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brokenrecord) wrote2008-02-11 01:27 pm
brokenrecord) wrote2008-02-11 01:27 pm
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The fact that the strike is very possibly about to be over makes me very happy. Especially the fact that there might even be a few more episodes of some shows this season, since I had accepted that this season was lost awhile ago, and really was mostly afraid of the future of next season.
Anyways, I have a 5 page paper due Wednesday, a test on Friday, possibly another small paper due Friday, and a ridiculous amount of reading to do (none of which I've started yet, of course), but I finally finished the entire series of Farscape, including the miniseries, so clearly posting about that is more important (especially since I know there are very few people on my flist who have watched the show). This is going to be a very long post. Just warning you now. Spoilers for the entire series including The Peacekeeper Wars.
So, I wasn't a huge fan of the show after the first episode. The sci-fi-ness of the show kind of put me off (which is kind of weird, because for a long time sci-fi/fantasy was my favorite genre of books, and a ridiculous amount of shows I watch and love are sci-fi). I think it was mostly that so many of the characters just didn't look human. It was weird and hard to relate to them. Especially the muppets. It took me a long time to get used to Rygel (Pilot it took less time, but he's not as present in the show, I think). I'm not sure when that changed for me. I know when my attitude to the show changed, but not towards the non-humanness of all the characters. I guess it was just having so much exposure to them in every episode, that after awhile, it's just... meaningless that they're not human.
But yeah, so the first episode didn't really impress me, and the following episodes impressed me even less. I saw a few merits to the show; I loved John and I liked the relationship developing between him and Aeryn even back when nothing was really happening, just when they were developing a friendship (and that's probably mostly due to the fact that hearing about how awesome their relationship is was what finally pushed me to watch the show), and there were a few funny moments. There were episodes that I liked in the mix of the first 8 or so. I really liked Exodus from Genesis, which I think might not be a popular opinion, but I liked the John/Aeryn relationship a lot in that episode, how you can see a friendship or a connection starting to develop, and I liked that what they thought was a threat wasn't actually trying to harm them. I also liked PK Tech Girl a lot, also for the development between Aeryn and John. And actually, a lot of these episodes seem better to me now that I'm in love with so many of these characters and can appreciate the set-up in the first half of the season to the development of their relationships for the rest of the series, but back when I was first watching it, my attitude was basically "Eh. It has its moments, but it's not amazing by any means."
I think the first time my attitude started to change was with DNA Mad Scientist. It still didn't hook me completely, but I remember then feeling like maybe this show was better than I originally thought. I guess I started to see the potential at that episode. I also really enjoyed The Flax, mostly for John and Aeryn, of course. (They actually aren't all that I love about this show now, but it definitely did start off that way.)
It wasn't until A Human Reaction that I fully fell in love with the show. It really sets up so many future plots, seasons later, and it's just... amazing. And not even just for the John/Aeryn, but also for Earth and the wormholes and the ancients and just everything. I love that episode infinitely.
From then on, it was pretty much smooth sailing. I was fully in love with the show at that point (although somehow I fell even more in love with it after Die Me, Dichotomy, which is possibly my favorite episode of the series, although it's hard to say).
Anyways, basically, here are random thoughts on all the characters, relationships, and many of the episodes and season arcs:
1. John Crichton. I love John with every fiber of my being. I'm pretty sure he's my favorite male character of any show ever. There is nothing that he did that I hated or that I couldn't understand. I mean, it's hard to label a favorite male character of all the shows I watch, but when I try to think of another that I like more, I can't. I just love everything about him. His character arc is amazing. I love how in the first episode he's totally clueless about everything that's going on, all this new technology and all these new species, and he's pretty incompetent in the first half of the season. But by the end of the series, he's so accustomed to everything that is going on. And not only is he no longer completely clueless, but all these different people are after him because of his wormhole knowledge. And even before he makes this transition, I love how just... optimistic, I guess, he is, that he has hope. He doesn't completely freak out about getting sucked through a wormhole and landing on this ship (this living ship!) of escaped prisoner aliens. He takes it all in stride. And no matter how many times he's beaten down, he always has this sliver of hope. He really should be much more broken and hurt by the end of the series after all the crap he's been put through, but he's not. And I really do love how subtle the transition is from being totally clueless about this new world, to actually being able to handle himself and understand what's going on. There was never a point where I was like "Hey, he's really competent here and able to defeat the bad guys and save the day, and in the very last episode, he was screwing everything up!" It was just totally organic and natural, and it always made sense when he knew what to do and when he didn't. I love how John has nicknames for everyone: Pip, Big Man/Big D, Sparky/Buckwheat, Blue. He even calls Scorpius Scorpy, and when he begins to start trusting him, Grasshopper. I don't know why, but I love that so ridiculous much. And the fact that he doesn't really have a nickname for Aeryn like he does for everyone else (although he does call her baby, honey, and sweetheart, but that's not the same kind of nickname). I really could go on about John forever, but I have a feeling this post is going to be long enough as it is, so I'll stop there. But really. I love John Crichton infinite amounts.
2. Aeryn Sun. I also love Aeryn infinite amounts (but maybe a little less than John. Really, only a tiny bit, and for no particular reason. I just love John that much. It might just be because we're in John's head more). I don't know if she's my favorite female character of all time, but she definitely ranks up there. Aeryn's character arc is just as awesome as John's. I love her transition from total trust in the Peacekeepers and being upset about having to give up that life, to telling John she would go with him to Earth in the third season, and fighting against the Peacekeepers throughout the series. And I love how much she kicks ass. She is just awesome.
3. John/Aeryn. Oh, god. One of my top OTPs of all time, now. I could write thousands of paragraphs on them, so I'll try to keep this somewhat brief. This is seriously one of the most well-handled relationships of all-time on television. They didn't leave them until the very end of the series to get together. All the reasons to stop them from being a couple made total sense, but they still let them be a couple at times as well. I don't really know how to say it. Just, everything about their relationship made perfect sense. There was never a time where I was like "OMG WHY ARE THEY DOING THAT WHAT THE HELL STUPID SHOW." I mean, in ALL my OTPs, I think there's a moment like that (except maybe Wonderfalls, but that doesn't count because it was only 13 episodes and in any case, I don't like Jaye/Eric or Mahandra/Aaron nearly as much as John/Aeryn. There are probably a few others, like Firefly, but again, none of the ships I supported in that show were nearly as amazing as John/Aeryn), but not here. What I really love most of all is John's love for Aeryn. I have no idea why, but for some reason it affects me more than Aeryn's love for John (even though that does also affect me). Dog With Two Bones kills me as much as I'm sure it kills everyone, but I think the couple episodes when Aeryn's captured by the Scarrans in season 4 destroy me even more. Just, I don't even know what to say about them. I love the two of them so ridiculously much. I love their growth from two people thrown together, neither able to return home, to both slowly finding friendship and later so much more in one another.
4. D'Argo. I started off not really liking D'Argo. I mean, I didn't dislike him, but I didn't really care about him either. He slowly grew on me, though, and even though I wouldn't say that I totally love him, I do like him a lot, and was sad when he got killed off in the miniseries. I really love when he's acting like someone else, if that makes any sense. Like in Out of Their Minds, when Chiana's in his body, or in Won't Get Fooled Again, where he's just... I don't even know how to describe it. And I love when he's used for comedic effect. He has some hilarious lines throughout the series. I really love his friendship with John, too, and how they evolve into being basically best friends. It's awesome and totally natural, too.
5. Zhaan. I'm not really a huge fan of Zhaan. Like with D'Argo, I started off not really liking her, and while I never really hated her, I never really cared about her, either. She didn't have as interesting a relationship with any of the other characters, I thought, and... I don't know. I just didn't really care about her. I wasn't at all upset when she was killed off.
6. Rygel. I think this is an unpopular opinion, but I kind of love Rygel. He, too, goes through very natural character development, but just not as severely. He's always most concerned with self-preservation (and food. And money), but by the end of the series, you can see that he has actually come to care about everyone else. Plus, he can be pretty hilarious. Him getting high on sugar on Earth is one of my favorite moments of the season. I didn't really hate him at the beginning of the series, but I was kind of... unsure about him. I mean, he's a muppet! But I came to actually care about him, and I basically ended up loving him by the end of the series.
7. Pilot/Moya. I love Pilot a lot. I don't even really know what to say about him. I just love him. I think he was the first non-John or Aeryn character that I really came to love. I also really love Moya, which is so weird, because... she's a ship! But she is awesome, too. And I love the relationship between Pilot and Moya, and how much Pilot cares for her. Really, how much everyone comes to care for Moya. Also, Pilot's relationship with Aeryn is awesome as well.
8. Chiana. I kind of didn't like Chiana at first, and I never really ended up loving her, but she grew on me some. I don't know that I started liking her for any reason other than I just got used to her. I love her friendship with John, and how it's kind of like a brother/sister relationship (um. Except when she takes his virginity. But besides that!). I also like her relationship with D'Argo for the most part until she becomes an ass and starts having sex with Jothee. I really hated that storyline. But I'll come back to that later. Basically, I like Chiana, but I also wouldn't have cared much if she had died or left at any point during the show.
9. Stark. I feel about Stark basically the opposite of all the other characters; I started out really liking him, and then ended up really... not. I really liked him when he was being tortured by Scorpius back in season 1 and he was pretending to be crazy and "My side, your side! My side, your side!" and all, but when he came back randomly in season 2, I was very... eh about him. And then he just ended up screwing everything up and actually being crazy and not being much of a help. And his relationship with Zhaan was kind of weird, too.
10. Jool. Oh, god. Annoying, and very clearly a replacement for Zhaan's medical abilities. I didn't really care that Zhaan got killed off, but it was annoying that she had to be replaced with Jool. Especially the first few episodes; all the screaming drove me crazy. She grew on me a little (although... not much), but I was not at all sad that she decided to stay on that planet in season 4.
11. Sikozu. I liked her more than Jool, but I still wasn't a huge fan of her. I still am kind of confused about her characterization in the mini-series, as to when exactly she became a spy for the Scarrans and what the hell ended up happening to her. Her relationship with Scorpius was interesting (although... creepy), but she never really fit with everyone else, she was always on Scorpius's side, so she never really felt like she was a part of the family that everyone else belonged to.
