Enigma Beach

Enigma Beach is an American science fiction television series created by Geo Rosario and produced by Rosario's October 23rd Productions in association with RKO Pictures Television. It originally aired on the RKO Network from September 25, 1997 to May 13, 2005 for eight seasons for 185 episodes. Set in —along a section of the referred to as "Enigma Beach"—Enigma Beach's story begins one year after an event known as "the Enigma" caused a substance known as Galaxium to fall to Earth and give citizens exposed to it superpowers. The series focuses on the Acevedo brothers—Dominic (Antonio Benitez), Richard (Benito Mendoza), Justin (Michael Ferrera), and George (Steven Estevez)—as they conduct investigations into Galaxium-related supernatural occurances, oftentimes interfering the work of their Special Agent father Eduardo (Bruno Ortiz).

As opposed to other series from the era where the majority of episodes are about the "", those episodes only make up about one quarter of Enigma Beach's run; the rest of the series explores the show's extensive and complex mythology. "Villain of the week"-type episodes were completely abandoned by the fourth season. The series' overarching story includes numerous supernatural phenomena ascribed to elements of and incorporates themes and plot points strongly tied to government conspiracies,, and.

Earlier speculative fiction series such as ', Machine Dream, and ' inspired Rosario to create Enigma Beach. While creating the show, Rosario sought to create the first American prime time television series with an all- main cast while also having the show appeal to audiences of all races, particularly fans of science fiction and supernatural fiction. The series was primarily filmed in and the. The show is often noted for its "punk" attitude, making frequent use of, , and songs from the 1980s and early 1990s. It is also noted for using filmed with  to depict antagonists in cold opens, extensive use of  in non-action-oriented shots, and other cinematographic hallmarks.

The series' pilot episode peaked at 28.9 million viewers, an all-time high for a scripted prime time RKO series. The series finale, "Conclusion", peaked at 36.8 million viewers, placing it among RKO's highest-rated finales in the network's history. The series has been praised by critics for its character development, main and supporting cast, worldbuilding, music, and Latino American representation. Since premiering, it has been regarded as a touchstone of. It garnered a large following that includes a still-active fandom. The show was followed by Genesis, a sequel series focusing on the character George Acevedo which aired on RKO from September 24, 2015 to May 18, 2023.

Season 1
Much of the pilot episode of Enigma Beach details "the Enigma", an event that occurred a year before the series' story begins. The incident occurred when hazardous, otherworldly materials known as Galaxium which were "floating" in outer space fell to Earth, along with pieces of what appears to be a spacecraft, leading to increased public interest in otherworldly phenomena and the supernatural.

The series begins with George Acevedo (Steven Estevez) moving in with his brothers—Dominic (Antonio Benitez), Richard (Benito Mendoza), and Justin (Michael Ferrera)—in. George, an investigator journalist who is already "UFO crazed", takes it upon himself to investigate happenings related to the Enigma. Justin, who is an crime scene investigator, ultimately joins him despite not working on relevant cases. Eventually, the brothers' father, Eduardo (Bruno Diaz), is made aware of George's efforts, and he strongly advises against further conducting his investigation. Already an Special Agent working at the Los Angeles field office, Eduardo decides that the federal agents are more suited for the task than "a news reporter and an off-duty cop". Nonetheless, the two continue to look into supernatural occurrences.

Dominic and Richard show no interest in the incident until it affects their own lives. Starting in "Chapter 3", after having accidentally made contact with Galaxium on the beach, Dominic's girlfriend (Natasha Morrison) begins feeling ill, and George quickly links it to poisoning caused by exposure to Galaxium. After she is hospitalized in "Rey del Mundo", it is quickly decided that Marissa has "cancer", and Dominic is kept out of the hospital. Also in "Chapter 3", Richard reunites with his childhood friend, (Kevin Dukes), and finds out that Logan has acquired a dangerous "superpower" which causes him to uncontrollably send out signals that give those around him severe migraines that eventually lead to death. Richard quickly realizes that he must "believe the lie" and seek a cure, but Winston ultimately spirals out of control and reflects one of those migraines onto himself, which then causes him to be ill. "Federal agents" from no specific agency quickly put him in the back of an unmarked bus for "medical treatment" and drive off, and Winston is never seen again. Richard and George later discover that this is part of a series of U.S. government coverups related to the Enigma.

