Jake 2.0 (2003–2004) User Reviews

Sceptical, But Hooked - Too Late

[CarolinaCoupe · 7/10 · 2 February 2007]

I had never heard of this series until the SciFi channel began advertising it a couple of months ago. I thought it was a new show, and from the commercials I was not impressed. I started watching the show a few weeks ago (it airs at the same time as wrestling...), and I have to admit, it's grown on me. Tonight was the best I've seen, with Jake diving off of a bridge backwards to avoid returning to the NSA, and his superiors having to launch a man-hunt to find him. Turns out, it was a continuing episode.....sad thing? I missed the ending of that episode.

I am also impressed with Keegan Connor Tracy, who played Diane Hughes. She is typical of the "plain girl turned gorgeous" storyline, but the writers of this show don't focus on that unnecessarily, which allows her much more depth of character.

I've seen 3 episodes (on SciFi - Jan 5 2007)

[NewEnglander56 · 8/10 · 6 January 2007]

Not the greatest, far from the worst. Plausibility? 5 in 2007; 8 in 2012.

My fascination with nano-technology is absolute. This brings my fantasy of it to new heights, none which I ever considered.

Jake is, and will always be, a nerd. However, I would HATE to see him over-perfected. I like the little bit of innocence that he has. What can you expect from a wannabe agent who has been in training for 3 weeks? "Real" agents must go through much more intensive training. In episode three, Diane says it's about controlling the technology. However, I see Jake's innocent self being so enthusiastic. He wants to push himself to see where his limits are. Why walk when you can run.

The main characters are, in my opinion, likable. They can be a little uptight, but then again, they're government employees. Jake will toe the line only when he'll be forced to. Otherwise he's going to "do my job", like he did when he ignored Kyle's request for Jake to put his knife through Kyle's throat.

I started re-watching the first hour, and will do so for the 2nd and 3rd, just to pick up on the subtleties I missed the first time.

So far, it's in my top-5 shows to watch on SciFi. I would like to see this show run for a minimum of two seasons, though no more than four. After that, it could get old.

Missing Episode?

[davideshaw-39922 · 8/10 · 18 June 2020]

Great show for its short run. I could have sworn, beyond a shadow of a doubt, there was an episode with Jake being held captive along with other hostages inside a bank vault, and he had to reveal his superhuman strength to save everyone by bending open the bank vault door from the inside... but I just rewatched all 16 episodes and that scene is nowhere to be found! I feel like the Mandela effect has me now lol... please help if you remember this scene.

Cancelled just as it was getting REALLY good!

[Alipeeps · 7 May 2004]

Jake 2.0 was a fab series and I just wish the network had given it more of a chance.

It was an entertaining show with great characterisation, a good mix of light-heartedness and seriousness and some great storylines. It was also nice for once to see a "normal guy" as the lead, as the hero - a guy with insecurities and issues like the rest of us! Chris Gorham was fantastic as Jake, bringing just the right touch of appealing naivete to the role.

I admit there were moments in the first few episodes where Jake's propensity to stumble into disaster was a bit annoying but this was all part of the character's growth - and boy has he (and the show!) grown over the course of the series.

This show suffered from appalling scheduling (up against Angel - a 5 year established show with a huge fan base) and not enough promotion/advertising and sadly was cancelled just as it was really getting into it's stride and showing us what it could do. Recent episodes have allowed Jake's character to develop in leaps and bounds and touched on a lot of the more serious issues to do with Jake's new abilities - and the related intrigue within the NSA. The show was developing it's own mythology and more of a continuing thread of storyline within the stand-alone episodes and was heading into a slightly darker, very interesting direction.

The first of the last four episodes made (not yet seen in the US) aired in the UK this week and was worthy of The X-Files in it's prime. The plot was absorbing and clever and is leading into all sorts of interesting places - this episode also was the series' first 2-parter, leaving things open for an hell of a conclusion next week! Jake's character has matured seriously in recent weeks and, although the friendly geek is still there, as an agent Jake has developed into a strong, confident man, not afraid to use fists or a gun - and pretty much someone you do NOT want to mess with if he's mad at you! Chris Gorham's portrayal of Jake continues to be excellent.