12. Scorpius/Harvey. Oh, god, what an awesome villain. Has there ever been a villain more awesome? Seriously. I loved his transition, too, and how you come to see that he's actually not all bad, he really does want to use the technology against the Scarrans, but... he's not all good, either. And I love Scorpius for giving John Harvey. Well, not love, but... man was season 2 awesome to watch John's spiral into insanity. And after that, John's scenes with Harvey were hilarious. I loved their relationship in season 3, where Harvey was actually primarily concerned with keeping John alive. Also why I love John and Scorpius's relationship in season 4, when Scorpius comes on Moya. And I love how John and Scorpius don't actually completely hate each other; there's a kind of respect in each of them, and trust. It's really fascinating to watch.
13. Crais/Talyn. Crais was really annoying for most of the first season, but at the end of the first season, he became really interesting. His evolution was also really interesting to watch, from being so deadset at killing John to acknowledging that it was just an accident that John killed his brother. And Talyn! I think I loved Talyn. He had some issues, but he did really love Moya, and he did save all their asses several times. The relationship between Crais and Talyn was also very interesting. I was absolutely shocked when they were killed off at the end of season 3, but it made me end up loving them both all the more. It's amazing how different a place Crais is at at the end of season 3 to the beginning of season 1.
14. Noranti. I never really liked her. She never really made things better or had any use; she frequently just made everything worse, and she wasn't particularly likable, either. I wish there had been more of an explanation about who she was and why she was even on Moya. I mean, there was a short explanation, but I don't know. It was very sudden.
15. 1812/DRDs. Ok, this probably doesn't deserve its own point, but I totally loved the DRDs, especially 1812. I remember in one of the very early episodes, one of the DRDs gets killed, and I was really upset (mostly because I thought there was only one or two and not like hundreds). I think the DRDs were actually the first non-human looking characters that I really loved for absolutely no particular reason. And 1812 is just awesome. I was glad that he got taken onto Moya after John left Elak.
16. Braca. I kind of love Braca for no particular reason, and I was ridiculously happy that he was Scorpius's spy. I was also very happy that he didn't die, because I was really expecting him to at some point.
17. The Credits. Oh, god, I love the credits so much. It's weird, because I kind of hated them the first few episodes, but now they're one of my favorite things (especially seasons 3 and 4). I love how they change from John just wanting to go home in seasons 1 and 2 to being kind of ambivalent in season 3 and not being sure if he should go back and warn them or if they'll even be ready, but also kind of hinting at the fact that a lot of the things he's seen have been truly amazing and good, to season 4 where it's clear that he needs to go home to protect the human race from the Scarrans and possibly the Peacekeepers, and not that he desperately misses Earth and doesn't feel comfortable on Moya or in this part of the universe, like at the beginning of season 1, and how he says "Look up, and share the wonders I've seen." And seriously, the season 3 credits, the first time I saw them, actually made me tear up. This is mostly due to the fact that I had just watched Die Me, Dichotomy and was absolutely dead from that, and then the build up in the credits with all the explosions and John clearly being more ambivalent towards going home for the sake of being home and then the last freaking shot of the credits being Aeryn and John kissing and Aeryn still being dead and that kiss not even being a real kiss between them, but from when the neural clone had taken over John, and if they extended the clip a few seconds, you would see him knocking out Aeryn, just. It totally destroyed me. And still, even after that episode and after the emotional trauma of Aeryn's death, every time I watch those credits, I shiver at the end, at that kiss. It's so unfair that it's that kiss. Just, yeah. I love these credits infinite amounts, obviously.
18. Till the Blood Runs Clear. I went over most of what I thought about the first half of season 1 above, so I'll start here. This episode, like DNA Mad Scientist, helped change my attitude towards the show. I loved that while Aeryn wasn't ready yet to take up John's offer of going back to Earth with him, she's still clearly uneasy about the thought of him going back to Earth. She's not in love with him yet, and they're not even particularly great friends yet, but there's a connection there, and... I don't know. I really enjoy it. And I love now after seeing the entire series that this episode does have ramifications seasons later. Farscape is so awesome at continuity and laying groundwork for future episodes and arcs.
19. Jeremiah Crichton. I've seen a lot of hate for this episode, but I actually don't think it's that bad. It's worth it for me to see Aeryn and D'Argo continuing to search for John for 3 months (even though Zhaan wants to give up. No wonder I never really liked Zhaan!). It shows such an evolution from the first episode, because you know if that had happened in the premiere, there's no way they would have continued searching. It shows character development, and I like that. Plus, I think there are far worse episodes (the second and third episode of season 2 coming to mind immediately).
20. A Bug's Life/Nerve/The Hidden Memory/Bone to Be Wild/Family Ties. My thoughts on these episodes are all kind of intertwined, so I figured I'd do it all together. I was kind of worried after watching A Human Reaction that the awesomeness of that episode was a fluke or that I'd have to wait for other awesome episodes in other seasons, but I ended up loving everything after AHR. There's just so much plot packed into all the episodes! Aeryn almost dying, the first of many times of John risking his life to save Aeryn, Gilina coming back and then actually dying, SCORPIUS AND THE AURORA CHAIR, Stark back when I liked his character, Crais defecting, TALYN'S BIRTH, CRAIS STEALING TALYS, JOHN AND D'ARGO FLOATING IN SPACE TO BE CONTINUED. My mind was totally blown. At this point, I was like "Ok, show, if you're going to be like this for the rest of the series, then I will love you forever." And the thing is, you need the earlier episodes in season 1 that slowly build up John and Aeryn's friendship and then subsequent relationship, John and D'Argo's friendship, Gilina's introduction, John going to fake!Earth and getting the knowledge from the ancients and not knowing he got the information from the ancients, etc. to get to this point and have it mean anything. Especially the slow development of the characters' relationships. These episodes couldn't take place back after the premiere; John wouldn't have been so set at saving Aeryn, D'Argo and John wouldn't have done whatever crazy thing they did at the end of the finale leaving them hanging in the middle of space, Crais's defection would have meant nothing. And while the slow build-up isn't as exciting or interesting as these episodes, it's wholly necessary not just for the end of season 1, but for the entire show. And not only are these episodes the result of a season-long build-up, but they set the stage for so many things to come. Everything in A Human Reaction that I already mentioned, of course, but also SCORPIUS and the chip and the Aurora chair. And it's just so amazing how far John has come at this point from the premiere, but how much further he has to go. I love this set of episodes so much for all these reasons and more. (Including, totally shallowly, the fact that John starts calling Aeryn "baby." Seriously, I've never liked that as a nickname or term of endearment before, but I absolutely love it for John and Aeryn. Especially in Die Me, Dichotomy, but I'll get to that later.) ljdlkjsdf I really love this show, if you couldn't tell.
21. Vitas Mortis/Taking the Stone. I really did not like these episodes. Two of my least favorite of the series. I think the thing is, even though I do like Chiana and D'Argo, two episodes solely about them gets old for me. I need much more John and Aeryn. And the plots weren't that interesting or well-written. These episodes kind of mark how uneven Farscape is. The end of season 1 and Mind the Baby were excellent, and Crackers Don't Matter is hilarious and awesome, but these two episodes are so... blah. When Farscape is good, it is really, really good, and a lot of the time it's really, really good, but unfortunately... it can also be really bad. I mean, all shows have bad episodes. But I think with most shows, you'll have seasons that are overall very excellent, and then others that are not (at least from what I've seen). With Farscape, I don't know that there's any one season that is truly excellent. I've mentioned that I don't like season 1 as much, at least the first half, but I might feel different when I rewatch the series (not that I have any plans to do that as of yet, but I'm sure I'm going to have to do it eventually. And by eventually, I mean this summer). And I know most people love season 3 the most, but I like season 2 just as much as season 3, and season 4 is very close behind them. But they all have their really awful episodes, and they all have their mindblowing, amazing episodes. I think it's because they take such risks, and when the risks pay off, you get these spectacular episodes, but when they fail, or when they choose not to take risks, you get episodes like these. sigh.
22. Crackers Don't Matter. I know this episode is well-loved by fandom, and I don't know that there's much more I have to add about it, but I have to say that Pilot's "You know, I don't think I do like them" if one of my favorite lines of the season. I totally didn't expect it, and I spent a good amount of time laughing at that. Oh, Pilot. You know you really do love them. I don't think I actually appreciated the episode fully the first time I watched it because I had just suffered through Vitas Mortis and Taking the Stone, and I was kind of like "...sigh. Another episode, and it's early in the season, so it's probably not anything special" and I kind of wasn't paying attention for part of it. (And now I want to watch it again and properly appreciate it. Even though I totally don't have time for that. sigh. I actually really want to watch the entire series over again right now, but I have even less time for that.) But it really is awesome.
23. The Way We Weren't. I know this is also a much-loved episode by fandom. I also really loved it. The Aeryn/Pilot relationship is wonderful to watch, and you know it meant so much more to Pilot that it was Aeryn back then who had done that than if it had been Chiana or D'Argo because of their shared DNA. And even at this point, still early in the series, you can see how far Aeryn has come from her Peacekeeper roots. This episode is just so heartbreaking, but I love the end, that Pilot can come to naturally bond with Moya and be rid of the pain. Devastating and painful with just a sliver of hope; totally what Farscape is all about.
24. Dream a Little Dream. I kind of hated this episode with a passion. Mostly just because NO AERYN OR JOHN OR PILOT WTF. I always get really upset when they're missing episodes (well, not as much Pilot, but if you're not going to have Aeryn or John, you can at least make up for it by having a multitude of Pilot!). I guess it's better placed here than as the opener, as originally planned, because that would've been a crappy opener. But yeah, I kind of have a great dislike for this episode. Especially because I don't care about Zhaan, so her guilt is just annoying, and I don't care if she's in prison forever.
25. Out of Their Minds. Oh god, I loved this episode an insane amount. I know the whole switching bodies storyline is totally cliche, but whatever. It was totally hilarious and worked. And I liked that both Aeryn and John got a chance to be in each other's bodies. Just, everything about this episode. Chiana in D'Argo's body, which I already mentioned totally cracked me up, John in Aeryn's body having to tell Rygel in John's body how to pee, John in Aeryn's body looking at her boobs, Aeryn saying at the end that she was in John's pants! Oh man.
