LEXX: Biography: Stanley Tweedle

Stanley Tweedle is played superbly by Brian Downey.

The Security Guard, class four is the captain of the LEXX, which came about by accident rather that by design. The unfortunate Stanley has always been a bit of a wimp and associates himself very clearly with all the negative aspects of the male psyche.

If you were to meet Stanley in a pub, he would be the barman. You would always check your change because it would always be wrong and you would suspect that it was because he was trying to take a tip even though you hadn’t offered one.

Stanley looks....We first see our intrepid captain as the captain of a little space transport, approaching an outpost where Stanley hopes to meet a woman that he can erm… get intimate with. Stanley is not the sort of bloke who gets intimate with many women, in fact he hasn’t had sex in years, one of the reasons why he lusts after Zev so much. The outpost is destroyed by His Shadow and Stanley is captured by Feppo and Smoor, a pair of bent mercenaries who have their wicked way with him and release him.

At around this time Stanley plays an integral part in the ‘production of the LEXX’. He was the unwilling traitor who supplied His Shadow with the enzyme that was used to grow the LEXX and which also resulted in the destruction of 93 planets. He becomes a famous traitor among the Heretics as a result. Rather than be killed, His Shadow decided to keep Stanley in case he was needed for further information until the LEXX was fully-grown. It turns out that Stanley also had the co-ordinates to a Fractal Core hidden in one of his teeth. The reason for this is unclear however it was important for the LEXX and it’s crews escape from His Shadow in the first episode.

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Stanley has a run-in with Feppo and SmoorEight years after Stanley’s run-in with Feppo and Smoor, he is a Security Guard, class four (the lowest rank) on the Cluster. Due to an act of pedantic stupidity he is sentenced (without trial) to loose three fleshy organs. He arrives at his punishment too late and becomes a fugitive as a result. Running around, avoiding anyone he can, he meets up with Zev who is also on the run. They try to find a way of escape together and eventually meet up with other fugitives. Among them is Thodin a miraculous warrior who has the key to the LEXX. After a run-in with Kai, the key is passed to another fugitive, who after a run-in with a Cluster Lizard passes the key to Stanley. And so Stanley becomes the Captain of the LEXX, and it will only take orders from him.

Stanley Tweedle is an unwilling participant in the adventures on-board the LEXX. His heart is ruled by his lust for Zev and his belly. He adds a healthy element of cowardice to the show and, to be honest, a more human face to the LEXX crew. How many times have we concluded to our disgust, that we may have acted the same way under similar circumstances. Erm… personally never, but I’d imagine a few of us would.

Stanley, like half the viewers, is crazy about Zev. He is slightly worried about Kai (and very jealous of Zev’s love for him) and he has a loathing of the robot head 790 (the feelings are mutual). He wears a particularly unflattering security guard outfit, which makes him look even more comical. His facial expressions, especially when frightened or upset are very funny and for me, predominantly provide the laughter element to the show.

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In Season Two Stanley spends most of his time trying to find some lady to lay! He looses his series virginity however when he reluctantly gives in to Xev’s insistance that she/he makes love to him/her in Love Grows (‘fraid you’ll just have to watch the show!). Later he meets up with Sissy (of Vermil) and they share a happy coupling before her father kills her – Yep, in the second series, Stanley’s luck doesn’t change much!

'If I only had a head' (!?) In fact it gets decidedly worse when in the “791” episode, he is almost shafted by a robot! 790, who seems to utterly hate the security guard (class 4) finds a body which unfortunately has a more powerful control mechanism! 790 is taken over by the cyborg and attempts to rape Stan. They are both saved at the last minute, by Kai.

The irritating, infuriating Stanley Tweedle is played magnificently by Brian Downey. I can’t for the life of me, understand why I’ve not seen him before in other films or TV programmes, his character is so believable and so well acted.

I once chatted to him on the telephone and found Brian a very personable chap indeed. A sad Stanley I asked him, “Does Stan ever get his end away?!” But he didn’t know what I was talking about. 🙂

Brian Downey has been seen since 1979 in the Canadian film and television. He has appeared in other films directed by Paul Donovan (the key creator of this series).

I really wish I had more stuff on Brian, if you have any bio info, could perhaps you email it to me?

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This character review is © 1999 – 2019, Tony Fawl.
Not for reproduction without the authors express permission

The LEXX names, characters, pictures and everything else associated with the series are the property of SALTER ST FILMS & TiMe Film-und TV-Produktions GmbH in association with Screen Partners. All rights reserved.

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