“Just make it as weird as you possibly can.”
April 3, 2019 10:24 AM Subscribe
It has been 20 cycles since a human astronaut John Crichton shot himself through a wormhole and found himself in a world inhabited by aliens, criminals and puppets. An io9 article looks back on the origins and influence of Farscape. For those wanting to review individual episodes, AV Club did a rewatch a few years back, as did FanFare.
I never got around to seeing this, but I absolutely adore Pete Namlook and Move D's ambient/chill album that samples heavily from it while weirding it up still a little extra. (It's my favorite of the twenty-six albums they've done together)
posted by aubilenon at 10:45 AM on April 3, 2019
posted by aubilenon at 10:45 AM on April 3, 2019
Farscape Recaps from Television Without Pity, done back in the day.
posted by ZeusHumms at 10:52 AM on April 3, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by ZeusHumms at 10:52 AM on April 3, 2019 [2 favorites]
Huh. You know, I hadn't thought about the parallels between Farscape and Guardians of the Galaxy before reading the linked articles, but now that it's pointed out, "Lone pop-culture quoting human teams up with badass soldier alien love interest, big humorless warrior alien, sentient plant alien, and little con artist alien during a jail break" is a SURPRISINGLY SPECIFIC combination to apply to more than one thing.
posted by kyrademon at 11:01 AM on April 3, 2019 [37 favorites]
posted by kyrademon at 11:01 AM on April 3, 2019 [37 favorites]
Can I fan-gush now? Is this the fan-gush thread?
I've loved Farscape ever since I caught the last five minutes of one episode in its original run - I had NO IDEA what was happening (D'Argo was apologising to Pilot, then playing music), but all I knew is that the design and effects and music meant that I HAD TO SEE THIS SHOW. The aliens were so wonderfully alien - and they were having meaningful interactions with no humans in sight (for that scene at least).
Well, TV being what it is (I was in university, my local channel was a kid's channel that only carried the first season - rumour was that they had assumed that it must be for kids, because it was made by the Jim Henson Company), and I think I only saw a couple more as they aired (I had little memories like of the white-haired, stoned Australian-aliens, or Zhaan photosynthesizing) and couldn't follow the storyline - but knew I wanted to see more.
Then, in third year graduate school, I had the chance to see all four seasons - so I did. It was a terrible idea for my studies and sleep habits, but I couldn't stop watching them. I watched all four seasons in about 3-4 weeks - and then I was jonesing so bad, I watched them all again over the next two months. I made my SO watch them; he was hooked.
I was always a Star Trek fan, loved Babylon 5 and Firefly, too, and watched most of Battlestar Galactica. I've even seen (a couple episodes) of Lexx. But Farscape has such a special place for me. I love that the human is a minority among aliens (and under-evolved one at that), I love that the show has both humour but also real, deep emotion. And it's the only time I've ever seen accumulated trauma really shown in 'adventure' science fiction: what happens to the characters changes them, and not always for the better. Other shows sometimes alluded to it, but in Farscape the stories - the writing and the acting - showed it. Not only was there no 'reset button', there wasn't even time to recover sometimes.
It's actually been a few years since my last re-watch - I think I may be due. But I can still play whole scenes in my head. (Recently, I suffered from a gastro issue which had me eating primarily saltine crackers for a week or so ... and every so often one of us would say, "Crackers don't matter!" and laugh.)
posted by jb at 11:10 AM on April 3, 2019 [21 favorites]
I've loved Farscape ever since I caught the last five minutes of one episode in its original run - I had NO IDEA what was happening (D'Argo was apologising to Pilot, then playing music), but all I knew is that the design and effects and music meant that I HAD TO SEE THIS SHOW. The aliens were so wonderfully alien - and they were having meaningful interactions with no humans in sight (for that scene at least).
Well, TV being what it is (I was in university, my local channel was a kid's channel that only carried the first season - rumour was that they had assumed that it must be for kids, because it was made by the Jim Henson Company), and I think I only saw a couple more as they aired (I had little memories like of the white-haired, stoned Australian-aliens, or Zhaan photosynthesizing) and couldn't follow the storyline - but knew I wanted to see more.
