Nikita (2010–2013): Season 2, Episode 15 - Origins - full transcript

Previously on Nikita...

Seven years ago,
I was taken off death row

and trained to be an assassin
by a secret unit

of the government called "Division."

It was run by Percy, who,
after a failed power move,

was replaced by Amanda,
his second-in-command.

Carla Bennett
is priority target number one.

Carla Bennett got me clean.

She was the only good thing
I had in my life

till Division made me who I am.

This is a standing kill order.



First on the list, even above Percy.

Amanda wants this woman very dead.

So you are Division.

It wasn't called that
when I was there.

When Nikita escaped,
Percy and Amanda said

she was the first to ever escape.

And that's true
because I wasn't in the program.

I created it.

It's part of an old missile silo.

It's secure,
out of view, underground.

It's huge.

In just one year,

our little program
has outgrown our old facility.

I don't know, this is a lot bigger



than anything we ever discussed.

It's time to think big.

This is where
our future begins, Carla.

You know,
in those first days at Division,

they were ripping out the person

I used to be...

I only survived
because of my memories of you.

And now...
All of my memories

are a lie.

When I met you,
you were a confused kid,

and we were both on the run.

Do you really think
I should've told you

the truth about what
I was running from?

- It's harder to hear now.
- Why?

At least now you can believe me.

How could you create something
so evil, Carla?

Don't say that.
It's not evil.

I was saving lives...

Lives that the system
was going to throw away.

Only to put them back
into another system

that turned them into killers.

That was Amanda.
She is evil.

She took my idea of transformation

and giving second chances,
and she corrupted it.

Without her, it can be saved.

Everything can be saved.

Why are you so focused on Amanda?

Because she tried to have me killed.

Where's your entourage?

Securing the Stafford arms
for the press conference.

- We don't have much time.
- I know.

Carla Bennett?

Don't worry about her.

We'll find her.

- It's over.
- No.

Carla Bennett is with Nikita,
which means it won't be long

before Nikita learns your secret,

and we know what happens then.

Ari.

I doubt that Semak will
even bother to send an agent.

He'll just come put the bullet
in my head himself.

Ari, there's a way out of this.

Yes, there is...

But it requires a sacrifice
you will not want to make.

Alex.

What do you think?

Too downscale for the heir to
a multibillion-dollar fortune?

Who's been missing seven years
and just clawed her way

out of a human trafficking ring,
remember?

Right.

- Where's Amanda?
- Out. I'm glad.

She's been running us ragged
with this Carla Bennett search.

What's the deal?

Need to know.
We're all shut out.

Let's go over the CONOPS again.

Zetrov has closed a deal
to buy the New York Corsairs.

The hockey team?

It's a major
international purchase for them.

Sergei Semak himself is going
to make the announcement.

And the whole world will be watching.

Perfect time for Alexandra
Udinov to make her return.

- What's the security like?
- Heavy.

They've rented out the entire
hotel for the press conference.

Only accredited media allowed entry.

Ari Tasarov will be
running point for Gogol

after their last security chief
was let go.

God, I hate that guy.

Look, lady, we've been trying
to crack Amanda for a while.

She doesn't have any weak points
except for you.

Come on, think.

What do you have on Amanda?

I told you, I don't know.

She just...
She hated me from the start.

Well, that might explain
why she tried to off you

the first time but not why she's
devoted to taking you down now.

She's afraid of you or something
that you might know about her.

That's what Percy seems to think.

And we all know he'd never lie.

Percy wants to take Amanda
down just as much as you do.

I mean, you do wanna
take her down, right?

I want to take down Division,

and Percy wants it back.
There's a difference.

Incoming.

Encrypted line.

It's Alex.

Alex?

Operation Alexandra is a go.

- Good. You ready?
- Guess so.

It's weird, I feel like
I'm about to tell everyone

I'm iron man or something.

Well, yeah, you've been
in hiding a long time.

It's gonna feel weird,
stepping into the light.

Just remember, I got your back.

Always.

Thank you.

Now tell me about your approach.

Nikita has someone on the inside?

It's a long story.

Nikita saved her,
turned her life around.

Guess it's not that long.

If this Alex is on the inside,

I mean, why don't you use her
to get to Amanda?

It's too dangerous.
Even if she survived the attempt,

she would never escape alive.

Well, maybe she could poke around

and get Amanda to tell her
the secret.

I doubt Amanda
would just tell anyone.

They're right.

We're gonna find this thing
that Amanda's afraid of.

It's gonna be through you.

So...
Start from the beginning.

Tell us everything we don't know.

We've got time.

We are out of time.

Semak must be dealt with
before he learns the truth.

And the only way
you can think to accomplish that

is for Alex to die.

We could kill Semak.

And then we would be left
with nothing.

No, this the only way.

We were going to rule an empire.

Now what will we have?

Gogol's operating budget
is $300 million.

After we frame Semak
for Alex's death,

there will be a period of chaos
within Zetrov.

I can siphon the account
without anyone noticing

and we're away, free and clear,
together.

What's wrong?

Alex.

She's come so far only to suffer

the same fate she escaped
seven years ago.

It's not ideal,

but it is either her or me.

{pub}Carla Bennett?

- Who are you?
- Relax.

I'm not going to arrest you.

I'm a fan.

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

I'm just a prison counselor.

Faking inmate deaths,
colluding with the warden

to transfer them
to different prisons.

I'm saving lives.

Want to do it legally?

I don't know if you realize this,

but you have discovered a method
of creating deniable assets.

Invisible men and women...

A valuable commodity in our world.

You work for the government?

And so can you.
Think about it.

Instead of breaking the law,

you could get federal funding
for your project.

As opposed to doing
yard work or whatever,

your people could be serving
their country.

You mean like soldiers?

I mean like heroes.

In the beginning,
it was just Percy and me.

And we started
out of a back office in D.C.

and after some early successes,
he wanted to expand,

get a bigger sponsor,
and he found one.

Oversight.

It was codename for the group.

- It was illegal.
- I didn't know that.

I just identified the candidates
for renewal.

When did Amanda get involved?

Like I said, Percy wanted to expand.

This is a lot bigger
than anything we ever discussed.

It's time to think big.

This is where
our future begins, Carla.

And if you're concerned
about the increased workload...

I've already taken that into account.

Carla, this is Amanda,

a rising star in psy-ops.

Percy's told me of your work.

Very impressive, for a layman.

Amanda's already got some ideas

about how to set up our home here.

All active operations will be
run up here with a lower level

dedicated to recruit training
and living space.

No. Recruits will not be segregated.

They need to see agents
coming and going,

heading into the real world.

They need to see
what they can become.

This isn't a summer camp.

It's also not a prison.

They need hope, or they'll die.

Even a "layman" can tell you that.

This is good.

Nothing worthwhile
comes without friction.

We're gonna make a great team.

We were at each other's throats

from that day on.

But still I was surprised when
she sent someone to kill me.

I didn't think
she would take it that far.

But she made one mistake.

She sent Brian to do the deed.

- Brian?
- One of my firsts.

Brian told me that Amanda
had doctored evidence,

made it look like
I was going to go to congress,

blow the whistle on Percy,
expose the program.

It's why he approved the hit.

But Brian was one of mine.

And he said that he would go back

and tell everyone that I was dead.

He gave me time to run.

So Amanda thought you were gone?

She must have been shocked when
your print came up on my gun.

Wait a minute.

Yeah, yeah.
I remember this.

She came, uh, storming into ops

freaking out
about a, uh, print match,

wanted me to double-,
triple-check it, make sure

the cops hadn't screwed up
the chain of evidence.

She was looking for confirmation
that you were truly alive.

And because of the time
we spent together,

you were the only one
that could tell her for sure.

Do you remember what Amanda
was like when you first met her?

Do you remember
what she asked you about?

I don't think about those days.

