Episode 101 - Nikita

Step right up ladies and gentleman to your introduction to the wonderful world of Section. It is their job to get the terrorists that other lesser mortal agencies cannot. In essence, their job is: to save the world from outside threats even at the expense of their own lives. At least that is what they are supposed to do. Operatives choose to blur the lines when they want, as you shall see. They are experts at bending the rules, manipulation and amongst other things to get their way.

Michael's first appearance in the episode he gives us our first save. The memorable Plot 8 row 30 speech is the first Section Wake Up Call Attempt. Michael quickly outlines what Nikita's life has been reduced to and what her options are. Her life has become a simple choice of comply or die. Simple enough to grasp I believe but as we all know Nikita can be stubborn about things as she proves later on in the episode and requires several more SWUCAs.

Now for the first Section politics save we have Michael up at bat yet again can't keep a good man down. Michael's conversation with Operations has Michael placing himself on the line for Nikita. First off he wanted to let her have more training time. Something we find out is not tolerated in Section, its sink or swim here (Can you hear the Jaws music playing, I can). As Operations proves with his next command to terminate Nikita. Ah there goes the big bad shark ready to gobble up poor little guppy Nikita but wait what is this I see the white knight fisherman, Michael, saves Nikita from the jaws of death by putting his own life on the line for her.

Nikita get the first Elaborate Mission Save for not following a direct order from Michael to shoot the bellhop. She believed him to be an innocent and of course at this time she could not pull the trigger because she did not have it in her to do so thereby putting her life on the line. I can understand this hesitation they can train you to shoot but the real thing must be harder to achieve for a girl who has not killed before. Yet this lack of action on her part unknowingly endangers Michael's life in Section as well. And this save is standard for Nikita when it concerns innocents that she can save even if it goes against Section policy.

Next Michael delivers the ultimate SWUCA with the Stand! Speech! Which I must admit would have gotten me out of my chair! Now you know as well as I do that Michael must have been doing some creative and fancy Section Politics Save dance behind the scenes to save Nikita from being cancelled.

In the mission to capture Van Vactor we have several saves take place. First we have an Elaborate Mission Save on Nikita's part when she relinquishes her weapon to save Stan's life. She also does not cave in to Van Vactor's demands for information. Good for her! Her mega attitude to Van Vactor's questioning was great.

We have another Elaborate Mission Save from Michael who breaks position by leaving the van as we know the tactical operative is not supposed to leave his post but Michael does. He also makes that dramatic entrance which personally I love and shoots the baddies and saves Nikita.

Yet the final save is Nikita's and the one that I believe exacted the most emotionally and spiritually. In order to save Michael she kills someone for the first time. Ironically it is the bellhop that she refused to kill before but obviously Michael means more to her than the other man's life. This is the best and saddest save in the episode for it is the first Love Save. For love of Michael she commits an act that she previously would never have done which says a lot for how Nikita's future saves will be in the future.

 Michael attempts a Section Politics Save when it appears that Nikita maybe falling for Chandler. He tells Operations and Madeline that perhaps they should tell Nikita the truth about Chandler. The dynamic twisted duo quickly shoots down that suggestion.

Next we have the slightly tweaked Cinderkita coming home from her romantic date with Chandler to find a dark and brooding Michael ready to burst her bubble and bring her back to Planet Section with a resounding thud, courtesy of a SWUC. I am sure part of this maneuver was masking the jealousy that Michael felt towards Chandler but that is a whole different issue. The best part is the "Get rid of the cat" Speech. All you animal lovers out there must have been flabbergasted, I knew I was. I’ll never look at my pets the same way again. Thanks, Michael. Perhaps she can get a parakeet or a fish! No pets allowed for Section Operatives.

Michael gets a SWUCA from Operations the "Whatever it takes" pertaining to Nikita sleeping with Chandler. It seems Operations knew Michael would find those orders hard to swallow. Operations repeated himself, showing that he knows Michael's emotional thought processes pretty well. Interesting isn’t it?

Although he tried to save her from the knowledge that Chandler was peddling children, with an Emotional Save when he tried to keep her from interrogation. Well we all know our girl is too stubborn for that or she was sticking it to Michael you choose! Now Michael has to employ Section Logic Save to rationalize why they did not tell her everything about Chandler.