Then, in third year graduate school, I had the chance to see all four seasons - so I did. It was a terrible idea for my studies and sleep habits, but I couldn't stop watching them. I watched all four seasons in about 3-4 weeks - and then I was jonesing so bad, I watched them all again over the next two months. I made my SO watch them; he was hooked.
I was always a Star Trek fan, loved Babylon 5 and Firefly, too, and watched most of Battlestar Galactica. I've even seen (a couple episodes) of Lexx. But Farscape has such a special place for me. I love that the human is a minority among aliens (and under-evolved one at that), I love that the show has both humour but also real, deep emotion. And it's the only time I've ever seen accumulated trauma really shown in 'adventure' science fiction: what happens to the characters changes them, and not always for the better. Other shows sometimes alluded to it, but in Farscape the stories - the writing and the acting - showed it. Not only was there no 'reset button', there wasn't even time to recover sometimes.
It's actually been a few years since my last re-watch - I think I may be due. But I can still play whole scenes in my head. (Recently, I suffered from a gastro issue which had me eating primarily saltine crackers for a week or so ... and every so often one of us would say, "Crackers don't matter!" and laugh.)
posted by jb at 11:10 AM on April 3, 2019 [21 favorites]
From the FPP, a perfect summary of Farscape for those who haven't seen it:
posted by jb at 11:17 AM on April 3, 2019 [2 favorites]
"In an era when sci-fi was grounded and emotionally reserved (think the stoic authority of The Next Generation or Stargate: SG-1), Henson and creator O’Bannon wanted to “dial the emotion up to 11” and defy convention. With the Creature Shop at their disposal, the production team meticulously crafted an alien environment that looked genuinely alien, making for what Henson called a “wilder vision of space opera with a more primal energy.”"And since I started out as a puppet/practical-FX fan, it's extra awesome for me. Computers can do a lot, but practical fx have such great weight and reality. I wish we had more of them - even if Zhaan's makeup did have to be redone every single day at great expense. It is so beautiful.
posted by jb at 11:17 AM on April 3, 2019 [2 favorites]
Funny, I just started to watch this show. I'd seen maybe the first half dozen episodes when they were on TV but I hadn't seen any since that time. Because of the unevenness of the show at times I'm not watching every episode but a "best of" as determined by devoted fans (which is about half the first 2 seasons, the majority of 3rd and 4th seasons).
I was pretty dismissive of it at the time but watching it now you can see that they were trying to do some interesting things. What struck me first was how much heart the show had - the emotions are bolder and brighter then you'd seen in the contemporary sci fi shows of the time (even now). The effects on the show were far superior then you'd expect for a "goofy show with puppets from Australia". "Real science" or a need to explain things to the nth degree rarely gets in the way of a good and/or entertaining story (though this can be taken to hilarious extremes like in the 3 part Look at the Princess episodes). The Guardians of the Galaxy comparison definitely occurred to me as well as I watched - even down to how Starlord, nominally the hero, sometimes isn't and has his butt saved by his crew on numerous occasions. I really appreciate that they were actively making sure Crichton wasn't Kirk. By the time they introduce Scorpius (and particularly the neural clone of Scorpius in Crichton's head) the show really finds its footing. The only things that really rub me the wrong way at times is the pop culture references which I think dates the show a little much and I'd wish Zhaan was written more consistently but otherwise it has been fun.
posted by Ashwagandha at 11:19 AM on April 3, 2019
I was pretty dismissive of it at the time but watching it now you can see that they were trying to do some interesting things. What struck me first was how much heart the show had - the emotions are bolder and brighter then you'd seen in the contemporary sci fi shows of the time (even now). The effects on the show were far superior then you'd expect for a "goofy show with puppets from Australia". "Real science" or a need to explain things to the nth degree rarely gets in the way of a good and/or entertaining story (though this can be taken to hilarious extremes like in the 3 part Look at the Princess episodes). The Guardians of the Galaxy comparison definitely occurred to me as well as I watched - even down to how Starlord, nominally the hero, sometimes isn't and has his butt saved by his crew on numerous occasions. I really appreciate that they were actively making sure Crichton wasn't Kirk. By the time they introduce Scorpius (and particularly the neural clone of Scorpius in Crichton's head) the show really finds its footing. The only things that really rub me the wrong way at times is the pop culture references which I think dates the show a little much and I'd wish Zhaan was written more consistently but otherwise it has been fun.
