I Heart Farscape, Part Two: How Giant Robots have nothing to do with Farscape.

Perhaps you remember The Transformers? While they're different than they were back in the 80s, they're still around... I guess giant robots that transform into cars and planes are almost as timeless in capturing childhood imaginations as Dinosaurs and Tonka trucks.

Aside: I know what you're thinking, and yes, there actually were Transformers that transformed into Dinosaurs; cleverly called, ahem, Dinobots. All the kiddies loved Grimlock, their lovable T-Rex leader who was mildly retarded, yet incredibly strong. There were also Transformers that turned into Construction Vehicles, called, also cleverly, the Constructicons. The dump truck one was called Long Haul. My favorite Transformer was Wheeljack, who, not surprisingly due to my geeky upbringing, was the "mad scientist" of the good guys, the Autobots.

Now, does that mean that I'm about to somehow say that Farscape is similar to a war between opposing factions of said giant robots, one unyieldingly benevolent, the other ruthlessly evil? No. No, I'm not.

What I am going to say, is that the tagline for the Transformers is: "More than Meets the Eye," and that statement embodies my second big reason for loving Farscape.

Through an endless string of role reversals, shocks, surprises, and general use of turning situations on their proverbial heads, Farscape is able to take ideas and concepts that would otherwise be tired or overused in TV and sci-fi, and put a new spin on them to make them very interesting.

Farscape will often let you have a glimpse at the "easy way out" that the writers could take to resolve a seemingly insurmountable obstacle, and sometimes it will even appear that they're going to take it... and then, at the last second, something really amazing happens; they break a traditional "rule" of TV series. (This is especially for a sci-fi series, since they come from the Star Trek pedigree, who are the kings of the "easy way out," where everything formulaically and automagically ends up back where it started.)

Aside: Yes, I said automagically. I feel the need to address my purposeful mispronounciation, lest I be struck down for being a hypocrite; since I can't STAND the rampant (and entirely unintentional) use of mispronounced words like, "expecially," "supposubly," and their fruity cousin, "liberry."

So, basically what it boils down to is that in any given Farscape episode, you never really know what's going to happen, or who you're meeting, when there's a sticky situation or a guest star. It could just be something that is featured in that episode... but probably not.

At the very least, unless that person is killed (and sometimes even then...), you're probably going to see them again sometime.

Other times, you don't even realize you just met the latest "regular" cast member; who will be in the next 20+ episodes.

Aside: I guess a little corollary to this whole spiel on Farscape's counterintuitive approach would be a nod to the idea of reincorporation. I'm planning a catch-all "all the little things" post to wrap up my Farscape love letters, and this will get full focus there, but I think a little nod here is prudent. Reincorporation, sort of like Crichton's pop culture references, serves as sort of an inside joke, a little shout-out to the fans. Besides major things like bringin back characters, it's also present in a lot of little things that usually aren't mentioned overtly, but if you're paying attention and you've been watching, you pick up on them. (Like the crew's collection of weapons and devices being made up of an identifiable hodge-podge of stuff they've picked up from previous episodes.)

Again, I'm trying to keep this spoiler-free, so all I'll say is that somewhere in Season 3, Farscape breaks one of the biggest rules in TV and Sci-Fi shows. It starts as a predictable gimmick that is somewhat typical for the sci-fi genre, and you keep thinking that everything's going to end up normal by the end of the episode; and it really looks like it will. But then, suddenly, it doesn't happen. And it doesn't in the next episode. Or the one after that.... and you slowly realize that they just totally changed the dynamic of the show on you. It's one of my favorite glowing box moments, something I wish I could see again for the first time.

Aside: I think the first 5 minutes or so of the South Park Movie (From "Mountain Town" through "Uncle F*cka") has to top that list. I'm not sure I ever laughed or smiled that hard for that long when I first saw that. I was doubled over in pain and laughter for most of it, it was such pure, immature, lowest-denominator humor.

