Spec Ops

Spec Ops
La Femme Nikita
Episode no.	Season 2 Episode 2
Directed by	T.J. Scott
Written by	Robert Cochran
Production code	202
Original air date	January 11, 1998
Episode guide
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"Spec Ops" is the second episode of the second season of La Femme Nikita.

Summary

Although Nikita has returned to Section, she is not back to full status as an operative. Operations and Madeline suspect that she is not telling them the truth about her six months on the outside, so they assign her to Jürgen, a special operative, for reevaluation. He seems interested in protecting Nikita, but once Section captures Kudrin, a Freedom League agent present at the time Nikita claims to have been captured, she and Michael's carefully planned lie begins to unravel.

Plot

Teaser

Nikita is in her room and she is extremely agitated. She has too much energy and not enough ways to expend it. She does a series of exercises. roams the perimeter of the room and tosses her bedding around. She wants out. All her activities are observed by Operations, Madeline, and Michael. Operations comments on Nikita's strength returning. Michael tells them he can prepare a training regime for Nikita but Operations turns him down. Michael is informed that Jurgen will be assigned to conduct Nikita's reprogramming. When Michael questions the decision, he's told that he's too close to the situation. They want "complete objectivity". In that moment, Jurgen arrives and after being asked by Operations if he was familiar with Nikita, Jurgen confirms that he just received her file. While Operations gives him a brief recap of Nikita being placed in Abeyance, their belief that she had died on the mission, and their discovery that she had been held captive by the Freedom League, Michael silently observes Jurgen. Jurgen asks if they believe that Nikita was working with the Freedom League. Madeline clarifies that by saying that it's something they want him to determine. They want a complete evaluation on Nikita--physical, psychological, and emotional. "She's mine," Jurgen says. "You own her," Madeline confirms. Jurgen glances for the first time at Michael. "It's good to see you, Michael," Jurgen tells him before he departs.

Act 1

Nikita tries to get closer to Michael.

Nikita lays in her room still bored. The door opens and Michael enters. Nikita automatically perks up at his arrival. She tells him that she wondered when he'd come to visit her. "You were in observation. It wasn't permitted," he tells her. He also tells her that as of an hour ago, she's free to leave. Michael walks the perimeter of the room and stands on the wall opposite the entrance. He discreetly places a device that when activated, disrupts the video feed from the room. They only have two minutes he tells her. Certain that they now have privacy, Michael approaches Nikita. Pleased, Nikita places her hands on Michael's chest and tries to get closer. Michael holds her back and asks her if she's ever heard of Jurgen. She replies that she has. He's special ops. Michael informs her that she'll be spending time with Jurgen and warns her about the delicacy of the situation. Operations isn't convinced about the hostage story they concocted and Jurgen has been assigned to find out the truth. Nikita is confident she can be convincing. "It's not going to be easy. Supposedly you were tortured for six month. Progress too slowly, you'll seemed damaged. Too quickly and they'll be suspicious," Michael warns her. Nikita only half listens as she once begins to caress Michael's chest. She assures him and then amorously pivots to asking when she can see more of Michael. She also attempts to get closer to him. "I don't know," he answers her question seriously and holds her back. Michael cautions her to be careful. Michael then retreats to remove the jamming device and quickly leaves the room.

During a mission briefing Operations shares that they received a message from a contact out of Hong Kong about a man named Kudrin. One of the operatives points out that Kudrin was a member of the Freedom League. Operations confirms that he was at a base Section incinerated two weeks ago, but he survived. Michael is surprised and points out the improbability of that information being correct. Operations says that their contact is reliable. He hypothesizes that Kudrin is back in contact with the remnants of the Freedom League so he's needed alive for questioning. Operations orders Michael to put together a team that can leave in an hour. Uncharacteristically, Michael doesn't respond until Operations calls his attention once more. Michael agrees and leaves to begin preparations.

