Customer Reviews

Farscape Season 2 (Volume 4)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I don't normally write reviews, but I felt some of the reviewers of this group of episodes have been a little harsh on a few, which of course is perfectly acceptable.

The first episode is Beware of Dog, which happens to be very popular. Not my favorite, but it does have some great moments as a parasite invades the ship and crew goes through much trouble to get rid of it by employing a tracking animal. Much comedy and excitement ensues. This episode also hits a solid 8 on the gross-out scale at one point. I won't dwell more on this episode because I want to get to the others.

Won't Get Fooled Again is an incredible episode. It starts weird and gets weirder. Crichton wakes to find himself on Earth surrounding by his friends and family. But then things take a turn. Suddenly members of the Moya crew appear, but in earthly roles, like a doctor and a psychiatrist. Slowly Johns psyche starts to disintegrate as the situations turn ever darker. Then suddenly the reasons become clear. I won't spoil the rest. Interposed between moments of strangeness are incredible moments of hilarity. Crais in pumps, Dhargo's Luxan bonding ritual and Boogie Oogie Woogie. This episode is a must watch.

I have to admit that the Locket is my favorite episode of the series. I am surprised that it is not more popular among the fan base. Here we come upon Moya in a stellar mist to discover that Aeryn has been missing for a few hours. When she returns she has aged 60 years. The situation is complex and I don't want to spoil it, but I will say that much that happens is on a character level. The focus is the interaction between John and Aeryn and there is not much "action" per se. But the character development in this episode is incredible and there are moments of pure magic. In one point in the show John sings a snatch from the old Robert Shaw ballad A-roving. Later on John and Aeryn on walking through these green hills under gorgeous trees, talking and laughing together, but you can't hear them because overdubbed is an absolutely beautiful musical reprise of the A-roving melody, just simple and heart-wrenching in its loveliness (kudos to the music department on this one). Then the scene cuts to a brief glimpse of Moya hanging in this flowing stellar mist as the music carries on, then it cuts to a commercial break. It's just beautiful. Inserted into a time of fear, mystery and doubt is a little section of quiet simplicity. I could only call it a moment of serenity.

The Ugly Truth has come under some unfair criticism from another reviewer. In this episode the crew of Moya is questioned by a race called the Plokavians. They are asked in turn to relate the events that occured when Talyn destroyed a Plokavian ship. Each crew member gives his/her impression of the events. While it may seem slow to some people it actually quite brilliant. This episode is an homage to Akira Kurasawa's masterpiece film Rashomon as it follows the same story structure. While very little actually happens in the episode, the enjoyment of it is watching how the personalities of each character influence how each of them percieved the reality of the events. Obviously this is another character based episode, so if you want action, this may not be for you. But if you want great writing and acting, this is for you. Only the best acting could pull this off, and they did. This episode is about the perception of reality and it tackles this serious subject with the same flair that Farscape handles all such issues. Even keel, with a steady hand, but not too seriously, as there are a few gags now and then.

These are some of my favorite episodes of all, and to have them in one addition is something very special. Do not miss the chance to own these as it seems Farscape is nearly doomed to cancellation. Help to save Farscape, but if the networks are foolish enough to not pick up this hit show, make sure you have all the episodes on DVD. This is a show I can watch forever.

Save Farscape

As Season 2 of Farscape enters full swing, some questions are answered, and hidden secrets are revealed. This DVD represents an important turning point for the series. Most of the episodes later in the series refer back to what we first learned in the episodes on this DVD.

Out of all the episodes on this DVD, the one that stands out for me is the Won't Get Fooled Again episode. This is perhaps the episode that has aroused the most controversy among the fans. I have found that most people either absolutely love it, or absolutely hate it, with very few people in between. I am one of the people who loved it. In fact, Won't Get Fooled Again is one of my favorite episodes of the entire series.

I find the way this episode slowly degenerates from realism into absolute chaos is beautifully done. Yes, there is disturbing imagery in this episode, but in my opinion, it's never gratuitous, and it is all for a greater purpose that does get explained in the end. And of course, there are some absolutely priceless images thrown in along the way, as well.

And perhaps most importantly, information is revealed in this episode that is going to affect the way the viewer sees the rest of the Season 2 episodes after this, and even a lot of the episodes in the seasons to come. Yes, it was hinted at before, and it will be fleshed out in later episodes, but Won't Get Fooled Again is where it is first explicitly stated, and it will always hold a special place in my heart for that.

All right, WOW! I've been eagerly awaiting this release because of 'Won't Get Fooled Again'. One of the first eps I'd seen (after 'Hidden Memory') and still one of my favorites! The acting and directing on this series is simply brilliant.
'The Locket' is another I really like. A character-driven plot-line(not much action in this ep. Sorry.)that really lets you see into the characters, how they've changed and grown.

That's it! Never written a review before...

If you're reading this you're probably a long time fan of this cancelled series or a new raw recruit. There are a number of negative reviews about some of the episodes contained on this disc. I'm not exactly sure why. Clearly the folks were expecting something else--something they had seen before perhaps.

