| Someone Else's Shadow | |||||
| La Femme Nikita | |||||
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| Episode no. |
Season 3 Episode 2 |
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| Directed by | René Bonnière | ||||
| Written by | Michael Loceff | ||||
| Production code | 302 | ||||
| Original air date | January 10, 1999 | ||||
| Episode guide | |||||
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"Someone Else's Shadow" is the second episode of the third season of La Femme Nikita.
Summary[]
Section One has spent many years unsuccessfully pursuing Salla Vaceck, one of the worlds most powerful and influential terrorist leaders. As a final attempt to get him, Section One has Michael marry his daughter, Elena, as part of a long term “blood cover” mission designed to play on her need to meet her father again. However, Nikita’s unexpected involvement may unravel the entire operation.
Plot[]
[]
A home movie shows Michael digging a hole in his family's backyard. His son, Adam, lingers nearby watching him. Elena is nearby filming the entire thing on a camcorder. Michael finishes with the hole and grabs a young tree that is nearby. He and Adam talk as the tree is placed inside the fresh hole. Adam circles closely, wanting to help. He holds onto a water hose and helps to water the freshly planted tree. Michael approaches Elena and can be seen in a tight closeup on the camcorder joking with her. He takes the camcorder from her and she joins Adam by the tree. They both face Michael and wave at the camera.
During the entire home movie sequence, Michael and Nikita are having a conversation in his office. He tells her that Elena's father is a terrorist named Salla Vacek who left the family when she was six years hold. Elena is unaware of her father's terrorist dealings. Section One assigned Michael to marry Elena so that they could get to her father and eliminate. Nikita is quietly angry at the news and points out that for three years he never told her. Michael tells her that he wanted to but it was a highly sensitive situation. In disgust, she tells him that she doesn't know how she can live with himself and she leaves his office.
Act 1[]
Two hostiles are brought in through Van Access be Section operatives. Operations meets them and instructs that they be taken to Containment. The hostiles protest in Arabic.
At Comm, Operations approaches Birkoff and asks for a status update. He tells him that he's sifting through what the embassy has sent them. On the monitors are footage of the aftermath of a bombing. There's nothing. The group that claimed responsibility is "hollow". The bombers that were brought might provide more information once Madeline has finished her interrogation, Birkoff explains.
In Containment, the two bombers brought in are restrained together. Madeline walks in and sedates one of them. She walks around to the other man who is talking defiantly in Arabic. "Who hired you to bomb the embassy?" Madeline asks. The man continues to speak in Arabic. Madeline responds in Arabic.
In the Perch, Operations talks to George on his cell phone. He tells George that they just got some information from one of the bombs and they're developing a profile. In annoyance Operations tells George that the bombs were just brought in a hour ago and if knows of another entity that can work faster, then he should use them.
Madeline and Michael meet in one of Section One's corridors. He comments about the embassy bombing and Madeline clarifies that Section requested. There's a more than fifty percent chance that Salla Vacek is behind it. Once they arrive at her office, she asks about the status of his mission. He reports that Elena might be open to attempting another reconciliation with her father. Elena did not change the subject when they spoke of him recently. Pleased, Madeline wants to explore that. She's asks for Michael's opinion how they should proceed. He suggests bringing in a third party that Elena can confide in. "Perhaps a long lost family member," he tell Madeline. When she asks Michael for a candidate, he suggests Nikita. Madeline is receptive to the idea. "Another woman about the same age. Nikita can draw upon her experiences, being orphaned early, which means she wouldn't need training, just a plausible background." Madeline reveals to Michael that Section was aware of Nikita's unauthorized discovery of his blood cover mission. "It would also be a good way to neutralize the security Nikita violated when she located your address and wandered into your home." She asks him if he had plans on reporting the breach. Michael tells her that he was.
Operations leads a briefing revealing that over twenty percent of Section One's resources are dedicated to the pursuit of one man--Salla Vacek. The image he has of Vacek is over 20 years old. "The intelligence on Vacek is scarce, almost non-existent. Vacek finances anti-Western terrorism on a global scale. Birkoff informs those gathered that the bombers from the embassy bombing were brokered by a third tier member of Red Cell. A Section team went out and gained access to that member's database. On the files was a man named David Henderson Williams who was classmates with Vacek at Cambridge. They're working on profile of Williams but from what Birkoff has seen, he believes that there's been contact with Vacek. Operations wants Williams brought to see if he can be exploited.
