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Farscape is genre television at its most ambitious, inspired both by the cult appeal of Babylon 5 and the continuing success of the Star Trek franchise, but taking a visual and conceptual leap beyond those shows. Making extensive use of CGI, prosthetics, and state-of-the-art puppetry, courtesy of Jim Henson's Creature Shop, the Farscape concept has a freshness that makes it look and feel completely original. Leading toward the climax of the show's first season, "Nerve" and "The Hidden Memory" make for a bold two-parter in which Crichton is reunited with his Peacekeeper Tech girlfriend, Gilina, and emotions are strained as he infiltrates a Peacekeeper base to find a cure for Aeryn's wound. But the story's most important function is to introduce the dreaded Scorpius, who uses his Aurora Chair torture device to extract what he mistakenly believes is vital knowledge from Crichton. Scorpius, it soon becomes clear, is just not going to go away. --Mark Walker ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Old Friends, New Enemies; Scores Settled, Stakes Raised...
Continuing to push the envelope of science fiction today, Volume 10 of "Farscape" brings us, perhaps, the best two episodes thus far - as well as the first two-parter. Dealing with themes of loss, vengeance, torture, desperation and obsession, we are brought into the realm of the Peacekeepers for yet another necessitated undercover mission for Crichton.

As Crichton goes to a Peacekeeper base to retrieve a tissue sample necessary to save Aeryn's life in the wake of their last tangle with the Peacekeepers (in Volume 9), he meets up with his would-be love interest from "PK Tech Girl" (in Volume 4) and has everything blow up in his face just as he seems to be escaping, for once, with his skin intact. Bringing into the story a new recurring villain - Scorpius, arguably the nastiest villain "Farscape" has produced yet - as well as the never-far-behind General Crais and the again-problematic wormhole question, this episode manages to weave together elements from the entire season while leaving a half-open ending that has me, at least, wanting to see Season 2 as soon as possible.

On the technical side, ADV Films has done their usual quality work with the video and audio transfer. The extras continue in the theme of previous discs: conceptual art, an image gallery, a computer "Farscape" screensaver and a video profile - this time for the man that plays Scorpius. It would have been nice if ADV would have continued putting a commentary track on this disc as they did with the earlier ones, but it's still a solid disc nonetheless.

"Farscape" has become one of the most interesting (both visually and plot-wise) series on television today. It continues to build on it's established stories while giving away answers to questions in, at best, small chunks. These two episodes are absolutely wonderful and I, for one, and happy to add them to my collection. If you're looking to get into the series, go back to the first disc, but if you're already hooked, definitely don't miss this installment.

Danger Will Robinson. Beware The Chair!
Poor John Crichton. Up to now he's had to evade a crazed Peace Keeper Captain hellbent on revenge. What could happen next? How about a cold calculating alien villian trying to torture Crichton into divulging the secrets of how to make a wormhole.

A two part episode that introduces Scorpius, John Crichton's new antagonist, and Stark- a banek slave. Two of the best episodes of the first season. They set into motion much of the storyline for the 2nd season. The first ep starts with Aeryn dying from a wound she sustained in A BUG'S LIFE. John is forced to go down to a PK gammek base and try to procure the treatment to heal her. He's joined in this dangerous mission by the seductive Chiana. They run into a past aquaintance in a PK tech named Gilina. She obtains the needed cure for Officer Sun, but John is discovered shortly after. The 2nd part deals with the base's commander, Scorpius, suspecting that Crichton is a spy puts him in the "chair". The chair is a memory extraction device that rips the memories from your head and shows them on a viewer. In the interrogation, Scorpy discovers Crichton too is involved with wormholes.

The combination of the calm malevolence of Scorpius and the crazed almost manic cellmate of Crichton's, Stark, create a wonderful contrast of characters. A must have for the Scaper fans out there.

Two of the best first season episodes
Farscape was a mixed bag during the first season; the best episodes rank with anything produced by the Trek franchise or Babylon 5. What made Farscape unique is the quirky sense of humor at the core of every episode. It's the first series since Tom Baker's Dr. Who era to wink at the audience while serving and exciting premise or boots to the floor action episodes for dinner.

Both episodes feature Scorpi and Nerve in particular stands out during the first season. The premise is borrowed from an old Trek episode; Scorpi has a device that allows him to see inside the mind and pick apart the psyche of whomever is strapped into its chair. Unfortunately, Crichton becomes victim # 2 when Scorpi discovers that Crichton has wormhole technology buried in his brain by an alien race.

Never and The Hidden Memory are among the best two part episodes produced for the series. The writing is sharp and the dialog witty. I'd recommend either episode as a fine taste of the Farscape universe which has, sadly,gone on to rerun heaven.

The alien women in Crichton's life all gang up on him
Volume 10 of Season 1 of "Farscape" is basically a two-part story necessitated by the fact that pretty much every woman in the life of John Crichton (Ben Browder) is complicating his life to maximum. In "Nerve" the chain reaction starts with the news that the wound Aeryn (Claudia Black) suffered earlier is going to prove fatal. In a desperate effort to say her life, Crichton infiltrates a secret Peacekeeper Gammak Base, taking along Chiana (Gigi Edgley), which seemed like a good idea at time. On the base Crichton runs into an old friend, Gilina Renaez (Alyssa-Jane Cook), who clearly wants to do a lot more than just help our hero with his mission. He might be able to survive all this if it were not for his encounter with Scorpius (Wayne Pygram), a Scarren-Sebacean hybrid who is basically the Peacekeeper version of Joseph Mengele. Scorpius likes to put people in his Aurora Chair and have a nice time ripping memories from their minds and he has gotten the idea that Crichton knows something interesting.

"The Hidden Memory" continues the story as Crichton's crewmates now have to figure out a way to rescue him without them all falling into Peacekeeper hands. Of course, this is when Moya's child decides that now would be a good time to be born. With Chiana and Rygel (Jonathan Hardy) remaining aboard to keep an eye on the birth of the new leviathan, Aeryn, D'Argo (Anthony Simcoe), and Zhaan (Virginia Hey) storm the Peacekeeper base. However, as if the threat of Scorpius was not enough, it turns out that Captain Crais (Lani John Tupu) has arrived to bring Crichton to justice. The contrast between Scorpius and Crais is interesting, with the former offering a coolness to counter the hot headed behavior of the latter. However, Crichton, who has a most interesting cellmate, might be more in danger from Gilina, who wants to know whether or not Aeryn is competition for the Earthman's affection. Meanwhile, Moya is about to give birth to a surprisingly strange offspring.

Clearly these two episodes up the ante for the "Farscape" crew as we get to the end of Season 1. The birth of Moya's child is the dominating event of this period but clearly significant things are being set up for the future with regards to Scorpius. The two memorable confrontations here are between Crais and Aeryn as well as between Crichton and Gilina. At this point in Season 1 "Farscape" was getting into a bit of a rut, where one of more of Moya's crewmembers would get themselves in a fix and Crichton would save the day. It was certainly nice to see the situation reversed for once and you also get the sense that the show is starting to develop some significant story arcs. Taken together, "Nerve" and "The Hidden Memory" can be seen as the point where the story starts getting a lot more series as some substantial elements are put into place.

Big Bang for your Buck
It's really nice to be able to stay up-to-date with our favorite television shows as they are now while still being able to look back from time to time. Right now, as FARSCAPE enters its fourth season, I still enjoy going back and watching the old DVDs. Each one has something excellent to offer; volume 10 has a LOT of excellent stuff to offer.

The Sci-Fi channel's FARSCAPE series distinguished itself by taking a solid (if rather common) concept of an astronaut from the present thrown across the universe into a strange galaxy inhabited by even stranger lifeforms and drenching the entire series with character, creativity, and charm. Episodes "Nerve" and "The Hidden Memory" help to not only continue this tradition but mark a major turning point in the series for characters and plot-lines.

For those who haven't yet seen the previous episodes, the basic story is this: meet John Crichton. John has been having a bunch of pretty bad days since his flight of the NASA spacecraft Farscape 1 where he was sucked through a wormhole into an interstellar battle halfway across the universe. After a few unfortunate mishaps (whoops, didn't mean to crash into that ship and send it spiralling into that asteroid - no, siree), Crichton finds himself the target of the Peacekeepers (a collection of tyrants, closely physically resembling humans, seeking to extend their control over the galaxy) and one Peacekeeper Captain Crais, seeking vengeance for Crichton's accidental killing of his brother (the pilot whose ship spiralled into the asteroid). He takes up ship with a group of escaped convicts: the Worf-esque Luxan warrior D'Argo, the Delvian (and very blue - literally) anarchist priest Zhaan, the deposed Hynerian ruler Rygel, and the outcast Peacekeeper Aeryn.