26. Look at the Princess. In retrospect, the trilogy isn't that amazing, but I remember really loving it the first time through and it contributing to my love of the show. Plus, it's totally awesome just for the teaser of the first episode and the end of the last episode. Especially that end. I remember just holding my breath when Aeryn held out the liquid thingy and seeing John's look and neither of them saying anything and kissing and then stopping and neither looks happy and I was really freaked out that they wouldn't be genetically compatible even though that meant they could still be together, but then Aeryn turns and she smiles and he's smiling and he looks like he's savoring the taste and I could finally let out my breath and grin. It's such an amazing moment. And it's also worth it just for being part of the arc of John's descent into insanity. I remember when he didn't kill Scorpius at the end when he had the chance, I was like "WTF TOTALLY CONTRIVED WHY WOULDN'T HE KILL HIM TOTALLY JUST AN EXCUSE SO SCORPIUS CAN CONTINUE TO BE THE VILLAIN." But now, knowing what happens in the rest of the season, it's like "HOLY CRAP HE DIDN'T KILL HIM BECAUSE OF THE NEURAL CLONE EXCEPT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT YET BUT IT'S THERE OH GOD I LOVE THIS SHOW." John's descent into insanity is really subtle, and the first time you see these episodes it's like he's acting out of character, or it doesn't make sense, but then, in retrospect, it totally does. I love this show.
27. Won't Get Fooled Again. Awesomely cracktastic episode. I love everyone in this insane amounts (especially D'Argo!). Also, Crais gets all the best lines. Seriously, I'm pretty sure "Assault on a police officer. Theft of police property. Illegal possession of a firearm. Five counts of attempted murder. That comes to twenty-nine dollars and forty cents. Cash, check, or credit card" and "You have the right to the remains of a silent attorney! If you cannot afford one, tough noogies! You can make one phone call! I recommend Trixie: 976-Triple 5-LOVE. Do you understand these rights as I have explained them to you? Well, do you, punk?!" / "...No." / "Then I can't arrest you!" are two of the most hilarious lines in the entire series. And I love that as funny as the episode is, it's incredibly dark as well. I mean, we find out that John has a chip in his head! John's been going insane and is going to continue going insane! And geez, that scene with his mother is just heartbreaking. Poor John. And I love how when it starts, it's not even pretending to be real. I mean, I saw caps of the episode, and thought at least part of it would be trying to convince John that all this time, he's actually been in a hospital or whatever. But then, from the start, it's not trying to convince John or us that this is reality. And I love how John thinks he knows what's going on in the beginning, is pretty nonchalant and is just like "Whatever, I'm totally not fooled, I'll just ride this out until I can get back to reality" but the point of it isn't fooling him at all, it's as Harvey says, to break him. And it works. Or at least, it starts to work. And it's totally devastating, but it's ridiculously awesome and hilarious as well. Yeah, this is definitely one of my favorite episodes of the series.
28. Liars, Guns, and Money. Totally awesome, and somehow even better than that series of season 1 episodes. Besides the part that I hate Jothee, and Jothee for John is nowhere near a fair trade in any part of the universe. Aeryn having to see John like that, in that last episode of the series, where he's losing his sanity and Scorpius is starting to take over, totally killed me. Although I do love that she just knocks him out so he won't turn himself in to Scorpius. And John's plea to D'Argo at the end to just kill him. Oh, John. But yeah, this whole series is awesome, and at the end of each episode it's like "HOW IS NOT THE SEASON FINALE. HOW IS THE MORE IN THE SERIES? HOW IS THERE A WHOLE OTHER EPISODE AFTER THIS ONE?!" I love this show so much.
29. Die Me, Dichotomy. Ok, so I already have mentioned this several times, but I love this episode so much. Like, I know I've mentioned the other episodes that contributed to me loving the show and how A Human Reaction finally hooked me, and then the series after that I was like "OK SHOW YOU ARE AWESOME" but seriously? THIS was the episode which made me truly become obsessed and fall in love with the show and want to pimp it out to everyone I know. Just... god. It's so heartbreaking, the beginning, where John knows he's going crazy but he can't stop it, and Aeryn's trying to be there for him but just can't. And that part that I already mentioned that's in the credits. THE FIRST TIME AERYN AND JOHN SAY I LOVE YOU TO EACH OTHER. AND IT'S SCORPIUS. (Well, Harvey, but Scorpius sounds more evil.) And then how they're leaning in and about to kiss and then... poor Aeryn. And how John later doesn't remember it, or he does but he's Scorpius and messing with Aeryn, and Aeryn's just angry and hurt and confused and god.
But really, the part of the episode that just defines it for me and makes me love it forever is Aeryn's death. The whole terrible sequence of it being John who causes her death is the most heartbreaking part of the entire series for me, even moreso than Talyn!John's death. Harvey mocking her about him knocking her out before, saying she won't shoot him down. D'Argo telling Aeryn not to hestitate, her asking him why he would think she would, and him saying "Because if our positions were reversed, I would." (I LOVE THE D'ARGO/JOHN FRIENDSHIP SO MUCH. THIS IS SUCH A DIFFERENT PLACE THEY'RE AT FROM WHERE THEY STARTED.) Harvey crashing down into Aeryn's prowler. The prowler crashing, and Harvey delightedly calling it "Fireworks!" Harvey pointing out that Aeryn is set straight for the ice, knowing Aeryn has no hope, and this being what finally allows John to gain the strength to take control again. Aeryn unsure if this is the real John, or if Harvey's just playing another cruel trick. John saying "Baby, you're not going to die like this. You are not going to die like this." (Seriously, ok, this was the last episode I watched of the night, and I had class the next morning, and all the next morning before I watched the season 3 premiere, this was the line that was running through my head. Seriously, all morning. The way he says it, how he doesn't totally believe it but he still has this sliver of hope, how he doesn't want to be responsible for her death but he knows he is and blames himself, how he calls her "baby," which I already mentioned I loved, but I love the most here. That might be my favorite moment/line of the entire series.) Her saying that she meant what she said, and hoping he did too. And then she dies. And everyone screams. lksfjd god. AND THE EPISODE'S ONLY HALF OVER AT THIS POINT OK. This episode killed me so dead, I can't even describe it. It still has John finally hanging on to just a bit of control, able to attend the funeral and looking so devastated and shocked, and able to go get the chip removed. And being able to erase all his memories of Aeryn, but not doing it (I was seriously so freaked out that he was going to erase her, god). And getting it removed, and then... Scorpius. And John has lost everything. This episode seriously affected me in ways very few episodes of any show ever have. And I know I said my love for this show was cemented before this episode, but... this episode just grabbed me and refused to let go.
30. Season of Death. I have to say, I wasn't sure how they were going to be able to follow the magnitude of awesome that is Die Me, Dichotomy, but they did an amazing job. I love that even though they were able to bring Aeryn back, it wasn't anything simple; Zhaan has to die for it to happen. I love that. Usually in cases like this you know whoever it is is going to come back the next season, and I love that even though that happens, it comes at a real cost. And I love John's reaction to seeing her again, how he's unwilling to let himself believe it's true, but then it is, and he touches her hair, and then pulls her in close. The only part I hated about this episode was Chiana and Jothee.
31. Suns and Lovers. As I said, I really hated the whole Chiana/Jothee thing. It was just squicky and annoying and stupid. Although I have to say, I do like that she was only doing it because she was afraid of committing to D'Argo and not because she was actually really interested in Jothee and loved him or whatever. And I'm glad that D'Argo found out so quickly and Jothee was gone, because in a lot of other shows, they'd probably drag the storyline out for half a season, and I'd hate it and it'd ruin my love for the show. At least here, they got it done with quickly. But it is really terrible to think how finding Jothee was this driving force behind D'Argo for two seasons and he finally finds him, and it's just not worthy any of it. I'm glad he gets kind of redeemed in The Peacekeeper Wars, but still. I hate basically everything about Jothee and his storylines.
32. ...Different Destinations. I kind of love this episode. Not actually... the episode itself, if that makes any sense. Like, it's kind of boring, honestly, and it's definitely not one of my favorite episodes. But I love how unlike the normal cliche of going back to the past, screwing things up, and then fixing them so everything is ok again, or even making things better than they turned out, they all just made everything worse. And even though they were able to make it so the planet itself wasn't completely obliterated, they still made things worse. It's kind of dark and depressing, but it's unexpected, and I like that.
33. Eat Me/Thanks for Sharing. I love how Eat Me seems like just another filler episode, but it ends up having huge ramifications. And I love how Thanks for Sharing uses the two different Johns so well. I was spoiled for a few things when I started watching the show, and I wasn't spoiled entirely for this storyline, but I did read somewhere something about T!John and M!John, so I excepted at some point there to be two Johns. I also figured out after Talyn was born that T stood for Talyn and M stood for Moya, and from there I basically figured out the rest of the storyline; the Johns would be separated (although I just thought one would live on each ship on purpose and not how it actually happened) and that Talyn!John would die (I don't know why I knew it would be him and not the other, but I knew one of them had to die, and I predicted it would be him. Especially after he and Aeryn got together). And I even predicted in what episode it would happen. But the arc was still totally tragic and devastating and I loved it all. It worked well to have two so that at least John was in every episode when they started switching between Talyn and Moya (although I didn't enjoy that there was no Aeryn in the Moya episodes. But still, John and no Aeryn is better than no either of them).
34. Green Eyed Monster. I love that Ben Browder wrote this! I just found that out like an hour or two ago (unlike with John Quixote, which I knew before I watched the episode, and I'll go on about that later). I really love that they actually let John and Aeryn be together for awhile, even if T!John had to end up dying. And I enjoyed that the storyline between Aeryn, Crais, and Talyn was kind of resolved. Because there had always kind of been that weird... I don't know. Aeryn was so connected to Talyn from the start, and Crais developed a thing for her... somewhere down the line, so I liked that by the end, both of them were kind of okay with John.
35. Meltdown. Ok, I love this episode solely for the shippy goodness it gives us. I mean, how many other episodes are there of John and Aeryn making out basically the entire time and being able to be truly happy? NONE, I TELL YOU. So yeah, if you're not a total shipper, the episode probably isn't the best, but whatever. I love it, and I can tell I'll be rewatching it many a times. Plus, I love the beginning, when you think that you're seeing what actually happened between Xhalax and Crais, and then Crais turns to the camera and is like "Is that what you think happened, Crichton?" Hee. I kind of loved Crais in season 3 (well, definitely by the end of the season, when he and Talyn sacrifice themselves for everyone else).
