Why exactly is FARSCAPE so "good"? by FURYFIRE

OTHER SCIENCE FICTION SERIES

Why exactly is FARSCAPE so "good"?

POSTED BY: FURYFIRE
UPDATED: Sunday, March 16, 2003 11:40
SHORT URL:
VIEWED: 13573
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Friday, September 13, 2002 4:31 PM

I've just started watching farscape, beginning with Season 3, eps 1&2, and I see no sogn of why this show is so acclaimed, can someone please fill me in?

If you know anyone that can help my screenwriting career, please help! And yes, I am self-advertising here. Hehehe, me such a little devil.

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Friday, September 13, 2002 4:52 PM

HAKEN

Likes to mess with stuffs.

You should watch from Season 1. Or at least Season 2. Farscape isn't episodic like most series on TV. It's not uncommon to see sweeping epic story arcs that spans 3 or 4 episodes. There's a certain amount of emotional investment before you're hooked. It's hard to explain.

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Friday, September 13, 2002 5:47 PM

NOVAGRASS

The best suggestion I can give is to go out to Blockbuster and rent the "Best of Season 1" collection. It should be at every Blockbuster on DVD. This is what hooked me and transformed me into a rabid 'scaper.

--Dylan Palmer, aka NoVaGrAsS--

Mal has a charming sense of humor, but I am a Companion, and right now alecture on the antiquated notions of moral turpitudos. - Inara

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Friday, September 13, 2002 5:52 PM

JERRY

I started watching it in S4, and watched all the episodes that aired this season. I can see that it has some real good qualities, but it's very inaccessable to new viewers. I can see why it has ratings problems. It's tough for a show that's been on the air four years to ask a new viewer to go back and watch all the prior episodes. BtVS is pretty self-referential, but they at least pay lip service to catching up new viewers.

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Friday, September 13, 2002 7:47 PM

ZICSOFT

I'm not a rabid fan of Farscape, but I like the way it tries to break with Space Opera conventions. Everybody has actual body functions, including the aliens. (One of which farts Helium when he's nervous. Which is bad science, but too funny to nitpick!) Creighton is not your usual squared-jawed genius -- in fact, he has a lot of trouble getting all these aliens to take him seriously. In short, Farscape is a lot messier -- and a lot more real -- than other space shows.

On the other hand, some stories tend to drag, and they often use excessively clever (and thus confusing) narrative devices. And some of the running jokes -- like Creighton's constant pop culture references -- are begining to get old. These problems have slowly gotten worse, and if I weren't anxious to see certain plot points resolved, I'm not sure I would care about the cancellation.

Somebody suggested watching Season 1 to get the background. I second that -- there's so much long term story telling you really can't jump in the middle. It's also helpful to look at some of the material at www.scifi.com/farscape.

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Saturday, September 14, 2002 10:21 AM

ZICSOFT

Quote:
Originally posted by Zicsoft:
It's also helpful to look at some of the material at www.scifi.com/farscape.

Oh Gawd, I'm talking to myself again.

It often seems to me that the staff of the SciFi Channel and scifi.com are a lot more creative than most of the material they broadcast. I often enjoy the fillers and intros on SciFi than the shows themselves. ("The following movie is rated cyber. Warning: Excessive reliance on computer can lead to the enslavement of humanity.") And there's a delightful wealth of material on the web site. Aside from a lot of really good interviews and chats, there are radio plays, and some very creative background material on the shows.

My favorite is the stuff for Sliders, even though I never cared for the show itself. It features a newsletter supposedly issued by the staff of a Cromag prison camp, and a contest where viewer were asked to make a pitch to write an episode.

Of course, with USA/Vivendi's cost cutting, the people who did this are probably already on the street. Oh well!

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Saturday, September 14, 2002 4:24 PM

MOJOECA

Back in 96/97 when SCIFI had just been added to my basic cable package, I remember they would cut in these pseudo news briefs with a blue-skinned anchor from the future. He talked of world governments and planet uprisings. All not so very interesting. SCIFI is much better now.

--- Joe

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Sunday, September 15, 2002 7:53 AM

FURYFIRE

I'm trapped watching from Season 3 thus far, but why do you all like it so much? This is important in my decision to keep watching, since it'll be on at the same time as John Doe and Smallville.

If you know anyone that can help my screenwriting career, please help! And yes, I am self-advertising here. Hehehe, me such a little devil.

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Sunday, September 15, 2002 8:01 AM

HAKEN

Likes to mess with stuffs.

Don't watch it because we watch it. Watch it for your own reasons. This is true with any television series--or anything in life for that matter. If you don't like it, don't watch it.

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Sunday, September 15, 2002 11:12 AM

NOVAGRASS

Quote:
Originally posted by FURYFIRE:
I'm trapped watching from Season 3 thus far, but why do you all like it so much? This is important in my decision to keep watching, since it'll be on at the same time as John Doe and Smallville.

Watch it because... Smallville is just another Dawson's Creek with superpowers, and John Doe looks sorta mediocre...

