Amazon.com

Farscape is genre television at its most ambitious, inspired both by the cult appeal of Babylon 5 and the continuing success of the Star Trek franchise, but taking a visual and conceptual leap beyond those shows. Making extensive use of CGI, prosthetics, and state-of-the-art puppetry, courtesy of Jim Henson's Creature Shop, the Farscape concept has a freshness that makes it look and feel completely original.

After the nail-biting cliffhanger at the end of the first season, the second season gets off to a shaky start in "Mind the Baby," as all the loose plot ends have to be gathered and resolved. Crais apparently has a change of heart, and Scorpius takes his place as Crichton's new nemesis. In "Vitas Mortis," D'Argo falls for a lonely Luxan, with catastrophic and barely plausible results for Moya. "Taking the Stone" showcases Chiana's grief in an episode that manages to be even more confusing. Fortunately by the fourth episode, "Crackers Don't Matter," the show has really hit its stride once again: the crew slowly succumbs to a state of paranoia-fuelled madness, fighting and trying to kill one another thanks to the presence of an odd light-seeking alien. Crichton has a string of great lines ("I hate it when villains quote Shakespeare") and a lot of fun doing an impersonation of Jack Nicholson in The Shining. --Mark Walker ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Now that's more like it!
No, "Farscape" is not yet being put into full season sets, but this is a vast improvement. As the plan goes now, a new 2-disc set will be released each month, with 4-5 episodes on each. And that's much better than only 2 episodes, every few months, as we've previously been getting.

"Farscape" is, bar none, the best science-fiction on TV. It's daring, bold, insane, whimsical, scary, and fun...and also has one of the most complex, involving, and brilliant mythologies of any sci-fi out there, including some fascinating stuff about wormholes.

With that said, on to the episode reviews...

"Mind the Baby" is an excellent season-opener that picks up from the season finale with a punch, and leads the show into its new direction for the new year. Its only weakness is the fact that it was not originally meant to be the season-opener, but the second episode. The first one was aired later in the season, and turned into a flashback episode, where we find out what happened. Therefore, some of the aspects of the previous season finale cliffhanger are strangely resolved without an explanation...Although that explanation will be given later in the season, in the episode, "Dream a Little Dream."

The next 2 episodes, unfortunately, are not the best "Farscape" has to offer. "Taking the Stone" and "Vitas Mortis" are both rather slow, unexciting episodes. Although each focuses on a different character and provides some great, sometimes crucial, character development, the actual stories don't pack the right amount of punch. That is not to say that they are not worth watching. Just they are not as good as they should have been.

The fourth episode of the set, however, is the crown jewel of the 4, and completely makes up for the minor weaknesses of "Mind the Baby" and the more serious ones of the other two. "Crackers Don't Matter" is an utterly brilliant, demented, hilarious, black comedy that strikes a perfect balance between the dark and the funny. It is one of the best episodes the show has ever done. It's impossible to describe the episode without giving it away, but, suffice it to say, it is brillant on every level: character-wise, plot-wise, comedy-wise, drama-wise...Very few shows can produce an episode that can make you laugh till it hurts, and cringe, also. It also greatly benefits from being an episode with a stand-alone plot which also speaks a great deal aobut the characters, and foreshadows the major story arc of the year, something that won't come completely into focus and be fully revealed until much later in the year, in the ingenious "Won't Get Fooled Again," which will take away its crown as the best episode up to that point.

What is great about "Farscape" is how it always manages to top itself. Therefore, "Crackers Don't Matter" was the best episode for a while, until "Won't Get Fooled Again" took its place, which was then taken by the season finale, "Die Me Dichotomy." And that doesn't even factor in the two brilliant trilogies: "Look at the Princess" and "Liars, Guns, and Money." Wow, you people who have never seen this season before are in for a real treat...!!!

Fun story, weak direction
I'm very glad that the new season of Farscape is available on DVD. As mentioned in an earlier review, there are few sci-fi series on television and we have to be appreciative of what we get. Still, I can't help wishing Farscape was even better.

Most disappointing in this set is "Crackers". Other reviewers liked it and it's clear the Farscape people think it's great because it's the only episode that they give a commentary track too. But the episode is trite, trotting out every cliche from every "they all go mad" episode of every tv series including even the "tilt the camera" trick that was so overused on the original Star Trek.

In the commentary track the director explains how he tells the actors "to not act, just relax". Ben is so relaxed in this episode that Crichton looks like he's about to fall asleep in every scene. Rigel is excellent but you would think the human actors would be able to match his performance.

There are scenes, particularly between Ben and the ever lovely Ms Black, that work well but there are way too many others that look like first walkthroughs.

And what happened to Virginia? I'm going to have to find a fan site to catch up on the gossip. I have no idea why Pa'u Zhaan is so under-utilized so far this season.

I started with these, now I'm hooked!
I'd seen bits of Farscape season one and at a glance equated it to every other syndicated sci-fi drama (Andromeda, Stargate SG-1, and the like). Then I rented this one on a whim, and ...WOW am I hooked. This show is what Star Trek Voyager should have been. A show that explores the unknown should be surprising, fascinating and dangerous. Farscape pulls it off in spades (by comparison current Star Trek looks wimpy and new Star Wars, badly written).

To me, these are the episodes that get the show rolling in the right direction. Farscape at it's best shows off Crichton's reactions to the bizarre environment he's become trapped in, and this is where he really starts to loose his marbles. The addition of Scorpius is inspired. From here on the episodes improve dramatically.

Watch the Best of Season One to get updated (The very first episode and season one's finale are a must to know what's going on, and DNA Mad Scientist is very cool), but Season two is where Farscape takes off.

Great show, but not the best showing
Now - I love Farscape. I came into the show late in the game, but it has quickly joined my list of classics...a show not to be missed and now, after it's cancellation, to be mourned.

Knowing this, I must say that this set is not Farscape's best showing. So, if a new fan - don't start here....actually, start in Season 1, episode 1. It's imperative!

The redeeming feature of this set is the episode "Crackers Don't Matter." It *might* be my favorite Farscape episode of all time. The paranoia/hysteria are hysterical and chilling....and it sets up the Scorpius arc for the remainder of the season. This episode, at least, is not to be missed!

