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'Nikita' Season 2, Episode 6 Recap
by Laura Prudom, posted Oct 29th 2011 8:25AM
As a show -- and as a character -- 'Nikita' exists to defy expectations; whether it concerns illegitimate children, long-lost parents or potentially damaging secrets, whenever you think the series is about to duck, it weaves instead.Much was made of the introduction of Nikita's biological father, but nothing is ever as simple as it appears, and instead of finding some sense of identity, our heroine was merely reminded of how long Percy's reach is. Even from his plastic prison, the ex-Division head proved capable of manipulating everyone around him, from Alex and Amanda right through to the seemingly untouchable Nikita, Michael and Birkhoff.
But despite her emotional setbacks, the episode's final moments demonstrated just how far Nikita has already evolved since last season -- she clearly learned from her mistakes with Alex and decided, despite her fears and insecurities, to trust Michael with the truth about Max.
How that revelation will affect their relationship remains to be seen -- we saw Michael drop Nikita's hand following her admission, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the couple is broken. It's understandable that Michael will need some time to process, and perhaps he'll be angry that Nikita kept the secret for any length of time, but the fact that she saw the error of her ways should be enough to earn Michael's forgiveness.
The theme of this episode seemed inexorably linked to rebirth -- through the destruction of one potential past and one idealistic father figure, Nikita can rise from the ashes with a renewed sense of purpose and a greater determination towards honesty, in the same way as our rogue trio had to literally escape the ashes of their temporary safehouse at Birkhoff's and head out on the road again. Their journey this season isn't comfortable or secure, but it's fairly evident that they need to face these trials head-on instead of hiding from them, if they ever hope to find true freedom.
It certainly seemed a little too good to be true for Nikita to come from "Intelligence royalty," as Percy put it -- far more likely that Nikita's real parents are equally as troubled as she was, to further illustrate that she can overcome even the most painful circumstances -- not because of some magical spy DNA, but in spite of whatever dark background she came from.
After the emphasis on Michael's backstory last week, it was nice to see Nikita's past put under the microscope, even if it proved to be fabricated. We also caught another intriguing flashback to Nikita's early days with Division, back when she was just an angry young recruit who was still, apparently, entirely capable of kicking everyone's ass. Michael obviously saw the potential in her even then, going to bat for her with Amanda and Percy to prevent her from being cancelled. As Shane West teased in our interview, this episode was more about Michael just being Nikita's rock and supporting her through "Richard's" betrayal, and I hope her honesty won't drive too big a wedge between them.
It's also reassuring to see Alex and Nikita working together again, albeit from a distance. Their church confessional meeting was an inspired set up (although not very practical, should anyone else wander in) and Alex's method of contacting Birkhoff (and his way of communicating with her through the intercom, for that matter) was genius. Was it her mission with Sean last week that convinced Alex that she wanted to pay more attention to her moral compass, perhaps? Whatever the reason, I'm glad that the former partners are edging back towards trusting each other again.
It's also a testament to how much Birkhoff's grown as a person that he didn't immediately try to sever ties with Michael and Nikita after they got his bachelor pad blown up -- think of all the glorious tech that went up in smoke! Instead, he took it as a given that the three would reunite after he set up their next "rebel base" (I adore the constant 'Star Wars' references). Aww, nerd!
I'm intrigued to see how Percy plans to use Alex to further his escape plan -- you've got to wonder whether Amanda would be more upset about her warning Nikita about Division's raid, or more concerned with Percy's attempts to get out and take her down. I'm also starting to think that Roan is a Terminator -- the man will not die. That would definitely be a twist that no-one sees coming ...
'Nikita' airs Fridays at 8PM ET on The CW.
How do you think Michael will react to Nikita's revelation about Max? Do you think Nikita's birth parents could be agents of some kind too, or is it more likely they're from the wrong side of the tracks? Share your thoughts below!
Follow Laura on Twitter: @LauinLA
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