Is post-Hiatus Nikita like post-weight gain Tyra?

This week’s Nikita did absolutely nothing for me. Did they really need to do their own homage to the royal wedding, ‘80s style? Last night’s episode surrounded Nikita rescuing the Prince of Georgia from a Division-for-hire hit. Ever since October, I loved almost every single episode of Nikita. However, since the hiatus, I am not as enamored. Was last night’s episode good? Yes. But, compared to the post-October episodes? … Not so much. It resembles the Tyra Banks effect. Post-weight gain, Tyra still proved prettier than most women on their best day; but, compared with her Sports Illustrated/Victoria’s Secrets figure, not so much.

So, either I’m suffering from the fall’s awesomeness overload or I just don’t like seeing repeats. Last night felt like a combination of two Human Target episodes. A few weeks ago Human Target surrounded armed gunmen taking over an upper-crust event and last year they focused on a hit placed on the princess of Wales, abdicating her throne for commoner love. Considering last night’s episode featured co-producer Albert Kim who wrote “One Way” with Nathan Hope (The Fog cinematographer) directing, I expected a monumental show.

Although well-written, it didn’t include the twists or intelligent throwaways I’ve come to expect (or not expect). The person hiring division proved clever but they revealed it too soon. Nikita grabbing the samurai sword and easily transforming her four inch heels into flats seemed hokey. Alex inexplicably giving THE MOST blatant tells over the loudspeaker, the assistant giving the princess the business, and the princess’ allegedly inspiring speech were all just too obvious. I expected the hostages to call all of the women out on their “secret” missions. I saw Nikita asking for Alex as equally suspicious. I’m glad Michael caught and tagged it. Speaking of the gravel-voiced hottie, ever since “One Way,” the producers/writers managed to avoid Nikita and Michael devolving to high school post-breakup exchanges. So, Nikita asking Alex if Michael talked about her and Michael’s bitter monologues felt annoying. How could they take the two hottest people in the series and make them “that couple.” You know who I mean.

So, why didn’t I like the last two episodes? Was it the Tyra Banks effect or was it the change in the formula? In December, I felt they could’ve waited until the season’s end to graduate Alex. The pattern of Alex — the internal trainee, coordinating with Nikita, the external renegade — proved absolutely perfect. However, upon watching the beginning and the end of the last two episodes, I admit that I enjoy watching Nikita and Alex interact at the local stores and in Nikita’s apartment. Unfortunately, giving Alex more mission freedom seemingly stifled the show’s creativity. In the fall, the writers consistently created new and original ways to make Alex’s underground location and separation from Nikita seem interesting. But, they succeeded every time. Unfortunately, now that Alex can do anything, I don’t see the originality in Division’s crimes/Nikita’s thwarting and we haven’t gone any further in Nikita’s mission. Remember the vacuum cleaner assassins? The towel assaults? The thermos attacks? The amazing rhetoric of “Dark Matter” which intertwined allusions to Tolkien with physics? The beautiful cinematic shots in”One Way”? All gone. Plus, I want to get excited when I see Nikita and Alex in the field together. In the episodes preceding “One Way,” the writers did a good job of showing Nikita and Michael playing off each other, but I don’t feel that with Alex and Nikita.

So, I have to type the following questions:

• Am I asking too much? Has the show’s awesomeness overwhelmed me to the point I can’t even take decent or above-average episodes?
• What did you think of last night’s episode?
• Won’t Michael someday drop by Alex’s apartment if he thinks she’s at home?
• Did it seem as if the assistant forgot the excruciating pain of her finger-breaking in the next scene? Although she held her fingers in her hand, I would’ve expected her to maintain more of an “OMG – WTF *(&#$#” face a little bit longer.
• Also, Michael doesn’t participate in the for-hire missions? Didn’t he do clean-up on “Kill Jill” when the mission went wrong (admittedly, that was clean-up)? Also, didn’t he help with the terrorist who hired division? Although, again, you could list that as a political mission.

Clacked by An Nicholson
on Feb 04, 2011 @ 09:25 EST5EDT