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| 313 - Beyond The Pale |
| Writer/Director |
Lawrence Hertzog / René
Bonniere |
| Michael's POV Onscreen:
22 minutes |
Michael is passed over for
promotion to Head Strategist in favour of Zalman, and goes to Nikita’s apartment to
tell her of his plan for them to escape from Section. On the next mission, Michael and
Nikita disappear to a remote farmhouse, Michael’s own, where he reveals his hitherto
unseen domestic skills. Recaptured by Zalman, Michael is tortured but refuses to give up
Nikita - until Zalman threatens his son, Adam. At the farmhouse Zalman attempts to kiss
Nikita just before he kills her, only to feel a gun in his back – it’s Michael.
The whole thing, including Michael and Nikita’s escape, has been an elaborate set-up
to expose Zalman as a Red Cell mole. Later, at Nikita’s apartment, they begin to set
some ground rules for their relationship. |
| Michael Moments |
Michael’s new mission gear
– brown cord jacket and brown jeans
The look Michael gives Nikita as he tells her he wants her (not shown in every
transmission)
Michael chopping veggies, bringing in firewood, and keeping Nikita warm – with a
blanket
The sweaty tortured Michael look – is there any other actor who can carry this off so
well?!
The raised glass to Nikita – and the raised little finger, right-hand – pure
Roy! |
| Words of Wisdom |
"In Section you either move up or
move out." (not shown in every transmission)
"I don’t need you,
I want you." (not shown in every transmission)
"I saw it when we were
doing aerial reconnaissance." (Doesn’t seem like much written down, but just
listen to Roy saying "reconnaissance.")
"There’s still a
lot of things you don’t know about me, maybe it’s time you learnt."
"Let’s not think
about the future, let’s just enjoy this while it lasts."
"I liked it there." |
Performance Rating
 |
The Season 3 episode that sent
the Hopeful Romantics into Blissville. Every schoolgirl’s dream date, Roy gives us a
Michael who cooks, shops, withstands torture (for a while), but still manages to let
Nikita keep her thermal knickers on while sleeping in the same bed. A rare chance for Roy
to hint at Michael’s New Man credentials, and even an in-joke for the fans about his
real-life living accommodation, but we wonder what he thought about rehashing the same old
lazy plot device as used in Slipping Into Darkness only 3
episodes previously? The excuse of concealed cameras to make everyone elaborately act out
every step of the deception is lame to say the least. (The charade in the truck, which
Zalman couldn’t possibly have overheard, never made it to the export version.)
However, we have the consolation of the tag, a further step in the acceptance of Nikita
into Michael’s life. Totally convincing, even though the poor boy does sound as
though he was recovering from a cold. |
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