If you’re a Nikita fan, chances are you’ve already seen your Twitter blow up with the news that The CW has ordered the freshman spy series undergo some network retooling. There’s already a laundry list of requests, including more humor, new characters, and a new love interest for Nikita. I may not be the biggest fan of the series, but even I can see that this announcement has the potential for disaster. In an effort to support the show’s fanbase in preserving the show we’ve come to embrace, I present to you ten reasons that I appreciate Nikita the way it is, and believe The CW should not try and fix what isn’t broken.
10.) Network intervention usually doesn’t end well.
This one’s not so much about this particular case as it is speaking from experience. Lots of experience. Television history is filled with stories of networks making demands regarding shows, and those shows never being the same again. I’ve heard plenty of stories of series brass battling networks, but rarely do I hear one where the producers say, “We’re glad the network came in and told us what to do.” In some extreme cases, it’s practically blackmail. I’m thinking way, way back to the early days of Law & Order, where Dick Wolf was told after season two that either he added women to his cast or the show would be cancelled. One of television’s great drama series could have been cut short after two years just because the network thought it needed estrogen. No offense to the show’s female leads, but I just don’t like the idea that quality series can be forcibly tinkered with.
9.) Nikita is an actual strong female lead, and not just someone pretending to be one.
As far back as I can remember, the phrase “strong female lead” has been one of the most popular around television. Everyone wants one, and a fair amount of them aren’t very good. There’s a difference between what is a strong female lead character, and what people think is a strong female lead character. While a lot of female characters on TV have to show you that they’re tough, but inevitably aren’t, or get bogged down in cliche subplots that make them tiresome, Nikita (Maggie Q) is refreshingly a three-dimensional woman. She doesn’t need a man to get by or to be happy, yet that also doesn’t mean she can’t be in love. Yet at the same time we’re not subjected to her making obvious eyes at a one-dimensional love interest (more on that later). She can hold her own without the writers feeling the need to show you repeatedly how cool, violent or witty she is. The show is called Nikita because she is the center of the story, and she proves that she belongs there. Female protagonists, please take note.
8.) Xander Berkeley.
Words cannot express how awesome Xander Berkeley is. (For starters, he’s named Xander.) He is one of the best character actors I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching, and I always get excited when he’s in something. I’ve followed his career ever since Terminator 2: Judgment Day (he was John Connor’s foster father), and seen him give great performances in 24, CSI, The X-Files, Gattaca, Standoff, Karen Sisco…it seems like he’s been in everything, and deservedly so. He’s amazing. While his Percy isn’t on the same level yet as Eugene Robert Glazer’s Operations, the writers finally let Berkeley cut loose in the most recent episode, “The Guardian.” We saw hints of true evil in his public argument with Michael (Shane West) and his attempt to kill Owen (Devon Sawa) and Nikita. He’s just now getting the chance to show what kind of a real villain he can be. He might not be Operations, but casting Berkeley in a regular role is a coup for any series.
7) The show is just now finding its stride.
In my opinion, Nikita took awhile to warm up; it wasn’t until “Rough Trade” that I actually started to care about the show and become interested in watching it every week. That was one episode ago. While we know they’ve filmed more episodes than we’ve seen, it still seems unwise to start messing with a show that’s finally found itself. Regardless of how many episodes are “in the can,” we’re still in the first season, and in a fall season with no clear breakout hits, Nikita has been holding its own. CW has been great about promoting it and letting it run uninterrupted, which has also helped build an audience. Let it continue to gain momentum and play out what it’s already established; that’s what got us all hooked to begin with.
6) The Nikita & Michael relationship (or lack thereof).
No doubt, the show’s writers and the network promos are going to tease us with not only the “will they or won’t they?” but also the “did they or didn’t they?” of this relationship until the end of time. It would really shock me if we got a clear answer regarding what’s up with Michael and Nikita before the end of the season, if that. Personally, I don’t care if they were together or not, or if they get together or not (not that I’m against it either) but I can’t deny that I’m curious. Although we’ve been down this road with La Femme Nikita, the history between Michael and Nikita is something that obviously impacts how they deal with each other in the present, and that makes me want to know more about it. As long as their interactions continue to be written well and don’t turn either of them into lovesick puppies, the dynamic between these two – whatever it is – is going to remain interesting to watch. There’s no need to introduce anyone to complicate or muddle it (and that includes Alex, a point I can’t emphasize enough).
