2
(nothing substantial)
6
(minor violence, mild sexuality, occasional crude language)
6
(Worth seeing more than once)
Sigh, yet another show I really liked that was cancelled too early. Fair warning, if I get into a show while it's on the air don't get attached because it will die an early, painful death. Unless it's "The X-Files." With so many years under its belt I thought that any Chris Carter-fueled spin-off was a sure-fire success. And a success it should have been, but Fox hates Chris Carter and takes joy in allowing him to start a project only to stomp all over his hopes and dreams.
I planned my evening for a week or more. I made certain nothing would keep me from seeing the first episode of the "Lone Gunmen." I loved it! Such an excellent mix of conspiracy theory intrigue and humor with three guys I already felt like I knew – now I was getting to know them better.
That’s not to say that it was the most perfect show ever broadcast, but it was good enough that I looked forward to next week, and the next, and so on for a short period of time. Then I started having a hard time finding it. Where it should have been was a ballgame (one of the reasons I hate sportsball) I think I saw 1 or 2 more shows after that, but between getting preempted for games and moved into other time slots with no warning, I bet I never saw half the episodes. And if I, someone who was most definitely a fan making an active attempt to see it, couldn’t find it to watch, how in the name of Mulder’s paranoia were they supposed to build up any kind of new fanbase??? I tell you, friends and neighbors, Fox Network screwed the "Lone Gunmen" like… well, I don’t want to go there, children might be reading this review. Anyway their treatment was worse than "Futurama" and almost as bad as "Harsh Realm." It was downright Firefly-esque.
Review after review I've read agree with my positive view of the show. Maybe it never would have lasted as long as its parent show, but it was good enough to be given a better shot than it got. All that to say don’t let the short life of the series make you think it’s not worth the time. Give it a chance.
Since the life was so short, you are not likely to be able to see this series on TV, but you can see "Unusual Suspects" in X Files season 5, "Three of a Kind" in season 6 (I have complete reviews for both seasons, by the way), and "Jump The Shark" in season 9 (which is also part of this collection as it wraps up the storyline which means you will probably want to save it for last) as well as numerous other small appearances by the Gunmen. If you like those, DEFINITELY check out the series.
There is a lot of humor even to the point of some episodes being on the verge of comedies, but one great thing about the show is that it’s not all-out silliness. There are some serious storylines of suspense and intrigue with tense and touching moments throughout. It focuses on the govt. conspiracy stories that "The X-Files" enjoyed making so convoluted for so long.
As for the paranormal there is none of that here. Where "The X-Files" is usually dark with monsters, aliens, mutants, bloody autopsies, and other things that make people have nightmares, "The Lone Gunmen" stays away from all of it. They deal with microchips that spy on users, cars that run on water, and other fictional but down-to-earth ideas with only hints of extra-terrestrial technology towards the end.
I appreciate the fact that this show doesn’t try to be another X-Files – it takes a different approach and tone. I also like the fact that it stands on its own without the need for regular X-Files characters to appear in every episode. Granted a little more cross-over wouldn’t have hurt, but the rarity of those occurrences strengthens the series.
I’m still, when it comes right down to it, a geek. I can still pop off more useless Star Wars trivia than anyone I know, my idea of a good time is getting together with a bunch of other computer geeks and setting up our own local area network so we can play computer games, and if I had a crew I could get interested in playing role playing games I would be doing that.
What does that have to do with the price of water on Tattooine? "The Lone Gunmen" is about three geeks that save the world, or parts of it, on a regular basis. How could it NOT appeal to someone like me? I am a less than gifted hacker (much less), but I can still see a little bit of myself in these guys which is great fun. Far from idiots, they are, nonetheless, bumbling and quirky. One minute they may be hacking the most secure computer in the nation and the next destroying an expensive golf bag while trying to clean it because one of them got sick in it. They take the old saying “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you,” to a whole new level.
They are anti-heroes in the sense that they are not the suave ladies’ men that typically dominate the screen (again I can relate), but they also make the bold statement that not everyone has to be James Bond to do great things (doubly meaningful since the most bumbling character is named James Bond). These are guys with good hearts and a sense of responsibility to use their talents to find the truth.
They’ve been helping Mulder since pretty close to the beginning of his journey into the unknown. There have been hints (such as the 2 episodes I mentioned early in the review) that they do a lot on their own, but mostly they have appeared as if they stay behind locked doors a good bit of the time. This series shows that they are not waiting on some piece of intrigue to fall in their laps, be it from Mulder or other sources, but are risking life and limb to hunt and expose conspiracies.
I enjoy the acting. I feel like Langly, Byers, and Frohike are real people. Jimmy is well-portrayed but doesn’t have much depth at first. He becomes more well-rounded after a time showing a few short moments of intellectual insight and a true growing interest in the events the Gunmen tackle.
