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scifi_rewatchThis show has quite the reputation for comedy ranging from quirky to crazy, but said episode is my favorite of the lot. On the surface, it was just a parody of itself, particularly the Earth episode from last season, “A Human Reaction.” It ranged from clever, subtle comedy to sheer ridiculousness. But while another show might simply write off an hour like this as a throwaway bit of fun, this hour of “Farscape” actually had a plot, and reveals key information for one of the most prominent story arcs of the show. If you’ve been wondering why John’s been so off kilter and Scorpius-hallucinating lately, then you’re in major luck.
Speaking of John, although the rest of the cast and guest stars do fantastic work playing various parodies of their characters, Ben Browder truly steals the cake here, in more ways than usual. He’s asked to run the gamut of human emotions, from investigatory and silly to heartbreaking and insane. We get another piece of his backstory, retread over how the Uncharted Territories have changed him, and even some “Wizard of Oz” references, which may hint at the fact that his definition of “home” is in flux. A minor story note in this packed episode but something worth thinking about; thanks, Scaper Chronicles!
Also, the fan site Farscape Fantasy published this little video, which, to me, totally encapsulates the feeling of watching this episode. :P (It also makes me feel very old school, because it was published before YouTube, so we had to download mov or wmv links. :P They had a very extensive music video archive, too; used to go to the original site a lot! /nostalgia)
Episode summary is here, courtesy of the John and Aeryn Fansite.
The Scaper Chronicles found a great metaphor for this episode—peeling the layers of an onion—so there’s really no place you can start except for the beginning, when things are the most normal. The teaser even starts with footage from “Premiere,” when John is encountering the wormhole in his module and Jack and DK are trying to get him to abort. Then we skip to new material—our boy waking up in the hospital and Hank McCord guest starring to explain that he crashed and is back on Earth. Yeah, John ain’t buying it. :P Learning his lesson from “A Human Reaction,” he attacks his so-called father…but the sudden intro of “Aeryn, with better hair,” playing the role of Dr. Bettina Fairchild (major props for mot of the names this episode,) lets us all know that we are in for a different ride this time. Even so, John checks out the paper, and—more hilariously, also bringing in the episode title—kicks in the door to the women’s bathroom, which actually exists in this hallucination. :P For some reason, this was the first scene that really got me laughing during my initial watch. It might’ve been John’s whistling “aha” moment. Continuity ftw.
So things are relatively believable, from an objective viewpoint, for the first several minutes, with Jack and DK filling John in on work-related stuff that sounds believable after a big crash, and Dr. Fairchild checking on his vitals and, worried about his mental health, referring him to Dr. Jean Kaminsky. Then it turns out to be Zhaan and, yeah, new kink in the system. :P I love the ways that the characters make up clever excuses to play these alien encounters as straight-laced—Kaminsky is the stand in for “people of color” (I feel like that phrase wasn’t as popular in the ‘90s, but I remember immediately knowing what it meant,) “Gary Ragel’s” tentacles are “a lifestyle choice,” and the fact that “Mr. D. Logan” is a slug on a sled chalks up to a “disability.” (And gah, I love these names. Rather wish that Chiana, as Jessica, got a surname, but she was also the most restrained of the lot. Ironically enough.) Lots of clever humor. And interesting associations from John’s subconscious—the real Zhaan is the most in tune with John’s mental health, and I’d say is only slightly different from this hands-off psychologist (from the school of thought that the patient ought to guide the conversation without much input from the psychologist which, frankly, seems like the perfect way for Scarran interrogation to break the subject and get him to reveal things.) Like D’argo, Gary Ragel plays the part of John’s best friend, but in a cocky astronaut way rather than a stoic (which Anthony Simcoe must’ve loved. Easily one of the biggest purveyors of hilarity.) Program administrator Douglas Logan is a hardass, anecdotally antagonistic in the way that Rygel can be, and John, pushing boundaries, reacts in a similarly patronizing, if more over the top, way. (Flipping business cards at him gets me every single time. :PP) Acting crazy and slipping into Crichtonisms is his way to try and stay in control, in this episode and in others.
