Farscape - General Discussion

[festivus]

Yeah, I saw that news about Amazon Prime come up on my facebook. I own the series on Bluray but I'm gonna watch it on Amazon. I've been meaning to get to a re-watch for some time now and I'm about to have surgery and will be laid up so now seems a good time to do it.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

2 hours ago, festivus said:

Yeah, I saw that news about Amazon Prime come up on my facebook. I own the series on Bluray but I'm gonna watch it on Amazon. I've been meaning to get to a re-watch for some time now and I'm about to have surgery and will be laid up so now seems a good time to do it.

Good luck on the surgery and enjoy the (re)watching!

[ganesh]

I don't think I can take the trauma of watching it again. This show kills me every time. 

We're stuck back in time but we can help! *everyone gets literally slaughtered*

Edited March 19, 2019 by ganesh

[festivus]

18 minutes ago, iRarelyWatchTV36 said:

Good luck on the surgery and enjoy the (re)watching!

Thanks!

Y'all don't be surprised if I post some drugged out ramblings. Apologies in advance. 😁

[Jacks-Son]

Haven’t watched the pilot again yet.  What’s the resolution?  Early episodes were in standard definition and ugly to look at.  Back then, we didn’t know any better.  I lost my DVD’s during a housing move and ended up buying the episodes on Google Play.  Also, some kind soul uploaded the 1st season onto YouTube So that’s another source for people who don’t have Amazon Prime.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

8 hours ago, Jacks-Son said:

Haven’t watched the pilot again yet.  What’s the resolution?  Early episodes were in standard definition and ugly to look at.  Back then, we didn’t know any better.  I lost my DVD’s during a housing move and ended up buying the episodes on Google Play.  Also, some kind soul uploaded the 1st season onto YouTube So that’s another source for people who don’t have Amazon Prime.

I'm interested in knowing this as well.

I've watched the BluRay version of S1 and quite a bit of S2, but they were '4:3-converted-to-16:9 stretched' versions.  The visual quality was pretty good - or as good as upscaled 480p can look - but I can't help but wonder what it looks like with an upscaled version of its OAR.

Edited March 20, 2019 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[Jacks-Son]

@iRarelyWatchTV36, looking at it now.  It's 4:3 upscaled, not stretched and the resolution is damn fine.  I'm watching it straight through the Amazon app on my Smart TV.  It's not passing through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, or Roku.  Although I may try through those to see if I can get resolution info but it looks pretty damn good.  Too good, in fact, I get to see D'argo's Shitty Costume (1st season) all over again in crystal clarity.

Damn, Moya looks beautiful.  Oh oh, I'm in trouble.  I think I might be falling into the Farscape Zone...again.

Clicking on info, the following screen shows.  Now it says HD 1080p but that's probably the resolution of my set?  Shit, I don't know, but it looks damn good.

I watched the same scenes through a Fire TV and an Apple TV, and the best picture, although it was great on both, was through Apple TV. (1080p SDR at 60Hz)

Edited March 20, 2019 by Jacks-Son
Attached screenshot

[MJDai]

Just FYI, Brian Henson did a Facebook Live Q&A yesterday in honor of Farscape's 20th birthday.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

Thanks, @Jacks-Son. 

I'll have to carve out and devote time, when can, to check this out for myself.

[MissL]

Hey! I just found out about Amazon prime yesterday. I'm so happy! I had started a rewatch with my original DVDs (those old big boxes they used to come in) and the picture was not great and my DVDs started stuttering in my blu ray player so having it on streaming is exciting!  So far picture quality is so much better. 

I completely forgot how many lines I loved from this show until I started my rewatch.  I used to have sound clips on my desktop back in the day. "One mippippippi..two mippippippi..." I love this show! I also wrote a letter for "I am Farscape." And I don't remember being so mad at network executives before. I'd say "or since" but I was also a fan of Firefly and I'd like to get my hands on whoever didn't reign in Chris Carter with the XF reboot. But that's off topic.

I just watched through the looking glass and a bugs life tonight. The episodes still hold up. Can't believe how much sympathy I have for a large animatronic muppet (pilot) and a pregnant ship. She's scared and we didn't want you all to leave us. Aww.Just not something you can explain easily to people who have never seen this show.

I love this thread. Nobody I know watched this show. 

