There are only a handful of shows that I hold very dear to my heart; Dark Angel is undeniably one of those shows. The series only ran for two seasons, but it left an immense impact on my TV viewing experience. In fact, I’m still very much in love with the show 16 years after its cancellation, which speaks volumes as to how extraordinary a world (and vision) James Cameron brought to life.
This hour is a tremendous achievement as a pilot; it impressively lays out a vast new world and a sprawling cast of characters without seeming like a monumental exposition dump. In fact, the pilot wastes absolutely no time getting into the thick of things and getting us acclimated to its world within the span of five minutes. The premise is simple: a young girl escapes captivity from a covert government project straight into a United States that’s been rendered a third world nation (thanks to terrorists setting off a devastating electromagnetic pulse). This pilot is one of the most expensive ever produced (with a notoriously hefty price-tag of $10 million) and it shows – the set design, the details, they’re all astounding and beautifully realized. In fact, within one sequence of Max cycling to work in post-pulse Seattle (the year is 2019), we get a precise handle on the poverty, the corruption, the mafias, the sector-police, and the utter magnitude of it all. The premise is grand in scope, and the pilot does it justice on every level.
A hell of a hero
A lot of Dark Angel’s success is thanks to its brilliant protagonist, Max Guevara, a genetically engineered supersoldier with zingers and attitude to spare. Sure she’s stunning, but she’s also cool, resourceful, and the ultimate badass in every sense of the word. It’s impressive how effectively the pilot showcases her entire skill-set by organically integrating them into the plot. From her zooming pupils and cat-like agility to her superhuman strength and speed, Max is a downright awesome heroine.
I also love the fact that our lead is not a goody-two shoes heroine. The girl’s a thief, and is not above using her abilities for a quick payday. And yet, her character undergoes quite a journey in the pilot. She starts out purely self-serving and focused on her own problems. But by the end of the hour, the gravity of Logan’s injury and her seeping guilt make her question just how passive she can remain in a crumbling world with people in need. She’s a reluctant hero (or a dark angel although the show never outright says it), in every sense of the word.
A lot has been said about Jessica Alba since she rose to prominence on Dark Angel. She’s become a mega-star of course, but has selected projects with thinly written roles that never properly displayed her talent. And yes I believe Dark Angel proves the girl is talented. She owns the role of Max and it’s a shame she hasn’t played a character as memorable as this.
Dystopia and friends
As the idealistic cyber-journalist Logan Cale (and the notorious Eyes-Only), Michael Weatherly is the perfect foil for Max, and their chemistry is immediately electrifying (Weatherly and Alba were engaged for several years thanks to the show so that’s the icing on the cake). Their partnership is a genius decision from a writing standpoint because his missions supply standalone plots, while her ongoing quest for her siblings provides the show with an exciting and thoroughly intriguing mythology.
As for the rest of the cast, John Savage is enormously imposing as Donald Lydecker, the frightening antagonist of the piece. He truly makes you fear for Max’s life as he attempts to track her whereabouts across Seattle. The fact that we see him shoot one of his own kids makes him all the more terrifying. Valarie Rae Miller is also a standout as Max’s best friend Original Cindy. She capably embodies the character’s hilarious take on life with a sexual identity that doesn’t necessarily define her. The rest of the Jam Pony crew including Sketchy, Herbal and Normal get some okay moments but nothing too substantial yet.
Post-Pulse Bits
– The opening Manticore escape is thrilling and superbly shot. Not only does it convey that these children aren’t your everyday kids, it also introduces Lydecker as a ruthless supervillain who isn’t above shooting the youngsters.
– Gorgeous panning shot of Max hiding beneath the frozen ice as we transition to her on top of the Space Needle in present day Seattle. And that musical score? Marvelously haunting.
– The pilot reveals Max’s Kryptonite: she’s prone to violent seizures coupled with disturbing flashbacks of her traumatic childhood in captivity.
– As expected, the CGI is extremely dated particularly with the hoverdrones and the shots of Max on top of the Needle.
– I’m a big fan of Max’s voiceovers as very few shows can make them work. Max’s musings are sarcastic and always witty.
– It’s hilarious that Lydia is none other than Pam from True Blood! I love Kristin Bauer Van Straten and she’s hilariously campy here.
– Love the shots of Max zooming through the streets of Seattle on her Kawasaki Ninja.
– A little exposition: Max is trying to track down Hanna, a woman who helped her escape many years ago.
– The dialogue on this show is so darn distinct. It’s a funky concoction that takes some time getting used to, but nonetheless feels very unique.
– Even more world-building: hoverdrones patrol the streets and people squat in buildings (like Max and her roommate Kendra who bribe the corrupt cop Walter to maintain their home).
– David Nutter’s direction is impeccable with grand sweeping shots throughout the hour. Most memorable is Max’s magnificent jump that lands her on top of Logan’s penthouse.
– Everything about the sequence involving Max robbing Logan’s home is excellent. From discovering his Eyes-Only identity and pummeling “the side of beef”, to being held at gunpoint by Logan and crashing out the window, it’s all way too epic.
– Max teaching Lydia a lesson by dangling her outside the building is insanely satisfying. Although, I’m not too sure what to make of her “say I understand” shtick since we never hear from it again throughout the rest of the show’s run.
– The pilot’s most emotionally-charged sequence just might be Logan flirting with Max in front of the mirror and then turning the tables and confronting her about her identity. The bickering, the staging, it’s all pretty perfect.
– Max comforting Theo’s wife after her husband’s death is especially moving.
– I love Max trying to suppress her guilt beside a comatose Logan only to spot a sniper and casually push Logan’s bed out as the room explodes behind her. Badass.
– The entire sequence with Max infiltrating Sonrisa’s mansion is outstanding: flipping and sneaking in like a cat, knocking the prostitute out, and then in one of the show’s iconic moments: doing that WALK in the red dress.
– Bruno searching and groping Max really irks me out. What a sleazebag.
– Max’s different skills are expertly set up and paid off throughout the hour: in the teaser she holds her breath underwater to survive, and at the end of the episode she does the same in the pool to fake her own death. Her nifty speed-dial trick (which she uses in the bar scam) is also utilized when she figures out the number of the kidnap site when Sonrisa dials it.
– Max taunting and throwing Bruno around the motel like a rag-doll always makes me laugh.
– The pilot doesn’t just showcase Max’s strength but her astonishing intelligence. In this episode alone she carries out an elaborate plot in which she turns Bruno on Sonrisa, purposely makes sure Lydecker overhears Sophie’s location (so he can do the fighting for her), and escapes the fortified perimeter disguised as a Manticore agent. Incredible.
– The first hour skillfully sets up Max’s world, and the second episode turns it upside down with Vogelsang ditching Max, Theo dying, Logan getting shot, and all hell breaking loose. There’s not a wasted moment in sight.
– I love the moment where Max makes eye contact with Lydecker and he only figures it out as she revs up her engine and makes her escape.
– Touching moment with the Jam Pony crew banding together to pay for Theo’s ashes.
– How great is Alba’s performance when she discovers that one of her brothers, Zach, is very much alive?
Barbs & Barcodes
Max: Hope is for losers. It’s a con job people trip behind till they finally get a grip on the cold, hard truth.
Max: The thing I don’t get is why they call it a depression. I mean everybody’s broke, but they aren’t really all that depressed. Life goes on.
Normal: If he’s not in at work tomorrow he can start looking for another job.
Max: I don’t know how to break this to you Normal – we’re all looking for another job.
Max: America really though they had it dialed in, money hangin’ out the butt. But it was all just a bunch of ones and zeroes in a computer someplace. So when that bomb went kablooey and turned all those ones and zeroes into plain old zeroes, everyone’s like no way! America’s just another broke ex-super-power looking for a handout and wondering why.
Original Cindy: You wanna be rich? Listen to the bitch. Give mommy the cheddar, I’ll make your life better.
Vogelsang: You drive away business roaring in here like that.
Max: Does kind of break the elegant atmosphere.
Vogelsang: You got a punk-ass mouth on you kid.
Max: My name is not “kid”, it’s “client” – as in the person who pays for your opulent lifestyle.
Logan: You’re a thief?
Max: Girl’s gotta make a living.
Max: Kendra, this is a motorcycle. Its sole reason for being is to go fast, very fast. Not for you to use as a clothesline. Now, make no mistake. I love you as a friend and a roommate, but I love my motorcycle more.
Max: I just thought maybe he’d like some coffee with his saliva.
Logan: If I just got my ass handed to me by a size three, I might be inclined to mind my own business.
Logan: I’m looking for a young lady who works here.
Normal: Ladies would be elsewhere.
Cindy: Whoop. Xena’s on.
Max: Let me go get my coat.
Logan: The one you’re wearing?
Max: Right.
Logan: Her husband was murdered by a man named Edgar Sonrisa.
Max: I caught your hack; he’s Satan’s lapdog or something.
Max: (to Logan) So you miss the good old days. Even though there were still poor people who died from diseases when they didn’t need to, and rich people who still spent obscene amounts of money redecorating the house to match the cat.
Max: (to Lydia) I’m working very hard to respect my elders here but don’t push your luck.
Logan: Look…if I made you nervous or uncomfortable or creeped you out…
Max: Yes, on all counts.
Logan: First I watch you take out a 250-pound ex-cop bodyguard without breaking a sweat.
Max: Girls kick ass. Says so on the T-shirt.
Logan: Then I watch you dive headfirst out a window like you’re Rocky the flying squirrel.
Max: Are you high? I’ve got people looking to either put me in a cage for the rest of my life, turn me into a science project, or kill me. Probably all three. Now I’ve managed to drop off the radar screen and I plan to keep it that way.
Must Download Tune
Club 2G by Missy Elliot and Lil’ Mo
Conclusion
I’ve always felt that Dark Angel was ahead of its time. This is a remarkably ambitious pilot and a truly exceptional piece of television.
I don't recall anything about it on a specific level, but I remember really loving this show back in the day. It's also on my list of shows that I'll probably purchase and review at some point in the next couple of years, if only to watch it all over again. Nice pick for coverage, Nadim.
I have to say, I'm not getting the magic. Don't worry, I'm not packing it in, but I'm not overly impressed thus far. The CGI Seattle skyline was great for ten years ago and you know, television. I barely recognized Michael Weatherly as being NCIS guy (I don't think I've seen a single episode, but my mom's addicted so I know like, everything about that damn show). He's so much cuter here! I'm trying as hard as I can to get over my irrational hatred of Jessica Alba and my totally rational hatred of James Cameron, who so needs to get over himself.
It's weird watching it now in 2013, with 2019 just a few years away. I could totally see a lot of this happening. Even/especially the hover drones. At first, I was all, what? Unmanned spy planes, yeah that's gonna happen. Silly people ten years ago thinking we'd be so advanced. Then I realized we have them and they can shoot people. So, right on the money there!
PS. I kept thinking 'This is such a rip off of Alias!' And then I looked it up and saw that it was actually before Alias. Interesting.
Oh and I would also throw in River Tam to your 'Max is Buffy + Sydney' premise. Sure, she's not insane, but she does have flashbacks to the time where she was a government experiment in a lab where she was intended to be a super soldier. 🙂
Hehe well Max came before Sydney and River Tam (I've never watched Firefly). Buffy's the only one who came first 😛
And if we're being accurate, Xena was the REAL and first heroine of my TV obsessions.
Stick with it sunbunny please. If you're not a fan by episode 6 or 7, then you can quit 🙂
It's nice to read your reviews, thank you for posting them.
I love this show, especially S1. I don't really like S2 much as a continuation of S1, but as individual episodes they are somewhat bearable (apart from a few episodes).
It's funny to watch the pilot episode again, because it shows how much better Alba got as the show went on. She tend to mumble her lines in the pilot. Honestly, she was already far better by S1E3. They used a lot more makeup in the pilot than the other episodes. I think they tried to make her look like a Californian “Chola” or something, in keeping with the urban “pseudo-ghetto” setting. They tried to be hip, I presume. I think it was better that they toned it down a bit in the other episodes.
I do have one problem with the pilot though. How did she get her motorcycle and clothes back after she tricked Bruno? Perhaps she ran all the way to Sonrisa's house, but it's a bit far fetched, imho. I guess it's just not explained, and perhaps it doesn't need to be, but it bothers me anyway.
Actually, that whole “genetically enhanced” idea is complete BS. That's just not how it works. We just has to accept it as a premise for the show, but it's only marginally more plausible than magic or radiation induced super powers.
Hi Kurt,
I love discovering new Dark Angel fans. It was great to read your thoughts. S2 was much better during my rewatch/review.
I never thought of how she got her clothes/bike back. Great catch!
And yes I'm not a fan of her look in the pilot either 🙂 But God does she get gorgeous as the show progresses.
Yes, she was gorgeous as Max. No doubt about that.
Loved this so much, Nad! I'm so glad I finally started this show. This was a seriously attractive pilot, from beginning till end. I still can't get enough of how awesome the premise is!
I really thought I was gonna have trouble loving this in 2015 but everything from that scene you mentioned (of Alba cycling her way down Seattle streets post-pulse) to the BADASS jump off the building (seriously loved that so, so much) was epic. I can't believe how close we are to 2019 though! Lol.
