Melinda Clarke, Maggie Q
Nikita, Season 3, Episode 13: “Reunion”
Written by Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett
Directed by Jon Cassar
Airs Fridays at 8pm (ET) on the CW
With Amanda’s betrayal against her longtime partner Ari Tasarov driving the ex-Gogol head into Division’s protection last week, it was only a matter of time before Amanda went after Ari’s son, as she declared at the end of last week’s conversation with Nikita. As Tasarov represents a major asset in Division’s fight against Amanda, protecting Ari’s son thus understandably moves to top priority, something Amanda would also be aware of. With both of them bearing down on the junior Tasarov, and his own bodyguard, declared by Ari to be one of the best, a collision between the three was inevitable, and this episode delivers on that, continuing Nikita’s pulse-pounding pacing by not wasting any time before Stefan Tasarov becomes an active target in a thrilling episode that also gives viewers a glimpse into what makes Amanda and drives Owen.
Watching how Division, and Amanda, tackle a foe that isn’t influenced by them was a fascinating observation. Krieg was a formidable foe whose motivations weren’t evil, and putting him in a position of distrusting Amanda and Nikita was a great way to force the two enemies to work together without being forced to introduce a bigger villain. Amanda’s reveal that her personality was also shaped by a parental figure opens up an interesting avenue for the show to go down, and might bring about a more formidable opponent than Amanda or even Percy. With Nikita’s own parents also still in the wind, the search for the families of these two has the potential to be fascinating, and might be the turning point that makes Amanda sympathetic to Division’s agents, and vice versa.
Andrew Divoff, Maggie Q
Owen’s storyline also has promise, and it was good to see it advance this week as well. The fervour with which he’s pursuing the retrieval of his lost identity fits right in with the intensity we’ve seen Owen attack things before, with the interesting caveat that nobody but Amanda can help him this time. How far Owen is willing to go to find his pre-Division identity is worth keeping an eye on, as he may end up being Amanda’s one reluctant ally against Nikita and Division if he is unable to let go of his past. As he has expressed concerns about Division’s continued existence, and remains there only out of loyalty to Nikita, Owen remains the one unknown variable in the fight between Amanda and Division, and this episode further enhances that, as it proves he’s willing to disobey orders and unable to think through the full consequences of his actions.
It will be fascinating to watch how Alex’s new storyline plays out, not just in how she manages to stand up to Amanda on a one-on-one basis, but in how her capture affects Ari, who may feel a debt of gratitude to her for saving his son, as well as Owen, who may feel responsible for leading to the circumstances that allowed her to get captured, and Sean, who may feel his warnings to Alex to get out of Division may now have been warranted. Getting directly involved, first with Ari’s son, and now with Alex, represents the boldest Amanda’s gotten since Nikita took over Division, as all her other actions have been carried out by proxies while she’s remained at arm’s length. How she fares now that she’s so close to the action is something to look out for, as it may spell her doom, or embolden her. How far Amanda goes this time, as well as whether Krieg makes a return appearance and how Division reacts to the capture of one of their own, are all worth tuning in for next week.
– Deepayan Sengupta