scifi_rewatch | Entries tagged with farscape

Oh man, this episode! The ending to Farscape season three. I mean, I remember loving it when I first watched it live on the SciFi channel. That being said, I think a lot of my emotional capital at the time had gone into the operatic piece that was the two previous episodes. This one, in fact, is much quieter and much more insular.

Perhaps even more insular than I even remember. Ben Browder and Claudia Black (John Crichton and Aeryn Sun, respectively,) talked in the DVD commentaries about how a season finale isn’t supposed to be so much in one person’s head. I was like—is this season finale really that much different from the others? And yeah, I mean I guess so. Comparing it to my other favorite Farscape finale, for the second season…well, that one had, uh, Harvey taking over John’s mind, the death of Aeryn, her funeral, visiting a whole new planet where John could get the chip out of his head, and Scorpius sabotaging the surgery.

Here, in season three, most of the physically dramatic stuff only played out in John’s head (including Scorpius sabotaging his wedding. :P) Yeah, we had the so called “A plot” involving a rogue Leviathan standing in the way of burying Talyn’s remains. But that was mostly in place to give something external for the Moya crew to react to. I realized, with this viewing, that there’s no nuance to that plotline, because really it had little to do with the actual meat of the episode.

Speaking of which, another “thing” (not the appropriate word, of course) that had little nuance was guest star Melissa Jaffer’s character! She didn’t even have a name (yet. Or that was referenced yet.) This is something I definitely did not notice as a teen. I was always thrilled when the show introduced new characters, and ergo made the Uncharted Territories feel like a bigger place than just our crew. But now I’m realizing that the only reason she was there was to provide back up for John’s story arc. And maybe a little bit of foreshadowing about a certain addiction he’ll develop in season four! :/

It’s a very dark episode—both lighting wise (except for the Earth fantasies) and tonally. Season four, I think, might get darker than this, or might be on par with this, for the most part. But what this episode really hammers home is that Farscape is a character driven show. The scientific theories and alien realities of the week are not what make this thing run. The show is about realizing that the Moya crew is a found family. And then grappling with elements (infamous coin tosses among them in this episode) that will drive them apart.

Episode summary is here, courtesy of Farscape World.

( Spoilery Thoughts )

chavalah

OK, so yeah, I said that this two parter was my favorite part of the entire Farscape run…but really, this one was my favorite episode. :P It was so jampacked with character drama and wrapping up the major themes of season three…about the dangers of wormhole technology, about letting go of your past and/or taking steps into a new future, and most importantly, about the end of certain huge relationships. And characters…because yes, we have some big character deaths in here! And no Zhaan to bring them back this time.

I mean, I should like the season 3 finale better, I think, because Chiana has more screen time in it, I’m pretty sure! Instead, even some 20 years later, I am riveted by the finale John and Scorpy scene together. Guy Gross’s dramatic Latin music, sort of in the vein of the Agnus Dei he used at the end of “Die Me Dichtochromy” last season, certainly helped as well.

I just listened to Rockne O’Bannon and David Kemper’s commentary on this episode, and I can’t believe how much they were winging it. :P I mean, in the big picture, they knew where they wanted to end the season. And they even scavenged and saved old sets so that they could make a big-ass looking Peacekeeper Command Carrier! But apparently Rockne was writing this episode, episode 2 of Into the Lions Den, concurrently, more or less, with Richard Manning who wrote part 1, Lambs to the Slaughter? Oy.

Thinking critically about all of this, especially after listening to O’Bannon and Kemper, I think the reason this season finale gets to me more than any of the other stellar season finales on this show is BECAUSE of where the Moya crew (and their contemporaries) were at this point in time. Unfortunately I don’t think season four was as strong as this one, but I will be revisiting those impressions soon! I do know that we’ve been following Scorpius since the end of season one, and got really up close and personal with him this year. I know that we’ve been following Crais since the beginning of the show, but this year he became one of the family, if often a strained member. I know that the Command Carrier gave Aeryn the chance to confront her past and John the chance to unlock his wormhole knowledge. I know that D’argo and Rygel are set on new paths since last episode, and well, Chiana has the promise of her visions turning into something big. Moya and Talyn are also on the cusp of change after it’s decided that Talyn needs a personality overhaul. And Jool is…well, she’s there, I guess. :P I admit, I don’t feel for her as much as I do for the others.

