La Femme Nikita - The Complete First Season

One of the best series to ever grace television!!!   June 24, 2008
First, let me say there are not enough stars to rate this show. It was amazing and kept you tuned in each and every week, waiting on the edge of your seat. I have been a HUGE fan of this show ever since it came out on USA Network (9pm on Sundays.....never missed an episode!) You will not be disappointed in buying this DVD set. I re-watch mine often. The story lines a great, the actors and actresses are amazing (I especially like it for Roy Dupuis...he is very very sexy), and this is one of the few DVD sets out there where you will want to buy all of the seasons.

---

More than a cult/spy-adventure show: A hard look at the realities of relationships mirrored by the microscopic world of Nikita   March 6, 2008
First, I want to state that I did not watch Nikita on television, so my comments are limited to my viewing the Season One box set. Second, I find it sad, but not surprising, that recent reviews have panned the show or the dvd quality. In an entertainment world over 10 years later, Nikita lacks the "luster," the "non-stop explosives," and the "mindless CGI effects" that viewers today take for granted. Moreover, since Nikita has a more "cold war" feel to it, I am sure those who didn't live during the cold war or did not learn their history lessons, may find it hard to understand that "terrorism" existed in abundance prior to our country's current activities. Third, like many, I wish the show was in wide screen formate, but if reviewers and buyers read the description (and do a little research), they will learn that the show was not filmed in that formate. Fourth, and most important to me, I take exception to reviews that pan the show for "poor storylines, poor acting, poor production."

Sadly, I purchased the Alias series--which I really like--first, so I found myself dismayed at the "copy cat" nature of Alias. Nikita is truly a much superior show: the writing is tighter; the directing and editing excellent; the themes and story lines are fuller and more realistic; and, perhaps most importantly, the look is genuine--the producers utilized Toronto very convincingly; (I almost always felt like they were really on location, having lived in Europe for three years). Peta Wilson was perfect for the show, her performances were generally outstanding, and over-all, award worthy. While I personally did not care for Roy Dupuis' character, the actor's portrayals should not be confused with the character. And Roy's portrayals are very commendable. Together, Roy and Peta had great "chemistry"--as they say. Thus, I can state, with all due respect, that in my opinion the show does in fact have great story lines, superb acting, and amazing production (which was on a "shoe string" budget, even for the time).

All of that said, what really distinguishes Nikita is the fact that I find the episodes to be about relationships, not spies, sci-fi, terrorism, theoretical "ultra-secret" governmental agencies (albeit, I am sure the Bush administration would really enjoy the freedom of Section One), or any thing else. It is a microscopic look at the way people interact (both in 1995 and today). That is, through the established structure of the fictional Section One, relationships between people are highly controlled and well defined. One wrong move and you are "dead;" figuratively or (from the view point of the show) literally. One misunderstanding between two people can cascade into all sorts of outcomes. Lies and truths are intertwined (granted, in exaggerated excesses), driving the various relationships. Trust is a commodity that is elusive and even harder to maintain; games are habitually used. And POWER is the key to all relationships, interactions/actions, and motivations--either directly or indirectly; with or with out awareness.

Watch Nikita, and look for yourself in the mirror that it holds up for us to look at our own lives. I truly doubt that the creators and staff of Nikita intended to create a reflection of how relationships work, and I am not one to claim I know how they work. However, having a Ph.D. in both Sociology and Anthropology, it is my opinion that this is the strength of the series, Le Femme Nikita. For those interested in readings that influence my professional position, I recommend the following books in particular: The Homeless Mind: Modernization and Consciousness by Peter Berger, et al; Valuing the Self by Dorthy Lee (not available from Amazon); From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology by Max Weber (or any of his other works); Mind, Self, and Society by George Herbert Mead; and The Power Elite by C. Wright Mills.

As one final note, I would like to present MY personal opinion and position concerning the topic of Nikita: terrorism. As a former military officer with considerable experience in security, intelligence, and anti-terrorism in mid 1970s, I believe that Nikita's portrayal of how terrorism must be dealt with is much more realistic than our so called "War on Terrorism." Terrorists must be fought with terrorists: not hard working, patriotic soldiers of our fine military. Terrorism is NOT war; and rhetoric cannot change that.

---

Good Show, Bad DVD   February 20, 2008
5 Stars For THe Show, 2 Stars For The DVD

The show is fantasic, my grip in the review are hte DVD's

I guess this is what happens when you compress the hell out of it...but theres lots of compression issues in these DVD sets. They look bad, if it wasn't for the fuzz on the television, the origional broadcasts looked better than this.

---

Gave Up Quickly   February 3, 2008
Gave up after 5 episodes. Peta is attractive but too quirky in this role. I also can't stand Roy Dupuis (Micheal), the pretty boy trying to play tough guy. "The Operator's" talking with half a mouth aka Gretta Van Sustern is the final straw. Plots are boring and not up to the standards of other spy thriller shows.

---

poor storylines, poor acting, poor production (2 of 3 Found this Helpful)   January 28, 2008
Let me start by saying i'm a big fan of the movie this was based off of and bought this as a blind buy after reading all the reviews of how amazing and ahead of it's time this show was. I'm assuming most of these reviews are from people with different tastes than mine. Don't watch alot of tv shows in this genre. TV shows i enjoy are Carnivale, Dexter, Six Feet Under, Lost, 24, Californication, Dead Like Me, Nip/Tuck, etc... Now you have an idea for my tastes and how this review might pertain to you.

As for the show.... the production was horrible. This is of course because of the low budget they had when making this show, but there are ways to make it look better than it comes out. The acting is not believable and the reactions and the way characters handle certain situations is laughable. The clothes are ridiculous for the most part (i'll blame that on the 90's) and the casting is off for almost every part. The action is short and too is laughable at times. The storylines may have some relevance but the way they are handled make you scratch your head. Not my cup of tea and the set is WAY overpriced. I suggest renting before you buy if you want to try it out. I couldn't get past 2 episodes so maybe it gets better... but i had no desire to find out. Thank god the best buy i brought it back to didn't have another copy so i was able to exchange my opened item and get store credit!

I just wanted to mention that I didn't write this to bash the series. I know people that enjoy television like this and great if you do but I did want to provide a different perspective than all the 5 star reviews on here. They just baffle me. 5 stars? really?

---