Nikita Recap: “Power”

by Merrill Barr:

Nikita Recap: “Power”
Original Air Date (The CW): Friday March 30, 2012
Season 2 Episode 18

Nikita’s never been shy to throw the audience for a loop at the last possible second in an episode. I’m reminded of Michael’s “ask me how I got here” moment in last season for example. And once again the show has done it with Power. By the end of Doublecorss it was clear Nikita was building to something big. After a week spent away from Nikita’s war on all things Division, we return just in time to watch everything go to hell in a hand basket for the baddies.

I’ve been saying since September 2010 that the shining star of the series has been Xander Berkeley. The gravitas he brings to Percy every time he’s on screen is unmatched by (almost) all other villains on television. I wholeheartedly put him up with the likes of Gustavo Fring as one of the best villains of the last ten years. His smug arrogance is just so palpable to watch week in and week out.

But getting back to my point.

It was a given the day would come when Percy would retake Division, the question was just when and how. And while one must look past the perhaps too easy option of “Amanda’s gone, let’s play a propaganda trick Sonya,” once past that, it was smooth sailing.

It’s perhaps represented no better than in Percy’s rally the troops speech with the operatives (all of which have guns on him). Hell at that moment even I was on his side. You want so badly to believe in Percy’s intentions that despite knowing the dude is just pure fucking evil, his speeches remains riveting. And it was through this speech Percy was able to re-take his throne and bring us twist number two.

While not nearly as eccentric as Percy, Amanda is certainly no push over. Not only does she get to display some fight skills for the first time in this episode, but she’s now been put into a situation we have not seen before. For the history of the series Amanda has always been portrayed as a woman who uses tools to assist her in achieving a goal. Exploding brain implants, agent trackers, fighting whips(?), tight cloths, but what happens when she is stripped of all her tools? That’s the new question Craig Silverstein has posed to the audience by the end of “Power” and it’s a question I can’t wait to see get answered.

Of course I’m sure many are slightly annoyed with what seems like a cliche move with Amanda simply not killing Nikita outright. And I respect that. I do believe there were better ways to execute the same scene (such as Amanda coming under fire from Michael before making the kill shot), but the end result remains the same, Nikita gets a glimpse into Amanda’s soul while reliving the memories of her past. I have no doubt will use it to her advantage before the season’s out.

In some respects Nikita has become a soap opera of twists and turns that leave the audience clinging for more each week. If the ratings prove anything its that there’s a core audience here to stay and the writers room only wants to service that sect of the shows fans. I don’t see anything wrong with that.

DarkMedia contributor Merrill Barr can also be found on his podcast, The Idiot Boxers and on Twitter @sonic43.