Farscape Episode 1.04: “Throne for a Loss”
Oct. 4th, 2011 04:39 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
chavalah.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
scifi_rewatchI hear this was supposed to be the funny episode. :P The director theorized that just because they were supposed to tell a “dramatic” tale in space doesn’t mean they couldn’t let loose with a few laughs sometimes. Out of all the episodes thus far this definitely achieves that the most. Granted it helps that the crew are finally starting to let down their guards enough to actually relax around each other. Meanwhile a supposed trade deal with an alien race goes awry, Rygel makes enemies wherever he goes but at least he knows how to hedge his bets, and John’s vocabulary grows by Crichtonisms and nicknames! :D
We open on a pretty shot of Moya, hovering over an Earth-like planet, being approached by another ship. The crew is preparing to make a deal with aliens called “Tavleks,” or as John continually mispronounces them, the “Tabloids.” :P While Rygel, carrying a scepter, demands barrels to stand upon since he’s meeting with them as a “king,” John nags Aeryn about bringing her gun. John does a lot of nagging this episode, or at least Aeryn would say so. :P “I need them to look up to me!” Rygel proclaims. “Why?” D’argo counters. “We don’t.” He’s a bit antsy anyway since no one knows exactly what the Tavleks are offering. As the beings enter the hangar bay, wearing thick body armor across their brutish, scared frames, the crew of Moya stands around Rygel. Immediately it turns into an ambush, with the Tavleks shooting Zhaan with an arm gauntlet thing! :-O Amidst the ensuing chaos they bag Rygel (he escapes for a bit so he can fly, blinded, around weapons fire on his thronesled,) and vamoose with him! One of the Tavleks has been knocked out and left on the floor; his gauntlet has come off and D’argo immediately puts it on, trying to get it to work for him. Too late anyhow!
As Zhaan attends to Young Tavlek, as he will be referred to, John learns that the “tractor beam” that got his Farscape module in the premiere is actually called a “docking web.” Welcome to the Uncharted Territories! Anywho he wants to go after the Tavlek ship but most of the rest, especially D’argo, disagree with him. D’argo in fact is acting even more angry and aggressive than usual; he picks up a heavy barrel and slams it into a wall. :-O The others grow interested in the gauntlet (particularly the drug now pumping into his arm,) but he refuses to take it off. In fact he refuses to listen to them all together: “From now on, I’m in charge!” Granted this isn’t the first time D’argo will say this. :P The others try for him again and he’s able to knock all three down! D’argo and Aeryn gunfight, throwing John and Aeryn into another wall. *eyeroll* D’argo storms off…Zhaan revives Young Tavlek and Aeryn forcefully demands intel about the gauntlet. But ultimately it is John who figures out that one can get it off by making the wearer go unconscious. Zhaan will formulate a sleep mist. Meanwhile D’argo is kicking DRDs in the command and demanding that Pilot get them out of here now.
Moya is also getting a transmission from the planet! The Tavlek leader, Bakesh, is demanding ransom for Rygel, plus some other random alien thing. :P Hey, I’m like John here. Speaking of John once their hostage chat is over Zhaan hands him the “water balloon” filled with sleeping mist. Emboldened by the familiar structure he goes off to sneak-attack D’argo though Aeryn follows, not trusting John not to screw it up. John and Aeryn hide behind the door to command while John throws the thing at D’argo’s feet. At first the mist seems to be working….D’argo staggers…but the drug is too strong! He pulls himself up and fires at the two of them, giving J/A shippers more eye-candy of the lovebirds careening into walls together. Now a chase has begun and John has to quickly formulate a plan. With propulsion out of commission he asks Pilot to pressurize Moya’s vents. He and Aeryn then lead D’argo into a trap, and the jolt from the vents knocks D’argo unconscious and John and Aeryn back into each other. Though the gauntlet comes off Aeryn isn’t impressed.
Zhaan leads Young Tavlek to his cell where he asserts that he’s not afraid of her cos she’s “soft and weak.” As he tries to run she backhands him into a wall. :D Awesome. “Soft, yes. Weak, no.” Zhaan says.
