Farscape Season 1, Vol. 3 - Back and Back and Back to the Future/Thank God It's Friday, Again

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Hell hath no fury like the wrath of a Luxan, as these two episodes of Farscape illustrate. In "Back and Back and Back to the Future," the giant warrior D'Argo falls for a sharp-eyed beauty who arrives on Moya with a scientist after barely escaping the unexplained collapse of their ship. That mystery may also explain Crichton's short jaunts into the near future, which the episode weaves so inventively into the fabric of the narrative that both he and we become momentarily lost in the myriad of possible futures. D'Argo's chest-thumping alpha-male aggression runs right into the opening of "Thank God It's Friday... Again," where he hunts Crichton in a hormonal rage before jetting down to the planet to cool off. He accomplishes that and more; when the crew finds him he's a gentle giant full of inner peace, hearty bear hugs, and a sudden desire to remain in the agrarian society. Crichton meanwhile uncovers a conspiracy that explains the explosiveness of Rigel's bodily fluids and the preternatural complacency of this cultlike civilization of far-flung flower children. This installment is a more conventional tale than most, reverberating with echoes of Star Trek episodes ("This Side of Paradise" in particular), though it's loaded with ironies uniquely resonant in this series, culminating with the most inventive secret weapon the series has yet come up with.

Each episode includes footage unseen in the U.S. broadcasts, and the DVD features a profile of Virginia Hey's blue-skinned priestess, Zhaan, as well as commentary on each episode. Star Ben Browder (Crichton) and episode director Rowan Woods team up for the commentary track on Back and Back... while Anthony Simcoe (D'Argo) joins producer and co-creator Rockne S. O'Bannon for Thank God.... --Sean Axmaker

Description

"Back and Back and Back to the Future" - After rescuing two aliens from their disintegrating ship, Crichton and D'Argo fall victim to effects brought on by the presence of the alien female. Soon, Crichton experiences "future flashes" where she attacks him, both sexually and fatally. Is Crichton losing his mind? Or does he now, mysteriously, have the gift of prophecy? "Thank God It's Friday...Again" - When Moya's crew follows D'Argo to the planet Sykar, they find a strange, almost Utopian society centered around a certain plant. But the world's happy veneer is ripped away when Crichton is assaulted, Rygel's body becomes explosive and D'Argo and Zhaan become pleasure-seeking cult members. As the true purpose of the plant and the planet are revealed, Crichton finds the Uncharted Territories to which they've escaped are not as uncharted as they seemed.

Customer Reviews:

D'Argo takes center stage.......2004-10-02

In "Back and Back...," Crichton (Ben Browder) and company rescue a scientist and his assistant from their imploding spacecraft. In the process, Crichton begins to suffer from time flashes wherein he experiences the future, thereby becoming aware that the mysterious assistant has a deadly secret. There is a lot of good characterization here and a tantalizing hint at D'Argo's (Anthony Simcoe) past. I like the way that so many Farscape episodes turn on Crichton's disarming manner of just leveling with other characters and telling them the truth rather than contriving unlikely deceptions to resolve plot points.

"Thank God..." is another good D'Argo episode. This time he has inexplicably decided to settle down and live as a field worker on an agrarian planet. Suspecting that something is not quite right, Crichton and the others investigate, finding that the planet has an unsettling connection to an old enemy.

I love this show. As good as these episodes are, there is much better to come.

Exploring a Different Uncharted Territory.......2003-07-22

The pilot episode of Farscape lets us know these stories take place in the Uncharted Territories. But starting with the episodes featured on this disc, we see that these uncharted territories include the souls of Moya and her crew.

"Back and Back and Back to the Future" pierces the gruff exterior of D'Argo as a mysterious femme fatale named Natala ensnares the warrior's heart. Unfortunately, Crichton starts having visions of himself with Natala which become progressively more disasterous. Not only do we start to see more of D'Argo's vulnerablility, but we're also treated to a well-designed, time-travelling head trip.

