het_reccers | Character Manifesto: Irina Derevko

Fandom: Alias
Character: Irina Derevko
Pairings Included in Manifesto: Irina Derevko/Jack Bristow

Blurb: Irina Derevko. Where to start. A lot of people in the alias fandom, that were Irina fans will tell you her character was absolutely ruined in the last season of Alias. What was written for her contradicted everything the character had done in the first four seasons, and even Irina’s famous words ‘Truth takes time’ couldn’t make sense out of where her character ended up. I’m not entirely sure what writers were thinking (obviously they weren’t, and maybe we can blame JJ for his inability to finish anything) but i like to just ignore it and pretend like Season Five never existed for Irina Derevko (Except Lena Olin is so fabulous you want to watch her, even though Irina is so hugely out of character).

Irina Derevko aka Laura Bristow was a KGB Agent. Tasked with the mission to come to the United States as an undercover agent and seduce Jack Bristow, who was working on a project called ‘Project Christmas’ that the KGB was very interested in. She succeeded and was married to Jack for over twenty years, while stealing secrets from him. Eventually the KGB faked her death and she returned to Russia, only to be imprisoned for being a suspected traitor, because she had been undercover for such a long period of time.

We first meet Irina Derevko in Season One final ‘Almost thirty years’ (though technically not Lena Olin, as they had not yet cast Irina Derevko, and it’s actually April Webster, one of the casting crew as our shadowy Spy-Mom). It’s revealed that Irina Derevko is in fact ‘The Man’, leader of a syndicate that Sydney had been chasing for most of season one. Irina shoots her daughter and then disappears.

Its only gets better from there.

Through most of the series, you never quite know what side of the fence Irina is sitting on. Though she is deeply involved with the Rambaldi prophecies and has her own interests for becoming involved with Jack and Sydney again, you can’t help but feel she genuinely cares for her family and loves them in her own messed up way. That maybe she was more Laura Bristow, than anyone really believes.

Irina Derevko is a deliciously layered character that ALWAYS keeps you guessing. You’re lured into her web, without even realizing you’re there and by then, it’s too late. She’s flawed, she resourceful, she’s Russian and loves to play with knives.

I’ll never be able to ship her with anyone else but Jack Bristow, so you’ll find that most of these stories have Jack in them somehow, because he is so much a part of Irina Derevko. They’re both such deeply flawed characters, who are so good at hurting each other that you can’t help but go back for more. So much history that’s beautiful and painful, and laced with so much chemistry and betrayal, that really, they are the epitome of complicated. They’re so entwined they’ll never be rid of each other.

Now onto the rec's, in no real order

Fic Rec #1: A Fairer House Than Prose
Pairing: Irina/Derevko/Jack Bristow
Author:

pellucid
Link: http://pellucid.livejournal.com/392225.html
Rating/Warning(s): PG-13

Why This Must Be Read: This fic was only recently rec'ed here, but i couldn't help but add it again here, but its simple brilliant. Its just an exact mirror image of Irina Derevko. Showing the true character we all thought she was. It explains everything, why she is the way she is, all the way down to her truth. Just read it dammit!

Fic Rec #2 A Dark Wood
Pairing: Irina Derevko/Jack Bristow
Author:

melanie_anne
Link: http://melanie-anne.livejournal.com/58710.html#cutid2
Rating/Warning(s): NC-17

Why This Must Be Read: Mel is one of my favorite writers in this fandom. She has a crazy grasp on their characters that’s almost heart breaking at times. ADW takes place directly after Irina faked her death, and went back to Russian, then continues on their taking a different path than what canon told. It deals with Jack trying to come to grips with what Irina was, but still not quite being able to let Laura go. While Irina struggles with who she is, and what Laura Bristow was.
With a whopping 39 chapters, this is an epic journey of forgiveness and acceptance.

Fic Rec #3: The Prophet’s Right Hand
Pairing: Irina Derevko/Jack Bristow
Author: Yahtzee
Link: http://www.thechicagoloop.net/yahtzee/aliasfic/TPRH/IndexPage.htm
Rating/Warning(s): NC-17

Why This Must Be Read: I’m so sure this story gets rec’ed every time Alias fandom is mentioned. Because WHAT IF Jack was sent to seduce KGB Agent Irina Derevko, instead of the other way round.

Fic Rec #4: The Thought That Counts
Author: Yahtzee
Pairing: Irina Derevko/Jack Bristow
Link: http://www.thechicagoloop.net/yahtzee/aliasfic/ThoughtThatCounts.htm
Rating/Warning(s): PG13

Why This Must Be Read:
I know i already have one of yahtzee's story's on here, but she's just so brilliant. And even though this story is more about Jack, set during Syd's missing two years, its also very much about Irina, and about them sharing things that no one else can even remotely understand. It shows just how much Irina loved Sydney, and paints her once as just a mother. Not a spy or a traitor or a terrorist. Just a mother missing her child too.

Fic Rec #5: The Minor Fall, The Major Lift
Pairing: Irina Derveko/Jack Bristow
Author:

jennyo
Link: http://jennyo.livejournal.com/462835.html
Rating/Warning(s): PG-13

Why This Must Be Read: Because it’s a plane ride to the end of the world and Irina and Jack sharing a dance, that they didn’t really share before. An alternate take on the plane ride in ep 4.19. A great insight on Irina and how she feels about her children

Fic Rec #6: Untitled
Pairing: None
Author:

violaswamp
Link: http://community.livejournal.com/alias500/61890.html
Rating/Warning(s): G

Why This Must Be Read:
Written for

alias500’s challenge ‘Over dinner’. It’s an interesting look on how people viewed Laura Bristow. I always find fic’s writen about Laura the most fascinating, because even though we view Laura and Irina as two separate characters, the great fics, weave them together flawlessly. This is a great example of this, and how Irina was very much a part of Laura.

Fic Rec #7: Trampled under Foot
Pairing: Irina Derevko/Jack Bristow
Author:

daygloparker
Link: http://daygloparker.livejournal.com/340891.html
Rating/Warning(s): PG-13

Why This Must Be Read: Though written from Jack's perspective, i always well this fic showcases Irina's elusiveness more than anything. The way she seems to flit in and out of Jack and Sydney's lives, bringing fragments of truth with her each time.

Fic Rec #8: Untitled
Pairing: slight Irina Derevko/Jack Bristow
Author:

nuit_belle
Link: http://community.livejournal.com/alias500/117696.html
Rating/Warning(s): PG-13

Why This Must Be Read:
Another fic written for

alias500, the challenge was ‘Bonds or ties’. Its almost probably the only season five fic i like that isn't a complete re-write. Explains a little about Irina's actions and choices, and smooths over some rough edges the episode actually left.

Fic Rec #9: They Never Cry Out Loud
Pairing: Irina Derevko/Jack Bristow
Author: Otahyoni
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3831703/1/They_Never_Cry_Out_Loud
Rating/Warning(s): PG

Why This Must Be Read: This is a nice little piece, about five different ways Irina and Jack end. And every one is SO them.

Fic Rec #10: Lies
Pairing: Irina Derevko/Jack Bristow
Author: Fishified
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2635765/1/Lies
Rating/Warning(s): PG

Why This Must Be Read: Another short Laura Bristow/Irina Derevko struggle. Beautifully written and shows a wide range of Irina's emotion towards playing a part, in such a simple way.