[Jacks-Son]

It's the same 'ole refrain:  "It has Muppets!!!!"  Yes, it has ONE important Muppet that you forget is a Muppet because Rygel is an egotistical braggart that isn't Muppet-like at all.  Neither Bert nor Ernie woulds spit in your face or could pee explosive urine or steal your shoes while you lay dying and his feet never touch the damn ground, so why does he need shoes?  Because!  That's why.

Edited March 22, 2019 by Jacks-Son

[ganesh]

I wrote a letter too. 

[MissL]

9 hours ago, Jacks-Son said:

It's the same 'ole refrain:  "It has Muppets!!!!"  Yes, it has ONE important Muppet that you forget is a Muppet because Rygel is an egotistical braggart that isn't Muppet-like at all.  Neither Bert nor Ernie woulds spit in your face or could pee explosive urine or steal your shoes while you lay dying and his feet never touch the damn ground, so why does he need shoes?  Because!  That's why.

And fart helium! Don't forget that!

I'd count Pilot as a muppet?  just because I'm not sure what else to call him and he isn't an actor under makeup. I'm telling you those two "muppets" have more personality than half the people on "the expanse" in my opinion. I watched 6 episodes of that show just hoping it would grow on me because the concept seemed cool and as I am here commenting on Farscape this type of show is obviously my jam...but I'll be damned if I could remember anyone's names after 6 episodes or feel connected to them at all. But with this show I'm so connected to a pair of "muppets" that I distinctly remember crying for Pilot and being proud anytime Rygel showed he cared for his crew/family. And in a Human Reaction I was actually horrified at what happened to him. 

And ive been skimming through this thread. My friend who saw Guardians of the Galaxy 2 with me had no idea why I suddenly clapped and whispered "Chrichton!" In the middle of the theatre. I was so happy to see him! And then to find out James Gunn put him in because he is a super fan of Farscape was a cherry on top. Love it when our show gets some love. 

[Loandbehold]

My cousin is a huge sci-fi fan. He's even written novels and short stories as well as movie reviews. It took me years (and my old DVDs) to get him to watch. After four or five episodes, he was complaining about why he was watching muppets. I told him he was just getting to the point where the series takes off and he'll forget those two characters are muppets. He did and he loved the show. 

[ganesh]

3 hours ago, MissL said:

But with this show I'm so connected to a pair of "muppets" that I distinctly remember crying for Pilot and being proud anytime Rygel showed he cared for his crew/family.

"I wanted so desperately to see the stars."

[Jacks-Son]

I never really considered Pilot as a Muppet.  That may have been his initial designation, but I put him in the Animatronics classification.  His movements required multiple personnel to manipulate and coordinate with Lani Tupu voicing.  I'd actually like to see the inner workings of the contraption used to create Pilot.

I'm not suggesting, in any way, that Pilot was any less of an important crew member than Rygel, just that I didn't consider him a Muppet. 

If I do continue with this year's "Farscape" rewatch (An annual tradition) I may actually break down and rewatch my most painful episode to watch during the entire run, "The Choice".  That episode is so painful to watch, I've only seen it once or twice.  It's a rough episode because, as Aeryn lamented, everything was perfect; she and Crichton achieved the perfect union.

I've used my Avatar of John Crichton for years, and even my user name is a reflection of Farscape.  I chose the user name Jacks-Son, in honor of John Crichton, son of Jack Crichton.

Enjoy the re-watch everyone.  Next rewatch, "Fringe". (Peter and Olivia were the closest to a perfect couple as John and Aeryn and slightly above Sheridan and Delenn, "Babylon 5")

MissL, thanks for reminding me that Rygel farted Helium whenever he was afraid.  I keep intending to give "The Expanse" a watch, I just can't get past Thomas Jane, one of the most boring actors to watch.

One last thought, I was SO excited that Ben Browder was added to the cast of "Stargate SG-1" years ago but then they ruined it by bringing in Claudia Black and NOT putting her romantically with Cameron (Ben Browder's character), but Daniel Jackson instead (Ugh - didn't Daniel already have his fill of beautiful women on that show, did they have to add Vala Mal Doran to his list?)

[Anduin]

IO9 has a brief but nice look at the show. Nothing earth shattering in there, but a good read anyway. Nothing about any potential movie or reboot, though. Ah well.

[ganesh]

Surprisingly from the article how many people went on to big time success though. 

