Exploring the Uncharted Territories: A Farscape Viewing Experience

[label]

3 good episodes, all of which will have repercussions on future events. DNA Mad Scientist and PK Tech Girl were a couple of episodes, as you mentioned, that Aeryn starts letting herself be a little more "herself" and a little less "peace keeper".

The next 3 you're about to hit are not quite as good as these three, but they're not horrible either. (Well, rhapsody in Blue may not be "horrible" but Lord, it isn't good. )

[RoJoHen]

I like "Rhapsody in Blue."

[label]

Jolly Ole Saint RoJo wrote:

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I like "Rhapsody in Blue."

Maybe it's just me that didn't love that episode. I just didn't feel like there ended up being much point to the episode and they never really did much follow up with Zahn after what was supposed to be a game changer for her in that episode.

Guess it'll be interesting to see what the crazyfather thinks of it after he watches it.

[PsychoPere]

Jolly Ole Saint RoJo wrote:

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You are making me want to re-watch the series, like whoa.

That's a good thing, no?

label wrote:

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Guess it'll be interesting to see what the crazyfather thinks of it after he watches it.

I really need to come up with a new name sometime... In my nick, "Pere" was actually an abbreviated form of "Peregrine" (as in the falcon) which I used to use in an IRC room years ago. People there often shortened it for easier typing, and it kind of stuck. I never knew it happened to be a French word until a few years ago when someone here first mentioned here.


They've Got a Secret
- I have to admit, Aeryn raises an interesting point about our domestication of animals. We'd never like to think of our "beasts of burden" and pets as slaves, but I suppose at least some of them - such as horses, to use the example in her conversation with Crichton - could be.

- It's nice to see that the events of "DNA Mad Scientist" are revisited in the form of Aeryn remembering Pilot's control panel layout.

- The DRDs get to be pretty damn creepy and scary in this episode. This is another episode whose plot I had mostly forgotten, so it's a surprise to me that the DRDs could be so. In earlier episodes, I wouldn't have begged them as being a potential defense force. I suppose it does make a certain amount of sense, though. If they can repair things, surely they can destroy as well.

- As I mentioned in the section for "Premiere," I love the design of the Moya sets, so I really like episodes such as this one that take us into other areas of the ship that we don't normally see, even if we only receive brief glimpses.

- Seeing D'Argo acting as a loving husband and father is a very different change of pace for a character who is so commonly bellicose. Being able to see him in his "family man" attitude helps to explain why he maintains the warrior persona - it's probably easier for him to do that than to remember, accept, and deal with the loss of his family. This episode is a really good spotlight for D'Argo, exploring a different side of him that I hope is seen again in the future. The closing scene of the episode, Aeryn's conversation with D'Argo, also feels like an important character moment, the extension of existing respect for one another as warriors to encompassing a respect, and perhaps even a degree of affection, as individuals and comrades.

- The revelation that Moya is pregnant was one thing that I did recall about this episode from the previous time I saw it, though I haven't seen the offspring "in action," so to speak. I'm very much looking forward to reaching that point in the series.


Till the Blood Runs Clear
- As we talked about before, Moya's lack of offensive weaponry presents the writers with needing to have characters think, rather than shoot, their way out of situations in space. As Pilot's exchange with Zhaan about the star's radiation at the beginning of this episode indicates, that may doubly be true now that everyone knows Moya is pregnant. That's a very different situation than I've seen any other starship-based series have to contend with.

- I just love watching Crichton posture and bluff. Browder does a fantastic job at it. He may not have been away from Earth for all that great a period of time yet, but he does seem to be fitting in quite well and getting a handle on things. He almost seems like he could belong already.

- To sum up the episode, it was pretty fun. The alien bounty hunters were amusing, the mechanic was annoying but I imagine she was intended to be so (though a damn shrewd businesswoman too), and I thought it was great that Aeryn ended the shoot-off between D'Argo/Crichton and the hunters while blind and without additional shooting. Use of brains over brawn is always a plus, especially when it comes from someone who is trained to act as a soldier. I'm not entirely sure what to say about Zhaan's "photogasm."


I know you guys, label and RoJo, were probably looking forward to reading my thoughts on "Rhapsody in Blue" tonight based on your comments about the episode, but I think that's going to wait. I've enjoyed the episodes I've watched today, but I feel sort of Farscaped out for the day (five in one day is kind of a lot ).

[label]

PsychoPere wrote:

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I know you guys, label and RoJo, were probably looking forward to reading my thoughts on "Rhapsody in Blue" tonight based on your comments about the episode, but I think that's going to wait. I've enjoyed the episodes I've watched today, but I feel sort of Farscaped out for the day (five in one day is kind of a lot ).

It's all good. I just started re-watching ST:TNG from the beginning for the first time in like a decade (just found an incredible deal on the box set) and I can't manage more than 1 episode a day so I completely understand not doing more than you did already.

