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La Femme Nikita

Nikita

Season 1, Episode 1, Aired Jan 13, 1997

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9.0

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Nikita, a girl living on the streets, is accused of a murder she did not commit and sentenced to life in prison. After the government arranges to fake her suicide, Nikita wakes up at Section One, a top-secret agency that aims to train her to become an anti-terrorist operative. Nikita wants to resist, but in order to stay alive, she has no choice but to comply with their plans. Can she survive as an operative and retain her soul?moreless

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Cast & Crew

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GUEST STAR
Bill MacDonald

Giddion Van Vactor
GUEST STAR
Jasper Cole

Detective
GUEST STAR
Ric Reid

Stan

Roy Dupuis

Michael Samuelle
Matthew Ferguson

Seymour Birkoff
Peta Wilson

Nikita
Don Francks

Walter
Eugene Robert Glazer

Paul "Operations" Wolfe
Alberta Watson

Madeline

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Fan Episode Reviews (4)

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Great beginning what really builds a story and gives everything so that you would want to continue watching this show.

8.6

"Great"

By Parricida, Sep 12, 2007

I remembered other day that many many years ago I used to watch this show - not so regularly but I did followed it as long as it was aired in local tv channel (I think they never finished it because the channel was closed). And in some weird reason I wanted to remember the old times and see it again - so I did a little research and the result is - I can see it again.

For me, as I think I have never seen the beginning, it was special. I got where the story came, what it is all about - who she was before she ended up in Section 1. And after those years.. many many years.. I did not remember anything but I only needed some first minutes to have all those omg moments - was this really from here? I remember that face.. Really enjoyable emotion.

The story itself is very well built - there are action, physiological tension, dilemmas - all the things you expect from this serie. Great peformances, tempo. I am only waiting just to see more.moreless
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Fast forward through two years of training (montage and all)...sexy fight scene in a short skirt...Nikita's first kill.

7.0

"Good"

By swingthesickle, Nov 24, 2006

From its simple one word title (every episode in the first season has a one word title) to the focus on character rather than action as in the ending shot, which was a close-up of Nikita's eyes seemingly staring right at you, the viewer, Nikita set the stage for an incredibly deep, creative show. Premiering just two months before another favorite television heroine, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, La Femme Nikita set the standard high. Created by the two guys who went on to create 24, Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, if you have not seen Nikita yet, you can imagine Nikita as Jack Bauer without the annoying 24-hour plot device. Yes, Nikita was a low-budget show, but in the end, that worked to the show's advantage: instead of big flashy special effects the writers actually had to deliver creative episodes.

The introduction and first act were somewhat disorienting. Two years, what easily could have filled two seasons, was crammed into the first ten minutes of the episode. This episode was somewhat terrorist-plot-of-the-week-y, but the real purpose of the episode was to introduce the characters and establish the series' basis. Madeline's office is a complete contrast with the rest of the Section. I loved Operations ominous stare from his nest. I may be reading into it, but who thinks there is some kind of symbolic significance to Nikita's obsession with sunglasses?

Eyes were important in this episode. The extreme close-up was used often and really fits with the show's deep examination of character. You cannot look away from the reflection of Nikita's eyes in the mirror as Madeline tells her "There is no weapon as powerful as your femininity." During "dinner," Nikita's eyes peek out from underneath bangs in an absolutely entrancing manner. Peta Wilson's facial expressions do the acting in this scene. She expresses a gamut of emotions from giddy to surprised to outraged with her facial expressions. She is met by Michael's unwavering stare.

Nikita's femininity extends beyond just using her feminine wiles to distract bad guys. She gives a feminine touch even to the action sequences. Nikita's gun fight in the restaurant was downright graceful. It will also help her empathize and prevent her from killing in cold blood like the Section wants. She has a strong personality that will fight for what is right amongst the morally ambiguous Section. Her first kill is protecting Michael, but still she struggles with it. Although the plot is weak, the pilot does a good job introducing us to Nikita and the Section. Most pilots fall into this trap, so I'll go easy on Nikita and give it a 7 out of 10.