[Jacks-Son]

Watching "Nerve" as we speak.  Crichton:  Aeryn or Gelina?  Gelina or Aeryn?  Aeryn?  Excellent choice, Sir.    Love this episode, because they step up Chiana's game.  Anybody know, off-hand, if Chiana was supposed to be a one-off or a couple of episodes at best?  DId she pull an EBR re: Felicity Smoak and force the showrunners to keep her on as a fan favorite?

The introduction of  Scorpius is also a delight.  Wayne Pygram made Scorpius into the very definition of "Bad Guy". Of course the episode has it's downside: Stark.  Not a fan.  🤐

Edited April 4, 2019 by Jacks-Son

[Loandbehold]

12 hours ago, Jacks-Son said:

Of course the episode has it's downside: Stark.  Not a fan.  🤐

I'll join you in the Stark hate. "My side, your side. My side, your side. My side, your side." Here's a thought, let me slap your face. On both side. Repeatedly. The show used Stark's level of madness for whatever the plot required. When necessary, he was sane or less crazy that in other episodes. Which drove me bonkers. He could make me miss Maldis.

[BigBeagle]

Quote

Watching "Nerve" as we speak.  Crichton:  Aeryn or Gelina?  Gelina or Aeryn?  Aeryn?  Excellent choice, Sir.

I always liked the Gelina vs. Aeryn dynamic for John. Gelina, IMO, represented a more normal type of life that he would have been more than happy with on Earth, which is why he was so attracted to her when they first met. Aeryn, meanwhile, was representative of his new reality in the Uncharted Territories. By the time of "Nerve," Chrichton had bid hail and farewell to his old life —and, consequently, Gelina.

Or maybe I'm just overthinking the whole thing.

Edited April 4, 2019 by BigBeagle
Oh, and I hate Stark, too.

[Jacks-Son]

2 hours ago, BigBeagle said:

I always liked the Gelina vs. Aeryn dynamic for John. Gelina, IMO, represented a more normal type of life that he would have been more than happy with on Earth, which is why he was so attracted to her when they first met. Aeryn, meanwhile, was representative of his new reality in the Uncharted Territories. By the time of "Nerve," Chrichton had bid hail and farewell to his old life —and, consequently, Gelina.

Or maybe I'm just overthinking the whole thing. 

No, you had it right, however, you can never overthink Farscape situations.  It was such an odd show with so much stuff going on and it was bonkers to boot.  Some episodes were so crazy that it required a new way to think.  I think by the time the episode "Nerve" aired, Crichton and Aeryn were approaching that special zone only they could achieve where they thought alike and trusted each other instinctively.  Aeryn had stopped complaining about Crichton's plans and just trusted him.  Even D'Argo and Zhaan adjusted to Crichton's plans.  In "PK Tech GIrl" when Gelina was first introduced, Aeryn realized that, shocker, she liked Crichton as  more than just a shipmate.  I gathered it was a total shock to her and shook up the image she had for herself.  Gelina was the catalyst for Crichton and Aeryn to realize that they had unknowingly slipped into this relationship where they not only relied on each other but needed to be near each other.  John was attracted to Gelina's normalcy.  You are correct BigBeagle, Gelina was as close to an Earth woman as Crichton had met, so far.  "Nerve" was the episode where both John and Aeryn went FAR beyond what was expected and each was willing to sacrifice themselves for the other.  I always wondered whether Chiana deliberately mentioned, "the other one" to Aeryn and said that "The other one" was Gelina whether, Chiana was trying to figure out what was going on between Crichton and Aeryn or that she had already sussed it out and was messing with Aeryn.  Chiana had a mischievous look on her face at the time and her tone was slightly teasing as she surmised that she was witnessing an actual love triangle.  Whether they realized it or not, Crichton and Aeryn had already fallen in love.  They had already slept with each other in "A Human Reaction" and though Aeryrn didn't think much of the "Procreation" as anything beyond a necessary act, now she missed his physical presence. "Nerve" led to "A Hidden Memory" and started Crichton on his mission to solve the Wormhole mystery.

As for Stark, Loandbehold, you had it right, Stark was sort of a mini Deus Ex Machina.  I just did not like his character, he was whatever the writers needed at the time, plus that "My side, Your side" crap was irritating.  His story can be found here: Stark

I found this web site that lists airdates and production numbers for "Farscape" episodes and it shows "Jeremiah Crichton" was produced BEFORE "Durka Returns" yet, in the Amazon airings, the episode is out of sequence: Epguides: Farscape (a Titles & Air Dates Guide).

