L.A.’s Finest, Season 2
(Spectrum, 2020)
An excellent follow-up season, leading inevitably to cancellation. In amongst the female empowerment and buddy-cop action/investigation plot strands, the writers work in an honestly-played relationship breakup explored from the angle of how it affects a stepmum (Jessica Alba) and stepdaughter (Sophie Reynolds).
Dark Angel, Season 2
(Fox, 2001-2002)
Jessica Alba picks up where she left off. Joshua and Alec reflect a lightening of tone, while the general influx of transgenics—plus a relative autonomy from season-spanning plot arcs—allows for more imaginative scripting and a wider variety of standalone episodes.
L.A.’s Finest, Season 1
(Spectrum, 2019)
Disregarding its Bad Boys connection (thence presumably the negative reviews), L.A.’s Finest ticks all the right boxes as a buddy cop action/drama series. The characters gel, the actors commit. (Some casting surprises, but in a good way.) The humour works. Good stuff.
Dark Angel, Season 1
(Fox, 2000-2001)
Near-future SF set in a dystopian Seattle. Dark Angel rests very much upon Jessica Alba (who carries its action intrigue and embodies the broader assumption of female empowerment), yet also develops its minor characters and encompasses near-standalone episodes within the season-spanning arc.
Mechanic: Resurrection
dir. Dennis Gansel (2016)
A paint-by-numbers James Bond pastiche complete with gadgets on tap, instantaneous transport, nonsensical motivations and missions, instalove, and of course some gratuitous sunbathing (and underwater wiggling) from a bikini-clad Jessica Alba, whose character was bemired in despair until the cameras started rolling.