The Lone Gunmen: The Complete Series

Been thinking of the guys of late and decided to throw my two pennies into the mix. I honestly can't believe it's been nearly 12 years (!) since the guys exited the spotlight. Wow. Seems like only a few tv seasons have passed.Flat out a fan of Frohike, Langley, and Byers. I can't say it more simply. And yes, even Jimmy.Since their initial introduction as throwaway characters in The X-Files, the boys have long since worked their way into the collective tv consciousness; finding a home with fans of their skewed and wacky interpretations of seemingly innocuous events. The commonplace somehow spiraling into massive conspiracy laden webs of intrigue; ominous machinations threatening decent people everywhere.Admittedly their own show tended to oscillate from good to downright silly, with momentary tangents of brilliance, but I always felt they weren't given a solid shot by Fox to find their footing in the rocky television landscape; never given a full chance to discover their voice. Undoubtedly attributable to their now infamous pilot episode.So soon after 9/11, there was just no way that kind of pain could be mollified by a comedic fantasy of three goofs with a predilection toward conspiracies - government or otherwise. Their show was doomed by virtue of simple happenstance. To quote a favorite fictional character, "Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony." But they did some really good things for the brief time they were on the air. Again, I'm not going to say that it was award winning, but there were glimpses of great depth and vibrant creativity.Looking back, I'm often reminded of their kooky and often hilarious journalistic adventures into the obscure and fringe - always striving to reveal truths and dispensing justice for the common person. Outside of the pilot, which was flat-out amazing, my favorite episodes were Frohike-oriented. I think many fans of the show picked the one guy that was most like themselves, or in the rare case of a female fan, one they already knew.Something about the scrubby, leather jacket wearing, tough nerd speaks to me. I cringe when I read others describe him as the uncle you didn't want near the children - particularly given how honorable, sensitive, and truly gentle he was under that gruff exterior. In 'Tango de los Pistoleros', I think you'll find the true essence of the man. Even though Frohike was my favorite, the show couldn't work without straight-laced Byers and punk rock hacker Langley. Forming the triumvirate of investigative honor, defending the last bastion of free-thinking peoples everywhere.Add James Bond and you've got a team.Well, technically, that's accurate. The only minor detail is that the Bond of this show is actually Jimmy Bond, no one calls him James. One of the nicest, most sincere, sweetest knuckleheads you'll ever meet. The boy has all the heart and none of the brains. But, and this is important, that heart is a heart of a lion and he's there for the team when everyone seems to have abandoned them.I miss all these guys tremendously, and often think back to all their wacky assertions whenever something odd happens in the news, something that doesn't quite fit or fits just too well. Not a joke or clever quip. There are some seriously strange things that defy simple explanations.Recently (June 16, 2012) the mysterious deaths of two Canadian women in Thailand, found laying in their own vomitus and covered with bleeding open sores, has left many questioning the official explanation since drugs, direct poisoning and mental or emotional issues were ruled out by investigators. Odd enough. But their deaths come on the heels of at least a half a dozen disturbingly similar events that have plagued westerners the past five years in the idyllic paradise.Where are the guys when you need them most?!<cue Lone Gunmen intro music>Show Notes:- It's well known in the X-Files community, but Chris Carter based the trio on a real-life grouping of incongruent men he observed at a UFO convention. Three vastly dissimilar people no-one would ever think to put together in any normal circumstance, quietly having a deep and intense conversation that seemed very hush hush.- Though it's established that The Lone Gunmen perished during the closing season of the X-Files - many fans, including this one, have noted that you never see their bodies. One always hopes.

The only true spinoff of “The X-Files” ("Millennium" probably doesn't count) lasted half a season and didn't leave much of a legacy, but if you follow this somewhat unlikely TV series from inception to conclusion you won't be sorry. “Gunmen” is the story of Frohike, Langley and Byers, three recurring characters on “The X-Files” whose passion for conspiracy theories and technological acumen make them useful to Mulder and Scully in their investigations of the paranormal. Well, “TLG” follows the antics of these plucky but irascible nerds as they chase down stories for their conspiracy-theorist weekly, The Lone Gunmen. It is similar to “X-Files” in its visual aesthetic and the quality of its overall production, and features a number of crossovers, including appearances by David Duchovny and Mitch Pileggi, but the nature of the characters lends itself more to farce than drama. The Gunmen are dorky, quarrelsome, prone to bumbling, and nearly always broke – the cruddiness of their “surveillance vehicle” (a broken-down old van) is a running gag. What's more, they've got an “intern” named Jimmy Bond who is a disaster-prone moron, and a sexy friend-cum-nemesis named Yves Harlow, who is continuously tripping them up (when not providing reluctant help, that is). My favorites from the 13 + 1 episodes this show produced are:"Pilot" - this episode is noteworthy just for its eerily prescient prediction of 9/11. Also for establishing that the Gunmen do more than just publish an underground, conspiracy-busting newspaper: they investigate the weird and macabre, just like Mulder and Scully."Diagnosis Jimmy" - Classic smart-stupid behavior from the TLG as they attempt to take down an illegal hunting operation in Alaska; meanwhile, Jimmy investigates whether his grumpy hospital roommate is a serial killer."Tango de los Pistoleros" - The Gunmen require the tango abilities of Frohike and Eve Harlow both to crack a tough smuggling case. I really shouldn't say any more about this episode, except that it's hilarious."The Cap'n Toby Show" - This was arguably the best episode of the series. A beloved TV character from Langly's childhood is accused of disseminating American military secrets through a reboot of his program, so naturally the gang must investigate. The in-jokes about the entertainment industry are priceless."All About Yves" -- The series finale crosses over The Man in Black (not the Cigarette Smoking Man, mind you) from "The X-Files," where he plays the role of nemesis-advisor to the gang as they track down a deadly contagion. The MIB had great chemistry with the Gunmen and was clearly intended to be either a recurring character or a regular, had the show continued. This episode ends in a cliffhanger, which would be unbearable if not for..."Jump the Shark" - This is actually an episode of "The X-Files" but it is included in the DVD set because it resolves the cliffhanger and completes the story-arc of the characters. I can't say much about it except that it has the "feel" of a TLG episode while featuring the "X-Files" cast.All in all this show was slightly less than the sum of its parts, for the actors who portrayed the Gunmen, while funny and likeable enough, lacked the force and charisma to really carry a series; or so it seemed until the cliffhanger ending, which left me hungering for more and wishing like hell the damn thing hadn't been canceled after all. Some shows take a while to coalesce, and spin-off shows generally take even longer to establish their own identities, but TLG was well on its way when it came to its premature cliffhanger conclusion. Sometimes you have to lose a series before you realize that you wish it had gotten a longer lease on life, and “The Lone Gunmen” was such a show. Not perfect, not even great, but containing the seeds of possible near-greatness within it. Perhaps it didn't deserve a second season, but it sure as hell deserved to finish its first one.

