Rescue, Ep 111

[Steve L]

Escape is one of my favorites. Superior acting, good plot, good wardrobe on
Nik (except for the gray suit in the Tag).

The opening scene is probably the best tactical movement they come up with
in S1. Although you would think there'd be a BOLO for the van as they drove
away.

Angie (Nancy Beatty) is one of my favorite guest stars, and I kind of like
Petrosian as well. Maddy in the field is a rare treat as well - giving
herself a heart attack, even. I give it a 9.

Half point off for yet another Section bomb with lights. Althought I love
themusic in this scene.

Ops: "He'll be missed". Plot hole here - another half point deduction. No
way they write off a level 5 op without at least trying to make sure he is
dead. They know too much. But Nik's sweater looks great on her in this
scene, so bonus point there.

Ops: "I am human". Really? The look on Nik's face doesn't confirm it.

Mikey at Angie's apartment is what sets this show apart from any other spy
show on TV or the movies. Angie is not beautiful. Mikey doesn't sleep with
her despite having two bullet holes in him. Even though Angie clearly likes
Mikey. She looks devasted when she sees how much Nik cares about Michael -
and she believes she would stand no chance in a contest with Nik. Imagine
if she had made it back to Section (clearly Section needs a lot of medical
personnel) then found out about MMWK. However, the thing that bothers me
about Mikey's behavoir is that he doesn't even go over to make sure she's
dead. Bad form, that.

TAG: Petrosian "Thank you too for your incompetence" Mikey: "Incompetence?"
Petorsian "Yes, or was it your plan to get shot?" Nik: "Let it go Michael".
I LOVE THAT EXCHANGE.

Steve.

[Jana Peterson]

That episode had alot of suprises (for me anyway) So many shows, you can
tell at least some of what is going to happen. Although Angie as a red
shirt wasn't such a suprise. But Petrosian, Madeline's sacrifice, Madeline
coming out at all. (of course as it turns out, she didn't come out for
Michael, but for their super sekrit material)

[Malsperanza]

Post by Steve L
The opening scene is probably the best tactical movement they come up with
in S1.  Although you would think there'd be a BOLO for the van as they drove
away.

What's a BOLO?

The opener is my favorite in the whole show--the wordless scene, the
use of unusual, not-obvious music (I mean: not military or courageous
spy music), the fact that the operation goes bad...

Post by Steve L
Angie (Nancy Beatty) is one of my favorite guest stars, and I kind of like
Petrosian as well.  Maddy in the field is a rare treat as well - giving
herself a heart attack, even.  I give it a 9.

Petrosian was ruined for me by the appallingly inept attempt at an
accent. Madeline in the field, giving herself an actual heart attack,
is a high point. Plus, the fact that the whole operation--including
the intentional mess made of the original operation--is designed
flawlessly to get Petrosian out is a treat. Double, triple crosses.
And it's so rare for Michael to be the victim and dupe of these
schemes--so often it's Nikita.

Points off for the following:

~Petrosian's accent
~Hiding the beepy thing in the makeup case so that it went off

Post by Steve L
Half point off for yet another Section bomb with lights.  Although I love
the music in this scene.

For whatever it's worth, the fact that the bomb is an intentional dud
may mitigate the fact that it is a black-painted room freshener with
lights.

Post by Steve L
Ops: "He'll be missed".  Plot hole here - another half point deduction.  No
way they write off a level 5 op without at least trying to make sure he is
dead.  They know too much.  But Nik's sweater looks great on her in this
scene, so bonus point there.

Well, but doesn't Section fully expect Michael to succeed in escaping?
Isn't that the whole idea behind getting Petrosian out? Because if
Petrosian were to walk up to the Section helicopter, his alliance with
Section would be obvious. This way, instead, Petrosian simply
disappears. For all the badguys know, he's been killed or kidnapped.
But whatever assets he left in place are not compromised. At least,
that's how I read it.

Section had every confidence in their Level 5 boy. But they were also
willing to imagine that he might die. And I suppose that if he hadn't
died, he'd have resisted torture just as he did in War.

Nikita in all black is my favorite look for her.

Post by Steve L
Ops: "I am human".  Really?  The look on Nik's face doesn't confirm it.

Hilarious moment.

Post by Steve L
Mikey at Angie's apartment is what sets this show apart from any other spy
show on TV or the movies.  Angie is not beautiful.  Mikey doesn't sleep with
her despite having two bullet holes in him.

This comment alone is worth the price of admission. I like your use of
the word "despite." LOL!

I agree that the long, unromantic pas de deux between Michael and
Angie is one of the high points of the series. It's believable, it
shows Michael in a new light, and it gives us -- really for the first
time -- a sense that Section actuallly might be on the goodguy side.
(Later wrecked when they rescue the odious Petrosian.)

Post by Steve L
 Even though Angie clearly likes
Mikey. She looks devastated when she sees how much Nik cares about Michael -

Also a good moment. In fact, unusually subtle for LFN, especially
since Nikita has no idea at this stage that Michael lurves her. But
Angie figures it out, because Angie is no bubblehead. In fact, Angie
may see more than Michael even knows. At the end he seems a little
puzzled by her choice to sacrifice herself, but her decision may be
the first hint to him that he is showing his feelings a leetle too
much.

Post by Steve L
and she believes she would stand no chance in a contest with Nik.  Imagine
if she had made it back to Section (clearly Section needs a lot of medical
personnel) then found out about MMWK.  However, the thing that bothers me
about Mikey's behavior is that he doesn't even go over to make sure she's
dead.  Bad form, that.

Others have made that same observation, but I think it would be
totally unprofessional for Michael to try to go to her. There's no
room for her in the bird, and Section isn't gonna let him bring a dead
or half-dead nobody out. His job is to get out and get the others out
alive. And Michael is all about the job. Personal gestures are out of
place.

Post by Steve L
TAG: Petrosian "Thank you too for your incompetence"  Mikey: "Incompetence?"
Petorsian "Yes, or was it your plan to get shot?"  Nik: "Let it go Michael".
I LOVE THAT EXCHANGE.

DITTO.
~Mal

[Steve L]

Post by Steve L
The opening scene is probably the best tactical movement they come up with
in S1. Although you would think there'd be a BOLO for the van as they
drove
away.

What's a BOLO?

*Be on the Look Out

The opener is my favorite in the whole show--the wordless scene, the
use of unusual, not-obvious music (I mean: not military or courageous
spy music), the fact that the operation goes bad...

Post by Steve L
Angie (Nancy Beatty) is one of my favorite guest stars, and I kind of like
Petrosian as well. Maddy in the field is a rare treat as well - giving
herself a heart attack, even. I give it a 9.

Petrosian was ruined for me by the appallingly inept attempt at an
accent. Madeline in the field, giving herself an actual heart attack,
is a high point. Plus, the fact that the whole operation--including
the intentional mess made of the original operation--is designed
flawlessly to get Petrosian out is a treat. Double, triple crosses.
And it's so rare for Michael to be the victim and dupe of these
schemes--so often it's Nikita.

* Ah, your take is that bomb (with yet another blinking light) was
intentionally sabotaged in order to get Mikey shot? How could they know he
wouldn't be killed?

Points off for the following:

~Petrosian's accent
~Hiding the beepy thing in the makeup case so that it went off

* I do think that was intentional, but they had to count on the solderim and
then Nik coming in at just the right moments - unless they were tracking
their movements, which certainly isn't beyond Sections capabilities...

Post by Steve L
Half point off for yet another Section bomb with lights. Although I love
the music in this scene.

For whatever it's worth, the fact that the bomb is an intentional dud
may mitigate the fact that it is a black-painted room freshener with
lights.