A rather disorienting start to Season 2 of "Farscape"
Season 1 of "Farscape" ended with as many cliffhangers as they could cram into the season finale. We had Crichton (Ben Browder) and D'Argo (Anthony Simcoe) floating in space; Moya new born baby boy turns out to have built-in Peacekeeper technology, which thrills Captain Crais (Lani John Tupu); Aeryn (Claudia Black) in a Prowler hiding from Scorpius (Wayne Pygram); and Moya starbursts away with Zhaan (Virginia Hey), Chiana (Gigi Edgley), and Rigel. To be fair, there was no "To Be Continued" announcement for that season finale, probably because the fate of the show was still up in the air, but with the "Farscape" crew scattered to the winds of space there was a sense of anticipation as to how they were going to get out of their respective messes.

That is why "Mind the Baby" is such a great disappointment. When I started watching the episode I thought I had the wrong one in the machine because suddenly Crichton and D'Argo are no longer in space. They must have saved a small fortune not having to do the special effects to show how this happened, but it comes across as a cheat to me. It really go the whole episode off on the wrong foot for me and every new revelation as to how things would be different in Season 2 ended up being met with skepticism. I liked the second episode, "Vitas Mortis" a lot better, which is rather ironic because the story has absolutely nothing to do with any of the new plot elements that were just established. D'Argo meets up with another Luxan, a Orican (holy woman) named Nilaam, who wants him to attend to her death. However, their association has unexpected consequences, both for the two Luxans and for Moya. This look at Luxan culture is rather brief, but it does give D'Argo some new depth to go along with the dark skin colors he picked up floating around in space between the first two seasons. After all the new information thrown at us in the previous episode, a character study of one of Moya's crew other than Crichton stands us in good stead.

Chiana takes center stage in "Taking the Stone," when she is driven by grief to visit a Royal Cemetary planet where she joins a group of decadent youngsters who engage in ritualistic jumping off of cliffs to test death. The group is led by Molon (Anthony Hayes), who has even more disdain for the visitors than he does for his own people. Meanwhile, Crichton is trying to convince Chiana not to "take the stone." This episode reminds me of the "Star Trek" episode "Miri," although Chaina provides it with much more emotional depth. "Crackers Don't Matter" is one of those episodes where the characters are driven semi-insane by alien forces and the actors get to cut loose (the cunning Pilot was my favorite). Behind it all is Traltixx (Danny Adcock), who was called in to help make Moya undetectable to sensors and instead is making her walls glow. However, it is only the fourth episode of the second season, so why would the cast need a change of pace episode already?

The DVD extras are pretty much a mixed bag, especially after the above average batch of additives from the first season set. There is a character backstory on John Crichton and an actor biography of Ben Browder, but they are both text pages that you have to flip through rather than filmed featurettes; they are also rather brief. There is a commentary track on "Crackers Don't Matter," which is mostly actress Claudia Black interviewing director Ian Watson about his craft in general. There are several deleted scenes just for something different this time around and more pages offering a look at the alien encounter with Nilaam and some conceptual drawings, including nice costume drawings for Nilamm. Finally, there is the Farscape Dictionary of alien slang so you can know what "blez," "frodank," and "loomas" mean. So these end up being rather average episodes of "Farscape," although obvious the season premiere is setting the stage for what is to come. I am sure we all had our problems with some of the new directions the show is taking at this point (Talon's choice for the big "honor" totally rubs me the wrong way), but judgment should be reserved until we see what the show does with them. ... Read more

Description

"Exodus from Genesis": Fortunately, a strange interstellar phenomenon conceals Moya's location from a Peacekeeper marauder. Unfortunately, the phenomenon is a swarm of Drak, insect-like creatures that mysteriously infest Moya. Soon, the space insects begin using the ship as a breeding "host," sending the temperature within Moya skyrocketing--perilously high for Aeryn's heat-sensitive Sebacean system. But the infestation within is nothing compared to danger lurking outside!

"Throne for a Loss": When a cargo negotiation with the bloodthirsty, money-hungry Tavleks turns into a kidnapping, Moya's crew must race against time and tempers to save the abducted Rygel. But a captured Tavlek is no even trade for a wealthy dominar. Crichton, Aeryn, and D'Argo have no choice but to use a dangerously addictive, adrenalin-pumping gauntlet stolen from the Tavleks to save their pompous companion and retrieve the crystal Rygel has stolen that is causing Moya's orbit to decay. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Terrific Treat for SF Fans!
One of the strengths of good sf on television is that it takes the characters and basic elements of its "universe" and adds to and develops them. FARSCAPE is no exception to this rule, and does it quite wonderfully in this pair of episodes.

"Exodus From Genesis" is about a bug infestation on Moya, and the surprising truth of what is behind it. With a commentary track version of the episode by Brian Henson and Virginia Hey, the episode has some very good character interaction, and the extra footage on the disc presents some rather intriguing material for fans of Zhaan. Solid episode, good story, with some neat visual effects.

"Throne for a Loss" is an episode that deals with an attempt on Moya's crew to trade with beings called Tavleks that takes an unexpected turn when Rygel is kidnapped for ransom. Excellent sense of humour in this episode with some great lines from various cast members, and the extra footage here makes the episode worthwhile. However, when one adds the commentary track with Ben Browder and Claudia Black, one has an episode version that offers all kinds of insights into the episode and how it was made (among other subjects discussed by the two actors).

Overall, a marvellous DVD and well worth adding to any collection of sf discs - but even better that it's a FARSCAPE one!

Nice episodes, great extras
I admit it--I came a bit late to the Farscape party. But ever since my jump into the series during the mid-point of season two, I've been hooked. So, I'm delighed that the entire series is coming on DVD and giving a relatively new fan like myself a chance to catch up on the early days in the Uncharted Territories.

And this DVD contains one of my favorite episodes from the first six or so and then one that's pretty darn good. The "pretty darn good one" is Exodus from Genesis which features parasites who feed on Moya. The story works because it does what Farscape does best--takes an old sci-fi convention and gives it a new spin. There's also some character development along the way, which is always a good thing.

