Nikita. The best show ever on TV to have it’s final shortened season buried by it’s 5th place network (okay 6th if you count Univision) on a Friday night death slot during the holidays. For those of you that decided to tune in anyway, welcome to the Swan Song!
Creator and showrunner Craig Silverstein at Comic Con wasn’t worried at all that he could wrap this story up in six episodes, and judging by the season four premiere, his plan must be to move full throttle from the word go. It all starts with a nightmare. Nikita being chased through the woods, only to stumble onto some blood on a tree. Michael’s blood. Then it’s everyone else’s as the pool of corpses of her friends sit near her feet. It’s her worst nightmare, triggered no doubt by her choice to return. She obviously feels by returning, she’ll be putting them in danger. She’s right.
See our interview with Craig Silverstein at Comic Con 2103
The last few months have clearly not been kind, because in this whole episode Nikita doesn’t seem like her usual self. Carrying the burden alone has taken it’s toll. She may still have her killer instinct, but she’s weary and isn’t thinking as clearly. Her emergence is full of mistakes, like not disguising herself enough not to be recognized by a room full of staffers!
It’s time to confront a jerk journalist Dale Gordon that’s been making false accusations. I mean, not only is he turning the manhunt for Nikita into his career, but they’re using the absolute worst photo ever of Nikita. It’s junkie, doped up on drugs Nikita from several years ago. It’s obviously meant to make her look like a very bad villain that deserves to die. Boo hiss sensationalistic TV (stares at you sideways Fox news).
On the flip side, Alex is carrying on with her crusade to stop human trafficking. Except it’s really a ruse to spy on the activities of The Shop. Or at least it ends up that way. I’m not sure if finding the human copies was just pure luck or if she and Sonya were onto something. Either way, they’re onto something! With only five episodes left, I’m sure they’ll figure out soon this has to do with the whole president plot. Naturally, someone is watching them though. Owen, I mean Sam (nope, two of my favorite characters in TV are Sam Winchester and Sam Seaborn. I don’t buy this idea of an evil guy named Sam). This probably sets up the whole Alex/Owen thing they were promising in the Comic Con interviews.
Check out our interview with Lyndsy Fonseca (Alex) at Comic Con 2013
Back to dick journalist, who Nikita thought had an FBI informant. Nope. He was getting his info from a very suspicious informant who he trusted because that person shipped him a cell phone and started sending text messages. Oh yeah, that’s reliable journalism. That’s when Nikita figures it out. It’s Amanda and it’s a trap. Lucky for her, Birkhoff, Michael and Ryan have already figured out she’s there thanks to the very sloppy paper trail she left behind (told you she was tired and getting careless!).
You know what’s really cool about this setup though? Michael, Birkhoff and Ryan have been all hanging out on their very own spy plane! I also love how Birkhoff decided to project his complete resentment to Nikita over the com for abandoning them while
Ryan was looking at his storyboard, hoping Nikita could fill in the missing pieces. She eventually does, and Ryan’s boy scout like excitement is infectious! I love Ryan. Don’t kill him, please. Or Birkhoff, who projects better than anybody. Nikita had the lecture coming, but he helped her anyway.
Our interview with the most adorable Noah Bean (Ryan) at Comic Con 2013
Here’s our interview with Aaron Stanford (Birkhoff) at Comic Con 2013
It’s Michael, onsite disguised as an FBI guy, who figures out the way to get Nikita out of there. Threaten the FBI agent Graham who’s heading up the task force by showing a picture of his wife. He gets to drive Nikita out of there or wife goes boom. He and Nikita exchange a very brief moment of concern, but time is a ticking and they obviously have a ton of personal baggage to work out. Stay tuned for all that. FBI guy gets Nikita out of there, but not without pulling out a concealed pistol and shooting Nikita as she flees. Yes, it’s a shoulder shot, but it’s a bad shoulder shot!
Our nice really long interview with Shane West (Michael) at Comic Con 2013
Since the name of this show is Nikita, you know it isn’t going to end without a twist. FBI guy Graham comes back to interrogate Dale, who believes now that Nikita is innocent after they spent some time together discussing the whole mess. The FBI guy leaves, and what do you know, the tent with Dale in it blows up. Yep, he’s on the phone to Amanda. Color me surprised, another mole. I instantly wonder, was he told to Amanda to let Nikita escape? Or was it his chance to finally kill her himself?
The farewell interview with Maggie Q (Nikita) at Comic Con 2013
The episode closes with Nikita fleeing on foot since she crashed her getaway vehicle from being too woozy from her wound, and she’s clearly not doing well on her own. Maybe this will be her lesson after her team saves her ass next week (I’m assuming anyway).
Obviously since it’s the final episodes, this episode was intended to setup the framework for the rest of the drama. Job well done! I’m eager for the next five episodes, and it’s also time we start betting on some death pools. Amanda is going down! Care to place odds on anyone else? There’s only five episodes left, so there isn’t a lot of time.
