This weekend, curl up and spend some time with your favorite ass-kicking espionage chick. High kicks, killer costumes and the ability to wield two guns at the same time; what more could you ask for? Waste this weekend with spy girls.

The Popular Choice: Alias 2001 – 2006

When Jennifer Garner took the role of Sydney Bristow for JJ Abrams‘ immensely popular spy show Alias, it basically put her on the map. Alias brought the elements of criminal mystery and sci fi together with real life as Sydney’s journey went way beyond the walls of SD-6. With family tree issues, an on-again-off-again relationship with her handler Michael (Michael Vartan) and handful of crafty evil enemies, Sydney’s plate was constantly full with a healthy serving of back stabbing and lies.

The show itself was an action packed hour of international espionage sewn together with the grace of some of the most amazing wardrobes on television. Alias used the concept of double agents as a way to explain to audiences that nobody should be trusted – a theme explored throughout the entire five year run. Pop in an early season of Alias this weekend and experience Sydney’s journey from SD-6 to the CIA and back and forth – you won’t be disappointed.

The Nostalgic Choice: La Femme Nikita 1997 – 2001

Nikita didn’t put Peta Wilson on the map in the same way that Alias made Garner, but the show did take audiences through a new kind of narrative during its run. La Femme Nikita was the story of a homeless woman recruited by a secret counter terrorist organization, trained and sent back into the world to carry out dangerous missions. Each episode would take audiences, and Nikita, to a brand new dangerous destination where she would have to save, steal, rescue or blow something up. During early seasons this concept worked quite well on a weekly basis, but as the series continued, more information about why Nikita in particular was picked off the street and trained is revealed. With great ratings carrying Nikita through the first two seasons, it looked as though the series was going to be a mainstay, but with a changing of the guard over at the USA Network, Nikita began to plummet and was eventually canceled. A devoted fan base tried to resurrect the show through an Internet campaign, but La Femme Nikita was dead and gone. Thanks goodness for DVD’s!

The Lesser Known Choice: Once A Thief 1997 – 1998

If you blinked back in 1997, you probably missed the entire run of Once A Thief. Although the Canadian show about a trio of spies with a connected past had the big name of John Woo attached to it, Once A Thief barely made it through the first season. The show followed Li Ann Tsei played by Sandrine Holt, Victor Mansfield played by Nicholas Lea and Mac Ramsey played by Ivan Sergei as the trio are forced to work together under the watchful eyes of The Director. Tsei and Ramsey were once lovers and after growing up as thieves in the powerful Tang clan, they faked their own deaths and attempted to start a new life. Tsei gets away, but Ramsey is caught and sentenced to life in prison. Fast forward two years and Tsei is living in Canada working as an agent. Her new life includes a new love interest, ex-policeman Mansfield. All seems to be going well until Ramsey is released from prison and sent to Canada to work for The Director as part of a trio with Tsei and Mansfield. If you can find a copy of the first and only season of Once A Thief, this is a great show to lose your weekend with.