[millahnna]

Yeah Amazon is apparently airing them in original airdate order instead of the intended order.  But they're also apparently doing some marketing stuff connected to the show here soon (toys, events, etc.) so I'm crossing my fingers that it's all a marketing test to see if there's enough audience for that sequel; Amazon is an obvious place to shop that.  It's been 20 years.  That's about how long (not counting films) between Star Trek TOS and TNG, which doesn't sound right but there it is.  So let's all go Scape some newbies.

[BigBeagle]

One last thing about Gelina ... I always felt so sorry for her. All she did was fall in love with Crichton and get killed for her trouble — which happened a lot to people who fell into John's orbit, now that I think about it.

[Jacks-Son]

5 hours ago, BigBeagle said:

One last thing about Gelina ... I always felt so sorry for her. All she did was fall in love with Crichton and get killed for her trouble — which happened a lot to people who fell into John's orbit, now that I think about it.

Her death was sad, but I look at it from the perspective that she gave her life to save the man she loves.  She could have stayed down in the bowels of the base, but then she would have had to live with her decision to stay safe.

I'm on season 2 episode 1. Aeryn had saved Crichton and D'Argo with Crais help and got crap from them for letting Crais kidnap Talyn.

Still had that out-of-order comment about Zhaan yelling for Crichton to save her in Litagara (that Zhaan prison episode when she had to rely on Chiana and Rygel's lawyerly skills).

I still believe that Chiana was in love with Crichton when she wanted to thank him for saving her life in the only currency she had at that time, her body.  This was just before Crichton and D'Argo decimated that Gammack base.  I loved it.  Between the crew, they wrecked SO much shit, it was maximum fun to watch. Like the time those bounty hunters were on Moya and the head guy, who was a Scarran in disguise wanted to capture Crichton and his friends all laughed and said "Good luck, you'll see Crichton seconds before he kills you!"

Edited April 6, 2019 by Jacks-Son

[Danny Franks]

On ‎4‎/‎6‎/‎2019 at 2:12 AM, Jacks-Son said:

I still believe that Chiana was in love with Crichton when she wanted to thank him for saving her life in the only currency she had at that time, her body. 

I'm currently rewatching the show, and just watched the first few episodes with Chiana in. Man, she was such a breath of fresh air for the show. I guess it's that her introduction coincided with the show hitting an incredibly rich run of episodes, but the whole thing just feels like it gets a big lift.

And I absolutely love her chemistry with John. There's a heavy, heavy sexual element to it, right from the off. And for Chiana, that seems to deepen over time into a genuine love that's part romantic, part sibling, and all kinds of spicy. I think it's similar for John too. The attraction is palpable, but always under control.

It's not ever depicted as unhealthy, nor is there ever really any jealousy from Chiana over John/Aeryn. Just another part of the show that made it feel like these aliens were actually alien.

But also, rewatching it is making me fall for John/Aeryn all over again. Aeryn's growth in the first season is remarkable, and Claudia Black's performances as a character slowly learning to deal with confusing, painful emotions, are so great.

Edited October 4, 2019 by Danny Franks

[DoctorAtomic]

Claudia Black should have been cast as Wonder Woman. Fight me.

In the commentaries, there's a scene where John and Chiana kiss, but she ends up sticking her tongue in his mouth. Ben was remarking that it was a total surprise and she never gave him a heads up, but that's exactly what Chiana would do.

[Jacks-Son]

2 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

In the commentaries, there's a scene where John and Chiana kiss, but she ends up sticking her tongue in his mouth. Ben was remarking that it was a total surprise and she never gave him a heads up, but that's exactly what Chiana would do.

She tried to give John tongue when she thanked him. She opened her mouth to begin a tongue kiss but John pilled hack and made the "Never before a big game" line.

[DoctorAtomic]

Yes, that.

[Luckylyn]

10 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

I'm currently rewatching the show, and just watched the first few episodes with Chiana in. Man, she was such a breath of fresh air for the show. I guess it's that her introduction coincided with the show hitting an incredibly rich run of episodes, but the whole thing just feels like it gets a big lift.

And I absolutely love her chemistry with John. There's a heavy, heavy sexual element to it, right from the off. And for Chiana, that seems to deepen over time into a genuine love that's part romantic, part sibling, and all kinds of spicy. I think it's similar for John too. The attraction is palpable, but always under control.

It's not ever depicted as unhealthy, nor is there ever really any jealousy from Chiana over John/Aeryn. Just another part of the show that made it feel like these aliens were actually alien.

