Farscape

Farscape, another science fiction show canceled before its time, has been my guilty pleasure for the last two months. There's something so alluring and Australian about this show which, after the the initial bewilderment, continues to attract viewers. I attempted to watch Farscape a year ago, but could not get past the jarring beginning in the premiere. However, if you stick with it, you'll find yourself hopelessly attached to John Crichton and the crew of Moya. Instead of taking place in a distant future, the story is set during our era and features an American astronaut who, like the viewers, is thrust into a strange galaxy with a variety of alien life-forms and conflicts. Along the way, a series of adventures (often episode of the week, but later on more epic story arcs) will entertain and challenge viewers.

The show's lore, characters, humor, creativity, depth, and sense of wonder never fails to deliver, even during the mediocre episodes or the substandard miniseries (which, one must admit, had to wrap up a story that was meant to have a full final season). I cannot recall the last time I watched a science fiction show which could be so action-packed, morally ambiguous, and adventurous all at once. The show endeavors to explore the possibility and ethics of war and power, xenophobia and contact between Earth and the aliens Crichton encounters, and how a group of escaped prisoners befriend and love one another. It is fantastic, swashbuckling, wondrous, and, in some cases, anthropological as Crichton and company explore the Uncharted Territories. Who wouldn't love a show with tight leather costumes,  puppets, living spaceships, corrupt Sebacean Peacekeepers, neural clones, wormholes, bounty hunters, heists (the Shadow Depository episodes being among my personal favorites), and a show irreverent enough to poke fun at its own lore ("Zhaan did a unity thing")?

Of course, Farscape has its shortcomings. The aforementioned miniseries felt rushed, was inconsistent with some of the previous character relationships, and, due to its nature, could not tell the full story envisioned by the writers. Details of the Scarrans, Rygel's return to Hyneria, Chiana's brother and the resistance to the forces of conformity to the Nebari, or the possible Earth-origins of Sebaceans (oops, spoilers) are unexplored, and replacements for Zhaan never felt like full-fledged characters. And don't get me started on Stark, one of the zaniest characters to ever appear in science fiction television. Jool and Sikozu, compared to him, or even Noranti, were lovable additions to Moya's crew. But in spite of, or perhaps because of its flaws, its Australian cast and crew, and its sense of wonder made for an excellent science fiction program. There will never be anything quite like it, but one hopes for a continuation of it or its wacky universe

Dark Matter

It's always particularly wounding when a great science fiction show on the cusp of greatness is canceled too soon. Unfortunately, such was the fate for Dark Matter, a quirky show about the infamous crew of the Raza. Set in our galaxy but 600 years in the future, the show uses just about every science fiction trope, with cyberpunk's powerful corporations, an oppressive Galactic Authority government, and space western's outlaw feel. The show's special effects were far from the best, and writers did at times drop plotlines immediately without ever returning to it, but the show's creator had sketched it out to only last 5 seasons, which would have brought closure and ended the show on an even more interesting note. The third season cliffhanger just leaves us wanting more. The good things about this show far outweighed the bad and ugly.

The negative features of the show are most likely the budget for special effects, poor acting from a handful of actors, an eager desire to slap together too many science fiction tropes and perhaps, the pacing of the episodes. The special effects are usually okay, but there are moments when it looks particularly hokey and cheap. But that's okay, not every science fiction show will or can have a big budget. It didn't especially detract from the visual sense of wonder and darker palette of the show. Lamentably, the poor acting from a few characters did weaken the series, especially in the case of Ryo and a few recurring guests. Lines were not believable, and it became a bit of a chore to sit through episodes centered on Ryo Ishida. Fortunately, Ishida's character was usually silent, but a few episodes centered on the space-age feudal Japanese-inspired Zairon Empire were a little much. 

