Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Overall, I enjoyed Season Two of DARK ANGEL, though I still prefer Season One. Despite the fact that I have a basic problem with Season Two, a large number of things were done very well. Like Season One, it was a well written, superbly produced, well executed season with some great new characters and some interesting new plot developments. Above all, Season Two represented a major improvement in Jessica Alba as an actress. In Season One, there were a host of scenes in which I was depressed by her rather flat vocal delivery and a surfeit of emotion at times when more was called upon. She is immeasurably better in Season Two, possibly a result of additional training, and certainly a result of being more comfortable in her role. She impressed with her athleticism in Season One, but she seems even more capable in her fight scenes and stunts in Season Two. She even seems more beautiful, probably the result of losing just a hint of baby fat (she was, after all, just out of high school in the first season).
The biggest problem I had with Season Two was the amazing lack of continuity with Season One. Like THE X-FILES or BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER or FARSCAPE, DARK ANGEL is a series that depends on long story arcs. That was true of both Season One and Season Two, but while each season had a great deal of internal narrative over the course of the season, not quite enough carried over from one season to the next for my taste. For one thing, a number of characters simply vanished. John Hurt, who was so prominent in Season One, leaves after a couple of episodes in Season Two (I suspect he would have returned in Season Three). Max and Original Cindy's coworker and friend Herbal vanishes with nary a word. The Asian police officer who was so prominent also fades from the scene. And the brilliant Stephen Hawking-like character (in that he is both brilliant and trapped in a wheelchair) disappears (perhaps because he might have possessed the knowledge to rid Max of the targeted retro virus that keeps her from having any physical contact with Logan) also vanishes into thin air. On the other hand, we are confronted with a host of new characters, so the feel of Season Two is much different from Season Two. Also, some of the carryovers from Season One have lessened roles. We don't see very much of Original Cindy or Sketchy in many episodes, as their onscreen time has been cut into by Alec and Joshua. On top of this, many of the emphases of Season One are altered to accommodate plot shifts. For instance, plot lines revolving around Agent White squeeze out many of the humanitarian and justice efforts by Eyes Only. Or take Max. In Season One much of the interest revolved around her attempt to find a satisfying life despite the rather unusual hand that fate has dealt her. She also apparently changed biologically from Season Two, although no specific mention is made of this. For instance, she had no moments where she needed a quick injection of Tryptophan (again, if her neurological condition was corrected during her incarceration at Manticore, no mention is made), and unlike Season One, she never had a period in Season Two where she went into heat (as a result of her feline DNA). These changes are all quite separate from changes wrought by plot development. There were just too many details that got pushed out of the show. Given the lack of continuity with Season One, I felt slightly uncomfortable with the predominance of Alec, Joshua, and White. These are not bad characters, but I didn't like to see more familiar elements squeezed out for the inclusion of the newcomers.
Nonetheless, Season Two was overall an exceptionally strong one. There were very few weak episodes and only one genuinely awful one the absolutely wretched "Gill Girl," which might be the worst single episode of the two seasons. The more one thinks about the latter episode, the worse it becomes (e.g., the transgenic gill people have gills and lay eggs to have offspring, like fish, but they look human and communicate by cetacean-like vocalizing, which would make them mammals). I love the way the writers keep painting the transgenics into a corner, and even Logan, so that by the end of the season the identify of all of the transgenics have been revealed, Eyes Only has been exposed and shut down, and Max and all of her friends have literally been driven out of life among non-transgenics. Max's situation has been radically altered by the end. One assumes that working at Jam Pony is now impossible (despite Sketchy and even Normal abandoning their prejudice against transgenics). No more evenings at Crash, no more motorcycling around the city, no more biking. Even her beloved hot baths might be impossible now. Clearly, big things were intended for Season Three.
One huge, huge reason for fans of the show to seek out the DVD set, even if they have it recorded on video, is the commentary. Although we sadly did not get a Season Three, the commentators reveal the major plot details that were anticipated. For instance, we know that Max was somehow the possible savior for the human race, but we are not sure how. What about Logan's ability to walk or Max's virus? They spill the beans. It doesn't make up for having a full season, but at least they resolve some of the larger questions that might otherwise be eating away at fans.
I am not privy as to why DARK ANGEL was cancelled. Perhaps the ratings weren't what they had hoped. Perhaps it was too costly of a show. In a way, the worst thing that ever happened at FOX was the enormous success of THE X-FILES. Ever since they have been looking for its replacement, and they kill all shows that don't manage its ratings. Along the way, they have killed off a string of superb shows, like FIREFLY, WONDERFALLS, and this one.
At some point FOX needs to realize that they are superb as a network at developing great shows, but fail miserably in making commitments to those shows. As it is, I am afraid to watch or allow myself to become interested in any show that appears on FOX. Why make a commitment to a show that they themselves won't make a commitment to? My feeling is that you development a quality product, and then stand by it and promote it until either the show slips in quality or there is a long term demonstrated lack of interest in it. FOX is to be commended for backing the creation of some great shows, but is to be condemned for failing to support them.
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