Kevin's Watch

OK. This has not arrived in my cold country yet (on TV that is), but I constantly encounter its name and its fans. What is it??? Is it that good? Is it worth paying import-fees for on DVD?

I wouldn't say it's so good you have to get it now. Wait for it on TV. It's good, but the quality takes a while to manifest itself. It comes through following the series devoutly, watching the characters develop, watching the galaxy unfold before your eyes... In the long run, it's worth it, but at first, no.

I think its really awsome. It took me only a single episode to get to really like it. Although, truthfully, I have only seen several episodes.

Too bad that the series was shut down right on a cliff hanger.

yeah that is always too bad! I hate it when you really get into a show .. and bang! crash! they set a bomb under it!!

i havent really ever watched Farscape and i have already gone into why .. but i will say .. that a growing number of people who's opinion i actually respect seem to be really into it

so i'm thinking there must be something to this show ..

when i pluck up the courage .. i will give it a go

but its sad to think that if i get into it .. the rug will just be pulled out from under it ..

Whoo boy. Where to start. Where to start.

To me, Farscape is to TV as The Chrons are to books (in fact, I could draw several parrallels between the two). I just don't believe there's ever been a better Sci-Fi show on TV.

I was hooked from the premiere (yep, from day one). The first several eps and to an extent the first season are far more episode focused, typical TV sci-fi space opera stuff. In most people's opinions, the show didn't really start to get its legs until the end of the first season. I love 'em all, even "Jeremiah Chrichton" (episode 6 or so), which most fans will agree is probably the worst ep ever.

Around season two you start getting the multi-ep story arcs, a lot more in depth focus on the characters. None of them except maybe Chrichton are Starfleet anti-septically clean, nice beings, and the things that happen to Chrichton even erase that.

IMO, Farscape stretched the boundaries of what you can do with Sci-Fi TV even more than The X-Files. Unfortunately, smart Sci-Fi better have a really compelling hook to draw the masses (and although the show can be very sexual at times, there's nothing like 7 of 9's blatant uniform) or a smaller budget.

Yeah, the show ends on a cliff-hanger (insert inflammatory remarks about Sci-Fi channel execs here), but although it leaves you hanging in one sense, the vast majority of plot lines are tied up. I have no regrets about watching all four seasons of the show (though of course, I'm still hoping for a movie or something to properly end it).

I'm not sure about the video chains overseas, but you can pick up most of the first season eps on DVD at Blockbuster in the states. You can also buy at least (probably more) the first two seasons on DVD at places like Suncoast. If that doesn't work for you and you have highspeed access, you can DL a lot of the eps, including the first several, off of filesharing programs like Kazaa.

Enjoy.

Farscape Rocks!

Okay, here's how I look at it.

When Star Trek first premiered, it was ground-breaking. For decades after, there was nothing near as good in the science fiction genre on American TV.

It was totally eclipsed until Babylon 5 raised the bar, and by a big chunk. I genuinely expected having to wait years and years and years before something exceeded B5 in quality.

Then...Farscape! A show that shattered every formula, either by going completely against expectations (there's no captain, no easy answers, etc.) or by diving into a premise full-throttle (like the glimpse of many extremely wild alternate timelines, with cast members actually switching roles). The dynamic of characters was/is fascinating, full of surprises and also containing genuine passion. Insanity too. Usually, at least one regular character is totally nutters. My fave was Stark--spent years pretending to be insane while a prisoner (of the coolest villain ever--Scorpius! ). He finally got out, and folks soon figured out it wasn't entirely an act any more--but Stark himself never guessed. Loved it whenever he said "I have a plan!" because that's when things always went to hell.

One of the regulars is basically a tramp. Another was essentially an officer is the Space Nazis, slowly growing into something more. Still another character is so supremely useful precisely because he's so ruthless, so devious, so greedy and so (almost) without a shred of conscience. Then there's the warrior who wants to be a farmer! And how cool, that our hero is not a soldier! Not even slightly! And that half the time no one understands what the frell he's talking about because they've never heard of Hannibal Lecter or Buffy the Vampire Slayer!

Its also cool how folks go insane every now and then.

i was royally pissed when they cancelled this show...and for STARgate(which is now one of my faves...heh)


i cant wait to get all 4 seasons...


but towards the end, it kinda looked like their budget was goin down the drain slowly...


at the beginning, it was a feeling out process, they didnt really have any EYEpopping special effects, but they were really good...as the series progressed, sets and effects bacame more elaborate, the writing became even BETTER, and so on and so forth...then...towards the end, it looked like they just threw anything they could find layin around into thesets, painted them bright colors, and pretty much used as little superior technology as they could, putting alot of episodes on false earths, peoples minds that have nothing to do with reality, doing shows in JOHNS mind, which showed everything in earth terms, and so on and so forth...i mean, i liked the sotrylines still, but...i dunno...maybe it was just me...but i am STILL pissed they took it off when they did...for all the talk about it being the number one show on there, they sure took a big crap on it

I found the first episode in a second-hand DVD shop the other day and watched it last week. It seem very promising (dark and dirty as B5, characters with huge emotional problems and the show is rather funny too! I like the music also). I will eagerly await the series coming to national TV (how long can it take before they air it??? Forever?).

