Nikita (2010–2013): Season 2, Episode 11 - Pale Fire - full transcript

Previously on Nikita...

Operation Pale Fire.

Division collaborated
with Sergei Semak

to kill Nikolai Udinov
and his family.

I saved the daughter, Alexandra.

Your partner?

That's why she's working with
you to take down the Division.

- Her focus has shifted.
- Revenge.

That's where I'm going...

To get the man who ordered
my parents to die.

And I'm going to kill him.



Mom?

The guardians... they're gathering,

and Percy is behind it.

We don't know if anything
is happening with Percy,

but what we do know
is that Ari has the Box.

I'll go after the guardian.
You go after Ari.

And you'll be fine with him.

No.
Michael goes with you.

You're chasing Ari Tasarov

into the heart of Gogol territory.

You don't even know
where he's headed.

Yeah, she does.
I put a tracker on his car.

I don't know what
I'm going to find there,

but it's the right thing to do.



Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.

Hello, Ari.

Operation Pale Fire...

Background is need-to-know.

This is the target zone.

These are the Tangos...

Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear.

Our man on the inside
has provided extensive Intel

to the layout of the home

and all the security measures
that are in place.

Papa Bear likes to maintain

a semblance of normalcy
for his family,

so the estate grounds

will be far more heavily guarded
than inside the house itself.

Patrols will be shifted to the North,

so you will come up through
the woods from the South,

up the drive,
and into the front door.

Current alarm codes will be
in your briefing packet.

Review the material,
be ready in two hours.

Dismissed.

Roan, stay back a minute.

Is there a problem?

How?

How?

[Sobs]

Mama...

I thought you were dead.

They said, "mother down."

Nikolai... he heard men downstairs...

Shooting.

He left me.

I can't remember.

I saw a gun.

I woke up in hospital.

You were dead.

Everyone was dead.

Someone took me.

She saved my life.

Bingo.

[Speaking Russian indistinctly]

Looks like the tracker you put
on Ari Tasarov's car worked.

She's found the Black Box.

I know you guys want
to replace the Box you lost,

but maybe she should just let it go.

We can't let Ari keep that Box.

If he finds a way to decrypt it,
I don't want to think

about what he'd do
with those dirty secrets.

You should be with her.

I could've tracked
this guardian on my own.

He's going to meet up
with the other guardians.

You want to take on
all three by yourself?

No.
Nikita was right.

We got to grab that Box

and then figure out
what the guardians are up to...

What Percy's up to.

What'd you find?

I narrowed it down
to these six hotels.

Those are some nice places.

I thought the guardians were
more "bed of nails" and all.

Easier to get lost in a crowd
at a big hotel.

These are the right size,
near public transportation,

with multiple points of egress.

Okay, so we zero him down,
track him to the gathering,

and figure out how
Percy's pulling the strings.

- Why are you still in London?
- Excuse me?

Nikita says you're staying
in London to be with the kid.

Is that gonna be
a permanent thing or...?

Whoa. Why is she even talking
to you about this?

She needs to talk to somebody.

It's getting harder for her.

Maybe she can't talk to you

'cause she thinks
she already lost you.

- She hasn't.
- I know.

That's why I'm warning you.

You need to make a choice
before someone makes it for you.

And who's gonna make that for me...

You?

[Sighs]

I don't have a kid.

You killed her fiance.

Yeah. Nikita said
he was a nice, normal guy...

Didn't deserve to die...

Neither did Emily.

She was innocent, just like your son.

She died because of me,
because that's what happens

when normal people
get sucked into our world.

They get hurt.

Mama, have you been here
all these years...

In this house?

Wait here, and make sure
I'm not disturbed.

I have to hide.

Are you all right?

I heard voices downstairs.
What's happening?

I'm attending to some business.

Why are you so nervous?

Whenever I hear
too many voices downstairs,

it makes me think of the men who...

Who cannot hurt you now.

The house is protected.
No one knows you're here.

Oh, I don't need that.

Let's not go
through this again, Katya.

You need some rest.

Take the pill.

[Door closes]

I should've killed Semak
when I had the chance.

- Alexandra...
- It's okay, mama.

I understand now.

Semak was always jealous of papa.

He always wanted everything
papa had, so he took it.

He can have Zetrov,
but he can't have you...

Not anymore.

I just don't understand.

I have to leave for a few
minutes, but I'll be right back.

Just stay here.

Oh...

Crap.

{pub}Hello, Ryan.

How are you feeling today?
More cooperative?

If this is about oversight...

I need to neutralize them now,

in a way that doesn't raise questions

or leave evidence
to trace back to me.

I've given you their identities.
You've had a while to think.

I kept you alive

because I thought
you might be useful,

but if I was wrong...

