Mmmm…Derevko goodness. Okay, Isabella Rossellini’s portrayal of Katya Derevko wasn’t nearly as enjoyable as that of Lena Olin’s Irina, but she still equipped herself well. I have to admit, I haven’t really given much thought to the idea of Syd having another Russian family – did Irina re-marry, any cousins, grandparents, etc. Knowing this show if there were they would all be spies. After this episode I’d hardly call Katya a spy, and instead maybe more of a freelance terrorist with a heart of gold.

Cool, experienced a completely deadly, Katya is a force to be reckoned with. The casual way she is able to manipulate Jack just so she can in turn get her thumb over Sloane was classic, and actually goes to suggest that Irina might actually be involved with The Covenant.

Think about it – “I have a message: ‘Back off – Irina’”. Sloane is acting as a double agent against the Covenant and is trying to worm his way into Syd’s life again. It makes sense that she would want to protect her interests. Which means, Katya could very well be a Covenant agent.

But all of this speculation is unnecessary, as the episode establishes a very blah story – Syd and Vaughn are downed in Korea (with a lot of emphasis on North Korean being a bad place with evil people) and an awful lot of angry glares from Lauren Reed.

Aside from the whole lost in Korea plot, the episode actually seems devoted to establishing Lauren Reed as a villain after the shocking revelation at the end of “Full Disclosure”. But are the writers trying a little too hard to make her seem evil? All those evil glares about the office should be enough to tip the CIA off that she is a mole never mind all the cloak and dagger fun.

Similarly, can the show even be called a spy-drama anymore? Is it not a terrorist-drama? The Covenant are a terrorist cell, not an intelligence agency or a similar hybrid like SD-6.

But what I did like about this episode (other than Katya and Jack’s banter) was the way it was cut together. Yes, having Syd and Vaughn smooching at the start will keep most loyal followers tuned in to find out why that happened (although it is a little odd that the heroine has become the ‘other woman’ – how about that for a callsign?). The forbidden romance was a breath of fresh air after half a season of what passes for chemistry between George and Vartan. But don’t blame Melissa! She is doing a great job given the situation she has been dropped in. If it were me, I would have worked to develop Syd and Lauren as a dynamic spy duo. I’m sure if that had happened, we would see a very different fan reaction to the actress. Probably the type of reaction that she deserves.

A nice follow on from the events of “Full Disclosure” as a stand alone, but as an arced piece to set up the rest of the season (like maybe some hints regarding the mysterious passenger that Lazarey threw into the mix) “Crossings” fall short of ever achieving greatness.