36. Infinite Possibilities/The Choice. Oh, the pain. Poor Talyn!John. Poor Aeryn. I love the continuity of this episode, how it reaches all the way back to Till the Blood Runs Clear, which I already mentioned is one of the episodes that helped me get hooked to the show. I knew he had to die in the end, but it was just so sad and tragic and not at all how I was expecting. Especially right after he gets hit by the radiation and then he's with Aeryn and he grabs her desperately and kisses her because he knows what's happening. And she has no idea what's going on and then he tells her and oh god. They were so happy! So of course it couldn't last. The very end, where everyone says their goodbyes, and then Aeryn kisses him and he says he never felt better and then dies... god. You know they can't both live, and you know that this one has to die because he gets everything: Aeryn, no more Harvey, the wormhole technology unlocked. But it's still tragic anyways, because he is John Crichton. They both are, they both have his memories and his personality, with a split at Eat Me. But he has to die. And, of course, The Choice is just so painful as well. I think the worst part for me, though, is the very end, where Aeryn says "Maybe I could have become something different. If you'd lived, I could have truly changed. But you are gone. And I am what I was bred to be," and John tells her to come here and Aeryn says "No. You have to go now." It's just... god. It's like where they start out, when John tells her that she could be more, and she has been more, and now she's just back where she started. Oh, Aeryn. I love how this relationship and their character arcs are handled so much.
37. Fractures. Oh god, yet another painful episode. Season 3 is such the season of angst. All the seasons have their angst, but god, this arc. It's sad how excited John is that Aeryn's back, and you're just filled with dread because you know the reunion is going to be nothing like he hoped or planned. And then he sees her and he's so happy and she's just like "Crichton." Oh, Aeryn. This whole episode really just hurts. But then the end! Aeryn's the first to join John! And of course it's all because of T!John, but still! Devastating with just a sliver of hope.
38. Into the Lion's Den. CRAIS AND TALYN SACRIFICE THEMSELVES FOR EVERYONE HOLY CRAP. I was in shock watching it, and I'm still kind of shocked. geez. What an awesome show. Season 3 really is the Season of Death. I like how Aeryn has warmed up just slightly to John, not so much that they're friendly, but they're able to work to each other. But it's just not how it was. It just can't be. And I love these episodes for the relationship between Scorpius and John. It lays the groundwork for season 4, when Scorpius goes on Moya, because you can see John start to rethink whether Scorpius is entirely evil, and that maybe giving him the wormhole technology would be for the good. It's amazing where they go with the relationship between the two of them. It's so well-done.
39. Dog With Two Bones. Oh, so heartbreaking. It's not the most heartbreaking for John and Aeryn for me (even though I know it is for some people), but it is right up there. The entire... end conversation, with Aeryn telling him that it's not easy, that she watched him die, and him forcing her to say goodbye. And of course, the repeatedly quoted lines, "Do you love John Crichton? Not him, not me. John Crichton." / "Yes." and "Do you love Aeryn Sun?" / "Beyond hope." Oh, John! And then, "Then don't make me say goodbye, and don't make me stay." And possibly even more sad is John's fantasies about life on Earth with Aeryn. How in every situation, it can't work; she has trouble with English and gets frustrated, she talks to Jack about how she hates it on Earth. Even in the one where they have the wedding and they're happy, she gets killed (AND SAYS "I never felt better" OH GOD WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME FARSCAPE?!). There's always a sliver of hope with John, no matter how terrible the circumstances, but here... there's none. And it's kind of a slow episode, with all this angst, and then all of a sudden AERYN'S PREGNANT WTF AND MOYA IS SUCKED INTO A WORMHOLE AND JOHN IS TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY FRELLED. WTF. AWESOME. I do hate Noranti in this episode. She's just all of a sudden there and she's no help and is rather annoying. Oh well. Other than her, the episode is awesome.
40. Crichton Kicks/What Was Lost/Lava's a Many Splendored Thing. Episodes without Aeryn or John make me sad, so the beginning of season 4 was rough. I loved the introduction of 1812, and Jool leaving. Didn't like the introduction of Noranti, as I already mentioned, and Sikozu, to some extent. What Was Lost was rather boring the first time around, but I like it a lot more now knowing the significance it has to The Peacekeeper Wars (although I think it could've been one episode instead of two).
41. Promises. Aeryn! Scorpius being added to Moya was ridiculously awesome. I don't have much to say about this episode, but I absolutely loved the end, when John asks "So you could tell me if you're pregnant." Just the way he delivers that line, and Aeryn's face falls... oh man. Awesome.
42. John Quixote. How much do I love that Ben Browder wrote this episode? INFINITELY MUCH IS HOW MUCH. Part of my love for John has to do with the fact that I am now totally in love with Ben Browder, especially after learning that he wrote this and Green Eyed Monster (but especially this) and how supportive he is of the relationship between John and Aeryn. Oh, Ben Browder. This episode is total crack, and it's awesome. It was sad to find out that the kiss between Aeryn and John was fake, a part of the game, but also good because I had no idea why Aeryn was acting that way and helping Scorpius and not John. Aeryn as the princess was absolutely hilarious, oh god. Especially when she tells John that she's not the princess he seeks, but they could still have some fun. Oh man. Awesome.
43. Unrealized Reality/Kansas/Terra Firma. The episodes up to this point were just kind of eh. Not the worst of the series, but not that great either. But man, Unrealized Reality really kicked things back into gear. I feel like I need to see it again to really understand it, but it was really awesome. I loved this trilogy of episodes. Kansas was totally hilarious. Rygel's addiction to sugar and stealing candy from kids was one of my favorite things ever. Also, Aeryn's line when watching Sesame Street, "S! This girl's slow." Hee! That might just be the funniest line of Aeryn's ever. And Terra Firma was also excellent. I totally didn't expect that John would actually get to Earth for real. It was kind of nice that things weren't as bad as they were in John's imagined Earth back in A Human Reaction. And I loved John's sister; she was totally awesome, and it's too bad there wasn't a way to have more of her in the series. Just... I don't know what to say about these episodes. They were totally awesome. I was afraid that them finally finding Earth would end up being disappointing, but it wasn't at all.
44. Twice Shy. I really enjoyed this. First of all, because JOHN AND AERYN FINALLY. I don't totally buy that John was taking that stuff only because he thought Scorpius would use Aeryn against him. I mean, Scorpius had to know what Aeryn meant to him already. Everyone in the universe knew what Aeryn meant to him. And Aeryn still gets taken anyways, so it's not like it affected anything. And John really was in pain, and it seemed like he needed to forget that pain, to forget her. But I was happy when it was over, and that they were finally happy. At least a little happy. The whole... intensifying their main characteristics and then taking them away was hilarious. D'Argo's line "I have no reason to be angry. With dialogue and compromise..." Hee! I've already mentioned it, but I love when D'Argo's... basically, not D'Argo.
45. Bringing Home the Beacon/A Constellation of Doubt/Prayer/Fetal Attraction. Oh, god. I don't hear this arc mentioned as much when people talk about all the tragedy on this show, but this is right up there with the T!John arc and John going insane for me. They were so close to happiness! John shooting Aeryn is just so painful, even though it's not the real Aeryn. I mean, he knows it's not the real Aeryn, but he already caused Aeryn's death once, and it looks and talks exactly like Aeryn. And then A Constellation of Doubt, geez, what an episode. The only thing that bothered me was that they could all speak perfect English, even D'Argo, which made no sense. Oh well. The rest was excellent. You could just see how much pain John was in. And the end of the episode, going to Scorpius and telling him that Aeryn is all he cares about, and he'll trade his wormhole knowledge for her... oh, John. Prayer and Fetal Attraction are also both ridiculously sad for the same reasons. John is so in love with her, and he'd do anything to bring her back. It just kills me. Meanwhile, you have Aeryn's terror at her baby being taken from her. Yet she always has this little bit of hope that John will rescue her. Really, these episodes totally destroy me.
46. We're So Screwed. I don't think these episodes were as good as the major ending episodes of all the other seasons, but they were still good. And it was awesome to see John and Aeryn together, happy (well, as happy as they can be under the circumstances), supporting each other. The flower thing was a little... wtf? But acceptable. I'm glad Scorpius wasn't actually a spy for the Scarrans, because that would have made entirely no sense at all.
47. Bad Timing. Holy crap am I glad that I didn't watch this when it originally aired, or at any time before the miniseries. I would've gone crazy. Anyways, I love that Aeryn goes with John and tells him that there are worse things than being stuck on Earth. Oh, man, THEY'VE COME SO FAR. You go from season 1 Aeryn not knowing her place in the universe, still struggling with the fact that she can never go home again and not knowing where her home is, to here, where she knows that she'll be happy as long as she's with John. AND THE ENTIRE END. John's total exuberance at her being pregnant and then proposing and her of course saying yes! Oh man. And Rygel and D'Argo and Chiana's comments while they're watching are awesome. AND THEN THEY GET CRYSTALLIZED. D'Argo's scream is so terribly sad. It's kind of a really fitting ending, though. I mean, you can assume that what happens in The Peacekeeper Wars happens even if you don't see it; that of course they'll find some way for them to get whole again, and they'll get married and have a baby and everything will be ok.
48. The Peacekeeper Wars. Unfortunately not all that I had hoped for. It had too much plot and not enough... emotional/character stuff. I realize that they had to get what they planned for season 5 into 3 hours, but I still wish they had backed off on the plot more. I did like a lot of things about the episode, though. Rygel carrying John and Aeryn's baby was absolutely hilarious. There were loads of funny lines, like Aeryn's "Shooting makes me feel better." I love that what happened in What Was Lost is actually incredibly relevant here. I love Aeryn's conversation with that guy about how they took a primitive species from far away and sped up their evolution and how the Peacekeepers came into existence and the Sebaciens totally came from humans which explains why John and Aeryn can have a baby and why Sebaciens are so much like humans. That was maybe my favorite thing of the entire episode, actually. I love John's exuberance about being a father. It's been consistent throughout the series that he's wanted children; I mean, even in Look at the Princess, he was so sad that he wouldn't be able to see his daughter. It's awesome to see him actually realize that dream. The end was sad, and I was afraid John wouldn't wake up and would die, even though I didn't think they would really kill him off. The end with the baby was a little... cliche and out there, but whatever. They're finally happy. (Oh, but poor D'Argo! Not my favorite character, but I was more sad about him dying than Zhaan or Jool.)
Yeah, so basically, I love this show. I actually got really upset as I got nearer to the end of the season because I knew it would be over and I didn't want it to be. I really hope they do get webisodes done (and now that the strike is about over, they probably will start up on those again), because I hate that that's all there is (even though... it did get 4 entire seasons and a 3 hour miniseries). I really wish they had been able to do a season 5 so we could see John and Aeryn finally happy together for once. Oh well.
If you didn't read all that but you're vaguely interested in Farscape and haven't seen any of it yet, I'll warn you that it starts off slow, but if you stick with it, it really pays off. The first season is my least favorite overall, but it gets so very good, especially in seasons 2 and 3. So if you do decide to try it, give it a chance past the first half of the first season.
