The Insane 90s Sci-Fi Series That Pushed The Boundaries Of Cable Television
When The Sci-Fi Channel was added to my parent’s cable package back in the late 90s, I was beyond excited, as I was a huge nerd back then and was dying to see all of these strange shows I could only read about in TV Guide. That’s how I stumbled across Lexx for the first time, and this bonkers Canadian/German production was mind-blowing, and even now, looking back at it as an adult, I can finally appreciate the very weird series that broke every rule of sci-fi.
Lexx Is A Weird Show
Trying to explain the plot of Lexx is impossible, and doing so might get you committed, as you’d have to explain how the universe is under the control of His Divine Shadow, a seemingly immortal evil being, but that’s enough, as he wants to subjugate the neighboring universe, the Dark Universe as well. Within the first made-for-tv movie (four of which comprise the first season), we’re introduced to a ragtag crew of misfits and the strong, brave, and heroic revolutionary Oratal-B heretic leader Thodin (played by Barry Bostwick).
Then, the typical sci-fi hero, Thodin, is killed off, and we realize that the lazy, traitorous courier and an escaped love slave are our main characters.
A Mistfit Crew
Stanley H. Tweedle (Brian Downey), the former courier, and Zev/Xev (Eva Habermann/Xenia Seeberg) are not your typical sci-fi heroes, and in fact, calling them “heroes” throughout Lexx is a bit of a stretch. The two are joined by Kai (Michael McManus), an undead assassin who betrays His Divine Shadow when his memories are restored, the robot 790 (voiced by Jeffrey Hirschfield), and the cannibal Gigerota (Ellen Dubin), with others popping and out throughout the four seasons. If this sounds similar to Guardians of the Galaxy and Farscape, it is, but it’s much weirder.
Dream On + Farscape = Lexx
Lexx is filled with fan service and innuendo that turns a device called the Lusticon into a plot point. To go back to 90s cable, take the series Dream On and toss it into a blender with Farscape; this is the result. The best and one of the longest-running gags works into this concept, as it revolves around Stanley trying to get with Zev, except he’s the only person who actively repulses her, so he insists that he’s playing the long game.
Grows And Changes Over Time
As Lexx progresses, the entire tone of the show changes to match, and this is where I have to give the production team a ton of credit, as Seasons 1 and 2 are wild and filled with frat humor, but Season 3 is much darker and becomes a somber experience. Then, Season 4, which takes place in a contemporary Earth (possibly related to budget issues removing the elaborate greenscreen sets), runs through every possible storyline you could think of in the span of about a dozen episodes.
It’s insane, and it’s genius. The size of His Divine Shadow’s ultimate weapon, the Megashadow, is the type of dumb humor that we need more of in our sci-fi.
Multiple Ways To Experience Lexx
REVIEW SCORE
After watching the likes of Farscape, Babylon 5, and The Expanse, I don’t think Lexx can compare, which is why it’s forgotten today. The show isn’t good, but it’s also not entirely bad; it’s just short of being a complete disaster, but there’s usually something, a joke that lands, a wild sci-fi concept, or even sometimes, a heartfelt character moment, that makes the show not the worst thing I’ve ever seen.
If you want to experience the sheer lunacy and unbridled lustiness of Lexx, you can do so on The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime, or Vudu.
