TV review: Nikita season 1 episodes 1 - 3

I was excited when I saw the ad on Fox8 about this show, not that I heard positive reviews or such, but simply because all the shows I was watching were in hiatus (now, they're all going to be coming back this year so I guess I have no reason to complain anymore, hehe..)

The premise is of a rogue agent out for revenge against the secret organisation who "created" her. Reminds me of Alias a bit (I miss seeing Jennifer Garner on the small screen) but we'll see how it goes..

The first episode didn't really convert me into a fan.. It was so-so, which was disappointing because how can you hook fans if the 1st episode gets a lukewarm reaction? I didn't feel connected with the main character, Nikita, even though I really wanted to because I love Maggie Q.. I love it that she's doing her own stunts and she really looks amazing. I guess the character is a bit robotic, in a sense, or maybe it's just the dialogue.

I also wasn't too thrilled with Shane West as Michael.. I dunno, something about seeing him smirk or frown or just plain seeing him didn't sit well with me.. I wish he'd do more than just act tough or cocky, I get irritated when he does it, haha.. I guess, I am comparing him with Vaughn (played by Michael Vartan in Alias) who was Sydney's handler. Shane West's Michael trains the new recruits so it was easy for me to identify him as sort of their handler. He knows that Division is no longer one of the "good guys" so I guess it would be nice to see some internal struggle going on with Michael.. Sadly, it's hinted at, but I just don't see it.. They told the new recruits that they're working for the government but Michael's over-all vibe is that of a bad guy.. It doesn't make sense. In fairness to his character, he was naive enough to volunteer information that would help Nikita in her quest to bring Division down. He did tell Nikita that killing Percy would just eliminate all proof of cover-ups and illegal activities that Division has been doing since it began.

Alex (Lyndsy Fonseca) was a breath of fresh air, she's really pretty (I kept asking myself where I saw her from when it hit me that she's Ted Mosby's future daughter in HIMYM, not sure if she's going to still make guest appearances on that show, I hope so..) and I hope she does good with this because it was revealed that she's the mole working with Nikita right on the first episode (I was thinking that they'd keep us all in suspense for a bit longer but they didn't).

Because I get insanely loyal to shows I still watch even if I don't know why I spend time watching them (cue in Two & a Half Men), I decided to give this another go..

Episode 2: Alex goes on her first mission but for a covert organisation, they sure don't give their agents aliases (for fear of reminding people of Alias?!). Granted that all information and background about the Division's recruits have been deleted from the system, still, why risk sending their agents on a mission with their real names? Hmm.. Anyway, the 2nd episode still didn't do it for me..

Oh well, on to episode 3..

Episode 3: They should have made the title "Gold Star" instead of "Kill Jill", haha.. Alex "earned" it from Nikita and then from Michael, so I'm just sayin'..

Anyway, finally! Some action and story and sense.. A freelance journalist has a source who saw what happened on a plane crash site before a forest fire conveniently burned all the evidence (courtesy of Division minions).

I loved the fight scene between Michael & Nikita.. I also enjoyed the subterfuge Alex had to employ to assist Nikita from the inside. I was also finally glad that they've pinpointed Birkhoff as the possible mole in the organisation. Man, are they slow or what? For an evil covert group, they're really starting to annoy me.. Why didn't they do a full body search on Birkhoff when he got back after a face-to-face with Nikita?! He said that he's been debriefed by Percy (the boss) himself.. Did Percy not consider what Nikita would want with their head IT guy?! Seriously?! Like Nikita would kidnap the tech guy and not do something to him?! Or like Nikita would grab the tech guy and then just send him back to the organisation she's going to bring down without using him to help her win in her fight?! 

I dunno.. Division is stupid, I think, LOL!

Another Division op foiled and they're no closer to finding the mole because they thought they got rid of a transmitter that Nikita placed on Birkhoff. Now Alex and Nikita would have to think of something else to draw attention away from her.

For my part, I think that Birkhoff is secretly working with Nikita. He says he owns their computer system and yet Alex and Nikita can still communicate via encrypted chat using a computer terminal within Division. How can Birkhoff not know that? Unless it means that Alex is much more computer savvy than Birkhoff, which I think is unlikely.. The chip found on him might be a decoy but I still think that he is Nikita's second set of eyes within Division without Alex knowing about it.. He did yell out that there's a new target that prompted Alex to initiate a fight against Jaden that would bring her closer to the operations room and see who the target is..

All in all, I'm happy I stuck with the show.. Hoping for more good episodes to come.. Til then!