Farscape Season 1
SPOILERS TOTAL. You've been warned.
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(First watched 2009-12-14) So after watching this episode, my immediate comparisons go to things like Star Wars, The Dark Crystal, and even Futurama. Star Wars because of crazy aliens and ship dogfighting, as well as the Peacekeepers' orderliness and genetic humanness reminds me of Imperials. The Dark Crystal because of all the Henson creatures, and since there's no David Bowie a Labyrinth comparison would be inapt. Futurama because it's about one guy from modern Earth (though not exactly an everyman) being flung away from everything he knows to a strange world where he's thrown together with a crew of various weird persons.
And even with all that weirdness, probably the most fantastical thing was how that lead Peacekeeper kept viewing the footage of his brother dumbassedly smacking into Farscape One and spinning into an asteroid, and blamed the event on Crichton.
Actually, the city they're in for a while was also pretty fantastic. Dense, detailed, and varied alien cities aren't something you see too often in sci-fi shows. Even ones that explore strange, new worlds often find themselves in cities not very inhuman at all.
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(First watched 2009-12-14) DAMN! Main characters in other shows just don't bite off chunks of each other! And swallow!
So it is not exactly an uncommon thing in space sci-fi show for them to do an episode where they go to some planet similar to Earth (or even Earth itself) and our heroes play the role of extra-terrestrial visitors who are trying to escape detection (or just escape). In that way, this episode was kind of old hat. HOWEVER, this may be the first time such a story has been done with a guy who himself had only met aliens for the first time a day or two prior?
It was partially the makeup for the people of this planet and partially the guest actress, but I was reminded of the Ocampa of Star Trek: Voyager, particularly Kes.
So Crichton made a reference to Dagobah, but I was already thinking it. Star Wars-ish show, sudden appearance of a swamp planet in the second episode? Pretty obvious reference and I'm sure many other viewers thought the same. However, this at least helps us categorize Farscape into the "sci-fi shows which feel free to reference other sci-fi shows out loud" group.
I know Crichton is supposed to be the big hero, but it still seems kind of out there that he'd be so adamant about rescuing D'Argo. They barely know each other, and what exists of their relationship hasn't exactly been smooth.
So hey, those microbes or whatever that work as this series's universal translator... they're effective in both listening and speech, even when the natives of this planet don't have the microbe? Impressive microbe. But heeey wait, it didn't work that way in the last episode; otherwise Crichton would've understood what everyone was saying before getting injected himself.
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103: Exodus from Genesis 1999 March 26
(First watched 2009-12-15) Interesting. Usually space-dwelling creatures, hive creatures, and replicant creatures are not to be reasoned with in fiction--but in this case something that combines all three was pretty reasonable once discussions started.
Evolutionary, that the Sebatiens (sp?) get so damaged by only slightly super-optimal temperatures seems like a pretty big flaw. Their home planet must be pretty steadily cool. For that matter, I understand that there were heating/cooling problems on the ship, but they don't even have any fans?
There was one part that really weirded me out. They briefly switched to a primitive-looking CG Rygel. Why? It was just showing him walking into this tube thing from a side view, nothing fancy that would seem a necessity to do all with computers.
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104: Throne for a Loss 1999 April 9
(First watched 2009-12-17) Healing a wound by beating on it until it bleeds clear? Interesting technique.
Tabloids!
I really like the blue plants. Helps sell that they're not just filming on plain old Earth.
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105: Back and Back and Back to the Future 1999 April 2
(First watched 2009-12-17) "What's the matter with him?" "He is Crichton." Good answer.
Near the end when they were talking about needing to split up D'Argo and Metalla, I thought that's when Crichton's earlier foreshadows would kick in, and he'd be used as a distraction. Guess those just got completely avoided.
Those translation microbes are really finicky. They'll evidently convey that an alien species is scorpion-like by giving them a name similar to scorpions, but can't convey what Crichton means when he says "tractor beam".
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106: Thank God It's Friday, Again 1999 April 23
(First watched 2009-12-20) Ahh, gotta love misunderstood-slang humor; Aeryn getting "a woody" when she meant "the willies".
Keeping people thinking that it's always the day just before the weekend is interesting, but considering they seem to have no memory of it being work work work work work it seems a bit wasted--it's not like they need it to keep cooled down, and physically they'd probably be better off taking a day off from all the extra drinking and dancing.
Explosive body fluids... that just ain't right. Rygel is lucky it didn't blow up inside him.
When Pilot was telling Aeryn that he really wasn't that naturally good at science, I wonder if he was really serious or just trying to motivate her to put effort into it.
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107: PK Tech Girl 1999 April 16
(First watched 2009-12-21) Oh, PK stands for Peacekeeper. I was expecting telekinesis.
So hey, it's Moya vs some shell-less Koopas.
I don't think it was clear to me until now that they're all lost. I know Crichton's been thrown who-knows-where, and thought that's why he wanted to see some star charts in the second episode. But in this one D'Argo was hoping to retrieve some from the derelict ship so they could find their ways home.
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108: That Old Black Magic 1999 June 11
(First watched 2009-12-22) So finally Crichton gets to make his case to Crais... but it turns out Crais is just an insane overprotective older brother who there's no truly convincing. And a real dick, too, killing his loyal second in command.
I was sure that red guy was part of Maldis's plan. Get Zhaan all angry, and then Maldis feeds off of it. However, she now seems a bit... dysfunctional.
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109: DNA Mad Scientist 1999 June 18
(First watched 2009-12-22) Wow. Rygel and D'Argo trying to take Pilot's arm and bickering among themselves I can see, yeah, but Zhaan? Is this part of the lasting effect from the last episode, or does the hope of going home just push her that much over the edge?