If you're serious

about trying to figure out
what she was afraid of,

you're going to have to.

Ma'am, can you open your bag, please?

Make sure you have
the Zetrov graphics ready to go,

the one with the market cap figures.

- Can I help you?
- How would you like to win a Pulitzer?

- She's made contact.
- Copy that.

- Alex has completed phase one.
- Good.

Make sure all mobile units
continue providing backup.

Is there any progress
on tracking Carla?

No, search grids still come up empty.

The level of incompetence
around here can be breathtaking.

Perhaps we need some cancellations
to properly motivate all of you.

Cool, unshakable and in control.

That was my first impression
of Amanda.

She brought me into her office,
and she just focused on me.

Make yourself comfortable,
Nikita, have a seat.

Or not.

What are you, a concierge?

If need be.

I can also be an advisor, a teacher,

but most of all, a friend.

I don't need friends.

No, of course not.

You survived all those years
on your own.

No one ever helped you.

- That's right.
- Not even Carla?

I read your file.

And it seems this woman
meant a great deal to you,

which is why I'd like to know
more about her.

So I can get to know you.

It will help us decide whether or not

to keep you in the program.

I haven't seen her
since the night I was arrested.

She never visited you in prison?

She couldn't.

Oh, I see.

She's on the run just like you?

She used to always say
that it was fate

that we were both running
for five years,

or we would've never met.

Five years.

That's enough for today, Nikita.

We'll pick this up again tomorrow.

She changed my protocol completely.

That session was about
building trust, not threats.

She left a new recruit alone
in her office?

- What fire was she going to?
- Interrogation.

She went to interrogation.

Why did you let Carla go?

All I'm asking for
is the truth, Brian.

The truth will set you free.

Carla gave me my life.
That's the truth.

Amanda.

I think we're done here, aren't we?

He lied to us about his target.

So she's alive after all, huh?

- What target?
- Before your time.

- What is he doing here?
- I'm showing him the ropes.

Michael has proven to be
a top-notch operative,

so I'm putting him in charge
of agent operations.

- Do you have a sidearm?
- Yeah.

Give it to me.

She needs to die.

We need to kill her.

No arguments there.

- Carla.
- Don't you see?

This is the reason why you found me.

This is the reason
why we're together again.

All those years I spent on the run,

I knew that someday
it would come full circle

and that Amanda would get
what she deserves.

Okay.

Yo, showtime.

The deal is not just about
the purchase of the hockey team.

It represents an important step
in the globalization of Zetrov.

Mr. Semak, you've often spoken
of your role at Zetrov

as being the caretaker
of Nikolai Udinov's vision.

Do you think
he'd approve of this deal?

Yes, I do.

I think about my dear friend
Nikolai every day,

and I've dedicated all I have done

to the memory of him and his family.

And what would you say to the Udinovs
if they were here today?

Excuse me?

What would you say to the Udinovs?

Um, well, I would say, uh...

I hope they can see everything
that I have done for Zetrov.

I have.

And can you tell us who you are?

I am Alexandra Udinov,

daughter of Nikolai and Katya Udinov.

It's been a long time, Uncle Sergei.

Now, that is
one nutty press conference.

Birkhoff, tap into surveillance.

Make sure Alex
doesn't have any surprises.

Usual cast of supporting characters.

Gogol thugs in trench coats,
Gogol thugs in suits,

Lord Voldemort.

Wait... wait a second.
Just g-go back.

I know that guy.

Ari Tasarov?

What do you think you're doing?

You're about to find out.

{pub}That was the darkest period
of my life.

The attack on my home
cost me my parents.

The time in those brothels
cost me my soul.

Six months ago, I got out.

I got clean.

And now I feel like I'm ready
to come back to my family,

at least to the family
that I have left.

What does this mean
for control of Zetrov?

Will Ms. Udinov take over?

Well, no one wants to believe

in what happened here today
more than I,

but, uh, what's important...

Uh, that we take time to
understand these developments.

Alex, where will you go from here?