Nikita reports to Birkoff that second position is secure and she proceeds up the stairs to Williams' office. Williams is surprised to see Nikita and asks where his assistance is. Nikita tells him not to make any sudden moves before she tosses a sticky explosive device against the window. The glass shatters on the window after the controlled explosion. Nikita approaches the window and looks down. She positions David Henderson Williams in front of the window but assures him that everything will be alright. Then she pushes him out of the window. She watches his progress down before Nikita leaps out of the window and lands on an inflatable cushion. Michael gives her a hand up and leads her to the Section van, where a still disoriented David Henderson Williams is being assisted.
Michael drives down the tree lined street to his home. As he's parking his car, Adam runs out the front door in greeting. Michael, dressed in a business suit and tie, hands Adam his briefcase and he pulls out an overnight bag. They walk together until Michael lifts Adam under his arm and carries into the house. Elena is at the doorway and greets Michael with a kiss. She inquires about his meeting and Michael tells her that their presentation will have to be repeated next month because one of the executives was unable to attend. Noticing her quiet mood, Michael asks about what's bothering her. She tells him that she's received a letter from her father explaining that he's been looking for her. She hands Michael an envelope with her name. The family address is listed as being in Beauvais, France.
At Comm, Birkoff reports to Operations, who is in the Perch. "We just got confirmation from Michael. She received the letter today." He's pleased and walk out of the Perch.
Act 2[]
Madeline enters the White Room to find David Henderson Williams seated and waiting for her. She brings up his "personal relationship" with Salla Vacek. Williams wonders about the "faulty intelligence" that led them to him but he explains that no one has access to Vacek. Madeline tells him that she was up until recently of the same opinion. "When we found your name on a list of individuals attached to the embassy bombing, my opinion changed." He's dismissive of any list. "I'm sure I could find your name on a list of psychopaths if I looked hard enough, when it's perfectly clear that you're quite ordinary," he insults. Madeline looks at him amused and points out that he was classmates with Vacek at Cambridge. "Where am I? Let me guess. Not Interpol. They don't have the resources to clean up the mess you made of my office. My best guess is that you're some covert agency that no one has ever heard of. Run amok, no doubt." Madeline explains that they need to send to Vacek and that he'll help them do that. "We'll speak in a few hours," she tells him. Still dismissive, he jokes as Madeline leaves. Almost immediately, the two torture specialists come to stand before Williams.
Nikita and Elena walk into her living room, carrying coffee. When Nikita spots an antique cabinet, she compliments. "Isn't it great!" Elena tells her with excitement. "I've had it since I was six years old." She goes on to explain that she and her mother were on vacation in Rajasthan and how an old artist spent an entire afternoon telling them stories to get them to buy it. Nikita notes that she must be very close to her mother. Elena tells her that she was but that her mother died when she was nineteen. Nikita inquires about her father. "I haven't seen or spoken to my father since I was a little girl," Elena explains. They both take a seat and Michael joins them, carry a brandy. She goes to explain that he left them and that she hadn't really thought about him until after her mother died. Michael takes a seat on the arm of the couch where Elena sits. "Then when I met Michael, he convinced me to try to find my father." She affectionately rubs her hand up and down Michael's thigh until she holds her hand open to welcome his hand into hers. Nikita watches the gesture until she asks if she tried. "We did what we could. Elena contacted all her relatives, but they hadn't heard from him either. After Adam was born, we hired a detective. We wanted him to know his grandfather." Nikita asks what happened and Elena tells her that nothing happened. Nikita suggests that Elena's father might not be alive. "He is," Michael tells her. Elena shares that she received a letter from him earlier that day. Michael leaves them to go but Adam to bed. "I don't know what I'd do without Michael. He's such a good man," Elena tells Nikita as she watches him go. "So tell me about the letter," Nikita prompts clearly wanting to get off the topic of Michael and back on Vacek. "My father says he wants to see me. That there are reasons he stayed away, that he wants us to be a family again," Elena tells Nikita. "Where was he when I needed him? When my mother died? When I married Michael? That's when I wanted a father. It's not fair that he only shows up when he needs me. It makes me angry." Elena has tears in her eyes as she confides in Nikita. "Even though you're angry now. There will be other times when you need him," Nikita counsels. "I can't tell you what to do. I know if it were me, I'd take the chance." A tear streams down Elena's face as she contemplates Nikita's words.