But also, rewatching it is making me fall for John/Aeryn all over again. Aeryn's growth in the first season is remarkable, and Claudia Black's performances as a character slowly learning to deal with confusing, painful emotions, are so great.

I absolutely adored the complex attracted/sibling dynamic between John/Chiana.  They had such a lovely friendship, but they had that amazing sexy chemistry.   It was interesting to see two people so close, attracted to each other, but not meant to be end game.  Plus they were supportive of each others romantic relationships and never showed jealousy.  I love that they just loved each other, but there was never ever a love triangle.  I remembered that scene of Chiana giving John relationship advise while simultaneously leaning against him flirtatiously.  “Fast with the body.  Slow with the soul.”  John and Chiana had this tendency to communicate in a flirtatious way but it never felt disrespectful to their romantic  partners.  In that  same episode Chiana tries to convince Aeryn to tell John how she feels instead of assuming John knows what’s in Aeryn’s head with her hilarious “Men are stupid” advice.  You knew John/Chiana never wanted to damage each others relationships.  They really had something unique that you don’t see on tv.
 
Also I just adore John/Aeryn and their progression.  On some shows it feels contrived keeping the couple from getting together for too long.  I feel the pacing for John/Aeryn was just right. The obstacles keeping them from getting together in earlier seasons felt organic because they literally came from different worlds with very different views on relationships.  Aeryn grew up in a world where love was dangerous and the idea of settling down with one person was so foreign to her.

[Jacks-Son]

Now, here is food for thought.  Question: It was never actually shown on screen but it was sort of implied; was Chiana actually responsible for taking John's virginity?  Chiana allowed Crichton to believe she was Karen Shaw in the episode "Kansas". Prior to that episode, in the episode "Picture if You Will", "That Old Black Magic", Maldis, as the jester, reminded Crichton that he lost his virginity in the back of a pickup to Karen Shaw.  So, was Karen Shaw really Chiana?

Edited October 6, 2019 by Jacks-Son

[Loandbehold]

2 hours ago, Jacks-Son said:

So, was Karen Shaw really Chiana?

I always thought so. Even though we didn't see them having sex, it was so strongly implied that she had sex w/ young John. Which was just as, if not more important to Chiana's arc as it was to John's history.

[DoctorAtomic]

Yes. I think they said so on the commentary. 

[Danny Franks]

9 hours ago, Luckylyn said:

I absolutely adored the complex attracted/sibling dynamic between John/Chiana.  They had such a lovely friendship, but they had that amazing sexy chemistry.   It was interesting to see two people so close, attracted to each other, but not meant to be end game.  Plus they were supportive of each others romantic relationships and never showed jealousy.  I love that they just loved each other, but there was never ever a love triangle.  I remembered that scene of Chiana giving John relationship advise while simultaneously leaning against him flirtatiously.  “Fast with the body.  Slow with the soul.”  John and Chiana had this tendency to communicate in a flirtatious way but it never felt disrespectful to their romantic  partners.  In that  same episode Chiana tries to convince Aeryn to tell John how she feels instead of assuming John knows what’s in Aeryn’s head with her hilarious “Men are stupid” advice.  You knew John/Chiana never wanted to damage each others relationships.  They really had something unique that you don’t see on tv.
 

I'd forgotten how open Chiana is about it, at times. She pretty much says "I want you" to Crichton in the season 1 finale. And while her attempt to proposition him is about showing gratitude for everything he's done for her, it's also about showing him how much he means to her.

But it's to the credit of the writers and the actors that it's clear John/Chiana is never a serious proposition. It could be, if certain things had gone differently, but it's not. At the very least, they could have had an amazing friends with benefits arrangement, but they both know where John's heart lies.

5 hours ago, Loandbehold said:

I always thought so. Even though we didn't see them having sex, it was so strongly implied that she had sex w/ young John. Which was just as, if not more important to Chiana's arc as it was to John's history.

She definitely did. I can't recall for sure, but I think Farscape explicitly followed the 'change the future' mode of time travel, which would mean that Chiana was always Karen Shaw, rather than the divergent timelines model, where our John slept with a human girl called Karen, but this John slept with Chiana.

I liked it. Because it gave Chiana an experience with John that she couldn't otherwise have. And Farscape was a messy show, which embraced messy dynamics.

