Irina Derevko (also known as Laura Bristow and as The Man), is a fictional character on the television series Alias. Irina, played by Lena Olin, is the mother of the central character, Sydney Bristow.

Biography

Irina Derevko was a long-term spy for the Soviet Union, assigned to marry Jack Bristow in order to get information from him, specifically concerning Project Christmas. Together they had a child, Sydney. In late 1981, Derevko disappeared, apparently dying in a car accident. At the end of the first season of Alias, Sydney discovered that Derevko was alive and well and was actually the leader of a criminal organization.

However, Derevko soon turned herself in to the CIA and was used as a source to help bring down SD-6, and also assisted with other important missions before eluding capture during a mission. Her subsequent whereabouts were unknown throughout season three, although she continued to be in occasional contact with Jack via Internet Relay Chat, and arranged for her sister, Katya Derevko, to assist Jack and Sydney on occasion. It was also learned that Irina had an affair with Arvin Sloane and had a second daughter, Nadia Santos.

At the beginning of season four, Sydney learned that Irina had hired a hit man to kill her. Jack Bristow received permission from his superiors to execute Irina, and in Another Mr. Sloane he states that he carried out the act himself. Sydney later identified Irina's body in a Moscow medical facility and arranged for her burial in a Moscow crypt.

The shooting of Irina occurred 18 months prior to the season finale of the fourth season and sometime prior to season three's finale, Resurrection. The fourth season finale revealed that, in fact, a genetic modification procedure known as Project Helix was used to create a double of Irina, and it is this woman who Jack shot dead. Jack was set up by Irina's second sister, Elena Derevko, who used Project Helix on one of the followers of The Covenant who had volunteered to be executed.

The real Irina was imprisoned by Elena and tortured for her knowledge of Rambaldi's secrets. After 18 months, she was finally rescued by her daughters Sydney and Nadia (whom she met for the first time since Nadia was a small child) and Jack. Although technically under arrest by the CIA, Irina was given permission to help stop Elena from bringing about her endgame. After the successful completion of the mission, Jack and Sydney allowed her to escape into the darkness rather than return to America and imprisonment, under the pretense that no one could hold on to Irina Derevko.

In the fourth season episode Ice, Nadia discovers a photograph of Irina holding a baby. Jack tells her that Irina told him that she had a niece. This niece preceded Sydney and was supposedly why Irina wanted a baby of her own. When Sydney was born Irina held her as she had the baby in the photo. No further information regarding the actual identity of the infant was ever presented and neither of the other Derevko sisters ever mentioned having a baby. Elena specifically said (in After The Flood) that she never wanted to have children.

During the fifth season, it is revealed that Irina is involved in the Prophet Five organization, although to what extent is unclear. In the episode Maternal Instinct she reunites briefly with Sydney and Jack, during which they discover her affiliation with Prophet Five and Irina also indicates that she gave the order to kill Michael Vaughn (however the subsequent revelation in the episode that Vaughn is alive places a question mark over this confession). After helping Sydney deliver her baby (in the midst of an attack by Prophet Five's Kelly Peyton, who may or may not have been betraying Irina), Irina disappears again.

Irina finally met her demise in Hong Kong in the series finale. She retrieved the Horizon, which she had traded to Sloane for a pair of missiles, through Julian Sark. She ordered Sark to launch the missiles at Washington, D.C. and London. Sydney tracked her down and learned that Irina sought the same immortality that Sloane had apparently found. Sydney and Irina battled a final time, with Irina ending up balanced on a skylight. Given the choice of reaching back for Sydney and reaching forward for the Horizon, Irina chose the Horizon and plunged through the skylight to her death.

Trivia

Besides Lena Olin, several other actresses portrayed Irina in the course of the series:

*Arabella Holzbog portrayed Irina/Laura Bristow in a photograph Sydney kept
*Kate Anthony was the voice of Irina Derevko in the video clip shown in episode 1.19, Snowman
*Natasha Pavlovich is the woman actually seen as Irina Derevko in that video clip
*April Webster played Irina when she walks up to Sydney at the end of episode 1.22, Almost Thirty Years
*Mia Maestro portrayed Irina/Laura in a photograph seen in episode 4.4, Ice
*Jennifer Garner portrayed Irina/Laura in episode 4.18, Mirage, in an effort to learn information from her father

Sisters

Katya Derevko

:Main Article: Katya Derevko
Yekaterina "Katya" Derevko, played by Isabella Rossellini, was the first of Irina's sisters to be announced. She first appeared in season 3 to assist Jack and Sydney, but later revealed herself to be allied with The Covenant and was taken into federal custody. In season 4 she again helped Sydney and Jack to take down Elena's endgame, in exchange for a promise from Jack to work for a pardon and release for her.

Elena Derevko

:Main Article: Elena Derevko
Considered the most ruthless of the three Derevko sisters, Elena Derevko, portrayed by Sônia Braga, is first mentioned by Jack Bristow when he meets with Katya during the third season. She is a pivotal part of the fourth season of Alias, with her actions significantly impacting the lives of nieces Sydney and Nadia.

External links

*Irina Derevko
*ABC: Irina Derevko Profile

Derevko, Irina
Derevko, Irina