Yves is the most unbelievable after a kind of Laura Croft fashion. She is always on top of the situation, and never gets caught in a problem she can’t get out of. Beautiful enough to make a guy drop his popcorn and super mysterious she feels the least like a real person, although there is some development late in the series. This is not a reflection of the actress who does an excellent job but more the fact that she was used for specific plot purposes and never had the chance to develop beyond that.
The music has a lot of the grinding guitar sounds you might expect D&D aficionados to enjoy (some of you may say I’m just stereotyping, but I’ve known enough D&D players to speak with confidence, plus Langly fits that category). The theme song is essentially a rock song harkening back to the days when the "Miami Vice" theme was a radio hit. This is one of the best original themes I’ve heard since the X-Files itself (songs by the Who don’t count) and ranks high among my all-time favorites.
Morality
The only thing you have to watch out for is some strong and mildly crude language from time to time, but it tends to stay infrequent and mild.
There is the occasional sexual reference though nothing that pushes the limits.
There is some violence but it too is mild.
I would say the show is as appropriate for most young teens as its parent show. In fact, it’s more appropriate than "X-Files" because the disturbing factor has been removed.
Spirituality
There's little to no direct spirituality here, but the Gunmen are relatively good examples in that they are interested in uncovering truth, even if they don't always like it. It's just that the truth we're dealing with is one that stays limited to the physical realm so no spiritual delving comes into play. The Gunmen still have lessons to learn and get caught up in taking advantage of Jimmy's good-hearted nature, but it's good to see them have to confront flaws like that in themselves.
Final Thoughts
This is great TV here. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to see all the episodes when it finally hit TVD. I've had the great pleasure of meeting all 3 Gunmen and would throw in for another season of the series if I possibly could.
Buying Guide
"The Lone Gunmen" is available on DVD in its entirety. It is not part of the "X-Files" complete series box set.
You have 1 DVD available. There's no HD option.
Final Recommendation:
This set might not be loaded, but there's some enjoyable content in the features, commentaries, and other goodies. I've thought it well worth owning.
The Complete Series is a 3 disc DVD set.
Video
1.78:
This is an anamorphic widescreen presentation. It looks quite good with decent clarity and good contrast. It's certainly not perfect, but I have no complaints.
Audio
2.0 Dolby:
Despite being 2.0 it's got better surround sound than some 5.1 presentations. Clarity and bass levels are solid.
Packaging
The 3 double-sided DVD's are housed in 2 thin plastic clamshell cases which have a larger cardboard box. It's not the absolute best design ever, but it's better than some (like stacking DVD's on top of each other). The discs are held in place securely, and the surfaces never touch anything they shouldn't.
The sleeves for the cases offer episode summaries, air dates, and some credits.
The interface features some lead-in animation and a loop of part of the theme song.
Extras
-X Files Episode: I'll talk about this more in the episodes section.
-Commentaries: There are 5 including one that was originally recorded for season 9 of the "X Files." I'll detail them with their respective episodes.
-Defenders of Justice (39:17) It features interviews with many people which also allows us to see how they look years after the show, and is very interesting. It touches on all but a few of the episodes, and shows the affection many of these people still have for the series. It does give away some plot points so you might want to watch it after the episodes.
-TV Spots: There are 4 short trailers with a Play All option. Two of them are for specific episodes and so will be in that section below.
-Spot #1 (0:32) All new.
-Spot #3 (0:22) Drill instructors.
Episodes
There are 13 regular episodes plus the "X-Files" episode all clocking in at about 44 minutes.
1) Pilot:
-Commentary: Writers, producers: It’s not bad and gives a little history lesson on air travel as well as thoughts on 9/11.
2) Bond Jimmy Bond:
-Commentary: Director, Dean Haglund, Tom Braidwood, Bruce Harwood, Stephen Snedden, Zuleikha Robinson. It’s very entertaining.
6) Madam I’m Adam:
-Spot #2 (0:32) It's gotta be the aliens.
10) Tango De Los Pistoleros:
-Commentary: Director, writer, Dean Haglund, Tom Braidwood, Bruce Harwood, Stephen Snedden, Zuleikha Robinson. It’s entertaining and includes the story of Dean Haglund’s brush with death.
11) The Lying Game:-Spot #4 (0:22) Mitch Pileggi guest stars.
13) All About Yves:
-Commentary: Producers, director, writers: It's very informative and talks about all the great things about this episode.
-Jump The Shark: This is the "X Files" episode that completes the "Lone Gunmen" storyline. You can get it as part of the "X Files" series (season 9), of course, but kudos for the inclusion of it here as well. The casual fan can easily and conveniently watch it as a part of either continuity, but the die-hard X-Phile like myself will want to watch the whole spin-off series in continuity with the parent show.
-Commentary: Producers: This commentary is the same one from the "X Files" DVD (they talk about not knowing if or when the "Lone Gunmen" would ever be released on DVD). They talk about the difficulties and resistance to creating this episode as well as reflections of the series.