posted by Ashwagandha at 11:19 AM on April 3, 2019
I used to describe Farscape to my friends as “everything you didn’t realize was missing from Star Trek.”
posted by 1970s Antihero at 11:50 AM on April 3, 2019 [9 favorites]
posted by 1970s Antihero at 11:50 AM on April 3, 2019 [9 favorites]
It's hard to believe it's been 20 years. I fell hard for Farscape, once I found it, binged three seasons in a couple of months (when it was a lot harder to get episodes -- I had to send money to a dude in Florida who sent me 2nd-generation videotapes), and ended up working on the fan campaign to bring the show back.
As much as I loved (and love) the show, I don't actually think I want to love another TV show as much as that. It's not entirely healthy.
That said, I made a bunch of friends in that fandom, I still chat with Froon on Twitter, and I still think Peter Jackson should have cast Claudia Black as Arwen Evenstar.
Oh, and I wrote a bunch of fic as well.
posted by suelac at 11:51 AM on April 3, 2019 [12 favorites]
As much as I loved (and love) the show, I don't actually think I want to love another TV show as much as that. It's not entirely healthy.
That said, I made a bunch of friends in that fandom, I still chat with Froon on Twitter, and I still think Peter Jackson should have cast Claudia Black as Arwen Evenstar.
Oh, and I wrote a bunch of fic as well.
posted by suelac at 11:51 AM on April 3, 2019 [12 favorites]
I first discovered the show (during its first run) with possibly the weirdest starting point which was the body-swap episode. However, it was one of the few episodes in that part of the series that wasn't focused on a larger arc so it actually worked quite well for a newcomer and I'm a sucker for body-swap storylines anyway. But having already been a big fan of TNG, I was really struck by how alien the aliens were. I was hooked, even if it did then take me a few episodes to really understand the actual personalities of the characters.
posted by acidnova at 11:52 AM on April 3, 2019
posted by acidnova at 11:52 AM on April 3, 2019
Peter Jackson should have cast Claudia Black as Arwen Evenstar.
Truth.
posted by gauche at 11:54 AM on April 3, 2019 [7 favorites]
Truth.
posted by gauche at 11:54 AM on April 3, 2019 [7 favorites]
Big Purr is a huge fan of Farscape, but I basically have tangential knowledge of it because I didn't have cable when it was on. What I do remember is watching a Dragon*Con panel (I think), where someone talked about how Virginia Hay had to leave the show because of the makeup giving her kidney disease (link to recap of season 3 episodes). That part has always stuck with me.
posted by Hermeowne Grangepurr at 11:55 AM on April 3, 2019
posted by Hermeowne Grangepurr at 11:55 AM on April 3, 2019
Computers can do a lot, but practical fx have such great weight and reality.
Heck yeah.
I am not the biggest Farscape fan, having given up about half way through Season 3, but, man, those puppets. Scene after scene I found myself completely believing Rygel and (especially) Pilot were living creatures. 100x better than anything Star Trek or B5 every did to bring aliens to the screen.
I do not understand why SF and Fantasy TV don't use puppets more.
posted by Frayed Knot at 11:55 AM on April 3, 2019 [8 favorites]
Heck yeah.
I am not the biggest Farscape fan, having given up about half way through Season 3, but, man, those puppets. Scene after scene I found myself completely believing Rygel and (especially) Pilot were living creatures. 100x better than anything Star Trek or B5 every did to bring aliens to the screen.
