Customer Reviews

La Femme Nikita: The Complete Third Season

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As we left section, Adrian tried to take over Section One but failed. Season three is the season that the show really took shape and the supporting characters came into their own.

There are 22 episodes on six discs.

Disc One -
Looking for Michael - Everyone who knew about Adrian is being killed, including Nikita who escapes her trap. Nikita is looking for Michael and finds him with a wife and child. This episode introduces George, a foe for Operations and Madeline.

Someone Else's Shadow - Michael's cover with Elena moves forward in hopes to draw out her terrorist father. Section initiates letters to Elena and her father to make contact. Elena's father sets up a meeting but does not show.

Opening Night Jitters - The Elena cover continues. Michael is to poison her to draw out her father but he cannot. But section can and does, sending Elena to the hospital. He father comes and is eliminated and so is Michael.

Gates of Hell - Michael is devastated at the loss of Elena and Adam. It is affecting his work and Nikita is worried that his fake death may become permanent. When Nikita is captured during a mission and Michael is told to withdraw, he saves her.

Disc Two -
Imitation of Death - We're back to regular episodes. Section is after a man who trains children into terrorists. Nikita is sold to them.

Love and Country - Section targets a political candidate who has dubious ties including one to Operation's first wife.

Cat and Mouse - Nikita is kidnapped by an old target and replaced with an identical "clone". Nikita is forced to help the clone or Michael will be killed. So is she helping or is she giving secret clues?

Outside the Box - A man is needed for his eidetic memory and is framed for murder. Nikita starts to wonder if she was framed for her murder. But you're going to have to wait until Season 5 to resolve Nikita's question.

Disc Three -
Slipping Into Darkness - Michael gives Operations a hallucinogen making him delusional and paranoid. Michael then takes over Section.

Under the Influence - A subject is brainwashed to believe that Nikita is his fiancé. Nikita has also been drugged to feel for the subject.

Walk on By - Nikita runs into an old neighborhood acquaintance in section and he tells her that her mother is looking for her. Nikita does whatever she must to stop her. Walter looks up an old love.

Threshold of Pain - Nikita and two operatives were captured and tortured. One gave up the location of a substation.

Disc Four -
Beyond the Pale - Michael is passed over for promotion and decides it's time to escape with Nikita. Michael is captured and tortured to locate the router and Nikita.

Hand to Hand - Nikita is to tag an agent but to do so, she must enter a white slavery ring. The thing that Nikita wasn't told was that the girls also are involved in pit fighting to the death.

Before I Sleep - When a hostile commits suicide before Section can utilize her, a duplicate is found and trained. Juliet Landau makes a guest appearance before she came to fame as Druscilla in Buffy, the Vampire Slayer.

I Remember Paris - Section is compromised and destroyed. This is the first time where they actually show a location, the Eiffel Tower. Therefore, Section was in Paris. The mission is retrieve the stolen files before anything can be decoded and Operations is taking it personal.

Disc Five -
All Good Things - Operations is off on assignment and Michael is now in charge. Michael promotes Nikita to tactical. George puts a chess game between Michael and Madeline in action.

Third Party Ripoff - Madeline has decided to penalize Michael's betrayal by ordering an end to his relationship with Nikita. Walter and Birkoff are played by a beautiful operative.

Any Means Necessary - Birkoff is sent into the field to break into a sneaker black hat crew. The question is has he been turned?

Three Eyed Turtle - Tensions between Operations and Madeline intensify. As do those between Birkoff and Hillenger, even after Birkoff covers for Hillenger. George looks to capitalize on the tensions.

Disc Six -
Playing With Fire - Operations and Madeline are not sure if Michael and Nikita have really broken up and set a trap.

On Borrowed Time - Operations and Madeline continue their quest to stop Michael and Nikita. They send them on a mission to remove Nikita and treat her. It appears to have worked. For helping them, they send Walter to "retirement".

This is a great show with Peta Wilson and Roy Dupuis bring up the heat and head a great cast. But this year Alberta Watson as Madeline found her niche. Let's talk cold and scary.