All of this rambling is to say that these characters are well defined, and often well loved, and this episode put all of them into a point of culmination that I don’t think happened anywhere else. I think that is the power of this particular duology.

There is so much to talk about under the cut; I hope I do it justice!

Episode summary is here, courtesy of Farscape World.

( Spoilery Thoughts )

chavalah

I finally made it…to my favorite two episodes of “Farscape.” Been excited for this ever since I started this scifi rewatch project, way too long ago! And I think, in some ways, they might be my favorite two episodes of television ever.

Granted, I suppose some production values don’t live up. The music is a little canned, there’s obviously no big movie-style budget for lots of extras and lavish sets (though, to be fair, the Peacekeepers are pretty austere,) and even some of the CGI is a little bit hokey-looking.

But who cares? I’m not in love with this show for its technical side; I’m in love for the characters. And as we get into the final three episodes of season 3, things are really coming to a head. We see the instigation of what the crew has been talking about for the last episode and a half—Moya (the people onboard her, anyway,) come to Scorpius’s command carrier. Now everyone from the various story arcs of the year are all in one place, and with various agendas to keep them going.

Add on top of that that John’s having a “Hamlet” moment (my quick speak for someone who is conflicted on his next move,) and the introduction of a major new character who will impact the rest of the series. But what’s most fascinating about her now is not her own charisma, but the political realities that she broadens for us. Love, love, love.

Some technical notes about this recap—looks like the John and Aeryn website, which I linked to for their episode summaries, is down! So too is the ScapeCast and the Scaper Chronicles I’ve been listening to for years (some of their episodes are now on YouTube.) It’s the end of an era…though perhaps the beginning of a new one, what with all the 20th anniversary extravaganza and Farscape now being available on Amazon Prime. :D

This might have been around the time where I realized how special Farscape was, how they can indulge in these big messages with dramatic stakes and make, well, the Uncharted Territories and beyond, feel so real. I still love the kookiness and the sense of wonder, but seeing things come together on such an epic scale really grabbed me, and cemented my love for the macro nature of science fiction and fantasy. Plus, I still feel personally attacked by that final image before “to be continued…” I may need to get out more. :P

Episode Summary is here, courtesy of Farscape World.

( Spoilery Thoughts )

chavalah

This is a bridging episode, to large extent. Last time, John stated his motive to infiltrate Scorpius’s command carrier. But it’s not like he can just waltz on in, even if Scorpius is having wormhole problems. There’s too much bad blood between men. Luckily, the Moya crew sends their brightest and their brawniest to set up terms. :P

Amidst all of that, the showrunners set up two subplots. One involves the folks left on the ship, and particularly the other ship, aka Talyn. The other is an attempted robbery meant to spruce up the negotiation game. Results are mixed, but kudos for trying, show.

Overall, I’m impressed how this episode keeps things moving forward. There are a lot of balls in the air, from the culmination of the major plot to some deep-seated character moments like the tension between John and Aeryn, Chiana’s growing psychic powers and Talyn’s continued rebelliousness. Even Jool gets a few moments to assess her wants and needs. At the negotiating table, unusual partners Rygel and D’argo also get a chance to shine. And of course it’s great to see Scorpy (and Braca!) again. The robbery stuff is undoubtedly the weak part, but that’s a small niggle in an ultimately complex hour of television.

Episode summary is here, courtesy of the John and Aeryn Fansite.

( Spoilery thoughts )

chavalah

Welcome to the reunion episode! Though because this is “Farscape,” it turns out to be so much more. :P We do get the Moya and Talyn reunion, which is of course marred by Talyn John’s absence, but our guest aliens of the week also introduce a mystery thriller arc. I think that the ScapeCast crew had a little bit more fun with that than usual, mainly as a way to break the tension between John and Aeryn.

The episode also mixed and matched Crais and Jool to surprising effect, and introduced a transgender theme before that identity became quite the buzzword that it is today. And finally, it propelled John towards a new trajectory, which sets the course for the end of season three. Which also happens to be my favorite arc of the show ever. :P I get tingly, starting with this ending!

Episode summary is here, courtesy of the John and Aeryn Fansite.

