Customer Reviews

Lexx: Series 4, Vol. 4

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

(First paragraph SPOILERS):
The big bugship Lexx literally comes down to earth.... or at least to an insane parody of it. During the series' storyline, Lexx has crossed between light and dark universes so many times, it's easy to lose track, in spite of the baldly stated fact that this is the "Dark Zone." Also, "Earth" (or this universe's strange version thereof) is apparently formed after the destruction of the previous season's allegory planets Fire & Water. And archenemy (Isambard) Prince was last seen falling to this Earth.

After the sheer surrealism and intense sexuality of the first "season" 's movies, the epic dramedy and friskiness of Season 2, and the relative seriousness of the shorter season 3, this final season, which operates like a second half of S3, takes yet another tone. As in S2, the universe (let alone Earth) is in danger of being invaded by voracious and hungry aliens, which include hordes of nasty little carrot-like robot-thingies. Complicating matters is archenemy and all-around trickster Prince, who's become head of the ATF (snicker), and who has rigged the latest U.S. election (sound familiar?) and has a brainless spineless Commander-in-Cheif to manipulate.

As before, there are parallel characters from earlier series played by returning guest actors, which provides a fun spin to watching the entire series.

In spite of the big alien invasion plot, this season's tone is sheer and unrelenting parody, sometimes of very farcical proportions, sometimes too much for some viewers. President Priestly comes across as so childish and simpering and annoying that his apparent real-life parallel G W Bush comes across as relatively tolerable (?!). Eventual first lady Bunny veers between sheer bimbo-ism and sweet girly-ness.

Our regular crew is still here, of course. Xev is by now a somewhat more developed character, and she goes through a lot in these 24 episodes. Kai is usually still Kai, but he still has a healthy arc. Robot head 790 is strait-jacketed in obsessive love and double-dealing that is not as funny as it used to be. Stan is a big disappointment, still the biggest jerk in the entire SF universe, forever changing his mind, avoiding conflict and travel, and always willing to keep starving poor Lexx to death. Another quasi-main character makes an entertaining return in the later episodes.

Sn4's parody is broad and relentless -- nothing is spared: the US and its presidency, war, small town life, television and the media, religion (watch for the new pope!!!), the US weapons fetish (sometimes via ATF), sex, porn, drugs, Vegas, Vietnam, vampires, scientists and geek computer culture, Shakespeare, "Survivor," golf, druids, teen angst, chess / "Seventh Seal," and lots of geographical parody (ie, which areas does Lexx damage or destroy? Pretty funny stuff). Oh, and the Pres goes through space shuttles like nobody's business.

It all builds up to a wild and crazy final five episodes, with the last three building up to a super-frenzied --and generally satisfying-- conclusion to the series.

The packaging --despite its crowded pile-up style-- actually works okay, and, yet again, there are no extras.

Really great to get the final episodes in one pack! Network showed spotty episodes at random or not at all

4.5 stars. The only problem I have with the entire 4th series is that the show feels less like a Sci-fi adventure series and more like a bizarre serial using parody and twisted humor set on the planet Earth. However, many times during the series it works really well. Here are the episodes:

4.13 769--Once again, Robot Head 790 schemes his way into being attached to a body(this time onto the shoulder of a well-equipped Moth Breeder). This episode has its moments, certainly a laugh here and there, but eventually feels like a twist on the same plot used in an episode from season 2 called "791."

4.14 Prime Ridge--American suburbia is now the target of Lexx parody. In Prime Ridge, a town in Rimsore County(that's none-too-subtle), all the inhabitants seem normal. That is, they are normal as far as gun-toting, redneck beef-lovers with warped psychoses are concerned. The 3 main crew members try living in the neighborhood for a while(with a perfect lawn, no less), but eventually, the ATF catches up with them. The ending is reminiscent of "The Wild Bunch" as far as gore and body-count.

4.15 Mort--The crew hide out in "Mort's Fun(eral) Parlor" and discover that Mort, while being a fairly nice guy, is in love with a long-dead girl with various body parts put together a la "Frankenstein." Kai's proto-blood seems to be the answer to Mort's prayers, as it has the power to animate dead tissue. This is a fun spoof on "Re-animator" with some good side-humor when Stan and Xev are recruited as ushers for viewings of the deceased.

4.16 Moss--This is an episode I remembered long after the series ended. Moss, a "post-Waco patriot," steals this show with his absolute insanity. At one point he plays three characters at once(a lawyer for the defense, a prosecutor, and the judge) all in the same scene. I don't remember the actor's name, but he last appeared in a Lexx episode in season 2 called "Lyekka." He is hilarious in both shows, and it is too bad he never got his own running-character like President Priest or Prince so he could show is incredible range for character acting. As in a previous episode on this DVD, "Prime Ridge," there is gore-aplenty here, as well. Enjoy.

Even though many consider the 4th series to be the weakest, there are still many humorous scenes and scenarios that make the 4th series worth owning. "YO-WAY-YO!!"

no spoilers.

i had technical difficulties with disk 1, 2, and 4. the 3rd episode on disks 1,2, and 4 gives read disk errors, and the ending of the 2nd episode on disks 1, 2, and 4, freezes during play. tried it on my PC dvd drive and my PS2.

fortunately the carrot episode was on disk 3, was able to watch it without a problem.

Prinz is back in season 4. You may also recognize the actor from Forever Knight episodes as the vampire who made Nicholas.

Giggerotta is back as G.G. Rotta, real estate agent who is elected Pope.

Season 4 has the most interesting Chess game scene i've ever seen, defies tv tropes.

If you like silly sci-fi, give Lexx a shot. The show is interesting and sexy as well and the characters are very well rounded.

I have never been a Sci-Fi fan, in fact I hate all Science fiction, with the exception of Lexx, which is in my humble opinion is the only justification for the existance of TV. I've seen all of it, from start to finish, and when the get to Earth, it improves drastically.
Their twisted interpretaion of Earth and it's inhabitants is genius, preticularly the episodes Prime Ridge and Moss, and especially Prime Ridge. Living in the United States, I must say they got the place down to a tee, Lawncare, beef, guns, and drugs, who could have put it better. I always considered Lexx less Sci-Fi and more dark humour and the Fouth Season proves it.

I loved season one; it was truly groundbreaking and refreshingly original, dark and dirty (long before dark and dirty was fashionable). It's a must see. OK, so two faded a little but was still entertaining. Things were getting tedious by three but I slogged through it....which brings us to four:
Of course I had to find out how it ended but should have left Lexx alone after season three. Four is an appallingly awful effort that looks like it was put together by a 15 year old student unable to think above his waist line. And if he handed in this tripe he'd fail, deservingly. At its best its rather juvenile soft porn; with acting and plot lines of a commensurate standard. Season four is so bad it's insulting. I can't believe I actually paid money for it or that the people who made it were so shameless they actually presented it to us in the first place.
It isn't worth further comment other than to say this is just cheap junk. Don't waste you money on this. Buy season one if you haven't seen it, then two if you liked one, after that... well there is lots of good Sci Fi out there.
Lexx season four is 19 hours of your life you will never get back.