Network: CW
Time: Thursdays, 9:00-10:00pm
Cast: Maggie Q, Lyndsy Fonseca, Shane West, Aaron Stanford, Ashton Holmes, Tiffany Hines, Melinda Clarke, Xander Berkeley
Summary: Nikita tries to right a past wrong when she posed as a nanny for a government official who ended up dead. Michael comes to Nikita's aid during her quest, and also begins to question Percy's motives. Meanwhile, Amanda forces Alex to deal with her claustrophobia after she has a panic attack.
Review: I'm constantly surprised by how much I like this show, and how quickly it became something I anticipate watching. The writers did a wonderful job creating characters that are likable despite the horrible things they sometimes do, and I find that I am sympathetic towards almost all of them (not Percy, but they really haven't done much to expand his character yet).
Every episode provides a little more backstory into characters' lives, and this one was no exception. We finally got to see a little more of Alex's life before she met Nikita, and we got just a small hint of Michael's past as well (did you catch that last line?). We also saw a flashback from when Nikita was first recruited, when she was happy to be working for them, and her hair was messier. I imagine we'll see more of the chemistry between Michael and Nikita as the series goes on.
As much as I liked the backstories, I wasn't as wild about the present day mission Nikita was trying to pull off. It stemmed from her first kill, and she wanted to make amends by taking down the group that hired Division to kill him. But there was a slight twist that I wasn't wild about, since it warped Nikita's reason for doing what she was doing. I don't want to spoil it by giving anything away, but I like when Nikita has the moral upper hand, and this twist brought her down a little. That being said, it did create an interesting moment for Michael, who is starting to realize that he has no idea why Percy does anything he does.
I really enjoyed Alex's present-day story too. She hasn't been doing much but acting as a mole for Nikita in the past few episodes, so it was nice to see her with her own story to carry. In this case, she has claustrophobia due to a traumatic event from her childhood, and Amanda is trying to "help" her get over it. We got to see some real strength of character in Alex, not giving Division a win over her, even if she made it look like they did.
Between this episode and the summary for the next, I'm starting to get little prickly warnings about Alex's sort-of friend Thom. Right now he's pretty gung-ho about Division, and I can't imagine he'd be okay with the things Alex does to help Nikita. Which leads me to believe that Alex should not be getting as close to him as she seems to be. I'm curious to see where that road leads.
Like I said, I never expected to like this show as much as I do. It's ratings are a little shaky though, and I'm hoping the CW doesn't pull it before it really has the chance to develop into a great show.
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My Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad
Showing posts with label show: Nikita. Show all posts
Showing posts with label show: Nikita. Show all posts
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
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
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
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