Nikita - Pilot

Network: CW
Time: Wednesdays, 9:00-10:00pm
Cast: Maggie Q, Shane West, Lyndsy Fonseca, Aaron Stanford, Melinda Clarke, Xander Berkeley, Ashton Holmes, Tiffany Hines

Summary: Nikita, an assassin and former recruit seeks revenge on the Division, the secret U.S. agency that once doublecrossed her. Meanwhile, a troubled teenage girl named Alex is newly recruited to the Division and begins her training.

Review: I have to admit, I was conflicted going into this show, and my feelings aren't any clearer now that I've seen the pilot.  On the one hand, a show about a renegade assassin has the potential to be excellent if done properly.  On the other hand, the CW is best known for putting out shows like Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill.  Not exactly the same kind of drama as Nikita should be.

That being said, the first episode surprised me in many different ways.  It centers around two main plots: the story of Nikita, a former assassin whose mission is to destroy the group who made her that way, and the story of Alex, a teenage girl who's recruited by the Division after a robbery gone wrong.  Both stories are compelling in their own way, but it's what ties them together in the final minutes of the episode that makes them most interesting. 

That's not to say this show isn't without it's problems.  The script is weak; there's no way to sugarcoat that.  It's not a dialogue-heavy show to begin with, but what little the characters do say is wholly unremarkable.  There's a lot of exposition in this first episode.  While that's obviously important for a pilot, there are better ways to explain what's going on than to have otherwise inconsequential character sit down and talk about everything.  A good show (or book, for that matter) shows the audience what they need to know; it doesn't tell them.  Nikita tells.

The effects and the fight scenes fall on the positive side for now.  I was surprised how much blood there was for a CW show, but Nikita doesn't get overly messy.  There's enough to remind the audience that this is a show about assassins, but not enough that you can't eat a meal while watching it.

The characters are weaker than they should be right now, but they have the potential to grow into something good if they're developed properly.  Nikita is obviously the most developed so far, and I found I was sympathetic to her, even if I'm not quite sure I like her yet.  Alex and Michael both show signs of being fairly interesting, and I'm even hoping to see more of the computer technician that Nikita kidnapped for information.

If you like a good action series with a halfway decent plot, give this show a try.  I'm looking forward to seeing how it will grow as a series in the coming weeks.

Rating:[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad