How do you cram three days of fun and excitement into a report that will not do it justice? I don't know either, so please bear with me.

I arrived in New York Thursday morning and met my roommate Reets at the hotel. We then made our way downtown to visit all the tourist sites -- the Empire State building, 34th St. and Broadway, Saks, NBC Studios, Rockefeller Plaza, Radio City Music Hall and Times Square. Feeling that we had walked enough, we then proceeded to take a three-hour double-decker bus tour sitting on the TOP!!!! My face is still numb from the +2 degree Celsius temperature but we had a great time.

Friday morning dawned cold and bright, but who cared…. We Were Going To A Farscape Convention!!!!!! Registration was at 11:30 am, so Reets and I parked ourselves outside the official room at 10:00 am along with about 6 other enthusiastic Scapers. We chatted, and soon the room started to fill up. I had absolutely no problems with getting my gold ticket package along with a pre-autographed picture of Ben Browder ( thud ). Found my seat and then proceeded into the dealers' room to see what was available. It so happened that Virginia Hey had a table set up and was greeting people and having her picture taken with them. The woman has an amazing memory -- she looked up and spotted me and Reets and hollered "Oh my darlings, it's so wonderful to see you both again. Didn't we have fun at ScaperCon." We hugged and had our picture taken and then proceeded into the main room to her Virginia's talk.

Reets, in her excitement, lost the pictures she'd purchased in the dealer's room but it was too late to go look for them. Virginia came out on stage to thunderous applause waving Reets's pictures and saying someone had left them at her table. She is a very funny lady with lots of behind-the-scenes stories. After her talk, we lined up for autographs. I though this would be a good time to hand out my cookies and to tell people to visit the Save Farscape table in the dealers room. Quite a few wanted to know if the recipes were in the “What The Frell Is That” cookbook! Creation played some fan-made music videos and they were all great -- man, these people are talented.

Next up was our favorite villain. Wayne Pygram came out in black leather pants and wanted to meet some of the physically challenged people in the audience. He asked if we had noticed that Scorpius had lost a lot of weight at the start of Season 3. He had been to numerous doctors who all said it was due to his hectic filming schedule or nerves or some such and after many trips to doctors he was finally diagnosed as being a celiac sufferer, an allergy to everything that contains wheat. (Needless to say, I didn't offer him a Scorpy Chip cookie!) I lined up to have our Save Farscape Canada tee shirt signed. He loved it and said it was a great design and did we have a website? I said "Hell Yeah" and he laughed (of course I forgot to tell him what it was, duh).

I spotted some Scapers in costume at the back of the room and proceeded to take their picture. I was very surprised to learn that Scaper/Zhaan and Scaper/Chiana were from the Toronto/London area. Carol Cowan , who was dressed as Zhaan, created the makeup and costumes, while Marcy Deklerck was a very convincing Chiana. They were both out of this world.

Gigi was up next – drove the fans wild with her outfit. She explained how she heard about the cancellation. She was in the trailer that she shares with Claudia and her makeup artist came in and said "Well, that's a hard wrap." Gigi didn't know what that meant -- she was stunned to learn that the show was over and everything was to be packed up. Gigi explained that there might be a chance of a four-parter or a movie. She also told us that she has auditioned for a part on a very good Australian series called "Secret Life". She took some questions from the audience; one person asked how hard was it to do love scenes in make-up, and she was hilarious with her impressions of the makeup people always having to do touchups. She is so bubbly and charismatic that you want her stay and talk all night. But, time for autographs and I stood in line like a good little Scaper. Gigi thought the shirt was very cool and asked what the red part was. I told her it was a stylized maple leaf – she thought that was brilliant and signed a big "Gigi" and a little "Chiana".

Day two and we were all excited about Claudia (and Anthony too, of course). More music videos and then great insights from David Kemper (via tape) on the episodes of Season 3. Unfortunately, things were running a bit late so we only got to see as far as Scratch & Sniff (3-13). I have got to get ahold of this tape somewhere!

Anthony Simcoe was just wild (as usual). He said he couldn't wait to get to New York so he could see some snow!!!! He was so looking forward to whacking someone with a snowball. I got to the microphone and said I didn't have any snow for him, but I did have the next best thing -- three little bottles of pure Canadian maple syrup. He loved it and gave me a big hug. When asked if he would like to work in the US he replied that he is a true Aussie boy and that his schedule has been so full since the final filming. He has been doing other acting jobs as well as being a university lecturer. He teaches directors insights on how to get the best performance out of actors. When asked by a Scaper what was his least favorite part of D'Argo's costume, he said hands down it was the beard, the glue that they use was very uncomfortable and took a long while to dry. I love this man, he has an infectious smile and laugh. No matter how long the lines or how often he was asked the same question, he was gracious to the end. We could use a few more people like Anthony Simcoe on this planet. I scamper off to get my shirt autographed, he remembers me and thanks me again for the syrup and asks what part of Canada I'm from. I tell him a small town halfway between Montreal and Ottawa, if he's ever in the area look me up.

The house lights dim and they play a tribute video to Aeryn. At the end, the curtains part and Claudia Black, decked out in black leather hip-hugger pants, bounces onto the stage to a thunderous standing ovation. Flashes are going off everywhere -- I'm getting flashbacks of disco fever and strobe lights. You could tell that is was bothering her eyes because she kept her eyes downcast. She is absolutely stunning. She explains that she wore the leather because she wasn't sure when she would get to wear it again. She then became very serious and said how she and Ben were very concerned about everyone since 9/11 and how much it had affected her. She told us that a fan from the 2001 New York convention (Jinky, who was sitting in the front row this year) gave her a glass angel candle holder and candles, she then proceeded to light the candles on the steps of a nearby church. It was very moving and she then asked if there was anyone who had had a particular bad year. Two people put up their hands and she proceeded to make them hot chocolate to soothe their souls. "Chocolate works miracles" -- her words.

Claudia also has a wicked sense of humor. During the question period some cell phones started to ring. She actually took a call and asked the person what they had for Thanksgiving dinner and when the caller asked who she was, she said "You know the character that's in love with Crichton? That's me, I play Aeryn Sun." Claudia also confirmed what Gigi had said about a possible movie and/or a mini-series to wrap things up. (She said that, with her luck, the movie would probably star Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts.) She did explain that David Kemper found a way to wrap up Season 4 so that the cliffhanger will have a bit more closure than originally planned, even though it will still be a "to be continued" ending. Back in line for autographs. I give her a present of maple syrup, she thanks me and says it's the next best thing to chocolate. She signs my shirt and asks what season is Canada up to? I tell her we are near the end of season 3 and she gives me the thumbs up sign.

My roommate and I were running late, so a bunch of us stragglers decided to walk to a local pizza place. I felt like I was in an episode of Seinfeld. New York calzone –- this stuff is deadly huge and delicious. We all rush back and eat in the hotel lobby. Rush upstairs, change, and rush back downstairs just in time to see a full-size DRD doing circles on the floor. Anth, Gigi and Wayne are already there, sitting on a raised platform. We find our table and settle in for a party.

First up was the talent contest, you had to imitate your favorite Farscape character. It was a hoot, with lots of screaming Jools and a few Chianas, including a guy who had her down pat!!!! Then came the costume contest. Lots of PK leather, and one fantastic Chiana (Marcy) and an unbelievable Zhaan (Carol). What can I say? The judging was done based on applause. Marcy and Carol were just plain ROBBED!!!!! The DRD won, go figure. Time for celebrity pictures… Creation would come to a table and say when we could go up.

The DJ started the music. Now, as some of you will attest from being with me at MonSFFA in Montreal, music and an empty dance floor is a no-no in my books. So I coax my three friends to get up and dance with me. We last about three songs before the floor fills up and it pretty well stayed that way till the end of the evening. I can't remember what song was playing at the time, but Anthony jumped down onto the dance floor and started to dance, man that boy can move!!!! He certainly made some Scapers very, very, happy to have had the opportunity to dance with D'Argo. Back into his seat and the photos continued. These actors sure have stamina. To sit and smile and joke and pose for 300+ people is just amazing. When it came to my turn and I asked if we could pose with my Save Farscape Canada shirt, there was no hesitation, Anthony said it would make a fantastic picture and Wayne got up and moved so that I could sit between him and Anthony. Gigi actually held the shirt while I got up on the little platform. There were three cameras flashing, one was seemed to be an official Creation photographer, my camera, and I'm pretty sure the other may have belonged to one of the actors. The picture-taking finally ended and Gigi, Wayne and Anthony, still smiling, said their good-byes. For some, this signaled the end of the convention. For the rest of us, it just meant we could now let our hair down and continue to dance right up to the very end.

A few of us decided to continue the party in the hotel bar where we joined up with another fantastic group of Scapers. We chatted, had a few beers until the bar closed and the staff asked us to move to an adjoining room. Some people headed of to their rooms and the rest of us sat around discussing how much we enjoyed the convention and lamented the cancellation of the best show on TV. Finally, at 3:30 am, at the polite request from hotel security to call it a night, eight die-hard Farscape fans, Rita, Joel, Steve, Carol, Marcy, Amy, Lisa and me hugging and laughing, had our pictures taken for prosperity. We piled into the elevator for our last ride together, promising to look each other up on line and perhaps meet up at a future Farscape convention. Did I have a great time in New York? "HELL YEAH!"

Smoochies,
Linda/TBZF