I don't know.

I'm sort of living on the road.

Well, in this case,
she can stay here in the hotel

in the finest suite, to be paid
for by Zetrov, of course.

That will be all for today,

but we'll have another follow-up
press conference tomorrow.

Thank you.

Hold on.

I'm going to make this easy.

I could press my claim
for the company,

drag you through a long,
messy, public battle,

or I could disappear,
drop out of your life forever.

All I want is an offshore account

funded by a 10% share
in the Udinov family trust.

10%?
Do you know how much that is?

And my mother.

You will give me my mother,
you son of a bitch.

You have until tomorrow morning
to decide.

And thanks for the suite.

Ari Tasarov,
Director of Intelligence for Gogol,

and, as of a few months ago,
head of security.

Started his career off in the KGB

working
in the first chief directorate.

Then a stint in S.V.R.
before joining Gogol.

This ring any bells?

You don't understand.
I wasn't in operations.

I only worked with recruits.

But he wasn't Russian.

- Nice to meet you again.
- He was American.

Maybe Southern.

So he was undercover.

Where did you meet him,
here or somewhere overseas?

It was somewhere local.
Somewhere public.

Like a restaurant?
A hotel?

What are you doing here?

I'm meeting a friend for dinner.

Oh. I'm sorry.

Carla, this is bill Clay
of the department of defense.

Procurement department.

Nice to meet you, ma'am.

- Well, we should get going.
- Ma'am.

I didn't make much of it,

it was back then Amanda would meet
with a lot of government types.

Amanda and Ari?

Could Ari be a Division asset?

Percy sent me to kill him
a few years ago, so no.

Maybe Amanda's a Russian mole.

Cross-reference
Amanda's travel patterns

for the past ten years

with known sightings of Ari, please.

How the hell did this happen?

We're looking into it.

We didn't anticipate that Ms. Udinov
would take such a direct approach.

Just kill her.
Kill her now.

Sir, we need to be careful.

Like it or not, all the eyes
of the world are on us now,

not to mention
that we're on American soil.

She will ruin everything.

Which is why I have sent
a man to her room

with orders to stage an overdose.

To the world, this will look
as though young Alexandra

was overwhelmed by all the attention

and suffered a tragic relapse.

Just make sure it looks like
an accident,

for Katya's sake.

No crosses between Ari and Amanda.

If they've been meeting,
they've kept it on the down low.

I also charted recent Gogol activity,

looking for anything weird...
nada.

Last time we ran into Gogol was...

The gates house.
The attack on Oversight.

We'd assumed they'd tracked
a guardian to that location,

but what if they didn't?

How else would they have found it?

The only ones who knew were us and...

Amanda.

She's been working with the Russians?

That's why she wanted you dead.

You were the only one
who could connect the two,

identify the partnership,
even if you didn't know it.

I gotta warn Alex.

I'm in.

- And?
- She's in the shower.

Wait until she's out
before you subdue her.

Do you have the weapon?

500 milligrams uncut.

Six minutes to cardiac arrest,
three more to brain death.

I'll be clear in nine minutes.

Radio silence until it's done.

We'll have confirmation
in nine minutes.

While we wait, I'm going to check
on tomorrow's press conference.

Given the number of media requests,
we're going to need a larger venue.

*

I've got the recording.

Do you know
how you want to leak the video?

I have a few options.

Not as many as you think.

{pub}- You've got this all wrong.
- Really?

- I'm trying to help you.
- By killing me.

No, I'm on your side.
I can prove it.

Alex, this is Amanda.

Ari is telling the truth.

We've been...
We're working together.

We have been for a while.

All this tells me
is that everything you said

about protecting me has been a lie.

No, no.
I've been trying to help you.

By collaborating with a man
who's trying to kill me.

Ari has been working behind
the scenes to protect you.

I wasn't able to say anything

because I couldn't
compromise his safety.

His safety.

From what I understand,

you know all about the dangers
of living as a mole.

Alex, you have to believe us.

