I totally agree on the cringeworthy Michael. Was he actually *rolling his eyes* at his boss?
And Percy wasn't just sending out an untrained, untried, unbriefed op on a 'valentine op' - he was pimping her out because she was untrained and so expendable. He didn't give a shit if the bad guy of the week raped her.
Moral complexity isn't just hiding, it fled for another universe.
So, out of curiosity (and b/c I'm working on another fic and needed some info!) I hauled out my S1 DVDs of 'our' LFN and just re-watched ep 1.
It was better, from the very beginning - more interesting filming, less info dumping, more mystery, better soundtrack. And better M/N chemistry. Though, I did like MQ's grin at Michael before the subway train arrived. ;-)
But, I am interested in the Nikita/Alex story - and so I'll give it a bit longer.... and think about watching Alias. lol!
Also - definitely going to get back into Fringe....
He rolled his eyes, smirked (badly) and had these ridiculous facial twitches that were incredibly off-putting. Here's hoping the acting improves in the course of the season. I'm enjoying Maggie Q's Nikita, all said and done, so I'd like for Michael to be slightly more interesting than this one.
And Percy wasn't just sending out an untrained, untried, unbriefed op on a 'valentine op' - he was pimping her out because she was untrained and so expendable. He didn't give a shit if the bad guy of the week raped her.
I don't even know. *shakes head* Here's hoping there's no more 'almost rapes' in the future episodes.
I didn't think Shane West could get any worse, but somehow he did. His attempts at looking "conflicted" about the Alex situation were comical.
I agree that the "almost rape" of Alex was icky, and it's made even ickier by the fact that it's obvious Percy didn't care. But the question is, would Paul have put trainee!Nikita in a similar situation? I mean, obviously Nikita would have broken that guy's neck and not cowered behind a table, but still. Paul was obviously more morally complex than this guy, but I don't think what Percy did was at all beyond the pale for the "Operations" character.
I don't think Paul would put any of his operatives in that kind of a position, not necessarily because he would feel bad about it, but because it's such a stupid, sloppy thing to do - jeopardize the entire mission because your target tries to rape an untrained greenhorn who can't even defend herself and your other operatives have to break position to 'rescue' her. It doesn't make sense.
You're right--it's just ridiculous. I think the problem with this show is not so much that Division/Percy is Evil McEvil but that they're incompetent. Nikita had all sorts of awful things happen to her on the orders of Paul and Madeline, but we always got the sense that her sacrifice was for something (like Nikita getting beat up in "Mother," so that Helen would give up the information and Section could save lives.) Those types of situations were hard to watch, but it didn't feel so blatantly gratuitous.
Some of what makes it stupid as well as offensive on Percy's part in ways that Paul wasn't, is that I don't think Paul would have regarded it as his job to provide a hooker -- of any origin -- to someone he was 'protecting'/kidnapping until he turned over his uranium. If the target had blue balls after two years in prison, so much the better... perhaps he'd make up his mind faster
( ... )
Some of what makes it stupid as well as offensive on Percy's part in ways that Paul wasn't, is that I don't think Paul would have regarded it as his job to provide a hooker -- of any origin -- to someone he was 'protecting'/kidnapping until he turned over his uranium.
This is a really good point, and clarifies for me what was so icky and sexist about the plot in the first place. I brought up the Percy vs. Paul comparison because I think it's interesting to analyze what made the characters on LFN badass/awesome/compelling in contrast with the new show. Why is Percy annoying and evil, while Paul was a magnificent bastard? Why is Peta Wilson's Nikita magnetic (and I'll admit she was), while Maggie Q's Nikita is bland? And why was Section One so fascinating and frightening, while Division is incompetent and pathetic? It's the same characters, same premise; but the results are so different. The comparisons are what keep me watching a (so far) rather sub-par show, because I think it's interesting.
So, while I could see Paul just happening to have an attractive female op on hand, ready to become uranium man's companion for a time .... it would be for the purpose of getting the info about the location and she'd, you, know, be fully briefed on the mission. And not an untried newbie.
