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3.13 Beyond the Pale

Nikita: "How long do you think we'll stay here?"
Michael: "Not long enough."

Yes, it was a trick, much like what they did to smoke out Philo. But I sure wanted it to be real. I wanted Michael to decide it was time to go, and take Nikita with him. (But then the show would be over, so I sort of take that back.) At least they got to play house again, like in "Psychic Pilgrim." But this time, it was almost for real.

There were clues throughout that it was a set-up:

(1) Considering what we know about Michael, it was unlikely he would leave Section in a fit of pique because he didn't get the promotion he wanted.

(2) Why would Michael hole up in one place and wait to get caught? Made no sense... unless he wanted to get caught. If Michael really wanted to escape Section, I'm certain he could figure out a way to do it right.

(3) Nikita stayed at the farmhouse instead of trying to find Michael. She would only do that if Michael told her to do it. Right?

Zalman was evil fun; he was certainly a three-dimensional character. He said he was briefed about Michael and Nikita's relationship. By whom, I wonder? He told Michael, "Love? You? I find that very hard to believe." He also called Nikita a second rate blonde whore. Those Red Cell guys. Not too perceptive.

Anyway, forget the plot. The big question is, did Michael and Nikita make love at the farmhouse? Of course they did. When Nikita woke up, she did the patented Scarlett O'Hara yawn, stretch, and smile. And in the end, when they had dinner together, she told him, "You know, it can't be casual between you and me. Can't do that." Can't just have sex on the occasional mission, Michael. Nikita wants more.

This episode worked for me because I loved the idea of Michael and Nikita loyal only to each other, and opposed to Section. In the truck, Michael told Nikita, "I don't need you. I want you." This was my favorite Michael moment, because ploy or no ploy, he clearly meant it. Michael is so taciturn that an "I want you" is like a violent declaration of love. At the very least, it was an emotional move in Nikita's direction. About freaking time.

Bits and pieces, and I have a lot of them:

-- For those of you not up on Gone with the Wind, the morning after Rhett carried Scarlett up the stairs, Scarlett woke up alone. She yawned and stretched and wow, did she smile. She even giggled.

-- Zalman tortured Walter. Shithead.

-- When did Michael have time to buy a farmhouse? Will we ever see it again?

-- Nikita must have thought their escape was real at first, because of the way she left Walter and the conversation in the truck. So when did the important off-camera conversation take place? Did Michael tell her in the car? When they were in bed, perhaps?

-- The farmhouse appeared to have no electricity. Except for the record player.

-- Operations again showed respect toward Walter, which always feels odd to me. And he gave Walter a crystal to "relieve the pain of life," along with a month off.

-- The field router looked too much like a large, cheap television remote.

-- The Devos were back. According to the deleted scene, Michael's torture was faked. (No cuts under his eyes, either.) Why not Walter's? Couldn't Operations have told Walter on the QT to fake it?

-- What happens to the chief strategist job now? Is it still open? Will Michael get it?

-- Roy Dupuis owns an old farmhouse, and cooking is one of his hobbies. They gave Michael a little of Roy here. The music was in French, too.

-- We saw Nikita in bed twice. Interesting sleepwear.

-- Cancelled scene: Birkoff and Walter are watching Michael and the Devos on screen. Instead of torturing him, they're giving him water and spritzing fake sweat on his face.

Quotes:

Walter: "What you lookin' at, sugar?"
Nikita: "Just the best part of my day."

Nikita: "I didn't realize you had such talent in the kitchen, Michael."
Michael: "There's still a lot of things you don't know about me. Maybe it's time you learned."
Gee, what else is he keeping secret? Does he have another wife stashed somewhere?

Zalman: "You can assure Operations I will find Michael and Nikita."
Madeline: "That's not a good sign, using a third party to mediate communications. It's an indication of instability."

Zalman: "Don't tell me about the labor pains, okay? Just show me the baby."

Madeline: "It took me nine hours to figure out. I could have used that time elsewhere."
Operations: "I actually factored in ten hours. As usual, you exceeded my expectations."
He should have told her. What if she had had Michael killed, or tortured for real?

Loved this one. Four out of four stars,

Billie





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