Steven Wolfe (son)
| “ | Section isn't me or Madeline or Michael. It's bigger, deeper, smarter than any of us. | ” |
–Operations to Nikita in "First Mission" | ||
Operations is a main character on the 1997 USA Network television series La Femme Nikita. He is portrayed by American actor Eugene Robert Glazer.
Biography[]
History[]
Paul Wolfe and his wife had a son, Steven Wolfe.
Recruitment to Section One[]
Former Lieutenant Paul L. Wolfe was recruited into Section One against his will just before the fall of Saigon. While trying to escape from the city he is pursued by the Viet Cong and takes shelter in the cellar of an abandoned hut. He is rescued by a mysterious shining figure who identifies himself as "Sam Operations". The figure plunges an ice pick into Wolfe's heart and, using a straw inserted into the puncture hole, injects a liquid that knocks him out. Upon awakening Wolfe is detained by a Viet Cong soldier. Wolfe now gives his name as Paul Operations and the soldier, who had been about to execute him, fearfully lets him go.
Training[]
Plot[]
Season One[]
A stern disciplinarian, Operations immediately takes issue with Nikita's lack of discipline during her two years as a Section One recruit. He informs Michael that she is to be cancelled because of it. When Michael protests because of his belief that she can be a good operative, Operations informs him that her failure will be tied to him. "If she fails, you fail." He is not ignorant of the steps Michael has taken to protect his material when she defies Section protocol. "She continues to break Section code and yet she manages to succeed." Michael questions which code she broke. Michael's selective ignorance annoys Operations given how long Michael has been in Section. "If you don't think I know every detail of every operation...," he alludes. "Nikita's not a trainee anymore. She has to be held up to same standards as everyone else. If you can't demand that of her, then you both become a liability."
Season Two[]
Operations' affection for Madeline is further explored. He goes so far as to compromise the integrity of a mission and willingly sacrifice Michael when Madeline is kidnapped by rouge Green Listed terrorist Dorian Enquist. More emotionally invested, his reaction is a direct contrast to Madeline's cool indifference to her situation. Operations once cites he and Madeline surviving an incident in Ukraine was due to Madeline's ingenuity. A claim Madeline says he overstates.
Season Three[]
In collaboration with Michael, Operations willingly compromises his sanity to help draw out rising Red Cell leader Philo. He allows himself to be poisoned by a psychotropic agent that induces increased paranoia and aggression. During that time, Operations becomes fixated with apprehending a long deceased arms dealer named Gustav Pogue who had alluded him for four years. As Walter recounts to Nikita that, "Pogue was too smart for Operations, but not for George...It was the only time Operations really failed at something he wanted." In response to the growing fear within Section One, Michael stages a coup and assumes temporary control of Section. Michael reveals his collaboration with Philo to a distraught Nikita. The elusive Philo agrees to a meet with Michael and is subsequently apprehended. In the mission's successful aftermath, Michael asks Operations why he insisted on taking the drug. "Credibility, Michael. Leave nothing to chance." He then dismisses Michael. Madeline arrives just as Michael leaves the Perch. They both turn and watch as Michael crosses the main floor of Section One. "Michael's skills were impressive," Operations tells Madeline. She agrees. Operations muses that Michael might have what it takes to lead Section. Madeline questions whether Michael has the ambition. "Oh he's got it. He just doesn't know it yet."
Season Four[]
Operations reveals his decades long commitment to ensuring that his downtrodden former commanding officer Willie Kane has the resources he needs to get by.
Nikita calls him a ruthless man and tells him that she respects that he does his job with a great deal of clarity. However, she adds that children and terrorists are not the same thing. He mocks the idea that he needs to nurture some compassion within himself. Not liking what she's heard from him, Nikita informs Operations that he will remain in Section One. His status will be reviewed after a period of seven years has elapsed. She determines that he lacks the good judgment that comes from having a small dose of compassion. "Oversight requires a different skillset than Section One and until you master those skills, Section's where you'll stay," she tells him.
Season Five[]
After the upheaval caused by the revelation of Nikita's undercover work for Center and the drastic personnel changes that occured, Operations remains the head of Section One. Despite assurances to Nikita that she would be working at Center after the conclusion of her mission at Section, Mr. Jones determines that she will be of better use at Section as Operations' second. The rise of terrorist group known as The Collective requires that Section not bleed any additional operatives, after the losses of Madeline and Michael and Walter's forced retirement. The news is not received well by either Operations or Nikita. Operations tasks Kate Quinn with finding evidence that Nikita falsified her report about Michael's final mission. He wishes to cast doubt on Nikita's assertions and prove that Michael is still alive. With the arrival of the real Mr. Jones and Nikita's increasing influence, Operations begins to tire of the office politics that appear to be stacked against him. "I've played the game too many times. It bores me," he tells a newly returned Michael. Operations is killed by Haled when he tries to rescue Michael's son, Adam, from being kidnapped by the Collective. He is later replaced by Nikita as the new Operations of Section One.
