Farscape

[gategrrl]

Yep. I still despise Vala with the heat of a thousand suns. Fortunately, my aversion to Claudia Black, because of that role, has finally worn off, and I was able to sit down with the Guy and watch Farscape on Netflix and enjoy a show I liked the first time around. It was nice to be able to see it in order, without stupid network breaks or hiatuses (as SyFy channel does, those total crapshoot idiots).

Loved Rigel, and how he slowly changed, sort of, from the self-absorbed self-centered asshole to one slightly more compassionate, at least toward his shipmates. Loved Zhaan. What's not to love about Zhaan, really? I understand why the actress had to leave-hell, I would have too-but it was great seeing her here and there in later episodes, and *how much the other characters missed her*. Stargate? Can still eat shit about that. I even finally got to understand where the old woman came from, and what her own agenda was, and Jool. Even she was tolerable, and even understandable--the misunderstood and annoying geek amongst the rough and tumble. And of D'argo. I loved how his backstory went, and how, even though he hadn't killed his wife, he HAD beaten her when in his rages, and regretted it to the point where...well, she didn't want to tell him, but I'm glad they didn't let him get off easy. And he had child trouble. Chiana, IMO, although she wasn't the romantic heart of the show, was certainly it's heart, and I also loved how the show didn't flinch in showing her recovery from being raped and abused (although it wasn't directly called that, it was pretty obvious that's what's happened when she left Moya). And that you can love more than one person, and it be similiar, but have no jealousy and stay friends. And of course Aeryn and John. John had the potential for being the blandest, least interesting character on the show, along with Aeryn, but thanks to the writing and acting, they managed to keep up with the less ordinary looking characters. Pilot had a soul, and guilt.

And of course there are the bad guys, who no one can trust even after letting them in--Chrais, Scorpious..and Grayza. Ms. Cleavage. And Scorpious' right hand man, who keeps to the same ideal that Aeryn does, almost to a fault.

Seriously it's one hell of a show.

Comments

[ldyanne.livejournal.com]

I loved Farscape. I loved some of the chances they took, and the stories they told. I loved the entire universe they created. I was so glad that we got Peacekeeper Wars to help give us closure. It was such a fun show, and I loved John/Aeryn.

[nialla]

I love Farscape, so it was interesting to hear that Claudia Black would be guest starring in one ep of SG1. Which I hated. Could have been good, but they weren't willing to have Daniel fighting a woman like his life might depend on it and it ruined my suspension of disbelief.

When I heard Ben Browder was going to be a regular, I was intrigued, to say the least. I liked Mitchell at first, because unlike the writers themselves, he was completely in love with the Stargate at first sight. Then he became kind of boring to me, sort of an [insert military guy who's not Richard Dean Anderson here] type character playing second fiddle to Vala's antics.

I was disappointed, but I don't think anything will ever top Browder and Black's turn in Farscape. A totally weird show where the Earther is shown as really smart here, but a complete idiot to the alien characters because he was a complete idiot about their tech and their ways of life coming from our backwater little world.

Crichton was technically the lead male character, but the show kept him as the "outsider" POV character for quite a while, letting us learn as he did, until he was completely dragged into Crazy Town. Most shows would immediately put the Earther in the role of Big Ol' Savior of the Backwards Alien Folk, so this was rather different.

I heard about the cancellation before it was officially announced. Sci Fi did it after the show was wrapping season four and TPTB had a "guarantee" for season five and were writing with that in mind. Browder and one of the show's TPTB to break the news in a chat room, and several of the other actors went into chat rooms at various times during that fiasco too. That took guts to go over the heads of the folks at Sci Fi.

When I read about the sets being packed for storage before they made the mini-series, I totally got something in my eye when it was mentioned that Pilot was being boxed up. That's just wrong.

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

I *loved* pilot. And Rygel's complete and utter greed. I'd lost connection to the show by the second season, because it kept getting moved around in the schedule.

What I really liked was, even though Black and Browder were the titular leads, really, D'argo and Chianna were pretty strong in the lead there, too, as a secondary couple and non-couple. Along with Zhaan, of course.

There were a few episodes, actually, where I wished Crichton would have just shut down his white male lead privlege, you know? He Knew Better! Wanted to slap him more than once.

But it was an amazing show. Definitely up there in my top five all time best SF shows.

[nialla]

I didn't have a satellite dish when Farscape was first on. My friend did and told me about it, so I attempted to watch via DVD, in the days before Netflix was widespread. It was a disaster with the first company that did the DVDs, but I eventually caught up (though slightly out of order) with what was airing when I finally got Dish Network. It's funny to think I wanted a dish just to jet Sci Fi, now there's not really anything I'll watch on that channel.

It was much more of an ensemble cast, even though they had the human male and female leads. I do think the show put Crichton's white male lead privilege in its place sometimes, much more than most shows would. It was more about putting his Earther mentality in its place, but that took care of a lot of his privilege at the same time. As time went on and he became more like his fellow shipmates, it does seem like things centered on him more and more, and put his privilege on greater display.

Since I did watch things in a jumble, I really should sit down and work out a rewatch in order. I've got so many things I want to rewatch -- Farscape, Buffy, Babylon 5 -- but there's also so many new things I want to watch (or older titles I didn't see the first time around), so it's difficult to find the time.

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

It does help, when watching Farscape and it starts getting to heavy & emotional, to make chicken noises: "Baw-baw-BAWK!" when D'argo comes on. Talk about getting some good lines-D'argo had me cracking up with some of his comebacks to John.

[nialla]

*snicker*

What's really funny is if you see the actor, you wouldn't realize it's him. Not just the facial makeup, but his physical build and voice are very different.

I saw him and several of the other cast members at a con once, and they cracked me up because they were onstage taking photos and video of the crowd, posing themselves in front of this enormous room full of fans. He said no one back home believes the show had such a following, because it's not as well known there.