Season 2
In "The Unseen World", the season premiere, George becomes fascinated by a dream he had which leads him to believe that it is possible that the Galaxium's unexplained radioactivity may be the result of activities in a parallel universe. His brothers—even Justin—simply write this off as being pseudoscience at first, but soon enough they recall numerous unexplained incidents in episodes from late season 1 involving beings that "flickered" between shadowy white figures and actual people, and they too believe that a "preternatural occurrence" is causing this.

One evening, Eduardo schedules a visit to his sons' house but enters a traffic collision. Aside from a small forehead cut, he sustains no injuries, but is forcefully removed from the vehicle by "paramedics". He is then knocked unconscious and wakes up in an empty room with no windows or doors. A nameless stranger (Robert Paisley) sitting across from him tells him he has been transported to a base of Genesis Corporation, a technology company, and he will become a test subject for their latest product, a drug called Galaximab which is designed to enhance its user's power but has extremely fatal side effects. Eduardo later discovers a way to escape, but before he can, a Galaximab pill is shoved down his throat. He then begins feeling various emotions and developing heightened senses as he manages to beat the Stranger unconscious and escape.

Several episodes later, Eduardo warns George and Justin of the dangers of their work while also experiencing strange physical mutations. He eventually enlists the help of an old friend, (Victor Gupta), to find out what is happening. Narendra discovers that he has developed "acute Galaxium poisoning" as the drug was created with the material, and he puts Eduardo through several treatments in search of a cure. Meanwhile, Dominic begins contemplating if George and Justin's interest in the supernatural is affecting his own life and if what happened to Marissa is some form of payback.

Season 3
Dominic visits and meets with Marissa's younger sister,  (Julie Morkel). After a few brief "encounters" with a translucent incarnation of the Stranger, Eduardo seeks therapy from Prasad. Justin finds out that a small piece of the UFO has landed behind their house, and he and George attempt to decode alien writing on the side of it, and they soon realize the writing is coordinates for their house. Justin later meets his newfound coworker (Shawna Pearson) who is a believer like he and George are; Justin and Eloise later end up being investigating a UFO-related case at work, which is directly linked to the debris in the backyard. After conducting further studies and reading a lot sci-fi novels, George finds out an unusual symbol on the piece of the UFO, which turns out to be the Genesis logo.

George develops feelings for Aurora after Dominic introduces the two to one another, and after a few awkward moments together, they become a couple. Aurora introduces George to her father (Mike Barbero), who turns out to be a member of the Church of Genesis, an organization devoted to a cult known as Genesisity. Bruno eventually meets Daniel himself, and forces George to dump Aurora, stating that Daniel is "dangerous" and that he is a recently released criminal known for easily manipulating those around him. It is then revealed that Daniel has a mind control superpower, and uses it against George to make him join the Church. The only person who can snap him out of it is Justin, who whacks Daniel unconscious to do so. George then breaks up with Aurora voluntarily, fearing future problems involving the Barretta family. Meanwhile, Richard continues to avoid coming to terms with the strange new reality he is faced with.

Season 4
LAPD personnel kill a scientist, bury her body behind the Acevedos' house, and tell a neighbor to call. Justin is is then tasked with solving the purported murder mystery. Following the incident, Dominic, Richard, and George are "interrogated" by the same people who planted evidence. Justin and Eloise are ultimately removed from the case after it is suddenly handed over to the FBI, which leads to Eduardo showing up at his sons' house to question all four of them about the incident—not as an FBI agent, but as their father. They truthfully deny wrongdoing, and Eduardo quickly suspects police misconduct.

Later on, Aurora discovers a piece of a UFO in her backyard. She pulls out her camera to take a picture, and federal agents show up almost immediately, repeatedly beat her head, and remove the debris while she is unconscious. George and Aurora reconcile while she is hospitalized, and Aurora tells the full story. Almost immediately, Aurora begins flatlining. Meanwhile, Richard falls in love with the Acevedos' new neighbor, (Brenda Stark Okazaki), who Dominic suspects is not human. She later turns out to be a superpowered extraterrestrial being, after which Dominic contacts George.

