▁fourth - season ▁episode ▁showed ▁a ▁laptop ▁referring ▁to ▁his ▁birth ▁in ▁London , ▁Ontario . ▁Jack ' s ▁grand d augh ter ▁Isabel le ▁was ▁also ▁born ▁in ▁Canada , ▁on ▁a ▁mission ▁in ▁V ancouver . ▁ ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁events ▁of ▁the ▁series , ▁Jack ▁father ed ▁Sydney ▁with ▁Ir ina ▁D ere v ko , ▁a ▁long - term ▁K GB ▁sp y ▁who ▁married ▁Jack ▁to ▁get ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁C IA , ▁specifically ▁to ▁ste al ▁the ▁details ▁of ▁Project ▁Christmas , ▁which ▁Jack ▁was ▁developing ▁for ▁the ▁Agency . ▁She ▁took ▁the ▁name ▁Laura ▁Br ist ow ▁and ▁built ▁a ▁cover ▁as ▁an ▁English ▁literature ▁professor . ▁Once ▁the ▁F BI ▁started ▁to ▁investigate ▁against ▁Ir ina , ▁she ▁f aked ▁her ▁death ▁in ▁a ▁st aged ▁car ▁accident . ▁Jack , ▁sus pected ▁of ▁being ▁comp licit ▁in ▁Ir ina ' s ▁esp ion age , ▁was ▁det ained ▁and ▁placed ▁in ▁solit ary ▁conf in ement . ▁He ▁named ▁Ar vin ▁and ▁Em ily ▁Slo ane ▁as ▁Sydney ' s ▁guard ians . ▁Jack ▁and ▁Ar vin ▁became ▁friends ▁after ▁they ▁got ▁to ▁know ▁each ▁other ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁sevent ies , ▁when ▁both ▁started ▁their ▁care ers ▁at ▁the ▁C IA . ▁When ▁Jack ▁was ▁finally ▁cleared , ▁he ▁began ▁drink ing ▁heavily ▁and ▁became ▁more ▁of ▁an ▁abs ente e ▁father , ▁leaving ▁Sydney ▁to ▁be ▁raised ▁by ▁n ann ies . ▁About ▁ten ▁years ▁later , ▁Jack ▁was ▁rec ru ited