( Spoilery thoughts )

chavalah

Season four is undoubtedly the darkest season of “Farscape,” but I think that that shift started here. This is basically an entire episode dedicated to one character’s grief. OK, it’s a liiitle more complicated than that. Mainly, the show is probing its biggest theme, that of multiple possibilities of reality. Often it’s an astrophysical question revolving around John, but in this one its more spiritual and emotional with Aeryn at the forefont. Everyone has a choice, especially in his or her darkest hour…which choice will he or she make?

Aeryn, after grieving John, makes hers at the end of the hour (spoiler alert. :P) These others are less central but still pertinent—Talyn must choose whether or not to return to his mother, Crais must choose whether or not to remain Talyn’s captain, and on a planet of mystics Stark must choose whether or not to follow Zhaan’s voice, and even Rygel remembers a choice from his younger years concerning a lost love.

There’s also a little bit of a family drama plot, and I admit, when I was younger I fell for a ridiculous ploy. I was pretty gullible. :P I’m also a sucker for said family drama (thanks, Star Wars) but now I agree with the members of the ScapeCast—it didn’t really work on a logical level. I rather wish that everything, other than her interactions with the boys, was happening in her own head. But that’s not the way that things went down; I’ll go into the specifics under the cut.

But other than that small quibble, this was a very moving hour, worthy of any drama, not just science fiction. Even watching it now, years later, it made me cry! /feklempt And one of the most poignant things about it is looking back on it now and realizing that some foreshadowing was put in place! :o Thanks again to the ScapeCast for expanding my love of this show.

Episode summary is here, courtesy of the John and Aeryn Fansite.

( Spoilery thoughts )

chavalah

This won’t go down as the funniest “Farscape” episode of all time, but it sure does beat the last Moya-centric one. But more importantly, it was a very needed reprieve after the seriousness and impending depression of the last two in the lineup. Most viewers would probably give this little number a bit of leeway, so long as it could provide some light-heartedness. And man oh man, it did provide plenty of that.

Of course it’s not an entirely light episode. We are also dealing with the implications of D’argo’s rage, and the girls struggling with just who they are on this boat. John’s parts are the funniest, but more than anyone else this hour he has to dig deep in order to find a reason to live. As usual, there are significant parallels between what is going on with Moya John and what is going on with Talyn John, but there’s no way not to be spoilery about it! I’ll leave it for under the cut.

And in that vein, I don’t exactly want to spoil the type of humor that this episode entails, but suffice to say…things get animated. :P I can’t claim credit for that pun; you’ll find it on the site listed below. But this, to me, is classic “Farscape,” the creativity, the charm. And hey, the CGI isn’t too dated either! Booyah!

Episode summary is here, courtesy of the John and Aeryn Fansite.

( Spoilery thoughts )

chavalah

I’ve been a fan of this show since the very beginning. I remember, one autumn night in 1999, turning on the tv to see what The Sci Fi Channel was airing (cos that’s just the kind of person I was in high school. :P) It was the night of “Premiere” and I was hooked. Farscape’s beginning chronicles astronaut John Cricthon (Ben Browder) getting “shot out” of a wormhole during a routine mission and coming face-to-face with a complex, multi-species alien society that is as bewildered by his existence as he is by theirs.

I distinctly remember getting swept into the sense of extreme discomfort as John accidentally kills a pilot during a space battle he stumbles in on, and then his module is brought aboard the vast, living ship Moya, who will become his home throughout the rest of the series. Partly due to the makeup jobs and partly due to incredible acting by D’argo (Anthony Simcoe) and Zhaan (Virginia Hey) and their angry bearing-down on hapless John, this world was just scary. I never had any problem accepting the “puppets” (more like animatronics) Rygel and Pilot either; to me, in the beginning, this made them even more alien and appropriately inaccessible. But the biggest feat was perhaps between John and Officer Aeryn Sun (Claudia Black,) because though she looked human she was not, and she pulled off the amazing feat of appearing alien as well (largely by kicking John’s ass. :P)

And finally, a huge shoutout to Ben Browder, our human protagonist, who made this world believable through his hapless reactions and famed “Crictonisms,” American cultural sayings that helped bind him to his new reality.