On the planet the Tavlek camouflaged compound is accompanied by soft medal music. Rygel’s prison is a mud hole and his cell mate, a green, lizard-looking puppet, Jotheb, who is ruler to thousands more worlds than our favorite Hynerian, is fond of saying “the imperfection is yours.” Kinda like being back home, Ryg! ;)
Except the folks at home are actually starting to miss him! :-O Or more accurately they miss one of Moya’s conduits. “The little hairball took it to make his scepter!” John realizes…hey, first Rygel nickname ever. *balloons!* Anywho. It’s a pretty important device…the longer Moya goes without it, the less likely she is to stay in orbit without crashing down into the atmosphere below. :-/ Eep. With D’argo sleeping off the drug Aeryn is forced to turn to John with her plan to do a commando-storm of the Tavleks in their compound. “Wild E. Cyote would come up with a better plan than that!” John proclaims, starting a popular “Farscape” trend to diss each other’s bad plans. :P When John continues to whine and not get with the program Aeryn knocks him out. He’s not a happy camper when he wakes up in the Prowler, hee.
Young Tavlek is covered in a sheet when Zhaan comes to him with John’s orange IASA flight suit. They (read: Aeryn) needed to borrow his clothes, so. :P Young Tavlek refuses the duds. “What’s the matter, never seen a man before? Take a good look.” He barely opens the sheet at all, and Zhaan looks mildly interested. “Is nudity a taboo in your culture?” Young Tavlek talks more insecure smack, leading to Zhaan taking off her robe and Virginia Hey likely having to spend a week in the makeup chair. :-O Bare blue back ftw! Certainly shuts Young Tavlek up.
On the planet the plants are blue, too. John’s still pissed at Aeryn so she decides the best thing to do is make him walk before her so that he can bear the brunt of any booby traps. :P Brilliant.
Rygel tries to pull himself from his hole with no success. After talking some smack he gets his food serves to him in a skull, *gulp* Certainly freaks the Dominar out. Though when Jotheb tries to grab it with a green tentacle Rygel lays down the food law. :P It's mine!
Zhaan leads a fatigued D’argo to command cos he wants to help out. I like how he’s obviously contrite but still very self-confident and disparaging of the others’ abilities. Pilot seems to forgive him by thanking him for his help. Aww.
John and Aeryn are walking through the forest when they come upon a hunting party, which Aeryn spies through her “oculars,” a metal headband holding a tiny camera above one eye. Our former PK puts on the gauntlet in order to encourage these folks to tell her how to get to Rygel. John protests the recklessness, but of course Aeryn ignores him. :P She gives him the stun gun and tells him to shoot it at her when she gets back. Yeah, like it’ll be that easy, hee. She leaves her pulse pistol with John as well, then goes off to beat the Tavleks into submission and gets the location of the compound. But when John sees a couple of them begin to rise he tries to use the gun…and promptly blows it up. :P Oh Johnny. *pats head*
D’argo notes the explosion from Moya and sighs, “Didn’t take too long for them to run into trouble.” He orders Pilot to ready a transport.
Aeryn, meanwhile, looks totally flabbergasted. “You blew up the rifle?” Well with that protection gone we just need the gauntlet…Aeryn’s ready to use it on the hunting party, but John drags her to the compound.
Jotheb gets some news—his people will pay the ransom in two days’ time. Rygel’s ego is in trouble…he demands better treatment and gets slop poured on him instead. He’s already down in the dumps since he knows he won’t be ransomed anyway. :(
A violently fidgety Young Tavlek is going through withdrawal…when he bashes his thumb into Zhaan’s arm she shows how badass she is by not even flinching when white fluid comes out. She goes towards the nervous boy saying she can heal his pain and take his cravings by touching his heart and kissing his lips. Damn, I want it to be that easy for me! Ethereal music plays as Young Tavlek finally calms.