The second episode is one of my personal favorites--"Throne for a Loss." Rygel is kidnapped by the Tavleks, who think he's a high-ranking offical that Moya's crew will pay generously to have returned to them. The premise of the episode works well and it's interesting to see the character relationships begin to grow and gel a bit. But the highlight of the story is that while the situation is serious, there is still some great humor thrown in. It's Farscape in the finest tradition--intelligent, witty and fun. Definitely worth seeing--even if you're not a Farscape fan.

What throws this DVD other the top though is the extras. Both episodes include commentaries that really help the episodes become more interesting. The commentary on Throne for a Loss is a hoot, featuring series stars Ben Browder (Crichton) and Claudia Black (Aeryn). There's an infectous energy in the the commentary that carries over to the episode and helps give some now insights into the series and its early days.

So, if you're a long time Scaper, get this one for the commentaries. If you're a new fan, get this one to see two episodes that show just why Farscape is some of the best sci-fi on TV today.

Two early in Season 1 for these two "Farscape" episodes
I started watching the first season of "Farscape" on DVD without ever having seen the show on television (I knew it was the show with the blue skinned woman and that was about it). My assumption is that nobody is going to come to Volume 2 of Season 1 without having watched Volume 1. Consequently, I get to engage more in commentary than description for this review of Episodes 3 and 4 from the debut season.

"Exodus from Genesis" is a story designed to have Crichton (Ben Browder) earn the respect of his crewmates. Moya is invaded by aliens who are able to assume the form of the crew. If that is not enough fun a squad of Peacekeepers boards the ship as well. Like the previous episode, "I, E.T.," this is another instance where "Farscape" is getting ahead of itself. Episode 3 is too soon to be doing a story where the actors play reproductions or possessed versions of their characters. We still have so much to learn about these characters, which means details like the problems Aeryn (Claudia Black) has with high temperatures is of more interest than how many copies of Crichton can show up in one room.

"Throne for a Loss" find Rygel kidnapped and held for ransom. Crichton, Aeryn, and D'Argo (Anthony Simcoe) go off to rescue the floating puppet. Their efforts are compromised by the acquisition of a gauntlet, the weapon used by the bad guys. Unfortunately, the gauntlet tends to make its user a bit psychotic, as each of the trio of rescuers discovers. However, Crichton wants to rely on good old human honesty to save the day rather than alien technology. The most interesting part of this episode is back on Moya, when Zhaan (Virginia Hey) is trying to help their prisoner deal with the loss of his gauntlet and the addictive chemicals it provides its user. Of course Zhaan is the most fascinating character on the show and every new revelation about her becomes another piece of the puzzle.

One thing that is already clear to me by this second disc from the first season is that "Farscape" is extremely fan friendly when it comes to putting the episodes out on DVD. First, the episodes contain previously unbroadcast footage, which means all the stuff they cut to show "Farscape" on American television (apparently we have 3-4 minutes more commercials than the rest of the civilized world). Second, all of the episodes feature commentary by a pair of cast and crewmembers: Brian Henson and Virginia Hey on Episode 3 and Ben Browder and Claudia Black on Episode 4. I assume future DVDs will continue to mix and match these people in various combinations. Having two people engage in a conversation works well and all the participants tend to talk about not just the particular episode but also their characters and the series overall.

Crichton tries to fit in with his Farscape crew mates
I started watching the first season of "Farscape" on DVD without ever having seen the show on television (I knew it was the show with the blue skinned woman and that was about it). My assumption is that nobody is going to come to Volume 2 of Season 1 without having watched Volume 1. Consequently, I get to engage more in commentary than description for this review.

"Exodus from Genesis" is a story designed to have Crichton (Ben Browder) earn the respect of his crewmates. Moya is invaded by aliens who are able to assume the form of the crew. If that is not enough fun a squad of Peacekeepers boards the ship as well. Like the previous episode, "I, E.T.," this is another instance where "Farscape" is getting ahead of itself. Episode 3 is too soon to be doing a story where the actors play reproductions or possessed versions of their characters. We still have so much to learn about these characters, which means details like the problems Aeryn (Claudia Black) has with high temperatures is of more interest than how many copies of Crichton can show up in one room.

"Throne for a Loss" find Rygel kidnapped and held for ransom. Crichton, Aeryn, and D'Argo (Anthony Simcoe) go off to rescue the floating puppet. Their efforts are compromised by the acquisition of a gauntlet, the weapon used by the bad guys. Unfortunately, the gauntlet tends to make its user a bit psychotic, as each of the trio of rescuers discovers. However, Crichton wants to rely on good old human honesty to save the day rather than alien technology. The most interesting part of this episode is back on Moya, when Zhaan (Virginia Hey) is trying to help their prisoner deal with the loss of his gauntlet and the addictive chemicals it provides its user. Of course Zhaan is the most fascinating character on the show and every new revelation about her becomes another piece of the puzzle.

One thing that is already clear to me by this second disc from the first season is that "Farscape" is extremely fan friendly when it comes to putting the episodes out on DVD. First, the episodes contain previously unbroadcast footage, which means all the stuff they cut to show "Farscape" on American television (apparently we have 3-4 minutes more commercials than the rest of the civilized world). Second, all of the episodes feature commentary by a pair of cast and crewmembers: Brian Henson and Virginia Hey on Episode 3 and Ben Browder and Claudia Black on Episode 4. I assume future DVDs will continue to mix and match these people in various combinations. Having two people engage in a conversation works well and all the participants tend to talk about not just the particular episode but also their characters and the series overall.

"Exodus"--3 stars; "Throne"--4 stars
"Farscape" has developed into one of the best shows on television. Enjoyment of these early episodes is enhanced by the addition of deleted material and lively commentary. "Escape from Exodus" is an enjoyable story, but far from "Farscape" at its best. The tale of an infestation by space parasites is enlivened by entertaining character interaction, always one of this show's strengths. "Throne for a Loss," on the other hand, is terrific. Rygel, as despicably hilarious as ever, is kidnapped by the Tavleks, a race of warriors who rely on an addictive drug, administered through "power gauntlets," to heighten their power and aggression. To save Rygel, Aeryn, Crichton, and D'Argo all take their turns with the weapon, and the way in which it affects each of them provides interesting and amusing insights into their characters. The way in which Crichton resolves the conflict is perfect. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Look at the Princess
4 very strong episodes, and one somewhat weak episode: Out of their Minds has good performances by 6 of the actors playing one another's characters in the Farscape turn on the old "body-switching" cliche, some character development, and rather backstabbing bird-like aliens. The three-part Look at the Princess is brilliant, with lots of character development, political intrigue, assassination attempts, confrontations with various bad guys (including an early encounter with a Scarran, and a complex bit of dancing with Scorpy), backstory on Moya, and an intriguing central plot point; like the other great three-part arc episodes (Lies, Guns and Money, and the interrupted Nerve/Hidden Memory/Family Ties), it really pushes the series along and bears rewatching again and again. My Three Crichtons, on the other hand, is just a rewrite of the old "split into two halves" SF cliche with the two halves being "past Crichton" and "future Crichton," but with the original combined Crichton being kept around for safety. Tiny amount of character development, but really not up to the standards of the other episodes.

