We discuss @Farscape episode “That Old Black Magic”, written by the splendiferous @froonium, in which a malevolent over-actor pits Crichton and Crais against one another in a battle to the death.
Guest starring Kay’s cat, as always in the throes of the Fourth Sensation (hunger)
This was a wild episode in Farscape’s early experimental phase, showing how many directions they’re willing to explore. And Chris Haywood was clearly having SO much fun with his role(s) :)
I geeked out over these tiles, which I recognized from Deckard’s apartment in Blade Runner, and which I’ve seen a few times in Farscape since then. Does anyone know what they’re called, or who designed them?
But of course the star of the show was the giant profiterol towers — croqueembouche, as they’re known in French — which brought us to tears when they were toppled mid-battle!
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When the evil Maldis whisks hapless John Crichton into his magical, demented realm in #Farscape’s episode 8, with set design by Ricky Eyres, what’s the first thing you notice?
That’s right…
The Profiteroles!
A THREAD
While galactic peace and John’s life hang in the balance, we’re kept on the edge of our seat by the threat to those tall edifices of sugary delight.
The towers symbolize the heights to which we can aspire when we cling to one another; toffee as a metaphor for communication.
While Maldis is the wicked puppeteer, engineering the conflict between the traumatized Peacekeeper and the hapless astronaut, cackling with snotty glee and gorging himself on the negative energy sparkling between them, the Profiterole Towers observe the scene with quiet judgment.
In our review of #Farscape episode 108 (That Old Black Magic) it occurred to us what a riot of colours, both to suggest that Maldis’ world is far larger than the fantastic sets on which it was filmed, and to illustrate the emotional journey Crichton and Crais take.
First, blue:
Perhaps paralelling the cool tones of the PK Command Carrier, the food-festooned hall of Haloth’s palace is lit in a cool and mysterious teal-blue. It feels like moonlight, or an underwater scene.
Next is green, when Crais and Crichton are pitted against each other for the first time. Maldis looks entirely at home here.