But seriously, Farscape is pretty much the best show on TV (aside from Buffy). It has very real characters, and you like some and hate others (much like Buffy). The action is great, the writing is very smart, the plots are always amazing. I see a lot of similarites between it and Buffy in quality of writing... though the thing it lacks is a Whedon-esque figure overseeing continuity (sure, David Kemper sorta fills this slot... but he's not quite as good as Joss, IMO).

Also watch it as a

to "the man." The more people who watch, the more leverage we have in bringing it back, and saying "Screw you, Scifi."

--Dylan Palmer, aka NoVaGrAsS--

Mal has a charming sense of humor, but I am a Companion, and right now alecture on the antiquated notions of moral turpitudos. - Inara

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Sunday, September 15, 2002 2:45 PM

WEBWARRIOR

Farscape is real science fiction and not rehashed star trek stories !!!

To call this original is an understatement it has nothing to do with nothing exept trying to stay alive for another day, and in that show thats real hard because the main cariter "John Criton" does not know whats,what,and if they could servive.

Hell in one episode john was violated by a plaint,and I mean it wanted the sausage!!!
It was funny and of the wall, and I had never even Imagin a storie like that one(with out the aid of ACID

)and was very pleased to have seen it.

In short there is know show like it and thats what make's it THE BEST DAMN SHOW ON TELEVISION!!!

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Sunday, September 15, 2002 3:12 PM

SHUGGIE

Quote:
Originally posted by WebWarrior:
Hell in one episode john was violated by a plaint,and I mean it wanted the sausage!!!

Is this supposed to make me want to watch - cos it ain't

I've watched exactly one episode of Farscape - season 2 I think. I didn't follow most of it - I assume because I didn't watch from the beginning.

I hope it gets picked up for you guys though.

Shug

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Sunday, September 15, 2002 4:27 PM

LIVINGIMPAIRED

Quote:
Originally posted by Zicsoft:
And some of the running jokes -- like Creighton's constant pop culture references -- are begining to get old.

Hey! Chriton's pop-culture quips are one of my favorite parts of the show! Re: "Yoda. Litte green dude. Teaches warriors."

"I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass."
—Maya Angelou

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Sunday, September 15, 2002 5:17 PM

MOJOECA

I'm not quite so over the moon about FARSCAPE as most seem to be. They always nail the pivotal eps, but the stand-alones get pretty repetitive. There are 3 kinds of one-offs: Something attacks the ship while in space; something attacks the crew while in space; crew gets attacked while on a planet. Some are very exciting, others are paint-by-numbers. There's the occasional ep where they do something totally off the wall -- like implant John and D'Argo in a "Road Runner" cartoon. In most, characters don't advance much, or if they do, I haven't noticed.

However, the season you're watching, three, is hands down the best. Even the stand-alones are magnificent because even in the standard SCAPE story, the characters are advancing, reaching and sinking to new levels. You will be lost a little for not having seen the first 2 seasons, but most fans are lost anyway. It's a total mind-fuck -- why many love it.

EDIT: I would add that as repetitive as SCAPE can get, SMALLVILLE is even moreso. Every ep: Krypto-charged townees do nefarious things. Very redudant. Very redudant. Very redundant.

Don't know about JOHN DOE. But I would argue that though it's premise sounds original, a closer look reveals it's just another show in the mold of THE FUGITIVE, THE PRETENDER, etc.

--- Joe

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Sunday, September 15, 2002 6:35 PM

LIVINGIMPAIRED

Quote:
Originally posted by mojoeca:
I'm not quite so over the moon about FARSCAPE as most seem to be. They always nail the pivotal eps, but the stand-alones get pretty repetitive. There are 3 kinds of one-offs: Something attacks the ship while in space; something attacks the crew while in space; crew gets attacked while on a planet. Some are very exciting, others are paint-by-numbers.

Actually, for the past few seasons, there is only one type of episode: "Someone or something frills with Chritons mind."

Don't believe me?

Scarons (sp?) kidnap Chriton and torture him by making him crazy. Wormhole aliens kidnapp Chriton and interrogate him by making him think he's on Earth. Nerochip, Nerochip, Nerochip. Chriton gets sucked into a weird-ass computer game a-la-XestanZ. The Arora chair. The roadrunner ep. The latest ep, which features even more wormhole aliens frilling with John. Those crazy drugs Chriton's always on now, and that freaky aphrodesiac Peacekeeper Chic uses. (Both of which, by the way, need to come with drug interaction warnings...) Harvey, Harvey, Harvey. That ep. where everyone on Moya goes psycotic and John keeps seeing a Scorpie that's not there.

I'd keep going, but my hand's starting to hurt.

Let's face it, John is boarderline schitzo, with a substance abuse problem. But, with all the crap he's been putting up with lately, can you blame him?

"I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass."
—Maya Angelou

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Monday, September 16, 2002 6:42 AM

ZICSOFT

Quote:
Hey! Chriton's pop-culture quips are one of my favorite parts of the show! Re: "Yoda. Litte green dude. Teaches warriors."

I didn't mean they were never funny. ("By the time I get back Buffy the Vampire Slayer will be dead!") But there's such a thing as beating a joke to death. I saw that happening when Creighton started doing a really bad James Doohan imitation.

