What We’re Watching: ‘Nikita’ Is the Rebellious Spy You Need in Your Life

It’s hard to find a good spy show that focuses just as much on badass moments as it does on the drama among its characters. Nikita hits that perfect balance, simultaneously making you fall in love with the characters and keeping you on the edge of your seat with all of its twists and turns.

The show follows the main character, Nikita, as she works to take down the secret American organization that made her into a murderous spy. This organization, called Division, isn’t technically a recognized governmental body, so they don’t have to follow any of the same rules as the CIA, FBI, or other intelligence agencies. No one double-checks Division’s work, so they quickly veer away from working solely for America and start taking private bids and assassinating people just for more money.

When Nikita realizes she no longer wants to do Division’s dirty work for them, she escapes and starts her fight to take them down. It’s incredibly fun to follow Nikita’s journey and see how she stays one step ahead of Division throughout the show.

Nikita originally aired on The CW for four seasons between 2010 and 2013; although this is an American drama, it’s based on the French film titled La Femme Nikita. And with the show’s stunning cast (Maggie Q, Lyndsy Fonseca, and Shane West), it’s no wonder the show had so many successful seasons.

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One of my favorite things about Nikita is simply how well Maggie Q plays the role of Nikita—she was made for this role. Although I can’t give away any specifics for fear of spoilers, there are many intense moments in this show when it seems like hate, grief, love, or frustration are just emanating from Maggie Q, and it makes you feel all the feels.

Lyndsy Fonseca, who plays Alex (who Nikita saved during a mission), and Shane West, who plays Michael (Nikita’s trainer), along with the rest of the cast, all do amazing jobs as well. But Maggie Q is the shining star in Nikita.

And although this is a CW show, so the budget probably wasn’t too stellar, the fight scenes are decently choreographed. You’ll find yourself almost mesmerized by watching Nikita get out of the stickiest situations with all her Division training.

That said, the story is what’ll keep you hooked. The first season has a special place in my heart just because it’s the first and has all my favorite characters in it. All the later seasons are excellent too, but you can tell that the writers put a lot of time and effort into the script of Season One.

Here’s a bonus, too: you can watch all four seasons of Nikita for free on CW Seed right now. There are ads you’ll have to sit through, but you won’t ever have to pay for a subscription service or pay per episode. It’s the perfect show for anyone who loves spy thrillers.