Three-Eyed Turtle | |||||
La Femme Nikita | |||||
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Episode no. |
Season 3 Episode 20 |
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Directed by | Jon Cassar | ||||
Written by | Maurice Hurley | ||||
Production code | 322 | ||||
Original air date | August 14, 1999 | ||||
Episode guide | |||||
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"Three-Eyed Turtle" is the twentieth episode of the third season of La Femme Nikita.
Summary[]
When Greg Hillinger makes a number of critical mistakes on a mission, its failure brings down the wrath of George, who demands that all Section missions now be funneled through Oversight. Hillinger is placed in abeyance, and Operations takes his anger out on Madeline, deteriorating their relationship to the point were Madeline and George plan a coup attempt against Operations. However, Hillinger, Madeline and George have secret plans that they aren't telling each other, which leads to surprising shifts in power.
Plot[]
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At Comm, Birkoff gives instructions to a team out on the field. He confers with several members on his team as Birkoff prepares for the field team's future movements. He checks in the team leader, Victor, who tells Birkoff that hostiles are heavily armed and things are going to be tight. Birkoff alerts other teams to give Victor coverage. Birkoff requests the mission interface and when he turns he sees Greg Hillinger chatting about program he had written to another member of Birkoff's team. Birkoff makes his request again, reminding Hillinger that they are in mid mission. Hillinger tells him that he didn't do the interface and Birkoff is alarmed. Instead, Hillinger offers to walks the ops in the field through the scenario. While he does that, Birkoff is concerned that Hillinger hasn't cycled the egress to ensure its protection. "It's why I needed the interface," Birkoff explains to Hillinger. The field team reports to Comm that they're losing men and need their coordinates. Hillinger as gone quiet and Birkoff tells everyone to hold and wants information from Victor. Victor tells Birkoff to cut him off and Birkoff tells him that he won't make it out alive. "Can't be helped. It's the only way to save the team," he tells Birkoff. Birkoff tells everyone to abort and to backtrace to their exit points. Birkoff continues to monitor the events until he hears three gun shots take out Victor, who had remained behind as the rest of the team aborted.
Act 1[]
In the Perch Operations talks to George on a video feed while Madeline watches on. "It was an unfortunate incident, but it was only a stutter step. We've already begun...," Operations tells him. "Since when do you redefine failure as a 'stutter step'? This mission was critical to the entire Near East hub," George interrupts angrily. Operations assures him that things will be taken care of but George argues that Operations doesn't even know why it happened. "Start deflecting and start listening. I am not happy with One, and more to the point, Paul, I am not happy with you. I want all Third Column Operations sent here for redirect," George orders. "That's half our load," Operations tells him. "And I want the remainder piped through my controllers. You will not sharpen a pencil without my approval." George immediately terminates the transmission. Operations turns to Madeline. "This is your fault," he quietly accuses. "I beg your pardon," Madeline asks. "Tactical falls under your purview. When they screw up, I look bad," he tells her. Madeline tells him that she'll find the source. "Yes you will. If you paid as much attention to this as you do to your idiotic plants this wouldn't be happening." Madeline tells him that he's not being fair. "I don't care what's fair, and I don't care what you think," he replies, angry and he leaves the Perch.
Hillinger approaches Birkoff in Systems and asks him what he's working on. "Just stuff," Birkoff answers. Hillinger presses him on whether it's the mission evaluation. "Birkoff, you're not going to hang me out, are you?" He explains that he didn't have enough information. Birkoff tells him that it was on his panel and Hillinger counters that he never reads his panels because doesn't need to and Birkoff knows that. "This time you did," Birkoff answers him. Hillinger is worried that they'll cancel him. "Probably not...with my luck. You're too valuable," Birkoff laments. "Wrong. They just recruited a stats analyst from O.S.I. and a privacy coder from Moscow. Between the two of them they can cover everything I do," Hillinger argues. Birkoff doesn't they can do it as fast as Hillinger. Hillinger disagrees. Madeline arrives and approaches Birkoff demanding answers. "The profile was downgraded onsite and there was no contingency to cover it. That's the job of the mission head," he tells her. Behind him Hillinger looks surprised by Birkoff's words. "Victor screwed up," Hillinger adds. "But in a way, it's poetic justice. You just would have had to cancel him anyways." Birkoff looks uncomfortable as Hillinger continues with his opinion. Madeline requests the data when Birkoff is done and she leaves them. "Some quick thinking, Seymour. I owe you one," Hillinger tells him happily before he departs to flirt with a nearby female operative.
