Farscape: Starburst 4.1

[moonshayde]

Okay, so I've been watching episodes over the past couple of weeks and I've now finished off the first Starburst edition for S4.



Crichton Kicks

Honestly, I can't say that I was impressed with this episode. I didn't really get what was going on and Chiana annoyed me through the ep. The new character seemed okay and it was weird to see a different Pilot and Leviathan. I think the only thing that really stood out for me in this episode was DRD 1812 and John "composing" the formula for wormholes. I really, really like science!John so it was a nice treat. Plus, I like the parallel between music and science/math.

What Was Lost Part 1: Sacrifice

You would think the prospect of history and excavation would excite me. But again, this episode didn't do much for me. It wasn't bad by any means. Yay for D'Argo being back. D'Argo and John had some nice moments. Though, Grandma is really really really annoying me. I sort of figured this is where we'd start to see Jool exit. Sad, but not so broken up about it. All in all it was okay, but big NO to Grayza. I liked her in S3 but this whole sweat gland/seductive breast thing is dumb.

What Was Lost Part 2: Resurrection

Okay episode. I found myself enjoying this one a little bit more than Part 1. Still icky breasts. Scorpius kicks the bucket. Jool and D'Argo have a moment. Some intersting bit between Earth (Egyptian hieroglyph makes a guest appearance) and the other two races. I suspect we'll get back to that. But really not much to write home about.

Lava's a Many Splendered Thing

Not too bad an episode. I enjoyed it well enough. It was a bit fun at times, but again with Grandma...and all the puke? Yuck. At least it served the plot creatively. That is all I can say about that. But I was probably more relieved than the crew when they received the transmition from Moya and Pilot. Maybe we can get back to some more interesting stories?

Promises

Much better. Moya. Pilot. The whole crew. Scorpius is back. Aeryn. It had a decent plot plus the emotional connection I enjoy. Harvey's death was hard to take *sniff* but I loved Scorpius' line about how he had helped Aeryn while the neural clone had killed her. Kind of twisted, but true. Seeing that the John and Scorpius interaction has got to be my favorite part of the plot since Scorpius was introduced, this was nice to see. I could have done without the Scorpisized Aeryn, but that's fine. The on and off again bit with John and Aeryn is getting a little annoying again, but at least it's handled in a way where I can buy it.

Natural Election

Also a good episode. Plant that eats Leviathan skin. Okay, so they've sort of already done variations on this before, but it didn't bother me much. We had the crew still together and John and Aeryn doing their dance arounf things and the some great lines from D'Argo. And Scorpius never failed to be interesting. Not too much really going on here, but I'm glad they finally explained how Aeryn could be carrying another man's child other than Crichton. Nice bit at the end where John pushes Aeryn away. Sort of a reversal from before when it seeme d like the opposite was going on. So I enjoyed that. It was also this episode I realized that I enjoy this show much more with the core cast together and that it reeally felt lacking with those episodes that didn't have Claudia Black in them.

John Quixote

I figured pretty early on that Chiana and John were probably still in the game. But they did leave enough room that there could be some doubt. This is probably one of the first over the top humor episodes that I didn't mind too much. But that might be because I love Zhaan so much. I miss her a great deal. So when I saw the not!Zhaan I had a good laugh until the breast milk part. Then I wasn't so amused anymore. But when most of the silliness died down and things got more dramatic, I started to enjoy it again. And then major payoff at the end with Zhaan. Oh Zhaan! But I still don't quite get what was going on with the Stark aspect. I just know that Ben Browder has one twisted mind.

So, now it's on to 4.2...

Comments

[pellucid.livejournal.com]

I pretty much agree with you across the board here, except that I do really love "John Quixote"--though I don't completely get it, even after seeing it multiple times. "Crichton Kicks" improved for me on re-watching, but I was mostly just confused by it the first time.

Early season 4 is sort of...strange. But it still has its fun moments.

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

Early S4 felt almost like a different show. Then it started to feel right against once they were on Moya and Aeryn was back. But what was up with CB's hair? It looks so pretty when it's full. The dead straight look has thrown me.

With "John Quixote," I had a gigle because in some of the more humorous moments with not!Aeryn, I could see Vala.

[pellucid.livejournal.com]

I looooove Aeryn as the Princess in JQ!!! Apparently the Ben and Claud commentary for that one is fantastic, and wouldn't you know it's the only one I haven't been able to get my hands on yet.

And someone said that the hair extensions were an attempt to minimize the trouble CB's hairdresser had always had with her wavy hair in the humidity. Apparently it took ages to blow it out, so that's when they went to the slicked-back ponytail, and then this is trying something different. Why blowing someone's hair out becomes a problem on a show that puts its regulars through hours of full-body makeup I don't quite understand. But as someone who also has hair that does funky things in humidity, I do get the annoyance. It's also arguably symbolic (but an explanation would include spoilers for things you haven't seen yet), but I don't see why the long straight hair specifically is supposed to be symbolic of what it seems to be symbolic of. Basically, though, no one likes the hair.