I do not understand why SF and Fantasy TV don't use puppets more.
posted by Frayed Knot at 11:55 AM on April 3, 2019 [8 favorites]
Ah, Farscape and The Peacekeeper Wars, I have the DVDs and re-watch them every couple of years or so. So often that by now they're like the various Star Trek series that can play in the background while I work to provide just the right amount of occasional distraction that makes the hours go by easier. SG-1 got so much better when Chrichton and Aeryn joined the cast. Those two just play so well together. The commentaries and extras on the DVDs really make it sound like everybody had so much fun making the show.
posted by zengargoyle at 12:01 PM on April 3, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by zengargoyle at 12:01 PM on April 3, 2019 [2 favorites]
My lasting impression of Farscape was that it was the most leftist political show of them all. It wasn't a group of outlaws like in GoTG 1/2, or like the humanist socialist post-scarcity future of Star Trek. The consistent theme of Farscape was of protagonist fugitives in and against a galaxy ruled by totalitarians, fascists, and warmongers. The whole "normal vs normalized" that this article refers to can only make sense that way. Younger me would watching the show wouldn't have inferred this reading of the show and tended to write off the weird costumes and too much sex, etc.
Watching the whole thing later these themes about illegitimate authority (read: adulthood) were particularly present (in a way that was more explicit in each episode of Farscape than how such political themes were approached in Star Trek or Babylon 5). Crichton's final decision in his arc is particularly key to this thematic aspect of the show, such that for anyone who identifies on the left it was a deeply moving plot/character point.
posted by polymodus at 12:08 PM on April 3, 2019 [6 favorites]
Watching the whole thing later these themes about illegitimate authority (read: adulthood) were particularly present (in a way that was more explicit in each episode of Farscape than how such political themes were approached in Star Trek or Babylon 5). Crichton's final decision in his arc is particularly key to this thematic aspect of the show, such that for anyone who identifies on the left it was a deeply moving plot/character point.
posted by polymodus at 12:08 PM on April 3, 2019 [6 favorites]
I never could get into Farscape, but I have a permanent weak spot for shows/movies where Earth is considered the "shithole" by the advanced societies (Captain Marvel, Invader Zim (the post-it!!!), etc.).
posted by praemunire at 12:30 PM on April 3, 2019
posted by praemunire at 12:30 PM on April 3, 2019
I enjoyed the intense creative flair of the first season when it aired.
I've come back to it every few years, admiring many things:
-the puppets, of course
-including many print sf ideas in tv
-the low-rent crime vibe
-the Scorpy-Crichton games
posted by doctornemo at 12:46 PM on April 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
I've come back to it every few years, admiring many things:
-the puppets, of course
-including many print sf ideas in tv
-the low-rent crime vibe
-the Scorpy-Crichton games
posted by doctornemo at 12:46 PM on April 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
When I originally realized it has been 20 years since this debuted that sense of lost time hit me a bit hard as in the, "it can't be 20 years, oh crap it is" way.
I managed to watch this right from the start, beginning with the pilot (thanks to a recommendation in the local paper's TV guide), so I don't have as much of a problem with some of the "bumpier" first-season episodes. I think they were necessary growing pains for the production team and the characters and even the audience.
I like the way the article explains the relation between John And Aeryn.
And ultimately, that’s the secret to why Farscape’s romance is so beloved by fans: It’s a genuine loving relationship. For Black, it was crucial to represent this kind of relationship. “Ben and I wanted to tell stories that would be a more healthy representation of what’s possible. Otherwise, if we stuck with the [William] Shatner model we would have perpetuated a story that I don’t think has much value, for women especially, but for men as well.” By exploring this romantic relationship over the course of many years, Farscape proved once and for all that putting the two leads together isn’t the end of the story—it’s the beginning.
posted by sardonyx at 12:47 PM on April 3, 2019 [2 favorites]
I managed to watch this right from the start, beginning with the pilot (thanks to a recommendation in the local paper's TV guide), so I don't have as much of a problem with some of the "bumpier" first-season episodes. I think they were necessary growing pains for the production team and the characters and even the audience.
I like the way the article explains the relation between John And Aeryn.
