Return to the Uncharted Territories (Rewatching Farscape)

Cafe Society
21

Well, you should. ETA: enjoy seeing him get his comeuppance, that is. -ExT

Scorpius had decent enough motives (stop the spread of Scarran Empire), but he’d sink to even lower depths of brutality, depravity, and betrayal in order to do so.

Plus, I do believe there was more than a little bit of revenge on anyone who had ever slighted him, or who he had perceived to have slighted him, or who knew him “back when” he was just an up-and-coming Peacekeeper agent with an axe to grind. Scorpy was more then a little fahrbot.

Which made the whole Crichton-Scorpius dynamic so frelling interesting: John became Scorpius’ moral compass. Scorpy didn’t necessarily change his ways (old habits and all that), but he did moderate them somewhat; if for no other reason than to gain John’s assistance in developing WWs.

22

Scorpy would have to have been driven a little fahrbot, thanks to being raised by Scarrans during his formative years, hearing nothing more than “you’re weak” “you’re worthless” and such from his adopted "care"giver “Mommy Horseface”, then discovering that his Sebecean Biomom died giving birth to him, and he was nothing more to the scarrans than an “interesting” experiment in crossbreeding Scarran and Sebecean genetics, a “failed” experiment at that…

that’d kinda warp any child growing up in such an environment…

add to that not being truly accepted by PK command, just “tolerated” because he was “useful”, you could understand how that would make him more than just a little resentful and only willing to do what it takes to protect himself, I don’t think he really cared about the PK military machine, just that he found it useful to help him achieve his personal goals, I bet that if Scorpy approached the Nebari High Command instead of the PK’s heck, or even the Luxans, he’d have a similar approach, use them to further his goals and discard them when they were no longer needed, all to further his need for revenge on the Scarrans

23

I still think that it would have been a strong ending (albeit an EXTREMELY dark one) even if PK wars never was created, after all, DK and crew had the mivonks to;

“kill” John and Aeryn, after we spent 4 years getting to know and love them, they get yanked out from under us with no warning (kinda’ like the way life works when an unexpected death in the family occurs)

leave Chiana blinded, possibly permanently, knowing full well that the only man ,other than her brother, that she could truly trust, and who she was madly in love with (unrequited love, though) was “dead”

have D’argo lose his best friend in the UT, and his moral compass, the only one capable of talking him down out of his Luxan “rages”

Pilot would have lost great friends in both John AND Aeryn (who still carried remnants of Pilot DNA thanks to Namtar’s genetic meddling), he was closer to Aeryn than anyone on the ship (ironic considering Aeryn was one of the troopers on the death-squad that removed Moya’s original Pilot)

Try having Trek or any of the other namby-pamby “Utopia-esque” Sci-Fi shows at the time end anywhere near that darkly, the closest they came to a dark ending in TNG was episode one of The Best of Both Worlds, Picard being assimilated by the Borg, the Enterprise deflector dish weapon failed, and the Borg on their way to Sector 001 to Assimilate Earth…

24

OK, I just watched the Pilot, Exodus from Genesis, and Throne for a Loss today. I realize that I missed I, ET but I was just following what was being played on Netflix.

A few quick thoughts about the pilot episode:

  1. There is some great interaction between the two Crichtons. Clearly John wants to impress his father while his father is already proud of him.

  2. There’s a nice bit where the gang is making a break for it on Moya and D’Argo and Zhaan introduce themselves to each other. It’s cool how they’re working together just because they happen to be there.

2a. Obviously Chrichton is the outsider and is also lost and far form home, so he makes a good gateway character for us to relate to. He’s also a smart guy as well as a character who gets some great lines. “Boy, did Spielberg get it wrong.”

  1. Rygell farts helium. That has to be a lot of helium to affect everyone in a room.

  2. Watching the pilot again, I kept thinking how well done it was made. The characters, settings, and situations were all introduced very well and the conflict was established between Chrichton and Crais effectively, without all of the introductions feeling so “forced.” I don’t know if there are many “perfect” pilot episodes for shows out there, but this is as close as you can get, I think.

