Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars

I expected a lot of The Peacekeeper Wars, and I think these hopes were a little unrealistic for a mini-series trying to cover what was intended for a series.

Unfortunately, this very much a full series squeezed into three hours. Many fascinating stories could be discerned, but few had the air time they needed, and many were simply confusing. Characters exchanged meaningful looks, only to never be seen again. The editing process had taken its toll.

For a Farscape "episode" this was surprisingly conventional fare, and in places it did wander into the cliché. But full credit for the minds behind it, they were squeezing in a series (and from the content on display it seems obvious that their claims to having plans for the fifth series were far from insubstantial) and simply didn't have the time. Beyond all this, it was still Farscape. Brilliant acting, fine writing and the age old characters, all a little wiser as they were in series four.

I rather enjoyed the... unconventional end to series four, but it's obvious that many wanted closure, and while it doesn't entirely satisfy that demand, it was good to see the finest sci-fi ever made back on our screens, if only for a little while.

Farscape was the best and most imaginative of sci fi series. The characters were just that ...characters. Not a cop who gets results through unorthodox interrogation techniques, not a group of American army personnel representing earth to a group of American-o-centric aliens but a group of incredible (meaning unbelievable) characters.

The colours, the shapes.....

John spends the entire series as a mentally ill person warped by his experiences and the brain surgery of Scorpius.

When he takes on a 7 foot lizard creature in a fist fight he ends up smashed and bruised on the far side of the room. When he falls in love she happens to be a soldier dedicated to his own extermination. Nobody gets his jokes and he honestly doesn't know the secrets the others are prepared to kill him for.

Farscape is about a hopeless quest. No Voyager style course plotted in to a computer. Earth is just a dream to be scrabbled after by a desperate loony. He keeps a grip on his own reality by quoting catchphrases from prime time TV and incidents from black and white films. Harvey, the computer program implanted by Scorpius is my favourite. What a wonderful complex character Scorpius is - there is no evil in Farscape, no black and white, only shades of Grey.

I would quite happily have accepted John waking up and believing it was all a dream following some tremendous astronaut accident.

Farscape the mini series is a wonderful finale to the best sci fi series ever conceived.

For all the farscapers that were left at the edge of their seats from the series' finale cliff-hanger, you will be truly satisfied with how this mini-series successfully ties all loose ends. I was impressed on how the they took a few minutes to summarize the series and quickly introduces the characters, their relationships and the basic plot line to any new viewers at the beginning. After that, the show takes off!

Farscape: The Peackeeper Wars continues to extract elements from what made the series superb in the first place, by relying on characterization and great dialogue. What lies at the core of the Farscape world is their characters, their relationships with one another, their own evolution as a person and their abilities to deal with a harsh environment. All the sci-fi elements, at times, seem almost to be implemented as accessories, an extra-added bonus. The basic story lines and character develop can work in the real world.

With a bigger budget to work with, the mini-series' special effects were very impressive, not to say that the series' wasn't either. The program had it all, space battles, laser-gun battles, worm holes, scary aliens and alien romance! I was kept at the edge of my seat the whole time.

Although I was greatly hurt that the series was cancelled, I was truly satisfied on how Farscape ended, although some out there won't be happy on how some of the story lines and characters ended. For those not familiar with Farscape, the mini-series acts as a spring-board to go back from the beginning watch the series. Your best bet is on DVD, as the SciFi Channel rarely show reruns and when they do, it'll most likely be on in the early morning hours.

Be happy mine eyes!

At long last, Farscape, the series untimely canceled by the 'wisdom' of the SciFi Channel, has returned in a mini-series worthy of the original series.

In brief, this WAS Farscape! Unlike so many other mini-series which compromise the core qualities which made the series great and pandered to the lowest common denominator, Farscape:PKW has remained true to the magic and charm we so loved and we've so missed, picking up immediately after the cliffhanger at the end of the final season.

The only way this mini-series fell short of the original series was the nature of it being a mini-series. The creators had less time to focus on the interactions of the characters and supply more of the special moments which made Farscape as great as it was. However; surprisingly little was lost. My friends as I, gathered at my house to watch this together, all remarked how it was surprising how much story was told it so little time. The creators did a wonderful job making use of these four hours. Anyway, the only people to blame for only having four hours were the foolish execs who came up with the mistake of canceling Farscape the series in the first place.

Everyone I know is in unison in the fervent hope that Farscape will once again become a series. We've seen here that Farscape is still alive and well. If SciFi Channel is not wise enough to resume it, hopefully another network will. Such a network will earn my allegiance. Nonetheless, if Farscape does not come back, at least we have some sense of completion to our beloved story and characters which was sadly denied us upon the untimely cancellation of the series.

As Scorpy said.... "John Crichton... is alive!" Long live Farscape!

Just in case you are not familiar with the back story of this excellent little mini-series: Farscape PKWs is a continuation of a cancelled television series on the Scifi channel. Nothing special about that you say?

Well, what makes this unique is the fact that it never would have been made except for the legions of fans who caused such a ruckus after Scifi made the stupid mistake of canceling. THE FANS got the attention of financial backers who then invested in making this little gem. How amazing is that? In a world where we feel like people crap on us at will and it's us again the big corporations...the little man finally won a small but decisive battle.

As for the show, some die-hard fans, myself included, noticed a few differences in how the mini-series was shot and some character changes...though all the original actors were used. Still, I was almost in tears when I saw my favorite Hynerian in all his squat and toadlike splendor. Definitely not a disappointment to loyal fans and hopefully an eye catcher to those who are new to the series. The humor was there, the dangers were still lurking around the corners, and the chemistry was as sizzling as ever. I highly recommend that anyone who hasn't seen this glorious series go out and rent the first season. You'll never regret it!