Besides, the show has not only already put that in play, but shown us a Nikita still grieving over the death of fiance Daniel Monroe. How rude would it be for them to develop those concepts and then yank the rug out from under them by having Nikita falling for or into bed with someone else? (I love how grief on TV only seems to last as long as it’s convenient.) It would be a huge slap in the face to promote the Michael and Nikita tension and then say, “Oh, well now we’re not going to go that route.” Even if the new relationship were to merely be a roadblock, it would still be more annoying than anything else (Bones and its string of love interests for Booth that never stick come to mind). It’s not appropriate to throw a wrench in the show’s central dynamic.
5) The Michael and Percy relationship.
We now know that Michael became Percy’s number-two man at Division because Percy saved his life. Percy says that one of the things he’s always liked about Michael is that he knows not to ask too many questions (Michael even says he assumes Percy has his reasons). Yet as Michael continues to feel the strain, his relationship with his boss is beginning to crack. From the first episode, we’ve seen them argue about their differing opinions regarding how to handle situations (mostly Nikita), something which became a plot staple. In “Rough Trade,” we got the hint that Percy may be starting to suspect that Michael is no longer a good soldier, and in “The Guardian” they had their first major argument. These two are going to continue to have friction, and undoubtedly, are going to have it out. With two talented actors in Shane West and Xander Berkeley, I know that when they do finally reach the breaking point, it’s going to be a spectacular confrontation.
4) At least when it doesn’t work, it’s still worth watching.
Nikita is not a perfect show. There have been quite a few things that I haven’t cared for, or at the very least, poked fun at. (Shane West’s limited wardrobe is now a recurring joke in all my recaps.) Yet even when I dislike something, I at least get some enjoyment out of appreciating how it doesn’t work. I almost take a sort of glee now in seeing that Shane is still wearing the same four shirts. There’s a scene (and a promo photo) in which a very out of place paint bucket is clearly visible. I laughed at the fact that Michael actually took the time to have lunch in “Rough Trade.” You wouldn’t see that on most other shows. Not to mention, what kind of weird hobbies does Nikita have to build a containment box in her apartment? There are gaffes and quirks throughout the show, but rather than make me slam my head into the keys in frustration, at least I can enjoy them.
3) There’s no need to introduce new characters when there’s a whole handful of recruits that we don’t even know yet.
The news stories about these network-mandated changes reference new characters. Plural. To which I just shake my head. Nikita has, as of yet, failed to develop any of the Division recruits into interesting characters (although I admit that my attention goes more to their superiors anyway). Jaden (Tiffany Hines) is an obvious rival to Alex (Lyndsy Fonseca), though we don’t really see more in her than that petty grudge she carries almost constantly. Thom (Ashton Holmes) only exists as someone for Alex and Jaden to fight over, at least so far. Even Alex sometimes seems less interesting. Not to mention we know there’s another dozen recruits at least who are nameless extras wandering around. It’s just sloppy to throw in new characters when there’s a whole group of existing ones who are just crying out to be properly utilized.
2) Shane West.
I can hear people laughing at me for this now, since I was overly critical of him early on in the series, but as I’ve said before, Shane West is Nikita‘s secret weapon. His Michael has the most compelling arc on the series; he’s been the glue and as he comes undone, so does everyone and everything around him. The pressure on Michael continues to build, as he finds himself questioning not just people he thought he knew, but second-guessing himself. Refreshingly, that arc doesn’t revolve around Nikita; it’s hinted at in “Rough Trade” that he’s been a disgruntled employee of Division for at least the last few years. That’s a lot of inner conflict that can’t be serviced in the series, so thankfully, the producers cast Shane West, who can show everything without a line of dialogue. He’s already perfected the “I hate my job and I’m getting too old for this” glower that we get from Michael every episode.