* see above

Post by Steve L
Ops: "He'll be missed". Plot hole here - another half point deduction. No
way they write off a level 5 op without at least trying to make sure he is
dead. They know too much. But Nik's sweater looks great on her in this
scene, so bonus point there.

Well, but doesn't Section fully expect Michael to succeed in escaping?
Isn't that the whole idea behind getting Petrosian out? Because if
Petrosian were to walk up to the Section helicopter, his alliance with
Section would be obvious. This way, instead, Petrosian simply
disappears. For all the badguys know, he's been killed or kidnapped.
But whatever assets he left in place are not compromised. At least,
that's how I read it.

Section had every confidence in their Level 5 boy. But they were also
willing to imagine that he might die. And I suppose that if he hadn't
died, he'd have resisted torture just as he did in War.

* Okay, I'm beginning to buy you take that the thing was set up from the
beginning...

Nikita in all black is my favorite look for her.

Hmmm. Pardon me for a minute...

Post by Steve L
Ops: "I am human". Really? The look on Nik's face doesn't confirm it.

Hilarious moment.

Post by Steve L
Mikey at Angie's apartment is what sets this show apart from any other spy
show on TV or the movies. Angie is not beautiful. Mikey doesn't sleep with
her despite having two bullet holes in him.

This comment alone is worth the price of admission. I like your use of
the word "despite." LOL!

I agree that the long, unromantic pas de deux between Michael and
Angie is one of the high points of the series. It's believable, it
shows Michael in a new light, and it gives us -- really for the first
time -- a sense that Section actuallly might be on the goodguy side.
(Later wrecked when they rescue the odious Petrosian.)

* yes, but Mikey wasn't in on that. So we do get a hint that he might be a
good guy after all.

Post by Steve L
Even though Angie clearly likes
Mikey. She looks devastated when she sees how much Nik cares about Michael -

Also a good moment. In fact, unusually subtle for LFN, especially
since Nikita has no idea at this stage that Michael lurves her. But
Angie figures it out, because Angie is no bubblehead. In fact, Angie
may see more than Michael even knows. At the end he seems a little
puzzled by her choice to sacrifice herself, but her decision may be
the first hint to him that he is showing his feelings a leetle too
much.

Post by Steve L
and she believes she would stand no chance in a contest with Nik. Imagine
if she had made it back to Section (clearly Section needs a lot of medical
personnel) then found out about MMWK. However, the thing that bothers me
about Mikey's behavior is that he doesn't even go over to make sure she's
dead. Bad form, that.

Others have made that same observation, but I think it would be
totally unprofessional for Michael to try to go to her. There's no
room for her in the bird, and Section isn't gonna let him bring a dead
or half-dead nobody out. His job is to get out and get the others out
alive. And Michael is all about the job. Personal gestures are out of
place.

* I'd have shot Petrosian, making room for Angie, but then, I'm not Section
material.

Post by Steve L
"Incompetence?"
Petorsian "Yes, or was it your plan to get shot?" Nik: "Let it go
Michael".
I LOVE THAT EXCHANGE.

DITTO.
~Mal

[Malsperanza]

Post by Malsperanza
Petrosian was ruined for me by the appallingly inept attempt at an
accent. Madeline in the field, giving herself an actual heart attack,
is a high point. Plus, the fact that the whole operation--including
the intentional mess made of the original operation--is designed
flawlessly to get Petrosian out is a treat. Double, triple crosses.
And it's so rare for Michael to be the victim and dupe of these
schemes--so often it's Nikita.
* Ah, your take is that bomb (with yet another blinking light) was
intentionally sabotaged in order to get Mikey shot?  How could they know he
wouldn't be killed?

Because he is a Level 5 field op, who never gets killed except when he
wants to. (OK, actually not even then.)

I think the faulty bomb (with pointless blinking lights and a soothing
gardenia bouquet scent) was definitely deliberate. That's the whole
point of the teaser. One of the reasons I think this is such a well-
written episode is that the explanation for the faulty bomb only
arrives at the very end of the last act, when we discover that the
entire operation was cover for the extraction of Petrosian. It all
went perfectly according to plan, except for the death of Angie, and
the only reason she died was because Michael did the one unpredictible
thing that Section did not expect: he developed an emotional
commitment to her and invited her to escape with him. Section better
wake up: this is a warning sign that Michael is not firing on all
cylinders, thanks to the Sekrit Nikita Influence. He fell for Angie
because Nikita softened him up. (No wonder he says, in Escape, "I
can't afford to have feelings" or WTTE.)

Post by Malsperanza
~Petrosian's accent
~Hiding the beepy thing in the makeup case so that it went off
* I do think that was intentional, but they had to count on the solderim and
then Nik coming in at just the right  moments - unless they were tracking
their movements, which certainly isn't beyond Section's capabilities...

I think the arrival of the soldiers was probably fairly predictible by
Section (well, in LFN world where all sorts of unlikely things are
predictible). Nikita, OTOH, is 100% totally predictible.

Post by Malsperanza

Post by Steve L
Ops: "He'll be missed". Plot hole here - another half point deduction. No
way they write off a level 5 op without at least trying to make sure he is
dead. They know too much. But Nik's sweater looks great on her in this
scene, so bonus point there.

Well, but doesn't Section fully expect Michael to succeed in escaping?
Isn't that the whole idea behind getting Petrosian out? Because if
Petrosian were to walk up to the Section helicopter, his alliance with
Section would be obvious. This way, instead, Petrosian simply
disappears. For all the badguys know, he's been killed or kidnapped.
But whatever assets he left in place are not compromised. At least,
that's how I read it.
Section had every confidence in their Level 5 boy. But they were also
willing to imagine that he might die. And I suppose that if he hadn't
died, he'd have resisted torture just as he did in War.
* Okay, I'm beginning to buy you take that the thing was set up from the
beginning...

I'm trying to remember where it is (maybe s2?) that Operations or
Madeline or someone says explicitly that they're not worried about
putting Michael in extreme harm's way because they fully expect him to
survive. That's what I have in the back of my mind about this.

In the tag, when Petrosian sneers at Michael and says he bungled the
operation, it seems to be a reference to him getting shot and nearly
captured, but since all of that was a hoax (e.g., Petrosian expected
the gun to be empty), it must be a reference to Michael having allowed
sentiment to get in the way of his decision-making. If he hadn't tried
to bring Angie with him, the operation would have been textbook-
perfect. From Section's pov. And Petrosian is pure Section, only
without the warm empathic side.

Post by Malsperanza
I agree that the long, unromantic pas de deux between Michael and
Angie is one of the high points of the series. It's believable, it
shows Michael in a new light, and it gives us -- really for the first
time -- a sense that Section actuallly might be on the goodguy side.
(Later wrecked when they rescue the odious Petrosian.)
* yes, but Mikey wasn't in on that.  So we do get a hint that he might be a
good guy after all.

Exzackly. One of the things that makes s2 really stand out is that the
writers were willing to take all the time in the world, letting us see
Michael's humanity in tiny glimpses--sometimes nothing for a whole
episode or two. Similarly, Nikita's growing proficiency and gradual
acceptance of Section happens in tiny glimpses. Any other show would
have had them making love in the finale of s1, or acknowledging love.
Michael would have pretended to plan to escape with Nikita and then
would have heroically stayed behind to ensure that she could be free.
Instead, s1 ends with Michael doing the right thing but without ever
letting Nikita or us know what he really thinks or feels. And Nikita
escapes without ever telling us or Michael what she thinks or feels.
So we have to go back over s1 and search out these tiny hints.
"Rescue" never explicitly shows Michael being more human. In fact he's
completely blank-faced when they leave Angie behind. But Nikita, who
has special radar, picks up on the fact that what really upsets him in
the tag isn't Petrosian's insult, but the fact that it's true: Michael
did bungle the operation and he got Angie killed.

