My 2 Cents on Episode 2.3: Lyekka
(7/6/02)

Caught Lyekka the other night. This is yet another season 2 ep that I’ve never seen before (what the hell was I so caught up in during the show’s initial run?), so it was new to me.

Anyone who knows anything about the show will agree with me...this episode had Lex Gigeroff written all over it. It was crazy, especially the hallucinations that each astronaut experienced while they were being eaten (if it comes to pass that I am devoured alive by a ravenous sentient plant, I might as well wile away my final mortal seconds imagining I’m winning the Super Bowl or something cool like that). The field full of heads still has me scratching my…um…head, so in the long run, I’m going to assume that when Lex G. was a small child he once fell asleep a little too close to the microwave. Still, it was nice to enjoy a zany, escapist romp, especially coming off such a heartbreaking episode like Terminal.

Laugh if you will, but the shots we saw of Potatoho (Moss’ hallucination) bare a striking resemblance to my neck of the woods. Was this an early attempt by the Beans’ to satirically bitch slap the Midwest? If so, just let me say that I’m honored to have been zinged.  Keep ‘em comin’ gentlemen.

I’ve been wanting to see this ep. ever since Lyekka (plant Lyekka, not porn star Lyekka) returned in season 4, simply because I was wondering if both were the same “species.” Apparently they are (little green floaty things with tails...I’m to tired to describe them in depth), which means that they occupy both universes. That begs the question, how? We learned in season 4 that the Lyekkas are essentially nomadic, moving from planet to planet, so should we assume that at some point they either located the fractal core, or found some other means of hopping universes? Or, should we just assume that like humans, they are native to both the Light and Dark Zone?

Moving on, we already know the higher ups at SciFi are a bunch of prudes, so I won’t harp on the whole Xev censorship issue. I will simply say this...if they’re going to do it, couldn’t they have found a less obvious, more professional looking way to do so? Is it so hard to digitally add some more of that goo? Hell, the way they did it with that blurring made it look like somebody sneezed on the negatives.

As many have already stated, this episode also answered the age-old question of why Zev and Xev look nothing alike. Basically, 790 described what was important to him (and us), but neglected to mention such trivialities as hair color, bone structure, and basically anything else that really describes what a person looks like.

Mantrid’s back again. Did you see how quickly he devoured that planet? I guess evil disembodied heads don’t get paid by the hour. Looking at that scene, I almost wish I didn’t know what was going to happen, as I can imagine the gnawing anticipation that these little snippets would no doubt have instilled in me.

Line of the night:

Stan: “Go ahead Lexx. Tell him about yourself.”
Lexx: “I am the Lexx.”

I can’t really explain it, but that line had me rolling on the floor for at least two or three minutes.

Finally, while it was nice to see how Xev was (re)introduced, as she is basically the reason half of us gave the show a chance in the first place (Kai having roped in the other half). I think her return would have been more effective if they’d let her stay dead for an episode or two. True, this does little in the area of plot advancement, but I think it would have helped convince people that she really was dead, never to return. Oh well, the road not taken I suppose.

All in all an excellent ep, that seems to be the real jumping off point for season two (the first two eps still feel like a coda to Giga Shadow, if you know what I mean). Granted, there were one or two “what the hell” moments, but it wouldn’t be Lexx without ‘em. Here’s hoping that throngs of net-head Lexxians who say season 2 kicks ass aren’t all engaged in a massive, world wide conspiracy to mess with my head, and that the coming weeks’ broadcasts will prove well worth the sleep I’m sacrificing to watch them. Personally, I’m waiting for Brigadoom, because from what I’ve heard, it may have the best chance at dethroning the Game as my #1.

Cheery bye.

*****

2 MORE Cents on Episode 2.3: Lyekka
(8/30/03)


Unfortunately this is becoming a theme, but I must apologize for the here today/gone ‘til next week approach I’ve taken to these re-reviews. I started school up again this week, and it’s been a tad hectic as far as the settling in goes. Oh well, it’s worth it seeing as I’ll be out of here after this semester, thus spiting the ravenous, blood sucking leeches in the financial department who sought to deprive me of four years tuition instead of 3 1/2...God beating the system feels good.

