Ah, Nikita. A perfect example of the downfall of American television. When I see shows like Jersey Shore, America's Next Top Model, X Factor, and American Idol popping out huge ratings, it pains me. Why? Because Nikita, one of the more entertaining and refreshing hours of television every week, is about a sheet of ice away from being cancelled. But why should you care? Glad you asked.
So, what is Nikita? Formerly a homeless heroin addict, Nikita was rescued by a secret group known only as "The Division", a government funded agency (which also secretly takes private funded jobs on the side) that recruits troubled teenagers. Erasing evidence of her former life, The Division trained Nikita and turned her into an effective spy and assassin. However, Nikita, after being pushed to the edge for far too long, turned rogue after the murder of her fiancee' by the Division, and has made it her life's mission to destroy those responsible from the inside out.
Assisting her in her quest is Alex, herself a troubled woman who was saved by Nikita herself, in a mission where Nikita disobeyed direct orders to kill young Alexandra and all of her family. Trained by the Nikita herself years later, she effectively gets the Division to recruit her, and is now a mole inside the Division working for Nikita in a bid to avenge her parents death.
Fairly simple premise, right?
Well, Nikita is played by the half-Vietnamese, half-Polish beauty, Maggie Q, from Mission Impossible 3 fame. Her counterpart Alex, the stunningly beautiful Lyndsy Fonseca, of Kick-Ass fame. Michael, a higher-up division agent is played by Shane West of A Walk to Remember fame. Michael's boss, Division leader Percy, is played by the largely talented Xander Berkeley of recent 24 fame. Rounding out the cast is Amanda, resident psychologist of Division. Amanda is played by Melinda Clarke, known best for her role on the O.C. Stellar, stellar cast which also has various stand-out special recurring guest stars.
Now, it's all well and good me telling you all the plot and premise, but how do you know it's any good? Well, not only does it receive great reviews and recommendations, but
The stellar cast put on great performance after great performance. Nikita is played by the half-Vietnamese, half-Polish beauty, Maggie Q, from Mission Impossible 3 fame. Her counterpart Alex, the stunningly beautiful Lyndsy Fonseca, of Kick-Ass fame. Michael, a higher-up division agent is played by Shane West of A Walk to Remember fame. Michael's boss, Division leader Percy, is played by the largely talented Xander Berkeley of recent 24 fame. Rounding out the cast is Amanda, resident psychologist of Division. Amanda is played by Melinda Clarke, known best for her role on the O.C. The cast also includes stand-out special recurring guest stars.
The fight scenes are impressively put together, for a low-budget show. Not only is the actual fighting very kick-ass, it's very believable and nitty gritty. Think Arkham City, but real life. The stunts aren't over done which is unique to Hollywood in itself.
The character development is top-notch. We know who to root for right from the beginning. The villains and heros get equal focus, with fantastic backstories given as to how agents within Division were "turned", with future hints of those same agents turning on Division.
Twists and turns. The show becomes addictive as it hits its stride, and each episode ends with a definitive reason to tune in the next week. The twists are well done in that they leave the viewer stunned by the developments, but they also make sense within the storyline arch of the show. For those who've never seen the show before, the show is written in a way that Nikita is very easy to pick up and watch.
The episodes are intense. I, personally, feel like I lose a few pound in sweat after watching each episode. The drama is non-stop and as mentioned before, the fight scenes and watching Alex almost getting caught in her mole work almost every time really doesn't do much to lower the heartbeat.
Need more reasons?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-r...b_1184763.html
So, you may ask why Rohan is making such a plead for everyone to watch it. I'll answer: fear. It is so close to being cancelled and for the love of God, it is going to follow the likes of Arrested Development and Family Guy in becoming a classic after being cancelled. Please, for the love of all that is holy, watch Nikita (and if you already do, continue). I guarantee you this, it will not disappoint. Flashforward used to be my favorite show before being axed, and the last thing I want to see is Nikita, my new favourite show, getting the axe too. Watch. Please, before it's too late. If you do, I'd love to hear your comments and thoughts.
P.S. For those of you who do or have watched the show, do you have a favorite episode?
