Ever spend Friday nights channel surfing?
True, it doesn’t sound like much fun. But there are two things that should make a viewer tune to the Sci-Fi Channel at 9 p.m. every Friday: Alien sex and Muppets.
The program in question is “Farscape,” now in its third season on the Sci-Fi Channel. The network’s top-rated show consistently draws critical raves and boasts a fiercely loyal fan base, some of whom roam the Ohio State campus.
“It’s not your average sci-fi show,” said Matt Poskocil, a senior in consumer affairs. “It is very unpredictable.”
Adam Strader, a sophomore in electronic and computer engineering, echoes Poskocil’s sentiments.
” ‘Farscape’ is more original than anything I’ve seen on TV,” he said.
The basic premise of the show is anything but basic. Cmdr. John Crichton (Ben Browder) attempts to prove his theory of space travel in an experimental mission. Unfortunately, his vessel is sucked down a wormhole and dumped on the other side of the universe, directly in the middle of a space battle.
Crichton ends up on a ship of escaped prisoners, including Luxan warrior Ka D’Argo (Anthony Simcoe), Delvian Priestess Pa’u Zotah Zhann (Virginia Hey), deposed Dominar Rygel XVI (a puppet which in some respects resembles a frog), and newly ex-Peacekeeper commando Aeryn Sun (Claudia Black). The entire mismatched clan must overcome their distaste for each other to outrun the baddies – the militant Peacekeepers – on their living bio-mechanoid ship.
Sound like a lot to remember? That’s just the first episode.
More recent installments of the series have seen the crew on the run from the dastardly villain Scorpius, a half-breed alien with a tenacious desire to acquire Crichton’s wormhole knowledge to construct “the ultimate weapon.” Almost simultaneously, Moya’s crew members have acquired a fashion staple.
Tight leather. Lots of it.
Action is not the only attribute of the show, however, as humor plays a critical role in the show’s popularity. Luckily for its viewers, Crichton has an eccentric sense of humor, one that is part incredulous to his situation and part Good Ol’ Boy.
Poskocil points to this as the reason Crichton is his favorite character.
“He says present-day clichés, but no one on the show can understand what they mean,” he said.
Of course, action is good, humor is fine, but where’s the good stuff? Where’s the romance, the aforementioned alien sex?
Not to worry – “Farscape” is nothing if not sexually charged. During the second season, D’Argo consistently consummated his relationship with a later addition to the crew, a Nebari named Chiana (Gigi Edgley). And our hero Crichton has recently been under the sheets with Aeryn, a development die-hard fans (who label themselves “Scapers”) have been drooling for since the premiere episode.
New viewers to the program are often put off by the fact that Farscape is a production of the Jim Henson Company. Admittedly, “Muppets in Space” doesn’t sound all that appealing.
While “Farscape” does boast two incredibly realistic puppets as main characters (Rygel and Moya’s symbiotic pilot, the aptly-named Pilot), the program is anything but a kiddie show. Throughout its duration, the show has consistently explored its darker side, featuring episodes with racism, suicide and torture.
According to Strader’s older brother Andrew, a senior in computer information science, the show’s fearlessness is a far cry from other contemporary science fiction shows.
“Most of the things they come up with are truly imaginative,” he said. “It’s refreshing to see some real creativity after the long parade of progressively cheesier ‘Star Trek’ spin-offs.”
Filmed in Australia, “Farscape” also caters to its audience’s ever-increasing appetite for special effects; many of the computer-generated effects could simply be described as breathtaking. With the Henson Co. behind the scenes, one can count on fewer “Star Trek”-esque bipedal aliens.
Strader believes this, along with the show’s freshness, will only strengthen its quality.
” ‘Farscape’ is using a lot of classic sci-fi concepts and portraying them with today’s technology,” he said. “It’s very impressive. Plus it’s significantly weirder than anything I’ve ever seen.”
Action, humor and sex aside, one of the show’s best, and sometimes most frustrating characteristic is that nothing is sacred.
Have a favorite character? Don’t get too attached. More than one main character has died throughout the duration of the show (most recently the saintly Zhaan), and while some have returned, others have not been so lucky.
“There is no one character that makes the show for me,” Strader said. “It’s the chemistry among the cast that really works. This is important because right now they’re killing off major characters and introducing others left and right.”
Another aspect of “Farscape’s” massive appeal is its accessibility. On www.scifi.com/farscape, one can read past episode synopses, view teasers for upcoming episodes and post messages to other crazed fans. Sometimes, even cast members such as Claudia Black post messages on the bulletin board.
Her handle? “Chickwithgun.”
A popular vent on the site is the season wrap chat. Held on the last day of filming for season three, viewers could log on and talk to anyone from make-up artists to cast members to scriptwriters. Some fans attempted to snare spoilers for the season finale (which will not air until January), but crew members remained tight-lipped.
A cliché-spouting hero. A true frog prince. More leather than a mall specialty store. The opportunity to contact actual cast members.
It makes one wonder why they haven’t been watching “Farscape” all along.
