Because I’ve been watching Farscape. So far I enjoy it just barely enough to keep watching–episode 10 in particular (the one where we find out precisely what D'Argo was in prison for) seemed to be the beginning of a noticeable upward leap in the baseline quality of the show, and since then it’s only had one really bad episode. (You are not allowed to mock cargo cults unless you can present documentary proof that you have never in your entire life prayed, yelled at your technology for not working, asked your missing keys where they are, or otherwise acted as if inanimate objects/the universe in general can be spoken to and entreated like people. Even then, you probably shouldn't.)
Just watched episode 17 last night, the one where the ship got split into its component colors, and it was weird and entertaining and nicely creepy. I like when the show hits that register, it should do it more. Also less focus on John, more on actually interesting characters like Pilot, Rygel, and Chiana please. I think I basically just want a weird, slightly creepy show about puppets and fascinatingly off-putting acting choices. In space.
Also John is usually written as a confused fish out of water, but the actor usually plays him as a confident, swaggering Hollywood leading man, and the combination registers in my brain as “smug, condescending douchebro who refuses to admit that he’s way out of his depth.” Also he keeps derailing interesting stuff about Aeryn exploring ways to challenge herself outside of combat into boring-ass romantic subplot. I kind of hate him.
Season 1 was good (and I like all the characters), but for me Farscape became awesome with Season 2's "Crackers Don't Matter", though from your comment I'm guessing you might not enjoy Crichton there. Have you made it to that point yet?
ReplyDeleteI'm on episode 17. I just finished the three-parter about having to marry the princess a few episodes ago, it was very good!
DeleteI continue to hate Crichton more and more. It's really bizarre, Ben Browder finally demonstrated that he's not actually a terrible actor with the mindswap episode and his pitch-perfect Rigel, but then why is he playing Crichton's growing psychological instability like a Looney Tunes character? "Crackers Don't Matter" was particularly bad in that respect.
At this point "actually interesting characters" has expanded to mean everyone except John and Aeryn, so the show's improving! And Aeryn has potential for being interesting but continues to get derailed by the boring-ass John/Aeryn relationship--the episode where they both turn old is a case in point.
And actually the whole "chip in John's brain" thing is interesting, but that's just it: Crichton is a boring character to whom interesting things happen, but because he's so boring, his only responses to those interesting things are smugness or acting like Daffy Duck.
Sorry, clarification: When I made the OP I was on Season 1, Ep 17. Now I am on Season 2, Ep 17.
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