DVD EXTRAS:
Disc One:
Commentary on Looking for Michael with director Jon Cassar and actor Eugene Robert Glaser (Operations)

Cancelled Scenes - Two scenes, one from Looking for Michael and the other from Opening Night Jitters and you choose to have commentary by Cassar and Glaser or none. (You might want to do both as they talk though both scenes.)

Disc Two:
Cancelled Scene from Love and Country with commentary by Cassar and Glaser. The
one thing this scene does is gives Operations' real name, Paul.

Disc Three:
Cancelled Scenes - Five scenes from three episodes with or without (your choice) commentary by Cassar and Glaser.

Disc Four:
Cancelled Scene from Beyond the Pale with (or without) commentary by Cassar and Glaser.

Disc Five:
Cancelled Scene from Three Eyed Turtle with (or without) commentary by Cassar and Glaser.

Disc Six:
Commentary for On Borrowed Time with writer Peter Lenkov and Operations Eugene Robert Glazer.

Designing Nikita - Nine minute featurette on the production design.

Gag Reel - Three minutes of gaffs and goofs.

La Femme Nikita was the FIRST television show to ever have a strong, intelligent female as the lead. The actors are all of the highest caliber and the plots/story lines are so engaging, you'll be hooked after just one episode. If this series had been on a major network at the time it originally aired, it would have been on MUCH longer. Alias doesn't hold a candle to this show (as a matter of fact, they steal a lot of their stories from LFN). Jennifer Garner only wishes she was as believable as Peta Wilson is in this type of role. Roy Dupuis (Michael) is also an amazing actor and is HUGE in Canada. This was a show that believed it's audience to be intelligent, but can be enjoyed by everyone. It has the right mix of romance, action, intrigue, and technical gadgets so there is something for everyone.

In my opinion, this is the best of all 5 seasons. All the characters have been fully developed. In Season 1 and part of Season 2, it seemed a bit like they weren't in these characters as well as later. Plus, it starts off with an incredibly emotional start. Major insight into the character of Michael, finally some of the intense emotion we all knew he had under the layers he hides under. What more can I say?

I faitfully watch Nikita when I was in high school and when I went to college, I schedule my studies around Nikita. I made sure regardless what I was doing, I made it home to watch it. Peta and her supporting cast are awesome and I don't know why the series got cancel but I do know that I can't wait for this season to come and the rest of the seasons. I caught a case of the a$$ last year when WB change the release date on season 2, hope it doesn't happen with this one. But for those that like Alais, you'll love Nikita. I have a friend hook on it because she loves Alais and didn't think she would like it but changed her mind after the 1st season. So give it a try

I've watched La Femme Nikita since the day the show started. From the very first episode, I was hooked. Peta Wilson plays the role so well, I can't wait until she breaks out on the big screen. The only sad thing is that it had to end before it really had a chance. So, from a true fan of the show, I say everyone who likes action series should check this show out. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

I have been waiting so long for the 3rd season to be released on DVD since I originally saw the series on cable TV. The 3rd season is awesome, incredible, and poetic. Yes, poetic. Every human interaction and piece of dialogue in each show of the La Femme Nikita has so much layers of meaning. The first layer is what you see, which is just an illusion. The second level is the the layer of lies as each character jockeys for position and power and survival. The 3rd level is the "truth," or what we think is the truth. As you see more and more shows, especially the 4th and short 5th season, you realize that there is a 4th level of truth, and nothing was ever what it seemed to be after all. Shakespeare would have been proud.

Nominated for 18 Gemini Awards (which honor the English language achievements of Canadian television), La Femme Nikita established itself as a stalwart on the USA Network in the late-1990s. Based on the 1990 motion picture of the same name, La Femme Nikita changed its cast, but not its edgy characters and exciting underworld setting. A forerunner to the successful hit series Alias, the show features all the intrigue of its successor coupled with the fast-paced action of 24. An hour-long action/adventure drama series, La Femme Nikita premiered on the first day of 1997 and quickly built a loyal fan base that followed the series for five stellar seasons before its premature cancellation in Spring 2001...

