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Nikita Season 1 Episode 17

Covenant

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Aired Friday 8:00 PM Apr 07, 2011 on The CW

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AIRED: Apr 07, 2011

9.5

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Episode Summary

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Michael shows up in Nikita's lair and tells her that he knows Alex is the mole. Michael threatens to tell Percy about Alex unless Nikita finds Kasim, the man who killed Michael's family, in the next 24 hours.

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Fan Episode Reviews (5)

Don't you just love the smell of revenge in the morning?

10

By Taccado, Mar 12, 2013

This episode made me think about a lot of things which surprise me about the whole show. Where did they get the writers? What's up with the frantic pace? Is this really on CW? But all of the these things only surprise me in a good way.

The episode again showed how solid the writing in this show is. There has been hardly any filler episodes during this season. In every episode something important happens which moves the story forward. I sure hope they don't run out of ideas with action packed episodes like this one. This time Nikita got an ultimatum from Michael to perform a mission in a certain amount of time. Nikita turned on Michael and demanded something back. Finally Michael got a part of his revenge, but it wasn't as sweet as he thought it would be. This episode played an important part in the overall story arch. The pace of the story was strong from the beginning to the end, as it has been for the whole season. This is unusual for most shows of this kind. Many other producers of a show would have left the major plot twist of this episode for another season.

Usually it is easy for an action show like Nikita to downplay the emotional aspect and just focus on mindless action. This is something you would expect especially from a show on the CW. Otherwise a perfectly good channel, but mostly known for the entertainment value on the expense of realism. While Nikita has its obvious question marks like many other action shows - like how an black-ops organization can go do its business undetected and with seemingly unlimited resources - it still manages to be quite realistic when it comes to events, time lines and emotional connections between people. This episode showed how these moments are given some time too, despite the time constraints of a 40 minute time slot.

The dialogue is also unusually strong for a show like this one. The characters don't blurt out the obvious one-liners, but there actually seems to have been some kind of thought process behind the writing to make the dialogue both realistic but also fittingly dramatic. The show as a whole might have it's many flaws. But it manages to overcome the low expectations set on its quality so well that it deserves credit for it.

Every now and then there are episodes of Nikita which might deserve only a 9. But this episode, as so many others, deserves a full 10.moreless
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It's about time!!

10

By honeydew52, Jun 22, 2011

This had to be one of my most favorite episodes to date if not my favorite. I don't even know where to begin. Michael figuring out that Alex was working with Nikita was just bound to happen and I'm quite happy it did. He blackmails Nikita into finding the man who murdered his family, Kassim so that he can kill him. And then that big twist that I did not see coming was just ridiculous. I was definitely shocked that Kassim was a division agent once and was working under the orders of Percy to kill Michael's family. Wasn't so suprised about Percy though...I figured that man's just about capable of anything now. So now Michael knows the truth and is working with Nikita to take Percy and division down. And I'm just about ecstatic that they finally got together...if we wanna call it that...we'll see next week. Now there's just so much to wonder about from this point.

Nikita kicked butt as always. I love how she loves Michael (its quite obvious) even though he does her wrong so many times. Michael has finally seen the light I can't wait to see him work out his vengeance piece by piece.

Oh yeah...I also love Alex and Nathan together. How she wants to be different and maybe be normal and feels that way when she's with him. I really hope she gets Division doesn't go and screw this up like with Nikita and Michael. This episode was AMAZING!! I cannot wait till next week. =)moreless
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An excellent episode!

10

By badaly, May 17, 2011

This episode was amazing. We finally find out what happened why Michael's family was murdered. I was not surprised Percy was behind it because he is the kind of person who doesn't stop until he gets what he wants. What he showed us until now, that he cares about Michael was only a smoke screen to keep him in line and manipulate him into doing was Percy wanted.

I am happy that from now on Nikita and Michael will be working together. I am curious to see how the writers will develop the script.

I am a little skeptic about Nathan. I don't know why but I have a feeling he is working for Devision; he was put there to keep an eye on Alex. She is too trusting, telling him she wants to leave. It is a bad move. I don't trust Nathan. He is too much what Alex want not to be Devision.

I liked the scene between Nikita and Ari. They are funny together and I want to see more of them.

Nikita kicked ass and she was awesome as always. I couldn't wait for the show to start again. 2 months hiatus was too long. This show is getting better and better with each episode.

I can't wait for more!!! I want to see more of Amanda also. Melinda Clarke is doing a wonderful job with the character. want more of her.moreless
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Covenants...

8.5

By AjMc91, May 17, 2011

Two month waits following cliffhangers really aren't nice. In the case of Nikita they may be even worse than usual given the action espionage nature of events. This week "Covenants" picked up where "Echoes" left off, with Michael coming face to face with Nikita in her loft after discovering that she and Alex have been playing Division since the beginning. I had been fairly intrigued to see where the writers were headed with this confrontation and had ran a scenario or two in my head prior to the episode airing, and after seeing "Covenants" I can arrive at only one conclusion: I shouldn't write TV, they're better at it than I am. The episode began with a flashback to the origins or Michael and Nikita's relationship and the creation of their obvious sexual tension. Flash forward to the present day and Michael's motivations for going after Nikita alone become clear; revenge against the man that killed his family. Michael blackmails Nikita into finding the Al-Qaeda terrorist so that he can kill him, various shady talks occur, and eventually Nikita ends up with her man. Ultimately a lot of people get shot and Michael is poised for revenge, when Tariq reveals why he killed our anti-hero's family; he works for Michael's boss. Dramatic music and longing stares lead to the formation of the inevitable alliance between Nikita and Michael, with the goal of bringing down Percy and Division. Alex has a few personal moments throughout the episode with her new beau Nathan as she contemplates running away from her gun-for-hire life and Nikita and Michael finally hook up after their pledge of vengeance. All in all "Covenants" didn't exactly blow me away like I was hoping that it would, but for the little show that could, Nikita has set itself up for a strong end to it's freshman year.moreless
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Michael seeks revenge for the murder of his family. Again.

