Season 1, Episode 22: “Family Ties”
***** out of *****

“You want the leviathan, the leviathan gunship-offspring, the other escaped prisoners, the defector Aeryn Sun, and especially you want the one called Crichton. Well, I want my freedom. Interested?”

So we’re at the first season finale. The crew struggles for a way to escape from Scorpius with both Moya and her baby unharmed. Rygel and Crais try to defect. Crais succeeds and runs off with the baby while Moya starbursts away and Crichton, D’Argo, and Aeryn are stranded.

This is really the best episode so far, but it couldn’t BE the best without so much that’s come before it. Everyone is pressed into a corner here and making extreme choices[1] because they’re out of options. Yet without earlier episodes, we wouldn’t be nearly so engaged in the situation. As it is, I can still remember when it first aired; after the episode ended I immediately told a friend and fellow fan and said, “Watch the finale NOW!”

Despite it being the last episode of the season, the episode has a number of Farscape firsts: It’s the first mention of Aeryn’s mother, as well as her and her father’s choice to have her. It’s the first time Crichton has caused mass destruction. It’s the first mention of Scorpius being a Scarran half-breed. [2] On the other end of the spectrum, it’s the last time we see John’s dad’s ring.

It’s arguable that Crais gets more development in this episode than he has to date. His seeking asylum aboard Moya is a great ironic twist. Things have come a long way since episode one. After a season-long chase, Crichton and Crais have their confrontation not a showdown, not in a battle, not a gunfight, but in a quiet conversation between bars. It’s a character moment, and it works so well, because both actors, both characters, are fully engaged.

A lot of shows would create tension and interest with a lot of action. This episode does it nearly all with character interaction and circumstance. The stakes are higher than they’ve ever been. Moya’s crew is cornered, their lives are at stake, as is Moya’s and her baby’s. They’re struggling–and failing at every turn–to find any way out that doesn’t require at least one person’s death, and nearly every interaction amid the crew is one that underscores the feeling that they’re all gone to die or never see each other again very, very soon. When the action does come at the end–and even then it isn’t so much an action set-piece, the pot is nearly boiling over…and then someone steals Talyn away and lights the fire on the whole emotional powder keg[3]. It’s one of the most emotional TV cliffhangers that I’ve ever encountered.

I have to admit that when Pilot announced that someone has boarded Talyn, in the split second before they cut to Rygel still there on Moya, I thought it was Rygel[4] who was trying to make off with Talyn. After all, he’d already done it once that episode, right? Okay, maybe I’m slow. But it was the last time I ever gave Crais the benefit of the doubt for the entire run of the show.

Fantastic episode. And too many good quotes to pick just one[5].

Last line:
“It may not matter. D’Argo’s unconscious.”

Other Comments:
Where the hell did Chiana get all of that food? (To say nothing of the time to make it!) And how come Crais got to go to the feast but Crichton didn’t? Did the DRDs mix up the invites?

We learn that the Aurora Chair would apparently kill Hynerians instantly. Possibly even if they have a booster-seat.

——
[1] I love that it starts out with Rygel already aboard a transport pod and rocketing his way toward betraying the others to save his own skin.

[2] “Scarran” was originally just supposed to be a throw-away alien species, but obviously it became a lot more than that…

[3] Black delivers Aeryn’s, “Crais, you listen to me now! You stop what you are doing and you leave the ship NOW!” in such a way as to be heart-wrenching even after having seen it multiple times before.

[4] “Sparky, Spanky, Fluffy, Buckwheat the 16th…”

[5] So here’re some more!

“I am a Dominar of action!”

“Fear accompanies the possibility of death. Calm shepherds its certainty.”

“You went there to sell us out, Rygel.”
“You bet your shiny blue ass I did. But I didn’t. So make the most of it now.”

“I thought I would live much longer.”
“I never thought I would live this long.”

“You saved my life.”
“Pass it on. When someone else needs it, return the favor.”

“We all have windows of usefulness. If we don’t take advantage of them, our careers may fade. For example: My instincts tell me that your career may well be on the rise.”

And to take a break from the book plugging for a few moments, let’s do another Farscape rewatch! (Well, I’ll do it. You read it.)

Season 1, Episode 21: “Bone to Be Wild”
**** out of *****
“Distress call. Directed at us?”
“How stupid is THAT?”

Crichton, D’Argo and Zhaan investigate a distress call on a shockingly verdant asteroid, Scorpius gets himself a command carrier, Aeryn bonds with Moya’s baby, and Crais has a bad day.