"As you know, two days ago we were closing in on Pierre Brulois when a strike team went down," Operations tells a gathered team at a mission briefing. "Brulois is on a Pentagon Red List. He's a member of a highly placed naval intelligence group who's gone rogue. All the agencies want him taken out because of the damage he could cause if his knowledge were peddled to the terrorist community." Birkoff adds that they've been using satellites to get a position on Brulois but they don't have enough data. Operations tells him that they'll go after him in degrees, starting with the woman Francine Chu, one of his mistresses. Michael will head the team and Nikita will assist tactical. Birkoff explains that he'll initialize notes and get them to Walter. Operations tells him that it's already been done by Hillinger. "He's been bumped to active. You're needed onsite," Operations tells him. Birkoff is concerned because in his opinion Hillinger is not ready to run a mission. Operations wants specifics as to why not, otherwise, he wants Birkoff to get to work. Everyone waits for Birkoff to answer. "I guess he'll be fine," Birkoff reluctantly says. "No mistakes this time," Operations adds before concluding the briefing.
Operations approaches Madeline who is engaged in a conversation with an operative. She asks for a few moments to wrap up her conversation but Operations is insistent. "George called. He's not satisfied with Bucharest debrief." She wants to know what he objects to but Operations doesn't know. "Get on with him and take care of it." He begins to walk away but he stops. "I'd like to see you in the Tower," he tells her. "What is it you want me to be? Your whipping post, or your whore?" He reiterates his request and walks away.
Nikita stands in Comm with Hillinger. He tells Birkoff that the surveillance loop is in place. Video feed of the Section Van in an alley removes it when the loop activates.
In the van, Birkoff gives Michael guidance about hostile activity in the field. Michael approaches a door with a keypad on the exterior. Birkoff identifies it and relays the information to Hillinger in Section.
"You're in," Hillinger confirms, bored. "Big challenge," he drolls to Nikita.
Birkoff confirms to Michael that security has been disabled and the team enters the building.
Inside the building is an opulent residence. Guards monitor the security cameras, including the ones Section is looping. Birkoff guides Michael and his team to their target location.
In Comm, Hillinger subtly presses a button and the feed of the Section Van goes to static. Nikita asks Hillinger about it. "Looks like a sensor's gone down on the van. Check the base system. Make sure everything's clean," she tells him. He presses a few more keys and the surveillance loop cuts off, exposing the van to the security guards. One of them takes note and goes to investigate it. The security guard approaching is visible in one of the monitors near Birkoff. Hillinger presses additional keys and when Birkoff turns to check the monitor, it displays static as well, leaving him unaware of the approaching danger. "Hillinger, why don't I have synch on the exterior vid?" He asks.
"It looks like a sensor. I'd get on it. Can you leave the van?" Hillinger tells him. Nikita watches his response.
Birkoff asks Michael if they're clear. Michael answers that they are. BIrkoff reaches for a repair kit and tells Hillinger that he's going out. He takes a weapon with him as he exits the van. Outside, Birkoff immediately sees the approaching security guard and ducks to remain hidden. He drops his clip and it lands just beyond his reach in full view of the approaching security guard. Birkoff retreats around the van and heads towards a gate but double backs to the other side of the van. The guard is on the other side of the van, suspicious. Birkoff appears on the roof of the van and knocks the security guard down but not enough to render him unconscious. The guard recovers and starts to feel around the roof of the van while Birkoff pushes back. Birkoff and the security guard lock eyes before a gunshot rings out, killing the man. Michael and his team, along with the target Francine Chu arrive. "Let's go," Michael says.
