Prepare for Starburst: A Farscape Rewatch Thread

[squirrely1]

Kansas

As jel mentioned this is another one of those timey whimey eps which is classic sci fi, but I like how they put the Farscape spin on it. Of course with humor and just enough antics to make you realize why you love this show!

I thought it was interesting that John was using the radio broadcast to determine what "time it was" on earth. I liked what time period they selected. The Challenger disaster was an interesting choice and gave it all just a sense of foreboding and actually gives a sense of urgency to their situation. Speaking of which when John was "disappearing" that was giving me the Back to the Future vibe big time, but enjoyed how it was played.

I think jel mentioned most of the hilarity that went on. Thought it was a bit too convenient that it was Halloween. *rolls eyes* But due to the sheer ridiculousness and how funny it was I'll forgive that convenient plot device.

I also thought it was strange that Scorpy stayed so cool when Grayza showed up and was very shocked they didn't recapture him/and or try to just out and out kill him...but maybe I missed something....believe it or not I was dozing during this ep It had been a busy day when I was watching.

The bit where Chi and Young John did the nasty for the first time in the back of "Betty"? That didn't sound right Anyway...that didn't really bother me too much because I don't count it because it wasn't really our John that experienced Chi in that moment so ...meh...

As for how belligerent, stubborn and unruly they made young John...I'm not buying it for a moment. I don't think an up and coming young astronaut would've acted in such a way. I think he would've had some typical angsty teen issues but to act out to that extreme seemed too much for me. I think they wrote his young character too OOC IMO. Having a son who is actually in the Aerospace program in college you'd never actually make it through such a rigorous program (it's way too political and competitive) to act that way or not take your schooling seriously. You can't just decide mid way through high school to knuckle down and get your grades up enough to even be accepted into a space program. (he was driving so that would put him at around a junior in High school at least) . He would've had to have started around middle school or at least 8th grade into the Honors program and then worked his tail off to get and keep good grades to then graduate with honors diploma. And yes colleges look at that stuff, especially Aerospace programs and others engineering/medical related fields. Granted we don't know how Young John was doing in school, but typically if you are acting out that badly at home showing that level of disrespect to your parents then you wouldn't expect he'd be home working hard on homework. As a teacher it usually goes hand in hand when a young teen is acting out behaviorally, they also are struggling academically as well. Also, Young John did have his dad in the space program and maybe he pulled some strings, but I don't want to think that our John had to have some political leverage to be able to cut it in the Aerospace program. That young John character missed the mark in my book and was the single biggest disappointment of the episode for me. *gets off soap box* Sorry for that rambling....it just really bugged me how they portrayed Young John.

All in all it was a solid A ep due to the comedic situations and off beat humor, jokes and all around Farscape calamity!

[squirrely1]

Kansas - From Companion Book

"'Kansas' was the best script I had in the fourth season," director Rowan Woods says firmly. "Justin Monjo trod a tightrope with the tone. You had the fairly gratuitous Munsters-style story of our guys in the house on planet Earth at Halloween, and then in stark contrast there was the intense melancholy of Crichton coming home."

David Kemper had decided it was time that John Crichton got back to Earth, but in typical Farscape fashion it wouldn't be in the way the audience expected. "Everyone hears the main title, but nobody listens to them." he explains. "John Crichton wants to go home -- so how can we not give him what he wants? The original concept was that Crichton would never go back to Earth, but I wanted to use Dad, and really mine some emotion. The initial plan was to do a two-parter. In the first hour we'd go back to Halloween 1972 when Crichton's about six years old, and then go to the present day."

In Justin Monjo's script, the date changed to the mid-1980's, not long before the space shuttle Challenger exploded during it's ascent. 'Kansas' uses the actual footage of the Challenger's final moments. "I thought that was an incredibly confronting and brave thing to do," Rowan Woods says. "We'd never taken a tragic historic event and portrayed it for what it was." "We played the story about Crichton, rather than on the tragedy itself," Andrew Prowse notes, and David Kemper explains, "When Crichton realises his Dad's going to be on the Challenger, he has a visual memory in his head. We're showing a flash of his memory, and the showalways has to be from Crichton's point of view."

