“Jeremiah Crichton“
Season 1, Episode 14

1^st US Transmission Date: 30 July 1999
1^st UK Transmission Date: 20 March 2000
1^st Australian Transmission: 30 September 2000

Guest Cast: Natalie Mendoza (Lishala), Kevin Copeland (Rokon), John O’Brien (Kato-Re), Deni Gordon (Neera), Tania Mustapic (Maid)

Synopsis: Do I have to? Oh well, here goes… Crichton throws a wobbly and goes for a drive in his module to cool off. While he’s away Moya’s pregnancy causes complications and she has to StarBurst away, stranding John.

[”Desperately trying to pretend he has more hair than he does, our hero wades out in to the lake."]

“The Flax”
Written by Justin Monjo, directed by Peter Andrikidis
Season 1, Episode 13

1^st US Transmission Date: 16 July 1999
1^st UK Transmission Date: 6 March 2000
1^st Australian Transmission: 23 September 2000

Guest Cast: RhysMuldoon (Staanz), John Bachelor (Kcrackic), David Bower (Goon)

Synopsis: Aeryn is training Crichton to fly one of Moya’s transport pods when they become ensnared in the flax – a huge invisible net used by Zenetan pirates to catch ships which they then loot. They launch a distress buoy, but they have to fix the atmospheric mix in order to buy the time they need to be rescued.

[Someone’s docking!?]

“Rhapsody In Blue”
Story by David Kemper and Ro Hume, teleplay by David Kemper, directed by Andrew Prowse
Season 1, Episode 12

1^st US Transmission Date: 23 July 1999
1^st UK Transmission Date: 13 March 2000
1^st Australian Transmission: 30 September 2000

Guest Cast: Darlene Vogel (Alexandra/Lorana), Kate Raison (Tahleen), Max Phipps (Tuzak), Michael Beckley (Hasko), Aaron Cash (Pa’u Bitaal), Grant Magee (Jothee), Robert Supple (Young Crichton)

Synopsis: Moya’s crew are experiencing dreams of past sexual encounters when Moya StarBursts in response to a distress call from a Leviathan. The call was a ruse to lure Moya to a planet inhabited by a fugitive Delvian sect who need Zhaan’s help.

[Almost everything we see, almost every day, is new to us, and it’s worthy of response.]

“Till The Blood Runs Clear”
Written by Doug Heyes, Jr, directed by Tony Tilse
Season 1, Episode 11

1^st US Transmission Date: 9 July 1999
1^st UK Transmission Date: 28 February 2000
1^st Australian Transmission: 23 September 2000

Guest Cast: Magda Szubanski (Furlow), Jeremy Sims (Rorf ), Jo Kerrigan (Rorg )

Synopsis: Crichton and Aeryn are in the WDP running tests near a star that has high solar flare activity, trying to recreate the conditions that created the wormhole in ’Premiere’ by slingshotting around a nearby planet. To John’s surprise, he succeeds in creating a wormhole, but it’s unstable and the WDP is damaged. They land on the planet and give it to a local mechanic, Furlow, to be fixed. In the main square they find a beacon from Crais advertising a reward for D’Argo, Zhaan and Rygel. Aeryn takes the beacon and discovers a personal message for her from Crais, offering honourable retirement if she turns in her shipmates.

[Read more]

“They’ve Got A Secret”
Written by Sally Lapiduss, Directed by Ian Watson
Season 1, Episode 10

1st US Transmission Date: 25 June 1999
1st UK Transmission Date: 21 February 2000
1st Australian Transmission: 22 September 2000

Synopsis: The crew are sweeping Moya for leftover PK devices when D’Argo falls into a shaft and finds a PK-installed hatch. He kicks it loose and releases a stream of particles. He is blasted out into space and collected by Aeryn in her Prowler. Moya begins to malfunction, systems go down, the DRDs turn hostile and Pilot passes out. John believes the particles are a PK virus that is destroying Moya, but eventually they realise Moya herself is causing the crisis. They conclude that Moya is trying to kill them for some unknown reason.

[Read more]

“DNA Mad Scientist”
Written by Tom Blomquist, birected by Andrew Prowse
Season 1, Episode 9

1^st US Transmission Date: 18 June 1999
1^st UK Transmission Date: 14 February 2000
1^st Australian Transmission: 16 September 2000

Guest Cast: Adrian Getley (NamTar), Julian Garner (Voice of NamTar), Sarah Burns (Kornata)

Synopsis: An alien called NamTar offers Moya’s crew maps to their homeworlds that allow them to avoid areas of PK jurisdiction in return for samples of their genetic material and one of Pilot’s arms. Rygel, D’Argo and Zhaan promptly chop off the requested limb despite Pilot’s protests. John and Aeryn are horrified by their crewmates’ actions.