There is, of course, a faction of people who compare West to Roy Dupuis, and to them I can only say something that took me a long time to learn: there’s no comparison, because West’s Michael is an entirely different character than Dupuis played. They’re really only similar in name and perhaps a few other details. For one, this Michael has a sense of humor; Shane himself has said he’s probably managed more smiles in the series so far (which I can still count on one hand) than Dupuis may have in the entire original TV series. This is to say nothing of his banter with Birkhoff (Aaron Stanford). This Michael is also more emotional, and imbued with more of a soul. With all that’s going on in his head, it’s great to see the character be able to display that and make us feel it as well, instead of being consistently stoic. I watched five seasons of that and I don’t need to see it again. Shane let slip at NYCC that in episode 1.09 (only three episodes away!), we’ll see Michael’s backstory and get to see him genuinely happy. I can’t wait. It’s that emotion that’s made me embrace him, and I will gladly apologize to Shane West for being wrong about him. He’s made Michael worth not just getting to know, but cheering for. (Two words: sniper rifle.)
1) It’s not a traditional CW series.
Whether you liked it or not, fans and critics alike could appreciate that Nikita is not a typical series like you’d find on the teen-oriented CW. It’s darker, grittier and edgier. In fact, that was one of the big selling points of the series when it was promoted, so to hear that the network wants it to “lighten” makes me twitch at the apparent hypocrisy. The unique feel of the series was what interested so many people, myself included; I have no real interest in any of the other CW shows, but Nikita I felt might be different. Sure, it still lacks the edge of the original series, but I was grateful that it was reasonably dark and serious. The material warrants that it be so. There’s some humor now and then, but this is a drama with heavy subject matter. I have no interest in watching, as the fans have already joked, a spy version of Gossip Girl. Trying to fit Nikita into the CW mold would obviously destroy what made it stand out in the first place.
Now, these are only my top ten favorite things about Nikita. I could probably put a few more on this list, and I know that fans will add some of their own, or disagree on some level, so please don’t leave me snarky comments telling me I’m an idiot for leaving something off or adding something you dislike. The point is that there’s obviously a fan base out there for Nikita, and I’m sure that each and every one of you can come up with a list of ten things you love about the show as it is – so why mess with success?
This is not an indictment of The CW. There are some people at the network that love the show as it is; I routinely have conversations with the show publicist about how the show continues to grow on me. Rather, I hope that this article shows how great Nikita has gotten, and why it deserves to be allowed to build on that success on its own terms.
In the process of covering this developing story, I went and read comments at some of the other websites that also have articles posted regarding it, and the majority of them were negative (even the one positive one I saw was more in the middle than anything else). Obviously, there are a lot of fans out there just as bewildered as I am. Many of them are upset. To which I can only say to you: comment. Make your voices heard. It might not change anything in the end, but people do read these articles, and then they’ll be able to see that you love Nikita for what it is, and not what The CW wants it to be.
I’ll see you next week when we discuss the all-new episode 1.06, “Resistance.” (Remember, tonight is a rerun of the pilot.) Until then, Nikita fans, keep on supporting your show. It’s more than worthy of the attention.
Want to show your love for the show? Or vent about this surprise development? Let me hear your thoughts in the comments below.
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Man, I feel like a damned blog spammer saying this, but great article! You make me want to see Nikita all the more now. I watched a couple of episodes, and I KNOW it has potential, there's just so much stuff on tv right now, it's hard to settle on which three or four hour-longs I'm gonig to invest my time in this season. I can't even watch my longtime CW staples Smallville and Supernatural 'cause they're on Friday nights now and that's when I go out with my girlfriend. (And, you know, she trumps tv) I'm already catching several favorites on hulu, and shows I'd like to see are in direct conflict with shows she and I both want to see. So argh, the corporate schedule programmers are really sticking it to me this season.
Thank you! As far as catching the show, there were (not sure if there still are) Saturday reruns, and I know the CW's website does offer full episodes for online viewing. But I know how you feel – in three hours on a Monday night I have to cover four shows. Huge pain in the behind.
The writing needs a massive overhaul. Why are they pretending Alex arrived from Ukraine a few years ago when she speaks with a flawless American accent? Either she is American or she arrived in the U.S. as a very young child. It's simply not believable that she arrived a few years ago. This show suffers from too many plot holes and sloppy characterization.
The writers have come out and said the majority of her given backstory to Division is false. They're going to show us some of her real backstory later in the season. At least according to what came out of NY Comic Con.
This was a very interesting article to read. I have been watching since the first episode, but the fourth one was definitely one of its best. I'll keep watching and I can't wait to find out what's the deal with Michael, Jaden, Thom and Alex. How'd they get there? Thom, for instance. Every recruit has a bit of a dark past, while Thom is calm on the surface. What's his story?