Besides, I like to watch an episode, read reviews of the episode, let it percolate for a night and discuss when I'm watching a series like that. When I rewatch Bab 5 I always read through everything that the Lurkers Guide has on that episode before I watch the next episode. I personally seem to get more out of them that way.

[IcecreamLtDan]

PsychoPere wrote:

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I really need to come up with a new name sometime... In my nick, "Pere" was actually an abbreviated form of "Peregrine" (as in the falcon) which I used to use in an IRC room years ago. People there often shortened it for easier typing, and it kind of stuck. I never knew it happened to be a French word until a few years ago when someone here first mentioned here.

That IRC room didn't happen to be #Homeworld did it?

[PsychoPere]

label wrote:

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When I rewatch Bab 5 I always read through everything that the Lurkers Guide has on that episode before I watch the next episode. I personally seem to get more out of them that way.

That's a great plan. I read the Background Information sections at Memory Alpha after finishing an episode when I recently watched through DS9 for the first time. When I try to find time over the summer to rewatch The Wire, I'm going to do something similar: watch the episode, then read the entry in The Wire: Truth Be Told for that episode, then finish by rewatching for the commentary track.

There wouldn't happen to be any great repositories such as Lurker's Guide for Farscape, would there?

IcecreamLtDan wrote:

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That IRC room didn't happen to be #Homeworld did it?

Nope. I imagine "Peregrine" isn't entirely uncommon as a 'net handle, though much-younger-me thought it was a great name.

[RoJoHen]

PsychoPere wrote:

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- To sum up the episode, it was pretty fun. The alien bounty hunters were amusing, the mechanic was annoying but I imagine she was intended to be so (though a damn shrewd businesswoman too),

One thing I will say is don't forget about this episode. While it may seem like a harmless standalone, certain things eventually come back to bite Crichton in the ass.

I know you guys, label and RoJo, were probably looking forward to reading my thoughts on "Rhapsody in Blue" tonight based on your comments about the episode, but I think that's going to wait. I've enjoyed the episodes I've watched today, but I feel sort of Farscaped out for the day (five in one day is kind of a lot ).

It's all good.

[label]

PsychoPere wrote:

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That's a great plan.
.
.
There wouldn't happen to be any great repositories such as Lurker's Guide for Farscape, would there?

http://www.farscapeworld.com/episodes/

It's not nearly as exhaustive as the Lurkers Guide which is just beyond incredible - that literally changed my viewing experience of watching Bab 5 the first time I watched a show in conjunction with that site, but, it's the best that I know of.

[Pemmer Harge]

label wrote:

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http://www.farscapeworld.com/episodes/

It's not nearly as exhaustive as the Lurkers Guide which is just beyond incredible - that literally changed my viewing experience of watching Bab 5 the first time I watched a show in conjunction with that site, but, it's the best that I know of.

There's also this: http://www.snurcher.com/

Just found this thread - thumbs up, looks like a good one.

[Pemmer Harge]

PsychoPere wrote:

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- As a big Firefly fan, I of course love the rough-and-tumble, who can you trust? nature of this rag-tag crew thrown together by circumstance against their own will.

Yes, there's definitely a certain similarity between Farscape and Firefly. Farscape's early stages are probably less consistent than Firefly's, but I found the show more compelling to watch since, in my opinion, it has better characters.

Anyway, my views on these episodes:

Premiere: Like it a lot. Manages to tell a pretty epic story in only 45 minutes.
I, ET: OK, but kind of lacks the energy of the previous one.
Exodus From Genesis: Enjoyable and helped establish the relationships between the crew, especially where Aeryn's concerned.
Throne for a Loss: Kind of bored me a bit, especially the subplot with Zhaan.
Back and Back and Back to the Future: Fairly entertaining.
Thank God it's Friday. Again: Not bad, but a bit too Star Trek. Aeryn and Pilot's interactions were good.
PK Tech Girl: Really good. Hits a rich vein of story ideas, several of which will return later. Best episode so far, I think.
That Old Black Magic: Crichton-Crais stuff is good, but I do find the Maldis stuff a bit hokey.
DNA Mad Scientist: Valuable plot development re Aeryn's DNA. Not entirely sure I buy Zhaan in this episode, though.
They've Got a Secret: One of the best so far, great plot developments and insight into D'Argo.
Till the Blood Runs Clear: Pretty weak, I think. Didn't really hold my interest.

By this stage, I thought the show was pretty good and had great characters, but wasn't yet living up to its potential. Later, of course things get better. The first season of Farscape reminds me a bit of the first season of Babylon 5 in some ways. The potential was obvious from the start and some of the early episodes were really good, but it took a while to really get into the groove.

[PsychoPere]

Thanks for those links, guys!

Now, onward for two more episodes...


Rhapsody in Blue
- Crichton's dream in the teaser was a good way of combining episode plot and character backstory. His desire to return home is understandable as its own goal, but knowing that the general goal has a specific purpose as well (as I assume at this point in time, Crichton would follow through with the proposal after returning) lends an important "immediacy" to his drive.