Post by Malsperanza

Post by Steve L
and she believes she would stand no chance in a contest with Nik. Imagine
if she had made it back to Section (clearly Section needs a lot of medical
personnel) then found out about MMWK. However, the thing that bothers me
about Mikey's behavior is that he doesn't even go over to make sure she's
dead. Bad form, that.

Others have made that same observation, but I think it would be
totally unprofessional for Michael to try to go to her. There's no
room for her in the bird, and Section isn't gonna let him bring a dead
or half-dead nobody out. His job is to get out and get the others out
alive. And Michael is all about the job. Personal gestures are out of
place.
* I'd have shot Petrosian, making room for Angie, but then, I'm not Section
material.

Especially considering what Petrosian does later in the series.
Clearly Madeline has a thing for him. I do not get Madeline's taste in
men. Just sayin.

~Mal

[l***@eresmas.com]

Hello everyone!

Post by Steve L
The opening scene is probably the best tactical movement they come up with
in S1.

Yes, I agree. So well done! I remember the first time I watched this
opening scene it reminded me of Madeline's comment to Nikita: "we're
ghosts". That's the feeling I got watching the ops in that mission,
all masked and moving in perfect coordination, and the music "beyond
the invisible".

Post by Steve L
I think the faulty bomb (with pointless blinking lights and a soothing
gardenia bouquet scent) was definitely deliberate. That's the whole
point of the teaser. One of the reasons I think this is such a well-
written episode is that the explanation for the faulty bomb only
arrives at the very end of the last act, when we discover that the
entire operation was cover for the extraction of Petrosian.

Wow! I never thought that the bomb was deliberately faulty. It kinda
makes sense. Though, what a complicated plan, isn't it?Give the team a
faulty bomb so that Michael would have had to go back to activate it
and gotten hurt and be rescued while at the same time pursued by
Petrosian; and in the end purposely provoking a big confrontation
between Section team and Petrosian's team in which everyone in
Petrosian's team (except Petrosian himself) would be killed so that
Petrosian could have been extracted without suspicion. If that was
really the plan, it was very risky and with a lot of unexpected
variables to take into consideration. On the other hand, it seems like
the twisted kind of scheme Section so loves to elaborate...

Post by Steve L
It all
went perfectly according to plan, except for the death of Angie, and
the only reason she died was because Michael did the one unpredictible
thing that Section did not expect: he developed an emotional
commitment to her and invited her to escape with him. Section better
wake up: this is a warning sign that Michael is not firing on all
cylinders, thanks to the Sekrit Nikita Influence. He fell for Angie
because Nikita softened him up.

Hmmm. Good points. I agree that Nikita's influence has kinda started
to "soften Michael up". I guess before Nikita's arrival, Michael would
probably have taken no interest in Angie's situation and her feelings.
But I think it also emphasizes how much of a "section man" Michael is
at that point. I mean, he genuinely likes Angie and thinks it is a
good idea for her to join Section! He truly believes in Section and
what Section does. He sees it as something worthy and fulfilling,a
purpose in life, and that is why he offers the opportunity to Angie
thinking it is something good for her. I guess in later seasons
Michael would never have invited someone he liked to join section,
even as a non-combatant member, would he?

Post by Steve L

Post by Steve L
Ops: "He'll be missed". Plot hole here - another half point deduction. No
way they write off a level 5 op without at least trying to make sure he is
dead. They know too much.

Not to mention that Michael has a blood cover to maintain with Elena
and a baby Adam. A very important mission, judging for what Operations
says in SES :"Over 20% of our resources are dedicated to the pursuit
of one man, Salla Vacek", and important enough to "invest" their best
operative in that mission for seven years. But now they are just
discarding Michael's life so easily. Of course, the writers didn't
know about MMWK at that point, did they? On the other hand, if the
mission was made to extract Petrosian from the beginning, that might
make a bit more sense, as Section was counting all along on rescuing
Michael along with Petrosian. But if it is so, why does Operations say
"he'll be missed?" why does he initially refuse to send a rescue team?
For appearances sake, because Birkoff's sims give such a low
probability of Michael having survived? To test Nikita?

Post by Steve L
In the tag, when Petrosian sneers at Michael and says he bungled the
operation, it seems to be a reference to him getting shot and nearly
captured, but since all of that was a hoax (e.g., Petrosian expected
the gun to be empty), it must be a reference to Michael having allowed
sentiment to get in the way of his decision-making. If he hadn't tried
to bring Angie with him, the operation would have been textbook-
perfect. From Section's pov.

But Petrosian says : "Your incompetence allowed the rescue mission to
take place" and "Or was it part of the plan to get yourself shot?" I
thought he was referring to the incident in the opening teaser, when
the mission went bad, ...would Petrosian's words make sense if he was
talking about Michael "bonding" with Angie?...


Laura
(longtime fan of LFN but recently discovered this group, and totally
loving these discussions!)

[Steve L]

Post by l***@eresmas.com
Hello everyone!

Hi Laura - the more the merrier I always say!

Post by l***@eresmas.com

Post by Steve L
The opening scene is probably the best tactical movement they come up with
in S1.

Yes, I agree. So well done! I remember the first time I watched this
opening scene it reminded me of Madeline's comment to Nikita: "we're
ghosts". That's the feeling I got watching the ops in that mission,
all masked and moving in perfect coordination, and the music "beyond
the invisible".

Probably my favorite song on the LFN DVD, besides Skin Against Skin.

Post by l***@eresmas.com

Post by Steve L
I think the faulty bomb (with pointless blinking lights and a soothing
gardenia bouquet scent) was definitely deliberate. That's the whole
point of the teaser. One of the reasons I think this is such a well-
written episode is that the explanation for the faulty bomb only
arrives at the very end of the last act, when we discover that the
entire operation was cover for the extraction of Petrosian.

Wow! I never thought that the bomb was deliberately faulty. It kinda
makes sense. Though, what a complicated plan, isn't it?Give the team a
faulty bomb so that Michael would have had to go back to activate it
and gotten hurt and be rescued while at the same time pursued by
Petrosian; and in the end purposely provoking a big confrontation
between Section team and Petrosian's team in which everyone in
Petrosian's team (except Petrosian himself) would be killed so that
Petrosian could have been extracted without suspicion. If that was
really the plan, it was very risky and with a lot of unexpected
variables to take into consideration. On the other hand, it seems like
the twisted kind of scheme Section so loves to elaborate...

Yes, until Mal pointed it out, I did not think that the faulty bomb was
deliberate, but I've come to agree with her that it was a set up from the
beginning.

Post by l***@eresmas.com

Post by Steve L

Post by Steve L
Ops: "He'll be missed". Plot hole here - another half point deduction. No
way they write off a level 5 op without at least trying to make sure he is
dead. They know too much.

Not to mention that Michael has a blood cover to maintain with Elena
and a baby Adam. A very important mission, judging for what Operations
says in SES :"Over 20% of our resources are dedicated to the pursuit
of one man, Salla Vacek", and important enough to "invest" their best
operative in that mission for seven years. But now they are just
discarding Michael's life so easily. Of course, the writers didn't
know about MMWK at that point, did they?

Ah, a very good point - but not plot hole points off here - it will have to
wait to MMWK (where there are plenty of others).

Post by l***@eresmas.com
On the other hand, if the
mission was made to extract Petrosian from the beginning, that might
make a bit more sense, as Section was counting all along on rescuing
Michael along with Petrosian. But if it is so, why does Operations say
"he'll be missed?" why does he initially refuse to send a rescue team?
For appearances sake, because Birkoff's sims give such a low
probability of Michael having survived? To test Nikita?

If they went to the extent of Maddy giving herself a heart attack to fake
out Nik (and the docs) this little bit of misdirection seems trivial. As
Maddy often says to Nik, "your reactions had to be real".

