We're So Screwed: Glorious, Glorious Angst.

[dangermousie]

I ended up having a little TV marathon and watching Farscape's "We are So Screwed, Part 1" and my favorite Buffy episode, season 3's "The Wish."

I have never loved any show half as much as I love Farscape, and WSS three-parter is probably my favorite Farscape, ever. And I love the very first part, where Crichton is trying to rescue Aeryn held captive and drugged on a Scarran way-station. I love the complicated plan, and the character interactions, and all that. But what I love the most is how the threat of losing Aeryn destroys Crichton more than anything else ever does. You see him falling apart completely in a very self-contained way through the entire episode. He breathes a bit easier once he sees her for himself (though even then he is on the edge, and over the edge, and in the other universe from wherever the edge happens to be), but before that: he looks as if he can't think or feel or do anything except for the narrow, disciplined goal with steps or he'll literally go crazy. And he scares me, and I hurt for him and there is just this general sense of guuuuuuuuh at how he is my favorite TV character ever. Watch this episode and Premiere to get character whiplash. This Crichton would freak Premiere Crichton more than any of the other beasties out there.

Of course, he saves her (and I love both that he shoots the Kalish and that he only wounds him. Crichton is very, very grey, but he isn't gone yet). And I love the symmetry: she was in hell and he came for her and in a way it's an inverse of that moment in Season 1 when she bursts into his cell and John tells Stark "this is the radiant Aeryn Sun."

And the scene where he finally has her and carries her to her room and she asks him if this is real and the look on his face as he is so near crying as makes no difference? And he is pretty much armored (even the gauntlets are on) but he takes her hand and kisses the inside of it and she asks him to stay and the look on his face, this crazy mixture of love and tenderness and disbelief and joy. And the we see the room sometime later, as he is sprawled on the floor by her bed deeply asleep (because I bet he couldn't get any sleep when she was gone), and his gauntlets are off and she is lying there, lightly stroking his hair with this amazing look on her face. This is probably my favorite John/Aeryn scene bar none.

Buffy's "The Wish" is the perfect AU episode. Cordy wishes Buffy never came to Sunnydale, it happens, and we get results. I love that Cordy herself gets killed half-way through because she is the POV character and it's shocking for this to happen. I love that Buffy is a more pragmatic version of Faith in this reality, that Willow and Xander are saner and more sadistic Spike and Dru (and the kink in both Cordy and Angel scenes? Whoa). And I love that Angel and Buffy team up here too (and that Buffy was checking Angel out in this reality as well). And then there's Oz....

Comments

[scottishlass.livejournal.com]

Good God, I need to watch that three-parter again. *sniff* ... these two are my OTP to end all OTP.
And you are right, 1st season pre-Bugs Life John would have freaked out and probably killed himself if he ever had caught a whiff of what he would become. His Own Kind Of Hero - yeah right.
I just love FS, it is the most amazing story arc where the characters go to extremes. Other series have story arcs but most of the time they played it pretty safe and tame - FS never did that ... they pushed the envelope ever so slightly further from season to season.
Henson, Kemper & O'Bannon be thanked.

[syliasyliasylia.livejournal.com]

I heart Farscape. I love the Crichton/Aeryn relationship and how well it's dealt in the show. Yesterday I finished rewatching the complete series + mini, and We are so screwed is still in my mind, that scene you're talking about is so emotionally powerful and heartfelt, and really full of love. I gotta say that lately I'm an absolute emo queen and I cried my eyes out watching that scene... I know, how pathetic is that, I cry with Farscape LOL.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

these two are my OTP to end all OTP.


Oh yes.

His Own Kind Of Hero - yeah right.

And it's so heartbreaking, because he's had to sacrifice so much of his soul that he can't even talk to his father about it (because Dad is a hero, but it's a much more traditional kind of heroism, not the Firefly definition of "a hero is someone who gets others killed") and I just love the end of The Peacekeeper Wars when he is with Aeryn and his son and you see some of that more unjaded, unscarred, full of wonder Crichton come back and...I was crying. Yup.

I just love FS, it is the most amazing story arc where the characters go to extremes.

And the wonderful thing is, it's gradual and it makes sense. While watching WSS and Pilot Crichton is whiplash inducing, his behavior from one into the other is gradual, natural and believable.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

so emotionally powerful and heartfelt, and really full of love.

Oh yes. There are a whole bunch of amazing J/A scenes (the one at the end of Season of Death, or the one at the end of Dog with Two Bones, or a whole number of others), but this one just tops them all for me, because of sheer tenderness in it.

I know, how pathetic is that, I cry with Farscape

Join the club :) I do that too.

Btw, love the icon!

[syliasyliasylia.livejournal.com]

Btw, love the icon!
Thanks! I made the icon myself. When I saw Meltdown a couple of weeks ago I took lots of screencaps, the episode was quite funny with a lot hotness as well! And those arms! *spazzes & drools*

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I love "Meltdown:" utterly hilarious AND sexy!

Farscape 4Eva! ;)

[ladyaeryn.livejournal.com]

Word, word to all of it. If it weren't for A/P, John and Aeryn would be my glorious uberangst OTP of all time. As is, there really isn't much separating them on my list.

Though, actually, especially with this -

the threat of losing Aeryn destroys Crichton more than anything else ever does. You see him falling apart completely in a very self-contained way through the entire episode. He breathes a bit easier once he sees her for himself (though even then he is on the edge, and over the edge, and in the other universe from wherever the edge happens to be), but before that: he looks as if he can't think or feel or do anything except for the narrow, disciplined goal with steps or he'll literally go crazy.