When we get to the bar, things shift again. Dr. Fairchild is no longer playing Aeryn’s “protector” role to John, but instead is ignoring him to go neck with Gary Ragel. :P It’s unclear whether the Scarran actively decided to push the Aeryn character out of a more usual role, or if it was John’s subconscious, responding to stimuli telling it to turn on the freaky a little bit, but same result either way. The whole plot of this episode, which we will find out later, is about slowly breaking John’s mind. At the moment he’s going through a list of enemies, trying to narrow down who did this to him—more continuity ftw. He centers on Scorpius, who appears twice in this hallucination, first as someone who talks straight to him (yeah, this is all a hallucination and you need to get out) and then as a jive drummer playing in the cantina band with Pilot. :)) I love this episode. And it’s such a great introduction to “Harvey,” who will have a pivotal role for many episodes to come, but I should zip my lips. :P Instead, I’ll focus on my irritation that Harvey interrupted a sexy John/Chiana (as Jessica, the “astronaut groupie”) moment. Dammit, there’s so few chances for J/C shippers like me to get our rocks off. :P
So John, once again testing boundaries and inadvertently being funny, gathers Fairchild, Jessica and Gary into the car (with Harvey as the unwelcome bug on the windshield :P) and crashes into a truck to see where things go next. And we shift, with increasing rapidity, into deeper layers of the onion. First, they survive the crash—lucky break—which Fairchild tells John with huge curlers in her hair. (A spur of the moment decision, but boy does it work.) But we can’t stay silly forever, and the introduction of John’s mother…wow. I love it on so many levels. It was a great move to unnerve him, as he was growing far too comfortable with the earlier scenarios. It also did great things for Ben’s range of performance. But mostly, I love the depth for the character. We learn that there were some complications and some guilt around her death—I wish the show had explored that more, on the whole. But more to the point, John’s mother, in the beginning, speaks to his guilt about losing his innocence since joining the Moya crew. Yes, in the moment it’s about breaking him, but on a larger level I think it encapsulates his guilt about losing “his innocence” and engaging in some dark things, like murder. I’m glad the show doesn’t let him off the hook. Anywho. After John broke my heart in the “cancer scene” in the bar, I rather like that Captain Crais and the others took over the comedy, leading up to the big Harvey reveal. And again, thanks to the Scaper Chronicles for pointing out that on a deeper level, maybe being in a room with his friends where there were no pictures of him riding rockets or winning a platinum record (trololol,) was meant to trigger his feelings of inadequacy; he had nothing to show for himself. Hell, the crowd even ignored him while he was trying to shoot them, instead arguing over what to order for lunch. :P And to cap it all off, Crais, carrying Toto, figures that five counts of attempted murder, amongst other things, only amounts to $29.40. :P I dunno, seems pathetic to me.
I’m gonna skip past all the big plot reveal stuff for a moment to center on the final quarter, when John and the audience are now aware of who’s pulling the strings. This is obviously the most ridiculous and off-the-rails part of the episode as John jumps quickly from one crazy scenario to another, barely holding onto his sanity. First, we have Aeryn, Zhaan and Chiana doing some sexy role play, until Rygel steps up with a freaky BDSM outfit. :P In the “Mama Ward,” DK plays out a macabre horror scene after he slits his wrists after having a post-firing breakdown. John’s stuffed into an oversized carriage while his parents argue over his existence; Jack tips him out the window, preferring to get a terrier. :P Crais, wearing red pumps, screams out the weirdest set of Miranda rights ever, but leaves John on the street when he says he doesn’t understand them. D’argo, in a high-pitched feminine tone of voice, propositions John sexually while “parked,” with more BDSM suggestions and the caveat of Chiana as a voyeur. Zhaan and his sexily-clad mother join him in the psychologist’s office to discuss the Oedipus complex…oh dear. And finally, just when John (and I, at least,) don’t think we can be any more cognitively dislocated, a PK-clad Aeryn shoots the disco ball amidst a night of boogey-ing, but it turns out it’s just another onion layer, since she’s more interested in what our human has to say about Scorpy than getting him out of harm’s way. Oh well. Anything to give Claudia Black a chance to do that thing with her tongue. :P I really love this section. It’s hilarious and bewildering, and it pushes the envelope in scifi entertainment. Some fans thought (particularly the Oedipal scene, I’m sure,) it went too far, but I disagree. I think the human subconscious is a murky place, particularly when it comes to our sexuality. And I don’t think there’s any better way to believe, as the audience, that John’s about to lose it. His insecurities, his emotions, his whole sense of reality is on the frying pan.