Post by l***@eresmas.com

Post by Steve L
In the tag, when Petrosian sneers at Michael and says he bungled the
operation, it seems to be a reference to him getting shot and nearly
captured, but since all of that was a hoax (e.g., Petrosian expected
the gun to be empty), it must be a reference to Michael having allowed
sentiment to get in the way of his decision-making. If he hadn't tried
to bring Angie with him, the operation would have been textbook-
perfect. From Section's pov.

But Petrosian says : "Your incompetence allowed the rescue mission to
take place" and "Or was it part of the plan to get yourself shot?" I
thought he was referring to the incident in the opening teaser, when
the mission went bad, ...would Petrosian's words make sense if he was
talking about Michael "bonding" with Angie?...

It may be that the plan was only for Mikey to cut off and trapped, not
necessarily shot.

Steve

[l***@eresmas.com]

Hi Steve, thanks for the welcome!

Post by Steve L
If they went to the extent of Maddy giving herself a heart attack to fake
out Nik (and the docs) this little bit of misdirection seems trivial.  As
Maddy often says to Nik, "your reactions had to be real".

Yes, I agree that Ops' misdirection is trivial (especially compared to
Maddy's heart attack). What I was wondering is, what would be the
purpose for this misdirection? If operations has already orchestrated
everything in order to extract Petrosian, why would he initially feign
to refuse the rescue team only to feign he had changed his mind a bit
later? Maybe it was a test for Nikita, to see how far was she willing
to go to protect Michael... I don't know...

Nikita goes into full Michael-protecting mode in this episode, it's
nice to see how loyal she remains to Michael, especially taking into
account that "Rescue" goes just after the Gray arc, which ended with
quite a bit of "tension" between them and their view of Section, and
also shortly after "escape"...

As for Michael, it is... interesting, I should say... viewing him
hurt, badly wounded, weak, having to depend on Angie's sympathy (I
mean when she was on the point of phoning the police, but didn't). We
have seen him emotionally "weak" only in Simone, but not physically
hurt, I think, before that. It makes him more human, more real,
realising that he's not "made of steel". At the same time, we see how
well trained he is, how his survival instincts and his training kick
in, dictating what to do in this emergency situation (like find a
nurse who can help him, or cauterize his own wounds).

Laura

[Steve L]

<***@eresmas.com> wrote in message news:8de86266-06b8-40ed-8419-***@w7g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
Hi Steve, thanks for the welcome!

Post by Steve L
If they went to the extent of Maddy giving herself a heart attack to fake
out Nik (and the docs) this little bit of misdirection seems trivial. As
Maddy often says to Nik, "your reactions had to be real".

Yes, I agree that Ops' misdirection is trivial (especially compared to
Maddy's heart attack). What I was wondering is, what would be the
purpose for this misdirection? If operations has already orchestrated
everything in order to extract Petrosian, why would he initially feign
to refuse the rescue team only to feign he had changed his mind a bit
later? Maybe it was a test for Nikita, to see how far was she willing
to go to protect Michael... I don't know...

*my take is that they don't think Nik is a good enough actor yet to pull it
off if she is on the real deal (assuming it was a set up from the
beginning).

Nikita goes into full Michael-protecting mode in this episode, it's
nice to see how loyal she remains to Michael, especially taking into
account that "Rescue" goes just after the Gray arc, which ended with
quite a bit of "tension" between them and their view of Section, and
also shortly after "escape"...

*yeah, trying to view this ep fresh (i.e., forgetting everything else that
happens later), it's hard to fathom why Nik would be so concerned about
Mikey. To this point he has done little but treat her like sh*t.

As for Michael, it is... interesting, I should say... viewing him
hurt, badly wounded, weak, having to depend on Angie's sympathy (I
mean when she was on the point of phoning the police, but didn't). We
have seen him emotionally "weak" only in Simone, but not physically
hurt, I think, before that. It makes him more human, more real,
realising that he's not "made of steel". At the same time, we see how
well trained he is, how his survival instincts and his training kick
in, dictating what to do in this emergency situation (like find a
nurse who can help him, or cauterize his own wounds).

* to me the interstingpart is that he actually wants to help her, not just
use her. Maybe the first point in the series where he is likeable as a
character.

Steve L.

[l***@eresmas.com]

Steve,

Post by Steve L
*my take is that they don't think Nik is a good enough actor yet to pull it
off if she is on the real deal (assuming it was a set up from the
beginning).

Ah, yes, I see now what you mean. But I was not thinking about Ops and
Maddy telling Nikita about the real mission, that is, extracting
Petrosian. That would not be a smart move on their part, of course! I
was just wondering that, in the briefing, when Ops basically says
"Michael's probably dead and we're not bothering to send a rescue
team; he'll be missed", why doesn't he directly say something like
"Michael is a valuable operative, we're sending a team to try to
rescue him", right then and there? Why does he pretend to change his
mind later? He could have spared himself that embarrassing scene at
his office (the "I am human, Nikita" scene)...

Post by Steve L
*yeah, trying to view this ep fresh (i.e., forgetting everything else that
happens later), it's hard to fathom why Nik would be so concerned about
Mikey.  To this point he has done little but treat her like sh*t.

Hmm, well, I agree that he has treated her very badly on many ocasions
in the previous episodes, but he has also been nice to her on many
others: saved her life (friend, escape), lied to section for her
(friend), taken responsibility for her perceived mistakes (treason),
shown some interest for how her "transition" is going (love),
exceptionally opened a bit to her (Simone), shown concern and regret
about her being hurt (mother), acknowledged that he would like a
different lifestyle for them (charity), patiently explained again and
again how section works (almost any ep up to that point), etc.Maybe I
could expand a bit about these episodes in their respective threads?
I view Michael in these first episodes as very emotionally
"ambiguous", that is, he gives something (does something good for her,
or gives her hope) and he takes something away almost instantly (lies,
manipulates her). Sadly, I think this is probably on of the kindest
relationships Nikita has had in her young life. Do you think I'm being
too soft with Michael?

But the thing with Nikita, in these first episodes, is her
impulsivity. I mean, she acts instinctively on her feelings at the
moment, and also where Michael is concerned. She doesn't seem to have
a good memory, either of the good things or of the bad things he did
for her, She seems to only remember, at best, where they stood
emotionally at the end of the previous episode, and acts accordingly.
That's what makes Nikita's loyalty and protectiveness towards Michael
suprising, taking into account the Gray arc and escape (the three
inmediately previous episodes). But I guess when Michael's life is in
danger, Nikita is able to put their differences aside and help him.

Post by Steve L
* to me the interstingpart is that he actually wants to help her, not just
use her.  Maybe the first point in the series where he is likeable as a
character.

Yes! And not only he wants to help Angie, but , to do it, he actually
bonds/empathises with her, listens to her when she expresses her
feelings. That allows him to find a way he thinks is adequate to help
her.


Laura

(PS is there any predetermiend shedule to the episode discussion? Are
previous discussions closed?)

[Malsperanza]

Post by l***@eresmas.com
Steve,

Post by Steve L
*my take is that they don't think Nik is a good enough actor yet to pull it
off if she is on the real deal (assuming it was a set up from the
beginning).

Ah, yes, I see now what you mean. But I was not thinking about Ops and
Maddy telling Nikita about the real mission, that is, extracting
Petrosian. That would not be a smart move on their part, of course! I
was just wondering that, in the briefing, when Ops basically says
"Michael's probably dead and we're not bothering to send a rescue
team; he'll be missed", why doesn't he directly say something like
"Michael is a valuable operative, we're sending a team to try to
rescue him", right then and there? Why does he pretend to change his
mind later? He could have spared himself that embarrassing scene at
his office (the "I am human, Nikita" scene)...