[Chain rattles]

Then I should correct my mistake.

I told you...

The only way I can help
is if I know everything

on Division, oversight...

Even the details
you don't think are relevant.

You know...

Today is your lucky day.

I'm gonna have to take you
to the files.

They don't transport well.

[Grunts]

So, now you want
to take down oversight.

And your big hope
is the little librarian.

That's just sad.

I need some leverage to keep
the lights on around here.

Bringing down oversight
is something we all want...

You, me...

Even the librarian here.

Remind me... what's in it for me?

Fine.

I'll give you your things back,

if you give him something useful.

How about I give him
the mercy of a quick death?

Well, that wouldn't be
very polite, would it?

Yeah? What are you
gonna do about it...

Kill me?

Three words, Percy...
Medically induced coma.

Consider the consequences.

Play nice.

What a bitch, right?

Why are you here?

Ari Tasarov has a Black Box.

I'm here to steal it back.

So your plan is to cut the power,

let everyone freak
and grab the Box in the chaos?

That was the...

Yeah.

- Oh, careful.
- Can't let you do that...

Not without screwing up my plan
to rescue my mother.

She's alive, Nikita.
She's upstairs.

- Your mother? How?
- I don't know.

But if I'm gonna get her out,
no one can know we're here.

Where are we with the Box?

Well, we think we found a way
around the biometrics lock,

but the data encryption
may take weeks to break.

I've never seen anything like it.

Percy is nothing if not paranoid.

[Cell phone rings]

It's one of his few
admirable qualities.

Keep on it.

[Cell phone beeps]

Mr. Abramov, did you receive
the photograph I sent you?

It's her...
The girl who bought my weapons.

She's here in Russia.

Tell no one else.
I'll take care of it.

[Cell phone dialing]

Yes, Mr. Tasarov?

Increase patrols
on the estate immediately,

then come up to the house.

I'd like to discuss
the perimeter breach

we spoke of earlier.
[Cell phone beeps]

I have to disable the alarm.

Let me sneak her out, then I'll go.

Alex...

Look, you can blow up
this damn house, for all I care,

after I know she's safe.

[Door opens]

When he misses the next check-in,

they're gonna know something's wrong.

I got a plan.

The Black Box can wait.

We're gonna get your mother out...

Tonight.

{pub}Nothing on the hotel
guest list matches our guardian.

Well, that's our fourth strike.

That's a guardian.

Not that I should say this, but...

I kind of wish you were
still on the regimen.

So do I.

Is that a bad thing?

He's picking up his shirts?

He's at a four-star hotel.

Why would he send his shirts
out for cleaning?

Percy loved all that
cold war spy crap...

Dead drops and code words and...

In two hours, he's gonna
be at the dry cleaner's.

Maybe then we'll find out
where the meeting is.

Once we do, I'm pretty sure
we got a way inside.

[Groaning in pain]

So I'll go in the way I did before...

Through the cellar
and up the laundry chute,

which puts me here...
Right outside the bedroom door.

I'll take my mother
down the back stairs,

and if you wait at this door,

we can take the guards out then.

It should buy us enough time

before they realize there's a breach.

You're missing something.

How do we get off the estate?

We both got here on foot
through the woods.

I don't think that's
an option for your mother.

We have to steal a car.

[Sighs]
But that could draw too much attention.

Depends on the car.

- Ari's here, right?
- Yeah.

He's got his own car and driver.

Only an insane Gogol agent would
try and stop Ari Tasarov's car.

How do we know which car is his?

Ari's driver never leaves
the car, for security reasons.

I'll deal with him,
get behind the wheel...

- If they follow us...
- They won't.

I'm going to disable
all the other cars.

It's a little trick
Michael taught me.

If you can delay your enemy
for even a few minutes...

It might be enough to win the day.
You taught me that.

Thank you...

For helping us.

Don't thank me yet.

Has anyone missed
their scheduled check-ins?

No, sir.
They've all reported in.

Let's be vigilant.

I want you to go out personally
and check with your own eyes

that everyone is at their posts.

Yes, sir.

I have new information
with regards to Ms. Udinov.

I believe she's here...

Somewhere on the property.

Amanda thinks
that you're going to be able

to come up with the scheme
to dismantle oversight, huh?

- That offends you?
- It does, yeah.

I mean, I had them under control.

And then they got to Amanda...

And she got intimidated.

Now she's running into the ground

everything you took years to build...

Well...

You and oversight.

There's always a group
behind the group.

[Choking]

Division was mine.
It was my concept.

Snap out of it.

[Coughing]

Mama, mama...

I found us a way out.
It's time to go.

- Mama, it's okay. It's okay.
- No!

Welcome home, Alexandra.

It is a pleasure to finally
make your acquaintance.