And now, we get to the crux of the plot. First of all, the Scarrans are a relatively new enemy. We only first heard about them a few episodes back in the Princess Trilogy (Cargn obviously got the word out about the Scorpy/John thing before his demise. At least this new Scarran comes with better makeup. :P) A nice, subtle tie-in from the entirety of the episode is that John’s been sweating thanks to the already established Scarran heat probe. Harvey’s been manifesting himself whenever the Scarran’s not around, cos…dun dun DUUUUN…we get the reveal about the chip in John’s head! This is the reason that he’s been getting flashes of Scorpy, on and off, since the start of season two, and this is why he couldn’t kill the real Scorpy on the Royal Planet. It’s just so wonderful and elegant and I’m still so in love with it, all these years later. Such a great way to build up the John/Scorpy relationship (not to mention, a shrewd way, on the Peacekeeper’s part, to extract the wormhole information.) John gives this clone the iconic name of Harvey, after the mischievous, invisible friend from the Jimmy Stewart movie. I like, too, that even though John defeated the immediate enemy in this episode, he’s aware, however briefly, that another exists. Expect many iterations of this plot, and this central relationship, yes, yes. It will continue to be a wild ride. :P
Favorite Crichtonism: Come out, come out, wherever you are! And see the young man who fell from the star!
Favorite Quotes:
*John tries to suss things out with “Dr. Fairchild”*
John: I crashed? I don't - remember crashing. But, I-I did have this -this terrible nightmare. I was on a ship full of aliens.
Aeryn: Is that why you went after your father and bruised 2 of his ribs?
John: Yeah. He- he looked like he was human - but he had alien goo on the inside. It was - pretty freaky, huh?
Aeryn: But now you know better.
*ladies bathroom scene*
John: Won't get fooled again. *pushes bathroom door open dramatically*
Woman: Hey! You mind?
John: Sorry - I ah - thought it was co-ed.
Woman: Co-ed? What planet are you from?
John: *walking away, talking to himself* Not this one.
*callback to a certain missing person from “A Human Reaction*
DK: Papa Bear!
John: Whoa! Ho! DK! Hey-ey-ey! You made it this time!
*”Dr. Kaminsky” explains away her alien status*
Zhaan: I'm Dr Kaminsky.
John: U-huh. And ah - you are a psychiatrist? I don't think so. On Earth - psychiatrists don't come in blue.
Zhaan: Do you have a problem with people of color?
John: I have a contextual problem. You're an alien.
Zhaan: Yes, that's true. But I do have a green card.
*introduction to “Gary Ragel”*
D’argo: Oooohhhh ladies.... *flirting with some extras*
John: You know that guy?
DK: Gary Ragel. Newest hotshot to come out of IASA Astronaut Training. Watch your back, he's got ambition.
John: Gary Ragel - has tentacles.
DK: Yeah.
D’argo: Oh my God! Oh my God! It's a straight boy!
John: What? He looks normal to you?
DK: It's a lifestyle choice. Anyway, his looks are the least of his problems. He's a jerk.
*Dr. Fairchild changes roles*
Aeryn: Hey! Buy a girl a drink?
John: Oh my GOD! The off duty DOCTOR! Join us! OH- Gary Ragel! Meet Doctor - Bettina - Fairchild!
D’argo: Ohhh...
Aeryn: Hi.
D’argo: Hi. *Fairchild crawls into his lap and they start necking*
John: Excuse me. You two know each other?
Aeryn: No.
D’argo: Never met.
*second-favorite Crichtonism, still from Wizard of Oz*
John: Scorpy - you don't fit the pattern. You got not Halloween costume, got no assumed name - you're not playing a role. That suggests something to me. That suggests that you are the man behind the curtain!
*a changing definition of “home”*
John: It's strange... I miss Moya. A ship full of aliens becomes so normal.
*Jack plays it straight with D. Logan; John, not so much*
Jack: John's experiment will pave the way for deep space exploration sir.
Rygel: Cork it already! *as John flicks business cards at him* Quit it with the cards!
*John has some fun with “Jessica”*
Chiana: You're an astronaut too?
John: Yeah.
Chiana: Oh. I like astronauts.