Another great Farscape Volume!
This is a great DVD set which includes the episodes, Out of their Minds, My Three Chrictons, and Look at the Princess Parts 1-3.
Here are my own personal ratings for each
Rating Scale
5 One of the best
4 an excellent episode
3 a good episode
2 a fair one
1 a poor episode
Out of their Minds-4 an Excellent episode
My Three Chrinctons-4 an excellent episode
Look at the Princess Part 1-3 a good episode
Look at the Princess Part 2-4 an excellent episode
Look at the Princess Part 3-4 an excellent episode
Don't miss out on this great volume on DVD.

MASTERPIECE!
Wow, was I wrong about this show. It's tightly written, well acted and amazing story. Possibly the best science fiction show I've yet seen!!!!!!!!!

awesome
a continuation of a GREAT scifi Show!

The Cows Have Not Come Home
This review is not meant to criticize the phenomenal series, but to draw attention to lack of quality in the DVD release. The first season of Farscape on DVD established a quality of excellence that has yet to be matched by the second season. There is a definant lack of the highly informative, as well as entertaining commentaries thus far in the second season. Character backstories as well as alien encounters have been diminished from actual interviews to mere reading material with no additional insight. And this particular set claims to have "deleted scenes." Season 2 had previously deleted scenes available on an extras menu, but this release does not indicate that on either disc. If they were reincorporated back into the program, a "commentary would be helpful to let us know what's new to us since the original US airing as was done in season 1.

I cannot help but to wonder that since this fine program has such a great US fan base, why are we just recently getting season 2 while season 3 is already in Australia? I know that the show is filmed there, but is that any reason to make us wait? And I can't help but to wonder if their DVD's contain even more footage and informtion that is not supplied to us.

I think that the notion of setting four or five episodes per set is supposed to make up for that which is lacking from the season 1 releases. I am grateful that my affection for this program has not been diluted by those that market it for public sales. And although I will miss the future episodes that will never be aired, thanks to the myoptic suits in charge of not allowing this incredible vision to continue, I will not mourn the loss that the vision of what fans have been forced to accept as a definative release of a now, not-so "commercial product" in this consumers' eyes, has suffered from a multitude of selfish corporate wrongdoings. ... Read more

Description

"Nerve": To save Aeryn from a near-fatal injury, Crichton and Chiana must infiltrate a secret Peacekeeper Gammak Base. Though they find an ally on the site, Crichton meets an adversary far more dangerous, more ruthlessly cruel than Crais could ever be--Scorpius, a terrifying Scarren-Sebacean hybrid. And when Scorpius discovers Crichton holds powerful information, he uses the tortuous Aurora Chair to rip the memories from his mind!

"The Hidden Memory": As the crew plans to rescue Crichton, Moya suddenly goes into labor. So while Chiana and Rygel remain aboard to deal with the delivery, Aeryn, Zhaan, and D'Argo wage an assault on the base. Unfortunately, Crichton's rescuers aren't the only visitors to the fortress. Crais has arrived as well! But is the greater danger the double-threat of Crais and Scorpius, or is it Moya's strange and terrifying progeny being born miles above? ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Old Friends, New Enemies; Scores Settled, Stakes Raised...
Continuing to push the envelope of science fiction today, Volume 10 of "Farscape" brings us, perhaps, the best two episodes thus far - as well as the first two-parter. Dealing with themes of loss, vengeance, torture, desperation and obsession, we are brought into the realm of the Peacekeepers for yet another necessitated undercover mission for Crichton.

As Crichton goes to a Peacekeeper base to retrieve a tissue sample necessary to save Aeryn's life in the wake of their last tangle with the Peacekeepers (in Volume 9), he meets up with his would-be love interest from "PK Tech Girl" (in Volume 4) and has everything blow up in his face just as he seems to be escaping, for once, with his skin intact. Bringing into the story a new recurring villain - Scorpius, arguably the nastiest villain "Farscape" has produced yet - as well as the never-far-behind General Crais and the again-problematic wormhole question, this episode manages to weave together elements from the entire season while leaving a half-open ending that has me, at least, wanting to see Season 2 as soon as possible.

On the technical side, ADV Films has done their usual quality work with the video and audio transfer. The extras continue in the theme of previous discs: conceptual art, an image gallery, a computer "Farscape" screensaver and a video profile - this time for the man that plays Scorpius. It would have been nice if ADV would have continued putting a commentary track on this disc as they did with the earlier ones, but it's still a solid disc nonetheless.

"Farscape" has become one of the most interesting (both visually and plot-wise) series on television today. It continues to build on it's established stories while giving away answers to questions in, at best, small chunks. These two episodes are absolutely wonderful and I, for one, and happy to add them to my collection. If you're looking to get into the series, go back to the first disc, but if you're already hooked, definitely don't miss this installment.

Danger Will Robinson. Beware The Chair!
Poor John Crichton. Up to now he's had to evade a crazed Peace Keeper Captain hellbent on revenge. What could happen next? How about a cold calculating alien villian trying to torture Crichton into divulging the secrets of how to make a wormhole.