Flash forward to this episode. After an unfortunate incident in the previous episode during which Aeryn received a Peacekeeper knife to the ribs, Crichton notices a sharp downturn in her condition - namely, her vomiting blood and coming very close to death. The only way to save her is to infiltrate a hidden Peacekeeper base and bring back a tissue sample. After arriving, Crichton finds himself involved with former love intrest Gilina (from episode 7, "PK Tech Girl") and the utterly evil Scorpius, the leader of the base. Of course, Crichton soon finds himself in a lot of trouble, thus establishing Scorpius as the new supreme villain of FARSCAPE.

The story works out superbly, thanks in part to the signature directing of FARSCAPE (unorthodox, but very effective) and the superb acting that the cast is able to pull off, once again. Ben Browder (as Crichton) adds his usual genius and personality to the role, proving once again that the Emmys far too often overlook certain actors; Wayne Pygram, playing the role of the seclusive and almost frightening Scorpius, does a fine job playing a character that many others would downright fail at. Lani Tupu later enters as Crais, managing to put in even more hatred that usual and making his role even more convincing than it usually is. All of this is held together by great writing: Crais is hate-crazed, Scorpius is the ultimate thinking villain, and Crichton has all the usual one-liners and wisecracks. What more could you want?

The price of the DVD may seem a bit high to some for only two episodes, but these ones are definitely worth your time. If you enjoy science fiction at all, you owe it to yourself to take a look at this one. ... Read more

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It's clear from the opening episodes of its third season that Farscape has developed into a grown-up show. There's a new self-confidence and maturity here that's entirely welcome after the often wildly erratic tone of the second season. The production design and high-quality effects remain true to the show's original quirky style, although both the look and the more adult-themed scripts have become progressively darker. It's also clear that anyone who has not followed Farscape extremely closely from the very first episode of Season One will be utterly baffled by the convoluted plotting and complex character interactions. This is not the best place to begin your interstellar journey.

All the principal actors know their characters inside and out by now, and delight in showing off their many weaknesses and flaws. Refreshingly, the crew of Moya are a squabbling, bickering, selfish bunch most of the time, who somehow and against expectations manage to pull together (just) at the crucial moment. The writing has matured, too, remaining as witty as ever but equally unafraid to push both genre and censorship boundaries as villains bloodily torture their victims (usually Crichton) and the main characters become more and more obsessed with their sex lives (or lack thereof). Farscape is a whole galaxy away from the clean, cozy world of Star Trek. With a number of key personnel changes on the horizon, these first four episodes are evidence that Farscape knows where it's going even as it delights in keeping the audience guessing. Will Aeryn survive? If so, at what cost to her crewmates? What will D'Argo do when he discovers that Chiana and his son are having an affair? Can Zhaan really be dying? Just who is Neeyala? And can Crichton keep one step ahead of S&M fetishist Scorpius, various Skarrans and sundry other bloodthirsty aliens all intent upon getting into his mind, sometimes literally? Episodes include, "Season of Death," "Suns and Lovers," and the two-part "Self Inflicted Wounds." --Mark Walker ... Read more

Reviews (6)

The dead and the living trade places as Season 3 starts
At the end of the second season of "Farscape" John Crichton (Ben Browder) was on an operating table with the top of his skull off as Scorpius (Wayne Pygram) has interrupted the surgery to remove the neural chip from his brain and Aeryn Sun (Claudia Black) was killed when she was trapped in her ejector chair that crashed into the freezing water on the planet below. Little did we know that the themes of death and seaparation were going to be so powerfully strong during the third season, the first four episodes of which are to be found on these two DVDs:

Episode 301, "Season of Death" (Written by Richard Manning, Aired March 16, 2001) has the good news that Scorpius' neural chip has finally been removed from Chrichton outweighed by the fact he can not speak, a "clone" of the personality of Scorpius remains in his mind, and Aeryn is dead awaiting a Peacekeeper's funeral. Although Moya's crew makes a series of touching farewells to Officer Sun, Zhaan (Virginia Hey) has an idea. On the one hand bringing back the leading lady of the series from the dead was a bit too easy, but on the other it is clear in retrospect that we are being set up for a series of much more permanent demises by the end of the season (Four Wormholes).

Episode 302, "Suns and Lovers" (Written by Justin Monjo, Aired March 23, 2001), as the title indicates, is a pun on the infamous D.H. Lawrence novel and on target because the lovers end up being Chiana (Gigi Edgley) and Jothee, son of D'Argo (Anthony Simcoe). The main plot has to do with Moya's crew heading to a Commerce Station to spend their spoils, but a violent storm of unnatural origin hits the station. This episode strikes me as more clearing of the decks in terms of stamping out D'Argo's brief period of happiness, which does not strike me as being particularly necessary, although Chiana's motivations for the betrayal are a nice character touch (3 Wormholes).

Episode 303, "Self Inflicted Wounds, Part 1: Could'a, Would'a, Should'a" (Written by David Kemper, Aired March 30, 2001) sets up a new problem for the crew when an alien vessel collides with Moya and the two ships sort of merge with each other. However, the more important concern is for Zhaan: it seems that bringing back Aeryn from the dead by performing Unity is costing the priestess her own life. Her only hope is to buried in special soil, which means finding the right sort of planet. Meanwhile, Crichton's hopes are raised by the "appearance" of the Three Stooges (4 Wormholes).

Episode 304, "Self Inflicted Wounds, Part 2: Wait for the Wheel" (Written by David Kemper, Aired April 6, 2001), picks up with Zhaan dying, Moya dying, and Pilot in a coma. Breaking away from the wormhole has not solved all of their problems. This becomes a pivotal episode in the "Farscape" series, which no doubt caught many viewers by surprise since it was only the fourth episode of the season and we have a major shake up in the cast of the series. I have to admit, I did not think this was a permanent event until I was about halfway through the third season. A memorable episode in a season that will be providing even bigger changes (5 wormholes).

These early episodes from Season 3 are transitional stories that resolve or reset many of the elements from the previous season. But they also set the stage for the two dominant themes of this third season, both of which will be brought home with some of the show's most powerful episodes.

excellent episodes
this is great stuff. i can't add any more to what has been said by the other reviewers. my only headscratcher is why, the "farscape:undressed" special was not included, as it was in other DVD regions.

What can you say. It's Farscape
The beginning of the third season of Farscape produced some of the best episodes of the series. To me, this is one of the most entertaining and well made science fiction series ever produced. It was extremely disappointing to find that it was cancelled. However, the DVD collections of all the seasons is something that every fan will want. Admittedly, some episodes are more interesting than others, but each tells a small part of the Farscape saga and is well worth watching. The interpersonal relationships continue to develop and we see some of the strangest aliens ever seen on a tv screen. Let's hope that someone decides to bring this series back with all the characters and story lines intact.

Sheer genius
this whole series makes me proud of the the hensons and their amazing creations.

Farscape hits its stride
With season 3 we witness the collison of the bulk of the conflicts at the end of two: Crichton fights and wins a Pyretic victory over "Harvey" the neural clone of Scorpi flitting about in his head; Someone close to the crew dies and there are some unexpected departures.

I'd have to agree that Season of Death is one of the show's strongest opening episodes. It manages to build on the established story arcs of both seasons 1 and 2. The writing became more consistent as the character's backstories finally stablized. That also gave the actor's considerably more confidence in their roles as well. The visuals are, as always stunning.

The arrival on the production staff of a number of Next Generation and DS9 vets (including Richard Manning and Naren Shanker) also brought considerable depth and experience to the production side. While staff writers like Andrew Prowse have done a terrific job with the series, the Next Gen folks provided a different perspective that allowed the conflicts and emotional attachments of the characters additional depth.

The DVD's have been improving since the season one batch. Season two still had a number of great extras and the main issue--the DVD menu--has been improved somewhat as well. My only complaint is the focus on a bit too many bottle shows during season three. I realize it's a way to save money and budget out for the bigger episodes but, well, Moya's confined space makes it a bit difficult to continue to come up with strong story ideas. Still, to their credit, the Farscape production crew, staff and actors manage to pull it off.

If you're checking out the series for the first time, I'd suggest going back to the highlight set for season one (or better yet pick up the entire boxed set) and then move forward. There's a number of loose plot ends that are tied up in both seasons 2 & 3. ... Read more

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The blood in question in "Till the Blood Runs Clear" belongs to thewarrior D'Argo, and it starts to flow when he's captured by a pair of feralBloodtrackers, mercenaries who look as lovely as their name would suggest. Theobsessed Peacekeeper Captain Crais has put a bounty on the heads of D'Argo,Zhaan, and Rygel, which Crichton and Aeryn discover when they set down on adesert planet for repairs but neglect to tell their shipmates.