Also, what a great cliffhanger! I was expecting it to happen down the line for sure, but was very surprised that they did it here. If I do have one complaint about the episode though (and it's one that someone else mentioned in the comments here) it's the amount of makeup they used on Jessica Alba. It was annoying, especially in her last fight, but understandable considering it's 2015 now. But seriously, she looked she was going to a Lebanese wedding lol 🙂
Can't wait to watch and read more of your reviews! Thanks for yet another incredible recommendation!
Woohoo Chris I'm SO pleased you loved it. Alias and Dark Angel are tied as my two fave shows of all time. But since Dark Angel only had two seasons I think I'm always more partial to it (sentimental value).
Glad you appreciated all those scenes, and yes Alba's look was waaaaaay too much in the pilot. Thankfully she gets more and more gorgeous with every episode. Lebanese wedding comment is spot on!!! hahahaha
Keep me updated on all the episodes! Since they're only two seasons, want to hear what you think about all!
Enjoy the awesome ride 🙂
I was intrigued to see how this show holds up on my second viewing (and in 2017 particularly) and I'm really shocked/impressed how incredible this pilot is. It's all so perfectly executed, from that super action-packed teaser all the way to the powerful ending.
“it impressively lays out a vast new world and a sprawling cast of characters without seeming like a monumental exposition dump.”
Very well said! We learn a RIDICULOUS amount of stuff about this show's world and its characters yet none of it feels like exposition.
And boy how fully realized are these characters? I still find Original Cindy to be a hoot, and Max and Logan's chemistry is off the charts! I COMPLETELY forgot that we meet him before he's on a wheelchair. That was a fun surprise for me.
“I've always felt that Dark Angel was ahead of its time.” So true. I can imagine a show like this trying to air now but leaving SO many developments up for later, like a midseason or season finale reveal. The fact that we get to see Max's “Kryptonite” like you called it, the Max/Lydecker moment AND the reveal at the end that Zack is still alive is just so, so impressive. And yet this pilot still does not come out as overstuffed.
My comment about Jessica Alba's makeup, though, still holds true. Dear lord.
So glad you reviewed this show in EXCRUCIATING detail, Nadim. I can't wait to relive this show again, both by watching and through your reviews.
I love your reviews because you say a lot of what I think! Words can’t describe my love & passion for this show. Max’s childhood is so intriguing because of how dark it is. Laura’s past in Logan reminded me a lot of Dark Angel. & I’m always invested in characters like Laura & Max who were born in labs because no only is their haunting past so different, heartbreaking & disturbing from a lot of characters, but also because they suffer from seizures & I believe in the x-23 comics a trigger scent. What I mean is that they can’t ever try to get better or go to therapy or whatever to get rid of their pain. Another thing that I love about this show & especially this pilot is how unique, original & flawless everything is: the writing, directing, story, pace, characters, dialogue, music, set design etc. The pilot had everything from action to drama to humor & never loses sight of its engaging story filled with character development. There’s nothing like Dark Angel.
Hi Kathleen! Thank you so much for commenting. I absolutely love it when a dark angel addict discovers these reviews and starts commenting with their in-depth thoughts. Would love it if you commented on other episodes too 🙂
There’s TRULY nothing like Dark Angel, and that pilot is an absolute stunner for all the reasons you said. Wow wow wow, I feel like rewatching the whole show now!
Happy 2019!
Is it bad that Max/Logan are still my OTP even though Michael Weatherly is apparently an asshole in RL…?
Abhahaah ive been struggling with the same exact thing! I hope he wasnt the same with Alba during Dark Angel!
Me too. It’s hard to just “let it go” for me because I’m disabled and the Max/Logan ship is important to me because it’s one of the very very few times a disabled character wins the love of a very much non-disabled love interest, even if Logan is very bitter about his paralysis and does end up walking due to the exo, he’s still technically paralyzed and Max doesn’t mind. I know a lot of people are understandably so disgusted by the way he treated Eliza(and I do adore Eliza Dushku too) that they don’t want to watch or support anything with him in it, but the pickings are pretty slim for heroic disabled characters in well-done genre TV so I think I can separate the character from the actor…I seriously doubt Logan would be OK with rape jokes!
Amen. Love every word you said. I too will separate the character from the actor the next time I rewatch. Logan definitely wouldn’t be okay with Weatherly’s behavior 😀 And it’s truly a pity that there aren’t other heroic disabled characters on TV. Hopefully that will change soon. Thank you for commenting Ke-Leah 🙂 Hope you’ll read the rest of my reviews of the show! It truly is my all-time favorite!