Customer Reviews

Farscape Season 1, Vol. 5 - DNA Mad Scientist/They've Got a Secret [VHS]

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

 

 

I enjoyed these 2 episodes very much.I had seen ''DNA Mad scientist'' a couple months ago when it was on tv once again.It is such a wonderful episode where Aeryn wants to find a PK planet that will accept her so she goes to Namtar and he puts Pilot's DNA in her and she begins to transform into something else entirely.It is a great episode though John never leaves Aeryn's side and he helps her all the way.And ''They've got a secret'' is also a wonderful episode I never had seen it before I watched my dvd.It is about Moya's little secret that almost kills the crew along with D'Argo's secret that he reveals once he comes back from being thrown in space for a few microts(farscape word).We learn that he has a son named Jothee and he had a wife named Lo'Lann who is sebeacean.Both episodes are really worth getting the dvd for.Plus, you get a great little profile on Rygel! If you are Farscape fan you should buy this along with the other 4 dvd's which are also spectacular as well!

"DNA Mad Scientist" is especially creepy & bizzare, but you really get to see a graphic illustration of just how dysfunctional this whole loopy crew really is, at Pilot's expense-- and Aeyryn gets the payback! In "They've Got A Secret", an event is triggered and family history is revealed that drive much of the plot into the third season. An essential ep for Scapers!

Farscape is one of the best sci-fi shows to ever land on the small screen. I love the characters, the settings, the plots, the science and the humor. But the DVDs cost too much, most have few extras by the time you past season one volume four and all are now used because nobody, to my knowledge, is making any new editions.
The sad part is that DNA Mad Scientist and They've Got A Secret are two of the better episodes, in which there is important character development for both D'Argo and ex-Peacekeeper Sun. Get it if you have the money to burn. Or wait, HA, for the time when it will become somewhat cheaper.

One of the best things about "Farscape" that sets it apart from most SF programs is that there is genuine conflict among the main characters, who do not all necessarily share the same agenda. Even so, the viciousness and back-stabbing that they display in "DNA Mad Scientist" is way over the top. When the mad scientist of the title demands that the crew give him one of Pilot's arms in exchange for his help, they immediately comply, hacking the desired appendage off while Pilot screams and struggles. They then fall to plotting against each other. I understand the time constraints of a television program, but it simply doesn't ring true for our heroes to be at each other's throats within the first few minutes of the episode without suitable build-up. It's not that I don't think D'Argo (Anthony Simcoe), Zhaan (Virginia Hey), and Rygel incapable of such behavior, it that it was too abrupt. Especially when they are positively tender with each other in the next episode, the far superior "Secret." This pivotal episode sets in motion certain events that will have enormous consequences in episodes to come...

Volume 5 of Season 1 of "Farscape" offers up an interesting counterpoint between two episodes that show the characters at their worst and at their best as crewmates. In "DNA Mad Scientist" D'Argo, Zhaan and Rygel barely blink before they cut off one of Pilot's arms in order to trade it for a crystal that will show them how to get home and avoid the Peacekeepers. At that point they turn on each other in the great tradition of "Treasure of the Sierra Madre." Meanwhile, the titular mad scientist turns Aeryn into an intergalactic guinea pig in one of those plotlines I hate where playing with DNA has characters evolving/devolving with the greatest of ease, leaving it to Crichton to restore sanity and order to our dysfunctional little family.

"They've Got a Secret" keeps us guessing as to who exactly they turns out to be in this episode, which has long-range implications for the series. In a previous episode we had been teased with the idea that D'Argo has not revealed the true reason that he was imprisoned by the Peacekeeper. Yes, we find out what his deep dark secret is in this episode--it proves to be very deep and very dark--and, no, you never would have seen this one coming. Certainly we see a different side of D'Argo in this episode, turning the blustering warrior into a much more sympathetic figure.

I am not surprised but Crichton, the only human character on "Farscape," turns out to be the least interesting one of the bunch. Part of the reason for this is that he is so busy saving the day in episode after episode that his character development consists of nothing more than making pop culture references and missing Earth. In this particular volume it is D'Argo who clearly grows the most as a character. Having lauded these DVDs for the tag-team commentary on the first three discs, I would add my voice to the chorus of those who are bitterly disappointed that the practice does not extend to the entire series. This DVD series started off setting the standards for being fan-friendly and now it is fairly pedestrian. Now we have the irony that just as the episodes were getting a lot better, we lose the commentary and insights from the cast and crew.

"DNA Mad Scientist" is one of the best of the early Farscape episodes. "They've got a Secret" is also good, and gives information about one of the characters that is important for later episodes in the series. This is a wonderful scifi series, much better than Star Trek, which has gotten tired and boring in its latest incarnations. Farscape mixes humor, drama, romance, action, great stories and characters into a very satisfying whole, and takes on some of the great human themes and problems that go beyond genre, as the best scifi does. My only real complaint is that I loved the commentaries on the first three DVDs in this series, and I wish we could have them back on future DVDs--please! Or maybe an extra of outtakes and bloopers.

As you can tell from my title, one of these episodes does not impress me at all.

"DNA Mad Scientist" features one of the best Henson creations of the series with Namtar, who is the title character of this episode. Basically, he is a fully realized alien species complete with backward knees (like the rear legs of dogs or horses).

The storyline is pretty straightforward. Namtar is collecting DNA from a variety of species and offeres the Moya crew a complete map of the galaxy in exchange for one of Pilot's arms. D'Argo, Rygel, & Zhaan go behind Aeryn & John's back to collect the arm (with Pilot screaming in agony, this is one of the most shocking scenes in Farscape history). With the DNA collected from the arm, Namtar then infects Aeryn and she begins to transform.

Although you can probably guess how it will turn out, there is an interesting surprise that's revealed at the end of the show about the origins of Namtar. The special effects are once again top notch, especially the scene with the map of the planets floating in Namtar's office. Overall, this is a fine episode and one of the better ones from the pre-Chiana days.

"They've Got A Secret" is simply the most boring episode of Farscape ever produced. Unfortunately, this episode cannot be ignored because it began two of the most important running plots in the series. The first one deals with D'Argo as he was accidentally cast out of Moya during the teaser. He is recovered, but his mind is drifting and we get to know something important about his past. His "secret" does manage to produce a tender scene with Zhaan, but that's about it.

Moya also has a "secret" and while it's revelation is somewhat interesting, the time it takes to get there may have you fast forwarding the DVD to get to that point. Basically, we have a twenty minute show stretched into fifty minutes with one long, pointless scene after another with the crew guessing as to what is wrong with D'Argo & Moya. I swear to the Lord above that one scene alone with John & Aeryn conversing about "what is going on", time itself comes to a stop.

I know that many 'scapers will disagree with me about my review of this episode. And all I can say is that I call 'em like I see 'em. This could've easily been a thirty minute show with room to spare and we wouldn't have missed a thing.

Ken

As a latecomer to FARSCAPE, I was pleased to see that ADV was releasing the episode of the series on DVD, and the first season is working its way along on these 2 eps per disc DVDs. While the first three DVDs had some neat extras on them, the last two (including this one) don't. And that's sad, given the price on these DVDs.

One of the things that FARSCAPE excels at is the story driven by character, and these two episodes have it. The disc begins with with "DNA Mad Scientist," one of my favourite episodes from the first season. With the possibility of finding a way home based on the help of scientist Nam'Tar, Moya's crew are willing to sacrifice a little bit of DNA from their eyes in what is obviously a highly unpleasant procedure. But when the demands for the starchart information the crew wants means one of Pilot's arms...well, let's just say the ruthlessness of some of the crew surprises the viewer. Things take on a more dangerous slant, when Nam'Tar injects some of Pilot's DNA into Aeryn Sun, and only John Crichton can make things right as the rest of Moya's crew are preoccupied by their own agendas and greed. A terrific story, with lots of really good character development, a few shocking bits along the way, some cool special effects, and a set of extra footage that makes the episode come more sharply into focus.

The second episode is "They've Got A Secret", in which apparent malfunctions on Moya and diversion of the ship's nutrients and energy flow threaten both Pilot and Moya's crew...but leads to a surprising development which will play a major part in the rest of the first season story arc, and leads into a morass of ramifications for the second season to deal with. Strong in characterisation and the element of suspense, this episode's extra footage provides some illumination on a couple of the characters and adds immeasurably to the story being told here. One of the best episodes of its kind in television science fiction, with a truly unique surprise that is not all that telegraphed.

As noted, there are no extras on this DVD, other than the extra footage per episode and the Profile on Rygel (and some of the folks behind-the-scenes on this annoying little Hynerian). I still get ticked off at the fact that ADV insists on putting their commercial advertising for other ADV products at the *beginning* of the DVDs, rather than as a menu feature, and that the last couple of FARSCAPE DVDs have had no real special features on them. On the other hand, the quality of the DVD and its two episodes with the extra footage doesn't quite make up for the lack of any additional features. The Rygel feature is entertaining in its own right, but there's nothing on the DVD besides the two episodes that makes it worth the price. The only reason I've given this episode three stars is for the quality of the episodes themselves and the fact that the extra footage in each one adds something to the shows in question.

DNA Mad Scientist is great. The creature in this episode is amazing. And secret is an excellent character builder.