Kent McCord dyed his hair for his first appearance this season. "Jack is a hardass, at odds wit his son," he notes. "John's going through the pain of the teenage years, so Jack wants to do what's best for him. Being a father of three grown children, this is all part of my own background! The scenes were so well written, they played themselves."

Tim Ferrier recreated 1985 Florida in the Sydney suburb of Sylvania Water. "We found a nice hourse, then wrecked it, emptied the pool and made it grotty, much to the chagrin of the owners," the production designers jokes. The real-life owner of the stunt car wasn't impressed with D'Argo's antics behind the wheel. "We had to do so many takes with D'Argo backing the car out of the driveway and crashing into the rubbish bins," Anthony Simcoe recalls. "The poor guy was tearing his hair out watching me!" Simcoe enjoyed the location work for the Earth episodes. "Imagine suburban Sydney locals watching all these weird characters jumping around," he laughs, and Gigi Edgley adds, "The neighbors think it's quite intriguing seeing aliens tromping down their streets, half made-up, with a cigarette hanging out of their mouths. You should hae seen the look on the early morning joggers' faces!"

"It was freezing cold," Claudia Black remembers. "Up until then, we'd been having a bit of an Indian summer, but you can't predict when the weather is going to turn. And turn it did!" Black thinks it was a shame that after Aeryn had spent so long learning English during the previous episodes, the others picked it up so quickly. "It made her look retarded!" She says. "It took her so long, and suddenly everyone else is basically fluent. How else can Chiana communicate enough to be able to have a relationship with the young Crichton? It was worth it though, because that was a very sinister twist to know that John lost his virginity to Chiana!" "Chi had the time of her life," Gigi Edley giggles. "She had her very own Crichton!" Ben Browder was delighted by the performance of his younger self. "Jamie Croft did a really lovely job," he says.

"It's about Crichton's feeling of never being able to go home," David Kemper concludes. "Justin and Rowan worked so well together, hand in glove. It was a stylised, brilliant episode."

[squirrely1]

Terra Firma

I love this ep! And quite honestly at the end of this ep they could've ended the series here. They satisfied the quest for John to get home and answered his dilemma if he would be able to stay there and transition back successfully. After this ep we can see that John finally realizes it would be impossible for him to ever come home and remain there. It's like he's an alien now and he would be prodded and probed until he was dead and we won't even talk about what would happen to the rest of the Moyans. Not only that but once that "Predator" like creature made it through ...that was what sealed the deal for John realizing that Grayza and or the Scarrans would not stop until they found a way to get through to John and his world and by John being home he definately puts the whole planet at risk.

What I loved most about this ep is how much they covered and it seemed to flow very well. I liked the balance they achieved with allowing the Moyans to have some fun doing and discovering Earth life, everything from trying new foods, TV stations, shopping to learning about Christmas and diving into John's past.

From a shippy perspective....(Hands jel the bucket) I loved how they didn't actually have to make it too angsty and too over the top shippy, they just showed an old flame return and John didn't get all crazy over the girl (Like so many shows try to do to drive up the fake angst) but he actually backed off Carolyn and allowed her to see that he indeed was still very much preoccupied with Aeryn. I loved how they showed Aeryn and Carolyn have a grown up conversation about it and it didn't de-evolve into some cat fight...so I appreciated that.

I thought the conversation John and Aeryn was having just before the predator showed up in John's house was so real and I so wanted to hear John's answer. I think he would've caved there....it was just a matter of time. Speaking of caving... I loved Chi's response to D'argo during this conversation.... (Taken from Farscape Transcripts)

Chiana: (to D'Argo) Can you help with this? (the Luxan doesn't move)

D'Argo: What'd you do? Buy the whole planet?