  3. Sebaceans have a weakness to heat? I’m not a big fan of that. They’re a military race, but they better hope that they don’t have to fight on a desert planet.

  4. I totally forgot about naked Zhaan. Is this one of the first programs to show totally naked blue butts like that? Zhaan is pretty hot as well as a “cool” character and I find it unfortunate that Virginia Hey ended up leaving due to health reasons caused by the blue paint.

  5. Aliens with cool powers – D’argo’s knockout tongue, Zhaan’s super speed, healing blood, and some kind of sexual headbutt/ hug, Aeryn’s heat delerium, and of course Rygel’s helium farts.

25

I had never watched it, so I borrowed the first season from a friend.

Got two episodes in, screamed in frustration at how awful it was, and gave up.

So… not my cup of tea at all. Sorry.

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They also kept the “To Be Continued” tag at the end. They really wanted a chance to finish their story.

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If I may and you haven’t 100.00000% given up on the series, fast-forward to “Nerve” and its followup, “Hidden Memory”. If those don’t grab you, nothing will.

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Sounds like the sort of power you’d see in the Legion of Superheroes.

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Well, I’ll throw in my thoughts on “Exodus from Genesis” then.

This is really the episode that got me hooked on Farscape. There were a lot of things that were good in the pilot - the alienness of Moya’s passengers, especially at the start where Crichton can’t understand them, the shifting loyalties as he tries to work out who to throw in his lot with, the way you can really see his disorientation. Also (and this applies to most of the first series) - the contempt in which all the characters hold Crichton, the outsider, who doesn’t even know the simplest and most basic things about the society they live in. He has to really fight for their respect, and the fact that he manages to do so is a tribute to his strength of character. The gradual development of this respect and affection (and indeed the development of the relationships between the whole crew) is one of the best things about Season 1 of Farscape.

But back to “Exodus from Genesis”. One of the big themes in this episode is the dangers of making snap judgements (also a factor in the pilot episode, where Crichton very unwisely tries to throw in his lot with the “human-looking” Sebaceans), and that trying to solve problems with violence can beget more issues than it resolves. The crew’s problem with the Drak only begin after they kill their first baby Drak, thinking of it as just some bug infesting the ship. In order to solve their problems, they have to negotiate.

Raging plot hole - so they have to cool Aeryn down? There’s frelling hard vacuum just outside the hull, how much colder do you need? What, there’s no such thing as a space suit anywhere on the ship? Bah, humbug. This is such an intractible problem for the plot they were probably wise to just gloss over it as if it doesn’t exist.

Also highly suspect - the Drak need samples of all their DNA so that it can mimic them … including their clothes :smack: . Uh-huh. I did like the fact that the copying is only skin deep though (considering the high speed at which the copies are made, very sensible). Also the failure of the obviously-flawed “orange dot” solution to the identity problem.

BTW - Mahaloth - I’m glad to hear it!

30

How coincidental. I just started rewatching this. I’ve seen it all the way through only once before, several years ago, and bought the series and the movie that wraps everything up, but hadn’t really had the impetus to open it until recently.

I had forgotten how…unimpressive…the second episode is. I’m glad when I watched the series previously that I had the encouragement of friends to continue watching, because that episode sucks. The alien lady with her kid just bugs me, and that actress is terrible.

I can’t wait for the appearance of Scorpius. I agree with the poster above that said he is an extraordinarily fine villain.

The second episode is truly horrible, in my opinion. Try some later ones.

Or not. It doesn’t have to be your cup of tea.

31

I’m not going to agree that much about the series being so much better in the latter seasons. I mean, there’s a point when everybody involved in doing the show started dropping acid and the show became entertainingly surreal, with all the media res beginnings and characters acting oddly for no reason, and that’s great. I like the psychedelic Farscape as much as the next guy.

But before that, the show was getting on his stride while still having somewhat coherent plots about a band of alien rogues on the run, and I would have preferred the show to follow that line a lot more. It was Firefly before firefly!

32

Tonight will be a two-episode recap and review, I E.T. And Exodus from Genesis due to the first episode being weak and lackluster

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Episode 2; I, E.T.