[ayiana.livejournal.com]

I pretty much agree with you on all of this. I don't like the episodes without Aeryn, either. Things just don't click as well. I liked Promises, even though it was bizarre to see Aeryn in that outfit. Didn't like the flashback to when Scorpius found her, though. What is it with this show and bodily fluids? Ick. Although (speaking of bodily fluids), Coup by Clam will always be, imho, the absolute worst Farscape episode ever. I mean seriously. *What* were they thinking? I watched that ep once. Never again.

Natural Election was blah for me other than that zinger at the end. Aeryn deserved that, but I always think how incredibly hard it must've been for John to push her away.

John Quixote I didn't like at all except that we got to see Zhaan. She's awesome.

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

Everyone keeps warning me about Coup by Clam and this has me concerned. It must be really bad is 99% of the people I talk to have the same reaction.

I've noted before that I really dislike the crack episodes. Any of the humor episodes on this show leaves a very bad taste in my mouth. Out of all the humor episodes that I have seen, John Quixote has been the one I've had the least negative reaction to. But that might be for my love of Zhaan.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

But I was probably more relieved than the crew when they received the transmition from Moya and Pilot. Maybe we can get back to some more interesting stories?

Yeah, I think Claudia Black was out of the country anyway. And also they were having problems with the Sci-Fi network at the time not getting that a lot of people found J/A was what appealed to them with the show. Instead they were promoting it as Stargate, and as John picking up new alien women all the time.

I believe the plan with the first five episodes was to try and make the show easier to understand for new viewers, by introducing the regular cast gradually. Hence the first episode just having John, Chiana, and Rygel, along with Sikozu being introduced to everyone at the same time. And then just sort of going along picking up the rest of the crew. It wasn't what they do best.

I did really enjoy Crichton Kicks though. The two-parter felt too Star Treky, and I personally think they wasted too much of the budget on a not particularly good episode. Lava's a Many Splendered Thing had it's moments (especially with John and D'Argo scenes aww), but it felt a bit pointless and too much like filler. Loved Promise. Natural Election was again too much filler for me, although it did have some interesting character work for Chiana. John Quixote I did enjoy


Oh also they got a lot of new writers early in season 4, so you might notice that episodes tend to focus more on John, and there's less giving Aeryn a pro-active role.

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

They were promoting it more like a Stargate type of show? See, no, boo. I *adore* Stargate, if you couldn't tell from my fan ramblings, but I like my shows to be what they are supposed to be. Stargate is Stargate (though lately they seem to think they are Star Trek and that's ticking me off.) Smallville is Smallville. Farscape is Farscape.

With a show like Farscape, since they've made it a point since the very first season to make the basis John/Aeryn, to suddenly not have John/Aeryn seemed like an odd choice. I wouldn't say I'm a huge John/Aeryn shipper -- it's part of the story and it's done well. I go with it. But it's just not right to have that angle absent. That's probably why in S3 I enjoyed the episodes on Tayln more than the ones on Moya. I absolutely love the banter that goes on between D'Argo and John, but it wasn't enough to hold me. The perils on Tayln were written way better.

You're right, though. The beginning of S4 had a lot of filler.

That's interesting about the new writers at the beginning of the season. I do like that the roles are reversed: John is pushing Aeryn away and now Aeryn is trying to prove herself to John. My only issue with it is that so far it feels like they are sacrificing too much of Aeryn's aggressive personality and weakening her. I hope that isn't the new precedent.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

A lot of shows seem to make a big thing of the Moonlighting syndrome, and there are some shows where the couples do keep me more hooked with the will they/won't they thing. But I'm the same as you in that the season 3 Talon episodes, in which they were a supportive and romantic couple, is the time when I was most engaged by J/A.

I can't remember if you like spoilers or not so I shan't say too much *g*, but the second half of season 4 is preferred by me for watching J/A. They got a bit annoying early on

And hee, I think Aeryn's bad hair extensions bothered me about season 4 the most. She had such thick, enviable hair in seasons 2 and 3 *sighs*

And I actually really liked Coup By Clam, but I might be one of the only ones lol. I think it's hilarious. The murder episode which is coming up next for you I think, was the one that really bored the hell out of me, and again a waste of the budget IMHO. Coup By Clam was mostly just fun to me, although yeah they do go way overboard with the grossout humour, and that's er kind of what the entire episode is based around so sounds like it might not be your sort of thing :P

[officersun524.livejournal.com]

I'm jumping into this re: the hair. I didn't like season 4 too much, especially the early part, and especially the Aeryn-less parts but the hair! Yikes. Claudia has GORGEOUS hair and to mess with it like that was an affront to my hair loving sensibilities.

I think what was missing in the first 4 episodes was the "grown up" factor. No Aeryn, no Zhaan,who were the two Moyans who usually help the rest hold it together. Without them, everyone is sort of off their nut.