Farscape: Starbrust 4.3 (sans Bad Timing)
Oct. 27th, 2007 09:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
moonshaydeI watched these a few months back, but I get so lazy about posting. Maybe becausue I figure no one wants to hear. But I've decided to post while I have a few minutes.
Mental as Anything
You know, I love D'Argo. I've loved him from the very start. I liked him before I liked anyone else. I think the actor captured him beautifully. But I never really liked any of his episodes. While his character is important and his backstory and drive were well-crafted, I just never could sink my teeth into his episodes.
This episode changed that.
Hands down, this was the BEST D'Argo-centric ep I have seen in the series. They kept me guessing through the entire episode whether he killed his wife or not. The beauty of it is that they went the middle road - D'Argo didn't have full control and he hurt his wife, but he would never kill her. However, the possibility always remained and that is where the good stuff came to play.
I loved how D'Argo finally had the mental control he'd been trying to achive for so long. At the same time, it was sad watching his past and realizing just how young and foolish he and his wife were, but just how deeply they cared for each other.
Scorpius rocked as usual, and I liked how he was the one who was secretly pushing to make John stronger. Very very interesting.
Bringing Home the Beacon
I didn't like this episode as much as the previous one, but I feel it was one of the better female-centric episodes that the show has given us. I liked the genetic modification moment with Chiana and Noranti, and I was intriguedby the political dealings between Grayza and the Scarrans. I felt that fleshed Grayza out more, who had annoyed me all season.
I figured there would be something "wrong" with Aeryn as she fell behind. I liked the idea of a bioloid and how John was broken over it, even if it wasn't Aeryn. Naturally, that sets things up for an Aeryn rescue, once they figure out where she is.
A Constellation of Doubt
This episode confused me. But I'll go back to that thought in a minute.
I could appreciate the footage that John was watching. From an athropological point of view, I enjoyed the reacions to the aliens that people had. It really speaks to the human condition and the range of possibilties and reactions we have. Some overreact. We overanalyze. There are competeing viewpoints, all equally flawed. So I enjoyed that quite a bit.
(And I'm not a big Chiana fan, but her innocence here really touched me - the dead rat, the makeup, the toliet.)
That part was brilliant. However. I get confused in the connection between the documentary and the reality. The documentary seems to be normal, until he starts seeing "visions: or something where Aeryn talks to him about Katratzi. I don't get it. Is that John's subconscious at work or is something else going on? At first I thought Monroe was the guy from "Unrealized Reality" and was trying to nudge John and I got excited, but that didn't happen. Still, is it just his subconscious at play here? What were those visions when he saw Aeryn giving him intel?
I did like how John figured out it was Sikozu-Stark that said Katratzi, though. And since touch with John so desperate he'll finally give Scorpius what he wants.
All in all, a wonderful episode.
Prayer
This was an odd episode to me. The Aeryn parts didn't really strike me until the end, but I did enjoy John and Scorpius jaunting through the wormhole. Then there was the part where they travelled to the alternate reality first seen in "Unrealized Reality." I enjoyed that part too. John knew the place well, but Scorpius had to pause to really let it all sink in. The moment where John is hesitating to kill not!Aeryn was beautifully done, as was Scorpius taking control to get the job done. I more of an idealist who is against killing, but at the same time I understood why they did what they had to. Scorpius had to seize control.
Aeryn's characterization is always a sore spot for me. It took me a while to warm up to her at first because I felt she was inconsistent. The writers didn't seem to have a solid handle on her backstory or who she was supposed to be. She would be very cold and almost mechanical and emotionless, or then just very regemented but emotional. There was no gradual move either way. I never really got the sense, until later in the series, just what type of person she had been bread to me. If I had a better idea, I think I could have followed her exposure and transition a bit better.
I found her very strong in S2 and S3, but sometimes to a fault. I've enjoyed her in S4 but sometimes found her too weak. Maybe I'm just too hard on female portrayals in shows. I just happen to like her best wheren she is somewhere in the middle. When I started viewing this episode, I got nervous that she would seem weak again, but the ending seasons when she took control of the situation and showed us she couldn't be bamboozled worked for me. Because of that strength I saw in the end and the defiance throughout the episode, I liked the contrast with her desperation as she prayed to a deity she didn't really believe in.
We're So Screwed: Fetal Attraction
After getting burned with the X-Files stupid baby plot, I wasn't so keen on the Farscape baby plot. (Nor was I keen on the SG-1 baby plots - the Adria one, and the Shifu one to a lesser extent, though at least they did it better than XF.) I get a little testy because it seems to make out that the ultimate goal for women are to procreate and that annoys me. I want children and I want a career. But it doesn't define me. I find many shows let it define the women and that is where I get hyper.
