Farscape Rewatch: “Till the Blood Runs Clear” (spoilers)

Season 1, Episode 11: “Till the Blood Runs Clear”
***1/2 out of *****

“You help me capture the prisoners and I’ll split the bounty, seventy-thirty.”
“Seventy…FORTY!”
“Eighty-forty. You in or out?”

After trying to recreate the wormhole that got him to the Uncharted Territories, John and Aeryn are forced to land on a planet for repairs and discover that Crais has put up numerous wanted beacons in his search for Moya[1]. Soon they’re forced to play bounty hunter themselves when they run into two Vorcarian blood trackers named Rorf (“Worf?” “RORF!”) and Rorg. Meanwhile, D’Argo has more temper tantrums and Zhaan gets in some private time when we’re introduced to the Delvian photogasm.

I do like this episode. John’s act with the Vorcarians (and Aeryn’s reaction to it) is fun to watch, and one of the first instances of what becomes a recurring situation in Farscape[2]. Also, Furlow’s a great character. She’s clever, she’s opportunistic, and she’s an untrustworthy figure that that John is forced to trust[3]. The thing that amuses me most about her is that she’s savvy enough about her self-serving attitudes such that she makes you at least suspect from time to time that she might actually be on your side.

As for the flaws of the ep, D’Argo really gets on my nerves here. He’s blustering, bossy, loud…and he’s too stupid to get that John isn’t actually betraying him. But at least it leads to a little bit of reconciliation and common ground between the two of them. Also, the pacing is a bit problematic at times. The scene where the Vorcarians capture D’Argo seems to be mostly shots of people walking/driving through the desert.

After being forced to give Furlow his flight data on wormholes (without a copy for himself), John tells her he’ll see her in five years. Turns out he wasn’t quite right about that time estimate…

Last line:
 “You remember now, any time you need some repair work done, you know where to come! You sure you don’t want that thing detailed?”

Other Comments:
This episode also gives us the first hint of John’s obsession with wormholes in that he doesn’t really think about Aeryn being in the module in his attempt to create a wormhole.

Some similarities to Tatooine: it’s a desert, someone goes blind, and my knowledge of the third season calls to mind the line, “You’re gonna die here, you know. Convenient.”

——
[1] Fortunately, they only advertise wanting Zhaan, D’Argo, and Rygel, since Crais wants John for himself and there’s a secret offer in the beacon for Aeryn if she turns them in: honorable retirement and a quick death! Oh boy!

[2] Fortunately for John, Worf Rorf and Rorg aren’t the sharpest knives in the drawer, and it mostly works. For a while.

[3] Which is another recurring situation in this show, really.