9.0

By MovieMark, May 17, 2011

Picking up hot off the trails of ''One Way'' (01.09), ''Covenants'' pushes Michael's tragic back-story to the forefront once again, as well as his long and complicated history with Nikita.

The series continues to impress with plenty of meaty character development on offer and some terrific acting from everyone involved. I didn't even mind too much that Michael and Nikita finally got together in the end. The poor guy has been through so much (as with every character on this sadistic show), he was in desperate need of some spy lovin' anyways.

The stand-off between Michael and Nikita at the beginning of the episode set the mood perfectly, and the episode very rarely let up thereafter. I've mentioned it before, but when Michael comes across as an absolute prick (as he does here in spades), he's a much more tolerable and, oddly enough, sympathetic character to watch. I think it had a lot to do with the very real motions we've seen Nikita go through -- shutting off her emotions, letting nothing get in her way -- that lent Michael's crusade credibility. And, ya know, the shotgun didn't hurt either.

The big twist completely took me by surprise, although in retrospect, I should have seen it coming when Kasim used Nikita's satellite phone. It also made Michael's decision to work for Nikita from within Division all the more organic, and after 17 episodes, you'd be hard-pressed to accuse to writers of rushing this particular development. Speaking of Kasim, and double-agents, even though Alex has only one or two scenes in this episode, I am starting to get the feeling that there's something up with Nathan. My bet is that he's working for Amanda, and that this whole ordeal is yet another one of her tests. If that is the case, will Michael fess up and let her in on the secret? Either way she'll be devastated.

One of the show's many strengths is the ability to keep everything moving at a satisfying and believable pace. This, in part, is due to the various levels of recurring bad guys that infiltrate each episode. Gogul seems to be just as much a threat to Nikita as Division, the only difference being that Nikita doesn't carry any emotional baggage with her on missions against Gogul. But that's three strikes now, right? Ari Tasarov (played magnificently by Peter Outerbridge) promised to use an absurd amount of resources to hunt and track Nikita down. Is this gonna be the set-up for Season 2? With the way things are going, it looks as though the Division arc will be coming to a head come finale time. At the very least, a switch in power between Division and Gogul. Or possibly a merger? I'm excited to find out!

Everything has been set in motion for a serious showdown at the end of this season. Now that Alex and Michael are working for Nikita on the inside, they're closer than ever to retrieving Percy's precious black boxes and taking down Division for good. I really can't way to see where this show takes me next. It's proving to be one hell of a ride!moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

EDIT

Tiffany Hines	Jaden
Aaron Stanford	Birkhoff
Lyndsy Fonseca	Alex
Maggie Q	Nikita
Melinda Clarke	Amanda
Shane West	Michael

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Haaz Sleiman	Kasim Tariq	Guest Star
Dani Jazzar	Al Qaeda #1	Guest Star
Lukas Penar	Pavel	Guest Star
Peter Outerbridge	Ari Tasarov	Recurring Role
Thad Luckinbill	Nathan	Recurring Role

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Episode Photos

Devon Sawa as Owen on Nikita from the ep...

© 2011 The CW
Shane West as Michael and Maggie Q as Ni...

© 2011 The CW
Shane West as Michael and Maggie Q as Ni...

© 2011 The CW
Shane West as Michael and Maggie Q as Ni...

© 2011 The CW

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (0)
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QUOTES (4)
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- Michael: I'm going to go into his office, and I'm gonna shoot him.
  Nikita: If Percy goes down, this country will never recover. Do you remember telling me that?
  Michael: I don't care.
  Nikita: I don't believe you, because you're stronger than that. You're the strongest person I've ever met. You do the things that other people won't do. You sacrifice and you dedicate your life to people you know are innocent. I don't think you're capable of not caring.
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- Nikita: We will find the rest of the black boxes and then we will kill Percy. And he will not be able to do this to anyone ever again.
  Michael: I lied to you. I didn't get the locations. I was coming here to...double cross you.
  Nikita: Well...you didn't.
  (she walks away)
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- Nikita: This isn't about money.
  Kasim: So then it is personal. Vengeance can sometimes be justified. You look like someone with faith.
  Nikita: Oh, I don't know about that. Although, I do recall praying for the day when I would find your elusive ass.
  Kasim: And were your prayers answered the way you thought they would be?
  (Nikita says nothing)
  Kasim: Maybe you've been praying to the wrong person, Nikita.
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- Nikita: I don't believe it. Birkhoff has all those computers but he couldn't figure out that my seduction target isn't into women?
  Michael: When did you figure it out?
  Nikita: When I realized that he was paying more attention to you than he was to me.
  Michael: I do make an excellent honey trap.
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NOTES (3)
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- Although credited, Tiffany Hines (Jaden), Aaron Stanford (Birkhoff), and Melinda Clarke (Amanda) do not appear in this episode.
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- Featured Music:
  "Cosmic Love" by Florence + The Machine
  "El Nur" by Soulico
  "Shadows" by Warpaint
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- Original International Air Dates:
  Canada: Thursday, April 7, 2011 on A
  United Kingdom: Wednesday, July 20, 2011 on Sky LIVING/Sky LIVING HD
  Czech Republic: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 on TV Nova
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ALLUSIONS (0)
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