With three separate plotlines going, this episode straddles the line between self-contained sci-fi tale and ongoing character development. The bit on the asteroid with M’lee and Br’nee has the feel of earlier episodes in the season, and this is not a bad thing.[1] First it gives us the twist about M’lee being dangerous, which is a little predictable: Right from the start, something seems…off about her. But that predictability lulls us (and John) into complacency in order to better trick us later by doing a double-switch and making Br’nee the bad guy after all.

The other two plotlines are less about plot and more about relationships (though those relationships of course do affect the plot). Scorpius’s ruthless intelligence is further developed as he seizes the opportunity to avail himself of Crais’s command carrier, and Crais is broken down just a little more in a way that gets him to the place he’ll need to be in for the next episode. Meanwhile, Aeryn and the baby get the viewer to the place THEY need to be in the next episode. Black does a great job portraying Aeryn’s bonding with the baby, and all she’s really doing is acting against a set! When Pilot tells her Moya wants Aeryn to name him, she tears up.

I remember that this episode kept surprising me with regard to Crais’s continuing to be not dead. I’d thought he was killed in the chair in the previous episode. (I was actually disappointed on first watching to find out that he wasn’t.) Then later, when Braca comes in at the end and talks to Crais and Crais is unresponsive, I again thought he was dead for a few moments.

Speaking of which, it’s Braca! And he gets lines this time!

Stark is curiously absent from this episode. He escaped with John last episode, now, nothing. Apparently the writers just plain forgot about him at first [2].

This is also the episode we learn that Zhaan is actually a sentient plant (though there’d been hints throughout the season), which is a nice touch. She can also apparently turn invisible when surrounded by plants [3], but she’ll never do this again. Even being a plant, I’m not really sure that Zhaan’s justifiable in her taking offense at John’s “stinking plants” comment, since none of the plants on the asteroid that all M’Lee’s people died for were sentient.

Last line:
“As a matter of honor, sometimes we must be willing to give of ourselves.”

Other Comments:
Br’nee is played by Marton Csokas, who also plays Celeborn in The Fellowship of the Ring. This amuses me.

Scorpius’s growly-voice when Crais attacks him took me by surprise the first time, and added another layer to the usually refined character.

There apparently were plans to bring M’lee back, but they never got around to it.

——
[1] In fact, I understand this subplot had originally been intended for earlier in the season.

[2] When he comes back, they give him a, “Hey, thanks for letting me borrow that transport pod!” throwaway line.

[3] Watching that the first time made me go, “Errr…whah?”

Season 1, Episode 20: “The Hidden Memory”
**** out of *****
“Your oath means nothing to me, you made sure of that. You destroyed EVERYTHING. I lost EVERYTHING because of you! Do you know what I learned while I was away from you? Everything I lost isn’t worth a damn. And I don’t want to go back to your past.”
“I—ORDER you!”
“You ORDER me?! You will never order me again!”

And now part two of two! Or part two of four. Or part two of the rest of the entire series. Or something. Aeryn gets better, John gets rescued, Crais gets brain-frelled, and Jilina gets…dead. Oh! And Moya has a baby or something.

I like this episode, but for some reason I’m having trouble thinking of what to say about it beyond a series of notes on particular moments. So I’m just going to go with that! (I hope to return to a more coherent commentary in the next episode.)

It’s quite delightful to see Jilina get Crais into an utterly screwed situation that winds up with him in the Aurora Chair, and even more delightful to see Scorpius calmly maneuver him into it[1]. Later, when Aeryn lives Crais in the Aurora Chair screaming, I really thought she’d killed him. And as you might guess from the chosen quote, the moment she confronts him right before is one of my favorite moments in Farscape, and one reason I think Claudia Black is possibly the best actress in sci-fi TV.

This might be one of the few times we see Zhaan firing a weapon. And D’Argo blew a guy’s arm off! On screen! Ah, cable.

I wonder, is Chiana being selfless when she’s trying to help Moya give birth, or is she just worried that she’ll be killed if it shoots its way out? And speaking of the baby, this is the first time we find out that he’s not a normal leviathan.

A side note about Stark: This episode is one of the reasons that I don’t believe (at this point) that he’s actually crazy[2]. He’s hyper-stressed, he’s on edge, but he’s rational, compassionate, and calm when he lets his crazy façade down. His comforting Crichton after the chair has utterly frazzled the latter is very touching[3].

