Rewatching ‘Nikita’: “Pilot”

“As a newer segment on WhatSamWatches, I’ll be rewatching shows and movies just because I feel like it. The first time I watched Nikita, it’d already gone off the air. But I distinctly remember seeing the promos when I watched Smallville. So when I saw it in my Netflix recommendations, I knew I had to watch it. But it’s no longer available to watch on Netflix. Instead, CW Seed has all of the episodes available to watch for free. So now I’m binging the show from the beginning all over again.

The Pilot Episode

• I forgot that every episode starts with this intro. Nikita introduces herself and her story so far and why she’s doing what she’s doing now. And this format’s later used in other CW shows, especially ones based on DC superheroes. The ones that come to mind are Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow. So it’s interesting to see that Nikita did it first.
• Lyndsy Fonseca’s acting when she’s in the cell is a little dramatic, but now that I know it’s all a lie, it makes sense. Alex (her character) knows what’s going on already (because Nikita told her) so she’s just pretending like she doesn’t.

Some Random Thoughts on the Episode

• Wow the guy in the pool really just threw his phone.
• One of the biggest reasons why I love this show is because of how great the fight scenes are.
• I’ve never been much of a fan of Jaden. Though, that was probably the point.
• Thom seems like a nice guy though.
• Wow, Roan. Just killed the guy while Michael was talking to him. You could’ve at least let him finish his sentence.
• And there’s the introduction of the iconic, Amanda. I know Percy’s a pretty big villain for a while too but I think Amanda made for a better, more developed villain.

Nikita’s Decoy

• I know Daniel’s death is what sets Nikita off on this whole journey of getting rid of Division, but I feel like we barely knew anything about him. Everything just ends up revolving around Nikita and Michael later anyway. Plus, the whole idea of there being a dead Daniel that sends another character off on a whole journey reminds me of Regina and Daniel from Once Upon a Time.
• How did Nikita put a dummy in her place with her clothes without anyone else noticing? Wasn’t everyone watching her since they saw her at the grave? I doubt they’d take their eyes off of her.
• I love Nikita and Birkhoff’s relationship. Or more specifically, how their relationship develops later in the show.

Nikita and Michael

• The chemistry between Nikita and Michael is incredible. And I think this first scene between them is what hooked me onto the show.
• And Nikita and Michael’s cat and mouse game is really what makes the first season great. Michael’s constantly chasing her, Nikita’s always getting away, but at the end of the day, they love each other. They just can’t admit it yet. Not this early on.
• And there’s the reveal: Nikita and Alex are working together.