Memorable Crichtonisms;

[referring to Moya being able to achieve a planetary landing]
Well, if she can’t, she can’t, we can stick our heads between our legs and kiss our asses* goodbye…
(D, Z, and A look at Crichton quizzically)
It’s a saying…

[referring to a PK scanning device]
you press this, this, and this it’s like a VCR, only easier…

J; This reminds me of Louisiana…or Dagobah…
A; Dagobah?
J; yeah, Dagobah, where Yoda lives
A; Who’s Yoda?
J; Just a little green guy, trains warriors…
A; Oh…

This episode was a little slow, and the actors playing the “aliens” (errr…natives) were horribly untalented, but it had it’s nice touches, Crichton seeing what it’s like to be the alien this time, on an earth-like world

High points;
The Moyans beginning to work together as a functional crew
Rygel’s fear of mud, got a palpable sense of fear from fluffy here
Rygel’s joy of being able to help Moya by removing the Paddac Beacon wiring
The introduction of Blue’s Delvian P’au abilities (sharing Moya’s pain)
Aeryn beginning to show concern for her shipmate (Zhaan, in this case) starting to break PK mental conditioning and actually care about someone
the Chlorium being a mundane compound, a table condiment
D’argo and Aeryn’s budding freindship, in the tree, good naturedly ragging on each other

Low points;
the “alien” natives, the actors did a truly craptacular job of acting, there was more characterization in the trees outside their house, the frelling trees were less wooden than these actors
Aeryn’s “bird call” signal to D
the plotline was predictable, you just knew the military was going to capture one or more of the Moyans and John would have to save them

Interesting trivia bit, when John first gets zapped by the stun baton, watch his hand closest to the camera, , after he picks it up and wiggles it, he puts it back down, with the middle finger slightly extended, almost like he’s flipping off the kid for stunning him

Overall, a forgettable episode, aside from the “John is the alien this time” angle, and some nice characterizations and growth from Rygel, going from a selfish, stuck up Dominar to someone geuinely concerned for Moya and Zhaan and willing to do his part to help Moya

Since I’ve been watching the CNN coverage of the disaster in Japan, I think I’m going to post my recap of Exodus from Genesis tomorrow, but Aspidistra did post a nice recap of that episode so I really don’t need to post my recap tonight

34

I’ll post/participate more when we get to mid- and later S1 eps. The first handfull of eps. almost turned me off of the show back when it originally aired, so I don’t have much good to say about them

35

Okay, I’ll pick up the ball and run with it for a bit.

Throne For A Loss is epsode 4 of season one of Farscape. Original airdate was 9 April 1999. Fourth episode in the airing order, also the fourth episode in the DVD box set.

Plot:

A Plot: The crew attempt to negotiate with some folks called the Tavloids (Tavleks!) to transport cargo, but the Tavleks instead attack and snatch Rygel to hold him for ransom. The crew must work together to rescue Rygel. NOT because they love him, or even particularly like him, but because he took one of Moya’s “control crystals” as a pretty bauble for his Royal Scepter, knocking Moya’s propulsion off-line, and her orbit is slowly decaying.

The Tavlek’s use “gauntlet weapons” that they wear on their forearms, and which inject potent “combat drugs” into their system, making them stronger, faster, and tougher than they’d otherwise be. These gauntlet weapons shoot what appears to be ball lightning, and also provide some “deflector shied” capability for the wearer.

B Plot: One of the Tavloids (Tavleks!) gets knocked out in the initial fray, and captured by our heroes. While Aeryn and John (and eventually D’Argo) go down to rescue Rygel, Zhann nurses the captive (Kyr) free of the combat drugs, and attempts to reason with him on a moral level. Questions of Free Will and Choice arise.

Hilarity ensues. Buy the DVD set and watch.

Memorable Lines:

John: “Pilot! Get a tractor beam on that shuttle!”
Pilot: “Tractor beam? What’s that?”
John: “Graviton field. Attract-O-Ray. Super glue. Whatever it is you yanked me aboard with!”

