|
| 321 - Playing With Fire |
| Writer/Director |
Peter M Lenkov / Joseph L
Scanlan |
| Michael's POV Onscreen:
16 minutes |
After a short break to
compromise George, Operations and Madeline resume their new hobby of keeping Michael and
Nikita apart. Even with Davenport assigned as chaperone, Michael manages to execute an
elaborate plan so that they can spend a precious hour together, in mid-mission no less, on
the Hard Landing ‘love boat’. Their
conspiracy has been facilitated by Walter, but Jobsworth Birkoff feels compelled to turn
in all his friends, causing them to spend lots of time whispering in the darkest recesses
of Section. Operations and Madeline now reason that M&N spend their time together
plotting to overthrow them, and decide to set a trap. Michael, however, smells a rat when
Operations conveniently suggests that he and Nikita perform a recon. mission on their own.
When they predictably ask to go dark, Davenport and team stake out the boat, but Michael
turns the tables by actually completing the mission. |
| Michael Moments |
Running to ‘rescue’
Nikita whilst on the mission where she is apparently captured and held hostage
Jumping on the motor cycle so he can catch up with Nikita (and shake off his shadow)
Refusing to allow Nikita to rush their lovemaking, making her take her time
Carrying a totally out of it Nikita back into Section later!
The defiant final scene of the walk with Nikita across the Section floor, wordlessly going
their separate ways |
| Words of Wisdom |
"They’ve got her.
Retrieval’s gone grey."
"We’ll stagger
approach. Stay close."
"We have one hour." |
Performance Rating
 |
There’s fantasy, then
there’s silly. Things start to get very silly indeed, with all previously reasonable
characterisations now descending into parody. Operations and Madeline have totally lost
the plot, Birkoff has a really short term memory as far as his buddies are concerned, and
Michael? Not content with letting Nikita become his weakness in a major way, the
progressive effect of his bachelor status is definitely clouding his judgement. Who in
their right mind would choose the spotlight of a Section mission to sneak off for a bit of
covert pelvis locking? Yet despite the mental energy he must spend devising ways of
bunking off, he still maintains 100% performance (in Section matters!). What a guy. Locked
into this comic-book scenario, Roy joins in the nonsense giving it everything he’s
got, going all breathy and exchanging meaningful glances with fellow-conspirators. He gets
to show off by jumping on the moving bike and looking masterful in the love scene, but
it’s a little difficult to believe in Michael in this episode as a whole. You have to
park the brain and take it one scene at a time. |
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