Yep,
more Nikita! This time, we’re hearing it for the girls;
the wonderfully complex relationship between Nikita and Alex was one of the
first things that hooked me about the show.
As with most Nikita-related
things, massive spoilers to follow.
There
are a lot of layers to Nikita-Alex, so I’ll try to unpack them one at a
time. The most obvious is the
mentor/mentee angle, with Nikita initially training and prepping Alex to
infiltrate Division and then guiding her through life on the inside. She helps Alex to be strong – physically,
mentally, and emotionally – and Alex proves herself time and again to be a
worthy apprentice, working as Nikita’s mole within Division. Many of the significant ties between these
two begin here. Alex often idealizes
Nikita’s skills and strategies and wants to emulate her/do right by her, and
Nikita is proud of Alex’s growing proficiency.
As the
connection between them deepens, we see a more personal mother/daughter bond
develop; Nikita especially looks out for Alex’s well-being. As much as she respects Alex’s abilities,
there’s a sense of wanting to keep Alex close to the nest and protect her. This means physical danger, of course, but
Nikita watches out for Alex in other ways, too.
A former addict herself, Nikita is the one who first helps Alex get
clean, and when Alex is deep inside the belly of the Division beast, Nikita
does whatever she can to spare Alex from having to go down the same dark paths
that Nikita once did. Alex, meanwhile,
understands on one level that Nikita is trying to look out for her, but at the
same time, she wants to prove to Nikita than she can stand on her own and
doesn’t need protecting.
As time
goes by, this dynamic never disappears, but it does soften as Alex matures as
an operative. Their relationship becomes
one of slightly more equal footing, with Alex recognizing that Nikita isn’t
perfect and Nikita more often trusting Alex to handle herself. In this way, we’re able to see them as
friends and comrades. Both Nikita and Alex
are understandably closed-off and guarded due to their past experiences, but
they can open up to one another and provide support. They can be vulnerable with one another,
admitting to fears or confusion and seeking the other’s advice. They work well in the field together and
regularly have each other’s backs.
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