And ultimately, that’s the secret to why Farscape’s romance is so beloved by fans: It’s a genuine loving relationship. For Black, it was crucial to represent this kind of relationship. “Ben and I wanted to tell stories that would be a more healthy representation of what’s possible. Otherwise, if we stuck with the [William] Shatner model we would have perpetuated a story that I don’t think has much value, for women especially, but for men as well.” By exploring this romantic relationship over the course of many years, Farscape proved once and for all that putting the two leads together isn’t the end of the story—it’s the beginning.
posted by sardonyx at 12:47 PM on April 3, 2019 [2 favorites]
For me, the alienness of the landscapes was spoiled a bit by it clearly being a bit of bushland they found and painted blue, but you can only really make a story about the 'normal' being weird and the 'weird' being normal in a place like Australia.
I'm honestly still a little annoyed by how Futurama tried to be about how, even a thousand years later, humans are still the same, but it's so US-centric that the 'world government' is seen as being directly equivalent to the American government, to the point that there's questions over Richard Nixon's head's eligibility. Farscape handled that more honestly, I feel.
posted by Merus at 1:25 PM on April 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
I'm honestly still a little annoyed by how Futurama tried to be about how, even a thousand years later, humans are still the same, but it's so US-centric that the 'world government' is seen as being directly equivalent to the American government, to the point that there's questions over Richard Nixon's head's eligibility. Farscape handled that more honestly, I feel.
posted by Merus at 1:25 PM on April 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
I love Farscape so much and don't think it gets its due among great TV sci-fi. And practical effects! The episode where we learn how Pilot became Moya's Pilot is just heart-wrenching, and the puppet is at the center of it. Young, little Pilot who wants to see the stars. I'm going to make myself cry just thinking about it.
posted by Mavri at 1:36 PM on April 3, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by Mavri at 1:36 PM on April 3, 2019 [5 favorites]
It's hard to quantify how much I love Farscape and how right it feels each time I watch it.
I'm glad it's back on, time for a rewatch!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:48 PM on April 3, 2019 [5 favorites]
I'm glad it's back on, time for a rewatch!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:48 PM on April 3, 2019 [5 favorites]
Some of my favorite aspects:
The puppets! Pilot vs Rygel was a stroke of genius as they were both puppets, but vastly different personalities, which really helped ground the show as alien.
The Crichton Twins
Chiana's betrayal
Scorpius
Crichton being able to make it back to Earth and finding out he can't stay
Crichton dancing around sanity, 'cause who can blame anyone in that situation
The creatures! Some were silly sure, but having Henson's shop on hand made for some stunning visuals.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:59 PM on April 3, 2019 [3 favorites]
The puppets! Pilot vs Rygel was a stroke of genius as they were both puppets, but vastly different personalities, which really helped ground the show as alien.
The Crichton Twins
Chiana's betrayal
Scorpius
Crichton being able to make it back to Earth and finding out he can't stay
Crichton dancing around sanity, 'cause who can blame anyone in that situation
The creatures! Some were silly sure, but having Henson's shop on hand made for some stunning visuals.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:59 PM on April 3, 2019 [3 favorites]
oh shit, how could I forget Furlow?! They could have probably done another series just centered around her!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:02 PM on April 3, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:02 PM on April 3, 2019 [3 favorites]
I love Farscape so much, thank you for this post and reminding me it's time to watch it again! I far prefer puppet aliens to the forehead-ridges alternative, I wish more sci-fi used weird puppets. More shows in general, actually. I like puppets. MORE PUPPETS.
posted by stillnocturnal at 2:23 PM on April 3, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by stillnocturnal at 2:23 PM on April 3, 2019 [2 favorites]
Farscape is currently on Amazon prime...has anyone seen Thunderbolt Fantasy? (I watched the first season on VRV and i’ve never seen anything like this).
posted by nuvo2965 at 3:58 PM on April 3, 2019
posted by nuvo2965 at 3:58 PM on April 3, 2019
I was going to make a comment about not really getting Farscape, but then I figured I've been on MetaFilter for close to 18 years so surely I've already said it?