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Tuesday, October 8, 2002 10:07 AM

REYVNDARKNIGHT

Furyfire, to answer your question, I submit that rather than picking up at the beginning of Season 3, that you start from the beginning.

The reason I like Farscape so much is that I identify with Crighton. He is a human who is infatuated with space travel and is flung to the farside of the Universe.

The writing is great with just the right balance of science, drama, and comedic impact of the characters.

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Wednesday, October 9, 2002 12:58 PM

FURYFIRE

Too late, already gave up on it, no good. I wathed the first 4or5or6or whatever eps of Season 3. I dont see any quality whatsoever. I am and have no way of starting from the beginning.
My TV roster now consists of:
Buffy
Angel
Firefly
Scrubs
Futurama
John Doe
Bernie Mac

If you know anyone that can help my screenwriting career, please help! And yes, I am self-advertising here. Hehehe, me such a little devil.

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Monday, October 14, 2002 10:43 PM

RUSTYSLINKY

Best Episodes of Season #3
3.14: Infinite Possibilities 1
3.15: Infinite Possibilities 2
3.20: Into the Lion's Den 1
3.21: Into the Lion's Den 2
3.22: Dog With Two Bones

Best Bet For First-Timers:
Farscape DVD: Best of Season #1, 3 CD set: Available at Blockbuster Video. Particularly "The Premiere", "PK Tech Girl", and "A Human Reaction". The last two deal with the John & Aeryn thing (sort of like Mulder and Sculley in XFiles).

Article/Critique on Farscape:

Who Killed Farscape, By Clare Sainsbury
From Strange Horizons web-based magazine
Copyright 10/14/02 by Clare Sainsbury
http://www.strangehorizons.com/2002/20021014/farscape.shtml
Excerpt:
--------------------------------------------------
“. . . There are also rumors that certain of the new executives objected to the show's edginess and determination to push the envelope. Whereas many series aim to find a winning formula and then stick to it, providing another dose of the same each week, Farscape loved to subvert and disconcert, deconstructing and parodying itself, re-playing tragedy as farce and farce as tragedy, riffing on science fiction clichés and mixing genres at lightning speed. One episode, for example, was largely composed of an animated cartoon homage to Chuck Jones, while others drew on sources as diverse as Night of the Living Dead and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. Yet the show didn't have the archness that often accompanies postmodernism -- at heart, it was character-driven, and explored the flaws and traumas of its central characters with unusual integrity. Things weren't neatly wrapped up at the end of each episode, and they probably wouldn't be back to normal at the start of the next. . .”
--------------------------------------------------

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Tuesday, October 15, 2002 7:29 AM

REYVNDARKNIGHT

Sorry to hear that about giving up on Farscape Furyfire. It is an exceptional show and worth viewing.

Here's hoping viewers don't give up on Firefly in the same manner.

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Tuesday, October 15, 2002 11:15 PM

RUSTYSLINKY

Yup,
Overheard:
"Easier keeping a show alive,
than bringing it back from the dead."

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Monday, October 21, 2002 3:07 AM

ENTILZHA

Well, it's one of those shows that you either resonate with, or it just doesn't catch you at all. Seeing the plot threads develop over time is a big help.

I look at it this way. Look at all the CSI fans out there. I can't even watch half an episode of that series! I find it poorly written, lacking in true character, and often inaccurate.

And don't get me started on sit-coms...

However, millions of people apparently disagree, which says a lot about personal tastes. Or the lack thereof among the general population...

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Monday, October 21, 2002 3:14 AM

BULBUS

Yeah, I'll agree with the comments that season 1 and 2 of Farscape were phenominal. Especially season 1, it was so focused and the character's were developed and grew so well. But somewhere along the middle part of season 2, the entire series lost focus I think. I don't know, it's like anything after the Liars, Guns, and Money episodes, just paled in comparision. Season 2 struck a lot of people as just odd I think, they'd release a bunch of episodes and then you wouldn't get anything for about six months. Also it started focusing on one thing, and then everything got twisted around. The whole, Clone of Crichton thing was just a mistake and Talon started off as a great plot idea, but then was misused.

I was really disapointed in it because I was a huge fan.

(I'm just including this because it's perhaps the WORST emoticon I've ever seen. HA)

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Monday, October 21, 2002 12:09 PM

FURYFIRE

Yeah I know, I ahve no idea how ppl can watch that shit. So poorly written, like Law&Order, and West Wing, they dont deserve emmys, but thats because ppl are stupid, just as I found Farscape, it seems like it smade to satisfy thte type of ppl that like Fastlane on FOX>

If you know anyone that can help my screenwriting career, please help! And yes, I am self-advertising here. Hehehe, me such a little devil.

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Monday, October 21, 2002 12:30 PM

MILLERNATE

Quote:

Yeah I know, I ahve no idea how ppl can watch that shit. So poorly written, like Law&Order, and West Wing, they dont deserve emmys

Just as an aside: A year or two ago Entertainment Weekly had Buffy creator Joss WHedon list his four favorite shows (possibly to show the four that influenced him as they had other TV creators do their favorite shows and some directors do their favorite movies). The shows were as follows:

1. Masterpiece Theatre
2. Twin Peaks
3. Wiseguy
4. West Wing

Just so that you know that when you call people who like West Wing stupid you are also calling the creator of Buffy stupid

.