Chiana: It's not mine - it's from Aeryn. (Rygel growls at something on TV and Chiana off-loads her boxes into the arms of another Secret Service guy) I don't know what it is but I - I know it's for Crichton.

D'Argo: Won't get him back. He hasn't forgiven her.

Chiana: Oh he will - sooner or later. Some males can actually forgive. (she bumps him upside the head with a large box and says insincerely) Ooh - sorry.

The little dig Chi gives D about forgiveness there...OUCH! I love that she does try to remind him every chance she gets that he has yet to forgive Chi for what she did, and I think it's really been hard on her and why she continually acts out sexually everywhere they go. I mean I know that is so much like s1 Chiana but I think if they were together I don't think Chi would be acting out like that.

The ending when John said his goodbyes to his family, especially to Jack was so heartwrenching because he knew he would never really be able to come back. Like I said at this point when they then showed John walking away....they could've ended the series here. It would've been one hellava cliff hanger and probably caused fan outrage but the only thing left at this point is to continue to keep Grayza and the Scarrans away from Earth.....that is the only thing left on John's agenda at this point. We've gone completely full circle with John's story.

So all in all I give this an A+ and all I gotta say is I hope Aeryn bought John a lifetime of chocolate, popcorn, coffee, beer and pizza! What do you think were in those packages for John?

[jelgate]

As we get close to Peacekeeper Wars, I think we should do something different besides a review. I was thinking of maybe a live watch where we sync up at the same time to watch together. It would have to be early afternoon to accommodate blue. Any other ideas? And if its shipping, you're on your own

Terra Firma

After the great past 2 episodes in this trilogy, this one seems slows. I kind of feel like their is a lack of pilot. I do skim SQ's companion guides and I noticed from Kansas how the writers say we kind of forget that John wants to go home. I think their is truth in that. In S1, he wants to go home but as he bonds with the Moyans their is a sense of that Earth loses its importance. This episode I think shows John no longer wants to go home. My problem is this idea was stretched to cover the whole episode and after awhile it grows thin. Much like SQ's gray hairs. I think that is the underlying theme. Its disguised with John fighting the people on Earth. John has always been an idealist. Granted he lost a lot of that idealism when Scorpy made him insane by chasing him. At his core, that idealism still remains. My point is he see how big the universe is and that the Peacekeepers and Scarrans will wipe us out since we can't get along. So we all have to sit around the campfire and sing Kumbaya. Its clear from the start how John refuses to share with just the US that he wants everyone to participate for Earth to survive. Which is about as likely to happen as me winning a spelling contest. I know I have explained this so clearly that even SQ will understand. But this realization shows that John experenceing the universe he has moved on from Earth's squabbles. Which is ultimately why he doesn't stay on Earth. He can never stay. I quite liked John and Jack's fighting. The planet doesn't stay still since John left. Remembering where I was on 9/11, I can understand what Jack is saying. It resonates as a very organic relationship as I don't feel either side is wrong. They just have different perceptions. Its easy to say John is right since we have followed him for the past 4 years but their is a point on the terror that is capable on this planet. Would you want to show pulse pistols to ISIS? Another high point is the interaction between John's family and the Moyans. Its clear the Moyans feel ostracized Earth. However, I get the feeling that the Crichetons help them feel a little more comfortable. This is most clear with Aeryn and how John's sister tells him to give up moping and find out what you want with John. I also loved John's nephew. Its kind of reminiscent of S1 John in how the nephew is fascinatied Moya and all her wonders. Lets not forget the Prowler ride to Jupiter. I mentioned how the plot is thin because the episode is about John's discovery that he doesn't belong on Earth anymore. The Grayza alien seems exists just to staple on action. The whole killing of John's friends and then shooting up John's childhood friends seemed pointless. Although I did find the telepathic conversation with the alien interesting. And the fake sex between Grayza and Bracca hilarious.