I also mentioned "role reversals" in my list of things that Farscape does differently.

The biggest role reversal is probably the fact that despite Crichton being apparently cast in the strong, fit, leading guy type of role; when push comes to shove, for at least most of the show's duration, Crichton ranks third (or worse) among his allies when it comes to shoving ability.

Aside: Now, if you've watched typical sci-fi, fantasy, or other shows that will occasionally include action, the main protagonist is usually either a) badass to begin with, either by nature or training, or b) acquires some kind of special power or weapon that makes him badass. In either case, the "leading guy" is the one who dishes out the heavy damage when it's fightin' time.

Farscape is a refreshing change, where though Crichton does indeed turn out to be "special" in some way, (Actually in several ways, depending on the season. This is a gimmick, but it's non-negotiable; there really wouldn't be too much reason for serious drama if he was just some guy out there that no one cared about.) it has nothing to do with his ability to fight or keep himself alive, and his two closest allies are much better at fighting than he is.

The other really big role reversal has to do with one of those allies; and it's going to have to wait for the next post.

Here's a teaser. One of the crew members on the show that fights better than Crichton is also the main love interest. Despite all the press photos of Farscape showing Claudia Black's character, Aeryn Sun, as a sexy babe snuggled up next to Crichton, the truth of the matter is that Aeryn wouldn't be caught dead playing subservient arm-hanger to Crichton. She's a soldier, and love, especially the expression of love, is just as alien to her as Crichton is, despite Sebaceans (Aeryn's alien race) looking identical to Humans.

Stand by for another thrashing of my favorite deceased equine target, Shakespearean Shrew-Taming.

I Heart Farscape, Part One: Big Trouble in Little Crichton

Well, I've been mulling over a Farscape post for some time now, and I've decided that unless I provide an in-flight meal and Stadium Pals to everyone, I certainly can't expect anyone to sit through all my endless gushing.

Really though, I'm going to make a concerted effort to keep my commentary to WHY I love the show so much, instead of just prompting people to ask me why I haven't yet made a proposal of matrimony to the show. (Because you can't marry a show, it's illegal silly...)

Aside: By the way, I can't believe Stadium Pals even exist. Only in America are there people so lazy that they'll voluntarily wear something that will allow them to pee themselves so they don't have to get up. And don't worry ladies; they make one for you too. Gross. I must say though, they do have the best tagline ever: "When you gotta go, but you wanna stay."

As Kenny Banya of Seinfeld fame would say: "It's Gold, Jerry! Gold!"

So, I've decided to divy up my love for Farscape into several posts. Otherwise, I'll never do it, and/or you'll never read it.

I've also made an oath to keep these musings as spoiler-free as possible. While I would like to get specific in order to most accurately convey my feelings, I'll try and hold my tongue with hopes that someone watching this falls in love with Farscape as I did.

Which, by the way, is the only way I can possibly justify these posts as not being COMPLETELY self-indulgent. Yeah, ya see? Yeah, I'm trying to bring good TV to others, see? Lay off me, Copper.... :)

And, begin...

Please be aware that my "reasons for loving Farscape" are not in any priority order; it's just whatever I think of and want to write about at the time.

So, I can sum up Reason #1 simply by stating the title of the 3-part Finale of Season 4:

"We're So Screwed."

The crew on Farscape is never really sure about what they're doing, they're always in really big trouble, running from someone or something that's a lot bigger and stronger than they are, and barely getting away.

(By the way, Farscape is big fans of crazy 3-parters. Every season ends with one, and there are additional multi-part episodes peppered throughout each season. While there are certainly episodes that some deviate from the series' "main plot," pretty much every episode has some impact on the story and is revisited in some way later on; and some of those "tangent" episodes actually end up becoming much more important than you might think; but that's another post. :D)

This feeling of "being lost" is a constant touchstone in the series; both literal and figurative.

