Pilot View: The CW’s new drama, ‘Nikita’
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Editor’s Note: We offer you our first impressions of the original pilots for fall shows. Keep in mind that these are not reviews, and that the networks may make significant changes to these shows before they air. We reserve the right to love them or hate them more later.
‘Nikita’ is an update of the 1990 film ‘La Femme Nikita.’ In this version, Nikita was rescued from Death Row by a secret U.S. agency that faked her execution to train her as a spy and assassin. Betrayed by the only people she could trust, she fled and after three years in hiding, returns to seek retribution. In the meantime, the agency continues to recruit women, such as the young Alex.
Who’s in it: Maggie Q (‘Live Free or Die Hard’ and ‘Mission: Impossible III’) as Nikita and Lyndsy Fonseca (‘Kick-Ass’) as Alex. Also: Shane West (“ER,” “Once and Again”), Aaron Stanford (“Traveler,” “X-Men: The Last Stand”), Ashton Holmes (“Boston Legal”),Tiffany Hines (“Bones”), Melinda Clarke (“The O.C.,” “The Vampire Diaries”) and Xander Berkeley (“Kick-Ass,” “24,” “The Mentalist”).
Who made it: Craig Silverstein (‘Bones’ and ‘K-Ville’).
Thumbs up: Hawaiian-born Maggie Q, a superstar in Asia, is formidable in her American TV debut. She’s a strong action star as well as a vulnerable presence. Also going for it is the story of Alex, who has just been recruited and gives us an inside view at what Nikita went through years earlier.
Thumbs down: We found ourselves bored midway through the pilot, but there’s an interesting twist at the end.
Verdict: There’s enough here to make us want to see more.
-- Maria Elena Fernandez
twitter.com/writerchica
Video Credit: The CW
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