[squirrely1]

syncing up to watch would be fun! I just don't know how we would interact though. It doesn't seem to matter much if you can't make comments to one another while it's in progress. Other than a ready set go and then come back 2 hours later to comment. It almost seems we'd need to be in a chat room or something during it to make some snarky comments during to make it really fun. I do have a yahoo account that I would be willing to do that or we could just make comments in the rewatch thread during the watch. What are your ideas?

[jelgate]

We used to do it all the time when Stargate was still on. We had these threads where we would post when the episode aired on SyFy

[squirrely1]

We used to do it all the time when Stargate was still on. We had these threads where we would post when the episode aired on SyFy

ok then post a day and time and we'll make it so.

[jelgate]

Twice Shy

This will be my shortest review yet. I just can't stomach the energy to review this dull episode. So I'll let SQ do it. It just echoes of the feeling that we have done this before. I just don't see what characterization that brings

[squirrely1]

cheater!

[jelgate]

I just don't want to. I hated this episode

[squirrely1]

Twice Frelled erm I mean Shy

well jel I think hate is a strong word for this ep. I think it's a really important one for Aeryn and John (Admit it that is why you hated it right? ) Or maybe it's because it had too many references to sexy in it.

I actually liked how it played off each of the characters strongest traits. And they were really going extreme in this from allowing their most dominate trait to take them over or become excessive to then once it's removed they flip and go to the other extreme. I think it showed the actors range and enjoyed seeing Scorpy among all things have a hard time keeping his Scarran self under control. I honestly think he loathes that part of himself....poor guy.

As for Aeryn and John.... I think it was important (probably the most important thing that's come out about their relationship in a long time) to try to clear up WHY John was wanting to get Aeryn out of his head and why he felt it necessary to keep snorting the drug. I think when the writers put it into perspective...it makes them less like a silly angsty couple just have a pissing contest and the angst actually had a reason to be there. I mean again.... John is right....if Scorpy finds out that Aeryn is what would make him vulnerable they would exploit that. But I have to admit I am glad they kissed and made up by the end. FINALLY!

All in all I would give this a B+ while it was interesting to see the characters have their crazy on.....and it was a good Aeryn/John pay off ep...clearing up some of the angst....the plot wasn't all that great and it seemed that they were able to pull everyone out of the fire just in time at the end again. It reminded me of a Star Trek TOS ep in which Kirk or Spock on the 11th hour finds the cure and all is right with the world. Seems a bit cliche, but meh....I did like the alien vision effects and most all the cast was in this ep so that was the plus.

[squirrely1]

Terra Firma - From Companion Book

"Terra Firma is a huge turning point in the series for Crichton," writer Ricky Manning points out. "What does it mean for him to be on Earth? He's not the same John Crichton who left, and it's not time for him to come home yet. "There's too much other stuff going on out there. He's got two powerful, aggressive species after him, not to mention each other. He's in the middle of these two giant wrecking balls on a collision course. He wants to be as far from Earth as possible at this moment, yet it's somewhere that he's been aspiring to be for so long."

Ben Browder describes 'Terra Firma' as "one of my favourite episodes of the year, and of the series. It takes a humongous risk. 'Space series go to Earth to die', you know. We went there four times!" It was Browder's idea to use a voiceover. "Initially he was saying that to camera," director Peter Andrikidis recalls, "but Ben thought of the voiceover, and it gave the episode a downbeat resonance." "it gave me leeway to adjust it as we were going along." Browder explains. "In my mind it's more an Apocalypse Now-type voiceover."

"From a musical point of view, that scene on the dock is a summary of where we are going with the episode," Guy Gross notes. "So I scored it with a slightly melancholy, reflective piece of music, almost in On Golden Pond style. It shows John's dilemma -- happiness on one side, sadness on the other."

