Farscape Season 4 (Pt 2)
it is done. I've seen my Farscape. in it's entirety and proper order. and I'm sad. I w a n t m o r e ! Ironically I got into FS after it had been cancelled, but now knowing there's no more fills me w/a feeling of emptiness.
Season 4 certainly started the weakest and even though it ended on a high note it was overall the weakest season. it had some unique episodes and some !stunning! visuals - probably the best in the series which is probably in no small account due to the show going widescreen.
speaking of 'the best', S4 has imo the best chosen scenes for the credits.
this scene with these two great friends walking slow-mo down the hall just as the intro music cue hits a higher note sends shivers down my spine e a c h t i m e I see it! FS is one of those exceptional shows that upon first watching of an ep I never fast-forwarded the credits...
As for plot-points, the idea for Qatal Mollusks in Coup by Clam was a fine one, which made me remember Coup by Clam as a much better ep than - on second viewing - it actually is. utilizing the overused concept of men dressing as women to avoid detection was quite honestly very poorly done, less spoken about it the better. this ep clearly belongs in the same bag as those first S1 episodes.
the same goes for A Prefect Murder.
I remembered this as one in the FS Top10, but sadly with the suspense of what's-gonna-happen-next gone, this ep looses it's appeal. not that it's not enjoyable, naturally!! &this one image from the ep speaks volumes of Crichton and Aeryn's relationship.
This season, however inconsistent with prev seasons with it's majority of stand-alone episodes, features the fabulous story-arc with the Scarrans.
It wasn't until I was so mesmerized with Minister Ahkna, that I found out that some of the better and most memorable villainous characters on this show were played by Ben Browder's talented wife Fran Bueller. Gotta confess, I was stunned upon finding out. The facial features are harder to come across w/the Scarran makeup even more so than with i.e. Scorpius, but the voice itself - it's powerful brilliance, made me appreciate Fran more than ever.
This seas I'm gonna yet again go w/moments rather than quotes w/this last batch of episodes. it's rather consistent w/the fact that FS as a series progressed fairly into pay-attention-to-continuity territory; whereas in S1 it was easy to have fav 1-sentence quotes, here on it's entire monologues or dialogs even; w/the exception of
CRICHTON: "I wore a bomb. A nuclear bomb in a field of flowers."
which is my 2nd fav quote of the entire series (right after this).
S4 ends on a high note w/the explosive We're So Screwed trilogy which plays upon so many prev eps it's staggering. those episodes provide some of the most exceptional moments of S4 overall.
We're So Screwed: Hot to Katratzi
CHIANA (peering over John's shoulder to see what he's working on.): "That's it?"
CRICHTON: "That's it. Mankind's greatest contribution to the absurd. The thermonuclear bomb."
STALEEK: "What do you want?"
CRICHTON: "What do I... want? What do I want? I... have not been chasing my ass all over the galaxy trying to pull out chunks of my brain. I... have not been sneaking fembots and skreeths into the places where I live. You want something! You. You want... what's inside my head. You want... what I know about wormholes. Because I... (He climbs up onto the table.) can leap tall galaxies in a single bound. I can scorch planets with a wave of my hand... and you... and you... and you... You can't do jack."
GRAYZA: "That's not true."
CRICHTON: "Oh, really? You command the stars to do your bidding? I know you can't. And you can't. And you can't. And you won't. But I have."
STALEEK: "Then why are you here?"
CRICHTON: "Because I... am an American. And what does an American want? Democracy? Capitalism! I want to sell out and settle down. For one day only, it's a blue light special on aisle three. My wormhole technology... and a free set of steak knives for all the tea in China and anything you can imagine to pay me."
AHKNA: "Pay?"
CRICHTON: "Yes! Pay, cash."
KALISH: "He's crazy."
AERYN: "Isn't it fun?"
CRICHTON (clapping his hands and rubs them together): "Welcome to my cold war. Now, what am I offered for all the powers of the Universe."