Ok, now I should do some work.
Anyways, I have a 5 page paper due Wednesday, a test on Friday, possibly another small paper due Friday, and a ridiculous amount of reading to do (none of which I've started yet, of course), but I finally finished the entire series of Farscape, including the miniseries, so clearly posting about that is more important (especially since I know there are very few people on my flist who have watched the show). This is going to be a very long post. Just warning you now. Spoilers for the entire series including The Peacekeeper Wars.
So, I wasn't a huge fan of the show after the first episode. The sci-fi-ness of the show kind of put me off (which is kind of weird, because for a long time sci-fi/fantasy was my favorite genre of books, and a ridiculous amount of shows I watch and love are sci-fi). I think it was mostly that so many of the characters just didn't look human. It was weird and hard to relate to them. Especially the muppets. It took me a long time to get used to Rygel (Pilot it took less time, but he's not as present in the show, I think). I'm not sure when that changed for me. I know when my attitude to the show changed, but not towards the non-humanness of all the characters. I guess it was just having so much exposure to them in every episode, that after awhile, it's just... meaningless that they're not human.
But yeah, so the first episode didn't really impress me, and the following episodes impressed me even less. I saw a few merits to the show; I loved John and I liked the relationship developing between him and Aeryn even back when nothing was really happening, just when they were developing a friendship (and that's probably mostly due to the fact that hearing about how awesome their relationship is was what finally pushed me to watch the show), and there were a few funny moments. There were episodes that I liked in the mix of the first 8 or so. I really liked Exodus from Genesis, which I think might not be a popular opinion, but I liked the John/Aeryn relationship a lot in that episode, how you can see a friendship or a connection starting to develop, and I liked that what they thought was a threat wasn't actually trying to harm them. I also liked PK Tech Girl a lot, also for the development between Aeryn and John. And actually, a lot of these episodes seem better to me now that I'm in love with so many of these characters and can appreciate the set-up in the first half of the season to the development of their relationships for the rest of the series, but back when I was first watching it, my attitude was basically "Eh. It has its moments, but it's not amazing by any means."
I think the first time my attitude started to change was with DNA Mad Scientist. It still didn't hook me completely, but I remember then feeling like maybe this show was better than I originally thought. I guess I started to see the potential at that episode. I also really enjoyed The Flax, mostly for John and Aeryn, of course. (They actually aren't all that I love about this show now, but it definitely did start off that way.)
It wasn't until A Human Reaction that I fully fell in love with the show. It really sets up so many future plots, seasons later, and it's just... amazing. And not even just for the John/Aeryn, but also for Earth and the wormholes and the ancients and just everything. I love that episode infinitely.
From then on, it was pretty much smooth sailing. I was fully in love with the show at that point (although somehow I fell even more in love with it after Die Me, Dichotomy, which is possibly my favorite episode of the series, although it's hard to say).
Anyways, basically, here are random thoughts on all the characters, relationships, and many of the episodes and season arcs:
1. John Crichton. I love John with every fiber of my being. I'm pretty sure he's my favorite male character of any show ever. There is nothing that he did that I hated or that I couldn't understand. I mean, it's hard to label a favorite male character of all the shows I watch, but when I try to think of another that I like more, I can't. I just love everything about him. His character arc is amazing. I love how in the first episode he's totally clueless about everything that's going on, all this new technology and all these new species, and he's pretty incompetent in the first half of the season. But by the end of the series, he's so accustomed to everything that is going on. And not only is he no longer completely clueless, but all these different people are after him because of his wormhole knowledge. And even before he makes this transition, I love how just... optimistic, I guess, he is, that he has hope. He doesn't completely freak out about getting sucked through a wormhole and landing on this ship (this living ship!) of escaped prisoner aliens. He takes it all in stride. And no matter how many times he's beaten down, he always has this sliver of hope. He really should be much more broken and hurt by the end of the series after all the crap he's been put through, but he's not. And I really do love how subtle the transition is from being totally clueless about this new world, to actually being able to handle himself and understand what's going on. There was never a point where I was like "Hey, he's really competent here and able to defeat the bad guys and save the day, and in the very last episode, he was screwing everything up!" It was just totally organic and natural, and it always made sense when he knew what to do and when he didn't. I love how John has nicknames for everyone: Pip, Big Man/Big D, Sparky/Buckwheat, Blue. He even calls Scorpius Scorpy, and when he begins to start trusting him, Grasshopper. I don't know why, but I love that so ridiculous much. And the fact that he doesn't really have a nickname for Aeryn like he does for everyone else (although he does call her baby, honey, and sweetheart, but that's not the same kind of nickname). I really could go on about John forever, but I have a feeling this post is going to be long enough as it is, so I'll stop there. But really. I love John Crichton infinite amounts.
2. Aeryn Sun. I also love Aeryn infinite amounts (but maybe a little less than John. Really, only a tiny bit, and for no particular reason. I just love John that much. It might just be because we're in John's head more). I don't know if she's my favorite female character of all time, but she definitely ranks up there. Aeryn's character arc is just as awesome as John's. I love her transition from total trust in the Peacekeepers and being upset about having to give up that life, to telling John she would go with him to Earth in the third season, and fighting against the Peacekeepers throughout the series. And I love how much she kicks ass. She is just awesome.
3. John/Aeryn. Oh, god. One of my top OTPs of all time, now. I could write thousands of paragraphs on them, so I'll try to keep this somewhat brief. This is seriously one of the most well-handled relationships of all-time on television. They didn't leave them until the very end of the series to get together. All the reasons to stop them from being a couple made total sense, but they still let them be a couple at times as well. I don't really know how to say it. Just, everything about their relationship made perfect sense. There was never a time where I was like "OMG WHY ARE THEY DOING THAT WHAT THE HELL STUPID SHOW." I mean, in ALL my OTPs, I think there's a moment like that (except maybe Wonderfalls, but that doesn't count because it was only 13 episodes and in any case, I don't like Jaye/Eric or Mahandra/Aaron nearly as much as John/Aeryn. There are probably a few others, like Firefly, but again, none of the ships I supported in that show were nearly as amazing as John/Aeryn), but not here. What I really love most of all is John's love for Aeryn. I have no idea why, but for some reason it affects me more than Aeryn's love for John (even though that does also affect me). Dog With Two Bones kills me as much as I'm sure it kills everyone, but I think the couple episodes when Aeryn's captured by the Scarrans in season 4 destroy me even more. Just, I don't even know what to say about them. I love the two of them so ridiculously much. I love their growth from two people thrown together, neither able to return home, to both slowly finding friendship and later so much more in one another.
4. D'Argo. I started off not really liking D'Argo. I mean, I didn't dislike him, but I didn't really care about him either. He slowly grew on me, though, and even though I wouldn't say that I totally love him, I do like him a lot, and was sad when he got killed off in the miniseries. I really love when he's acting like someone else, if that makes any sense. Like in Out of Their Minds, when Chiana's in his body, or in Won't Get Fooled Again, where he's just... I don't even know how to describe it. And I love when he's used for comedic effect. He has some hilarious lines throughout the series. I really love his friendship with John, too, and how they evolve into being basically best friends. It's awesome and totally natural, too.
5. Zhaan. I'm not really a huge fan of Zhaan. Like with D'Argo, I started off not really liking her, and while I never really hated her, I never really cared about her, either. She didn't have as interesting a relationship with any of the other characters, I thought, and... I don't know. I just didn't really care about her. I wasn't at all upset when she was killed off.
6. Rygel. I think this is an unpopular opinion, but I kind of love Rygel. He, too, goes through very natural character development, but just not as severely. He's always most concerned with self-preservation (and food. And money), but by the end of the series, you can see that he has actually come to care about everyone else. Plus, he can be pretty hilarious. Him getting high on sugar on Earth is one of my favorite moments of the season. I didn't really hate him at the beginning of the series, but I was kind of... unsure about him. I mean, he's a muppet! But I came to actually care about him, and I basically ended up loving him by the end of the series.
7. Pilot/Moya. I love Pilot a lot. I don't even really know what to say about him. I just love him. I think he was the first non-John or Aeryn character that I really came to love. I also really love Moya, which is so weird, because... she's a ship! But she is awesome, too. And I love the relationship between Pilot and Moya, and how much Pilot cares for her. Really, how much everyone comes to care for Moya. Also, Pilot's relationship with Aeryn is awesome as well.
8. Chiana. I kind of didn't like Chiana at first, and I never really ended up loving her, but she grew on me some. I don't know that I started liking her for any reason other than I just got used to her. I love her friendship with John, and how it's kind of like a brother/sister relationship (um. Except when she takes his virginity. But besides that!). I also like her relationship with D'Argo for the most part until she becomes an ass and starts having sex with Jothee. I really hated that storyline. But I'll come back to that later. Basically, I like Chiana, but I also wouldn't have cared much if she had died or left at any point during the show.
9. Stark. I feel about Stark basically the opposite of all the other characters; I started out really liking him, and then ended up really... not. I really liked him when he was being tortured by Scorpius back in season 1 and he was pretending to be crazy and "My side, your side! My side, your side!" and all, but when he came back randomly in season 2, I was very... eh about him. And then he just ended up screwing everything up and actually being crazy and not being much of a help. And his relationship with Zhaan was kind of weird, too.
10. Jool. Oh, god. Annoying, and very clearly a replacement for Zhaan's medical abilities. I didn't really care that Zhaan got killed off, but it was annoying that she had to be replaced with Jool. Especially the first few episodes; all the screaming drove me crazy. She grew on me a little (although... not much), but I was not at all sad that she decided to stay on that planet in season 4.
11. Sikozu. I liked her more than Jool, but I still wasn't a huge fan of her. I still am kind of confused about her characterization in the mini-series, as to when exactly she became a spy for the Scarrans and what the hell ended up happening to her. Her relationship with Scorpius was interesting (although... creepy), but she never really fit with everyone else, she was always on Scorpius's side, so she never really felt like she was a part of the family that everyone else belonged to.
12. Scorpius/Harvey. Oh, god, what an awesome villain. Has there ever been a villain more awesome? Seriously. I loved his transition, too, and how you come to see that he's actually not all bad, he really does want to use the technology against the Scarrans, but... he's not all good, either. And I love Scorpius for giving John Harvey. Well, not love, but... man was season 2 awesome to watch John's spiral into insanity. And after that, John's scenes with Harvey were hilarious. I loved their relationship in season 3, where Harvey was actually primarily concerned with keeping John alive. Also why I love John and Scorpius's relationship in season 4, when Scorpius comes on Moya. And I love how John and Scorpius don't actually completely hate each other; there's a kind of respect in each of them, and trust. It's really fascinating to watch.
