Why don't I have a Farscape icon yet?
Jan. 11th, 2007 03:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
akeyoftimeNine episodes of Farscape in one day is too much! Too much fandomania, I say! (I admit, I might be of a different opinion were this not the last season.)
Spoilers for anything up to 4x14. Very, very critical spoilers. (Anyone that I've ever edited fiction for will recognize my signature "I'm ripping you to shreds! But here are a few compliments, because it wasn't awful!")
Your crack episode ("John Quixote") wasn't very strong this season. I am saddened by the lack of hilarity. The crack episodes are normally my seasonal highlights! But there might be something left in store. Season 2 has two "Everything is going crackers!" episodes. (And what a ball they were!)
Stop taunting me with Virginia Hey in the credits and little tiny snippets of Zhaan! The further we get into the season the less sure I become that she's actually coming back. I've enjoyed the series even without her, but I was so sure and I'd really love to see her come back. Still, with eight episodes left to go, it may be time to let go of that breath I've been holding.
I was unimpressed with "Coup by Clam". Cute title and if I turn my brain off, enjoyable execution, but I'm still sitting here thinking "Way to stereotype EVERYONE. Let's make the feminists very unreasonable and man-haters (with the potential exception of the mechanic)." The entire situation felt a little contrived. And what's with the trope of having the male leads cross-dress (poorly) at least once a series? I'll admit, I've enjoyed Anthony's Simcoe's foray's into cross-gender acting (even when it's just taking on the mannerisms of the opposite sex - his flamboyantly gay act in Season 2's "Won't Get Fooled Again" was fun!), but I think that's just because it's so over the top and so unbelievable. Ben Browder as a woman just didn't cut it, not realistically, not comedically. But again, with the brain off, it was a fairly entaining.
It was nice to see a bit of expansion on wormhole theory in "Unrealized Reality" and hooray to the writers for adding some tie-ins to earlier seasons ("Different Destinations"). I highly doubt it was deliberate, but someone did their research and tied in an existing idea. It always tickles me pink. "Unrealized Reality" was a strong episode in-and-of itself, one of the best this season (The two-parter "What Was Lost" was also quite good and as apt a send-off for Jewel as one could hope. Though I really rather suspect Sukozu is wearing her old, orange wig, which explains why her hair was the dark "I'm stressed out!" colour the whole episode :P) Anyway. "Unrealized" was interesting to watch and I have to give huge acting props to Claudia Black for her portrayal of Chianna. I caught on the second scene she was playing the role, but the first time out, when she tries to seduce him in the belief that they're all going to die anyway, I would have sworn it was her normal actress. A little off, granted. I was trying to pin-point why she looked funny, but Black ever have that role down! As Roman said, it's very faithful to the character.
Unforunately, the next two parts of that plot arc did not stand up as well. "Kansas" was silly filler that had only one or two scenes of any real importance (Though I admit, Chianna sleeping with the young John Creighton as a stall tactic had amusement value - as was Aeryn's watching Sesame Street.) And am I crazy, or shouldn't the neighbour have been able to back up the Sherriff's story? I understand that someone had to be able to tell it, as set-up for having an IASA presence on Moya later, but strikes me as a major oversight. In addition, I'm having trouble with the story that NO ONE recognized grown-up John. I suppose it's a matter of seeing what you expect - no human could be reasonably expected to recognize their thirty-something year old son/sibling/ex-boyfriend when the John they knew was still a teenager. And frankly, the idea that the Peacekeepers would leave a vulnerable, completely ungarded Leviathin alone just because their query wasn't on board? Especially an escaped Leviathin that used to belong to them? It's just propostorous. The collar collar that Moya was threatened with should have been slapped on. Also? Aeryn, I can work with having basic conversation skills (though I don't know where she's gotten the material - presumably from the other John). But Chianna should have been able to carry on a conversation even more fluently than she.
