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Dec. 24 FARSCAPE Marathon Reviewed!!
SPOILER ALERT !!
A reminder first to our British cousins: Anyone who sees the new, upcoming “Farscape” episodes before they air here in the states is encouraged to submit reviews.
The next new installment, “Kansas,” airs Jan. 10 on the SciFi Channel.
The Christmas Eve marathon covers the first 11 episodes of season four and kicks off 8 a.m. But you may want to doublecheck local listings. Here’s “Nathan” with the pre-Yule rundown:
FARSCAPE 4.1 - 4.11 FAQ
What's it called?
The Christmas Eve marathon covers the first 11 episodes of season four and kicks off 8 a.m. But you may want to doublecheck local listings. Here’s “Nathan” with the pre-Yule rundown:
FARSCAPE 4.1 - 4.11 FAQ
What's it called?
Farscape, the starship show that fears no Muppet.
Who's responsible?
"Farscape" was created by Rockne S. O'Bannon of "Alien Nation"
fame (and "SeaQuest" infamy), is currently overseen by David Kemper
("Star Trek: The Next Generation") and is produced by the Jim Henson
Company, who create the show's creatures.
Didn't this show get cancelled?
The Sci-Fi Channel, for reasons that defy logic or explanation,
yanked a promised fifth season of the show away from producers and
fans at the last possible minute. (The href="http://www.watchfarscape.com" target="_blank">Save Farscape
site has more details.)
So Farscape's dead, right?
Sure, just like Spock at the end of "The Wrath of Khan." At the
very least, cast members are talking about movies or a multi-hour TV
wrap-up to the series. A lot depends on how many people tune in for
the upcoming new episodes.
Why, then, is this marathon airing on Christmas Eve?
With half of Season 4 yet to air, SciFi seems to be doing its
damndest to pretend the show never existed. Hence its airing of a
"catch-up" marathon of the season's first half on Dec. 24, when no
one could possibly have better things to do than watch 11 straight
hours of television. Ahem. Set your VCRs, kids.
Why should I tune in?
Because (the excellent "Firefly" aside) Farscape is to space and
aliens what "Buffy" is to vamps and graveyards. At a breakneck pace,
it mocks cliches, twists plots, develops characters, and does not
lack the funny. In many ways, it's a better show than "Enterprise."
What? You lie like a dog! "Enterprise" has Jolene Blalock's
enormous...
ears!
It certainly does. But aside from "Enterprise's" lavish special
effects and the cheery Dr. Phlox, the latest "Star Trek" series seems
a stodgy, rote and utterly predictable affair next to Farscape. It
groans under the expectations and demands of thirty-five years of
fandom. And if you're in it for the sexy chicks alone, Farscape
outguns "Enterprise," three to two.
I demand a brief recap of the series' premise!
Lost astronaut, shot to wrong side of universe, takes refuge on
living ship of escaped prisoners. Tries to choose between the woman
he loves and a way home, all while dodging very bad people who want
him dead.
Sounds intriguing! Who are the href="http://www.scifi.com/farscape/characters/"
target="_blank">characters?
John Crichton (Ben Browder): The aforementioned lost astronaut, a
good ol' boy physicist and frequent maker of pop culture references.
Aeryn Sun (Claudia Black): Ass-kicking, emotionally scarred
soldier chick in black leather, and the extremely reluctant love of
Crichton's life.
Ka D'Argo (Anthony Simcoe): Giant, surly alien warrior with a cool
sword-gun and... well, wait till you see what he does with his tongue.
Chiana (Gigi Edgley): Grey-skinned troublemaker and resident
vixen, with funky psychic powers.
Jool (Tammy Macintosh): Outer space's very own Cordelia Chase, a
snotty trust-fund brat. Expert at medicine, scientific analysis, and
whining.
Sikozu (Raelee Hill): Redheaded know-it-all. Serious shortage of
ethics and an odd relationship with gravity.
Noranti (Melissa Jaffer): A smelly, meddling, unpleasant old woman
whom nobody likes. The only thing worse than her cooking is her
approach to medicine.
Rygel: The unholy Anti-Kermit. A two-foot slug Muppet who tools
around on a floating sled, stealing, eating, farting, biting-- and
occasionally devising a
brilliant strategy or two.
Pilot: A six-armed gentle giant who plays go-between for Moya, the
living ship, and her crew.
Scorpius (Wayne Pygram): Crichton's arch-nemesis, a sunken-faced
ghoul in quasi-bondage gear. More on him later.
Please, catch us up to speed plot-wise!
Crichton got lost when his NASA-ish module got sucked through a
wormhole-- a rip in space. His attempts to find a way home led him to
friendly aliens, who hid wormhole secrets deep in his brain. Enter
Scorpius, a member of the Nazi-ish Peacekeepers, who wanted those
secrets for his own ends. He tortured Crichton, then planted a chip
in his brain that nearly drove him mad before it could be removed.
Crichton paid Scorpy back by destroying Scorpy's flagship (and
wormhole research center), and finally unlocking the wormhole
know-how that could send
him home. With Scorpy apparently off their backs, Crichton's formerly
fugitive pals decided to go their separate ways-- including Aeryn,
despite Crichton's pleas otherwise. No sooner had she left than
Crichton learned she was pregnant. To top that off, Moya got yanked
down a mysterious wormhole to points unknown,
leaving Crichton and his nearly depleted module adrift and alone in
space.
What's so great about Scorpius, anyway?
He nibbles on chunks of human brain like they were delicious hors
d'oeurves! He smiles with needly little teeth! He punishes wayward
lackeys by forcing them to bite off their own fingers! He enjoys
kinky sex with scorpion-headed femme fatales! He has a coolant rod
chamber that whirs out from the side of his head! And sometimes, when
you're not careful, you may actually feel sorry for him. He's up
there with "Buffy"'s Spike in the ranks of TV's most fascinating
villains.
I hate Farscape! It sucks! I want to tell everyone this on the
talkbacks!
If the show's not for you, fair enough. But why spoil everyone
else's fun?
When does this marathon air, again?
December 24, starting at 8 a.m. ET, on the Sci-Fi Channel.
And if I like what I see, where and when can I find new episodes?
The second half of Farscape's fourth season begins airing Fridays
at 8 p.m. ET on January 10.
What's the Hercules T. Strong rating system, again?
- ***** better than we deserve
- **** better than most motion pictures
- *** actually worth your valuable time
- ** as horrible as most stuff on TV
- * makes you quietly pray for bulletins
FARSCAPE 4.1
What's it called?
"Crichton Kicks".
Who's responsible?
Executive producer David Kemper, the Joss Whedon of Farscape.
What's it about?
Crichton's peaceful existence on a dying Leviathan-- another ship
of Moya's race-- is interrupted by a testy new arrival, and a pack of
killers hot on her heels.
Does the season begin with Crichton starved and/or asphyxiated?
Months after the end of Season 3, he's alive and well and sporting
a suspiciously Jim Henson-ish beard. He's living on a ship named
Elack at the invitation of its doddering, Hepburn-ish Pilot.
