'Nikita' review by The Fish

Below are snippets from the review of The Fish on our fave show Nikita.

• Episodes usually cover a single mission, and it tends to work pretty well. There is enough suspense to keep people interested, plenty of action delivered in the form of gun fights and martial arts, a little subtlety, a dash of style, and a series of twists that are being revealed at a slow but satisfying pace. It's the perfect recipe for a spy series, and Nikita makes good use of the ingredients.
  
• Another of the shows best qualities are its characters. The beautiful Maggie Q (Live free or Die Hard) does a stellar job playing the sexy, redemption-hungry Nikita, though there are moments she risks being upstaged by Lyndsy Fonseca (Desperate Housewives), whose portrayal of spy-in-training, Alex, is nothing short of amazing. Further rounding out the cast are Aaron Stanford (X-Men 2) as computer hacker Birkhoff, and Melinda Clarke (The O.C.) who absolutely oozes evil in her portrayal of Division psychologist, Amanda.
  
• Despite his attempts, West comes across more as a moody teenager with combat training rather than a good man caught on the wrong side of a fight. He also doesn't seem to command the power his character requires, and his confrontations with Nikita may leave viewers wondering why she doesn't just shoot him and be done with it.
  
• For all his reputation of being a ruthless killer, Berkeley's character is about as diabolical as the old man in Pixar's Up. He's just not the villain audiences love to hate, and there's never any doubt that Nikita will thwart his plans and vanish into the shadows unscathed. If the CW hopes to see Nikita move forward, it needs to seriously consider ironing the kinks out of these two characters.
  
• t's a good series that will appeal to viewers of all backgrounds, and considering how long it's been since a decent spy thriller came along the timing couldn't be better. Regardless of what else may be said, Nikita has shown to be one of the more promising new series in a season of many disappointments. We're all hoping this agent survives their mission and returns home for a second assignment.
  

You can read the complete review here.

Credits:
Nikita Proves It Has A License To Kill
By Ryan Duncan

Nikita Report Card: How Is the New Class Doing?

Are you ready to know your show's grade?

The Good: As played by the super-intense Maggie Q, the assassin Nikita returns with a fresh, modern vengeance. The action is top-notch and the intrigues are an improvement over the original series. The addition of a mole within the nefarious Division adds complexity, and has us really impressed by former teen star Lyndsy Fonseca.
The Bad: Not much so far. The twists are still revealing themselves.

Grade: A-

Oh yeah! A minus! Woooooooooooot!

Credits:
TV Report Card: How Is the New Class Doing?

'Nikita' review by TeenToday.Co.UK

An all-around good review for Nikita. Praises abound!

• We don’t want to give too much away, especially if you haven’t seen the pilot, which runs along at a fairly rudimentary speed until throwing in a total game-changer in the final five minutes, but it’s basically Alias for the noughties… except Alias was in the noughties but you get my drift… Spooks on a bigger budget, 24 but with a hot female lead. In short, it’s awesome.
  
• In addition to all the action, there’s a few romantic subplots scattered here and there, plus just enough tantalising hints of backstory thrown at us each episode to make us hungry for more.
  
• But if it’s a high-kicking, hard-punching forty minutes of fast-paced intrigue and action you’re up for, Nikita might be just your bag. With a bomb in it. But your bag nonetheless.
  

Read the complete review here.
Credits:
Why Nikita kicks ass – literally!
By Rach Read

Episode Review: Phoenix (Season 1 Episode 8)

This just in. TV Fanatic's review of tonight's episode 'Phoenix.'

• Unfortunately, "Phoenix" was not my favorite installment of Nikita, mostly to due its stalled forward movement.
  
• I’m bummed that the action between Alex and Thom was only a way for Alex to use the latter. The look on her face afterward did make me question if there were feelings, but for now I believe it to be just a diversion. Nikita trained her well. Well enough to take a broken wrist to get the antidote. What do you think of Thom as an agent? I’m not sure he can hack it.
  
• You have to love Birkhoff and his one-liners. Even though he was only in one or two scenes this week, he managed to get his word in.
  
• I can’t say I’m upset at the lack of Percy. I’m aware that viewers are supposed to hate Percy’s character, but I do wish the writers would give him some interesting dialogue, or something to look forward to in his scenes.
  