In all honesty, I probably didn’t get hooked on Farscape until second season. Those of you familiar with the show might recognize that Chiana (Gigi Edgley, first introduced in Episode 1.15 “Durka Returns”) is my favorite character. :P For me and several other fans, she was the missing piece that made the Moya crew feel whole. But I watched diligently from the start and was rewarded with an incredible journey, a journey of adventures, growth, nasty villains and surprising friends, love and family. I hope, as John Crichton says in the title sequence, you will use these recaps to “share the wonders I’ve seen.”

…this recap was inspired in large part by the ScapeCast’s new weekly segment, Scaper Chronicles. Check them out in coming weeks as they bring together veteran and newbie fans to discuss the series! For the J/A shippers out there, check out screen caps from all episodes on

johnaeryn_daily.

( Season One )

( Season Two )

( Season Three )

chavalah.livejournal.com

Boy, does this episode bring the feels. :/ I listened to an episode of the Scaper Chronicles where most of the podcasters described themselves as relatively unemotional in countenance, but even they had the mushy feels by the end of the hour.

Perhaps the ultimate conclusion feels inevitable on a wholly rational, show objective level. But much like Rygel is no longer a puppet to “Farscape” fans, these characters, their motivations, drives and feels, are also real. And the big picture chess board machinations don’t mean nearly as much as identifying with the pieces.

Back to the Scaper Chronicles, one of the podcasters actually brought up the Daedalus and Icarus mythological inspiration this time. And she mentioned things that hadn’t even crossed my mind—it’s stuff too spoilery to tell you above the cut, too. :P I will say this—I think I’ve always interpreted “abides” to mean something more agreeable than it actually is. According to the Meriam Webster dictionary, the simple definition of to abide means to accept or bear something or someone unpleasant, so hmmm.

It’s also worth noting that John, who is definitely Icarus, flies a bit too close to a star here. :P But I’m already divulging relative spoilers! Anywho, the rest of the episode is a treat as well, from Furlow’s intriguing characterization to Crais and Stark’s b plot, to the damnably fine acting of Claudia Black. That’s no spoiler, hee.

Episode summary is here, courtesy of the John and Aeryn Fansite.

( Spoilery thoughts )

chavalah.livejournal.com

This has the feel of a strong, transitioning episode. Without even going into any of the plot, let’s look at it’s placement in the series. The retrieval squad, which was the big reason why half of the Moya crew split off onto Talyn anyway, was destroyed back in “Relativity.” Skipping past the Moya episodes, the Talyn crew gets a little bit of a kooky respite from drama with their last hour, “Meltdown.” Now it’s time to reunite with the Moya guys. It wouldn’t do to simply have everyone…reunite without a significant development to drive the latter third of the season.

If you need any more hints about the significance of this episode, well, it’s part one of two. :P Big story ideas take more time than usual. Also, like most “Farscape” multi-parts, it has a complicated name. The duology has its own title, “Infinite Possibilities.” This refers to one of the biggest themes of the show, about how the variety of choices in life and science can lead to different realities. Our biggest indicator of that right now is that we have two John Chrichtons on two different paths—Moya John is driving his crew mates to distraction and Talyn John is canoodling with Aeryn. :P Also, the choices we make, say back in season one, might have unforeseen consequences down the line, heh.

And then there’s part one’s title, “Daedalus demands.” Daedalus is a man from ancient Greek mythology. He is imprisoned in a labyrinth and he makes some wings out of wax to fly home. He “demands,” in a manner of speaking, to his son that when he puts on his wings, he doesn’t fly too close to the sun. Here’s how I see this metaphor, which is played out, to be slightly spoilery, by a returning character in the episode. The Ancients gave John the wormhole knowledge, aka wings, that he might need to ultimately return home. But they locked it up so that John would have to slowly tease it out, rather than moving too quickly and “flying too close to the sun.” Wormhole knowledge be dangerous, yo. This is also our first episode where we talk about them as more than just transport—they can be weapons! :0

I’m pretty sure, when this episode first aired, that I was out of town this week. Made tuning in for part two the next week a bit confusing, hee.

Episode summary is here, courtesy of the John and Aeryn Fansite.