Rygel has found a use for the slop…it loosens the soil and with the help of one of Jotheb’s tentacles, he’s free! Unfortunately, that is not something you wanna be yelling from the rooftops in the middle of a prison, Ryg. >.< As he shimmies his head under his bars Bakesh is there and he steps on Rygel’s chest until he chokes and dies! :-O Really? They killed a puppet??? …but after the break Jotheb is able to revive him. He tells Bakesh that his people will pay the dominar’s ransom, too. Aww. (Or is it….)
Aeryn is back to her plan of “staking everyone, no mercy” at the compound. When John tries to restrain her he gets his ass kicked as usual. :P But John is not Aeryn’s biggest problem right now…D’argo’s here! He goads to ex-PK into fighting without weapons and then he Tongues her. Aeryn falls unconscious…gauntlet comes off. Hey, that was a lot easier than what he had to go through! When Aeryn wakes she and D’argo keep up their verbal fight. Both of them claim they meant what they said about the other (mainly that Aeryn is a coward and D’argo is a barbarian) when they were under the influence. “If the gauntlet brings out the real you, then you both should think long and hard about therapy!” John gripes and stalks off.
Zhaan sits next to Young Tavlek, telling him that once his body gets over “that poison” it will heal in time. “I don’t need a lecture,” Young Tavlek snaps. It wasn’t his choice to put the gauntlet on anyway. Oh, the perils of peer pressure and conformity.
Aeryn and D’argo are once again bonding over their mockage of John. :P “Imagine, somewhere out there is an entire planet full of Crichtons!” Aeryn says disbelievingly. Hey, I wish I was as much a survivor as John. :”> D’argo notes the common ground they have in John-mock, but Aeryn ruins the moment by saying she’s at last found someone clumsier than a Luxan. In response D’argo drops her head, which he’s been cradling. “Sorry,” he says with quiet triumph. “You know how clumsy Luxans can be.” :P Score. And I love that it’s finally friendly between those two. ♥
Jotheb has some news to share with Rygel…because he’s revived him, all of Hynerian space and subjects now belong to him! Rygel, of course, gets the last laugh as he reveals that his cousin deposed him a hundred cycles ago, and the only people who know he’s here are fugitives who hate him. Ryg cackles as Jotheb hits the wall angrily…but greenie shuts the dominar up by seething, “You will die here, so why are you laughing??” :-/ Sad Panda Rygel again.
John goes through the woods alone and zeroes in on the lightly guarded compound. He relates his intel to the others. With Aeryn too wiped to lead the mission the ex-PK tells John to take the gauntlet and she’ll cover his retreat. To do that D’argo gives her his qualta blade (which also doubles into a gun)…an amazing sense of trust between these two warriors (plus a look at a really cool weapon. :P)
Young Tavlek whines over his food and Zhaan teases him gently. He bashfully asks her to explain what she did when she, uh, kissed him—took his pain! Zhaan explains what it means to be a Tenth Level Delvian Pa’u. Young Tavlek’s chest swells with pride as he remembers being part of many an ambush/hostage grab with his brethren. Zhaan says that’s his gauntlet self speaking. “It makes us capable of anything,” Young Tavlek says angrily. “What I wonder is what you alone are capable of,” Zhaan says, and she renders him speechless once again.
John and D’argo sneak quietly into the camp until our favorite human steps on Jotheb’s tentacle! His reaction, of course, is that of the goofy tourist: “Hey D’argo, get a look at this critter!” It’s not the last time John Crichton will refer to a life form in the Uncharted Territories as a “critter.” :P Crichton finds the crystal-less scepter. Jotheb tells them that Rygel has been moved to a more secure location now that they believe he’s actually worth something. Though concerning that, the lizard guy kindly asks John to tell the Dominar that the ransom deal is off the table. :P John understands. When he and D’argo go back outside they of course run into some real Tavleks. Aeryn covers their escape with some bad qualta blade shots; D’argo is able to take some guys down martial-arts style, but he’s ultimately shot in the back. :-O He gets himself back to John and Aeryn where he promptly faints. Eeep, more crew deaths???