And yeah, I did:
... I could be a huge idiot, but I never really got what was going on. As far as I can remember no one on the ship knew where they were or how to get to anyone's home, but they go to a few inhabited planets and run into some other beings and don't really bother asking anyone?
Soon someone will be able to replace me here with a database.
posted by ODiV at 4:03 PM on April 3, 2019 [2 favorites]
And yeah, I did:
... I could be a huge idiot, but I never really got what was going on. As far as I can remember no one on the ship knew where they were or how to get to anyone's home, but they go to a few inhabited planets and run into some other beings and don't really bother asking anyone?
Soon someone will be able to replace me here with a database.
posted by ODiV at 4:03 PM on April 3, 2019 [2 favorites]
As far as I can remember no one on the ship knew where they were or how to get to anyone's home, but they go to a few inhabited planets and run into some other beings and don't really bother asking anyone
Nope, only the human was lost on the other side of the galaxy because he went through a wormhole. Everyone else knew where they were and how to get home, but they were fugitives on the run.
posted by fimbulvetr at 4:39 PM on April 3, 2019
Nope, only the human was lost on the other side of the galaxy because he went through a wormhole. Everyone else knew where they were and how to get home, but they were fugitives on the run.
posted by fimbulvetr at 4:39 PM on April 3, 2019
Everyone else knew where they were and how to get home, but they were fugitives on the run.
Not quite. At various points they know where they are, but sometimes they don't, or they do know but they can't get home from there. It's complicated by the fact that they're in a living ship who is prone to panic and "starburst" at unpredictable times (and is at one point pregnant), and their Pilot is not as experienced and knowledgeable as he would like everyone to think. Plus, they're on the run from several very powerful political/military entities.
There's one episode early on where they get access to a navigational database, but they have to trade one of Pilot's arms to get it. And because this is not Star Trek, they actually do it.
Farscape: this ain't Trek.
posted by suelac at 5:02 PM on April 3, 2019 [6 favorites]
Not quite. At various points they know where they are, but sometimes they don't, or they do know but they can't get home from there. It's complicated by the fact that they're in a living ship who is prone to panic and "starburst" at unpredictable times (and is at one point pregnant), and their Pilot is not as experienced and knowledgeable as he would like everyone to think. Plus, they're on the run from several very powerful political/military entities.
There's one episode early on where they get access to a navigational database, but they have to trade one of Pilot's arms to get it. And because this is not Star Trek, they actually do it.
Farscape: this ain't Trek.
posted by suelac at 5:02 PM on April 3, 2019 [6 favorites]
I was always a Star Trek fan, loved Babylon 5 and Firefly, too, and watched most of Battlestar Galactica. I've even seen (a couple episodes) of Lexx. But Farscape has such a special place for me. I love that the human is a minority among aliens (and under-evolved one at that), I love that the show has both humour but also real, deep emotion. And it's the only time I've ever seen accumulated trauma really shown in 'adventure' science fiction: what happens to the characters changes them, and not always for the better. Other shows sometimes alluded to it, but in Farscape the stories - the writing and the acting - showed it. Not only was there no 'reset button', there wasn't even time to recover sometimes.
Very appropriate that the ultimate grandparent of all these shows, Blake's Seven, puts its characters through such a ringer of trauma, including traumatizing each other. Terry Nation was explicitly critiquing the vision of the universe in Star Trek, with the Federation's logo turned on its side.
posted by Space Coyote at 5:34 PM on April 3, 2019 [3 favorites]
Very appropriate that the ultimate grandparent of all these shows, Blake's Seven, puts its characters through such a ringer of trauma, including traumatizing each other. Terry Nation was explicitly critiquing the vision of the universe in Star Trek, with the Federation's logo turned on its side.
posted by Space Coyote at 5:34 PM on April 3, 2019 [3 favorites]
Oh well, I guess I need to do a rewatch.
posted by fimbulvetr at 6:03 PM on April 3, 2019
posted by fimbulvetr at 6:03 PM on April 3, 2019
FARSCAPE!