How has he passed the time?
Moonshine, math, and pining for Aeryn. He's also befriended one of
Elack's cuddly repair-bots (known as DRDs.)
Who's the new arrival?
Sikozu Svala Shanti Sugaysi Shanu, whose Slinky-like hairdo
prompts Crichton to dub her "Sputnik."
Is Sikozu cute?
She is! Albeit in a petite, lizard-eyed,
betray-you-as-soon-as-look-at-you sort of way.
Can she be trusted?
That's a big maybe.
Whyfore the pack of pursuing killers?
Sikozu is a Leviathan expert, hired by the Grudeks, a band of
mercenaries who mine valuable neural tissue from old Leviathans.
(Think whalers and ambergris.) Sikozu was too good, and led them to
the motherlode-- a Leviathan graveyard. They'd prefer that she not
ever lead anyone else to similar riches. Hence the attempts to kill
her, and any other living thing aboard John's new home.
So does Crichton have to go all "Die Hard" and save Elack?
Yep-- for neither the first, nor the last time in the series. But
Ben
Browder's half-crazed, Bruce Campbell-style wit is so entertaining
that it really doesn't matter.
Is there any sign of Aeryn?
The lovely (and bikini-clad!) Ms. Claudia Black shows up in dream
sequences set on fabulous Australian beaches. Note, however, that
despite the beaches and bikini, these are not exactly happy dreams.
Do any of the other regulars show up? D'Argo? Jool? Noranti?
Chiana and Rygel turn up midway through, at the worst possible
time, and they do not have fun vacation stories to tell. Scorpius--
or at least, the weakened copy of him left in John's brain after the
removal of that nasty chip-- also turns up in John's daydreams.
"Harvey," as John calls him, sports the latest in beachwear.
What's this I hear about Chiana and psychic visions?
In season 3, an energy creature briefly possessed Chiana, leaving
her with Cordy-esque glimpses of the future (complete with
accompanying headaches. Paging the Powers that Be!) Her powers have
now mutated-- she can "slow down" time as she perceives it to take in
tiny details, but every time she does so, she's left temporarily
blind.
What's good?
Sikozu. The Brindaz Hound, a Grudek pet rendered in impressive
CGI. Crichton's taunting of said hound, and his choice of bait. 1812,
the plucky little droid that could. Rygel's miniature soul patch.
What's not so good?
Chiana's psychic powers are awfully convenient. The Grudeks don't
have a lot going for them besides their thick, Dennis Hopper-ish
Slavic accents. It's a fun episode, but kind of messy.
How does it end, spoiler-boy?
Crichton does his homework, accompanied by a
little Tchaikovsky.
Rating on the Herc scale:
*** (out of 5)
FARSCAPE 4.2
What's it called?
"What Was Lost Part 1: Sacrifice".
Who's responsible?
Justin Monjo, writer of many beloved "Farscape" episodes.
What's it about?
Crichton and friends reunite with more of their crewmates on a
desolate planet, where an archeological dig is turning up quite a few
surprises.
What's the big news?
The "Previously on Farscape" montage contains never-aired Scorpius
scenes!
Such as?
Following the destruction of his command carrier, Scorpy's in very
deep
trouble with the Peacekeepers. His fawning lackey Braca betrays him
for a promotion, and Scorpy gets imprisoned by his superior, the
ice-hearted Commandant Mele'on Grayza.
Is Grayza the the one Crichton named "Commandant Cleavage?"
Yes, and the J-Lo-ish neckline of actress Robin Riggs' costume
plays a significant role in the plot.
How so?
Her cleavage is eeeevil, and apparently mind-controlling to those
with XY chromosomes.
Does anyone fall victim to the evil cleavage?
Braca and Crichton, to varying degrees-- and one other character as
well.
How do Crichton and friends get to this archeological planet?
Spit, bailing wire, and an ever-wearier Elack.
Who do they find on the planet?
D'Argo, Jool and Noranti, along with an understaffed dig crew of
Jool's species. There's also a poorly explained Creature From The
Black Lagoon pastiche named Oo-Ni.
Where are Pilot and Moya?
Off stretching their legs, as it were. They're scheduled to come
back and retrieve D'Argo and the rest at the end of the dig.
What's new with Crichton's previously absent friends?
Noranti and Jool can't remember their trip down the wormhole.
D'Argo seems happy about the results of his quest to kill the man who
framed him for his late wife's murder, though he doesn't discuss it
further. Also? Jool and D'Argo have serious sexual tension going on.
Jool's an archaeologist? Huh?
It's kind of an abrupt development, but it does fit with her
know-it-all ways.
What are they all digging for?
The remnants of a mysterious lost civilization, vanished after
their world was destroyed by a magnetic probe that fried all life on
the planet. The magnetic poles now wax and wane, and can sometimes
abide life. There are detectors which indicate if the magnetic levels
are rising or falling.
This sounds complicated.
Oh, but it is.
Is there any sign of Aeryn?
She's discussed, but otherwise absent.
What's good?
Grayza's jello hot tub. The Jool-D'Argo romance. The drilling
beams that turn things to stone. The ever-weaselly Braca. Noranti's
continuing delight in truly icky folk remedies. The nifty shooting
locations. And especially what happens to Scorpius.
What's not so good?
Grayza's abrupt seduction of Crichton. Noranti's poorly justified
mood swings. The low-rent visions Crichton gets of what the dig site
used to look like. The viewer's frequent inability to tell what the
hell is going on.
How does it end, spoiler-boy?
Noranti takes extreme measures to preserve the
secrets of the dig site.
Rating on the Herc scale:
** 1/2 (out of 5)
FARSCAPE 4.3
What's it called?
"What Was Lost Part 2: Resurrection"
Who's behind it?
Same guy as part 1-- writer/producer Justin Monjo.
What's the story?
The archeological planet heats up (literally) as everyone
scrambles to find the magnetic probes that first destroyed it.
The big news?
This is, if no less hectic, MUCH more entertaining than Part 1.
Its third-act pyrotechnics almost make Part 1 worth sitting through.
The bigger news?
Scorpius's situation gets even worse.
How does Crichton escape last episode's cliffhanger?
He's rescued by Black Lagoon reject Oo-Ni, who suddenly gets very
interested in the Darnaz Triangle.
The what what?
The Darnaz Triangle-- the three magnetic probes which turned the
planet on
which our crew is staying into a toasty, life-free beach resort.
Apparently, finding the buried probes can restore the planet to its
previous state-- or provide a handy planetkiller for some other
unlucky world.
Are Jool and D'Argo still making eyes at each other?
Stay tuned for the episode's next-to-final scene.
Where did D'Argo get that wicked cool spaceship, anyway?
The big guy recovered Lo'La, named after D'Argo's dead wife, from
the wreckage of a space station early in Season 3. It seemed to have
been made by his species, and responds only to his DNA.
Who is this "Winona" Crichton keeps mentioning?