John: “A stimulant? It’s a little more than cappucino, pal. Our friend just tried to kill us!”

John: “Wil E. Coyote would come up with a better plan than that!”

Jotheb: “Is there a problem?”
Rygel: “This bowl. It’s a skull.”
Jotheb: “That can be no one you knew.”

John: “You shangheid my ass down here; now you want me to lead? Give me one good reason.”
Aeryn: “Lots of reasons: landmines, fire snakes, razor grass, night-vision snipers, Molian Death Spiders.”

Aeryn: “What happened? Wait! Where’s the rifle?”
John: “It’s all over the place. Am I bleeding?”
Aeryn: “You blew up the rifle?!”

John (to Aeryn): “And you, you’re ready to slaughter every Tavloid…”
Aeryn & D’Argo: “Tavlek!”
John: “…on the planet!”

Zhann: “How would you like your arm torn off?”

Zhann: “Hear me! I could rip you apart right now, Kha’Lin help me, I would enjoy it!”

Bhakesh (of Rygel): “He’s not insane.”
Rygel: “I could be.”

John Crichton: “Rygel is an obnoxious gas bag, and who’s going to shell out for that?”
Rygel: “He’s right; I’m unloved, unwanted, unpopular…”
Bhakesh: (kicks Rygel)
Rygel: …unconcious."

Kyr: “My choice.” (after he’s freed from Moya, and showing Zhann that he’s once again wearing the gauntlet).

Production, Impressions:

The opening scene with the Tavloid (Tavlek!) shuttle docking with Moya was phenomenal.

Zhann gets nekkid! Also: apparently, Delvian People Sap helps folks with withdrawal.

Bluish/purple jungle foliage, 10 years before Avatar.

D’Argo does the Luxxan Tongue Lash on Aeryn (not as kinky as it sounds).

Rygle dies. But only for the length of the commercial break.

Before there was The Zohan, there was the Zhann. Do NOT mess with the Zhann. All calm, cool, and serene on the outside, one big ball of (barely restrained!) seething hatred and rage on the inside.

Poop stone!

Farscape has its share of rubber-headed aliens, but they do manage to occasionally outweird Star Wars when it comes to aliens, and Jotheb is a fine example.

Overall a fun episode, with the dialog between Rygel and Jotheb (both puppets!) being pretty darned good. Nothing much touchy-feely “Star Trek” about this episode, yet it does manage to bring the crew a bit closer together.

This episode does set up a few things that become regular Farscape themes:

  1. The crew is mostly pathetic, and monetarily worthless to anyone other than bounty hunters. They acknowledge this about themselves on numerous occasions.

  2. Chrichton is the moral and cultural “neutral zone” between everyone else. Seen here, he plays referee between Aeryn and D’Argo who, coming down from the gauntlet’s combat drugs, are grumpy and given to verbally sniping at each other, with real danger of escalation to vitriol and then violence.

  3. They take a Star Trekkian notion, and stand it on its ear. Or head. Or just run right over it. In this instance, the situation with the Tavloid mercenaries is resolved mostly non-violently in the end. But not through grand moral themes expounded upon and delived in high Shakespearean style, extolling the moral virtue of Federation, but in a “we’re too pathetic to be worth the trouble” kind of way.

Plot holes:

Why didn’t Pilot notice right away when Moya’s propulsion went off-line, right after Rygel took the control crystal?

36

In “I, ET”, Did you pick up that they people understood Crichton without the translator microbes? They are an isolated planet with no alien encounters(and consequently, no translation microbes), yet they can understand them.

It’s a plot hole and David Kemper said that episode basically is so early, it does not fit into the canon.

37

I noticed that, too. My fanwank is that so may other worlds in their vicinity use translator microbes so extensively, that some of them managed to panspermia their way to that world without anyone noticing.

38

Give that man a “no prize”!

:smiley:

39

Nice review Ex-Tank, hits pretty much the points i’d make :slight_smile:

this is also the form I wanted this thread to take, with everyone contributing reviews/recaps, sorry I dropped out of the thread for a bit but it worked out better I think