MovieChat Forums > Farscape (1999) Discussion > What Farscape did the best

What Farscape did the best

posted 11 years ago by I_hatenazis
24 replies | jump to latest

In this show, you really felt like the aliens were different. In Star Trek, it felt like a human just went back into the costume shop for this weeks morality play but in Farscape there was a real culture clash.

They looked down on Crichton and only took him in because they felt sorry for the stray cat. When someone tried to honor someone else, another person might take offense, the Blue babes pacifism and religiosity was considered lack of concern. Everyone always seemed a bit uncomfortable around each other. In short, I really liked the feel of the show.

A couple of observations about Crichton.
1. He insisted on using a lot of Earth idioms that he knew was gibberish to his alien hosts, what was the purpose of doing this? Was this to play the useful idiot or to intentionally baffle them. He would say things like, 'high noon', or 'like a report on 60 minutes', or whatever.

2. I get that the aliens looked down on him initially because he was weaker, or less advanced, had poorer eye sight, etc. However, this attitude persisted into season 2 even after he had saved the crew and ship at least three or four times by exercising both courage and perceptiveness. So I would think that the alien bigotry would start to wane at least a little bit. At some point when you see the stray cat play Mozart on the Piano you are going to be impressed.

[–] dreemteam24 11 years ago

Crichton's a bit idiotic too unmature even on the first episode a normal person would have shot those guards that are taking them to be executed...

In 1st season there ample episodes where other treat him like *beep* and he just stands there and look stupid dosen't respond or anything...

[–] I_hatenazis 11 years ago

Fair enough and thanks for responding.

I guess the question is why did he act like an idiot, was it a coping mechanism? I could see that, it must have been very stressful being in that situation and Farscape captured the grittiness which is why I consider this a must see scifi TV show.

The only other possibility for his behavior would be that he might have been playing the part of 'the wise fool'. Acting like an idiot so that people would underestimate him, that might explain why he would intentionally insert gibberish. To the more intelligent aliens it would sound either crazy or like baby talk.

* * Edit * *
I am watching this series now. Crichton is making a serious speech and he throws in a reference to 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' LOL. In this context it sounded like a coping mechanism. Perhaps it is a little of both of what I stated earlier, other opinions are welcome of course which is why I made this post.

[–] dreemteam24 11 years ago

Don't know for me it's just unmature because if he's lying why aren't we the viewers made awere of it or it's that they didn't know in what direction the character will go...

How far into the series are you?

Also is it just me or the relationship with Aeryn seems a rather forced?

I mean all of a sudden he cares and loves her so much like they have been together for years...

Perhaps is too different for me i'm used to other stuff...

[–] beckerjr82 11 years ago

i agree with the previous comment that it is likely a coping mechanism to keep him a bit grounded, also it is how he sees his world as can be seen in the looney tunes episode which takes place in his head.

having recently re-watched the entire series in about week the mistrust goes on right into season 4 with pilot also stating that he puts the unnecessarily much in danger. however in some conversations without him present people are beginning to show him respect (like Aeryn & sikazu where sikazu states she is obvously superiour to the human and Aeryn saying the are equal.) That being said the joke about the eyesight was hilarious because it was pretty far into the series and these differences where never mentioned before.

A big part of his 'love' of Aeryn in my opinion is also that she is the only 'human' on the crew for the most part. When they have captured Crais he goes to his cell to talk to him despite hating him because he needs some bro-time with a human. or something like that

Hodor Hodor Hodor

[–] !!!deleted!!! (19664510) 11 years ago

Crichton's a bit idiotic too unmature

Impossible, since "unmature" isn't a word.

[–] dreemteam24 11 years ago

Lol morron then is childish a word...

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/childish

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] jefhammel 11 years ago

Farscape did a lot of things the best, but one i think goes unnoticed., especially now. This is the one and only show i know that is better with commercial breaks. Farscape mastered the art of the cliff-hanger. Watching on netflix or dvd, it's not as obvious, bit the original pacing took every pause in the action into account.

At the opening credits and at every single commercial break, the show could have taken multiple paths. Each pause left us wondering where the show would go next. That 3 minute break for capitalism was a perfect place for a course change, and it was a great opportunity to kill and (maybe) revive a major character.

[–] DrWhen 11 years ago

I thought what Farscape did the best was make the characters come across as real people even the puppet. I've been watching it yet again on Netflix, and it's like meeting up with some old friends rather than watching a TV show. Compare that to Star Trek which tends to have idealized characters especially in TNG.