There are 3 more episodes to be aired and then that's it for this excellent series. It had a lot of potential and a growing fan base but sadly didn't get the support it needed from the network. Can anyone say "Firefly"?

Word of where the series creator was planning to take the show leaves me in no doubt that this series had the potential to be a serious contender in genre TV. A real shame it never got the chance...

Ali

Great show!

[greatgal24_7 · 10/10 · 8 April 2007]

This is a fantastic show. Shown on Scifi in the US. Unfortunately it was canceled after less than a season running. Reruns are still good though. I'm not sure exactly what times it is shown as it seems to be random to me.. and mostly marathons or mini-marathons. I recommend watching this show if you are a fan of science fiction shows. Also if you are interested in technology as the whole point of this show is that he has nanotechnology inside of him. Very interesting show, was obviously getting better before it was canceled. I wish they would bring the show back and make more episodes as I have almost seen all of them already.

JAKE 2.0 was CHUCK before CHUCK

[awbusa · 10/10 · 17 February 2021]

This show had a good premise but like all shows of this era it went WAY TOO SCI FI for it's own good

no reboot is wanted or needed because WAY TOO many classics get crappy reboots that are destroyed by SJW WOKENESS

What the..? This is Chuck beta, before the bugs were worked out.

[Safetylight · 5/10 · 4 October 2020]

Watching this show gave me the weirdest sense of deja vu.

I honestly thought that this series aired *after* Chuck had wound up its final season. -That some fanboy producer said, "Yeah! I loved Chuck! Make me another one of those, (only not as good)!"

It was a genuine surprise to discover that Jake 2.0 aired four years before Chuck's premier episode.

And honestly, look at it: It's the same show!

"Nerdy computer tech support guy, languishing in a life for which he is over qualified, is accidentally infused with government cyber powers and must now work with his team to fight global threats and manage his dorky private life."

All the same characters are there, just with different (and less skilled) actors portraying them. The NSA is part of the story, (who writes about the NSA? Nobody.)

Jake's blond love interest even has the same name in both series. (Sarah).

I thought I was seeing Easter egg style nods to Chuck throughout, even the title having the same phonetics, but with a "2" pinned to the end, but I guess it was the other way around; Chuck's production team saw Jake 2.0 and realized the potential, but knew it needed tweaking and polish. -Which was perhaps why Chuck seemed so flawlessly executed. How many shows get, in essence, a complete do-over? None.

Anyway, if you like Jake 2.0, you must watch Chuck.

As for Jake...

I couldn't get past episode 2. After having seen the formula done to perfection elsewhere, this was just too painful to watch, seeing everybody stumble around, getting it wrong, missing the comic timing and not being half-way as charismatic.

Excellent

[n9rsu · 9/10 · 9 January 2007]

I saw the show & love it.

I wish that it had continued.

I see that it is on Sci-Fi now on Fridays.

I would buy the complete series if it were available on DVD.

I hope that they decide to release it on DVD.

I hope that whoever the maker is will read this comment.

Anyone happen to know who to contact about getting the show released on DVD? If anyone does, PLEASE post it here.

I think the 10 line min to post a comment about a show is bogus.

This is one reason why I usually don't leave comments.

So I hope the moderators will understand my statement on the end of this comment.

This was a good show

[ksveit · 1 April 2004]

There is a LOT of garbage out there on television. This is one of the few shows that is not in that category. It is another take on The Million Dollar Man. Jake's character was good and would have been better if the show hadn't been cut. He had some discipline problems, but he would have learned to obey his superiors. The NSA isn't used too often in television shows. It was nice to have a few shows that don't focus on murder investigation. There were four episodes unaired that would have been interesting to see. The men on the show weren't bad to look at. The show is a good example of how a geeky technician can be turned into a hero. Now we won't get to see how Jake turns out. I WISH they could bring this show back.

This show should is great. The network should not canceled it.

