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Lexx is a science fiction TV series that gathers a quirky group of individuals aboard a starship known as the Lexx. The Lexx is an insectlike, bio-engineered spacecraft, with the ability to destroy planets. The ship fuels itself on the resultant debris.
Coproduced by Canadian and German production companies (Salter Street Films, later Alliance Atlantis), with some additional funding from Britain's Channel 5, Lexx includes a lot more sexual innuendo, including nudity, than most shows that are created strictly for an American audience. Cable networks The Sci Fi Channel and Showcase aired the show.
The series was filmed in Berlin, Germany; Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Bangkok, Thailand; and Namibia. (The dunes of Namibia and the Gothic architecture of Berlin are combined to create the planet Fire.)
Overview
Lexx Is a genuine example of a show that has evolved from the mire of titillating Sci-Fi shows into something quite remarkable. The enormous scope of the show struggled against an (unsurprisingly) inadequate budget in the first season of the show; only to blossom with each passing series. Even in the beginning though there were many redeeming features not the least of which being extremely well nuanced guest star appearances by Malcolm McDowell, Rutger Hauer and Tim Curry.
Beyond these star turns the sheer scale of the project couldn’t fail to capture the imagination, not one universe but two, spanning about six thousand years in a never-ending continuum, visiting, for want of a better world heaven and hell, and coming out the other side to participate in the destruction of Planet Earth whilst battling an immortal claiming to be Death himself. Whilst this was not all apparent from its humble beginnings, what is obvious to see is the depth and breadth of sources from which the show is drawn. Obliquely proffered in the first series as a muddle of Dante-esque and Orwellian references and more directly alluded to in the forth series with episodes such as "A Midsummer's nightmare" a rampaging parody of Shakespeare.
What ties the series together throughout is the irreverent joy with which each episode engages with the Lexx universe. The show's wickedly bi-polar sense of humour can romp from touching to callous within the space of two lines; mirroring the personalities of the archetypal (in more ways than one) characters that populate both Lexx's universe(s) and, indeed, our own.
The show appeals on many levels, from the cheap visual gags which abound, to the overt innuendo and sexuality that permeate most episodes, to the sublime satire and wit with which the writers hold up a mirror to our own craven passions and agendas. To the sophisticated eye and ear there is really something for everyone and, in a manner unfamiliar to most TV shows outside of Southpark, there are no topics, vices or foibles that are rendered taboo in Lexx.
Key Themes
As can be expected from a show as multi-faceted as Lexx the issues touched or dwelt upon in Lexx cannot be easily surmised, generally however Lexx seems to be attempting to expound the dichotomy of the human condition; juxtaposing the bestial urges that reside within the heart of man with the nobler instinct (or divine spark) that seeks to ennoble us whilst the universe is (literally) collapsing around us. All set against the eternal and unconquerable battle with death that is an irresistible part of life.
It is helpful to consider that the thematic emotions of the 'guest' characters on the show are components of a theme or idea being used much like background scenery, against which the actions of the 'main' characters are allowed to be expressed. Xev (or Zev) and Kai are "obviously" the "good" characters of the show, and yet Kai has slaughtered thousands of innocents, Xev has eaten people and is, all-be-it indirectly, responsible for numerous deaths throughout the series. Kai's crime's happen(ed) whilst he’s not in control of himself, yet as his relationship with Stan and Xev grows he is more than willing to coerce and indeed kill anyone who threatens them or stands in their way. Stan is at best an anti-hero and more likely just a bad man, yet his actions are arguably as unwitting as Kai's. He is a weak and pathetic man, slave to his passions. Beyond the heat of the moment though his anguish and repentance is heartfelt and profound.
