kpduty

The Husband and I have spent the last couple of weeks watching the first season on DVD from the library. No one I know owns it. Only a very few people I know have seen it. I think I may have caught a couple of episodes on the SciFi Channel and thought it was cool, but not enough to watch it on a regular basis. So why bother now? Well, FARSCAPE was on TV for four seasons. It was shuffled from time slot to time slot, day to day, channel to channel. The brainchild of ALIEN NATION writer Rockne S. O'Bannon, the gimmick was that many characters would be puppets created by the Jim Henson Studios. And it was in space, on a ship, so comparisons to STAR TREK were inevitable. I think the story goes that in the last season, even though it was one of if not the SciFi Channel's top rated show, they slashed the budget and wouldn't give them a consistant time slot, THEN they wouldn't give a straight answer as to the fate of the show. The producers struggled to make a final season with what little they had, and expecting to return for a fifth seasont they produced a cliffhanging season finale. At the last minute, SciFi Channel canceled the show, and fans tried valiantly to save it with a letter writting campaign, but for naught. Except that this month SciFi Channel is broadcasting a four hour mini-series closing up all the loose ends, called The Peacekeeper Wars. The trailer was badass so I've been working my way through the show. I'm never going to finish in time for the mini-series, but I'm trying.

I seriously don't want it to end.

FARSCAPE is the story of John Crichton. He's a scientist who devised a way to use the Earth's gravitational fields to propel spaceships. During a test flight of his ship Farscape, he creates a wormhole which deposits him on the other side of the universe. After accidently destroying another ship upon his exit, he is taken aboard Moya, a biomechanical craft, where he finds himself among a ragtag crew of escaped prisoners. They travel through the galaxy avoiding those who wish to reimprision them, hoping to make their way back to their respective home worlds.

Now, while this may sound vaguely STAR TREKish, let me assure this kicks so much more ass. This show is incredibly well written and well acted. Humorous and sad and snarky and passionate, FARSCAPE covers all the bases. IT MUST BE WATCHED IN ORDER, because the greatest thing about it is the attention given to character development. Every adventure in every episode impacts upon every character, and everything they do after that point can be seen as being a result of what has come before. Friendships are forged and alliances are broken; respect is hard won and you see every moment of how it all came to be. It's an incredible attention to detail that you rarely see in episodic television.

As to the characters, I love each and every one of them. They all keep secrets close to their chests, very rarely letting each other or us see what makes them tick. But when they finally reveal those things about themselves those truths are hard fought for, making those moments precious.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's almost as though you are a member of the crew. Most of the action takes place on Moya, so the show is very confining and claustrophobic. There is no "prime directive," so alien encounters are often violent.

Every episode I'm either laughing or crying. It's just so much fun. John has a reluctant love interest on the show, Aeryn Sun, a "Peacekeeper" (they're a race of soldiers for hire--you're basically taken from your home at a young age and conscripted into a military where your whole life is lived for your unit and your ultimate disgrace is to fail in battle). The episode where they first kissed was filled with so much tension that when they finally did it The Husband and I were both jumping up and down in our seats, clapping and laughing and cheering and crying (well, I was the one crying). But it was so awesome. I was so happy for them.

I know it's just a TV show.

So right now Crichton is floating in space with companion D'Argo, who can survive in vacuum for 15 minutes but who is now unconscious. Aeryn is in a small ship trying to rescue them but can't because they're surrounded by Peacekeepers. Moya has fled because of the danger of capture. And that's where season one ended. AND I'M FOURTH ON THE WAITING LIST FOR SEASON TWO AT THE LIBRARY!!!! ARGH!!! AND BLOCKBUSTER DOESN'T CARRY IT!!! ARGH!!!

So check it out. It's a committment, but I assure you it's well worth your while.

PS THE BEN STILLER SHOW isn't. Except for those parts which I'm totally sure were written by Bob Odenkirk, because now that I have Mr. Show memorized I think I can spot his stuff without much trouble. The rest of it's pretty bad. But I'm only three or four episodes in, so I will let you know. Also, I've started watching MONK on DVD, so I may let you know how that is a bit later. Right now I'm off to pee.