Farscape S2 R1

[ElScorcho]

Okay, so they aren't releasing them as fast as the B5 sets, but season 2 r1 DVD boxed-set of Farscape is FINALLY coming out October the 28th.

These are really great sets. In fact, this is the only series where I have watched the commentaries more than once. The actors and producers/directors here are very passionate about their show and knowledgable about their craft - the actor commentaries are a good mix of production insight and good-natured ribbing.

I was just listening to the commentary of the season one finale last night, and was surprised by the irony of Claudia Black's and Ben Browder's comments about the uncertainty of whether the show was going to be picked up for another season or not. (The commentaries for s1 were recorded in between s3 and s4.)

Ben: It was an emotional moment. I thought I wasn't coming back to Australia...

Claudia: We didn't know if we were coming back for another season, so all these things were set up as a complete cliffhanger - and if it was the last episode ever of Farscape, everything would have been left up in the air.

Ben: We would only exist in fan fiction.

Spooky, eh? The thoughts of what might have been while secure in the fact that their show was going on for a fourth and fifth season foreshadowing what actually ended up happening.

It still pisses me off.

 

[GKarsEye]

I'm actually only watching the show on the season box sets, which means I've only seen season 1. But it's enough to get me to stick with it and I look forward to season 2.

Sure I wish they would come out more often than once a freakin' year, but on the bright side it gives me time to watch DS9 and B5.

 

[The Juche Warrior]

What I wish is that the price of these would go down. For f*ck's sake, the cheapest that I've seen the season 1 set is for $130.

 

[GKarsEye]

I know! That just might make me wait a few months until I've acquired and watched DS9.

 

[AntonyF]

*mutters*

We pay £100... and don't get commentaries!

 

[ElScorcho]

That just might make me wait a few months until I've acquired and watched DS9.

It's been my experience that waiting a few months usually means paying more. Most retail outlets sell new releases at discount. And - not to sound like a commercial or anything - I've found that Best Buy usually has the lowest price. But you may be able to find better offers online.

 

[The Juche Warrior]

Not with Farscape. It's stayed at the same price for as long as I have seen it on the shelves.

 

[GKarsEye]

Maybe. But releasing an expensive set at the end of the month- when rent and bills are due- is just no good for the mighty GKarsEye.

 

[ElScorcho]

I just picked it up at BB for under a hundred bucks the other day.


The set is simply the collection of the two-disc sets that have been released already (not sure, but I think it was different with season one). They streamlined it down to ten discs. I like the way they put the three-parters on the discs in their entirety, even though it screws up the order on the last two discs.

The extras are a bit more sparse than the first set. Much of the additional material is text and there is only one commentary on the whole set - "Crackers Don't Matter". They don't tell you who does the commentary, but I'm gonna guess that Ben is on there somewhere. The deleted scenes are scant as well. It's too bad they weren't scored and incorporated into the episodes themselves.

But I have to say that I'm really enjoying rewatching this series. I rarely ever taped any of the episodes, so they're still fresh for me. Ahh, remember the days when Friday Prime on SciFi was must-see TV? Personally, I usually caught the second shift.

 

[PillowRock]

The set is simply the collection of the two-disc sets that have been released already (not sure, but I think it was different with season one).

No, the first season box set was also just a repackaging of the previous incremental releases (in that case 11 two episode discs).

The deleted scenes are scant as well. It's too bad they weren't scored and incorporated into the episodes themselves.

But it's understandable why it is the way it is. In S1 the longer versions were actually aired in the UK, so the longer integrated versions already existed. After that (seasons 2, 3, and 4) only one version was produced and distributed to all of the markets involved. The DVD release never had enough money invested up front to re-edit and re-score the episodes that way.

And it isn't *always* desirable to put the deleted scenes back in. Some of them were cut for good reasons that had nothing to do with time limitations. Over the weekend I watched the deleted scenes from Scratch 'n Sniff (on DVD release 3.3). It was basically an alternate ending to the episode. It was entertaining, but a bit incongruous with the ending of the episode that we saw.

 

[GKarsEye]

I picked this up a few days ago and finished the the first two sets (4 discs).

Unfortunately, I am a bit dissappointed so far. Season 1 finished so strong and I was hoping it would carrying into the second. The first episode was solid because it cleaned up the cliffhanger, albeit a bit awkwardly.

Two episodes I particularly didn't like was the one when Chiana was hanging out with the hippies who jumped off a cliff and the planet full of lawyers. I'm also just not liking the character of Chiana very much.

In fact, the funny thing about Farscape is how much I do like the lead characters (Crichton and Sun) and not so much the supporting crew (though Dargo still kicks ass). Contrast this to, say, Babylon 5, where it was Londo and G'Kar who captivated me.

