Prepare for Starburst: A Farscape Rewatch Thread

[jelgate]

No problem. Shipping is an art or crazy arse obsession depending on who you talk to. Lol

Their is a reason the character folder is the most active in GW. And everyone of you is nuts.

[Falcon Horus]

Don't look at me lol. I was never a fan of that show. I'm only discussing things I've heard it could be total bs. *shrugs*. I have no personal stake in the matter.

I wasn't.
It's just a general observation.

Their is a reason the character folder is the most active in GW. And everyone of you is nuts.

The male characters sure get a lot of attention.

[Falcon Horus]

My Three Crichtons

Not one of my favorite episodes. It has an interesting ethical question but the episode itself couldn't really hold my interest.

So, there's a ball of light which turns out to be some sort of Ark of Noah, collecting samples. It doesn't have a human DNA-sample in its database and thus it goes after John. It engulfs him and the next thing we know we have three Crichtons on board Moya. There's the Original!John, (fluffy) Caveman!John and Future!John.

However, they interrupted the process and the ball starts sucking them all in unless they return one of the Johns. Of course, they all want to sent in the caveman cause seriously what use does he have on board Moya, other than being Chiana's pet. They forget he also has feelings and is as much human as the other two. He might be lacking in intelligence, especially compared to Future!John but he's no less valuable. And that's the lesson we are supposed to learn, I think. That no matter what, everyone has value.

Anyways, I don't have much to say on the episode. I'm being very succint here.

Onwards to the next one.

[squirrely1]

Their is a reason the character folder is the most active in GW. And everyone of you is nuts.

I actually like to hang in shipping threads rather than thunk threads. Nuts? The reason why I'm a squirrel

I wasn't.
It's just a general observation.



The male characters sure get a lot of attention.

Ah ok.

[Bluemeany]

Quite a lengthy review this week I'm going to try and not jump ahead to part three, but it is a tad tricky.

Look at the Princess: Parts 1 & 2

First part is “You must remember this”. And I really do from the first time of watching it as a child, more than any other Farscape story. I guess it being on for three weeks helped solidify it in my memory.

We open with the beginning of Crichton’s hair fetish. I’m going to argue this becomes a running constant right the way to season 4. Seriously, if you watch every so often he will touch, play with or smell a woman’s hair for comfort. Usually it’s Aeryn, but on occasion it’s Chiana too.

I love the Aeryn/John storyline across these episodes. Both characters have very important shifts in perspective. Both consider a choice where they have to trade something off to grow and develop.

For Aeryn, I think this is where she grows up.

When she sees Crichton holding the baby, she gets (really for the first time) what it is that he wants, and how to make him happy. Basically, what loving him would require her to give: emotionally, psychologically and physically.

But by the end of the trilogy she at a place where she gives John the hope of a future family together. Scenting the hair aside, I think this is the first time she genuinely ‘gives’ something back to Crichton. She initiates a step in the relationship without him trying, signalling or asking for it. I would call Aeryn’s first conscious act of love.

Similarly, Crichton has to decide between the far-flung chance of getting home and settling for family life in the Uncharted Territories. Interestingly, D’Argo’s advice to John that his true destiny

Spoiler:

might be to forget about Earth, marry the girl and make babies is pretty accurate.

Hope and ‘not giving up’ is the fuel Crichton runs on. John tells D’Argo he would be nothing without it. Aeryn says he’s not the Crichton she knows if he doesn’t have it.

I really think this trilogy is the start of a shift in what John’s ‘hope’ is. It used to be ‘slight possibility of getting back to Earth and family’. By the final of this episode it’s ‘slight possibility of a future/family with Aeryn’. She consciously gives him what he needs to keep going.

D’Argo rocks in both episodes. He’s great. From the having ‘fantastic’ sex with Chiana, to telling Scorpius he’d talk to John about giving up his brain, to misunderstanding what ‘best man’ means.

We also get some hints about the oncoming arrival of ‘Harvey’: a tiny hint of in Crichton’s Scorpius flashback, John tells Aeryn that ‘ he’s inside my head’, Crichton going ‘Blazing Saddles’ mental on the cargo ship. All followed by the neural clone talking to him to keep him alive when he’s going have to be flushed out of an airlock…

…which while we’re on the subject… could someone really survive that long in outer space? Okay Ben Browder acts like he’s a bit frozen and it hurts. But I’m pretty sure being in vacuum that long would kill you?

Other nice characters: Braca obviously. And I like Princess Katralla; her and Crichton would probably make quite a good, if arranged, couple. Oh, and the ‘toast, toast, toast’ alien lady.