Anyhoo, here’s my original Lyekka review...

http://bboard.scifi.com/bboard/browse.cgi/1/5/1560/65125

The opening visual montage is, as we have come to expect, a feast for the eyes. The swarm of Lyekka pods swimming through space is definitely something you don’t see every day, and serves as a good attention grabber. Come to think of it, the pods themselves seem to fit right in with the cadre of subtle (and none too subtle) phallic images that the beans have seen fit to sprinkle (and/or force feed us) throughout the show. Given the visual makeup of both the pods, and the Lexx itself, one could easily mistake the opening five minutes of this episode for an H.R. Giger inspired video on human reproduction.

You know, we can all sympathize with Stan (at least most of the time...I’ve never had a spark plug hooked up to my nether regions, and if I die without ever having experienced such an ordeal, I won’t go to my grave feeling cheated). We’ve all been snubbed by the in-crowd during our formative years (unless you were among the self-appointed prepubescent aristocrats doing the snubbing, in which case I invite you to sit and spin). However, I’ve got to think that if Stan is anything like me (and he is, dignity be damned!) then the natural conclusion to that dream should be some sort of horrific but ultimately satisfying revenge. Just another case of the road not taken.

Ah, Potatoho. AKA Shitkickistan. You know between them, the Goleens (who I’ll unfortunately be revisiting down the road), and the overall feel of season 4, I’ve got to say that Paul D. and Co. clearly view America as a slightly more industrialized Clampett family. (Yes, I do believe all of these character types are jabs at Americans...I for one welcome them). By the way, this totally skipped my mind the first time around, but it occurred to me this time that the hallucinations that the three astronauts experience while being eaten by Lyekka all stem from their quaint, but no less deranged fantasies. That still does nothing to explain some of the uber-WTF moments (i.e. the heads), but I’ve got to think that if a vivacious but internally asexual walking fichus was ingesting me head first, my mind might not exactly run like a certified Rolex timepiece either. Granted, I probably wouldn’t picture an endless field of heads, but you’ve got to remember that I’m not from Potatoho, therefore my mind can perform a few functions in addition to periodically reminding my body to inhale and expel air lest I should fall on my face. Still, as podunk as they may be, one can’t help but admire their planet-wide Napoleon complex. I’m absolutely certain that if they had seen the Megashadow looming on their horizon they would have defiantly pointed a laughed.

I know I mentioned it in my original review, but it bears repeating: Zev should have stayed dead a while longer. The stories would have been a little different, what with just Kai and Stan running around, but they could have worked. Had Zev stayed gone for a time, it would have leant her demise a sense of finality, making it all the more shocking when Lyekka brings her back to life. Can’t fault ‘em for taking the comic-book-death route though.

You know, I thought it was an isolated incident the first time I saw this ep run on SciFi, and now I know for certain. To paraphrase SNL’s rollicking version of Sean Connery: whoever’s in charge of editing over at SciFi isn’t a big fan of the ladies. Once again, the who’s-the-dumbass-who-drooled-on-the-negative approach to editing out a split second of partial nudity is employed (regardless of the fact that SciFi aired the execution scenes from IWHS uncut). I can’t really say that Stan was at his best here either. Given Xev’s confused, disoriented mental state I would have expected him to quickly pop off with something to the effect of “What do you mean get dressed...don’t you remember, you always went around wearing a few cups worth of butterscotch pudding.” Knowing Stan the way I do (yeah I’ll say it, we’re kindred spirits), I’m positive he spent the better part of that night lying awake in bed thinking “Man, I should have said that.”

Well I could go on forever, but I’m afraid if I don’t hit the sack now I will fall victim to my roommate’s chronic snoring, and have to put him down in the most humane way possible.

Cheery bye.