At Van Access, the team arrives. Determined. Birkoff walks down the corridors and into Comm. "Nice try," Birkoff tells Hillinger who reclines in his chair, nonplussed by Birkoff's temperament. "You're the one who tried to kill me," he tells him before he inserts a disk into a terminal. "What am I talking about? It's called 'Black Track'. It shows what you tried to do. Right here," he points to a line of code on a monitor. "You cut the surveillance loop. Gave away my position. You knock out my monitor. Then you send me out to get killed. Didn't know we could do that, did you, resident genius?" Operations stands behind the pair. "He's the one who screwed up in Bucharest," Birkoff reveals. "I covered for him." Hillinger looks worried at the exposure.
Act 2[]
In front of a mirror, Madeline puts her blazer back on. She fingers the edges of a large hickey on her neck. Operations approaches behind her. His shirt is partially unbutton and he adjusts his wristwatch. "I want this to stop," she tells him. "I don't," he replies. "I'm tired of being needed by you. Need someone else." Operations is unbothered by her words. "It doesn't work that way," he tells her. "On the outside this would be sexual harassment." Operations steps closer to Madeline. "We're not on the outside," He answers and leaves her.
At Oversight, George has a conversation with an unseen party. "If the force doesn't hold, then we'll call on NATO," he advises. A man named Rubin approaches him and George asks how the "mess at One" is coming along. "We've assimilated almost 60% of their current projects." Rubin asks George if he's still interested in removing Operations. He explains that he's found a weak link.
Madeline and Operations meet with Birkoff and Hillinger in Committee. "Look. I'll cop to this interface thing, alright fine. But the rest of this stuff is completely bogus. Birkoff is just jealous." Operations asks him if didn't intentionally put Birkoff at risk. Hillinger says that he didn't and Madeline asks about the Black Track. "A glitch. You overwrote the bounds of the array. You shouldn't have declared it a char pointer..." Operations tells him to shut up and asks Birkoff for his opinion. "The transmission was Alpha secure." Hillinger doesn't know what that is and he worriedly asks about it. Operations tells him to go back to his post but Hillinger wants to know what that means. Operations orders him once more and Hillinger reluctantly leaves. "We're running three domestic missions, 27 on the outside. Can we replace Hillinger and not slow that down?" Madeline asks Birkoff. "Not really. Not unless I can use the new recruits." Operations doesn't know what he's talking about and Birkoff explains about the ones from O.S.I. and Moscow. It quickly dawns on Birkoff that those recruits don't exist and Hillinger lied about them. Birkoff tries to cover and says that he was mixing them up with some of their contacts but Madeline presses him on those contacts. "I can cover all the missions. I don't need Hillinger," Birkoff answers instead. "Then get to it," Operations tells him. Birkoff leaves and Operations and Madeline remain. Operations tells Madeline to cancel Hillinger. "We can do that or..." Operations interrupts her angrily. "Why do I need to hear that? Why do I need two alternatives when I give an order?" Madeline looks at him for a moment before she continues. "Or we could use him on the Brulois maneuver. He'd make a valuable Abeyance operative." Operations agrees. "And do something about that perfume. It smells cheap," he tells her before he leaves.
Madeline walks down a busy city street. She meets up with George at a park bench.
Act 3[]
Act 4[]
Tag[]
Cast[]
Main Cast[] |
Special Guest Stars[] |
Episode Quotes[]
- Operations: "I'd like to see you in the Tower."
Madeline: "What is it you want me to be? Your whipping post, or your whore?"
- Madeline: "I'm tired of being needed by you. Need someone else."
Music[]
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