Show: ‘Nikita’
FCC Rating: TV-14
Airtime: Thurs., 9PM ET on The CW
Ok for Ages: 14+
Hot Spots: Violence, sexual innuendoes, teens in peril
Gecko Rating:
The Story: Maggie Q has built a great rep as an action star in films like ‘Live Free or Die Hard’ and ‘Mission Impossible 3.’ Now she’s bringing those chops to TV as Nikita, a troubled teen who was rescued from death row by a secret U.S. agency known only as Division. They faked her execution, told her she was getting a second chance, and unbeknownst to her, trained her as a spy and assassin.
When her fiancé was murdered, Nikita realized she’d been betrayed by people she thought she could trust. So she escaped and began seeking retribution against Division, which continues to recruit and train others, including Alex (Lyndsy Fonseca).
Division’s top authority, Percy (Xander Berkeley), will do whatever it takes to destroy Nikita and protect the spy-for-hire empire he’s built. His top lieutenant, Michael (Shane West), is tasked with tracking down Nikita, while continuing to train new recruits, including Thom (Ashton Holmes), who’s been at Division for a year and is anxious to prove himself, and Jaden (Tiffany Hines), a tough young woman who challenges Alex at every turn.
Other characters include Amanda (Melinda Clarke), who uses psychological warfare to train recruits and keep Division running; and Birkhoff (Aaron Stanford), the computer genius who hacked into the Pentagon from his college dorm room.
Is It Any Good? ‘Nikita’ brings together a mix of tried-and-true elements: the kick-butt female action of ‘Alias,’ the covert ops of ‘24,’ and the mind-twist of the ‘Bourne Trilogy.’
Maggie Q is armed and dangerous, and makes a great female action star. It’s hard to see Shane West as a bad guy, because he’s always played good guys in shows like ‘E.R.’ and ‘Once and Again.’
This formula has been done many times (including several versions of ‘Nikita’), and it’s hard not to envy a beautiful woman who can get the job done using physical and mental prowess. Still, I’m not totally sure I want this in my head week after week.
The Parent Factor: ‘Nikita’ is rated TV-14, but airs at 9 PM right after ‘The Vampire Diaries’ (at 8PM) on Thursday nights. That’s still fairly early in the evening, so I’m betting there will be kids watching who are younger than 14, even though it’s not really appropriate for them. I also wonder if ‘Nikita’ sort of glorifies the whole covert ops business. I’ll watch a few more episodes before I make a judgment call on that.
Sex/Nudity: Lots of skin is shown, including Nikita in her underwear and girls wearing skimpy bikinis. A middle-aged guy ogles young girls poolside.
Violence/Gore: This show is extremely violent. Action includes hand to hand combat, stabbings, car explosions, and characters shot at close range – much of it done by teens or 20-somethings. The story also includes people/teens in peril and being manipulated by the government.
Profanity: “Bitch,” “street trash,” and other derogatory insults.
Drugs/Alcohol: References to “teen meth whore” and a character dying of a drug overdose.
Which Kids Will Like It? Teens 14 and older who like all of the aforementioned shows and movies. While the 9PM airing is still fairly early in the evening, I don’t think this show will appeal to kids 13 and younger. My 13-year-old daughter isn’t interested in it.
Will Parents Like It? The show is well done, but I think it’s too violent, even for teens.
‘Nikita’ Trailer:
Jane Boursaw is a family entertainment writer specializing in movies, TV and celebrities. Visit her at Film Gecko and Reel Life With Jane. Follow her on Twitter; become a friend on Facebook; email jboursaw@charter.net.
Images: The CW
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