What do you think?

What do I...

Shh!

I don't trust him.
Ask him.

Why didn't he stop the guy
they sent to your room?

Why didn't you stop the guy
sent to my room?

Semak has been watching my every move.

That's why I came here...

To send a... a warning
to you through Amanda.

I'm facing knives at every turn.

- Must be tough.
- Alex,

I hate Semak just as much as you do,

and I've been working for
a long time to bring him down.

But I've had to move very carefully.

Amanda and I both have had
to move very carefully.

Believe me,
we all want the same thing.

Just kill her.
Kill her now.

An end to Sergei Semak.

It's been 14 minutes
since the last check-in.

Go to the room and see what happened.

And where is Tasarov?

He says the plan was to release

the video as evidence against Semak.

Alex, that plan only works
if you're dead.

Tell her I'm on my way.

We haven't much time.

As soon as they discover
that the hit has failed,

the backup plan goes into effect.

Backup plan?

There are men
all throughout the hotel.

They have orders to shoot to kill.

Won't that be a little bit
hard to cover up for the media?

Semak will just come up with a story.

You were mugged,
or a crazed fan broke in.

All he wants is to see you dead.
He'll clean up the mess later.

Listen, if you don't believe me.

The only way you leave here alive

is to let me guide you out.

Michael's on his way to you.

He won't make it in time.

Looks like I'm going to have
to trust this bastard.

Trust won't be necessary.

Put him on the phone with me.

Yes.

You're not the only one
who can make a recording, Ari.

I hate Semak just as much as you do,

and I've been working
for a long time to bring him down.

I hit one button,
this thing goes live

over the hotel's P.A. system.

Everyone in the building
will hear it, including Semak.

You got that?
Alex dies...

I die, yes, I understand.

Keep this channel open.

It will let you hear everything
going on in the command suite.

- Where am I headed?
- The sub-basement.

All the ground-floor exits
will be covered.

Your best bet
is the service driveway...

Two guards, both outside,
and avoid the elevators.

I wish you luck.

You better.

Hold on, hold on, you are not
gonna make a deal with him.

- Not now, Carla.
- He is Amanda's partner.

Alex, can you hear me?

You've been through worse, okay?

Yeah?
Refresh my memory.

- This ready to go?
- Just hit "send."

You hear that?
We got a gun to Ari's head.

He goes down, Amanda goes down too.

Without his bankroll,
Amanda will lose Division.

It is in their interest
for you to survive.

*

It's about damn time.

Your man is dead,
and Alexandra is gone.

Tell all units
we're moving to plan "B."

Make sure
the ground floor is covered.

She'll probably head there.

And can you scrabble
the hotel security cameras?

I want to make sure
Gogol can't see Alex.

Done.

I routed the real feeds here.

Guest rooms there,
service area there.

And I'll send the exterior
to the tablet.

Where'd you put it?

Carla, what are you doing?

Something I should have done
a long time ago.

I'm gonna destroy Amanda.

Wait, whoa.
Whoa, wait.

Lady, put that down now.

{pub}What about the stairs and elevators?

Units three and four,
head to the stairwells.

Start at the ground floor
and make your way up.

Cut all power to the elevators.

Is that what you want, Nikita?

You want to kill me to save Amanda?

Birkhoff, just put the gun down.

I can handle her.
Carla...

I hate to tell you this,
but your friend

is cuckoo for a certain cereal.

Birkhoff, just put it down
and disable the tablet, please.

I can't do that.

The audio file's already been
uploaded to the hotel system.

You see?

It's our only chance
while he's in that hotel.

If you do this,
Alex loses her support.

- She could die.
- Oh, come on.

You've already blinded the cameras.

Michael's on his way to help,
and from what I can see,

she is more than capable
of handling herself.

Wait.
Just wait.

Wait till I find out that she's okay.

We can't wait.

With Amanda, you will never know

when you're gonna get another shot.

She always finds a way out.

We have to take her down now.

