"Nikita" Season 3 has already proven eventful, with Team Nikita back inside Division's walls, Michael (Shane West) and Nikita (Maggie Q) engaged, Alex (Lyndsy Fonseca) relapsing into drug addiction and, most recently, the loss of Michael's hand -- all in the first eight episodes.
This season has also introduced Devon Sawa as a series regular, and luckily for fans of the troubled Cleaner-turned-rogue, we'll be seeing a lot more of him as the year progresses. HuffPost TV caught up with Sawa via phone to discuss what's coming up for Owen, his chemistry with Nikita (and Alex), and how much of an issue his amnesia will be in upcoming episodes.
This week's episode sees Owen and Nikita out in the field. What else can you preview about it?
Michael, because of this situation with his hand and him learning to deal with that and deal with his new way of life, steps back and takes over Division. He coaches Owen because Owen is not used to working with a partner. He’s not good at this stuff yet and that’s where Michael comes in. We’re chasing this guy Ray who is basically breaking one of the cardinal rules for Division, and that’s contacting your previous life. He is looking for his old girlfriend and we’re really concerned that everyone is going to find out this guy that’s supposed to be dead is actually alive and that might out Division. We’re racing against the clock and Michael is overseeing the whole thing. Owen's just trying to learn how to be a partner, how to not be solo. He has some brutish ways -- he likes to go in loud and finish things off -- and Michael wants him to try a different approach.
Are you in Episode 10, with Nikita running off on a rogue mission?
I'm not, I disappear again for a while -- just for the next two [episodes]. But after the next two, I’m in for five or six [episodes]. It’s nice. They bring me in, they beat me up, and they send me away to recover. Just when I’m recovered, they bring me in and beat me up again. [Laughs.]
Last week, Owen and Michael had a pretty heated conversation. I want to give you the benefit of the doubt and say that Owen was trying to provoke Michael into being able to make a fist, but is that how you approached the scene, or was he just calling Michael out?
I think he was really looking to call Michael out. The way that I have been playing it at this point and actually up until this episode -- there really isn’t any romance with Nikita and Owen yet. I think that Owen, because of this past life, he’s got a lot of love for her in this respectful way. He went up to Michael and said, “Hey dude, you’ve got to open your eyes. This girl is great and you’re crossing the line. This is my friend.” That’s how it is right now. Who knows? It could change in the future, but I think that Owen is just calling him out. I think Owen has a lot of respect for Michael.
Are he and Michael ever going to find common ground? I kind of dug it when they were buddies in Amsterdam.
We’ll see. I think Michael has some hills and valleys to go through and we’ll see if Owen and Michael get along. I think they might.
Owen and Alex bonded a little over their tattoos a few episodes back. Do you have any storylines coming up with Lyndsy?
I do. There is one episode that we’re stepping out to do some stuff together. We have some cool moments, and we’ll see what happens there. It’s always fun working with Lyndsy. We’re out in the car together for a day doing some scenes in this car. It’s the first time I got to do that kind of stuff with her, and it was a lot of fun. She’s really a cool girl.
They're similar characters in a lot of ways; both have experience with drugs and detoxing. Is that an aspect of their relationship we'll see in upcoming episodes?
We’ll see. I can’t say. [Laughs.] We’ve got some big Lyndsy stuff coming up for sure. It’s going to be exciting. The big thing right now is I’m literally waiting for the e-mail to come through and it’s going to come in either today or tomorrow for the script that goes into Owen’s past. I’m on pins and needles and I know Owen is coming in and we’re going to explore that. It’s exciting for me just to sit here and just wait for that chime from the iPad.
Owen's still an outsider, although Ryan tried to bring him into the fold last week. Are we going to see him integrating into the gang a little more?
I think Shane's been calling it the Superfriends -- or the Justice League. Owen goes off and he’s doing something else, but yeah, he joins the Justice League or the Superfriends. It’s really cool. Every once in a while, we have a day where the entire cast comes in and it has that feel of the Superfriends. You know, Lyndsy’s there, and Aaron [Stanford] and everybody comes in -- it’s got that feeling that "Everybody’s here, the whole cast is here.” Those are always the exciting days.
I talked to Shane recently and he said you have some good flashback scenes coming up. Can you tease anything for them?
I have some big stuff with Ari that is coming up and Peter Outerbridge is [amazing] … it’s Owen and Ari in a locked room just going head to head and some stuff gets dropped. There is going to be some big stuff that’s revealed and then it goes into this next episode that I’m waiting on.
Amanda was obviously pretty interested in Owen a few episodes ago. Is she still pursuing him with that same level of intensity?
At this point, I’m still trying to find Amanda. I’m pretty sure that the next episode that I am getting is going to have something to do with Amanda because she’s got the key to what went down.
How much of a role will his amnesia play in upcoming episodes. Have you been shooting much involving that so far?
No, it comes in and out. It doesn’t really affect him in certain episodes ... When the Ari episode comes up, then you’ve got questions for Ari. It comes up again and then it disappears. I’m just as excited as everyone else to get this next script and figure out what’s going down.
Is there anything else you can preview that you're particularly excited for fans to see?
I’m excited for people to see the Alex and Owen stuff. I’m excited for the Owen and Ari stuff and then, there is a bunch of Nikita and Owen episodes where we are just off doing our thing. The writers have really stepped it up this year and the casting directors have stepped it up. The guest cast that comes in is incredible. The guy that played Carl (Damon Runyan) was really great to work with. They guy that played Liam, Pedro Pascal, in the last episode ... we have really good guest stars come in. It’s cool.
"Nikita" airs Fridays at 8 p.m. EST on The CW.
Would you rather see Owen with Nikita, Alex or neither? What do you think Amanda's plan for Owen involves? Weigh in below!
