The past couple weeks, I've been complaining about how clear-cut Nikita is. Nikita and Alex are the unequivocal good guys and Division is the evil, evil organization which does unfathomable acts under umbrella of the American intelligence apparatus. There's not much deviation from that and little opportunity for moral ambiguity. As the pieces stood, eventually Nikita and Alex, the main characters in a show which isn't too depressing, would defeat Division, foiling them at every turn and getting the black boxes, and that would be that.
"Phoenix," however, introduces another element, the Russian mercenary group Gogol. At first, it seems like Division killed another poor, defenseless woman--pregnant no less--but the revelation is that she was a Gogol agent instructed to get close to the Senator. The episode proceeds pretty much as usual, with the buttkickings by Nikita, a surprise when Nikita is actually taken out, covert operations by Alex, including a kiss for the graduating Thom, and Division one step behind, but Nikita faces an interesting proposition at the end.
She can work with Gogol to bring down Division. If her sole purpose was to bring down Division, joining would be the simple answer. More resources equals easier time destroying Division. On the other hand, Nikita is also interested in helping the world at large, one of the reasons why she wants to stop Division, and Gogol becoming more powerful is definitely not helpful for the world and regular people.
How does Nikita act? For the first time, there isn't an easy answer, no imperative choice. She declines, but we know the possiblity is still there.
Score: 8.8/10
