Man, I hate goodbyes. They’re…such a bummer.
Having said that, I was very happy with how everything was wrapped up in “Cancelled.” Yeah, I was still stinging pretty hard over Ryan’s death, but it turns out so was Nikita. She was mad and Hell and…well, she’s pretty damn scary when she’s mad as Hell. With Alex by her side, they became the death squad on a rampage, and I was both stunned and really thrilled. This is the type of rage you feel when you’re…cancelled.
Besides the fact that I loved watching Nikita and Alex strike undeniable fear in all these bad guys, I also knew that Nikita wouldn’t truly have gone rogue like that. She’s matured too much to backtrack like that. There had to be a plan. Even though we learned later that the whole thing was a rouse to trick Amanda, I believe those were real tears Nikita shed when Michael told her over the phone if she was done so was he. Or perhaps those were my real tears. It was easily the best Mikita moment we’ve had all series out of many great moments, and one that sealed the union for these two forever. Or until the next bad guy comes along to split them up.
Nikita had definitely become the brilliant operative Amanda always hoped she would be as revealed in the flashbacks, but it turns out even better. What better way than the student besting the master. Nikita learned wisely from Amanda that brute force never seals victories, and surprised her foe with a masterful act of deception, something Amanda never saw in Nikita. Amanda always saw her as a brutal killer, one that even Michael acknowledged that when unleashed would become too dangerous to handle. Amanda obviously failed to see one thing though, Nikita was saved from that fate by opening herself up to others, aka her team. By seeing something in Alex that needed to be protected and saved. By showing Birkhoff that Shadownet could be used for something extraordinary. By believing there was good in Owen despite his wayward and self-serving tendencies. By believing in Ryan’s passion that they were there to right the wrongs he uncovered. By allowing herself to love Michael instead of turn him away.
It’s that bond, that loyalty, that love with others that Nikita found along the way that ended up being Amanda’s undoing. Amanda tried to force that loyalty through physical manipulation and deception. She never learned in her psychosis that manipulation only goes so far. She never learned how to connect with human beings and that her probe could never replace that. It’s fitting that instead of death, she was given the fate she had chosen for Nikita. Death was a way out, being locked away forever in isolation is a far more appropriate punishment. Of course that leaves it open for her to return too if this story is ever continued, but that’s not relevant right now.
This is all what makes the whole story of La Femme Nikita so fascinating. She’s a killer that’s always had to fight her human side. This chapter of Nikita embraced what happened when a lone wolf on a mission finds herself as the center of Team Nikita. It became about exercising demons, and accepting the goodness inside herself. Sure, she’ll always have regrets, she always grieve for those that were lost in the fight, but she still believes in making the world a better place. With Michael, it’s a lot less lonely a place now too. It’s the best ending you can give Nikita in this phase of her story. Okay, fine, I still wish Ryan was alive, but even I accept that his name being listed among the fallen heroes in the war memorial was a poignant and perfect touch in honoring the martyr he chose to become. Oh Ryan…
This ending did leave it open for more chapters, and rightfully so. Alex will continue her work for humanity as an heiress, and Owen/Sam has a new start as her wingman. Birkhoff has opened up Shadownet to the world and joined Sonya in London to start his new life. Nikita and Michael are now man and wife, and off in exotic locales on their own doing what they do best (with ghost Ryan tagging along for fun J). This was the latest chapter in a long franchise, and who knows if someone will choose later on to continue the story, just like Craig Silverstein did with the prior La Femme Nikita. Ultimately I would have liked to see this story go on longer, but it wasn’t in the cards. I’m still very happy for the four seasons we did get, and it’s an honor to say I followed with complete enjoyment every bit of this Nikita version from beginning to end. I applaud what this show did for character building and storytelling in serial network television and everyone involved should be extremely proud of their accomplishments in this short time.
Farewell Team Nikita. Our lives are better getting to know you. Have a Mint Julep at the beach on me.