My absolutely favourite scenes in the trilogy are the ones with the potential children. The one with John Crichton Jr. made me cry….never mind next week’s

Spoiler:

where he has to leave the little girl.

Also, in the scene where D’Argo says he'll back whatever John chooses to do, Crichton gives him the same affection fist bump that little Crichton Jr gave him. I’m not sure if it’s deliberate, but it’s kind of nice touch I think.

[jelgate]

If you jump to Part 3 save it for next Saturday please
I will read your review after I watch part 2 tomorrow

[squirrely1]

Look at the Princess Part I: A Kiss is But a Kiss

Remember how I said that Francesca Buller (Browder's real life wife) will play other aliens? ...Well she comes back for this episode playing the submissive roNA that Jakench creature who is the servant to the evil brother. Also, Browder's real life children play as his "future holographic" children as well.

I love this trilogy because this gives you the perfect example of how the writers got the shipping bits right. They let us have a wonderful scene in the beginning with the hair sniffing and that kiss...but then immediately following we have the angst with Aeryn pulling away professing she will not be a slave to John's hormones. Then you have John's brazen attempts to go after Chiana...only to discover that Chiana (the little Tralk) has other ideas that involve getting horizontal with the big guy. Then we have the whole clubbing scene where they can conveniently find out who they are compatible with and (poor Chi and D) don't seem to care that they may spawn the next scorpy jr or something.....while John is whisked away to be furry cuffed to the princess while Aeryn is left (as usual I might add) trying to figure out a plan to save him. What I'm trying to get at with all this angst and shippy bits going on there is this very huge plot development happening along side that is culminating with the Scarran uprising and Scorpy mind frell on top. I think that is very masterful, because it gives everyone something exciting. The shippers are happy they are getting their shippy bits and the other people (glares at jel) are happy they are getting some huge plot points that involved the evil masterminds trying to literally worm their way into the main story.

I think this is literally the turning point of the main crux of the series in which we introduce Scorpius again but also the Scarran to up the ante even further (as if Scorpy wasn't enough) and between the two of them John really seems completely trapped.

I do wonder though however, if John had just waited them out if they could've made their way back to Moya (if she makes it back in time that is) Why couldn't they just run away?....but the fact that Moya starburst away and there is a slim chance she may not make it back to the right location...that is really the main reason John is trapped and trapped good.

From a shippers perspective the one thing that did bother me is that John seemed to really embrace the idea of marrying the princess and providing an offspring especially after he saw the holo children....~until~ he found out about the 80 cycles deal. That changed things for him. As if being married to this princess and siring her children wouldn't be shackles enough That is almost as bad in my mind as the frozen for 80 cycles thing...but then I am old fashioned and believe that marriage is for life. BUT, Maybe he thought he would just do that and then first chance he got he would run?? IDK that doesn't seem like something John would do, to me he would honor his marriage and parentage IMO so the 80 cycles to me seems to be a moot point. But there we have it. I guess it was a way to make it really final in John's mind.

Actually....Blue when Aeryn sees John with the Princess and their holo children I think she sort of acts like she did when she caught John getting the dust from Jiliana's eye and then the kiss. I actually think that hurt her more than this did. I think here we have Aeryn knowing John loves her and knowing he would rather be with Aeryn, but we have Aeryn disgusted at the situation and feeling probably for the first time helpless that she can't do anything to fix this. Although she continues to try even standing off with everyone, Chiana calling her out on rejecting John and this is all her fault to taking on the Scarran. I think we have Aeryn fighting for John in a way we've never seen as you mention, maybe it is her first act of love or self sacrifice?

John on the other hand is completely worn out. I think he really wants to fight for Aeryn as we see in the beginning, but he's weary of that fight I think for the first time and this has left him vulnerable and so here we go.

So all in all I loved that they could put this big turning point in the story and the larger plot elements all wrapped around the Aeryn/John love story pretty much at the center of it. Not to mention all the Chi/D lovin going on. LOL Gotta love how John just sits there on the edge of the bed while Chi is obviously climaxing and John just keep talking away like they are having tea and crumpets. LOL Then we have D...coming up for air and then sitting there giving John advice naked and wrapped in a blanket. It's brilliant!! So, I don't think the shippy elements take away from the story or become forced or distracting I think this is again more evidence on how to write an epic love story and successfully weave in the shippy bits which can keep everyone engaged and wanting to come back for more.

Ok I'll shut up now jel.