La Femme Nikita follows the life of Nikita (Peta Wilson), a woman wrongfully convicted of a brutal murder. Sentenced to life in prison, a top-secret government agency known only as Section One sets its sights on the woman it believes to be a ruthless killer. Faking Nikita's suicide, they usher her out of prison to train and program her into a willing and obedient assassin. But the conspirators at Section One didn't bank on Nikita's innocence. Now, they're stuck with a bloodthirsty felon who's not as bloodthirsty as they thought. Nevertheless, Nikita (now code-named 'Josephine') must carry out the orders of her superiors or else face her own death at the hands of an organization intent on keeping its secrets from the outside world. La Femme Nikita boasts an excellent cast to compliment Nikita's numerous adventures, among them are Michael Samuelle (Roy Dupuis), Davenport (Lawrence Bayne), Seymour Birkoff (Matthew Ferguson), Walter (Don Francks), and Paul "Operations" Wolfe (Eugene Robert Glazer). Together, they create an intriguing atmosphere of mysterious identities, ruthless assassins, and government conspiracies that is certain to entertain even the most discriminating of viewers...

The La Femme Nikita (Season 3) DVD features a number of exciting episodes including the season premiere "Looking For Michael" in which Operations deems Nikita to be a threat to the continued life of Section One. So a plot is hatched to assassinate Nikita on one of the Section One missions, but Nikita survives, and when she returns to Section One headquarters, she learns the truth about Michael... Other notable episodes from Season 3 include "Outside the Box" in which Section One recruits a new operative with a photographic memory, and "Third Party Ripoff" in which Michael's relationship with Nikita threatens to cause his loss of hard-earned power within the Section One hierarchy...

Below is a list of episodes included on the La Femme Nikita (Season 3) DVD:

Episode 45 (Looking For Michael)
Episode 46 (Someone Else's Shadow)
Episode 47 (Opening Night Jitters)
Episode 48 (Gates of Hell)
Episode 49 (Imitation of Death)
Episode 50 (Love and Country)
Episode 51 (Cat and Mouse)
Episode 52 (Outside the Box)
Episode 53 (Slipping Into Darkness)
Episode 54 (Under the Influence)
Episode 55 (Walk on By)
Episode 56 (Threshold of Pain)
Episode 57 (Beyond the Pale)
Episode 58 (Hand to Hand)
Episode 59 (Before I Sleep)
Episode 60 (I Remember Paris)
Episode 61 (All Good Things)
Episode 62 (Third Party Ripoff)
Episode 63 (Any Means Necessary)
Episode 64 (Three Eyed Turtle)
Episode 65 (Playing With Fire)
Episode 66 (On Borrowed Time)

The DVD Report

You really get the feeling that the show (LFN) is climing to the apex. Storylines, acting, and dialogue is of outmost superb caliber. Opposed to the first two seasons where some support is nessecary (loyalty), everyone seems to find the "it" that makes this season phenomenal.
I agree with several previous reviews, this show is deffinetly the vanguard of female lead anti-terrorist themes. Other shows (Alias) the viewer sees a Hollywood version of LFN. As the saying goes "immitation is the best form of flattery" Bravo to everyone for this great show.

I'm a huge fan of LFN, have been since it came out on USA. And I would have to agree that it is far superior to such shows as Alias. And I can't wait to see more of Peta Wilson as she does more film roles. Any fans of her's should check her out in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. She's also had roles in a few other films such as Mercy and Loser. Her filmography can be looked up on imdb.

I would like to enphasize what has already been said: this series is really special: fantastic character development, fantastic acting (especially P.Wilson and R.Dupuis), quite good stories (writing), qualified direction (I particularly love the way R.Bonniere uses close takes -- it was new for me to see this on TV! -- and his directing in general seems just right, I don't know how to explain, since I have no knowledge at all about cinema or TV), unique in terms of glamour, design, clothing, etc. It is absolutely cool, and, most amazing, it is never dated!!! Never stale! And what is more: a series that offers food for thought.... and layers of meaning/choice of "readings". That is a classic/cult by definition! And the third season is the best one -- a certain "maturing" was achieved. Can't wait to have DVDs for seasons 4 and 5 (this last one a bit of a disapointment, I must say as far as writing goes) and I certainly bet large screen would be a huge success in the right hands, with the right actors. But, how to make still another Nikita.... after 2 or 3 or I don't know how many? Perhaps possible as our perception of moral dilema evolves? A challenge. In the meantime, season 3 is the real thing.