Nikita: "How would you know?"
It's only episode two, and Nikita has already shown her heart by defying Section in order to save an innocent childhood friend. Or a woman she thought was an innocent childhood friend. And she managed to resist some pretty serious torture, too. Nikita is definitely not a cupcake.
Michael acted a lot like a police dog at first, barging into Nikita's apartment, searching for Julie, and interrogating Nikita. What was fun was that we found out later in the episode that he wasn't trying that hard. The twist was that he should have; Section was right, all along. Michael's soft spot for Nikita could endanger his status at Section, meaning it could also endanger his life. My favorite Michael moment was when he lifted her off the meat hook, and gave her the story the two of them would feed Section.
So what have we learned? That Nikita's old life is over, and she can't go home again. (Not that she could, anyway, since she was homeless.) And that no one, but no one, but NO ONE, can be trusted any more.
Bits and pieces:
— Peta Wilson gets a gold acting star for her Lethal Weapon torture scene. I hate torture scenes, by the way.
— Walter flirted with Nikita and called her "sugar." She was not amused.
— This week's villain: the Legion. We never did learn what "Julie's" real name was. "Julie Roarke" had striking coloring: bright red hair, bright light blue eyes. Good actress, believable in both roles. This week's Most Obvious Symbolism was the wash-off rose tattoo that symbolized Julie's secret identity.
— Section was protecting a guy called Jovan Mijovich, who would like to have sushi with Nikita someday.
— Red dot, forehead, Nikita saved Michael's life again, and he saved hers. And Nikita outshot a woman with a bazooka. Good on her.
— It struck me as odd that a new trainee like Nikita wasn't being electronically monitored. Or was she?
— Why did Michael burst in through the window when the door was open?
— In this week's hair report, very long pigtails, and bangs in her eyes again. How can she see to shoot a gun with bangs in her eyes?
— Wardrobe note: The dress-up scene was very cute. But who has wigs like that in their closet?
— Cancelled scene: An extension of the Nikita/Julie wig scene.
Not that good. Two out of four stars,
Billie
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
Thanks, Billie, for iniviting more comments! It is great fun to discuss one of my favourite shows with fellow fans. Anyway, on to my thoughts on this episode...
ReplyDeleteAlready we are treated to innovative action sequences (Nikita sliding along the floor to shoot at the bad guy THROUGH the vent on the assassintion attempt at the airport) and dark humour (Nikita proving to Mijovich that she really is part of the security team, Michael casually placing his hand over the bullet holes to prevent Mijovich from noticing). The torture scene was painful to watch because it was realistically depicted, and Michael crashing through the window was visually stunning (though illogical, I agree -- the commentary on the DVD admits that they just wanted to do the stunt for visual effect). For a cable series with a limited budget, I am constantly impressed by the imagination required to make the action scenes so surprising and exciting.
I didn't really care for Nikita's "friend", but I suppose it provided adequate motivation for her to defy Section again. Most crucial to character development was the final scene with Michael and Operations, when the audience is finally allowed to see the risks that Michael has been taking in order to protect Nikita. From now on, his restraint will be interpreted as an attempt to shield them from Section, thus building audience loyalty to the character in spite of the manipulations he perpetrates. It also helps that Roy Dupuis can express so much with his eyes that we can extrapolate his feelings for Nikita even when he can't show them.
Not a bad episode, but there are many better ones to come...
I kinda liked this episode, not enough michael though but it had its special moments; however brief!
ReplyDeleteCool Stuff: Michael jumping in through the window and shooting the bad guy without a single bullet hitting Nikita! (how did he see through all those peices of shattered, flying glass!- I couldn't!) A true testament to his marksmanship/gunmanship!
Love your reviews Billie and Serena!
Jeri
All kudos to a twist I did not see coming. Julie being switched out was very well done and I gasped when the bad cop walked through the door.
ReplyDeleteLoved Michael crashing through the window and then lifting Nikita off the hook. Sigh...
Favouite scene - when Michael helps Nikita off the meat hooks.
ReplyDeleteFavoutie line - Michael in the beginning saying "I promise you this will be the worst day of your life". I just love his delivery but also I love how it reaffirms that Section One can do what it wants with no boundaries nor laws to abide.
I love what Serena said about getting a glimpse at what Michael is risking and allowing the viewer to build loyalty to Michael.
Last note, this is two out of two episodes that have Michael jumping down from some height, simultaneously shooting his gun while Nikita is behind whoever Michael is shooting at. That is beyond good shooting.
Favourite*
ReplyDeleteRe-watching the whole series, I wonder that nobody has mentioned that the guy torturing Nikita is played by Joseph Scoren. We'll see him again.
ReplyDeleteeu simplemente amo a cena dele tirando o óculos dela e ela dizendo a verdade a ele que encontrou a amiga.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Google translate, the comment above reads:
ReplyDelete"I just love the scene of him taking off her glasses and she telling him the truth that she found her friend"
Unknown, thank you for your comment! :)
I remember watching a few episodes of this show with my dad (I might have been 11 or 12 years old.) I haven't thought about it in all of these years, and a few days ago I just remember out of the clear blue sky this show existed! So I looked it up and started watching again. It was so nice to stumble upon your reviews while I was looking for info about the show. I found myself agreeing with you and thinking "Thank you!", or "Exactly!"😋
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to see someone else shares your crazy thoughts (haha). I'm enjoying the show, understanding what I didn't when I was 11 and, of course, paying more attention to Roy Dupuis (and his sexy green eyes).
I realize this reviews are OLD, but I just wanted to leave this comment here to let you know I enjoyed reading you and I'm going to continue following your reviews.
PS: I hope one day Roy Dupuis stumbles upon the entire section you have dedicated to him...you're one committed fan. Keep it up!
Is the man who tortures Nikita and tells her she’s as brave as a man the same actor who plays the valentine operative that appears in Kiss the Past Goodbye?? I think so!
ReplyDelete