Throwback Thursday, a weekly article in which we look back at our favorite TV episodes from over the years.
I'm happy to have Maggie Q back on my TV screen in the new show Stalker. However, for me, she will always be:
One of my favourite Nikita storylines comes in season 2. We are introduced to Oversight and its members, we learn new cast member Sean Pierce is the son of one of the Oversight members, Alex is going to Russia for revenge on Sergei Semak and Nikita as always continues her crusade against Division. And then everything comes to a head in the outstanding episode "Clean Sweep" (episode 2.13). One of the best episodes of the series, if not the best, ties all the storylines together. It ends a few of the stories from the early season 2 episodes but also sets up new stories for the final arc. Everyone has allies and enemies, and in this episode you see who is working for who. This episode also shows the motivations of the characters, because everybody is in this war for a different reason.
So what exactly happens in this clever-written episode? Let's break down what happens to each of the teams.
Team Nikita races to stop the activation of Clean Sweep while also attempting to rescue Oversight. While Alex with Birkhoff's instructions deactivates Clean Sweep inside Division, Nikita, Michael and Sean head to the Gates House where Oversight is held hostage. When they capture Percy, they make a deal with him but he double crosses them. Furthermore, the perimeter is suddenly under fire by Russian Gogol agents, who seem to have come out of nowhere. Team Nikita manages to wear them off, and rescue the remaining Oversight member, Madeline Pierce. She offers them all a presidential pardon in exchange for taking down Division, so the mission continues.
Under the threat of both killing Oversight and activating Clean Sweep, Amanda reluctantly allows Percy to leave Division. After freeing himself from some Division agents, he heads to the Gates House where his guardians are holding Oversight. He runs into team Nikita and makes a deal with them. However, he double crosses them and instead orders all Oversight members but Madeline killed. Percy also gets his hand on Clean Sweep, but despite Roan's attempts to kill Alex, she manages to deactivate Clean Sweep. Team Percy leaves the Gates House when Gogol agents open fire and Percy is wounded. He survives, and Percy says he has great plans for Division.
Really, team Amanda? Has there ever been a team Amanda? Amanda has only ever been loyal to herself. We certainly see that throughout "Clean Sweep". She negotiates with Percy to let him go while she keeps Division, which he agrees to. However, when the lights go out she realises that Clean Sweep is activated to take down Division. Of course, Amanda knew this could happen and kept a gas mask in her office. Like I said, there is no team Amanda because she is willing to let the rest of Division die while she can happily survive. But at the end of the episode, we learn there is in fact a team Amanda: she has been working with Ari Tasarov from Gogol. Her goal was to kill Oversight and even though the Gogol agents failed, she still gets her way thanks to Percy.
Team Oversight is held at gunpoint by Percy's Guardians. They try to talk their way out but that doesn't lead anywhere. Instead, Percy orders all Oversight members to be killed except for Madeline. As the only survivor of Oversight, Madeline calls Amanda to tell her what happened. She also wants to discuss the future of Division with her, but Amanda disagrees. Madeline is afraid she lost control of Amanda and offers team Nikita presidential pardons in exchange for taking down Division.
I think this was an outstanding episode of Nikita with great performances. Especially the scenes between Melinda Clarke and Xander Berkeley are great as you can feel the hostility between the two antagonists. I believe it's one of the best episodes Nikita has ever done. Do you agree? What did you think of "Clean Sweep" when you first saw it? Hit the comments with your opinions on this episode, or anything else Nikita related. Also, feel free to read my Nikita reviews of the final season in my author box below when you click on 'All reviews'.
One of the best shows ever :)
ReplyDeleteI miss it so much (But on the other hand i am glad they gave us proper ending and 4 seasons)
Great review Daniel! This episode is probably my all time favourite Nikita episode. Man I miss the show and the Amanda/Percy war in the later seasons but I still loved the show. Clean Sweep was a BIG episode and one I could rewatch.
ReplyDeleteGreat walk down memory lane, loved that show! My favorite is Season 1 though:
ReplyDeleteOne Way
Dark Matter
The Next Seduction
Covenants
what an incredible show. definitely in my top 5 favorites of all time
ReplyDeleteGreat review. I miss the show a lot. Reminds me I really need to get to re-watching Nikita episodes. Hopefully around the holidays I'll have time.
ReplyDeleteNot bad series, but I always felt like it lacked the atmosphere of La Femme Nikita though.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely agree! I miss it too, it's hard to imagine it's only been 10 months since the series finale.
ReplyDeleteThanks Gavin! I always enjoyed the Amanda/Percy war and then in Clean Sweep we also had the fight with Oversight and everything came together, which made this such an amazing episode.
ReplyDeleteLoved the show too! And I definitely enjoyed these season 1 episodes as well.
ReplyDeleteCould not agree more!
ReplyDeleteThanks, I miss the show too! I really want to rewatch some old episodes too but I haven't gotten around to do so.
ReplyDeleteI never watched La Femme Nikita but I think Nikita was a great series!
ReplyDeleteThis was a great episode. Season 2 in general was pretty fantastic.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! I think it's the best season.
ReplyDeleteI agree. "Clean Sweep" was Nikita at it's best. IMO, season 2 was the best season for the show; and what followed on season 3 was such a great letdown that the series never recovered. And fans were left with the insulting six-episode season 4. Season 2 ended with Percy's death--and that was the emotional as well as narrative end. My favorite scene is "Clean Sweep" was Alex, at Division, running away from Roan, finally getting trapped in Percy's glass cell--and Roan taking a shot at her, that doesn't penetrate the bulletproof cell. Alex just slumps down on her butt exhausted, and although caged like a prisoner, gratified that Roan can't harm her. Lyndsy Fonseca really "sold" the scene.
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