The following review contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Part I of "Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars"

"Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars" is here at last.

After being cruelly ended on a cliffhanger with little resolution of the many and twisted plot threads, fans rejoiced at the announcement of what was the worst kept secret in science-fiction, "Farscape" would return.

Sadly the return was not to be a continuing series but a miniseries -- two feature length episodes to be exact. And the reason? To go out with a bang.

Of note is that "Peacekeeper Wars" does not pander to the casual viewer, jumping right into the story with Crichton (Ben Browder) and Aeryn (Claudia Black) being reconstituted some 60 days after the events of "Bad Timing," the series finale. There is the requisite recap, Previously on Farscape, which does a good job of reminding viewers of the more important plot threads over the past four years.

We are treated to a Peacekeeper attack on a Scarran vanguard, instigated by Scorpius (Wayne Pygram) and triggering the start of the war, these scenes are amongst the most cinematic television with a massive cruiser crashing through an asteroid field, erupting into fire.

After being reconstructed by a Diagnosan, Crichton and Aeryn talk about leaving the life they lead behind and raising the baby, but it turns out Rygel (voice of Jonathan Hardy) still had a few of their crystals inside his stomach, and to much hilarity, he is now pregnant with their baby.

With nary a moments peace, Scorpius arrives with Sikozu (Raelee Hill) in tow, and reminds John the whole war can be averted with the use of wormhole weapons.

Not willing to pursue wormhole weapons, everyone is relieved to discover their hosts are in fact a race of people with the innate ability to inspire peace. Unfortunately, the Eidelons have lost their ability to influence wellbeing, but Noranti (Melissa Jaffer) explains they are the same race our heroes encountered on Arnessk, at the temple where they left Jool (Tammy McIntosh) and that there may be hope they can be re-educated.

With a plan of action set, two of the Eidelons travel on Moya with the crew to Arnessk where things start to look a little better for our heroes, but then the Scarrans turn up and destroy the temple, capture Moya and generally make themselves a nuisance.

The first thing you notice about "Peacekeeper Wars" is that money has been spent, from the epic opening to the CGI scenes following Rygel swimming around the seabed. "Farscape" always looked good, but this looks amazing.

With the series apparently dead, no renewal and no prospects, the sets and costumes were struck - you wouldnt know though, every detail has been painstakingly reconstructed and everything is exactly where we left it, indeed so is everyone, the whole cast returning with some additions from past episodes, most notable being Einstein (John Bach), the creepy wormhole alien. A few of the cast have undergone a slight image change, Sikozu being perhaps the least successful. Its nice to see everyone return, and there are a number of plot threads which are wrapped up but the problem with such a large supporting cast is that not everyone actually gets to do anything much at all.

There is a definite sense Brian Henson, David Kemper and Rockne S. O'Bannon are trying to fit too much into this miniseries, trying to please the fans, and even with the clever link to the previous episode, "What Was Lost, Part 2: Resurrection," there are too many conveniences left unexplained: the reappearance of Grunschlk after being apparently killed, Grazas return whilst heavily pregnant (weve all just kind of assumed its Crichtons baby, but no explanation or payoff is given, but the actress playing Graza, Rebecca Riggs was actually heavily pregnant throughout shooting and gave birth days after filming).

Albeit slightly compacted, "The Peacekeeper Wars" maintains the high standard of television "Farscape" is renowned for with superb writing, excellent acting and a good sense of direction. My only gripe is that "Peacekeeper Wars" feels a little ancillary. The events of previous seasons were pretty well dealt with in the series finale, aside from clearing up the cliffhanger ending, and clumsily at that, "Peacekeeper Wars" had to instigate the war between the Peacekeepers and Scarrans in order to provide the drive for the miniseries.

Of course, there are many threads they could have used and too many elements to tie up in just two feature length episodes, part of the appeal of "Farscape" is the magnificent comfort they display when rolling a story arc across a full season, sadly it's this feeling which is absent in "Peacekeeper Wars."

While Alan Stanley Blair is reviewing the second part of the miniseries (link), I want to just offer my opinion on the miniseries combined.

Being a "Farscape" fan, I am very happy to have more "Farscape" to watch. The second part is far better than the first, its more action oriented and in the absence of the deeper writing a full season can allow, this is where the miniseries shines. This is, however, not the best of "Farscape." The many two- or three-part episodes in the regular seasons and arguably the last two season finales were, for me, far more enjoyable. The death of a main character cut me up, that and the birth of Crichton and Aeryns child ensures if "Farscape" returns, itll be a different show.

Im left with a bittersweet taste from the miniseries, I just wish it had ended differently.

Leigh Ashton is a writer and lead programmer for Airlock Alpha, contributing from his home country of Wales. He can be reached at lashton@airlockalpha.com.

Part I
Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars