Geekually Yoked

It’s not secret that the success of Farscape came about by random chance. Unlike the intricately scripted Babylon-5, for example, it’s pretty clear the writers of Farscape were flying by the seat of their pants for most of the show’s run. Many of the most brilliant developments in the series (as I’m sure we’ll address) were less well-planned plotlines and more blatant retconning. Well executed, but retconning nonetheless.

I bring this up just to highlight how far the first post-premiere episodes are from the insane roller-coaster ride Farscape would become by even the last half of the first season. If memory serves me right, it took me about six weeks of intermittent watching when I first discovered Farscape to get through the early first-season slog. “Ugh. I have nothing to do. I guess I’ll try another episode of Farscape…” It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what’s off about them. Is it just Crichton’s over-earnestness? A lack of humour that would later come to define the series? Monster-of-the-week stories that weren’t particularly compelling? Mostly I think it’s that Farscape‘s greatness came from the risks it took later on and the complex stories and relationships that were able to develop. They just haven’t had time to build that yet.

I really don’t have it in me to cover all of these episodes individually. So, lets just speed through these as best we can and take a look at: “I, E.T.”, “Exodus from Genesis”, “Throne for A Loss”, “Thank God it’s Friday,” “Back and Back and Back to the Future.” There is, however, some useful world-building in this batch: we discover Sebechean heat delirium, learn about the chakan oil that powers pulse pistols, and get the first hint that D’Argo was not entirely honest about the crime for which he claims to have been imprisoned.

So, while I have a notorious “watch/skip” list for Farscape (file titled “Rachel is a crazy person” in my documents folder) which I pass on to all my friends who start the series, if we’re going to do this right we can’t pass over them entirely. What’s good about them, then? Mostly it’s the little character moments.

“I, E.T.” gives us that wonderful moment where Zhaan agrees to take on all of Moya’s pain that she can bear. It is our first glimpse of a Zhaan who gives of herself for others, arguably her defining characteristic (as will become all too clear). Zhaan’s sacrifice also gives us a glimpse into the first, ever so subtle, cracks in Aeryn’s peacekeeper armour. Even at this point–and possibly despite her own better judgment–Aeryn genuinely does care about Zhaan and the pain she is about to endure. It’s not much, but it might be more concern that we were lead to believe she would be capable of, based just on the pilot alone.

“Exodus from Genesis” is clearly the strongest episode in the bunch (horrible eye make-up on our guest star peacekeepers notwithstanding). It takes a huge risk in showing a personal vulnerability to Aeryn very early in the series. She boldly declares to John–“Friends? Family? I want neither.” But within a few hours she is struck down by the greatest sickness known to her species, and her only hope is to plead from these same people she otherwise dismissed in hopes of a merciful death. In the audio commentary for the episode, Brian Henson said he thinks the moment where Aeryn makes John promise to kill her if the delirium takes hold is the moment John falls in love with Aeryn. A part of me feels like that comment (all due respect to Mr. Henson) does a disservice to so much of the John/Aeryn relationship which is about John looking to Aeryn for strength and protection. But, I take his point. This is the first moment when John sees that degree of vulnerability in Aeryn where she is emotionally approachable at all. And at this point in the series, John still clearly sees himself as very conventionally masculine, with all the baggage that brings to notions of romantic entanglement. Deconstruction of gender roles is part of what makes Farscape great.

Though it’s not a particularly good episode, “Back and Back and Back to the Future” as well shows us a version of D’Argo here that is not merely the “Warrior” archetype, but a rash, immature young man being led around by his … mivonks (to use some Farscape parlance). There will be ample time to discuss D’Argo later, but it’s worth mentioning that last scene between the human and the Luxan. Male bonding at it’s most primal? Also, I have never seen any reference to this in any discussions of Farscape I’ve encountered … But is it just me or does the whole “black hole weapon that can destroy a planet” plotline seem to be just the tiniest bit relevant to later developments in the series? I’ll just leave it at that.