In Lexx death is not an abstract concept it is a certainty. Everyone who sets foot onboard the Lexx dies, EVERYONE, main characters included. Life is cheap in both universes and whilst this propagates evil and depravity throughout the very fibre of the Lexx Cosmos it also makes the simplest act of kindness something genuinely special and humane. The majority of characters encountered are inexorably wicked, nevertheless there are a myriad of pure souls, fighting 'The good fight', with no support, against overwhelming odds. Mantrid and His Divine Shadow, for example, represent the truest form of evil, unquenchable seekers of power, in both cases represented through the 'will' of the insect but allegorically voicing those impulses that are alien to all humanity yet most assuredly reside within the heart of man. Prince, the 'ruler' of planet Fire (or hell) is, in himself, not necessarily evil, he is no Satan but rather a Devil's advocate, ensuring justice, cruel merciless justice certainly, but justice nevertheless. Prince's final revelation that he is the personification of Death is much more fitting with his actions than any assessment of him as some kind of supreme evil, whilst he may delight in the evils that men do he is more an arbiter than an actor, letting every-man take his place as the actual implementer of evil deeds.
Alongside Death (and its little brother fear) Lust and Avarice play the most significant role in motivating characters and events throughout Lexx. Stanley is a wanton, Caliban-like slave to his baser emotions, whereas Xev represents a far more attractive inception of the same passion, whilst the two characters approach the theme from different sides, almost everything that they do is sprung from an irrepressible well of undaunted sexuality. The fruitless pursuit of Kai by various characters serves further to contrast the inexhaustible, yet generally unsatiated, lust of his crew-mates.
These guiding stars of human nature dance and intertwine like the supernovas in their eponymous episode. Stanley is a clearly identifiable weathervane for the Id; railing against the controlling influences of the ego and super-ego, represented in an elliptic fashion by Xev and Kai. As each aspect of the psyche goes out of control or is affected by an external influence the passions and drives of the other either step-up or cool-off to ensure maintenance of equilibrium. Quite simply whilst all about them lose their heads, the three contrasting aspects that make up the crew of the Lexx keep their collective balance, each an effective check on the stability of the other. The reason, perhaps, that the crew are able to persist in their nomadic existence is that their intertwining involvement keeps them irresistibly grounded in the present.
Characters
The Crew
The crew of the Lexx is motivated largely by fear, lust, and hunger — factors which gradually came to dominate the story-lines more and more, eventually making Lexx famous for its sexual themes and often bizarre story-lines. Each episode in the later series takes the crew through another stage of their journey through chaotic, hostile universes without any legitimate authority while exploring the relationships between the protagonists and their individual histories.
The crew of the Lexx includes:
- Zev/Xev Bellringer of planet B3K, a half cluster lizard, renegade love slave. Played by Eva Habermann (as Zev) in the first season, and Xenia Seeberg (as Xev) thereafter
- 790 (Jeffrey Hirschfield), a robot head that received the love slave programming meant for Zev, in love first with Zev, then in later series, Kai
- Kai (Michael McManus), last of the Brunnen G, an emotionless, undead Divine Assassin.
- The Lexx itself (voiced by Tom Gallant), with which Stanley regularly interacts
- Lyekka (Louise Wischermann), man-eating plant woman and occasional Lexx crew member
Villains
The Lexx
The Lexx is a living starship in the shape of a giant wingless dragonfly. It was grown from organ collections used on the Cluster, the capital planet of the Divine Order. Originally intended for use by His Divine Shadow as a terror weapon against the remaining "Heretic" worlds of the Light Universe, the ship was commandeered by the crew in their escape from the Cluster.
The Key is an ethereal living thing that enables whoever is hosting it to captain the Lexx. This key can be passed to others during peak emotional moments, such as times of extreme pleasure or at the point of death. During the course of the show, several of the characters gain control of the Key, but Stan is the default bearer. The ship carries out commands given in the captain’s voice. In addition, there is a hand beacon on the bridge to confirm important orders, such as destroying a planet. The ship speaks in a droning male voice, and has a level of intelligence that the show's creators have compared to that of a dog. The Lexx also has emotions, and enjoys destroying planets, becoming rather irritable when denied the opportunity. In the final episode of the show, as the Lexx is dying, it tells Stan that he was always its favorite captain.