Young Crichton drags D’argo on his back away from the fighting. When the Luxan asks what color his blood is John says dark red. In response, Aeryn starts hitting him. :-O John, of course, is appalled, but Aeryn explains Luxan physiology—they have to be bled to heal, until their blood runs clear. Don’t you love the creative “Farscape” creative team? :D Amazing stuff here.
When Zhaan is needed in command she leaves Young Tavlek alone….oh Zhaan. :-/ Once she alerts the others to a Tavlek shuttle leaving (likely with Rygel aboard) she finds her charge in the maintenance bay, trying to shoot up again. :-/ Once more Zhaan has to kick his ass with graceful style. “We’re not enemies!” she proclaims, though she admits she’d probably like taking the stuffing out of him. “This is your enemy.” She crushes the druggie vial. “Contemplate that in solitude.” Zhaan is one strict mommy.
The shuttle Zhaan found is far away from the crew…John has to put on the gauntlet to cover the distance. :-/ Uh oh. He’s feeling good, though, super high, man. ;) D’argo and Aeryn don’t have a lot of faith that he’ll make it, but they explain that the weapon works through willpower. “Kinda like Green Lantern,” John says. Off he goes! The music gets tense as he runs and Aeryn tends to D’argo. The Luxan says to give up already and Aeryn wonders if their roles have changed—is he the coward and she the barbarian?
Speaking of barbarism, Gauntlet-John finally comes upon Bakesh, his goons, and sacked-Rygel. “You didn’t kill them,” Bakesh says when John is able to take out all his men. “I guess I’m not that kind of guy.” Very strong attitude, considering what he’s wearing! Crichton tries to negotiate with the Tavlek about Rygel’s lack of value…he’s an escaped mental patient, he’s sick, he’s a bloody nuisance; who would want him? ;) “He’s right,” Rygel says desperately. “I’m unwanted, unloved…” Bakesh kicks him… “unconscious…” :P Most important the Moya crew’s got no money or goods to give him. Don’t believe Johnny? Why don’t you call your boy on the ship? John and Zhaan use their comms to play telephone. Young Tavlek confirms that Moya is “pathetic…” then more humbly admits that he’s been treated well; Zhaan even wants to “help him,” though he has no idea why. “Perhaps I like to offer choices,” Zhaan says.
John’s made a choice himself…he removes the gauntlet. :-O Bakesh seems shocked enough by that. “I’ve told you the truth,” he says. “It’s been so long since any one has told me the truth that I don’t recognize it anymore,” Bakesh responds. He leaves sacked Rygel to John and stalks off. As John picks up his bundle and gets the bag off his head his first thought is, of course, about the crystal. :P Rygel has hidden it in a very secure place, so either he’s going back to Moya “or you’ll have to disembowel me here.” “Don’t tempt me, Fluffy,” John snaps. …and that’s nickname number two of the eppy. :DD One of the more popular ones, too.
Aeryn has turned D’argo’s blood clear just in time for their ship mates to rejoin them. “Peace of cake,” John wheezes before falling unconscious right on top of the dominar. Welcome home, Ryg.