Winona, presumably named after a certain shoplifting starlet, is
Crichton's favorite pulse pistol, and has nearly become a character
in its own right.
Do any of the other crew members meet Sikozu this week?
She met D'Argo late last episode, and this week she meets up with
Chiana and
Jool for a memorable scene in a holding cell.
Does the memorable scene involve kissing?
No. We must, instead, settle for choking, threats, and some
all-girl kung fu.
Do we learn more about Commandant Grayza's eeeevil cleavage?
We do! There's a gland in there that secretes man-bewitching
pheromones-- at significant cost to Grayza.
Is Crichton still under the cleavage's sway?
Reluctantly, yes. There is leather. And a knife. And shirtless,
oily Crichton.
Does Crichton break free?
His salvation involves bug guts and his nasal cavities.
What happens to Scorpius?
It begins with Crichton digging a big hole in the ground, and ends
with Sikozu shrieking, "Skirnak!"
Those black-armored Peacekeeper soldiers aren't too bright, are
they?
They seem to be graduates of the Stormtrooper School of Shooting A
Lot Without Hitting Anyone.
Will Elack and that nice old Pilot be sticking around?
One senses that Henson is not planning a spinoff series around those
two.
Will Jool be sticking around?
This episode marks beautiful Australian Tammy Macintosh's demotion
from regular to recurring character.
What's up with Rygel?
Our favorite Muppet emperor spends most of his time trying to keep
Elack and the old Pilot from nodding off.
Aeryn?
Not a glimpse.
Harvey?
Off taking five in John's subconscious, presumably.
Pilot or Moya?
Not this week.
What's good?
D'Argo's use of Earthling sports metaphors. The way composer Guy
Gross works the show's theme into the chants of ghostly offscreen
priests. Crichton's recurring gun problems. "I don't want to know
where you kept that." Scorpy's haunting last line. The action-packed
third act. Crichton's question to Braca. The Chiana-Jool-Sikozu
scene. The golden tile. The last shot of Jool's face.
What's not so good?
This is still a more hectic, and confusing, episode than most.
Noranti remains annoying. And the final twist comes out of nowhere.
How does it end?
Crichton defines his priorities.
Rating on the Herc scale:
*** 1/2 (out of five)
FARSCAPE 4.4
What's it called?
"Lava's A Many-Splendored Thing."
Who's behind it?
Teleplay credited to Michael Miller.
What's it about?
During a stopover on a volcanic planetoid, our heroes stumble upon
an underground treasure trove-- and the sinister creatures who guard
it.
The big news?
One of the female cast members cavorts nakedly!
Where are our heroes going at the beginning?
They're all crammed into D'Argo's ship, bored and hungry and on
their way to meet Moya.
Why, then, the stopoff at the planetoid?
They make the mistake of sampling one of Noranti's offerings.
Certain urgent bodily imperatives ensue.
How do they find the treasure trove?
Rygel needs someplace private to take a -- in the show's
delightful alien slang-- schlock. Like Daffy Duck, he's a
greedy so-and-so, and touches something he shouldn't.
Schlock. Is that like a--?
Yes. Other handy substitutes for common expletives include frell,
dren, hezmana, and trelk.
Who are the sinister guardians?
Noranti says they're Tarkans, noble freedom fighters. But what
with the shooting and the attempted murder and all, they sure don't
act like it.
Where does the episode's title come in?
Crichton, D'Argo and Noranti get trapped underground, trying to
rescue the captured (and digestively uncomfortable) Rygel. They
encounter many Indiana Jones-ish lava traps, and at one point must
make innovative use of D'Argo's tongue.
What about Sikozu and Chiana?
"The girls," as Crichton so progressively calls them, are stuck
aboveground, trying to figure out how to use D'Argo's ship to effect
a rescue. Problem is, they need D'Argo's DNA to work it.
Where can they find a sample of D'Argo's DNA?
Viewers will gain fascinating insights into D'Argo's digestive
system this week.
Are we Harvey-less for a third straight week?
Harvey pops up briefly, taking every possible precaution.
What's good?
The continuing evidence that Farscape can elicit scatological
laughs without ever seeming crass or stupid. Rygel's ever-worsening
predicament. Those cool Tarkan shield belts. The girls' solution to
their DNA shortage. The eerie and ruthless villain. And especially
Noranti's diversion.
What's not so good?
Clearly, nothing of great import is meant to happen this week. But
it's plenty entertaining nonetheless.
How does it end, spoiler-boy?
Our heroes get a call from a very welcome and
familiar voice.
Rating on the Herc scale:
*** 1/2 (out of 5)
FARSCAPE 4.5
What's it called?
"Promises".
Who's responsible?
Producer Richard Manning, veteran of "Star Trek: TNG" and "Deep
Space Nine."
What's it about?
Crichton and co. return to Moya, but their reunion is considerably
more peril-fraught than they'd probably like.
The big news?
Aeryn's back!
The bigger news?
Scorpius brought her back!
Is it a happy reunion for Crichton and Aeryn?
Ha! You must be thinking of some other show. When the crew finds
Aeryn during the teaser, she's deathly ill. Plus, Crichton is still
miffed that Aeryn never told him she was pregnant, and when she
forces him to swear he won't kill Scorpius, he doesn't get any
happier.
Why can't Crichton kill Scorpius?
Because he apparently saved Aeryn's life. Scorpius says he found
Aeryn adrift, dying of heat delirium. Though Aeryn looks human, her
species is much less tolerant of heat. Her high fever would have
killed her if not for a loan of one of Scorpy's kinky leather coolant
suits.
What does Scorpy want with Moya?
Asylum from Peacekeeper persecution, perversely enough. And he
says he wants to "protect" Crichton-- and his wormhole knowledge.
Why does Scorpius want these wormhole secrets, again?
Scorpy is the half-breed son of a Sebacean colonist-- one of
Aeryn's species-- who was abducted and raped by the Scarrans, a race
of vicious reptiles. Brought up in torture and pain, he escaped,
vowing vengance upon the Scarrans. If they're not stopped, he fears
they'll overrun the galaxy. The deadly capabilities of Crichton's
wormhole know-how are his best bet to kill them all.
Why is Aeryn ill?
It has something to do with how she spent her time away from Moya.
Do we learn what happened to Moya on its trip down the wormhole?
Pilot is strangely evasive on the subject.
Do we get a Harvey sighting?
John's own mental Iago appears in several "Reservoir Dogs" homages
this episode, attempting a frankly bizarre American accent.
With Scorpius around, doesn't that make Harvey kind of redundant?
The "real" Scorpy has apparently considered this question. His
solution, naturally, involves stabbing.
Do Crichton and Aeryn talk about her pregnancy?
Almost.
D'Argo? Chiana? Noranti? Rygel? Sikozu?
They're around. Rygel saves one of his crewmates' lives-- by
ramming them in the head with his hoversled.
What about Braca and Commandant Cleavage?
They've got a gigantic Leviathan-killing missile, and they're
itching to test it on Moya. Freudian implications ensue.
What's good?
Claudia Black, reclaiming her rightful position as the show's MVP.
