Season 2, Episode 1: “Mind the Baby”
**** out of *****
“Again I win!”
“No, I win. Paper wraps rock.”
“No, paper cannot possibly beat rock.”
“It does; paper beats rock.”
“Rock rips through paper!”
“D’Argo, that’s not how it works! Paper beats rock!”
“That is not realistic!”
“Well, it’s the rules, and it’s not supposed to be realistic, it’s supposed to be entertaining!”
“My coma was more entertaining.”
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| It’s more disturbing in motion. |
So this episode brings us Scorpy’s first cooling rod scene (and THAT weirded me out the first time, let me tell you), new “sunburned” make-up for D’Argo[1], and D’Argo’s introduction to Rock, Paper, Scissors. Oh, and also Moya and the gang are re-united, Talyn creates a neural link for Crais and leaves Moya, and people nearly die a few times.
As many Farscape fans already know, this episode wasn’t originally supposed to be the premiere. What the show-runners wanted was to do an episode with just Chiana, Rygel, and Zhaan on Moya, leaving the viewers in the dark about what happened to the others as much as they were. I think such an approach would’ve annoyed me the first time I saw it, but having seen what happened while they were away[2], Zhaan’s behavior in this episode would make more sense had we seen what was going on with her previously. As it is, she comes off as kind of stupid and unsympathetic. (Not that we were supposed to side with her choices here in the first place, but it would have at least been more understandable and organic.)
Again, this is very much a character-driven episode, and that goes for the characters of the two leviathans as well. They definitely show their personalities. Moya’s not just a ship, she’s a mother who believes only the best in her child. As for Talyn, I can’t tell which would be more correct to say–that he’s a toddler with a gun, or a scared teenager.
It was frustrating in my first viewing to see Talyn siding with Crais. The poor kid doesn’t know any better (heck, HE didn’t see most of the first season, right?)[3]. I’d come to care about that little ship through seeing how Aeryn and the others related to him. Talyn offering the transponder to Crais instead of Aeryn really ticked me off originally–I didn’t want Talyn running away, I wanted him for a regular character. But at least he comes back. I still loathed Crais for doing it, though. I was very much in Crichton’s camp of distrust when it came to that guy.
One of the flaws I feel the episode has: It still feels like a bit of a cheat to just start with everyone already rescued and safe aboard the asteroid[4]. On the other hand it does at least give us 2 and 2 and let us get to 4 with regard to what happened. It also makes the (temporarily) unknown arrangement between Aeryn and Crais a more engaging unknown. Yet it’s never quite worked for me, or I’d have rated this episode higher.
Last line:
“Well. You have. …But Crais?”
Other Comments:
This episode also contains one of Farscape’s more meta (and amusing) lines from John: “Haven’t you people ever heard of FUSES?”
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[1] Also faster to apply and easier to emote in, which is the real reason they did it…
[2] This was re-tooled into a flashback ep coming later this season called “Dream a Little Dream.”
[3] Heck, it’s still frustrating even though I know it’s going to happen, because the same frustration is so clearly felt by the characters.
[4] And geez, is this not the most ridiculously diverse and versatile asteroid field you’ve ever seen?
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