-Matthew Miller
Find this review and more at tv.swingthesickle.commoreless
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How they can begin a series based on two films (the original french movie and mostly in the american movie remake)? This episode plot runs across all the story of the films condensed in the first half hour, making it difficult to comprehend for the newbimoreless

7.5

"Good"

By yon_demon, Dec 26, 2005

Beginning I like this series and the movies it is based on, I don't understand the way the producers make the plot resume the trainning of Nikita in half hour, prepparing the characters for a "normal" situation to do auto-conclusive episodes : the reason for which Nikita is processed and enlisted in the Section One is told in a strange openning secuence (she is the murder or not, what the hell happens?), she beggins the trainning in an easy way (she doesn't doubts about Section One?), the rest of characters aren't traced and she is quickly set on an appartment where she live for the rest of the series (almost first seasons).moreless
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Femme Fatale

9.1

"Superb"

By maxpower03, Oct 25, 2005

An absolutely excellent start to the show, the pilot for La Femme Nikita does almost everything right. It has great acting, great action scenes and an interesting storyline

The pilot sees a young runaway get framed for the murder of a cop. She is abducted just before she is supposed to start her jail term by Section One, a covert anti-terrorist group, who train her to be a deadly agent. Her first mission is to bring in a deadly terrorist.

The series becomes awesome as soon as it begins, with the intercut scenes of Nikita in her last days of being a runaway and the later scene of her being strapped to a table in the mysterious White Room, screaming for help. It's a powerful scene and excellently shot.

The highlight of the episode is the restaurant scene. Peta Wilson plays Nikita's hesitance to kill extraordinarily well and the action scene where she has the gun fight with the terrorists in the kitchen is awesome.

The acting is excellent throughout. Peta Wilson has a unique beauty and it's amazing how much evolution goes through the character of Nikita throughout the pilot. It's almost like somebody fast-forwarded her, turning her from the shy, weary abandoned girl in the opening scenes into a kick-ass, take-no-prisoners action heroine at the end.

The supporting cast is also impressive. Roy Dupuis' understated and tense performance as Michael is one of the highlights of the episode and Alberta Watson does well in the short amount of time she appears.

An excellent pilot which puts all the elements together for the rest of the series and doesn't need improving in any way.moreless
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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (0)
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QUOTES (11)
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- Nikita: (About the wrong information she was given) You knew?
  Michael: We had to see if you could improvise. Did you get the PDA?
  Nikita: Why didn't you tell me this was a job, instead of pretending?
  Michael: No matter what state of mind you're in, you have to be able to perform.
  Nikita: You're sick. You don't want a person, you want a machine. I can't do that.
  Michael: You just did.
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- Operations: (to Michael, who wants to give Nikita more time) If she fails, you fail.
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- Madeline: (To Nikita) We're family now, Nikita.
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- Nikita: I didn't, I didn't, I didn't kill anyone!
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- Operations: Michael, about Nikita.
  Michael: What about her?
  Operations: I've been watching her. She lacks discipline.
  Michael: She needs a little more time.
  Operations: It's been two years, that's our policy. We start making exceptions we're no better than the CIA.
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- Nikita: I can't do what you want me to do.
  Michael: Mistakes are not an option.
  Nikita: I can't pull the trigger.
  Michael: Why not?
  Nikita: Because I'm not who you think I am. I'm not a killer.
  Michael: The moment I believe that, Nikita, you're canceled.
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- Michael: (fending off Nikita's attack easily) When you attack someone from behind, go for the kidneys. It disables, and they can't fight back. Consider that your first lesson.
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- Madeline: Look at yourself. Admire yourself. See your beauty. You can learn to shoot. You can learn to fight. But there's no weapon as powerful as your femininity.
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- Michael: Your codename is Josephine.
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- Michael: Section One is the most clandestine organization on the planet. It's our job to bring down the criminals and terrorists that no one else can get.
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- Madeline: I'm Madeline. They are Section One. They own you now.
  Nikita: Didn't know I was for sale.
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NOTES (3)
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- This was in fact the third episode filmed, because Joel Surnow wanted the actors to feel comfortable with one another right from the beginning.
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- This episode actually follows the plot of the movie La Femme Nikita in several aspects, such as the first visit by Michael to Nikita in the white room, and her mission in the restaurant. In fact, some of the footage from the restaurant scene was reused from the American remake of the film, Point of No Return.
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- Music Used In This Episode: "Revenge" - Thrive (Nikita on the street) "Big Mistake" - Chainsuck (Nikita training montage) "3AM" - Tristan Psionic (shootout by the ambulance) "All to Myself" - Philosopher Kings (as Nikita decorates her apartment) "Blood Red" - Rose Chronicles (as Nikita burns the photo of her funeral)
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