9 hours ago, Luckylyn said:

Also I just adore John/Aeryn and their progression.  On some shows it feels contrived keeping the couple from getting together for too long.  I feel the pacing for John/Aeryn was just right. The obstacles keeping them from getting together in earlier seasons felt organic because they literally came from different worlds with very different views on relationships.  Aeryn grew up in a world where love was dangerous and the idea of settling down with one person was so foreign to her.

I'd kind of forgotten how great early John/Aeryn was, because the latter half of it was so wracked with angst and pain. By the time season 4 came along, I was ready for them both to move on, and I was crushing hard on Sikozu, rooting for John to hook up with her.

John/Aeryn just had too much baggage, and they'd become so bad at communicating, that by the time they resolved it all I was simply burned out.

But it's so much fun, watching the first season and seeing how far they come, in a short amount of time. Both as individuals adapting to completely new worlds, and as two people with developing feelings for one another.

[sinkwriter]

It's time for a series rewatch for me; been too long since I've watched it. But last time I did, I remember thinking that the John/Aeryn relationship development was better than anything else I'd seen. I used to point to Mulder/Scully as my favorite TV series relationship (not only for the romantic angle but also for the complexity and for the fact that neither of them were your typical character), but after seeing Farscape, I felt like there was nothing better than John/Aeryn. They both grew so much, and the writers didn't draw shit out way too long or twist it in terribly manipulative ways. Instead, it felt like a natural, understandable progression and development of the characters and their relationship. I thought it was remarkable. Time to rewatch it and remind myself!  🙂

[Jacks-Son]

I also enjoyed John/Aeryn relationship's natural progression except for the "Twin" situatiion and the complexities his whole death. I too would place them at the top of any Syfy Power Couple list. My next couple is almost as fascinating to watch and that is the John/Delenn relationship in "Babylon 5".

Enjoy your rewatch.  I recently did a partial rewatch and stopped when I got to the episode where John got "Twiined".

[Anduin]

Here's some news I came across recently. Farscape is getting a BR release. All the eps and PKW will be in 1080p, plus there will be a whole bunch of extra features. Comes out 19 November.

Also, there was a big official con. Once again, people reiterated that Farscape isn't over and done with. There will be more. I can't find any statement of what this 'more' is.

While I know I should think about the stories left to tell, I can't help think of the effects. I'd love to see Moya rendered with today's CG. I'd like to see a Vorlon ship from Babylon 5 done today too. When it comes to techno-organic ships, I think they can finally be done justice. Also, puppetry has come on too. There's no end to what can be achieved with proper imagination, time, and budget.

[Jacks-Son]

4 hours ago, Anduin said:

Here's some news I came across recently. Farscape is getting a BR release. All the eps and PKW will be in 1080p, plus there will be a whole bunch of extra features. Comes out 19 November.

Damn, I'll probably spring for the Blu Ray series if they manage to successfully transfer to the newer format.  Thanks, @Anduin. That's great news.

[Anduin]

Does anyone have good pictures of Talyn? It's been a long time since I watched S2 and 3. The wiki is no help. And google search only turns up contradictory fanart. Yeah, I should wait for the HD release. But I'm curious now. Please help.

[Loandbehold]

A(nother) article arguing that it's time to either reboot or continue the series. This sums it up best:  

Quote

"To say it is one of the most original television series of all time is something of a (massive) understatement."

 

[Featherhat]

Great article, it pretty much encapsulates everything I love about this series, including the way it told the story of John Crichton and also of John/Aeryn who remain my favourite ever pairing on TV. 

I imagine their have been discussions about the possibility of rebooting it, as well as the webisodes BB used to talk about, but I wouldn't want a redo without the original cast (and the writers) because that's a large part of what made it so amazing. 

I wouldn't mind some sort of "in the same universe as..." with the Henson company etc. But you circle back to the problem of it being a relatively obscure show anyway. And whilst there is certainly scope it's not necessarily as easy as say Stargate where you can theoretically fairly easily introduce another location or team if you want to reboot the show. 

I've said this before but I'll say it again because the article mentions it. The ending of season 4 is a throw things at the screen moment but it's also such a Farscape moment that if it had been the end I would have had to agree it was perfectly the show, unlike so many others which pull nonsense at the last minute. 

[DoctorAtomic]

No reboot. 

I don't think you're going to capture the supernova of a show where the 'heroes' are literally galactic nuclear terrorists. 

A continuation would be cool, but I can't see either John or Aeryn back up for all that pushing 50. It would be interesting how that corner of the galaxy has recovered from them and what the political landscape is like. 

