Farscape 4.14-4.22
So, uhm, I really didn’t enjoy this season very much. Which makes me sad.
Reason the first:
JOHN: Hey Aeryn, know how I’ve been an utter cretin to you all season?
AERYN: Yeah. Notice how I’m acting like I deserve it despite, you know, not.
JOHN: I was totally only being an asshole to protect you BECAUSE I LOVE YOU SO MUCH.
AERYN: OMG YOU LOVE ME ALL IS FORGIVEN!
JOHN: Also, I totally never had a chance to fill you in. You know, when we were on Earth, past and present. Or on other worlds. Basically, the multiple times we were separated from Scorpius.
AERYN: Who cares that this makes no sense and means you were a loser half the season and this entire plotline was just a blatant attempt to keep us apart, as couples who are actually together are clearly dull. Let’s make out!
Actually, if that speech had come earlier, it may have saved things for me. But after Terra Firma, I think it was a lost cause. Like, if John had been acting like that because of something Scorpius of Grayza had done to his head, I would have narratively hated it, but the storyline could have been salvaged for me? But it pretty much solidified that this season is all about John and his angst and importance, and everything else is relevant only as related to that. I mean, it’s always been primarily John’s perspective, and while I didn’t mind, my lack of interest in his perspective kept me from getting as into the show as others, but this season, his perspective is pretty much all about tropes I hate. Uhm…if I wanted this, I’d watch more Korean melodramas that really need to be shorter? You’ll note I’m picky about those.
Reason the second:
AERYN: *is kidnapped*
JOHN: Hey Scorpy, I will totally SELL OUT THE UNIVERSE to get Aeryn back!
Scorpy: Awesome!
ME: WTF?
SHOW: Isn’t this the most epic OTP ever?
ME: WTF AERYN LIVES IN THAT UNIVERSE!
JOHN: Good old U.S. of A.
ME: THAT YOU SOLD OUT TO SCORPIUS!
JOHN: All the people on this side of the universe that I love are on that ship!
ME: AND YOU SOLD THE OTHER SIDE TO SCORPIUS! Both sides, actually…
So, this trope, giving up everything for the one you love? It can work. But on small scales. Soldier leaving a battle, turning your back on one life for another, etc. But it doesn’t work when that endangers a city/country/planet/galaxy/THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE. That’s not a hero, that’s a villain. It’s selfish and, frankly, it also endangers the person you want to save. (And no, the last minute reversal didn’t help. “I can’t risk Earth!” my butt. Too late for that. I also kinda quit caring by then.)
Reason the third:
AERYN: *is still kidnapped*
UNIVERSE: OMG she may be carrying John Crichton’s child!
AERYN: There is John and only John!
UNIVERSE: Person? What person? ALL THAT MATTERS IS SHE MIGHT BE CARRYING A FETUS WITH JOHN CRICHTON’S DNA!
AERYN: I put on a chastity belt the second we met and only John has the key!
ENTIRE CAST: This is all about John and John’s angst! We must find Aeryn for John! John is suffering!
RYGEL: Everyone shut up about John and worry about Aeryn for Aeryn’s sake for a moment!
ME: OMG WTF did I just agree with Rygel? WHAT HAS THE UNIVERSE COME TO!
AERYN: Excuse me, please. I’m going to be in character for a moment and snap someone’s neck.
Don’t get me wrong, I get (and approve of) focusing on helping the one you can, but no one was talking about the baby being important for itself, or because it’s Aeryn’s, just because it could be John’s, and no one was talking about wanting to save Aeryn because she’s their friend and they love her, but because of John.
Reason the fourth:
HARVEY: Totally not dead.
ME: And in this split second, I completely understand why the show got canceled.
STARK: I’m back too!
ME: Yeah. You were dead to me once you held your girlfriend’s soul captive and wouldn’t let her move on.
SCARRENS: Hey look! Rape farm! Complete with a whole episode of torturing a pregnant woman!