The whole issue of Harvey, and the moral shades of gray accompanying
its resolution. Crichton's reference to Herc's favoritest vampire
slayer ever. The hilariously lustful look Sikozu shoots Scorpius upon
seeing evidence of his gigantic intellect. If you only catch one
episode in the marathon, this is the one to see.
What's not-so-good?
The Grayza-Braca stuff feels a bit tacked-on. And the constant
emotional merry-go-round of the John-Aeryn relationship is starting
to feel a bit labored. But it's still a mightily entertaining-- even
riveting-- hour of television.
How does it end, spoiler-boy?
"So you could tell me if... you were
pregnant?"
Rating on the Herc scale:
**** 1/2 (out of five)
FARSCAPE 1.6
What's it called?
"Natural Election".
Who's responsible?
Sophie C. Hopkins. The IMDB lists her as having contributed 3
segments to the Henry Rollins-fronted anthology "Night Visions."
What's it about?
A plantlike parasite attacks Moya, leading to a very bad day for
everyone on board.
The big news?
After three-plus years of refreshing anarchy, Moya finally gets a
captain.
The bigger news?
Crichton now seems to have some kind of innate understanding of
wormholes-- to the point where he can predict not only where they'll
open, but exactly when.
The even bigger news?
Figuring out who fathered Aeryn's child may be a bit difficult.
Why's that?
Aeryn explains that her race can hold a ready-to-gestate embryo up
to seven years, and that the embryo has to be "unlocked" by a surgeon
before it can begin to develop into an actual child.
Does Aeryn tell Crichton this?
Not directly. She tells Chiana, who has trouble with the whole
secret-keeping thing.
What about this evil plant?
It seeps into Moya's hull, secreting acid that's slowly eating the
leviathan
alive.
Is Sikozu still sweet on Scorpius?
She defies the rest of the crew and rushes off to save Scorpy when
his Hannibal-Lecterish cell catches on fire.
Do we get to see more of Lo'La, D'Argo's personal cruiser?
We do! Its enormous energy cannon gets a workout this week.
What's good?
The steadily growing tension. The Sikozu-Scorpius chemistry. The
radiation. The nail-biting climax in the atmospheric compressor
chamber, and its pants-related aftermath. What D'Argo likes. The
whole intra-crew game of "telephone" regarding Aeryn's pregnancy. The
plant's dislike for a certain crew member. Pilot's tally of the
varying votes for Moya's captaincy.
What's not so good?
One senses that, again, the Crichton-Aeryn conflict is being
milked past the point of logic just to keep the tension going.
How does it end, spoiler-boy?
"Just come back... when you have your story
straight."
Rating on the Herc scale:
*** 1/2
FARSCAPE 4.7
What's it called?
"John Quixote".
Who's responsible?
Series star Ben Browder, whose inaugural Season 3 writing effort
"Green-Eyed Monster" is widely considered one of the series' finest
hours.
What's it about?
Crichton and Chiana find themselves stuck in a virtual reality
game based on a distorted, highly fictionalized version of Crichton's
life.
The big news?
A whole bunch of former regular characters show up in the course
of this episode.
Is this also one of the series' finest hours?
Er... well...
How can this game know about Crichton's life?
It was designed around Crichton's memories, sold to the game's
creator by Stark.
Who?
Stark (Paul Goddard), a fidgety mystic, first appeared at the end
of Season 1. Stark's metal half-mask conceals a pool of radiant light
where part of his face should be-- light that can help dying souls
"cross over to the other side."
Sort of like John Edward?
Yes, if John Edward were the genuine article, and had been driven
kind of insane by the innumerable voices of departed souls lodged in
his head.
How did Stark get Crichton's memories?
In Season 3, Crichton had a run-in with a mad scientist who split
him into two identical Crichtons. They got stuck on separate ships
(for half a season!) and the one who was with Stark died saving the
universe from the nasty fruits of wormhole technology. Before he
died, he let Stark take a little piece of his soul with a message for
the other Crichton.
Aside from Stark, what other familiar faces appear?
Crais (Lani Tupu) and Jool are only two of the returnees.
What's this game like?
Apparently, much of it takes place in a parking garage or on a
series of soundstages. It's a bizarre, David Lynchian hodgepodge of
characters from Crichton's life and elements of fairy tales.
So his old crewmates take on new guises?
Rygel's a fire-farting Black Knight. Chiana and Jool are eager
potential meals for a spooky D'Argo in lederhosen. (Yes, you read
that right.) Crais, Crichton's original Peacekeeper nemesis, is the
Beast to Aeryn's blonde, lisping, southern-accented Beauty. Harvey
shows up as a Pinocchio-nosed butler. Stark plays guide. And Zhaan is
fat, male, and living in a VW microbus.
Who was that last person again?
Zhaan (the striking Virginia Hey, known stateside for her role in
"The Road Warrior") remains one of the series' most beloved
characters despite her departure early in Season 3. A warm but
formidable priestess, she was given a hero's death after Hey's blue,
bald-headed body makeup began to take a serious toll on her health.
Is Virginia Hey back as the fat Zhaan?
The fat Zhaan is played by Farscape producer Rowan Woods, who is a
good sport to beat them all.
Do Crichton and Chiana escape from virtual reality before the end
of the episode?
Crichton finds himself back on Moya around the end of Act 2.
Scorpius has been busy in his absence.
What's good?
John Headroom. A few clever twists regarding layers of reality.
Scorpius's busy day. What Crichton uses to write wormhole equations
with. The endgame, and what it reveals about Stark. The John-Aeryn
stuff. Claudia Black's princess voice. The returning guest stars,
especially the last one to appear.
What's not so good?
This episode veers way, way too far into silliness for this
reviewer's taste. Watch it only with a healthy tolerance for
absurdity and one hand on the fast-forward button.
How does it end?
"I hear I was a princess." Silence.
Rating on the Herc scale:
** 1/2 (out of five)
FARSCAPE 4.8
What's it called?
"I Shrink, Therefore I Am."
Who's responsible?
Teleplay credited to Christopher Wheeler.
What's it about?
Crichton returns to Moya to find the ship overrun by the Coreeshi,
high-tech bounty hunters out for his head.
The big news?
Crichton's bad habit of taking Noranti's advice and sticking
things up his nose continues. He's snorting something called
"distillate of lakka" to help him forget about the whole Aeryn mess.
The bigger news?
Noranti, disturbingly enough, seems to have ulterior motives for
playing Dr. Nick to Crichton's Elvis.
Why was Crichton away when the bounty hunters struck?
Another grocery run, this time with Noranti.
Who sent the bounty hunters?
The Peacekeepers, naturally. Commandant Cleavage has offered a big
fat reward for the respective noggins of Crichton and his crew.
Does Crichton have to go all "Die Hard" to save the ship?
He says as much, early in the episode.
Has the rest of the crew been captured?
Everyone but Scorpius.
What happened to him?
Scorpy turns up before long, free as a bird.
How'd he get out of his prison cell?