John: You're an astronaut groupie?
Chiana: Yeah.
John: That so works for me.
*Mama Crichton pushes some buttons*
Leslie: You've changed.
John: People change to survive.
Leslie: But did you have to lose so much? You were so innocent - so full of wonder - it's all gone! You've become callous - you've killed!
John: You can't know that.
Leslie: It's true. Isn't it? That's what bothers you. That's why you can't sleep nights.
John: I sleep fine.
Leslie: Where are you going?
John: Away from something that isn't my mother.
Leslie: Are you going to leave without saying goodbye?
*the “lunch conversation” as John attempts to shoot them*
Zhaan: Is anyone else hungry?
Aeryn: I'm starving.
Zhaan: Shall we send out for some lunch?
Rygel: Oh, anything but Thai food.
DK: Pizza?
Aeryn: No, I'm sick of pizza. How about deli?
Jack: Corned beef on rye for me.
John: SSSSSSTTTTTTOO-
*…but Crais seems to have noticed*
Crais: I like your style hombre. But this is no laughing matter. Assault on a Police Officer! Theft of police property! Illegal possession of a firearm! 5 counts of attempted murder! That comes to - $29.40! Cash, check, or credit card? *hands John ticket, then addresses dog before leaving* Toto.
*and the plot reveals itself*
John: I don't know any Scarrans. What would a Scarran want with me?
Harvey: Well, now that the Scarrans know I'm after you. They want to know why. This is their um - standard method of interrogation. Induced delusions to break down all - mental defenses. The Scarrans aren't trying to fool you John. They're trying to break you. This is a deliberate attempt to drive you into insanity and it's working. Your mind is about to crack. And I cannot allow that. I was here first.
John: No you weren't.
Harvey: True. The Ancients were here first, implanting the wormhole knowledge I seek. But when my Aurora Chair failed to unlock that information, I had to implement a second strategy.
John: *after a flashback to the Aurora chair, realization strikes* You put something in my head!
*the ladies and Rygel want some sexytime with John*
John: What are you doing?
Aeryn: Nothing you won't like
Chiana: Nothing you haven't already - fantasized about.
Zhaan: Admit it. You've had sexual thoughts about all of us - haven't you?
John: Not me.
Chiana: *between John’s legs* Well come on! You're a male!
Zhaan: *joining Chiana* It's just- the way- you- are- wired.
Aeryn: *inserting large metal tube through dilator* Nothing to be ashamed of. Not when females are willing.
Zhaan: Say what's your pleasure boss.
Aeryn: I'm a doctor. Just relax.
Zhaan: I can wear a Freudian slip.
Aeryn: I'll find new places to take your temperature.
Chiana: I can teach you - the left-handed Latvian Rodeo Torture!
Rygel: All of you bitches out! Now! Crichton is mine! *flicking whip* This is for calling me "Sparky." And this is for "FluffyAnd this is for "Buckwheat," -- whatever that means! *John frees hand to angrily knock Rygel out*
*John has some weird parental issues*
Dad: Don't look at me! You're the one who wanted a child! I wanted a terrier!
Leslie: Oh you couldn't give me what I really wanted!
Dad: Oh! So we get this loser! He can't fetch a ball, he can't get my slippers! He can't even land a damn module! *tips John out the window*
Leslie: OH, NO! DON'T YOU HURT MY BABYYYY!
*John narrowly avoids arrest*
Crais: FREEZE! You're under arrest! You have the right to the remains of a silent attorney! If you cannot afford one - TOUGH NOOGIES! You can make ONE phone call! I recommend Trixie - 976-Triple 5-LOVE. Do you understand these rights as I have explained them to you? Well do you, PUNK?
John: No.
Crais: THEN I CAN'T ARREST YOU!
*an unusual proposition from D’argo*
D’argo: *in high pitched voice* I was wondering, if you would mind participating with me in a little Luxan bonding ritual. Here's the thing - okay? What we need are - some chaaaiiins -- uh - my Qualta Blade, just a little thkirt of lutra oil, and -- OH! Chiana!
John: Chiana?
D’argo: Yeah. She wants to watch.
John: Oh no...
D’argo: *in normal voice* Oh yesss!
*John almost falls for PK-Aeryn*
John: Scorpius? Was he , um - he was behind this?
Aeryn: "Was" being the operative word.