So far, the FS one hasn't snowballed out of control. At least not yet. The baby serves a plot purpose and is a tie back to Critchoon's hiddne wormhole knowledge. This I can work with. And I don't feel like it's broken Aeryn's character.
That said, this was an awesome episode. I really can't find complaint with it. The sneaky around, the desperate but light tone mixed together, and then the sadness as innocents were lost.
I loved this part between Noranti and Rygel, who complains that Noranto nearly killed him: Noranti is with Rygel, who says she nearly killed him. "No I didn't," she replies, "But I did kill others. By my actions, I have taken innocent lives." "Welcome to Moya," he says, "In my time as Dominar, some of my actions resulted in the deaths of the undeserving. Even when the cause is just, it's a hard thing to accept."
Nice. Man, I've grown to love Rygel.
John double crossing Scorpius was a nice touch. And while I think it's a little ridiculous to keep bring this character back, yay Harvey! Woo!
Hot to Katratzi
Awesome continuation episode. I loved this episode more than the previous one. I adore intrigue in any story. I love political manuveurs. These are the types of events that hold my attention.
So, having John walk right in and put his knowledge up to bid and watch the different sides scramble was highly enjoyable. But having Scorpius' true intentions questionable and added to the mix made it perfect. When he said he had been a spy for ten years? I was like, no! You better be lying. I, like John, am starting to trust you, you stinker. Then add that the Moya crew are intigating the different groups on the base gives it an even more frenzied feel. It was beautifully complex.
And Stark! (Or not...)
Then there is the part at then end where it looks like Scorpius betrays them and to be continued. Good stuff even if I make little sense.
La Bomba
Okay, my first question is what is with the flowers? They've been hanging around for a long time. I remember them from previous episodes and now it's bugging me. I know in this episode it apparently makes the Scarrans smarter. Did that get hinted at in previous episodes? Is there more to them? If the answer is in the future, then okay. I can wait. But it's bugging me.
Anyway, awesome John and Scorpius moments. Harvey the failsafe. Harvey the liar.
Scorpius. For. The. Win.
I liked how Stark was just a bioloid and that meant the real one was around somewhere. I loved when Braca was finally outed where his allegiance lied (even if we already knew) and how he then teamed up with the Moya crew. ANd I loved how Grayza lost it.
And then Scorpius has a freak out that he can't destroy the flowers.
The Sikozu think seemed to come out of left field, even if it had been hinted at earlier. It still felt odd and convenient.
Scorpius freaks out again. Man, he doesn't like those flowers. Or losing.
Everything goes boom and they escape. I guess I am so desensitized to Tv that I didn't even really think about it until John said, "Hi, honey. Guess what I did at work today? I wore a bomb. A nuclear bomb in a field of flowers. I could get lucky. Tomorrow I could have a bigger bomb. I could kill... more people. Maybe innocent people. Children, maybe."
And that was a perfect way to end. Bittersweet victory.
I only have "Bad Timing" left and then the minseries. I've been stalling. Heh.
But so far, I'm impressed. I wasn't with S1 and S2 which seemed hit or miss with me, but the character moments of S3 and the superb plot of S4 have made up for it.
Mental as Anything
You know, I love D'Argo. I've loved him from the very start. I liked him before I liked anyone else. I think the actor captured him beautifully. But I never really liked any of his episodes. While his character is important and his backstory and drive were well-crafted, I just never could sink my teeth into his episodes.
This episode changed that.
Hands down, this was the BEST D'Argo-centric ep I have seen in the series. They kept me guessing through the entire episode whether he killed his wife or not. The beauty of it is that they went the middle road - D'Argo didn't have full control and he hurt his wife, but he would never kill her. However, the possibility always remained and that is where the good stuff came to play.
I loved how D'Argo finally had the mental control he'd been trying to achive for so long. At the same time, it was sad watching his past and realizing just how young and foolish he and his wife were, but just how deeply they cared for each other.
Scorpius rocked as usual, and I liked how he was the one who was secretly pushing to make John stronger. Very very interesting.
Bringing Home the Beacon
I didn't like this episode as much as the previous one, but I feel it was one of the better female-centric episodes that the show has given us. I liked the genetic modification moment with Chiana and Noranti, and I was intriguedby the political dealings between Grayza and the Scarrans. I felt that fleshed Grayza out more, who had annoyed me all season.
I figured there would be something "wrong" with Aeryn as she fell behind. I liked the idea of a bioloid and how John was broken over it, even if it wasn't Aeryn. Naturally, that sets things up for an Aeryn rescue, once they figure out where she is.
A Constellation of Doubt
This episode confused me. But I'll go back to that thought in a minute.
