Farscape miniseries jitters

[Pip's Play Thing]

I just read an article/Henson interview article I found in a dreamwatch I bought for an article about the new Doctor Who series and...well, I've really got the jitters now when it comes to the Farscape miniseries -- jitters that first started with the title Peacekeeper War.

What am I jittery about? The idea of turning such a good sci fi series like Farscape has been into yet another open war drama. When Enterprise did it the show died for me. I don't expect the same to happen with Farscape, but... I just hate seeing it take such a cliched turn like this.

I also have a plotting problem that I'd like to discuss, but it has [i]spoiler[/b] info, so if anyone has opinions concerning my jitters go ahead and on down the line I'll switch, if you want, to it. With warnings of course.

[Jeff O'Connor]

Whoa... more people started to like Enterprise when it became a war drama... I guess, to each his/her own but personally I've seen Farscape as a show that's been setting up a war arc for a good three years now, and actually I'm looking forward to the jitters of yours. :shrug:

[Pip's Play Thing]

Whoa... more people started to like Enterprise when it became a war drama... I guess, to each his/her own but personally I've seen Farscape as a show that's been setting up a war arc for a good three years now, and actually I'm looking forward to the jitters of yours. :shrug:

Yes, to each his/her own. When it comes to Enterprise I'm one of those...well, lunkheads who 1) hated when the makers trashed the entire timeline Gene Roddenberry created and 2) found the show lost all its originality when the out 'n' out war crap started. It became a cheap copy of all the other sci fi war dramas out there in flick and on tube.

As for Farscape, the series was something special, as when Enterprise started, minus a few glitches, and I'd hate to lose that. As for the war arc, no, I didn't see it going beyond season 4 'cause...oops!, spoiler discussion.

[Jeff O'Connor]

Well, we're on totally different sides of the spectrum then. I didn't like "The Roddenberry Dream" nearly as much as the "cheap copy of all the other sci fi war drama" myself... in fact Star Trek: DS9 is my favorite sci fi war drama, be it an already-done subject or not.

[JrMissToughChick]

Yes, to each his/her own. When it comes to Enterprise I'm one of those...well, lunkheads who 1) hated when the makers trashed the entire timeline Gene Roddenberry created and 2) found the show lost all its originality when the out 'n' out war crap started. It became a cheap copy of all the other sci fi war dramas out there in flick and on tube.

As for Farscape, the series was something special, as when Enterprise started, minus a few glitches, and I'd hate to lose that. As for the war arc, no, I didn't see it going beyond season 4 'cause...oops!, spoiler discussion.
of farscape or ENT? I think the ENT war arc is over... Farscape's war arc (the Mini) will be great I mean earth isn't even going to be involved it'll be like a one man war or something :shrug:

[Jeff O'Connor]

of farscape or ENT? I think the ENT war arc is over... Farscape's war arc (the Mini) will be great I mean earth isn't even going to be involved it'll be like a one man war or something :shrug:

Nevermind that, though. Enterprise's war arc is by no means over and has been addressed since the show began.

You didn't think the Temporal Cold War would be a red herring, did you?

[Pip's Play Thing]

of farscape or ENT? I think the ENT war arc is over... Farscape's war arc (the Mini) will be great I mean earth isn't even going to be involved it'll be like a one man war or something :shrug:

Well, to be honest, I don't think what we're going to get in the miniseries has anything to do with what we would've got in a 5th season. Spoiler talk if I go on, as with my confusion concerning the miniseries plotline would be.

[JrMissToughChick]

Nevermind that, though. Enterprise's war arc is by no means over and has been addressed since the show began.

You didn't think the Temporal Cold War would be a red herring, did you? Like I've told you I only started really watching it this season (last season whatever) but I thought the TCW was the season one arc?

[Jeff O'Connor]

Like I've told you I only started really watching it this season (last season whatever) but I thought the TCW was the season one arc?

