The Lone Gunmen is very much a time capsule for the early 2000s and late ‘90s, though way more specifically in the case of spy related media like Mission: Impossible and the 007 series. The charm of the show is how it parodies the tropes associated with them, the main character isn’t the suave lone agent, but instead the geeky sidekicks, with the role of James Bond acting as second in command in the form of Jimmy Bond, an attractive, dumb, and high-key dude. There’s also Yves, the femme fatale, or the Bond girl, who is played up with silly disguises and plenty of eye-rolling situations, the only thing that’s missing is a rich, moustache twirling villain. It’s a lot of fun and at its best when it’s not taking itself seriously, though it’s especially strong when it somehow finds heart in the centre of it all. The best example of this is Maximum Byers, my favourite episode, which is as silly as it is heartfelt. The last line of that episode manages to be especially hard-hitting thanks to Jimmy, who is the heart of the show in my opinion. The rest of the gunmen are as great as ever, Byers is the perfect straight man archetype, Langley is whiney, nerdy, and has some badass t-shirts, and Frohike is loveable and cheeky. They all bounce off one another perfectly as well as with the new additions to the Gunmen. I’m especially surprised that this show shows up on a few “worst spin-off shows” lists, because while this doesn’t reach the same heights as the first season of X-Files does with episodes like Beyond the Sea, it doesn’t at all reach the lows of that same season. The Lone Gunmen is consistent, every episode is enjoyable. It’s no masterpiece, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t laughing or giggling at most of the jokes. It’s a real shame there wasn’t a season 2 at the very least, but at least there’s a finale in the middle of The X-Files’ season 9, though those low ratings are quite worrying.