As for "Terra Firma"... that was a really neat idea. And I did enjoy the episode. But to cram all of that into forty-three minutes! The crying shame! DK's and his wife's death were never even addressed! I'm also a little uneasy about Moya managing to arrive at Earth in the present when the signal they would have been using to find the physical location was not in the same temporal time zone. Bringing Moya and crew to Earth was a wonderful concept to play with, but they didn't leave themselves enough time to really, properly do it. The writers packed an impressive amount in, but that could have easily swallowed up a two-parter all on it's own - hell, it could have told the story for the rest of the season pretty comfortably. It's just too bad that that probably would have entailed the Peacekeepers/Scarans arriving and destroying Earth as we know it. (So. Unprepared.) They had a lot of good short commentary though - bringing 9/11 into how decisions were made was important and I really liked the one throw-away line that states that Moya and Pilot are excited to be taking humans on their first space cruise. It would be something they would adore. I also really liked that they addressed that John is not the person he was when he left - he's right. He's been through a lot.
On a slightly random note, I think it's hilarious that the show cycles through mystics and healers faster than any other type of character. Realistically, at least one of the fighters should have died by now.
And hey, they've finally explained how Scorpius cheated death again! Oh Braga, you are such a pawn.
I'm also a little sorry they never addressed John's first kill(s). It didn't have to be a huge deal, but I can't help but imagine that he'd have been forced into killing long before things as malevolent as the Aurora Chair really started messing with his head. There's a defining moment for you.
One last thing - please give Aeryn back. You're really kind of turned her into a subplot of John's, rather than a character in her own right. Seriously - when was the last time they explored Aeryn on her own or her relationships to the rest of the crew? We almost had a moment of bonding with Chianna - almost - but even that was still all about John. So, uh, that would be really super. Thanks!
I also can't help but feel I'd like to find a sci-fi series that isn't quite so stuck in traditional gender roles. What better place to do it? I mean sure, they do bend them a bit here, but nothing that popular culture hasn't already done (The woman who can kick your ass, for example). I don't really imagine I'll find anything on television screens, though. That kind of transgression is totally plausible in an alien culture... but we're not making TV from the point of view of aliens. We're making TV from our point of view for our consumption. It's probably very telling in-and-of itself that I want to watch and read about such things so much because I have trouble imagining it on my own.
Spoilers for anything up to 4x14. Very, very critical spoilers. (Anyone that I've ever edited fiction for will recognize my signature "I'm ripping you to shreds! But here are a few compliments, because it wasn't awful!")
Your crack episode ("John Quixote") wasn't very strong this season. I am saddened by the lack of hilarity. The crack episodes are normally my seasonal highlights! But there might be something left in store. Season 2 has two "Everything is going crackers!" episodes. (And what a ball they were!)
Stop taunting me with Virginia Hey in the credits and little tiny snippets of Zhaan! The further we get into the season the less sure I become that she's actually coming back. I've enjoyed the series even without her, but I was so sure and I'd really love to see her come back. Still, with eight episodes left to go, it may be time to let go of that breath I've been holding.
I was unimpressed with "Coup by Clam". Cute title and if I turn my brain off, enjoyable execution, but I'm still sitting here thinking "Way to stereotype EVERYONE. Let's make the feminists very unreasonable and man-haters (with the potential exception of the mechanic)." The entire situation felt a little contrived. And what's with the trope of having the male leads cross-dress (poorly) at least once a series? I'll admit, I've enjoyed Anthony's Simcoe's foray's into cross-gender acting (even when it's just taking on the mannerisms of the opposite sex - his flamboyantly gay act in Season 2's "Won't Get Fooled Again" was fun!), but I think that's just because it's so over the top and so unbelievable. Ben Browder as a woman just didn't cut it, not realistically, not comedically. But again, with the brain off, it was a fairly entaining.
It was nice to see a bit of expansion on wormhole theory in "Unrealized Reality" and hooray to the writers for adding some tie-ins to earlier seasons ("Different Destinations"). I highly doubt it was deliberate, but someone did their research and tied in an existing idea. It always tickles me pink. "Unrealized Reality" was a strong episode in-and-of itself, one of the best this season (The two-parter "What Was Lost" was also quite good and as apt a send-off for Jewel as one could hope. Though I really rather suspect Sukozu is wearing her old, orange wig, which explains why her hair was the dark "I'm stressed out!" colour the whole episode :P) Anyway. "Unrealized" was interesting to watch and I have to give huge acting props to Claudia Black for her portrayal of Chianna. I caught on the second scene she was playing the role, but the first time out, when she tries to seduce him in the belief that they're all going to die anyway, I would have sworn it was her normal actress. A little off, granted. I was trying to pin-point why she looked funny, but Black ever have that role down! As Roman said, it's very faithful to the character.
