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'Nikita' Season 1, Episode 22 (Season Finale) Recap
by Laura Prudom, posted May 13th 2011 12:45AM
['Nikita' - 'Pandora']After tonight's episode, it's all too tempting to simply type "WOW," and leave it at that, but such brevity would do a great disservice to the phenomenal writing, acting and pacing of the 'Nikita' season finale, and this tenacious little show deserves as much praise as it can get.
We've already established that 'Nikita' is one of the best new shows that most people aren't watching, and I can only hope that the CW sees what a diamond in the rough it has on its hands when next week's upfront presentations roll around: If 'Nikita' isn't back on the schedule next fall, I might have to go rogue, Nikita style, and infiltrate CW headquarters to give the higher-ups a piece of my mind.
It's rare that a show can establish such labyrinthine mythology -- multi-layered and unpredictable -- whilst still managing to keep the plotting clear and logical (I'm looking at you, 'Alias'). Between the backstabbing, double-crossing and shifting allegiances, 'Pandora' pulled out some pretty heavy political maneuvering, and yet Percy's motives and plans were crystal clear, for the first time all season.
The hour contained so many twists and turns that I'm not certain which way is left and which is right at this point; true, none of us believed that Nikita was dead, but Alex's motives were definitely in question, and look to remain that way if the show is granted a second season.
Melinda Clarke once again proved herself MVP after 42 minutes of play; from her decision to deactivate Alex's kill chip by, well, killing her, to her startling involvement in Oversight in the episode's final moments, I finally understood what the actress meant when she told me that "Amanda truly is one of the most dangerous human beings on the planet, but also probably one of the best teachers at the same time," in a recent interview.
She truly did give Alex an out -- she instructed her to walk away, to avoid going back to Nikita and making herself vulnerable once again, but Alex ignored her warning and entangled herself in Oversight's affairs instead. It's likely that Amanda knew Alex would be incapable of simply walking away without confronting Nikita, of course, but the offer was there, and Amanda was protecting what she saw as one of her most valuable assets. I found it especially telling that she admitted that she held on to Nikita too tightly, and didn't want to make the same mistakes with Alex, choosing to let her go instead.
I was also thrilled to see the return of the Michael/Birkhoff bromance this week -- as sarcastic and socially inept as Birkhoff may be, he's never struck me as a "bad guy," so much as a selfish one. He turns a blind eye to Percy's double dealings the same way Michael did in the past, but it's good to know that the hacker has a heart of gold beneath those sloppy sweaters, and that he'll be working to give Division the middle finger behind his back for as long as Percy keeps him alive.
As fascinated as I am in regards to where Alex, Nikita and Michael will go from here, I must admit that it's Percy's exit strategy I'm really curious about. Michael and Nikita have a ticking timebomb of incriminating information riding shotgun with them, his plans to take down the CIA were derailed, and now Oversight appears to be moving against him, with two of his assets, Amanda and Alex, potentially at the helm. Where can he go from here, and would Oversight dare to remove him while he still has the black boxes at his disposal?
Many shows give the unnerving impression that they don't actually know where they're heading over the course of a season -- storylines are diverted, characters are added or outstay their welcome because of supposed "cast chemistry," and sometimes showrunners change their plots on a dime "just 'cause." One of the most enjoyable aspects of 'Nikita' has been the careful groundwork the creative team has laid this year -- it's fascinating to see how supposedly throwaway lines, such as Roan the Cleaner's observation about flushing the toxins out of Jaden's body before her acid bath, were all planted for a reason, to tie into revelations in the finale that would have made no sense otherwise.
Viewers can now go back and rewatch the season and clearly see the signs of Percy's endgame littered throughout: the missions he led Nikita on simply to implicate her in other crimes, the weapons or intel he was actually seeking out while distracting her with a human target. Such sharp, intelligent writing is rare on broadcast networks these days, and it's refreshing to know that a creative team respects its audience enough not to spoon-feed us these revelations, nor telegraph them the way other shows might.
If I have one slight niggle (and it is slight), it's only the unnecessary use of CGI to enhance the ominous looking sky that Nikita and Michael are driving off towards. I understand that the writers want to evoke storm clouds on the horizon as outside forces gather against our heroes, but the thunder and lightning felt too melodramatic in a show that doesn't need fancy gimmicks to convey a sense of danger or dread.
Still, at this point, it's nitpicking for nitpicking's sake, and even a little CGI silliness doesn't detract from a sharp, shocking and undeniably thrilling finale we were treated to tonight. I can't wait to see where this unique show progresses from here, now that the Chess pieces have repositioned themselves in some unpredictable ways.
What was your favorite part of 'Pandora'? Who do you think Alex will align herself with next year? Are you hoping the show returns for a second season? Share your thoughts and reactions below!
Follow Laura on Twitter: @LauinLA
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