Good question. The answer most likely is that the writers didn't
really think it through. But with a little stretching I think we can
say that Section was still watching the situation play out. They
weren't sure where Michael was. They didn't know yet if Petrossian was
in a position to follow through on the plan. Everything was still in
flux and had to play out. Also, Section is by nature paranoid,
secretive, and prone to lying. Why tell the truth if you don't need
to? Isn't it useful for operatives to believe that they are
dispensible?

IMO, there's no way to retcon s1 to make the MMWK scenario work. One
has to just squint and ignore it. Because if Michael's mission in s3
was so all-important, then they presumably could have sent a different
level 5 op to the mission in Azkaban.

Post by l***@eresmas.com
shown concern and regret
about her being hurt (mother),

Yeah, after he stood around and watched her get the crap beat out of
her--a situation he helped set up. Would he have pulled the trigger if
he had to? The answer, I think, is a resounding Maybe.

Post by l***@eresmas.com
Maybe I
could expand a bit about these episodes in their respective threads?

Sure!

Post by l***@eresmas.com
I view Michael in these first episodes as very emotionally
"ambiguous", that is, he gives something (does something good for her,
or gives her hope) and he takes something away almost instantly (lies,
manipulates her). Sadly, I think this is probably on of the kindest
relationships Nikita has had in her young life. Do you think I'm being
too soft with Michael?

Steve undoubtedly does ;-) but there are plenty of Michael fans who
are with ya.

Post by l***@eresmas.com
But the thing with Nikita, in these first episodes, is her
impulsivity. I mean, she acts instinctively on her feelings at the
moment, and also where Michael is concerned. She doesn't seem to have
a good memory, either of the good things or of the bad things he did
for her, She seems to only remember, at best, where they stood
emotionally at the end of the previous episode,

This is a disease common to TV characters.

Post by l***@eresmas.com
(PS is there any predetermiend shedule to the episode discussion? Are
previous discussions closed?)

Nope. Cin is more or less the one who is moving things along, but
she's been AWOL lately. When everyone gets tired of an ep, someone
starts the next thread. Feel free to do so!

~Mal

[l***@eresmas.com]

Hi Mal!

Yep. Though he has a few small flashes of being likable earlier, such as when the redshirt Chuck makes a crack about his hair, or when he nearly cracks up when >Nikita dumps the surveillance cameras on Ops's desk. What's most interesting to me about Michael as protagonist of the series is how willing TPTB were to make >him so extremely unlikeable, and to sustain that for so long. Usually, when a main character/hero on TV is shown as nasty or gruff or mean or hostile, we
learn within 3 episodes that it ain't really so. But Michael REALLY IS unpleasant, cruel, viscious, cold-blooded, and slightly psychotic. Yet he's totally heroic. So the >show juggles two heros: the absolute goodguy (Nikita) and the really awful goodguy (Michael). It's completely plausible to me that, up until the last act of "Mercy" >Michael might still turn out to be the archvillain. It makes s1 really remarkable.

I'd say they managed to do this (keeping Michael as a "hero" in spite
of being mostly unlikable) is because of the talent of the writers/
directors/actor involved in creating and breathing life to the
character. Michael is always written and portrayed with enough
"nuances" or "hints" that there's something else inside him, something
good and worthy waiting to be unveiled. Nikita sees that, these hints,
and she believes and hopes. And so do we, the audience (who, to a
certain degree, identify with Nikita and therefore look at Section and
its inhabitants through her eyes).

Good question. The answer most likely is that the writers didn't really think it through. But with a little stretching I think we can say that Section was still watching >the situation play out. They weren't sure where Michael was. They didn't know yet if Petrossian was in a position to follow through on the plan. Everything was still in >flux and had to play out. Also, Section is by nature paranoid, secretive, and prone to lying. Why tell the truth if you don't need to? Isn't it useful for operatives to >believe that they are dispensible?

OK, that makes sense, thank you. It's amazing how many different
possibilities and perspectives and hypothesis one can find in every
LFN episode. Right now we can watch "Rescue" from two completely
different points of view (pre-planned mission from the get-go vs
cunningly taking advantage of a bad situation) , and both of them
work, really.

Yeah, after he stood around and watched her get the crap beat out of her--a situation he helped set up. Would he have pulled the trigger if he had to? The answer, I >think, is a resounding Maybe.

Exactly what I was saying, giving something and inmediately taking
something away. Or, in the case of "Mother", taking something away
(treating her badly, ordering her beaten and almost killed) but being
kind and sweet to her afterwards (I think Michael was sincerely sad
that he coudn't do anything to stop the beating, and Nikita realized
that). I'll think about this episode and try to post in the
corresponding thread

Steve undoubtedly does ;-) but there are plenty of Michael fans who are with ya.

Well, I'm a Michael fan and also a Nikita fan, and definitely a
"Michael and Nikita together in love" fan. I try to understand and
defend Michael in this first season(s), the same as I also try to do
with Nikita later in the series. Both of them need being defended at
these points, I guess.

Laura

[Steve L]

Post by l***@eresmas.com

Steve undoubtedly does ;-) but there are plenty of Michael fans who are with ya.

Well, I'm a Michael fan and also a Nikita fan, and definitely a
"Michael and Nikita together in love" fan. I try to understand and
defend Michael in this first season(s), the same as I also try to do
with Nikita later in the series. Both of them need being defended at
these points, I guess.

Hmmm, I believe I'm being misundertood. I've been a Mikey fan from the
beginning, regardless of how likabe he was, or how he treated Nik. I just
continue to be surprised at how Nik reacts to him in spite of it all...
IMHO it takes ruthless but self-controlled people to deal with terrorists
(boo-hoo, poor KSM had to endure water boarding for all of 34 seconds - less
time that it took the people jumping off the 88th floor of Tower II to crawl
out on the ledge, jump and splatter on the ground). Where we get in trouble
is when such people don't have self control (posing nude, leashed prisoners
for fun photography, for example) or the system fails to impose needed
control. But I digress. I love the Michael character for his competence,
mission driven attitude, and self assuredness. I just don't see what why a
woman who sees him for what he is (as opposed to the front he puts on for
Lisa Fanning) would be romantically interested.

Steve L.

[laura]

 I love the Michael character for his competence,
mission driven attitude, and self assuredness.  I just don't see what why a
woman who sees him for what he is (as opposed to the front he puts on for
Lisa Fanning) would be romantically interested.
Steve L.

Well, I'd say that not even Nikita herself knows the answer to that,
at least in seasons 1 and 2. Trying to analyze it, I think that (in no
particular order): a) She's very much physically attracted to him,
since the very beginning in the white room, and she knows the feeling
is mutual. Yes, maybe shallow but true. After all, Nikita is barely
out of her teens at this point, right? hormones can blur rational
judgment.b) The mistery, the excitement of unveiling c) Nikita comes
from a difficult background, she probably has no notion of what a
normal, healthy romantic relationship is. The only examples she's seen
are his mother's boyfriends, who were mainly abusive jerks. I'm not
goint to get into psychoanalysis, but I'd say that growing up with
those patterns must have had some effect on Nikita regarding her view
of men and romantic relationships. d) Nikita is absolutely starved for
affection and kindness of any type at the beginning of the series.
She's willing to turn to anyone who is nice to her, or at least who
does any kind thing to her. And Michael can be very nice sometimes,
when he wants to. e) I believe Nikita admires and respects Michael for
his "competence, mission driven attitude, and self-
assuredness" (Steve's words). She says it aloud in late season 3
("when you lead missions, we survive") but it's there from the
beginning, I'd say she feels much more confident, safe and protected
in a mission when Michael is around. e) Nikita has... I don't know how
to describe this... an ability to search for the goodness in
everything and everyone. She sees or suspects that Michael's
ruthlessness and self-control are only a mask, a self-protecting
armour Michael has had to build around himself through necessity. She
soon learns that underneath this there is a man capable of love
(Simone), concern (love), gratitude and friendship (Rescue),
compassion for the weak and innocent (charity), passion (hard
landing), jealousy (Gray arc, Jurgen arc), loyalty (half life),
fatherly insctinct (the Elena and Adam arc) and much more. It's all
there, and she senses it (as much as we the audience do), he just
isn't willing or fully capable of freely expressing it as nikita would
like to. She just feels it's worth the effort to keep trying with
Michael. I hope I made some sense.
Laura