[squirrely1]

Look at the Princess Part I: A Kiss is But a Kiss - From the Companion Book

(In the margin they quote John,"On my planet, we don't marry people we don't love unless they're critically ill billionaires.")

"Look at the Princess' was a pretty ambitious little story," Director Andrew Prowse says, with a very large degree of understatement. Farscape's first three-part story had started life as a two-parter. "When Andrew finished shooting it," David Kemper explains, "we had eighteen minutes of extra footage left over. And it was good stuff. If it had been just a two-parter, we wouldn't even have had the time to show the wedding on screen. I was sitting with (line producer) Tony Winley who said, "Why don't you make it a three-parter?" So after three weeks of plotting, Kemper threaded in eleven new scenes that would create the trilogy. "It was the most afraid I've ever been in television, waiting to know if this was going to work!" he admits. "The genius of David Kemper is that he keeps changing the rules," Andrew Prowse continues. "Think about the story: (ACTUAL SPOILER FOR FULL TRILOGY)

Spoiler:

Crichton gets turned into a statue. He's going to have his head cut off, and dropped into an acid bath....It sounds ludicrous.

David's genius is to take these outrageous concepts and make them work. The challenge isn't just one that he takes on, it's one that's passed on to the cast and the director. Sometimes you read a script the first time and wonder what's he doing. He's pushing every boundary in himself at the same time as he's asking you to meet an incredible challenge.
"It was the middle of the season," Prowse adds. "I was doing post-production and visual effects on the earlier episodes, and I was really tired. It was incredibly hard work. With the scale of it, we were pushing the boundaries of the schedule to actually shoot it."

Tony Tilse therefore came on board as second unit director, to take some of the pressure off. "There are a few story strands that I covered, "Tilse recalls, "and a few periphery scenes that I could help Andrew with. It's mostly his work--he did the post-production and the edit. I was just helping out with the shooting process, because of the sheer size of the production. It was divided up into what was shot where. I got the whole Zhaan and Moya storyline, and I covered the climbing sequences with Aeryn and Dregon." After handling D'Argo's sex scene in 'Vitas Mortis', Tilse was also responsible for D'Argo and Chiana's interruption by Crichton. "that was an interesting one to pull off because of what we could get away with, and still keep it tasteful," Tilse says.
One of the funniest scenes in the episode sees Aeryn taking the genetic compatibility test with Rygel. "It's a wonderful moment." laughs Claudia Black. "It works on so many levels for me, putting those things in the script we learned early on, the more you put your hands on the puppets, the more they come to life."
Team Rygel enjoyed it as well. "We had a lot of help from Claudia in terms of planting her lips right on Rygel's." Tim Mieville recalls. "He doesn't have a tongue, buy the way. That was all Claudia's work!"
"In terms of dialogue, drama and characterization, I love the scene between Crichton and D'Argo," David Kemper says. "D'Argo wraps himself in a blanket and basically tells Crichton he probably has to go through with this. Anthony was so good."

[The Flyattractor]

I like all the episodes where they go to space bars.....or is that where I go to space bars?

huh.

[Bluemeany]

Remember how I said that Francesca Buller (Browder's real life wife) will play other aliens? ...Well she comes back for this episode playing the submissive roNA that Jakench creature who is the servant to the evil brother. Also, Browder's real life children play as his "future holographic" children as well.

Ah, right! I suppose that might explain one of the question I had for next week…which is how does an entire planet of Aussies and an American dad produce kids with strangely English accents? The little girl in particular: “Are you my Daddy?” is said in very crystal-cut British.

[squirrely1]

Ah, right! I suppose that might explain one of the question I had for next week…which is how does an entire planet of Aussies and an American dad produce kids with strangely English accents? The little girl in particular: “Are you my Daddy?” is said in very crystal-cut British.

I didn't notice. Maybe they had the kids speak that way for the character?

[squirrely1]

Look At The Princess Part II: I Do, I Think

WOW so much going on in this ep and I swear I don't remember seeing it the first time around. Maybe I missed this one.
So I may as well get the shippy bits out of the way first

John is weary beyond all recognition
I don't know about you, but... I am tired of watching John getting beat up, threatened, slapped, jilted, lasered, tasered, spaced and statued. I could really see John as completely worn down in this ep as if he wasn't already. But by the time Aeryn comes back in to tell him how proud she was of him he just isn't having it. Not this time. I thought it really interesting though that he actually played with her hair (Blue you're not kidding he's got this hair thing now ) and he asked her point blank if she would run away with him....that was I think his last ditch effort to get her to commit to him...JUST HIM..and when she replied, Yes...all of us. That did it for him. That was the point at which John threw in the towel on their relationship. He wanted her so much in that moment to want him as a mate and not just along with the rest of the crew. Upon her answer he laid back on the bed....and more or less just resigned himself to his fate. This was so hard to watch and I think Aeryn knew at that point that the gig was truly up. Hence her rebound move to Mr. Casanova on the side. Poor Aeryn, she just can't show her feelings here and would rather give up and lose John forever than commit to him and tell him truly how she feels. She's come so far, but just not far enough.