With his bare hands. He tells Crichton he only stayed in his cell
because he wanted to.
Do Crichton and Scorpius team up, buddy-movie style, to save the
day?
They do! Just don't expect them to hug when it's all over.
Exactly how badass are these bounty hunters?
They can take six shots from a massive energy cannon before going
down. Their outfits have pop-out blades and other wicked stuff. They
can shrink their targets down to action-figure size and store them in
holding cells inside their suits. And their leader seems to be able
to read minds.
What's good?
The ultra-nasty Coreeshi, especially their leader. Crichton
humming along to the background music. The Scorpy-Crichton teamup.
"Thank you, John." Rygel's conversation with Sikozu about being
shrunk. "Aw, God, it's... still warm." Chiana's monologue. Lil'
Aeryn's choice of transportation. The climactic battle. After
"Promises," this is one of the best episodes for new viewers to catch.
What's not so good?
At this point, John might as well change his last name to
"McClane." The Coreeshi leader's identity seems hastily grafted on to
previous plotlines, and may throw new viewers for a loop. And the
John-Aeryn thing is still being dragged out and beaten.
How does it end, spoiler-boy?
Aeryn has a bad feeling about this.
Rating on the Herc scale:
**** (out of five)
FARSCAPE 4.9
What's it called?
"A Prefect Murder." (That's not a misspelling.)
Who's responsible?
Teleplay credited to Mark Saraceni.
What's it about?
On a planet full of edgy rival clans, the crew becomes embroiled
in murder, deceit and sabotage.
The big news?
We see a whole new side of Sikozu. Ahem.
The bigger news?
One of our heroes murders a lot of innocent people!
Why stop at this marshy, unpleasant planet in the first place?
To escape pursuit by multiple parties, Moya's now hiding out in
Tormented Space, a wormhole-ridden region of unpleasantness. Dodging
around has worn her out, and the crew is nearly out of fresh water.
What's with those macrame-haired locals on the planet?
After centuries of war among rival clans, they've finally
established a very shaky peace. Falaak, the clans' current prefect,
is going to step down and make way for Gaashah, a peace-minded leader.
Gaashah isn't long for this world, is he?
One hopes he wasn't making any extensive post-prefecture vacation
plans.
Is Crichton still on drugs?
He takes some Lakka up the nose at several points.
What provokes the murders?
Little phosphorescent insects, whose stings make the victims
susceptible to mind control.
Who's missing in action?
This episode is Noranti-free, and Scorpy-free as well. Rygel
appears once, briefly. His limited appearances may be due to the
Henson folks using his rig to create the convincingly hideous Paroos,
a gnarled little priest-thing who knows more than he's letting on.
What's good?
The way the first act weaves new scenes in and out of the events
of the haunting teaser. The gutsy and disturbing mass murder. Claudia
Black, once more bringing her A-game to the proceedings. The source
of the insects. Paroos, who's both ghastly and likeable. What John
and Aeryn wish. Sikozu's extracurricular activities, and her dealings
with Gaashah's young heir. The alarmingly tall and creepy Bruce
Spence (set to be the Mouth of Sauron in Peter Jackson's "The Return
of The King") as Falaak.
What's not-so-good?
The hair, for one thing. The fact that the dreamy, unsettling air
of the teaser and first act doesn't carry through the whole episode.
And did we mention the hair?
How does it end, spoiler-boy?
Uncertainly. In a graveyard.
Rating on the Herc scale:
*** (out of five)
FARSCAPE 4.10
What's it called?
"Coup By Clam."
Who's responsible?
Emily Skopov, a supervising producer for "Xena" and former writer
for "Pacific Blue" and "Andromeda."
What's it about?
On a sexist, xenophobic planet, the crew gets a deadly case of
food poisoning, and is blackmailed by a corrupt doctor for the cure.
The big news?
Let's just say the costume department probably had a fun time this
week.
This week's reason for stopping at a creepy, creepy planet?
The electrostatic "noise" in Tormented Space is driving Moya nuts,
and this planet is the only place they can get her the filters she
needs to function normally.
How does the crew come down with food poisoning?
The planet makes them wait in quarantine while a doctor checks
them out for signs of "Space Madness." While they wait, the
enormous-nosed doctor, Tumii, offers them some suspicious mollusks.
Space madness? Does it involve the pressing of jolly, candylike
buttons?
One senses that "space madness" is this planet's convenient excuse
for doing away with undesirables. Those found to be "infected" are
killed on sight.
So what's with these mollusks?
If more than one person eats from the same mollusk, they start to
share physical sensations with whoever else ate from that mollusk.
That's not so bad, is it?
Symptoms of mollusk poisoning are often mistaken for space
madness. Plus, the poisoning will kill its victims quickly unless
they get an antidote.
So who gets linked up with who?
Crichton and Sikozu; Aeryn and Rygel; D'Argo and Noranti.
Does hilarity ensue?
More or less. Noranti's brief romantic interlude with a piece of
cooking equipment strays into Farrelly Brothers territory.
What about Chiana?
She's unaffected, and spends most of the episode hanging out with
the technician installing Moya's upgrade, who has a fairly
significant (if obvious) secret that could get both of them killed.
And Scorpius?
He plays host to the technician's gun-toting escort, who's big on
misogyny.
How difficult is it to cure our heroes?
It involves a disgusting potion, and several hours of
uninterrupted hand-holding.
Any other complications?
Attempted murder. Political unrest. Some very formidable
prostitutes. And of course, cross-dressing.
What's good?
Noranti, D'Argo, and the industrial mixer. Aeryn's troubles with
Rygel's indigestion. Scorpius's killing technique. Certain cast
members as you've never seen them before. How Crichton gets
everyone's attention in the social club. Tumii's grisly just
desserts. How the day is saved, and by whom. That foxy technician.
What's not-so-good?
This episode seems to draw heavily on plot elements from previous
shows. The stuff with the technician and Chiana fails to generate
much suspense. The final scene, while visually memorable, feels hasty
and abbreviated. And after four years on the run, one thinks our
heroes would know better than to accept suspicious takeout.
How does it end, spoiler-boy?
Scorpius disagrees with something he ate.
Rating on the Herc scale:
*** (out of five)
FARSCAPE 4.11
What's it called?
"Unrealized Reality."
Who's responsible?
Executive producer David Kemper.
What's it about?
Crichton meets up with an ominous alien who sheds disturbing new
light on wormhole travel.
The big news?
Zhaan, Stark, Jool and Crais make cameo appearances, 60
Minutes-style.
The bigger news?
Wormholes aren't just a rip in space.
How exactly does Crichton meet up with this alien?
He's floating around outside the ship in his spacesuit, practicing
his wormhole prediction skills. Unfortunately, he's a little too
close to this particular wormhole.
Is the alien Crichton meets one of the Ancients, who gave
Crichton his wormhole mojo in the first place?
Einstein, as Crichton dubs him, is more ancient than the Ancients.
He's part of their parent species, which lives inside wormholes.