Credits:

Nikita Review: "Phoenix"
By Elena

'Nikita' review by The New York Times

I found these points/thoughts interesting.

• That failure of imagination serves at least one purpose: it reinforces how suited Maggie Q is to the role of Nikita: she has a solemn, exotic beauty and hauteur that echo the heroine’s self-possession and cool relentlessness.
  
• Nikita is noticeably more hard-boiled and less girlish than the undercover agent played by Jennifer Garner on “Alias,” or the C.I.A. rookie that Piper Perabo plays on “Covert Affairs.”
  
• But for all its pandering, “Nikita” is actually a well-made thriller for grown-ups: a heroine in a decidedly unheroic line of work.
  

The full review can be found here though the review is mixed with "Hellcats."

Credits:
Lethal Woman With Weapons Is Out for Covert Vengeance
By Alessandra Stanley

'Nikita' review by The Jambrong

The Jambrong recently posted a review of Nikita.

You can read the full review here.

Credits:
New CW shows Nikita and Hellcats cutthroat without the edge

'Nikita' review by Collider

Points from Collider's review of "Nikita":

• The pilot, directed one-time CSI regular Danny Cannon, is very slick. To my eye, as slick as anything the major networks put together with their comparably major budgets.
  
• The dialogue — credited to Craig Silverstein and David Levinson — is a bit clunky in undertaking the effort to establish the complexities of the world via exposition, voiceover, and flashback.
  
• The major takeaway from episode one: Maggie Q is a star. Of all the fall season’s new hopefuls, she ties with Lone Star’s James Wolk for “Most Poised for a Breakout.” She’s endlessly charismatic, a credible action star, and capably shoulders the sometimes overwrought drama thrust upon her.
  
• Fonseca is a competent second lead in a role that requires a lot of deception: she’s come a long way from countless reaction shots as Ted’s future daughter in How I Met Your Mother. It’s hard to come away from four seasons of The O.C. without some sort of fondness for Clarke, and she’s well-cast here in the role of credentialed seductress.
  
• I wouldn’t say West shined as Michael, but he didn’t specifically botch any of scenes. A notable feat in a role that could be problematic to the series without some deft acting.
  

Credits:
Review: The CW’s NIKITA
by Brendan Bettinger

'Nikita' review: The CW goes rogue with a classic story

Sorry, still playing catch up on posts related to Nikita since I got hooked just a week a ago. Below is the review of Zap2It for our beloved show.

The Good:

• Through Nikita and Alex, we are able to see two sides of The Division: the origin story and the post-traumatic output. It makes for an interesting balance and a new twist on an old classic.
  
• Melinda Clarke is perfection as the Fairy Godmother of assassins. Her strength and capability is palpable, despite the fact that her own fate seems to be out of her hands. "The elevator doesn't lead to freedom, just another room," she says. "The more you try to get out, the more you realize there will always be another room."
  
• The production value is extremely high - the pilot episode is comparable to some of the best action movies. If subsequent episodes can maintain the well-executed stunts and special effects, plus the authentic-looking sets, we'll be very impressed.
  
• Alex's fellow recruits, played by Ashton Holmes and Tiffany Hines, are well-cast and charming. In a world where everyone speaks in hushed tones and cryptic metaphors, it's actually refreshing to hear some teenage banter, as sharp-edged as it may be.
  

The Bad:

• Though the fellow recruits bring an occasional laugh, there's an inescapable hopelessness that clouds the show. Both leads are perpetually overwhelmed by painful memories and a future that is dismal and lonely at best. Is there really a light at the end of this tunnel?
  
• We hate to say it, but as gorgeous as he may be, it's hard to buy Shane West as an expert assassin. We keep waiting for his character, Michael, to throw himself at Nikita's feet and beg her to run away with him while Switchfoot's "Dare You To Move" plays in the background.
  
• A lot of "Nikita" just reminds us how much we miss "Alias." The similarities are inevitable and "Nikita" does a lot of things right, but... "Alias" did most things better.
  

Credits:
'Nikita' review: The CW goes rogue with a classic story
By Carina Adly MacKenzie