| Hand to Hand | |||||
| La Femme Nikita | |||||
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| Episode no. |
Season 3 Episode 14 |
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| Directed by | T.J. Scott | ||||
| Written by | Ed Horowitz | ||||
| Production code | 315 | ||||
| Original air date | June 20, 1999 | ||||
| Episode guide | |||||
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"Hand to Hand" is the fourteenth episode of the third season of La Femme Nikita.
Summary[]
In order to eliminate an industrial supplier to several terrorist organizations, Nikita is ordered to infiltrate a secret compound, where women fight each other to the death as a form of “entertainment" for the ultra-rich. But when Nikita insists on freeing the other women, the mission is threaten.
Plot[]
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Nikita floats motionless in a pool of water in a dark underground space. Her eyes are open and her arms are spread out. Blonde hair swirls around her.
Startled, Nikita awakes in bed, disturbed by her nightmare.
Act 1[]
Operations leads a mission briefing. "Charles Meyer--industrialist, philanthropist, supplier of materials to terrorists around the world. He's been able to play both ends against the middle because he's equally useful to both sides until now." Operations shows sites of an airport, a translation and a naval base that had suffered attacks. All financed by funds traced back to Meyer. Meyer knows that he's expendable now and has gone to great lengths to hide. "A man named Emlen Anagar sometimes is used as an intermediary." Nikita wants to know for what, but Operations doesn't answer. He refers everyone to their panel and instructs Nikita to get hers from Madeline.
In her office, Madeline tells Nikita that Anagar owns an establishment in Kazakhstan that Meyer will be visiting in the next week. "Anagar provides a certain type of entertainment which Meyer is particularly fond of. He runs a talent agency in Kiev. The girls are mostly from Russia or Eastern Europe trying to escape poverty." Nikita concludes that he promises them jobs as models and then forces them in prostitution. Nikita's mission is to penetrate the building and tag Meyer. Michael will then eliminate him. Nikita asks about the girls. "They're not our concern," Madeline answers.
TRANS-URAL TALENT AGENCY
A long line of attractive women sit on a winding staircase with modeling portfolios in their hands. Nikita is among them. A pretty, young woman admires Nikita's jacket and proceeds to tell her that she had to make her, but she was pleased with the results. The girl introduces herself as Sondra and asks Nikita her name. Nikita isn't very receptive to the woman's friendliness. "What difference does it make?" She tells her. At the top of the stairs the door open and a man congratulates an exiting woman and informs her about a limousine that will pick her up. "Do yourself a favor. Get out of here now," Nikita tells Sondra. Taken aback, Sondra doesn't understand why. Nikita is called up and she rises. "Because this place is not what it seems." Those are Nikita's parting words to Sondra before she walks into the room at the top of the stairs.
Act 2[]
In Anagar's location in Kazakhstan, he sits in a luxurious lounge area. He is informed via intercom that Mr. LeDeaux has arrived. Dressed in an elegant business suit, Michael enters and is greeted by Anagar. Anagar notes that Michael is interested in that weekend. Michael confirms that he is, if there's an opening for him. "For the fee you've offered, we'll make one," Anagar assures him. "Your references are very strong but I hope you won't be offended if I reiterate certain policy details," Anagar further explains. He asks Michael if he's made arrangements at work. "My staff thinks I'm backpacking in the Alps." Anagar asks about Michael's wife and he informs him that they are separated. "You've told no one of your true destination?" Anagar asks. Michael tells him that he hasn't. Transportation will be provided to and from the complex and Michael is to avoid contact with other guests during his stay. He must also agree to never disclose to anyone the true nature of the entertainment they provide. Once all that is agreed upon, Michael wires his payment via a hand held device. Anagar excuses himself as he must leave to finish arrangements for the weekend. "You are a very fortunate man, Mr. LeDeaux. Few men on this earth have seen what you'll be seeing."
