Adrian is a recurring character from the 1997 USA Network series "La Femme Nikita". She is portrayed by Welsh actor Siân Phillips.
History[]
Adrian is the founder of Section One. She is described as the "mother of Section One". She began her work building the Sections after the conflict in Korea in the 1950s. Several factions in the West were frustrated by the failures of Communism. They wanted to take down the capitalist regimes they saw as impeding their ideologies. They target civilian populations in many metropolitan areas. It was the birth of modern terrorism. CIA, MI-5, Mossad, NATO and others worked to together to prevent a calamity. That federation gave Adrian the idea to start the Sections. Although there are several Sections, Adrian asserted that the others don't matter as much. It's at Section One where the power truly resides.
After she is usurped by Operations in a "bitter struggle" for control of Section One, she allegedly suffered a stroke five years prior to her resurfacing that was likely self induced and that her convalescence was a ruse of anti Section activity before she disappeared. In "retirement," she apparently had the resources to maintain her own group of operatives. Nikita's friend and next door neighbor Carla was an undercover agent of Adrian's. Additionally, she lived in a comfortable estate and had a staff at her disposal.
Adrian recruits Nikita to help topple Section One and assists her navigating secure Section departments in search of the Gemstone file. After her attempt to destroy Section One is foiled, she is apprehended by Michael and brought in. Her death was assumed, but in reality she was held in stasis and became the first known test subject for the Gelman Process. A rogue Michael breaks into Section One and rescues her in order to have her assist him in reversing the Gelman Process programming that Operations imposed on Nikita. She is successful at this but, most likely, due to being in prolonged stasis, her health and mental faculties begin to fail. Michael, as a compromise for Nikita to receive needed treatment, arranges for Adrian to be relocated to a convalescent home, where her needs were handled by a caregiver. Adrian did not wish for George to see her in her deteriorated state. Adrian's health continued to deteriorate and she passed away a year later.
When Operations took over, the original ideal of the Sections was being preserved. Gradually, almost imperceptibly, things changed. Section began to serve itself. When you have the kind of power that Section wields, you're not content to do the bidding of faceless bureaucrats. At least, Operations isn't. He wanted to draw the map of the world in his own image. He already owns the heads of state of several eastern and middle eastern countries. The thing he doesn't have is critical mass and when he has that, he can do what he wants. No one man should be allowed to wield that kind of influence.
Sacrificing for the greater good has not helped Nikita overcome the guilt of all the killing she's done in the name of Section. That is why Nikita was chosen by Adrian.
Skills[]
Adrian analyzed intelligence and utilized game theory to produce scenarios. She performed all the functions normally would be done by a Cray super computer. According to Walter, Adrian is the only person Madeline has ever been afraid of.
Character Appearances[]
Season Two[]
Season Four[]
Character Quotes[]
- Madeline: "She [Nikita] didn't deceive you so much as she allowed you to deceive yourself."
Adrian: "And she also allowed you to achieve your life's ambition."
Madeline: "And what would that be?"
Adrian: "To kill mummy of course. You didn't have the stomach for it. Tell me, do I make an adequate substitute?"
Madeline: "Facil psychology doesn't change the fact that you've lost, Adrian."
Adrian: "Nor does it change the fact that when you wake up tomorrow morning you'll still be...what you are."
Operations: "Shall we keep it professional rather than personal."
Adrian: "Still defending her. I'm touched. It doesn't bother you that she sleeps with every young stud in Section."
Season 2, Episode 22: End Game