[Read more]

“That Old Black Magic”
Written by Richard Manning, directed by Brendan Maher
Season 1, Episode 8

1^st US Transmission Date: 11 June 1999
1^st UK Transmission Date: 31 January 2000
1^st Australian Transmission: 15 September 2000

Guest Cast: Chris Haywood (Maldis), Lani Tupu (Captain Bialar Crais), Christine Stephen-Daly (Lt. Teeg), Jake Blundell (Lt. Orn), Grant Bowler (Shaman Liko), Wadih Dona (Tauvo Crais)

[Read more]

“PK Tech Girl”
Written by Nan Hagan, directed by Tony Tilse
Season 1, Episode 7

1^st US Transmission Date: 15 March 1999 (see Backstage)
1^st UK Transmission Date: 24 January 2000
1^st Australian Transmission: 16 September 2000

Guest Cast: Alyssa-Jane Cook (Gilina Renaez – PK Technician), Derek Amer (Teurac), Phillip Hinton (Voice of Teurac), Peter Astridge (Lomus), Christopher Truswell (Voice of Lomus), Peter Knowles (Evran), David Wheeler (Capt. Selto Durka)

[Read more]

Thank God it’s Friday… Again
Written by David Wilks, directed by Rowan Woods
Season 1, Episode 6

1^st US Transmission Date: 23 April 1999
1^st UK Transmission Date: 17 January 2000
1^st Australian Transmission: 24 June 2000

Guest Cast: Angie Milliken (Volmae), Ken Blackburn (Hybin), Tina Thomsen (Tanga), Selina Muller (D’Argo’s girlfriend)

Synopsis: D’Argo leaves the ship in a fit of rage and descends to the planet Sykar. The crew follow him but find he is working in the fields harvesting tannot root, which all the workers also eat. He has a room and a girlfriend, and intends to stay. Crichton and Zhaan try and persuade him to leave. He tells them the next day is a rest day, but when dawn comes it is a work day. Zhaan joins D’Argo in the fields.

[Read more]

Back And Back And Back To The Future
Written by Babs Greyhosky, directed by Rowan Woods
Season 1, Episode 5

1^st US Transmission Date: 2 April 1999
1^st UK Transmission Date: 13 December 1999
1^st Australian Transmission: 3 June 2000

Guest Cast: Lisa Hensley (Matala), John Clayton (Verell)

Synopsis: Encountering a cruiser that’s being destroyed by mysterious energies, Moya rescues an escape pod with two scientists on board, Matala and Verell. They are Ilanics, a race at war, and they are developing weapons. On their pod they have isolated a Quantum Singularity (that’s a black hole to you and me) and Moya’s crew agree to ferry them to a rendezvous with a ship that will take them home where they will use the Singularity as a weapon to win the war. Matala uses her sex appeal to keep D’Argo off balance, turning him into a protector and champion, while Verell tries to solve the containment problem that led to their ship being destroyed.

[Read more]

Throne For A Loss
Written by Richard Manning, directed by Pino Amenta
Season 1, Episode 4

1^st US Transmission Date: 9 April 1999
1^st UK Transmission Date: 6 December 1999
1^st Australian Transmission: 27 May 2000

Guest Cast: John Adam (Bekesh), Jeremiah Tickell (Kyr), Zoe Dimakis (Hontovek), Api Bavardra (Nonk)

Synopsis: Rygel is kidnapped from Moya by a race called Tavleks, who believe he is still Dominar and can be ransomed. During the kidnapping one Tavlek, Kyr, is wounded and left behind. Like all Tavleks, he wears a gauntlet weapon, which injects the user with an addictive stimulant that heightens aggression. D’Argo puts on the gauntlet and becomes unmanageably violent. John and Aeryn knock him out and go to rescue Rygel. In the process, Aeryn puts on the gauntlet. D’Argo recovers and comes down to help, stunning Aeryn in time to stop her going on a suicidal rampage in the Tavlek camp.

[Read more]

“Exodus From Genesis”
Written by Ro Hume, directed by Brian Henson

1^st US Transmission Date: 26 March 1999
1^st UK Transmission Date: 10 January 2000
1^st Australian Transmission: 17 June 2000

Guest Cast: Damian de Montemas (Melkor), Jodie Dry (Kyona)

Synopsis: Moya evades a PK Marauder ship. A cloud of space bugs infests Moya and begins to raise the temperature. Crichton kills one for study. Replicants of the crew begin appearing, setting the temperature controls to maximum and sealing them with gunk that prevents anyone turning them down again. Rygel finds a huge alien nest with a queen churning out replicants and eggs that hatch into insects.

[Read more]

“I, E.T.”
Written by Sally Lapiduss, directed by Pino Amenta
Season 1, Episode 2

1^st US Transmission Date: 7 May 1999
1^st UK Transmission Date: 20 December 1999
1^st Australian Transmission: 10 June 2000

Guest Cast: Mary Mara (Lyneea), Cayde Tasker (Fostro), Boris Brkic (Ryymax)

Synopsis: Moya was fitted with a Paddac Beacon by the Peacekeepers, which goes off when it doesn’t receive its regular signal from the Control Collar. In order to muffle the signal Moya lands on a planet and submerges in a bog.

[Read more]

“Premiere”
Written by Rockne S. O’Bannon, directed by Andrew Prowse
Season 1, Episode 1

1st US Airdate: March 19, 1999
1st UK Airdate: November 29, 1999
1st Australian Airdate: May 20, 2000

Guest Cast: Kent McCord (Jack Crichton), Murray Bartlett (D.K.), Lani Tupu (Cpt. Bialar Crais), Christine Stephen-Daly (Lt. Teeg), Damen Stephenson (Bio Isolation Man #1), Colin Borgonon, (PK Weapons Officer)

Synopsis: While testing a theory of slingshot space travel John Crichton’s Farscape module is transported through a wormhole into the middle of a space battle on the other side of the galaxy.

[Read more]

Welcome to the Uncharted Territories, where nobody is exactly what they seem, everybody wants to get inside your head or your pants — that is when they’re not trying to kill you — and your best friend probably has tentacles.

It seems like good timing for a Farscape rewatch since the series has just come out on Blu-ray. And considering the enthusiastic response to Emily’s eloquent blog about the show late last year, Farscape fans are definitely out there in numbers!

[How the structure of it will work]