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'Nikita' Season 2, Episode 10 Recap
by Laura Prudom, posted Dec 3rd 2011 12:00AM
['Nikita' - 'Guardians']It's definitely going to be a long month as we wait for 'Nikita' to return from winter hiatus; this week's midseason finale threw a lot of knives up in the air, and I'm very intrigued to see where they land.
I have to admit, I've been anticipating the episode's final twist for a few weeks now, but even though I wasn't surprised by the revelation, it doesn't preclude me from being interested in how the story evolves from here.
If anything, it adds more meat to Alex's story and gives her further motivation in wresting control of Zetrov from the duplicitous Semak, who is definitely long overdue for cancellation.
We've gradually been getting hints as to how deep Semak's deception ran, and this week's episode further reinforced the notion that he was Nikolai's closest friend, which makes his betrayal with Katya even more damaging for Alex. The only question is, was someone on the Division hit squad (presumably not Nikita) in on Semak's plan to keep Alex's mother alive, since someone reported "mother down" when they raided the house?
Percy certainly must've known, which was subtly foreshadowed a few episodes back when he tried to provoke Alex into talking about her mother. I can't imagine how deeply this new discovery will affect our scrappy Russian rebel, since it's yet another person in her life that has kept the truth from her. I'm hoping this leads to further character development, and as Maggie Q pointed out in our recent interview, Alex is heading down a dangerous path in wanting to follow in Nikolai's footsteps. Whether she wants to avenge her father or is somehow swayed over to Semak's side because of her mother, neither man seems to be anyone worth emulating.
Amanda and Percy certainly have Alex positioned to regain control of Zetrov, but what do they hope to achieve through her? Do they want to take the teeth from Gogol and figure that they'll be able to count the powerful company as an ally just because they helped Alex oust Semak? I'm sure such questions will be addressed in due course, since the writers are confidently unspooling these mysteries at a measured pace -- undeniably giving us as many questions as answers, but still managing to avoid the infuriating 'Lost' syndrome where many episodes feel like the show is just treading water without making any real progress.
I was just glad to see the return of the capable, self-sufficient Alex we've come to know and love, instead of the naive girl who has spent the last few episodes being manipulated by everyone around her. Nikolai obviously taught her well (and their outdoor training flashbacks reminded me of the fabulous action film 'Hanna,' which is always a plus in my book), and I loved Alex's use of fur and blood on the tripwire to throw Semak's guards off her scent. Kudos to writer/producer Albert Kim for managing to convey such great character beats, even in scenes with little dialogue.
Nikita made a little emotional progress this week, too, which was reassuring. Though some fans feel threatened by Owen and what he could mean for her relationship with Michael, for now it seems as though he's just a great sounding board. As Maggie said during our interview, he is Nikita's mirror in many ways, and can relate to the journey she's on because he's been there too -- acting as Division's blunt weapon without stopping to question orders until he'd already crossed too many lines to turn back. Right now, Owen is just about the only ally she has to rely on, having "lost" Michael, Alex and Ryan, and come close to losing Birkoff.
Her world and her support system is unraveling, and it's great to see Maggie stretching herself in these scenes, showing how raw and unsteady Nikita is becoming. She's someone who has always been self-reliant, and spent many years trusting only herself, and yet every person she's let into her heart has been taken from her or has walked away, and that's got to be shaking her self-confidence to the core. I can't blame her for being tired and wanting to give it all up, but Owen's pep-talk was both necessary and surprisingly touching, and he seemed like the perfect character to help renew her sense of purpose, since he's been to the dark side too.
At this point, Nikita appears to be too emotionally unstable to even be considering Owen as a viable romantic candidate, and if they did hook up for some reason, it feels like it would be a one-night-stand kind of deal that they'd both end up regretting, since Nikita is clearly still trying to work through her feelings for Michael. I can't deny that the sexual tension between the pair was undeniable this week though, even if Nikita seemed too raw to be looking for anything more than mindless comfort.
It was certainly a telling moment when Owen made her breakfast and asked what Michael does for her; the pair have been so focused on work and evading Division since escaping with the black box that it's clear that some of the "little things" in a relationship have fallen by the wayside. I think Michael and Nikita's break will prove to be a good thing for both parties in the long run -- absence makes the heart grow fonder, after all, and perhaps the distance will allow both of them to better appreciate their quiet moments when they inevitably reconcile.
Michael may have only appeared towards the end of the episode (speeding in on his
Though the episode was somewhat lacking narrative momentum -- mostly because of the competing story threads that had us bouncing between Alex, Nikita, Owen, Ari, Amanda and Percy -- it elegantly set all the pieces in place for an epic return in January. We have plenty of juicy questions to ruminate on over the next month, like why the Guardians might be converging and whether Roan's hidden loyalty to Percy will be uncovered by Amanda any time soon. It will be interesting to see how Michael and Owen work together as they track down the Guardians, and I can't wait to see how Katya's story develops, and what it might mean for Alex. Damn you, winter hiatus!
'Nikita' airs Fridays at 8PM ET on The CW. New episodes will return starting Jan. 6th 2012.
What did you think of the twist ending, and how do you think Katya's reappearance will affect Alex? Do you think Nikita and Owen are destined for a hook-up, or will Michael's return rekindle things between them? Share your thoughts below, and check out our interview with Maggie Q here.
Follow Laura on Twitter: @LauinLA
What to Watch in December
- Friday, Dec. 2
- Sunday, Dec. 4
- Tuesday, Dec. 6
- Tuesday, Dec. 6
- Tuesday, Dec. 6
- Wednesday, Dec. 7
- Wednesday, Dec. 7
- Thursday, Dec. 8
- Friday, Dec. 9
- Saturday, Dec. 10
- Saturday, Dec. 10
- Sunday, Dec. 11
- Sunday, Dec. 11
- Wednesday, Dec. 14
- Thursday, Dec. 15
- Saturday, Dec. 17
- Sunday, Dec. 18
- Monday, Dec. 19
- Wednesday, Dec. 21
- Friday, Dec. 23
- Sunday, Dec. 25
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