Episode
La Femme Nikita: Brainwash
Overview
When Nikita is sent to investigate a bartender at a posh club who may be a terrorist contact, he responds to her questioning by leaping from the 65th floor window to his death. A search of his apartment turns up a strange helmet-like device, which Section later discovers is used for brainwashing. Unfortunately, Nikita has used the device several times in an effort to discover what it is, and now it is in control of her mind. When Nikita and other operatives are assigned to protect the Premier of China from other similarly brainwashed individuals, Section has no idea that the greatest threat to the Premier is Nikita herself.
Details
- Series
- La Femme Nikita
- Season
- Season 1
- Episode
- Episode 20
- Air date
- 1997-09-21
- Runtime
- 45 min
Episode context
Brainwash is Episode 20 in Season 1 of La Femme Nikita. It aired on 1997-09-21. The runtime is 45 min.
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Episode 19: Voices
While working undercover near a Central European Consulate, Nikita is confronted by a known serial rapist. Nikita easily subdues the man, leaving him battered and bruised. O'Brien, the police detective on the case, has been pursuing the man for years, and realizes that the rapist's victim was no ordinary woman. With the help of a witness he manages to break through Nikita's cover story and track her down. O'Brien now knows the truth about Nikita, he will have to be cancelled, unless Nikita can turn the situation around to her advantage.
Episode 21: Verdict
Jovan Mijovich has been elected as premier of his new nation, but there is a hit man out to assassinate him. Nikita and Michael, along with other Section One operatives, are dispatched to provide security. During the inaugural celebration, the hit man is taken out, but a hostage situation develops that no one expected. A man, Bruner, claims Mijovich raped and blinded his daughter during the nation's civil war, and threatens to kill him. Nikita tries to defuse the situation, and manages to keep Mijovich alive for the time being, but when Bruner's daughter appears to give her side of the story, the accuracy of her testimony will mean the difference between peace and war for her people.
More episodes from this season
Episode 18: Missing
One of the members of a criminal organization that steals classified information to sell to the highest bidder is Operations' long-lost son, Steven. Section One's mission is to eradicate this group along with a dangerous terrorist that plans to buy a smart missile chip from them, but Operations asks Nikita to keep Steven alive at all costs. Nikita agrees, only if Operations will let her finally leave the Section for good. He agrees, but Nikita threatens to kill Steven if Operations doesn't keep his word. Unfortunately for Nikita, she is unaware of Michael's true role in the mission.
Episode 22: Mercy
Section One is hot on the trail of Tyler, one of the world's most dangerous terrorists. After Tyler kidnaps a young inventor who has created a new, completely un-detectable plastic explosive, Nikita is sent to try and rescue the inventor and keep his knowledge out of Tyler's hands. When the mission is unsuccessful, Nikita is given orders to cancel the inventor, but she refuses. Operations decides that Nikita has crossed the line, and he purposely sends her on a suicide mission to destroy a terrorist hideout. Michael intervenes and gives Nikita the means to escape, but her freedom will change both of their lives forever.
Episode 17: War
The stolen Directory has ended up in the hands of Red Cell, and operatives are being hit around the world. Section is being forced to evacuate. In order to learn Red Cell's next move, Nikita and Michael attempt to capture Red Cell's next move, Nikita and Michael attempt to capture Red Cell's counterpart to Birkoff, but instead, they themselves are captured and tortured. Neither of them are willing to divulge Section's current location, but when Michael admits his love for Nikita, she breaks, because she can not stand to see Michael tortured any further. Far from destroying Section One, Nikita quickly discovers that this was the intended plan all along, and Section has a big surprise for Red Cell.
Episode 16: Noise
While on a mission to tag a stockpile of Stinger missiles, the Section van is breached, and Birkoff is forced to defend himself for the very first time. Now, his fear of being killed on future missions is interfering with his ability to protect Section operatives, unless Nikita can help him overcome this fear, Birkoff is in danger of being cancelled.
