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4.11 Time To Be Heroes Nikita: "Do you think they'll make it?" Michael: "No." Yes, they've played house in the past, but this time, Michael and Nikita got to play Section. They were assigned to train their own little squad of Section Muppet Babies. Something didn't feel quite right about the whole situation, but I was still surprised when the battle turned into a bloodbath suicide mission. Operations and Madeline were obviously still furious with Michael. What Nikita did in "No One Lives Forever" probably didn't endear her to them, either. Abeyance operatives are too valuable for bait, huh? Since when? Plus, none of these kids were convicted murderers. Claire and Neal were unlucky enough to be mission collateral, but the other three were taken right out of their lives. (Well, okay, Darwin and Jasmine were possible incipient terrorists, but they hadn't done anything yet.) I noticed that Claire looked and acted exactly like Nikita did when she joined Section, which emphasized how very much Nikita has changed during the course of the series. Darwin was the smart mouth, written to create interpersonal conflict. Trent was supposed to be Birkoff-like. Jasmine was the most professional; she was born to be an agent. Poor Neal was just a nice guy, which might be why he died. Having the kids decide on their own to go rescue Michael and Nikita edged into improbable, but was still a lot of fun to watch. Imprisoned by Crystal Sky and chained to their chairs, Michael and Nikita thought they were about to die together. Michael took Nikita's hand and looked into her eyes, and that was it. (Interestingly enough, Nikita didn't look back at him.) I don't know, Michael. Professing undying love would have been nice. I know, out of character, but still, you know, dying and all. This episode was another season four departure from formula. It even felt like a spin-off, a dark version of "21 Jump Street." I don't think it would have worked, though, because what I liked most about it was seeing Section from such a different perspective. I really enjoyed the way the kids reacted to our regular characters. Darwin called Nikita neutered and said she had a "Joan of Arc complex." And I loved his opinion of Michael. "That man is in thundering need of an attitude adjustment. Get him laid. At least he'd crack a smile. I can't hear what he's saying half the time." (imitating Michael's monotone) "Pass. The sugar." Bits and pieces: -- Davenport was back and acting semi-human this time. He showed displeasure at not being permitted to rescue Michael and Nikita from Crystal Sky. -- Madeline called the Section Eight training facility "The Farm," just like the CIA. Loved the sets. -- The firing range targets were metal. I know, no paper, but wasn't this going a bit too far? Wouldn't metal targets be expensive to create and difficult to dispose of? -- Since they thought Nikita was neutered and Michael needed to get laid, the kids were obviously unaware that there was clandestine foot rubbing going on. And by the way, Operations and Madeline said they were giving Michael and Nikita time to be alone together, and all we got was a foot rub. I feel cheated. -- Roy Dupuis again had small bruises on his hands. -- The musical score was extreme. I liked it. -- The surviving squad of four were to be fully trained and then assigned to "no contest missions," i.e., missions with a less than five percent success rate. In other words, suicide missions. That's sad. Of course, if this was intended to be a spin-off, I'm sure they would beat the odds every week. -- What would happen with Michael's "insurance" if he had died on this mission, or on any mission? Would Adrian just be forgotten? If so, why doesn't Operations just order cancellation for Michael again, instead of trying to kill him so indirectly? -- This week's Most Obvious Symbolism was Claire's pink lollipop. A doll or a tricycle would have been too obvious. Quotes: Madeline: "This way, Michael and Nikita can get their fix, spending time together." Before their premature deaths, anyway. Darwin: "When do we get to kick some ass?" Michael (taps him with two fingers and knocks him over): "When you're ready." This was very funny visually. Doesn't translate well to print. Claire: "You heard the relic. We're satellite tagged." Trent: "I'd like to buy another vowel, please." I actually didn't like this episode much the first time I saw it, but it seriously improved on acquaintance and I loved it the second time. Three out of four stars, Billie |
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