Nathan
"It looks like a great adventure...That's what it is; that's what it feels like. When I saw the pilot, it was really engaging. It was exciting. It was unusual. It threw me off every now and then. I think people will be grabbed by it." - Ron Glass, on the pilot, during an interview with the Indianapolis Star

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Tuesday, October 22, 2002 12:23 PM

FURYFIRE

West wing is crap. As far as a know is that yu are making this up b/c u happen to like WW, lets see some proof, jerkoff.

If you know anyone that can help my screenwriting career, please help! And yes, I am self-advertising here. Hehehe, me such a little devil.

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Tuesday, October 22, 2002 6:05 PM

RUSTYSLINKY

Twin Peaks and Wiseguy? Whoa, he picked those? Ok.
EntertainmentWeekly make my computer lock-up but I was able to dredge this up from the New York Times. Thanks for the tip!

MAGAZINE DESK | September 22, 2002, Sunday
Must-See Metaphysics
By Emily Nussbaum (New York Times) 3322 words
Late Edition Final, Section 6, Page 56, Column 1
Excerpt:
--------------------------------------------------
. . .Such damp effusions are the kind of thing that many television creators would shy away from. But Whedon loves it down there in the geek trenches. ''That's the only reason I'm alive!'' he says, placing his palms flat on the tablecloth. ''We're paying homage to the same thing: the storytelling. I wanted to create a fiction that would affect people's lives. And this has affected people's lives. It's affected my life. Without it my life is meaningless.'' . . .
There are other, more ambitious TV shows that he admires, ''The West Wing'' among them. But Whedon is clearly not tempted to create that kind of ''grown-up'' show -- no matter how many Emmys he'd win. ''I'm not an adult!'' he says, shaking his head. ''I don't want to create responsible shows with lawyers in them. I want to invade people's dreams.'' . . .
--------------------------------------------------

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Tuesday, October 22, 2002 6:25 PM

MILLERNATE

Quote:

Twin Peaks and Wiseguy? Whoa, he picked those? Ok.

Saddly, while I cannot at present find the issue of EW (its my roomates and I'll ask him where he put it sometime tomorrow) I can mention what I recall Joss saying about Wiseguy. He mentioned that he really liked the idea of having an "arc" based around a villian and he said that influenced his idea to do that with Buffy.

Incidently: If anyone has the Season 3 VHS tapes I should mention that Vol. 2 (the tape with Enemies on it) there is a interview with Doug Petrie in which Petrie mentions that both he and Joss were big fans of Wiseguy.

Nathan
"It looks like a great adventure...That's what it is; that's what it feels like. When I saw the pilot, it was really engaging. It was exciting. It was unusual. It threw me off every now and then. I think people will be grabbed by it." - Ron Glass, on the pilot, during an interview with the Indianapolis Star

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Tuesday, October 22, 2002 6:27 PM

MILLERNATE

I thought better of it

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Tuesday, October 22, 2002 8:02 PM

RUSTYSLINKY

Mel Profit: Only the TOES know. . .

"I had an urge for wine but decided to let it age longer. . ."

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Wednesday, October 23, 2002 3:32 AM

ENTILZHA

OK, Furyfire, considering you started this thread with at least some sense of civility, was it necessary to start with the caustic language?

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Wednesday, October 23, 2002 12:31 PM

FURYFIRE

Yeah I know about Wiseguy, but just forget about this thread, it was supposed to be about Farscape but i gave up on the show, so we dont need to tlak about it more. Cya round the board.

If you know anyone that can help my screenwriting career, please help! And yes, I am self-advertising here. Hehehe, me such a little devil.

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Thursday, October 24, 2002 10:51 AM

KJB

>>SCIFI is much better now. <<

As compared to what? A root canal? SFC has been slowly going down the toilet ever since USA took full control of the network and it's only getting worse as time goes on. They hack their shows to bits, screw the viewers if they think there's a quick buck to be made and are now trying to force feed their audience a parade of John Edward clones. I am SO glad I'm getting a Canadian satellite dish so I can see Space: The Imagination Station.

KJB

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Sunday, November 24, 2002 9:59 AM

REYVNDARKNIGHT

I have also noted that Sci-fi has started a slow slide away from quality.

What I can't figure is why the execs can't manage the use of that massive vault of classic series? Why doesn't Sci-fi use the classics as lead-ins to original series and then have a good sci-fi movie follow the original series?

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Sunday, November 24, 2002 10:53 AM

BZZO

While this thread has slid away from its original topic, I wanted to put my two-cents in. (who doesn't?)

I heard people talk about Farscape as the best Sci-Fi show on TV, blah, blah, blah, so I tried to watch one. I couldn't follow it. It made no sense.

A month later I downloaded the Priemere episode and it took me another 3 months to finally watch it. Within 2 weeks I'd seen the whole first season, and I loved it.