A two part episode that introduces Scorpius, John Crichton's new antagonist, and Stark- a banek slave. Two of the best episodes of the first season. They set into motion much of the storyline for the 2nd season. The first ep starts with Aeryn dying from a wound she sustained in A BUG'S LIFE. John is forced to go down to a PK gammek base and try to procure the treatment to heal her. He's joined in this dangerous mission by the seductive Chiana. They run into a past aquaintance in a PK tech named Gilina. She obtains the needed cure for Officer Sun, but John is discovered shortly after. The 2nd part deals with the base's commander, Scorpius, suspecting that Crichton is a spy puts him in the "chair". The chair is a memory extraction device that rips the memories from your head and shows them on a viewer. In the interrogation, Scorpy discovers Crichton too is involved with wormholes.

The combination of the calm malevolence of Scorpius and the crazed almost manic cellmate of Crichton's, Stark, create a wonderful contrast of characters. A must have for the Scaper fans out there.

Two of the best first season episodes
Farscape was a mixed bag during the first season; the best episodes rank with anything produced by the Trek franchise or Babylon 5. What made Farscape unique is the quirky sense of humor at the core of every episode. It's the first series since Tom Baker's Dr. Who era to wink at the audience while serving and exciting premise or boots to the floor action episodes for dinner.

Both episodes feature Scorpi and Nerve in particular stands out during the first season. The premise is borrowed from an old Trek episode; Scorpi has a device that allows him to see inside the mind and pick apart the psyche of whomever is strapped into its chair. Unfortunately, Crichton becomes victim # 2 when Scorpi discovers that Crichton has wormhole technology buried in his brain by an alien race.

Never and The Hidden Memory are among the best two part episodes produced for the series. The writing is sharp and the dialog witty. I'd recommend either episode as a fine taste of the Farscape universe which has, sadly,gone on to rerun heaven.

The alien women in Crichton's life all gang up on him
Volume 10 of Season 1 of "Farscape" is basically a two-part story necessitated by the fact that pretty much every woman in the life of John Crichton (Ben Browder) is complicating his life to maximum. In "Nerve" the chain reaction starts with the news that the wound Aeryn (Claudia Black) suffered earlier is going to prove fatal. In a desperate effort to say her life, Crichton infiltrates a secret Peacekeeper Gammak Base, taking along Chiana (Gigi Edgley), which seemed like a good idea at time. On the base Crichton runs into an old friend, Gilina Renaez (Alyssa-Jane Cook), who clearly wants to do a lot more than just help our hero with his mission. He might be able to survive all this if it were not for his encounter with Scorpius (Wayne Pygram), a Scarren-Sebacean hybrid who is basically the Peacekeeper version of Joseph Mengele. Scorpius likes to put people in his Aurora Chair and have a nice time ripping memories from their minds and he has gotten the idea that Crichton knows something interesting.

"The Hidden Memory" continues the story as Crichton's crewmates now have to figure out a way to rescue him without them all falling into Peacekeeper hands. Of course, this is when Moya's child decides that now would be a good time to be born. With Chiana and Rygel (Jonathan Hardy) remaining aboard to keep an eye on the birth of the new leviathan, Aeryn, D'Argo (Anthony Simcoe), and Zhaan (Virginia Hey) storm the Peacekeeper base. However, as if the threat of Scorpius was not enough, it turns out that Captain Crais (Lani John Tupu) has arrived to bring Crichton to justice. The contrast between Scorpius and Crais is interesting, with the former offering a coolness to counter the hot headed behavior of the latter. However, Crichton, who has a most interesting cellmate, might be more in danger from Gilina, who wants to know whether or not Aeryn is competition for the Earthman's affection. Meanwhile, Moya is about to give birth to a surprisingly strange offspring.

Clearly these two episodes up the ante for the "Farscape" crew as we get to the end of Season 1. The birth of Moya's child is the dominating event of this period but clearly significant things are being set up for the future with regards to Scorpius. The two memorable confrontations here are between Crais and Aeryn as well as between Crichton and Gilina. At this point in Season 1 "Farscape" was getting into a bit of a rut, where one of more of Moya's crewmembers would get themselves in a fix and Crichton would save the day. It was certainly nice to see the situation reversed for once and you also get the sense that the show is starting to develop some significant story arcs. Taken together, "Nerve" and "The Hidden Memory" can be seen as the point where the story starts getting a lot more series as some substantial elements are put into place.

Big Bang for your Buck
It's really nice to be able to stay up-to-date with our favorite television shows as they are now while still being able to look back from time to time. Right now, as FARSCAPE enters its fourth season, I still enjoy going back and watching the old DVDs. Each one has something excellent to offer; volume 10 has a LOT of excellent stuff to offer.

The Sci-Fi channel's FARSCAPE series distinguished itself by taking a solid (if rather common) concept of an astronaut from the present thrown across the universe into a strange galaxy inhabited by even stranger lifeforms and drenching the entire series with character, creativity, and charm. Episodes "Nerve" and "The Hidden Memory" help to not only continue this tradition but mark a major turning point in the series for characters and plot-lines.

For those who haven't yet seen the previous episodes, the basic story is this: meet John Crichton. John has been having a bunch of pretty bad days since his flight of the NASA spacecraft Farscape 1 where he was sucked through a wormhole into an interstellar battle halfway across the universe. After a few unfortunate mishaps (whoops, didn't mean to crash into that ship and send it spiralling into that asteroid - no, siree), Crichton finds himself the target of the Peacekeepers (a collection of tyrants, closely physically resembling humans, seeking to extend their control over the galaxy) and one Peacekeeper Captain Crais, seeking vengeance for Crichton's accidental killing of his brother (the pilot whose ship spiralled into the asteroid). He takes up ship with a group of escaped convicts: the Worf-esque Luxan warrior D'Argo, the Delvian (and very blue - literally) anarchist priest Zhaan, the deposed Hynerian ruler Rygel, and the outcast Peacekeeper Aeryn.

Flash forward to this episode. After an unfortunate incident in the previous episode during which Aeryn received a Peacekeeper knife to the ribs, Crichton notices a sharp downturn in her condition - namely, her vomiting blood and coming very close to death. The only way to save her is to infiltrate a hidden Peacekeeper base and bring back a tissue sample. After arriving, Crichton finds himself involved with former love intrest Gilina (from episode 7, "PK Tech Girl") and the utterly evil Scorpius, the leader of the base. Of course, Crichton soon finds himself in a lot of trouble, thus establishing Scorpius as the new supreme villain of FARSCAPE.

