So far, each episode of the fourth season has been a ‘TOTW’ – Threat-of-the-Week: a deadly isotope, Ice-5, an EMP, etc. There hasn’t been one episode that revolved around something other than some fantasy-styled terrorist threat which only the APO team can deal with.

It’s hard to overlook however, with the SD-6ish feel to the series, and an overall presence much similar to the earlier seasons. In short: each week, with the exception of Nocturne, has been an enjoyable experience.

But something is still lacking. Last season the finger was pointed at Lena Olin – she was the missing sparkle to the series, the reason why the show declined a little. Regardless of how you feel of the third season, there were some episodes which just weren’t up to the Alias standard. Granted the series has set that standard rather high with its constant delivery of heart pumping action and compelling drama, but all the elements of the formula were there. They just didn’t mesh well.

But this season, which seems to have recovered from Olin’s departure, has moved on. And it has done so rather nicely. You can even forget the Rambaldi mystery for a little while, but sooner or later the series needs to address the issue. Maybe that’s what’s missing. Maybe Milo is the key.

Jack and Sloane have already hinted at a larger agenda. Something which will doubtlessly return in awe inspiring significance. So until then, threat-of-the-week’s are how the show is going to be.

And as far as threat-of-the-week’s go, this episode had more substance than the rest of the episodes combined. The writers have toyed with the sister dynamic between Sydney and Nadia, and even new-comer Mia Maestro has worked her way into the core cast flawlessly, on occasion stealing the limelight from her co-star Garner. Fortunately, “Detente” allowed some much needed exploration of Nadia’s addition to Sydney’s life, as well as a long overdue confrontation with Arvin Sloane.

The man is evil. He killed Danny Hecht, he destroyed Sydney’s life, he essentially killed Francie Calfo, forced Will Tippin into protective custody and tortured his own daughter. And now he’s sitting on top of one of the CIA’s most advanced units. How? What was so important about the Rambaldi artefact he discovered that would allow for such a thing to happen? Until now Sydney’s concerns over his schemes have been pretty much down played, and kept to herself. So the clash between Sloane and Sydney has been expected since “Authorised Personnel Only”. We finally got it. Garner amazes. Rifkin astounds. A five star performance for all concerned.

With six location transitions, several high-risk missions and vocalisation of a sinister boss, the episode viewed more like a forgotten chapter of early season two. Maestro, who up until now has mostly been a face in the background with the exception of her scenes with Greg Grunberg, finally got a chance to go on the offensive with a mission. One of the many interesting things about that mission is that it acted more like a double date between Sydney, Vaughn, Nadia and Weiss. The four of them have been competing in the emotional plot line since the dawn of the season, and so having them all team up in a single mission was a clever ploy by the writers. Maestro herself brought the series a certain touch which has only before been felt by Lena Olin through her portrayal of Irina Derevko. We can only hope to see more of that touch in the future.

But when it comes down to it, “Detente” is still a threat-of-the-week without a larger picture. As good as the show may be without it, that larger picture is still very much needed. Especially for long-term fans.