The voiceover and jump of a few weeks between the opening scene and the first act "meant we skipped past The Day the Earth Stood Still stuff with humans reacting to the aliens, and got straight to the emotion," Ricky Manny says. "It's so easy to have fun with aliens on Earth, but Justin did such a lovely job of that in 'Kansas'."

"Three weeks earlier, you're on a spaceship with farting puppets and women peeing in buckets," Ben Browder comments, "and in 'Terra Firma' we had a scene with a father and son having a domestic argument about politics, that could be in a movie of the week somewhere!"

The Skreeth may have brought destruction to Earth, but "I always felt that the Skreeth was somebody who Grayza liked," Rebecca Riggs says. "She had far more respect and liking for the Skreeth than she did for Braca, that's for sure!"

"The whole concept I had for the episode was A Farscape Christmas," David Kemper recalls. "We were going to do Christmas the Farscape way -- you know, blow the crap out of everything." Although originally the production team had hoped to be able to destroy an actual house, this wasn't feasible, and Tim Ferrier built a set specifically to be torn apart in the firefight between Crichton, Aeryn and the Skreeth. "Peter Andrikidis is a very seasoned director," Ferrier says. "That fight couldn't have gone better. I was on set and it looked terrific." We destroyed an entire home," Browder smiles. "Merry Frelling Christmas!"

The fight with the Skreeth had a serious purpose. "I liked the fact we took no prisoners in this episode," Claudia Black comments, while David Kemper explains, "Crichton realises that this is what one creature can do on his planet -- it's killed his friends! Does he really want to bring the universe back to Earth? It shows him beyond a shadow of a doubt that he can't allow this to happen."

"The key to Crichton's emotional journey was getting the last scene between him and his father right," director Andrikidis notes. "His dad has got him back, but he's got to go, because he's brought back all those weapons."

[squirrely1]

Twice Shy - From the Companion Book

I thought Kate woods did a good job with that episode," producer Andrew Prowse says of the director debuting on 'Twice Shy'. "It's a solid story, with solid performances."

Although Woods hadn't directed anything of this nature before, she admits she was "bitten by sci-fi" as a result of the experience. "I never worried about it being a ship-bound episode," she says. "I thought it was a great chance to get back to the relationships between the characters in their home environments. I wanted to embrace the smallness of it, and make that a plus. We could get into the depths of characterizations, which is where I am most comfortable as a director. We could explore extremes of emotion, and how each character would move in their extreme."

When more time was needed to construct the sets for 'Terra Firma', "Twice Shy' was moved ahead in the production order. "David Peckinpah is a consummate professional," David Kemper says. "He didn't have a lot of time to write this to start with, and then he lost seven days!"

Although this meant that the cast were more reliant than usual on the director to guide them through the story on set, it did give them a chance to experiment. "The actors are so in tune with the whole world of the show," Woods comments. "They added an enormous amount. It was a very organic process. I've always been very nervous of that, because I've always wanted to go in with a tight script, but on Farscape it worked very well not to. We could develop thing all the time on the studio floor."

"From an acting standpoint, episodes like this are difficult," Ben Browder comments. "The emotion as are generated by a mystical outside force. Your'e playing a generalised state -- Crichton is bitten, and wakes up 'happy', or 'depressed'. As an actor, you normally play a specific state, but here we were having to do what is generally considered bad acting!" Claudia Black agrees. "It's a technical device. You can't deliver any real emotion, because everything's been exaggerated. It's difficult to be sincere and keep the line of the story going when you're constantly having to indicate a heightened state."

The improvisational aspect of the episode was assisted by the casting of noted Australian acress Paula Arundell as Talikaa. The production team had previously considered her for the parts of Neeyala in 'Wait for the Wheel', and Commandant Grayza. "I really wanted to use her, because she's such a fantastic and incredibly capable theatre actress," Andrew Prowse says. "I stuck my neck out to make it happen, and I'm glad I did." "Paula was terrific," Woods adds. "She dived into this head first!"