Wormhole aliens? Does Crichton meet the long-lost Captain Sisko?
Quiet, you.
Why does this alien yank Crichton into wormhole-land?
To kill him. (Apparently by talking him to death.)
Is Crichton still on drugs?
D'Argo catches Noranti refilling his stash.
What's everyone else doing this week?
Not much. Before Crichton gets swallowed by the wormhole, Aeryn is
seen studying English, while Chiana offers her romantic advice.
Scorpius and Sikozu have a cozy little chat.
Do the cameo folks play a role in the story?
With a few exceptions, most of them appear as talking heads--
Einstein's mouthpieces for explaining wormhole ins and outs.
Do any non-Crichton, non-cameo characters show up after the teaser?
Sort of. Crichton gets pulled in and out of a series of
"unrealized realities", starting with a clever flashback to the first
episode and straying further and further from the series' timeline as
they progress.
Any highlights?
Aeryn breaks Crichton's neck. Peacekeeper Crichton vs. Evil
Sikozu. A creepy waterside barbecue for Crichton and his dad. And
several amazing scenes in which the cast switches roles.
What's good?
Who's wearing the Chiana makeup. "What is the matter with you
people? TONGUE!" The wormhole revelations. The sheer weirdness of the
unrealized realities. Scorpy's way with a hairbrush. Aeryn's
continuing difficulty with the English language. Evil Sikozu. The
cameos. The special effects. And the big, gigantic cliffhanger ending.
What's not so good?
The talking heads are not the most exciting thing to watch. Some
of them are just plain odd. (Crichton's high school football coach?)
And the new wormhole info, while raising the series' stakes, is an
uneven fit with previous events.
How does it end, spoiler-boy?
"Whoops."
Rating on the Herc scale:
*** 1/2 (out of five)
The Hercules T. Strong Rating System:
- ***** better than we deserve
- **** better than most motion pictures
- *** actually worth your valuable time
- ** as horrible as most stuff on TV
- * makes you quietly pray for bulletins
To order coffee mugs and boxer shorts adorned with the image of a green, handicapable “24” fanatic, click here.
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+ Expand All
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whats up?
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Hey guys - a long time ago (over a year) Sci FI finally got a second satellite. So that east coast and west coast times match. Hence the Farscape marathon will start at 8 eastern AND pacific.
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They have to do it the one day I have to be elsewhere.
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First, Sci-Fi weasels out of the promised 5th season of Farscape, then Fox screws Firefly.
All in all, it seems like programmers just don't understand anything in space based science fiction without Vulcans with big tits (not to dismiss Jolene Blalock - she is a better actress than I expected.)
For the uninitiated, Farscape is definitely an acquired taste, and one that I recommend taking the time to develop. This show has been consistently entertaining, and has bordered at awesome at times.
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yeah I've definitely seen a couple of these already.
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ITs time to light the lights! Its time to get things started on the muppet show tonight! ITs time to put on make-up! Its time to dress up right! Its time to get things started on the muppet show tonight! Why do we always come here? I guess I'll never know, its like some kind of torture to have to watch the show!
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If the marathon gets great ratings, it might be a preview of things to come for the second half of season 4... Great ratings for season 4 = Season 5 production. Everybody watch, or just leave your tv set on that channel or something. SAVE FARSCAPE!
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Farscape is awesome. Those who discount it because of the muppet factor are too enamored with new alien races having a slightly different ridge of bumps on their forehead. Plus it isn't afraid to kill off characters. No raising them from the grave by magic or the old ones thank you very much.
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I've watched this show from the Premier, and have enjoyed it immensley. It seems that recently, tv suits just don't trust the audiences. This show has a strong fan base, and great production team and talent(unlike so many others out there). The Sci-Fi channel has become a joke. Crossing Over? Shitty re-runs of crap shows? I thought that they couldn't do any worse than Lexx, and Black Scorpion, but they found a way. Way to go Sci-Fi. Enjoy the ratings from the last episodes, cause you'll never see the likes again. Idiots.
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Would like to apologize on behalf of my fellow Talkback 'Scapers for the earlier accusations that you hated the show; glad to have you on board, and thank you for the praise. I've got my VCR set; let's see if we can save this show. Can't hurt to try...
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"This episode seems to draw heavily on plot elements from previous shows". Nathan, I think you missed the point of this episode. The weird plot element that can be explained only by technobabble (the clams), the long explanations of the geopolitical situation on the planet, the solution to the problem that can also only be explained by technobabble; it was all a parody of previous episodes of Farscape, as well as episodes of Stargate SG-1, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and really just about any other sci-fi show that has ever run a self-contained episode. That's why all of the main characters repeatedly moan and groan as the corrupt doctor goes into the ridiculous sci-fi plot-explaining exposition that's seen in just about all sci-fi shows.
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Dec 22, 2002 11:45:44 PM CST
"really just about any other sci-fi show that has ever run a sel
by qwerty uiop
Except Firefly, no technobabble on Firefly.
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Do you believe this fucking shit? The Scifi (a.k.a. NewAge) channel cancels an original show like Farscape, and replaces it with shit like Crossing Over, Dream Team, Scare Tactics, and endless fucking repeats of the Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, and Tales from the fucking Crypt. Next thing you know those fuckers will start airing professional wrestling or nascar racing. Give me a fucking break. I give SciFi channel another year at best before they fucking fold and go off the air all together. Who's to blame? Those fucking nutsack pinheads executives who started running things and "think" they are doing a good job. Fuck the SciFi Channel. Fuck them in their stupid fucking asses.
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I've never seen an episode of "Farscape". With "Firefly" gone, and "Enterprise" cruising along a warp factor SUCK, I'm willing to give it a try. Also: BigFatCat needs to change his name to BigFuckingFatFuckingCat, as soon as fucking possible. Oh, its true...its damn true.
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And that is he needs Johns Wormhole knowledge to save the Galaxy from his MAIN enemy the Scarrens.John is merely a tool to an end for him.
###Farscape is unquestionably the best sci-fi show out there but S4 was not as good as previous seasons S3 was incredible but its finaly good to see Farscape get a thread unlike Firefly which seems to get a thread a day compelete with a Joss is God ass kissing.###And before I get jumped on yes I used to like Buffy too (The show looks tired know and they should end it)
But People will kiss Joss ass even when he brings out crap.
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Dec 23, 2002 6:45:51 AM CST
This is the point where Farscape broke for the festive period in
by charlie & tex
So any new episodes that play might be shown pretty much simultaneously in the UK & the US.
The show seems to have gone off the boil somewhat, as of the episodes currently screened, only about three of them have been up to the quality of the ones that made the show so popular in the first place.