[laura]

Oh, and one little question: how can I reply to an older thread? I
tried to reply to "the motherthread" as I told mal I would, but it
only shows the "reply to sender" and "forward" options, no "reply".
Anyone could enlighten me? Thanks
Laura

[Malsperanza]

Post by laura
Oh, and one little question: how can I reply to an older thread? I
tried to reply to "the motherthread" as I told mal I would, but it
only shows the "reply to sender" and "forward" options, no "reply".
Anyone could enlighten me? Thanks
Laura

Older threads get turned off. It's an irritating new feature of
yahoogroups. You have to cut and paste and start a new thread. Pain in
the neck.

~Mal

[laura]

Post by Malsperanza
Older threads get turned off. It's an irritating new feature of
yahoogroups. You have to cut and paste and start a new thread. Pain in
the neck.

Hi!
Thanks Mal for the explanation. I don't really think my poor ramblings
about your question from "mother" deserve starting a new thread. The
only thing I wanted to say was, regarding if Michael would have had
let Nikita be killed or not, I would like to believe that he wouldn't.
Killing Nikita would have meant losing the only leverage they had with
Helen. I mean, having lost her husband, and losing her newly-found
"daughter", why would she want to cooperate with section? what other
reason could section use in order to break her? Helen was very
determined not to say anything "you killed John because he didn't tell
you, you think I will?" The only thing more important to her than her
loyalty to her late husband was her "daughter". She said it herself
when they were about to kill Nikita: "she's all I have". Killing her
would have been counterproductive for the mission at that point, I
believe.
Also, seeing it from a non-practical point of view, I would like to
think that Michael would never be able to kill Nikita, not even in the
first season. He can treat her horribly, yes, and he will show very
little remorse for that. He can have her emotionally hurt, manipulated
or (as in this episode) physically beaten,for the sake of a mission
and/or for what he perceives is her own good; as long as she's alive.
So, Michael had been repeatedly warned that section might have to use
Nikita to make Helen cooperate, he surely had caught the meaning
behind Ops and Maddy's threats. He probably hoped that Helen would
break only seeing her "daughter" beaten, but I'm confident that he had
a contingency plan in case Helen didn't crack. What would that plan
be, I don't really know. But, having had time to plan ahead, Michael
could/would have surely thought of something. I hope...

[Malsperanza]

Steve undoubtedly does ;-) but there are plenty of Michael fans who are with ya.

Hmmm, I believe I'm being misundertood.  I've been a Mikey fan from the
beginning, regardless of how likabe he was, or how he treated Nik.

Oops, sorry, Steve, my error!

 I just
continue to be surprised at how Nik reacts to him in spite of it all...

Because she doesn't know him yet--she's still intrigued by his mystery
and his talents, just as we are. I think if Nikita really knew Michael
as he was in s1 she'd be grossed out--as we would be. In TV terms he's
a superhero. In human terms he's a sociopath.

water boarding

Could I respectfully ask you not to bring this debate here?

 I love the Michael character for his competence,
mission driven attitude, and self assuredness.  I just don't see what why a
woman who sees him for what he is (as opposed to the front he puts on for
Lisa Fanning) would be romantically interested.

I don't think Nikita is nearly as clear-eyed as that in s1. I think
she sees part of what Michael is, but totally underestimates how truly
cold and evil he can be--partly because she unwittingly tends to bring
out the humanity in him so she rarely sees his worst side and often
sees his best.

She's not as different from Lisa Fanning as all that. Lisa serially
falls for Michael for more or less the same reasons she fell for her
husband: she wants someone supremely competent, protective, strong.
When Fake!Michael seduces her, he does so by being gentle, but also by
being extremely confident and strong.

Nikita doesn't exactly have "abused wife syndrome," but she comes
pretty close to it. She waffles between falling for Michael and being
very skeptical of him. If she had *none* of Lisa's delusion about men,
she'd never again accept or like Michael after "Mother," when he set
her up to have the crap beat out of her. However worthy the purpose of
that was, it was identical to David Fanning's abuse in its physical
use and abuse of her. I think it's only when he releases her to
freedom in Mercy that she really becomes romantically interested in
him--knowing what he was risking. Until then, it's more of a crush--
because "competence, mission driven attitude, and self assuredness"
are very sexy things. He's the alpha in Section; everyone (male and
female) is attracted to that. Plus, yaknow, he's kinda foxy.

Also, I think s1 of LFN does a good job of showing how Stockholm
Syndrome may happen: Nikita grows emotionally attached to her captor,
bonded personally to the most alluring of Section's leaders, and makes
common cause with him. It has a Patty Hearst quality to it.

~Mal

[cin]

Post by Steve L
I love the Michael character for his competence,
mission driven attitude, and self assuredness. I just don't see what why a
woman who sees him for what he is (as opposed to the front he puts on for
Lisa Fanning) would be romantically interested.

Do I need to re-type the Beauty and the Beast deconstruction?

cin

[Patrick Ellis]

Post by cin

Post by Steve L
I love the Michael character for his competence,
mission driven attitude, and self assuredness. I just don't see what
why a woman who sees him for what he is (as opposed to the front he
puts on for Lisa Fanning) would be romantically interested.

Do I need to re-type the Beauty and the Beast deconstruction?

Is this the one where mission-pants-Michael is the Beauty and mole-Nikita is
the Beast? The way she manipulates his feelings is just so stereotypical
;-).

Patrick Ellis, who never did buy the DVDs and is too busy downloading
internet porn anyway, like any stereotypical guy.
(LaFemme Behind the Green Door?, Nikita does Dallas?).

[cin]

Post by Patrick Ellis

Post by cin

Post by Steve L
I love the Michael character for his competence,
mission driven attitude, and self assuredness. I just don't see what
why a woman who sees him for what he is (as opposed to the front he
puts on for Lisa Fanning) would be romantically interested.

Do I need to re-type the Beauty and the Beast deconstruction?

Is this the one where mission-pants-Michael is the Beauty and mole-Nikita
is the Beast? The way she manipulates his feelings is just so
stereotypical ;-).
Patrick Ellis, who never did buy the DVDs and is too busy downloading
internet porn anyway, like any stereotypical guy.
(LaFemme Behind the Green Door?, Nikita does Dallas?).

Patrick! We've missed you!

cin

[cin]

"Malsperanza" <***@yahoo.com> wrote

re: MMWK:

<<IMO, there's no way to retcon s1 to make the MMWK scenario work. One
has to just squint and ignore it. Because if Michael's mission in s3
was so all-important, then they presumably could have sent a different
level 5 op to the mission in Azkaban.>>

I'm standing by my theory that Vachek wasn't as important (at least in the
beginning) as it becomes later. I totally think it was a way to separate
wonderkid Michael from emotional connections w/ Simone. And when it didn't
work, the offed Simone. Maybe Vachek was important, but it wasn't important
in the beginning for the "official" reasons.

