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Nikita, Ep 3.12: “With Fire” explores the lengths people will go to to protect and avenge their loved ones

Nikita, Ep 3.12: “With Fire” explores the lengths people will go to to protect and avenge their loved ones
Peter Outerbridge, Maggie Q

Peter Outerbridge, Maggie Q

Nikita, Season 3, Episode 12: “With Fire”
Written by Carlos Coto
Directed by Eagle Egilsson
Airs Fridays at 8pm (ET) on the CW

While Amanda has been prominently on Division’s radar, and has crossed swords with Nikita and her group numerous times this season, her partner-in-crime, ex-Gogol head Ari Tasarov, has been absent for much of those adventures. Just because he hasn’t been around, however, doesn’t make him any less of a threat, and Division’s next encounter with him was all but guaranteed to be fraught with peril. This week brings Tasarov back into the limelight as Nikita has to contend with another curveball thrown Division’s way by Amanda in a thrilling, fast-paced episode that opens the possibility of Division sleeping with the former enemy, as well as displaying the lengths Amanda will go for revenge.

The potential for Division to form an uneasy alliance with Ari is an exciting one. Despite the fact that he has been allied against Division in general, and Nikita and Alex in particular, Ari still remains a powerful resource, with plenty of connections, as evidenced by the fact that he was still able to secure agents and weapons even while being on the run. With Amanda now firmly against him and Nikita promising to help save his son, Ari could prove to be a great asset for Division, both in helping to capture Amanda and complete the covert missions Division has been given by the government, and the benefits of having him as part of the team, especially with the tight financial condition Ryan revealed Division to be in, would be high. How long it is until someone proposes this idea, and how the core team reacts, particularly Nikita and Alex, is something worth keeping an eye on.

Peter Outerbridge

Peter Outerbridge

Amanda’s increasingly unhinged nature has also been fascinating to track. As the season has progressed, she has worked with ex-Gogol agents, rogue Division agents who were declared dangerous, and now full-fledged terrorists, even going behind Ari’s back to poach his contacts this time. Her desperation is visibly rising as Nikita and Division manages to counteract her every move, and with her key ally, Ari, now formally cut off, how she proceeds from here, with a declared vendetta against both him and Nikita, will be exciting to watch, as Amanda has proven herself, time and time again, to be a formidable and ruthless adversary, even when the odds seem stacked against her. How Nikita reacts to the added pressure brought on by having to take care of Ari’s son and protect him from Amanda’s clutches in addition to the dual bombshells this week of Division’s tight finances and a concrete date for her marriage, as well as everything else she’s juggling on her plate, will also be interesting.

It was fascinating to see Division take on a bona fide terrorist plot this week, as it gave a good glimpse into how the crew handles a threat they are only tangentially involved with, possibly hinting at a way Division can be retained without regressing back into a government assassination wing. This week also moves closer towards a return to the storyline of Owen’s lost memories, as well as a potential romantic interest for the former cleaner and Guardian, and where said interest comes from, in light of Amanda being well aware of Owen’s weaknesses, should be interesting to watch. The combination of Owen and Alex continues to be a pleasantly surprising team to watch in action, and the potential of watching the two help each other overcome their individual obstacles promises to be compelling. The blood left on the touchscreen is an ominous sign, and it’s a testament to the show’s writing that it could be foreshadowing the death of any character, save for possibly Nikita herself, with equal plausibility. How these events play out, as well as how Sean continues to adjust to Division, are all worth tuning in for next week.

– Deepayan Sengupta