At Munitions, Walter raises the grate to find Nikita waiting for him. He's elated to see her and he gives her a relieved hug. He tells her that he wanted to go and see her but he wasn't allowed. "The Freedom League, was it bad what they did you?" He asks, concerned. "It was bad enough," Nikita hedges. She mentions that she's going into rehab with a man named Jurgen. She wants to know his opinion. "I've seen him help people. I've seen him destroy people," is all Walter shares with her. He tells her that a mission is about to go out concerning a member of the League that survived. Nikita is surprised by the news. "Could have been one of the guys who worked you over," Walter volunteers. "If we bring him back, maybe you can pay him back," he adds before leaving on the mission and leaving Nikita behind.

Nikita waits for Michael in the hallway leading to Van Access. She asks him about the man who survived the assault on the Freedom League. Michael confirms it. She voices her concerns that Kudrin might know that she was only held hostage for two days instead of six months she and Michael reported. Michael tells her that he'll take care of it. Madeline cannot be allowed to question him. He tells her that she needs to handle Jurgen before he walks off.

In Hong Kong, a Section team led by Michael enter an underground den filled with illegal activities of all sorts. Michael signals for a few operatives to investigate some of the people gathered. Michael then continues to walk down the long corridor until at the end he spots Kudrin. The Freedom League member panics and he makes a run for it. Michael begins his pursuit through a series of heavily packed rooms and narrow hallways. The chase is frantic as they run through throngs of people in the compact space, kitchens and dark restaurants. When he gets his opportunity, Michael gets him in his sights and he shoots Kudrin in the back. The rest of the Section operatives catch up to them and one of them reminds Michael that they were supposed to take Kudrin alive. Michael tells him that he had no choice. "Hope you can sell that to Operations," Michael is told. The Operative checks Kudrin's pulse. "This must be your lucky day...he's not dead." Michael's face is impassive as he hears the news. He orders that Kudrin get brought in.

Nikita arrives at the training room where she's to meet Jurgen. Through the window, she can see him waiting for her on the lower level. He calls out and tells her that the door is open. She casually walks down the steps until she's standing before him. He has a board game before him. Jurgen asks Nikita if she knows the name of the game. She answers, "Go." Jurgen asks if she plays and Nikita tells him that she doesn't. He tells her that she should because of what I could teach. "I'm not much for games," Nikita tells him. Jurgen rises and asks Nikita why she's there. "They sent me," she answers. "Why are you here," he asks again. "To increase my proficiency levels," she responds. He steps closer and asks his question one more time. "To become a better operative." Jurgen walks away. "I thought you didn't like games?" He counters. "I'm here because I don't want to die," Nikita responds more subdued. This answer he prefers. Jurgen tells Nikita not to tell him anymore lies. "You don't need to worry about the Section. You need to worry about me," he tells her ominously. Nikita takes a seat in front of the board game and asks if they should begin their session. Jurgen tells her that they've just finished and dismisses her until tomorrow.

Act 2

Madeline interrogates the injured Kudrin. He's hooked up to large amount of medical equipment. Madeline informs him that he's going to live. "That's the bad news. There is no good news." Over her shoulder, Michael is observing the proceedings through the glass from an exterior room. "You'll notice the pain is minimal given the severity of your wounds. It's because we've pumped you full of pain killers. The pain killers we've used are highly addictive and they work very quickly." Michael from to another window to get a closer look at Madeline and Kudrin. "If the supply is cut off, you'll suffer not only the pain of your wounds but the pain of withdrawal. Most people find the combination unpleasant." Madeline asks him the location of the remaining members of the Freedom League but he doesn't answer. She informs him that the button next to hand will summon her when she's ready to talk. She leaves the room immediately afterwards.

Nikita trains with Jurgen. She's running to a treadmill within a domed sphere. Jurgen observes from outside. He calls out about hostile action and Nikita jumps off the treadmill and begins firing at holographic hostiles with a laser gun. She then has to resume her running on the treadmill. Jurgen tells her to stop and she does so gratefully. Nikita is exhausted and sweating profusely. She reaches for a nearby water bottle but it's empty. "Sorry. I must have finished it," Jurgen tells her unemotionally. Suddenly, Nikita is grabbed from behind by an operative. Another one approaches her the front and she leverages herself against the first assailant to kick the second one. She engages the two men in hand to hand combat while Jurgen observes until one of them takes her down. Jurgen immediately commands that they stop. "Your report said they used neuroshock," he tells her. Nikita confirms that they did. "It damages nerve tissue. Sometimes it's permanent." Nikita wants to know what that means. "You may have already reached your maximum performance level." She asks if that's not good enough. Jurgen tells her that it isn't. "Then I'm gonna have to try and be better," Nikita asserts. "Michael's report didn't mention the neuroshock," he points out. She tells him that Michael wasn't there. She was. "He did the initial debriefing," Jurgen tells her. "I was in pretty bad shape, then. I made a final report later." Jurgen then dismisses her until the afternoon.

