:: theLogBook.com DVD Reviews ::

I have never really been a rabid fan of Joss Whedon’s work, although I have enjoyed an episode of Angel from time to time. (I consider the puppet Angel to be a work of genius.) So Firefly pretty much flew under my radar when it premiered on Fox in 2002. With its reputation having increased thanks to the DVD set, and Sci Fi re-airing the series during the summer of 2005, I decided to check it out. And I’m quite glad I did, because Firefly is definitely one of the most enjoyable series I’ve had the pleasure of watching. (more…)

Inspired by his experiences making Apollo 13, actor Tom Hanks took on the duties of writing, producing and even directing the epic 12-part HBO miniseries From The Earth To The Moon. The result? In most cases, every bit the sheer poetry that Apollo 13 was, only spread out over enough episodes for a half-day viewing marathon. (more…)

featuring the episodes Bone To Be Wild and Family Ties

Bone To Be Wild is a bit of an odd bird. It’s clearly connected to the overall storyline of the last four or five episodes of the season, but its primary plot feels more like a diversion than an organic part of the story. Even when the characters say they need to find a map of the asteroid system, part of me is thinking, “This is not the time to go answering some random distress call!” (more…)

featuring the episodes Nerve and The Hidden Memory

I have no idea how much of Farscape was plotted out ahead of time and how much the series’ writers made things up as they went along. I don’t really care, either, as long as the episodes are good. But either way, this two-parter represents a gutsy and successful move, as the series’ main villain shifts from Bialar Crais to Scorpius. (more…)

featuring the episodes Through The Looking Glass and A Bug’s Life

Through The Looking Glass is one of my favorite episodes from Farscape’s first season. The production crew does a really nice job differentiating the multiple Moyas, and I think the script does a nice job with the old multiple-dimensions plotline. More importantly, this is a pretty significant character-building episode. Not only do we get to see John really come through as a problem-solver and organizer, the entire crew comes together in a way they never have before. This particular crisis, and the way in which everyone contributes to its solution, appear to have transformed the crew from a group of reluctant allies to a family, albeit a dysfunctional one. (more…)

featuring the episodes Durka Returns and A Human Reaction

If the last two volumes of Farscape’s first season showed the show settling into a comfortable status quo, this one starts upsetting all the apple carts. Durka Returns marks the first major cast change with the addition of Gigi Edgley’s Chiana. Edgley fits into the ensemble quite well, and her character adds a layer of unpredictability to the crew’s relationships that had diminished as we became more familiar with them. Durka’s return is a nice use of continuity - if you’ve seen PK Tech Girl, great, but if you haven’t, all the information you need to understand Durka is laid out in this episode. (If one were to be uncharitable, one might comment that it’s a pretty small galaxy that Moya would encounter both the Zelbinion and her lost captain in a relatively short time frame, but I will refrain from such remarks.) (more…)

featuring the episodes The Flax and Jeremiah Crichton

OK, here are two good episodes that just do not flow well from each other. The Flax ends with D’Argo sacrificing a chance to find his way home to save Aeryn and Crichton, and Aeryn and Crichton doing some significant bonding in their dying transport pod. So of course Jeremiah Crichton opens up with Crichton getting royally ticked at both of them - and everyone else for that matter - and hightailing it off the ship at a highly inopportune moment. It is true that there’s often a significant gap in story time between episodes, but the opener of Jeremiah Crichton feels too much like a contrivance to manipulate the characters into the plot of the episode. (more…)

featuring the episodes Till The Blood Runs Clear and Rhapsody In Blue

These two episodes are pretty much average first season Farscape episodes. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s hard to find something to say about them that won’t be repeating myself. Till The Blood Runs Clear does set up characters and plot points that would be revisited later in the series’ run, including Crichton’s propensity to try and bluff his way out of trouble and to focus on his wormhole research to the exclusion of other concerns. (more…)

featuring the episodes DNA Mad Scientist and They’ve Got a Secret

We have here one very odd episode that doesn’t quite seem to fit the tone of the series, and another that reveals significant character backstory and introduces a major subplot for the rest of Farscape’s first season. The acting and production remain strong, so both are enjoyable to watch…but I still can’t get the bad taste from DNA Mad Scientist out of my mouth. (more…)

featuring the episodes PK Tech Girl and That Old Black Magic

The Farscape DVDs lose a little steam with this volume, as the episode commentaries make their departure. Without the commentaries, the extras section of the disc is rather thin, with the handful of photos and conceptual drawings and another EPK, there’s nothing to really sink your teeth into. That’s a shame, really, because the episodes on this disc are probably the best of the series so far. The actors are hitting their stride, the show seems to have found its tone, and things get interesting. (more…)