Why exactly is FARSCAPE so "good"?
POSTED BY: FURYFIRE
UPDATED: Sunday, March 16, 2003 21:40
VIEWED: 16430
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I've just started watching farscape, beginning with Season 3, eps 1&2, and I see no sogn of why this show is so acclaimed, can someone please fill me in?
If you know anyone that can help my screenwriting career, please help! And yes, I am self-advertising here. Hehehe, me such a little devil.
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You should watch from Season 1. Or at least Season 2. Farscape isn't episodic like most series on TV. It's not uncommon to see sweeping epic story arcs that spans 3 or 4 episodes. There's a certain amount of emotional investment before you're hooked. It's hard to explain.
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The best suggestion I can give is to go out to Blockbuster and rent the "Best of Season 1" collection. It should be at every Blockbuster on DVD. This is what hooked me and transformed me into a rabid 'scaper.
--Dylan Palmer, aka NoVaGrAsS--
Mal has a charming sense of humor, but I am a Companion, and right now alecture on the antiquated notions of moral turpitudos. - Inara
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I started watching it in S4, and watched all the episodes that aired this season. I can see that it has some real good qualities, but it's very inaccessable to new viewers. I can see why it has ratings problems. It's tough for a show that's been on the air four years to ask a new viewer to go back and watch all the prior episodes. BtVS is pretty self-referential, but they at least pay lip service to catching up new viewers.
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Farscape definately takes a while to get into, but once you're there . . . ! The acting is fantastic and when the writing is 'on,' there's little better on TV. I suggest watching what you can of seasons one and two (in order, if you can). But I must admit, as much as I love the show, even my interest faded during the eight month hiatus between episodes. SciFi made a lot of mistakes presenting the show. I certainly hope it moves on to a network that will treat it with a little more respect.
fortes fortuna iuvat
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I'm not a rabid fan of Farscape, but I like the way it tries to break with Space Opera conventions. Everybody has actual body functions, including the aliens. (One of which farts Helium when he's nervous. Which is bad science, but too funny to nitpick!) Creighton is not your usual squared-jawed genius -- in fact, he has a lot of trouble getting all these aliens to take him seriously. In short, Farscape is a lot messier -- and a lot more real -- than other space shows.
On the other hand, some stories tend to drag, and they often use excessively clever (and thus confusing) narrative devices. And some of the running jokes -- like Creighton's constant pop culture references -- are begining to get old. These problems have slowly gotten worse, and if I weren't anxious to see certain plot points resolved, I'm not sure I would care about the cancellation.
Somebody suggested watching Season 1 to get the background. I second that -- there's so much long term story telling you really can't jump in the middle. It's also helpful to look at some of the material at www.scifi.com/farscape.
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Quote:Oh Gawd, I'm talking to myself again.
Originally posted by Zicsoft:
It's also helpful to look at some of the material at www.scifi.com/farscape.
It often seems to me that the staff of the SciFi Channel and scifi.com are a lot more creative than most of the material they broadcast. I often enjoy the fillers and intros on SciFi than the shows themselves. ("The following movie is rated cyber. Warning: Excessive reliance on computer can lead to the enslavement of humanity.") And there's a delightful wealth of material on the web site. Aside from a lot of really good interviews and chats, there are radio plays, and some very creative background material on the shows.
My favorite is the stuff for Sliders, even though I never cared for the show itself. It features a newsletter supposedly issued by the staff of a Cromag prison camp, and a contest where viewer were asked to make a pitch to write an episode.
Of course, with USA/Vivendi's cost cutting, the people who did this are probably already on the street. Oh well!
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Back in 96/97 when SCIFI had just been added to my basic cable package, I remember they would cut in these pseudo news briefs with a blue-skinned anchor from the future. He talked of world governments and planet uprisings. All not so very interesting. SCIFI is much better now.
--- Joe
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I'm trapped watching from Season 3 thus far, but why do you all like it so much? This is important in my decision to keep watching, since it'll be on at the same time as John Doe and Smallville.
If you know anyone that can help my screenwriting career, please help! And yes, I am self-advertising here. Hehehe, me such a little devil.
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