Nikita is the master of the surprise ending

Every time I feel iffy about an episode of Nikita, the show hits the 45-minute end mark and I revise my opinion. This week featured a torture training scenario for the recruits and Nikita’s reverse interrogation of Owen, the cleaner operative who guarded Percy’s black box. Both Maggie Q and Lyndsy Fonseca seemed wooden during the show’s first half, but when Nikita fragmented after Owen’s confession and Alex crumbled after shooting her torturer, I realized the actresses had saved themselves for the episode’s more emotionally draining scenes.

However, I’m not certain how to take the continuing Alex-Nikita, Alex-Michael, and Nikita-Amanda relationships. Disregarding the transparent coincidence of the morning training session yielding Alex’s evening interrogation (which clearly yelled “DIVISION SETUP”), Alex’s immediately calling Nikita from an insecure line upon escaping not only put her benefactress at risk, but made me count the minutes until Division further concretizes their connection. Regardless of Michael’s dismissals, I’d still trace any outgoing calls. Clearly, Amanda and Percy suspect something, but the possibility of an Alex-Michael/Alex-Thom/Michael-Nikita triple relationship triangle parallel continues the relationship cluster-fuck. How do people feel about 18-19-year-old Alex with late-twenties-early-thirties Michael? I buy it and it’s a little hot but it’s also slightly incestuous. I get the feeling of a guy dating the older and younger sister.

Another parallel I noticed, but overlooked, includes the subtle similarity between Amanda and Nikita.  Nikita’s usage of the same gilded mirror, her attempted Owen conversion and her reverse psychology on Alex, all seemed textbook Amanda. Although Alex seems pretty ignorant of her manipulation, I wonder what happens when she realizes Nikita’s ‘Amanda’-esque tricks. I’m slightly surprised no one in Division has made the connection between Alex and her past. You’d think they’d run facial recognition software on incoming recruits that would search the criminal database and  former targets. Although Owen didn’t give in, I’ll miss him and his abs. His ‘guardian’ position added to the Nikita mythology and previous versions didn’t interrogate the killer of unwanted killers. I partially wonder if Jaden’s sadism will give us the cleaner perspective for the younger generation.

However, things that impressed me included the light bits of humor and the increasing characterization of Percy. I enjoyed watching the older operatives treat the recruits’ interrogation sessions like At the Movies with Statler and Waldorf and am ceaselessly amazed by Percy’s boundless confidence. He initially ignored Nikita’s interference and now he believes his highly trained assassin didn’t avoid his wild unconfirmed night shot using a low accuracy, machine gun? However, he clearly trained his operatives well. Maggie Q’s abs are currently a 16-pack and watching Owen thigh-choke her while she thigh-knifed him spoke to their inability to fully trust yet ability to respond when distrusted. Finally, I loved a sublimely beautiful shot featuring a fully suited Nikita surrounded by snow\ashes.

Side Question: I don’t know if the tattoo belongs to Lyndsy or her character, but does Alex’s butterfly tattoo have any significance? This is the first week I truly noticed it.

Quotes:

“I’m naked.” – Owen
“And observant.” – Nikita

“If it hadn’t been for community intelligence, he’d have a career in community theatre.” (paraphrasing Percy regarding the undercover agent).

“Phase 1: Find them. Phase 2: Kick their ass. Phase 3: Veggie shakes.” – Nikita’s plan on taking down Percy’s guardian staff

Clacked by An Nicholson
on Oct 22, 2010 @ 10:00 EST5EDT