Defying that very expectation is what made Farscape special. Yes, Beware of Dog isn't as earthshaking as the cliff hanger of the previous season (or even the three part episode set on "Royal World" as Crichton humorously calls it). It's meant to be Farscape's Trouble with Tribbles with a much darker, edgier tone. You'll either love or hate the tone of this fine episode as it indulges in a bit more humor than the average episode. Star Trek: TNG vet Naren Shanker's script plays with our perceptions of the characters. There's a witty line of dialog that references Aliens (having Chiana say it was an inspired touch. There's also a number of humorous visual references to E.T. and a tip of the hat to Joe Dante's Gremlins)

Won't Get Fooled Again is a marevlous episode that plays with both audience expectations, Crichton's previous experience with a simulation of a return trip home and the essence of the show's regular characters. It also reveals important information about why Scorpi keeps showing up in Crichton's wakeful "dreams". It's another way for Scorpi to be in the script, interacting with Crichton even in the setting of Moya. It's marvelously paced and Ben Browder gives a superb performance (as do all the actors playing against character "type")as a man losing his mind. Kudos to writer Richard Manning for pulling off an episode that, essentially, revisits theme from the previous season and Rowan Woods' surreal directorial touches (the red pumps on Crais is a marvelous touch).

The Locket focuses on the outcome of Crichton's infatuation with Aryn. It's a great "what if" episode that, again, defies expectations. It's a heartfelt episode that focuses on character and the various character's expectations of each other. Writer Justin Monjo's script and Ian Watson's direction are both top-notch.

The Ugly Truth could have been a routine episode. By dint of the performances, direction and writing it overcomes many of the limitations of the basic premise. The dialog by first time Farscape writers Gabrielle Stanton and Harry Werksman, Jr. has some sparkling dialog and character moments. The opticals exceed expectations in what could have been a simple "bottle" episode.

This quartet of episodes are among the best the second season had to offer. The next boxset will focus on a strong trio of episodes that unfold what Scorpi really did to Crichton and the disasterous outcome of his shipmates attempt to save him.

The transfer is top notch with little or no analog or digital artifacts. While the entire series has looked really good, it's clear that ADV has hit their stride with the second season set. I did notice some analog artifacts on the previous set but it wasn't a huge distraction. There's no such problems that I can see here. The extras include deleted scenes, conceptual artwork, a biography of Anthony Simcoe as well as a backstory on D'Argo. There's also the first part of a text/visual driven look at the various alien species.

The sound is, for the most part, exceptional (except for some of the deleted scenes where it's clear that it came from a broadcast episode probably created for a foreign market with no stereo or 5.1 sound available).

While I did have problems with some of the science in some of the previous episodes (Crichton's escape in one episode was engineered by decompressing into space and using a gun to propel himself to another craft. While it's possible, the amount of time Crichton was in space could have killed him. He didn't look any worse for the wear. It's a nice little tribute to a similar scene in 2001 though).

Farscpae is inventive, creative and compelling, but surpassed even those superlatives with Won't Get Fooled Again. Scarrens traveling through John Crichton's mind. What more could anyone ask for?

Even the worst episode of Farscape is better than any other SciFi source available today!

I've been waiting for farscape to pick up this season, and (for me alone apparently) it's only gotten worse. I'm kind of shocked that other reviewers are dishing five stars so liberally. I thought these were all pretty boring. These (4) stories have potential at times and do manage to tickle you with an oddity here and there, humor as well, but it's too slow and a little lacking in the entertainment vector (and I really hate Dargo's new 'softer side'). Shamefully, I admit the primary reason I don't like these episodes is the lack of space scenery or battles. Not many special effects and locations are a little average and low budge. As always of course, the animatronics are top notch. Reviewers really seem to be taken with these 4 episodes though, so maybe it's just me.

Boogie Ooogie Woogie! The 'Red Shoes' episode. Rygel takes a fall. Sharp threads on Zhaan. John Crichton's first cigar. Dr Bettina Fairchild. Harvey's second appearance. Mr Browder's 'best acting scene'?

Go on, you know you want to .......

The four episodes in this volume of Farscape Season 2 is a mixed bag.

Beware of Dog-The crew must battle a deadly parasite that can change forms and is intent on killing and consuming Moya's crew. This is a simple action/adventure episode, but it is an excellent episode for its great use of characters, witty dialogue, and fun storyline. It also has some twists and turns along the way that keep you guessing.

Won't Get Fooled, Again-Crichton finds himself in a strange simulation of his life back on Earth which turns out to be the work of a Scarren interrogator. This is perhaps the worst episode of Farscape ever because of its razor thin story, overly weird elements, corny humor, and downright disgusting subtexts including, but not limited to, oedipal imagery involving Crichton's Mother. This episode is weird just for the sake of being weird.

The Locket-Aeryn returns to Moya on a transport pod after surveying a strange cloud that Moya has flown into. The catch-she is over 100 cycles (years) old. Now, Crichton follows her into a parallel universe, where the two grow old together, but must return to save Moya from becoming trapped in time. This is a very touching and emotionally compelling episode with fantastic performances by Ben Browder and Claudia Black. This episode also sees the return of Paul Goddard as Stark, the Banik slave that escaped with Crichton from Scorpius' Gammack Base in "the Hidden Memory".

The Ugly Truth-Moya's crew is put on trial by a race called the Plokavians for Talyn's destruction of one of their ships. Each are interrogated and relate their version of the chain of events that led to the Plokavian ship's accidental destruction. But will the Plokavian's believe their innocence? This is a good episode, but unfortunately suffers from the fact that it repeats the same chain of events at least five times from five different points of view. The result is an episode that is rather slow at times, but still has some good moments to it.

So, the end result is a volume of Farscape Season 2 that has two not to be missed episodes for different reasons (Beware of Dog and the Locket) and another episode that is good and worth seeing. Just skip over Won't Get Fooled, Again, when you watch it, and you won't be disappointed.

How this travesty survived 4 season and gathered a fan base is well beyound me. Bad acting and poor writting mar this badly thought out attempt at serious science fiction. Just terrible