My first exposure to Dark Angel was the episode entitled Blah, Blah, Woof Woof. From then on, Dark Angel night was a must with no interruptions allowed. The premise of this show, creating genetically altered human beings, is a controversial topic. The illegally diverted government funds that paid for the experiment added to the story's vitality. The characters were complex and dynamic: a heroine in search of her humanity and how she fit into a society that was not ready for her altered state; a hero driven to confront and expose the injustices of a "third-world" United States and the business corruption that exploited the down-trodden while benefitting from that same corruption; a cold-blooded villain whose dedication to and protection of the genetically enhanced humans made him feared and heralded simultaneously. Both the friends and enemies of these characters kept the action suspenseful and well paced.
The characters dealt with the world we face and its problems. Their motives and actions were as complex as humans can be with no easy answers. The plot and characters interweaved well and kept the audience intrigued. The actors kept getting better as their characters developed. I still miss this show. I'm hoping that a movie or another "series" or "special" will continue the story. The book Before the Dawn, published after cancellation, was a welcome addition to the background story.