The essential episodes of Farscape

Watch these 15 in order and you've got Farscape — each pick states its reason.

1. 01

   S01E01 · Pilot · March 19, 1999 · 1h

   Premiere7.0

   Astronaut John Crichton attempts to use the Earth's atmosphere to propel his module Farscape 1 at high speeds but he is hit by a radiation wave and sucked through a wormhole into a distant part of the universe and straight into the middle of a space battle. After almost colliding with another ship, which explodes shortly afterwards, he is brought aboard a ship full of alien prisoners attempting to escape custody. After being partnered with a captured Peacekeeper soldier, Crichton is drawn into the prisoners' daring plan to escape the clutches of the Peacekeeper forces and their vengefully obsessed military commander.

2. 02

   S01E22 · Season 1 peak · January 28, 2000 · 1h

   Family Ties7.8

   Rygel steals a transport pod and goes to the Peacekeeper command carrier to betray the others. However he ends up returning to Moya with Crais, who wants asylum. Meanwhile, Crichton decides to destroy Scorpius' Gammak Base.

3. 03

   S02E05 · Top rated · April 14, 2000 · 1h

   The Way We Weren't8.0

   A datacam tape is uncovered showing Aeryn as part of a Peacekeeper firing squad that executed a previous Pilot aboard Moya. The rest of the crew wants answers but Aeryn is reluctant to revisit her past - especially her relationship with Velorek, the man charged with forcibly bonding a new Pilot to Moya. Pilot (the current one, that is) refuses to communicate with the crew, not wanting to reveal his own complicity in the murky circumstances surrounding his installment as Moya's guide.

4. 04

   S02E09 · Top rated · July 7, 2000 · 1h

   Out of Their Minds8.2

   When a hostile alien ship fires first at the Moya, the crew, despite the fact that their energy shield is up, finds their minds switched into another person's body. As a result, Crichton is in the body of Aeryn, Aeryn is in the body of Rygel, and Rygel is in the body of Crichton. In the cockpit, Pilot is in the body of Chiana, Chiana is in the body of D'Argo, and D'Argo is in the body of Pilot. They're all forced to adapt to their new bodies as they attempt to figure out what caused the switch.

5. 05

   S02E22 · Season 2 peak · January 26, 2001 · 1h

   Die Me, Dichotomy8.3

   The crew find a doctor that can heal Moya's burns and remove Crichton's neural chip. Things are complicated however when Crichton is informed he needs additional brain tissue from a donor in stasis who will die when the tissue is removed. Also Scorpius is beginning to take over Crichton's mind.

6. 06

   S03E01 · Top rated · March 16, 2001 · 1h

   Season of Death8.0

   The Diagnosan's assistant, Grunchlk, sets a Scarran loose. Scorpius uses a device to control Grunchlk and plots to escape from the ice planet with John's neural chip.

7. 07

   S03E05 · Top rated · April 13, 2001 · 1h

   ...Different Destinations8.1

   While visiting a Peacekeeper memorial, Stark accidentally sends himself, Crichton, D'Argo, Aeryn and Jool back in time where they alter the timeline and then are forced to interfere further to restore it.

8. 08

   S03E11 · Top rated · July 13, 2001 · 1h

   Incubator8.2

   With his wormhole research stalling and his situation desperate, Scorpius inserts the original 'neurochip' into his own brain. He hopes to make contact with the clone of Crichton's personality that spilled in to the chip when it was in Crichton's brain. When they meet, Scorpius realizes that it's not going to be easy to get the clone to share information. Meanwhile, a defecting Peacekeeper scientist offers Crichton the secret of wormhole technology.

9. 09

   S03E14 · Top rated · July 27, 2001 · 1h

   Infinite Possibilities Part I: Daedalus Demands8.2

   When Crichton is accused of sharing wormhole stabilizing technology with a race known as the Charrids by the Ancient who calls himself Jack. Crichton and the rest of Talyn's crew must seek out an old acquaintance who really is the guilty one.

10. 10

    S03E15 · Top rated · August 3, 2001 · 1h

    Infinite Possibilities Part II: Icarus Abides8.2

    Jack (The Ancient) unlocks the wormhole knowledge in Crichton's mind so together they can build a device to destroy the Scarran dreadnought.

11. 11

    S03E17 · Top rated · August 17, 2001 · 1h

    The Choice8.1

    Still grieving for Crichton, Aeryn travels to a planet to make contact with someone claiming to be her father. After meeting with him, Aeryn goes in search of a creature who, according to her father, can channel the dead. But where her father is, can her mother be far behind?

12. 12

    S03E20 · Top rated · April 12, 2002 · 1h

    Into the Lion's Den Part I: Lambs to the Slaughter8.2

    Crichton and the rest of Moya's crew arrive at the Command Carrier to try and put an end to Scorpius' mad obsession with wormhole research. Slowly Crichton gains Scorpius' trust, but when a Peacekeeper commandant arrives at the Carrier and tells Scorpius that he must put an end to his wormhole research, Scorpius shows Crichton something which he has been searching for over the past three years... Earth.

13. 13

    S03E21 · Season 3 peak · April 19, 2002 · 1h

    Into the Lion's Den Part II: Wolf in Sheep's Clothing8.4

    Crais and Talyn make the ultimate sacrifice to save the crew of Moya, by Starbursting into the Command Carrier causing it to slowly collapse in on itself. Meanwhile Scorpius and Crichton move closer to the wormhole technology they are both looking for.

14. 14

    S04E07 · Season 4 peak · July 26, 2002 · 1h

    John Quixote7.7

    While on a transport pod, Chiana nags Crichton to try out a virtual reality game. A transmission comes through from D'Argo concerning a problem with Scorpius. Despite this, Chiana pulls Crichton into one of the games, where they become trapped., and the only way out is to complete the game.

15. 15

    S04E22 · Series finale · March 21, 2003 · 1h

    Bad Timing7.5

    With their Crystherium stores low, the Scarrans must travel to Earth through a wormhole to replenish their supply, as those flowers grow there. With Pilot's help, Crichton tries to collapse the wormhole leading back to Earth.