Nikita - Episode 4.03/4.04 - Review: Everyone has a price

The middle two episodes of Nikita's final season, "Set-Up" and "Pay-Off", concluded various story arcs, but also set up some new ones (or rather, some old ones weren't resolved yet!).

In "Set-Up", Amanda and The Shop once again seemed to have the upperhand when the DNA from fake Graham actually matches Graham's real blood thanks to a computer hack. Birkhoff is frustrated that he couldn't stop being thrown out of the system, but Ryan gets suspicious about Birkhoff's strange behavior. And that sets up the more interesting story of the episode: Seymour Birkhoff. I am glad they didn't go the obvious way of making Birkhoff a double, but instead provided a nice backstory for the character.

Birkhoff tells Nikita he is not really Birkhoff, but Lionel Peller. He faked his death when he was young, but knows that his father, Ronald Peller, was the leak at the NSA. Of course, the Peller at the NSA is a double, but Amanda has the real Peller. That means Nikita can't kill the double, because that would lead to the real Peller's demise.

Elsewhere, Alex is captured by the CIA in India. She refuses to answer any questions, but overhears the CIA about a Pakistanian operation. Fortunately, Alex is saved by Michael and Sam.

Nikita and Birkhoff talk to the fake Peller, but since he doesn't recognize Birkhoff they deduce he is a double. While the answers are provided by the real Peller, Birkhoff sends messages to his father who is on the other side. When Amanda realizes Birkhoff is Peller's third child, she orders the double to take out Birkhoff. Nikita shoots the double to save Birkhoff's life, thereby sealing the real Ronald Peller's fate.

But in "Pay-Off", the team learns otherwise: Amanda kept Peller alive to crack Shadownet.

The team travels to Pakistan to learn what is going to happen, but are captured by a local drug cartel, which demands $10 million from Nikita & Co. So Nikita calls Alex for the money, who travels to Zurich to get her last non-frozen assets from the bank. While Sam plans to run away with the diamonds, he comes back to save Alex from a Shop operative (he later runs off with some fake diamonds). Since the operative doesn't die, they decide to use him to get intel on The Shop. He reveals that he works for MDK, a private security group. Starting a war with Pakistan would give them great benefits. Oh, and MDK's CFO just happens to be Mr. Jones.

Speaking of which, Jones offers Nikita and the team a deal: fake their deaths and start all over again. Of course, Nikita doesn't accept this offer but instead presents a counteroffer: stop the operation. Jones tells Amanda that if that is Nikita's price, she will get it.

In HQ, Birkhoff discovers a well-known face amongst the Pakistani: Ramon, the terrorist Percy paralyzed all the way from season 2. Thanks to The Shop, he walks again. Nikita and Michael run to stop a missile that is set to be fired on US ships. While Nikita follows the truck, Michael runs into Ramon, who says that Nikita paid the price for his hand. Michael eventually kills him whilst Nikita stops the truck. All seems safe for now.

In the meantime, Amanda orders Peller to destroy Shadownet, but he sends Birkhoff a message instead. Birkhoff learns he is still alive and finds the MDK location in Dubai. The team storms the building and takes Jones captive. While MDK is shut down and the prisoners are freed - hello, Madame President! - Nikita confronts Amanda, but she refuses to surrender. Nikita has no choice but to fire the missile on the MDK building, which not only takes down its control system, but also Amanda.

However, it is revealed that the Amanda in MDK was really a double and the real Amanda is still alive and well, working together with Jones. They paid Nikita's price to get her out, so they can continue their operation.

To be honest, I didn't expect Amanda to be a double. I suspected it for a brief time, but when the missile destroyed the building I really thought Amanda died. However, we still have two episodes left so I guess they can't kill off the main villain yet.

What did you think of these episodes? Were you surprised Amanda is still alive? Are you exicted for the show's final two episodes? Here is the promo for next week: