Customer Reviews

Farscape - Season 4, Collection 5

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

With "Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars" premiering on the Sci-Fi Channel on October 17th my timing was pretty good for finishing the fourth and final season of "Farscape" on DVD. After seeing John Crichton (Ben Browder) and Aeryn Sun (Claudia Black) in the trailer talking about "unfinished business," the 5th and final collection for Season 4 explains exactly what they are talking about (in fact, that clip comes from the series final first run episode).

But before the cliffhanger finale we have the three-part "We're So Screwed," which begins with Moya's crew attempting to rescue the pregnant Aeryn from the Scarrans and then escalates into something bigger and better. Episode 19, "Part 1: Fetal Attraction" (Written by David Peckinpah, Aired February 28, 2003) has Scorpius playing the front man in the rescue attempt at a Scarran Border Station when the ship holding Aeryn is docked. Rygel pretends to have the deadly disease Hynerian dermapholiica, forcing the station's medical officer to order a lockdown. But when the pretense is about to be broken, Utu-Noranti Pralatong makes the disease real, which is another threat to Aeryn and her fetus. So Jenek decides to transplant the fetus into Chiana, who is immune to the disease because she is a Nebari. This is not exactly the sort of complication we need this close to the end.

Episode 20, "Part 2: Hot to Katratzi" (Written by Carleton Eastlake, Aired March 7, 2003) has Moya's crew heading for the secret Scarran base because when they rescued Aeryn they ended up leaving Scorpius behind and he has all that wormhole information in his head. As if that were not enough of a problem when they get to Katratzi they find Commandant Grayza in the middle of peace negotiations with Staleek, the Scarran Emperor. Crichton shows up and declares he has come to sell knowledge of the wormhole to the highest bidder and that he is wearing a nuclear bomb that will explode if he gets hurt or worse. Meanwhile, his crewmates are trying to save Scorpius, or kill him, before he breaks. Exciting, huh?

Episode 21, "Part 3: La Bomba" (Written by Mark Saraceni, Aired March 14, 2003), reveals there are plans within plans within plans. Crichton has rescued Scorpius only to be betrayed, but Scorpy is not really after Crichton. He wants to use the wormhole knowledge to destroy the Scarrans and their invasion fleet, while Crichton is still walking around with a nuclear bomb that could come in handy at the right moment. I was reminded of the second season of "24" by this episode in that if you are going to make a nuclear bomb a big part of the plotline then you should not cheat and avoid having the thing go boom. There are some wonderful character moments in this one when the crew think they are once again facing death.

The final episode is entitled "Bad Timing" (Written by David Kemper, Aired March 21, 2003) not only because it takes a shot at the Science Fiction channel for canceling its signature series when clearly there was a fifth season's worth of stories needed to resolve everything, but because the usual Farscape bad luck applies to Crichton and Aeryn when they finally try to sit down and have a quiet little moment where they can deal with their relationship. Of course there are other problems. Moya's crew learns that Scorpius is working with Captain Braca, so they strand Scorpy and Sikozu in deep space so they can go back with Braca. Then there is the fact that the Scarrans are about to send their invasion fleet through a wormhole to Earth and the only hope for Crichton to collapse the wormhole and save his home planet is if his module is flown by Pilot.

"Bad Timing" could have served as the ultimate "fini" for "Farscape" given the Earth invasion plotline and a final scene between Crichton and his father, but then the very last scene gives us another "Farscape" cliffhanger at Crichton and Aeryn's expense. If I did not know we are getting a mini-series to continue the story next month then I would have been as outraged and agitated as all the other "Farscape" fans who suffered through the shock of cancellation. The four episodes on this final DVD really do focus on the Crichton-Aeryn-Scopius (fill in the blank) triangle, with everybody else left pretty much in the background (although Pilot gets a big moment for once). While "Farscape" did not have the master five-year plan of "Babylon 5" it certainly did have a sense of progression through each year, something the original "Star Trek" could not claim. This series should still be the crown jewel of the Sci Fi Channel. "Stargate SG-1" is a superb series, but you need lots of flashy aliens in a galaxy far, far away to be your signature show.

Season 4 of Farscape has some of the best episodes of the entire 4 season run. One of the greatest SciFi shows of my time, and it was cancelled. The SciFi Channel cancelled Farscape because of its inability to grow outside its fanbase and that the show was becoming to expensive. I believe it was that latter that heralded the downfall of Farscape, because as Internet sites proclaim Farscapes fanbase has grow and continues to grow.

The episodes of this collection are the final 4 of the series. Like all the season before it, Farscape leaves you with a cliffhanger ending to end all.

With great dialogue, excellent actors, superb writting, and a take on outerspace that was unique to itself, its a wonder why the show was cancelled.

If you like Andromeda, or Star Trek, you should check out this show. You will love it.

And watch for the 4 part Farscape mini-series coming later this year. Hopefully that will not be the final ending, but the begining of a whole new chapter in Farscape.

How to star my review. Well lets get AdvFilms release of the dvds out of the way. While there releases have been great the only reason they get five stars is because of the show. Advs dvds for farscape have been lacking, while you get the episodes uncut and with a little added footage the extras are laughable, but at least a little is better than none.
Season 1 - Well season 1 is the start of something great. We get character developement story lines that confound the imagination. The main storyline of season 1 is that Captain Crais is desperatly hunting the Moya crew to get at John. At the conclusion of the season Crais becomes that which he has been hunting, a fugitive from the new Peacekeeper villian Scorpious.
Season 2 - This season we get more into relationships between crew members. John & Aeryn as well as Dargo & Chiana. Scorpious is after John now for a diffrent reason than Crais was, he wants him for th wormhole tech in Johns head. At the end of the season is were John risks it all in order to save Aeryn.
Season 3 - Starts off great, but in my opinion the two Johns and splitting the crew between Moya and Talan made this season a little less perfect than the rest. Although it had some really great episodes this season.
Season 4 - The greatest season of farscape. This season John returns to earth, He has greater control of wormhole tech, Aeryn is pregnant, John & Aeryn get engadged to be wed. The only bad thing that came out of this season was its cancellation after filming of the season concluded.
Farscape Peacekeeper Wars - The savefarscape campain has worked. With the help of loyal fans there will be a continuing story. From what I have read this miniseries will tie up alot of the current loose ends but leave new loose ends. Hopefully if the fans of the show can get it good enuff ratings then maybe scifi channell will either order a new complete season like they did for that crappy show Battlestar Gallactica. If not a new complete season maybe a half season or even more miniseries. LETS HOPE FOR BIG RATINGS SO THE FARSCAPE STORY CAN CONTINUE ON!!!
Well this concludes my first an to this date only review. I am sorry I couldn't be more discriptive on the seasons but there is just to much to cover and I am only aloud 1000 words. Tune in October 17, 2004 for the miniseries.

I will admit that I didn't watch this show until the sixth or seventh episode when both my brother and boyfriend insisted that I watch. As a die hard Babylon 5 fan, I thought nothing would engage me in the way B5 did. I was wrong. In the four years that Farscape ran, we saw these characters grow and change and become the crew of Moya, as well as a family. we cared about them and understood them. It was serialized, as was Babylon 5, which is why it was so good. Situations triggered future events, and gave it a sense of continuity. These last few episodes show how much they changed. At first all John wanted to do was go home, but made the ultimate sacrifice in the end to save his planet and both Peacekeepers and Scarrens.

If you want something that is just standalone episodes, go watch Outer Limits. Serialization works because it brings the viewer into the storyline, even the latest Star Trek has become more serialized.

No offense to C. McCorkle "daddeo" - PUHLEASE FS is way better than Andromeda!! FS is a thinking person's show...maybe that's why so many don't like it...they have to think a bit while watching it.

FS is the best scifi show ever. Action, adventure, wee bit o' romance and cool puppets! I have always like the fact that the eps weren't ever wrapped up in a nice neat little package with a pretty little bow at the end of each one. Meaning, unlike any incarnation fo ST, FS characters were not all happy and "everything is right with the world" at the end of each and every eps. FS is more like reality than any "reality" show out there. The characters are real and it has been a joy to watch each of them develop into better people/aliens/whathaveya and into a working, caring team.

Long LIVE FS!!

Easily the best original scifi to cross the airwaves since the days of Twilight Zone and the Outer Limits. Cancelled because USA Networks was too cheap to pay and too uptight to broadcast such an edgy and sexy piece of television. The sci fi channel's constant crowing about 'original series' when refering to their current boring line up is shown up for the lie it is when shows like Stargate (a decent movie but a boring series) and Stargate Atlantis (you call that original?) are compared to the gem that Farscape is. Sorry Barry but I'd rather watch a DVD of Farscape than a new episode of your sleep inducing line up.

As fans and even casual TV views have asked, how could the SciFi network keep Stargate SG-1 and dump this gem of a show? It was only 12 episodes away from achieving syndicated status when it was cancelled in 2003. These last 4 episodes certainly are memorable. In the 'Were so Screwed' trilogy, John Crichton builds a tiny atom bomb and goes to a secret Scarren base to rescue Aeryn Sun. The acting, writing, cinematography, and SFX are all top-notch in what is arguably the best 3-part story in the series. The show's humor is what made it so appealing and entertaining. With subtle nods to Blake's 7, Star Trek, and Star Wars, Farscape still became an original and innovative sci-fi adventure. This set completes the release of all 88 original episodes on DVD. Despite some horrible packaging decisions for seasons 1-3, the 5 DVD sets for Seasons 3 & 4 have all been winners for ADV Video. I can't recommend this enough to anyone who enjoyed this show.

This 2 DVD set gives you the final episodes of the Farscape series, and what a great series it is. Since there are enough good reviews on the actual episodes that you can find here I'm going to get to the point. If you can you really want to wait on getting this.

You see this DVD set has the final four episodes and some nice extras, but something better is on the way. As of this writing the previous three seasons of Farscape have been collected in sets called the Starburst Edition. These editions put seven episodes in one collection, digitally remaster the picture and sound, and throw in even more extras.

Mark my words. The Starburst Editions for the fourth season will come soon and you will have a chance to get the entire season on just three DVD sets instead of five for a good deal less money (30%-50% depending on where you look). Save space on your shelf AND save money at the same. All you need is a bit of patience.

Farscape a show I didn't watch at first because of the opening music I found it annoying. But I came across it. Once I saw it I was hooked. The Real reason the Sci-fi channel dumped Farscape was because they wanted a show that did not rely on following each show to keep up with the story. So they dumped the best show they ever had in favor of Crap. SG-1 (namely) is garbage compared to Farscape. As far as the Sci-fi channel goes I do not watch it anymore except when the Peace Keeper Wars comes out. I have every single DVD of Farscape. It is a well-acted Fresh show with excellent dialogue, hip and funny. And when they found out the show was being canned did they let up? NO they like the Professionals they are Gave even better performances. The Sci-fi channel treated them badly during the 4th year changing the show times all over the place making it really hard for fans to follow the show. This show could have lasted 10 years or more with its ever-growing Fan base. I tell if you have never seen it, do not watch it because once you do you will have to see the whole thing! Farscape has been so far the only show that has made me say DAAAAMMMMNNNN at the end of a season

I rarely write reviews, however this series has a place in my heart. There are noticible writing styles throughout the series and you can tell that the cast and crew really loved this epic. Even with the way that it was forced to end it is my hands down my favorite TV series. With the upcoming miniseries we can all hope that this has an ending that follows the original vision.

This series is the epitome of scifi perfection.