AERYN: "Provided that thing's working."
(Aeryn half turns, to look at him, then looks down at the bomb. John looks at it too. It is now beeping faster and a little louder. )
CRICHTON: "It's working."
(They both laugh quietly.)
CRICHTON: "Uh oh. You are dangerous."
AERYN: "Well, you better keep away them."
(She gives him a little shove.)
STALEEK: "... however an agreement requires trust which, thus far, has been one-sided. Now, you tell me what else you really want."
CRICHTON: "When you wake up... in the morning on your big Emperor bed and you listen... what do you hear? Do you hear the little Emperor birdies singing outside your window? Do you hear the Emperor wind whistling through the trees? Or do you hear people dying? Do you hear your friends begging for mercy? Do you hear doors being kicked in because people are hunting you? Do you hear the sound of your heart pounding in your ears? What I want... Santa Claus? For the rest of my life I wanna wake up like an Emperor."
CRICHTON (to Scorpius): "Listen up, I am Johnny Radiation because of you, Nosferatu. Everyone I care about west of the Moon is here and in danger to make sure that you keep your mouth shut. Now! Did you keep your mouth shut?"
We're So Screwed: La Bomba
CRICHTON (to Scorpius): "So... here we are, Cadaver and Hutch. A team."
best Noranti quote ever! she really was kinda endearing by the end of the seas.
NORANTI (to Scorpius): "Oh, I do admire your compartmentalization of duplicity."
in a confrontation scene, after Aeryn stands in between John and Ahkna.
CRICHTON: "Thanks. She scares the crap outta me."
AERYN: "It's the hat."
RYGEL: "Crichton! What the hezmana just happened? Where are you, you fahrbots? Did you blow up the bomb? How could you blow up the bomb?!"
CRICHTON: "You missed the vote."
CRICHTON: "Hi Honey. Guess what I did at work today? I wore a bomb. A nuclear bomb in a field of flowers. I could get lucky. Tomorrow I could have a bigger bomb. I could kill... more people. Maybe they'll be innocent people. Children... maybe."
and then there's Bad Timing which has got to be the best (post-mortem ironic) on-the-topic ep title...
Bad Timing
(John & Harvey are both in bunny costumes.)
HARVEY: "Curious holiday, Easter. Religious leader dies, comes back from the dead, and you end up celebrating like this!"
CRICHTON: "This... is... not... the time... to be... messing... with... me!"
(Harvey hits John in the face and John head-butts Harvey, knocking him over backwards on the grass. He puts a large, furry white foot on Harvey's chest.)
CRICHTON: "You want me to fail, don't ya?"
HARVEY: "Quite the contrary, John. Should your planet fall victim... I would not wish to reside in the head that blames itself. Huh!"
CRICHTON: "You're lying."
HARVEY: "I've examined this thoroughly from my... unique perspective, and I believe... your fears are correct. I believe... you will fail."
CRICHTON: "After all that's happened, how do you expect me to trust you?"
HARVEY: "Well, I think that, like religion, it's an individual choice. Either you believe and, therefore, bunnies are unnecessary or... you don't, in which case... chocolate?"
CHIANA: "Crichton? What're ya doin?"
CRICHTON: "Contacting Scorpius. Change of plan."
D'ARGO: "John... "
CHIANA: "What?"
CRICHTON: "Gonna see if I can cut a deal before the Scarrans get here and avert a massacre."
D'ARGO: "Are you really sure this is what you wanna do?"
CRICHTON: "I can't risk Earth. What the hell's the matter with these consoles?"
CHIANA: "Why are you doing this? Why would you sell your own people out?"
CRICHTON: "Because I am proud to bring Peacekeeper protection to my backward ass little planet."
CHIANA: "Then don't do it! Pop the frelling bubble. Make the wormhole collapse."
CRICHTON: "Pip, I can't do it."
CHIANA: "Yes you can."
CRICHTON: "I'm not smart enough..."