Last line:
“Kiss me.”

Other Comments:
Maybe I’m being a little harsh, but I would’ve rated this episode 4.5 stars, but for one single shot that really irritates me for no rational reason. When Jilina steps out with a gun right after Scorpius catches John before he’s about to escape, it’s done in kind of a slow-mo thing that’s…just really looks off to me. Yeah, I’m a jerk. I was disappointed that she died, though.

Stark mentions that he was keeping from Scorpy the memory of a place he saw when he was a boy. After watching the series, I believe that now refers to Katratzi, though I don’t figure the writers had that in mind just yet.

——
[1] “Do what you know in your hearts is the right thing. Put Crais in the chair.”

[2] Yet.

[3] “You’re not crazy, are you, Stark?” “No. But if they think I am, they don’t bother me so much.”

Season 1, Episode 19: “Nerve”
**** out of *****

“This is MY side! That’s YOUR side! This is my side, you stay on your side! My side, your side! My side, your side! My side! YOUR SIDE!  …You were just in my chair, too, weren’t you?”

Okay, this is it. They’ve officially launched the dren along a trajectory that will take it directly into the fan. Aeryn’s wound in A Bug’s Life has damaged her paraphoral nerve. To save her life, Crichton infiltrates the Peacekeeper gammak base posing as Larraq, is reunited with Jilina, and finds himself in the comfy chair of a jolly leather aficionado named Scorpius.

Things are now officially Farscape as we know it. Well, okay, so it was Farscape before now, too, but it just “grew the beard,” so to speak.[1] It’s our first episode with Scorpius, our first episode knowing about the wormhole knowledge in John’s mind, our first exposure to Stark, and we even get a little bit of Brakka trailing behind Crais. (Hey, how come Brakka never got to wear the bicycle seat-hat when he got promoted?)

The episode has a bit of an epic feel to it, though I’m not sure if that’s just due to my foreknowledge of how things develop from this point and how key all of this is to the rest of the series. On the other hand, it does give us a large new locale with the gammak base, and brings Crais back into the picture. Or maybe it’s due to it being only part one of a two-parter (or, arguably, part one of a four- or five-parter). In fact, it’s Farscape’s very first two-parter, and the point when the show arguably becomes much more serialized.

John’s getting a lot of practice imitating Peacekeepers, and he does quite well–for a while, anyway. His attempt to intimidate his way past having to do the genetic scan puts me in the mind of a D&D player trying desperately to pull a bluff and failing[2]. Darned good thing Jilina was there. He’s already changed from who he was when she first met him.

Chiana gets a lot of screen time here, what with going with John to the base and playing Larraq’s…companion. As we’ve not seen nearly as much of her as we have the others, it’s a good opportunity to show us more of her character. She’s great playing the magician’s assistant role, as it were, keeping eyes on her while John pulls some nerve tissue out of a hat. She’s also perfectly willing to lie to Jilina about John’s feelings for Aeryn so as to keep her working on their side. I do have to say, though: Chiana’s tralk routine is a bit…irritating…in larrrrge dosessss…

And, of course: Scorpius. Quite possibly one of the best villains in the history of television. Sinister, cold (er, figuratively speaking), menacing, and mysterious. He shows up Crais within moments of his arrival. Even if we don’t really know yet just who Scorpius IS, it’s clear who’s in charge there. Even the tone of his voice is perfect. Dignified, patient[3]. He’s like a cat having a conversation with a mouse. It just accentuates his ruthlessness. Wayne Pygram[4] is absolutely perfect here.

You know, given the whole “memory chair” thing, most shows would’ve likely taken this opportunity to do a clip show. The fact that they didn’t use it for that makes the episode that much better, really.

Also, Stark be crazy!

Last line:
“Crichton will tell us.”

Other Comments:
Hey, how come Moya never seems to get any bigger due to her pregnancy?

In hindsight, I can tell that they’re still working on Scorpy’s make-up. It looks less natural than it does in future episodes.

——
[1] Ironically, the worst episode of Farscape is when Crichton actually grew a beard.

[2] Think Crichton would’ve played D&D at some point in his life? He’s got the imagination for it. Sure, he’s the buff sort, but so is Vin Diesel, and he plays…

[3] So calm, so matter-of-fact: “That man is an impostor. Seize him.”

[4] My apologies to people named Wayne, but it’s always struck me as amusingly incongruous that the sci-fi nightmare that is Scorpius is played by a “Wayne.” Hee hee. Wayne!

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…