John Crichton (Ben Browder) and Aeryn Sun (Claudia Black) may have been blown to pieces at the end of Farscape's fourth season, but that doesn't stop them from saving the galaxy. Reconstituted at the beginning of the mini-series The Peacekeeper Wars – in a beautifully-filmed sequence – Crichton and Sun are remarkably calm about the whole thing. Anyone who has watched Farscape will know this is hardly the strangest thing that has happened to them.
The Climax of the Farscape Story
Cancelled at the end of the fourth season, Farscape's story is completed in the mini-series Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars. Fans of the Australian science-fiction show, aghast at the cancellation, had a treat to look forward to.
All the familiar faces are here – crazy Stark (Paul Goddard), occasionally crazy Noranti (Melissa Jaffer), Luxan warrior D'Argo (Anthony Simcoe), bubbly Chiana (Gigi Edgley), wily Scorpius (Wayne Pygram), devious Sikozu (Raelee Hill) and flame-haired Jool (Tammy McIntosh). The puppet characters are as wonderful as ever, particularly the cantankerous Rygel (voiced by Jonathan Hardy) who finds himself in a very awkward position.
A wonderfully sarcastic expository monologue from Ben Browder introduces the Farscape world to the uninitiated, then the viewer is plunged headfirst into the story. The Peacekeepers and the Scarrans have embarked on all out war, and it's hard to figure out which side is worse. Crichton certainly thinks they're as bad as each other. To complicate matters, both sides want Crichton for the wormhole knowledge he possesses. They are convinced he has the ability to use wormholes as weapons, hideously destructive weapons, and they will stop at nothing to get that knowledge for themselves.
The reclusive inhabitants of the planet that accidentally crystallised Crichton and Sun turn out to be Eidolons, a people who could well be the key to peace. Crichton and the gang are determined that they will get the chance to do so.
Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars
Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars has impressive special effects, and some lovely cinematography. Moya, the living ship, looks gorgeous, as does the cast (although I have to wonder what happened to Sikozu's hair). The reptilian Scarrans look appropriately scary, as does Scorpius. That can't be a comfortable outfit.
Performances are uniformly good. Ben Browder is particularly powerful, portraying a man pushed to the extreme, while Claudia Black defines the warrior woman, giving birth in the middle of a battle. (“Shooting makes me feel better!”)
Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars tells an ambitious story, which really requires some knowledge of the events of the series to fully appreciate. The series was cancelled at the end of season four, to much fan outrage, and the mini-series could be considered a compressed season five. Farscape was always an ensemble show, but the streamlined nature of the mini-series means that some characters, such as Jool and Noranti, make only fleeting appearances.
While the die-hard Farscape fan is probably still sighing over the season five that never was, Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars is an engrossing and satisfying climax to the story of the astronaut who tumbled down a wormhole and found himself on the other side of the galaxy.
Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars DVD Extras
Extras include “The Battle Behind The Wars”, a documentary chronicling the making of The Peacekeeper Wars: behind the scenes interviews, character information and deleted scenes.
Paris Franz - Paris Franz is a London-based freelance journalist, specialising in the arts, history and travel.