It could be a combination of elements, the primary one being that it seeems to be going out of it's way to be "wackier" than before. -
Dec 23, 2002 7:08:44 AM CST
Season 4 is not as good as the superb season 3 but it still kick
by drunkstan
....Most scifi is getting really bland and predictable (Andromeda season 3 anyone? - bring back Xena to kick Kevin Sorbo's Federation imitating ass). The 2nd series of Enterprise does not begin in the UK until the new year, but if reports are correct, i will keep a can of paint handy in case I need to throw at the screen and watch it dry. Come to think of it, the first series was pretty wank (I thought I was initially watching an 8th series of the mind-numbingly tedious voyager). Perhaps some cast changes need to be done. Replace 'Wallpaper' Travis with Pilot (he seems to be more real and have a better personality) and replace Scott Bakula with Rygel as the captain. I think the slug/vulcan sexual chemistry would be more interesting than the so-called 'sexual heat' that's supposed to exist at the moment. Plus, sex scenes would be amusing.....oh, and fuck you very much SCI-Fi channel for ruining Farscape for the rest of the world and welching on you promised 5th season. You certainly know how to keep your customers and consumers happy.
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How come Aeryn wasn't affected by the "living death" on the desert planet in season 1?
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a tad unfair! I mean for instance there seems to abe a bias towards Aeryn eps and the ones before Claudia Black appers are given lower markage! Lava for example is brilliant whereas a Prefect Murder was pretty dire!
JQ was also very very clever and actually warrants several viewings to enjoy those nuances Ben Browder slipped in. Do I detect some shipperness bias maybe? ;)
Also Unrealised Reality was wonderful-such a great cliffhanger to leave the show midseason. Is there no way perhaps for those who have seen the eps aswell to give their own ratings? After all we all have diff faves!
Also the Uk gets Kansas on 30th December. :)
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Come now, can't you come up with a better objection that that?
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Dec 23, 2002 10:58:50 AM CST
Darth Dumbass is to stupidity and Robert Bryd is to racism
by bannthisucommies
You're both coated in it. Way to be a lefty media sycophant. Lets face it if it wasn't the only way for democRATS to stay competative they'd never say a word about racial matters. If they don't lie and gin up a proper amount of terror they'd get creamed every time. Political BS aside, this show fucking rules and SCI-FI has to be having a brain embolism to dump it. Whats the idea? Less aliens? Yep, sci-fi without the aliens hmmmmm, thats like democrats without racial anger, sinking fast and no one cares....
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I like Enterprise a lot, but it doesn't hold a candle to Farscape. I don't think anything else on television does, except Firefly. Whenever I watch Enterprise, though, I always get to a point in the episode where I ask "What would Farscape do?" My answer is invariably more entertaining than what the Star Trek brood deliver. Firefly, however, passes that test. What Farscape opts to do almost every time is the most outrageous, dangerous thing they can--and always because the characters are forced into difficult circumstances. Where else does a character spend an entire episode prancing around with his arch-nemesis's severed head on a stick? Where else do you see sly references to Caddyshack and Monty Python & The Holy Grail rattled off at just the right time? This is the way sci-fi is supposed to be.
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Holy crap, Herc, you forgot to inviso-text the ending to 4.8! Now the episode is ruined. The whole time I'm watching it, I'll know it's leading up to Aeryn having a bad feeling! Thanks a lot, jerkwad.
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I didn't even know about this marathon! Of course, I will be away from the TV for most of the day, but I know where the rest of it will be spent.
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You're both morons.
Number one, both Farscape AND Firefly are great, why the need to take a side? And what the hell is it with the political reactionary bullshit? You sure do have an itchy trigger finger there B. -
Agreeing with Angie here [and not to dog on Nathan's wonderful (and obviously very time-consuming) reviews], but there are many sides to every story - and each Farscape episode is perceived differently by its diverse fanbase. "John Quixote", for instance, to me, has easily been one of the highpoints of S4 thus far. Check it out to see how Farscape can frell with your mind. Conversely (and also in agreement with Angie), I'd have to say that "A Prefect Murder" is an all-time 'Scape dog. The "What Was Lost" two-parter is a great ride, just for the ideas and cinematography alone! And lastly, "I Shrink Therefore I Am" is pitch-perfect - an episode that effortlessly demonstrates why the show is so damn good in the first place. This is largely a good marathon - these eps are all connected and shown in sequence. It'll be one a helluva chaotic ride.
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"Deserts aren't necessarily hot" - Unless the sun is out... Any way, its not a complant its a question. When Moya was infected with bugs that were turning up the temperature inside the ship, Aeryn almost dies, while John and everyone else merely sweated some. So, I would assume that the temperature wasn't too excessively high, because humans aren't heat resistant or anything and I would think that a Desert Planet would have a hotter average temperature than that. So, whats the deal? Is it kind of a "Data and his emotion chip" kind of situation?
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Put them on back to back and the ratings will go up. Fans of either show will see and hopefully like the other this leads to better ratings. ............. The sad thing is network suits are clueless.
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If you're new to, or even inexperienced in, the ways of Farscape - check out this link before you watch the marathon! It'll help immensely. http://www.farscapeworld.com/other/other/primer.shtml
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Qqwerty Uiop :)
I think the difference is the degree of heat. If Pk's couldn't cope with a lil bit of heat then everytime they went near a warmish planet they'd have to cry off..I mean the Scarrans would be laughing..just invade all the hot planets and whip some Pk butt-they'd never be able to invade! LOL It's kinda like Daleks not being able to go up stairs! Heheh I think in that ep where Aeryn was getting ill it was such a *high* degree of heat and they were all sweating like pigs whereas the heat didn't seem to be an issue on the desert planet. Also Crichton didn't even take his long leather coat off!! LOL So can't have been that hot.. If they were he would have been running around in speedos,plastered in sun block and had a notted hankie on his head.. a valid question though :) Okay I'm now wishing it had been hotter now to see all that.. lol -
Ever been in the Gobi in winter?
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But I'm glad to see you guys get a TB. As a Buffy/Angel/Firefly fan I'll be the first to admit that we do get an embarrasement of riches when it comes to TBs. Bravo to Nathan (?)for the Herculean (pun intended) effort put forth.
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Definately am going to be parking my butt on the couch for this and hitting the record button on the VCR. This show is too good to pass up. Let me also say for the record, if you like Sci-Fi then you must check-out Farscape. It is like nothing I have ever seen and has kept me home many a Friday night to tune in (that is until Sci-Fi put the show on a break and failed to put on any reruns until today). Now with Farscape cancelled thanks to Sci-Fi pulling the chain on it prematurely and without notice leaving us fans with a cliffhanger ending to the series I find myself very jaded and angry at Sci-Fi. I can only hope the shows played today along with the final 11 eps of Farscape Season 4 get good enough ratings to put a clue to the stuffy network execs out there. Be it the execs at Sci-Fi or Upn or Fox. Please bring back Farscape! And until then I will savor every morsel left of the show.