I'm still optimistic about the rest of the season because there are 2(!) three-parters. I'm assuming they involve Scorpius, Crais, Moya's baby ship, Peacekeepers, and all that good stuff, which is where the the show's strength lies.

 

[AntonyF]

The start of season two was kind of shabby. The Chiana hippy one is, IMHO, one of the worst. And the Dargo with the old woman I seem to remember being kind of poor.

But it does get better.

 

[PillowRock]

Yep, those would be Taking the Stone and Vitas Mortis and they seem to be pretty universally considered among the worst of the entire series.

On the other hand, those first 4 discs would also include Crackers Don't Matter and The Way We Weren't, which seem to be just as universally loved by Farscape fandom as the above mentioned pair are disliked. TWWW, particularly, is never spoken against and the performances in it (especially Claudia Black's) tend to be especially singled out as stellar.

Season 2 sets up a pattern that continues through the series. Each season, while remaining *Farscape*, has different tone and feel from all of the other seasons. Further, each season starts out with a number of (relatively speaking) stand-alone episodes that don't seem to move things along. The later part of all of the seasons always turned more arc-centric, and a number of threads introduced in those earlier eps end up tieing in later. (Of course, possibly because the series was canceled prematurely, nothing like *all* of the threads that were were waving around in the Farscape universe ever got tied in to everyone's satisfaction.)

 

[GKarsEye]

Crackers Don't Matter was OK, and the one that reveals how Pilot became Moya's... erm, pilot (I always that his job being his name was stupid) was the best of the first four.

On to the next set:

NOTE: in my set, the two discs of the third case are backwards, so I'm sure that's true for some others (unless I'm just really special). The first disc contains Out of the Their Minds and My Three Crichtons and the 2nd has the three-parter about the royal planet.

I didn't realise this, so I watched the three-parter but have not yet watched the other two. I don't think it matters because I didn't feel I was missing anything while watching the later eps.

I really banked my hopes on this season around the two three-parters (which in itself is pretty damn cool, as the only other sci-fi three parter I can remember is the beginning of the second season of DS9, and no I don't count the B5 eps leading up to Severed Dreams). It loved up to my expectations- the show's potential came out and I got what I wanted: fast paced story, nifty characters, Australian accents, Scorpius, and hot chicks (a very healthy dose of mid-riffage in this set). The added bonus of political intrigue and a surprisingly engaging relationship between the two leads only helps.

Spoilers below:

Kudos to them for actually getting me to enjoy the flirting and sappinness between Crichton and Sun.
Farscapes' penchant for coming up with the most original aliens (for better or worse) shines through again with that lizard-dude villain who was in cahoots with the snotty prince. I adored Rigel (a character I usually find extraneous and corny) politicking with the Empress. And my favorite piece of dialog in the whole series so far came for Dargo: "The bad news is that you're married and are going to be a statue for 80 years. The good news is that Chiana and I are having really great sex."

One thing I'm not exactly clear on is Scorpio's behaviour during the last confrontation with the lizard dude and Crichton. He exposed Scorpio's supposed weakness for heat and body temperature control (explaining the cylinders that folks are always popping in and out of his brain). Scorpio was acting all weak and even was not fighting back when Crichton held his face over the acid. But when Crichton left, Scorpio got up all cool, dipped his finger in the acid, and strutted away. So he's immune to acid. But is he totally immune to the heat thing, too? And I'm guessing he knew Crichton wouldn't kill him because of their mental link. But if he wasn't weak at all, why didn't he totally fight back and capture Crichton and his brain?

If this stuff is revealed in more detail later in the season, don't answer.

 

[PillowRock]

the one that reveals how Pilot became Moya's... erm, pilot (I always that his job being his name was stupid) was the best of the first four.

That is The Way We Weren't. The Pilot backstory is good. It is also one of the foundation stones of Aeryn's psychology and backstory. As for the "Pilot is the pilot" thing: I think that goes back to the bit about their race's native language being so complex that the translator microbes can't even do anything with it.

I didn't realise this, so I watched the three-parter but have not yet watched the other two. I don't think it matters because I didn't feel I was missing anything while watching the later eps.

Well, there aren't any big plot points missing in between there. It doesn't really hurt anything to watch the LatP trilogy before those other two. In terms of the character arcs and relationship development between the characters, the order is not interchangable, though. There is now way that OoTM and M3C happen after LatP.

The added bonus of political intrigue and a surprisingly engaging relationship between the two leads only helps.

You aint seen nothin' yet.

