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selenakThat's what zahrawithaz wants to know. Now, I did remember that Farscape, like Babylon 5 and DS9, not to mention TNG, has a first season containing some less than stellar episodes, but only when I refreshed my memory by having a look at the exact list did I realise I usually go straight from the pilot to P.K. Techgirl (episode 1.7), or did when I last rewatched, which was some years ago. Now I do remember watching I, E.T., Throne for a Loss and Exodus from Genesis back in the day, but I barely remember them, just enough to know I never had the urge to rewatch. Does anyone want to make the case for them, or the other intervening episodes before P.K. Techgirl? I mean, I know we learn some backstory for D'Argo and the Luxans, and of course the regulars do some adjusting-to-each-other, but if you know other reasons, why those early episodes are a must for a Farscape newbie, pray mention them in the comments.
From P.K. Tech Girl onwards, however, season 1 of Farscape very much is worth watching, and rewatching, and rewatching to me. That particular episode contains a (gruesome) key bit of Rygel backstory, making it clear he's not just the comic relief on the ship (and that you underestimate him at your peril), it has John and Aeryn at a point where they're not yet in inevitable leading pair territory, and fleshes Peacekeeper society a bit via the (sympathetic) guest character, so I think it's a good reentry point after the pilot.
Now, more about s1 in general: among other things, it offers the "people thrown together by circumstance who at first don't like each other very much (and in more than one case with good reason) become a family of choice" (not for nothing is the last episode of the season called "Family Ties" which a great many shows do for their first season, but not always as well. There is some considerable subversion of clichés going on; Zhaan may tend to come across as a serene embodiment of wisdom much of the time, but s1 makes it clear how dangerous she can be, and that beneath that serenity there's considerable darkness; Zhaan is good (when she is) by choice, not by nature, and when she's not, well. S1 is - imo - her best season, and there isn't another character quite like s1 Zhaan for the remainder of the show.
S1 introduces all of the s1 regulars, of course, and their relationships to each other, and if you tune in s2, you're missing a lot of character development and layers. Season 2 has an episode called The Way We Weren't which is among the best of the show anad centred on Pilot and Aeryn, but I think it truly loses if you haven't watched the s1 episode DNA Mad Scientist first, which is the foundation of the Pilot-Aeryn relationship. (It's also a lot of other things, which would be too spoilery to name.) Aeryn Sun's entire development from the (mostly) obedient soldier of a fascist regime we meet in the pilot to who she's become by the time The Peacekeeper Wars wrap up the show takes several seasons, of course, but without s1, you miss the important and hard first steps of that development (as well as the way the show reassures its audience Aeryn doesn't become a lesser warrior because she starts to develop different goals). I've once joked that in Farscape, Aeryn Sun is the Byronic hero with a murky and guilt-ridden past, a hardened, sarcastic shell but also enormous capacity for emotion buried beneath while John Crichton is the wide-eyed somewhat naive damsel with the heart of gold, full of joie de vivre, falling for said Byronic hero.
Which brings me to s1 John Crichton. Given he's the white male lead and the pov character through whose eyes we encounter the rest of the ensemble and its setting, I bet a great many people first think "conventional action hero, perhaps even white savior trope" when starting the pilot. But he's not. S1 John is a scientist who is worse at martial arts/self defense than practically everyone else on board. Also, he's the alien who doesn't know the roles at whose expense fish-out-of-water jokes are made. (As opposed to the more usual "aliens don't get human habits, ha ha" sci fi cliché.) There's a playfulness and innocence about s1 John that he later loses bit by bit, which is inevitable given the kind of universe he's landed in and the need to survive, but it's not a little heartbreaking to watch. (And note: it's NOT coded as "becoming a man" in any way. I have my problems with s4, but it contains some terrific character scenes, and one of them (which kills me because it's understated, quiet and sad at the same time) is when John Crichton, looking back, says "the things I've done, the things that've been done to me". And you need to have encountered s1 John (as well as all the other seasons's John(s)) to know what makes this moment.)