Gigi Edgley "really liked the connection Chiana had with Talikaa when she first came on board. I found the first scene when you see the two of them alone really bizarre. It was hard to surrender to the words in this one, so I decided to play it as if Chi was entranced by Queen Mab entering the building."

The post-production team had their work cut out for them, thanks to the computer-generated spider. "The whole notion of CG creatures went to another level this season," Deb Peart says. "You've got to be very careful how you use them through, because you don't want to give too much, and risk seeing their imperfections." That fitted in with David Kemper's ideas. "We wanted a spooky episode," he says. "You don't know what's hiding in the shadows. We played it as a mystery, and Kate did a great job realising it all."

[squirrely1]

Mental As Anything

I'm going to pull a jel here and not really do much with this review since I don't really like it all that much. It's guy flick where they go and do all their guy games stuff and work on their mental training. I thought it was sort of written with a slight sexist bias. Like why can't women do that ...don't they need mental training as well?

I did like the beginning however with Aeryn and John....but even that seemed like they were taking some liberties when they shouldn't risk it. But either way......jel please do the honors here...

[jelgate]

Mental as Anything

Its a fact that is proven over and over again. SQ doesn't like anything that isn't shippy. Its not sexist. Its clear that Scorpy sent the guys for mind control training for John. He knows the torture the Scarrans can produce with their heat gland. The story needs D'Argo for the development so the plot shield demands he get mind control training just like the next episode needs Aeryn for her little arc. Anyway, unlike the tasteless one I really like this episode because we get a story about someone besides the holy couple. I am of course talking about D'Argo. I wonder if the writers knew by this episode that they were being cancelled as I found this ended his character arc. Since S1 D'Argo's mission has been to find his son and get revenge on the person who killed his wife. It is convenient that Macton is on the same planet. But I will let it slide as I thought it makes for a great story for D'Argo. No one in the audience believes for a second that D'Argo killed his wife It contradicts the whole aspect of his character. His warrior code of honor and loyalty not to mention his chivalrous nature from the past 4 seasons makes it an impossible for us to think that D'Argo would ever beat his wife. But what makes it interesting that Macton is like a politician. He cunning and manipulative that you actually start to believe its possible. Like I said the audience doesn't believe it but D'Argo knowing the biology of hyperrage actually starts to believe D'Argo. The self- doubt and conflict is what I love just to see D'Argo conflicted on what is right even if we know its crazy. This leads to big fight scene where mental training allows us to see into D'Argo's mind on what happened to Lo'Lan. I can see how much its hurting D'Argo because he really believes Macton's façade is true and that he beat his wife to death. Until Macton slips because he doesn't understand love specifically a mother's love. I think that is whole point of the episode. Macton just see genetic contamination and I think a general theme of the show is that Peacekeepers don't see love. So he is unable to see love and even if what Macton says was true about beating Lo'Lan, she would never leave Jothee. The ending is poetic justice where D'Argo learns the truth about why and how Lo'Lan was killed. D'Argo basically submitted him to an unending torture. It would be easy to kill him but more punishing for Macton to suffer forever. I didn't forget about SQ's hero. At first, John comes off as an idiot. His distrust as mental training guy is kind of annoying. Yes I understand he was scarred by the chip but John isn't suppose to be an idiot. He should know how deadly the Scarrans and their heat torture is. I would think he would want to increase his resistance to torture. I was kind of glad when he got thrown into the hole as it serves him right. I wonder how the key is dropped as the mental trainier was dead after more keys were being thrown. Anyone else notice how it is left ambigoius as to if John actually got the key or not. He just whistles along when Scorpy asks. I don't really see what the point of learning about the alien since we already knew Grayza sent it. Some random tidbits was I liked the petty fight between Rygel and the Charrid. This episode also gives insight into how the mental training allows Scorpy overcome the issues of being a hybrid. Don't know what SQ is thinking. This is a great episode.