Spoilers below:

Farscapes' penchant for coming up with the most original aliens (for better or worse) shines through again with that lizard-dude villain who was in cahoots with the snotty prince.

The name of the race is "Scaran", as in Scorpius is half-Sebacean / half-Scaran. You might as well learn it now. They were not a one-shot.

I adored Rigel (a character I usually find extraneous and corny) politicking with the Empress.

Possibly my favorite single line from Rygel comes at the beginning of that trilogy:
"Run. Fight. Surrender. Pick one!"
Maybe it's just me, but that one (and Rygel's exasperated tone) just tickled me.

And my favorite piece of dialog in the whole series so far came for Dargo: "The bad news is that you're married and are going to be a statue for 80 years. The good news is that Chiana and I are having really great sex."

That was good, but I think I laughed harder when D'Argo picked his head up from under the covers (above which we had seen Chiana's bare, arched back) and deadpanned "Why don't you tell us about it, John?"

I also liked Jenavia's "That is either the worst pack of lies that I have ever heard or the most pathetic life that I can imagine. Either way ....(bringing knive point to JC's throat)" countered by Crichton's "Oh, yeah. Like there aren't some wacked out antecedents to a chick with a stiletto in her wrist." Only John Crichton would modify a word like "antecedents" with a phrase like "wacked out".

If this stuff is revealed in more detail later in the season, don't answer.

Just keep watching.

 

[GKarsEye]

That was good, but I think I laughed harder when D'Argo picked his head up from under the covers (above which we had seen Chiana's bare, arched back) and deadpanned "Why don't you tell us about it, John?"

Heh, I've used that before myself.

The stiletto chick got hotter and hotter as the episode went on. The removal makeup certainly helped (pay attention ladies). The removal of clothing helped much more (still paying attention?).


FYI to the dude who didn't know who did the commentary on Cracker's Don't Matter: it's Claudia Black and the director, and she's mostly asking him questions. Her enthusiasm for the show is marvelous (contrast this to other gorgeous sci-fi actresses who tend to have a flippant attitude towards it). I think it's not surprising that the actor's enthusiasm is related to the quality of the work. Terry Farell was a self-proclaimed Trekkie before being cast as Dax. The Voyager actresses always seemed to be a bit more cold about the whole thing.

One dissappointing thing at this point of the show is Zahn. She was the most interesting character at the beginning of the series, but now she's just moody, bitchy, and superfluous.

I'm glad Crichton nailed stilletto-chick. Unlike stupid Garibaldi, he can appreciate a good time with a chick even when he's pining for another. Nothing wrong with that. Sci-fi, especially the Star Treks, gloss over sexuality and PG-13 the hormones out of their characters. Nice to see Farscape doesn't do that.

 

[PillowRock]

Heh, I've used that before myself.

I think that Crichton's complete obliviousness set it up for me.

The stiletto chick got hotter and hotter as the episode went on. The removal makeup certainly helped (pay attention ladies). The removal of clothing helped much more (still paying attention?).

Yep. Jena definitely looked much better once she lost the clown makeup. Of course, she also gained in attractiveness when she dropped the shallow golddigger attitude and let her competence show.

One dissappointing thing at this point of the show is Zahn. She was the most interesting character at the beginning of the series, but now she's just moody, bitchy, and superfluous.

I *think* that by this point in the series her screen time was already being curtailed due to health problems that she (Virginia Hey) was having from continual exposure to every formulation of blue body makeup that they tried.

 

[PillowRock]

a very healthy dose of mid-riffage in this set

Oh, yeah ..... BTW, if you like bare midriffs then wait until you see S3 and S4.

 

[GKarsEye]

I do believe I saw pics of the lovely Claudia in a sports bra/belly shirt number. Sweet. In season 2 it's a very teasing belly-button only shirt dealy.

I can totally see Zahn leaving Moya to go home or achieve spiritual peace or some such.

What was up with Jena's wire-fu? Pretty silly, but a dude can't help but be turned on by thigh-exposing jump kicks.

 

[PillowRock]

in my set, the two discs of the third case are backwards

This reminded me of something, so I double checked it on my discs when I went home for lunch.

I just want to warn you about the order of the last pair of discs in S2. They once again put all 3 eps of the 3-parter on one disc, in this case the second disc of the set. The thing to be aware of is that the 3 parter actually falls between the 2 eps on the disc # 1. Do *not* watch the second ep on disc 1 (Die Me, Dichotomy) before watching the 3 part ep on disc 2.


As for Jena's wire-fu: I think they were just trying to make it look as cool as possible while also staging and shooting in such a way as to make it hard to identify who was saving Crichton's butt in order to maximize the impact of the "reveal" when they did give the audiance a good look at her.