"Rhapsody in Blue" takes Moya and her crew to a remote Delvian outpost, wherethe head priestess has lured Zhaan to help her keep her madness in check, or soshe says. There's something more sinister going on in this power grab, and ithas something to do with Zhaan's dark, criminal past. The crew is paralyzed inself-pity and Crichton is on the verge of an emotional breakdown, but Zhaan'storment as her past comes flooding back gives this episode its punch. --SeanAxmaker ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Best sci-fi on TV!!!
In short, Farscape is the most brilliant science-fiction television show in television history. The absolute best way to see them are on DVD. The picture and colors are amazing, and you get the complete episodes. On Sci-Fi, at least 5 minutes are trimmed out of every episode, unlike in the UK, where they get to see the whole thing. Now, we can too!
These two episodes are wonderful, by the way, particularly in character development.
Oh, and as far as the extras, it turns out that there were no commentaries for the past few disks, because of licensing problems. At a recent Science Fiction convention, a rep from ADV films, who produce this disk, said that this problem has been cleared up, and the commentaries, and much more features will return by the 11th volume, and will be for all volumes after that. So don't stop buying the DVDs...The lack of extras is not the DVD producers' fault and they are returning them soon!

Personally, the amazing picture quality and extra scenes are reason enough to buy these DVDs. The extras are just icing on the cake!

Forced landing and hallucinations ......
If you've ever seen Farscape, then you have yet to see till the blood runs clear and rhapsody in blue.

Till the blood runs clear is where Crichton and Aeryn are forced to land Farscape One Module on the planet Dam-Ba-Da after it suffers a plasma leak during a failed experiment to create wormholes. While there, they notice a Peacekeeper Beacon broadcasting rewards for the capture of D'Argo, Zhaan and Rygel. A pair of bounty hunters also take notice of the broadcast, forcing Crichton to impersonate a bounty hunter himself in order to ensure the safety of the others.

Rhapsody in blue is about the entire crew who experience strange and powerful dreams. Moya, imagining the distress cries of a pregnant Leviathan, starbursts without warning in search of the call. Moya and the crew discover it is not a ship but a small colony of Delvian missionaries who followed their leader into the Uncharted Territories. The become distracted by powerful hallucinations of their pasts, activated by the mind control of the missionaries.

To keep you on the edge of your seat, I can speak no more of these 2 great episodes. All I can say is, you WILL enjoy them. If you're not a Farscape fan, you will be after viewing these episodes.

Very Pleasing!
I enjoyed this dvd like I have enjoyed the other ones.I really enjoyed ''Till the Blood runs Clear'' it shows John finding the beginnings of a wormhole and what that does to his module.The Aeryn-John relationship progresses some as well.Plus,D'Argo and John come to an understanding with one another.This episode also forshadowed some things in season 3 which I found to be interesting .
''Rhapsody in Blue'' was also a interesting episode for it showed some more delvians and more of Zhaan's past and why she is a prisoner on Moya.John we see has had a long-term relationship with a woman named Alex who he almost had proposed to which I found to be interesting thing to know as well.But I am a fan of the John-Aeryn relationship so I am glad he is in the UT with everyone on Moya.These two episodes showcase how far the characters have come in the short time the show had been on at this point.It is half way through season 1 and it has been One helluva ride!

Crichton continues to set things straight on "Farscape"
This is my first trip through the "Farscape" universe and by the time I have gotten halfway through Season 1 my recurring thought is that John Crichton (Ben Browder) really needs to stop hogging the stage. Now, I understand that this earth astronaut stuck in a galaxy far, far away is our conduit into this particular science fiction realm, but I am really much more interested in the other characters on Moya. The recurring plot element at this point in the series is that every time one of the others becomes the focus point, Crichton is required to save the day.

"Till the Blood Runs Clear" has the crew discovering that bounty hunters are looking for the reward posted by Captain Crais for Zhaan, D'Argo and Rygel. This leaves Crichton and Aeryn (Claudia Black) off the hook for the time being, but they cross paths with a pair of Bloodtrackers. At this point Crichton goes into an alpha male routine as the baddest tracker in the galaxy (he is "Butch" and Aeryn is "Sundance"). This is all quite inconvenient for Crichton because while out in his spacecraft he almost created a wormhole and he needs the ship repaired before the localized phenomenon dissipates. At least in this episode Crichton and D'Argo (Anthony Simcoe) have a long overdue talk, but the, ah, intense pleasure Zhaan (Virginia Hey) gets from soaking up the rays is a missed opportunity for further exploration.

The good news is that "Rhapsody in Blue" involves the crew encountering a remote Delvian outpost, but the bad news is that all of the blue skinned women there have hair. Consequently, none of them look as great as Zhaan (Virginia Hey's decision to shave her head clearly set the bar too high for the actresses playing the other Delvian women in this episode). The head priestess says she wants to help Zhaan control her madness, but, of course, she has something else in mind. Actually, everybody in this episode has something else in their mind as the Delvins play head games with the crew. "Rhapsody in Blue" is the first episode to really unravel Zhaan's past and Crichton has to deal with more than just learning about the crime for which she was imprisoned.

The obvious formula of the series at this point, to always keep Crichton center stage, is working against the evolution "Farscape." It is not surprising that the aliens are more interesting than the one "human" character." By this point viewers are clearly hooked on the series and they should be opening it up more in favor of the rest of Moya's crew. Having a poignant moment of understanding between Crichton and one of his crewmates each week becomes quite dull from all this repetition. Volume 6 of Season 1 of "Farscape" includes a look at Moya and Pilot, but, once again, the commentaries that made the first three DVDs so fan-friendly are missing.

Two Great FARSCAPE Episodes
One of the things that the FARSCAPE tv series does so well is explore the boundaries of television science fiction and take on the task of giving their stories interesting turns and twists of both plot and characterisation. The sixth DVD disc of the first season is no exception to this rule.

The first episode on this disc is "Till the Blood Runs Clear." In the story, Crichton and Aeryn, while out researching wormholes, are forced to land on the desert world of Dam-Ba-Da, and seek the help of the mechanic Furlow to repair Farscape 1. They discover that there are warning beacons out on the characters now, and Crichton and Aeryn are forced to pretend to be a pair of bounty hunters when they encounter two Vorcarians, seeking the rewards for the fugitives. Complicating matters are Zhaan's reaction to the solar flares in the area, and D'Argo's impatience with Crichton and his arrival on the planet - only to be captured by the bounty hunters, and putting Crichton in a dangerous position. This is a terrific episode that focuses on Crichton and Aeryn, and leads to some interesting revelations as Crichton and D'Argo come to a mutual understanding about their relationship. The extras here provide some interesting depth to the characters, and make some of the storyline a bit clearer. One terrific episode, that owes a lot to some of the sf movies that have been out there for a while.

"Rhapsody in Blue", the second offering on the DVD, is a story in which the strange dreams about past loves that Moya's crew have, coupled with Moya's own Starbursting in response to another pregnant Leviathan, leads the crew into the clutches of a group of renegade Delvians led by one Tahleen. She wants to learn the secrets that Zhaan possesses that prevent Zhaan from succumbing to her "dark impulses," but when Zhaan offers to show her the means in Unty, a Delvian form of joining of two spirits/souls, Tahleen takes the extra step and *steals* the knowledge from Zhaan. With the rest of the crew being disrupted by the other Delvians' manipulating their worst fears and desires, it's up to Crichton to show Zhaan the path back to her loveable self. A superb episode that sheds light on the Delvian Seek, on Zhaan's crime, and on the love of John Crichton's life. It has some interesting ramifications for the future, and sees several changes in the personalities of Moya's crew. The extra footage here enhances elements of the "Delvian experience", but isn't a necessity.

Like the previous DVDs in the series, the sixth DVD of FARSCAPE's first season has the commercials ads at the beginning... but the episodes presented and the sheer quality of both sound and picture are abso-frelling superb. While the extras on this DVD are once more pretty skimpy - presenting a Profile on Moya, Pilot, and the folks who bring these beings to life - the reason for the lack of extras on the last few DVDs has been explained as a licensing problem (one that has been cleared up, and will see other features once more, such as the commentary versions of the episodes on the DVDs, on them from the eleventh DVD on). That doesn't mitigate the cost of the DVDs however, as these are quite expensive, but FARSCAPE is a series well worth owning on DVD. Overall, "Till the Blood Runs Clear" and "Rhapsody in Blue" are terrific episodes of FARSCAPE that emphasize the true boundaries to which sf can be pushed, but the lack of extras make the DVDs not necessarily everyone's cup of tea. ... Read more

Description

"Durka Returns": When Moya nearly collides with another transport, Moya feels obligated to make repairs and brings the vessel aboard. Once docked, they find the ship carries a powerful race known as the Nebari---including a Nebari official, Salis, a Nebari criminal, Chiana, and Captain Selto Durka, the ex-Peacekeeper Commander responsible for the torture of Rygel. Durka has been mentally cleansed by the Nebari to remove all those thought processes deemed unacceptable, making him incapable of inappropriate behavior. Seeking revenge, Rygel attempts to kill Durka, but instead breaks the mind cleansing.

