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3.8 Outside the Box Nikita: "Suppose I was framed in the first place because they wanted me here?" Poor Kruger. He was just a ne'er-do-well with a genetic mutation that Section happened to need, and that's it for the guy, for the rest of his life. Kruger was very appealing -- Elvis hairdo, broken tooth, big brown eyes, the works. The parallels to what happened to Nikita three years ago immediately jumped out at me, as well as to Nikita. Was Nikita recruited in the same way? What did homeless little Nikita have that Section needed so badly? It certainly wasn't anything as specific as a photographic memory. It's been three years since they recruited her, as Michael so helpfully pointed out, and they've treated her as expendable so many times; it made zero sense. Except in the end, Operations and Madeline confirmed that it was true. (Operations: "She wants to know why she's really here." Madeline: "It was inevitable.") Nikita often treats Michael as her closest ally, but other times, usually when someone else is involved, she has trouble trusting him and treats him like Section management (i.e., the enemy). This time, she relented halfway through and asked him to cover for her. Was it a mistake? Was it Michael who had Scarface cancelled? I think Michael will readily bend the rules for Nikita, but rarely for anyone else. He may have decided that it was better for Nikita not to know the truth about herself. Who knows? It's part of the eternal mystery that is Michael's brain. And finally, the Antichrist, Greg Hillinger, returned and was still true to form. In his quest to secure a place for himself, Hillinger caused the senseless sacrifice of Birkoff's cute new assistant, Tatyana. As Bugs would say, he's dethpicable. And clearly, there to stay for awhile. Gee. I sense that this particular working relationship isn't going to work out. Who will win? I'll put my money on Birkoff, and not just because he's part of the cast. Hillinger may be smarter, but Birkoff is more flexible. You could say he thinks outside the box. Bits and pieces: -- "Shadow recruitment" appears to mean that after the job, you're free. Not for Kruger, though. I never expected Section to let Kruger go, but I was mildly surprised when he made it to the end of the episode alive... unlike Tatyana and Scarface. -- Wait a minute. Three years? Hasn't it been four or five for us? Section time isn't like regular time. -- The violets Tatyana gave Birkoff were my choice for this week's Most Obvious Symbolism. They were pretty but unimportant, out of place in Section and in need of care, much like Tatyana. -- Does Section deliberately give Birkoff cute little assistants as sexual playmates, like Tatyana and Gail? Is that one way they keep him happy and content? It would make sense. -- I wonder how much of the flashback bits they got from the pilot, and how much they had to re-film. -- Close quarters standby was suspended for four hours for Nikita's Belgrade sim. Only four? Another confirmation that Section is in Europe. Quotes: Kruger: "I didn't realize they could pile that much crap on a bar stool." An oldie, but a goodie. Kruger was very likeable. Nikita: "So we just took him off the street? An innocent man? Do we do this kind of thing often, Michael?" Michael: "No. Not often." Nikita: "We have to treat each other like human beings." Scarface: "Even in Section?" Nikita: "Especially in Section." Birkoff: "Someone's running a piggyback on one of my programs." Another mention of piggybacking. Very good. Three out of four stars, Billie |
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