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Dog with Two Bones - S3 Finale of Farscape
Jul. 8th, 2010 07:54 pmSent off the electronic list-serve. Not as hot today as yesterday, but quite humid and there must be something in the air, everyone is edgy as all get out. And no one I've spoken too is sleeping well. CW and I keep trying to get our act together to go kayaking, but we keep procrastinating. And it's getting in the way of CW's soccer obsession. She'll win $1750 prize if Germany wins on Sat. I told her that at least her obsession is lucrative, mine not so much. I told it was Farscape. And she surprised me by stating: "Oh I love that show. That was amazing. Watched it was on that sci-fi channel. Good obsession."(CW is picky, she's old school Doctor Who, huge Big Bang Theory fan, loved Trek, and Star Wars (not the prequels, but did anyone?) enjoyed Lost, Xenia, Hercules, but found Buffy/Angel a bit juvenile and soap operaish (she's not a vampire fan, prefers zombies), Firefly a bit silly, and BSG was a bit too bleak.)
Watched Farscape S3 Dog with Two Bones last night and then the commentary with Ben Browder and Claudia Black - who by the way give the best commentaries on the planet. A rarity with actors. Another rarity with television actors in particular - is these two really knew their characters inside out and their take is the same as the writers' and directors. Part of the reason for all of this - is cultural. Australia unlike the US and *cough*Hollywood*cough* does not have a "star" system. Or hierarchy. The lead in a play or tv show - does not have much pull. Or at least that's what Browder and others state. While Sarah Michelle Gellar could get people fired on Buffy (and actually did), Ben Browder couldn't on Farscape. Also Farscape unlike the US tv shows -didn't have the same degree of cast turnover. It was more organic. As a result, Farscape was tighter plotted in the first three seasons (note have not seen S4 yet and my memory of it is too vague to comment), then the vast majority of US tv series. Plus it
had writers who were interested in creating four-part arc stories and a novel, and found ingenious ways around the network's desire for standalones.
A Dog with Two Bones is based on an old parable which a tortured and pained Crichton, whose friends and Aeryn (his family on Moya) are on the verge of leaving for separate climes,
tells to a alien witch. She states that she doesn't know the reference and he says: "A dog, an animal that is also a pet, is carrying around a bone in his mouth - he reaches a river and looks in to see another dog with a bone staring back at him. He reaches to grab that other bone and loses the one in his jaws, having nothing. I'm like that dog - I reached for wormholes - the way home and I've lost everything." And the old alien witch - who he calls Wrinkles, asks, can the dog learn? Can he change? It's not too late - choose which bone that you want.
( Spoilers for A Dog With Two Bones - or the quintessential non-linear dream episode done well )
Watched Farscape S3 Dog with Two Bones last night and then the commentary with Ben Browder and Claudia Black - who by the way give the best commentaries on the planet. A rarity with actors. Another rarity with television actors in particular - is these two really knew their characters inside out and their take is the same as the writers' and directors. Part of the reason for all of this - is cultural. Australia unlike the US and *cough*Hollywood*cough* does not have a "star" system. Or hierarchy. The lead in a play or tv show - does not have much pull. Or at least that's what Browder and others state. While Sarah Michelle Gellar could get people fired on Buffy (and actually did), Ben Browder couldn't on Farscape. Also Farscape unlike the US tv shows -didn't have the same degree of cast turnover. It was more organic. As a result, Farscape was tighter plotted in the first three seasons (note have not seen S4 yet and my memory of it is too vague to comment), then the vast majority of US tv series. Plus it
had writers who were interested in creating four-part arc stories and a novel, and found ingenious ways around the network's desire for standalones.
A Dog with Two Bones is based on an old parable which a tortured and pained Crichton, whose friends and Aeryn (his family on Moya) are on the verge of leaving for separate climes,
tells to a alien witch. She states that she doesn't know the reference and he says: "A dog, an animal that is also a pet, is carrying around a bone in his mouth - he reaches a river and looks in to see another dog with a bone staring back at him. He reaches to grab that other bone and loses the one in his jaws, having nothing. I'm like that dog - I reached for wormholes - the way home and I've lost everything." And the old alien witch - who he calls Wrinkles, asks, can the dog learn? Can he change? It's not too late - choose which bone that you want.
( Spoilers for A Dog With Two Bones - or the quintessential non-linear dream episode done well )