Well, you'll understand
that I can't say the same.

Of course, of course.

I've heard that Percy

is being held prisoner
inside Division.

Have you seen him?
What's his cell like?

Yes, uh, let's talk about Percy.

I'm curious why he saved you.

And what was he planning
to do with you?

I don't know
what you're talking about.

You were supposed to die,

yet here you are.

Why would Division spare your life?

Percy never struck me
as a soft touch.

Oh, my God.

That story Yuri told
about me being brainwashed...

That wasn't just some cover story.

You actually thought it was true.

I thought it was quite
a brilliant plan.

I'm sorry to disappoint.

Division didn't rescue me
that night... Nikita did.

Nikita...

Hmm, that... that is the, uh...

Rogue agent, yes.
She is a soft touch.

I infiltrated Division.

I wanted to make Percy pay.

Mission accomplished.
He's in a hole.

My new mission is to kill you.

[Chuckles]

Your mission has failed, Alexandra.

Night's not over yet.

That's enough.
You know where to take her.

I think this is our guy.

I seem to have misplaced my ticket.

What are you picking up?

Three shirts... blue...

Lightly starched and pressed, boxed.

This isn't a clue to the meeting.

This is the meeting.

I say we bomb the place...

No more guardians,
no more Black Boxes.

This meeting is our
only chance at figuring out

what Percy's up to.

Last time he had a big secret plan,

he tried to level
the seventh floor of the CIA.

So you're gonna walk in there, alone,

and meet with two guardians?

We barely managed to take down
one of them together.

I'm not going in alone.

We'll be on comms,

and that Box is my backup.

Be ready when I give the word.

I got ya.

[Door bells jingle]

I seem to have misplaced my ticket.

What are you picking up?

Three shirts... blue...

Lightly starched and pressed, boxed.

You're the other guardian?

When did that happen?

I thought you were
Percy's right-hand man.

That's why he chose me.

Thanks to Nikita, you guys
were dropping like flies,

and Percy wanted extra insurance.

Right before Amanda took over,

he gave me a Box and told me to run.

I don't believe you.

Then I'll prove it to you.

[Box beeps]

Can't believe he didn't tell us.

Well, things happened
pretty fast that day.

Are we missing a Box?

I see only two,
but there are three of us.

Did you lose something?

How'd you go
from oversight's golden boy

to its chief extortioner?

Downside of being invisible?

Lack of visibility.

Running this place,
you've become a deniable asset...

Someone who could be wiped away
if he stepped out of line.

You needed leverage.

That's what the Black Boxes are for.

But there had to be
a catalyst, right?

Some incident that soured

your relationship with oversight.

Well, that reached critical mass

with Operation Pale Fire.

In 2005, a Russian conglomerate...

Zetrov...

Refusing to do business
with the United States.

It was a threat to national security?

Oversight saw it as a threat
to financial security...

Theirs, in particular...

So they came to me.

And I discovered

that the ceo's number two...

A man named Sergei Semak...
Might be pliable.

You turned him...

Plotted with him
to kill Zetrov's founder...

Nikolai Udinov, Alex's father.

I know the backstory.

It was Semak's idea
to kill the family.

He said that
if he could have control,

he would be our man on the inside...

Expand U.S. interests
throughout his hemisphere.

That's a pretty big promise.

Exactly what I said.

I said he couldn't be trusted,
and I was right.

He took over...

And reneged on the deal.

Yeah. They want to blame me for it.

Now, Amanda and oversight

think that Alex is going
to take over Zetrov.

Well, that ain't gonna happen.

She's going to kill Semak

and plunge the company
into complete chaos.

Amanda has lost control of her girl.

History does tend to repeat itself.

[Scoffs]

You say that that mission

was when everything
went sideways with oversight.

No.

No, the real threat
wasn't forming over your head.

It was happening
right under your nose.

Pale Fire was the first time
Nikita ever disobeyed orders.

She rescued Alex that night...

Her first strike against Division...

And the first step of your journey

right into this cage.

You sent Nikita on that mission

and sealed your own fate.

How bad is it?

Looks worse than it is.

Take this, okay?

What are you doing?

Wait for my call.

I want you to tell Katya who I am.

You're going back?

I told you, we're getting
your mom out tonight.

{pub}[Phone rings]
Guardians...

Did everyone make it?

Three guardians...
Present.

Open your packets.

Visually confirm
each other's identity.

Maintain security profile Alpha.

We rendezvous in New York
in two days.

You're right.
I'm not a guardian.

I'm just a guy who rigged
a Black Box with explosives.

[Gunshots]

[Device beeps]

[Tires squeal]

Don't stop until we get
to Brussels, just to be safe.

I'm not slowing down
till this thing runs out of gas.

Nikita hasn't called me back.