The Prowler and the transport return back to Moya. Aeryn and D’argo wait unhappily as Rygel…for lack of a better term… “poops” the crystal out. :-/ Hey, at least we didn’t have to see it. “I did wash it,” Rygel promises before Aeryn deigns to touch it, “Well, I think I did.” Rygel does get the last laugh this time, or at least the last grin. :P
For such a funny episode it actually ends on a sad note. Zhaan checks in with Young Tavlek, via clamshell, and finds out he’s using again. “My choice,” he asserts, holding up his gauntlet hand. The image fizzles out, and the camera backs up, leaving Zhaan alone and disappointed. “No sermons,” she sighs. …well, you lost this one, Zhaan. But I think you’ll prove to be a very effective mother to some lucky people on Moya. ♥
I liked this episode better than I remembered. It’s a more subtle humor for a more simple part in “Farscape’s” storytelling. And yet we got evolving relationships, new nicknames, new Luxan history, new Rygel antics, even new disappointments. I also respect that John was able to fight the gauntlet where D'argo and Aeryn were not; he's not ruled by aggression, as they are, and he has to have one special strength. ;) Everything felt more genuine, like the show was finally getting comfortable with it’s characters. Don’t expect the “Tabloids”—I mean Tavleks—to be gone forever, either; store them away in your Uncharted Territories memory bank! ;)
___
We open on a pretty shot of Moya, hovering over an Earth-like planet, being approached by another ship. The crew is preparing to make a deal with aliens called “Tavleks,” or as John continually mispronounces them, the “Tabloids.” :P While Rygel, carrying a scepter, demands barrels to stand upon since he’s meeting with them as a “king,” John nags Aeryn about bringing her gun. John does a lot of nagging this episode, or at least Aeryn would say so. :P “I need them to look up to me!” Rygel proclaims. “Why?” D’argo counters. “We don’t.” He’s a bit antsy anyway since no one knows exactly what the Tavleks are offering. As the beings enter the hangar bay, wearing thick body armor across their brutish, scared frames, the crew of Moya stands around Rygel. Immediately it turns into an ambush, with the Tavleks shooting Zhaan with an arm gauntlet thing! :-O Amidst the ensuing chaos they bag Rygel (he escapes for a bit so he can fly, blinded, around weapons fire on his thronesled,) and vamoose with him! One of the Tavleks has been knocked out and left on the floor; his gauntlet has come off and D’argo immediately puts it on, trying to get it to work for him. Too late anyhow!
As Zhaan attends to Young Tavlek, as he will be referred to, John learns that the “tractor beam” that got his Farscape module in the premiere is actually called a “docking web.” Welcome to the Uncharted Territories! Anywho he wants to go after the Tavlek ship but most of the rest, especially D’argo, disagree with him. D’argo in fact is acting even more angry and aggressive than usual; he picks up a heavy barrel and slams it into a wall. :-O The others grow interested in the gauntlet (particularly the drug now pumping into his arm,) but he refuses to take it off. In fact he refuses to listen to them all together: “From now on, I’m in charge!” Granted this isn’t the first time D’argo will say this. :P The others try for him again and he’s able to knock all three down! D’argo and Aeryn gunfight, throwing John and Aeryn into another wall. *eyeroll* D’argo storms off…Zhaan revives Young Tavlek and Aeryn forcefully demands intel about the gauntlet. But ultimately it is John who figures out that one can get it off by making the wearer go unconscious. Zhaan will formulate a sleep mist. Meanwhile D’argo is kicking DRDs in the command and demanding that Pilot get them out of here now.
Moya is also getting a transmission from the planet! The Tavlek leader, Bakesh, is demanding ransom for Rygel, plus some other random alien thing. :P Hey, I’m like John here. Speaking of John once their hostage chat is over Zhaan hands him the “water balloon” filled with sleeping mist. Emboldened by the familiar structure he goes off to sneak-attack D’argo though Aeryn follows, not trusting John not to screw it up. John and Aeryn hide behind the door to command while John throws the thing at D’argo’s feet. At first the mist seems to be working….D’argo staggers…but the drug is too strong! He pulls himself up and fires at the two of them, giving J/A shippers more eye-candy of the lovebirds careening into walls together. Now a chase has begun and John has to quickly formulate a plan. With propulsion out of commission he asks Pilot to pressurize Moya’s vents. He and Aeryn then lead D’argo into a trap, and the jolt from the vents knocks D’argo unconscious and John and Aeryn back into each other. Though the gauntlet comes off Aeryn isn’t impressed.
Zhaan leads Young Tavlek to his cell where he asserts that he’s not afraid of her cos she’s “soft and weak.” As he tries to run she backhands him into a wall. :D Awesome. “Soft, yes. Weak, no.” Zhaan says.