13. Crais/Talyn. Crais was really annoying for most of the first season, but at the end of the first season, he became really interesting. His evolution was also really interesting to watch, from being so deadset at killing John to acknowledging that it was just an accident that John killed his brother. And Talyn! I think I loved Talyn. He had some issues, but he did really love Moya, and he did save all their asses several times. The relationship between Crais and Talyn was also very interesting. I was absolutely shocked when they were killed off at the end of season 3, but it made me end up loving them both all the more. It's amazing how different a place Crais is at at the end of season 3 to the beginning of season 1.
14. Noranti. I never really liked her. She never really made things better or had any use; she frequently just made everything worse, and she wasn't particularly likable, either. I wish there had been more of an explanation about who she was and why she was even on Moya. I mean, there was a short explanation, but I don't know. It was very sudden.
15. 1812/DRDs. Ok, this probably doesn't deserve its own point, but I totally loved the DRDs, especially 1812. I remember in one of the very early episodes, one of the DRDs gets killed, and I was really upset (mostly because I thought there was only one or two and not like hundreds). I think the DRDs were actually the first non-human looking characters that I really loved for absolutely no particular reason. And 1812 is just awesome. I was glad that he got taken onto Moya after John left Elak.
16. Braca. I kind of love Braca for no particular reason, and I was ridiculously happy that he was Scorpius's spy. I was also very happy that he didn't die, because I was really expecting him to at some point.
17. The Credits. Oh, god, I love the credits so much. It's weird, because I kind of hated them the first few episodes, but now they're one of my favorite things (especially seasons 3 and 4). I love how they change from John just wanting to go home in seasons 1 and 2 to being kind of ambivalent in season 3 and not being sure if he should go back and warn them or if they'll even be ready, but also kind of hinting at the fact that a lot of the things he's seen have been truly amazing and good, to season 4 where it's clear that he needs to go home to protect the human race from the Scarrans and possibly the Peacekeepers, and not that he desperately misses Earth and doesn't feel comfortable on Moya or in this part of the universe, like at the beginning of season 1, and how he says "Look up, and share the wonders I've seen." And seriously, the season 3 credits, the first time I saw them, actually made me tear up. This is mostly due to the fact that I had just watched Die Me, Dichotomy and was absolutely dead from that, and then the build up in the credits with all the explosions and John clearly being more ambivalent towards going home for the sake of being home and then the last freaking shot of the credits being Aeryn and John kissing and Aeryn still being dead and that kiss not even being a real kiss between them, but from when the neural clone had taken over John, and if they extended the clip a few seconds, you would see him knocking out Aeryn, just. It totally destroyed me. And still, even after that episode and after the emotional trauma of Aeryn's death, every time I watch those credits, I shiver at the end, at that kiss. It's so unfair that it's that kiss. Just, yeah. I love these credits infinite amounts, obviously.
18. Till the Blood Runs Clear. I went over most of what I thought about the first half of season 1 above, so I'll start here. This episode, like DNA Mad Scientist, helped change my attitude towards the show. I loved that while Aeryn wasn't ready yet to take up John's offer of going back to Earth with him, she's still clearly uneasy about the thought of him going back to Earth. She's not in love with him yet, and they're not even particularly great friends yet, but there's a connection there, and... I don't know. I really enjoy it. And I love now after seeing the entire series that this episode does have ramifications seasons later. Farscape is so awesome at continuity and laying groundwork for future episodes and arcs.
19. Jeremiah Crichton. I've seen a lot of hate for this episode, but I actually don't think it's that bad. It's worth it for me to see Aeryn and D'Argo continuing to search for John for 3 months (even though Zhaan wants to give up. No wonder I never really liked Zhaan!). It shows such an evolution from the first episode, because you know if that had happened in the premiere, there's no way they would have continued searching. It shows character development, and I like that. Plus, I think there are far worse episodes (the second and third episode of season 2 coming to mind immediately).
20. A Bug's Life/Nerve/The Hidden Memory/Bone to Be Wild/Family Ties. My thoughts on these episodes are all kind of intertwined, so I figured I'd do it all together. I was kind of worried after watching A Human Reaction that the awesomeness of that episode was a fluke or that I'd have to wait for other awesome episodes in other seasons, but I ended up loving everything after AHR. There's just so much plot packed into all the episodes! Aeryn almost dying, the first of many times of John risking his life to save Aeryn, Gilina coming back and then actually dying, SCORPIUS AND THE AURORA CHAIR, Stark back when I liked his character, Crais defecting, TALYN'S BIRTH, CRAIS STEALING TALYS, JOHN AND D'ARGO FLOATING IN SPACE TO BE CONTINUED. My mind was totally blown. At this point, I was like "Ok, show, if you're going to be like this for the rest of the series, then I will love you forever." And the thing is, you need the earlier episodes in season 1 that slowly build up John and Aeryn's friendship and then subsequent relationship, John and D'Argo's friendship, Gilina's introduction, John going to fake!Earth and getting the knowledge from the ancients and not knowing he got the information from the ancients, etc. to get to this point and have it mean anything. Especially the slow development of the characters' relationships. These episodes couldn't take place back after the premiere; John wouldn't have been so set at saving Aeryn, D'Argo and John wouldn't have done whatever crazy thing they did at the end of the finale leaving them hanging in the middle of space, Crais's defection would have meant nothing. And while the slow build-up isn't as exciting or interesting as these episodes, it's wholly necessary not just for the end of season 1, but for the entire show. And not only are these episodes the result of a season-long build-up, but they set the stage for so many things to come. Everything in A Human Reaction that I already mentioned, of course, but also SCORPIUS and the chip and the Aurora chair. And it's just so amazing how far John has come at this point from the premiere, but how much further he has to go. I love this set of episodes so much for all these reasons and more. (Including, totally shallowly, the fact that John starts calling Aeryn "baby." Seriously, I've never liked that as a nickname or term of endearment before, but I absolutely love it for John and Aeryn. Especially in Die Me, Dichotomy, but I'll get to that later.) ljdlkjsdf I really love this show, if you couldn't tell.
21. Vitas Mortis/Taking the Stone. I really did not like these episodes. Two of my least favorite of the series. I think the thing is, even though I do like Chiana and D'Argo, two episodes solely about them gets old for me. I need much more John and Aeryn. And the plots weren't that interesting or well-written. These episodes kind of mark how uneven Farscape is. The end of season 1 and Mind the Baby were excellent, and Crackers Don't Matter is hilarious and awesome, but these two episodes are so... blah. When Farscape is good, it is really, really good, and a lot of the time it's really, really good, but unfortunately... it can also be really bad. I mean, all shows have bad episodes. But I think with most shows, you'll have seasons that are overall very excellent, and then others that are not (at least from what I've seen). With Farscape, I don't know that there's any one season that is truly excellent. I've mentioned that I don't like season 1 as much, at least the first half, but I might feel different when I rewatch the series (not that I have any plans to do that as of yet, but I'm sure I'm going to have to do it eventually. And by eventually, I mean this summer). And I know most people love season 3 the most, but I like season 2 just as much as season 3, and season 4 is very close behind them. But they all have their really awful episodes, and they all have their mindblowing, amazing episodes. I think it's because they take such risks, and when the risks pay off, you get these spectacular episodes, but when they fail, or when they choose not to take risks, you get episodes like these. sigh.
22. Crackers Don't Matter. I know this episode is well-loved by fandom, and I don't know that there's much more I have to add about it, but I have to say that Pilot's "You know, I don't think I do like them" if one of my favorite lines of the season. I totally didn't expect it, and I spent a good amount of time laughing at that. Oh, Pilot. You know you really do love them. I don't think I actually appreciated the episode fully the first time I watched it because I had just suffered through Vitas Mortis and Taking the Stone, and I was kind of like "...sigh. Another episode, and it's early in the season, so it's probably not anything special" and I kind of wasn't paying attention for part of it. (And now I want to watch it again and properly appreciate it. Even though I totally don't have time for that. sigh. I actually really want to watch the entire series over again right now, but I have even less time for that.) But it really is awesome.
23. The Way We Weren't. I know this is also a much-loved episode by fandom. I also really loved it. The Aeryn/Pilot relationship is wonderful to watch, and you know it meant so much more to Pilot that it was Aeryn back then who had done that than if it had been Chiana or D'Argo because of their shared DNA. And even at this point, still early in the series, you can see how far Aeryn has come from her Peacekeeper roots. This episode is just so heartbreaking, but I love the end, that Pilot can come to naturally bond with Moya and be rid of the pain. Devastating and painful with just a sliver of hope; totally what Farscape is all about.
24. Dream a Little Dream. I kind of hated this episode with a passion. Mostly just because NO AERYN OR JOHN OR PILOT WTF. I always get really upset when they're missing episodes (well, not as much Pilot, but if you're not going to have Aeryn or John, you can at least make up for it by having a multitude of Pilot!). I guess it's better placed here than as the opener, as originally planned, because that would've been a crappy opener. But yeah, I kind of have a great dislike for this episode. Especially because I don't care about Zhaan, so her guilt is just annoying, and I don't care if she's in prison forever.
25. Out of Their Minds. Oh god, I loved this episode an insane amount. I know the whole switching bodies storyline is totally cliche, but whatever. It was totally hilarious and worked. And I liked that both Aeryn and John got a chance to be in each other's bodies. Just, everything about this episode. Chiana in D'Argo's body, which I already mentioned totally cracked me up, John in Aeryn's body having to tell Rygel in John's body how to pee, John in Aeryn's body looking at her boobs, Aeryn saying at the end that she was in John's pants! Oh man.