- Amused by the bit in the teaser about Aeryn wearing Crichton's boxers, especially since it reminded me of Back to the Future.

- I appreciate the way the show has revealed the reasons D'Argo and Zhaan were imprisoned. It would've been easy to write in some exposition in any random episode, but it's much more dramatically satisfying being able to see them both confront those past issues in the present. Along those lines, I also appreciate how each character has already been given at least one spotlight episode of their own.

- On the other hand, there does seem to be a high number of episodes in this season where the crew is mentally affected by some manner of outside influence. For the most part, I'm enjoying the season just fine (in fact, I'm enjoying the first half of the season a lot more than I did the first time I watched it) and the writers have done a good job differentiating the influences so far, but it's a recurring theme that could become frustrating after a while. Does this trend continue on a regular basis as the series progresses?

- There's something about "DNA Mad Scientist" that I now don't understand. If Delvia is ruled by a dictatorship that Zhaan opposes, then why would she have been concerned about obtaining a map to show her the way back to Delvia? It seems like she wouldn't be able to return home if Peacekeeper forces were present; if she did, she'd just be imprisoned again.

- As I said before, I appreciate characters having their "own" episodes in any series, especially when it allows us to look at one of our characters through the eyes of an outsider. An episode like this, though, also shows just how important Crichton has become to this group dynamic. No one else could have accepted the risks that Crichton did in order to help Zhaan achieve Unity.

- I'd say I'm "meh" on this episode overall. I did enjoy seeing Zhaan interacting with other Delvians, though Zhaan and Crichton were really the only two of "our heroes" to do anything in this episode. Not fully using the cast prevents me from appreciating the episode more, though it was interesting what fears were used to divert the others from being able to assist Zhaan and Crichton (Aeryn with a broken weapon; Rygel thinking he's even smaller; D'Argo believing Jothee is being pursued by Peacekeepers).


The Flax
- Go figure Crichton would be the one at the controls when they hit something invisible in space... Poor guy's never gonna live that one down.

- The squabbling between Zhaan, D'Argo, and Rygel in the teaser, and especially at the beginning of act one when Pilot interrupts it by "hitting the wrong button" to emit a loud beeping sound, reminds me of siblings fighting.

- This was a fun, fast-moving episode. Staanz was pretty amusing, especially his last scene with D'Argo where he reveals that he's actually a she in her species. The best parts of the episode, of course, dealt with Aeryn and Crichton onboard the shuttle, with Aeryn learning that she really does rely on Crichton. I also loved how Rygel came through for once, while initially appearing to have stayed true to his usual cowardly nature. D'Argo's decision to turn away from the Luxan ship and the possibility that it held maps that could lead him home was also a strong character moment. However annoying, confusing, or frustrating Crichton may be to the "aliens," this episode unambiguously shows that those onboard Moya are becoming some sort of family of their own.

- As a last note, I feel a little sorry for both Aeryn and Crichton that D'Argo interrupted them as they were about to start having sex - finally! On the other hand, D'Argo's bemused reaction was damn funny.

[RoJoHen]

Normally when I rewatch shows, I skip over a lot of the standalones in favor of the arc-based episodes. I've watched Farscape so many times that I normally skip over most of Season 1. It's probably been 4 years since I've seen any of these episodes, and you're making me feel nostalgic.

Can't wait until you get to the end of the season!

[Emh]

PsychoPere wrote:

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- I think this may be my favorite episode so far. It really seems to have just about a bit of everything: an odd alien enemy (that spits fire!); a touching romance that can't go anywhere, with a side dish of jealousy; psychological problems; action when fighting becomes necessary; Crichton and Gilina both employing their brains to save the day; and D'Argo's fun bluffing scenes with the Sheyangs. I know Gilina returns in a couple episodes near the end of the season, but I don't recall what her fate is at that time, so I'm curious to know if she returns in any subsequent seasons.

We do see Glina again after the first season. I really loved her character. I saw her first in the two-parter (which were my first Farscape episodes) so at the the time I was a bit bummed out that the relationship didn't work out.

PsychoPere wrote:

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- On the other hand, there does seem to be a high number of episodes in this season where the crew is mentally affected by some manner of outside influence. For the most part, I'm enjoying the season just fine (in fact, I'm enjoying the first half of the season a lot more than I did the first time I watched it) and the writers have done a good job differentiating the influences so far, but it's a recurring theme that could become frustrating after a while. Does this trend continue on a regular basis as the series progresses?

Yes, the show continues the trend of the characters being mentally affected in some way, but I think the show does a great job of keeping it original with each showing. While not a true mentally affected episode, I think "John Quixote" is the height of this trend.

[label]

While Rhapsody in Blue was never in my "best ever" list of episodes, I really did enjoy "The Flax" quite a bit. Not only the episode itself which was a nice step forward for John and Aeryn, but also the follow-up to the events of this episode later in the series.