A Post on Farscape, A.K.A. I've Neglected the Geek Inside Me for Too Long

Farscape has made me remember my inner nerd. I love science fiction, and considering so it's odd that I've written so little about topics related to it in the two-plus years I have been blog writing. Isn't that the point of having a blog, to share the minuate of your selective interests with a bunch of people, most of whom could care less?

What is Farscape? Why should I watch it? Oh, my friend, your questions will be answered.

The short:
Farscape, a sci-fi show that ran for 4 years, is the best sci-fi show in terms of character development ever made. No exaggeration. It has some flaws, but if you ever wanted to see a show where the characters and their relationships evolve in almost every episode, this is the show to watch. Some of the episodes also display a wicked sense of humor.

To get a sense if you will like the series or not, I suggest renting "Farscape: Season 1: Episodes 19 & 20: Nerve / The Hidden Memory" from an online DVD service such as NetFlix. And let me know if you do. Heck, if there's interest, I'll make it into a contest.


The long:
There are two types of TV shows: plot-driven and character-driven. In plot-driven shows, the characters and their relationships with each other are static, for the most part. The character in season 1 is essentially the same character in season 2 as he is in season 3, and so on. A plot-driven show can have extremely well-drawn out characters, but that alone doesn't make it a character-driven show. For example, the character's in Seinfeld were excellent, but no one tuned in to see if George would finally have an epiphany about his selfishness.

Character-driven shows are the opposite. In a good character-driven show, the characters gradually evolve from episode to episode. And because the character's development carries on from episode to episode, many of the plotlines carry over too.

Most television shows, especially sitcoms, are plot-driven. Season 1 Picard is essentially the same as Season 7 Picard, which is amazing considering that in real life, seven years of kicking ass and making Junior High kids titter every time you call for your second in command would change most people.

Deep Space Nine started off a plot-driven show and shifted towards being character driven in later seasons. When people argue whether ST:TNG or DS9 is the better show, they are essentially expressing their preference for plot-driven shows or character-driven shows. No format is inherently better. It's just a matter of preference.

That's why I suspect people who enjoy DS9, or character-driven dramas in general, would like Farscape because it has a relentless focus on character development. If I gave you an episode from the beginning, middle, and end of the first season without telling you when they took place, you could place them in order solely based on how the cast acts towards each other.

I think that's pretty cool. While this type of character development is a staple of any good drama, it is the first time I've seen it play a central role in a science fiction series. Central may even be too weak of a word--its really the defining characteristic of Farscape.

Well, that's my pitch. If you have a chance, watch two or three episodes and see if it catches your interest. It's been off the air for a few years; so your best bets are an online DVD service or downloading them from a file sharing service like EDonkey.