I had always been interested in the mythos of La Femme Nikita that was created by director Luc Besson’s (“The Fifth Element”) 1990 film of the same name. The film starred Anne Parillaud in the title role and was stylishly entertaining, and one I often recommended. The story of the streetwise junkie saved from death row and turned (against her will) into a cold-blooded assassin was a hit with audiences in spite of its Foreign Film status, and went on to spawn an Americanized remake, “Point of No Return”, starring Bridget Fonda, as well a highly successful TV series. It’s that TV series I’m here to tell you about. Created by Robert Cochran and Joel Surnow (the same guys responsible for the excellent “24”), the series of “La Femme Nikita” had a somewhat lackluster premiere on the USA Network back in 1997. Most critics said it wouldn’t make it past the first season, and at first the ratings were not what the creators had hoped. But good word of mouth started building a strong fan base for the show and it ended up continuing for a healthy five year run.

I missed the show when it originally aired, but over the years I had heard a lot about how great it was supposed to be, and that it held its own when compared to the quality of the original movie. I hoped that I would have a chance to watch it at some point, and kept a lookout for a possible DVD release. And now my wait is over. Warner Home Video is finally releasing the first season of “La Femme Nikita” on a 6-disc set, complete with extra features for the hardcore fans.

It took a few days to get through the 22 episodes on this set, but it was not only worth the wait, but also well worth my time. “La Femme Nikita” is a terrific show. My first concern when I started watching the show was whether or not it would live up to the original materials, or somehow pale due to network restraints. Often this is the case with movies-turned-series. But from the first episode alone, I could tell I was in for something great as it took the original storyline and gave it a greater depth, both with the characters as well as their respective storylines.

Nikita’s character was changed in what would seem to be a small way, but turned out to be one of the things that made the character click. In the movie, Nikita had been sent to prison for a murder she committed. In the series, she instead witnesses a murder and ends up with the knife in her hands, thereby being wrongfully accused. This opens up whole new doors to the character as she has to wrestle with herself to get over the thought of having to really kill someone. She is not, by nature, a killer and because of this she is less ruthless, and more a survivor. Because of this she often goes against the policies of ‘Section One’, the ultra secret anti-terrorist group she is forced to work for.

Now, these character traits wouldn’t matter at all if they weren’t conveyed by a strong actress, but from what I’ve seen this is not a problem for the show’s lead actress, Peta Wilson. Taken from near obscurity, this Australian actress took the role into new dimensions. At first glance she is disarmingly beautiful, but noticeably hardened. My initial reaction was, sure she’s gorgeous, but can she act? Once again, Wilson scores high. She is a marvelous actress, portraying Nikita with a multitude of layers. This was immediately evident early in the first episode during a scene where she is caught up in an unusually happy occasion in her new life, only to have that happiness shattered by an unexpected turn of events, almost a betrayal of her feelings if you will. In that moment, Wilson nailed the reaction and gut-wrenching emotions necessary to make that scene work, and proved to me completely that she had what it took to make the character live.

As I moved through that first episode, I was pleased to also see that her performance in that scene wasn’t a fluke. Her portrayal continued to be strong throughout the entire first season, and was constantly challenged by the intricate, and often unexpected plotting of the series.

The other important character to the series is that of Michael, played by Roy Dupuis. He is Nikita’s ‘boss’, and the one who recruited her into the elite organization. The two of them are constantly at odds in one of those love/hate relationships. He is on the surface, a cold-blooded killer, who will do anything for the sake of a mission. To him, casualties are an expected and acceptable part of job. This causes no end to the problems between them. Adding fuel to this fire however, is the obvious attraction between them, which is (at least at this point if the show) never allowed to fully develop. Of course this was a smart move on the part of the shows’ creators as it adds that level of ‘will they/won’t they’ that keeps viewers watching. The two play the parts well, and the heat that burns between them is a powerful part of the show’s appeal.

The first season set does offer up a few pretty good extras for those hardcore fans I mentioned earlier. The behind the scenes feature only runs about 12 minutes, but there are some fairly good interviews, but mostly everyone just talks about how great it is to work with so and so, etc… The more telling of the features is in the couple of commentaries available. In these, the show’s creators give a little more inside nitty-gritty as far as the casting and creation of the show. You get some of the good and the bad. There are also several deleted scenes scattered throughout the discs, most of which are interesting, but add little to episodes they were cut from.

Aside from everything that is good about “La Femme Nikita”, I do have a couple of little nitpicks like how I want to take a scissors to Peta Wilson’s bangs. Her hair is in front of her face way too often, and it drives me nuts. Then there’s the… wait a minute. That’s my only nitpick. I love the show, and now thanks to the folks at Warner Home Video, I am now completely caught up in it and am already waiting for the next season, which is not going to get here fast enough.

Episodes:
Nikita
Friend
Simone
Charity
Mother
Love
Treason
Escape
Gray
Choice
Rescue
Innocent
Recruit
Gambit
Obsessed
Noise
War
Missing
Voices
Brainwash
Verdict
Mercy

Starring: Peta Wilson, Roy Dupuis, Don Francks, Matthew Ferguson, Eugene Robert Glazer, Alberta Watson
Extras: Section One Declassified: The Making of La Femme Nikita, Audio Commentary on the Season Opener and Finale Episodes, Nine Deleted Scenes
Specifications: Full Screen,
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: 7/8/2003
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give La Femme Nikita - Season 1 an A.