Nikita Mears
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Nikita Mears | |
|---|---|
| Nikita character | |
.jpg) Maggie Q as Nikita | |
| First appearance | "Pilot" (2010) |
| Last appearance | "Cancelled" (2013) |
| Created by | Craig Silverstein |
| Portrayed by | Maggie Q |
| In-universe information | |
| Alias | Josephine Besson Malia Watson Roxanne Barnes Ellen Connor Anna Harcourt Emma Jordyn Susan Mason |
| Nickname | Nikki Nik The Gun Lady Rookie |
| Occupation | Spy Assassin |
| Family | Gary and Caroline Mears (Foster parents; Deceased) Pham Anh (Biological mother; Deceased) |
| Spouse | Michael (husband) |
| Children | Max Ovechkin (Step-Son) |
| Nationality | Vietnamese American |
Nikita Mears is the primary protagonist and eponymous character of Nikita, an American action drama television series, which debuted in September 2010 on The CW. She is played by American actress Maggie Q. The series follows Nikita's efforts in bringing down Division, a secret agency that trained her into becoming an agent and assassin, but betrayed her by killing Daniel Monroe, a civilian she fell in love with. She recruits Alexandra Udinov (Lyndsy Fonseca) into helping her destroy Division from within.
Q was in talks to appear on the series as the title character in February 2010, and it was her first time working on a television series. She was chosen for the role because series creator Craig Silverstein believed Q had qualities that would fit the character: "beautiful, who could fight," and be believable with a gun. The actress meanwhile was intrigued by the original Nikita film and Luc Besson's creation of a flawed female character. The series also deals with Nikita and Michael's romantic tension, then relationship, described by the fans as "Mikita." The character and Q's portrayal garnered mostly positive reactions from critics. Q performs her own stunts in the series.
Orphaned as a teenager, Nikita turns to drugs and crime. She comes across a halfway house run by Carla Bennett (Erica Gimpel) and temporarily gets clean until she relapses and murders a police officer. Nikita is arrested and sentenced to death.[1] She attracts the attention of Division, a secret American agency that recruits young criminals by faking their deaths and then train them to become assassins. For three years, Nikita was trained under Michael (Shane West), and committed assassinations. After she begins a relationship with civilian Daniel Monroe (Sebastien Roberts), Nikita learns that Division has become corrupt under the leadership of Percy (Xander Berkeley).[2] In one mission, Nikita is part of a team to assassinate a family of Russian oligarchs; the Udinov family. Nikita defies Division by saving the life of the daughter, Alexandra.[3] After Division kills Daniel as it is against their policy for agents have relationships, she becomes a rogue agent intent on stopping Division,[2] tracks down Alexandra (Lyndsy Fonseca), who had since become a drug addict and sex slave, and saves and trains her.[4] Nikita arranges Alex to be arrested for murdering a man Division was targeting. Inside, Alex helps Nikita stop Division's illegal missions.[4]
During the first season, Nikita gains some allies to aid in her fight against Division, including Owen Elliot (Devon Sawa), a guardian to one of Division's several black boxes; hard drives contain files of Division's missions, until Percy tried to have him killed,[5][6] CIA analyst Ryan Fletcher (Noah Bean) who was investigating black operations invisible to the United States government,[7] and eventually her trainer Michael, after he learns Percy was responsible for the deaths of his wife and daughter. The two would be in a relationship for the rest of the series' run.[8] By the first-season finale, Alex learns that Nikita killed her father and leaves her to become a free agent for Amanda (Melinda Clarke), Division's psychologist who overthrew Percy to lead Division with the help of Oversight, a group of American politicians who ensure that Division's existence remains secret from the public (Alex would later return to fight along with Nikita again midway through season two[9]). Michael is discovered to be working with Nikita and the two end up on the run together with a black box.[10]
In the second season, Nikita and Michael team up with Seymour Birkhoff (Aaron Stanford), a Division computer programmer who left the agency to avoid Amanda.[11] In "Looking Glass", Nikita learns that during an operation, Michael impregnated his asset, Cassandra Ovechkin (Helena Mattsson) and eventually tells him he has a son.[12][13] The couple's relationship faces some tension due to that development, but they appear to reconcile after Michael decides to put Cassandra and his son Max (who calls her "The Gun Lady") behind him.[14] In the meantime, Nikita learns about the existence of Oversight,[15] and reunites with Carla Bennett, who is revealed to be one of the founders of Division, until her death.[1] "Wrath" explores Nikita's dark side when she is captured and tortured by Nicholas Brandt, an arms dealer Nikita tortured during her days in Division. Nikita confesses to Michael that "there is evil" in her, but Michael assures her it is only a part of her. After the two are rescued, the ordeal brings Michael and Nikita closer.[16] The two eventually sneak into Division and kill Percy after he has regained control of it.[17][18]
In the third season, Ryan takes charge of Division to clean up its own mess by recalling all the agents at which point President Kathleen Spencer (Michelle Nolden) will grant the agents freedom (as all were recruited against their will).[18][19] However, Nikita later learns the President will have Division terminated should they fail.[20] Nikita and others work to find rogue agents who refused the recall order, nicknamed the "Dirty Thirty",[19] until her efforts are focused on Amanda,[21] who is also on the run and later working with a company nicknamed "The Shop", who developed sophisticated technologies, some of which was used by Division.[22] Michael and Nikita become engaged,[19] but their relationship faces further tension after Nikita cuts off his right hand to save his life.[23][24] An advanced prosthetic is eventually discovered,[25] but it is later revealed to have been laced with nano-cells that would kill Michael unless Nikita assassinates Spencer.[26] When Michael lies to her that a cure has been found, Nikita stands down. However Spencer shoots herself in the head (she is later revealed to be a double by The Shop; the real Spencer was captured and imprisoned). Framed for her death, Nikita becomes that most wanted person in the United States. She goes on the run, but leaves Michael behind.[27]