Why? The writing is clever, but not too clever (Herc/Xena, anyone?). They can succesfully put in funny 20th (21st?) century comedy into a space-drama, not because our heros are hip, but because our hero is a displaced man from our century.

(By far my biggest gripe out contemporary sci-fi is that too much of the dialogue doesn't sound like it comes from a far away place, but from the mind of a Californian writer)

The story arcs are long, and the character development is slow. Watching the important episodes of the first two seasons is the only way to really appriciate it. Watching from the middle makes it almost impossible.

At the same time, it is not for everyone. I can understand the complaints of those who don't like it. But for an ex-trekker who grew tired of the same old Voyager / Enterprise re-hashes, I really enjoy it because it tells the standard 'lost in space' stories in a whole new way.

And maybe that's why I like Firefly so much, too.

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Sunday, November 24, 2002 4:46 PM

KEF

Quote:
Originally posted by FURYFIRE:
Yeah I know, I ahve no idea how ppl can watch that shit. So poorly written, like Law&Order, and West Wing, they dont deserve emmys, but thats because ppl are stupid, just as I found Farscape, it seems like it smade to satisfy thte type of ppl that like Fastlane on FOX>

West Wing and Law & Order are like Shakespeare compared to Survivor, American Idol, Fear Factor and other popular programing of that ilk. Hell has many levels.

As far as Farscape, I only managed to catch episodes very sporadically, so that I never really understood much of what was going on when I did get to see it. Nevertheless, I always found it entertaining and compelling enough to watch. Great visuals - fun/intersting/attractive characters - sometimes cool twists on old sci-fi concepts. Personally I liked Creighton's dialogue, with or without the pop references.
I was usually able to figure out enough of the plot to satisfy me. It really isn't that hard if one isn't obsessed with having to understand every detail.

The roadrunner cartoon episode I thought was extremely cool. Incidently, the animation was supervised by Chuck Jones, the legendary animator actually who created many of the best of the original Bugs Bunny/Roadrunner cartoons for Warner Bros. I think this episode was his last project before he died.

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Thursday, February 6, 2003 11:52 PM

RUSTYSLINKY

For the Feb 7th episode *Bringing Home the Bacon*.

Unlike the previous two weeks, I'm hearing tonight's episode does NOT suck.
This one might be more in-line, spirit-wise, at least, to classic Firefly.

So if you're bored tonight with nuttin' better to do . . .

A Sample of what's in store for tonight:
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Spoiler Warning!:
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Overheard: Lines from tonight's show:

Sikozu: "Now that you know that I know what I'm talking about, I suggest you start taking us seriously."
Man: "I'd love to *take* you.-- Seriously."

Sikozu: "Do you have any plan of escape?"
Aeryn: "Run."
Sikozu: "Anything more detailed, Aeryn?"
Aeryn: "Run quickly."

John: "D'Argo, tell her who the daddy is."
D'Argo: "We don't know who the daddy is."

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Wednesday, February 12, 2003 11:54 AM

RUSTYSLINKY

Reposted, Link:
: http://www.watchfarscape.com/forums/showthread.php?s=b1991df79b1b24ab2
5b4c652e12bee7a&threadid=7317

===============================================
What makes Farscape different from most other shows? Part of the appeal of Farscape is the ever increasing storyarch and character development that most other shows on television shy away from. In comparison, a program such as 'Friends', 'Law & Order' and 'Star Trek: TNG' rely on the concept that the cast of characters remain static. Their relationships may grow and change, but each character's basic behavior and pretext have remained almost completely unchanged from season one. Yet we come back to these characters for that simple reason. They have become comfortable to us. We know that we can watch an episode and be fully aware that each character can deliver exactly what we expect from them.

It isn't so much that we approve of this. It is more like we have been conditioned to simply accept it. The concept that a television series is centered around a premise, a story concept, and then allow the plot to progress the series. Characters within the series are developed as archetypes and the relationships are treated as a lesson in step-by-step dance. Meaning that it is the writing team instead of actor chemistry that choreographs the friendships and love interests.

And it is by defying this simple standard that makes Farscape unique in a universe of complacent predictability. And unique is always valuable. Watching the series progress for the last four seasons, no one has been able to predict the direction that the characters have taken. The motley crew of escaped prisoners wandering the Uncharted Territories from the first season has progressed into something far different in the fourth. A loyal crew of people who care for each other as much as they care for their ship. And seeing as how many times they have put everything on the line for the sake of their ship, that's saying a lot. D'Argo started out as the archetypal alien warrior; deep, movie announcers voice, a funny forehead, a lot of hair and a lot of rage. In season four he has matured into a fine captain of not one, but two ships. Serious moments that can shake up the lives of ordinary people occur in the same fashion to the Crew of Moya. Characters mature, grow and can even make 180-degree turns as seen in the example of Captain Bialar Crais. From feared renegade Peacekeeper captain to honorable ally. We have even seen the horrific side of fate rear its ugly head and have watched beloved characters die.