Nikita, Sondra and several other beautifully dressed women descend a staircase elsewhere in the complex. They are escorted by bodyguards. Nikita takes in her surroundings with great interest. They arrive in a darkly lit and luxurious lounge that is filled with silent, reclining women. One of the guards orders the women present to stand up. Distressed, Sondra asks Nikita about what's happening. "Well I guess the modeling job isn't," Nikita tells her.
Michael waits for Anagar in one of the lounges. After exchanging pleasantries about Michael's return trip to the complex, Anagar explains that even though the program doesn't begin until the following day, they do "offer a wide range of activities" that he can enjoy himself with in the meantime. He begins to escort Michael to his room but Michael interrupts. "Am I not permitted to select a woman to accompany me?" Michael's request amuses Anagar. "Well, I can see you don't believe in wasting time. You may choose one of the girls from the lounge." The bodyguard Oswald will show Michael the way.
In the basement lounge all the women are lined up for consideration. Michael slowly works his way through the gathered women assessing. Nikita is among them. Michael comes to a stop before her and he points a finger at her. "This one," he declares. "Yes, she is not yet tamed," Michael is told and he's handed a hand held device that he might need to subdue her. With a polite hand, Michael gestures for Nikita to precede him out.
Act 3[]
In his room, Michael sits at a chair while Nikita moves around the room. She asks about the trackers and Michael tells her that they have full coverage. Nikita asks about their next steps. "Birkoff plots an intercept point. I kill Meyer tomorrow." Egress will happen immediately afterwards. She asks about where they'll meet and he tells her that they don't. Michael explains her exit strategy for that night. Nikita is surprised by the news and points out that they might be suspicious. "No, you've established yourself as a troublemaker. I'll say you surprised me and escaped." Nikita is not pleased with the plan. Michael gives her the location of the Section van two kilometers away and that she has twelve minutes to do it. Nikita balks at the idea of leaving the girls behind because of the type of place it is. "They're not our problem," Michael tells her. "And the hundreds that will die in the future, they're also not our problem?" When continues to tell her that they're not, Nikita becomes defiant. "Fine, then they're my problem. I'll go out with you tomorrow. I'll meet you at the exit point." With her decision made, Nikita lays back in the bed for a few moments. Michael questions whether she can accomplish anything in a few hours. Nikita insists that she has to try and she brings up a hypothetical scenario in which is own sister ends up in a similar place after he went to prison. He reminds her that she now has ten minutes to reach the van. "I told you. I'm not going," Nikita replies. Michael makes a phone call and requests that someone be sent up to retrieve "the girl" because he's "finished with her."
Act 4[]
Birkoff asks Michael if Nikita is fight. Michael tells him that she is. "If you intervene, chances of mission success goes down to zero." Michael continues to watch the proceedings as Nikita and Aurora fight in the water. Birkoff alerts Michael that Meyer is off the phone and on his way and that Michael needs to take his position. Despite the new information, Michael remains where he's at and watches Nikita in the tank. Meyer arrives and takes his seat. "Michael, you have to move...now," Birkoff tells him, but Michael remains. Nikita forces Aurora under water and holds her there. She has the upper hand. Michael rises and leaves his post to get into position. Meyer and the other men watching the tournament chant for Nikita to "Kill her!"
Nikita notices that Aurora has stopped struggling and she releases her just before she drowns. Nikita swims to the wall of the tank and Aurora does the same on the opposite end. From his place on the tank platform, Oswald orders Nikita to "Kill her!"
Michael quickly works his way down the corridor towards Meyer's seat, taking out what little resistance he finds.
Aurora is helped out of the tank but when Nikita moves to the edge as well, she is forced back into the water. A large iron cage begins to descend. Nikita moves frantically as she tries to find a place to lift herself out of the tank before it traps her inside.
Outside Meyer's boxed seat, Michael takes out a bodyguard.