Also, I love how you mentioned "Bones". I have been bearing with the show for over five years, until I finally gave up on it after the zillionth love interest. That, including the current overdosis of comedy and lack of drama made me realize that I do not love this show anymore.
But Nikita, however, is a show of which I think, has a lot of potential. There are mistakes here and there, of course, but it's the first season. There's time to learn.
And the mistakes are at least, the kind you can laugh at and not the kind that make you go, "oh god, they're ruining the show and are morons."
I definitely want to know more about the recruits. At least for me, compared to Michael, Nikita, Percy and Amanda, they're all relatively underdeveloped. I don't care about them yet because I don't know them yet. So I'd rather see them get storylines and scenes than have some new characters come in and take time away from them. To me, they're the weak point of the show right now and they deserve the attention. I don't want the show to get overloaded with characters and then everyone suffers (I think of those shows with like a dozen regulars and cringe).
""And the mistakes are at least, the kind you can laugh at and not the kind that make you go, "oh god, they're ruining the show and are morons."" SO AGREE WITH YOU BRITTANY.
PLUS ALL SHOWS AND MOVIES MAKE MISTAKES, SOME JUST MAKE BIG MISTAKE AND SOME JUST MAKE SMALL ONE.
BRITTANY, I ALSO AGREE ABOUT THE NIKITA AND MICHAEL RELATIONSHIP. I ALSO CANT WAIT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST BETWEEN THEM AND WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE. " As long as their interactions continue to be written well and don’t turn either of them into lovesick puppies, the dynamic between these two – whatever it is – is going to remain interesting to watch. There’s no need to introduce anyone to complicate or muddle it " AND I ALSO AGREE WITH U ON MICHAEL AND PERCY RELATIONSHIP AND I ALSO AGREE ON REASON # 2 ABOUT SHANE WEST.
THE WRITERS ARE DEFENITLY HINTING THAT SOMETHING HAPPENED BETWEEN MICHAEL AND NIKITA:
THE FIRST EPISODE ON THE FIRST MISSION FLASHBACK MICHAEL SUPPOSEDILY SHOT NIKITA AND LATER ON IN THE EPISODE AT THE GOVERNMENT FOUDATION OR WHATEVER MICHAEL SAID " I WARNED U NOT TO GET EMOTIONALLY ATTACHED" AND NIKITA SAID "YOU MEAN THE WAY U DID WITH ME" AND MICHAEL MADE THAT FACE, SO PRECIOUS.
THE FOURTH EPISODE WITH THE FLASHBACK OF NIKTA AND MICHAEL FIGHTING IT LOOKED LIKE HE WANTED TO KISS HER AND ALSO WHEN NIKITA SAID HE IS SUCH A TEASE HE SMILED AND THEN HE CHANGED HIS EXPRESSION LIKE HE REMEMBERD THAT HE IS NOT SUPPOSE TO SMILE OR WHATEVER.
THEN IN THE FIFTH EPISODE WHEN NIKITA, MICHAEL AND PERCY WAS ON THE PHONE AND PERCY SAID " NIKITA UR EARS MUST BE BURNING, I WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT YOU WITH UR BOYFRIEND HERE" AND MICHAEL MADE THAT FACE WHEN PERCY SAID BOYFRIEND.
I JUST LOVE THIS SHOW, EVERYTHING ABOUT IT. I LOVE THE PLOT (FLASHBACKS, FIGHTING AND EVERYTHING) I ALSO LIKE BIRKOFF, I LOVE ALL THE CHARACTERS AND ACTOR/ACTRESSES.
CW NEEDS TO LEAVE NIKITA ALONE, THEY DONT NEED TO CHANGE UP/TWEAK ANYTHING!
I agree with everything you have said. But, i'm still hoping that Bones does improve. They have some episodes which are quite good and then the next one would be boring. But i've been watching since the beginning so i'm not going to give up on them yet.