Each season can be labeled as it’s own entity. Like a series of books under the same epic title with each episode acting as a chapter. The main focus during season one is exploration, both within the world that these characters exist and also within their group. We learn each character’s motivations, their fears, their dreams and basically what makes them tick. We are shown that within this fantastical world anything can happen, and usually will. As the viewer we are made to feel like the alien in a normal world by showing us this world through Crichton’s eyes. Every character understands the workings of this world, except for Crichton. He learns rather quickly, and is constantly reminded that his “human ethics and morels” simply don’t work within the context of this world. And yet it is this almost naive outlook that helps to bind the crew together. And by the end of season one these strangers have learned to set aside their differences and work together as a crew.

Season two is about self-realization. Through out season two, we are presented with a stronger sense of how situations are approached. The ever popular “lets see just how bad a bad situation can get” concept. And it works great. Character growth also takes center stage through many of the episodes, but with mixed results. One major complaint that has been expressed by viewers has been that the episodes that focus on a character’s backstory or racial history is overshadowed by Crichton’s reaction to said situation. Some feel as though the opportunity to expand on a character’s motivation was missed. Well, maybe. Looking at it from the “okay, here’s point A, here’s point B” attitude, one might have missed the point of the episode. The idea that Crichton is still the most alien in a world full of aliens was being reinforced. Case in point was the episode “Taking the Stone” which centered around Chiana mourning the loss of her brother. Many viewers felt a golden opportunity to expand on Chiana’s character was missed. This is not true. In fact her character was reinforced through John’s mishandling of the situation. It was also interesting that Aeryn was trying to show John the error he was making. Chiana is going to do what Chiana wants to do. There is nothing any member of the crew can do to change that. She is in pain and needs to sort it out for herself. So in the end we understand Chiana’s character more through John’s newfound understanding of her.

Also through season two the series began to take on the ominous tone that would be at the forefront of what makes Farscape so compelling. The adventures and experiences the crew were thrown into became more personal and heartbreaking. The outcome of the episodes would have a profound effect on each character. An example is the episode “Beware of Dog” where through most of the episode Aeryn is ready to flush the Vorc out of an airlock. But by the end of the episode she is on the verge of tears over the Vorc’s needless death, where at the same point last season Aeryn would not have batted an eye over it. The crew had grown so much that these adventures began having very noticeable effects on them. Even a conniving little bastard like Rygel showed that he had a heart and actually cared for the well being of his fellow shipmates.

Season three is about loss; plain and simple. Watching our beloved crew deal with loosing so much of themselves is really heartbreaking. You have the loss of Zhaan and the crew dealing with that. You have Aeryn dealing with her loss of John, John dealing with loss of identity. D’Argo dealing with his loss of Chiana and Jothee. We see Scorpius suffer a humiliating defeat and loose not only his wormhole research, but his career as well. Each tragedy the crew has suffered up to this point had been mostly superficial. They only hurt a single member at a time. Season three, the whole crew is rocked with tragedy, and they don’t deal well. John and D’Argo bickering and fighting is a prime example. Without Zhaan’s spiritual center or Aeryn occupying John’s time, the two of them begin to bicker. Any one of us in the same situation would probably do the same. The season comes to a head with the loss of the one being the crew swore to protect at all cost: Talyn. And it is with his selfless sacrifice that the crew decides to move on. The final loss is the loss of the crew. Everyone goes their separate way, effectively setting the stage for season four.

With season four the crew is reunited after many, many months apart. Each character has grown and matured past what they had as a crew. Each one has learned, more or less, to stand on their own. This season’s theme is three fold. One – Aeryn and John’s relationship takes on a more prominent role. Two – John cracking wormholes and gaining more experience with them. And three – the political structure of this end of the universe is on the verge. But what is it about season four that has so many people crying foul? I have been pondering this and the closer we get to the end of the season the clearer it becomes. Season four’s main problem is storyarch Vs singular plot. Throughout all three seasons we watch the plots unfold and push our characters to grow and change. Season four is more like the storyarch is continuing regardless of plot. Instead of the plot of the episode pushing the development of characters, the character are progressing outside of the singular episode plot. Sometimes these points intertwine and you get the more talked about episodes. But many of the adventures seem to have been nothing more that just some trouble the crew can get in and out of. It isn’t until towards the end of the season that we begin to see the direction the series is going. And it isn’t a pretty picture.

Also, with season four, we have to reestablish the crew of Moya. Not just the original members, but the three new members and how they respond to each other. We have Noranti, the three-eyed witch. An enigma that has many people confused over her role, outside of being the resident drug dealer. As with all things Farscape, things take time. We know that her role will eventually become clear. We just need to wait and see. Sikozu’s role is becoming more clear. We are about to have serious dealings with Scarrans and it seems that Sikozu has a hands up over everyone when it comes to Scarran Etiquette 101. It is also interesting that you have Aeryn and Sikozu working together due to this same point. And last but not least Scorpius. He has gone from “Bram Stoker’s nightmare” into something much deeper Scorpius understands the threat that the Scarrans pose and has joined forces with John and the crew to see that, when the time comes, Crichton will do the right thing and defeat the Scarrans once and for all. The Ultimate villain becomes the ultimate ally. How often do we see this in not only science fiction, but in basic storytelling overall? Season four’s whole purpose has been steered towards preparation for something.