- this is very true, and Crichton does strongly remind me of Anakin here. (With the difference being Anakin does go crazy, of course.) That insane, sincere, universe-be-damned-as-long-as-you're-safe devotion... guh. Looking at how much Crichton has changed between season 1 and 4, seeing how much of that was due to his love for Aeryn - those story threads were just so well woven together; their romance was an integral part of both characters' development/motivations, not just some tacked on thing. It's a big part of what makes them work so brilliantly. That, and the utterly smokin' chemistry. Guh. Again.

Re: Farscape 4Eva! ;)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Every time I see this icon, I just...puddle of goo.

The thing is, what Crichton does in some ways does approach Anakin level: when he offers wormholes for Aeryn to Scorpy. There is no question that he is sincere at that moment, and that if he had no choice, Aeryn would always come first even if it will destroy his soul. I think that is the darkest moment for him by far, with the possible exception of near the end of PKW. And it's the same devil's bargain Anakin has with Palpy. Of course, Crichton is much more experienced and "wise" and less isolated than Anakin and thinks things through much more, and thus Scorpy doesn't end up Palpatine, but the parallels are stark.

[goddess09807.livejournal.com]

Ok You've convinced me Farscape is going on the wishlist 'cause I have no idea what you're talking about but you gush about it so much I REALLY want to watch it. How many seasons is it?

Also I just watched the Firefly pilot, (yes I'm very late)and it looks sort of cool and Inara(?) is very pretty and what is with her and Mal. Why did she shoot him?

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Inara(?) is very pretty and what is with her and Mal. Why did she shoot him?

Inara didn't shoot Mal *is confused now* You mean the courtesan, right? Where in the pilot did it happen? But yes, I adore Firefly. Tore through it in a matter of days.

Farscape is 4 seasons (22 episodes each) plus a 4 hour miniseries to wrap up the plots. A lot of people find the first half of first season not as interesting/dark/angsty as the rest (I wouldn't know as I watched Season 1 after seeing later seasons already so I had a different perception of it).

I do recommend watching the Pilot ep as a set-up, but then, if you watch an ep or three after it and it doesn't appeal, I recommend skipping to "A Human Reaction" (I think it's ep 15 or 16 in S1) and just watching from there, as it's both the start of the darker/angsty arc, and where the plotlines for the rest of the show come from.

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

I think you have just convinced me that I must watch Farscape. Anything that has you this hyped over it has to be good. And Ben Bowder is a hottie (and also a Tennessee boy). Why is it science fiction can bring the angst and pain in a way that normal drama just doesn't win me over with?

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Oh, I think you'll like Farscape (if you don't mind shows that have aliens, that is). I think scifi can bring the angst more than RL just because the conflict is more large scale and epic. Hard to get similarly worked up over doing the dishes.

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

And yes, I know his name is *Browder*, I just don't proofread. Here, have a picture of him in leather pants to make up for it.
http://www.ultimate-farscape.com/galerie/data/media/25/crichton03.jpg

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I wish you'd misspel more often!

[grimorie.livejournal.com]

I hope you don't mind me looking back to your previous entries, I love your Farscape thoughts then I found your Buffy thoughts and I just wanted to just, uh, raise the flag on the Buffy/Angel solidarity *waves*. Its always nice to find another B/A fan especially finding a Lymond/Philippa, John/Aeryn fan!

I must admit that of all the episodes I keep coming back to The Wish just continues to leave me breathless. And I'm completely enamoured with pragmatic, tougher Buffy and though we've seen hints of that Buffy in S7 -- I wish they'd played it up more rather than showing Buffy as a speechifying cranky and incompetent (if she doesn't get enough rest) leader.

I look back on the first five seasons and just shake my head at how they made Buffy into a bad strategist when she used to lead such good campaigns -- especially against the Mayor. Plus, she didn't use to make speeches! Or when she did, she didn't do it always! in fact Buffy made fun of speeches!
(er, sorry I sort of let out the s7 rant).

But, yeah, I love pragmatic wishverse!Buffy and I love the stories hinted at what happened to her. And Angel, so desperate to help, to get the second chance he so wished.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Oh, of course I don't mind. In fact I am compltely flattered. (I don't get email notification of replies though, so I check it through My LJ page. If I don't respond it's not because I am ignoring, but because I haven't seen it. Feel free to nudge me :P)

Yeah, I love Buffy/Angel. I am always a sucker (heh, in context of Buffy it becomes a pun) for crazy, doomed, against-everything love. I can't really get into it unless the two can't live without each other. If they aren't desperate, why should I be?

Oh yes. The Wish is just brilliant, brilliant. I love dystopian-nightmare-reality scenarios everywhere (part of the reason Farscape's Dog with Two Bones or Won't Get Fooled Again are such favorites) and this was just done so incredibly well. I am especially struck by the choice of having Cordelia, our safe person, our POV for this ep, die halfway through. It really pulled the rug under you.

I wish they'd played it up more rather than showing Buffy as a speechifying cranky and incompetent (if she doesn't get enough rest) leader.

Exactly. I thought that the Buffy of 'The Wish' was a logical, dark, bitter progression. I could even buy the idea of self-destructive, quasi-Faith Buffy that I think S6 was going for, if only the execution wasn't so poor. (Every time I get upset about Firefly's cancellation, and that happens quite often, I calm self down by reminding myself that at least it was killed before Joss was bored and left). And S7? Was a joke, really.

But, yeah, I love pragmatic wishverse!Buffy and I love the stories hinted at what happened to her. And Angel, so desperate to help, to get the second chance he so wished.

Oh, guuuuh. How I love that. I remember stumbling on some good Wish-universe AU fic a long time ago. Wish I remembered where I found it.

I have to confess Joss and Co were totally evil. Reinforcing the idea of Angel/Buffy as 'forever' no matter what, can survive alternate universes, lack of soul, death and hell. But apparently not move to LA? Yeah, I am a bit bitter. :P

I really need to dig out my BA icon...