Challenge #21: Manifesto

[skieswideopen]

Challenge #21: Manifesto

Description: Write a manifesto about your favourite fandom, character or pairing. Why are they great? Why do you love them? Who else might enjoy them? (You can also throw in some of the limitations, if you like.)

Points: 5 points for every 50 words, up to a maximum of 20 points (200 words) per person. You can write more

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[foxrafer]

Fandom: Nikita (2010)
Word Count: 603

[Why I love Nikita]
If asked why everyone should find and watch the most recent Nikita series, the short answer would be "Maggie Q." Full stop. But in case that's not enough, here's my long answer.

Nikita herself is full of wonderful contradictions. She's the hero and a total badass (Maggie Q trained with Jackie Chan, so the fight scenes are second to none) but she's a lot more complicated than the "good guy going up against bad government agency" trope might suggest. She's stubborn, thinks she knows what's best for everyone, doesn't take direction well, and prefers to be the only one calling the shots. These qualities are part of what makes her a decisive leader but they also cause friction and, at times, create more conflict than the team is capable of handling. As smart and capable as she is, she's the first to admit her mistakes and strives to learn from each and every one. She grows as a person and a leader as the show progresses. She's not perfect but always strives to be better. She walks around with the weight of the world on her shoulders, and often can't imagine a more normal life, but she's filled with compassion and love for those around her and dreams of a time when she'll be free of the great responsibilities she's taken for herself.

I personally love shows where the bad guys are smarter than the heroes, where they often get the upper hand and always seem to be one step ahead. But despite those advantages, in the end they still end up losing. There's something very satisfying about that, and this is played through in Nikita to great effect. Percy and Amanda are fabulous villains: wonderfully evil, difficult to defeat, very smart and always scheming. But they're also not your garden variety mustache-twirling baddies. Their motivations are complicated and with Amanda in particular her relationship with Nikita becomes a driving force all its own. They have a difficult and tangled history, which makes their present antagonism that much more powerful.

Team Nikita changes and grows throughout the show, but one thing is a constant: their devotion to Nikita and the cause that defines her. They're an unconventional family, each bringing a new and unique dimension to the group. And while they don't always agree, they always support each other. They're all well-developed characters, all multi-faceted and interesting, and the interactions are always a delight (whether good or bad).

As far as fandom participation is concerned, this show has something for everyone. Almost every kind of pairing or genre can be found in Nikita. Gen, het, slash, and femmeslash, with a variety of pairing options for each. You have the obvious action/adventure and case!fic to choose from plus a wide spectrum of others, from fluffy domesticity to noncon/dubcon, hurt/comfort to curtain!fic. And to be completely shallow, this is an equal opportunity fan service show if there ever was one. I think it's possible we see more of the male stars in their skivvies than we do of the ladies.

I don't know many shows where the center of the universe for everyone else on the series (whether good, bad or in between) is a woman. But that's Nikita in a nutshell. When it was on I was always trying to get people to watch it. Now that it's off the air I can only strongly recommend that you find it. If you have Netflix, all four seasons are on instant view and I believe it's also watchable on Amazon and iTunes. Wherever you find it, I can't recommend this show enough. It's super fun.