Posted by Jonathan Klotz | Published
Before he became the founder of The Honest Company, previously Fantastic Foureven before he was there HoneyJessica Alba burst onto the scene as Max Guevera, a former child-enhanced soldier who works with a group of underground hackers and mercenaries in the near-future dystopian Seattle. That's James Cameron's setting Dark Angelthe hottest and most expensive series of the 2000s.
No one could have guessed that this would be Cameron's next move The Titanicbut what was predicted even at that time was that Fox would mishandle the show. That's exactly what happened, and today, it's almost impossible to find a copy of Alba's breakout hit.
Dark Angel Switched Gears Between Seasons
In the year 2000, you could throw a rock and hit a female-led action series. Buffy Vampire Slayer, Xena: Princess Warrior, VIPagain X files they were in the air. They were all instant classics, but James Cameron delivered Dark Angel an edge others did not have. Max didn't hesitate to throw a punch, it turns out that violence is often the solution. During his secret war against the Manticore, an evil government organization that tainted his DNA and raised him as a child soldier (think Marvel Weapon X), Max is willing to commit brutality to accomplish his mission.
The series begins with Max neglecting his job and his life as a messenger, until the journalist activist, Logan (played by the future who looks very young. NCIS Agent DiNozzo, portrayed by Michael Weatherly), is injured in a job he refuses and is now in a wheelchair. Max starts a war with Logan who serves as “the man in the chair,” and much of the fun of the series comes from their interactions, though “they're going to do it, aren't they?” he gets tired because yes, yes he will, and we all know that.
Even the standalone monster-of-the-week episodes are tied to the larger mythology arc of taking down the Manticore. Dark Angel Season 1 is pulpy sci-fi fun with cheesy stunts, technobabble, and, after a multi-million dollar pilot, cheap special effects. Season 2 changes direction with the introduction of Alec (Supernatural Jensen Ackles, years before he follows the 1967 Chevy Impala), Max's planned breeding partner, replaces him as a co-worker as they burn down secret labs, free child soldiers, and deal with various mutants tied to the cult of breeding.
Out of Action for Decades
Dark Angel it's not really a cyberpunk series. An argument can be made because there are hackers, secret government programs, supersoldiers with animal DNA, and everyone who hangs out at a bar/delivery company. What's missing is the random neon light.
Of course, when a sci-fi series becomes a hit, Fox has to contend with it somehow. The network argued that the series often went over budget and set a tight cap Dark Angel second season at $1.4 million. Two days after informing the cast and crew that Season 3 had been greenlit, Fox reversed course and canceled the show, citing low ratings as the reason. The switch from eliminating Manticore to dealing with a mutant cult caused the show to lose viewers, and moving to Fox's Friday night slot from its previous Tuesday night slot didn't help matters.
Why You Can't Watch Dark Angel Today
Like many shows made before broadcast was possible, Dark Angel The music rights have remained anonymous and legally undistributed in the United States for over twenty years. The only way to legally watch it now is if you own the out-of-print DVD sets.
It's a shame, since the series still has a following more than 20 years later, and in a perfect world, Jessica Alba's Max would be seen alongside Cameron's other leading ladies: Sigourney Weaver's Ripley and Linda Hamilton's Sarah Conner.