Now the next save to me was unreal. Nikita arrives looking like a wild child and causes Chandler to drop the lighter with a well-placed kick. I was wondering what was in the girl’s head. As a matter of fact I am still wondering if anyone out there would wish to clarify it for me. She did this an attempt of an EMS to save the kids. But she is damn lucky that Michael reacted so quickly and drove the kids away.

Yet another SWUCA for Nikita administered by Operations for killing Chandler.

Now as for the last scene I have issues. I have no clue as to why Michael is apologizing to Nikita surrounding the whole Chandler debacle. I guess he was going for the Emotional Save. And she blames him too. Michael uses the infamous Section Logic line that will be a mantra in seasons to come: "I do what I have I have to do. We all do."

Oh and shall I touch upon the hand movement and the gun and the kiss! Oh my! That girl has A) nerves of steel B) crazy, I can’t believe she did it and he is just A) simply insane B) extremely controlled C) the master manipulator of the ages.

 Personally one of my favorites episodes but not much going on in the save zone.

Nikita blows her cover by calling Michael by name as she tears off to attempt to save the people dying in the building an EMS on her part, but to no avail. Michael follows and gives her yet another SWUCA about their mission with the gas masks on. Plus an accidental Mission Save of Perry Bauer occurs as a result of Nikita’s mistake.

Next Michael has to employ Section Logic Save to explain to Nikita why Section allowed the gas to be released after Nikita had told Walter about it. He tells her "Not to go there" in response to the "What kind of butcher do we work for?" its also emotional save for there are much darker parts to Section that she has yet to experience. For Michael does not elaborate for I am sure he has some stories that would make your hair stand on end.

Ooh the next scene is that lovely dance scene. THUD! Hold on I am back. When Michael saves her from sleeping with Bauer it’s a combo sandwich of Love, emotional and TMPS hold mayo save. Because you know Madeline and Operations don’t give a jot if she slept with Bauer or not just as long as the mission is a success but Michael knows Nikita would be far from happy and I don’t wish to venture as to what Bauer’s bedroom habits would entail.

Nikita get a Mission Save for finding the gas and saving all the people in train station. Madeline at the end gives the killer shades of gray theory playing the Section Logic Save when explaining to Nikita why Bauer is allowed to live. Nikita shows great restraint by not blowing Bauer’s brains out. I guess she is learning.

 Let’s just get out of the way how heartbreaking this episode is on Michael’s part and to a lesser degree Nikita’s anguish. We all knew something was dreadfully off when the episode opens and in the first five minutes Michael gets not one but two Section Wake Up Call Attempts from Operations. One during the briefing and one after it was amazing. Had me speechless that Operations was telling Michael he was too emotionally attached. Perhaps in a way he was trying to save Michael from some pain but I can’t give Operations that much credit. Yet then again I wouldn’t know the first thing about untwisting the labyrinth that exists in Operations head. So lets give him the benefit of the doubt.

Nikita has an Emotional Save when she pulls Michael away from JB to prevent him from shooting the boy. Boy, did Michael loose his icy calm in this episode. Nikita is there for Michael in this episode and does an EMS with an Emotional Save twist save for telling Michael that Simone is still alive. I have to give the girl mega credit here for telling him for she could have lost the man she loves if things had turned out differently. This is where not being a Section Rules girl kicks in because if she would have followed procedure she never would have said a word about Simone’s presence in Sparks hell cell.

Nikita yet again saves Michael in a Mission Save by shooting the baddie that would have shot him during his tender reunion with Simone. Yet the ultimate Love Save comes from the lady, Simone herself when she sacrifices herself to take out Sparks and the remaining Operatives of Glass Curtain. We can see that Michael picks ladies with strength, courage and determination for that lady looked like she had been through the wringer and then some. Then his other lady pulls him away when it becomes apparent that to rescue Simone would be impossible yet another Emotional Save/Mission Save on her part.

In the final act we see Nikita performing a Soul Save by asking Michael out to coffee for we all now the girl did it to console the boy and listen to anything he wanted to say.

***

Definitions:

MS: Mission Save
EMS: Elaborate Mission Save
TMPS: Twisting the Mission Profile Save
SPS: Section Politics Save
SWUCA: Section Wake Up Call Save
LS: Love Save
SS: Soul Save
SLS: Section Logic Save

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