Paul and Madeline

[swatkat]

Since we were talking about harshness - are we, the Michael/Nikita fans, too harsh when it comes to Paul and Madeline? Even those of us who actually like and admire them (including myself)? We're always going on about their cruelty and how Michael or Nikita (Nikita for me *g*) would've done a better job as Operations - why is that so? Now that we know all about Oversight and Centre, wasn't what Paul and Madeline did for their own survival, just like the way Michael and Nikita fought to survive in Section? And what is the guarantee that Michael and Nikita wouldn't do the exact same things when they got the power? Your thoughts here. *g*

Nell, tell me why Nikita wouldn't fall in the same trap as Paul in order to survive.

Comments

Ahh - 'those' ideals -

[nell65.livejournal.com]

Few for the many?

Just because Nikita holds a different view of an undecided ethical question than you do doesn't make her 'unrealistically idealistic.' It just means you don't agree.

Section operatives should be allowed more freedom?

When did she say that? The only thing I could find, where she gave an explicit statement about what she wanted to do to improve section, in S5 was this:

Nikita to O'Brien: "Such as doing away with some of the worst features in this place. The constant surveillance, the use of abeyance operatives, that sort of thing."

Easing up on the constant surveillance I can get behind - it was invasive (and undoubtely expensive) and didn't seem to do a whole hell of a lotta good anyway.

Eliminating abeyance operatives? I think she was wrong about that - and would discover quickly as she gained more authority that you have to have some way to make sure expected losses are least damaging to your resources. But she must have had some kind of theory about how the Sections would operate without it, and I'd love to hear it....and even though I suspect it wouldn't work, you never know until you try.

There is life outside Section?

For who? For herself? She said several times from S2 on that she *didn't* think there was any life outside Section for her, and ultimately accepted her own life tenure in Section as a given.

I know this thread was about Madeline and Paul - but I've been curious about what exactly you meant for a while. Thanks for taking the time to answer me - I suspected I wouldn't see whatever it was in the same way as you do, of course, but it's good to know the specifics. *g*