Unforunately, the next two parts of that plot arc did not stand up as well. "Kansas" was silly filler that had only one or two scenes of any real importance (Though I admit, Chianna sleeping with the young John Creighton as a stall tactic had amusement value - as was Aeryn's watching Sesame Street.) And am I crazy, or shouldn't the neighbour have been able to back up the Sherriff's story? I understand that someone had to be able to tell it, as set-up for having an IASA presence on Moya later, but strikes me as a major oversight. In addition, I'm having trouble with the story that NO ONE recognized grown-up John. I suppose it's a matter of seeing what you expect - no human could be reasonably expected to recognize their thirty-something year old son/sibling/ex-boyfriend when the John they knew was still a teenager. And frankly, the idea that the Peacekeepers would leave a vulnerable, completely ungarded Leviathin alone just because their query wasn't on board? Especially an escaped Leviathin that used to belong to them? It's just propostorous. The collar collar that Moya was threatened with should have been slapped on. Also? Aeryn, I can work with having basic conversation skills (though I don't know where she's gotten the material - presumably from the other John). But Chianna should have been able to carry on a conversation even more fluently than she.
As for "Terra Firma"... that was a really neat idea. And I did enjoy the episode. But to cram all of that into forty-three minutes! The crying shame! DK's and his wife's death were never even addressed! I'm also a little uneasy about Moya managing to arrive at Earth in the present when the signal they would have been using to find the physical location was not in the same temporal time zone. Bringing Moya and crew to Earth was a wonderful concept to play with, but they didn't leave themselves enough time to really, properly do it. The writers packed an impressive amount in, but that could have easily swallowed up a two-parter all on it's own - hell, it could have told the story for the rest of the season pretty comfortably. It's just too bad that that probably would have entailed the Peacekeepers/Scarans arriving and destroying Earth as we know it. (So. Unprepared.) They had a lot of good short commentary though - bringing 9/11 into how decisions were made was important and I really liked the one throw-away line that states that Moya and Pilot are excited to be taking humans on their first space cruise. It would be something they would adore. I also really liked that they addressed that John is not the person he was when he left - he's right. He's been through a lot.
On a slightly random note, I think it's hilarious that the show cycles through mystics and healers faster than any other type of character. Realistically, at least one of the fighters should have died by now.
And hey, they've finally explained how Scorpius cheated death again! Oh Braga, you are such a pawn.
I'm also a little sorry they never addressed John's first kill(s). It didn't have to be a huge deal, but I can't help but imagine that he'd have been forced into killing long before things as malevolent as the Aurora Chair really started messing with his head. There's a defining moment for you.
One last thing - please give Aeryn back. You're really kind of turned her into a subplot of John's, rather than a character in her own right. Seriously - when was the last time they explored Aeryn on her own or her relationships to the rest of the crew? We almost had a moment of bonding with Chianna - almost - but even that was still all about John. So, uh, that would be really super. Thanks!
I also can't help but feel I'd like to find a sci-fi series that isn't quite so stuck in traditional gender roles. What better place to do it? I mean sure, they do bend them a bit here, but nothing that popular culture hasn't already done (The woman who can kick your ass, for example). I don't really imagine I'll find anything on television screens, though. That kind of transgression is totally plausible in an alien culture... but we're not making TV from the point of view of aliens. We're making TV from our point of view for our consumption. It's probably very telling in-and-of itself that I want to watch and read about such things so much because I have trouble imagining it on my own.
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no subject
Date: 2007-01-11 11:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-11 11:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-12 04:44 pm (UTC)And I agree with you on all accounts. I wonder if they're trying to tell us that if we become involved with a man, we lose our independence completely and become "subplots" of our men?
I found the "Coup by Clam" episode hilarious, perhaps because I felt that it made fun of the stereotypes rather than just making a stereotyped statement statement, if you know what I mean?
no subject
Date: 2007-01-12 11:02 pm (UTC)I think I know what you mean about "Coup by Clam". It's worth a rewatch one of these days, at any rate.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-12 11:35 pm (UTC)Pilot is really one of the most endearing characters, he's my second favourite (next to Zhaan).
I don't know how long it will take before married women are no longer regarded as just an "attachment" to their husbands, and nothing more. The authorities still list a "main person" in the household, that is nearly always the husband.