(Related sidenote: the first time I rewatched s1 after knowing the show in totem, I was struck by how early a general tendency started I'd have put only to began by the end of s1. But no, Raphsody in Blue gets there first. To wit: you know how one of the more irritating clichés is when the female characters on a sci fi show (and in other genres) get metaphorical and not to metaphorical rape scenarios, bodily invasion, mental invasion etc. and somehow this never happens to the men? Well, Farscape's John Crichton gets put through the trauma conga and both metaphorical and literal rape scenarios. A lot. And yet it never feels gratitious, nor does the show pretend this isn't exactly that it is.)
On the brighter side: like I said, s1 is where positive relationships form, for everyone, and this is often a lot of fun to watch. And because these relationships are tested in s2, you need to seem grow first, sometimes very much against the odds. Meeting Chiana in s2, when she's already part of the ensemble, is a very different thing to meeting her in her introduction s1 episode. Everyone's behavior vis a vis Crais in later seasons is far more understandable when you've seen That Old Black Magic. An episode like s1's A Human Reaction isn't just important for the overall show mythology (it includes something that the audience really needs to know because otherwise a main plot thread through the remainder of the show is incomprehensible - to make a Merlin comparison, imagine watching that show without being aware that magic is illegal in Camelot, and just why and how Uther started his feud with magic users), it's also extremely interesting in what it says about Crichton's opinion of the society he hails from and his fears at that point already, and it provides us with a turning point in what was his professed goal since the pilot. And then of course, come the last few episodes of s1, we get introduced to the key antagonist of the entire show; again, without having seen his very memorable debut episodes, both his later relationship with Crichton and, for that matter, Crais' attitude towards him are not nearly as comprehensible.
One last piece of s1 advice, though: whatever you do, skip Jeremiah Crichton. The cast, the fans, everyone agrees on this.
In conclusion: you may also enjoy s1 (and all subsequent seasons) as a pop culture of the late 90s quiz. John Crichton is an affirmed sci fi and fantasy fan, very genre wise, and not just with the obligatory Star Trek and Star Wars alllusions. Among other things, he's a Buffy fan. (And hopes his sister taped the episodes for him he's missing.)
The Other Days
zahrawithaz wants to know. Now, I did remember that Farscape, like Babylon 5 and DS9, not to mention TNG, has a first season containing some less than stellar episodes, but only when I refreshed my memory by having a look at the exact list did I realise I usually go straight from the pilot to P.K. Techgirl (episode 1.7), or did when I last rewatched, which was some years ago. Now I do remember watching I, E.T., Throne for a Loss and Exodus from Genesis back in the day, but I barely remember them, just enough to know I never had the urge to rewatch. Does anyone want to make the case for them, or the other intervening episodes before P.K. Techgirl? I mean, I know we learn some backstory for D'Argo and the Luxans, and of course the regulars do some adjusting-to-each-other, but if you know other reasons, why those early episodes are a must for a Farscape newbie, pray mention them in the comments.From P.K. Tech Girl onwards, however, season 1 of Farscape very much is worth watching, and rewatching, and rewatching to me. That particular episode contains a (gruesome) key bit of Rygel backstory, making it clear he's not just the comic relief on the ship (and that you underestimate him at your peril), it has John and Aeryn at a point where they're not yet in inevitable leading pair territory, and fleshes Peacekeeper society a bit via the (sympathetic) guest character, so I think it's a good reentry point after the pilot.
Now, more about s1 in general: among other things, it offers the "people thrown together by circumstance who at first don't like each other very much (and in more than one case with good reason) become a family of choice" (not for nothing is the last episode of the season called "Family Ties" which a great many shows do for their first season, but not always as well. There is some considerable subversion of clichés going on; Zhaan may tend to come across as a serene embodiment of wisdom much of the time, but s1 makes it clear how dangerous she can be, and that beneath that serenity there's considerable darkness; Zhaan is good (when she is) by choice, not by nature, and when she's not, well. S1 is - imo - her best season, and there isn't another character quite like s1 Zhaan for the remainder of the show.