Madeline enters with White Room with a still confined David Henderson Williams. He tells her the pain was unpleasant and worse than he'd anticipated. "I'd prefer to avoid a second session with those two," he continues and adds that he's willing to discuss relevant details concerning Salla Vacek. "How can I be of service?" Madeline smiles at the question.
"We need to get Elena's letter into Vacek's hands with plausible linkage," Madeline tells a group gathered in Systems. Michael tells her that the letter is in Image Processing to be reworded to appear as if she initiated the contact. Madeline wants to get the letter to Mischa Berez, Vacek's confidante. Birkoff will use the detective that was previously hired to fill in the blanks. "It didn't take long to produce a letter," Madeline comments to Michael. "Nikita was helpful," he tells her. "Good. I'm glad."
A seaplane lands on a lake. A jeep onto a large residential compound and after the vehicle parks, a man exits. As he's searched by security, Salla Vacek greets the man as Mischa and asks about his flight. They make small talk until Vacek instructs his team to let Mischa in.
Inside his home, Salla Vacek and Mischa greet each other warmly get to the business of the day. Mischa comments that Vacek should be safe at his current location for another four days. Another location off a "cape" is being prepared for him. Mischa hands him plastic encased correspondence. Vacek takes note of a letter and inquires about it. "I don't know. I received it through my unit in Hong Kong. It cleared, but he didn't elaborate." Vacek opens the letter and reads its handwritten contents. He asks about from whom Mischa's unit received the letter. "From someone in his organization I assume. I didn't ask. Is something the matter?" Vacek studies the letter for a long while. "This letter is from someone who claims to be my daughter," he reveals. "I thought you kept your identity from her," Mischa asks. "I have. She doesn't know who I am or how to find me." In the letter, his alleged daughter wants him to meet her family. "I want this correspondence validated. Account for everyone who laid a finger on it. I want to know where the paper came from. I want to know who licked the stamp." Mischa want to know what to do if the story checks out. "One step at a time," Vacek answers. He then inquires about the status of "White Eagle." Mischa tells him that most of the material has already cleared customs. He's just waiting for Vacek to give the order. "Soon," Vacek tells him.
Nikita approaches Michael's closed office door and peers in through the window. She walks in and finds Michael working on his computer. He notes her arrival when she takes a seat but says nothing. "Elena called me this morning," she reveals. "What did she say?" Michael asks. "She wants me to come over in a couple of days. Doesn't conflict with anything, does it?" Michael tells her that it doesn't. "She likes you," Michael shares. "I think she finds you easy to talk to." Nikita looks conflicted at Michael's words.
Act 3[]
In Michael and Elena's living room, Elena is busy adorning Nikita's hand with a henna tattoo. They talk about Michael and how Elena can tell that he's pleased to have her around. When Elena finishes, Nikita steps away to the window to seemingly admire her work in better light. Outside, Nikita detects what's likely surveillance set up by Salla Vacek. Elena asks Nikita about her accommodations and Nikita mentions a hotel. Elena suggests that she move in with her and Michael while she arranges her employment meetings.
Nikita lays on a rug by a warm fire lost in thought. She rises and makes her way to a nearby sofa. She looks out the window towards a lit second floor bedroom. She stares at it morosely. She lays back on the sofa and begins to recall instances where she and Michael had been intimately close.
In the morning, Michael sits at the kitchen table working on his laptop and a cup of coffee. Behind him is a window and Elena and Nikita can be seen coming to a stop after a run together. Their laughter can be heard and Elena raises her in celebration at arriving first. The women enter the house and Elena bids Michael a good morning with a kiss. Nikita comes up to them and takes a set at the table. Michael offers everyone orange juice, which Nikita accepts. With a slight flourish, Michael pours her a glass. "Voila," he says. "Nikita's go her first meeting with a potential client this afternoon," Elena shares. "I'm not surprised. Her designs are very impressive," Michael compliments warmly. Looks at him with a mixture of thanks and bashfulness. The house phone rings and Elena rises to answer it.