"A Human Reaction": Crichton finds a wormhole and returns to Earth. However, only his father, Major Jack Crichton, believes he is really his son. When Moya's Transport Pod blasts through, Crichton convinces the military not to shoot, but he can't prevent them from drugging and imprisoning Rygel, D'Argo and Aeryn. In horror, Rygel is killed and dissected. Aeryn escapes with Crichton and they steal away to a safe house where they give in to their long-standing passion. The next morning, with his father's help, Aeryn and Crichton plan an escape until he realizes that nothing is as it seems. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Enter Chiana
"Durka Returns" and "A Human Reaction" are two excellent episodes. The first ep involves Moya accidently colliding with a Nebari transport. The transport is brought aboard, from which a Nebari male, Salis, a female Nebari prisoner named Chiana, and a Sebacean exit the pod. Much to Rygel's horror, the Sebacean is the dreaded PK Captain Durka - The one who tortured him for so many cycles during his captivity. Salis, the Nebari official, informs the crew of Moya that Durka has been 'cleansed' of all aggressive, violent behavior and that he consitutes no danger to anyone. Rygel and the others are skeptical; You can take the Sebacean out of the Peace Keepers, but can you take the Peace Keeper out of the Sebacean? Why is Chiana a prisoner? Is she as dangerous as Salis claims? Perhaps, even a murderer?!?
"A Human Reaction" takes place when Crichton finds an unstable wormhole. In the hope that the wormhole will take him back to Earth, he flys his module in. What he finds is Earth, but his welcome home isn't what he had hoped for. Aeryn, D'Argo, and Sparky, worried about Crichton, follow him in a pod to Earth. But is Earth ready for the likes of these alien beings? Or is something more sinister at work than Crichton realizes?

Moya will never be the same with the introduction of the sex kitten and all around B-girl, Chiana.

Chiana arrives on Moya and Crichton returns to Earth
The standard first season episode of "Farscape" involved human John Crichton (Ben Browder) saving his alien crewmates aboard Moya from whatever peril of the week afflicts them in a particular episode. That makes the two episodes collected in Volume 8 of Season 1 of "Farscape" stand out all the more, because which the earth man remains the focal character, we are not dealing with the same old stories this time around:

"Durka Returns" but the Peacekeeper responsible for Rygel's torture is not the only visitor who arrives aboard Moya. Chiana (Gigi Edgley), a Nebari prisoner, introduces an element of discord back aboard Moya, more so than Crichton did in the beginning. But the main plot line has to do with Rygel's attempt to get revenge on Durka; of course, Rygel's efforts propel things from bad to worse. This is not a perfect episode, mainly because Rygel does not take a prominent role is dispatching Durka; actually, the fact that after facing his inner demon, personified by Durka in a previous episode, Rygel finds himself back to square one is a bit of a let down since it renders the previous episode rather moot. However, in the end the point is not that Durka returns, but rather than Chiana arrives (to be continued...).

"A Human Reaction" is one of the most intriguing episodes from the first season even though this is a standard Science Fiction plot line. Moya finds a wormhole that appears to have Earth at the other end (Crichton's crewmates have fun dissing his home planet). Crichton takes the risk and uses the wormhole to return back to Earth (Australia to be specific). There he is held captive by those he used to work with; apparently after he left the wormhole never shut down, everybody on Earth has freaked, his ship has been upgraded with unknown alien technology, and there are concerns about those funny little microbes that help Crichton understand every language on the planet. The only person who believes his story is his father (Kent McCord), but that might not be enough. Then Aeryn (Claudia Black), D'Argo (Anthony Simcoe) and Rygel follow Crichton to Earth and the suspicion escalates. Obviously there has to be a catch with this episode since "Farscape"cannot continue with Crichton back on Earth. There are some nice moments between Crichton and D'Argo early on in the episode when the Earthling takes his leave of his shipmates, and a real sense that the crew has bonded.

This is one of the better sets of episodes available from Season 1 of "Farscape." If they indicate the importance of character over plot, then it simply confirms what has been established by every other successful Space Opera television series since the original "Star Trek." Meanwhile, Moya's pregnancy is progressing slowly but surely.

Have They Made A Bad Episode Yet?
Even on subsequent viewings, FARSCAPE keeps getting better and better. Going back now (after three seasons) and watching these 1st season outings, a viewer can only appreciate, in greater depth, the subtletys in all of the performances, characters, and situations. Truly, this is the 'thinking man's STAR TREK.'

DURKA RETURNS is relatively formulaic, creating a situation where Rygel revisits the horrors of his previous incarceration and torture when the spaceship Moya rescues a transport carrying his former captor, Durka. The torturer has been reduced to a peacenik through alien mind suppression programming, but -- as one might expect -- that doesn't last for long. However, also along for the ride is the introduction of Chianna, one of FARSCAPE's most beloved heroes or femme fatales, depending upon your perspective. Gigi Edgley plays Chi with an edge of sexual curiosity, brazen antiauthoritarianism, and moral promiscuity. If genre shows deserved Emmys in the acting category, Gigi would certainly be nominated.

A HUMAN REACTION, for me, is one of the highlights of the show's 1st season. Again, the story is relatively formulaic: a wormhole opens up directly in front of Moya, and John Creighton can see that it leads directly to Earth (a tad too convenient ... or is it?). Of course, not missing the chance to return home, Creighton travels back to his homeworld, but things are far different than what he left behind. Kent McCord is on board, guest starring (once more) as John's father, and the surprise / nonsurprise ending is handled with incredible poignancy.

Where STAR TREK has succumbed to appealing to a viewer's more basic instincts, FARSCAPE continues to strive to tell interesting, thought-provoking, CHARACTER-DRIVEN space opera stories with plenty of laughs AND flashes thrown in for good measure.

Long live FARSCAPE!

Chiana Debut Enhances DVD #8
It was bound to happen. On a ship like Moya, which can hold many more prisoners/passengers than it contains, the production team was bound to shake the crew up by adding a new shipmate. This eighth DVD of the first season of FARSCAPE brings that new character on board, while containing two stories that have all manner of ramifications down the line for the series.

The first episode on the DVD is "Durka Returns." When the pregnant Moya collides with a Nebari transport after emerging from Starburst, seriously damaging it, the transport is brought aboard the Leviathan. Three people come onto Moya - a Nebari, Salis, bringing his female prisoner, Chiana, and a Sebacean male whom Rygel recognises with horror as Durka, the Peacekeeper captain who tortured him on the Zelbinion all those many cycles ago (first mentioned in "PK Tech Girl"). Durka has been cleansed of all his evil, violent, aggressive tendencies, and is no danger to anyone. When Chiana escapes from custody and an attempt to kill Durka removes his conditioning, it's only a matter of time to see which one of the two is more of a threat. When Salis shows up dead, the stakes are raised to a new level. This episode is one of the more chilling episodes of the series to this point, and the "creepy" factor with Salis and the early Durka is really good. The extra footage on the DVD for this one isn't that bad, and really does enhance the story. I think it also makes very clear whether Chiana or Durka killed Salis, too, something that is one of the hottest topics for debate in FARSCAPE fandom.

The second episode, "A Human Reaction" gives Crichton an opportunity to go home, when an unstable wormhole is found at the other end of which lies Earth. While he seems to have made it home, he doesn't receive the welcome that expects. When Aeryn, D'Argo, and Rygel follow him to make sure he's all right in a transport pod, they are captured, and Crichton finds himself faced with a dilemma. However, all is not what it seems, and the question becomes whether Crichton will manage to free his friends, and even if he does, can they make it back to Moya. The extra footage in this episode contributes very much to the story overall, adding a sequence that makes it very clear whether Aeryn and Crichton slept together or not, and the other extra scenes add to the overall feel of the whole story's main premise.

This DVD is a marvellous experienece overall, although the continued advertising of ADV products at the beginning of the DVD is still annoying, and there is little extra material included on this one (per usual) that makes the price of the DVD somewhat high (also annoying). That said, the Profile on Gigi Edgley/Chiana is simply terrific, and she discusses some of the various decisions made on the portrayal of Chiana that explains a lot about her first six to eight appearances in the series. These two truly superb episodes are enhanced by the Chiana Profile material, and make this DVD worth the price and a valuable asset to the FARSCAPE fan's collection. Recommended.

Very Intriquing!
I thought both episodes were pretty intriquing in their own right.Then first episode introduces,Chiana, a nebari prisoner.It isn't clear on why she is being imprisoned until later in the series.She helps John and the others to distract Durka, a old enemy of Rygel's who tortured him over a 100 cycles ago.A Human Reaction I thought was pretty interesting episode John thinks that he is going back to Earth he goes in the wormhole then he is back and everyone thinks he is dangerous.Aeryn,D'Argo,and Rygel follow him to see if he is okay.But then they are captured as well it is a pretty good episode that pretty much gets things ready for the future of the show....J/A relationship issues,Wormholes,ancients,ect. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Farscape established itself as a darker, more volatilealternative to the relative utopian ideals of the Star Trek universe,right down to its gloomy, claustrophobic look, but nowhere is that more apparentthan its journeys into the hidden pasts of its fugitive heroes. The fourth volume of episodes features a peek into the pasts of Dominar Rygel and ninth level Priestess Zhaan as they hide from the fleets of Peacekeeper soldiers in the galactic frontier known as the Uncharted Territories.