( Spoilery thoughts )

chavalah.livejournal.com

It’s taken me awhile to get to this episode, and I think that part of the problem has to do with how much my opinion of it has abruptly changed. I can’t even claim credit for my change of heart; it was totally the wonderful ladies of the Scaper Chronicles. They pointed out the casual use of sexual assault, stuff that I just glazed over as a teen. And sheesh, it’s not like I didn’t have a brain back then; I totally remember being squicked out by John shoving Chiana against a wall and slut shaming her before a violent cold clock during “Crackers Don’t Matter.” He put on a similar act with her in this episode, but I think I was blocked by my shipper feels. /shame

I also think that this episode was violently disjointed. Now, it reminds me of the Jaime/Cersei sex scene in “Game of Thrones” season four, where varying parties had varying ideas about whether it was consensual or not, so it looked like a big mess on screen. This entire episode is basically the big mess on screen. Because apparently, according to the Scaper Chronicles, it was supposed to be more serious at first, but then someone high up didn’t like it, so they filmed the “epilogue” bit with John and Pilot, and gave the rest of the episode basically a “Hangover” feel. Which, to be fair, was funny (in a stupid way) on its own. But juxtapose those scenes in with the darker stuff, and…yeah, not so much.

Episode summary is here, courtesy of the John and Aeryn Fansite.

( Spoilery thoughts )

chavalah.livejournal.com

I have vague memories of being out of town or something when first this episode aired. I think I read the synopsis, or a detailed review, first, and I remember being disappointed in how much Sierjna looked like Zhaan. It was like a cop out, saying that this one-off alien guest star (meaning no disrespect to Susan Lyons) could have a significant bearing on Stark’s vanquished relationship with his soulmate—or worse, be a replacement.

I also don’t remember being head over heels for the J/A PDA. :P I mean, I’m a shipper in the way that shipping J/A is like breathing on this show, but I didn’t need to see all the details. That saxophone was relentless, man.

The Scaper Chronicles, of course, like the J/A shippiness, but don’t like what they call the “framing story.” (Great terminology.) On first glance, it does sort of feel like that, in the midst of a lot of heady story arcs in this season alone, the writers decided to take a little break. :P They assumed that the J/A action would carry us along just fine for this hour.

And upon repeat watchings, I really have to give my props to Ben and Claudia, both of whom were certainly having fun. But even moreso to the writers for all of that sexual innuendo…which finally got a payoff. :D Frell, I can’t even type that without sounding dirty, hee.

But perhaps most poignantly, and this is a new development for yours truly, there is an intriguing mythological/fairy tale construct going on here. Maybe not enough to redeem the entire episode to the echelons of other recent ones, but intriguing nonetheless. I look forward to dissecting all of this under the cut.

Episode summary is here, courtesy of the John and Aeryn Fansite.

( Spoilery thoughts )

chavalah.livejournal.com

This is a pretty meaty and a pretty harrowing episode. I think some of my thoughts are influenced by the fact that at the moment, I’ve just started watching the sixth season of “Game of Thrones.” :P They also deal with such concepts as “might is right” societies, the rights to power and the cost of revenge.

But even as a teen, watching this for the first time…it was haunting. Did a good job of giving Scorpius an incredibly sympathetic backstory, more complicated motivations for acquiring wormhole tech than just desires of domination. Perhaps this episode also broadened the Scarran and Sebacean political perspectives as well. The Scarrans entered the series as background lizard creatures, but now they are the most viable threat—to the Uncharted Territories, to our favorite aliens, and perhaps, one day, to Earth. Suddenly all humans are players in this game, not just John! :P

Nothing is that simple, of course, especially when it comes to wormhole tech. Lots to unpack here, including, like “Game of Thrones”, the use of rape in a storyline. Just a warning that things get rather dark.

Episode summary is here, courtesy of the John and Aeryn Fansite.

( Spoilery thoughts )

chavalah.livejournal.com

As usual, I have to thank the Scaper Chronicles for deepening my thoughts about this episode. And I already felt a pretty deep connection; ever since “Return of the Jedi,” I’ve been drawn to the family drama in science fiction. :P What an hour for all of that!

Speaking of “Star Wars,” Talyn is finally recovering from his last run-in with the retrieval squad on a planet that is like, half Degobah and half fire planet from “The Princess Bride.” :P Maybe Luke and Rey can do their training there, hee. They will certainly fare better than the poor Pina Colladas, or at least I hope so. Actually, my heart went out to them a little bit, and to Rygel! Those guys kinda got the short end of the stick.

