he truth is still out there, and it's up to those three investigative-reporting conspiracy nuts, Byers (Harwood), Frohike (Braidwood) and Langly (Haglund) to report it in the Lone Gunmen newspaper. Using their hacking brilliance and their inept hands-on investigative tactics, the socially unskilled trio seeks to uncover corporate and government conspiracies wherever they can be found.
In the pilot episode, Frohike, Byers and Langly set out to steal the Octium IV processor, a revolutionary new chip that promises to make computers faster and more powerful. However, the Gunmen believe the new chip is actually designed to spy on the users and steal their personal information. Unfortunately, their heist is thwarted by the brilliant and beautiful Yves Adele Harlow (Zuleikha Robinson).
Without the proof to publish their story, there is little the Gunmen can do. As they commiserate, Byers learns that his father has been killed in a car accident. At the funeral, Byers discovers that the car accident may have actually been a setup to cover up murder. Suddenly, the Gunmen must mobilize for Byers, so he can find out the truth about what happened to his father.
In the episode "Bond, Jimmy Bond," funds are low and the Gunmen can't get their latest issue out of hock from the printer. Then Harlow shows up with information they feel compelled to investigate. A well-known hacker, Andy Goldsmith, has been found murdered. The boys set out to uncover the reason for his death and run into Jimmy Bond (Stephen Snedden), a good-hearted if dense fellow, who seems to be mixed up in some way with the people who murdered Andy. When Langly vanishes, the Gunmen must leap into action to try to rescue him from Andy's fate.
Shopping at Conspiracies 'R' Us
Creating a spinoff show from a highly successful series is no small task. It can and has been done, but shows like Angel, Frasier and Xena prove that the new series has to be far more than just a pale imitation of the original. The Lone Gunmen, a spinoff from The X-Files, does just that. Leaving behind the spooky darkness of the original, The Lone Gunmen goes for laughs while still staying true to the beloved characters of Byers, Frohike and Langly. The three leads are naturals to play these smart, but inept, modern stooges.
The pilot episode never quite manages to mesh, and the seams of the series show. The actors try too hard and the serious nature of the storyline, with the Gunmen investigating the murder of Byers' father, is at odds with the otherwise lighthearted tone of the show.
However, everything begins to jell with the second episode as the characters and script come together to create a thoroughly entertaining hour of television. The opening scene is absolutely hysterical as Frohike takes on a martial arts expert a la Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. From then on the story is much less important than the comedy to be mined from the three Gunmen and the soon-to-be-fourth Gunman, Bond.
It's not perfect. There are still moments when the dialogue seems forced, and there's a bit too much slapstick. Also, the story is often manipulated for the sake of the comedy. But most new shows take a few episodes to come together. While there's no doubt the series is evolving, there are plenty of promising signs that Gunmen will find its groove.