My main issue with the CW is the fact that they're tring to make Nikita appeal to a younger audience. I'm 17 and i sure as hell don't want Nikita to change. There are way too many shows these days that are for teenagers and most of them are rubbish. I admit i watch some of them just because they are mind numbingly over the top and just fun to watch if you don't feel like something serious (i.e. Gossip girl and 90210) but that doesn't mean they are good. I watch them knowing they are bad. There are very few shows that i watch that i know are good and interesting. We need more shows like Nikita and House so, CW, don't turn Nikita into another part of the boring pop culture. I've had enough of girls fighting over guys. And i'm a girl!
And, another thing, i love Michael and Nikita's relationship (and especially Shane West, hey what can i say: i am a teenage girl!) but i have a bad feeling they're going to ruin it with Alex. Let Alex have Thom because i don't really care about them two.
Hi! I've watched all incarnations of Nikita, though I'll admit to not seeing much of the Canadian series (lack of opportunity + bit of a disappointment on the overall design of the show (I prefer an empty stage over poor production design; father's an architect)), but I do remember enjoying most of the cast. Though I remember Roy Dupuis from a French-Canadian series he did about a female doctor way back, I wasn't all that keen on his Michael (though, if i were to watch every episode that might change). I did like Tchéky Karyo's Bob… and apparently Shane West is aiming for a balance of the two (can't really remember Gabriel Byrne's take, but it's probably pretty close to Karyo's). And I've really liked West in earlier stuff he's done, so I was baffled as to all the negativity. He's *lovely*.
Supernatural is the only other show I'm interested in on the CW, so I can't really comment on the culture, but I like Nikita just the way it is. I even might prefer this Birkhoff to Birkoff from LFN (though, can't I have both?) Amanda is not Madeline, but on the other hand, I can't recall whether Moreau's Amande was as empty (have to rewatch, mmmm…. Jean-Hugues Anglade…).
You know, I really miss Matthew Ferguson (LFN's Birkoff). I remember looking him up a few years back and being surprised that he had essentially stopped acting. That was a real shame, because he was so good. At least Alberta Watson (Madeline) and Eugene Robert Glazer (Operations) turned up on 24. Though, unfortunately, not in the same scene. Or even season, I believe.
But yeah, I'll freely admit, Shane's version of Michael has grown on me by leaps and bounds. I still appreciate Roy's take, but I can't hate on Shane the way some are.
Matthew Ferguson's performance as Seymour Birkoff was to my recollection simply exquisite. He's actually the main reason I'm thinking of going back to LFN. Never saw much of 24, sorry.
I'm glad to hear it. As you wrote in your re-review, there are lots of subtleties to his performance (for instance the sheen to his eyes and the way he can't help staring at her while standing close to her and Percy in the pilot) and I personally have always felt drawn to such actors. Much as Jason Dohring's subtle performance in the pilot of Veronica Mars was my focus point.
Matthew was my favorite on the original series. Heck, he essentially played two characters at the end there without missing a beat. And you might like 24 – it's created by the same producers. It bombs out in the last year, but it's one of my favorite series.
Yeah, it took me time and some research to get what Shane was trying to do. I had only heard of him before this show (I hadn't even seen him in anything) so I wasn't at all familiar with his acting style. I had to go and find a few of his movies and study, and then I started to understand a lot better. He's really doing a lot with what isn't there, so if you don't pay attention, you miss it. I really enjoy that.
Nice article, Brittany and I couldn't agree with you more. I'm just in the crush stage of my relationship with Nikita. I'm just hoping the CW's tweaking doesn't keep me from falling completely in love.
Thank you! I couldn't agree with you more. I've finally come around to appreciating the show as is and would hate to see it go downhill now that I'm onboard.
Don't change anything, CW! I love it as it is. Lightening it and adding a love interest will only ruin it.
My thoughts exactly.
I could not agree more.. the one thing Maggie Q insisted on during Comic Con in SD is that the network has never done anything like this before. So why mess it up when its already perfect the way it is. C'mon CW you invested in the show so that you can have a variety in your shows… why turn it into Gossip Girl 2.0? There is so much more to cover this season and this tweak is quite ridiculous, I hope they don't go through this change cause they will definitely lose fans… despite being a HUGE Maggie Q fan, if this change happens, I won't tune in to see them waste her talent..
That's the Catch 22. They liked it because it was different, promoted it for its being different, and now they want to fit it into the CW mold? I don't get that.
Maggie is great. I loved her in Live Free or Die Hard, and even in the hilariously horrible Gen-Y Cops with Paul Rudd.