On the planet the Tavlek camouflaged compound is accompanied by soft medal music. Rygel’s prison is a mud hole and his cell mate, a green, lizard-looking puppet, Jotheb, who is ruler to thousands more worlds than our favorite Hynerian, is fond of saying “the imperfection is yours.” Kinda like being back home, Ryg! ;)
Except the folks at home are actually starting to miss him! :-O Or more accurately they miss one of Moya’s conduits. “The little hairball took it to make his scepter!” John realizes…hey, first Rygel nickname ever. *balloons!* Anywho. It’s a pretty important device…the longer Moya goes without it, the less likely she is to stay in orbit without crashing down into the atmosphere below. :-/ Eep. With D’argo sleeping off the drug Aeryn is forced to turn to John with her plan to do a commando-storm of the Tavleks in their compound. “Wild E. Cyote would come up with a better plan than that!” John proclaims, starting a popular “Farscape” trend to diss each other’s bad plans. :P When John continues to whine and not get with the program Aeryn knocks him out. He’s not a happy camper when he wakes up in the Prowler, hee.
Young Tavlek is covered in a sheet when Zhaan comes to him with John’s orange IASA flight suit. They (read: Aeryn) needed to borrow his clothes, so. :P Young Tavlek refuses the duds. “What’s the matter, never seen a man before? Take a good look.” He barely opens the sheet at all, and Zhaan looks mildly interested. “Is nudity a taboo in your culture?” Young Tavlek talks more insecure smack, leading to Zhaan taking off her robe and Virginia Hey likely having to spend a week in the makeup chair. :-O Bare blue back ftw! Certainly shuts Young Tavlek up.
On the planet the plants are blue, too. John’s still pissed at Aeryn so she decides the best thing to do is make him walk before her so that he can bear the brunt of any booby traps. :P Brilliant.
Rygel tries to pull himself from his hole with no success. After talking some smack he gets his food serves to him in a skull, *gulp* Certainly freaks the Dominar out. Though when Jotheb tries to grab it with a green tentacle Rygel lays down the food law. :P It's mine!
Zhaan leads a fatigued D’argo to command cos he wants to help out. I like how he’s obviously contrite but still very self-confident and disparaging of the others’ abilities. Pilot seems to forgive him by thanking him for his help. Aww.
John and Aeryn are walking through the forest when they come upon a hunting party, which Aeryn spies through her “oculars,” a metal headband holding a tiny camera above one eye. Our former PK puts on the gauntlet in order to encourage these folks to tell her how to get to Rygel. John protests the recklessness, but of course Aeryn ignores him. :P She gives him the stun gun and tells him to shoot it at her when she gets back. Yeah, like it’ll be that easy, hee. She leaves her pulse pistol with John as well, then goes off to beat the Tavleks into submission and gets the location of the compound. But when John sees a couple of them begin to rise he tries to use the gun…and promptly blows it up. :P Oh Johnny. *pats head*
D’argo notes the explosion from Moya and sighs, “Didn’t take too long for them to run into trouble.” He orders Pilot to ready a transport.
Aeryn, meanwhile, looks totally flabbergasted. “You blew up the rifle?” Well with that protection gone we just need the gauntlet…Aeryn’s ready to use it on the hunting party, but John drags her to the compound.
Jotheb gets some news—his people will pay the ransom in two days’ time. Rygel’s ego is in trouble…he demands better treatment and gets slop poured on him instead. He’s already down in the dumps since he knows he won’t be ransomed anyway. :(
A violently fidgety Young Tavlek is going through withdrawal…when he bashes his thumb into Zhaan’s arm she shows how badass she is by not even flinching when white fluid comes out. She goes towards the nervous boy saying she can heal his pain and take his cravings by touching his heart and kissing his lips. Damn, I want it to be that easy for me! Ethereal music plays as Young Tavlek finally calms.
Rygel has found a use for the slop…it loosens the soil and with the help of one of Jotheb’s tentacles, he’s free! Unfortunately, that is not something you wanna be yelling from the rooftops in the middle of a prison, Ryg. >.< As he shimmies his head under his bars Bakesh is there and he steps on Rygel’s chest until he chokes and dies! :-O Really? They killed a puppet??? …but after the break Jotheb is able to revive him. He tells Bakesh that his people will pay the dominar’s ransom, too. Aww. (Or is it….)
