The Secret World of Alex Mack was truly a product of its time. The live-action Nickelodeon sci-fi series about a plucky young middle-schooler from Paradise Valley who was doused with strange chemicals and blessed with strange but amazing powers was not on a lot of people’s radars in the mid-90s, but over the years it has gained a cult following as one of Nickelodeon’s underrated gems.

The Fashion

The 90s were an interesting era in fashion; that’s putting the term very mildly. Grunge was king during this time and seen in many Nick shows; The Adventures of Pete and Pete was one of the biggest offenders.

When the decade wasn’t co-opting fashion trends from years past (remember when bell bottoms made a comeback? Thanks, Old Navy flares!), the 90s were content to revel such eclectic pieces and thrift store-chic finds as backwards caps, beanies, bucket hats flannel shirts and overalls. The oddness of the era is encapsulated in posterity in The Secret World of Alex Mack.

Larisa Oleynik’s Career

When not playing the titular character, Alex Mack’s lead Larisa Oleynik was best known as being often mistaken for Melissa Joan Hart (in fact, The Secret World of Alex Mack was tasked with taking over Clarissa Explain it All’s timeslot in the SNICK lineup).

Oleynik had some modest roles post-Alex Mack, but hasn’t hit the big time like some of her fellow castmates, like Shia LeBoeuf and Jessica Alba. As an adult, she’s had the occasional role in TV and film; she’s currently on the Netflix original series Trinkets, which will have new episodes in 2020.

The Graphics

The biggest selling point for The Secret World of Alex Mack was that it was a vehicle for Nickelodeon studios to show off its big-budget effects for the small screen with Alex’s superpowers; this included her electric powers, her glowing, and her ability to shapeshift into an amorphous silver goo.

Two and half decades and a healthy dose of Disney’s Avengers-level special effects later, and the show can’t help but look a bit dated by comparison. Those liquid pool powers of Alex’s that were once impressive now merely conjure up long-forgotten memories of that group of kids from the Capri Sun drink commercials back in the day.

Society’s Acceptance With Letting Kids be Kids

Nickelodeon built an entire brand around the mentality that kids were allowed to be kids on their network. The programming of the time reflected this: All That, Wienerville, Wild and Crazy Kids, Double Dare, Legends of the Hidden Temple, and the entire Nicktoons lineup to name a few. Alex Mack and her peers actually dressed their age and were not interested in dressing sexy or emulating the Kim Kardashians of the time.

But acting like a kid with no agency is not acceptable in the current era of youths like Greta Thunberg, who are starting at a young age to make a difference in the world. It is up for debate whether simpler times were indeed better times.

Blind Loyalty to Corporations

In the series, Alex Mack had to keep her powers a secret from her parents, lest they turn her into the Danielle Altron chemical plant and let them do experiments on her. The irony was that her father, George, was a scientist that worked for the very company that was trying to track Alex down. It’s sad that Alex had to hide her abilities from her parents, but they likely would have thought they were doing the right thing for their daughter by returning her to the people responsible for her peculiarity.

This line of thinking and blind faith in authority and corporations is a far cry from the distrust and cynicism felt now towards the actions of companies. People are constantly demanding more from corporations: better food, better environmental practices, and a better effort towards social responsibility.

The Tone

Watching Alex use and hone her telekinetic powers, one can’t help but be reminded of another super-powered preteen that’s grown in popularity. Eleven from Stranger Things is essentially a more mature interpretation of Alex,  who also has psychic powers and is being hunted.

Traumatized and mute seem to be a more realistic response to possessing special powers than a plucky teenager, but the grim-dark nature of sci-fi wasn’t as prevalent as it was almost 30 years ago. Plus, it’s hard to be in a tense mood after listening to the show’s theme song.

The popularity of the name

Alex Mack’s real name is Alexandra Louise Mack. When The Secret World of Alex Mack first came out in 1994, the first name Alex was at the peak of popularity for both boys and girls, ranking in the top 100 of most popular baby names for that year and at its highest ranking ever in 1995. (Alexandra ranked #28 for popularity for 1994).

While the cult-status of the series has endured, the popularity of the name has not. Alex has since fallen down to the 300s, but is still a popular gender-neutral choice for babies within Canada and the United States.

Believability

The Secret World of Alex Mack came out in the 90s, long before cell phones were as ubiquitous as they are now. If the notorious spillage of the chemicals on Alex had happened today, her face would have been plastered all over social media before she even would have stepped foot home.

Also, the company responsible would be put on blast; most likely, they’d have a #BoycottDanielleAlton campaign on Twitter calling for accountability for the reckless endangerment of its civilians. Whatever the outcome, it’s safe to say that it would be much harder to keep Alex Mack’s world a secret in the 21st century.

Nickelodeon’s Willingness to Take Chances

At the time, there wasn’t a show quite like The Secret World of Alex Mack, and there hasn’t really been a show like it since. Taking a quick look at Nickelodeon’s current programming lineup proves that point; the network really isn’t invested in any show that isn’t Spongebob Squarepants or The Loud House.

There are still a few live-action shows being produced, but they are of the single-camera variety and comedic slice of life in nature, much like the Victorious and Zoey 101. Sci-fi properties are simply not a hot commodity on Nick at the moment, but maybe that will change in the future.

The Novelty of the Superhero genre

There was something legitimately alluring about the idea of having superpowers. And even though Alex Mack isn’t officially considered a superhero, she had to go through the same development regarding learning her powers and keeping her identity as an enhanced human a secret.

That said, this show came out six years before the first X-Men movie, which would pave the way for future superhero movies and would change the landscape of TV and film in general for the next 20 years. Ironically, if The Secret World of Alex Mack were to come out today, it likely wouldn’t be as well-received, as it would have had to contend with the superhero fatigue that is starting to creep into the mainstream.