We do get a little bit of a reveal about Crais (Crais and John kinda give Rygel and Stark a run for their money in “The Three Stooges” department :P), but man oh man is this really Aeryn’s show. I mean, she’s on a ship of dudes (even the ship itself is a dude!) and she’s the star! :P Claudia Black moved me to tears by the end of the hour. And Linda Cropper…holy frell. She totally sold it that Xhalax is much more than ye one dimensional villain. There is a lot to unpack here.

Episode summary is here, courtesy of the John and Aeryn Fansite.

( Spoilery thoughts )

chavalah.livejournal.com

In a way, this is a big episode for me. Those of you in the know might recognize my “Farscape” icon as originating from this hour. I still remember all of the promos for mid-season three; I think they started up even before the two Johns were split. My icon, John and Chiana moving their heads closer together, open-mouthed, was one of the big teasers. This probably also meant that I wasn’t the only John/Chiana shipper around, so booyah. :P

I waited on pins and needles, convinced that at long last this couple might get a little action. By this time the Johns were split, and one went to Talyn and the other stayed on Moya, yadda yadda, and it became apparent that this could turn into one of those convenient scenarios—with Aeryn gone, Moya John, or MJ, might require a little distraction. :P Looking back on it, I’m rather relieved that he grew distracted by wormholes, vs what could have been a disastrous affair with Chiana (and hell, she was just coming off one of those. :P) There’s still a spark that exists between John and Chiana (and they’re rather similar characters, as I’ve been exploring recently) but for the most part it’s not realized sexually, and I’ll just leave it at that up here, hee.

Otherwise, the A plot is largely your standard “ship in trouble from hostile aliens” scheme, which some of the Scaper Chronicles podcasters found a bit redundant.. There are some intriguing reveals in it, however, and a more lasting consequence at the end. But really, it’s the B storyline, off of Moya and with our main antagonist, that is laying down some roots. I’ve always found it to be interesting stuff, but with “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2” in theatres this week, this is almost uncanny timing to write a recap. “Farscape”’s b-storyline deals with justifying war based on genocidal treatment, hidden weapons and controlling the narrative around them, and the price of too much power, to name some things; all themes that have been swirling around my mind with regards to the Hunger Games franchise. I’m so grateful that this (and the wonderful Scaper Chronicles podcast) encouraged me to look at “Farscape” in a deeper way.

Episode summary is here, courtesy of the John and Aeryn Fansite.

( Spoilery thoughts )

chavalah.livejournal.com

There are a lot of firsts this episode. It’s the first time D’argo (at least in one form or another) isn’t on “Farscape”! :/ It’s the first time that Talyn takes center stage, or really plays anything more than an ancillary role—there’s no Moya here, either. It’s the first time that Paul Goddard, aka Stark, gets a significant, b-line story arc with “the puppet,” aka Rygel. :P Apparently that’s something he wanted. And, probably most importantly, this is the first time that Ben Browder, aka John Crichton, wrote an episode. It’s one of two for him, and he did a great job.

There’s a few technical details that make me a little eyerolly—eg one of those literal “saved during the final countdown” moments, and even a little problem with editing where John is supposed to pull something and then the ship moves, but it ends up happening in reverse. But there’s also such cool new Talyn sets, both inside and out, that the iffy stuff hardly seems to matter.

Lots to chew over in this heavily character-driven drama (the only “guest star” was a CGI-created “space monster,” as John dubs it.) Doubtless, most fans zero into the very last scene, where a long-awaited, well-earned romantic development takes place between two major characters (and if that’s not giving it away, then you’ve been skipping seasons. :P) I might argue, however, that the more nuanced and thought provoking relationship that we see is between Talyn and Crais. They’ve been off screen for a long time, only to return as occasional dinner guests at the Moya table; this is the first time that we really get to observe them, up close and personal, in their own environment. It’s a dramatic tableau, even more than might meet the eye…and already there’s a lot in this episode that has to do with eyes. :P Let’s get down to it.

Episode summary is here, courtesy of the John and Aeryn Fansite.