The story works out superbly, thanks in part to the signature directing of FARSCAPE (unorthodox, but very effective) and the superb acting that the cast is able to pull off, once again. Ben Browder (as Crichton) adds his usual genius and personality to the role, proving once again that the Emmys far too often overlook certain actors; Wayne Pygram, playing the role of the seclusive and almost frightening Scorpius, does a fine job playing a character that many others would downright fail at. Lani Tupu later enters as Crais, managing to put in even more hatred that usual and making his role even more convincing than it usually is. All of this is held together by great writing: Crais is hate-crazed, Scorpius is the ultimate thinking villain, and Crichton has all the usual one-liners and wisecracks. What more could you want?

The price of the DVD may seem a bit high to some for only two episodes, but these ones are definitely worth your time. If you enjoy science fiction at all, you owe it to yourself to take a look at this one. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Some of the greatest Farscape episodes finally on DVD
As Season 2 of Farscape enters full swing, some questions are answered, and hidden secrets are revealed. This DVD represents an important turning point for the series. Most of the episodes later in the series refer back to what we first learned in the episodes on this DVD.

Out of all the episodes on this DVD, the one that stands out for me is the Won't Get Fooled Again episode. This is perhaps the episode that has aroused the most controversy among the fans. I have found that most people either absolutely love it, or absolutely hate it, with very few people in between. I am one of the people who loved it. In fact, Won't Get Fooled Again is one of my favorite episodes of the entire series.

I find the way this episode slowly degenerates from realism into absolute chaos is beautifully done. Yes, there is disturbing imagery in this episode, but in my opinion, it's never gratuitous, and it is all for a greater purpose that does get explained in the end. And of course, there are some absolutely priceless images thrown in along the way, as well.

And perhaps most importantly, information is revealed in this episode that is going to affect the way the viewer sees the rest of the Season 2 episodes after this, and even a lot of the episodes in the seasons to come. Yes, it was hinted at before, and it will be fleshed out in later episodes, but Won't Get Fooled Again is where it is first explicitly stated, and it will always hold a special place in my heart for that.

Some great episodes, and one incredibly poor one.
The four episodes in this volume of Farscape Season 2 is a mixed bag.

Beware of Dog-The crew must battle a deadly parasite that can change forms and is intent on killing and consuming Moya's crew. This is a simple action/adventure episode, but it is an excellent episode for its great use of characters, witty dialogue, and fun storyline. It also has some twists and turns along the way that keep you guessing.

Won't Get Fooled, Again-Crichton finds himself in a strange simulation of his life back on Earth which turns out to be the work of a Scarren interrogator. This is perhaps the worst episode of Farscape ever because of its razor thin story, overly weird elements, corny humor, and downright disgusting subtexts including, but not limited to, oedipal imagery involving Crichton's Mother. This episode is weird just for the sake of being weird.

The Locket-Aeryn returns to Moya on a transport pod after surveying a strange cloud that Moya has flown into. The catch-she is over 100 cycles (years) old. Now, Crichton follows her into a parallel universe, where the two grow old together, but must return to save Moya from becoming trapped in time. This is a very touching and emotionally compelling episode with fantastic performances by Ben Browder and Claudia Black. This episode also sees the return of Paul Goddard as Stark, the Banik slave that escaped with Crichton from Scorpius' Gammack Base in "the Hidden Memory".

The Ugly Truth-Moya's crew is put on trial by a race called the Plokavians for Talyn's destruction of one of their ships. Each are interrogated and relate their version of the chain of events that led to the Plokavian ship's accidental destruction. But will the Plokavian's believe their innocence? This is a good episode, but unfortunately suffers from the fact that it repeats the same chain of events at least five times from five different points of view. The result is an episode that is rather slow at times, but still has some good moments to it.

So, the end result is a volume of Farscape Season 2 that has two not to be missed episodes for different reasons (Beware of Dog and the Locket) and another episode that is good and worth seeing. Just skip over Won't Get Fooled, Again, when you watch it, and you won't be disappointed.

Still fabulous!
Even the worst episode of Farscape is better than any other SciFi source available today!

Pip, it's time for a reality check
If you're reading this you're probably a long time fan of this cancelled series or a new raw recruit. There are a number of negative reviews about some of the episodes contained on this disc. I'm not exactly sure why. Clearly the folks were expecting something else--something they had seen before perhaps.

Defying that very expectation is what made Farscape special. Yes, Beware of Dog isn't as earthshaking as the cliff hanger of the previous season (or even the three part episode set on "Royal World" as Crichton humorously calls it). It's meant to be Farscape's Trouble with Tribbles with a much darker, edgier tone. You'll either love or hate the tone of this fine episode as it indulges in a bit more humor than the average episode. Star Trek: TNG vet Naren Shanker's script plays with our perceptions of the characters. There's a witty line of dialog that references Aliens (having Chiana say it was an inspired touch. There's also a number of humorous visual references to E.T. and a tip of the hat to Joe Dante's Gremlins)

Won't Get Fooled Again is a marevlous episode that plays with both audience expectations, Crichton's previous experience with a simulation of a return trip home and the essence of the show's regular characters. It also reveals important information about why Scorpi keeps showing up in Crichton's wakeful "dreams". It's another way for Scorpi to be in the script, interacting with Crichton even in the setting of Moya. It's marvelously paced and Ben Browder gives a superb performance (as do all the actors playing against character "type")as a man losing his mind. Kudos to writer Richard Manning for pulling off an episode that, essentially, revisits theme from the previous season and Rowan Woods' surreal directorial touches (the red pumps on Crais is a marvelous touch).

The Locket focuses on the outcome of Crichton's infatuation with Aryn. It's a great "what if" episode that, again, defies expectations. It's a heartfelt episode that focuses on character and the various character's expectations of each other. Writer Justin Monjo's script and Ian Watson's direction are both top-notch.

The Ugly Truth could have been a routine episode. By dint of the performances, direction and writing it overcomes many of the limitations of the basic premise. The dialog by first time Farscape writers Gabrielle Stanton and Harry Werksman, Jr. has some sparkling dialog and character moments. The opticals exceed expectations in what could have been a simple "bottle" episode.

This quartet of episodes are among the best the second season had to offer. The next boxset will focus on a strong trio of episodes that unfold what Scorpi really did to Crichton and the disasterous outcome of his shipmates attempt to save him.

