Nikita is a sexy and suspenseful series featuring international action star Maggie Q in the title role, as a trained assassin gone rogue.  This high-octane drama returns for a third season from 3^rd November 2015 at 21:00 on SABC3.  

As a deeply troubled teenager, Nikita (Maggie Q – Live Free or Die Hard, Mission: Impossible 3) was rescued from death row by a secret U.S. agency known only as Division. They faked her execution, claiming she was being given a second chance, the opportunity to begin a new life while serving her country.

They took her to a hidden facility and trained her to be a spy and assassin. Yet despite her grueling training, she never lost her humanity and soon realized that she had been betrayed by the only people she thought she could trust, that Division was a corrupt organization carrying out unspeakable killings and crimes across the globe. So Nikita did what no one else before her had been able to — she escaped from Division and went rogue, exposing their covert operations, destroying their plans and trying to right their wrongs.

In addition to Maggie Q, NIKITA stars Shane West (ER, Once and Again, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), Lyndsy Fonseca (Kick-Ass, Hot Tub Time Machine, Five, Desperate Housewives), Aaron Stanford (X2, X-Men: The Last Stand, The Hills Have Eyes), Noah Bean (Damages, The Vow), Dillon Casey (The Vampire Diaries, Valemont), Devon Sawa (Final Destination, Slackers) with Melinda Clarke (The O.C., The Vampire Diaries, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation).

Two years after going rogue, Nikita now finds herself working for a new Division, fighting alongside a team of allies she’s gathered throughout her adventures. They have vowed to clean up the mess left behind by the old Division — including rogue spies and violent assassins — in fact, Nikita is hunting down killers as skilled as she is.

Nikita is teamed with Michael (West), the man who trained her and the man who loves her. A stalwart soldier in the fight, Michael is determined to build a life for himself and Nikita, a life beyond the turmoil of their “day jobs.” Also on their team is Alex (Fonseca), Nikita’s protégé, a girl with a violent past who was torn from a life of wealth and comfort as a Russian heiress, and has shared taste for vengeance. Alex has turned away from her old life to help Nikita, as has Birkhoff (Stanford), Division’s former tech specialist, also known as an elusive hacker called “Shadowwalker.” Birkhoff had built himself a large (and illegal) financial portfolio when Nikita caught up with him and enlisted him in the fight against Division. Birkhoff was reluctant at first, but he has always held a soft spot for Nikita and soon relented. Now he’s in charge of designing new gadgets and gear for their team.

Also joining the fight is Owen (Sawa), a former “cleaner” for the black ops group of Division. A highly skilled assassin, Owen not only shares a connection with Nikita, but he’s the key to unlocking Division’s deep dark past — he also hopes to determine a few things about his own past. Ex–Navy SEAL Sean Pierce (Casey) is on the team as well, after being assigned to monitor Division by powerful forces in Washington. Along the way, Sean started falling for Alex, but now he’s wondering if keeping Division open is a good idea … for either of them.

The war against Division’s demons is led by Ryan Fletcher (Bean), a former CIA analyst whose life has been saved by Nikita. Fletcher made a deal with the U.S. president to keep Division running, with the understanding that it would be cleaned up quickly and quietly — or else. As the third season begins, Ryan has taken charge with Nikita by his side. In this an all-new Division — their Division — the first mission under the new regime is to bring in “The Dirty Thirty,” the rogue agents who failed to respond to the recall after Percy (former series star Xander Berkeley), Division’s ruthless mastermind, was killed.

But bringing in the rogue agents and destroying Division will be no easy task with Amanda (Clarke) at large in the world. Formerly Division’s second-in-command, she manipulated her way into its top spot just in time for Nikita to take her down. Now Amanda’s out for vengeance herself, and her ties to Nikita run deep. She taught Nikita how to walk, how to talk … and how to kill. Nikita was her star pupil at Division, and Amanda is not quite finished teaching Nikita a lesson.