<<Cin is more or less the one who is moving things along, but
she's been AWOL lately. >>

Sorry. This month has been... well... bad. really bad.

cin

[Malsperanza]

Post by cin
<<IMO, there's no way to retcon s1 to make the MMWK scenario work. One
has to just squint and ignore it. Because if Michael's mission in s3
was so all-important, then they presumably could have sent a different
level 5 op to the mission in Azkaban.>>
I'm standing by my theory that Vachek wasn't as important (at least in the
beginning) as it becomes later.  I totally think it was a way to separate
wonderkid Michael from emotional connections w/ Simone.  And when it didn't
work, the offed Simone.  Maybe Vachek was important, but it wasn't important
in the beginning for the "official" reasons.
<<Cin is more or less the one who is moving things along, but
she's been AWOL lately. >>
Sorry.  This month has been... well... bad.  really bad.
cin

Sorry to hear it. Hope things are better.

~Mal

[cin]

<***@eresmas.com> wrote in message

<<I view Michael in these first episodes as very emotionally
"ambiguous", that is, he gives something (does something good for her,
or gives her hope) and he takes something away almost instantly (lies,
manipulates her). Sadly, I think this is probably on of the kindest
relationships Nikita has had in her young life. Do you think I'm being
too soft with Michael?>>

Ah... good point! I like that a lot - "emotionally ambiguous." I'll use
that in the future and totally not give you any credit whatsoever! LOL! '

This "emotionally ambiguous" idea goes along w/ my SAR theory -
Stoic/Affectless/Repressed theory which goes roughly like this. Back in
"Nikita" the episode, most viewers don't appreciate the overly-emoting
Michael when he yells at Nik in his office about mistakes are not an option,
blah, blah because they can't rationalize that with under-emoting Michael.
My theory is that over-emoting Michael is the real deal, but as Nikita
becomes more of a reality to him an a source of potential loss (a la
Simone), the more repressed and affectless he becomes, hence SAR Michael.
SAR Michael can't have his cake and eat it too - he can't love Nikita and be
with her because of the pain of losing her (like Simone, like Adam), so he
continually undermines any headway he makes. So all through the first part
of s1 and at various times onward, we do get the occasional emotional
outburst from Michael which is soon replaced by SAR Michael we all know and
love. Makes perfect sense (to me).


<<But the thing with Nikita, in these first episodes, is her
impulsivity. I mean, she acts instinctively on her feelings at the
moment, and also where Michael is concerned. She doesn't seem to have
a good memory, either of the good things or of the bad things he did
for her, She seems to only remember, at best, where they stood
emotionally at the end of the previous episode, and acts accordingly.>>

Yeah, Nik's problem primarily is her lack of memory. But remember, too,
she's already imprinted at this point, so it doesn't really matter if
Michael's nice to her or not. It's totally creepy and controlling like a
stalker-husband. One other thing, too, is Nikita does often relate to
Michael in terms of "us" v. "them". It's obviously very fluid. But when
Section leaves w/o Michael, he's effectively become an innocent that she has
a hand in leaving for dead. This is not something that sits well with
Nikita.

Re: Angie:

<<Yes! And not only he wants to help Angie, but , to do it, he actually
bonds/empathises with her, listens to her when she expresses her
feelings. That allows him to find a way he thinks is adequate to help
her.>>

Wow. Michael can be an actual human? If only Nikita knew! LOL!
Interesting that Section is so screwed up that operatives can't behave this
way with each other.

<<Are
previous discussions closed?)>>

Surely, you jest! Nothing's closed. Real life just gets in the way...
frequently.

cin

[Malsperanza]

Yeah, Nik's problem primarily is her lack of memory.  But remember, too,
she's already imprinted at this point, so it doesn't really matter if
Michael's nice to her or not.  It's totally creepy and controlling like a
stalker-husband.  

This is why I love the David Fanning episodes, even though the actress
playing Lisa Fanning irritated me no end. Because David Fanning is a
kind of extrovert Michael. However much Nikita and Michael may tell
themselves they're different, they are essentially in an abusive
romantic relationship--just for different motives, is all. The Fanning
episodes do a great job of connecting the dots without ever blatantly
broadcasting the connections.

Plus I really liked the actor who played Fanning. For all his
asshattery, he was funny, charismatic, and interesting. Good spin on a
stock TV villain.

~Mal

[Malsperanza]

Post by l***@eresmas.com
Nikita goes into full Michael-protecting mode in this episode, it's
nice to see how loyal she remains to Michael, especially taking into
account that "Rescue" goes just after the Gray arc, which ended with
quite a bit of "tension" between them and their view of Section, and
also shortly after "escape"...

I also think that's interesting. It establishes right at the beginning
of the episode that Nikita is bonded to Michael, despite all his
manipulations and cruelties. What isn't revealed until the end (when
Angie spots it) is that Michael is bonded to her. So the episode has a
huge arc to cover, and does.

Post by l***@eresmas.com
*yeah, trying to view this ep fresh (i.e., forgetting everything else that
happens later), it's hard to fathom why Nik would be so concerned about
Mikey.  To this point he has done little but treat her like sh*t.

It's Lurrrrrvve. I suppose one could argue that if Michael dies, there
will be no one to protect Nikita from Section's harsher games, or her
own missteps. She'd be dead by now if Michael hadn't already been
protecting her 24/7. So Nikita has a very practical reason for not
wanting to lose Michael. OTOH, I don't really think she's reasoning on
that level. Despite how he treats her, she admires him, and is
disgusted by Section's (apparent) willingness to sacrifice anyone, no
matter how loyal or dedicated they are. Also, she has some inkling of
the sekrit Michael underneath--at least, she must because otherwise
she'd just be a masochist.

Post by l***@eresmas.com
As for Michael, it is... interesting, I should say... viewing him
hurt, badly wounded, weak, having to depend on Angie's sympathy (I
mean when she was on the point of phoning the police, but didn't). We
have seen him emotionally "weak" only in Simone, but not physically
hurt, I think, before that. It makes him more human, more real,
realising that he's not "made of steel". At the same time, we see how
well trained he is, how his survival instincts and his training kick
in, dictating what to do in this emergency situation (like find a
nurse who can help him, or cauterize his own wounds).
* to me the intersting part is that he actually wants to help her, not just
use her.  Maybe the first point in the series where he is likeable as a
character.

Yep. Though he has a few small flashes of being likable earlier, such
as when the redshirt Chuck makes a crack about his hair, or when he
nearly cracks up when Nikita dumps the surveillance cameras on Ops's
desk. What's most interesting to me about Michael as protagonist of
the series is how willing TPTB were to make him so extremely
unlikeable, and to sustain that for so long. Usually, when a main
character/hero on TV is shown as nasty or gruff or mean or hostile, we
learn within 3 episodes that it ain't really so. But Michael REALLY IS
unpleasant, cruel, viscious, cold-blooded, and slightly psychotic. Yet
he's totally heroic. So the show juggles two heros: the absolute
goodguy (Nikita) and the really awful goodguy (Michael). It's
completely plausible to me that, up until the last act of "Mercy"
Michael might still turn out to be the archvillain. It makes s1 really
remarkable.

~Mal

[cin]

"Malsperanza" <***@yahoo.com> wrote <<

<<Yep. Though he has a few small flashes of being likable earlier, such
as when the redshirt Chuck makes a crack about his hair, >>

I refuse to believe they ever let this scene be shot. It is a cruel, cruel
joke by somebody somewhere with the chops to piece together a real scene
frame by frame from scraps on the cutting room floor and somehow broadcast
it worldwide using a supersekrit satellite and an ET transmitter. Michael
never jokes. He puppy-cuffs Birky instead.

<<But Michael REALLY IS
unpleasant, cruel, viscious, cold-blooded, and slightly psychotic. Yet
he's totally heroic. So the show juggles two heros: the absolute
goodguy (Nikita) and the really awful goodguy (Michael). It's
completely plausible to me that, up until the last act of "Mercy"
Michael might still turn out to be the archvillain. It makes s1 really
remarkable.>>

Yeah... (sigh)... I know!

cin
heh. my spellchecker didn't pick up "supersekrit". What else did it miss?

