A call to Farscape fans for opinions:

[tzikeh]

I'm pimping Farscape to katallison and vagabondage next weekend. I've always been of the mind that when you marathon a tv show for pimp purposes, you show it all, good or bad, in order. But it has been brought to my attention that, for these dear lovely angst fans, I should consider leaving out some episodes in First Season and some from Second Season to get us closer to the Angst-o-Rama that is the end of Second-through-Third.

Which episodes (if any) in First and Second Season could you skip in order to marathon the best/most important episodes of Farscape that won't impact the understanding of major plot developments or arc supports? Or do you think hell with it, you have three days, just do as much as you can in three days and assume they'll be hooked enough at that point to search out the rest on their own?

Here is an episode guide to help you out.

Oh - also - which episode order do you all prefer?

Comments

[lanchid.livejournal.com]

I have been very successful in pimping (natlyn notwithstanding) with this order:

Premier
Exodus from Genesis
DNA Mad Scientist
They've Got A Secret
Durka Returns
Through the Looking Glass
A Bug's Life
Nerve
The Hidden Memory
Family Ties

That seems to set up the characters and situation for people to really care once we hit the angst of Nerve, Hidden Memory and Family Ties. If I have to skip some, I will choose either EfG or DNAMS, and I will also skip Durka Returns and TTLG, if I am really pressed for time. (I've also been known to toss in PK Tech Girl and The Flax, if we have extra time.)

I usually leave the pimpee twisting after Family Ties for a bit. For example, if it's a weekend pimping party, I call bedtime after FT. If I'm feeding them tapes, I usually don't bring in pimping tape number two for three to seven days, depending on how often I see them, and how enthusiastic they've been. (The higher the enthusiasm, the longer the wait. Yes, I am evil, why do you ask?)

I then usually have the pimpee view all of season two, so I don't really have any comments regarding pimping tools for S2. Except, it MUST contain Crackers Don't Matter and The Way We Weren't, of course.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Er... except you skipped "A Human Reaction" which is kinda the beginning of all things Farscape for the rest of the series, no? This is what I mean about not letting anything fall by the wayside that is later important.

[flambeau.livejournal.com]

when you marathon a tv show for pimp purposes, you show it all, good or bad, in order

I know nothing about Farscape, I just want to chime in that this is indeed the Right Way to do it... if you take shortcuts, maybe there'll be a rain of toads or something!

[heresluck]

Just don't show them "Jeremiah Crichton." Whole minutes of my life that I will never get back again...

I'll think more about this and report back later. Finally a chance to put my ep notes to good use!

[par-avion.livejournal.com]

Yes, what h.l. said.

[heresluck]

Whoops -- reposting because I left out a couple...

Like Laura, I think that had I worlds enough and time I'd go for showing everything in order -- not least because the first half of S1 throws the last third into sharp relief in terms of.... well, everything, actually.

That said, if I had to cut for time, here's what I'd show:

Premiere
Exodus From Genesis
PK Tech Girl
That Old Black Magic
DNA Mad Scientist
Till The Blood Runs Clear
Rhapsody in Blue
The Flax
Durka Returns
Through the Looking Glass
A Bug's Life
A Human Reaction
Nerve
The Hidden Memory
Family Ties

Mind The Baby
Taking The Stone
Crackers Don't Matter
Picture If You Will
The Way We Weren't
Out Of Their Minds
My Three Crichtons
at least the first and last scenes of the Look At The Princess trilogy; whole thing if doing okay for time
...and everything else from there on out.

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

Yay for pimping FS! ::prays mightily that it becomes katallison's next big thing::

I have tried doing this a variety of different ways, and I'm afraid I must come down on the side of showing 'em all in order. Partly this is because of the great relevatory arcyness that, in fact, seems to have its tendrils in practically every episode. Even the fluffy poor-man's-ST:TNG episodes from S1 have some important character stuff in them.

If I had to leave some stuff out, I think I'd run with lanchid's suggested list, adding in "A Human Reaction" for the reasons you mentioned, and also "PK Tech Girl", because otherwise some of the "The Hidden Memory" angst doesn't play as well. You could probably toss out "Through the Looking Glass", which is a fun ep but doesn't have much essential stuff in it.

And I can't bear the idea of skipping anything in S2. (:

[katallison.livejournal.com]

Dammit, woman, I do not NEED another Big Thing. I *got* Big Things already! More than I can handle! I am pimp-proof! I'm just doing this out of the kindness of my heart, and because who could resist a weekend houseparty with tzikeh and Zen?

::has unsettling flashbacks to the old days of "Due South? Man, that looks like a dopey show, no way I'm getting sucked into *that* one" and fears she may live to eat her words::

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

::cackling manaiacally::

Oh, it's not that I mean you should abandon your WIPs. Far from it! I have a vested interest in at least a couple of them making it to completion (to say nothing of the fact that I am eagerly anticipating being your beta again).

But, ya know, eventually even the boys we love aren't quite as shiny as they once were, and one has to go sniffing around some new objets de lust...

Aw, hell, I just want more people excited about my show, that's all. Nothing new under the sun. (:

[jackiekjono.livejournal.com]

I recommend skipping "Eat Me." There is one really major plot point and I guess it counts for angst but, pimping a show is often accompanied by excess snackage and - eeww.

I realize it is season three. I just thought it would be worth noting.

So much happens in those first two seasons and the plot of the entire series is so complicated and confusing. It's really hard to find episodes that are skippable.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Wow. While I understand that the gross factor might make you think "eww, skip it" - Eat Me is kinda, er, *vital*. The next eight episodes, and then the next season, will make no sense at all without it, you know? (Trying not to spoil in case interested newbie parties are reading.)

[jackiekjono.livejournal.com]

The plot point involved is easily summarized or figured out in the first 60 seconds of the next ep.

"You mean..."
"Yes."
"But, how did that happen?"
"You don't want to know."

[movies-michelle.livejournal.com]

I think you can skip most of the first half of first season. But the show tends to self-reference, and it all really starts at about that point. I'd say from "That Old Black Magic" (just for more Crais and Crais-John backstory) or "PK Tech Girl" (since Gilina is kind of recurringly important). DEFINITELY from "DNA Mad Scientist."

And I am always in favor of going in absolute order, especially in a show with continuity like this one.

Hm. Think I'll drag out the earlier episodes myself. *g*

[barkley.livejournal.com]

I started watching from The Flax and went straight through to the end. I've since rewatched Premiere up to DNA Mad Scientist. (Wow, I really need to stop abandoning this for my next shiny object because I'm so close.)

Anyway, my point is, in the two years (first 2.5 seasons were compressed sci-fi channel nightly viewing) that I was following along with the fandom, I only really had a big desire to go back and see The Premiere, PK Tech Girl and DNA Mad Scientist.