( Spoilery thoughts )

chavalah.livejournal.com

On repeat viewing, this really is a more complex episode than I first gave it credit for. Particularly concerning the ruling family on the planet; I always just viewed them as watered down versions of the royal family from the Princess trilogy. Sure, their internal political strife is a bit soap operaish. But twist that (literally) into a plot with the Talyn attack and who’s behind it; suddenly these guest stars in the A storyline are a jumping block to setting up something big.

There may be two Johns (and this episode officially takes the task of untangling that clusterfrell) but Aeryn’s journey, not unusually, is sort of the star of the show. We get some major backstory, along with the promise of a complicated future arc. Big change in direction for the entire crew, yup yup. Can’t say much more above the cut, but kudos to the Scaper Chronicles, as always, for encouraging me to look at the season three titles a new way; repeating John voice for John…twins? Remember, they’re not clones. :P Both are equal and original.

Episode summary is here, courtesy of the John and Aeryn Fansite.

( Spoilery thoughts )

chavalah.livejournal.com

Welcome to the horror episode of “Farscape.” :P Yeah, horror isn’t really my thing. I could appreciate that the editing was used to great effect to slowly reveal the bad guy and his sinister plot, and the special effects were phenomenal. Particularly the score; in fact, composer Guy Gross did the episode commentary for this one, explaining how he used warped violin and trumpet sounds, and all sorts of other memorable goodies.

But plot for plot’s sake, ridiculous caricatures (Jool, once again, being amongst them)…eh. It’s basically a watered-down Hannibal Lecter scenario, with a few more annoying tropes built in. It’s a freakout, absolutely, but I’d rather delve into complicated characters and the deeper issues they come across in their journey.

To be fair, this episode covered a little bit of that, particularly with Chiana. I wouldn’t say it was Ben Browder or Anthony Simcoe’s finest performances on the show, but Gigi Edgley really brought something real, and varied, to Chiana’s arc this hour. Was especially nice, because this was the first time she’s really been center stage since the Jothee affair.

And this whole episode was necessary because of the big reveal at the end. Suffice to say, this plot twist was one of the more amazing inventions of the show. It didn’t amount to much in this hour, but it’ll have a long tail of repercussions.

Episode summary is here, courtesy of the John and Aeryn Fansite.

( Spoilery thoughts )

chavalah.livejournal.com

Man oh man. After those last couple of episodes we could have used something fluffy, or at least light, but WE DID NOT GET IT. Remember when I named the last eppy ending as one of my favorites for its haunting implications? Well, what that one did with subtlety this one hit us over the head with; qualta blades, pulse pistols, flaming arrows, the works.

I’d say this might be one of the most depressing episodes of “Farscape.” Yeah, we’ve seen all of the main characters go through the psychological ringer in the past, but there’s a definitive sense of futility here. The stakes are high, probability for success keeps slipping further away, this excursion wasn’t supposed to be a problem at all.

There are far deeper implications at play here, too, themes that crop up in this episode that will mold the trajectory for much of the over-arching plot for the series. Not sure how I’m gonna talk about it under the spoiler cut without giving away everything. :P Suffice to say, this isn’t really a stand-alone episode. The issues we’re probing here are meant to last.

Episode summary is here, courtesy of the John and Aeryn Fansite.

( Spoilery thoughts )

chavalah.livejournal.com

Whoah. If you thought the last episode was intense, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Part two of this duology brings up everything to the max, from the scifi techno babble to the intense character drama. The climactic scene (you know what it is if you’ve watched) still makes me cry. :/ And the ending (if one can call it that) is one of my favorite, ever, to date on a television show. The Scaper Chronicles did it justice by calling it “unsettling.”

It’s also a jam-paced hour…almost too jam-packed. :P Not sure if I’ll be able to squeeze everything in below the cut, but I’ll give it my best shot!

The title quote, again, comes from John, who dispels some old southern wisdom from his grandma about the nature of second chances. But are second chances always black and white? It’s been a fractured season so far for the Moya crew, which I mentioned in my last recap. Lots of relationships aren’t in a good place. Even the villains can’t just be written off as one-dimensional; I admit, the more I see this episode, the more I sympathize with the Pathfinders. They have their own families to save, after all. No matter what happens in this story arc, it’s going to come at a bit of a cost.

Episode summary is here, courtesy of the John and Aeryn Fansite.

( Spoilery thoughts )