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

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

DVD Review: rare find
Summary: 5 Stars

DVD Review: D'Argo takes center stage
Summary: 4 Stars

DVD Review: A great show makes its debut
Summary: 4 Stars

DVD Review: What the Frell?
Summary: 4 Stars

DVD Review: Exploring a Different Uncharted Territory
Summary: 5 Stars

"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.

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

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

General DVDs

• Genres > Science Fiction & Fantasy
• Television > General
• TV Series > Farscape