The transfer is top notch with little or no analog or digital artifacts. While the entire series has looked really good, it's clear that ADV has hit their stride with the second season set. I did notice some analog artifacts on the previous set but it wasn't a huge distraction. There's no such problems that I can see here. The extras include deleted scenes, conceptual artwork, a biography of Anthony Simcoe as well as a backstory on D'Argo. There's also the first part of a text/visual driven look at the various alien species.

The sound is, for the most part, exceptional (except for some of the deleted scenes where it's clear that it came from a broadcast episode probably created for a foreign market with no stereo or 5.1 sound available).

While I did have problems with some of the science in some of the previous episodes (Crichton's escape in one episode was engineered by decompressing into space and using a gun to propel himself to another craft. While it's possible, the amount of time Crichton was in space could have killed him. He didn't look any worse for the wear. It's a nice little tribute to a similar scene in 2001 though).

FARSCAPE really is the best of television
All right, WOW! I've been eagerly awaiting this release because of 'Won't Get Fooled Again'. One of the first eps I'd seen (after 'Hidden Memory') and still one of my favorites! The acting and directing on this series is simply brilliant.
'The Locket' is another I really like. A character-driven plot-line(not much action in this ep. Sorry.)that really lets you see into the characters, how they've changed and grown.

That's it! Never written a review before... ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Superb
non ... Read more

Reviews (10)

ADV Continues with Disappointing FARSCAPE DVDs
The second DVD set for FARSCAPE'S second season has finally come out, and once again it is very disappointing in many, many ways. The fans of the FARSCAPE series who live in Canada and the US are being ripped off by the folks at ADV Films with these DVDs, and this volume follows the same pattern in that it has very few additional features to appeal to the fans of the series.

As with the first double DVD set for the second season, this one has four episodes of the series on two DVDs, with a variety of "special features". The first DVD begins with the wonderful episode "The Way We Weren't", in which the crew of Moya learn of Aeryn Sun's having been on the Leviathan before, and how she was involved in the replacement of the former Pilot for the current one. It is an episode that deals with the matter of Peacekeeper love and sex, trust, and betrayal by someone close. It's also an episode that alters some of the relationships between the various characters on Moya, and resolves the matter of how Moya became pregnant (back in the first season's "They've Got a Secret"). It's a wonderful episode with all kinds of story elements to it that other writers could learn from. The second episode here is the disappointing "Picture If You Will", in which an enemy from the first season (Maldis from "That Old Black Magic") returns to wreak havoc and revenge on the crew of Moya through the intermediary of a painting that shows events that come to pass. While there is some interesting character interaction and Zhaan gets a good bit of the action here, the characters we've come to know and love have a very weak set of material to work with here, and the episode falls somewhat flat. There appears to be a couple of scenes in each episode that I didn't remember from the televised versions of them, but there's nothing extra to them that I could find. The Special Features on this first DVD are very weak indeed. The Claudia Black Actor Bio, the Officer Aeryn Sun Charcter Backstory, the Alien Encounters, the Weapons and Ships are all text files, and a lot of the material here (which isn't all that much to be honest) can be found on the internet and FARSCAPE sites. The conceptual drawings are very nice on their own merit, offering a bit of insight to the series background, but this DVD has nothing else on it of note. There aren't even any deleted scenes for the two episodes, something that seriously annoyed me, since reading several other sources have indicated that both these episodes had several scenes which were deleted.

The second DVD begins with one of those episodes that you either love or hate, "Home on the Remains". Chiana has led the starving crew of Moya to the corpse of a budong, a giant space creature that could swallow Moya as a bite-sized snack, where she and her brother, Nerri, stayed a long time ago. Meanwhile, Zhaan's hunger is causing her to bud and create spores that are the Delvians' means of capturing animal prey and devouring them in times of famine, so it is doubly important to get some meat for Zhaan. Naturally Chiana's past comes back to haunt her, and things are not as simple for the crew as one would expect. In addition, this episode has one of the silliest beasties seen in the second season to this point, the keedva - a dog-like creature with big fangs that is obviously a man in a suit. One tends to expect a bit more from a series that is using the famed Creature Shop for stuff like this normally. The episode is an entertaining one, since it shows the relationship between Chiana and D'Argo that is developing into something else, and gives Crichton the chance to flex his muscles. There's also some
terrific humour here, notably several scenes between Crichton and Rygel, but the episode is not all that memorable - or perhaps it is, depending on your taste in these things. The second episode is "Dream A Little Dream", which was meant to be the second-season opener for FARSCAPE, but which was deemed too non-action oriented after the first season finale (see my review of the first double set of DVDs for the second season for more on this). While the episode is told by Zhaan to Crichton in flashback, this episode is a good story set on the planet Litigara (inhabited primarily by lawyers) that has a few plot problems and inconsistencies, but shows why Zhaan, Rygel, Pilot, and Chiana were as they were at the beginning of "Mind the Baby". Chiana and Rygel both sparkle in this episode, having to defend Zhaan for the crime for which she has been falsely accused without lying or using falsehoods to get her acquitted. The story has some wonderful moments and is worth the viewing simply to see Gigi Edgley's performance. This DVD has the Deleted Scenes on it, but there are only three of them - and all of these come from "Dream A Little Dream". There's nothing really exciting here, although there are a couple of good scenes here that are worth viewing, but there's nothing extra from the other three episodes in this DVD set. There is a Farscape Dictionary of Technical Terms and an Alien Encounters section once more, but these are again *text* versions of material that can be found elsewhere. The Conceptual Drawings are very nice once more, but that's all there is on this DVD as well.

One of the most annoying things about the FARSCAPE DVDs from ADV continues to plague this one. Upon loading the first DVD into one's player, the first thing that comes up is an advert for the ANDROMEDA line of DVDs from the company. For frell's sake - aren't they charging enough for this stuff that we don't need to *pay* for advertising of their other products? The second irritiating thing here is the fact that once again, the DVDs do not have menus at the beginning for actually picking the episode that one wants to view. If one actually wishes to see the second episode on a given DVD, one has to go into Scene Selection, and pick the first scene of the second episode on the DVD. Waste of time, and the folks at ADV must be the only ones who do this sort of thing. Highly annoying. Unlike the first second season set of DVDs, this one doesn't even have a Commentary version of any of the episodes, and one has to wonder what the new deal with Henson that was worked out actually gives us. There are no commentaries on the episodes, no interviews, no chats with the stars or guest actors, nothing about the making of these episodes, nothing that really makes the DVDs any better than having the tapes one could record off the televised episodes. Sure, the quality is better, but when push comes to shove, these DVDs are lacking in any bonus materials that make their purchase price worthwhile.

