All four seasons of Farscape are currently available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
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When we think of iconic sci-fi franchises that paved the way for shows such as The Expanse or Killjoys, you typically hear names like Star Trek, Firefly, Stargate SG1, and Ronald D. Moore’s reimagining of Battlestar Galactica. And while those titles were pivotal in shaping the way we think of how modern spacefaring stories should be told, there’s one particular title that often gets lost in the mix. Farscape, running from 1999-2003, successfully blended the campiness often associated with the genre, while also incorporating some of the thematically darker, more character-driven stories that have become commonplace. If you find yourself cooped up at home and in need of a fantastic space adventure, Farscape will scratch that itch.
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Farscape was created by Rockne S. O’Bannon (seaQuest DSV, Defiance) and produced by the Jim Henson Company, whose Creature Shop was responsible for many of the puppets used throughout the series. The story centers on astronaut John Crichton after his experimental spacecraft — Farscape I — is propelled to a different part of the universe via a wormhole. There, Crichton hitches a ride with a band of criminal misfits aboard a living Leviathan ship named Moya. For much of the series, Moya and its crew are on the run from a militaristic force known as the Peacekeepers.
While many of the TV shows out today run for eight or 10 episodes per season, Farscape followed the older model of 22-24 hour-long episodes. But even with these extended seasons, Farscape excelled at blending episodic and serialized narratives together so there were very few filler episodes throughout its four-season run. At the macro level, the story is about Crichton trying to get back to Earth so he can be reunited with his family. However, some of the series’ most memorable moments exist in the quieter, more character-driven storylines.
Take Aeryn Sun (Claudia Black), for example, a former Peacekeeper soldier who joins Moya’s crew. Since birth, Aeryn was trained to be a soldier, displaying very little empathy for anyone or anything. But as the series progresses, little by little, Crichton’s hopeful optimism begins to change the way she views the universe and its diverse inhabitants. Her arc is reminiscent of Finn’s from the most recent Star War trilogy, where we finally get to see a villainous stormtrooper as an actual person instead of just a mindless masked drone with zero personality.
The other members of Moya’s crew are equally delightful, from a helium-farting amphibious aristocrat named Dominar Rygel XVI (voiced by Jonathan Hardy) to a blue-skinned female priestess named Pa’u Zotoh Zhaan (Virginia Hey) to their Peacekeeper pursuers like Scorpius and Bialar Crais, every character has a unique personality and backstory.
After you’ve devoured all 88 episodes and you find yourself asking, “Shouldn’t there be more?”, well, you’re absolutely correct. Sadly, the series was cancelled midway through the fourth season after the Sci-Fi Channel (now Syfy) found itself with new management that didn’t want to spend the money on a fifth and final season. Thankfully, co-producer Brian Henson acquired the rights to the franchise and partnered with O’Bannon to create a mini-series, titled Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars (2004), which wrapped up the story for the fans. Since then, there have been graphic novels from BOOM! Studios, and even rumblings of a Farscape feature film.
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