One cannot help but think trying to throw samurai swords and civilizations inspired by Japan may have been an unnecessary move, although physical combat and martial arts are prevalent for the crew of the Raza. Moreover, can one really have anything cyberpunk without some absurd references to Japan (thanks, Gibson)? But what truly strikes the viewer is the strange way certain episodes were plotted. A beginning, middle, climax, and conclusion would often be followed by some immediately outrageous or hastened threat, giving the show a feel of constant instability without any lapse or moment for reprieve. When one recalls shows like Firefly, which clearly influenced Dark Matter, a similar episode structure does not ring a bell. Indeed, perhaps the pacing of the show played a role in the dropping of plotlines, including some that would have brought closure to departed members of the crew. 

Despite the aforementioned problems with the show, it's still a tremendously entertaining thrill. Thirteen episodes per season makes it easier to binge or revisit, unlike some of the better but infinitely longer science fiction series. The world-building of the show works very well, showing various colonies, the negative impact of the unrestrained corporations, and the satellites and planets of the galaxy. Having the memories of the ship's diverse crew erased was a useful plot device for getting viewers to identify with the characters since we were learning about the ship and its crew just as the characters were. In addition, some of the crew are clearly based on well-known series, like Three being a Jayne-like character. Fans of science fiction can appreciate these character archetypes and genre references.

The character development of the crew as they come to regain their memories brings to the table a number of moral quandaries, the meaning of friendship, and ethical decisions when there are no good choices. Backstabbing, trust, relationships, and the common glue of the crew, 5 and the Android, provide the requisite amount of emotional content to match the show's addiction to action sequences. The Android, who has an emotional chip, really starts to shine as a sentient being. Her existence forces the viewer to confront "anthropoarchy," and the moral dilemmas of the virtual enslavement of robots. Clearly, the show had a story arc prepared to explore that in subsequent seasons, but now we will never know. The anti-corporate and anti-centralized authority of the show, however, also lend credence to the influence of Firefly and cyberpunk, although Dark Matter, in my opinion, brilliantly did not take itself too seriously. The time travel episode in the final season is an amazing example of that.

That's the magical formula for the show across all three seasons. While certainly addressing important themes of technology, capitalism, ramifications of time travel, precog cults, corporate heists, parallel dimensions, and alien beings, the show's quirky sense of humor often prevailed. Even when there were moments that didn't make sense, that quirkiness saved the show. A quirky, unique sense of humor is what retained my attention. Perhaps the Canadian actors and approach to science fiction, assuming such a thing exists, also works to its advantage when winning over American viewers. Canadians are not in the center of Empire, but close enough, giving them a unique perspective on the problems of the present (and the future). With just one additional season, the show could have wrapped things up seamlessly with its quirky humor. 

Peep Show

The stars and some of the writers of Peep Show discuss the show, the writing process, stories, and more. Peep Show is my favorite British comedy series, perhaps because of the socially awkward and post-university settings of the two flatmates, the travails of urban life and masculinity in turbulent times. Much like Community and Fresh Meat, two comedies that helped define my university life, Peep Show was the perfect comedic accompaniment to life for those in their 20s or early 30s. I will sorely miss this program. 

Black Hollywood Unchained

I recently listened to this panel of contributors to Ishmael Reed's collection of essays for Black Hollywood Unchained and found it highly informative as well as humorous. Reed and co-panelists Justin Desmangles, Jesse Douglas Allen-Taylor, Halifu Osumare, and Marvin X Jackmon spoke at the San Francisco Public Library about the problematic ways in which African-Americans are depicted in Hollywood films. In addition, Reed and other panelists discuss literature, politics, critiques of The Wire's David Simon, Nollywood, Black Arts Movement, and even Islam in Africa. The discussion is always interesting, despite some of the slight audio problems. In the second part of the talk, Reed articulates exactly why the troubling tendency of sexism or misogyny in the media being blamed on black men is not something we can ignore. For Reed, it was never about denying misogyny exists among black men, but to ask why is it that the media often relies on images of pathologized black men for misogyny when it is widespread among men of various ethnic backgrounds. This ties in with some of his past commentary on the Jim Crow media.