I said when the show was on though that this could be the next Trek-like franchise. The show universe is just as vast. 

[raven]

So I have just started watching this on Amazon - never watched when it first aired.

Anyway, just watched "DNA Mad Scientist" and hoo boy did we take a dark turn, esp right after the "vampire" episode.  Poor Pilot.  I will say that Zhaan's new, nasty, selfish side is interesting to watch.  Also, the body horror effects are decent in this one.  I normally really dislike Rygel but enjoyed him getting the drop on Zhaan and D'Argo twice.   The dynamic between John and Aeryn is a good one - I've read some of the topic so I know they not surprisingly become a couple and I like seeing the developing friendship/respect.  

Another interesting thing is seeing all of these early character archetypes.   Glad to hear the show didn't end its run on a cliffhanger (thanks, devoted fans!) so am looking forward to seeing what happens next.

[DoctorAtomic]

Farscape got right into 'this isn't going to be like any scifi show you've seen' right off the bad with early episodes like this. 

A subtle point in this one was Aeryn saying 'I'm so scared.' Given her PK background, for her to say that, she must have been terrified. They really put out that tiny Rygel is way more calculating then he looks. 

I think you (we) needed the vampire episode to get some story on Crais. I appreciate they didn't use his origin story to make him suddenly sympathetic, but it was good for the background. I can at least understand him going ballistic over Crighton in his 'white death pod.'

Edited February 1, 2021 by DoctorAtomic

[Danny Franks]

Yeah, Farscape was never afraid to get dark and twisted - in fun ways and in extremely disturbing ways. It embraced the idea of giving your heroes feet of clay - they all do stupid, self-destructive, selfish things at times, and they all have moments when they're incredibly unsympathetic and even unlikeable. 

The ambition of the show was incredible. To create this world that was full of weirder aliens than other shows could imagine, that didn't sanitise anything and even revelled in the gross things that are a part of life but were amplified by being alien gross things. There was a lot of CGI for a show that first aired in 1999 and the use of puppets was something that was incredibly unhip by then, but they did it anyway and it worked.

It takes a little while for the show to really hit its stride, and I wasn't convinced that I liked it much until I watched Nerve, the 16th episode of the first season. For me, that's when it all came together.

[jah1986]

Farscape is a show you can't watch while eating dinner. DNA Mad Scientist is a great episode, tells you so much about the characters. For me PK Tech Girl is the episode where I knew I was going to stick around until the end.  I hope you stick with it raven, it really is one of the best sci-fi shows I've ever seen.

[DoctorAtomic]

I think my first one was where they got stuck in starburst. Then I think I saw the first appearance of Chiana. This was back when you had to wait for reruns and then *tape* them. So I didn't see S1 from the start until after the season had aired. 

These characters were really fully formed from the jump though. There wasn't much 'taking time for them to grow into the character.' 

[Luckylyn]

I remember how much I adored Farscape to the point where I would not make plans on Friday nights so I could watch the newest episode.  This was in the olden days before I had a DVR.  This show was something really special.  I can see the influence of it on movies like The Guardians of the Galaxy.  Ben Browder even has a cameo in Volume 2.  

[DoctorAtomic]

The guy that made the movie totally said Farscape was an influence. 

I also wouldn't go out until I watched. 

[Danny Franks]

11 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I think my first one was where they got stuck in starburst. Then I think I saw the first appearance of Chiana. This was back when you had to wait for reruns and then *tape* them. So I didn't see S1 from the start until after the season had aired. 

These characters were really fully formed from the jump though. There wasn't much 'taking time for them to grow into the character.' 

I'm not going to lie, Chiana was a big part of the reason that Nerve was the episode that convinced me that I should watch the show every week. I hadn't watched the previous couple of episodes, so hadn't seen her before. Let's just say that she was captivating to teenage me.

5 hours ago, Luckylyn said:

I remember how much I adored Farscape to the point where I would not make plans on Friday nights so I could watch the newest episode.  This was in the olden days before I had a DVR.  This show was something really special.  I can see the influence of it on movies like The Guardians of the Galaxy.  Ben Browder even has a cameo in Volume 2.  

It was his voice I recognised first, when I watched Guardians 2. He uses the same voice he used to use when John was pretending to be a Peacekeeper. And I could definitely see the Sovereign race appearing in an episode of Farscape, they had that same, odd and slightly off quality that a lot of Farscape races had.