However much or however little attention one pays to this initial run of episodes, it’s important at least to remember that they are there as we move further into the series. When we get to the darker events of the ensuing episodes, consider we had half a dozen episodes’ worth of character building and bonding going on with these characters. To channel my learning from seminary– we’ve been through our “Forming” and are solidly in the “Storming” stage of group dynamics. Keep that in mind when we get to “DNA Mad Scientist” next time!

Ok, so we’re doing this thing.

Sometimes, if you’re me, you get the need to do something kinda crazy. I am the person who wrote a PhD dissertation in 4.5 months, after all. And sometimes, you need a slightly self-indulgent project to embark upon as a respite from the pressures of keeping a small human alive and the care of souls. That’s pretty much the origins of the whole Geekually Yoked project (pre-baby). So, my friends, I am going to be blogging my current re-watch of Farscape (you can blame/thank Leeman for compelling me to take this on).

Sure, I might have done a comprehensive re-watch of the whole series back when Amanda was a newborn sack of potatoes (along with all of Babylon 5, and Community, and Call the Midwife … it was a really bad winter to get out with a baby, ok? Don’t judge me!). But there’s something about watching the story of Farscape unfold–or John Crichton’s mind unravel, depending on how you look at it–which makes it really hard for me just to sit down and watch a random Farscape episode. So, I figure I might as well just begin at the beginning again and whenenver I feel the need for Moya’s crew, just pick up where I left off. Along the way, I shall share my comments with you, dear readers. By which I mean faceless void of the internet. Also, so we’re clear, this is not going to be an episode-by-episode commentary or anything (if you want that, check out the AV Club). More, an outlet for me to gab about what fascinates me in the unfolding chaos that is the Farscape universe. Because if this podcast has taught us anything, it’s that Rachel has no shortage of thoughts on Farscape.

That brings us to the Premiere, in all of its John Crichton’s football-helmet wearing glory. I never know how to approach this premiere. It’s a perfectly servicable pilot. We get a good understanding of the characters, see how they all came to be aboard our fair living ship Moya, and get a sense of what will serve (at least initially) as the source of ongoing tension.

The real work of the Premiere, however, is introducing us to the central character of John Crichton.  And in that, we come to the question of intent vs. outcome in our interpretation of the text as offered us. I’ve made no secret of the fact that–rabid fangirl though I am now–I wasn’t all that into Farscape on my initial viewing. Largely because I just thought Crichton was bland, military-style, All-American good ole’boy in space doing a lot of “aw shucks” moments at the strange world he was encountering. Little did I know that John Crichton was absolutely, frelling insane. On repeat viewings, though, it’s precisely that stark contrast between the John Crichton of this premiere and the John Crichton of the Peacekeeper Wars that is so compelling. The premiere does not set up an episodic series about a bumbling human goofball who fumbles his way through the galaxy. Rather, the premiere (and indeed the whole early part of the first season) are the first chapter in the story of how that All-American hero will be utterly broken by the universe and will struggle to maintain some sense of his humanity. Did the creators of Farscape know the dark places to which they would take Crichton? I have no idea. But it is still a compelling narrative either way.

Authorial intentions aside, there are a couple moments in the Premiere which give tiny glimpses even at this early stage of a Crichton who is already ever so slightly unhinged. This is the Crichton who grabs a pulse pistol, aiming it at a Peacekeeper with the great line: “Freeze! Or I’ll fill you full of little yellow bolts of light!” He has no plan in that moment. He’s not even sure what kind of weapon he’s hold it or how it works. But this is John Crichton! There is no situation he cannot bumble his way into! The Crichton who is pig-headed enough to insist on bringing an irreversibly contaminated Peacekeeper on the run with fugitives. These are the qualities that will allow Crichton to survive all that will happen to him in the Uncharted Territories, even if the cost of survival is his sanity.

Tune in next time when we try to find something redeeming in any episode up to PK Tech Girl! Maybe we’ll talk about Aeryn. You can never talk enough about Aeryn…