[destinytran · 10/10 · 5 March 2009]

I love this show, and i feel so bad knowing that it's canceled. I want this show to be back. I love the characters and the story of Jake 2.0 shows. I like the story in this movies. The love story, the science, and how the secret agency works. It's nice to see that the show is about NSA, and not all about the CSI. But unfortunately, the showed has canceled, who knows why it's canceled. I find the show very entertaining and interesting to watch. I'm so sad knowing that this show has canceled. I hope that it will be back. Does anybody know if if this show will be back? And where can i find the video to watch online? I am very much interest to find out where to see the video online.

Brilliant

[nr1213 · 10/10 · 14 July 2012]

Surprisingly funny and keeps you entertained. I love this show! It's full of young fresh actors all guaranteed to show up in the night sky. It's got just enough Scyfy to hold the intellectuals, it's got hot girls for the guys, and some studs for the ladies. The action intensity and the plotting could be stepped up. Overall it's worth it's time on the air.

A spiderman feel, classic nerd gets hooked up with some sweet powers and starts kicking ass only to still have trouble with the ladies though not for long. His powers mostly boost his endurance and strength but not so much to make him OP (overpowered). He also has the sweet advantage of tweaking electronics wirelessly along with some hacking skills if he's free to focus in. However, with power comes enemies and he's got some waiting on the horizon.

Check this show out!

Thrilling sci-fi

[briancham1994 · 8/10 · 2 June 2020]

This is the modern update of The Six Million Dollar Man and I think he even had a cameo in one of the episodes. The main character's bionic powers were imaginative and the plot had a lot of tension.

A new hero for the smallscreen.

[mack3175 · 10 September 2003]

Most superheros are real big on the big screen, like Blade, Spider-Man, DareDevil, and Neo from The Matrix. With the success of Smallville, and the not so successful Birds Of Prey on the smallscreen. I guess T.V. needs a new superhero. It starts out with Jake Foley(Christopher Gorham) a young twenty something repairman, who dreams of being a secret agent. One day gets exposed to some dangerous chemicals after a labortary accident. The chemicals give him amazing superpowers. Then he is asked to be a spy for the government. I hope this show will be around for a while. I hope it does not suffer like Birds Of Prey did. Christopher Gorham gives a good charmingly awkward performance as Jake. The show so far has great action and great effects. Keep it up.

Maybe they got something here...

[UltimateTrekker · 11 September 2003]

After watching the first episode of Jake 2.0 (a name that scared me off at first) I think there maybe a chance for a good show.

It's basically a Million Dollar Man meets Spider-man kinda thing.

The lead, Jake, is in a lab accident where he is contaminated with some experimental nanites that enter his system and begin integrating. Hence the super powers (strength, hearing, seeing...)

I like the idea that it's beginning. They even mention that he will get stronger and better as the integration continues. The downside is that in order to show us how great he is, they overshoot the bounds. He should, for the first week, have trouble controlling these abilities, causing nearly as many accidents as saves (as Spider-man did in his first comics).

However, you only got 1 hour and it was fairly good. If done properly this can be a wonderful show. However, it could just as easily sink into schlock. What was established quite nicely is a double love interest. The girl he likes and the girl we all think he should like. I say, watch and find out what they can do with this.

If you like Buffy...

[UKBio · 30 October 2003]

I love this show - I hope it has enough ratings to stick. Christopher Gorham is a great and natural actor - he makes the show. If you like Buffy, you'll find a few of the same people work on this show. Christophe Beck does the music (he won Emmys for scoring Buffy), Anya Coloff is in casting, David Greenwalt (Co-producer of Angel) is the executive producer. It's shot in Vancouver, just across the water from me, not in Washington DC where it's set, but the stock footage is more seamless than most other shows that do the same thing.

It's okay!

[SDJerry · 24 September 2003]

This show is just as entertaining as the recent "Sliders", "The Invisible Man" and Chris Gorham's prior Showtime series "Odyssey 5". It's sci-fi and it's okay. Not GREAT but it really is okay. There is no reason to avoid watching this program. And Marina Black is really nice to look at.

One boy's biggest dream about to come true.

