|
| 304 - Gates of Hell |
| Writer/Director |
Robert Cochrane / René
Bonniere |
| Michael's POV Onscreen:
25 minutes |
Following the loss of his
‘family’ life Michael becomes suicidal. In Section he is listless,
disrespectful, unresponsive, and even flinches at the sound of gunshot. While Operations
and Madeline disagree on how to manage him, Nikita tries to reach him, but he is isolated
in his own grief. Just as Operations is reaching the end of his patience, Nikita’s
capture jolts Michael back into reality, and he returns to being able to function as
effectively as before. Closure comes with the acceptance of Nikita’s invitation to go
for coffee, an echo of the ending of Simone. |
| Michael Moments |
His emotional collapse as he
watches his video of Adam
The purposeful strut to kill Brevich’s decoy, thinking the man had killed his own son
Playing Fauré’s Elegie Op. 24 on the cello (though it’s not actually Roy’s
performance)
Sliding the motorbike under the lorry and the one-handed shooting after emerging from the
other side
Giving Brevich the satisfaction of knowing that his son’s death had been avenged
before killing him |
| Words of Wisdom |
"Talking won’t help."
"Playing the cello."
"Because people who
care about me end up dead or hurt."
"I’ve caused
you enough pain already, go while you still can."
"We’ll rejoin
the rest of the team in 19 minutes. Change egress to route 3." |
Performance Rating
 |
Roy changes his body language
completely to show us a Michael overcome by grief and out of synch with the world of
Section. No blank stares, no cool looks, instead we see a man at a crossroads, with no
desire to choose life as the way forward. After so much uncharacteristic behaviour it
comes as a great relief when finally he pulls himself together and gets on with being
heroic…and precise – only Michael would come up with a 19 minute e.t.a! Are we
convinced? Even if you don’t entirely buy into the premise that ultra-controlled
Michael, a largely absentee father, would go to pieces quite so much over separation from
his still-alive son, we have to commend Roy on another supreme execution of the material
he is given to work with. But take another look at the tag where Nikita asks how he is,
and he says, "Better." A much more subtle mood, Roy does ‘emotionally
bruised Michael’ to perfection. |
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