Archives for August 2013

Season 1, Episode 18: “A Bug’s Life”
***1/2 out of *****

“Under the circumstances, those commandos are primed to shoot at anything they do not trust. The only thing that is over is our chance to take them buy surprise. This is a disaster, Crichton. It is a grave misfortune that uniform did not fit me.”

When Moya encounters a Peacekeeper marauder with no affiliation with Crais, John masquerades as a PK captain and winds up having to deal with a body-jumping intelligent virus while maintaining a fake accent[1].

This episode does what Farscape so often does: take a classic sci-fi premise and inject its own Farscapian twist: while the virus itself is pretending to be someone it isn’t, so to are most of Moya’s crew. It’s a double-ruse that creates a nice bit of additional flavor until it finally falls apart and everyone is shouting with guns pointed at each other.

That said, while it’s above-average and certainly one of the better eps of the season, it doesn’t blow me away. It’s serviceable, it works, it’s fun, and it’s a major element in setting up the rest of the series due to a single stroke of a knife, but on it’s own? I can’t ever get too excited about it.

I think part of the reason is I never quite buy the whole “intellent virus” concept. I realize this is likely unfair of me, given all that I DO buy in the course of watching this series, but it bugs me[2] just enough to put me off a little. Besides, if all it needs to lay a million spores is an hour inside a single host, how is it possible that it never had an hour at any point prior to when Larraq’s group caught up to it?

“Nerve” is next. And those of you familiar with the series all know what that means…

Last line:
“Why would I ever mention it?”

Other Comments:
I’ve seen this ep a few times, but I honestly didn’t remember the commandos all jumping out of the marauder like they do at the beginning. Nifty.

You know, it’s entirely possible that none of the rest of the series would have ever happened if it weren’t for Chiana. No Chiana, no key to the box. No key to the box, no virus escape, no Aeryn being stabbed, no need to go to the gammak base, no meeting Scorpius…

——
[1] John, not the virus. Well, the virus, too, come to think of it.

[2] No pun intended.

Season 1, Episode 17: “Through the Looking Glass”
****1/2 out of *****

“Well, Moya has been–for as long as I can remember–our protector, our home, our companion, and our friend. However, as relationships grow, they also change. Do think we can trade her for a faster vessel?”

In an attempt to persuade everyone from abandoning her, Moya starbursts before she’s ready, gets stuck between dimensions, and introduces us to a big…weird…talking fly…thingy.

I’ve seen this episode a number of times. I like it. It’s pretty[1]! In fact it’s one of my favorites in the entire series, but I always seem to forget just how LONG it seems to take for John to stagger through red-Moya, and how obnoxious that sound is in blue-Moya[2]. But aside from that, it’s a blast to watch. For me, a big part of that is due to how it just lets the characters be themselves as they all work through the whole situation. And, okay, so I also think the zany, nitrous-oxide yellow-Moya helps offset the troubles of red & blue. Rygel’s a gas.

This episode is book-ended by two scenes around their dinner table. In the first, everyone is discussing whether or not to leave Moya as the camera circles. With all the back-and-forth dialogue that displays character, agendas, and the situation in general so well, it’s one of my favorite opening scenes of the series. The ending scene is set up the same, and everyone is still perfectly in character, but it replaces concerns and argument with laughter and camaraderie.

In fact, this is probably one of the few episodes where everything goes well, everyone is laughing at the end and, if I may quote the 9th Doctor, “Just this once, everybody lives!” Maybe that’s why I’ve watched it so many times; it’s a rare instance of everyone winding up happy, strengthening the ties that hold them together without any sort of tragedy.

Last line:
“This is one of the good days, people! To a healthy, happy baby.”

Other Comments:
First instance of John calling Chiana “Pip.”

Restore the green knob. How do you “restore” a knob?

I do find it rather hard to believe that John could keep his 500-microt countdown accurate in his head enough to get everyone synchronized while dashing through the Moyas AND having various conversations. But no sense splitting hairs.

More indications that The Nebari Will Fuck You Up™: Nebari weapons scientists once accidentally destroyed an entire solar system and 4 populated planets by poking a hole through another dimension and losing control. Um, oops?

——
[1] Yeah, so I’m distracted by bright colors and shiny things. That doesn’t mean I–ooh, foil!

[2] Incidentally, the bit in blue-Moya with Chiana screaming in pain is really quite disturbing. I mean, she’s quite the brat for the whole episode, but she doesn’t deserve the sort of suffering she’s clearly experiencing.

Season 1, Episode 16: “A Human Reaction”
 **** out of *****

“It was a trout, Dad.” [1]

A wormhole appears out of nowhere that promises (er, figuratively) to take John home to Earth. In he goes…and meets an alien masquerading as his father. But at least he gets to have chocolate!

This is a great episode, and one that I understand some fans consider to be the best of the season. I don’t rate it quite that high–the very end seems a little rushed, and Jack’s true form looks like they were running low on their puppet budget–but I can respect the opinion. Meta-knowledge on the part of most viewers means John can’t be actually getting home (or at least not permanently), but the acting is done well enough at the beginning with all the goodbyes that it still has an effect. These characters don’t know they’re in a show, and they make us feel what they’re going through in those moments.

I admit that when I first saw it, while I didn’t buy for a second that John would ever get permanently home before the series finale [2], I did think he was back temporarily. The fact that there was nothing newer than when John left made me wonder if something terrifying actually had happened on Earth, but I didn’t initially suspect it was all a fake. So even before Rygel got dissected, the treatment of D’Argo, Aeryn, and Rygel frustrated me. Seeing them wheeling D’Argo in on a gurney was frustrating. Wilson pretty much had me wanting to punch him right from the start. And when we do see Rygel dead and opened up on the table, I admit I bought it. After all, he’s a puppet, and easier to kill off. Pissed me off. 🙂

Claudia Black sells the hell out of Aeryn’s mental state in this ep, by the way. Aeryn doesn’t emote much, but Black has a way of resonating Aeryn’s internal thoughts and emotions such that they’re still palpable. There’s a great scene after D’Argo’s been taken away when she’s clearly fighting her fear as she tries to do what she has to in order to survive.

One thing that struck me on this rewatch: I wondered how Zhaan would’ve reacted, had she come along. (Come to think of it, why was Rygel on the transport pod in the first place? He doesn’t strike me as the sort to be out there checking things out.)

This episode is further evidence that Farscape is becoming Farscape. The sweet taste of returning home turns to ashes in John’s mouth, tragedy occurs, and nothing seems to work out like it should. But at least Rygel’s not actually dead.

Last line:
“Maybe.”

Other Comments:
I would’ve liked to have seen D’Argo’s reaction when the Ancients told him what was actually going on.

——
[1] Okay, not the best quote of the episode, but I do like the callback to it we get three seasons later.

[2] Yeah, so I was wrong about that, too…