The Good Gentleman
S'all Part of a Miracle Masterpiece
It's a tiny little thing I decided to do, but there are a TON of things I like out there, from anime to games to shows to books, to whatever, that to my surprise many people have little to no knowledge of. It's certainly within my power to keep these to myself and name myself Hipster Supreme. But instead, I choose to enlighten and share these awesome things! 
Today's recommendation is...
So what the hell is this?
Nikita is a spy-fi action television series that premiered on the CW in the United States, and ran for four seasons from 2010 to 2014. It is a reboot/remake of the 1997 television series La Femme Nikita, which itself was an adaptation of Luc Besson's 1990 film Nikita. It stars Maggie Q as Nikita Mears, Shane West as Michael Bishop, Lyndsy Fonseca as Alex Udinov, Aaron Stanford as Seymour Birkhoff, and Xander Berkley as Percy.
What's it all about?
The show follows our titular heroine, Nikita Mears, as she aims to bring down the rogue government black ops unit simply named Division, and it's director - the devious Percy. In the past, she herself was a drug-addict-turned-assassin under Division, but after uncovering Percy's corruption and other unscrupulous actives, she got out and vowed to take his ass down. Along the way, she makes many allies who share her goal; some from Division as well, some just from around.
So, like what? I should watch this or something?
Do you remember the J.J. Abrams's old series Alias? You know, the "high octane spy action" series starring Jennifer Garner, where she would put on crazy outfits, kick ass, and take names without bastardizing a beloved Marvel character? Alias was immensely well received and loved by millions of viewers. Then the third season happened. Then that ****ing Milo Rambaldi happened. Nikita essentially takes the best parts of the first two seasons of Alias, and remains at that level of consistency throughout its run without resorting to bizarre and nonsensical story ideas.
I'm gonna need a little bit more than that!
Fine. Maggie Q. That's all you'll ever need.
Indeed. Indeed. You sold me! But tell me some more.
Serial television shows are becoming more and more rare in the face of procedurals and reality TV. Unfortunate as it is, most people prefer watching dumbass bounty hunters chase down bail skippers instead of story-strong content. And in the face of things like Constantine getting canned, shows like Nikita are something of a miracle to have lasted as long as it did. When something new and promising comes up, you have no guarantee that your investment won't end in a cancellation - Nikita's complete run is something at least you can confidently tackle and complete. Do you want a competent, story and character driven serial? This is a safe bet to go with.
So where do I find this one?
Pretty easy. Just about every streaming service offers it, from Amazon to iTunes. The DVDs/Blu-rays are also cheap and plentiful. You can buy the complete Blu-ray box set here for a very good price.
Any other tidbits to share?
Sure, just click the spoiler box! Though...of course, expect spoilers.
Ask! Discuss! Below!
Today's recommendation is...
So what the hell is this?
Nikita is a spy-fi action television series that premiered on the CW in the United States, and ran for four seasons from 2010 to 2014. It is a reboot/remake of the 1997 television series La Femme Nikita, which itself was an adaptation of Luc Besson's 1990 film Nikita. It stars Maggie Q as Nikita Mears, Shane West as Michael Bishop, Lyndsy Fonseca as Alex Udinov, Aaron Stanford as Seymour Birkhoff, and Xander Berkley as Percy.
What's it all about?
The show follows our titular heroine, Nikita Mears, as she aims to bring down the rogue government black ops unit simply named Division, and it's director - the devious Percy. In the past, she herself was a drug-addict-turned-assassin under Division, but after uncovering Percy's corruption and other unscrupulous actives, she got out and vowed to take his ass down. Along the way, she makes many allies who share her goal; some from Division as well, some just from around.
So, like what? I should watch this or something?
Do you remember the J.J. Abrams's old series Alias? You know, the "high octane spy action" series starring Jennifer Garner, where she would put on crazy outfits, kick ass, and take names without bastardizing a beloved Marvel character? Alias was immensely well received and loved by millions of viewers. Then the third season happened. Then that ****ing Milo Rambaldi happened. Nikita essentially takes the best parts of the first two seasons of Alias, and remains at that level of consistency throughout its run without resorting to bizarre and nonsensical story ideas.
I'm gonna need a little bit more than that!
Fine. Maggie Q. That's all you'll ever need.
Indeed. Indeed. You sold me! But tell me some more.
Serial television shows are becoming more and more rare in the face of procedurals and reality TV. Unfortunate as it is, most people prefer watching dumbass bounty hunters chase down bail skippers instead of story-strong content. And in the face of things like Constantine getting canned, shows like Nikita are something of a miracle to have lasted as long as it did. When something new and promising comes up, you have no guarantee that your investment won't end in a cancellation - Nikita's complete run is something at least you can confidently tackle and complete. Do you want a competent, story and character driven serial? This is a safe bet to go with.
So where do I find this one?
Pretty easy. Just about every streaming service offers it, from Amazon to iTunes. The DVDs/Blu-rays are also cheap and plentiful. You can buy the complete Blu-ray box set here for a very good price.
Any other tidbits to share?
Sure, just click the spoiler box! Though...of course, expect spoilers.
- Are Nikita's origins the same as previously?
- Yep! Pretty much event-for-event. Nikita was a trouble, ketamine-addicted youth who ended up killing a person during a high, and was locked up for life as a result. She was soon recruited by Division, who rehabilitated and trained her.
- Divison recruited her out of prison?
- Their modus operandi. They recruit troubled, friendless and family-less kids. Blank slates are the best wet-work operatives. Until they grow a conscience.
- So Percy's the Big Bad. ...The **** kind of bad-guy name is "Percy?"
- The kind that has a 200 IQ and can drop your ass with his bare hands if he needed to. Made more jarring given that Percy looks and acts essentially like a well-tailored, balding politician. Do not be fooled! He's as evil and brilliant as they get.
- So why doesn't the US Government do something about him and Division in general?
- Again, Percy is as evil and diabolical as they come. For a good long while, Division was loyal to the White House - carrying out their dirty work. The problem? Percy's the sort of bastard who over the years collected evidence of every op Division has undertaken, and the US sanctioned. He's got these nice little blackmail packages scattered all over the globe, to insure his safety and allow him to do what the hell ever he wants.
- What an ass. So, Shane West?
- Yep. He's as scruffy and broody as ever.
- I see. Hey, is that Pyro!?
- Yes it is! While most folks will remember Aaron Stanford as Pyro from the X-Men films, this was more or less his "definitive role" as the douchebag with a heart of gold. At least, unless 12 Monkeys also gets cancelled... Since it's on Sy-Fy....it's pretty much a given.
Ask! Discuss! Below!
