Five Fall Shows You Must See: The CW's Kick-Ass Nikita Ranks in at No. 4

Get our take on the CW's La Femme Nikita remake: Should you watch or pass?

By Kristin Dos Santos, Tierney Bricker Sep 08, 2010 5:16 PMTags
Maggie Q, NikitaBen Mark Holzberg/The CW

Oh, Sydney Bristow, how we still miss you.

And we're not gonna lie—our take on the CW's new high-octane and even higher-skirted spy series, Nikita, may be a bit tainted by our love for all things Alias-esque. But whether or not you were a Bristow fan, here's a show you absolutely must check out, and fellas, bring your drool cloths...

Nikita (The CW)
Premiere: Thursday, Sept. 9, 9-10 p.m.
Time-Slot Competition: Grey's Anatomy, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Fringe, The Office, Outsourced
Cast: Maggie Q, Shane West, Lyndsy Fonseca, Melinda Clarke
Status: We've seen the pilot episode.

If you're not familiar with the premise of La Femme Nikita (the movie and TV series that Alias paid "homage" to), the idea of Nikita is simple enough: Nikita (Maggie Q) was on death row when she was rescued by a secret government organization known as Division. They forced her to become an assassin. Then they murdered her fiancé. Now she wants revenge. What's that cliché we're looking for? Oh yes, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, especially when she can shatter your larynx with her inner thighs. In charge of stopping Nikita is Michael Vaughn (Shane West), her former mentor, who seems to be harboring feelings for the hard-bodied heroine.

"We've got great chemistry," Shane told us of Maggie on the show's Vancouver set, "on and off camera, so it kind of shows on camera." True dat.

The first episode jumps from Nikita's tale of vengeance to the journey of Alex (a compelling Lyndsy Fonseca), Division's latest recruit. We get to see exactly what goes on in this secret branch of the CIA through her eyes, and it looks a lot like Joss Whedon's ill-fated Dollhouse, complete with its very own Henry Higgins, Amanda (a creepily fantastic Melinda Clarke), who acts as a sort of den mother to the recruits.

But blah blah blah, premise blah blah. The real reason to watch this series is that there is some serious butt-kicking action (more so, sadly, than J.J. Abrams' new spy series Undercovers, though we like that show for other reasons), the plot twists are gasp-worthy, and most importantly: the ridiculous hotness that is Maggie Q. Women will want to be her, men will want to be, um, sending flowers to her, and you'll be wondering how this flawless talent (a longtime martial arts expert) hasn't hit it big as an actress before.

"There's something so nice about being able to express this kind of physicality as a woman, because normally that's what men get to do," Maggie tells us of her first TV role. "In real life I'm all about yoga and being zen and I'm a vegetarian, so this is a lot of fun for me."

Nikita has some fierce competition (hello, Seattle Gracers and Dunder Mifflinites!), but will become a fast favorite for many fans—who might need to kick some butt on their own to keep this series around. You can start now by telling your friends to watch the premiere this Thursday, before those other series start up.

Verdict: Watch it. Love it. And seriously guys, try not to drool.

Poll

Fall TV Preview 2010: Nikita

Nikita?
Watch
50.1%
DVR
27.9%
Pass
22%

OUR TOP FIVE LIST SO FAR

5. Running Wilde (Fox)

OUR REVIEWS SO FAR

Hellcats (CW)
Raising Hope
(Fox)

Lone Star (Fox)

(Check out Maggie Q's awesomeness—and my obvious girl crush—in the video interview below.)

What's your take on Nikita? Share your thoughts in the comments!

_______

Find out more about the season's new shows in our Fall TV Preview 2010 photo gallery!