Rygel spent years imprisoned and tortured aboard the Zelbinion, the most feared Peacekeeper battleship of all time, and when they find it a drifting derelict in PK Tech Girl, his memories come back to haunt him. While hebattles his demons of the past, the defenseless crew takes on a fleet ofruthless, froglike scavengers ("They spit fire? How come nobody tells me these things!") while American rocket jockey John Crichton finds romance with the a pretty Peacekeeper technician abandoned aboard the wreck (resulting in emotional fireworks from the jealous Aeryn).

That Old Black Magic pits the crew against an evil magician that has been draining the souls of his planet for years and craves the fresh minds of Moya's crew. "I feed on death," the psychic vampire cackles while pittingCrichton against his bloodthirsty nemesis, Peacekeeper Captain Crais, and onlyZhaan can save him by unleashing the angry, evil former self she had spent yearsburying deep within her soul. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (47)

Love the show, hate the DVDs
Well, actually, to clarify, I hate DVDs that have just *two* episodes and nothing more. I didn't mind so much when the episodes had commentary tracks because I didn't feel quite so cheated. Paramount started the disgraceful practice of two-episodes per disk but I'm not particularly interested in helping that notion become an industry standard. The people at ADV could learn a thing or two from MGM (who have their own DVD problems when it comes to movie releases, I'll admit), who just released a reasonably priced five-disk set of the first season of Stargate SG-1, with each episode letterboxed and anamorphic. And there were extras on each disk, including the four or five episodes per.

But hey, ADV, start putting four or five Farscape episodes per disk, and releasing them in season box sets, and I am *so* there with you. Until then, rather than spending my money on the Farscape two-episode DVDs being released slower than snails move, I'll just save my dollars for season two of Stargate SG-1.

Love that Farscape
I did not get interested in Farscape until the last 5 episodes of the second season. I don't know why I didn't watch it before. I have been hooked ever since and have started collecting the DVD's as they come out. I would prefer more than two episodes per DVD but only if they were the same quality. "That Old Black Magic" is my favorite episode so far. My favorite character is Bialar Crais and TOBM really delves into what makes him tick. "PK Tech Girl" was also a good episode. It is interesting to see how John reacts to all the new things he is encountering in their travels. Buy 'em and watch 'em they are the best!!!!!!!!!

Best Sci-Fi Show EVER!!!!
I am 37 year old and have watched Sci-Fi all my life. Farscape is definitely the most creative, original, dynamic, intriguing, sophisticated, intelligent and exhilarating sci-fi show ever produced. YOU MUST SEE THE WHOLE THING!!!!! If you want to learn more about what Farscape is about visit www.savefarscape.com.

A pair of pivotal PeaceKeeper episodes (but no commentary?)
Well, here I have been watching the Season 1 "Farscape" DVDs and praising the tag-team great commentaries I had been enjoying as the best in fan friendly extras (not to mentioning why Joss Whedon has been so skimpy with such commentaries on the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" DVDs). So I get to Volume 4, which is the best pair of episodes I have seen to date, and guess what: no commentaries. I was all ready to give this volume 5 stars but I have to subtract one in protest because I am so disappointed.

"PK Tech Girl" does offer the old chestnut about the prisoner who falls for the captor, in this case retelling the tale (quite self-consciously it must be admitted) with the titular character, Technician Gilina Renaez (Alyssa-Jane Cook), a PeaceKeeper technician found on an abandoned PK super cruiser, and John Crichton (Ben Browder) in the familiar roles. What makes this episode work a bit better than that is how this affair irks Aeryn (Claudia Black), plus the fact that this is not a one shot deal for Gilina, which makes this more than a brief but close encounter. There is also a nice little subplot with Rygel, who was once tortured aboard this Peace Keeper ship and needs to confront a rather significant ghost.

I had been wondering what had happened to PeaceKeeper Captain Bialar Crais (Lani John Tupu), who has vowed to hunt down Crichton in the pilot episode. Well, in "That Old Black Magic" Crais and Crichton are brought together by a warlock vampire type being who wants them to try and kill each other. Crichton has long wanted an opportunity to explain that the death of Crais' brother was an accident. This episode gives him a chance to reason with the PeaceKeeper, for all the good it is going to do him. Meanwhile, Crichton's crewmates are trying a way to rescue him, even though they do not know exactly what is going on. Again there is an interesting element to the story involving the difficulty Zhaan (Virginia Hey) is having in taking advantage of her long dormant dark side in being part of the rescue effort. Of the first eight episodes, this is the best of the bunch.

The reason that both of these episodes are above average is because they both have implications for several of the story and character arcs in "Farscape." Like all great science fiction shows, the characters and their relationships are the best part of the show. By this point in the first season we are starting to learn some interesting things and the characters and their relationships are starting to click. On to Volume 5, please.

Farscape is the greatest show on TV.
Anyone who does not understand why one would buy DVD's of this show is not a fan. The DVD's last forever and you can revisit the show when ever you want through them. I'm not getting these for right now. I'm getting these for ten years from now. ... Read more

Description

Farscape Season Three: second release episodes "... Different Destinations" (Episode 305) While at a Peacekeeper memorial, Crichton and the crew are pulled back in time into a great siege between Peacekeepers and the Venek Horde. As they try to stay alive and get back to their own time, they realize that every action changes the course of history-with devastating effects on the future."Eat Me" (Episode 306) Their Transport Pod damaged, Crichton, Chiana, D'Argo and Jool are forced to land on an old, diseased Leviathan in a Peacekeeper Control Collar. Their fears of running into Peacekeepers are soon replaced by terrifyingly real foes: mutant scavengers... and Kaarvok, a madman with an horrific taste for brain matter.

"Thanks For Sharing" (Episode 307) Crichton has been duplicated into two identical Crichtons. Moya's crew, trying to buy a healing agent for the injured gunship Talyn, become embroiled in a planet's deadly politics. Meanwhile, Aeryn discovers that her own mother is leading the Peacekeeper Retrieval Squad sent to recapture Talyn.

"Green Eyed Monster" (Episode 308) When Talyn is swallowed by a giant Budong, Crais' neural connection to Talyn malfunctions, and he asks Aeryn to help him control the hybrid gunship. Warily avoiding the Budong in a Transport Pod, Stark and Rygel come up with a way for Talyn to escape, but Crichton's jealousy complicates the plan...

"Losing Time" (Episode 309) After passing through a magnetic cluster, the crew experiences blackouts and periods of lost time. They discover that Pilot has been possessed by a strange being. The being inside Pilot warns our crew that an evil "Energy Rider" inhabits one of them, and if that person isn't found-and the Rider extracted-the crew will all die. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

I LOVE FARSCAPE!
I have yet to find an episode of Farscape that I don't enjoy. There are some really great ones, but all of them are good.

I recommend Farscape to everyone!
SAVE FARSCAPE!

starts to pick up again in season 3
3.1 and 3.2 are both quality boxes and the show seems to be pulling me in again (like the first season did), with more "space scenes" and some darker episodes with more battles. The stories seem to be a little more cohesive this season as well with less holes. There were a few in season 2 along with a couple bores. Also, there are more edible stand-alone stories (especially in 3.2).

Kreis is becoming a good character, Scorpius got a little old (and confusing) though sometimes his character is interesting and complicated enough to draw me in. I'm not sure why, but the absence of Zhan may be a good thing. Aeryn is so effin hot, her straps carried the show for me at times, and the leather pants are Millimeters lower this season. yeehaw.

What a disappointment!! What are they thinking??
One of the big attractions of the Farscape series has been the imaginative plots and the off-beat characters. But it seems that TV Sci-Fi is always destined to follow the failings of that Grand Mother of Them ALL (Star Trek) which only lasted a few seasons, let us not forget. The series is descending into shoot-em-ups, stuff that's been done (being swallowed up by a cave-like monster - now what movie did I see that in?), and sadomasichism (Eat Me is revolting).

In the 'What Are They Thinking Of' department the award goes to substituting JOOL (a truly annoying character that can get vaporized at any time as far as I am concerned - she rates in there with Jar-Jar) for ZHAAN (a wonderful creation who balanced off the craziness of the others and kept the series from what it is heading for now ).

Will they never learn? I am not surprised to hear that the series is headed for cancellation. From now on I'll rent it out of curiosity, but I'm probably not going to watch it more than once. My advice: If you're not sure, rent it first from Netflix.

Ben Browder Commentary on Green Eyed Monster
Although it is not listed here on Amazon, or even on the back of the DVD case, on the episode "Green Eyed Monster" (the episode which star Ben Browder wrote) there is an audio commentary track with Ben Browder as well as the director of the episode Tony Tilse. Ben gives insights into his ideas behind the episode, as well as many behind-the-scenes hints about not only this episode but upcoming ones as well.

