NIKITA Recap: “Sanctuary” (Episode 12)

After all of the action and fighting in Russia, it was back to basics for Nikita and the team at their new base of operations while the search continues for the Guardians. Oversight is also discussing what they should do about Nikita as well as Division as a whole while secretly Pierce is tracking Alex thanks to the bug he planted in her late father’s watch. Meanwhile, Alex and Nikita have a heart-to-heart talk about how Alex feels about her mother with Nikita revealing that she had someone in her life much like Alex’s mom. Carla ran a half-way house where Nikita stayed when she was young; but Carla disappeared one day without a goodbye and this set Nikita down the path that lead to her stint in prison. Also, Amanda has yet another meeting with Percy in his underground prison where he, rather surprisingly, reveals the escape for which Owen and Michael deduced from their time in Amsterdam.

Birkhoff and Alex

Because of this more-than-possible threat to Division, Amanda puts the entire compound on high alert while the remaining members of Oversight, except for a skeptical Senator Pierce, decide to take drastic measures against Division, enacting “Clean Sweep” which will be a liquidation of the entire compound; in other words, mass murder of everyone inside Division’s walls. The Senator advises her son Sean of this action, begging him to step up, taking over as Head of Division while she attempts to convince the other Oversight members to back down. Sean, somewhat reluctantly, agrees and then tells his mother that he has a lead on Alex.

Nikita and Michael

Back at Birkhoff’s new place, Alex and Nikita are talking about the impending return of Michael, including where Nikita and Michael’s relationship is at; and then through a comedy of errors (so to speak), the women figure out how they both affected the others mission in Belarus as well as figuring out how Percy got his messages out to the Guardians (by the bank transfer Alex made from Percy’s personal account to fund her failed assassination attempt against Semak).

We also see the still-at-large Guardians who are hijacking a plane in order to, presumably, get Percy out of his prison while Percy is demanding that Amanda set him free before all hell breaks loose and put him back in charge. She, of course, doesn’t agree to this and for the first time any kind of relationship between the two of them is vaguely discussed.

Birkhoff and Michael

Meanwhile, Michael is back at Birkhoff’s place with a brief “happy” reunion taking place among the team, including them giving Nikita and Michael a chance to talk privately. While that takes place, Sean emerges from the ocean in scuba gear and takes aim at Michael and Nikita. But just as a gunshot rings out, and one of the windows in Birkhoff’s place is shattered, Alex tackles and then fights with Sean while Nikita quickly makes her way to the beachfront, holding him at gunpoint while Michael knocks him out.

Next, Pierce is stripped down and tied to a chair inside their base of operations while Nikita starts questioning him and Birkhoff scanning him for trackers. Soon enough, they learn of the tracker inside Alex’s father’s watch, a tracker inside Pierce’s phone and the reveal to Alex of who Pierce’s mother really is. Eventually, the team explains to Pierce some of the truths he has been oblivious to and he agrees to speak to his mother – acting as a bargaining chip – to get Oversight to stop the clean sweep.

Alex, Nikita and Pierce

As it turns out, the Guardians parachuted into what appears to be the area above Division; but in fact, they were moving on the location of the Oversight members, who were in the beginning stages of enacting “Clean Sweep”. They bombard the house, taking out the security team and threatening the members of Oversight in order to get Percy back in control. This action also stopped Amanda from putting Percy into a medically induced coma. All of this is overheard by Nikita and the team, including Sean, because they were on the phone with Senator Pierce as the raid took place, leaving everyone in a rather tenuous position.

Pierce

“Sanctuary” is the 12th episode of the second season of Nikita. Nikita will be off for a few weeks with the next new episode airing on Friday, February 3 at 9 PM on The CW.

How did you feel about this episode? Were you pleased to see Birkhoff somewhat back in action? Were you happy to see Michael return to the fold? What did you think about Sean agreeing to ‘work’ with the team to talk his mother and Oversight down from their plans to eradicate Division? What do you think the Guardians will do next in their effort to get Percy free and back in command? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.