[–] I_hatenazis 11 years ago

I've been watching it yet again on Netflix, and it's like meeting up with some old friends rather than watching a TV show. Compare that to Star Trek which tends to have idealized characters especially in TNG.

I totally agree with this, in fact, this show reminds me the most of Firefly in this regard (I know it precedes Firefly). It has aged pretty well, when I re-watch Star Trek TNG, it actually feels stale to me.

* Edit *
Both Farscape and Firefly seem to have relationships between the crew as a focal point of their respective shows. That type of show only seems to work if both the writing is good and the acting chemistry is good as well. IMO I believe both shows succeeded very well. Since we are talking about Farscape, I like the fact that the crew does convincingly seem to be close but they are also alien to each other and there is some stress and adaptation that needs to take place. As the poster who I am replying to puts it, this is in deep contrast to the rather sterile environment that TNG creates. In TNG I felt like I was seeing humans in make up who were trying to look alien, in Farscape I felt like I was really seeing aliens who were adapting to each other.

[–] DrWhen 11 years ago

I think what really makes the characters real is their flaws. Faced with a particular situation TNG would show you how you were taught to act while Farscape showed you how you would really act. That makes the characters more relatable. For example if you're jealous, ideally you take the high road and remove yourself from the situation. The reality is you turn into a major jerk and say and do things to hurt that you later regret. I was just watching the episode where Crichton was having a jealous tirade against himself with the duplicate.

[–] I_hatenazis 11 years ago

I think what really makes the characters real is their flaws. Faced with a particular situation TNG would show you how you were taught to act while Farscape showed you how you would really act.

Excellent observation.

I am into season 3 now and I can still see how the crew while close, still harbors really deep seated frustration and anger towards each other. I see crew members talking behind Crichton's back (which happens in real life but not on TNG) questioning his judgment because he gets all gaga around wormholes because one could take him home. Also, I see Aeryn really get angry at Crichton for executing one of his plans without telling anyone. I thought she was going to belt him. Great stuff.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] Gourry Gabriev 11 years ago

To me Crichton deliberately played the fool to keep everyone guessing about him till he figured out what is going on and figure out who is friend or foe.

[–] mpardue-1 10 years ago

I just started watching Farscape last week, and I'm currently on "A Human Reaction" so I haven't gotten far into it. That being said, I think I know why he uses so many human phrases and makes human pop culture references. He has absolutely nothing and no one from home, the only thing he has that came from there is his ship, which he loses, and his clothes. I think he talks like this as a way to stay connected to Earth, to feel like he hasn't really lost everything. That and the fact that it's very difficult to completely change your way of speaking overnight.

[–] dsrtrosy-1 10 years ago

I wonder if what you are reading as "playing the fool" is the fact that he is more aware of the communication problems than the other species because they have experience with other sentient species that he just doesn't have. It seems that every time there is a miscommunication, he uses his own weird Crichton-y humor to diffuse the situation, like many of us humans do here on earth. I guess I see goofy guy humor rather than idiocy in those instances. Maybe I have just known too many guys like Crichton!

I would add to that the fact that we aren't always even aware of our own idioms...otherwise, they wouldn't be idioms! I think he often says exactly what he is thinking as if he were talking to other humans who share his set of cultural understandings simply because that's the way he would have talked "in real life". I always felt, even back in '99 when I watched this on the air, that it was one of the brilliant aspects of the writing – the translator nanites couldn't change how he spoke, nor could they always translate his ideas to the others, leading to more than misunderstandings but often complete confusion.

Don't you think that if we were to ever meet real "aliens", there would be major confusion over these types of issues? It added to the overall realness of the show for me. I never got a sense that he was acting foolishly or immaturely (the actual word), but rather that he was being a typical arrogant southern astronaut, clinging to whatever bits of humanity he could, even if all he could cling to were his idioms and pop culture references. Often when he makes his "Nixon peace fingers" symbol or does something else that might come across as goofy, I honestly see it as ironic, not foolish. He seems to be indicating "these people don't get me, so I'm going to make them even more confused"!

[–] dreemteam24 10 years ago

Well i didn't understand him anymore then the characters, i could not get half his sayings without looking in the internet good thing i watch on a pc then...

As for that V shaped thing he does with his hand,children in school do that to ask a question, what peace symbol i didn't know it's a peace symbol.