Which bring us back to
"put my hardware down, bitch."

Tap into the hotel's cameras,
track any open radio frequencies,

and get me the agents on site.

I'll have it on the board right away.

No, feed it to my office.

- But how will we...
- In my office. Are we clear?

Yes, ma'am.

*

Units three and four, check in.

Heading to the laundry room.

*

Compliments of Amanda.

She's clear.

Good.
Keep them off her tail.

Copy.

The service entrance
is just up there.

I'll cover your back.

Carla, you have my word.
We will get Amanda...

We can't wait.
We will get Amanda.

You said so yourself,
"she's lost her funding."

If she hooks up with the
Russians, there will be no way

for me to save the program.

Save the program?

We get rid of Amanda,

and we can restore it
to what it once was.

I told you it can be saved.

We are so...
Far past that.

- There is no saving Division.
- Yes, there is.

We kill Amanda, and there is.

She pushes that button,
and Alex is out in the cold.

And we don't do that.

We don't leave our friends
to be Amanda's victims.

That's right.

Carla?

I am promising you...

We will get her.

Just let me make sure
that Alex is safe.

You've waited years.

Give me one day.

One.

Please.

Unit six, check out
service entrance "B".

*

Service entrance "B" is secure.

But she's heading outside.

Lock the exits.

*

We're Division.
Get in.

{pub}I know you all have been waiting.

Uh, my apologies.

Um, I'd like to begin by, uh...

Where is Alexandra Udinov?

The truth is, we don't know.

Uh, we were not able
to locate her this morning.

Clearly, this was an individual
who had been through a lot,

and, uh, it seems she decided
not to subject herself anymore...

- Look, there she is.
- Alexandra, Alexandra!

Thank you, Uncle Sergei,

not only for your hospitality

but for all of the years
of hard work.

You've taken care of Zetrov
as if it were your own.

But it's time for me to step up.

I would've preferred
to have done this

with my father and mother by my side.

But as Uncle Sergei has reminded me,

I can't have my family back.

But Nikolai Udinov founded Zetrov,

and I'm here to tell you...

An Udinov will run Zetrov once again.

Yes.

I thought she didn't want
the company.

She doesn't.

So what the hell is she doing?

She's declaring war.

No, I haven't spoken with her yet.

She's doing this on her own.

In which case, this has worked out

far better than we'd hoped.

Brings us back to our original plan.

If Alex is truly serious
about challenging Semak

for control of the company,

we're going to have to be
even more careful

now that she and Nikita
know about us.

Yes, but now we're aligned
against a common enemy, Semak.

Though I see your point.

You never know
what Nikita is going to do.

Hey.

Hey.

Look, about yesterday, I, uh...

You did what you had to do
for your friend.

And I made you a promise.

But, Carla, I can't expose
Ari and Amanda's relationship.

Not yet.

- I know.
- You do?

I told you,
Amanda always finds a way out.

She didn't.

With your girl pressing deeper
into the lion's den,

she's gonna need Ari and Amanda
to protect her.

Only until I can talk her out of it.

She's angry right now, so she's
not gonna want to back down.

I know how she feels.

You've been away a long time.

You don't know
what Division has become.

I know what I set out to do,

and I know it can be that way again.

I also know I was wrong.

I let my hatred for Amanda

get the better of me.

You were right, Wildflower.

I've got a lot to learn from you.

It's me.

I have to say,
I'm surprised you called.

Makes two of us.

I need your help.

What about Nikita?

Let me be clear about this, Percy.

We're going to reboot the program
and put it on the right course.

- We're making heroes, right?
- Absolutely.

We'll be partners again
just like we used to be.

But this time
you're gonna know better

than to listen to someone like Amanda

because we are defined
by the company we keep...

Like Amanda and Ari.

Tasarov?

They're working together.

Course.

But not that Nikita will use
that information to help us.

She says that other priorities
are more important.

Nothing is more important
than Division.

That's why I'm coming to you...

Because you're the only one
who understands that.

Division must be saved.