S1 introduces all of the s1 regulars, of course, and their relationships to each other, and if you tune in s2, you're missing a lot of character development and layers. Season 2 has an episode called The Way We Weren't which is among the best of the show anad centred on Pilot and Aeryn, but I think it truly loses if you haven't watched the s1 episode DNA Mad Scientist first, which is the foundation of the Pilot-Aeryn relationship. (It's also a lot of other things, which would be too spoilery to name.) Aeryn Sun's entire development from the (mostly) obedient soldier of a fascist regime we meet in the pilot to who she's become by the time The Peacekeeper Wars wrap up the show takes several seasons, of course, but without s1, you miss the important and hard first steps of that development (as well as the way the show reassures its audience Aeryn doesn't become a lesser warrior because she starts to develop different goals). I've once joked that in Farscape, Aeryn Sun is the Byronic hero with a murky and guilt-ridden past, a hardened, sarcastic shell but also enormous capacity for emotion buried beneath while John Crichton is the wide-eyed somewhat naive damsel with the heart of gold, full of joie de vivre, falling for said Byronic hero.
Which brings me to s1 John Crichton. Given he's the white male lead and the pov character through whose eyes we encounter the rest of the ensemble and its setting, I bet a great many people first think "conventional action hero, perhaps even white savior trope" when starting the pilot. But he's not. S1 John is a scientist who is worse at martial arts/self defense than practically everyone else on board. Also, he's the alien who doesn't know the roles at whose expense fish-out-of-water jokes are made. (As opposed to the more usual "aliens don't get human habits, ha ha" sci fi cliché.) There's a playfulness and innocence about s1 John that he later loses bit by bit, which is inevitable given the kind of universe he's landed in and the need to survive, but it's not a little heartbreaking to watch. (And note: it's NOT coded as "becoming a man" in any way. I have my problems with s4, but it contains some terrific character scenes, and one of them (which kills me because it's understated, quiet and sad at the same time) is when John Crichton, looking back, says "the things I've done, the things that've been done to me". And you need to have encountered s1 John (as well as all the other seasons's John(s)) to know what makes this moment.)
(Related sidenote: the first time I rewatched s1 after knowing the show in totem, I was struck by how early a general tendency started I'd have put only to began by the end of s1. But no, Raphsody in Blue gets there first. To wit: you know how one of the more irritating clichés is when the female characters on a sci fi show (and in other genres) get metaphorical and not to metaphorical rape scenarios, bodily invasion, mental invasion etc. and somehow this never happens to the men? Well, Farscape's John Crichton gets put through the trauma conga and both metaphorical and literal rape scenarios. A lot. And yet it never feels gratitious, nor does the show pretend this isn't exactly that it is.)
On the brighter side: like I said, s1 is where positive relationships form, for everyone, and this is often a lot of fun to watch. And because these relationships are tested in s2, you need to seem grow first, sometimes very much against the odds. Meeting Chiana in s2, when she's already part of the ensemble, is a very different thing to meeting her in her introduction s1 episode. Everyone's behavior vis a vis Crais in later seasons is far more understandable when you've seen That Old Black Magic. An episode like s1's A Human Reaction isn't just important for the overall show mythology (it includes something that the audience really needs to know because otherwise a main plot thread through the remainder of the show is incomprehensible - to make a Merlin comparison, imagine watching that show without being aware that magic is illegal in Camelot, and just why and how Uther started his feud with magic users), it's also extremely interesting in what it says about Crichton's opinion of the society he hails from and his fears at that point already, and it provides us with a turning point in what was his professed goal since the pilot. And then of course, come the last few episodes of s1, we get introduced to the key antagonist of the entire show; again, without having seen his very memorable debut episodes, both his later relationship with Crichton and, for that matter, Crais' attitude towards him are not nearly as comprehensible.
One last piece of s1 advice, though: whatever you do, skip Jeremiah Crichton. The cast, the fans, everyone agrees on this.
In conclusion: you may also enjoy s1 (and all subsequent seasons) as a pop culture of the late 90s quiz. John Crichton is an affirmed sci fi and fantasy fan, very genre wise, and not just with the obligatory Star Trek and Star Wars alllusions. Among other things, he's a Buffy fan. (And hopes his sister taped the episodes for him he's missing.)
The Other Days
no subject
Date: 2018-01-21 06:18 pm (UTC)If I were introducing someone to Farscape, though, I'd include all the early episodes, even Jeremiah Crichton, because that's the first time John really loses his temper, a complete dramatic huff, and it's the first time we see the crew really decide that he's one of them. Sure, the entire interim planet-side action is cringe-worthy, along with the Beard, but the important parts are basically the teaser, the Moya-scenes, and seeing Rygel take responsibility for his ancestors' actions.