So from my point he's really not very bright.

Why would you want to make a bad situation worse by acting like an idiot i mean i joke with people to confuse them but these people are my friends not strangers i met 1 day ago and are not aliens.

Besides i don't like him he's too soft,too much like a retarded person to take seriously,he just accepts them the "alien" characters without any prejudices i mean he's acting like he's on new job trying to know the colleagues, and of course even in the first episode he's checking Aeryn out i mean sure the actress is pretty and all but have him check her out and then say *beep* she's an alien ugh disgusting and bam no romance for at least half a season because like that it's just too fast too forced i mean in episodee 2 there is already a sparkle between the two and in episode 5 she's just jealous like a school girl.

The other thing i didn't like is the main guys is always a "good" guy i mean sure you can't have criminal doing NASA/IASA flights in order to have a more non typical, "not good not bad" guy as the leading cast(or could you the mission deemed dangerous but could prove beneficial someone decides let's send a prisoner and a prisoners lottery about it and bam the non typical guys win, i understand it's too far fetched but it's not by much) so that's what i don't like...

[–] execproducer22 10 years ago

Well i didn't understand him anymore then the characters, i could not get half his sayings without looking in the internet good thing i watch on a pc then..

So I'm guessing you've been hiding under a rock for awhile ay?

As for that V shaped thing he does with his hand,children in school do that to ask a question, what peace symbol i didn't know it's a peace symbol.

Kids in school give the peace symbol to ask a question? where did you go to school at? I always thought it was pretty universal to just raise your hand to ask a question.

So from my point he's really not very bright.

And you not being quick witted enough to pick up on all of the characters idioms makes him not so bright?

Why would you want to make a bad situation worse by acting like an idiot i mean i joke with people to confuse them but these people are my friends not strangers i met 1 day ago and are not aliens.

When did he act like an idiot? I must have missed that episode. it must of been before all the other episodes where he comes up with the ideas that actually saved the day in like every episode.

Hell in the very first episode he figures out how to save the ship from capture on his first day! What a moron right....

Besides i don't like him he's too soft,too much like a retarded person to take seriously,he just accepts them the "alien" characters without any prejudices i mean he's acting like he's on new job trying to know the colleagues, and of course even in the first episode he's checking Aeryn out i mean sure the actress is pretty and all but have him check her out and then say *beep* she's an alien ugh disgusting and bam no romance for at least half a season because like that it's just too fast too forced i mean in episodee 2 there is already a sparkle between the two and in episode 5 she's just jealous like a school girl.

1. they invented these things called PERIODS. They let the reader know the start of a new sentence.

2. There were many episodes where chricton dispalyed his predjudices about aliens...you really need to pay more attention. How can you criticse a character without even watching the damn show?

3. Aerryn looks IDENTICAL to a human female. What about that confuses you...

The other thing i didn't like is the main guys is always a "good" guy i mean sure you can't have criminal doing NASA/IASA flights in order to have a more non typical, "not good not bad" guy as the leading cast(or could you the mission deemed dangerous but could prove beneficial someone decides let's send a prisoner and a prisoners lottery about it and bam the non typical guys win, i understand it's too far fetched but it's not by much) so that's what i don't like...

Again you really need to start paying attention cuz alot seemed to slip past you. There have been many episodes where Chricton did some morally ambiguous things. The fact that you missed this is more a fault of your short attention span then the writing .

"What color is the boathouse at Hereford!?"

-Sam

[–] dreemteam24 10 years ago

So I'm guessing you've been hiding under a rock for awhile ay?

No i'm just not amerikan...

Kids in school give the peace symbol to ask a question?

Well you americans say it's a peace simbol to me it looks like making rabbit ears with hand...

And you not being quick witted enough to pick up on all of the characters idioms makes him not so bright?

You mean fast with quick witted? I am fast just they are just foreign to me....

When did he act like an idiot? I must have missed that episode. it must of been before all the other episodes where he comes up with the ideas that actually saved the day in like every episode.

Hell in the very first episode he figures out how to save the ship from capture on his first day! What a moron right....

Akting like a morron on the first day

As for him saving them the first day he just does the manoveur that he was supposed to do with the module in earth's orbit and for the other times it's just the american tv topes about hero saving the day nothing serious or atleast somewhat realistic

1. they invented these things called PERIODS. They let the reader know the start of a new sentence.