I really hope that they don't go through with this "tweak" ( like that'll happen ) It'a a good show and you're right; it's just now finding it's stride so, why mess with it's momentum? I am a huge fan of The Office and I miss watching that so that I can watch Nikita.. that.. says a lot. The CW isn't normally my t.v. station of choice.
haha I thought I was the only one who saw Gen-Y cops… I think I have most of the movies that Maggie has been in.. have you seen The Trouble Makers? that was hilariously horrible, gotta love it.
I'm glad you brought up The Office, because I'm so conflicted on that next week – Timothy Olyphant is guest-starring! But I'll have to DVR it because I always put the shows I cover first.
I have not seen that one. But I own Gen Y-Cops for the sheer hilarity of Paul Rudd's bad dye job.
Thank you for writing this. The CW needs to leave Nikita alone. Both my husband and I can watch it and enjoy it. Let the show find its stride this season. It's off to a great start.
It is, and I can't wait to see where it goes next, if it's allowed to keep its course.
CW, TEENAGERS ARE WATCHING NIKITA EESPECIALLY FEMALE TENNAGERS!
PLEASE LEEEEAAAAVVVEEE NIKITA ALONE!!!!!!! IF YOU DONT YOUR GOING TO RUIN IT AND LOSE FANS/VEIWERS! VAMPIRE DIARIES AND NIKITA ARE UR TOP SHOWS, SO STOP BEING GREEDY WITH NIKITA, ITS NOT LIKE NIKITA IS UR FIFTH BEST SHOW, NIKITA IS UR SECOND BEST.
So stupid… this show is perfect the way it is. It doesn't need any "tweaking."
You know what's funny? Nearly 99% of the people that DISLIKE this "tweak," are in the 18 – 34 demographic. I'm in that demographic, and this show is AMAZING just the way it is. It has a solid storyline, solid action sequences, and a great cast at that.
The CW wants to "tweak" it to add drama and humor to the show? For what? It already has both of those things. The drama is there – it just doesn't consume the show like all of the other CW shows do. The humor is there – it's just more of a dark-tone-like humor, than a kid-tone-like humor. And show always stay like that.
The USA TV series "La Femme Nikita" (1997 – 2001) with Peta Wilson, was a HUGE disappointment. It was a decent series, but it took away from the original film "La Femme Nikita" (1990) with Anne Paraulldi, and the American remake "Point of No Return" (1993), with Bridget Fonda. Those films were true ACTION/THRILLER films – with a tad bit of drama. The original series was a DRAMA. And the so-called action was lame. So many people loved it… but it sucked. It was in the spy genre… but yet, there was so much drama than anything else.
This new "Nikita," with Maggie Q, is AMAZING. Not only did they choose the right actress for the lead role (thank you God for not giving the role to Peta), the producers and writers of the show are staying loyal to the films. AS THEY SHOULD BE. This new "Nikita" is being done right. Don't screw it up just because you want it to make it like all of your other shows on the network. We have plenty of dramas, we don't need anymore.
Maggie Q is an amazing actress! She can kick-butt, and act. She does her own stunts… and performs well at that! This is Maggie Q's genre. And personally, if it turns into a drama, I think that would be a slap in the face to her and her acting career.
Honestly, out of all 4 Nikita's – both films, and both series – this new "Nikita" with Maggie Q is the BEST. PLEASE, I BEG OF YOU, DON'T RUIN THE ONLY GREAT SHOW IN THE SPY GENRE!!!
It sounds like you're driven by a strong dislike of the original series, almost as much as your enjoyment of this one. I'd caution you that a lot of us who love this "Nikita" are also big fans of the original "La Femme Nikita," myself included – which you yourself acknowledge.
As I said in response to your previous comment – you're sort of making my argument for me, though. You say that a spy series must be action-oriented and not a drama. That's putting an expectation on the show because of its genre. CW is putting an expectation on the show because of the network that it airs on. There's no reason that "Nikita" needs to be judged. It is a series with great action, dramatic tension, strong character development and, as you mentioned, dark humor. Why it needs to change to fit one person's (or network's) idea of what is right is beyond me.
Amen. I'd love to see a show that isn't already conceived with the expectation of a love interest. Those seem to be few and far between anymore.