Network: The CW
Episodes: 73 (hour)
Seasons: Four

TV show dates: September 9, 2010 — December 27, 2013
Series status: Ended

Performers include: Maggie Q, Aaron Stanford, Ashton Holmes, Lyndsy Fonseca, Melinda Clarke, Shane West, Tiffany Hines, and Xander Berkeley.

TV show description:      
As a deeply troubled teenager, Nikita (Maggie Q) was rescued from death row by a secret US agency known only as Division. They faked her execution and told her that she was being given a second chance — to start a new life and serve her country. What they didn’t tell her was that she was being trained as a emotionless spy and assassin. Still, throughout her grueling Division training, Nikita never lost her humanity and even fell in love with a civilian.

When her fiance was murdered, Nikita realized she’d been betrayed by the only people she thought she could trust. As a result, she did what no one else had been able to do — she escaped. Now, after three years in hiding, Nikita is seeking retribution and makes it clear to her former bosses that she’ll stop at nothing to expose and destroy their covert operation.

Meanwhile, Division continues to recruit and train other young people, erasing all evidence of their former lives, and turning them into cold and efficient killers. One of these new recruits is Alex (Lyndsy Fonseca), a beautiful girl with a violent past. Her story’s not so different from Nikita’s. Following her parents’ murder, Alex’s life completely fell apart. She ended up drug-addicted and homeless until Division “rescued” her and brought her into the fold.

Division’s top authority is Percy (Xander Berkeley). He spent years being a good government soldier, taking his role as an insider and using it to turn the secret organization into a lucrative spy-for-hire shop. With Nikita gone rogue, Percy will do whatever it takes to destroy her and protect the empire he’s built.

Percy often turns to his top lieutenant, Michael (Shane West), for help. Michael trained Nikita when she was a recruit and is now faced with the responsibility of tracking down his renegade student. At the same time, Michael is in charge of training Alex, Nikita’s young replacement, along with other recruits, including Thom (Ashton Holmes), who has been at Division for a year and is anxious to prove himself, and Jaden (Tiffany Hines), a beautiful and tough young woman who challenges Alex at every turn.

The recruits all spend part of their training with Amanda (Melinda Clarke), a master manipulator who can turn any ugly duckling into a swan and any bleeding heart into a killer. Her use of psychological warfare and strategy is key to Percy’s entire operation. Amanda has only had one failure during her tenure at Division — Nikita.

Nikita also left her mark on Birkhoff (Aaron Stanford). He’s a nonconforming computer genius who was caught hacking into the Pentagon’s system from his college dorm room. Birkhoff was recruited into Division at the same time as Nikita. He never admits to anyone that he misses his former colleague, and he has managed to hold onto his own rebel spirit, his geek-speak, and his slacker dress code.

Alex now finds herself facing the world of Division every day. She is just beginning to understand what lies ahead for her and why the legendary Nikita made the desperate decision to run.

What do you think? Do you like the Nikita TV series? Do you think it should have been cancelled or renewed for a fifth season?

Image courtesy The CW.