Advanced TV Review: Nikita

I’ve tried not to watch the Pilot of The CW’s new series, Nikita too much over the summer, so my anticipation for more does not become an obsession. So of course I am ecstatic that the time has finally come for the show’s premiere, this Thursday night!

When she was a deeply troubled teenager, Nikita was rescued from death row by a secret U.S. agency known only as Division, who faked her execution and told her she was being given a second chance to start a new life and serve her country. What they didn’t tell her was that she was being trained as a spy and assassin. Ultimately, Nikita was betrayed and her dreams shattered by the only people she thought she could trust. Now, after three years in hiding, Nikita is seeking retribution and making it clear to her former bosses that she will stop at nothing to expose and destroy their covert operation. For the time being, however, Division continues to recruit and train other young people, erasing all evidence of their former lives and turning them into cold and efficient killers. One of these new recruits, Alex, is just beginning to understand what lies ahead for her and why the legendary Nikita made the desperate decision to run.

Starring: Maggie Q, Shane West, Lyndsy Fonseca, Melinda Clarke, Tiffany Hines, Aaron Stanford, and Xander Berkeley, Ashton Holmes

Michael: Your life is over Alex. I’m here to offer you a new one. But you have to be willing to earn it.

Based on the 1990 film, La Femme Nikita, this action drama is one of the darkest series The CW has seen and is the only drama with one female lead…and Maggie Q is a strong lead. I’m not a feminist but I absolutely love seeing shows with strong women as the lead. Charmed. Medium. The Closer. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Alias. Ah, Alias. If you were a fan of Alias, you might find this Pilot disappointing but if you can get past the similarities, you might be able to really enjoy the ride. I just love that neither Nikita or the Division can really be seen as just the hero or just the villain. Nikita has a score to settle over the Division killing her fiance and the Division assassinates the bad guys, as well as those who pose a threat to them.

So Nikita enlists new Division recruit, 14 year old Alex to help her take down the Division from the inside. Alex was recruited to the Division in a similar fashion to how Nikita was recruited, though her reason for getting out is more about not wanting to serve her country in ways that go against her morals. Both were taken prisoner, but only one gave in. Now both are fighting back. Flashbacks intertwine both Alex and Nikita’s back stories. I enjoyed the flash backs, but I did not at all enjoy the dream sequence in the beginning.

Though as for the back story, Nikita ends up visiting Gary, a man who made her childhood hell. Gary resides in Roselle Park, New Jersey and as I am from New Jersey and have been to Roselle plenty of times, I can’t help but laugh at seeing what they consider Roselle, New Jersey. Why didn’t they just choose Secaucus or Hoboken? Anyway, on her visit, she details her life story to Gary starting from the moment she left his house. Through the flashbacks and in this monologue, so much back story is shared! So much is shared in the Pilot episode that I am very curious as to how far mapped out the series is. While I absolutely love the show, I am worried about its longevity. Actually, since I am so obsessed with this show, I worry about its longevity as some of my favorite shows have been canceled. Though The CW hasn’t canceled as many shows as other networks that I have been obsessed with, so only time will tell.

Nikita is thrilling, suspenseful, and has many twists and turns. I found myself very intrigued by the characters, who are all broken and vulnerable in their own unique way. The tone is so dark that there’s not much room for humor. But since this is just the Pilot, there’s time for the show to really find its tone if this is too dark. The show definitely has potential. Hopefully we’ll see Nikita on the air long enough to see that potential come to fruition…or at least until the episode that Stan Lee makes a cameo in!

Nikita premieres Thursday, September 9, 2010 at 9/8c only on The CW.