All times central.
8:05-Yeah Alex, reject Owen/Sam, please. I like the sassiness; you don’t need him.
8:06-The Amanda-Nikita relationship is paving the way for tensions in both teams: The Shop doesn’t want Amanda’s personal connections harming their plans, and Nikita’s team has been pulled to the brink many times before, all due to Nikita’s rash decisions.
8:08-Yeah, that’s not going to work. Nikita’s not someone who can be bought off; in fact, I’d say she craves the thrills of her current life to an extent. She may lament the detrimental effects of her actions on both her and her team, but that doesn’t stop her. A tropical island free from danger may be a temporary escape, but she’s always going to be drawn back into a life as a spy.
8:11-I’m liking all the Percy references; next up, a Xander Berkeley cameo needs to happen.
8:12-It’s Ramon! To be honest with you, I barely remember who he is.
8:14-“He’s an idealist who lost his way.” Sound like someone we know?
8:17-So we have missiles and everything. I don’t know how to feel about this; should we have more of a personal story or a big conspiracy?
8:22-Although it’s a bit out of nowhere, I do like the conversation about Alex and OwenSam’s former lovers. I’m not as invested in OS as I am for most other characters, but there’s no denying that these two crazy kids have a reasonable emotional connection to explore. Again, though, I stress: no romance!
8:25-In fact, with the reintroduction of Ramon, this episode seems to be exploring the concepts of the past, regret, and lost opportunities.
8:28-It’s always nice to see Nikita dispatching some baddies.
8:30-“You’re better at following orders.” Yup, spot on. Still, I do think Michael’s starting to move past that phase; we saw it earlier when he permanently ended his relationship with Nikita; he seems surprised here, though, with the fact that Ramon reads him this well.
8:35-Oh, okay, so OS is up to something.
8:44-This is probably the 5,674th time Sam’s emphasized his name change.
8:45-So, is Ramon’s purpose just to get Michael to reaffirm his love for Nikita? I get the sentiments, but that kind of cheapens the recent progression of his character. Ramon makes good points when he scolds Michael, but Nikita has hurt this relationship just as much as Michael has.
8:46-“Where are you not allowed to go?”
8:48-Well, Amanda’s gone off the deep end. I’m not surprised, considering she’s had to play second fiddle to Jones all this time; she may use others for personal gain, but at the end of the day, it has to be all about her.
8:50-“Did you really think either of us was going to win?” Man, am I glad to see Maggie Q and Melinda Clarke back together. Anyway, this is a fundamental truth behind this dynamic; when two similar people clash, that conflict may be in a perpetual static state. Nikita still tries to reason with her here, but this time, it won’t work.
8:53-That’s a pretty terrible looking CGI explosion.
8:58-“She so desperately wants it to.” Right on again, Jones. Well, I knew I shouldn’t have underestimated Amanda. At the end of the day, she knows Nikita best, and she know how to manipulate her. What makes Jones, on the other hand, so dangerous is the detachment from those around him, something that’s been both helpful and detrimental to Nikita. Still, I feel like Jones and Amanda are a bit too confident, and I feel like Nikita’s a bit too naive here, so much so that this feels too much like a complete reset.
9:00-Well, Mikita is back. I guess I’m not too surprised.
9:01-Preview for next week looks awesome. Thank God, Nikita and Alex are going to be in the same place.
GRADE: B+
FINAL THOUGHTS: The episode explores ideas of responsibility and the prices we pay for our actions, whether it be through our past catching up on us or the desire to escape, to be bought off. Some of the ideas here don’t quite work–Ramon returns, but doesn’t do much–but the episode ultimately ends nicely. It’s an exciting final 15 minutes that sees the return of Nikita-Amanda, and I’m so glad to see us focusing on the personal relationships now rather than a global conspiracy. As much as I like Alex, she needs to return soon–it looks like she will–because we’re at the final endgame. Only 2 left. I’m excited.
-The Birkhoff/Peller reunion is well handled, as well as the President rescue.
Credit to The CW and Nikita for all pictures. I own nothing.
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