No way. It just wasn't addressed but every few episodes before. It's been basically "Archer vs Silik" for two years with Daniels entering and giving subtle hints of the future, up until the second year's finale in which the Federation was first mentioned and more intrigue came out. Oh and Silik always talked to a shady man whose face couldn't be seen and wore all black, and still does, and he's projecting himself from the 29th century or so, and there's huge talk of him being Romulan.

[JrMissToughChick]

No way. It just wasn't addressed but every few episodes before. It's been basically "Archer vs Silik" for two years with Daniels entering and giving subtle hints of the future, up until the second year's finale in which the Federation was first mentioned and more intrigue came out. Oh and Silik always talked to a shady man whose face couldn't be seen and wore all black, and still does, and he's projecting himself from the 29th century or so, and there's huge talk of him being Romulan. so they abandoned it for the Xindi arc to be picked back up at a later date?

[Pip's Play Thing]

Um, can we return some time to my concerns about Farscape? :eek:

[JrMissToughChick]

Um, can we return some time to my concerns about Farscape? :eek: sorry about that... I didn't mean to hijack the thread like that...

Farscape's War based Arc will ROCK it'll be the biggest thing ever made :D :cool: :) ;) okay thats on topic :D

[Steel]

The Dr. ooops The Doctor is back.
Farscape is being made too.
More B5 would be nice, ah well...
Dead Zone, worth a watch, more please.
Enterprise, sucked big style, and then found some plot.
Angel got some wings, but flew too close to the fun!
24 hours to a recipe.
West Wing recreates war of the worlds.
E.R. makes you want to be a vet.
Smallville, takes teenage angst to a level of deaf dumb and stupid.


Or you could have tremors for 3 hours, 6 nights a week!
BFHell.............

[justanotherFSlvr]

I'm guessing the title has more to do with marketing than anything else. In Farscape, the galactic situation has always been a background for the smaller, more intimate stories and struggles of the Moyans, and my money says that it will still be so. The war will just bring the struggle for John's knowledge to a head, and add a little extra stress to the mix!

[Pip's Play Thing]

I'm guessing the title has more to do with marketing than anything else. In Farscape, the galactic situation has always been a background for the smaller, more intimate stories and struggles of the Moyans, and my money says that it will still be so. The war will just bring the struggle for John's knowledge to a head, and add a little extra stress to the mix!

You could very well be right. Henson did say in the article I read the main focus was John and Aeryn's struggle through it all. But I'm still concerned about the plotline problem.

[StarsGoBlue]

well pip, you might find out a little bit more next week... http://www.watchfarscape.com/ (top story!)

[Pip's Play Thing]

well pip, you might find out a little bit more next week... http://www.watchfarscape.com/ (top story!)

Thanks, StarsGoBlue. Um, now that this has reached page two I'm about to reveal my plotline worry. It'll me a spoiler alert, I think.

[soyarma]

What peacekeeper war? As far as I'm concerned John and Aeryn are still kissin in da boat :D

[rinnicbob]

There sure has been a good bit of angst about the mini lately, I see. I suppose, like any other fandom, there's going to be some nervous moments over various upcoming projects, but the bottom line is: WE'RE GETTING OUR SHOW BACK. I always maintained, from the beginning of this campaign, I'll take Farscape in any form they want to present it.

If it's the story you're worrying over, what do we really know about the storyline of the mini? Nothing, really. Nada. Zilch. We can speculate all we want, but I for one trust that the creative minds that gave us this show will knock our collective socks off, once again. I'd say don't get too worked up over the title and what it may imply as to where the story will go.

If you're upset over a "war arc" as a way of somehow investing Farscape with a heavy dose of sci-fi cliche', well, the idea is to give the loyal fans something they want more than anything, a continuation of the story of John & Aeryn & co., and to hopefully bring in more fans. The fact is, action sells. The bigger, the better. Besides, Farscape has made it's fame in part by turning the old cliche's inside out. Let's just wait and see.

