In which the Lexx arrives at the binary worlds of Fire and Water and we learn what our heroes have been up to since their arrival in the Dark Zone.
(U.S. premiere August 18, 2000)
Written by Paul Donovan and Lex Gigeroff
Directed by Chris Bould
| What's the plan, Stan? |
STAN: So what do we do now?XEV: I suppose we find ourselves a new home.STAN: Which then gets destroyed, like every place we've ever been.
XEV: Your point?STAN: My point is that this time we should actually have a plan. |
STAN [of the Lexx]: How can he be so stupid?790: Easily and always. He's stupid, and you're Captain of the stupid. |
GUEST STARS
Nigel Bennett -- Prince
THRILL TO THE NEW INTRODUCTION!
The "I am the Lexx" introduction from the second series has been replaced with the Brunnen-G battle anthem. No word yet on whether fans are supposed to sing along.
WHAT HAPPENED
The
Lexx rolls end over end through space. Its crew is in cryo-sleep.
790 wakes up on the bridge. The ship's viewer displays an image of two planets, connected by an atmospheric umbilical.
The bodiless robot tries to scoot down to the cryo-chamber, but his cart malfunctions, knocking him off the bridge. (spoilers)
ANALYSIS
Forget everything you thought you knew: this is not your older brother's Lexx. This isn't even the know-it-all guy at your local comics shop's Lexx, and despite the continuity implied by the flashback sequence, the Lexx team seem determined to ignore the show's previous incarnation.
For one thing, the Fire and Water saga promises to be much more focused than meanderings of Season Two. Although Mantrid lurked in the background of many of last season's episodes, the individual stories themselves were usually self-contained and of little lasting consequence.
This began to change when the Lexx visited Brigadoom. The commitment – in terms of both the story and the characters' behavior – and focus that came out of that episode appears to have survived the destruction of the universe and promises to shape the current series.
Stan may still be cranky and horny -- with the one no doubt feeding into the other -- but it's a more restrained, less cartoonish crankiness. Despite his ineptitude and confusion, he now seems to want something out of life.
Although it builds on the commitment born in Brigadoom, the 4,000-year gap between "The End of the Universe" and "Fire and Water" provides a sense of distance between the second and third seasons. This is especially important here in the United States, where the SCI FI network's "Summer of Sci Fi" schedule means that there is no hiatus providing real-time distance between the two series.
To boldly stay in the same place
If "Fire and Water" is any indication, this season will be all about continuity. Instead of randomly roaming the galaxy, the Lexx will be based around two planets.
These new landscapes will no doubt provide the same opportunities for mayhem, hijinks, sexual misunderstandings and life-threatening peril, but it seems safe to assume that the absurdity will unfold in the service of a larger story. We're in for contextualized surrealism.
In a mundane, non-televised universe, gravitational stresses would rip apart two planets in such close proximity to one another. Are Fire and Water merely improbable, or does their strange attraction imply that the Lexx some secrets to be revealed?
Whether improbable or flat out fantastic, Our Heroes appear to be taking part in a primal story. It remains to be seen what the planet Water has to offer, but based on the conditions of Fire, it is possible to make some educated guesses.
Where Fire is chaotic, industrialized, and -- if the Prince is any indication -- passionate, it seems a safe bet that Water will be ordered, leisurely and sterile.
Did the Prince rebel against this supposed sterility? Did he fall from Water to Fire? Is his Great War just another shadow, or is this the archetypal war between good and evil?
A literal interpretation goes a long way toward explaining Fire and Water's implausible affinity and proximity.
It remains to be seen how this war will affect the crew. At the moment, the Lexx stands between Water (Heaven?) and Fire (Hell?). Do the ship and its passengers face redemption or damnation?
No answers yet, only questions. Stan and Xev are on Fire, but brought there as guests/prisoners rather than explicitly damned as payment for their sins. Their final fate has yet to be written.
Their presence on Fire also sets up a resonance with Greek mythology. Events in subsequent episodes may render this interpretation moot, Kai is now in a position to reenact the story of Orpheus.
We may see him descend into Hell to rescue Xev. Should this come to pass, one expects the story will have a happier resolution than the original version, and that Kai will succeed where Orpheus failed.
Pretty pictures
Wherever the season takes Our Heroes, they're going to look great along the way. Lexx's new sensibility goes hand in hand with a richer, more cinematic look.
This is apparent from the opening sequence aboard the Lexx. The cinematography imbues the stock sets – especially the bridge – with a weight and a reality that they have not previously achieved.
Impressive as it is, this is small peanuts compared to the exterior shots. The airship pursuit of the Lexx at the beginning of the episode looks fantastic, evoking everything from the Tatooine sequences in Return of the Jedi to the balloon sequences in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen to the exteriors in the film version of Dune.
If the recent SCI FI ads are any indication, by the way, the upcoming miniseries is going to leave the visuals of David Lynch’s Dune in the dust. Would anybody have guessed in 1984 that the television programs of 2000 would look so good?
TUNE IN NEXT WEEK
For "May", in which the Prince of Fire advances his plan to invade Water by striking a Faustian bargain with one of our heroes.
Enjoying the new Lexx look? Send your comments to the editor.
advertisement
