"When Push Comes to Shove" reveals a lot about Nina and the heavy baggage she carries with her every day.

It’s really no wonder that Nina pushes people the way she does, considering her past. She came from a home where her parents never stopped fighting, and eventually, when her powers manifested, her pushing got so painful that her father ended up slitting his wrists.

And, because of it, Nina has never really been herself. She has constantly surrounded herself with people that fit whatever image she decided she wanted to be at the time, and instead of sticking it out with the Alphas - where she was finally beginning to make progress - she splits and makes use of her pushing as a defense mechanism again.

In an effort to mask that pain, Nina turns to the one person who was able to break through her shell before she relied on pushing: her childhood friend Tommy.

Sadly, what’s old isn’t new again, and Nina pushes Tommy and his entire family into a story that mirrors her own family in a way, only this time Daddy gets to leave. The interesting twist from all of this actually comes from Nina herself: Nina’s powers work on her as well. She’s actually pushing herself to believe in this relationship, and whenever she’s having doubts or spiraling towards a depression Nina will push herself into a different headspace. She is literally convincing herself otherwise.

It’s no wonder the government fears her. Nina can do whatever she wants. She might now have the brawn, but she has the brains, and Nina had no problem playing the entire team on her terms: covertly pushing Rosen to get off her case, pushing Cameron to make her quick escape and forcing Rachel to make out with her.

I momentarily wondered if this was the end of Nina. This episode has been so painful for her, and it certainly looked like, to her, that her only option was to commit suicide. Thankfully, Cameron is quick on his feet.

Other thoughts:

• Rachel and John’s relationship took a turn of the positive in record fashion. John is self-conscious about the burns he suffered from his tour of duty and therefore wants to take things slow. That sounds like the perfect pace for Rachel to me.
• The ending scene with Rosen and Nina was wonderful. Nina can’t trust herself, but Rosen trusts her and takes off her bandages. In many ways, Rosen is the father that Nina hasn’t had in a very long time. The same case can be made for all of the Alphas.

What did you think of tonight’s Alphas?