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Were Operations and Madeline psychopaths?


They seemed to have no conscience or remorse in sending operatives to their deaths or killing innocent people.

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I think Madeline was certainly sociopathic. There is no evidence whatsoever of empathy or real emotional content other than frustration and anger, both emotions sociopaths are capable of understanding and feeling. She was easily capable of torture, killing, and emotional manipulation, and showed no remorse or

Operations on the other hand, I think wasn't pyscho or socio-pathic, but had learned the hard way to suppress most of his emotions, but its obvious from some of the episodes (and I'll need someone who knows the show better than I do to point the episodes), where his interactions with Madeline show he is in love with her. He seems like someone who has lost his way, and is capable of making hard decisions, but seems to have some semblance of humanity

Madeline knows without Operations, she is dead. He is the only person she is scared of enough/has enough respect for to obey his orders. Plus she too would be cancelled if she overstepped her boundaries.

Trying to figure Michael out is far more interesting.....

Please allow me to introduce myself. I'm a man of wealth and taste......

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Agreed.

Michael is a bit of a mystery, but to me he isn't sociopathic or psychotic because of the things he did to keep Nikita safe whilst in Section - demonstrating empathy, compassion and love. I think he is more like Operations, he has learnt to suppress his feelings for the sake of his job. He comes across as a depressed, miserable guy still holding onto hope for the future.

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Well said. I agree with your assessment. Yes, Operations was not a sociopath or psychopathic or psychotic. He had genuine love for his son, Madeline, and even sacrificed for Michael's son. Aside from Nikita's story, Operations' story was the most tragic IMO (prisoner of war, initially a hero and good guy, forced into that life, ending up as a life-long prisoner away from his family). And interestingly, Operations and Nikita had opposing trajectories that came full circle.

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Michael emulated a sociopath like wearing a mask and he was also emotionally scarred, but he was not a sociopath. Operations was not either, but he was ruthless and all about the ends justifying the means. Madeline is the only one that was probably a sociopath. She was likely born that way (though some are "made"). But she killed her sister when they were children, seemingly without remorse, demonstrating that she may have always been that way. However, even Madeline having been a sociopath is up for debate. She may have been wearing a mask similar to Michael, but even more extreme. Also, they revised the character of Madeline several times during the course of the series, keeping her very engimatic - or one might say written inconsistently.

Also, some of the operatives were sociopaths themselves which is why they were recruited: no conscience, ruthless efficiency at killing, etc.

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