[Steve L]

Post by Malsperanza
Especially considering what Petrosian does later in the series.
Clearly Madeline has a thing for him. I do not get Madeline's taste in
men. Just sayin.

No more than I understand Nik's taste in men...

On to Innocent?

Steve L.

[Malsperanza]

Post by Steve L

Post by Malsperanza
Especially considering what Petrosian does later in the series.
Clearly Madeline has a thing for him. I do not get Madeline's taste in
men. Just sayin.

No more than I understand Nik's taste in men...

Point taken.

[cin]

Mal wrote:

<<Nikita, OTOH, is 100% totally predictible.

Poor Nikita.

cin

[cin]

"Malsperanza" <***@yahoo.com> wrote in message


Hi guys. I guess I'm back for a bit. Jumping in where I left off...

<<Petrosian was ruined for me by the appallingly inept attempt at an
accent. Madeline in the field, giving herself an actual heart attack,
is a high point. Plus, the fact that the whole operation--including
the intentional mess made of the original operation--is designed
flawlessly to get Petrosian out is a treat. Double, triple crosses.
And it's so rare for Michael to be the victim and dupe of these
schemes--so often it's Nikita.>>

You know, I didn't buy it last time we discussed it, but yeah... I do
totally see it now - the Section dupe of Michael with fake explosives and
leaving him behind. I wonder now, did the driver of the BVWVoD leave w/o
Michael because A- he/she was instructed to or B - did he/she figure Michael
was as good as dead? I suppose it doesn't matter. But I wonder if the
choice is A, then the driver had to have some high clearance to be told to
leave Michael behind... or maybe he/she wanted vengeance agains Michael for
some reason. Or if it was B... Section really lucked out that Michael did
get left behind.... but they probably had contingencies for failed
contingencies.

Post by Steve L
Ops: "He'll be missed". Plot hole here - another half point deduction. No
way they write off a level 5 op without at least trying to make sure he is
dead. They know too much. But Nik's sweater looks great on her in this
scene, so bonus point there.

Mal wrote:
<<Well, but doesn't Section fully expect Michael to succeed in escaping?
Isn't that the whole idea behind getting Petrosian out? Because if
Petrosian were to walk up to the Section helicopter, his alliance with
Section would be obvious. This way, instead, Petrosian simply
disappears. For all the badguys know, he's been killed or kidnapped.
But whatever assets he left in place are not compromised. At least,
that's how I read it.>>

I'm with Mal on this one.

Post by Steve L
Mikey at Angie's apartment is what sets this show apart from any other spy
show on TV or the movies. Angie is not beautiful. Mikey doesn't sleep with
her despite having two bullet holes in him.

Bwahahaha!

Post by Steve L
Even though Angie clearly likes
Mikey. ...> and she believes she would stand no chance in a contest with
Nik.

It's a weird, opposite and convoluted Oedipus complex. I think she
identifies w/ Michael because he's relatable to her father. I don't see a
sexual attraction however.

Steve: <Imagine

Post by Steve L
if she had made it back to Section (clearly Section needs a lot of medical
personnel) then found out about MMWK.

Clearly, Michael still think's he/Section is reltively on the side of the
good guys to even propose it. Because, yes, what if Angie went back to
Section and found out about a lot of things? She'd be disillusioned - it'd
be too real - it's not the what the *idea* of her lowly yet noble father
standing up to the evil dictators is to her in her mind.

Post by Steve L
However, the thing that bothers me
about Mikey's behavior is that he doesn't even go over to make sure she's
dead. Bad form, that.

He knows she's dead. No point.

cin

[Malsperanza]

Post by Steve L
Even though Angie clearly likes
Mikey. ...> and she believes she would stand no chance in a contest with
Nik.

It's a weird, opposite and convoluted Oedipus complex.  I think she
identifies w/ Michael because he's relatable to her father.   I don't see a
sexual attraction however.

Really? I think she totally falls in luv with him. He's in her
apartment, shirtless, wounded, and empathetic. She give him soup and
Bulgarian orange juice. When he invites her to escape to the West
(over that, uh, big ugly wall in Berlin... or wait, I mean, all those
barbed-wire trenches on the Czechslovakian border, that is, I mean the
Yugoslavian bor-- er, where *did* I put my wayback machine? Damn).
Ahem. When he invites her to escape to the West he does so out of
compassion, gratitude, and because she has been compromised by helping
him & will probably end up in jail. I never imagined that he intended
to bring her into Section proper, but rather to place her in some
anonymous job in a hospital somewhere in the western hemisphere, a la
witness protection programs.

But Angie misunderstands him. You can see her weighing the decision as
she looks at him. She thinks she's being invited to be with him, to
escape with him. She chooses to go not only for practical reasons, but
because she has attached herself to him romantically. He isn't like
her father, who spoke up and stuck out and got hammered; he is the
secret, quiet, invisible force that avenges people like her father.

Only when she gets to the airbase and sees how he and Nikita interact
does she realize that her attachment was a fantasy. Michael was being
kind and grateful, but feels no romantic attachment for her. She has
given up her home, her life, her safety to go to the west and be
"placed" in some anonymous job in a hospital somewhere in the western
hemisphere, a la witness protection programs. She will never see
Michael again. And meanwhile, the real object of Michael's desire
(quite visible to her, if not to himself) is a stunning blonde who has
all the skills she lacks. So she gets herself out of a humiliating
situation in the one way that will show Michael that she was worthy of
his emotional interest after all.

Which works, BTW. He is quite devastated by her death, and not only
because he caused it. The fact that he used his peerless valentine
skills on her is truly revolting, and he knows it.

~Mal

[Steve L]

"Malsperanza" <***@yahoo.com> wrote in message

... or wait, I mean, all those barbed-wire trenches on the Czechslovakian
border, snip, where *did* I put my wayback machine? Damn.

* Ah, happy memories of crawling around said trenches, plotting atomic
demolition munition emplacements... I miss the cold war sometimes. NOT.

* Just a general comment on all the Rescue discussion - since I'm waaaaay
behind - I think the X theory of Mikey and Nik becoming more like one
another not only makes a lot of sense, but was something the writers
actually thought through in terms of series continuity (unlike MMWK and SMS
and Robo-Nik).


Steve L.

[cin]

Post by Steve L
Even though Angie clearly likes
Mikey. ...> and she believes she would stand no chance in a contest with
Nik.

It's a weird, opposite and convoluted Oedipus complex. I think she
identifies w/ Michael because he's relatable to her father. I don't see a
sexual attraction however.

Mal:
<<Really?>>

Really.

<< I never imagined that he intended
to bring her into Section proper, but rather to place her in some
anonymous job in a hospital somewhere in the western hemisphere, a la
witness protection programs.>>

Nah. She would've been one of those Section red coats.

<<But Angie misunderstands him. You can see her weighing the decision as
she looks at him. She thinks she's being invited to be with him, to
escape with him. She chooses to go not only for practical reasons, but
because she has attached herself to him romantically.>>

Nope. I don't think so.

<< He isn't like
her father, who spoke up and stuck out and got hammered; he is the
secret, quiet, invisible force that avenges people like her father.>>

Exactly. Which is why she wants to go with him. Not because of her
attraction to him, but because he can be what her father can't/couldn't.

<<So she gets herself out of a humiliating
situation in the one way that will show Michael that she was worthy of
his emotional interest after all.>>

No.. she sacrifices herself, yes, but she does it in the spirit of her
father. She's the nail that stands up, gets hammered, and fulfills her
father's legacy. But it is a sacrifice which I think is the important
part - not the humiliation. I don't find her humiliated at all.

cin