Nikita Recap: “Doublecross”

by Merrill Barr:

Nikita Recap: “Doublecross”
Original Air Date (The CW): Friday March 16, 2012
Season 2 Episode 16

Ever since her introduction into the series, Carla’s been talking about how Division can be saved. And because of that, it’s clear that her days were always numbered. However, I don’t think anyone expected her arc to end so suddenly. But sudden as it may be, it was not without a great piece of character work to go with it.

One of the show’s most colorful characters has always been Birkhoff. Even back in the days of being Percy’s lapdog, he’s always had a great spunk, often times getting the best lines in every episode. But Birkhoff almost always serves to be just a tool of exposition and tactical necessity to an episode’s plot. So when this episode was giving him so much to do between waking Percy from his coma, to “helping” Sonya track Percy, he was blatantly at the forefront more than usual.

This all came to a head in the episode’s final moments when in an unexpected twist, Birkhoff registered his first kill in an act of self defense against an already wounded Carla. This is where the writers’ continuing strategy of playing against expectation really shines. I’m fairly positive most of us expected Carla to eat a bullet at some point. But I’m also fairly positive that most of us expected the lead dish would be served much closer (if not on) the season finale. By removing Carla now, the plot once again must shift, most notably with Percy who must now find a new source of information against his enemies both in and out of Division.

By having Carla’s death be at the hands of Birkhoff, we’ll get to see some true character work come his way. Birkhoff’s lost team members before, but never by his own hand. How he deals with his guilt and how it’ll affect his work in aiding Nikita on her quest to burn Division to the ground will hopefully make for some of the best television the show’s delivered this season.

The A storyline of this episode will also (hopefully) bring Ryan back into the fold. And that’s always a welcomed re-addition to team Niki.

Where this episode faltered was not the double-double cross. It’s in the B storyline with Alex and Sean trying to gain intel to where Sergei is holding Alex’s mother. I’m okay with using the B plot as an excuse to cut away from the A storyline to allow setup, but the execution was flawed.

Much of the storyline lacked creativity. Sean has a magic device that can read Sergei’s computer but he can’t seem to find just the right opportunity to get close enough to maintain a signal. It’s been done to death in the espionage genre.

A better version of the storyline? Alex plans a covert breakout of her mother. But in the middle of the operation, learns she’s been moved. Suddenly  only one scene is spent getting Sean access to the computer and thus setting up the plot twist involving Cassandra.

B storyline faults aside. This episode brought the conclusion to an arc that no one expected to end so soon. It set up a wholly new, and much more compelling arc that I have no doubt will pay off when the time is right. And I can’t wait.