I did a write-up about Farscape on my LiveJournal years ago - about how I loved so much television, and other shows were more consistent in quality and other shows packed walloping dramatic punch and other shows this and that but, guys, Farscape. There's just nothing like it.
Re that bumpy first season: when I try to get people to watch Farscape, I tell them that it's like getting on a roller coaster. The first bit (for me, first season until "A Human Reaction") is the long climb to the top, and then the second bit is the ride. But once you get to the top of that first hill, the ride no longer looks like the ride you got on. And suddenly the twists and the turns you thought were coming are absolutely not the ones you travel, and it is so heartfelt. Even when they go wrong, they go wrong at full throttle. This is a show that goes there. Whatever "there" you're thinking of? They go there.
It's the best.
posted by tzikeh at 6:27 PM on April 3, 2019 [5 favorites]
I did a write-up about Farscape on my LiveJournal years ago - about how I loved so much television, and other shows were more consistent in quality and other shows packed walloping dramatic punch and other shows this and that but, guys, Farscape. There's just nothing like it.
Re that bumpy first season: when I try to get people to watch Farscape, I tell them that it's like getting on a roller coaster. The first bit (for me, first season until "A Human Reaction") is the long climb to the top, and then the second bit is the ride. But once you get to the top of that first hill, the ride no longer looks like the ride you got on. And suddenly the twists and the turns you thought were coming are absolutely not the ones you travel, and it is so heartfelt. Even when they go wrong, they go wrong at full throttle. This is a show that goes there. Whatever "there" you're thinking of? They go there.
It's the best.
posted by tzikeh at 6:27 PM on April 3, 2019 [5 favorites]
“Farscape”: The Complete Skip It/Watch It Guide
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:42 PM on April 3, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:42 PM on April 3, 2019 [3 favorites]
I just got into Season 2 of a rewatch! I used to watch this on SciFi with my dad weekly, and I remembered liking it, but on rewatch it's great. So much color, character, and fun.
Plus, they're on the run from several very powerful political/military entities.
Yep, they're in uncharted space - sort of a no man's land filled with outlaws and outcasts. They have a vague idea of how to get to the various homeworlds (well, not Crichton), but getting there involves moving through space patrolled by the large variety of factions that all want the crew dead. Mostly the Peace Keepers. Even apart from that, the known universe is huge, and information and knowledge seems unevenly dispersed and greedily hoarded by the many strongman dictatorships that control the civilized areas. Getting reliable star maps and routes is highly prized - for example the deal with the bio-hacker in Season 1.
posted by codacorolla at 9:04 PM on April 3, 2019
Plus, they're on the run from several very powerful political/military entities.
Yep, they're in uncharted space - sort of a no man's land filled with outlaws and outcasts. They have a vague idea of how to get to the various homeworlds (well, not Crichton), but getting there involves moving through space patrolled by the large variety of factions that all want the crew dead. Mostly the Peace Keepers. Even apart from that, the known universe is huge, and information and knowledge seems unevenly dispersed and greedily hoarded by the many strongman dictatorships that control the civilized areas. Getting reliable star maps and routes is highly prized - for example the deal with the bio-hacker in Season 1.
posted by codacorolla at 9:04 PM on April 3, 2019
Look upward... and share the wonders I've seen.
I don't have much to say about Farscape that hasn't already been said except that just thinking about it has given me a real frisson of nostalgia. I totally love the more pseudo-realisticish new stuff like The Expanse but none of it fills the Aeryn Sun sized hole in my heart.
posted by Justinian at 2:55 AM on April 4, 2019 [6 favorites]
I don't have much to say about Farscape that hasn't already been said except that just thinking about it has given me a real frisson of nostalgia. I totally love the more pseudo-realisticish new stuff like The Expanse but none of it fills the Aeryn Sun sized hole in my heart.
posted by Justinian at 2:55 AM on April 4, 2019 [6 favorites]
I will always remember how the episode where the regulars end up in each other’s bodies showcased the amazing acting talent of the actor who played Chiana. I felt like it was a tour de force hidden in this niche-y TV show but the whole world should see & appreciate that performance.
