Watching Farscape: They've Got a Secret

I quite liked this one. Good character moments for both D'Argo and Moya. Moya's a regular character, as far as I'm concerned. :)

D'Argo finds a Peacekeeper seal in a shaft on Moya. An explosion vents D'Argo into space until Aeryn retrieves him with her Prowler. Everyone assumes that a biomechanoid virus is afflicting Moya, but they're wrong. Moya is doing everything it can, including knocking out Pilot, to protect its unborn baby. Speaking of offspring... meanwhile, D'Argo mistakes Zhaan, Rygel, and Crichton as his wife, son, and brother-in-law, respectively. This was the best D'Argo material yet, and I liked the episode overall.

I also must mention the music. During some of the D'Argo scenes, the music was very emotional and rather lovely.

Rating: 8 / 10

Watching Farscape: DNA Mad Scientist

A great one, and the best episode since the Premiere.

A scientist by the name of Nam'tar offers the locations of D'Argo, Zhaan, and Rygel's homeworlds in exchange for one of Pilot's arms (Nam'tar can't find Earth, though). He later starts turning Aeryn into a Pilot as well, but is deposed by his assistant who is in fact his creator.

A great concept, and Nam'tar is a wonderfully realized character. A truly impressive creation of Jim Henson wizardry. There are lots of character moments in here, as well as conflict within the Moya crew; especially among harsh D'Argo, greedy Rygel, and newly troubled Zhaan.

Everyone gets a strong showing, but Aeryn probably has the most development here. Pilot's arm does grow back, doesn't it?

Rating: 8.5 / 10

Watching Farscape: That Old Black Magic

An episode that doesn't live up to its potential, but still has definite good elements. Pilot wasn't in this episode.

An evil sorcerer named Maldis pits Crichton and Crais in a battle to the death. Zhaan struggles to inflict pain so as to counteract Maldis' power.

I like Crais as a main antagonist, but I'm not so sure about the steps taken with his character here. It's almost as if the episode gives him an extra dimension, but then takes it away unceremoniously.

I loved Maldis' evil laugh and random screams. On the other hand, the extent of his powers is left unclear, and thus so are his motives for wanting Crais' Carrier. Maldis can extend his powers to bring Crais to the arena from the Carrier, but it's left unclear what else he can do regarding that ship. Can he mentally control people? Can he mentally control the ship?

I hope that Zhaan's trauma here is reflected in later stories. An okay one that could have been better.

Rating: 6.5 / 10

Watching Farscape: PK Tech Girl

I sort of liked this episode, but not an outstanding one.

The Zelbinion, a Peacekeeper ghost ship, is boarded by Crichton and Aeryn; they find a tech by the name of Gilina Renaez there. Meanwhile, the Sheyangs are threatening to fire on Moya.

The Sheyang were cool if a bit overly goofy, and the general plot of the episode was decent. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of it was Rygel confronting the memory of his torturer, Selto Durka.

Rating: 7 / 10

BSG Rewatch: You Can't Go Home Again

A pretty good one. The above image is an indication that this is the best Helo plot so far. There's also, of course, Starbuck's plight. "Are you alive?" she asks the Raider. It's the most memorable moment from this episode, along with Starbuck and Apollo waggling their wings just like in the original series episode, "The Hand of God"!

Watching Farscape: Thank God it's Friday... Again

A pretty good one. On the planet Sykar, the masses are brainwashed via tannot root. On Moya, Pilot encourages Aeryn to find her inner scientist.

I loved the "Mad Max" reference! ("Mel Gibson. Tina Turner. Cage match... no-one saw the third one anyway.") I find Crichton's line particularly hilarious because I myself have only seen the first two!

Both plots were interesting and I enjoyed details like the meaning of the title, but what is it with alien characters talking slowly and slinkily? I understand the reasoning behind it, but it gets on my nerves.

Rating: 6.5 / 10

Watching Farscape: Back and Back and Back to the Future

Another very average episode. A couple of scientists are extended every courtesy by D'Argo, while Crichton sees flashes of the future.

The story was okay, but things like Lisa Hensley's performance as Matala lowered my enjoyment of the episode. Liked the Starburst, though.

Rating: 5 / 10

Watching Farscape: Throne for a Loss

Doesn't that image look like something out of "Eraserhead"?

Anyway, a rather marked improvement over the last two but still in the "okay" range.

After a group of Tavleks kidnap Rygel, rescue plans are formulated (not for Rygel per se, since he has with him a vital control crystal for Moya). But before anybody can do anything, Crichton and Aeryn have to knock out D'Argo, who is addicted to the effects of an armband that injects a stimulant into the wearer.

Nice to see the Prowler and D'Argo's sword in action. I also liked the Jotheb character that Rygel was stuck with. Nothing about the episode is too outstanding but it is better than the last two.

Rating: 6 / 10

BSG Rewatch: Act of Contrition

An episode that shows potential greatness but fails to completely convey its story without undermining itself. "Undermining" chiefly concerns the annoying Flash-Forward bits at the beginning of each act.

However, for the most part, Starbuck's feelings are portrayed very well. There are some good scenes like the "Two Funerals" scene and of course, her confession to Adama. In these scenes, flashbacks are used quite effectively to tie events together.

Of course, Starbuck crashing on a barren planet leads toward a mildly predictable chain of events for the second part. A pretty good one.

Watching Farscape: Exodus from Genesis

An episode that has too many flaws for me to commend.

An insectoid hive of Draks is found on Moya. These Draks can create replicants of anyone they receive a DNA sample of. To further complicate matters, Peacekeepers board Moya.