While Richard is on a date with Maureen one night, government personnel show up, tranquilize Richard, abduct Maureen, and take her to a facility similar to the one where Eduardo was taken. Richard tracks them down and eventually finds a giant dome-shaped Genesis laboratory in the topped by what appears to be an alien spacecraft, which he attempts to break into before being detained by authorities, who drive him back to his house. Shortly before he is handcuffed, Richard catches a glimpse of Maureen looking through a window and repeating to him, "You are not alone. We are."

Season 5
Richard attempts to conduct research into the dome in the forest, but each time he does, w peculiarly unmarked black van pulls up outside the Acevedos' house, and Richard suspects it belongs to a federal agent. Meanwhile, Dominic begins writing a science fiction novel based on his and his brother's experiences.

Justin develops romantic feelings for Robbery-Homicide Detective (Natasha Morrison), who returns them. She rushes them into a relationship and asks a barrage of questions about his personal life. When he ponts this out, she threatens to break up with him. Dominic hears about Katrina and quickly suspects she is tied to the government conspiracy that led to Maureen's abduction. He and Richard search the forest to which she was taken, but the dome is nowhere to be found. He consults George about this, and he believes the dome was not a building, but a UFO.

Justin questions Katrina's knowledge of Genesis Corporation, UFOs, and the federal government of the United States. Katrina injects him with liquidized Galaximab and takes him to an unmarked black van, which is the same van that continuous showed up outside the house. After falling unconscious for several hours, Justin wakes up alone at home as if he was dreaming.

Eduardo and Dr. Prasad witness a bombing in the forest and report it to the police, who raid the Church of Genesis. In the meantime, Justin decides to walk outside and enters a white void. After experiencing a wide variety of delusions, he returns home and goes to sleep, waking up in his room once again and but this time in the "real world" with Dominic, Richard, and George, making him interested in the possibility of parallel worlds.

United States
Enigma Beach premiered on Thursday, September 25, 1997 in the 9:00 p.m. time slot. The pilot reached 28.9 million viewers nationwide, beating many other prime time RKO shows that week and speedily becoming a staple of RKO's Thursday night lineup. The series continued to air in that slot for the remainder of the first season, with its ratings catching up to those of the fantasy series Nightfall. The second through eighth seasons of the show aired at 8:00 p.m. instead, still garnering high ratings. "Conclusion", the series finale, aired on May 13, 2005; it reached 36.8 million viewers, making it the most-watched episode of the entire season.

In September 2002, the show began airing in local. In 2004, RKO Television Distribution struck a deal with sister network (both owned by ) for the show to be rebroadcast in syndication. RKO also sold the show to, which began airing it in September 2016. RKO's sister cable network RKOx started airing Enigma Beach in May 2021.

International
In, Enigma Beach aired on at the same time as its American broadcast and drew in moderately high ratings during its first seven seasons. The eighth/final season, however, saw a decrease in viewership.

In Gordica, the show aired uncensored on Warner TV from January 1998 to August 2006. A censored version of the show briefly aired on Disney XD from December 2007 to January 2008. As of May 2022, the show was rerun on various cable channels owned by RKO Media Asia-Pacific.

In Martonia, the series aired on Saturn Two from October 1997 to June 2005. New episodes aired three to four weeks after their U.S. air dates. The series proved to be one of the United States' most successful exports to Martonian television, drawing in extremely high ratings and garnering large fandom in the country, especially among the Latino Martonian community. High-definition reruns began airing on TNT in July 2013, and the series returned to Saturn Two in May 2018. As of September 2023, the series is no longer broadcast on either channel.

Home media
On January 2, 2015, RKO Digital announced that it had begun producing high-definition remasters of all 185 episodes of Enigma Beach for. The remaster makes the show watchable in a  format by rescanning the original  prints at a higher resolution and restoring the left and right sides of the film that were cropped for the   episodes.

TNT began broadcasting the remastered episodes on September 28, 2015. began streaming high-definition episodes on October 19, 2015. The remasters were used for the complete series' Blu-ray set, which was released on March 4, 2016.