Glad to have found the series. Fits right in with my X-Files collection.

Really enjoyed the Lone Gunman when they were introduced in the X-Files. This series shows them at their best when they are calling the shots, but definitely not as darl=k or serious as the X-Files stories. Wish there were more season.

The concept is sound - three geeks/socially inept/patriots - go to all sorts of lengths to try to expose America's cover-ups and conspiracies in a belief that the country has lost it's way but is somehow redeemable. Fits well in the X-Files pantheon, although it leans more towards the conspiratorial than the paranormal. It is more comedic than the X-Files; nonetheless, there are numerous nods to the X-Files and even an appearance by Mulder himself. A tad cringe-worthy in places (e.g. Frohike's German mother) but nonetheless these characters are VERY endearing, and I kept coming back to the series despite any misgivings I had. Either way, very enjoyable television, of a type that they don't seem to make any more. Shame - found I was missing the Lone Gunmen after watching this series...

This is a spin off from the amazing TV show "The X-Files." Although not as good as its parent show, it is nevertheless a great show in its own right. The characters Frohike, Byers and Langley are a team of computer scientists who are keen to unlock the secrets behind every conspiracy theory. The show has funny moments and is a bit like a geeky version of James Bond. Its first episode had glaring similarities to the 9/11 plot six months before the real tragic event unfolded in real life - now there's a conspiracy theory for you!Loved this show - it's a shame they only made one season.

The Lone Gunmen is a short lived Tv series from 2001 which features three conspiracy theorists who were recurring characters from the ‘X-Files’ Tv series and believe that various government agencies are out to ‘get’ them as they travel America exposing various shenanigans which they publish in their ‘underground’ newspaper. The three are quirky loners who add an awkward intern and a secretive femme fatale to their little group as the series progressed.Probably the most memorable event of the series is the pilot episode in which they stop an airliner crashing into the World trade centre, six months before the real events of 9/11. Unfortunately, while the series is still great viewing, it now lacks the edge given to it by being tied in and shown along with its parent series, The ‘X Files’. Another issue is that their quirky nature soon gave way to them being cast as buffoons rather than the skilled paranoid geeks they originally were.Still, in my book, a worthy ***** view. No doubt, if you’re an ‘X Files’ fan, you probably already have this in your collection. Newcomers to them may not ‘get’ some of the gags and references and will probably see this as a mediocre *** humorous detective series in the mould of ‘Human Target’.

I enjoyed this more as the series went on.The feel of the season is very much like the quirkier episodes of X-Files.The 3 "Gunmen" are really engaging characters, and I doubt there will be anyone who watches this series who is not already familiar with them from the X-Files. There were 2 new characters though, both of whom seemed pretty one-dimensional at first. The first is the coach of a blind football team, who isn't the most penetrating ray-gun in the intellectual armoury. The second is an all-action woman with a cut-glass English accent, who seemed to me to be a Lara Croft wannabe in civvies. But as the season wore on, I warmed to them both, especially when the former showed flashes of insight and the latter moments of warmth.If you enjoyed the X-Files, and you too warm to the new characters, you'll like this. By the end, I would definitely have watched a second season had there been one.

Didn't really watch on TV at the time, watched on YouTube in 2018 and thought not that bad.First viewing there are things to criticize, but often putting the DVD on in the background, all those criticism become its charm, something familiar, relaxing again charming.The only reason for 4 stars is no season 2, 3, 4, 5, as it only found its footing the best was yet to come.I could imagine The lone Gunmen investigating Stargate command, maybe someone will write that book.Great show, one day hopefully a remastered blueray edition, but for now this is a cult show.