Plot-wise, many of the episodes are self-contained, but it's the characterization and the connections building over that period which leads to the family ties of the finale. We may not need every scene of Rygel boasting or D'Argo falling for a woman or John failing to open doors or Aeryn knocking John out and dragging him off to do her bidding, but I treasure them all, because they make the characters real and alive and relatable.
no subject
Date: 2018-01-22 10:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-01-21 06:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-01-22 10:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-01-21 06:52 pm (UTC)Having done a recent series rewatch, there is amazing character groundwork laid especially for Aeryn & D'argo where they really don't like each other, which makes the payoff in Family Ties really resonate. I'd say Throne for a Loss is a must-watch because it's actually a very strong character piece for Rygel, Zhaan, Aeryn, D'argo, and John ... and has a payoff at the end of season 2. Exodus from Genesis introduces the Living Death and Thank God Its Friday Again has Aeryn doing science and worldbuiling about how far PK influence stretches and its cost.
None of it really necessary, but all stuff on the whole that makes the characters richer, imo. It's where a lot of the John being a fish-out-of-water takes place. He's already much more competent by the time you get to mid-season.
Jeremiah Crichton is a mess of an episode, but the opening and closing are good for seeing how John's place in the crew has evolved.
no subject
Date: 2018-01-22 10:59 am (UTC)Oh, absolutely agreed. And I'm hoping once they're hooked, they'll go back to the early eps.
no subject
Date: 2018-01-21 07:43 pm (UTC)There are lots of little things in the early episodes specifically about being NOT Star Trek. For instance, I, E.T. has a lot of stuff pointing out the implications of Moya being alive, rather than it just being a cool random fact that never affects the plot. Exodus From Genesis confronts Crichton (and us) with the point that completely non-lingual insects can still be important beings who shouldn't be killed on sight.
It helped me to understand what sort of show this wasn't, so that I could get rid of all my preconceptions before watching the important bits.
no subject
Date: 2018-01-22 11:01 am (UTC)Still agree with your points about those early eps.
no subject
Date: 2018-01-21 09:35 pm (UTC)Regarding Jeremiah Crichton -- the commentary on that episode is worth watching. It's hilarious. Ben Bowder (Crichton) and one of the writers describe in detail why it's the worst episode ever, Browder ruthlessly mocks it and himself during it, they explain how that happened, and talk about how it is impossible to do a 22 episode series without creating a few bad episodes, although usually not one as awful as Jeremiah Crichton.
That commentary forever endeared me to Bowder.
I've once joked that in Farscape, Aeryn Sun is the Byronic hero with a murky and guilt-ridden past, a hardened, sarcastic shell but also enormous capacity for emotion buried beneath while John Crichton is the wide-eyed somewhat naive damsel with the heart of gold, full of joie de vivre, falling for said Byronic hero.
Why Aeryn/John is my favorite romantic relationship on television - in a nutshell. They flipped the trope. Farscape did that a lot -- they would take a sci-fi cliche or story cliche and just flip it or subvert.
I love that show. Now I want to re-watch it. May have to do that soon.
no subject
Date: 2018-01-21 11:38 pm (UTC)I started watching the show in third season -- it was on cable here and I didn't have cable 'til then. I'm not sure first season would have held me, but once I knew and loved the characters, I did enjoy seeing how the relationships developed in season 1.
no subject
Date: 2018-01-22 01:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-01-22 11:03 am (UTC)I've written my share of rants about those Farscape creative choices that ticked me off. But never to the point where I didn't love the show.
no subject
Date: 2018-01-22 10:56 pm (UTC)And, man, now I'm feeling all nostalgic for Farscape again...
no subject
Date: 2018-01-23 03:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-01-23 03:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-03-28 03:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-03-28 04:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-03-28 05:11 pm (UTC)(also one of my secret faves from S1 is TGIF...A because D'Argo/Zhaaaaaaaaaan!) (Huggy D'Argo, Scientist Aeryn, D'ARGO QUOTING THE ILIAD ((basically)), Zhaan's bit on happiness at the end....what a show.)