Moya is DyingWell if anyone out there remembers BSG decommissioning never goes as planned. Let's hope that Moya or Pilot or Zhaan has something up their sleeve. I loved this bit and honestly don't remember it. It gives us a look at the Builders and Moya's Deity. Pretty arrogant priest if I say so myself But maybe there's more to it? I don't know we'll have to wait until next week for part 3. But that was so sad.

Rygel is Rockin the Royalty Ha Ha ...go Rygel! He's actually coming up with some great plans to try to at least give John some time...and take the heat off. Too bad it all backfired. And is it wrong that he was ultimately betrayed by the alien played by his wife? You know you have to wonder if that somehow may bleed over into their RL relationship. "Honey...you back stabbing little green alien wench.... I'm home!" LOL He didn't seem too broke up when he threw her into the electrical conduit thingy. "BTW you don't get the toaster!" LOL

Which brings me to John is way more messed up than he was during Crackers. If that is even possible. He was truly losing it....or lost it! I'm with Blue on this one that I doubt he would've survived that space walk...but "meh" I'm going with it. I think it was sorta obvious that they had to try to do something to fill the time. They didn't have enough to really do a 3 part episode so they had to film extra stuff...well this is the extra stuff apparently.
Finally we have the wedding woes....

Wedding Woes Geeze they waste no time They didn't even get to consumate the marriage...before they get bronzed....that is odd. Waiting 80 cycles to do that....seems a bit cruel...but I'm glad they wrote it this way and John didn't have to go through with that. They almost went too far with the angst in this episode....so we'll see how it ends up and I'll speak about that more next week. I always thought they would somehow find a way for John to skip out on it....but alas....not the case...you gotta hand it for this seemingly impossible situation John is in now.....it definitely was a risky plot point. And all I can say is does anyone else seem to think it slightly resembles the whole Han Solo bronzing experience in Star Wars?

Other than that it was a good ep. Gotta love the way D'argo with the "Chi and I are having the best sex ever" line.....making John crack up.....but then the pain..... OUCH!

To Be Continued....

[squirrely1]

Look at the Princess Part II: I Do, I Think : From the Companion Book

(In the margin a quote from Zhaan to the Builder and his response; "You must be one of the ship's Builders. One of those who gave Leviathans intelligence?"
"Anybody can give a machine intelligence. We gave her a soul.")

(I usually don't type out the summary parts but I will this time)

Thwarting an assassination attempt on Crichton, Jena, Prince Clavor's fiancee, reveals herself to be a Peacekeeper agent and saves his life. Crichton confronts Prince Clavor, but when his accusations are brought to the attention of the royal family they are dismissed. Empress Novia even starts to have doubts about Crichton's suitability as a match for her daughter. Meanwhile Moya, having followed a mysterious signal is boarded by Kahaynu, one of her Builders. Zhaan is told, to her horror, that Moya is to be decommissioned because she gave birth to a gunship. As Crichton and Katralla discuss events on the planet, an attempt is made on their lives. To force the conspirators to show their hand, Rygel persuades the Empress Novia to hide Crichton in a place known only to him, the Empress and her most trusted servant, roNA. But roNA is in league with Scorpius.

For director Andrew Prowse, the fight scene aboard the Jakench ship was one of the highlights of the three-parter. "Crichton's up there and goes crazy. He goes, 'Kill my sex life!', and doesn't care if it gets shot or not. I think it's one of those rare occasions when everything works for you. Ben's performance was great, all the pyros went off beautifully and the music is gorgeous. Ben and I looked at that afterwards and he said, "There's our show reel!"
Ben Browder relished shooting the scene, not least because his opponent was his wife, Francesca Buller, returning to Farscape after her debut as M'Lee in 'Bone to be Wild'. At one stage Creature Shop supervisor Dave Elsey was going to play the part of the treacherous roNA. However, his other commitments meant that he couldn't be in two places at once, so Buller was offered the role. "She was a cool character to play" She recalls. "The moment in the ship when everything was exploding was really amazing. It was quite something to be on a set where if you go the wrong way, you're going to be in trouble. It's like a dance; everybody knows exactly where they're going."