26. Look at the Princess. In retrospect, the trilogy isn't that amazing, but I remember really loving it the first time through and it contributing to my love of the show. Plus, it's totally awesome just for the teaser of the first episode and the end of the last episode. Especially that end. I remember just holding my breath when Aeryn held out the liquid thingy and seeing John's look and neither of them saying anything and kissing and then stopping and neither looks happy and I was really freaked out that they wouldn't be genetically compatible even though that meant they could still be together, but then Aeryn turns and she smiles and he's smiling and he looks like he's savoring the taste and I could finally let out my breath and grin. It's such an amazing moment. And it's also worth it just for being part of the arc of John's descent into insanity. I remember when he didn't kill Scorpius at the end when he had the chance, I was like "WTF TOTALLY CONTRIVED WHY WOULDN'T HE KILL HIM TOTALLY JUST AN EXCUSE SO SCORPIUS CAN CONTINUE TO BE THE VILLAIN." But now, knowing what happens in the rest of the season, it's like "HOLY CRAP HE DIDN'T KILL HIM BECAUSE OF THE NEURAL CLONE EXCEPT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT YET BUT IT'S THERE OH GOD I LOVE THIS SHOW." John's descent into insanity is really subtle, and the first time you see these episodes it's like he's acting out of character, or it doesn't make sense, but then, in retrospect, it totally does. I love this show.
27. Won't Get Fooled Again. Awesomely cracktastic episode. I love everyone in this insane amounts (especially D'Argo!). Also, Crais gets all the best lines. Seriously, I'm pretty sure "Assault on a police officer. Theft of police property. Illegal possession of a firearm. Five counts of attempted murder. That comes to twenty-nine dollars and forty cents. Cash, check, or credit card" and "You have the right to the remains of a silent attorney! If you cannot afford one, tough noogies! You can make one phone call! I recommend Trixie: 976-Triple 5-LOVE. Do you understand these rights as I have explained them to you? Well, do you, punk?!" / "...No." / "Then I can't arrest you!" are two of the most hilarious lines in the entire series. And I love that as funny as the episode is, it's incredibly dark as well. I mean, we find out that John has a chip in his head! John's been going insane and is going to continue going insane! And geez, that scene with his mother is just heartbreaking. Poor John. And I love how when it starts, it's not even pretending to be real. I mean, I saw caps of the episode, and thought at least part of it would be trying to convince John that all this time, he's actually been in a hospital or whatever. But then, from the start, it's not trying to convince John or us that this is reality. And I love how John thinks he knows what's going on in the beginning, is pretty nonchalant and is just like "Whatever, I'm totally not fooled, I'll just ride this out until I can get back to reality" but the point of it isn't fooling him at all, it's as Harvey says, to break him. And it works. Or at least, it starts to work. And it's totally devastating, but it's ridiculously awesome and hilarious as well. Yeah, this is definitely one of my favorite episodes of the series.
28. Liars, Guns, and Money. Totally awesome, and somehow even better than that series of season 1 episodes. Besides the part that I hate Jothee, and Jothee for John is nowhere near a fair trade in any part of the universe. Aeryn having to see John like that, in that last episode of the series, where he's losing his sanity and Scorpius is starting to take over, totally killed me. Although I do love that she just knocks him out so he won't turn himself in to Scorpius. And John's plea to D'Argo at the end to just kill him. Oh, John. But yeah, this whole series is awesome, and at the end of each episode it's like "HOW IS NOT THE SEASON FINALE. HOW IS THE MORE IN THE SERIES? HOW IS THERE A WHOLE OTHER EPISODE AFTER THIS ONE?!" I love this show so much.
29. Die Me, Dichotomy. Ok, so I already have mentioned this several times, but I love this episode so much. Like, I know I've mentioned the other episodes that contributed to me loving the show and how A Human Reaction finally hooked me, and then the series after that I was like "OK SHOW YOU ARE AWESOME" but seriously? THIS was the episode which made me truly become obsessed and fall in love with the show and want to pimp it out to everyone I know. Just... god. It's so heartbreaking, the beginning, where John knows he's going crazy but he can't stop it, and Aeryn's trying to be there for him but just can't. And that part that I already mentioned that's in the credits. THE FIRST TIME AERYN AND JOHN SAY I LOVE YOU TO EACH OTHER. AND IT'S SCORPIUS. (Well, Harvey, but Scorpius sounds more evil.) And then how they're leaning in and about to kiss and then... poor Aeryn. And how John later doesn't remember it, or he does but he's Scorpius and messing with Aeryn, and Aeryn's just angry and hurt and confused and god.
But really, the part of the episode that just defines it for me and makes me love it forever is Aeryn's death. The whole terrible sequence of it being John who causes her death is the most heartbreaking part of the entire series for me, even moreso than Talyn!John's death. Harvey mocking her about him knocking her out before, saying she won't shoot him down. D'Argo telling Aeryn not to hestitate, her asking him why he would think she would, and him saying "Because if our positions were reversed, I would." (I LOVE THE D'ARGO/JOHN FRIENDSHIP SO MUCH. THIS IS SUCH A DIFFERENT PLACE THEY'RE AT FROM WHERE THEY STARTED.) Harvey crashing down into Aeryn's prowler. The prowler crashing, and Harvey delightedly calling it "Fireworks!" Harvey pointing out that Aeryn is set straight for the ice, knowing Aeryn has no hope, and this being what finally allows John to gain the strength to take control again. Aeryn unsure if this is the real John, or if Harvey's just playing another cruel trick. John saying "Baby, you're not going to die like this. You are not going to die like this." (Seriously, ok, this was the last episode I watched of the night, and I had class the next morning, and all the next morning before I watched the season 3 premiere, this was the line that was running through my head. Seriously, all morning. The way he says it, how he doesn't totally believe it but he still has this sliver of hope, how he doesn't want to be responsible for her death but he knows he is and blames himself, how he calls her "baby," which I already mentioned I loved, but I love the most here. That might be my favorite moment/line of the entire series.) Her saying that she meant what she said, and hoping he did too. And then she dies. And everyone screams. lksfjd god. AND THE EPISODE'S ONLY HALF OVER AT THIS POINT OK. This episode killed me so dead, I can't even describe it. It still has John finally hanging on to just a bit of control, able to attend the funeral and looking so devastated and shocked, and able to go get the chip removed. And being able to erase all his memories of Aeryn, but not doing it (I was seriously so freaked out that he was going to erase her, god). And getting it removed, and then... Scorpius. And John has lost everything. This episode seriously affected me in ways very few episodes of any show ever have. And I know I said my love for this show was cemented before this episode, but... this episode just grabbed me and refused to let go.
30. Season of Death. I have to say, I wasn't sure how they were going to be able to follow the magnitude of awesome that is Die Me, Dichotomy, but they did an amazing job. I love that even though they were able to bring Aeryn back, it wasn't anything simple; Zhaan has to die for it to happen. I love that. Usually in cases like this you know whoever it is is going to come back the next season, and I love that even though that happens, it comes at a real cost. And I love John's reaction to seeing her again, how he's unwilling to let himself believe it's true, but then it is, and he touches her hair, and then pulls her in close. The only part I hated about this episode was Chiana and Jothee.
31. Suns and Lovers. As I said, I really hated the whole Chiana/Jothee thing. It was just squicky and annoying and stupid. Although I have to say, I do like that she was only doing it because she was afraid of committing to D'Argo and not because she was actually really interested in Jothee and loved him or whatever. And I'm glad that D'Argo found out so quickly and Jothee was gone, because in a lot of other shows, they'd probably drag the storyline out for half a season, and I'd hate it and it'd ruin my love for the show. At least here, they got it done with quickly. But it is really terrible to think how finding Jothee was this driving force behind D'Argo for two seasons and he finally finds him, and it's just not worthy any of it. I'm glad he gets kind of redeemed in The Peacekeeper Wars, but still. I hate basically everything about Jothee and his storylines.
32. ...Different Destinations. I kind of love this episode. Not actually... the episode itself, if that makes any sense. Like, it's kind of boring, honestly, and it's definitely not one of my favorite episodes. But I love how unlike the normal cliche of going back to the past, screwing things up, and then fixing them so everything is ok again, or even making things better than they turned out, they all just made everything worse. And even though they were able to make it so the planet itself wasn't completely obliterated, they still made things worse. It's kind of dark and depressing, but it's unexpected, and I like that.
33. Eat Me/Thanks for Sharing. I love how Eat Me seems like just another filler episode, but it ends up having huge ramifications. And I love how Thanks for Sharing uses the two different Johns so well. I was spoiled for a few things when I started watching the show, and I wasn't spoiled entirely for this storyline, but I did read somewhere something about T!John and M!John, so I excepted at some point there to be two Johns. I also figured out after Talyn was born that T stood for Talyn and M stood for Moya, and from there I basically figured out the rest of the storyline; the Johns would be separated (although I just thought one would live on each ship on purpose and not how it actually happened) and that Talyn!John would die (I don't know why I knew it would be him and not the other, but I knew one of them had to die, and I predicted it would be him. Especially after he and Aeryn got together). And I even predicted in what episode it would happen. But the arc was still totally tragic and devastating and I loved it all. It worked well to have two so that at least John was in every episode when they started switching between Talyn and Moya (although I didn't enjoy that there was no Aeryn in the Moya episodes. But still, John and no Aeryn is better than no either of them).
34. Green Eyed Monster. I love that Ben Browder wrote this! I just found that out like an hour or two ago (unlike with John Quixote, which I knew before I watched the episode, and I'll go on about that later). I really love that they actually let John and Aeryn be together for awhile, even if T!John had to end up dying. And I enjoyed that the storyline between Aeryn, Crais, and Talyn was kind of resolved. Because there had always kind of been that weird... I don't know. Aeryn was so connected to Talyn from the start, and Crais developed a thing for her... somewhere down the line, so I liked that by the end, both of them were kind of okay with John.
35. Meltdown. Ok, I love this episode solely for the shippy goodness it gives us. I mean, how many other episodes are there of John and Aeryn making out basically the entire time and being able to be truly happy? NONE, I TELL YOU. So yeah, if you're not a total shipper, the episode probably isn't the best, but whatever. I love it, and I can tell I'll be rewatching it many a times. Plus, I love the beginning, when you think that you're seeing what actually happened between Xhalax and Crais, and then Crais turns to the camera and is like "Is that what you think happened, Crichton?" Hee. I kind of loved Crais in season 3 (well, definitely by the end of the season, when he and Talyn sacrifice themselves for everyone else).