CHIANA: "Yes you can."
CRICHTON: "I'm not fast enough... I am not alien enough and you know what? There are people in the Universe who don't like me! I'm only human."
this season felt different. as I mentioned the Scarran-arc was monumental, but then some of the stand alone eps were very much out of balance with your normal FS drama. Aeryn esp feels out of character. although, there's this one thing David Kemper said that even though she looks human it's misleading and the choices she makes may seem illogical to us but that is coz we don't understand her alien nature... and this -and only this- is an acceptable excuse for the Aeryn-arc this seas, which funnily enough comes back on track for me coincidentally with getting rid of her wig. the moment/episode she looses the awesome-looking-yet-character-alienating hair she becomes more relatable. this brings us to the very emotional episode Prayer and the quote that excuses everything she did before in the seas...
AERYN: "Only, ever... Crichton.
oh and if I were to choose one screencap to encompass S4,
it would have to be John finally finding Earth in Kansas in the most shocking and emotional manner. As I read somewhere, this is "the best way to view a sunrise".
I think the surprising turn of events that Crichton actually gets to go home was perfectly done. While it *never* crossed my mind that he would *ever* find Earth, to have him come back to a different time and then upon finding himself in the right spacetime, leave of his own volition, started this new journey that would've made S5 so much more powerful. There would've be no excuses, no turning back, he would've been fully committed to his life in the Uncharted Territories.
Another fine notion happened with episodes Mental as Anything and Bringing Home the Beacon. We start with a beautiful moment between Crichton and Aeryn and then the inevitable happens, they are forced to be apart by the ep's storyline involving the men undergoing some mental training, while the women go to another planet to fetch some things. You'd think this was just a ploy for this one ep that we'll go along with Crichton and assume the girls plotline remains a background/mentioned-only-once story. but then with the next ep we actually catch up w/the women and follow that storyline. it's ingenious!
this completes my snippet reviews chock full of quotes for Seasons 1-4.
Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 (Pt 1) Season 3 (Pt 2) + Season 4 (Pt 1).
next up The Peacekeeper Wars.
Season 4 certainly started the weakest and even though it ended on a high note it was overall the weakest season. it had some unique episodes and some !stunning! visuals - probably the best in the series which is probably in no small account due to the show going widescreen.
speaking of 'the best', S4 has imo the best chosen scenes for the credits.
this scene with these two great friends walking slow-mo down the hall just as the intro music cue hits a higher note sends shivers down my spine e a c h t i m e I see it! FS is one of those exceptional shows that upon first watching of an ep I never fast-forwarded the credits...
As for plot-points, the idea for Qatal Mollusks in Coup by Clam was a fine one, which made me remember Coup by Clam as a much better ep than - on second viewing - it actually is. utilizing the overused concept of men dressing as women to avoid detection was quite honestly very poorly done, less spoken about it the better. this ep clearly belongs in the same bag as those first S1 episodes.
the same goes for A Prefect Murder.
I remembered this as one in the FS Top10, but sadly with the suspense of what's-gonna-happen-next gone, this ep looses it's appeal. not that it's not enjoyable, naturally!! &this one image from the ep speaks volumes of Crichton and Aeryn's relationship.
This season, however inconsistent with prev seasons with it's majority of stand-alone episodes, features the fabulous story-arc with the Scarrans.
It wasn't until I was so mesmerized with Minister Ahkna, that I found out that some of the better and most memorable villainous characters on this show were played by Ben Browder's talented wife Fran Bueller. Gotta confess, I was stunned upon finding out. The facial features are harder to come across w/the Scarran makeup even more so than with i.e. Scorpius, but the voice itself - it's powerful brilliance, made me appreciate Fran more than ever.
