['Nikita' - 'Knightfall']

A good show can help you to suspend disbelief under even the most unlikely circumstances, and 'Nikita' pulled that off seamlessly tonight.

Was the series actually going to kill off the male lead (and one half of the fan-favorite central couple) three episodes into the second season? Of course not -- but for a few moments when those drone missiles were primed and Nikita was racing through the jungle, trying to reach Michael in time, you truly believed that she might lose him, and felt that same breathless relief she felt when they were reunited.

It seems redundant to gush about the chemistry and tension between Maggie Q. and Shane West at this point, but the actors portray Nikita and Michael's connection so consistently every week that I think it bears repeating, and I won't deny that their desperate embrace as Michael emerged from the smoke brought a tear to even my cynical critic's eye.

I thought last week's episode was a solid, if unspectacular, effort, but this installment utilized all the elements that make 'Nikita' great -- a layered "villain," a jet-setting mission, a peek at the fascinating dynamics inside Division, a healthy dose of snark from Birkhoff and, of course, a heaping of Michael and Nikita action.

Writer Carlos Coto also managed to tie in Alex's ongoing quest for vengeance (apparently even when they're nowhere near each other geographically, she just can't get away from Nikita) and her choice to take the shot at Kochenko was an impactful note to end on.

There were a number of memorable moments to touch on: I especially enjoyed Michael's undercover mission to ascertain Ramon's whereabouts from the Division operative posing as a reporter. Not only does Shane West wear the nerdy glasses well, it was great to see Nikita's reactions to her boyfriend's choices, especially the teasingly flirtatious moment where she removed his glasses but withheld a kiss. It's clear that there's no real jealousy between them, but the chemistry was potent, even without much dialogue.

That scene was another excellent excuse for Birkhoff to steal the show; I love seeing the trio working together, especially in those rare moments where the hacker lowers his guard and allows us to see just how much he cares about his partners in crime (no matter how much he complains about them). His Division counterpart, Sonja, was also permitted to show a little more personality this week, and it's clear that she has the same dry humor as her predecessor.

Flashbacks were utilized to great effect this week, showing us Nikita's first encounter with Ramon and a decidedly creepy look at Alex's past with Kochenko (I'd totally have shot him, too). Thanks to Ramon, we now know Nikita's last name: Mears. He also dropped a few more hints from her file, relating to her history with the foster system, her Ketamine addiction, and time spent in Mrs. Bennett's Halfway House. We know that we're delving much further into our heroine's past this season, so it was great to receive a few tidbits to whet our appetites -- now we just need to discover Michael's full moniker too.

Ramon was an especially effective antagonist because he held a mirror up to Nikita's motives, forcing her to reflect not only on her past decisions, but her more recent ones. He pointed out that in trying to save him, Nikita actually made him into more of a monster by abandoning him to Division and Percy's nefarious purposes, and given Alex's new trajectory, that point likely hit a little too close to home for her. Sometimes, perhaps, death really is more merciful than "saving" someone. She put the choice in Ramon's hands this time around, but will Nikita have to do the same with Alex in the future? Only time will tell.

'Nikita' airs Fridays at 8PM on The CW.

What was your favorite moment of the episode? Were you excited to hear more about Nikita's past? Share your reactions below!

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