Not far from Van Access, Nikita mentions to Michael that discrepancies between his report and hers were found. "That was deliberate. Complete agreement would suggest collusion," he tells her. Nikita asks about Kudrin and Michael tells her that he's being kept alive and currently being questioned. She asks about what they're going to do and Michael says that they'll wait. Nikita confronts Michael about what had transpired between them. "Something happened between us, Michael. We can't keep pretending that it didn't." He tells her that it isn't the right time. She advocates passionately for them to take what time they have and explore their feelings. "We may never have another time. We can kiss. We can touch. There's nothing stopping us." Michael is against it. "They'll know. They'll see it in our eyes when we look at each other and it won't be long before they figure out the truth," he tells her. Nikita realizes that they'll be cancelled if they're discovered but she pushes forward anyway. "I'd be willing to die if in the meantime I could live, really live for just one day." Nikita leans forward to kiss him, but Michael turns his face away before she does. He presses the importance of waiting. She wants to know how long. "Until you finish rehab. Until their attention is somewhere else." Nikita sees it as an unending list of excuses, but Michael tells her that the time is much too risky. "I came back for you. For us to be together," Nikita tells him passionately. "That's going to be difficult now. We'll have to be careful," he answers. Nikita tells him that she's tired of being careful. "Get over it," Michael tells her coldly. Nikita takes a step back and walks away from him, resentfully repeating Michael's harsh words and clearly angry at the way he's dismissed her.

Michael meets with Madeline outside Kudrin's room. He asks if Kudrin has talked yet. He gave her to location of a Freedom League safe house in Munich and it may lead to other locations. Michael tells her that he'll take a team out that night. Madeline suspects that Kudrin might know more. Michael questions what about. "About the League, What else?" Madeline asks. Michael pauses slightly. "Nothing," he answers. Madeline asks him about Nikita. "She seems fine," He tells her. "What does Jurgen say?" Michael asks. "Nothing yet," she tells him. Michael walks away and leaves Madeline to observe Kudrin.

In Systems, Birkoff gives Operations and Michael a run down of what was done with the information provided by Kudrin. On a hologram, the shows the best point of entry for the safe house in Munich. Operations asks for the location of the host system and Birkoff shows that in the hologram. Michael asks about room traffic and Birkoff that although it will be minimal, there will be people there to protect the computer, which includes the Freedom League directory. Birkoff cautions about the hostiles setting off an alarm if they detect their presence, which could lead to them destroy the computer themselves. Because of this, he recommends that a single operative run the mission. Operations tells another operative present for the briefing to take the mission but Michael immediately objects. "I've run this pattern before. I have a higher POS." After briefly considering it, Operations agrees for Michael to take it. "If we pull this off, it's more intel in one place then we've ever seen," Birkoff tells Michael.

At the safe house, Michael quietly observes the host system room and the Freedom League members guarding it. He crashes through a glass window and immediately starts firing upon the hostiles, which quickly go down. Michael continues to fire, destroying the computer he was supposed to recover.

Operations and Michael meet in the Perch. "Every mark was hit. The computer was yours. What happened," Operations asks. "By the time I secured the room, they had destroyed the computer," Michael tells him. "What's going on Michael?" Operations asks. "Nothing," he replies. "When Nikita was missing, you had a rough time. Now that she's back, you're having another," Operations points out. "It has nothing to do with Nikita," Michael asserts. "You of all people should know the dangers of an emotional involvement with colleagues. Is there anything you want to tell me, Michael?" Michael tells him that there isn't.

