posted
Yah, that always bugged me too. I also always wondered how Edward Woodward ended up with Nikita's loser mom? We found out later that her mom was a drunk and kicked her out because she preferred her new boyfriend. So she was also apparently a bit of a skank.
I guess she could've been a bit nicer before Nikita was born and hooked up with Mr. Jones, an up and comer in the organization. They had an affair, she of course never realizing who he was or what he did. When he finally disappeared on her, it ruined her life and basically skrewed his unborn daughter.
Throughout the series, they started dropping hints that Operations was Nikita's father. In fact, they seemed to have landed on that at the end of season 4. Madeline had told Nikita this was true and Operations, though never outright confirming it, seemed to back it up. Their conversation in the last episode of season 4 always sounded like "I know you're my father, but I don't give a damn. Screw you."
Then of course, they had to figure out how to make more story for season 5. I really hated the way they were originally going to end the series with the endings presented in season 4.
posted
I agree it was never really laid out how Edward Woodward could be Nikitas father or why he'd decided to get her into Section 1.
Yeah they, definatly seemed to play up the idea that Operations was her father especially with that epsidoe where she finds out that the guy she killed was an abeyance operative.
What in particular about the of Season 4 annoyed you?
Registered: May 2001
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posted
Well, season 4 was originally going to be the last season. Then fan clamoring convinced them to do a short season 5. But they didn't know that when they ended season 4, so the end of season 4 was what the creators wanted the end of the series to be.
It turns out that Nikita never felt anything for Michael and that she was playing him and everyone else the whole time. This really throws a wrench in alot of things throughout the series. For one: why did she never mention that she was working for Center while she was under the influence of the Gelman Process?
It just seemed like something they came up with at the end of the show without ever really having planned it ahead of time. In fact, it doesn't even seem like they planned it before writing the last couple of episodes. Nikita escapes Section with Michael only to be intentionally recaptured an episode later. But if she never loved Michael and never really wanted out of Section, then why escape?
I suppose she really could have been lying at the very end when she told Michael that she didn't love him... but without a season 5, there would have been no resolution to that... it would've just been out there forever. It just never sat well with me.
EDIT: A thought occured to me while writing this... maybe Nikita went through the whole escape business as one final test of everyone before the Review. Would Michael betray Section? What choice would Operations make? But if that was the case, they just didn't do a satisfying job of explaining it.
posted
Yeah I remeber that the fans got the eight more episodes for season 5, got to be one of the few succesful fan campagins in recent memomry.
As for Nikita's assertion that she didn't love Michael I always assumed that she was lying, because she figured that Section and Centre would never let her go. So to make sure that he wouldn't follow her she told him that she didn't love him. I actually like that scene especially the bit where Michael cuts himself under his eye. Also thought that Madalines sucide was in character for her, didn't like the Hologram in season 5.
Registered: May 2001
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posted
Yah, Section seemed to make a few technological leaps forward between seasons 4 and 5. The hologram being case in point. I didn't like that episode very much either, though the title was a nice throw back to season one. "The Girl Who Wasn't There" comes from the poem Kessler kept reciting to Madeline.
I wouldn't have minded the scene... but we never got any explanation for it. Was she lying? Why was Nikita willing to risk escaping with Michael just a couple of eps ago, but not this time? I don't mind having to work for the answers, but I'd like there to be some answers at the end of the road. It just felt like they didn't know what they wanted to say about the whole but were rather focusing on the shock value of "holy crap, the entire series just got turned on its ear."
Registered: Oct 1999
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posted
Did they know that they had been cancelled when they wrote Four Lights Years Further? That may explain some of the tone of the epsiode, even if they found out late in the season it would have been hard to shoot a proper ending and they may have had to graft one on to the season resulting in the differnt tone.
Or they may have delibratly tried for a tragic "unending".