Nikita struggles with the iron cage as it begins to seal itself over the water, trapping her. Gasping for air, there is little Nikita can do beneath the case. Watching Nikita struggle, Aurora walks around the tank. Nikita has stopped struggling.
Michael emerges from behind the curtain of Meyer's seat with a wire in his hand. He silently places it around Meyer's neck and garrotes him.
Nikita floats on the surface of the water, seemingly dead. Aurora and Oswald watch. The cage is lifted and when Oswald reaches in to lift Nikita out of the water, she reacts and takes his holstered gun. She shoots him and throws him into the water behind her. Other guards begin to fire but Michael emerges from a nearby corridor and kills two of them. Nikita lifts herself out of the water and checks the gun she'd retrieved from Oswald. She asks Aurora if she knows how to use one. Aurora nods. "Find Anagar. Kill him. The guards will clear out. Free the other girls. Help them get home." Just as Nikita walks past her, Aurora grabs her forearm and thanks her. Aurora stands on the platform and watches Oswald's dead body float in the water. Behind her, in the boxed seat of the dead Meyer, Anagar appears. He calls out to Aurora. She turns and fires several shots at him, killing him.
Tag[]
Operations enters Madeline's office, where she works. "Renee said you were jealous. I didn't believe her," he tells her. "You were right not to believe her. Jealousy had nothing to do with it," Madeline answers. "She was interfering with our normal procedures and frankly, when she was around, your judgment wasn't up to its usual standards." Operations grins broadly and laughs at Madeline's assessment. "Still, ejecting her forcibly was a violation of protocol," he tells her. "So was her contacting the Agency," Madeline points out. "That can be justified. She has powerful friends in Oversight. This could blow up in your face if it's not handled properly." "Is there any reason this can't be handled properly?" She asks.
In her living room, Nikita lays down on the couch thinking about her mission. Walter is with her and he tells her about a mission he had in the Balkans which a motion detector failed. He got out but the operatives with him didn't. He thought highly of them and considered them a part of the five percent club he once told her about. "It got me interested in the gadgets we use. Designed a few myself and then eventually I got into it full time. Been there ever since." He suggests that Nikita should start thinking about her future as well. "People don't live forever in the field. You should move into another area--Comm, research, profiling. I could use an assistant," he suggests. Nikita smiles with amusement at the thought. "I think I would feel too guilty knowing there were people out there risking their lives," she tells him. He tells her that she'll get over it. In the kitchen, Walter is puttering around. He tells her that she needs to consider her future. She can't remain a field op forever. He tells Nikita that he could use an assistant. "How do you do it? How do you stay sane? What's the secret?" Nikita asks him. "Knowing when to lie and when to tell the truth," he answers. "To them?" Nikita asks. "To yourself," he corrects. "At night you go to bed knowing that you live in Hell. That's the truth." "And the lie?" "You wake up in the morning, thinking that this day, they change everything. You'll escape, you'll fall in love, they'll close the place up and send everyone home." "Then that night you have to face the truth again," Nikita points out. "Yeah, but in the mean time, you've accomplished something that's truly remarkable. You made it through another day." Nikita's ringing cell phone interrupts them. She answers it and it's Michael, asking for "Joséphine".
Cast[]
Main Cast[] |
Special Guest Stars[]
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Episode Quotes[]
- Nikita: "How do you do it? How do you stay sane? What's the secret?"
Walter: "Knowing when to lie and when to tell the truth."
Nikita: "To them?"
Walter: "To yourself. At night you go to bed knowing that you live in hell. That's the truth."
Nikita: "And the lie?"
Walter: "You wake up in the morning thinking this day may change everything. You'll escape. You'll fall in love. They'll close the place up and send everyone home."
Nikita: "Then that night you have to face the truth again."
Walter: "Yeah. But in the meantime you've accomplished something that's truly remarkable. You made it through another day."
Music[]
- The Third Gate of Dreams | Makyo
- Death by Moonlight | Rhea's Obsession
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