I could appreciate the footage that John was watching. From an athropological point of view, I enjoyed the reacions to the aliens that people had. It really speaks to the human condition and the range of possibilties and reactions we have. Some overreact. We overanalyze. There are competeing viewpoints, all equally flawed. So I enjoyed that quite a bit.
(And I'm not a big Chiana fan, but her innocence here really touched me - the dead rat, the makeup, the toliet.)
That part was brilliant. However. I get confused in the connection between the documentary and the reality. The documentary seems to be normal, until he starts seeing "visions: or something where Aeryn talks to him about Katratzi. I don't get it. Is that John's subconscious at work or is something else going on? At first I thought Monroe was the guy from "Unrealized Reality" and was trying to nudge John and I got excited, but that didn't happen. Still, is it just his subconscious at play here? What were those visions when he saw Aeryn giving him intel?
I did like how John figured out it was Sikozu-Stark that said Katratzi, though. And since touch with John so desperate he'll finally give Scorpius what he wants.
All in all, a wonderful episode.
Prayer
This was an odd episode to me. The Aeryn parts didn't really strike me until the end, but I did enjoy John and Scorpius jaunting through the wormhole. Then there was the part where they travelled to the alternate reality first seen in "Unrealized Reality." I enjoyed that part too. John knew the place well, but Scorpius had to pause to really let it all sink in. The moment where John is hesitating to kill not!Aeryn was beautifully done, as was Scorpius taking control to get the job done. I more of an idealist who is against killing, but at the same time I understood why they did what they had to. Scorpius had to seize control.
Aeryn's characterization is always a sore spot for me. It took me a while to warm up to her at first because I felt she was inconsistent. The writers didn't seem to have a solid handle on her backstory or who she was supposed to be. She would be very cold and almost mechanical and emotionless, or then just very regemented but emotional. There was no gradual move either way. I never really got the sense, until later in the series, just what type of person she had been bread to me. If I had a better idea, I think I could have followed her exposure and transition a bit better.
I found her very strong in S2 and S3, but sometimes to a fault. I've enjoyed her in S4 but sometimes found her too weak. Maybe I'm just too hard on female portrayals in shows. I just happen to like her best wheren she is somewhere in the middle. When I started viewing this episode, I got nervous that she would seem weak again, but the ending seasons when she took control of the situation and showed us she couldn't be bamboozled worked for me. Because of that strength I saw in the end and the defiance throughout the episode, I liked the contrast with her desperation as she prayed to a deity she didn't really believe in.
We're So Screwed: Fetal Attraction
After getting burned with the X-Files stupid baby plot, I wasn't so keen on the Farscape baby plot. (Nor was I keen on the SG-1 baby plots - the Adria one, and the Shifu one to a lesser extent, though at least they did it better than XF.) I get a little testy because it seems to make out that the ultimate goal for women are to procreate and that annoys me. I want children and I want a career. But it doesn't define me. I find many shows let it define the women and that is where I get hyper.
So far, the FS one hasn't snowballed out of control. At least not yet. The baby serves a plot purpose and is a tie back to Critchoon's hiddne wormhole knowledge. This I can work with. And I don't feel like it's broken Aeryn's character.
That said, this was an awesome episode. I really can't find complaint with it. The sneaky around, the desperate but light tone mixed together, and then the sadness as innocents were lost.
I loved this part between Noranti and Rygel, who complains that Noranto nearly killed him: Noranti is with Rygel, who says she nearly killed him. "No I didn't," she replies, "But I did kill others. By my actions, I have taken innocent lives." "Welcome to Moya," he says, "In my time as Dominar, some of my actions resulted in the deaths of the undeserving. Even when the cause is just, it's a hard thing to accept."
Nice. Man, I've grown to love Rygel.
John double crossing Scorpius was a nice touch. And while I think it's a little ridiculous to keep bring this character back, yay Harvey! Woo!
Hot to Katratzi
Awesome continuation episode. I loved this episode more than the previous one. I adore intrigue in any story. I love political manuveurs. These are the types of events that hold my attention.
So, having John walk right in and put his knowledge up to bid and watch the different sides scramble was highly enjoyable. But having Scorpius' true intentions questionable and added to the mix made it perfect. When he said he had been a spy for ten years? I was like, no! You better be lying. I, like John, am starting to trust you, you stinker. Then add that the Moya crew are intigating the different groups on the base gives it an even more frenzied feel. It was beautifully complex.
And Stark! (Or not...)
Then there is the part at then end where it looks like Scorpius betrays them and to be continued. Good stuff even if I make little sense.
