Finale- First version/ August 2000

Nothing has been easy in this series.

The finale was scattered over 3 episodes. It started with Birkoff’s death and the long agony that has
followed, was for me the most painful moment of the series. I loved Birkoff. A brilliant mind serving a generous heart. His departure was preparing for
the grand finale which was to hurt almost everybody.

Episode 20 / Face in the Mirror. Nikita is making some arrangements with the Big Bosses of Red Cell in order to get back her freedom. She will even
use Michael to achieve her goal. She tells him that her biggest problem is that he is too far away from her. She will escape Section One as well as
Michael.

Episode 21/ Up to the Rabbit Hole. Nikita, disguised as Quinn( LFN writers have no limits to their imagination) wants the man without whom it would be impossible to go on. Michael hesitates and then accepts to leave with her and nobody will stand on his way. He will even kill Davenport to reach his goal.

At last, they are free.

Away from Section One.
These are special moments which will immortalized the love of two heroes. The scenes are well executed but there are no sparks, no fireworks. Perhaps that’s the way, Nikita loved Michael, which is with a kind of restraint in her expression. Curiously, the best scenes for me are not the idyllic ones which were filmed on the beach. It’s the one when they are asleep on the boat and when Michael hears noise on the deck. He grabs his gun, gets up
to find out what is going on. He is worried, you can see his expression on his face. When he will realize that no one was there, he returns to her, but still wearing on his face an anguished look. When Nikita takes him in her arms to reassure him, Michael had just proven to me something that I had been suspecting for a long time :

he did not believe in happiness. So Michael is
always the same : although he is capable of almost everything, he just can’t be happy.

Episode 22 / The first version of last episode

First let me tell you about the music. I loved it because is dramatically announcing the end of their free love. We can hear the first notes as soon as Michael and Nikita are rounded up by Section One agents. A morbid atmosphere will wrap up us and will go directly to our hearts.

They are taken in and secured in a cell separated by a glass wall. This situation fits them well, as there is always something separating them: an invisible screen, an imperceptible obstacle and I will add that it is a real picture of their love affair. Michael is standing near the glass partition and Nikita comes slowly closer to him.

Nikita is now facing Michael, she looks much younger...perhaps like four years ago, with her angel face...her beautiful blue eyes are in tears. Michael is leaning against the wall and you can feel his presence. Section One gave them a choice: but just one choice: one of them has to die. The survivor will have to forget the whole incident and join the ranks.
Michael is trying to convince Nikita that she’s the one to survive him, she must stay alive to take care of his son but Nikita does not want to hear his
arguments. In the end, Michael will win his point and will go to the White Room, convinced that he must die to end his sufferings...

In my opinion, the next scene is the best of the Series. It is like freeing Michael’s character from the enormous pressure which was upon him; and it happened right there.

Michael is sitting in the White Room. His eyes are wide open, or at least more than usual : he is scared. But his legendary self control is holding up.
Operation is close to him. Michael sees the syringe that will kill him ; but he has a last request : I prefer a bullet . Operation will confirm, with a smile, his decision to let him live. He goesbehind Michael and at this moment we can realize the importance and all the meaning of his powerful look.

Just watch him when Operation is holding his head in place when he does inject the liquid that will put him asleep. Michael will then realize that he
will survive and on his face you can trace the horrors of fear and death...and the torment of his soul that always scared him. His scream will pierce my heart so painfully...

JI have heard scream many times, but never like that. Something inside me had broken down, like the moorings that were tying me to him, I have felt this intense vibration.

This, for me, is the real, genuine character, the one and only Michael...closer to Yves and to Ovila that I first could imagine...Roy, how did you make me feel so close to eternity ?

And he does it with a perfect control of himself, as if it was our own experience...His scream as in the NO theatre was almost a negative no.. His No almost became a NON,. That was one of the great moments for Michael and it did certainly convince
us that he really loved Nikita. Again, it showed Roy great talent, in making us live things that are invisible to us. But we feel them through his interpretation of the character and through his soul he gave Michael which will allow him to live.

Michael is left unconscious and Operation feels bad. Does he feel bad because of his final decision...or bad to have lived and juggled with Michael’s soul, to have left him suffering and at his mercy...His own torments have just started, and so are ours...

This is the opposite of the tender look. This one is like a spear, it will nail you down. Michael will look at Nikita straight into her eyes and while cutting a dent
in the corner of his right eye, and blood will come down his face, Michael will still sustain this look, as a weapon, fully loaded.

Nikita who seemed to control herself, starts to weaken. But as Michael, she doesn’t show how desperate she is. Michael feels that he has disturbed her enough and walks away. Nikita will leave us with an empty look in her eyes, that will make us wonder how sincere she was. THE END.

A long sigh.

Now we have to live with that....

Michael 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13