Registered: May 2001
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posted
I believe it was a bit of both. I know the creator wanted to do something that took everyone completely by surprise. He liked the idea of having the heroine, who throughout the series was basically an innocent prisoner, completely at the mercy of Section, turn out to be the one who decided everyone's fate.
And yes, they did know the series was going to end after season 4. Peta Wilson cut all her hair off, which is why Nikita comes back in season 5 with a shorter do. I don't know if the sets were struck or not, but I didn't notice any obvious differences in the Section sets in season 5.
Registered: Oct 1999
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posted
Watching old LFN episodes on DVD I begin to wonder who the hell are these Special Guest Stars? I never even heard of those actors.
I agree I don't like the way the series ended. Everyone except Walter and Nikita dies, and she ends up running Section. I always kind of figured Michael would take over as Operations and Nikita would be his Madeline.
-------------------- I'm slightly annoyed at Hobbes' rather rude decision to be much more attractive than me though. That's just rude. - PsyLiam, Oct 27, 2005.
Registered: May 1999
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posted
Most of the guest actors where Canadians, so it helps if you've watched a fair number of the cheaper sci-fi shows.
Registered: May 2001
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I didn't mind the very ending of Season 5. Nikita taking over, more or less against her will, was a fitting LFN ending. We all knew she'd never get out of Section. I always figured it would end either with her in charge or dead.
I didn't like the Paul's demise, because it reduced his character to this little boy who was just hungry for power and got desperate. I don't mind that he died, but I think it could have been done better. But it's not like they had time to do a story arc on him.
Michael going off with his son was ok. And there was this sense that eventually, he will be back. Nikita therefor has some sense of hope.
Mr. Jones' death was just damn stupid. Why would they gun him down on the street? He's the top man in the organization. You'd think they'd have a couple of questions to ask him. But I overlook it because they were playing "Spies" behind the scene and that song is just too cool.
Jason was still alive at the end, though I guess we're just supposed to assume he's still at Center. Quinn was also still alive and thank goodness for that. I'm in love with her, you see.
Registered: Oct 1999
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posted
Yeah, Nikita in charge or dead was the only way that it really could have ended. NIkita getting out and free would have been to damn soppy and would have seemed out of place for the show. A good death would have worked as well.
I think Michael get out of section and being with his son was cool and very poingant, especailly with Nikita becoming Section 1 as the price for his freedom.
Jone's death never made sense to me, why wouldn't Red Cell want to torture him? I was kinda expecting somebody from Section to kill to stop him talking.
Quinn was cool, I liked her.
Registered: May 2001
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posted
Caught something new while rewatching season 1 eps. I think the episode is called "Mother" where Nik pretends to be a terrorist's long lost daughter. At the beginning of the show, a team is getting in the van and I believe that there's a label on the hallway that says "Transport". But the set is the main entryway set with the LED readout over it. Later in the series we definitely see that the main entryway has an elevator behind it. So the transport entryway (as well as the hallway leading to it) must look an awful lot like the main mission entryway. But there would definitely have to be two seperate entries... one from Transport and another main one. Which really makes no sense... when would they *not* arrive back in Section using some kind of vehicle? And it's obviously the same set, they just hadn't worked out the details yet.
I'm going to have to watch the rest of the season and see if that set is always represented as leading directly to the van and, if not, when it changes.
Registered: Oct 1999
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OK...here's something else that's dumb, but still bugs me. I'm up to the ep "Love". Since the very first episode, Roy Dupuis has had something wrong with his fingers. Every time we get a close up of his hands, the two middle fingers of his right hand have what look like little cuts above his middle knuckle. There's also a spot on his right thumbnail like someone tried to hammer a nail through it.
I've noticed this before and never knew what they were. It's odd that they would stick around over the course of weeks, maybe even months of filming.
posted
I've noticed it too. I have no idea what it is though.
-------------------- I'm slightly annoyed at Hobbes' rather rude decision to be much more attractive than me though. That's just rude. - PsyLiam, Oct 27, 2005.
Registered: May 1999
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