Yes, the show is rather funny. It's a shame that it's gone. My son (age 3) runs around the house claiming to be John. They changed the music in season three. Not sure why. The original was better. By the way, if you really like the music, there is a CD.

-Neil

I heard! Er...read. Hooray!

Yay!

That's excellent news! I knew they couldn't leave Aeryn and Crichton as a collection of pebbles in the bottom of a rowing boat forever.

I loved the first three series of Farscape, but I felt that by the fourth the show had lost its way a little. It's peak for me was the end of series 3 (I think) when Talyn and Crais bow out.

Hey, John, relax! Lie back, and let's have Pizza and Margherita Shooters!
NOBODY has Margherita Shooters with Pizza!!!


"Crackers Don't Matter" was, undoubtedly, the most intrinsically f***ed-up episode of ANY sci-fi/fantasy/cult TV show since "The Prisoner"! An absolutely fabulous show, that not only broke the mould for TV sci-fi, it took the mould and used it as a latrine from upon a great height... (ewwww!)

Brilliant, brilliant show!

I didn't like Farscape - too much like the muppets in space. And I thought the enemy aliens were embarrassing. But hey, that's just me; I'm not a fan of sci-fi series.

You know its official, they are in production of a Farscape mini-series right now. Can't wait.

I have to say though, that during the last half of the 3rd season and most of the 4th season I kept thinking I must have missed some key episodes because I had no idea what was going on most of the time. And the other Farscape complaint I have is the actor who played John C. he got so wrapped up in being intense that it was all he could do. I really got sick of that. But, having said all of the above - I absolutely LOVE Farscape and would have watched till I was 100 even if I never understood another thing about the show! LOL

I did feel like the show lost something when Zhan left. She kind of grounded the show.

But Rygel and Pilot rocked. The first few episodes I had a hard time seeing them as anything but puppets but as the show grew and we learned more and more about their pasts they became as real as the real cast to me.

Just my .02 cents.

Take care,
Matthew

I got in late on Farscape - the last couple of seasons, but I liked it. And a co-worker who was a huge fan managed to explain a lot of the backstory to me.

I don't think it was as good as Babylon Five or Firefly or the better Treks, but I did like it. And I'll tune in for the mini-series. I mean, come on. Crichton and his girlfriend are little white cubes - that can't be the end.

I just got season 1 on DVD, and was looking forward not just to watching the episodes again, but also to hearing the episode commentary--but it turns out, the box set only has commentary on eight episodes: eps 1-6, 21, and 22. This means some of the best episodes of the series (in particular PK Tech Girl, DNA Mad Scientist, and the two-parter Nerve & The Hidden Memory), which I most wanted to hear it on, have no commentary. A little disappointing.
(My understanding is that commentary was recorded for all the eps and used in the Starburst editions--it just wasn't included in the full series box sets. Still wishing that the Starburst editions (which are cheaper and have a lot more features!) were available outside the US...)

I've been re-watching Farscape a lot lately, and I'd like to toss out a one-word description of the last 2 seasons: Mucus.

The show is just gooey. And orally fixated. D'argo can knock people out with his tongue (take that Spock!). Jool sheds, so the other characters are spitting out hair. Rigel is an expectorating marksman. D'argo's nose is so sensitive his sinuses are a plot device. And vomit? Quickly now, name a character that never once hurled in 4 seasons. You can't. One episode, they ran D'argo's ship on his vomit. The old lady with the ears and the extra eye identifies drugs by tasting everything, including poisons. She mixes concoctions in her mouth! Not 2 episodes go by without someone being smeared with something for excellent reasons.

I wonder who the caterers were for Farscape, since none of the food is ever recognizable, and often gelatinous. Except for the crackers, but they don't matter.

One character can have a limb severed and reattached with no long-lasting effects (yes, it's painful). Pilot has extra arms for his multi-tasking, and losing one doesn't seem to bother him so much.

But hey, so it's visceral. I love it. Even when the intensity is cranked up, there's always time for a wise crack or one of Crichton's cultural references.

So what if you're squeamish. Do what my wife does and close your eyes for a couple seconds. But you do need to see Pilot upchuck. That's classic Farscape.