NIKITA Recap: “Knightfall”

An assassination of the Canadian Prime Minister catches the attention of our industrious trio. Partially because of Birkhoff’s newly created Shadowbot as well as a video confession broadcast on national television by Ramon, a killer who Nikita caught in Paris when she was still part of Division. Flashback to the city of love six years in the past with Nikita catching Ramon on the rooftop before he is able to hit his mark; but rather than kill him – as instructed by Percy – she lets him live. Why does she do that? During the stand-down, Ramon asks Nikita, “Freedom isn’t given it’s taken; when are you going to take yours?”

It seems Ramon was kept alive by Division (specifically Percy) so they could use his abilities for their benefit, moving him to a different Division compound all over the world every few months. And, while the trio watches a Canadian reporter talk about Ramon and his most recent kill, and with Birkhoff’s investigation into how this one reporter seems to be the only one getting Ramon’s video confessions, they determined they had to track her down in order to get one step closer to Ramon before he can kill again.

Not surprisingly, Amanda is on a video phone call with Ramon, talking to him about the Prime Minister’s assassination; and how it is not her desire to change the fact that he is an asset to Division. As their phone calls ends, a nearly healed Alex walks into Amanda’s office, wanting to know where they picked up Nikita’s trail because she wants back in on the hunt. Instead, Amanda offers Alex a mission that would allow her to take down on of Semak’s men (this is the man who ordered her families murder). The man in question – Kochenko – was nothing more than a low-level thug for Alex’s father, but is now one of the major players for Semak. According to Amanda, this would be a win-win for both Division and Alex. She takes out one of the men on her hit list and Division gets rid of someone they don’t want around.

Skipping back to Canada to where the Canadian reporter – Nisha Batel (guest star Rekha Sharma) is recording her latest report, we see Michael approaching her under the guise of working for CNN. He claims he has had his eye on her for the network and while they walk back to her car, Nikita and Birkhoff are shown listening to their conversation. Michael is pretending to be well informed but a bit of a bumbler. At her car, Nisha kisses Michael (in what is surmised to simply be her hitting on him), but we quickly learn that she has a sat phone in her purse and is actually a Division agent, as she knocks Michael out. As she reports into Division that she has Michael, Nikita and Birkhoff walk into the alley, revealing their rouse in getting her to admit where Ramon is located (he is in Colombia). Michael was faking being knocked down and the trio gets the intel they need, knocking out Nisha.

Michael and Nisha

With Birkhoff’s help, Michael and Nikita get to the Division compound in Colombia where Ramon is located. While Nikita stands guard outside, Michael breaks into the under-structure of the house in order to get into the security feed of the compound. Birkhoff is back at his home running interference since he hacked into the government fed that allows him to see all the action in Colombia. It is Nikita’s plan to catch Ramon, hog-tie him and leave him outside the consulate in Bogotá.

Meanwhile, back at Division, Alex is researching her strike on Kochenko. She flashes back to the night of her families’ murder with then low-level Kochenko forcing her to give him the access code to the back door of their mansion, which allowed the Division strike team to get in and complete their mission. Pierce, of course, walks in to review her plan, critiquing her on the plan. He also makes it clear that “she is the last person he would pick” to do the job because she is too closely involved; but since she and Division are moving forward with the mission, and in order for her to keep an “emotional distance,” he suggested a different attack plan.

The new computer tech reports to Amanda that Nisha has been found trapped inside her car, which leads Amanda to realize that Michael and Nikita are involved and that they are probably on their way to Colombia to retrieve Ramon. But while Michael continues to work on breaking into the security feed, Nikita sees that Ramon is trapped in a wheelchair and couldn’t possibly be the one committing the assassinations.

In an effort to find out what is really going on, Nikita scales the side of the compound and with Michael’s help gets into Ramon’s office right after he records another video confession about the murder of Kochenko, the man who Alex has been tasked to kill. It would seem that while Ramon is using his “fame” for Division, a different Division agent is used each time for the assassinations. It is soon revealed through another flashback that Percy offered Ramon everything he wanted, but took away the one thing he needed: mobility. Percy shot him in the back shortly after he was brought in after Nikita caught him. Percy tells him he could be the face of the killings, but he could never commit them himself ever again – all because of Percy.

Nikita and Michael

Nikita sternly tells him that she won’t feel sorry for him, but he grabs the gun she was pointing at him and a scuffle ensues with Ramon getting away just as one of his guards comes into the office. Michael is still under the structure when the shooting starts and it quickly becomes apparent that Nikita is outgunned. Of course, Michael shows up just in time to allow Nikita to get out of the compound in pursuit of Ramon, who has reached his truck and is driving away from the compound.

While Michael attempts to hold off Ramon’s guards, Nikita hops on a motorcycle (conveniently available for her use) racing after Ramon. As Nikita races after Ramon, Michael is soon cornered and has nowhere left to turn except inside what appears to be a closet that actually turns out to be a safe room. Nikita catches up to Ramon, getting him to stop, but then Amanda is heard over their ear coms, telling Nikita that she has Michael and the feed that Birkhoff hacked into is jammed by Division.

Michael is surrounded by four Division agents, who are outside the safe room, and Amanda offers Nikita a trade – Ramon for Michael. Nikita obviously wants Michael back and Division needs Ramon alive only long enough for Alex to complete her mission against Kochenko. As an added “incentive,” Amanda has a drone plane flying over the compound with a bomb attached that will be dropped on Michael should Nikita decide not to cooperate. So, Nikita has five minutes to end Ramon or Michael will die.

In an offensive move, Nikita sends the pre-recorded video message from Ramon about the assassination of Kochenko to Birkhoff so he can leak it before the hit by Alex can actually take place. Amanda orders Alex to hold even though she has a clear shot of Kochenko because of the situation in Colombia. As tension mounts, Ramon refuses to help Nikita get a message to Michael (via a hidden ‘black phone’ in the safe room) so she heads back to the compound on the motorcycle in an attempt to safe him while Birkhoff hacks his way through the jamming field and Amanda orders the drone to drop its weapon on the house.

As Nikita reaches the compound, the bomb is dropped blowing everything up. But, just seconds before, Ramon calls Michael on the black phone giving him information on an underground passage. With Nikita thinking that she has lost Michael, he appears out of the smoke, telling her that Ramon called and helped him escape. Back at Division, Amanda and her team learn that Ramon is not dead, Birkhoff leaked the video confession and both Michael and Nikita are still alive – bad day at the office for them. All of this leads her to order Alex to stand down, but before the screen goes black, she pulls the trigger and a shot rings out.

Knightfall is the third episode of the second season of Nikita. The next new episode will air on The CW on Friday, October 14 at 8/7c.

What was your impression of this episode? Were you intrigued by Alex being able to take the life of Kochenko? Did she actually hit him or not? Were you surprised by Amanda attempting to make the trade with Nikita and the reneging on it? Were you pleased to see Ramon man up and help Michael get out? Were you as upset (brief though it was) as Nikita was when she thought that Michael had been killed? Do you think Pierce will begin to soften toward Alex? Please share your thoughts below.