As I have said many times, you can not judge the quality of Farscape by looking at a particular episode or at the episodes in general. You have to look at the bigger picture. To simply follow the season episode by episode would not do it justice. It would as if you were judging a book by particular chapters. You have to examine it as a whole. And as a whole season four has been the most intriguing of all the seasons. It has opened the doors to so many opportunities for the overall storyarch and characterizations as well.

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Tuesday, February 25, 2003 8:29 AM

RUSTYSLINKY

Danny, over at toughpigs.com, weighs in on the documentary episode of Farscape:

==================================================

"PHONE HOME"

Episode 17 -- Feb 14, 2003

"A CONSTELLATION OF DOUBT"

Now, there are some issues with this episode, so let's get those out of the way, so we can move on.

This episode is almost entirely about Crichton watching a TV show made about his visit to Earth, showing how ambivalent and fearful the people of Earth are about the concept of alien visitation. Which is a fairly clever concept, except that it's a whole hour of watching the main characters watch television, so whatever. That's number one.

Then there's the issue of getting tapes of Earth television programs through the wormhole so Crichton can watch them, which seems amazingly casual to me. Wasn't it, like, three minutes ago that Crichton was a million miles away from Earth and was never going to get back, and now he's getting care packages from home? That's number two, but I admit that's nitpicky, so I'm over it already.

Issue number three -- and this one is a little more substantial, for me -- is that Crichton spends the whole episode shaking his head and clucking his tongue about the fact that everybody on Earth is a little put off by the idea of fantastically powerful aliens coming over and slaughtering / enslaving everyone.

He keeps saying things like "You're not ready," and making like humans are being such babies about everything, but every time a human asks if there's any reason to be scared, all the aliens say, oh, yeah, we're a zillion times more advanced than you, and we could probably kill every person on the planet if we felt like it.

Then everybody gets quite reasonably concerned about that, and the aliens say, oh, don't worry, though. We don't feel like it.

So what, precisely, is the response Crichton was hoping for? Did he want the entire population of Earth to just paint a big bullseye on the White House and wait for our new Scarran conquerors to arrive? (Note to myself: That's actually not a bad idea. Bring that up at the next Earth staff meeting.)

I mean, even the other aliens don't like the aliens on this show. I can't think of a single planet we've seen so far that wasn't full of people trying to kill the main characters. All the humans did was make a pretentious TV show about them, which seems like the most civilized response possible. Hey, who says those aliens are more advanced than us, anyway? Jeez.

But that's not the thing I really want to talk about. The thing I want to talk about -- all that other stuff aside -- is that this was actually one of my favorite episodes that I've seen all season, and the other one was the other present-day Earth episode. In those two episodes, they managed to do something that they haven't been able to do in any other episode this season -- which is to make me care about a planet and the people who live there.

For all that everybody talks about the Scarrans on this show, we've only seen about two of them this whole season, and they were both tiresome and bitchy. I couldn't care less about the big-haired barbarian people, or the guy who runs the mental arts training camp, or the space weed, or the neural-energy eating spider, or any of that.

There hasn't been a single alien character in any of the episodes this season that I would even walk across the street to visit. They're all just selfish and violent and unpleasant, all the way down the line. Besides the regulars, I can't think of a single alien character this whole season who's been nice, or funny, or endearing in any way.

But I care about Crichton, who in my opinion is one of the Great TV Show Characters Of Our Time. He's funny and sexy, he's unpredictable, and he's always watchable in every scene he's in. I care about Aeryn, and I care about D'argo, and Chiana, and Rygel, and Noranti. And that's about it. Those are the characters I like watching, and those are the people I'll miss when the season's over.

And -- in the these two present-day episodes -- I care about the Earth.

I like watching John's sister and father, trying to do the right thing, and finding themselves caught between John and the rest of the world. I like nephew Bobby, who might be trying to defend the aliens, and might be a little weasel selling their secrets for cash. I like the idea of an investigation into the various alien murders on Earth, and I like watching Earth society picking over the little scraps of information they have and trying to figure out what to do about it all.

Now, maybe that would get old, but I wish they'd just stayed on Earth, and done the whole second half of the season there. Bring the Scarrans and the Peacekeepers to Earth for a while, and see what happens. Show me the religious iconography that springs up around Noranti, and show me Chiana on the cover of Tiger Beat. For me, at least, that beats tedious aliens with illogical political structures any day of the week.

I think it's pretty clear that eventually all of this is heading towards a big battle over Earth -- either the Peacekeepers and the Scarrans using Earth as a battleground, or joining together to conquer Earth and use it as leverage to get Crichton's wormhole knowledge. Or something like that. Unfortunately, that was probably the plan for next season, so we'll never see it.

That's really frustrating for me, because it feels like all the messing around they've done on other planets has just been killing time, running out the clock until the season finale, so they can do The Big Thing next year.

Which would be fine, except there's not going to be a next year. John Crichton, come home! We need you down here.

=================================================

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Thursday, March 6, 2003 6:41 AM

RUSTYSLINKY

A News-Flash out to any Farscape viewers and their VCR's!
For everyone that's missed out on any of the last Four seasons of Farscape:

All 88 episodes will be rebroadcast in (mostly) chronological order every midnight, for three whole months.

