only way that it can be accomplished, and that's that! It would never cross her mind that maybe someone else might have a better idea. Hence her arguments with Jack over operational control in Kashmir (but to be fair, he suffers from precisely the same condition).

Every decision that she's made in her life she feels justified in, because she believes that she did it to protect the people she loves. All except for sleeping with Sloane, I believe, which she does in fact apologize for. It's kind of a funny little moment, but it reveals a lot about her. It shows that of all the things she could possibly feel guilty about, that was the one that really ate at her, because she had nothing to justify it. She couldn't say she did it to save anyone, or whatever, could she?

I think she's lead a very difficult life, seen and lived through a lot of really terrible things. It's toughened her, but she's chosen to deal with it in a different way than Jack. He's sort of...walled himself off and kind of emotionally shut down. She's taken the opposite approach. She's come to the conclusion that pain is a part of life, and you can either run from it, or just deal with it. Being a rather practical person (and tough, as I mentioned) she's decided to just deal with it.

Which I think is evidenced by her early conversations with Jack. She wanted to deal with it, talk about it, etc. (typical female conflict resolution) but he sooo didn't want to talk about it (typical male). Which just frustrated her, so she baited him until she got a response out of him, because even if he's mad, at least he's talking/dealing.

So anyway sorry that was a really long post and maybe not what you asked for...^_^;;

Ooh, I love it. You discussed almost every aspect of Irina (except for the s5 one... haha) :D

All except for sleeping with Sloane, I believe, which she does in fact apologize for.

I think she slept with Sloane to protect her cover (or something to that effect). Which probably stemmed from her desire to stay with Jack and Sydney longer. It didn't really work because she was extracted a few months later (if we believe that Nadia is really Sloane's daughter) and Jack was arrested because the FBI thought he was working with her and the Sloanes were given custody of Sydney.

That was probably one of the reasons why she apologized to Jack about it.

(I firmly believe that Nadia is not Sloane's daughter...)

oh yeah, hehe, haven't seen s5 yet. I hope to buy it when I'm home next week.

why do you think she slept with sloane to protect her cover? like you think he found out about her and blackmailed her? that's pretty slimey even for Sloane! but in Mirage, Jack did indicate that Irina had never really liked Sloane in the first place, which is why I thought it odd that they slept together. it didn't seem like a natural progression, from disliking someone to cheating on your husband with them.

If you don't think Nadia is Sloane's, then whose do you think she is? Someone gross like Cuvee?? lol!

Nadia is Jack's. hihihihi...

Yeah, I think Sloane blackmailed her into sleeping with him. Her reactions to him in s2 was distaste so I actually wondered where the hell the affair came from when they shoved it in our faces in s3. lol :D

possible, but why would Irina allow Sloane to believe Nadia was his, if there was a chance she wasn't? Besides, the prophecy and all that. Everyone knows David Carradine is never wrong! =D

I don't remember Irina allowing Sloane into thinking that Nadia was his...

(I don't really know... I've been swimming in the river of denial ever since Nadia was introduced :D)

Maybe it was to protect her. Look at how Sloane looks at Sydney (eew...). Maybe by making him think that Nadia's his, he'd probably make sure she's fine all the time.

As for the prophecy, hmmm. Irina killed Elena and they were battling over a Rambaldi artifact :D

David Carradine's never wrong. He was just talking to the wrong father. HAHAHA!

And I can't get over the fact that Jack was there when Sloane broke the hourglass and Jack was there when they made that EEG thing work. Sydney said that the Passenger's father must be present for those things to work, and yeah, Sloane was there, but what if it worked because Jack was there?

They should have made a DNA test. I couldn't wrap my head around Jack believing Sloane/Rambaldi. XD

Well, maybe it was never actually mentioned in front of Irina. I can't remember.

Er...like maybe he won't molest Nadia? Lol! but he went for a time thinking that Sydney was his, during the SD-6 time, and he still gave her creepy looks and killed her boyfriend.

Oh, so you think Irina and Elena are the chosen and the passenger. hrmm, could be, especially since Nadia didn't actually die.

Maybe Jack didn't necessarily believe sloane, he just didn't care. He can barely deal with having one kid, let alone two!

So basically Nadia needs this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5yPkxCLads

the song is LOL! HAHAHAHA! Its very pop-ish.

No, Sloane thought that Syd was his in s3...I think... Man, Sloane lives in his tidy little world where everything he does is right and noble. Its crazy.