The lead role, John Crichton, played by Ben Browder, is a galactic fish-out-of-water. He's the only human around and he's REALLY far from home; despite some aliens looking very human, (okay.. they couldn't put EVERYONE in a wacky suit; but you'll be glad to know that only one perennial "regular" of the crew, besides Crichton, looks totally human) and, silly as it sounds, that adds to the empathic bond you start to feel for him.

He's a bright guy, but almost everyone and everything he encounters is technologically superior to him, so he has to brazenly jury-rig and wing it with just about everything he does; the result is a very amusing mix of MacGuyver and Han Solo; with some pop-culture references thrown in for good measure.

(I'm sure this will part of an "all the little things" post at some point, but hearing Crichton quote some commercial or something, and it kind of gets lost in translation with the aliens to the point where only we, the viewer, "get it," is pretty neat in an inside joke kind of way.)

The Han Solo reference is not a coincidence. I've already declared my love for the original Star Wars Trilogy; and the "We're So Screwed" phenomenon, at least vis a vis the sci-fi genre, might have originated with Lucas's Harrison Ford movies, both Star Wars and Indiana Jones.

Harrison Ford is just SO good at simultaneously conveying the danger and absurdity of being in REALLY big trouble. Ben Browder must've studied Ford, because he's got it down, and Crichton gets in a LOT more trouble than Han and Indy put together.

Consider the scene from Star Wars when the Millenium Falcon gets brought aboard the Death Star and the small band rescues Princess Leia. They employ some pretty silly strategy, mock up Chewbacca as a prisoner, and head down to the Detention block. When they arrive, they're facing the wrong way in the elevator, and everything goes bad after that... after the firefight, Han tries to cover it up:

HAN: (trying to sound official) Everything is under control. Situation normal.

INTERCOM VOICE: What happened?

HAN: (getting nervous) Uh...had a slight weapons malfunction. But, uh, everything's perfectly all right now. We're fine. We're all fine here, now, thank you. How are you? - CLASSIC!

INTERCOM VOICE: We're sending a squad up.

HAN: Uh, uh, negative. We had a reactor leak here... now give us a few minutes to lock it down. Large leak...very dangerous.

INTERCOM VOICE: Who is this? What's your operating number?

(Han blasts the comlink and it explodes.)

HAN: Boring conversation anyway... (yelling down the hall) Luke! We're going to have company!

That exchange, is of course, followed by them getting completely trapped in the Detention Block, and the Princess has to save their asses by blasting a hole in a grate and telling them all to jump into the garbage chute; where they all almost die again.

Another perfect example of the phenomenon is in Return of the Jedi, when ANOTHER rescue attempt gets completely botched; this time when they try to save Han from Jabba's palace. After they get discovered and captured, they bring everyone in front of Jabba for his decree; Han can't see (hibernation sickness from being frozen in carbonite) but he hears Luke's voice and asks,

HAN: "How we doin'?"

LUKE: "Same as always.."

HAN: "That bad, huh?"

Those Star Wars moments are completely reminiscent of what the Farscape crew faces nearly every episode.

Despite the obvious reasons of enjoying this for the "omygod, look what just happened to them.. well, what the hell are they going to do NOW?" factor, I think I like the "We're So Screwed" phenomenon so much because it's so different from other sci-fi TV series, like Star Trek.

The Enterprise is the Federations's flagship; the most powerful ship in the armada of a powerful faction in the known Universe. And even though they still get screwed over and almost blown up nearly every episode, they have all manner of photon torpedoes, force shields, and deflector dishes to do pretty much anything with.

Moya (The ship in Farscape) is a living beast of burden, with no weapons, and her crew are escaped prisoners being pursued by the armada of a powerful faction of the known Universe.

(Don't worry, that's all first episode exposition stuff.)

So, to sum up WHY the "We're so Screwed" phenomenon is so appealing to me, I guess I'd have to say that, on an unconscious level, I really respect the writers of the show for apparently painting themselves into a corner so many times, only to surprise you with how they get out of it; or sometimes, shock you by having them NOT get out of it.