I’ve watched every iteration of the Nikita spy character except the ‘97-’01 TV series, making this new box set a fine way to finish my tour. While the five individual seasons of the series have long been available on DVD, even bundled together at times, this appears to be the first complete U.S. box set with all seasons in one slipcase.
Buy La Femme Nikita: The Complete Series DVDThe series is based on Luc Besson’s 1990 breakout hit film of the same name. While that film borrowed liberally from past inspirations and heavily influenced many other imitators, it also served as the direct blueprint for the U.S. remake (Point of No Return), this series, and Maggie Q’s delightful ‘10-’13 CW series, Nikita. Largely due to its multiseason episodic format, that last version is clearly the closest overall match to this series.
Australian actress Peta Wilson leads the series as a homeless drug addict condemned to death for a crime she didn’t commit. That staged crime is just a ploy by the shadowy Section One organization to fake her death, erase her past, and force her into a covert life as an anonymous international spy. I question their candidate-selection process, but in this case, they recruit an absolute winner. Wilson, with her statuesque blonde beauty and commanding presence, is completely laughable in her derelict opening scenes, but then emerges so poised and chiseled after her overnight Section One initiation that she assumes full control of the series and never slows down.
Unfortunately, the acting talent around her is mostly lackluster, particularly her apparently dreamy, mulleted handler, Michael (Roy Dupuis). He’s largely a blank slate, a non-emotive background presence who serves as a will they/won’t they love interest and sounding board for the superwoman who doesn’t really need any assistance. Section One is a nest of vipers, especially the deliciously manipulative chief strategist, Madeline (Alberta Watson), keeping Nikita on her toes even when she should be at ease at home base. With shifting internal alliances and another even more shadowy global organization always threatening to undermine Nikita’s work, plus weekly missions to complete around the world, the series maintains an energetic, entertaining pace through its wholly satisfying finale.
The box set houses the discs in two thick clamshell cases tucked in a slipcase, providing ample protection and fairly easy access to specific discs. The DVD picture quality of the 4:3 formatted series is about as expected for a low-budget USA Network show from 25+ years ago, and goes a long way toward explaining why the set is not on Blu-ray. Sound is presented in adequate Dolby 2.0. Archival bonus features are included in the set, including a look at the making of the series, deleted scenes, gag reels, and commentary on select episodes. However, archival booklets and episode listings from the original individual seasons are not included.
The set doesn’t appear to be remastered or restored, there’s no effort to present comprehensive new features on the show’s legacy, it’s just a package longtime fans have likely wanted: a concise and complete collection of the entire series in one convenient box. In that respect, it should satisfy the fanbase, while also serving as an easy entry point for newcomers like me who never got around to watching it in the past.