ME: …
Also, I’m annoyed that she confirmed it was his before he proposed. Like, in the first 3 seasons, I would have sworn that it ultimately wouldn’t have mattered to him, or her, if it was biologically his or not. But, of course, in this season, the baby only matters if it’s his. I so badly wanted her to kick him out of the boat when he yelled “We’re having a baby!” Because, you know, she already was, and if he planned to be with her, then so was he.
Things I did like:
Pretty much everything Chiana. Given how hard it was for me to warm up to her, it surprises me how much I’ve come to love this character. Also, Claudia Black’s turn at the other Chiana gave me a new appreciation for Gigi Edgley’s acting. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely already appreciated it, but having another excellent actress not quite pull it off makes you appreciate the original all the more. (On a similar note, Anthony Simcoe got Jool down concerningly well.)
Shikozu in general. Even if she is inevitably going to get killed for loving Scorpy. Or killed for almost inevitably betraying him. Because the only thing worse than a woman who loves an evil man is a woman who betrays an evil man.
Also D’Argo, Granny (never figure out how to spell her name) and Pilot in general, even though they didn’t do a lot.
That they figured out a way to bring Virginia Hay back some more.
That, objectively, I realize that Farscape at its worst is still way better than Dollhouse, Supernatural, and Stargate: Atlantis at their best. It just doesn’t help with the irritation, knowing how much better the first three seasons were. I’m pretty sure that if I’d watched this season without having seen the first three, I wouldn’t be nearly as annoyed by it, though I’m not sure I ever would have liked John that way.
And…err…I’m certain this would be different if I was watching without knowing about Peacekeeper Wars, but I mostly laughed at the Dramatic Deaths. The boat was fine! And the ring! And there were pretentious credits without music! I had a very inappropriate reaction! (Read: I burst out laughing. I’m sorry. Despite my annoyance, I do still have fondness for John and Aeryn/John from the first three seasons, and my love for Aeryn wasn’t really affected this season.) Also, D’Argo does screaming angst very well.
Maybe Peacekeeper Wars will work better for me. At least I’ll still have the first three seasons.
Reason the first:
JOHN: Hey Aeryn, know how I’ve been an utter cretin to you all season?
AERYN: Yeah. Notice how I’m acting like I deserve it despite, you know, not.
JOHN: I was totally only being an asshole to protect you BECAUSE I LOVE YOU SO MUCH.
AERYN: OMG YOU LOVE ME ALL IS FORGIVEN!
JOHN: Also, I totally never had a chance to fill you in. You know, when we were on Earth, past and present. Or on other worlds. Basically, the multiple times we were separated from Scorpius.
AERYN: Who cares that this makes no sense and means you were a loser half the season and this entire plotline was just a blatant attempt to keep us apart, as couples who are actually together are clearly dull. Let’s make out!
Actually, if that speech had come earlier, it may have saved things for me. But after Terra Firma, I think it was a lost cause. Like, if John had been acting like that because of something Scorpius of Grayza had done to his head, I would have narratively hated it, but the storyline could have been salvaged for me? But it pretty much solidified that this season is all about John and his angst and importance, and everything else is relevant only as related to that. I mean, it’s always been primarily John’s perspective, and while I didn’t mind, my lack of interest in his perspective kept me from getting as into the show as others, but this season, his perspective is pretty much all about tropes I hate. Uhm…if I wanted this, I’d watch more Korean melodramas that really need to be shorter? You’ll note I’m picky about those.
Reason the second:
AERYN: *is kidnapped*
JOHN: Hey Scorpy, I will totally SELL OUT THE UNIVERSE to get Aeryn back!
Scorpy: Awesome!
ME: WTF?
SHOW: Isn’t this the most epic OTP ever?
ME: WTF AERYN LIVES IN THAT UNIVERSE!
JOHN: Good old U.S. of A.
ME: THAT YOU SOLD OUT TO SCORPIUS!
JOHN: All the people on this side of the universe that I love are on that ship!
