Farscape
Tape 1: Premier and I,
E.T.
Review
by : Ryan
Lybarger
Can Be Seen On: The Sci-Fi Channel
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Part
I, A Primer
 I
love Farscape. It’s the most original science fiction show
on television. It has drama, comedy, sex, violence and pretty
cool special effects. Initially, it was dubbed Star Trek
with Muppets. Apparently, the pinheads who dubbed it had
never seen an episode of either Farscape or Star Trek.
It
has plotlines that travel with the characters, from season
to season (a trait more akin to Babylon 5, than Star Trek).
Also, unlike Star Trek, it is a true ensemble piece. Crichton
may be the main character (more like the point of view character,
since he is the most like us), but the other characters get
plenty of screen time (including the Muppets, Regil and Pilot).
One
of the prime plots of the first season of Farscape revolved
around building trust between the characters. This wasn’t
the easy you-helped-us-so-we-trust you-forever-style of trust
seen in most Star Trek episodes (See why I called them pinheads?
Sure, I’m a snob, what of it?). It was a slow process and
there were set backs (that’s called character development,
for those of you who like to argue how replicators work).
All
in all, this is probably the only show I actually try to make
plans to see. In fact, if it weren’t for History of the Gun,
Law & Order reruns, The Power Puff Girls and Farscape,
I probably wouldn’t have cable. That being said and done,
I’d like to review the first Farscape video, from ADV.
Part
II, The Episodes
The
first Farscape videotape includes the Premiere and the episode
titled I, E.T. Both episodes are good. The Premiere
is the superior, however (how many times have you heard that
the first episode of any sci-fi program was good?).
It is the story of how John Crichton gets stuck in deep space,
with a bunch of fugitives from galactic justice. I’d go into
more detail, but the reviews have long ago been done. Suffice
it to say, this episode spells out how the show got it’s name
and reveals how John can talk to aliens.
I, E.T. is a first contact scenario from the opposite
side. This episode makes John realize that his fellow travelers
aren’t as alien as he thought, and that his situation is not
much different than theirs. Early episode jitters hit this
one a little, but it is still far superior to the first season
of Star Trek: The Next Generation. I’ll not go into detail
(because it’s been done, not because I’m lazy…really). Refer
to The 11th Hour in our links section (or sci-fi.com),
for more detailed reviews.
Part III, The Rest of It
The
tape itself is presented in a lovely box, with images from
the series done up in a poster style. The font is a little
small on the main text, but I’m nearly blind, so take that
for what it’s worth. I’m sure that none of this is important
to the collector, but I’m trying to be thorough (my editor
might call it anal, but I digress). Moving on…
The
picture quality is excellent. I’m sure it’s even better on
the DVD. There’s not really much more to be said here, but
I always try to have at least three sentences per paragraph.
The
sound is another story. It comes through slightly muffled
in spots. The title sequence and closing credits are the
worst and most noticeable occurrences of this failing. Again,
I imagine the DVD will have higher quality. It could also
be attributed to the fact that these are early promotional
copies. I’m sure something like that wouldn’t get by QC before
they went to market.
The
setup is quite decent; two episodes per tape are reasonable.
I wouldn’t mind seeing more episodes on one tape (especially
the lengthy, four+ part plots from later in the season).
Since Farscape is more soap opera-esque, each tape will follow
in sequence, so I’d like to see the future tapes numbered
in some way.
I
would really like to see this show on DVD. The sound and
visuals would really come alive. Plus, I’m sure that all
sorts of extras (like the journals from the website or interviews)
could be squeezed in. The menu alone would lend to the high-tech
feel of a show like Farscape.
All
in all, if you like Farscape, I’d say these tapes (or DVDs)
would be well worth your money. The price is reasonable and
buying these will keep you from spending all summer catching
every episode in re-run and editing out the commercials (I
know I have better things to do. If you dig that sort of
activity, more power to you).
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