(The powers-that-be on the show were so impressed with Ben Browder's writing on this ep that he was asked to write another episode, which will be coming up in season 4, called "John Quixote")

I would buy this DVD without any extras, as this series is so fantastic. However, as I am something of a "commentary junkie", I wanted to pass on the info to the other Amazon customers.

Double Your Fun!
The makers of Farscape, not afraid to take chances, truly had outdone themselves. Fresh after losing a beloved character (Zhaan) and gaining a new passenger aboard Moya (Jool), David Kemper and the writers keep the surprises coming. Like a boxer delivering a flurry of punches to a dazzed opponent, the viewer is constantly being rocked by pleasantly surprising (sometimes uncomfortable too) storylines.

Different Destinations: Has a bit of a Star Trek feel to it, as John, Areyn & Jool are visting a memorial, are somehow transported into the past. They find themselves in the time which the memorial was dedicated. In a small Peacekeeper settlement surrounded and out numbered by the Venek horde. Unsure how to get back and trying to help the beleagured settlement, their actions are changing past and present times.
A solid episode if not spectacular episode, though the performances are, as usual, quite good.

Eat Me: Crichton, D'Argo, Chianna, & Jool in their damaged transport pod are trying to return to Moya, find another Leviathon. Hoping to find the parts necessary to repair the pod they take a chance and land. What they find aboard is truly disturbing. A very good episode that is quite scary by Farscape standards, with an ending that is amusing, confusing and leaves you wondering where the hell are they gonna go with this idea?

Thanks For Sharing: Moya catches up with Talyn only to find him badly damaged from an attack by a Peacekeeper retrieval unit. Moya's crew goes to a nearby planet trying to obtain supplies to help heal Talyn's wounds. What they find is political intrigue and the identity of the Captain leading the retrieval unit after Talyn & Crais. Another suprise that leaves the viewer with several questions and anxiously awaiting for the answers. A solid episode that is the foundation, along with "Eat Me", for the rest of season 3.

Note: The last two episodes on this disc, the crew is seperated into two groups. One group stays aboard Moya while the other joins Crais aboard Talyn.

Green Eyed Monster: The first episode written by Ben Browder, starts with the gunship, Talyn, and it's crew of Crais, Areyn, and Crichton encontering a live Budong. For those not in the know, a Budong is sort of a giant space whale. Before they can react, Talyn is swallowed whole by this huge creature. Meanwhile, Rygel and Stark are in a transport pod heading to a rondezvous with Talyn. They only find the Budong, which Stark correctly surmised, has Talyn within it. The real meat of the story is the character development between Crais, John, Areyn - and yes - Talyn. Lani Tapu as Crais especially shines in this episode. One of the best episodes of the 3rd season.

Losing Time: A form of energy gets aboard Moya and finds refuge within the body of one of the crew. Shortly afterwards, another energy being comes and enters Pilot's body. This being informs the crew that one of them is being controlled by an energy rider, a criminal that must be stopped. The being within Pilot has been hunting it and asks for help in capturing it. This episode was the least remarkable one by Farscape standards, meaning well above average by normal TV standards.

In this review I tried not to give away the major surprises. To those unfamiliar with the show or haven't seen these episodes, I can only say that I heartily recommend you purchase this set and every other Farscape DVD. Its money well spent in anyones Sci-Fi DVD library. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The second season of Farscape expands upon and develops the characters introduced in the ambitious first season. John Crichton's new nemesis is the deadly Scorpius, replacing Crais, who has taken the living ship Moya's offspring on a voyage into the unknown. Moya's regular crew--Aeryn, Zhaan, Chiana, D'Argo, and Rygel--remain as divided and suspicious of each other as ever, yet somehow manage to pull together at times of crisis. After revelations about Pilot's introduction to Moya in "The Way We Weren't," the writers continue to exploit the show's gift for surprising as well as emotionally convincing character development. In "Picture If You Will," an old enemy returns with a truly bizarre and barely comprehensible scheme to imprison Moya's crew inside a picture (shades of Dorian Gray, maybe?). "Home on the Remains" has a contrived plot that harks right back to classic Star Trek, with Crichton even quoting Jim Kirk (the highlight, though, is Zhaan's transformation, which gives a whole new meaning to hay fever). "Dream a Little Dream" plays around with the crew's perceptions of reality in a curious flashback episode set in between the first and second season, as Zhaan is put on trial for murder on a dystopian planet run by lawyers. --Mark Walker ... Read more

Reviews (10)

ADV Continues with Disappointing FARSCAPE DVDs
The second DVD set for FARSCAPE'S second season has finally come out, and once again it is very disappointing in many, many ways. The fans of the FARSCAPE series who live in Canada and the US are being ripped off by the folks at ADV Films with these DVDs, and this volume follows the same pattern in that it has very few additional features to appeal to the fans of the series.

As with the first double DVD set for the second season, this one has four episodes of the series on two DVDs, with a variety of "special features". The first DVD begins with the wonderful episode "The Way We Weren't", in which the crew of Moya learn of Aeryn Sun's having been on the Leviathan before, and how she was involved in the replacement of the former Pilot for the current one. It is an episode that deals with the matter of Peacekeeper love and sex, trust, and betrayal by someone close. It's also an episode that alters some of the relationships between the various characters on Moya, and resolves the matter of how Moya became pregnant (back in the first season's "They've Got a Secret"). It's a wonderful episode with all kinds of story elements to it that other writers could learn from. The second episode here is the disappointing "Picture If You Will", in which an enemy from the first season (Maldis from "That Old Black Magic") returns to wreak havoc and revenge on the crew of Moya through the intermediary of a painting that shows events that come to pass. While there is some interesting character interaction and Zhaan gets a good bit of the action here, the characters we've come to know and love have a very weak set of material to work with here, and the episode falls somewhat flat. There appears to be a couple of scenes in each episode that I didn't remember from the televised versions of them, but there's nothing extra to them that I could find. The Special Features on this first DVD are very weak indeed. The Claudia Black Actor Bio, the Officer Aeryn Sun Charcter Backstory, the Alien Encounters, the Weapons and Ships are all text files, and a lot of the material here (which isn't all that much to be honest) can be found on the internet and FARSCAPE sites. The conceptual drawings are very nice on their own merit, offering a bit of insight to the series background, but this DVD has nothing else on it of note. There aren't even any deleted scenes for the two episodes, something that seriously annoyed me, since reading several other sources have indicated that both these episodes had several scenes which were deleted.

The second DVD begins with one of those episodes that you either love or hate, "Home on the Remains". Chiana has led the starving crew of Moya to the corpse of a budong, a giant space creature that could swallow Moya as a bite-sized snack, where she and her brother, Nerri, stayed a long time ago. Meanwhile, Zhaan's hunger is causing her to bud and create spores that are the Delvians' means of capturing animal prey and devouring them in times of famine, so it is doubly important to get some meat for Zhaan. Naturally Chiana's past comes back to haunt her, and things are not as simple for the crew as one would expect. In addition, this episode has one of the silliest beasties seen in the second season to this point, the keedva - a dog-like creature with big fangs that is obviously a man in a suit. One tends to expect a bit more from a series that is using the famed Creature Shop for stuff like this normally. The episode is an entertaining one, since it shows the relationship between Chiana and D'Argo that is developing into something else, and gives Crichton the chance to flex his muscles. There's also some
terrific humour here, notably several scenes between Crichton and Rygel, but the episode is not all that memorable - or perhaps it is, depending on your taste in these things. The second episode is "Dream A Little Dream", which was meant to be the second-season opener for FARSCAPE, but which was deemed too non-action oriented after the first season finale (see my review of the first double set of DVDs for the second season for more on this). While the episode is told by Zhaan to Crichton in flashback, this episode is a good story set on the planet Litigara (inhabited primarily by lawyers) that has a few plot problems and inconsistencies, but shows why Zhaan, Rygel, Pilot, and Chiana were as they were at the beginning of "Mind the Baby". Chiana and Rygel both sparkle in this episode, having to defend Zhaan for the crime for which she has been falsely accused without lying or using falsehoods to get her acquitted. The story has some wonderful moments and is worth the viewing simply to see Gigi Edgley's performance. This DVD has the Deleted Scenes on it, but there are only three of them - and all of these come from "Dream A Little Dream". There's nothing really exciting here, although there are a couple of good scenes here that are worth viewing, but there's nothing extra from the other three episodes in this DVD set. There is a Farscape Dictionary of Technical Terms and an Alien Encounters section once more, but these are again *text* versions of material that can be found elsewhere. The Conceptual Drawings are very nice once more, but that's all there is on this DVD as well.