"Thank God It's Friday, Again" has D'Argo on an alien world, but after just three days the gang finds he has traded his soldier's weapons for a famer's tools. Though he seems blissfully content with his new life, things start to spiral out of control with Zhaan slipping into the same blind happiness as D'Argo, an apparent attempt on Rygel's life, Crichton's abduction by a rebel force, and the slow realization that this paradise is intimately linked to one of the galaxy's greatest threats. This is one of Farscape's best episodes, not only for it's wonderful visual appeal, but also for the way it expands our understanding of the characters. A wistful D'Argo confides in Zhaan that this experience echoes some of his long-held dreams. Aeryn reaches beyond her Peacekeeper-imposed blinders as she and Pilot must work together, not in military maneuvers, but in the more cerebral world of science as she struggles to find out what has happened to Rygel. And to top it all of, we have Angie Milliken's beautifully disturbing portrayal as the planet's ruler, Volmay. (Plus the infamous "She gives me a woody" line.)

Each episode offers a commentary: The first, featuring Ben Browder and director Rowan Woods, draws attention to the directorial choices made such as camera angles and set design. The second features Anthony Simcoe and series creator Rockne O'Bannon and gives a glimpse into the Australian influences on Farscape. The character profile features Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan, which seems odd as these two episodes spend a lot of time on D'Argo, but you won't catch me complaining. The Delvian has always been a favorite of mine and it was interesting to hear Virginia Hey's take on the character she embodies. (And embodies is the word: during the interview she completely forgot she was wearing prosthetics at the time!) Zhaan's still gallery has some beautiful shots, though the posing in a few seem overly dramatic. The conceptual drawings are fascinating, though it would have been nice to have some captions. It took a while to realize that some of the aliens depicted were actually Tavleks featured in "Throne for a Loss" from the _previous_ disc.

As O'Bannon explains, each of the characters starts off as a standard sci-fi stereotype. The beauty of Farscape is that it then leaves those cliches behind, delving into these wonderfully realized characters.

D'Argo's Time To Shine.......2003-03-21

After finding himself [pulled through] through a wormhole and thrust into the depths of space that neither he nor any human before him had envisioned, Astronaut John Crichton finds himself confronted with Worlds beyond comprehension. In what seems like mere moments he finds himself aboard a living vessel named Moya with a group of escaped convicts trying desperately to outrun a race called the Peacekeepers and their leader whose brother Crichton accidentally caused to perish. In order to escape these forces, the crew of Moya are forced to head into the Uncharted Territories, knowing that they will be followed but that at least the pull of the Peacekeepers isn't a strong as it is elsewhere. Yes, space isn't what it seems.

In these two episodes from the first season, we find D'Argo, a creature from a warrior race with tendrils sprouting from both the top of his head and his chin, as our focal point.
In the first piece, "Back and Back and Back to the Future," the crew of Moya decide to rescue a couple of aliens from their ship that seems to be disintegrating. One of those on board, a female, seems to have some strange allure over both Crichton and D'Argo, putting D'Argo at odds with the human and jealous of what the other members of the crew think. Added to this is the fact that Crichton starts to have flashes of the future, and it seems that this future contains elements that don't seem to lead anywhere but demise.

To me, this episode was a worthwhile one that had some hidden portions within the plot and that played with the mind of the ever-maddening human as he tries to cope with the oddities of space. Its also interesting to see how he thinks he can change things like so many others would only to see that lead to an even worse fate over and over again, making him wonder if he's simply going mad, if things can be changed if he's not, and why he had to end up with such an unwelcome gift in the first place.

In the next episode, "Thank God Its Friday - Again," D'Argo finds himself possessed by something called Hyper Rage, making him aggressive toward any male he sees as a challenge to him, and Crichton finds himself hiding for three days until, at last, D'Argo decides to leave Moya and head for the planet Sykar. When the crew decides to go in search of him, they find him at peace within himself and the society he's found there, happy with the lifestyle of hard work and partying that this allows. Other problems soon begin to manifest as Rygel's bodily fluids become explosive for some reason and Zhaan seems to be overcome by whatever is influencing D'Argo.