ME: AND YOU SOLD THE OTHER SIDE TO SCORPIUS! Both sides, actually…
So, this trope, giving up everything for the one you love? It can work. But on small scales. Soldier leaving a battle, turning your back on one life for another, etc. But it doesn’t work when that endangers a city/country/planet/galaxy/THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE. That’s not a hero, that’s a villain. It’s selfish and, frankly, it also endangers the person you want to save. (And no, the last minute reversal didn’t help. “I can’t risk Earth!” my butt. Too late for that. I also kinda quit caring by then.)
Reason the third:
AERYN: *is still kidnapped*
UNIVERSE: OMG she may be carrying John Crichton’s child!
AERYN: There is John and only John!
UNIVERSE: Person? What person? ALL THAT MATTERS IS SHE MIGHT BE CARRYING A FETUS WITH JOHN CRICHTON’S DNA!
AERYN: I put on a chastity belt the second we met and only John has the key!
ENTIRE CAST: This is all about John and John’s angst! We must find Aeryn for John! John is suffering!
RYGEL: Everyone shut up about John and worry about Aeryn for Aeryn’s sake for a moment!
ME: OMG WTF did I just agree with Rygel? WHAT HAS THE UNIVERSE COME TO!
AERYN: Excuse me, please. I’m going to be in character for a moment and snap someone’s neck.
Don’t get me wrong, I get (and approve of) focusing on helping the one you can, but no one was talking about the baby being important for itself, or because it’s Aeryn’s, just because it could be John’s, and no one was talking about wanting to save Aeryn because she’s their friend and they love her, but because of John.
Reason the fourth:
HARVEY: Totally not dead.
ME: And in this split second, I completely understand why the show got canceled.
STARK: I’m back too!
ME: Yeah. You were dead to me once you held your girlfriend’s soul captive and wouldn’t let her move on.
SCARRENS: Hey look! Rape farm! Complete with a whole episode of torturing a pregnant woman!
ME: …
Also, I’m annoyed that she confirmed it was his before he proposed. Like, in the first 3 seasons, I would have sworn that it ultimately wouldn’t have mattered to him, or her, if it was biologically his or not. But, of course, in this season, the baby only matters if it’s his. I so badly wanted her to kick him out of the boat when he yelled “We’re having a baby!” Because, you know, she already was, and if he planned to be with her, then so was he.
Things I did like:
Pretty much everything Chiana. Given how hard it was for me to warm up to her, it surprises me how much I’ve come to love this character. Also, Claudia Black’s turn at the other Chiana gave me a new appreciation for Gigi Edgley’s acting. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely already appreciated it, but having another excellent actress not quite pull it off makes you appreciate the original all the more. (On a similar note, Anthony Simcoe got Jool down concerningly well.)
Shikozu in general. Even if she is inevitably going to get killed for loving Scorpy. Or killed for almost inevitably betraying him. Because the only thing worse than a woman who loves an evil man is a woman who betrays an evil man.
Also D’Argo, Granny (never figure out how to spell her name) and Pilot in general, even though they didn’t do a lot.
That they figured out a way to bring Virginia Hay back some more.
That, objectively, I realize that Farscape at its worst is still way better than Dollhouse, Supernatural, and Stargate: Atlantis at their best. It just doesn’t help with the irritation, knowing how much better the first three seasons were. I’m pretty sure that if I’d watched this season without having seen the first three, I wouldn’t be nearly as annoyed by it, though I’m not sure I ever would have liked John that way.
And…err…I’m certain this would be different if I was watching without knowing about Peacekeeper Wars, but I mostly laughed at the Dramatic Deaths. The boat was fine! And the ring! And there were pretentious credits without music! I had a very inappropriate reaction! (Read: I burst out laughing. I’m sorry. Despite my annoyance, I do still have fondness for John and Aeryn/John from the first three seasons, and my love for Aeryn wasn’t really affected this season.) Also, D’Argo does screaming angst very well.
Maybe Peacekeeper Wars will work better for me. At least I’ll still have the first three seasons.