My boyfriend asked me how many episodes of Farscape there were. Though, given enough time, I could name them all, I opted to go to the scifi.com/farscape page and counted. There�s forty. Then I realized something -for each of those forty episodes, I could tell you what the plot was, where I was when I watched it, and quote directly for the episode. A sign that I�m an obsessed fan, no doubt.

Why am I so in love with a show about a human in space? Not a simple answer. There�s just too much to say.

Farscape is quite possibly the best show on the tube right now. It�s what I watch when I�m bored, upset, happy, sad. Whenever I can. On more then one occasion, I was crying hysterically an hour before the show. Though I had stopped crying before it began, I still felt bad. Yet, somehow, after watching the episodes I felt better. Calmer. More relaxed. Odd as it may be, it�s the truth -I watch Farscape and feel better afterwards.

Only two other shows have been able to keep me so enthralled, to the point where I don�t even take my eyes off the screen at all during the episode. I admit to being an Xphile, and Farscape does to me what the first few seasons of X-files did. Yet, Farscape is improving with age, while the other show seems to be floundering.

I don�t mean to upset any Xphiles with this, I am one myself, but we can all admit it. The X-Files is not what it used to be. What happened? It got popular. In all honestly, that�s the truth. It�s off of what it was, more mainstreamed. The plot doesn�t help -it�s limited in some ways. Mulder and Scully only investigate the paranormal. How many times can you chase a vampire, some folk legend, or a garbage monster?

Fortunately, Farscape is not as limited. Though there is some limitations, but the show has the benefit of being set in space on it�s side. Where else can your characters meet a creature that needs their home to create it�s offspring, an exlab rat turned mad scientist, a virus that changes hosts with a touch, a being that needs light to survive? Few shows allow this much creative freedom to their writers.

Which brings me to another important part of the show -the writers. Without them, the show�s tone would be totally different. How many other shows do you know can have you laughing and crying in the same episode? An example: Beware of Dog -the scenes between the Vorc (in it�s cute form) the the other characters, especially the one where Pilot, Aeryn, and John try to talk to it, had me laughing hard enough to scare my room mate. Then, at the end, as Aeryn holds the poor dead Vorc in her arms, I cried. I�ll admit it. Which again, scared my rommie...The point is that Farscape can make you laugh or cry, be happy or sad. As an amateur writer myself, I know the difficulties of making someone feel. Yet these writers do it, time and time again, making every single episode an amazing piece of work.

To say the show is wonderful just because of the writers is not fair to the others involved in the show. There�s those responsible for the special effects that create worlds so believable, even if they do have a love for blue paint as in Throne For a Loss. There�s the producers, directors, makeup artists that make our wonderful characters, and the higher ups that give Farscape a free reign. And of course, there�s the actors.

I may not have the right credentials to make the following judgement, I am aware that I am just 17 years old, and therefore my opinions not often taken seriously, but I�m gonna say it anyway. The actors on Farscape, Ben Browder, Clauida Black, Anthony Simcoe, Virginia Hey, GiGi Edgley, and the guest casts, are some of the best ever on television. These people have given depth to their characters (again with the help of the writers), made us laugh, cry, and scream in annoyance. They�ve been able to imitate each other to a point where it was somewhat eerie to watch Out Of Their Minds. With the exception of a few they do their jobs with half of them buried under makeup. They sacrifice for the show -Virginia Hey shaves her head and eyebrows for her character. They work for hours and hours, making the best show on television.

What do all those involved in the production get back? They get back 28 yahoo clubs for the show. Hundreds of websites bursting with pictures, sounds, video clips. They get over 32,000 posts on the scifi.com BBoard. They get two conventions one official, one fan run. They have people that watch their show religiously. In short, they get dedicated fans. All in less then two seasons.

Yet, those involved with the production still gave back to the fans. They�ve continuously given fans the chance to talk to them. The actors and actresses, producers, writers, directors, are among some of the friendliest in television. Two of their talent actors have made personal webpages, and joined webrings. When appearing in chats, they have mentioned time and time again that they know the people on the BBoard, that they�ve read what the fans have to say, that they enjoy reading the posts.

It�s a phenomenon. That�s what Farscape is. It�s a phenomenon from all sides. The plot. The popularity. The actors and actresses. The producers. The directors. The writers. The special effects wizards. The costume makers...hell, the fans as well. Everyone. They all come together, and make this phenomenal show.

This is, in short, my thank you to those magnificent people, and an explaination as to why my bedroom is bursting with Farscape tapes.