JURGEN FROM THE TV SERIES LA FEMME NIKITA

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by Ariel

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Bruce Payne as Jurgen from the TV series La Femme Nikita

"Don't Leave Me"by CMoon "La Femme Nikita" by Steffi

"Special Forces" by CMoon

Jurgen is our absolutely most favorite Bruce Payne hero role. Appearing in three episodes ("Spec Ops," "Third Person," and "Approaching Zero") in the 1998 season, Jurgen was voted the most popular character that year, tying with Nikita. We understand why. Let us tell you the reasons.

The world of Nikita (Peta Wilson) is dark. She and Jurgen and many others have been coerced into participating in a secret world of spies and operatives run by Section, a secret branch of an unspecified government, probably the U.S. Though supposedly the good guys, the operatives often are called upon to take part in actions that are morally questionable. It is a world of mystery and intrigue, of cat-and-mouse games, both within and without Section.

After escaping from Section and coming back, Nikita pretends that she was held captive by one of the terrorist organizations. Jurgen JurgenNikita1 is brought in to rehabilitate her and also to see if she is telling the truth. Even though he figures out that she is lying, he tells her that her secret is safe with him. Why? Partly because he is falling in love with Nikita and partly because he knows that she is one of the few operatives that Section has not crushed and turned into an automaton. He and Nikita may not be free to live the way they want (Section holds them captive by means of threats; if they leave, they die) but they both have psychological freedom. Section cannot control their minds. This freedom Jurgen values above all else. He is ultimately a man of personal integrity, regardless of what he is required to do by Section.

The character of Jurgen, as portrayed by Bruce, is mysterious and complex. At first he is quietly intimidating, with an intensity that takes over the screen and upstages everyone else except Nikita, and sometimes even her (not a easy feat to upstage gorgeous and dynamic Peta Wilson). The sexual tension between him and Nikita slowly grows. One male viewer said of this interplay that whenever Michael (Nikita’s love interest among the regular cast) was onscreen, he impatiently wished for Michael to go away so he could see Jurgen and Nikita together. So much more interesting than emotionless Michael.

The developing romance with Nikita kept fans glued expectantly to the screen over the entire three episodes of this story. When Jurgen finally gets to kiss Nikita, the collective sigh could be heard round the TV world. Female fans got two treats--the steamy kiss and Bruce without his shirt (how did he get that shirt off with only one hand, while holding Nikita with the other?!) Any woman who doesn’t think this scene sizzles needs to put herself in a microwave and set it on "Thaw!"

Besides getting to show how sexy he can be, Bruce also gets to show his versatility as an actor in LFN. As Jurgen becomes more enamoured of Nikita, for example, he opens up to her emotionally in a way that Michael never has. Our male viewer, who had only seen Bruce playing villains Jacob Kell and Charles Rane, was astonished at Bruce’s ability to show vulnerability. "Another discovery (at least for me) about Bruce Payne," he writes," the man can show emotional vulnerability! I wouldn't have thought him capable of it based on his Jacob Kell character, but that just goes to show that he is a good actor, who can really inhabit the characters that he plays." Bruce indeed portrays many emotions in these three episodes—tenderness, longing, sadness, grief, desire, concern, anger, determination—all of them convincingly. It is an acting tour de force for Bruce.
JurNik2

Bruce Payne’s portrayal of Jurgen not only demonstrates what an excellent actor he is, it shows what a terrific hero he makes. Flawed, with a shady past, but ultimately heroic, noble, and self-sacrificing, Jurgen is one of the most fascinating and appealing roles that Bruce has played. No wonder that his portrayal led to a 1998 web site entitled "Jurgen is a god." That works for us.

Read The Jurgen Chronicles: Jurgen: The Saga Continues