Friday, May 4, 2012

Classics: Farscape 4:22 - Bad Timing

Overall Rating: 9.0

Involving Moya and Pilot in the drama this week was genius - feels like the show has been nicely book-ended.

Plot Synopsis:

A summary may be found at the Farscape Wiki: here

The Skinny:

WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT THREE-EYED GROSS ALIEN?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

There we go...got that out of my system.  That shocking finale aside (and it truly is aside since it has nothing whatsoever to do with the plot and is, once again, dropped on us right the frell out of nowhere and for no good reason), this was a very touching episode in oh so many ways.

  • I really love the stuff they've done lately between John and his father.  Their relationship has really evolved and in this one, it feels like it gets paid off.  This really feels like a finale in that respect.  Very sweet.  It was awesome that they also backed off on the humanity is savage elitism and made us sound a little better.
  • Their use of Moya and Pilot was beautiful as well...that is exactly why John is so valuable in the broken part of the galaxy inhabited by the Peacekeepers and the Scarrans.  He still has hope and that hope has led to all kinds of close connections that play pivotal role in the success of the "good guys."  Moya and Pilot have always elicited our deepest respect and they lend even more gravitas to John's personal struggles.
  • John/Aeryn 4EVAH!!!  Sorry Steph...love the shmoopy emotional ending...talk about winning the real battles (the ones of the heart) and finally getting past the silliness.
The wormhole victory was actually pretty cool as well.  Nothing TOO special, but cool nonetheless.  Take THAT, Scarran bastards.

Everything about this episode plays like a finale...except the whole totally unnecessary cliff-hanger with the three-eye aliens (seriously...WTF?!?!?!)...they pay that off in the Peacekeeper Wars miniseries...sort of...but I'm trying to picture myself a fan of the show when it first aired.  I'd have had to wait 18 months to get that payoff...totally...not...FAIR! :)

Writing: 9.0

A lot more pathos in this episode than the typical Farscape of forth season.  They kind of got lost in the gimmicky filming and brain-bending plots and forgot to focus on the characters and make us care about them.  Chiana is not a sex bot, John is not a druggy, Aeryn is not so emotionally weak that she would run away from this kind of problem (the baby)...the writing needed to be about what those characters actually mean to the fans.  Like it was here.

Acting: 10.0

Outstanding all around performances...including some GREAT voice work by the guy who does Pilot.  Kudos all around.

Message: 8.0

It's not a "message" script...and that's OK.  The point is still made that the ties that bind and give us the will to work miracles on the field of battle are not our genetic gifts, but our spiritual ones.  Hope, love and faith matter far more.

1 comment:

  1. Here's my theory: The writers knew the show was going to get canceled, so they put in that WTF? ending in order to inspire a massive "Save Our Show!" campaign. 'Twas devious, but also quite effective. ;)

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