Irina Derevko
From Alias
"The Man"
Irina Derevko, also known as Laura Bristow and The Man, was a former KGB operative tasked at the age of eighteen with serving her country by marrying CIA agent Jack Bristow. Her deep cover operation left her with a daughter, Sydney Bristow, shortly after the birth of whom Irina disappeared by faking her own death.
Irina was an ardent follower of the 15th century prophet Milo Rambaldi, the faith of whom triggered most of her actions throughout her adult life. Her faith in Rambaldi, however, led to her ultimate downfall, when she was given the choice between retrieving The Horizon (a Rambaldi artifact) or being saved by Sydney. She chose the former, and plunged through a skylight to her death.
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[edit] Personal Information
- Known Aliases: Laura Bristow, The Man
- Languages: English, Russian, Malay
- Education: University Of Moscow
Family
- Siblings: Elena Derevko (deceased), Katya Derevko
- Spouse: Jack Bristow (deceased)
- Children: Sydney Bristow, Nadia Santos (deceased)
- Grandchildren: Isabelle Vaughn, Jack Vaughn
[edit] "The Man"
[edit] Before Season 1
Irina Derevko was born one of three sisters - Elena & Yekaterina. She was recruited at the age of 18 by the KGB, and later appointed to work as a long-term spy within the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). To achieve this, she was assigned to gain the trust of a low-level CIA agent - Jack Bristow - in order to steal information from him, specifically regarding Project Christmas. Under the alias "Laura", a professor of English Literature, they married, and she became his confidant. In order to seal Jack's allegiance to her, the KGB demanded that she bear him a child. She gave him Sydney.
In late 1981, when Sydney was just six, Derevko faked her own death - a car crash off a bridge. She returned to Russia, where she spent time in a KGB facility as a suspected traitor. Her whereabouts, however, by the intelligence community at large were mostly unknown until the end of season one.
[edit] Season 1
Francie commented that Sydney's mother would be so proud of her when she became engaged to Daniel Hecht (Truth Be Told).
Irina reveals herself at the end of season one, as not only being alive, but also as the elusive and mysterious leader (of a criminal organisation) known solely up to this point as "The Man". (Almost Thirty Years).
[edit] As a CIA walk-in
[edit] Season 2
[edit] Supposed death
Jack was given permission from his superiors to execute her, which Sydney discovered in a document given to her by Lauren Reed before her death (Resurrection).
[edit] Season 4
Jack later admits that he conducted the assassination himself (Another Mister Sloane). After Sydney discovered this, she found Irina's body in a Moscow medical facility and arranged for a burial in a nearby crypt (Prophet 5).
However Jack learnt that the person he had shot was nothing more than a doppelganger of Irina. Utilizing Project Helix, Elena created a double of Irina, then set up a hit on Sydney, sparking the events that led to the double's execution - to ultimately lead the intelligence/criminal world to believe that she was dead. The double's name was never revealed, though she was described as being an ardent follower of Elena Derevko, and fully aware of the fact that she was being set up to die (Before The Flood).
The real Irina, however, was imprisoned by Elena, and tortured for her knowledge of Rambaldi. After 18 months, she was rescued by her two daughters - Sydney and Nadia - and Jack. She was flown back to the USA, only to be arrested soon after by the CIA. After much convincing, Irina was given permission to help stop her sister, Elena, before she could bring about her deadly endgame. Irina shoots her sister dead, after she gives her false information. After the mission, Jack and Sydney allowed her to escape their custody. She informs Sydney on her departure, through tearful eyes, that though Sydney won't see her on her wedding day, she will be watching (source needed).
[edit] Further following of Rambaldi
[edit] Season 5
It was revealed that Irina was working for Prophet 5, a coalition of great global societal powers, interested in immortality through Rambaldi. She oversaw the forced memory regression session with Sydney - where Sydney supposedly revealed the location of The Horizon. However, aware that she was tricked, Sydney lied about the location (source needed).
Having been duped about the true location of the Horizon, Irina returned to her daughter, but this time not as an enemy, but as a mother. She was able to determine the location of the artifact through a conversation with Sydney and Jack - where she offered her assistance in retrieving it (There's Only One Sydney Bristow). She was unable to separate herself from Jack, however, and was forced to take both Jack and Sydney with her to the bank (the artifact's location) (source needed).
In the Last Episode of Alias (All the Time in the World), Irina had become the main antagonist after all, trading The Horizon (Rambaldi Artifact) for 2 ICBMs with Arvin Sloan, and a guarantee of being able to become immortal at Sloan's side. The missiles were intended to be launched against 2 largely populated cities (Irina requested Washington DC and London) and since seizing all of Prophet 5's 12 members assessets and companies would prophet greatly on the reconstruction involving building, healthcare, insurance and labour making Billions. Sydney had become aware and had to stop her, Sydney and Irina fought, sydney getting the better hand, had Irina on a glass ceiling reaching for the Horizin and the ceiling fell through and Irina fell to her death, ending her character and the plot to destroy London and Washington DC.
[edit] Additional casting
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 "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 "Almost Thirty Years"
- Mia Maestro portrayed Irina/Laura in a photograph seen in "Ice"
