Farscape Was the Sexiest Sci-Fi Show That Wasn’t Trying to Be — and All 4 Seasons Are Streaming Free Right Now

1999 marked a turning point for sci-fi as a whole. That year, fans would finally see the long-awaited return of Star Wars to movie theaters with The Phantom Menace, and just months earlier, they redefined their understanding of special effects with The Matrix. That was a wild year for moviegoers – the proper way to end the ‘90s with a bang. At the same time, audiences at home were enjoying a TV show that would also challenge the Star Trek generation with a unique take on space operas.

Farscape was the polar opposite of the idealistic vision of space adventures introduced by Star Trek or Star Wars. Created by Rockne S. O’Bannon (who also made SeaQuest DSV) in collaboration with The Jim Henson Company, Farscape was unlike any other television show. A dark and twisted take on space exploration serials in which the boundaries between good and evil became increasingly blurred, featuring creative alien designs that could get surprisingly disturbing for the company that made Kermit the Frog.

A Wormhole Accident Created an Entirely New Sci-Fi Universe

After a wormhole incident sends an astronaut to an uncharted section of the universe, John Crichton must join forces with a ragtag group of intergalactic convicts to survive the perils of space. Immediately, Farscape draws you in with its setting and characters. It might be an idea you’ve heard countless times before, but O’Bannon’s storytelling and Jim Henson’s Creature Shop’s designs are more than enough to make this universe feel unique.

This was also a series that took serialization seriously. Though many shows through the nineties fell under the pressure of keeping audiences invested through serialized narratives, Farscape dominated the formula to a T. As it turns out (and just as The Sopranos figured out the same year), all you needed was an interesting cast that compelled you to watch the show week after week – and Farscape had that in spades.

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Puppets vs. CGI: Why Farscape Rejected the Star Wars Playbook

While George Lucas pushed CGI and digital projection with The Phantom Menace, Farscape felt like a more “tangible” sci-fi universe thanks to its stellar use of animatronics and practical effects. Jim Henson’s Creature Shop did an exceptional job with this show, coming up with alien designs that could be equal parts repulsive and fascinating. Lucas was busy giving us 100% CG characters like Watto, while Farscape delivered memorable aliens like Dominar Rygel XVI – who, ironically, looks like a puppet version of Boss Nass.

Despite the puppets, Farscape was unusually dark for a space opera. There was no benevolent “Space Government” like in Star Trek to keep things under control. Space was a twisted place where only the stronger survived – and fans loved it. Farscape proved that sci-fi fans were hungry for morally grey stories, and maybe some gorgeous space hotties; the show also had plenty of those, and scenes that were willing to push the envelope for romantic scenes in a sci-fi show.

This wasn’t incidental spice, either. At the time, mainstream sci-fi almost universally handled romance with a fade-to-black, and Farscape was really one of the only shows willing to let its characters actually have on-screen relationships instead. The approach was different enough that it helped shift the genre’s relationship with sexuality going forward, with even a buttoned-up franchise like Star Trek noticeably loosening up in the years that followed.

How Farscape Actually Got the Ending Most Sci-Fi Shows Never Do

Unlike most shows that were “ahead of their time” or “breaking new ground,” Farscape had a proper finale. Yes, as shocking as it might sound for Firefly fans, Farscape received a sequel series in 2004 designed to tie things up. Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars saved the series from the dreaded “unresolved cliffhanger” we see so frequently in this type of cult classic.

With four seasons (and a miniseries) of fascinating plots and even more “interesting” alien designs, Farscape was truly a trailblazer that paved the way for movies like Guardians of the Galaxy and beyond. And, yes: we all miss Chiana.

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Where to Watch Farscape for Free Right Now

All four seasons of Farscape are currently streaming free on Tubi, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, Plex, and Xumo Play, or catch it on Amazon Prime Video’s free, ad-supported tier. It’s also available to buy or rent in HD on Amazon Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home for anyone who wants it ad-free.