Customer Reviews

Farscape Season 1, Vol. 9 - Through the Looking Glass / A Bug's Life

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4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Science fiction tv series often find it difficult to maintain a high level of quality in their first year, and while FARSCAPE has had some inconsistency in this regard, the ninth DVD of the first season of the series brings us two of the best episodes in the first season to this date.

The first episode on the DVD, "Through the Looking Glass," offers the vision of a Moya split into four different realities through the act of the Leviathan's attempting to Starburst without enough energy to make the trip successfully. Each of the realities has variances from the norm that make the situation more difficult. Crichton manages to find gateways or doorways between the realities, and attempts to bring the four Moyas back together again. But there is another force at work here, a force that is ripping gouges in the realities of the various Moyas, and perhaps this is the biggest threat of all...or not. This episode brings together some of the best characterisation and acting in the series so far, presenting as it does two marvellous "dinner on Moya" scenes - one at the beginning, one at the end - that truly frame the differences in the crew at the two different points of the story. It is an episode where Chiana truly begins to fit in on Moya (in her own way, of course), and where we get to see a different side of Rygel and the others as well.

The second episode is "A Bug's Life," the first season episode that leads into the story arc that wraps up the season which will change the lives of the characters forever. When Larraq and his fellow PK Commandos commandeer Moya to transport a single crate to the Peacekeeper Gammak base in the Uncharted Territories, Crichton and Aeryn masquerade as PKs, while D'Argo, Zhaan, and Rygel pretend to be prisoners once more. But when Rygel and Chiana's curiosity get the better of them and they open the crate, they release a virus on board that threatens the entire crew...and may cost one of Moya's crew's life. This episode is a marvellous morality play that deals with the issues of trust, and has a wonderfully paranoid feeling to it. Heck, "evil Crichton" is worth seeing this one for!

Both episodes have some extended footage here that adds to the stories in general, and "A Bug's Life" is notable in this regard, featuring a good scene between Aeryn and Larraq that explains much of the personality of our favourite female PK. Thh additional footage in "Through the Looking Glass" is also worth the effort of seeing, and provides a bit of insight into the major characters, but doesn't really enhance what we've seen to this point. What would have made this DVD really exceptional would have been a commentary version of each of these episodes, since both are psychological works that really would have been enhanced by such material. There is a nice Profile on Lani Tupu's work here, although there was less time than I would have liked to see devoted to Pilot in this, but such is life and all.

With two of the best episodes of the first season on it, this ninth FARSCAPE DVD is a good buy as each of these episodes is worth viewing more than once. A few more extras on the DVD wouldn't have hurt it, but I think that this DVD is still worth the price.

Maybe it's just my poor timing, but I find these episodes to be ones that haven't often turned up on Scifi. They're both excellent. Without spoilers, the first one begins with the crew hilariously munching out and trashing each other while occasionally throwing food, interrupted by Moya splitting into dimensions. The dimensional shifts are handled differently than usual, which is quite interesting. In A Bug's Life, Crichton masquerades as a Peacekeeper captain in order to deal with a peacekeeper crew landing on Moya, but much else goes on, with Erin particularly good in this episode believably attracted to someone other than John. The "extra" focuses on Lani Tupu. It is terrible, like all the extras on the Farscape dvd's, but is redeemed by his talking of how he voices Pilot!

I've argued the point as loudly as I can across all of cyberspace: FARSCAPE has usurped the mantle of STAR TREK by producing, unarguably, the most intelligent science fiction for television ever.

A product of Hallmark Entertainment and Jim Henson Productions, FARSCAPES legion of fans grows larger and larger every year as the show, airing in the US exclusively on the Sci Fi Channel, just keeps getting better.

FARSCAPE Volume #9: THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS and A BUG'S LIFE (two hourlong episodes) are pure joy to watch. Both episodes have the look and feel of a major motion picture ... they just don't have the length.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS boasts the premise of what could possibly happen should our reality split into different dimensions ... in this case, four! Our hero, Earth astronaut John Crichton (flung into parts unknown by a wormhole generated from his Farscape Project), finds passages linking the four realities together, and it's a race against time to bring the four worlds back together into one before an alien menace inadvertantly wrecks them all!

A BUG'S LIFE is a splendid morality play (similar to stories done on other science fiction shows) wherein a virus that travels from person to person creates a kind of hypnotic claustrophobia, leaving you to question who do you trust? Excellent paranoia feel to this episode makes it well worth repeat viewing.

The DVD boasts incredible sound (Dolby 5.1), a wonderful featurette on one of FARSCAPE's principals (Lani Tupu), and even includes footage previously not broadcast in the United States (due to time limitations of television).

Farscape is a rarity in the Sci-Fi genre. It not only blends a rich tapestry of other worldly creatures and civilizations, but it also manages to tie the themes of this magnificent universe to our own existence here on the (relatively) "backwards" earth. Henson's creature shop works marvels with the aliens and cities and jungles of various worlds. Also because it shoots in Australia, the supporting cast and one shot charactors have great accents that add a rich feel to the dialouge. Truely a great Sci-Fi show.

This is another good story,on the way to Worm holes and romance and adventures !

In all that is good in the world please do not opt for this DVD collection. While Farscape is an excellent sci-fi series this DVD set is nothing compared to the current Starburst Edition, Season One Volume Three. Instead of getting a measly two episodes you get seven remastered episodes with commentaries and extra features AND at a price comparable to the retail price offered for this collection.

Granted you can probably find this DVD pretty cheap now, but you would be doing yourself a disservice. Seriously. If you want to start collecting Farscape forego the original DVD collection and check out the Starburst Edition.

In "Through the Looking Glass," the pregnant Moya attempts to starburst prematurely, thereby lodging herself in the interdimensional space that is crossed instantaneously during a normal passage. Crichton (Ben Browder) must coordinate efforts in four distinctive and coexisting environments in order to save the day. A substandard episode.

"A Bug's Life" has a cliche premise (who is harboring the body-snatching alien invader?), but redeems itself with exceptional plotting and direction. This episode generates more tension than one would expect from series television.

Both episodes are superior pieces of work from the first season of Farscape.

"Through the Looking Glass" is a supurb stand-alone episode that is, IMHO, the best introduction to those new to the Farscape universe. All of Moya's crew gets to shine is this interesting set-piece when Moya gets stuck in starburst and is split into four separate environments representing normal, light, sound, & giddyness (I guess). Note how the show begins and ends with the crew eating together and just how different the mood is between both scenes. Also note Chiana's rather cat-like growl at John in the "happy" section.

"A Bug's Life" in notable for being the first in the five-episode run that ended the first season. It's best viewed with the rest of the episodes so you can fully enjoy the storyline.

A hearty recommendation and bon appetite!