Passing Through...

[shadowkat]

Where have I been? (Outside of working during the days). Watching and taping Farscape. Where will I be this weekend and next? That's right. Watching and taping Farscape. Oh I've watched other things, Gilmore Girls and Lost for example - while watching my tapes of Farscape. Everytime there's a commercial - I flip to Farscape. (Did not do this during Nip/Tuck which was the only show all week that was literally 60 minutes long and had no commercial interruptions. A rarity. So I did not flip and sat on the edge of my couch throughout.) I've only watched 15 episodes of Farscape, skipped four due to taping problems and I'm hooked. When did it happen, somewhere around episode 8, I think. Yep, like many I'd foolishly dismissed this gem as cheesy low budget sci-fi. Now I know better. What an idiot I was.

Also somewhat annoyed at myself for skipping over four episodes and not taping them - they were: Exodus Gensis, Throne for A Loss, PK Tek Girl, and Jeremiah Crichton. (I saw the first ten minutes of Exodus Gensis and Jeremiah Crichton). (Yes, I went to the Farscape web site and Sci-Fi web site to get the titles of the episodes, so I can lable the tapes, which I've only done for BTVS and ATS, which ahem means, I'm hooked.)

If you haven't tried this cult secret, you have no clue what you've missed.
It takes Sci-Fi to a completely new level and place and may be the most innovative and visually creative Sci/Fantasy series I've seen. And I've seen pretty much all of them. I may actually write something in livejournal about this show. It's that good! The characters are all distinctly different. Each character is visually and auditorially different. As opposed to most sci-fi in which everyone looks and acts the same. The space-ship is alive. And...well, that would be giving too much away. I can see why it didn't survive, it's too good for tv, too thought-provoking, too innovative, too out-there. It requires the viewer use, wait, a brain, as opposed to vegetate. Now, I've only seen 10 episodes of this thing, it's possible I'll change my mind. But right now...ahhh, looking forward to a lazy Saturday watching and pondering Farscape.


Other shows I enjoyed this week:

Nip/Tuck - whoa. Great ending to a great season. Everything worked metaphorically and plotwise. Will miss it.

Desperate Housewives - shows potential. Witty. But falls back on over-used cliches. That said? Have hopes it will get better with time.

(I'm ignoring the Presidential Debates. Bad enough week emotionally speaking without mixing in politics.)

Comments

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Oh yes I do love Farscape. Very original, and one of the very few shows when I really like the main character (John's different from most kind of characters you will find in his place, I think)
At first i was rather distracted by the heavy Alien costumes/make up... but then you get used to it and you're hooked because it's all about the characters ^^

And some episodes are just plain crazy. They were very creative especially in the last season.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Very original, and one of the very few shows when I really like the main character (John's different from most kind of characters you will find in his place, I think)
At first i was rather distracted by the heavy Alien costumes/make up... but then you get used to it and you're hooked because it's all about the characters

I'd agree. I've fallen a little in love with John Crichton - who is acted with such enthusiasm by Ben Browder. (Part of my difficulty with so many series - is the lead actor looks bored. So I'm bored.)
Also this lead is so complex - he has an edge to him, he's not completely one way or the other - very multifaceted. Possibly the best male lead I've seen on a sci-fi show.

And the alien makeup is actually rather well-done and convincing. Took me a little while to get used to it - but unlike other sci-fi series, the makeup actually adds to the character. It is referenced in dialogue and plot.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

I fell in love with Aeryn <3

I guess it is well done, I meant it was distracting from the story at first (and still sometimes is) Like some characters were made just to show off costume and FX effects rather than for their own worth. It made getting into the show and liking it when I started more difficult. I like Firefly's decision on that point better ^^

and I totally agree with you point below about the lack of exposition. That's one of the thing I love, how we're always thrown right in the middle of action, and sometimes they play a lot with narrative techniques, achronological stuff etc.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

I fell in love with Aeryn

Completely understand. I'm half in love with her myself - finally a female character on television that I can identify with. Tall. Strong. Tough.
That's the other reason I love this show - it has female characters that I can identify with and respect. And I've been craving that.

Moya, Zhan, Chiana, and Aeryn. All fantastic, strong, women.

I guess it is well done, I meant it was distracting from the story at first (and still sometimes is) Like some characters were made just to show off costume and FX effects rather than for their own worth. It made getting into the show and liking it when I started more difficult. I like Firefly's decision on that point better ^^

It bugged me at first. In fact it was one of the reasons I didn't watch the show when it first aired. Got burned out on alien makeup via the Star Trek and all the other sci-fi series. But now? I actually like it - because they do more with it than the Star Trek's did. Zhan's color for instance is important, it has to do with what she is - the blue and photosensthsis, and the idea of calm - they use it metaphorically. Same with D'argo - who comes across in raging reds, yet within that is the family man, his general stripes are frauds. One episode has vultures - and uses that metaphorically as well.
The blend of visual and dialogue metaphors is rather well-done, and more deliberate here actually - while I often felt, in BTVS/ATS and Firefly - it was more accidental and often haphazard at times.