This seas I'm gonna yet again go w/moments rather than quotes w/this last batch of episodes. it's rather consistent w/the fact that FS as a series progressed fairly into pay-attention-to-continuity territory; whereas in S1 it was easy to have fav 1-sentence quotes, here on it's entire monologues or dialogs even; w/the exception of
CRICHTON: "I wore a bomb. A nuclear bomb in a field of flowers."
which is my 2nd fav quote of the entire series (right after this).
S4 ends on a high note w/the explosive We're So Screwed trilogy which plays upon so many prev eps it's staggering. those episodes provide some of the most exceptional moments of S4 overall.
We're So Screwed: Hot to Katratzi
CHIANA (peering over John's shoulder to see what he's working on.): "That's it?"
CRICHTON: "That's it. Mankind's greatest contribution to the absurd. The thermonuclear bomb."
STALEEK: "What do you want?"
CRICHTON: "What do I... want? What do I want? I... have not been chasing my ass all over the galaxy trying to pull out chunks of my brain. I... have not been sneaking fembots and skreeths into the places where I live. You want something! You. You want... what's inside my head. You want... what I know about wormholes. Because I... (He climbs up onto the table.) can leap tall galaxies in a single bound. I can scorch planets with a wave of my hand... and you... and you... and you... You can't do jack."
GRAYZA: "That's not true."
CRICHTON: "Oh, really? You command the stars to do your bidding? I know you can't. And you can't. And you can't. And you won't. But I have."
STALEEK: "Then why are you here?"
CRICHTON: "Because I... am an American. And what does an American want? Democracy? Capitalism! I want to sell out and settle down. For one day only, it's a blue light special on aisle three. My wormhole technology... and a free set of steak knives for all the tea in China and anything you can imagine to pay me."
AHKNA: "Pay?"
CRICHTON: "Yes! Pay, cash."
KALISH: "He's crazy."
AERYN: "Isn't it fun?"
CRICHTON (clapping his hands and rubs them together): "Welcome to my cold war. Now, what am I offered for all the powers of the Universe."
AERYN: "Provided that thing's working."
(Aeryn half turns, to look at him, then looks down at the bomb. John looks at it too. It is now beeping faster and a little louder. )
CRICHTON: "It's working."
(They both laugh quietly.)
CRICHTON: "Uh oh. You are dangerous."
AERYN: "Well, you better keep away them."
(She gives him a little shove.)
STALEEK: "... however an agreement requires trust which, thus far, has been one-sided. Now, you tell me what else you really want."
CRICHTON: "When you wake up... in the morning on your big Emperor bed and you listen... what do you hear? Do you hear the little Emperor birdies singing outside your window? Do you hear the Emperor wind whistling through the trees? Or do you hear people dying? Do you hear your friends begging for mercy? Do you hear doors being kicked in because people are hunting you? Do you hear the sound of your heart pounding in your ears? What I want... Santa Claus? For the rest of my life I wanna wake up like an Emperor."
CRICHTON (to Scorpius): "Listen up, I am Johnny Radiation because of you, Nosferatu. Everyone I care about west of the Moon is here and in danger to make sure that you keep your mouth shut. Now! Did you keep your mouth shut?"
We're So Screwed: La Bomba
CRICHTON (to Scorpius): "So... here we are, Cadaver and Hutch. A team."
best Noranti quote ever! she really was kinda endearing by the end of the seas.
NORANTI (to Scorpius): "Oh, I do admire your compartmentalization of duplicity."
in a confrontation scene, after Aeryn stands in between John and Ahkna.
CRICHTON: "Thanks. She scares the crap outta me."
AERYN: "It's the hat."
RYGEL: "Crichton! What the hezmana just happened? Where are you, you fahrbots? Did you blow up the bomb? How could you blow up the bomb?!"
CRICHTON: "You missed the vote."
CRICHTON: "Hi Honey. Guess what I did at work today? I wore a bomb. A nuclear bomb in a field of flowers. I could get lucky. Tomorrow I could have a bigger bomb. I could kill... more people. Maybe they'll be innocent people. Children... maybe."
and then there's Bad Timing which has got to be the best (post-mortem ironic) on-the-topic ep title...
