On Fascape by Rockne S. O'Bannon (TV Series 1999–2003) (TV-PG)

with Ben Browder (Stargate), Claudia Black (Rango, Stargate), Anthony Simcoe, Lani Tupu, Jonathan Hardy, Gigi Edgley, Wayne Pygram, Virginia Hey, Paul Goddard (The Matrix), David Franklin...

This Australian science fiction series follows the crew of Moya, a living spacecraft that houses a group of various beings united in their desire to escape from a corrupt military force known as Peacekeepers. American astronaut John Crichton (Ben Browder) joins them when he accidentally flies through a wormhole. As the series progresses, John makes enemies with brutal Peacekeeper Scorpius, while developing a relationship with crewmate Aeryn Sun (Claudia Black).

I was told that if I liked "Battlestar Galactica", I would also enjoy "Farscape". I didn't know that it was one of the Sci-Fi Channel's most popular shows almost immediately upon airing. What I knew instead is that the characters were really good, but not to expect an amazing special effect kind of show. So I started watching it as a home made show, to be surprised, more and more by the impact it would have in my own life.
First of all, watching a few episodes made me realize that the sense of humor was pretty unique, since the main character is an ordinary American guy — I mean an astronaut — and was born and raised with the references we all have of TV shows, movies, history, and can make these kind of jokes that of course only the audience can get, since the other members of this universe have no idea what he is talking about.

(from left to right) Pilot, Dominar Rygel XVI, Chiana, John Crichton, Aeryn Sun,
Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan, Ka D'Argo and Moya

I also believe that beyond the exceptional adventures that happen to them, they are all a little bit clueless and thinking in a matter of survival with an ideology based on peace, various ways of reaching it, and it always comes to having an understanding. In other words, it is not about one guy leading other guys, it is about adapting to each situation, screwing up, fixing it, screwing up again, changing strategy, getting to an equilibrium.
Another thing is the inventive way to generate new stories, curiosity, something that does not fade along the seasons. The beginning, while we are still discovering the main characters and how they evolve, we have more of short adventures with great inventivity. Little by little, we are reaching to bigger goals, stories that extend to a few episodes, and finally, getting to know better what is happening on a global level in the galaxy, who is in charge, and what are the biggest challenges.
Also, the main characters can build on their relationships, create a complicity with the audience on what has already happen that we will try to avoid in the future. The going back to earth is done in two ways, which also build an unusual way to put together Crichton family and his partners from the rest of the universe.

Officer Aeryn Sun (Claudia Black)

Finally, they built a story where relationships are not drama, they are just building themselves with time, some glitches, and finally realism and coherency, making the sentimentalist like me even more hooked.
The series has a beginning, a middle and an end that feels like a complete story, sometimes as opposed to never ending commercial series. This is another real value.

Moya

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