Francesca based her voice for the character on an old BBC recording of Beatrix Potter's Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-winkle, but the children's author would never have written the scene in which roNA battles Crichton. Ben Browder wasn't sure about his wife doing the stunt. "It required me to life roNA up and throw her over my head. I thought, 'Can I raise my hand to the mother of my children?' But she went for it, and came screaming at me with her hands out. I had to pick her up and throw her end-over-end, and pray that she hit the crash mat, because if she doesn't hit the mat, I'm a dead man by the time I get home!"
At the end of the episode, Crichton is turned into a statue -- which required Ben Browder to undergo yet another session at Dave Elsey's hands. "We had already taken casts of every single part of Ben's body," Elsey says, "but we had to take casts all over again for those statues, as well as casts of Felicity Price, who played Katralla. We sculpted those up quite early on, and were in the process of moulding them when I walked onto set and noticed that they had completely changed Katralla's hairstyle. We had sculpted it to match the one that they'd given us originally! We went running back, and luckily we'd only got half the mould on. We had to pull that all apart, completely resculpt the hair in that new style and start again. Those casts were literally finished as we were walking onto set, dabbing them with paint."
Browder had to hold the grimace that he has on the statue while the headcast was taken: "I sucked the material in so it would get around my teeth as well, and hoped it's dome out. If it didn't then they just would've taken a few teeth with it!" The hard part was holding the arm position. The head cast was cool. It took fifteen minutes, and the only thing you can do is breathe through your nose. You can't hear. Your mouth is sealed up. You can't see. For fifteen minutes nobody could ask me or tell me to do anything."

[Gatefan1976]

Re: Spacewalk
Note that John actually -exhales- before making the jump, rather than the standard "take a big breath". It means they actually asked a science guy which is actually better. Would he have survived that long anyway is up for debate, but at least they got the science right on it.

Re: Rygel
Why do you think this is one of my favourite triple plays on Farscape? We get to Rygel in his natural element, the diplomatic and political realm rather than the farting, fire peeing, food stealing menace that everyone else takes him for!!
Rygel is -always- 3 steps ahead of everyone, and even when he "loses", he ends up winning. Takes a lot to be a Dominar

[jelgate]

This week the role FH will be played by jelgate. I know I am behind on the reviews. Real life got in the way this weekend (I hate that guy). I spent all Sunday taking tests to prepare for a job interview. I thought tests ended after I got my degree. But you people don't want to hear me ramble about my personal life. Moving on...

Look At The Princess: A Kiss is But A Kiss

I was having a discussion with Gatefan the other day in how deconstructing an episode for reviews can diminish an enjoyment of a show. After watching this episode I think he has a point. I truly love the princess trilogy but part 1 is so boring. Lets address the elephant in the room. No, not you SQ but we should discuss your eating problems. A major theme of this episode is the relationship between John and Aeryn (Has anyone seen my barf bucket?). After awhile I get bored with the back and forth of John and Aeryn in this episode. Actually the whole trilogy, but its the worse in this episode. SQ will chew my apart (even if she is wrong) but it seems we have done this before that I find myself more interested in the Peacekeeper planet and the royal politics. In the real world I hate politics (I sure hope that meteor kills us all) but I have always loved them on TV escpecially science fiction. I am a Deep Space Nine fan after all. I love this part but it also brings me back to the problem with this episode. The trilogy has all this exposition to explain all these things in this part is the trilogy doesn't get kicked off until part 2. I love the Scarrans s an enemy (But not as much as Scorpy) but we need to explain who they are and why they are so feared. Really in the story no much happens. John is genetically compatiable with the princess. I know this is very superficial but she looks very ugly for a princess. That is all I will say for that. I like the empress in this episode in how she uses extortion towards the end to say Scorpy or marry my daughter. She is not a bad person but I respect the ruthlessness the empress uses to keep her society intact. Lastly this is a great episode for John and D'Argo. I like the wise man aspect of D'Argo. Its such a counterpoint to his usual anger. Obviously he sees that John is in a no win position. I also love the little D'Argo/Chiana moments. I like the comparasion of the two times John walks on them having sex. The first time he is grossed out while the second time, he is like Hi Chiana. Its kind of funny. Anyone else feel the ending was added on to just give a suspense for a to be continued. I think the episode suffers to be slow so we can get the action and suspense for the other two episodes which are far better