Typically, I try not to live by mottos and maxims, but one that I do tend to treasure is variety being the spice of life. Perhaps that’s why I’m so happy with all of the wonderful ethnic diversity on television as of late. Don’t get it twisted now — there’s still a lot of work left to be done, but at least we’re moving in the right direction … especially with a little show called Nikita on The CW starring Vietnamese ass-kicker Maggie Q.

Ah, how I like me some Maggie Q.

Ladies and gentlemen, I have to give props to the creators of this reboot for choosing her as the lead. The original series featured an actress of the Caucasian persuasion. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s nice to know that the creators were open to ideas. This kind of color blind casting makes me smile. I also can’t help but smile at the fact that Nikita is still doing well in its third season — at least by CW standards. Let’s not pretend like we don’t know their shows bring in about a million viewers each. Heck, that’s about as well known as Kim Kardashian’s buttocks being counterfeit.

Still, according to reports in Entertainment Weekly, Nikita recently hit a season high in its new time slot — 1.2 million viewers. That certainly isn’t anything to brag about, but when your show is on The CW that might just be enough to pop open the damn champagne. It’s common knowledge that I always root for the underdog, and I’ve kind of felt that The CW is the underdog when it comes to network TV. I like the variety that the channel has to offer, and Nikita has to be at the top of that colorful list.

It’s certainly entertaining enough. As the title character, Q really has the opportunity to shine. I can’t tell you how much I like seeing her in combat. She has just the right combination of style and toughness. It also helps that she’s believable. I first saw Q in Mission: Impossible 3, and ever since then I’d been hoping that she’d land on TV. It’s nice to know that she’s on a program that makes use of her talents. I’ve got to admit that she’s pretty awesome as a gun-totin’, butt-whoopin’ lady in heels … which leads me to thinking that this may just be the year of the woman.

Lucy Liu is making quite a damn splash as Watson in Elementary over on CBS and Sofia Vergara continues to offer up laughs on ABC’s Modern Family. Not only are these individuals carrying a double X chromosome, but they also have another thing in common — they are all minorities. Now, that’s what I’m talking about!

I’m not a psychic. That’s not a gift that I have. However, I think it may be safe to say that Nikita has a bright future ahead of it on The CW. The audience doesn’t seem to be shrinking, and if the writers can find a way to keep the show fresh, it should be here for many more years to come. And if that means I get to continue seeing Maggie Q on my flat screen then that’s just fine by me.

Do you enjoy reading Clacking in Color? Jaylen sure as hell hopes so! Keep up with all things related to diversity on television by following Jaylen on Twitter @thesuperflynerd! You’ll be glad you did!

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