Lexx Series 3 Volume 2

Rating:
Summary: Volume 3:2 at last
Review: An excellent DVD and a brilliant series. A shame the release dates are so far apart.

I never had the opportunity to see series III on TV, so these episodes are new to me. I have found that series three has much more of a consistent plot than earlier series, although all are far more consistent than most Sci-Fi series.

My only complaint was that this DVD had only tree episodes, whereas all prior DVD's had four. I would also like to see the original films released on DVD, if they are not already.

Rating:
Summary: Not bad but could do better.
Review: First things first. If you have not seen Lexx season 3 at all, do not watch the interview with film editor Stewart Dowds as he completely gives away the major plot theme for season 3 before the episode (which is not on this disc) which actually reveals it. How that got through I have to wonder.

I actually bought my Season 1 (the four movies) DVDs, Season 2 and Season 3 DVDs from a Canadian outfit called Videoflicks with a website of the same name (add a dot com to their name). This would make sense that you can get the entire show new there, as it is a Canadian-German co-production. There is slight variation as I guess by law they have to include French language tracks but I imagine they are essentially the same as the ones sold here. It is funny to hear the cast, especially the Lexx in French as we're not used to it, I guess.

If you haven't seen any of Season 3, probably best to skip this review as I go into some events that occur in the first disc and assume some knowledge of prior events. The first episode (Gondola) starts as the crew of the Lexx pursue Duke and Fifi after the moth attack on Boomtown. An interesting situation has been put forward that by now, people they've met in past episodes and seasons who then died seem to be re-appearing on Fire or Water with alarming regularity, though with new names and no memory of their prior life. So, in a way it makes sense that since Kai died when His Divine Shadow killed him at the start of the first movie, he would have been reincarnated on Water. So, it does provide an explanation as to why there is now two of them. An interesting point to ponder here does that leave the re-animated corpse who is also Kai? Is he an separate entity or just a machine with no free will?

Anyway, "Gondola" is probably the best of the three episodes as having crash landed their moth, the crew of the Lexx have to rebuild one of Fire's flying machines to make it back to shelter before the heat kills them. They end up picking up a couple of survivors and then the dilemma is now having too much weight on board, how do they make it across the Red Hot Sea? Not surprisingly death and treachery come into play. We learn that Prince's power extends past just that of mere re-incarnation.

"K-Town" After a forced landing on a tower called K-Town, we seem to get the impression that the future is full of psychotic Germanic types, in this case who seem to alternate between deep depression and homicidal craziness within a few minutes, the later being particularly bad news for the crew of the Lexx since it involves being chased over bottomless pits and having rocks thrown at them. Keeping with the theme of the show, they do encounter a past character. I won't say who it is, though I guess the recap at the start would make it obvious. What they were supposed to contribute to the season in anyone's guess as they are shuffled out as mysteriously as they were brought in. Though the enigmatic statement is made "perhaps this is my punishment" does give a clue to the nature of Fire and Water. You also get to see what Kai wears under his assassin's uniform. Eye opening stuff.

"Tunnels" has our intrepid heroes trying to make it from K-Town to another tower. Not surprisingly, they are also full of homicidal lunatics. Prince who we would have all pegged as the bad guy by now tries to help though undoubtably there's something in it to him. Given what happened in earlier episodes, we should all have a strong suspicion as to what's happening next
at the end of this episode.

This season is 13 episodes, which is probably why it has been a bit awkward to put onto DVD and why they've gone 4,3,3,3 with the episodes. Assuming technically 5 episodes to a disc isn't possible, preventing 4,4,5. Lexx is available 5 episodes to a set in the UK but each set contains 2 discs which is even weirder. There has been a price cut per disc to compensate for there being less episodes per disc this season. Presumably it will be back to 4 episodes a disc for season 4, which numbered 24 episodes (more friendly to being divided by 4).

Drawbacks with this disc would probably be the lack of material in the extra features. The quiz is the sort of thing you only ever bother with once. The interview with Stewart Dowds is interesting and features about 30 seconds of footage from a Season 4 episode (I'm guessing Apocalexx Now, I haven't actually seen it), but only runs for a bit over 2 minutes. The making of Season 3 is also interesting with interviews with Michael McManus (Kai), Brian Downey (Stanley), Nigel Bennett (Prince) and the Director of "Gondola". Some special effects work and design sketches are also covered but there could have been more than the five or so minutes in length it is. So far, the four making of specials spread over the four discs of season 1 are the best so far. Creatitivity with search engines and looking north of the border in Maple leaf territory will help you find those.

As for the episodes themselves, they seem to be in a holding pattern between the start of the series and what must be coming later. Not a great deal happens, nor does it advance the plot as much as you would expect for the length of 3 episodes. Kai seemed to spend a lot of time throwing himself from great heights to fix himself according to the "thump the electric gadget to make it work" school of practice. I'm of the opinion that what K-Town and Tunnels covered probably could have been condensed into 1 episode.

Interestingly enough, these 3 episodes do not feature 790 or the Lexx.

Rating:
Summary: Act two review
Review: In the second volume, the first episode is an intrigueing look into the way of life on the planets fire and water, giving the viewer important info that will be tied up with other loose threads by the end of the season. Very well done. The next two episodes are put together like a briliantly twisted and elongated Monty Python sketch. Very funny stuff but not for eveyone. Keep in mind it is 100% gratuitious. Don't take it too serious and you will enjoy a daring and risky couple of hours of the most off the wall TV ever made.