The Lexx must eat constantly. It can land on a planet's surface to scoop up suitable food. When denied food, the ship becomes cranky but always tries to follow orders no matter what. The show returns several times to the moral dilemma of choosing to destroy inhabited worlds in order to keep the ship alive. Occasionally, Lexx will swallow passing ships without even informing the crew. The Lexx also formulates this matter into items for the crew, such as a disgusting form of food. The Lexx’s amenities include showers and a toilet system of living commodes that use large, waggling tongues for user sanitation.
The Lexx hosts a raft of small, ornithopter-like craft called "moths," used by the crew for short-range travel in air or space, or to go places where the Manhattan-sized Lexx cannot. The moths are built by zombie-like human slaves re-engineered entirely for moth-building. The insectlike ships twitter constantly as they travel. Stan usually sleeps in the carcass of one of the dead moths.
Spoiler Warning: Plot details and/or information about the ending follow. If you wish to enjoy the work first, stop reading here and return at another time.
The Lexx ages several thousand years as the series progresses. In later seasons, it becomes increasingly unreliable due to its advanced age and decay after millennia of starvation and neglect. In the final episode of the series, the Lexx dies shortly after giving birth to a smaller, very Lexx–like ship, the result of a brief union with an insect on Earth.
The Light Universe and Dark Zone
In the fictional television series "Lexx," there are two universes: the Light Universe and the Dark Zone. Two of the Season 1 movies and the whole of Seasons 3 and 4 take place in the Dark Zone, while two of the Season 1 movies and nearly all of Season 2 takes place in the Light Universe.
The Light Universe was completely dominated by His Divine Shadow and the League of 20,000 Planets, while the Dark Zone is often referred to as the universe of evil, chaos, and depravity. The Brunnen-G originally lived in the Dark Zone on Brunnis, until their sun was no longer able to support life, after which they moved to Brunnis-2 in the Light Universe. Earth is located at the center of the Dark Zone, as are Fire and Water, planets that are similar to heaven and hell.
Most of the matter in the Light Universe was converted into biomechanical drones (Mantrid drones) by Mantrid, who then caused a Big Crunch by summoning all the Mantrid drones to a single spot in the universe to do battle with the Lexx. Little matter escaped into the Dark Zone, most of it being the Lexx itself.
The Dark Zone is the parallel universe that His Divine Shadow cannot enter. At the end of the first movie, "I Worship His Shadow", the Lexx enters the dark zone through a fractal core located using coordinates found inside one of Stanley Tweedle's teeth. The Lexx remains in the Dark Zone during the second and third movies, and parts of the fourth. The Lexx returns to the Light Zone in the first episode of the television series. Following the destruction of the Light Universe (or Light Zone) by Mantrid's drones (at the end the second season), the Lexx is shifted into the Dark Zone where they remain for the rest of the show.
The Cluster
- Main article: The Cluster.
Another major setting in the world of "Lexx" is The Cluster. The Cluster is at the very center of the Divine Order and is also the planet from which Zev, Stan, and Kai escape in the beginning. His Divine Shadow, his Divine Predecessors, and religious leadership rule from The Cluster. The Cluster is the capital of the Divine Order, center of the bureaucracy, and place were all criminals/heretics are taken for punishment (provided they survive the trip). The planet has become an over centralized, overcomplicated mess, with most decisions being automated by an impersonal computer system prone to devastating mistakes at the slightest technological malfunction.
Fire
- Main article: Fire.
Fire is an inhospitable planet, with its entire surface covered in desert and open seas of lava. Even when the sun beats down mercilessly on the desert sands, the ground below is hotter still than the sky above. Fire is said to have no water of its own, and people on the open sands during daylight quickly die. The inhabitants of Fire live in enormous towers, each of which contains a single city. These provide them shade from the sun and possibly keep them cooler by raising them away from the planet's warm surface.
Water
- Main article: Water.