The only real problem is, December can't come soon enough.

[StarsGoBlue]

well, IF we can still believe tom vitale and what he said on sci-fi overdrive, it's still scheduled for october... better than december! :D

[Pip's Play Thing]

There sure has been a good bit of angst about the mini lately, I see. I suppose, like any other fandom, there's going to be some nervous moments over various upcoming projects, but the bottom line is: WE'RE GETTING OUR SHOW BACK. I always maintained, from the beginning of this campaign, I'll take Farscape in any form they want to present it.

If it's the story you're worrying over, what do we really know about the storyline of the mini? Nothing, really. Nada. Zilch. We can speculate all we want, but I for one trust that the creative minds that gave us this show will knock our collective socks off, once again. I'd say don't get too worked up over the title and what it may imply as to where the story will go.

If you're upset over a "war arc" as a way of somehow investing Farscape with a heavy dose of sci-fi cliche', well, the idea is to give the loyal fans something they want more than anything, a continuation of the story of John & Aeryn & co., and to hopefully bring in more fans. The fact is, action sells. The bigger, the better. Besides, Farscape has made it's fame in part by turning the old cliche's inside out. Let's just wait and see.

The only real problem is, December can't come soon enough.

Yep. All I know of the storyline is what Henson said in the article I read. War Arc or not, you are more than likely correct that the creative minds behind Farscape will take it in a different direction. But it's not what the storyline will be that worries me as much as a continuity problem I think I see with it. I know I'm probably one of the very few 'Scapers who worry about such things as story continuity when it comes to Farscape, but I am curious as to what others might think.

[dzynz]

I have faith for so many reasons, namely this show has never let me down when it comes to good stories and great dialogue. The war is oging to happen in the miniseries, and will play a huge part of the story, but you know, just as the last 4 episodes of s 4 did, that it will focus on the characters within this situation, and not the actual war. By this I mean, the drama trumps the plot, or magnifies it, the plot never comes first, and thats why the show is so frelling brilliant. THe war will be over after the miniseries, or there will be some type of resolution of that arc, im sure, but with that conflict ended, it leaves possibilities for all other types of problems.

[Jeff O'Connor]

Some of us want to see some things, some of us want to see other things. The bottom line is, we all want to see Farscape.

[soyarma]

I have no expectations for the mini. I don't expect it to be good, I don't expect it to be bad. I don't expect war, I don't expect peace. If you go into it with pre-dispositions and expectations and desires for what you want and how you think the show should go - You Will Be Disappointed.

As Dzynz said, the guys and gals who got us hooked on their creation have never dissappointed before. I don't think they will now.

[faustus]

Some of us want to see some things, some of us want to see other things. and there going to show us something else;)

[Digger]

I have no expectations for the mini. I don't expect it to be good, I don't expect it to be bad. I don't expect war, I don't expect peace.I expect Rygel to fart helium at least once.

[Jeff O'Connor]

I expect Rygel to fart helium at least once.

Indeed we all have one solid expectation.

[Pip's Play Thing]

Wow. I should've come here more often after I joined. All the other Farscape sites I belong to spend a lot of time ripping Farscape episode by episode 'cause they feel, it is said, to like a show you've got to find fault with it and gripe about it. I, on the other hand, have enjoyed Farscape start to finish and any bad cgi effect or story slip was easily bypassed by me as not important enough to spoil the overall show. I guess I was in the wrong places all along.

I only brought up this continuity worry of mine 'cause I was hoping maybe I was wrong and somebody'd prove it to me. And due to spoiler fears I was afraid to outright say it. Well, it's good to know I won't have to now. Whatever they give us, we take. Thanks all.

[Jeff O'Connor]

Wow. I should've come here more often after I joined. All the other Farscape sites I belong to spend a lot of time ripping Farscape episode by episode 'cause they feel, it is said, to like a show you've got to find fault with it and gripe about it. I, on the other hand, have enjoyed Farscape start to finish and any bad cgi effect or story slip was easily bypassed by me as not important enough to spoil the overall show. I guess I was in the wrong places all along.