Skills[]
A shrewd and driven man, Operations eventually topples the founder and head of Section One, Adrian, seizing control of the organization himself. While giving lip service to the aims of Section — the eradication of terrorists and the protection of the innocent — Operations uses Section One as his own power base, gaining control over dictators in many regions of the globe. This lust for power brings him into direct conflict with George, head of Oversight, who despises him, and even Adrian returns from her forced retirement to mount a failed coup attempt against Operations. He is mistrustful of Nikita, and even attempts to kill her on a number of occasions, but is forced to accept her success at completing Section missions.
Operations is not above putting himself at great risk for the achievement of Section objectives. If the situation warrants it, he willingly goes out into the field, and dispassionately leaves instructions in the event that he's killed. He will also compromise his own health and objectively in extreme situations to give credibility to missions where extreme measures are warranted.
Personality[]
Relationships[]
Madeline[]
Operations and Madeline in season 3
Operations and Madeline have known each other for a long time. That familiarity contributes to their effective partnership — including a brief romance.
Adrian[]
Adrian, is the founder of Section One. After an indeterminate amount of time, Paul Wolfe instigated a coup and took control himself. When recounting the incident to Nikita, Walter told her that "it was a bitter struggle. Left Operations with a whole lot of enemies, and a whole lot of power." Despite the bitter circumstances in which they parted, Operations remains respectful of Adrian, even after she attempts a failed coup of her own from the outside.
George[]
Operations' relationship with George, the head of Oversight, is a tense one.
Michael[]
As a Class Five operative within Section One leans heavily on Michael's skills as a team leader and tactician. Other Class Five operatives are mentioned but none seem to have the level of trust that Michael has. However, that does not mean that Michael enjoys much flexibility. Operations is as strict with Michael as he is with himself. Operations has alluded to Madeline that Michael could have what it takes to be his successor.
Nikita[]
Operations opinion of Nikita is that "she lacks discipline" and orders Michael to cancel her after her initial two years of training. Michael convinces him to commit to a test run with her. Operations sternly ties Michael's survival in Section to Nikita's success. "If she fails, you fail".
Walter[]
Quinn[]
She pursues him openly, in the hopes of offering herself as replacement for Madeline, to which is extremely resistant.
Quotes[]
- "You have cultivated an extremely dangerous situation. Not only to yourself, but to the Section. If you think that we just play an impersonal game of global espionage, the fact is what we do here is try to ensure the safety of every man, woman and child in this so called civilized world. There is such a thing as evil. It exists. It's an insidious force that trickles down to innocent people. Now, when we fight that force we help save those innocent people."--Choice
- "Please, spare me the cliches. The innocent children, the future. The need to protect them both. I wrote that speech, remember?"--Four Light Years Farther
- "I've played the game too many times. It bores me. Jones and Nikita run things now."--Let No Man Put Asunder
Behind the Scenes[]
Casting[]
Eugene Robert Glazer was one of the first actors who read for the role of Operations. Don Francks also read for the role.
Wardrobe[]
Operations is attired in Armani suits. In early seasons of the series, he would at times wear turtlenecks but those were phased out later in the series run.
Trivia[]
- Operations wears a POW/MIA lapel pin. The detail was added by actor Eugene Robert Glazer, who is a supporter to the commitment to resolving the fates of Americans still prisoner, missing and unaccounted in Southeast Asia.
Level 9, head of Section One. Accountable only to Oversight. A Vietnam veteran, former Lieutenant Paul L. Wolfe was recruited into Section One against his will just before the fall of Saigon. A shrewd and driven man, Operations eventually topples the founder and head of Section One, Adrian, seizing control of the organization himself. While giving lip service to the aims of Section—the eradication of terrorists and the protection of the innocent—Operations uses Section One as his own power base, gaining considerable control over dictators in many regions of the globe. This lust for power brings him into direct conflict with George, head of Oversight, who on many levels despises him, and even Adrian returns from her forced retirement to mount an unsuccessful coup attempt against Operations. He is also distrustful of Nikita, and even attempts to kill her on a number of occasions, but is grudgingly forced to accept her success at completing Section missions. (The same is also true of Operations' relationship to Michael, when he discovers Michael's romantic involvement with Nikita.) Operations and Madeline make for an effective partnership, though it includes a brief romance that sometimes causes complications.
Operations dies attempting to rescue Michael's son, who has been kidnapped by the Collective. Operations is then replaced by Nikita.