Aeryn is back to her plan of “staking everyone, no mercy” at the compound. When John tries to restrain her he gets his ass kicked as usual. :P But John is not Aeryn’s biggest problem right now…D’argo’s here! He goads to ex-PK into fighting without weapons and then he Tongues her. Aeryn falls unconscious…gauntlet comes off. Hey, that was a lot easier than what he had to go through! When Aeryn wakes she and D’argo keep up their verbal fight. Both of them claim they meant what they said about the other (mainly that Aeryn is a coward and D’argo is a barbarian) when they were under the influence. “If the gauntlet brings out the real you, then you both should think long and hard about therapy!” John gripes and stalks off.
Zhaan sits next to Young Tavlek, telling him that once his body gets over “that poison” it will heal in time. “I don’t need a lecture,” Young Tavlek snaps. It wasn’t his choice to put the gauntlet on anyway. Oh, the perils of peer pressure and conformity.
Aeryn and D’argo are once again bonding over their mockage of John. :P “Imagine, somewhere out there is an entire planet full of Crichtons!” Aeryn says disbelievingly. Hey, I wish I was as much a survivor as John. :”> D’argo notes the common ground they have in John-mock, but Aeryn ruins the moment by saying she’s at last found someone clumsier than a Luxan. In response D’argo drops her head, which he’s been cradling. “Sorry,” he says with quiet triumph. “You know how clumsy Luxans can be.” :P Score. And I love that it’s finally friendly between those two. ♥
Jotheb has some news to share with Rygel…because he’s revived him, all of Hynerian space and subjects now belong to him! Rygel, of course, gets the last laugh as he reveals that his cousin deposed him a hundred cycles ago, and the only people who know he’s here are fugitives who hate him. Ryg cackles as Jotheb hits the wall angrily…but greenie shuts the dominar up by seething, “You will die here, so why are you laughing??” :-/ Sad Panda Rygel again.
John goes through the woods alone and zeroes in on the lightly guarded compound. He relates his intel to the others. With Aeryn too wiped to lead the mission the ex-PK tells John to take the gauntlet and she’ll cover his retreat. To do that D’argo gives her his qualta blade (which also doubles into a gun)…an amazing sense of trust between these two warriors (plus a look at a really cool weapon. :P)
Young Tavlek whines over his food and Zhaan teases him gently. He bashfully asks her to explain what she did when she, uh, kissed him—took his pain! Zhaan explains what it means to be a Tenth Level Delvian Pa’u. Young Tavlek’s chest swells with pride as he remembers being part of many an ambush/hostage grab with his brethren. Zhaan says that’s his gauntlet self speaking. “It makes us capable of anything,” Young Tavlek says angrily. “What I wonder is what you alone are capable of,” Zhaan says, and she renders him speechless once again.
John and D’argo sneak quietly into the camp until our favorite human steps on Jotheb’s tentacle! His reaction, of course, is that of the goofy tourist: “Hey D’argo, get a look at this critter!” It’s not the last time John Crichton will refer to a life form in the Uncharted Territories as a “critter.” :P Crichton finds the crystal-less scepter. Jotheb tells them that Rygel has been moved to a more secure location now that they believe he’s actually worth something. Though concerning that, the lizard guy kindly asks John to tell the Dominar that the ransom deal is off the table. :P John understands. When he and D’argo go back outside they of course run into some real Tavleks. Aeryn covers their escape with some bad qualta blade shots; D’argo is able to take some guys down martial-arts style, but he’s ultimately shot in the back. :-O He gets himself back to John and Aeryn where he promptly faints. Eeep, more crew deaths???
Young Crichton drags D’argo on his back away from the fighting. When the Luxan asks what color his blood is John says dark red. In response, Aeryn starts hitting him. :-O John, of course, is appalled, but Aeryn explains Luxan physiology—they have to be bled to heal, until their blood runs clear. Don’t you love the creative “Farscape” creative team? :D Amazing stuff here.