This is also an episode I found rather enjoyable because a few things happen here that explain the ways that some societies fuel other ones, and the way that oppression can be elation depending on how its presented. It also places Crichton in some precarious situations when it comes to staying alive, and shows the duality of some of the crew and the bonds that begin to form between some of them; even the ex-Peacekeeper and the Pilot that once despised all their kind.

For anyone that hasn't looked into Farscape yet, I would suggest going back to the Premiere DVD, watching it, and allowing yourself be hooked by the storyline and the characters being developed therein. The dialogue is of the greatest of qualities and only gets better as the show progresses, the individuals that are chasing and the people fleeing are all interesting and the events of today create the rippling effects of tomorrow, plus there is a point to everything taking place. The creative team that developed it should be commended and recommended highly, at least in this viewer's book.

Crichton saves the day not once, but twice.......2003-01-24

I am a "Farscape" neophyte working their way through Season 1 and it seems clear to me that Volume 3 is where this science fiction series starts clicking as the characters start to emerge with some complexity and the stories fit this point in the saga. The common denominator here is that human John Crichton (Ben Browder) gets to save the day to the relief, if not the surprise, of his new crewmates.

"Back and Back and Back to the Future" is, as the title suggests, a time travel tale in which Crichton becomes unstuck in time. The fun here is decoding when Crichton has flashed forward and when he is back in the present, and, of course, his attempts to convince the others that he is telling the truth and not gone insane. This is the best episode of the series so far, not only because there it is well thought out but also because there are some key moments regarding character interaction and revelation.

"Thank God It's Friday..Again" is too reminiscent of the "Star Trek" episode where Spock gets pollinated and is happy for a while to really be a standout episode. However, there is a standout performance by a guest star as the leader of the shiny happy people. Once again, the best parts of the episode have to do with the character interaction, particularly between Aeryn (Claudia Black) and Rygel (Jonathan Hardy) as well as Zhaan (Virginia Hey) and D'Argo (Anthony Simcoe).

One of the things that is most commendable about "Farscape" is that these DVDs are extremely fan friendly. All of the episodes (so far) offer commentary tracks by a rotating pair of cast and crewmembers. This time around it is actor Browder and director Rowan Woods on "Back and Back and Back to the Future" and actor Simcoe and series creator Rockne S. O'Bannon on "Thank God It's Friday...Again." Having the tag team commentary works well and the talk is usually about the series and the characters overall as well as the individual characters.

There is also a video profile of a "Farscape" character on each disc and this time around it is the turn of Virginia Hey and Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan, the most fascinating alien of the current media generation. Then there is the fact that there is deleted footage that was not broadcast in North America, which is meaningless to me because I do not know what it was I did not see the first time around when I did not see it in the first place.

Two Good Episodes.......2002-08-14

"Back and Back and Back to the Future" is an episode where Crichton is able to experience the future, then return back to the present when things go wrong (like he gets killed). As he corrects certain things, he is able to move forward in the present. The story of this episode has been seen before, but it is enjoyable all the same.

The second episode here is "Thank God It's Friday, Again". This episode takes place on a planet where every day is a work day, every night is a huge party with the promise that tomorrow is a rest day. However, when tomorrow becomes today, the cycle is repeated. The people are slaves to a plant which they cultivate. The plant works like a narcotic on most of the people. Some are able to resist and others with the help of a worm implanted in them can resist as well. Crichton is given such a worm and soon learns the secret of the plant and this planet. The plant is used by the Peacekeepers as it fuels their energy weapons and the planet is a giant storage facility for them.

Description

Farscape Season Three: First release episodes "Season of Death" (Episode 301) Although Scorpius' neural chip has been removed, Crichton feels he has no reason to live - Aeryn is dead, his power of speech is gone, and the Scorpy clone remains in his mind. What's more, the crew of Moya discover they have more than just Crichton and Scorpius to deal with... lurking in the Medical Facility is a murderous Scarran.

