Big Worlds On Small Screens: Rebecca Fisher Discusses “Farscape”
~ by Rebecca Fisher
Introduction:
Premiering in 1999, Farscape was practically designed to become a cult classic. It had a high concept premise, a striking visual style, inventive and off-kilter storylines, and the courage to head off the beaten path when it came to the usual sci-fi tropes.
But like most cult classics, it often seemed to be hanging by the skin of its teeth when it came to getting renewed. After a good run of four seasons, it appeared that the writers were preparing for the end, wrapping up the central plots and securing happy endings for their characters. It would be a premature, but satisfying conclusion.
And then an alien flew in out of nowhere and blew up our protagonists, leaving the show on a giant cliff-hanger with no promise of continuation.
It must have been a stressful time for the fanbase, but thankfully co-producer Brian Henson saw the project through, securing the rights and finishing the story within a three hour miniseries called The Peacekeeper Wars. And though the show never managed to enter mainstream culture to the same extent as Star Trek , The X-Files or Doctor Who, in its entirety Farscape is remembered fondly as one of the great science-fiction series of the early ’00s.
Premise:
John Crichton is a scientist and astronaut on a mission to achieve interstellar travel by using the Earth’s gravity to slingshot himself into space. But the experiment works a little too well when a wormhole catapults him into another galaxy entirely – right into the middle of a space battle between vessels of advanced technology far beyond his understanding.
Our main cast for most of the show’s length
He ends up on board a biomechanoid ship (that is, an organic and sentient vessel) named Moya , where a gang of criminals have overpowered their captors and are in the middle of making a bid for freedom. Their goal is to escape the meritocratic Peacekeepers—but to make matters worse, Crichton’s sudden arrival destroyed the shuttle belonging to a Peacekeeper Captain’s younger brother.
Holding Crichton responsible for his brother’s death, Captain Crais makes it his mission to hunt down the escaped convicts and recapture the leviathan they’ve commandeered – even into the Uncharted Territories of space.
Story:
So where does the appeal of Farscape lie? Though it’s certainly science-fiction, it was perhaps the dash of fantasy in its world-building that won it broader appeal, largely thanks to the involvement of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop in using makeup, prosthetics and puppetry to bring alien life forms to life. How many shows do you know that have two puppets as regular cast members?
Some of the designs the show comes up with are breath-taking in their inventiveness, making one of its biggest selling points the anticipation of wondering what new marvels would emerge each week. There was a reason the show’s tagline (as spoken by its main character in the opening credits) was: “look upward and share the wonders I’ve seen.”
Just a sampling of the show’s incredible creative invention
The early episodes of Farscape were a little light on story and acting ability, with many episodes revolving around a basic “monster of the week” scenario – but if any show can be said to improve over time it’s this one. Things start to take off when the world-building kicks in, and intricate story-arcs are gradually constructed over the course of the four seasons, providing more in-depth exploration of the cultures, politics and life-forms that make up this universe.
From a beginning that simply involves the crew avoiding the authorities, chased by an obsessed Captain Crais (given that their ship is called a “leviathan”, it’s easy to draw a Moby Dick/Captain Ahab analogy here) Farscape eventually becomes a complex political space-opera in which various alien species wage war over the wormhole technology locked in Crichton’s head. At this stage, the decisions made by our wayward crew have far-reaching effects on the entire universe.
Characters:
When it comes to cult shows, a common ingredient is not just larger-than-life characters, but the dynamic that exists between them – especially if they’re a ragtag bunch of misfits thrown into a life-or-death situation and forced to work together if they’re to overcome insurmountable odds. Who doesn’t like watching strangers eventually evolve into a family?
And in Farscape there are a lot of characters to keep track of. First there are the three convicts: short-tempered warrior D’Argo (think Klingons with head tentacles), mystical priestess Zhaan (who is also solid blue), and narcissistic slug-like Rygel (a dispossessed emperor). Each has more than a few dark secrets and personal vendettas.
John and Aeryn (don’t worry, this is normal for them)
Then there’s Aeryn Sun, a Peacekeeper officer who ends up on board the leviathan and gradually sheds the effects of her militaristic upbringing. Later we meet Chiana, a slippery little thief who is a runaway from her more conformist species.
Finally there’s John Crichton himself, who like Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz is thrown into a strange technicolour world. Though he’s a repository of wit and pop-culture references, these writers aren’t afraid to put their lead character through the wringer. John gets assaulted and tortured, suffers from PTSD and depression, is pushed to the brink of suicide and manages to barely cling to his own sanity. It’s a risky arc for a character to take, but both the writers and actor Ben Browser commit fully to it, making Crichton one of the more vulnerable action heroes of recent memory.
Conclusion:
Because the show was cut short, a few storylines trail off into nothing. It’s a bit of a shame, as you can tell the the writers had some juicy material prepared for the likes of the Nebari, and Chiana’s prophesying, but the concluding miniseries manages to bring things to a satisfying end.
It was colourful and creative and funny, and though it never quite seemed to gain the popularity it deserved, Farscape certainly has earned its place in the upper echelons of television science-fiction.
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Next Time: Humans
It’s currently airing on New Zealand television, but does it live up to the hype?
Humans imagines a not-to-distant future in which android helpmeets (or “synths”) are the latest must-have technology spreading throughout homes across the world. Programmed to do menial chores around the house, they’re programmed to be completely harmless and utterly efficient – but are they as innocuous as they seem?
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About The Reviewer:
Rebecca Fisher is a graduate of the University of Canterbury with a Masters degree in English Literature, mainly, she claims, because she was able to get away with writing her thesis on C.S. Lewis and Philip Pullman. She is a reviewer for FantasyLiterature.com, a large website that specializes in fantasy and science-fiction novels, as well as posting reviews to Amazon.com and her They’re All Fictional blog.
To read Rebecca’s detailed introduction of both herself and the series, as well as preceding reviews, click on:
Big Worlds On Small Screens
Rebecca won this year’s Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Fan Writer, for writing including Big Worlds On Small Screens.