Farscape: The Complete Season 4

Farscape: The Complete Season 4 Review

Farscape: The Complete Season 4 Feature

• FARSCAPE: THE COMPLETE SEASON 4 (DVD MOVIE)

The offbeat but frequently brilliant science-fiction series Farscape came to an abrupt close with its fourth season, and in typical fashion, the show ended with a bang--not your ordinary bang, mind you, but then again, nothing on Farscape was ever ordinary. The season picks up months after the crew of the living spaceship Moya are separated, and it spends most of the first five episodes bringing them together from the farthest corners of the universe; once together again, starlost human Crichton (Ben Browder) and his alien compatriots get down to the business of sewing up a vast number of story lines before the final episode. Among them: Crichton's new-found ability to suss out wormholes; an attack by bounty hunters ("I Shrink, Therefore I Am"); two trips to Earth, one to the past ("Kansas") and the other--one of the show's best episodes--to the present, where Moya's alien crew become the first extraterrestrials to meet humankind ("Terra Firma"); and a last-ditch attempt to stop a war between the show's main antagonists--the reptilian Scarrans and the humanoid Peacekeepers--via the threat of galaxy-wide destruction (the three-part "We're So Screwed"). There's also the growing relationship between Crichton and female lead Aeryn Sun (Claudia Black), which reaches a peak in the final series episode, "Bad Timing"--but ah, there's that big bang in the end.

If that feels like a lot of ground to cover in 22 episodes (all of which are included on the Complete Season Four's six-disc set), it is, and the leisurely pace that marked the preceding three seasons is occasionally missed here. But the show's strengths--its clever scripting and solid performances--are still intact, and if the show's conclusion is gasp-inducing, fear not: series co-producer Brian Henson wrapped up the show in a four-part miniseries shortly after this season aired. The season 4 set contains three commentaries (Ben Browder and Claudia Black on "John Quixote"; they're joined by executive producer David Kemper on "Kansas" and "Bad Timing") and a wealth of featurettes that cover everything from the show's villains and effects to the outpouring of support by its fans that helped revive Farscape for its miniseries conclusion. A speech by Kemper to the cast and crew on the final day of shooting is a lovely and moving bit of video. --Paul Gaita

Months after the cliffhanger finale of Season 3, which left Crichton stranded alone and low on fuel after Moya was unexpectedly sucked into a wormhole, FARSCAPE SEASON 4 begins with Crichton studying wormholes aboard an aged and dying Leviathan, foreshadowing the danger that wormhole science will soon pose to his first home, Earth.

A series of thrilling, surreal, and nearly lethal adventures follow for the crew, including battles against heat delirium, space madness, bounty hunters, a deadly video game, and the relentless pursuit of Peacekeeper Commandant Grayza.

Season 4 closes with the aptly named episode “Bad Timing.” With the Scarrans heading for the wormhole to Earth, Crichton must make the ultimate sacrifice to protect his home, and Farscape draws to a close with one of the most controversial series finales in television history.

DISC 1: Crichton Kicks / What Was Lost Part I : Sacrifice / What Was Lost Part II : Resurrection / Lava's a Many Splendored Thing
DISC 2: Promises / Natural Election / John Quixote / I Shrink Therefore I Am
DISC 3: A Prefect Murder / Coup By Clam / Unrealized Reality / Kansas
DISC 4: Terra Firma / Twice Shy / Mental as Anything / Bringing Home The Beacon
DISC 5: A Constellation of Doubt / Prayer / Bonus Features
DISC 6: We're So Screwed Part I: Fetal Attraction / We're So Screwed Part II: Hot To Katratzi / We're So Screwed Part III: La Bomba / Bad Timing