Painkiller Jane

:

Season 1
  • Network: SyFy
  • Series Premiere Date: Apr 13, 2007
Metascore
28

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 15
  3. Negative: 10 out of 15
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Critic Reviews

  1. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: Gloria Goodale
    75
    Moody and fast-paced, this is good, only minimally pretentious, sci-fi fun.
  2. Kansas City Star
    Reviewed by: Aaron Barnhart
    60
    The effects-laden pilot of “Painkiller Jane” is certainly watchable.
  3. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
    Reviewed by: Rob Owen
    60
    "Painkiller Jane" doesn't soar to the dramatic heights of "Battlestar," but it is a step above some of the network's other programs, a procedural thriller with a sense of humor and stylish action scenes.
  5. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Clark Collis
    42
    This creaky, cliché-strewn, and pretty cheap-looking sub-X-Files enterprise needs to drastically improve if it wants to become as death-proof as its lead character. [13 Apr 2007, p.69]
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  6. Orlando Sentinel
    Reviewed by: Hal Boedeker
    40
    Think CSI or Cold Case with a bionic woman tossed into the mix.
  7. Philadelphia Daily News
    Reviewed by: Ellen Gray
    30
    No, they're not ripping off "Heroes" - "Jane" was there first - but looking at the two shows side by side demonstrates how much execution matters to even the most promising concept.
  8. TV Guide Magazine
    Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    30
    [A] colorless angstfest.
  9. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Neil Genzlinger
    30
    The stories are flat, and the repartee between Jane and her teammates isn’t zippy enough to amuse even the comic-book crowd.
  10. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Ray Richmond
    20
    "Painkiller Jane" has been reincarnated as a far lamer show than it was on first view more than a year ago.
  11. San Jose Mercury News/Contra Costa Times
    Reviewed by: Charlie McCollum
    20
    The series doesn't come close to capturing the edgy tone and visual style of the print original.
  12. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Robert Abele
    10
    Not helping matters... are the wretched dialogue, indiscriminately moody lighting, stock characters (gruff boss, dweeby tech guy, ripped chauvinist colleague), and crushing lack of suspense.
  13. Variety
    Reviewed by: Brian Lowry
    10
    The show's mired in stiff dialogue, clunky voiceover narration, uneven performances and indifferently staged action sequences.
  14. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    Reviewed by: Melanie McFarland
    10
    The imaginations behind "Painkiller Jane" are so thin, and each hour's progression so randomly executed, that one imagines the scripts were written using the Mad Libs method.
  15. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Maureen Ryan
    0
    What’s most mind-boggling about this show is how it manages to get every single thing wrong.
  16. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Mary McNamara
    0
    The show is long on concept and short on execution which would actually be OK if the writing and acting were not so simply terrible.

Awards & Rankings

93
#93 Best TV Season of 2007
62
#62 Most Discussed TV Season of 2007
23
#23 Most Shared TV Season of 2007

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 21 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 21
  3. Negative: 7 out of 21
  1. Kai82
    Feb 18, 2020
    8
    I actually only stumbled over this series. Painkiller Jane is unknown and I have yet to find anyone that has heard of it. I know only fromI actually only stumbled over this series. Painkiller Jane is unknown and I have yet to find anyone that has heard of it. I know only from Wikipedia that it is based on a comic book series of the same name. So I can not rate if this is a good adaptation or not. In both the main character Jane Vasco develops a superhuman ability (Wont spoil why). She has a healing factor like Wolverine or Deadpool only faster but no other benefits. She has normal human strength and training as DEA agent but can use her regenerative abilities as asset. She got entangled by accident in the affairs of a government agency that hunts and neutralizes Neuros. No, not by killing them (Only if it is absolute unavoidable). Neuros are mutant humans that have various superhuman abilities but no other differences from normal humans. If you say it sounds like X-Men than you are not wrong. The difference is that the existence of mutants are not commonly know and you would be treated as conspiracy theorist if you mentioned something like that. There is the term masked world for this (I think the SCP Foundation hat made that term popular). If I have to describe it its more an X-Men in our world setting that is more realistically grounded. I should mention that you should never use the term realistic in a setting with superhuman abilities, fantasy, or superheroes but it is the best and easiest description for this setting. Many of the Neuros use their abilities for their gains or criminal reasons and have to be stopped but there are exceptions. The series deals with this moral problems in the way should you arrest Neuros that have done nothing or committed altruistic crimes for the benefits of others. It is like in real live “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolute” or for the opposite best described in Spiderman: “With great power comes great responsibility”. You always have both kind of persons. For the actors. You have Krisanna Loken as Jane Vasco. She is a good protagonist and delivers her role and the changes that came with an ability like that. Her team consists out of Rob Steward (Teamleader) as Andre McBride, Stephen Lobo (Scientist) as Dr. Seth Carpenter, Noah Danby (Muscles) as Connor King, Sean Owen Roberts (Nerd / IT specialist) as Riley Jensen and Nathanial Deveaux (Scout / Information gatherer?) as Joe Waterman. All have their own personality and character development. It would be interesting to see more in later seasons but unluckily there were none. So I would say there is a good amount in this area. Same goes for the main story. You got hints that there is more than meets the eye until you come to the final. Again there is a good set up for later seasons. I like the Neuros. You have the basic abilities like illusions, pyrokinetics, mind manipulation but also some more interesting concepts. One can jump back in time to the beginning of the day at will (Only the actual day). This makes him unstoppable because he always can restart and counter everything you did in a new try. It is like Edge of Tomorrow but predates it. The other is a stage magician. He believes his ability is magic and has a mental block that he can use it only with a magic wand. There is enough variety for me. Overall this was an enjoyable concept and series. Maybe it would have had more success today in the age of the Marvel cinematic universe.… Full Review »
  2. xolve
    Aug 13, 2015
    4
    Sexy girl changes hair colour, makes all the wrong decisions, and is somehow rewarded for it despite the entire scenario being her fault.Sexy girl changes hair colour, makes all the wrong decisions, and is somehow rewarded for it despite the entire scenario being her fault. Awesome.

    The funniest thing about this is that they ended it on a cliffhanger because they actually thought they could make a second season.    … Full Review »
  3. SwarleyStinson
    May 30, 2012
    5
    PKJ has a good premise and could have been a good show. Generally a show that has super people should be about the super people, like Heroes,PKJ has a good premise and could have been a good show. Generally a show that has super people should be about the super people, like Heroes, or show both the Feds and the super people like The 4400. Showing just the Feds side of things can be good like in Alphas but in PKJ it just doesn't work because the writing is so bad. Its not terrible but the plots are just too bland.… Full Review »
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