La Bomba
Okay, my first question is what is with the flowers? They've been hanging around for a long time. I remember them from previous episodes and now it's bugging me. I know in this episode it apparently makes the Scarrans smarter. Did that get hinted at in previous episodes? Is there more to them? If the answer is in the future, then okay. I can wait. But it's bugging me.
Anyway, awesome John and Scorpius moments. Harvey the failsafe. Harvey the liar.
Scorpius. For. The. Win.
I liked how Stark was just a bioloid and that meant the real one was around somewhere. I loved when Braca was finally outed where his allegiance lied (even if we already knew) and how he then teamed up with the Moya crew. ANd I loved how Grayza lost it.
And then Scorpius has a freak out that he can't destroy the flowers.
The Sikozu think seemed to come out of left field, even if it had been hinted at earlier. It still felt odd and convenient.
Scorpius freaks out again. Man, he doesn't like those flowers. Or losing.
Everything goes boom and they escape. I guess I am so desensitized to Tv that I didn't even really think about it until John said, "Hi, honey. Guess what I did at work today? I wore a bomb. A nuclear bomb in a field of flowers. I could get lucky. Tomorrow I could have a bigger bomb. I could kill... more people. Maybe innocent people. Children, maybe."
And that was a perfect way to end. Bittersweet victory.
I only have "Bad Timing" left and then the minseries. I've been stalling. Heh.
But so far, I'm impressed. I wasn't with S1 and S2 which seemed hit or miss with me, but the character moments of S3 and the superb plot of S4 have made up for it.
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no subject
Date: 2007-10-30 08:50 pm (UTC)I've found that Farscape is better watching the second time around. Knowing where the characters are going/have come from really helps you to pick up on things in the earlier seasons.
The flowers. Well, they do show the flowers back in...yeah, don't know the episode name...the one where Scorpius shows John his childhood. The flowers are on the planet his parents' ship was on. I didn't quite understand why that was important until they revealed that the Scarrans use the flowers to evolve higher brain function. Reason enough for them to be highly protective of the flowers. And yes, more is to come about them. Guess you just have to *watch the rest of the series*. ;)
On a totally unrelated note, I have a gift for you: http://mysticalweather.livejournal.com/144540.html
No sub-plot or intrigue I'm afraid...but it's only my first attempt. Hope you like it somewhat anyway. :)
~Misty
no subject
Date: 2007-10-30 09:32 pm (UTC)When I got back and rewatch, maybe I'll feel differently about the first 2 seasons.
And thanks for the bit about the flowers! I know there was a previous ep that had them and then they talked about them here, but I wondered if it would turn into something even more.
no subject
Date: 2007-11-02 06:26 pm (UTC)You know...the truth is that this show is so damned layered and involved that it does take a few watchings to have it all "just click" into place. For me the only real season that seemed disjointed was S1. I love the season of course, but it is also the most bizarre - the most fragmented. And I think that has to do so much with that also being John's first year in this new situation and being completely a fish out of water.
Ironically however, my favorite character almost from the beginning was always Aeryn Sun. And then it would change to John Crichton because he is just so awesome. But her journey isn't as . . unfleshed out as you may think. I'd be curious to think when you do go back and watch and see things that were set up from the beginning. But I think that it's important to mention that Aeryn was written SO strongly in S2 and S3 because she had to be. She had to be in order to endure allowing allowing herself to truly give herself body and soul to another "lesser" being, find happiness really for the first time in her life, and lose it. After that she puts up the wall of a lifetime in order to figure out how to deal. And then when she comes back to John - she is so used to him always waiting for her that she actually has to be the patient one and wait for him to allow her back in. That is a huge turn of events for her.
All in all - out of all of the shows that I have watched and loved - their relationship is the MOST honest and true to life relationship I've ever seen. And it gets to succeed where other tv shows ruin things.
Scorpy and Harvey rock the house!
Welcome to our lovely world!
no subject
Date: 2007-11-03 03:36 pm (UTC)For whatever reason, S1 just didn't work for me, which is odd as I tend to enjoy the first seasons of most of my shows. I think i expected John to be out of sorts with everything. I felt like he adpated way too quickly, but I could be remembering wrong. I just expected more scientist and less whatever they gave us. Then it sort of spiraled from there - since John felt off, Aeryn felt off, the scenario felt off, and I couldn't buy Crais to save my life.
I felt like the show shifted and changed for the better when Chiana came on board and then when Scorpius appeared. Scorpius was the best thing that could have happened in the show. Suddenly, it's like the writers hit their stride and it only got better from there :) With that in mind, I can only imagine that on rewatching, I'll enjoy it much more.
I'm also in the minority where I really dislike their crazy wild episodes and I much prefer the plotty storyarcs and important character-driven episodes.
The show held my attention in S2 and S3 and I really enjoyed it. S4 won it for me :)