Thank God It's Friday Soundtrack

Hell hath no fury like the wrath of a Luxan, as these two episodes of Farscape illustrate. In "Back and Back and Back to the Future," the giant warrior D'Argo falls for a sharp-eyed beauty who arrives on Moya with a scientist after barely escaping the unexplained collapse of their ship. That mystery may also explain Crichton's short jaunts into the near future, which the episode weaves so inventively into the fabric of the narrative that both he and we become momentarily lost in the myriad of possible futures. D'Argo's chest-thumping alpha-male aggression runs right into the opening of "Thank God It's Friday... Again," where he hunts Crichton in a hormonal rage before jetting down to the planet to cool off. He accomplishes that and more; when the crew finds him he's a gentle giant full of inner peace, hearty bear hugs, and a sudden desire to remain in the agrarian society. Crichton meanwhile uncovers a conspiracy that explains the explosiveness of Rigel's bodily fluids and the preternatural complacency of this cultlike civilization of far-flung flower children. This installment is a more conventional tale than most, reverberating with echoes of Star Trek episodes ("This Side of Paradise" in particular), though it's loaded with ironies uniquely resonant in this series, culminating with the most inventive secret weapon the series has yet come up with. Each episode includes footage unseen in the U.S. broadcasts, and the DVD features a profile of Virginia Hey's blue-skinned priestess, Zhaan, as well as commentary on each episode. Star Ben Browder (Crichton) and episode director Rowan Woods team up for the commentary track on Back and Back... while Anthony Simcoe (D'Argo) joins producer and co-creator Rockne S. O'Bannon for Thank God.... --Sean Axmaker