The *Series Premiere* kicks-off on March 31st, on the Sci-Fi channel.

Here's the schedule:
http://www.scifi.com/schedulebot/index.php3?program=FARSCAPE&x=133&y=4
0

Thanks!
:)
-----

Also: For hard-core Science Fiction fans: *Children of Dune* and *River World* premiere on March 16th and March 22nd respectively!

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Saturday, March 15, 2003 9:51 PM

WRONGARTURO

Woo-hoo! Glad to see they're finally putting Farscape back in the daily reruns.

I can understand why people have a hard time getting into this show. I hated the first episode I saw. But people kept saying great things about it, so I watched another episode. I didn't like that one either. But it continued to be acclaimed by people whose opinion I respect. So I kept trying.

Finally, after seeing about 5 episodes in the course of 8 months, I saw the second-season finale, "Die Me Dichotomy." Whoa. Now the series had my attention, and I watched it almost every week after that.

Any new viewer should start at the beginning when the episodes start airing as daily reruns. They don't need to watch every episode, but starting at the beginning is the best place. And they should make sure not to miss hilarious episodes like "Crackers Don't Matter," "Out of their Minds," and "Won't Get Fooled Again." And as someone else said, the third season as a whole is just phenomal, with heartbreaking episodes like "Relativity" (possibly the show's best) and "Different Destinations," and entertaining shows like "Green Eyed Monster" (written by series star Ben Browder) and "Revenging Angel."

In the fourth season, the show seriously lost its way. In an effort to improve ratings, a villainous character was added -- I don't remember her name, but I just call her Cleavage, because that's why they brought her on board. There was a lot of sleazy sensationalism like this. Meanwhile, on Moya, a lot of great, interesting characters (like Stark and Crais) left the show, in favor of characters that were generic rehashes of those we'd already seen (the new redhead is just a slightly less brash version of Jool, and the mystic is a cheap version of Zhaan). These new characters were not as interesting as the ones they replaced. And while the show had always tried to fight its "Muppety" stigma because the characters were made by the Creature Shop, this season they really went overboard with making the aliens so gross that it was just unpleasant to keep the TV on. Plus, there were major continuity holes that one could drive a bus through. The writers never explained how Scorpius could survive being shot at point-blank range, and being buried in the cold ground in front of everyone! In fact, both Scorpius and "Harvey" have come back from the dead so many times, death has lost all meaning.

The only two great episodes this year were the loopy, fanciful "John Quixote" and the fun "Unrealized Reality," both of which reunited some of the characters from previous seasons, in a sense. (I still haven't seen the rest of the 3-parter where John returns to Earth circa 1985. Aargh!)

Anyway, just because the show was bad in Season 4 doesn't mean it couldn't have rebounded in Season 5. The series as a whole was good, and I'm disgusted that they never got the chance to rebound. I'm just hoping the last episode is a good sendoff.

Danny's written some funny, insightful stuff about Farscape. I wasn't expecting to see a review of his here -- small world!

And Furyfire, I saw the same article Nate did, so he's not making it up.

And that's all for now, I guess.

Wrong Arturo

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Sunday, March 16, 2003 12:20 AM

BRTICK

muppets. plain and simple.

Keep Flying!

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Sunday, March 16, 2003 11:39 AM

TALRIUS

Quote:
In an effort to improve ratings, a villainous character was added -- I don't remember her name, but I just call her Cleavage, because that's why they brought her on board.

Commandant Greza. She is supposed to be a polar oppisite of Scorpy and Crais. Using suduction in stead of brawn(Crais)and pain(Scorpy). Very poorly done though. The black wig scares me.

Quote:
Meanwhile, on Moya, a lot of great, interesting characters (like Stark and Crais) left the show, in favor of characters that were generic rehashes of those we'd already seen (the new redhead is just a slightly less brash version of Jool, and the mystic is a cheap version of Zhaan). These new characters were not as interesting as the ones they replaced.

Didn't like Stark. Sad to see Crais go and Talyn. Hated that they kicked Jool off. Granny, I was secptical about but she turned into a funny character. Sikozu, hated her until her alliance with Scorpy and in the last few episodes.

Quote:
This season they really went overboard with making the aliens so gross that it was just unpleasant to keep the TV on.

Their supposed to be in tortured space. So the aliens are supposed to be tortured and weird looking. Cop-out.

Quote:
The writers never explained how Scorpius could survive being shot at point-blank range, and being buried in the cold ground in front of everyone!

He's half Scaren(Spelling) they have heat glands that make peacekeeper weapons useless. Thats why Sikozu did that levetating thing on the Skaren soldiers in the last episode. So the shot to the chest did nothing to him. It's sorta implied. I think.

Quote:
I'm just hoping the last episode is a good sendoff.

All of us 'Scapers are.

--------------------------------------------------

SIMON:
Oh yes, he's a real beast.
It's a wonder you're still alive.

JAYNE:
Looked bigger when I couldn't see him.

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Sunday, March 16, 2003 11:40 AM

TALRIUS

That post got all screwy, sorry.

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