When Zhaan is needed in command she leaves Young Tavlek alone….oh Zhaan. :-/ Once she alerts the others to a Tavlek shuttle leaving (likely with Rygel aboard) she finds her charge in the maintenance bay, trying to shoot up again. :-/ Once more Zhaan has to kick his ass with graceful style. “We’re not enemies!” she proclaims, though she admits she’d probably like taking the stuffing out of him. “This is your enemy.” She crushes the druggie vial. “Contemplate that in solitude.” Zhaan is one strict mommy.
The shuttle Zhaan found is far away from the crew…John has to put on the gauntlet to cover the distance. :-/ Uh oh. He’s feeling good, though, super high, man. ;) D’argo and Aeryn don’t have a lot of faith that he’ll make it, but they explain that the weapon works through willpower. “Kinda like Green Lantern,” John says. Off he goes! The music gets tense as he runs and Aeryn tends to D’argo. The Luxan says to give up already and Aeryn wonders if their roles have changed—is he the coward and she the barbarian?
Speaking of barbarism, Gauntlet-John finally comes upon Bakesh, his goons, and sacked-Rygel. “You didn’t kill them,” Bakesh says when John is able to take out all his men. “I guess I’m not that kind of guy.” Very strong attitude, considering what he’s wearing! Crichton tries to negotiate with the Tavlek about Rygel’s lack of value…he’s an escaped mental patient, he’s sick, he’s a bloody nuisance; who would want him? ;) “He’s right,” Rygel says desperately. “I’m unwanted, unloved…” Bakesh kicks him… “unconscious…” :P Most important the Moya crew’s got no money or goods to give him. Don’t believe Johnny? Why don’t you call your boy on the ship? John and Zhaan use their comms to play telephone. Young Tavlek confirms that Moya is “pathetic…” then more humbly admits that he’s been treated well; Zhaan even wants to “help him,” though he has no idea why. “Perhaps I like to offer choices,” Zhaan says.
John’s made a choice himself…he removes the gauntlet. :-O Bakesh seems shocked enough by that. “I’ve told you the truth,” he says. “It’s been so long since any one has told me the truth that I don’t recognize it anymore,” Bakesh responds. He leaves sacked Rygel to John and stalks off. As John picks up his bundle and gets the bag off his head his first thought is, of course, about the crystal. :P Rygel has hidden it in a very secure place, so either he’s going back to Moya “or you’ll have to disembowel me here.” “Don’t tempt me, Fluffy,” John snaps. …and that’s nickname number two of the eppy. :DD One of the more popular ones, too.
Aeryn has turned D’argo’s blood clear just in time for their ship mates to rejoin them. “Peace of cake,” John wheezes before falling unconscious right on top of the dominar. Welcome home, Ryg.
The Prowler and the transport return back to Moya. Aeryn and D’argo wait unhappily as Rygel…for lack of a better term… “poops” the crystal out. :-/ Hey, at least we didn’t have to see it. “I did wash it,” Rygel promises before Aeryn deigns to touch it, “Well, I think I did.” Rygel does get the last laugh this time, or at least the last grin. :P
For such a funny episode it actually ends on a sad note. Zhaan checks in with Young Tavlek, via clamshell, and finds out he’s using again. “My choice,” he asserts, holding up his gauntlet hand. The image fizzles out, and the camera backs up, leaving Zhaan alone and disappointed. “No sermons,” she sighs. …well, you lost this one, Zhaan. But I think you’ll prove to be a very effective mother to some lucky people on Moya. ♥
I liked this episode better than I remembered. It’s a more subtle humor for a more simple part in “Farscape’s” storytelling. And yet we got evolving relationships, new nicknames, new Luxan history, new Rygel antics, even new disappointments. I also respect that John was able to fight the gauntlet where D'argo and Aeryn were not; he's not ruled by aggression, as they are, and he has to have one special strength. ;) Everything felt more genuine, like the show was finally getting comfortable with it’s characters. Don’t expect the “Tabloids”—I mean Tavleks—to be gone forever, either; store them away in your Uncharted Territories memory bank! ;)
___
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}