This hour of Nikita is the perfect embodiment of an all-too-common phenomenon in television: that sub-par episode that suddenly gets really good thanks to a well-executed twist.
On one hand, I found the introduction of Nikita's father during the first half of the episode to be quite tedious and uninteresting. However, once it was revealed that he was a Division plant, things suddenly got quite riveting. Does that mean I should forgive what came before just because the final 15 minutes were so excellent? I don't think so.
I do have to hand it to Maggie Q though; she was quite stunning in this one. Percy's plan to give Nikita a father was just heartbreaking, and our heroine played it perfectly as she cried in her "father's" arms during a particularly touching moment. I also enjoyed the insight into her guilt concerning the various truths she keeps from the people she loves. Flawed heroines are definitely the most intriguing.
Moreover, I do have to hand it to the writers for making up for the horribly soapy twist of the last episode with Max being Michael's son. That horrid development is still there, but the writers at least had the decency to have Nikita reveal the truth at the end of this hour and not drag it out any longer (which would have been traumatic for us viewers).
Bits & Bullets:
- Fun flashback to Recruit Nikita kicking ass in the training room.
- That was a pretty great kitchen fight scene between Nikita and Richard.
- Roan and the sniper rifle was super badass.
- There are just too many scenes of people talking to Percy through his glass prison.
- Is it just me or does this episode feel like "The Alex Fashion Show" with all the panning camera shots and stylish outfits (in an underground bunker, no less).
- Loved rampage Nikki brutally beating up her fake dad.
- Although I hated Birkhoff's drones the first time, reusing them here to save the gang's life was pretty darn exciting.
- Epic moment as Nikita leaves, then returns a split second later to take Richard's life.
- Love the beaten up gang at the end as Birkhoff unveils and drives off in his Maserati.
Nikki Notables:
Michael: He's gonna have a headache.
Nikita: Better him than me.
Amanda: (About Nikita) She's like a dog that's been kicked its whole life. All it knows how to do is lash out.
Percy: And how would you make the bitch yield?
Percy: So now the tool that was designed to motivate a recruit Nikita, becomes a weapon to destroy rogue Nikita. Never let anything go to waste.
Nikita: How about I reopen that wound my mother stitched?
- While it does get pretty fantastic at the end, "343 Walnut Lane" is a pretty uneven episode of Nikita.
3 out of 5 fake dads.
Previously posted at Nad's Reviews.
For me, those last fifteen minutes more than make up for the rest of the episode.
ReplyDeleteWithout spoiling anything, this season relies far too much on "revealed family member" plot points, so it's refreshing that Richard turned out to be a Division plant. David Keith held a nice balance between comforting and menacing.
Sad to see another base of operations go kablooy. Then again, I'll always prefer Niki's season one loft.
I think for agent with that much experience, they trusted the "father" to easy. To me it was not believable and I knew right from the beginning that something was wrong with him.
ReplyDeleteAgain the drones where not believable. How could the people survive?
Hands down, the coolest moment of the episode was when Roan stepped out into the backyard through that smoke-filled doorway. Rob Stewart makes for the best understated scary badass since the T-1000.
ReplyDeleteReally good episode and the last scene of Nikki telling the truth to Michael and him turning his hand away from her was heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteAye, the last 15 minutes were epic. And I didn't even hate the 30 before that. I'd have to disagree with you, Nadim, in that I think Percy has thus far consistently proven a better villain than Amanda.
ReplyDeleteHeck - even absent everything else, Roan time is always good time.