I only brought up this continuity worry of mine 'cause I was hoping maybe I was wrong and somebody'd prove it to me. And due to spoiler fears I was afraid to outright say it. Well, it's good to know I won't have to now. Whatever they give us, we take. Thanks all.


I have one thing to say: :aok:

[faustus]

you allways have :aok: to say

oh almost forgot :aok:

[whatashame]

Whoa... more people started to like Enterprise when it became a war drama... I guess, to each his/her own but personally I've seen Farscape as a show that's been setting up a war arc for a good three years now, and actually I'm looking forward to the jitters of yours. :shrug:

You're absolutely right. Ever since the introduction of the Scarrons, and Scorpius' ties to them, the intensity and tension between them and the Peacekeepers has escalated. It seems like a natural progression in the storyline to have an epic war. My only concern, is do you think they can effectively tell such a dramatic and important piece of the story in just four episodes and still focus on the storyline(s) of the main characters where they left off so abruptly? Four hours seems so rushed. Maybe that is just because I would prefer 40 more episodes?

[Jeff O'Connor]

Well we all would, no doubt... I think the bottom line is four episodes can be so much more if they succeed well enough (technically it's two two-hour events but... four episodes is an accurate perception, no doubt) but either way it'll be what it is, and it will be Farscape, and since it will have to feel rushed on some levels, at least we know it will cover much more in four episodes than any four episodes have before.

That means watching We're So Screwed Part I ~ Bad Timing on Overdrive.

[RydraWong]

I, on the other hand, have enjoyed Farscape start to finish and any bad cgi effect or story slip was easily bypassed by me as not important enough to spoil the overall show. I guess I was in the wrong places all along.

I think many people do enjoy spotting continuity slip-ups or plot holes. That doesn't necessarily mean it spoils our enjoyment, though.

I personally don't watch Farscape for the watertight plotting, any more than I watch it for the scientific accuracy ;). I watch it for the characters and the plots and the themes and the acting and the visuals and the "Drahma".

There's a great bit on one of the earliest DVD commentaries where they're talking about how when they were shooting the first few eps of the show no-one could decide what the procedure for using the comms should be - do you tap them before you talk each time, do you talk into them or do you talk normally, etc. And all the directors kept giving the cast different instructions. So everyone ended up doing something different with the comms each time.

But then someone on a Farscape bulletin board managed to come up with a detailed theory of how the comms work which made all of it make sense. So now, Anthony Simcoe (if I recall correctly) says on the DVD, they just go "Oh, never mind - they'll work it out on the bulletin boards!" :D

[RydraWong]

Four hours seems so rushed.

Think of it this way: in terms of running time, it's equivalent to two movies.

And think how much usually gets crammed into the last four episodes of each season. Often, the climax of the plot arc happens very fast and takes place within a relatively small number of eps anyway.

[soyarma]

Well, I've mentioned this before here, so don't snark me, but its a 3 hour event. For every 4 hours of TV you catch you are being nailed with an hour of commercials. Case in point being that the US episodes of FS are only 42 - 45 minutes long.

I know I am also the one who says "Have no expectations and you won't be dissappointed" (it's how I like almost every movie I see - I expect only to be able to stare vapidly at the screen for 2 hours, lol), but were I to be in charge of the mini (and you can all breathe a sigh of relief that I'm not) I'd do an Empire Strikes Back - Return of the Jedi thing.

I'd start the mini off with the ending of EP 422. I'd have the final scenes in there (wont say what they are on the off chance someone here hasn't seen it yet) so that any new viewers will know what the heck is going on. Then I would do a 'some time later' thing. That way we can skip the whole part of the story where they figure out how to unfreeze the two and get right to the unfreezing itself. Or maybe we will then go to Rygel and Stark infiltrating Jabba's palace to find Aeryn and John frozen in carbonite (metaphorically speaking).

