NIKITA Recap: “Power” (Episode 18, Season 2)

Division agent Dina meets up with a poor sap from a research facility in Pennsylvania in what turns out to be another nefarious case for Amanda. Dina kills the facility guy, taking what appears to be some kind of weapon; which actually turns out to be a rare isotope – according to intel provided by Senator Pierce to Michael – that represents the future of clean energy. Of course, now that Nikita and the team now what Amanda is up to now, they are in on getting the isotope back. This leads to Michael and Nikita tracking Dina down at a New Jersey junkyard where she meets up with Amanda, who has Gogol operatives in tow, for the trade-off. Dina doesn’t stand a chance against Amanda, but Nikita almost gets the upper-hand until Amanda shoots her in the chest. For whatever reason, though, despite Amanda having Nikita in the most of compromising positions, down on the ground after being shot, she hesitates for a split second, allowing Nikita to survive this battle.

Michael and Nikita

Back at Division, Sonya, the tech girl, has been left in charge while Amanda is away from the roast for three days. This, of course, gives Percy the perfect opportunity, using the newly turned Division agent Mason, to take back Division for himself.

At the same time, Alex is still in Moscow, talking to an old friend of her father – Ilyia (guest star David Richmond-Peck) – for whom she wants to sell her father’s shares in Zetrov to so together they can take over the company that her father creating, making Ilyia the CEO instead of Ari. Obviously, Alex wants to stop Ari in his tracks and what better way to do that than at the board of directors meeting where Ari is to present a new product that will change the future.

Nikita

This is where our three storylines converge with Percy on the move to get Division back while Amanda is busy trying to take over Zetrov alongside Ari and Alex, with Ilyia in tow, vies for control of Zetrov with Ilyia by her side.

The team of Alex, Nikita, Michael and Birkhoff meet up in Moscow to review the layout of the Zetrov Building where the board of directors meeting will take place. Their plan is for Nikita to sneak inside – using some slick CGI to make her appear to be an invited guest, a model who is actually in another country – during the board meeting pre-party. She is there to retrieve the isotope while Alex creates the necessary diversions. Soon enough, Nikita works her way to the lower level of the building where the isotope is being stored, getting access to the vault where it was placed by Ari himself. But, unbeknownst to them, Nikita has set off a hazmat warning that not only alerts the outside authorities but also alerts Ari, who sends Amanda to investigate.

Amanda and Nikita

Unfortunately, Nikita doesn’t make it out of the vault in time with the isotope, getting trapped inside when Amanda and some Gogol guards discover her. But, all is not lost, when Nikita is able to trick Amanda and is able to escape. Thankfully, Michael is there – as always – with the hazmat team in tow and they use hazmat uniforms to get out with the isotope in their possession and out of Amanda and Ari’s hands. You see, they were going to use the isotope as a trade-off so Ari could wrest control of Zetrov to his advantage, using Amanda and her control of Division and all its operatives – who she claims are expendable – as a way to keep control of Zetrov.

While Nikita is getting the better of Amanda and making her escape, Alex is proving to the Zetrov board members just what kind of man Ari really is; subsequently, getting him fired. Amanda eventually rejoins Ari in the boardroom, learning what has happened to him; and Ari learns that Amanda allowed the isotope to be taken by Nikita. But, Amanda assures Ari that she can get them out by placing one call to Division; but instead of being greeted the way she expected, Percy answers the phone, as he has, indeed, wrested control of Division during her short absence. He was also able to use Sonya’s “friendship” with Birkhoff to prove his point – that Amanda was only out for herself and would allow anything to happen to the agents at the Division – thanks to the video recording that Birkhoff made of Amanda addressing the Zetrov board, which he was somewhat tricked into providing to Sonya after Percy told her to contact Birkhoff right before he proved his point to everyone at Division.

Percy

In the end, Amanda and Ari are hiding out not only from Gogol but also from Division in a flea-bit motel; but Ari has retrieved one last black box which has only been partially decrypted. In their minds, this will give them one final chance at retribution and revenge. But in the next battle between Amanda and Nikita will they both let the other live or not? Also, as Alex had hoped, Ilyia was selected as CEO of Zetrov and hopefully it will be the beginning of a new era.

It should also be noted that interspersed throughout the episode were flashbacks to Nikita’s first meeting with Amanda seven years ago inside Division walls and to later points in her training with Amanda. Those flashbacks provide good perspectives on their relationship and how it changed over the course of time; and perhaps to what led to both of them allowing the other the opportunity to live when they could have easily ended the other’s life.

“Power” is the 18th episode of the second season of Nikita. Nikita will be off for a few weeks with a new episode set for Friday, April 20 at 8 PM on The CW.

How did you feel about this episode? Were you impressed with the plan by Alex to get Ilyia put in charge of her father’s company? Were you surprised by the ease with which Percy was able to get back in charge of Division? How about the CGI used to get Nikita inside the Zetrov building and the slick cat and mouse game to get her back out? How about Ari finally being fired and he and Amanda being forced into hiding? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.