The inhabitants of Water live in several large floating settlements, each of which seems to be centered around some particular pastime. During their stay on Water, the crew of the Lexx visit the settlements of Gametown, for those who like sports; Boomtown, for those who like sex; and Garden, for those who like gardening. Life on Water seems to have been meant to be full of unmarred beauty and contentment, but this is shattered by frequent war parties from Fire, which arrive via hot air balloons through the planets' shared atmosphere.
Episodes
- Main article: Lexx Episode Guide.
There are four seasons of Lexx, comprising sixty-one episodes. The first season, debuting in Canada on April 18, 1997, consisted of four two-hour TV movies (sometimes screened as eight one-hour episodes), alternatively titled Tales from a Parallel Universe. Some episode guides do not include the two-hour movies as part of the series, listing the subsequent seasons as the first through third.
The second season consisted of twenty 48-minute episodes. The story arc involved an evil scientist called Mantrid, whose nefarious plan is to convert the population of the entire universe into one-armed Mantrid drones.
The third season of 13 episodes sees the Lexx trapped in orbit around the warring planets Fire and Water. The crew encounters an evil and enigmatic yet cheerful being known as Prince, who may be the Devil. The two planets orbit each otherclosely, sharing a tunnel of atmosphere, enabling the inhabitants of Fire to attack Water at whim. Prince, who can reincarnate whenever it suits him, rules Fire. Water appears to have no opposing ruler, consisting of a small population of hedonists who live on floating islands.
In the fourth and final season (24 episodes), the Lexx arrives at Earth in the year 2000, only to find that Prince (now named Isambard Prince, and somehow head of the ATF) and several other old adversaries have arrived there, too. Between them, Prince and the Lexx manage to demolish large chunks of the Earth&ndash. The climactic final episode was shown on April 26, 2002.
Seasons 1 to 3 of Lexx were released on VHS and Region 2 DVD in the UK by Contender Limited but are no longer available. The Season 3 DVDs were initially exclusive to the MVC Entertainment chain of stores. Momentum Pictures, a subsidiary of Alliance Atlantis, obtained the rights to Season 4, but have not released any DVDs.
All four seasons were released in the US (DVD Region 1) by Acorn Media.
Fandom
Lexx fans disagree about which episodes epitomize the show. The show’s inconsistent tone, and—a matter of opinion—inconsistent quality occasionally left fans bewildered. Although other genre shows have mixed drama and comedy, Lexx swerved constantly between the two, and threw in helpings of kinky sex. The original TV movies and the "Mantrid" and "Fire and Water" seasons were mostly dramatic with plenty of comedy, but the show's final season, set on Earth in the year 2000, turned into pure mockery. It remains a controversial season among the show's fans.
The show aired on The Sci Fi Channel during the same years as Farscape, which far outdrew Lexx in budget and in audience share. The two fan groups tend not to mingle. Lexx fans call themselves "Lexxians," and occasionally hold Lexx conventions (usually more like small Lexx parties).
Despite its cult status, interest in continuing Lexx via a movie or TV series seem to have petered out. The final episode of the series left this possibility open, with most of the characters still alive and the surviving Lexx crew aboard a new, baby Lexx ship. A comic book series was announced, but seems to have fallen by the wayside.
External Links
Cast Links
BlackHatStation.com Official Nigel Bennett Site
BrianDowney.biz Official Brian Downey Site
EllenDubin.com Official Ellen Dubin Site
Eva-Habermann.de Official Eva Habermann Site
Michael-Mcmanus.com Official site on Michael McManus
XeniaSeeberg.biz Official Xenia Seeberg Site
PatriciaZentilli.com Official Patricia Zentilli Site
Show Links
LexxZone Billboard, downloads, chat, Lexxpod Jukebox, photo gallery, English and German forums
LexxVerse Lexx discussion board, Lexxchat, Lexx reviews, cast information, English and German Forums
Lexx at the Internet Movie Database
Lexx at TV.com
Lexx at the Open Directory Project
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