With that out of the way you do two things. You leave the interim open for tons of additional stories and you don't have to show the story itself which depending on what you wanted to do could be as much as an entire season's worth of story telling.

Mind you, I also have my doubts that they will do this for the simple reason that this particular plotline happened in Star Wars and I know that the FS boys know that and are way to creative to give us something we've already seen... unless they have a twist that will snark us.

[RydraWong]

Well, I've mentioned this before here, so don't snark me, but its a 3 hour event.

Yes, and the average theatrical movie has a running time of about 1 and a 1/2 hours. So in terms of actual screen time, two movies :).

[Adam L Garcia]

Whoa... more people started to like Enterprise when it became a war drama... I guess, to each his/her own but personally I've seen Farscape as a show that's been setting up a war arc for a good three years now, and actually I'm looking forward to the jitters of yours. :shrug:

I totally agree with the statment Jeff. Farscape for me has always been about this "Stranger in a Strange Land," John, who is thrust in the middle of a mounting war between the Scarrans and the Peacekeepers. He goes from this bumblig idiot to the only person in the entire Universe that has the power, per se, to stop it. The ultimate Journey of the Hero. (Though I do feel at the core of the show is Shippy, but thats a different discussion entirely).

If you look back at the first introduction Scorpius, you understand that relations between Sebeaceans and Scarrans are reaching a fevered pitch, with the Nebari as this wild card. The war is inevitable, Scorpy knew that from the very start, which is why he had the Gammak Base to create the Wormhole WMD (WWMD).

So by the end of Season 1, the writers set up the "Peacekeeper-Scarran War," whether they realized it or not, by introducing Scorpy.

With LOTP, the writers introduced the first Scarran and established that alliances an battle lines were being drawn, the Breakaway Colonies being a key potential ally to both sides. With these episodes we see that the War is coming.

It was Crichton who threw a monkey wrench into the "Machine of War." By becoming the only living person outside the Ancients and the Pathfinders who could control Wormholes, Crichton became a Wild Card, the Joker of the UT's deck of cards. Which side will he join?

The war was always coming, and thanks to Jack the Ancient, Crichton was placed squarely at the epicenter of that War.

It was all leading to this. The story hasn't changed. It just naturally evolved.

-Adam

PS. I hope that wasn't just a disorganized ramble.

[Perfect_Tommy]

I don't think we have to worry about a typical "sci-fi war" cliche story. Why do I say this? One HUGE reason. Moya and her crew is not on any side of the war. So it won't be good guys versus bad guys so much. Even if the crew does pick a side, it's going to be a lesser of evils type of thing.

spoiler...

I mean, in Season 4 Grayza was willing to sell out the entire Luxan race to get peace between the two parties. Do you really think that D'Argo will be quick to join either side? I think that might be one reason that the Luxans will play a bigger part in the Mini, they're coming to dinner and they're pissed off. :P


-----

Just one mans thoughts though.

[soyarma]

I don't think that the Pathfinders have significant control of wormholes. The ship they had seemed to be experimental. Their talk of their families being killed if they didn't return and the talk of how they were permitted to go on this voyage also pointed to that.

[faustus]

I don't think that the Pathfinders have significant control of wormholes. The ship they had seemed to be experimental. Their talk of their families being killed if they didn't return and the talk of how they were permitted to go on this voyage also pointed to that.
I got the notion that that was the Pathfinders first mission into wormholes

[jerseygirl]

I agree, I sounds like a marketing-driven title. What Brian Henson said was that both sides kept trying to seduce or force John into becoming a participant and he kept trying to not get involved. Regardless of how much war, it's still gonna be John and Aeryn's story. Intimate, personal stories are just much more compelling and accessible to audiences than big, huge ones. And these guys know that.

[soyarma]

my thought too faustus - for some reason I didnt articulate it well, lol.

[faustus]

the could come back in the mini...maybe