2. There were many episodes where chricton dispalyed his predjudices about aliens...you really need to pay more attention. How can you criticse a character without even watching the damn show?

3. Aerryn looks IDENTICAL to a human female. What about that confuses you...

1 english is not my main language

2 Didn't seem to be that many, yes sure he did have some but they were all against the baddies...

3 So what of it,he just accepts her and starts flirting the first time he sees a alien...

Again you really need to start paying attention cuz alot seemed to slip past you. There have been many episodes where Chricton did some morally ambiguous things. The fact that you missed this is more a fault of your short attention span then the writing .

I did turn my attention towards the television series when watching so i know he didn't do anything morally ambiguous he even didn't kill crais,anyway he's just the "good" guy he's not doing anything that could be perceived as bad at least i didn't see him do anything that could be,anyhow he's just too much THE "GOOD" GUY...

[–] execproducer22 10 years ago

No i'm just not amerikan...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but dont they show american syndicated shows in your country?

Well you americans say it's a peace simbol to me it looks like making rabbit ears with hand...

So, in your country people give the teacher "bunny ears" instead of just raising there hands?

You mean fast with quick witted? I am fast just they are just foreign to me....

I'm not saying your slow, but I am saying that just becuase you cant pick up on what the charater is conveying to the audience through his idioms doesnt make the character "stupid".

As for him saving them the first day he just does the manoveur that he was supposed to do with the module in earth's orbit and for the other times it's just the american tv topes about hero saving the day nothing serious or atleast somewhat realistic

Wrong. If you payed attention you would see that John being the scientist is probably the best critical thinker of the group and usually ends up saving everyone by just by outthinking the bad guys instead of using brute force....

1 english is not my main language

No *beep* look likes its in your top 5 languages either....

2 Didn't seem to be that many, yes sure he did have some but they were all against the baddies...

wrong.

Heres an example of Johns predjudice against his own friends:

In the bone to be wild episode he finds out Zhaan is a plant and then says whats the big deal about killing a bunch of plants....

3 So what of it,he just accepts her and starts flirting the first time he sees a alien...

Get this through your thick skull.....

AERRYN LOOKS IDENTICAL TO A HUMAN FEMALE! So it probably isnt that hard to think of her as a human and relate to her so easily.

What about that concept is so hard for you to fathom?

"What color is the boathouse at Hereford!?"

-Sam

[–] dreemteam24 10 years ago

So, in your country people give the teacher "bunny ears" instead of just raising there hands?

Raising their hand like waving at someone on the street or like the hitler salute? It was considered a respect because you ask the teacher not because you raised your hand at someone on the street... Anyway forger school or "peace" simbols

Correct me if I'm wrong, but dont they show american syndicated shows in your country?

Watched it via torrent tracker

I'm not saying your slow, but I am saying that just becuase you cant pick up on what the charater is conveying to the audience through his idioms doesnt make the character "stupid".

It does when 90% of the time they mean nothing?

Wrong. If you payed attention you would see that John being the scientist is probably the best critical thinker of the group and usually ends up saving everyone by just by outthinking the bad guys instead of using brute force....

That's cheap "saving" a convinient and not believable...
About his quick thinking please theres an episode where dargo was outside the ship and when he is back needing help your quick thinker starts applying CPR like dargo is human... Then there is an episode where a guys with one eye returns(first long hair then bald) and where chiana was intruduced so after hearing that they have kept someone 100 years in some kind of a mind washing prison and when asked if he's a sebecean he says i'm human and you 100% want to do it infront of guys who keep people 100 cycles in prison

Get this through your thick skull.....

AERRYN LOOKS IDENTICAL TO A HUMAN FEMALE! So it probably isnt that hard to think of her as a human and relate to her so easily.

What about that concept is so hard for you to fathom?

No you get this through you thick head it was the easy way out by making him relate(yeah a stranger and an alien at that yeah i can 100% speak more at ease with her than anyone else) it was lazy writing by making her so human and by making him so relatable/unracist...

[–] onwardsandupwards 10 years ago

It captured a crazy, anything goes, fly by the seat of your pants adventure mentality that few other sci-fi television programs have done. From intense drama to off the wall comedy and many surreal like elements in between, "Farscape" was one big rollercoaster ride of fun.

It also managed to give viewers a truly alien look and feel with regards to the characters we see and the universe they inhabit. Each was unique and distintive bringing a great deal of different favours to the show.