posted by Orlop at 4:45 AM on April 4, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by Orlop at 4:45 AM on April 4, 2019 [4 favorites]
I first discovered the show (during its first run) with possibly the weirdest starting point which was the body-swap episode
Ha. I ended up not watching it when it was in first run, because the one episode I watched was "Won't Get Fooled Again". Which out of context is just mystifying.
posted by tavella at 9:02 AM on April 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
Ha. I ended up not watching it when it was in first run, because the one episode I watched was "Won't Get Fooled Again". Which out of context is just mystifying.
posted by tavella at 9:02 AM on April 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
The first FS I saw any of was ReUnion, I think, which made no sense to me and turned me off the show completely. Then, over a year later, I stumbled across the first airing of Green Eyed Monster (the first episode Ben Browder wrote), which was far more to my liking, even though I didn't understand much of it.
After that, conveniently enough, SciFi started stripping the show: they were running the first couple of seasons on weeknights, and I was able to catch up mostly that way. (I said earlier I bought VHS tapes offline -- I think I did that for a friend who didn't have cable and wanted to see the show.)
A friend of mine (who worked at Henson for a while, actually) used to introduce people to the show with Crackers Don't Matter and/or the bodyswap episode -- neither of these are good introductions!
posted by suelac at 9:14 AM on April 4, 2019
After that, conveniently enough, SciFi started stripping the show: they were running the first couple of seasons on weeknights, and I was able to catch up mostly that way. (I said earlier I bought VHS tapes offline -- I think I did that for a friend who didn't have cable and wanted to see the show.)
A friend of mine (who worked at Henson for a while, actually) used to introduce people to the show with Crackers Don't Matter and/or the bodyswap episode -- neither of these are good introductions!
posted by suelac at 9:14 AM on April 4, 2019
Ha. I ended up not watching it when it was in first run, because the one episode I watched was "Won't Get Fooled Again". Which out of context is just mystifying.
It's a followup to the first full episode I remember watching, "A Human Reaction", which is similarly confusing out of context.
posted by ZeusHumms at 9:16 AM on April 4, 2019
It's a followup to the first full episode I remember watching, "A Human Reaction", which is similarly confusing out of context.
posted by ZeusHumms at 9:16 AM on April 4, 2019
Oh man, Farscape came on when I was in grad school and it was such good escapism for me. Things that immediately won me over: John using a pencil to calcuate the math for the slingshot maneuver (I like watching Our Hero have to actually work out logistics); D'Argo apologizing to Pilot; that the crew unapologetically did not like each other at all but were stuck on the run together; that Pilot, too, had his secrets. And then when it came out on DVD they provided one of my all-time favorite commentaries when they cheerfully roasted "Jeremiah Crichton" as just a terrible hour of television.
I remember convincing friends to give it a try: "Ok, it's got Muppets... but it's so trippy and dark and cool! And also you will forget that two of them are Muppets!"
I really want to re-watch it, but I lost a dear friend who was a superfan of the show and the idea of watching without her hurts a little too much, still.
posted by TwoStride at 6:13 AM on April 5, 2019 [4 favorites]
I remember convincing friends to give it a try: "Ok, it's got Muppets... but it's so trippy and dark and cool! And also you will forget that two of them are Muppets!"
I really want to re-watch it, but I lost a dear friend who was a superfan of the show and the idea of watching without her hurts a little too much, still.
posted by TwoStride at 6:13 AM on April 5, 2019 [4 favorites]
As the decades pass, and even with the deluge of Peak TV, Farscape has been climbing to the top of my all-time favorite SFF shows.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 3:22 AM on April 6, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 3:22 AM on April 6, 2019 [4 favorites]
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I adequately warned her about the, er, bumps in Season 1, so she's been cutting the show some slack, and we just got to where Chiana joined the cast so it's pretty much all cake from here on out. :)
posted by kyrademon at 10:44 AM on April 3, 2019 [2 favorites]