Nikki Banks, The Returned

Nikki Banks (Agnes Bruckner)

Supernatural drama series The Returned, an American adaptation of the 2012 French series Les Revenants, followed the residents of a small town whose lives were disrupted when dead people began to reappear. Nikki Banks was a police officer who had to deal with all the issues surrounding the returned.

Through flashbacks it was revealed that Julie and police officer Nikki used to be a couple seven years before, until Julie was attacked and stabbed several times. The attack left Julie traumatized and the relationship fell apart. In present day, due to different circumstances concerning the returned, they kept running into each other and started to grow closer again.

In episode 5 Nikki was seen making out in bed with a woman named Marie until she received a phone call telling her she needed to get to work. After receiving information that Victor, a young boy staying with Julie, was one of the returned, Nikki went over to Julie’s apartment to check up on her.

The two of them admitted they missed each other, shared a kiss, and almost had sex before they were interrupted by Victor. Victor had the power to cause other people to see visions, and Nikki tried to convince Julie he was dangerous but she didn’t want to listen.

Victor, not appreciating Nikki’s attempts to turn Julie against him, made her see a vision of Julie telling her how awful she was and how she couldn’t protect her in the past and wouldn’t be able to protect her in present day, and Nikki was then pushed down the stairs. The real Julie found them and Nikki was rushed to the hospital. Julie came back to the hospital while Nikki was being discharged, told her Victor was gone and it was all over, and they shared a kiss.

The show was cancelled after one season.

Appearances:

• 9 episodes. (Credited for 10 episodes)

Female love interests:

• Julie Han (Sandrine Holt, lesbian, regular 10 episodes)
• Marie (Hannah Levien, lesbian, guest 2 episodes)

Relationship story arc with a woman: Yes

No male love interests

Relationship story arc with a man: No

Male love interest after being identified as a lesbian? No

Filter Relationship Arc:

• Female (Regular)

Storyline during sweeps? No

[1] A relationship story arc is defined as explicit, developed on screen, and lasting more than 3 episodes. It is listed as questionable or subtext if romance is only implied, mentioned instead of shown on screen, part of a dream sequence, or otherwise not explicit for the viewer.
[2] Sweeps episodes air in February, May, July and November, the periods when advertising rates are set. A character is marked as "sweeps" when there is a very limited number of episodes that address their sexuality, all air during sweeps period, and the storyline is otherwise ignore/dropped.