One of the most annoying things about the FARSCAPE DVDs from ADV continues to plague this one. Upon loading the first DVD into one's player, the first thing that comes up is an advert for the ANDROMEDA line of DVDs from the company. For frell's sake - aren't they charging enough for this stuff that we don't need to *pay* for advertising of their other products? The second irritiating thing here is the fact that once again, the DVDs do not have menus at the beginning for actually picking the episode that one wants to view. If one actually wishes to see the second episode on a given DVD, one has to go into Scene Selection, and pick the first scene of the second episode on the DVD. Waste of time, and the folks at ADV must be the only ones who do this sort of thing. Highly annoying. Unlike the first second season set of DVDs, this one doesn't even have a Commentary version of any of the episodes, and one has to wonder what the new deal with Henson that was worked out actually gives us. There are no commentaries on the episodes, no interviews, no chats with the stars or guest actors, nothing about the making of these episodes, nothing that really makes the DVDs any better than having the tapes one could record off the televised episodes. Sure, the quality is better, but when push comes to shove, these DVDs are lacking in any bonus materials that make their purchase price worthwhile.

When all is said and done, the FARSCAPE Season 2, Volume 2 DVD set is a dud. While it's nice to have good quality recordings of the episodes (the sound is terrific on these), I have to look at some of the other series that are being DVD-ed these days, and wonder what the folks at ADV Films are giving us here. There's no real special features on these DVDs at all, and to be honest, this is something of a cheat to the fans of the series. That said, the ADV version of these DVDs is the only game in town, unless one wants to buy the English versions of them and get some of the nifties that come with those. I can only hope that the folks at ADV get their act together and give us something on these DVDs that's worth the cost.

Things start to get more interesting for Moya's crew
It quickly became clear during the premier season of "Farscape" that the default mode for the show was to have stranded Earthling John Crichton (Ben Browder) save the day at the end of each episode. That is why I appreciate that this collection of early episodes from Season 2 of "Farscape" makes an effort to break that mode:

"The Way We Weren't" drops a bombshell on Moya's crew when Chiana (Gigi Edgley) digs up an old datacam tape showing that several years earlier Captain Crais (Lani Tupu) showed up and had his Peacekeepers kill the ship's original pilot. But the bigger shock is that Aeryn (Claudia Black) was one of the members of the firing squad. Except for Crichton, the rest of the crew are suddenly doubting Aeryn, but it is Pilot (voiced by Lani Tupu) who suddenly wants the former Peacekeeper dead. This episode certainly offers higher drama than we have seen before on the series, and apparently the reason behind Crais killing that pilot had something to do with Moya's pregnancy (to be continued?).

"Picture If You Will" has Chiana returning from a Trader's ship with a picture whose image keeps magically changing. Functioning as a "window in time," it shows a future that becomes real, including the deaths of D'Argo (Anthony Simcoe) and Chiana. This time it is Zhaan (Virginia Hey) who learns the secret of the picture's origin and while it is indeed Crichton who has to save the day, it is totally appropriate given the identity of the villain.

"Home on the Remains" finds Moya's crew starving. However, Zhaan gets the worst of it, with his body sprouting buds that emit a toxic pollen. Aeryn stays behind while the rest of the crew head for a mining colony on the giant carcass of a Budong to get help from some old friends. Of course, there are a few complications at that end while Zhaan becomes convinced she has to kill Aeryn to save her life. We also have some movement on a possible romantic front apart from Crichton and Aeryn.

"Dream a Little Dream" is the episode that finally gets us back to what happened in between the end of the first season and the start of the second when Moya StarBurst from the Gammak Base leaving Crichton, Aeryn, and D'Argo behind. Overwhelmed by nightmares of guilt, Zhaan tells Crichton what happened during that time, when Zhaan was framed for murder on Litigara, a planet where 90% of the citizens are lawyers. However, that comic aspect (and the fact that Chiana and Rygel) get to be her defense counsel) has nothing to do with the torture Zhaan is going through in this episode because of her guilt.

The tally at the end of the day is that we have one classic "Farscape" episode, another great episode, and two above average efforts (in that order). On balance, this is the best collection of four episodes to date. Yes, it pretty much ignores the whole Crais has Talon development that was part of the explosive climax of the first season, but pretty much that is what you find to be the case in most of the second season episodes to this point.

A Great Season - A Limited DVD
SciFi 's (hereafter 'Skiffy') quixotic post-cancellation rerun schedule has forced die-hard "Farscape" fans to invest in sets of DVDs. Unfortunately, the kind of static, text-only "extras" ADV includes do little justice to the series. Rumor has it that the fans have been heard and Season Three's set has significantly improved.

Having said that, the move by Skiffy executives to scuttle the show after Season Four's cliffhanger is made more incomprehensible with each viewing of the previous seasons. Even the minor episodes contain multi-faceted character development - most startling in Henson Creature Shop's Rygel - and layered writing. In spite of the flaws in ADV's presentation, this set is well worth owning - and certainly provides a more convenient viewing atmosphere than the present midnight rerun madness.

In a nutshell, the show is different this season
Forgive me fans, but farscape loses me somewhat in the second season. It just gets a little slow and introspective, something irritates me about it. Maybe it's the constant love friction with Aerin and Crighton, it bores me. That warrior guy finds his soft side and things just don't always seem to make sense anymore. I'm constantly thinking "how is that possible?" because it isn't. They are playing on my imagination skills to float their loose stories. For instance, Crighton is frozen into a lead statue (where he is still alive - only unanimated), then enemies chop off his head with a laser torch and drop it in acid to ensure its destruction (and of course it is not). What happens? It FLOATS. A bowling ball size piece of lead floats. In another scene, Crighton actually flies through space WITH NO SPACESUIT to escape an explosion, lands on another craft and enters it. He's a bit choked up, but the cold vacuum of space should have insta-froze his body and shattered it in a billion pieces when he collided with the other craft. There are holes and assumptions in the stories "larger picture" as well. Just overall not that great. If your a fan, go ahead, but if not, I wouldn't make this a first Farscape venture. There is a great "Best of Season 1" collection that will give you plenty to chew on.

Great DVD for Farscape fans
I am a big fan of Farscape in particular and science fiction in general. I watch Farscape for entertainment and as long as I am entertained by an episode, I give it high ratings. Even so, Farscape is one of the most original series on tv. There are good stories, interesting characters and the alien monsters are original and unique. Some episodes are better than others I'll admit, but quite honestly I enjoy them all. I am pleased to see the season two DVDs in a four episode format. The more episodes I can get with one purchase, the better. I too would like to see more extra features on the DVDs so the viewers can learn more about what it takes to product this great show and see what goes on behind the scenes. I have all the season one DVDs and plan to collect all episodes that are released. Thanks to Jim Henson and company. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The second volume of episodes from the cult cable science fiction seriesFarscape finds the motley crew of fugitives still learning to live together,with often fractious results. A swarm of interstellar insects infiltrate Moya in"Exodus from Genesis" and crank up the heat to levels that will prove fatal to Aeryn'sheat-sensitive Sebacean system. The heat wave isn't the only thing pushing already flaringtempers, however; the bugs create perfect replicas of the crew to carry out their commands,which lead to some rather interesting clashes. The episode echoes elements of StarTrek's "The Devil in the Dark" and the Next Generation episode "Evolution"(among others), then twists them to fit into the chaotic Farscape universe.

In "Throne for a Loss," the most action-packed and stylishly directed episode todate, a race of mercenary criminals called the Tavleks kidnap the imperious Rygel.Despite the temptation to leave the blustering coward behind, the crew hatches a(typically) half-cooked plan to storm the planet-side prison with the help of a dangerouslyaddictive Tavlek power gauntlet. The adrenaline-pumping, laser-blasting weapon increasesthe aggressive natures of D'Argo and Aeryn to tyrannical levels but also leads to a quietconnection between the warriors as they recover from the drug's effects and compare noteson their human shipmate: "Just imagine, there's a whole race of Crichtons running around.Think how useless they must be."

Each episode includes footage unseen in the U.S. broadcasts, and the DVD features aprofile of Claudia Black's character Aeryn Sun as well as commentary on each episode.Director Brian Henson and costar Virginia Hey (Zhaan) discuss the process of definingand developing their characters in the early episodes on "Exodus from Genesis" and starsBen Browder and Claudia Black exchange playful repartee for the energetic commentary on"Throne for a Loss." --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Terrific Treat for SF Fans!
One of the strengths of good sf on television is that it takes the characters and basic elements of its "universe" and adds to and develops them. FARSCAPE is no exception to this rule, and does it quite wonderfully in this pair of episodes.

"Exodus From Genesis" is about a bug infestation on Moya, and the surprising truth of what is behind it. With a commentary track version of the episode by Brian Henson and Virginia Hey, the episode has some very good character interaction, and the extra footage on the disc presents some rather intriguing material for fans of Zhaan. Solid episode, good story, with some neat visual effects.

"Throne for a Loss" is an episode that deals with an attempt on Moya's crew to trade with beings called Tavleks that takes an unexpected turn when Rygel is kidnapped for ransom. Excellent sense of humour in this episode with some great lines from various cast members, and the extra footage here makes the episode worthwhile. However, when one adds the commentary track with Ben Browder and Claudia Black, one has an episode version that offers all kinds of insights into the episode and how it was made (among other subjects discussed by the two actors).

Overall, a marvellous DVD and well worth adding to any collection of sf discs - but even better that it's a FARSCAPE one!