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110: They've Got a Secret 1999 June 25
(First watched 2010-02-16) So flushing the Luxan into space and making him bonkers for most of the episode is their way of getting a guarded guy to reveal his backstory. Once he started talking about how his love was forbidden and they had to find a place where it could be allowed I was sure he was either with someone of another species or a close relative; turned out to be the former. Also we learn what his big crime was--being an alien who'd paired with a Sebatien, as well as being framed for her murder.
Other than that, Moya pregnant... hmm. Really the weird thing was seeing how the Roomba DRDs could be made to seem to menacing.
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111: Till the Blood Runs Clear 1999 July 9
(First watched 2010-02-16) Worf? Heh. I think they went TOO far in making those bounty hunters dog-like, though, what with the sniffing and all.
Seeing Farscape One again, now patched up with Farscapey (the series) tech, is pretty cool.
So those readings he paid the mechanic with at the end... she has something to read scientific data from Earth tapes, huh?
So Crichton was upset that his readings of the wormhole creation were the price for fixing Farscape One... but really it doesn't seem that big a deal to me. I mean, they got those readings after like 1 minute of attempt, so in the odd case where he's in another flare region it doesn't seem like it would be hard to recreate.
Would he really want to jump into a random wormhole, though? I mean, unless he takes maaaany readings and learns to either interpret them or control them, he's just as likely to end up farther from Earth, and without even the safety net of Moya and its crew.
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112: Rhapsody in Blue 1999 July 16
(First watched 2010-02-17) It's not until a bunch of them are together that Delvians seem so Smurf-like.
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(First watched 2010-02-17) Heeeey, Rygel actually pulled off a decent scheme for a change.
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114: Jeremiah Crichton 1999 July 30
(First watched 2010-02-19) It's kind of a pet nitpick of mine when we have what appears to be a low-tech fairly static small society going on, but even over hundreds of years one village still has such racial diversity. Beyond everyone being REALLY picky about mating with people of their own skin type, things ought to average out much more. Of course, casting a bunch of appropriately muddled-race extras is easier said than done.
Also, so they spent a quarter of a cycle looking for him... 3 months... is there a Farscape replacement term for months? Anyway, that basically means they spent as much time looking for Crichton as they'd known him in total before. Half of Crichton's time away from Earth has been on that planet. D'Argo's sure pretty willing to keep the search on, considering how many times he's been frustrated with Crichton wanting to spend a few more minuets or hours someplace and threatened to leave him behind.
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115: Durka Returns 1999 August 13
(First watched 2010-02-21) So I know shows are built on MAJOR COINCIDENCE, but in their bopping around of the giganticness that is SPACE, the crew of the Moya not only happen across the Zelbinian, but less than a year later run across the sole survivor.
I like the fact that Durka's reprogramming was actually working until Rygel bombed him. Speaking of which, Rygel is a lot tougher here against the live Durka than he was against the imaginary version he was seeing on the Zelbinian.
So Chiana... a mid-late-season-1 cast addition is a pretty strange thing.
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116: A Human Reaction 1999 August 1
(First watched 2010-02-21) So seeing Earth through the wormhole seemed another MAJOR COINCIDENCE. But the story explanation that the wormhole over Earth was actually a permanent fixture there kinda helped make that believable--in that a wormhole is always open at Earth, and bopping around a bit in the uncharted territories. However, that was just a BS cover story anyway.
I knew there was going to be a reset button of some sort, but when it appeared Rygel was dead and D'Argo missing, I was a little worried that Farscape would turn into Tenchi Muyo.
Even though it ended up being a false Earth, I liked the continuity with the first episode, like that Gagarin ring.
Interesting that immediately after introducing a new character, there's an episode she's barely in at all.
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117: Through the Looking Glass 1999 September 10
(First watched 2010-02-22) Yellow Rygel was a real hoot.
I love that the big scary monster turned out to be communicating with prime numbers.
Finally a good party atmosphere ending.
So Moya's baby comes soon. I was wondering how long that would take.
"One Mippippippi... two Mippippippi..."
Sooo goofy that a temporary DNA mixup some episodes back means Aeryn can now pilot a Leviathan with expertise.
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118: A Bug's Life 1999 September 17
(First watched 2010-02-23) "Cats and dogs living together"!
I thought the solution of having Zhaan mix something up was a bit flawed. If she'd been the infected one, she could've made something up that would be harmful to non-Delvians.
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(First watched 2010-02-24) Crichton sure likes his goofy Peacekeeper accent.
What's with Scorpius's bondage outfit?
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120: The Hidden Memory 2000 January 14
(First watched 2010-02-24) So they've picked up yet another traveler.
So Crais is a bit of a mess, and his crimes are known to the Peacekeepers. I suppose he'll still find some way to continue his crazy anti-Crichton crusade, though.
A bouncing baby... battleship?
So to avoid any question of where Crichton's Peackeeper desires are, they go and kill off his tech fling. Awwww.
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121: Bone to Be Wild 2000 January 21
(First watched 2010-02-25) Hey, Chiana was finally added to the beginning credits rather than being listed as a guest star... on the penultimate episode of the season? Weird timing, but oh well.
Where'd they disappear Stark to?
...Zhaan's a plant?
This episode sure had a lot of back and forth as they learned more about the two people on the asteroid and went back and forth over who was the greater threat.
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122: Family Ties 2000 January 28
(First watched 2010-02-25) They burnt up a whole moon!?
Bye-bye Gagarin ring?
Wait... actor notice. Crais is also Pilot's voice? Wawawaawa
So of course Crais comes along to Moya for survival purposes but has stolen the baby Talon by the end of the episode.
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