Mutant X - Newswatch
Returns: 29 September, Syndicated
Previously: Mutant X's second season began with its superpowered heroes facing the threat of Gabriel Ashlocke, who deposed the show's original central villain Mason Eckhart in his bid to establish a new mutant movement, The Strand. Ashlocke revived an ancient Egyptian mutant and travelled into the past in search of a cure for his deteriorating conditionbefore his quest was foiled by the Mutant X crew, although the dangerous, super-mutant left his aide, Kim, pregnant with his child. Jesse's powers were then exploited for a theft, Shalimar became more feral, Brennan found himself trapped in a 20th Century town, Emma was possessed by a dead man and Adam revived a relationship with a former Genomex employee Christina. Eckhart finally returned n the season two finale, in which he was working to create a new breed of mutants. His assistants included noen other than Shalimar's estranged fate, who ultimately destroyed the facility as Mutant X raced to escape...
Next: -- SPOILER ALERT -- Joh Shea steps down from his regular role as Mutant X leader Adam and becomes a recurring guest star for season three, while Lauren Lee Smith departs altogether from her role as the telepathic Emma. In the season premiere, Into the Moonless Night, former Adventure Inc. star Karen Cliche joins the show as light-controlling mutant Lexa Pierce, who harbors her own secret agenda and a connection to Adam. With their world turned upside down, Pierce helps her new associates understand that they are part of a much larger experiment than they were led to believe.
Mystery Girl
MUTANT X welcomes an X-citing new member to the fold in season three, with the arrival of Karen Cliche. Words: David Bassom
The Adventure is oniy just beginning for Karen Cliche. Following the cancellation of Adventure Inc. at the end of its first season, the syndicated action show's leading lady has joined the cast of another Fireworks/Tribune series, Mutant X.
"My character on Mutant X is called Lexa Pierce," reveals the bubbly Ms Cliche, whose surname is pronounced Kleesh. "She has a very mysterious past, and when she comes to Mutant X she has absolutely no interest in joining the Mutant X team. She has her own independent agenda, which you'll find out later this season."
"When Lexa comes in she's 'Miss Know-It-All', because she's been around for a long time," continues Cliche. "Lexa knows a lot more than the rest of the mutants do, because she's been involved with Adam Kane a long time, and she knows a lot of creepy stuff about GSA and Genomex that Adam was actually sheltering them from. They just believed whatever he said for the past two seasons, so I kinda come along and tell them, 'Guys, you don't know crap! You've been lied to.' So the relationship between the team and Lexa is difficult at first, but as the [opening] episodes evolve, there is a relationship developing. It's just hard for Lexa because she has her own mission and doesn't want to let anyone in."
"The whole season is going to develop that storyline: what her mission is, and why she's here."
As the team's new heroic mutant, Cliche brings some new powers to Mutant X. "My character has the power to manipulate light. She can become invisible and she can shoot lasers - those are her powers. I get to kick ass a bit, but Shalimar still dominates the action in the show - which is fine, because on my lazy days I'm like, 'Oh Shalimar , you go girl!'"
Cliche's arrival is part of a major revamp of Mutant X, which also involves the departure of the show's resident telepath, Emma (Lauren Lee Smith) and a heavily reduced role for the show's original leading man, John Shea (Adam). While Cliche is reluctant to give too much away prior to season three's debut in late September, she concedes that Mutant X is truly mutating this year.
"This season concentrates on character development," she claims. "It's very different from the previous seasons, where it was focused on the action and the missions. This year's stories are more character-focused. They reach deep and are more personal, and that's why I think the show is better."
Naturally, Cliche is well aware that both the show's revamp and her introduction may initially - if not permanently - prove unpopular with longtime Mutant X viewers. But she hopes they will soon come to embrace the changes.
"Hopefully, people will really like the switch this season because the show's better. And because a lot of Mutant X fans were also Adventure Inc. fans, that might mean I'll be loved and accepted."
While viewers' reaction to Lexa Pierce has yet to be seen, Karen Cliche has already come to terms with her place in the Mutant X line-up and hopes to fulfil her three-year contract with the series - at the very least.
"I'm having a lot of fun on the show," she declares. "Vicky Pratt [Shalimar] and I have way too much fun for our good! I had met the cast a couple of times before I started the show, so I knew we would have a great chemistry. And I knew a lot of producers too, from Adventure Inc. It's been fantastic so far."
© Dreamwatch #109 October 2003
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