[fredrik-se · 5 November 2003]

Jake Foley is a young, slightly geeky National Security Agency technician who harbours a secret desire to rise from his low-level position and become an agent himself. During a "freak accident" he is infected with nanites, which give him a dazzling array of superpowers, including "superhuman strength, lightning-fast speed, heightened hearing, razor sharp vision and the telepathic abilities to communicate with computers".

When Jake's newfound abilities are discovered, the National Security Agency places him at the centre of a new Special Ops team. But once he is thrust into his new role as a secret agent, Jake is forced to juggle his two lives as a superhero and a regular, twenty-something guy looking to enjoy life and find love.

With Apologies to the Six Million Dollar Man and others

[Mr. OpEd · 14 September 2003]

Jake 2.0 is reminiscent of those 70s super-power TV shows that were typically so-so, but were at least sincere and in the case of a few, had some novel ideas, like the Six Million Dollar Man.

Jake 2.0 is derivative of the type and lacks a shred of originality, even "TV originality." Are they paying homage to the Lee Majors show by nearly duplicating the "bionic" sound effect whenever anything super is happening or are they just out of ideas?

The acting, with the possible exception of Miranda Frigon, is directionless and the characters are allowed to be dull. Christopher Gorham plays the Peter Parker geek role, though he gains his powers in the tradition of Captain America (you comic readers know what I mean). Perhaps the director doesn't understand the potential of "geeky" and so Gorham is limited to just a few reactions like "Huh, super powers; waddya know?" and "Still more super powers? Did I leave the stove on?"

And what are his super powers? They're a pinch of Captain America, a dash of Spiderman, a smidge of Superman and a sprinkling of, well, whatever he seems to need at the time. Yes, he's smorgasbord super.

I think his journey of discovery as he uncovers each power would be one of the show's highlights, but the show's makers don't share my interest. Not one of his powers is revealed in a particularly tantalizing or ingenious way. Is he strong? Listen bub, he hurls a ball at a young boy's tub! And that's about it. Oh and he can bend pipes in his apartment. Sort of. These are the kind of super powers one expects of California Governor Gray Davis: low wattage and unspectacular (though Davis has nicer hair).

As a kid's show, it's just about OK. But for adults in an adult time slot, it seems more like Jake 2.0 is already in need of an upgrade. And customer support. And a return policy.

Lame lame lame

[gordon_mcvey · 13 March 2004]

Jake 2.0 is the story of some low-level IT grunt who, due to a freak accident, is exposed to experimental nanobots that boost his physical attributes. They make him stronger and faster, gift him with better eyesight and hearing, give him the ability to interface with computers and apparently also boost his whineyness at least 300%.

This show is clearly aimed at geeks, and there's nothing wrong with that in and of itself, but unfortunately the technobabble that the writers try to scatter liberally through the scripts is used so ineptly that any self-respecting geek will be laughing hysterically within 3 seconds flat. This show patronizes its target audience big time.

For example, in one episode a bank is robbed electronically. Jakes' agency take down the perpetrator but when they get there they find he's formatting his hard drive. Jake does his nanobot thing to abort the format but, 1) the format is already about 95% complete when he aborts it - Most of the data on the drive would already be erased, 2) A good computer forensics expert can retrieve data from a hard drive, whether the owner formatted it or not, and 3) pulling the power cord would have had pretty much the same effect, making the nanobot crap completely redundant.

The utter whineyness of the hero is another big point against this show, I can't watch for more than 5 minutes before the urge to slap him senseless becomes overwhelming.

It was apparently cancelled, and I'm not in the least bit surprised.

ALIAS IT AIN'T!!!

[buckaroobanzai50 · 29 February 2004]

I'm not surprised to read that it's been cancelled in the US.

As my heading states clearly, savvy TV viewers such as myself cannot be duped, by TV execs or even this $6 dollar man. What exactly was it? A spy series? A superhero / sci-fi show?

I would just like to know why TV companies in England have to purchase US series which don't go the distance: Like Studio 5B, TV 101...There's a few that only I have ever watched no doubt. You would have thought that with the resources of a major company behind them, the producers would've come up with something watchable...but then again...maybe they deserve to be shelved.