This could have been a really good "Body Snatchers"-type story but the concept was never executed that well, although I enjoyed the fights Crichton had with his own duplicate and duplicates of others. Someone actually visits Pilot in his Cockpit, and we learn the Hynerian version of Hezmana, Yotz.

I honestly have no idea why the PKs had such ridiculous make-up. Really makes me wonder about the ruthless Peacekeeper crop. Actually, the okay episode rather took a turn for the worse when these guys showed up.

Rating: 5 / 10

BSG Rewatch: Bastille Day

A surprisingly strong episode, pitting new Apollo versus old Apollo in a battle of wits.

The best scene of the episode is when Tom Zarek and Apollo are discussing the call sign, Apollo. The entire episode brings to light Lee's inner conflict between his positions as CAG on Galactica and military liaison to the President. His father speaks of "picking sides", a line that will resonate many episodes later.

It's always fun to see Baltar in awkward situations because of his virtual Six, and the warhead scene is no exception. Not much to say about the Helo/Sharon plot other than some nice atmosphere established in regards to being alone in a huge city (plus some nice commentary courtesy of Aaron Doral).

Overall, a good episode that reminds me of a time when I liked Lee Adama.

Watching Farscape: I, E.T.

A pedestrian story with some nice "Farscape" flavoring.

As a result of the control collar coming off Moya, a Peacekeeper beacon is set off. Moya lands on a planet rich with an element that Moya needs to fly. While John, Aeryn, and D'Argo venture out, Rygel, Zhaan, and Pilot work to disconnect the beacon.

I like the subtle but effective character moments. Crichton's longing for Earth, Aeryn's bitterness regarding her situation, Rygel's first heroic moment, Zhaan's empathy for Moya (both literal and figurative). These help the episode because without them, it could be any story for any show.

I didn't care much for the actual meat of the story, though. A decent but very slight episode.

Rating: 5 / 10

BSG Rewatch: Water

A very average, middle-of-the-road episode for me.

The story's two main points are Boomer's fear that she might be involved in the theft of some explosives and the water crisis because of her sleeper agent machinations. Neither plot is sufficiently well-executed and the episode feels off-balance and just off in general.

In my opinion, 1 of only 4 Season 1 episodes that aren't great.

BSG Rewatch: 33

"33" is the strongest start the episodic series could have had. It presents a rather simple plot, which allows a lot of nice character moments to slip in. Probably my favorite of these is Tigh and Adama's conversation, as pictured above. "If the crew doesn't hate the XO, he's not doing his job."

The Sharon and Helo on Caprica arc also begins here. I like this ongoing subplot of Season 1.

Darn network/studio! They just don't care about story integrity sometimes. "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", "Brazil", "The Thing", and now "33" have all been deemed by the execs "too dark". I really would have preferred clearly seeing people in the Olympic Carrier.

Watching Farscape: Premiere

"And there's life out here, Dad. Weird, amazing, psychotic life... in Technicolor."

"Impressed" is not nearly a strong enough word for how I felt about the "Farscape" Premiere. It is delightfully fresh and unique in almost every way. The characters, the concept, the effects, the music, and everything else are completely refreshing in their look and feel.

I wonder if D'Argo will get his wish to kill Bialar Crais... Hmm...

It should also be noted that in my opinion, "Farscape" has the 2nd best theme song of any show. ("Firefly" is king in that department) I also love the puppets. I look forward to more great creatures like the many-teethed alien salesman.

Overall, an extremely satisfying and dynamic pilot. I cannot say how excited I am to finally be watching this series. I've been meaning to for a long time.

Rating: 9.5 / 10

BSG Rewatch: The Miniseries

Wow. 3 hours and there's so much to cover! So many plotlines, so many huge events, so much character development. The Miniseries is a blazingly big pilot for the new BSG and it doesn't disappoint.

I have to admit that when I first saw the Miniseries, it took me a long time before I liked it. I thought that everything from the characters to the space battles were chaotic and confused. Needless to say, that's not my mentality anymore, and I can appreciate the greatness of this film. And yes, as far as I'm concerned, it's a film.

Characters! A good show has to have good characters! Baltar is my favorite Main Character, because he is defined by self-preservation, science, and a degree of hubris. However, my favorite character in BSG is not a main one. It's Leoben Conoy. He's the most interesting Cylon Model in my opinion; a philosophical thinker who doesn't look the part, and a damn good psychological trickster.

And for fans of other shows, both Serenity and the Enterprise are visible at certain points! The Enterprise is in the back right corner of a fleet shot, and Serenity is flying above Caprica City.

New Goals

With the advent of summer, I have more time for blogging and watching the shows that this blog features. As such, I have started watching "Farscape" through for the first time and rewatching all 4 seasons of "Battlestar Galactica". "Watching Farscape" and "BSG Rewatch" posts will be frequent from here on out.

B5 Rewind: Divided Loyalties

"Divided Loyalties" is a classic episode of Babylon 5, and one of the best of the second year. There are spoilers for this specific episode.

"Until then, Kosh, I want to see you again, just one more time."

"Divided Loyalties" is a classic J. Michael Straczynski screenplay filled with suspicion, misdirection, and revelation. It also follows his favored structure of Introduction (Lyta telling Franklin about the traitor), Rising Action (The assassination attempt on Lyta), Complication (Ivanova's latent telepathy), Climax (Talia revealed as the sleeper agent), and Denoument (Lyta's visit with Kosh). 

JMS closes the door on Talia's arc, but gives Lyta's arc a big leap forward, while further teasing the audience about what Kosh really looks like. The sound at the very end is a dead giveaway if you've seen "The Fall of Night"!

Watching it again makes me realize how much I miss the show and the feeling of seeing it for the first time. The Corps is Mother. The Corps is Father.