I came to Farscape in reverse, watching it for the first time starting with the fourth (and final) season, and only then moving back to start at the beginning again with the Starburst editions on DVD. The fourth season really hooked me; then, Season 1 was reasonably entertaining, if not as outstanding as Season 4. But when I started watching Season 2, I found that my reaction had changed quite a bit. Instead of the episodes feeling tense and exciting, they felt melodramatic and a bit silly. In fact, I kept putting off finishing up the set, thinking that maybe I just wasn't in the right mood at first. But no; I ended up simply not being all that impressed with the episodes that start off Season 2.

One thing I've realized is that a lot of what I liked about Season 4 of Farscape was the sense that there was a lot more going on than met the eye in any given episode. There was obviously a ton of backstory that I knew nothing about, so it was fascinating to pin things together by little hints and off-hand references here and there, and there was always a sense of menace and mystique. In retrospect, I think a lot of that effect was due to me not having seen the previous episodes; now that I'm watching them in order, there's far less mystery, and the backstories are laid out step by step for us. Something like the Aurora Chair, which seemed so mysterious and dreadful in Crichton's Season 4 flashbacks, ended up feeling tawdry and overwrought in the Season 1 episode that actually introduced it.

So what about Season 2? The show has had a chance to get on its feet and get moving, after all. From the seven episodes presented here, it looks like a loose collection of "episode of the week" stories (always Farscape's weak point, compared to full story arcs). The overall story quality is adequate at best, with a few episodes (like "Crackers Don't Matter") treading on familiar science-fiction plot grounds and not adding anything particularly inspired. We also get several episodes of the "put one of the main characters in the spotlight for a day" type, none of which are all that engaging. In these episodes, I think the writers are trying to reach for more character development, which is a good thing, considering that the characters are starting to fall into stereotyped modes of behavior, but they're not terribly successful. On the bright side, the look of Farscape continues to be excellent: sets, costumes, and alien makeup design are all outstanding, really creating the look and feel of alien worlds.

The episodes included here start with the season premiere, "Mind the Baby," which quickly resolves the cliffhanger of Season 1, in an unfortunately rather rushed manner with a gratingly over-acted feel to it. "Vitas Mortis" switches us instantly to "episode of the week," as D'Argo is enlisted to participate in the death ritual of a Luxan holy woman. It's Chiana's turn for attention in "Taking the Stone," with the focus then switching back to the whole crew in "Crackers Don't Matter," in which an alien visitor comes aboard Moya and the crew starts behaving very strangely. "The Way We Weren't" focuses on a dark element from Aeryn's past, while "Picture If You Will" has the crew's deaths foretold in a mysterious portrait. The set wraps up with another self-contained episode, "Home on the Remains," with the crew having adventures as they attempt to help Zhaan, who's starving.

The DVD

Farscape Starburst Edition: Season 2 Collection 1 is a two-disc set, nicely packaged in a slim single-wide plastic keepcase.

Video

The episodes appear in their original aspect ratio of 1.33:1, and look fine. The colors and contrast are handled reasonably well, and the print looks clean.

Audio

The Dolby 5.1 soundtrack provides a clean and pleasant listening experience, with the surround effects helping make for a more immersive experience.

Extras

Some special features appear on each side of each disc. The first three sides each have a section of deleted scenes for the episodes on that side, totaling about five minutes. There's an audio commentary track for "Crackers Don't Matter" by Claudia Black and director Ian Watson (in which Black thankfully prompts Watson to start talking about the episode, or otherwise the track might have been silent), and a commentary for "Home on the Remains" with Ben Browder and Claudia Black. We also get text "Cool Farscape Facts," "Farscape Chronicles," and "Alien Encounters."

Disc 2, Side B has the rest of the special features. The one that will most interest Farscape fans is the inclusion of the complete, original Season 2 premiere episode, "Re:Union." This episode was in the end bumped as the season opener in favor of "Mind the Baby," and then re-edited to appear later in the season as "Dream a Little Dream." Here, it's presented in its original, uncut form.

The other special features include a set of "Director's Cut/Broadcast Comparisons," in which a final scene is compared to the rough cut; there's a comparison clip for each episode in the set. A nine-minute featurette with composer Guy Gross is also included, along with a pair of trivia games on Farscape alien slang and technical terms.

Final thoughts

I thought I was going to like Farscape Season 2 a lot more than I ended up liking it. It may change later in the season, but these opening episodes don't seem to have the tone, pacing, or storytelling right. For dedicated Farscape fans who've already seen these episodes and love them, it won't matter what I think - go ahead and pick up this set so you can have a more compact collection of episodes, with the bonus of having the original season premiere included. If you thought Season 1 was OK or decent, but you're still just a casual fan, though, I'd suggest that so far Season 2 is better as a rental choice than as a purchase right off the bat.