Act 3

Nikita arrives for another training session with Jurgen. He's inside the domed sphere reviewing a panel. Confident that he can't see her because his attention is elsewhere, she subtly lowers the zipper on her top and fluffs out her hair before she sensually announces her arrival. "Another fire fight SIM?" Jurgen turns to her. "What else did they do to you besides the neuroshock?" He asks. "Sleep deprivation, propaganda, threats...oh promises." Jurgen wants to know what kind of promises. "Money. A safe haven on some island," she answers. "Sounds great. Why didn't you accept?" he asks. "Well, I didn't believe them."

Act 4

Michael waits for Nikita by Comm. She approaches him and he asks her if it's over. Nikita confirms that it is. Something nearby catches Nikita's attention and Michael turns to see Jurgen walk past them and towards the Perch where Operations and Madeline wait. "He not danger to us," Nikita tells him. "You just signed our death warrant," Michael informs her and he walks away, leaving Nikita to deal with the weight of his words.

Tag

Nikita arrives in the Perch where Operations and Madeline wait for her. Operations tells her that her evaluation is complete. "You should have told us the truth, Nikita. Jurgen told us everything," Madeline tells her. Nikita looks momentarily surprised at the revelation. "The Freedom League used forced hypnotic regression, didn't they? Reduced to a little girl again. Tried to build you back up." Nikita looks away in understanding and agrees to what Madeline tells her. Operations tells her that she has nothing to be ashamed of, especially since she didn't crack. "Well, I , thought if they put me through it one more time, I might," she lies. "The point is, we could have done a better job of helping you if we'd known. As it is, Jurgen said you made it nearly all the way back on sheer will power," Madeline further informs her. Operations shares that a team has just returned from a mission to destroy the last remnants of the Freedom League. Nikita asks about the plans for her. Madeline tells her that she's work a while longer with Jurgen. "If all goes well, you'll be returned to active status." Operations praises her before she leaves the Perch.

Nikita and Jurgen walk down a corridor inside Section One. She asks him about the condition that he reported she suffered from and whether or not it was real. He says it is and he gives her some advice on how to navigate her coming weeks for Section's benefit. "Report some nightmares just to keep it convincing, then in two or three weeks, come up to full proficiency. You'll be in the clear." Michael watches Nikita and Jurgen talk from further down the same corridor. Just before she walks away, Nikita thanks Jurgen for his help. When she approaches Michael, she asks him why she doesn't trust Jurgen. Michael sees no reason for him to protect them. She points out that he just did. Michael thinks it's naive of her to believe that Jurgen doesn't have an ulterior motive. He has power over them now and they'll have to wait and see how it manifests itself. Nikita still doesn't agree. She says that Jurgen is different. "Different from what?" Michael asks. "Different from you," Nikita tells him and she walks away.

Cast

Main Cast Peta Wilson as Nikita Roy Dupuis as Michael Eugene Robert Glazer as Operations Alberta Watson as Madeline Matthew Ferguson as Seymour Birkoff Don Francks as Walter

Special Guest Stars Bruce Payne as Jurgen

Episode Quotes

• Nikita: "So what are we gonna do, you and I? Something happened between us, Michael. We can't keep pretending that it didn't."
  Michael: "This isn't the right time."
  Nikita: "We may never have another time. We can kiss. We can touch. There's nothing stopping us."
  Michael: "They'll know. They'll see it in our eyes when we look at each other and it won't be long before they figure out the truth."
  Nikita: "They'll cancel us."
  Michael: "Yes."
  Nikita: "I'd be willing to die if in the meantime I could live, really live for just one day." (moves to kiss Michael)
  Michael: (moves his face away from Nikita) "Nikita, wait."
  Nikita: "Until when?"

• Nikita: "I came back for you. For us to be together."
  Michael: "That's going to be difficult now. We'll have to be careful."
  Nikita: "I'm tired of being careful."
  Michael: "Get over it"

• Operations: "What's going on, Michael?"
  Michael: "Nothing."
  Operations: "When Nikita was missing, you were having a rough time. Now that she's back, you're having another."
  Michael: "It has nothing to do with Nikita."
  Operations: "You of all people should know the dangerous of an emotional involvement with colleagues. Is there anything you want to tell me, Michael?"
  Michael: "No."

Music

smack my bitch up | PRODIGY

satan | ORBITAL

Video

La Femme Nikita- "Satan" - Orbital

Michael pursues a final loose end to conceal Nikita's time away from Section.