This time it looked like Percy really thought he was just using one of his own ops as an in house call girl, without her even knowing that was her job ahead of time. How was that going to end anything but badly?
This, exactly. Percy stooped to play that man's pimp; Section One didn't have to. This, I suppose, was another way of telling us how Evil Division is, but really. We get it. You don't have to be so heavy-handed.
I'm also surprised Alex didn't defend herself. She calls Nikita 'sensei', which means she has had training in martial arts. So she let herself be beaten up... deliberately?
The worst thing? I suspect that the creators didn't really think that Percy ordering up a newbie op as a call girl, and nothing more, was supposed to reveal anything about his character or Evil!Division. After all - it was Michael who said, off hand, to Percy something like, "I'll call our regular escort agency".... which all just a plot excuse to get Alex to the scene, out of her training sweats, and into the action. It also allowed the nice flashback to Nikita telling Alex to be grateful for any gift (or whatever the line was) which Alex realized in retrospect, was a signature phrase of Amanda's (or Division's). So - it all seems very clever and neat, really..... assuming that you think that ordering up sex workers is a) a regular normal sort of thing one does to entertain one's slimy guests, and b) a bit funny, kinda of a funny hazing of the new girl, the way Percy seemed to
( ... )
And Percy wasn't just sending out an untrained, untried, unbriefed op on a 'valentine op' - he was pimping her out because she was untrained and so expendable. He didn't give a shit if the bad guy of the week raped her.
Moral complexity isn't just hiding, it fled for another universe.
So, out of curiosity (and b/c I'm working on another fic and needed some info!) I hauled out my S1 DVDs of 'our' LFN and just re-watched ep 1.
It was better, from the very beginning - more interesting filming, less info dumping, more mystery, better soundtrack. And better M/N chemistry. Though, I did like MQ's grin at Michael before the subway train arrived. ;-)
But, I am interested in the Nikita/Alex story - and so I'll give it a bit longer.... and think about watching Alias. lol!
Also - definitely going to get back into Fringe....
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And Percy wasn't just sending out an untrained, untried, unbriefed op on a 'valentine op' - he was pimping her out because she was untrained and so expendable. He didn't give a shit if the bad guy of the week raped her.
I don't even know. *shakes head* Here's hoping there's no more 'almost rapes' in the future episodes.
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I agree that the "almost rape" of Alex was icky, and it's made even ickier by the fact that it's obvious Percy didn't care. But the question is, would Paul have put trainee!Nikita in a similar situation? I mean, obviously Nikita would have broken that guy's neck and not cowered behind a table, but still. Paul was obviously more morally complex than this guy, but I don't think what Percy did was at all beyond the pale for the "Operations" character.
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You've totally vocalized exactly why I dislike Percy so damn much.
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This is a really good point, and clarifies for me what was so icky and sexist about the plot in the first place. I brought up the Percy vs. Paul comparison because I think it's interesting to analyze what made the characters on LFN badass/awesome/compelling in contrast with the new show. Why is Percy annoying and evil, while Paul was a magnificent bastard? Why is Peta Wilson's Nikita magnetic (and I'll admit she was), while Maggie Q's Nikita is bland? And why was Section One so fascinating and frightening, while Division is incompetent and pathetic? It's the same characters, same premise; but the results are so different. The comparisons are what keep me watching a (so far) rather sub-par show, because I think it's interesting.
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So, while I could see Paul just happening to have an attractive female op on hand, ready to become uranium man's companion for a time .... it would be for the purpose of getting the info about the location and she'd, you, know, be fully briefed on the mission. And not an untried newbie.
This time it looked like Percy really thought he was just using one of his own ops as an in house call girl, without her even knowing that was her job ahead of time. How was that going to end anything but badly?
This, exactly. Percy stooped to play that man's pimp; Section One didn't have to. This, I suppose, was another way of telling us how Evil Division is, but really. We get it. You don't have to be so heavy-handed.
I'm also surprised Alex didn't defend herself. She calls Nikita 'sensei', which means she has had training in martial arts. So she let herself be beaten up... deliberately?
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