Episode 15: Obsessed
David Fanning is one of the world's most dangerous hit men, but Section One is powerless to stop him. Fanning possesses ""The Book,"" a collection of top-secret information damaging to Western governments, and if the Section makes any attempt on Fanning's life, the Book will be released automatically. When the Section's only way in is through Fanning's abused girlfriend, Nikita and Michael are forced to use any means possible to secure her loyalties, but her emotional instability could prove fatal to both of them.
Episode 14: Gambit
Section was informed that the water of the city would be polluted if the United Coalitions needs weren't met. Gregor Kessler, the one with many aliases and disguises, steals the Cobalt 60. Kessler was offered money to get the Cobalt 60, reported by a spy of Section. Gregor dresses up as an aged lady to get through South American Customs. Kessler manages to capture the Cobalt 60, but Madeline confronts him. Some how, he knows about her past and starts intimidating her. Section takes Kessler's daughter in hope to retreive the Cobalt 60. This doesn't work for him because he kills her, so Section can't hurt her. Meanwhile, Nikita finds out more about Madeline's past & what she did to her sister. Madeline never wanted anyone to know about it. Kessler now wants Madeline, Section doesn't want her to go by herself, so they stand by in a nearby distance. Madeline falls into a hole where Gregor is. He grips her up by the neck, but she breaks free. It wasn't really her, it was Michael dressed up
Episode 13: Recruit
Nikita is assigned to evaluate Karyn, a recruit who is nearing the end of her two year training period. During her first live mission, Karyn kills her mentor, Brian, in cold-blood. When Nikita confronts her, Karyn confides that Brian had repeatedly raped her during her training. This reason, coupled with the fact that everyone in Section One seems to like Karyn, makes Nikita more insecure about her decision whether Karyn should have full status or be cancelled. Nikita realizes that Karyn is definitely not Section material when Karyn exhibits psychotic behaviors during a mission and decides that Karyn should be cancelled. Operations and Madeline inform her that Karyn was already set for cancellation, they were just testing Nikita and if she had made the wrong decision, she too would have probably been cancelled.
Episode 12: Innocent
A live nuclear warhead is smuggled into the states and the only witness to the act is a mentally challenged pizza driver named Rudy who witnessed the transfer. A transmission claiming that the warhead is armed in a random city and will detonate in 24 hours is intercepted and Section uses Rudy to determine who the man is that brought the warhead into the country - a traitor in the Agency. The location is discovered and with Rudy's help, Birkoff is able to determine the code that will disarm the bomb in time. Rudy is allowed to live due to his help and is allowed to leave Section with Nikita's assurances that he will never tell anyone of Section or it's whereabouts.
Episode 11: Rescue
During a mission to destroy a Russian chemical plant, Michael is injured and is left behind. Section determines that it is too risky to save Michael, but eventually does go to find him by sending Nikita and Madeline in as travelling cosmetic saleswomen. Meanwhile, Michael kidnaps a nurse, Angie Georgiev and convinces her to help him before the head of the secret police, Egran Petrosian, is able to find him. Madeline and Nikita are able to determine where Michael could possibly be and arrive at Angie's apartment shortly after Petrosian does and extract Michael and Angie with Petrosian in pursuit. The four arrive at an abandoned airstrip to await air transport from Section when Petrosian's forces arrive, killing Angie in the fighting that ensued. It is later revealed that Petrosian is really a Section operative that has been in deep cover for the past 17 years. The ""rescue mission"" was really means to extract Petrosian from deep cover and bring him back into Section's fold.
Episode 10: Choice
The CIA believes that a rogue element of their agency is responsible for a recent massacre of heroin dealers, performed in order to steal money and drugs as part of an embezzlement scheme. Section One is brought in to clean the house quietly, but Nikita's continued involvement with architect Gray Wellman is tampering her ability to be a reliable operative. As Section One's operation reaches a fever pitch, Nikita is unable to balance both sides of her life, and is forced to make a choice between the organization that controls her life and the one man that she's ever loved.