This pilot episode of Lexx stands out as the best of all episodes. The universe presented here is stunning and is as if it was torn directly from the pages of Heavy Metal or Epic Illustrated. How they managed to get this onto the screen without having to cut or censor a ton of material is beyond me. However, I certainly do appreciate it.
Not only is the world amazing to look at (despite the limitations of the budget and what they could do with CGI at the time), the story is fascinating and the characters are engaging. A great mix of tension and comedy, mixed with horrific elements and dire consequences for the characters. There's a real feeling of danger here and the society that's presented is truly intimidating. The bug bomb idea is both brilliant and funny, Eva Habermann is radiant and witty as Zev (I only wish she had stayed on for the rest of the series), and the cast of characters are a joy to watch (with perhaps the exception of the rather annoying Giggerota).
There are more inventive and bleeding-edge ideas in this one episode than are typically to be found in an entire season of most science fiction TV shows. Hats off to the creators of this show for having the guts and the imagination to bring this to the screen. It would be neat to see the exact same show, with the same actors, but with new renders for certain scenes. The actual Lexx ship looks fine even today and doesn't really need to be re-rendered at all. It certainly represents an achievement in 3D computer-generated modeling for the year. On that note, the treatment of biomechanical concepts in this series is amazing.
I highly recommend this episode to anyone who is a true fan of high-test sci-fi. If you've been disappointed in the bulk of the science fiction in film and television and want something with more muscle, then this is the show to watch. Lexx never pulls its punches.