Bad Timing
(John & Harvey are both in bunny costumes.)
HARVEY: "Curious holiday, Easter. Religious leader dies, comes back from the dead, and you end up celebrating like this!"
CRICHTON: "This... is... not... the time... to be... messing... with... me!"
(Harvey hits John in the face and John head-butts Harvey, knocking him over backwards on the grass. He puts a large, furry white foot on Harvey's chest.)
CRICHTON: "You want me to fail, don't ya?"
HARVEY: "Quite the contrary, John. Should your planet fall victim... I would not wish to reside in the head that blames itself. Huh!"
CRICHTON: "You're lying."
HARVEY: "I've examined this thoroughly from my... unique perspective, and I believe... your fears are correct. I believe... you will fail."
CRICHTON: "After all that's happened, how do you expect me to trust you?"
HARVEY: "Well, I think that, like religion, it's an individual choice. Either you believe and, therefore, bunnies are unnecessary or... you don't, in which case... chocolate?"
CHIANA: "Crichton? What're ya doin?"
CRICHTON: "Contacting Scorpius. Change of plan."
D'ARGO: "John... "
CHIANA: "What?"
CRICHTON: "Gonna see if I can cut a deal before the Scarrans get here and avert a massacre."
D'ARGO: "Are you really sure this is what you wanna do?"
CRICHTON: "I can't risk Earth. What the hell's the matter with these consoles?"
CHIANA: "Why are you doing this? Why would you sell your own people out?"
CRICHTON: "Because I am proud to bring Peacekeeper protection to my backward ass little planet."
CHIANA: "Then don't do it! Pop the frelling bubble. Make the wormhole collapse."
CRICHTON: "Pip, I can't do it."
CHIANA: "Yes you can."
CRICHTON: "I'm not smart enough..."
CHIANA: "Yes you can."
CRICHTON: "I'm not fast enough... I am not alien enough and you know what? There are people in the Universe who don't like me! I'm only human."
this season felt different. as I mentioned the Scarran-arc was monumental, but then some of the stand alone eps were very much out of balance with your normal FS drama. Aeryn esp feels out of character. although, there's this one thing David Kemper said that even though she looks human it's misleading and the choices she makes may seem illogical to us but that is coz we don't understand her alien nature... and this -and only this- is an acceptable excuse for the Aeryn-arc this seas, which funnily enough comes back on track for me coincidentally with getting rid of her wig. the moment/episode she looses the awesome-looking-yet-character-alienating hair she becomes more relatable. this brings us to the very emotional episode Prayer and the quote that excuses everything she did before in the seas...
AERYN: "Only, ever... Crichton.
oh and if I were to choose one screencap to encompass S4,
it would have to be John finally finding Earth in Kansas in the most shocking and emotional manner. As I read somewhere, this is "the best way to view a sunrise".
I think the surprising turn of events that Crichton actually gets to go home was perfectly done. While it *never* crossed my mind that he would *ever* find Earth, to have him come back to a different time and then upon finding himself in the right spacetime, leave of his own volition, started this new journey that would've made S5 so much more powerful. There would've be no excuses, no turning back, he would've been fully committed to his life in the Uncharted Territories.
Another fine notion happened with episodes Mental as Anything and Bringing Home the Beacon. We start with a beautiful moment between Crichton and Aeryn and then the inevitable happens, they are forced to be apart by the ep's storyline involving the men undergoing some mental training, while the women go to another planet to fetch some things. You'd think this was just a ploy for this one ep that we'll go along with Crichton and assume the girls plotline remains a background/mentioned-only-once story. but then with the next ep we actually catch up w/the women and follow that storyline. it's ingenious!
this completes my snippet reviews chock full of quotes for Seasons 1-4.
Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 (Pt 1) Season 3 (Pt 2) + Season 4 (Pt 1).
next up The Peacekeeper Wars.