It's been a while.

Who are you?

I'm a friend of your daughter's.

I'm here to get you out.

Okay?

Here...
[Cell phone dialing]

Talk to her.

You will get her killed.

No, she's safe.

I saved her from Ari's men.

I made her safe.

I told Sergei she was here...

Not Ari.

Alexandra is sick, very sick.

[Cell phone rings]

- Yes.
- Mr. Tasarov...

We have two guards down
at the back of the house.

Secure Mr. Semak.

Do not leave his side
until I tell you otherwise.

Have your men sweep the entire house.

Someone else is here.
Find them.

The Americans took her,

and they filled her head with lies...

Lies about Sergei.

Now she wants to kill him?

Sergei wants your daughter dead.

No.

No, he wants to help her.

We want to put her someplace safe

where the doctors can come

and heal the damage done to her mind,

make her see the truth.

You want to know the truth?

He hired the Americans
to wipe out your family

so he could take control of Zetrov.

This is a lie.

I was there, Katya.

I was on the strike team.
We had everything.

We had alarm codes.
We had floor plans.

We had security patrol schedules...
All given to us by Semak.

Katya...

I killed your husband.

No.
No, Sergei loves me.

He wanted Zetrov, and he wanted you.

He had me.

We had each other.

You were having an affair.

That's why you survived that night.

It was part of his deal
with Percy, wasn't it?

Right now you come with me.

I'm not asking.

- Let's go.
- Okay.

{pub}You feeling better?

I don't feel anything now...

If that's what you want to know.

You were screaming
and tearing the room apart.

You could have hurt yourself.
I had to do something.

I've lost her again.

[Sighs]

Now she'll never come back to me.

Let's hope not.

Sergei...

You won't hurt her.

We had a deal.

She and her associate
killed half of my men.

I cannot let that stand.

You promised not to hurt Alexandra.

But she's not
your Alexandra anymore, Katya.

You must see that now.

I see many things now.

Living down here,
I've had time to reflect.

You know what I've come to realize?

You like your reflection.

I've seen that I've made mistakes.

But that I can also learn from them.

Sometimes all you need is
a slight shift in perspective

to bring things into focus.

You have had time to reflect.

I've also had time to plan.

Against oversight?

I told you, they're irrelevant.

As you said,

there's always
a group behind the group.

If you look close, you'll see
there's a door up there.

Where could you possibly go?

To a higher place...

Not the place you're thinking of.

I think the phone's a dead end.

Well, we know they're headed home.

And Roan's running things.

He's how Percy's
communicating with them.

We were his insurance policy.

- What?
- The guardians.

We were the thing
that kept Percy alive.

But Percy planned
for every contingency.

In the event of his death,
we were to upload the Boxes.

Maybe in the event of his capture...

You break him out.

I'll stay home until you get here,

and we'll figure out
the Percy stuff then.

Owen thinks we should let him
escape and then shoot him.

That's not a bad idea...

Although we'd probably fight over

who got to shoot him first.

And we should talk...

About us and...

Where we stand.

I'll be here.

[Computer beeping]

You don't have to go on this one.

I can talk to Percy and find
another agent for Pale Fire...

Maybe Kelly.

Oh, she'd love that.

I'd never hear the end of it.

Nikita...

I know you hate
these kinds of missions...

With civilians.

It's important to Percy, right?

It'll be good for me to go.

You're a capable agent.

You don't have to prove that
to him anymore.

You once told me

that Division was a second chance...

An opportunity to be
a new person, make a difference.

This mission...

This is how I prove to myself
what kind of person I've become.

You know, for years, I've had...

These memories to hold on to...

An image in my head of what I'd lost.

No matter how bad things got,

I could close my eyes, and...

They were there.

That's what got you through.

But it was a lie.

And now I can't even trust
my own memories.

Her and Semak...

I never had a clue.

You were a kid who loved her parents.

I've wasted so much time

and energy...

Avenging what?

A father that loved me,
but wasn't innocent

and...

A mother that...

- Maybe never loved me at all.
- Alex...

I don't understand Katya's choices,

but I do think that she loves you.

You can't know that.

She could've been in
on Semak's plan all along.

No, I think that she's misguided

and not facing reality.

But when she said that
she wanted to keep you safe,

I believed her.

She was afraid of losing you.

She was more afraid of losing him.

I don't know how to get past that.

[Sighs]

You don't have to figure it
all out right now.

[Sighs]

Don't give up on her...

Not yet.

I heard you...

On the phone.
You...

Even after you knew what she did,

you still tried to reach her.

People make mistakes.

You know, they make bad choices.

And then to make up for them,
they make even worse ones.

But if you give them a second chance,

sometimes they surprise you.

Yeah.

Sometimes they do.