La Femme Nikita: Season 5
The fans brought Peta Wilson's sultry operative back for one last, brief season ofLa Femme Nikita, and while they remain divided on the quality and impact of its eight episodes, few will disagree that this three-disc set of the cult series' last gasp is a welcome addition to their collections. At the core of the fifth season is an attempt to answer the nagging questions posited throughout the series: Why was Nikita recruited to serve with Section One? The answer lies in the form of Mr. Jones (well-played by veteran actor Edward Woodward ofThe Equalizerfame), a shadowy figure with a connection to Nikita's past. Meanwhile, a holographic replica of the deceased Madeline (Alberta Watson) is developed to replace her advisory talents ("The Girl Who Wasn't There"), and Section must ferret out a mole (with suspects ranging from Operations and newcomer Walter (Don Francks) to the still-missing Michael (Roy Dupuis), in "The Evil That Men Do") within the organization that's been placed by The Collective, which by the season's conclusion (the gripping "A Time for Every Purpose"), has come very close to toppling Section One. All this, plus the future of Nikita's relationship with Michael, comes to an explosive head in this series finale set.Supplemental features are surprisingly light in the fifth-season set; extras are limited to three deleted (or "canceled") scenes, and the teaser trailer (directed by series helmer John Cassar, and featuring some nudity) used to promote the season's debut on the Internet (It is notable for being one of the first television promotions to be filmed and aired exclusively for that format). A featurette,Season 5: Declassified, offers opinions and reminiscences on the show's conclusion from some of its behind-the-scenes personnel as well as select members of the cast.-- Paul Gaita