"Suns and Lovers" (Episode 302) Eager to spend currency from the Shadow Depository heist, the crew of Moya head to a Commerce Station. When the station is severely damaged by sudden violent storms, Moya becomes ensnared in the docking cables. As it becomes clear that the storms are not natural phenomena, and the crew looks to escape, D'Argo learns that Chiana has betrayed him.

"Self Inflicted Wounds, Part 1: Could'a, Would'a, Should'a" (Episode 303) While searching for a planet to heal the dying Zhaan, Moya collides and fuses with a small spacecraft, seriously injuring Moya and trapping both ships in a series of looping wormholes. Crichton and the captain of the other ship, Neeyala, soon realize that one of the ships must be sacrificed if any of them are to survive.

"Self Inflicted Wounds, Part 2: Wait for the Wheel" (Episode 304) Hoping to preserve their own ship at Moya's expense, Neeyala's crew sabotage Moya, hastening her disintegration. As the situation worsens, the only possibility of saving Moya requires that one of her crew make the ultimate sacrifice.

Customer Reviews:

description not right.......2005-09-04

While the eps themselves are delightful, as always, the description for this particular DVD is not right. This DVD is Volume 1. The description, however, is for Collection 1. Big difference! Vol. 1 has only the first two eps on it. I knew this already but was in a hurry when I purchased this disk and didn't notice the discrepancy between the product and its description. Buyers be aware of this!

The Third Season of Separation and Death begins here.......2003-10-26

At the end of the second season of "Farscape" John Crichton (Ben Browder) was on an operating table with the top of his skull off as Scorpius (Wayne Pygram) has interrupted the surgery to remove the neural chip from his brain and Aeryn Sun (Claudia Black) was killed when she was trapped in her ejector chair that crashed into the freezing water on the planet below. Little did we know that the themes of death and seaparation were going to be so powerfully strong during the third season, but we get a few hints on Volume 1, which has the first two episodes:

Episode 301, "Season of Death" (Written by Richard Manning, Aired March 16, 2001) has the good news that Scorpius' neural chip has finally been removed from Chrichton outweighed by the fact he can not speak, a "clone" of the personality of Scorpius remains in his mind, and Aeryn is dead awaiting a Peacekeeper's funeral. Although Moya's crew makes a series of touching farewells to Officer Sun, Zhaan (Virginia Hey) has an idea. On the one hand bringing back the leading lady of the series from the dead was a bit too easy, but on the other it is clear in retrospect that we are being set up for a series of much more permanent demises by the end of the season (Four Wormholes).

Episode 302, "Suns and Lovers" (Written by Justin Monjo, Aired March 23, 2001), as the title indicates, is a pun on the infamous D.H. Lawrence novel and on target because the lovers end up being Chiana (Gigi Edgley) and Jothee, son of D'Argo (Anthony Simcoe). The main plot has to do with Moya's crew heading to a Commerce Station to spend their spoils, but a violent storm of unnatural origin hits the station. This episode strikes me as more clearing of the decks in terms of stamping out D'Argo's brief period of happiness, which does not strike me as being particularly necessary, although Chiana's motivations for the betrayal are a nice character touch (3 Wormholes).

These early episodes from Season 3 are transitional stories that resolve or reset many of the elements from the previous season. But they also set the stage for the two dominant themes of this third season, both of which will be brought home with some of the show's most powerful episodes.

Mmm, Farscape.......2003-07-27

I'm not sure what the reviewer before me is talking about; this is DVD 3.1, and you do get the first four episodes of season three. Great episodes, and mostly they look wonderful on DVD, but in places the transfer seems grainy. Still, a fabulous collection of episodes, from a show that ended much too soon.

2 Episodes not 4!!!!!!.......2003-07-09

The description is WRONG! If you want the 1st 4 season 3 episodes you need volume 3.1

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