Act 4[]
At Michael and Elena's home, Nikita watches Adam play with a child sized basketball hoop from the window. She turns when Michael approaches and together they stand at the entryway. Nikita asks about Elena and Michael tells her that she's nervous. She then asks about what will happen if Vachek does show as proposed. "Then the mission ends," he tells her. Nikita asks about Elena and Adam. "They'll be safe," he answers. "And you?" She asks. "I won't see them again," Michael tells her before stepping outside to join Adam. He watches his son play for a moment before he lifts him and holds him close. From the door, Nikita watches Michael hug his son. Elena comes up behind her and together they walk down the steps and join Michael and Adam. Elena worries out loud if she's doing the right thing. Nikita assures her that she is. Elena says her goodbyes to Adam and Nikita and goes to the car. Michael hands off Adam to Nikita's arms. He kiss his son goodbye. Michael and Elena drive off to meet her father.
At Comm, Birkoff orders teams on site to advance in tight. Operations observes from the Perch.
Michael and Elena arrive at the park. Michael looks around and he notices Section operative discreetly placed. Elena comments that he's tense. Together they observe a woman playing with a dog. She notes that the dog reminds her of Watson. Elena comments that without Watson, they never would have met. A car approaches and Elena straightens up. Back at Section, all operatives are ordered to be on alert. Mischa steps out of the car bearing a gift. Elena approaches him and asks if he is her father. He says that her father sends his regrets but that he was unable to make the meeting. He asked Mischa to deliver a gift for Adam. Upset, Elena tells him that he should deliver a message for her. "Tell my father that his daughter is here and wants to see him." She throws the present in a trash bin and heads back to the car.
At Vacek's home, his men are packing up everything important. Mischa arrives and Vacek approaches him seeking more information about his meeting with Elena. Mischa tells him that she's "a good woman. A strong woman. You'd be proud of her." Vacek asks if Elena was angry. "Disappointed," he corrects. Vacek then asks about "her husband". Misha observed that he was "interesting. There was something in his eyes." Vacek asks for clarification. "Power," Mischa conveys. Vacek is satisfied because it means Michael will protect Elena. Mischa agrees on his assessment.
Operations and Madeline talk in the Perch about Madeline's progress on a new profile on Vacek. She tells him that he was right not to tag the courier. The meeting in the park with Elena was a dry run. Madeline points out that Vacek wants to see his daughter but feels no urgency. Operations suggests they change that. Madeline agrees. Operations points out that Michael will resist to their approach. "It won't matter," she answers.
Tag[]
Nikita sits by the window overlooking the driveway of Michael's home. She sees their car pull up and she immediately rises to greet them. When Michael and Elena walk in, Nikita notices their somber mood. She asks how it went and Elena tells her that her father did show. Elena says that she's going to check on Adam. Michael tells Nikita that Vachek sent someone else in his place. She asks of Section One picked him but Michael confirms that they didn't. They sit down together and Nikita says, "That means they'll keep you here longer. That's good." Surprised, Michael asks how and Nikita responds that Michael has more time with Adam. She gives him a tentative but supportive smile.
Cast[]
Main Cast[] |
Special Guest Stars[]
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Episode Quotes[]
- Michael: "Elena's father's name is Salla Vacek. He's the heir to an Eastern European mining fortune, but he didn't go into the family business. He's a terrorist."
Nikita: "Does she know?"
Michael: "No, he left when she was six. They haven't spoken since."
Nikita: "So the Section had you marry her to get to her father?"
Michael: "Yes."
Nikita: "So what's the plan? What are you going to do when you get him?"
Michael: "Eliminate him."
Nikita: "For three years, you never told me you had a family, Michael."
Michael: "I wanted you to know, but it's a tightly contained situation."
Nikita:" I understand this is something you've been ordered to do. I don't know how you're able to live with it."
Music[]
please | MANDALAY
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