Farscape Season 4: Collection 4.5 - DVD Town.com
- DVD Town.com
- Thomas E Hughston
- 06/05/05
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Farscape: Season 4 - Collection 5
By Thomas E Hughston (June 5, 2005)
The 'good ones' always seem to die young. This statement has been true of actors, musicians, and many other notable visionaries. 'Farscape' sadly joins the ranks among these greats. As we see in 'Farscape: Collection 4.5,' the series is cut off in its prime. At the end of the action packed fourth season, the series simply ends with a 'to be continued' tagline. Nothing disappointed the fans more than such an unsatisfactory ending. As it is explained in the extras section, this was not on purpose. The show was meant to go on.
Apparently, the SciFi channel would rather spend its time and efforts producing utter garbage like 'Mansquito', 'Frankenfish', and 'Sabertooth'; to name a few of the atrocities. Is it any wonder that no one watches this channel any more? I base the last comment off of a ratings count that I saw recently. It appears that people would rather watch just about anything else. I can't blame 'This collection exemplifies why 'Farscape' is not simply good, but a phenomenal piece of work, which will not soon be forgotten by its fans.' them.
The passing of 'Farscape' is just another dumb move by a faceless Network. This DVD, however, does something that caught me off guard. It puts faces, to the fans. The Extras contain a documentary on the 'Save Farscape' effort put forth by the fans to bring this series back. It is truly awing to view, and the last day speech is touching. It is truly a testament to the series' greatness.
And at this point, you should be asking, 'How are the episodes on this DVD?' In a word, they are fantastic. They are truly amongst the best script writing and visual presentation that I have seen on a television series. Each of the episodes on this disc takes Science Fiction to a new level of quality. The episodes can not help but evoke emotional response. The last episode, 'Bad Timing' is especially moving. I was in shock after watching this episode. I could not believe that he series could end, let alone on such a pivotal point. I was also shocked to see D'argo crying at the end. The acting was convincing, but the fact that it was D'argo was so unexpected, and so emotionally powerful.
If for some bizarre reason, you could only own one 'Farscape' DVD; this would be the one to buy. The episodes are perfect and the extras are phenomenal, from a fan's perspective. The discs portray a very unique perspective on the series as a whole. You actually get to see the people involved in production, right along with the fans. It seems rare for a DVD to have this combination. It shows that the series was loved, not just by its creators, but also by the people who saw it. It seems a lot more meaningful for the viewing populace to endorse a show, than it does for the directory to explain why the series was great.
Video:
The video aspect ratio is 1.78:1 (Animorphic Widescreen on 4:3 monitors). The visual effects of 'Farscape' put major motion pictures to shame. The level of detail and special effect in the series outshines movies of larger budget. It seems like it should be the other way around. This simply emphasizes the inherent quality of the series. The effects are not only spectacular to behold, but are also believable as well. The wormhole sequence at the end of 'Bad Timing' was truly a sight to behold. I was awed at the detail of the effect. The fact that the discs contain no errors maintains the perfect illusion of the series.
Audio:
You can watch the show in either Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo English or Dolby Digital 5.1 surround English. I watched it in 5.1 surround English. The sound on these discs is flawless. There are no skips or distortions present. More importantly the sound effects are appropriate, the voices are masterful, and the sound experience is convincing. The sound of 'Farscape' has been consistent in giving just a little more than expected. This extra effort adds a new dimension to the discs that makes everything come together.
Extras:
As mentioned earlier in this review, the extras in this collection are of great quality. The collection contains the usual extras familiar to the 'Farscape' discs (Deleted Scenes, set/prop/costume gallery, Cool Farscape Facts and Alien Encounters). This collection also contains three very interesting behind the scenes pieces. The first, is an interview with Anthony Simcoe (D'argo). As with the other interviews from prior 'Farscape' DVDs the interview is nothing less than special. It gives a very interesting perspective to the character.
The last extras on this disc are the look at 'Save Farscape' and the footage from the last day of shooting. These two pieces tell the tragic story of 'Farscape's' sudden cancellation, and the immediate fan outcry. There is a speech that David Kemper gave the cast and crew, which is captured on this DVD. While saddening, this is probably one of the better farewell speeches that I have heard. The last real farewell speech that I heard involved how a school dean had spent his time and effort restoring a turtle pond on the campus he worked at. All that said to me was 'so long and thanks for your money'. David Kemper's speech tells me that this series was loved by its cast and crew.
--Miscellaneous--
The DVD comes with a colored booklet; with chapter listings, episode synopsis, and character profiles for Pilot and Moya.
Film Value:
'Farscape: Collection 4.5' exceeded my expectations for the series. It brought the entire show crashing down to a powerful emotional conclusion. The only complaint I have is not towards the series, or the disc, but to the network that cancelled it. There are so few shows of 'Farscape' quality on television. When you cancel a show like this to produce the same mindless drivel that everyone else does, you are no longer competitive. And if fans actually start organizing to raise money for commercials pleading for a show to come back, give it to them.
The plotline of this series will always be among the SciFi greats. This collection exemplifies why 'Farscape' is not simply good, but a phenomenal piece of work, which will not soon be forgotten by its fans.
Posted on Sunday, June 05, 2005 (Archive on Tuesday, July 05, 2005)