36. Infinite Possibilities/The Choice. Oh, the pain. Poor Talyn!John. Poor Aeryn. I love the continuity of this episode, how it reaches all the way back to Till the Blood Runs Clear, which I already mentioned is one of the episodes that helped me get hooked to the show. I knew he had to die in the end, but it was just so sad and tragic and not at all how I was expecting. Especially right after he gets hit by the radiation and then he's with Aeryn and he grabs her desperately and kisses her because he knows what's happening. And she has no idea what's going on and then he tells her and oh god. They were so happy! So of course it couldn't last. The very end, where everyone says their goodbyes, and then Aeryn kisses him and he says he never felt better and then dies... god. You know they can't both live, and you know that this one has to die because he gets everything: Aeryn, no more Harvey, the wormhole technology unlocked. But it's still tragic anyways, because he is John Crichton. They both are, they both have his memories and his personality, with a split at Eat Me. But he has to die. And, of course, The Choice is just so painful as well. I think the worst part for me, though, is the very end, where Aeryn says "Maybe I could have become something different. If you'd lived, I could have truly changed. But you are gone. And I am what I was bred to be," and John tells her to come here and Aeryn says "No. You have to go now." It's just... god. It's like where they start out, when John tells her that she could be more, and she has been more, and now she's just back where she started. Oh, Aeryn. I love how this relationship and their character arcs are handled so much.
37. Fractures. Oh god, yet another painful episode. Season 3 is such the season of angst. All the seasons have their angst, but god, this arc. It's sad how excited John is that Aeryn's back, and you're just filled with dread because you know the reunion is going to be nothing like he hoped or planned. And then he sees her and he's so happy and she's just like "Crichton." Oh, Aeryn. This whole episode really just hurts. But then the end! Aeryn's the first to join John! And of course it's all because of T!John, but still! Devastating with just a sliver of hope.
38. Into the Lion's Den. CRAIS AND TALYN SACRIFICE THEMSELVES FOR EVERYONE HOLY CRAP. I was in shock watching it, and I'm still kind of shocked. geez. What an awesome show. Season 3 really is the Season of Death. I like how Aeryn has warmed up just slightly to John, not so much that they're friendly, but they're able to work to each other. But it's just not how it was. It just can't be. And I love these episodes for the relationship between Scorpius and John. It lays the groundwork for season 4, when Scorpius goes on Moya, because you can see John start to rethink whether Scorpius is entirely evil, and that maybe giving him the wormhole technology would be for the good. It's amazing where they go with the relationship between the two of them. It's so well-done.
39. Dog With Two Bones. Oh, so heartbreaking. It's not the most heartbreaking for John and Aeryn for me (even though I know it is for some people), but it is right up there. The entire... end conversation, with Aeryn telling him that it's not easy, that she watched him die, and him forcing her to say goodbye. And of course, the repeatedly quoted lines, "Do you love John Crichton? Not him, not me. John Crichton." / "Yes." and "Do you love Aeryn Sun?" / "Beyond hope." Oh, John! And then, "Then don't make me say goodbye, and don't make me stay." And possibly even more sad is John's fantasies about life on Earth with Aeryn. How in every situation, it can't work; she has trouble with English and gets frustrated, she talks to Jack about how she hates it on Earth. Even in the one where they have the wedding and they're happy, she gets killed (AND SAYS "I never felt better" OH GOD WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME FARSCAPE?!). There's always a sliver of hope with John, no matter how terrible the circumstances, but here... there's none. And it's kind of a slow episode, with all this angst, and then all of a sudden AERYN'S PREGNANT WTF AND MOYA IS SUCKED INTO A WORMHOLE AND JOHN IS TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY FRELLED. WTF. AWESOME. I do hate Noranti in this episode. She's just all of a sudden there and she's no help and is rather annoying. Oh well. Other than her, the episode is awesome.
40. Crichton Kicks/What Was Lost/Lava's a Many Splendored Thing. Episodes without Aeryn or John make me sad, so the beginning of season 4 was rough. I loved the introduction of 1812, and Jool leaving. Didn't like the introduction of Noranti, as I already mentioned, and Sikozu, to some extent. What Was Lost was rather boring the first time around, but I like it a lot more now knowing the significance it has to The Peacekeeper Wars (although I think it could've been one episode instead of two).
41. Promises. Aeryn! Scorpius being added to Moya was ridiculously awesome. I don't have much to say about this episode, but I absolutely loved the end, when John asks "So you could tell me if you're pregnant." Just the way he delivers that line, and Aeryn's face falls... oh man. Awesome.
42. John Quixote. How much do I love that Ben Browder wrote this episode? INFINITELY MUCH IS HOW MUCH. Part of my love for John has to do with the fact that I am now totally in love with Ben Browder, especially after learning that he wrote this and Green Eyed Monster (but especially this) and how supportive he is of the relationship between John and Aeryn. Oh, Ben Browder. This episode is total crack, and it's awesome. It was sad to find out that the kiss between Aeryn and John was fake, a part of the game, but also good because I had no idea why Aeryn was acting that way and helping Scorpius and not John. Aeryn as the princess was absolutely hilarious, oh god. Especially when she tells John that she's not the princess he seeks, but they could still have some fun. Oh man. Awesome.
43. Unrealized Reality/Kansas/Terra Firma. The episodes up to this point were just kind of eh. Not the worst of the series, but not that great either. But man, Unrealized Reality really kicked things back into gear. I feel like I need to see it again to really understand it, but it was really awesome. I loved this trilogy of episodes. Kansas was totally hilarious. Rygel's addiction to sugar and stealing candy from kids was one of my favorite things ever. Also, Aeryn's line when watching Sesame Street, "S! This girl's slow." Hee! That might just be the funniest line of Aeryn's ever. And Terra Firma was also excellent. I totally didn't expect that John would actually get to Earth for real. It was kind of nice that things weren't as bad as they were in John's imagined Earth back in A Human Reaction. And I loved John's sister; she was totally awesome, and it's too bad there wasn't a way to have more of her in the series. Just... I don't know what to say about these episodes. They were totally awesome. I was afraid that them finally finding Earth would end up being disappointing, but it wasn't at all.
44. Twice Shy. I really enjoyed this. First of all, because JOHN AND AERYN FINALLY. I don't totally buy that John was taking that stuff only because he thought Scorpius would use Aeryn against him. I mean, Scorpius had to know what Aeryn meant to him already. Everyone in the universe knew what Aeryn meant to him. And Aeryn still gets taken anyways, so it's not like it affected anything. And John really was in pain, and it seemed like he needed to forget that pain, to forget her. But I was happy when it was over, and that they were finally happy. At least a little happy. The whole... intensifying their main characteristics and then taking them away was hilarious. D'Argo's line "I have no reason to be angry. With dialogue and compromise..." Hee! I've already mentioned it, but I love when D'Argo's... basically, not D'Argo.
45. Bringing Home the Beacon/A Constellation of Doubt/Prayer/Fetal Attraction. Oh, god. I don't hear this arc mentioned as much when people talk about all the tragedy on this show, but this is right up there with the T!John arc and John going insane for me. They were so close to happiness! John shooting Aeryn is just so painful, even though it's not the real Aeryn. I mean, he knows it's not the real Aeryn, but he already caused Aeryn's death once, and it looks and talks exactly like Aeryn. And then A Constellation of Doubt, geez, what an episode. The only thing that bothered me was that they could all speak perfect English, even D'Argo, which made no sense. Oh well. The rest was excellent. You could just see how much pain John was in. And the end of the episode, going to Scorpius and telling him that Aeryn is all he cares about, and he'll trade his wormhole knowledge for her... oh, John. Prayer and Fetal Attraction are also both ridiculously sad for the same reasons. John is so in love with her, and he'd do anything to bring her back. It just kills me. Meanwhile, you have Aeryn's terror at her baby being taken from her. Yet she always has this little bit of hope that John will rescue her. Really, these episodes totally destroy me.
46. We're So Screwed. I don't think these episodes were as good as the major ending episodes of all the other seasons, but they were still good. And it was awesome to see John and Aeryn together, happy (well, as happy as they can be under the circumstances), supporting each other. The flower thing was a little... wtf? But acceptable. I'm glad Scorpius wasn't actually a spy for the Scarrans, because that would have made entirely no sense at all.
47. Bad Timing. Holy crap am I glad that I didn't watch this when it originally aired, or at any time before the miniseries. I would've gone crazy. Anyways, I love that Aeryn goes with John and tells him that there are worse things than being stuck on Earth. Oh, man, THEY'VE COME SO FAR. You go from season 1 Aeryn not knowing her place in the universe, still struggling with the fact that she can never go home again and not knowing where her home is, to here, where she knows that she'll be happy as long as she's with John. AND THE ENTIRE END. John's total exuberance at her being pregnant and then proposing and her of course saying yes! Oh man. And Rygel and D'Argo and Chiana's comments while they're watching are awesome. AND THEN THEY GET CRYSTALLIZED. D'Argo's scream is so terribly sad. It's kind of a really fitting ending, though. I mean, you can assume that what happens in The Peacekeeper Wars happens even if you don't see it; that of course they'll find some way for them to get whole again, and they'll get married and have a baby and everything will be ok.
48. The Peacekeeper Wars. Unfortunately not all that I had hoped for. It had too much plot and not enough... emotional/character stuff. I realize that they had to get what they planned for season 5 into 3 hours, but I still wish they had backed off on the plot more. I did like a lot of things about the episode, though. Rygel carrying John and Aeryn's baby was absolutely hilarious. There were loads of funny lines, like Aeryn's "Shooting makes me feel better." I love that what happened in What Was Lost is actually incredibly relevant here. I love Aeryn's conversation with that guy about how they took a primitive species from far away and sped up their evolution and how the Peacekeepers came into existence and the Sebaciens totally came from humans which explains why John and Aeryn can have a baby and why Sebaciens are so much like humans. That was maybe my favorite thing of the entire episode, actually. I love John's exuberance about being a father. It's been consistent throughout the series that he's wanted children; I mean, even in Look at the Princess, he was so sad that he wouldn't be able to see his daughter. It's awesome to see him actually realize that dream. The end was sad, and I was afraid John wouldn't wake up and would die, even though I didn't think they would really kill him off. The end with the baby was a little... cliche and out there, but whatever. They're finally happy. (Oh, but poor D'Argo! Not my favorite character, but I was more sad about him dying than Zhaan or Jool.)
Yeah, so basically, I love this show. I actually got really upset as I got nearer to the end of the season because I knew it would be over and I didn't want it to be. I really hope they do get webisodes done (and now that the strike is about over, they probably will start up on those again), because I hate that that's all there is (even though... it did get 4 entire seasons and a 3 hour miniseries). I really wish they had been able to do a season 5 so we could see John and Aeryn finally happy together for once. Oh well.
If you didn't read all that but you're vaguely interested in Farscape and haven't seen any of it yet, I'll warn you that it starts off slow, but if you stick with it, it really pays off. The first season is my least favorite overall, but it gets so very good, especially in seasons 2 and 3. So if you do decide to try it, give it a chance past the first half of the first season.
Ok, now I should do some work.