When all is said and done, the FARSCAPE Season 2, Volume 2 DVD set is a dud. While it's nice to have good quality recordings of the episodes (the sound is terrific on these), I have to look at some of the other series that are being DVD-ed these days, and wonder what the folks at ADV Films are giving us here. There's no real special features on these DVDs at all, and to be honest, this is something of a cheat to the fans of the series. That said, the ADV version of these DVDs is the only game in town, unless one wants to buy the English versions of them and get some of the nifties that come with those. I can only hope that the folks at ADV get their act together and give us something on these DVDs that's worth the cost.

Things start to get more interesting for Moya's crew
It quickly became clear during the premier season of "Farscape" that the default mode for the show was to have stranded Earthling John Crichton (Ben Browder) save the day at the end of each episode. That is why I appreciate that this collection of early episodes from Season 2 of "Farscape" makes an effort to break that mode:

"The Way We Weren't" drops a bombshell on Moya's crew when Chiana (Gigi Edgley) digs up an old datacam tape showing that several years earlier Captain Crais (Lani Tupu) showed up and had his Peacekeepers kill the ship's original pilot. But the bigger shock is that Aeryn (Claudia Black) was one of the members of the firing squad. Except for Crichton, the rest of the crew are suddenly doubting Aeryn, but it is Pilot (voiced by Lani Tupu) who suddenly wants the former Peacekeeper dead. This episode certainly offers higher drama than we have seen before on the series, and apparently the reason behind Crais killing that pilot had something to do with Moya's pregnancy (to be continued?).

"Picture If You Will" has Chiana returning from a Trader's ship with a picture whose image keeps magically changing. Functioning as a "window in time," it shows a future that becomes real, including the deaths of D'Argo (Anthony Simcoe) and Chiana. This time it is Zhaan (Virginia Hey) who learns the secret of the picture's origin and while it is indeed Crichton who has to save the day, it is totally appropriate given the identity of the villain.

"Home on the Remains" finds Moya's crew starving. However, Zhaan gets the worst of it, with his body sprouting buds that emit a toxic pollen. Aeryn stays behind while the rest of the crew head for a mining colony on the giant carcass of a Budong to get help from some old friends. Of course, there are a few complications at that end while Zhaan becomes convinced she has to kill Aeryn to save her life. We also have some movement on a possible romantic front apart from Crichton and Aeryn.

"Dream a Little Dream" is the episode that finally gets us back to what happened in between the end of the first season and the start of the second when Moya StarBurst from the Gammak Base leaving Crichton, Aeryn, and D'Argo behind. Overwhelmed by nightmares of guilt, Zhaan tells Crichton what happened during that time, when Zhaan was framed for murder on Litigara, a planet where 90% of the citizens are lawyers. However, that comic aspect (and the fact that Chiana and Rygel) get to be her defense counsel) has nothing to do with the torture Zhaan is going through in this episode because of her guilt.

The tally at the end of the day is that we have one classic "Farscape" episode, another great episode, and two above average efforts (in that order). On balance, this is the best collection of four episodes to date. Yes, it pretty much ignores the whole Crais has Talon development that was part of the explosive climax of the first season, but pretty much that is what you find to be the case in most of the second season episodes to this point.

A Great Season - A Limited DVD
SciFi 's (hereafter 'Skiffy') quixotic post-cancellation rerun schedule has forced die-hard "Farscape" fans to invest in sets of DVDs. Unfortunately, the kind of static, text-only "extras" ADV includes do little justice to the series. Rumor has it that the fans have been heard and Season Three's set has significantly improved.

Having said that, the move by Skiffy executives to scuttle the show after Season Four's cliffhanger is made more incomprehensible with each viewing of the previous seasons. Even the minor episodes contain multi-faceted character development - most startling in Henson Creature Shop's Rygel - and layered writing. In spite of the flaws in ADV's presentation, this set is well worth owning - and certainly provides a more convenient viewing atmosphere than the present midnight rerun madness.

In a nutshell, the show is different this season
Forgive me fans, but farscape loses me somewhat in the second season. It just gets a little slow and introspective, something irritates me about it. Maybe it's the constant love friction with Aerin and Crighton, it bores me. That warrior guy finds his soft side and things just don't always seem to make sense anymore. I'm constantly thinking "how is that possible?" because it isn't. They are playing on my imagination skills to float their loose stories. For instance, Crighton is frozen into a lead statue (where he is still alive - only unanimated), then enemies chop off his head with a laser torch and drop it in acid to ensure its destruction (and of course it is not). What happens? It FLOATS. A bowling ball size piece of lead floats. In another scene, Crighton actually flies through space WITH NO SPACESUIT to escape an explosion, lands on another craft and enters it. He's a bit choked up, but the cold vacuum of space should have insta-froze his body and shattered it in a billion pieces when he collided with the other craft. There are holes and assumptions in the stories "larger picture" as well. Just overall not that great. If your a fan, go ahead, but if not, I wouldn't make this a first Farscape venture. There is a great "Best of Season 1" collection that will give you plenty to chew on.

Great DVD for Farscape fans
I am a big fan of Farscape in particular and science fiction in general. I watch Farscape for entertainment and as long as I am entertained by an episode, I give it high ratings. Even so, Farscape is one of the most original series on tv. There are good stories, interesting characters and the alien monsters are original and unique. Some episodes are better than others I'll admit, but quite honestly I enjoy them all. I am pleased to see the season two DVDs in a four episode format. The more episodes I can get with one purchase, the better. I too would like to see more extra features on the DVDs so the viewers can learn more about what it takes to product this great show and see what goes on behind the scenes. I have all the season one DVDs and plan to collect all episodes that are released. Thanks to Jim Henson and company. ... Read more