Nikita is executive produced by Craig Silverstein (Bones, K-Ville), David Levinson (21 Jump Street, The Commish), McG (Supernatural, Chuck, Human Target, The O.C., Terminator Salvation, Charlie’s Angels films, This Means War), Peter Johnson (Supernatural, Chuck, Human Target), Danny Cannon (Dark Blue, CSI series) and Carlos Coto (Heroes, 24, The Pretender, The Dead Zone, NCIS). Nikita was nominated for a 2011 Primetime Emmy® Award for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series, a People’s Choice Award for Favorite New TV Drama and a Teen Choice Award for Favorite New TV Show: Action.

Meet the Division:

MAGGIE Q

Nikita

Actress, humanitarian, and international spokesperson Maggie Q stars as Nikita. She was nominated for a 2011 Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress: Action for her portrayal. Born in Hawaii to an American father and Vietnamese mother, Maggie began her career as a model in Tokyo, and soon found herself bursting onto the Hong Kong movie scene, eventually becoming a full-fledged superstar in Asia. Previous film credits include Priest, with Paul Bettany and Cam Gigandet; Balls of Fury, with Christopher Walken and George Lopez; Live Free or Die Hard, with Bruce Willis; Mission: Impossible 3, with Tom Cruise; and Around the World in 80 Days, with Jackie Chan, Steve Coogan and Jim Broadbent. Maggie also appeared in the Chinese epic Warrior and the Wolf, directed by award-winning director Zhuangzhuang Tian, and the critically acclaimed Chinese feature Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon, opposite Andy Lau, for director Daniel Lee. In addition to her charitable work with human rights associations like Wild Aid, Maggie is an advocate for animal rights and a long-time supporter of PETA and Best Friends.

LYNDSY FONSECA

Alex

Lyndsy Fonseca stars in Nikita as Alex, a young woman with a troubled past who is now leading a double life. Fonseca was nominated for a 2011 Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress: Action for her portrayal of Alex. A stunning and talented young actress, Fonseca quickly grabbed attention as one of Hollywood’s vibrant talents. Her film credits include Hot Tub Time Machine, opposite John Cusack, Chevy Chase and Crispin Glover, and in Matthew Vaughn’s hit action-comedy Kick-Ass, with Nicolas Cage, Aaron Johnson, Chloe Moretz, Mark Strong and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. Fonseca reprised her role of Katie Deauxma in Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall. Fonseca also appeared in the Lifetime movie Five, which consists of five short films directed by Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore and Penelope Spheeris, among others, and starred in the John Carpenter–directed thriller The Ward, opposite Amber Heard and Mamie Gummer. No stranger to television, Fonseca starred on the hit series Desperate Housewives, opposite Dana Delaney and Nathan Fillion, and has had recurring roles on Big Love and top-rated comedy How I Met Your Mother. Other television credits include Boston Public, CSI, House and Heroes. Fonseca began her career on the daytime drama The Young and the Restless, in which she starred for three years. Born in Northern California, Fonseca began acting at the age of 13 and hasn’t looked back since. She currently lives in Los Angeles, when not filming Nikita in Toronto.

SHANE WEST

Michael

Shane West stars in Nikita as Michael, who, after taking down the corrupt regimen running Division, is now intent on rebuilding the agency under a new leader, while also trying to build a normal life with his love, Nikita (Maggie Q). West won a 2011 Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actor: Action for his role as Michael. No stranger to television, West starred as the atypical Dr. Ray on the long-running series ER, and is well-known as Eli on the drama series Once and Again, for which he was nominated for a Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actor – Drama. On the big screen, West starred as the legendary Los Angeles punk Darby Crash of The Germs in the independent film What We Do Is Secret, which has garnered a cult following and critics’ praise. West won the Philadelphia Film Festival’s Rising Star Award for his work in What We Do Is Secret and the remaining original members of The Germs, including Foo Fighter’s guitarist Pat Smear, were so taken with West’s portrayal that they invited him to join them on tour as lead singer of the re-formed band. West also starred in the feature film The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. West was awarded a nomination for the Cinescape Genre Face of the Future Award for his performance. He also starred in the feature A Walk to Remember, for which he was awarded a Teen Choice Award. West’s other credits include Liberty Heights, A Time for Dancing, Get Over It, Whatever It Takes and The Presence. Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, West became passionate for acting at an early age, and has received accolades for his work on both the big and small screens, including the Young Hollywood Award for Superstar of Tomorrow. His career really took off with his co-starring role in the Mark Taper Forum stage production of The Cider House Rules. West garnered great praise for his debut stage role of Angel.

AARON STANFORD

Birkhoff

Aaron Stanford stars in Nikita as Birkhoff, a computer genius and nonconformist who reluctantly teamed up with Nikita (Maggie Q) and Michael (Shane West) to right the wrongs of Division. An actor who consistently brings intensity and intelligence to his work, Stanford received critical acclaim for his feature film debut in Tadpole. Since this breakout performance, he has continued to tackle a variety of roles in films, including a starring role in Winter Solstice, for which he received the Rising Star of Tomorrow Award at the Hamptons Film Festival, and supporting roles in David Mamet’s Spartan, Woody Allen’s Hollywood Endings and Spike Lee’s 25th Hour. Stanford starred in the independent film Cake Eaters, which was also the directorial debut of Mary Stuart Masterson and premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. Stanford’s other film credits include X-Men 2, X-Men: The Last Stand, the remake of Wes Craven’s thriller The Hills Have Eyes, Flakes, and Live Free or Die. (Note: This film has a similar title to Live Free or Die Hard, which Maggie Q starred in, but is quite different.) Stanford also produced and starred in Runaway, which was an official selection at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival. Stanford’s television credits include a starring role in the series Traveler, a recurring role in Third Watch and guest appearances in Mad Men, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Numb3rs. He began his career with an intense focus in stage performance, beginning with local theatre in his Massachusetts hometown and continuing with work at the London Academy of Theatre. He returned to the stage in 2004 to star in the Vineyard Theatre’s off-Broadway production of Where Do We Live, for which he received rave reviews. A graduate of Rutgers University in New Jersey, Stanford resides in Los Angeles.

NOAH BEAN

Ryan

Noah Bean stars in Nikita as Ryan Fletcher, the ex-CIA agent who has now taken over Division. Best known to audiences as David Connor from Damages, Bean’s other television credits include recurring roles on the drama series Dark Blue and Lipstick Jungle. He also had guest-starring roles on series Once Upon a Time, Cold Case, Private Practice, Fringe, Medium, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Numb3rs, Crumbs, Joan of Arcadia and Law & Order: SVU, among others. On the feature side, Bean was seen as the male lead in the romantic comedy The Pill. For his work in the film, Bean received the New York Emerging Talent Award at the Big Apple Film Festival; the film received a number of other awards on the festival circuit and was released theatrically last year. Other recent film credits include Little Murder, Morning Glory and the horror satire Hysterical Psycho, which premiered at the TriBeCa Film Festival in 2009. In 2005, Bean appeared in the Marc Forster film Stay. He can be seen as the male lead in the independent feature Black Marigolds. On the New York stage, Bean starred at the New Group in an adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ One Arm. He also starred in The Rise and Fall of Annie Hall, Stage 13, co-founded with Dan Fogler and several other New York–based actors. Previously, Bean starred in David Henry Hwang’s Yellow Face. Other New York theater credits include starring roles in Kid Simple, Amerika, Crazy Jane on God, Moon Children, Mary Rose, Voyage of the Carcass and The Mapmaker’s Sorrow. Bean’s regional theater credits include Lanford Wilson’s classic Fifth of July, at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Bus Stop, at the Huntington Theater (for which Bean was nominated for both an Elliot Norton Award and an IRNE Award), Romance, Our Town, A Christmas Carol, The Winter’s Tale, Philadelphia, Here I Come! and Love’s Labour’s Lost. Daily Variety’s 2006 review of Love’s Labour’s Lost writes, “Bean is captivating, delivering the play’s best speeches with clarity, thought and assured grace.” A native of Mystic, Connecticut, Bean is a graduate of Boston University’s School of Fine Arts. His training also includes the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).

MELINDA CLARKE

Amanda

Melinda Clarke stars in Nikita as Amanda, a gorgeous master manipulator who continues to exercise her mind games and manipulations while at large in the world outside Division. Clarke is most well-known for her role as the materialistic and conniving Julie Cooper in the smash series The O.C. She also appeared in a recurring role on hit series The Vampire Diaries and guest starred on Entourage and Chuck. Clarke has spent a career playing out-of-the-norm characters, including the recurring role of Lady Heather on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and gaining cult status around the world for the roles of Velasca on Xena: Warrior Princess and Jessica Priest in the feature Spawn. Other feature credits include Mulholland Falls, Young Goodman Brown, Cold Sweat, Murder.com, Critic’s Choice, Return of the Living Dead, Hot Under the Collar and The Killer Tongue. Clarke began her career as a series regular on the daytime drama Days of Our Lives. Other television credits include roles in Jerry Bruckheimer’s Special Ops Force, Aaron Spelling’s Heaven Help Us, Seinfeld, Nash Bridges, The District, First Monday, Sliders, Likely Suspects, The George Carlin Show, Strangeluck and Eli Stone. Clarke also has an extensive musical theater background that includes roles in The Music Man, Oklahoma, West Side Story, The Sound of Music, Hello Dolly and The Fantastiks.  Her dramatic stage credits include the critically acclaimed Vicious, The Elephant Man, Lie of the Mind and Dark of the Moon.

DILLON CASEY

Sean

Dillon Casey stars in Nikita as Sean Pierce, an ex–Navy SEAL who continues working with Division to be near Alex (Lyndsy Fonseca), who he has fallen for — despite his questions about Alex’s reasons for staying with Nikita (Maggie Q). Prior to his role in Nikita, Casey is perhaps best known for his role as Trevor Lemonde on the television series MVP. He has also guest-starred on other television series such as The Vampire Diaries, Valemont, Being Erica, Warehouse 13 and Torchwood and appearing in theaters in the romantic comedy The Vow, alongside Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum. Casey was raised in Oakville, Ontario. He attended McGill University in Montreal and received his BSc. in environmental science, and a Masters Degree in economics from the University of Toronto. With his two brothers, Conor and Lyndon, Casey formed Films Dunproppa. Teaming up with others — including musician Jay McCarrol, Daniel Palermo and James Gallagher of Ryerson University, Annie Bowker and MVP’s Anastasia Phillips — they won first place in 2006’s 24-Hour Toronto Film Challenge with their short film titled A Rare Affair. Casey was the lead in the film. Casey studies Bak Fu Pai Kung Fu in Los Angeles, the school where Bruce Lee learned the one-inch punch, also known as White Tiger Kung Fu.

DEVON SAWA

Owen

Devon Sawa stars in Nikita as Owen, a former Guardian who has returned to Division to help Nikita (Maggie Q) take down “The Dirty 30,” while trying to find out information about his own past. Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sawa discovered a love for acting in kindergarten and began booking national commercials. He has been working steadily since. On the big screen, Sawa has appeared in the feature films Final Destination, Idle Hands, Little Giants, Casper, Now and Then, Wild America, Slackers and SLC Punk! Additional film credits include Extreme Dating, Shooting Gallery, Devil’s Den, Creature of Darkness, Endure, 388 Arletta Avenue and The Sibling. Sawa, who began his role on Nikita as a guest star, has also guest starred on NCIS: Los Angeles and in the animated series Spider-Man. He also starred as the title character in Eminem’s popular music video “Stan.” Sawa currently resides in Los Angeles, California, with his hound.

Don’t miss Nikita, every Tuesdays at 9.00pm from 3 November 2015. Find it on SABC3