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This is some serious Farscape love from Herc. Farscape can be a little challenging to get into, but with great brief reviews like this, and the great link above provided by Roj Blake, maybe more people can discover and enjoy this show. Given how far astray Sci-Fi has gone lately, it's hard to imagine them giving Farscape a stay of execution if the new episodes get higher ratings. (Hey, Sci-Fi, WWF gets good ratings, maybe you could start showing that, too! How about a reality show with a fraudulent psychic who claims to talk to dead peop...oops, beat me to it.) It seems to me that some networks would kill to get demographics like Farscape's are reported to be(20's and 30's, educated, computer savvy, above average incomes). That's why Nightline almost got cancelled: It doesn't matter so much how many people watch, but whether enough of the RIGHT people (as desired by advertisers) watch. I realize that MTV demographics are the real patsies when it comes to spending money on useless shit, but Farscape's audience is a generally affluent and very hard to reach group, as I understand it. Why this hasn't been enough has never been explained, as Sci-Fi just seems to point at the overall Neilsen numbers. It's clearly not Farscape itself, the "problem" and cancellation clearly resulted from a regime change at Sci-Fi. As for myself, I've been recommending the Farscape DVD's at the video stores, so that others might enjoy the show. Thanks again this great post, Herc.
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That's the great thing about opinions Stan, everyone can have one. I don't like Lexx. I thought it was typical of Canadian programing in it's soulessness. Hence the reason that our 51st state keeps trying to steal our shows from here in Hollywood. You were right about one thing though: Farscape DOES in deed, ROCK!
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I wasn't calling you a moron for the Lott comment, it was for the opinion on the show. Of course the majority of the eye rolling and name calling on my part were aimed at the knee jerk political reaction of BannthisUcommies (about 90/10). I suppose I should give you the lesser offensive term "nimrod" for your comments while BannthisUcommies gets the full "shithead" for his freak out. I'm not saying he's a shithead for his political ideology, I'm saying he's a shithead for being one of those excessive "all morons and evil people are democrats and anyone that disagrees with me or says anything bad about the party is one" type of people.
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All of us 'Scapers really appreciate this forum, so thanks. I even promise not to crack any jokes about you being a 16 year old girl this time out. Anyway, caught a majority of the marathon (thank you Gramma's cable!) and, despite what a lot of people are saying, I feel that season four has been great. Every bit as good as S3. The opening arc where they visit the archeological dig was wonderful. The Leviathan crash was just SPECTACULAR. Anyway, I'm looking forward to the upcoming eps, and am still ticked at the New Age, er, I mean Sci-Fi Channel's decision to cancel this great series. Later.
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Dec 24, 2002 10:24:43 PM CST
Farscape cancelled because Sci-Fi Channel's parent company is BR
by mgthedj
It is owned by Vivendi-Universal. They could not afford their end of the prodution costs, so it was cancelled. But they have paid for it ala John Lennon's "Instant Karma". Last week in France Vivendi's offices were raided as part of an ongoing investigation into securites fraud and stock manipulation.-----later-----m
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Oh that's rich, an underdeveloped sycophant like yourself calling someone a moron, just because they don't like your crappy little show. What is it that the other 99% of us don't GET about lexx? Is it: (1)The Crappy writing? (2)the horrible acting? (3)The worst cgi EVER? C'mon dude, it's even worse than porn acting. At least in porn, there's a payoff. With lexx, you keep waiting for the punch line, and it NEVER comes. I didn't put up the last post to attack you (go back and re-read you dumb bastard), but now that you put up your attack, I had to respond. Farscape isn't perfect either, but at least our show has a point, and fans who appreciate what good writing and acting is. You must either be schizo, or retarted to like both, but hey, to each his own. Fuckwit.
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I don't know if this counts, but [Spoiler?] when Aeryn met her demise later on down the line, she came back almost immediately. However, I recall it was a trade-off sacrifice by another character, so perhaps that made it even?
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For those that missed the Christmas Eve Marathon, SciFi will have a mini-marathon of the last three new episodes, Prefect Murder, Coup by Clam and Unrealized Reality starting at 6 pm ET/PT (3 pm PT for those with Dish Network or Direct TV) in advance of the new episodes starting on Jan 10th in the 8 pm ET/PT time slot. It also appears that SciFi will air the last 11 episodes straight through each week without breaking for February sweeps (same goes for Stargate SG-1), so the final Farscape episode on SciFi looks to air on March 21, 2003, provide there aren't any pre-emptions along the way.
Lee Whiteside
Webmaster sftv.org
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This was all I ever wanted for Christmas.
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Dec 26, 2002 8:26:17 AM CST
The sad state of respect when it comes to Science fiction televi
by entilzha proph
There was an excellent article about Farscapes cancellation a while back, that raised the very good question - Is scifi still seen a a series where you can simply interchange the shows without any real fear. http://www.strangehorizons.com/2002/20021014/farscape.shtml Check it out. Actually, another example of the idiocy that is abound over at scifi channel - B5:LOTR (or LR for those of us who use it) They practically had something that could really go, gift-wrapped, and what do they do? Air it during a football game, and proceed to ignore the 2nd half ratings. Its pathetic. I read somewhere that CBS is looking to do a science fiction channel - maybe they could pick up Farscape, Firefly, and start up Crusade again.
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"John Quixote" was hilarious and damned well acted and crafted too. Great change-of-pace and self-spoofing episode. It deserves at least a "****". Oh well, it's all academic now. FRELLING Sci-Fi Channel. BTW, that's pronounced "skiffy" in their case.
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"Farscape rules!" "No, FIREFLY RULES!" "HA! Your series sucks, end of discussion." "In your dreams. Your series, like, totally sucks." "Yeah?" "Yeah!" "Wanna go for pizza?" ******** Actually, though I prefer Farscape to Firefly, the latter was beginning to grow on me a little. AND THEN FOX HAS TO GO AND CANCEL IT! (grr, grr, grrrrr) Having suffered early cancellations of shows long ago in the same way, I really do feel for the Firefly fans; they and the series certainly didn't deserve this, not even before the season's midpoint. Hell, even TNT gave Crusade 13 aired episodes, but FOX? Nooooooooo! The Firefly pilot is the LAST DAMNED THING ON FOX I intend to watch. I doubt very much they'll have the brains to come up with something in the future that will be good enough to make me want to break that pledge. Damn them all--frelling mundane suits.
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Farewell, "Farscape." Okay, this one probably costed more to make than "Dead Zone" or "Monk," but it has its audience. ABC should pick this one up, since they've got a sharing system in place with USA for "Monk" and they seem to like the other Halmi/Hallmark stuff. The only wrinkle is that they'll probably nix the kinkier stuff.
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To the gentleman who asked about how Aeryn could survive a desert planet without suffering from heat sickness.....let me assure you, I *live* in the middle of the desert. About 20 miles outside of Palm Springs. Right now I have my heat on and if I stepped out on my deck, I could see my breath (granted, it's also 5 in the morning). But even in the middle of the day, I have to wear a jacket during the winter months. It's incredibly dry and sunny here, but it's still cold this time of year. There's your answer. Anyway, chill out and enjoy Farscape: the best show on television, destined to remembered whenever another great show is cancelled in the future. Fuck the Sci-Fi Channel!!!!!!
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A. Why would you think your home is anything like an alien planet? B. There were heat shimmers, it wasn't a cold desert AND it was very close to a sun. Cold? Doubt it.
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