Nice episodes, great extras
I admit it--I came a bit late to the Farscape party. But ever since my jump into the series during the mid-point of season two, I've been hooked. So, I'm delighed that the entire series is coming on DVD and giving a relatively new fan like myself a chance to catch up on the early days in the Uncharted Territories.

And this DVD contains one of my favorite episodes from the first six or so and then one that's pretty darn good. The "pretty darn good one" is Exodus from Genesis which features parasites who feed on Moya. The story works because it does what Farscape does best--takes an old sci-fi convention and gives it a new spin. There's also some character development along the way, which is always a good thing.

The second episode is one of my personal favorites--"Throne for a Loss." Rygel is kidnapped by the Tavleks, who think he's a high-ranking offical that Moya's crew will pay generously to have returned to them. The premise of the episode works well and it's interesting to see the character relationships begin to grow and gel a bit. But the highlight of the story is that while the situation is serious, there is still some great humor thrown in. It's Farscape in the finest tradition--intelligent, witty and fun. Definitely worth seeing--even if you're not a Farscape fan.

What throws this DVD other the top though is the extras. Both episodes include commentaries that really help the episodes become more interesting. The commentary on Throne for a Loss is a hoot, featuring series stars Ben Browder (Crichton) and Claudia Black (Aeryn). There's an infectous energy in the the commentary that carries over to the episode and helps give some now insights into the series and its early days.

So, if you're a long time Scaper, get this one for the commentaries. If you're a new fan, get this one to see two episodes that show just why Farscape is some of the best sci-fi on TV today.

Two early in Season 1 for these two "Farscape" episodes
I started watching the first season of "Farscape" on DVD without ever having seen the show on television (I knew it was the show with the blue skinned woman and that was about it). My assumption is that nobody is going to come to Volume 2 of Season 1 without having watched Volume 1. Consequently, I get to engage more in commentary than description for this review of Episodes 3 and 4 from the debut season.

"Exodus from Genesis" is a story designed to have Crichton (Ben Browder) earn the respect of his crewmates. Moya is invaded by aliens who are able to assume the form of the crew. If that is not enough fun a squad of Peacekeepers boards the ship as well. Like the previous episode, "I, E.T.," this is another instance where "Farscape" is getting ahead of itself. Episode 3 is too soon to be doing a story where the actors play reproductions or possessed versions of their characters. We still have so much to learn about these characters, which means details like the problems Aeryn (Claudia Black) has with high temperatures is of more interest than how many copies of Crichton can show up in one room.

"Throne for a Loss" find Rygel kidnapped and held for ransom. Crichton, Aeryn, and D'Argo (Anthony Simcoe) go off to rescue the floating puppet. Their efforts are compromised by the acquisition of a gauntlet, the weapon used by the bad guys. Unfortunately, the gauntlet tends to make its user a bit psychotic, as each of the trio of rescuers discovers. However, Crichton wants to rely on good old human honesty to save the day rather than alien technology. The most interesting part of this episode is back on Moya, when Zhaan (Virginia Hey) is trying to help their prisoner deal with the loss of his gauntlet and the addictive chemicals it provides its user. Of course Zhaan is the most fascinating character on the show and every new revelation about her becomes another piece of the puzzle.

One thing that is already clear to me by this second disc from the first season is that "Farscape" is extremely fan friendly when it comes to putting the episodes out on DVD. First, the episodes contain previously unbroadcast footage, which means all the stuff they cut to show "Farscape" on American television (apparently we have 3-4 minutes more commercials than the rest of the civilized world). Second, all of the episodes feature commentary by a pair of cast and crewmembers: Brian Henson and Virginia Hey on Episode 3 and Ben Browder and Claudia Black on Episode 4. I assume future DVDs will continue to mix and match these people in various combinations. Having two people engage in a conversation works well and all the participants tend to talk about not just the particular episode but also their characters and the series overall.

Crichton tries to fit in with his Farscape crew mates
I started watching the first season of "Farscape" on DVD without ever having seen the show on television (I knew it was the show with the blue skinned woman and that was about it). My assumption is that nobody is going to come to Volume 2 of Season 1 without having watched Volume 1. Consequently, I get to engage more in commentary than description for this review.

"Exodus from Genesis" is a story designed to have Crichton (Ben Browder) earn the respect of his crewmates. Moya is invaded by aliens who are able to assume the form of the crew. If that is not enough fun a squad of Peacekeepers boards the ship as well. Like the previous episode, "I, E.T.," this is another instance where "Farscape" is getting ahead of itself. Episode 3 is too soon to be doing a story where the actors play reproductions or possessed versions of their characters. We still have so much to learn about these characters, which means details like the problems Aeryn (Claudia Black) has with high temperatures is of more interest than how many copies of Crichton can show up in one room.

"Throne for a Loss" find Rygel kidnapped and held for ransom. Crichton, Aeryn, and D'Argo (Anthony Simcoe) go off to rescue the floating puppet. Their efforts are compromised by the acquisition of a gauntlet, the weapon used by the bad guys. Unfortunately, the gauntlet tends to make its user a bit psychotic, as each of the trio of rescuers discovers. However, Crichton wants to rely on good old human honesty to save the day rather than alien technology. The most interesting part of this episode is back on Moya, when Zhaan (Virginia Hey) is trying to help their prisoner deal with the loss of his gauntlet and the addictive chemicals it provides its user. Of course Zhaan is the most fascinating character on the show and every new revelation about her becomes another piece of the puzzle.

One thing that is already clear to me by this second disc from the first season is that "Farscape" is extremely fan friendly when it comes to putting the episodes out on DVD. First, the episodes contain previously unbroadcast footage, which means all the stuff they cut to show "Farscape" on American television (apparently we have 3-4 minutes more commercials than the rest of the civilized world). Second, all of the episodes feature commentary by a pair of cast and crewmembers: Brian Henson and Virginia Hey on Episode 3 and Ben Browder and Claudia Black on Episode 4. I assume future DVDs will continue to mix and match these people in various combinations. Having two people engage in a conversation works well and all the participants tend to talk about not just the particular episode but also their characters and the series overall.

"Exodus"--3 stars; "Throne"--4 stars
"Farscape" has developed into one of the best shows on television. Enjoyment of these early episodes is enhanced by the addition of deleted material and lively commentary. "Escape from Exodus" is an enjoyable story, but far from "Farscape" at its best. The tale of an infestation by space parasites is enlivened by entertaining character interaction, always one of this show's strengths. "Throne for a Loss," on the other hand, is terrific. Rygel, as despicably hilarious as ever, is kidnapped by the Tavleks, a race of warriors who rely on an addictive drug, administered through "power gauntlets," to heighten their power and aggression. To save Rygel, Aeryn, Crichton, and D'Argo all take their turns with the weapon, and the way in which it affects each of them provides interesting and amusing insights into their characters. The way in which Crichton resolves the conflict is perfect. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The beat goes on for television's Farscape sci-fi series with this, the third volume of episodes from the show's second season. This two-disc set includes five episodes: "Out of Their Minds," based on a clever mind-switching premise in which the cast flexes their collective acting chops; "My Three Crichtons," which finds Crichton (Ben Browder) meeting up with both primitive, Neanderthal-like and futuristic, super-smart versions of himself; and "Look at the Princess," an elaborate three-parter. Farscape fans will no doubt debate the merits of this season versus the first run, and while the stories may not be as strong this time around, the character-driven episodes feature the other qualities that distinguish the show--namely its mix of drama and humor, convincing effects, and the delightful puppet characters designed by the Jim Henson Company. DVD features include deleted scenes, a bio of actress Virginia Hey (and a study of Zhaan, the character she portrays), and more. --Sam Graham ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Look at the Princess
4 very strong episodes, and one somewhat weak episode: Out of their Minds has good performances by 6 of the actors playing one another's characters in the Farscape turn on the old "body-switching" cliche, some character development, and rather backstabbing bird-like aliens. The three-part Look at the Princess is brilliant, with lots of character development, political intrigue, assassination attempts, confrontations with various bad guys (including an early encounter with a Scarran, and a complex bit of dancing with Scorpy), backstory on Moya, and an intriguing central plot point; like the other great three-part arc episodes (Lies, Guns and Money, and the interrupted Nerve/Hidden Memory/Family Ties), it really pushes the series along and bears rewatching again and again. My Three Crichtons, on the other hand, is just a rewrite of the old "split into two halves" SF cliche with the two halves being "past Crichton" and "future Crichton," but with the original combined Crichton being kept around for safety. Tiny amount of character development, but really not up to the standards of the other episodes.

Another great Farscape Volume!
This is a great DVD set which includes the episodes, Out of their Minds, My Three Chrictons, and Look at the Princess Parts 1-3.
Here are my own personal ratings for each
Rating Scale
5 One of the best
4 an excellent episode
3 a good episode
2 a fair one
1 a poor episode
Out of their Minds-4 an Excellent episode
My Three Chrinctons-4