John: That's interesting.
Aeryn: Why is it interesting, John?
John: It's just that he - ah -
Aeryn: Tell me.
John: Later. Let's ah - let's get out of here.
Aeryn: No. Tell me now.
John: *realization* No. No you get nothing from me.
Aeryn: Frell you then. Stay. *crazy tongue move*
*final showdown with Harvey, back in the real world*
Harvey: I had to stop your brain function for a few microts - to divert the Scarran. No harm done. I'll go back in your subconscious mind now.
John: Don't get too comfortable. I'm gonna get that chip out of my head.
Harvey: There's no chip in your head John.
John: Yeah there is. You - told me - There's a, um- Mmm-men...
Harvey: You were saying?
John: Mm-Mental chip! Mmm-
Harvey: Ah - you were saying?
John: What am I saying? I'm...
Harvey: As it should be. I won't trouble you again. Until I need to. There's an exit to your left which will no doubt take you back to the surface of this commerce planet. I leave you to your shipmates John. But rest assured - I'll be with you always. Keeping you safe.
___
Speaking of John, although the rest of the cast and guest stars do fantastic work playing various parodies of their characters, Ben Browder truly steals the cake here, in more ways than usual. He’s asked to run the gamut of human emotions, from investigatory and silly to heartbreaking and insane. We get another piece of his backstory, retread over how the Uncharted Territories have changed him, and even some “Wizard of Oz” references, which may hint at the fact that his definition of “home” is in flux. A minor story note in this packed episode but something worth thinking about; thanks, Scaper Chronicles!
Also, the fan site Farscape Fantasy published this little video, which, to me, totally encapsulates the feeling of watching this episode. :P (It also makes me feel very old school, because it was published before YouTube, so we had to download mov or wmv links. :P They had a very extensive music video archive, too; used to go to the original site a lot! /nostalgia)
Episode summary is here, courtesy of the John and Aeryn Fansite.
The Scaper Chronicles found a great metaphor for this episode—peeling the layers of an onion—so there’s really no place you can start except for the beginning, when things are the most normal. The teaser even starts with footage from “Premiere,” when John is encountering the wormhole in his module and Jack and DK are trying to get him to abort. Then we skip to new material—our boy waking up in the hospital and Hank McCord guest starring to explain that he crashed and is back on Earth. Yeah, John ain’t buying it. :P Learning his lesson from “A Human Reaction,” he attacks his so-called father…but the sudden intro of “Aeryn, with better hair,” playing the role of Dr. Bettina Fairchild (major props for mot of the names this episode,) lets us all know that we are in for a different ride this time. Even so, John checks out the paper, and—more hilariously, also bringing in the episode title—kicks in the door to the women’s bathroom, which actually exists in this hallucination. :P For some reason, this was the first scene that really got me laughing during my initial watch. It might’ve been John’s whistling “aha” moment. Continuity ftw.
So things are relatively believable, from an objective viewpoint, for the first several minutes, with Jack and DK filling John in on work-related stuff that sounds believable after a big crash, and Dr. Fairchild checking on his vitals and, worried about his mental health, referring him to Dr. Jean Kaminsky. Then it turns out to be Zhaan and, yeah, new kink in the system. :P I love the ways that the characters make up clever excuses to play these alien encounters as straight-laced—Kaminsky is the stand in for “people of color” (I feel like that phrase wasn’t as popular in the ‘90s, but I remember immediately knowing what it meant,) “Gary Ragel’s” tentacles are “a lifestyle choice,” and the fact that “Mr. D. Logan” is a slug on a sled chalks up to a “disability.” (And gah, I love these names. Rather wish that Chiana, as Jessica, got a surname, but she was also the most restrained of the lot. Ironically enough.) Lots of clever humor. And interesting associations from John’s subconscious—the real Zhaan is the most in tune with John’s mental health, and I’d say is only slightly different from this hands-off psychologist (from the school of thought that the patient ought to guide the conversation without much input from the psychologist which, frankly, seems like the perfect way for Scarran interrogation to break the subject and get him to reveal things.) Like D’argo, Gary Ragel plays the part of John’s best friend, but in a cocky astronaut way rather than a stoic (which Anthony Simcoe must’ve loved. Easily one of the biggest purveyors of hilarity.) Program administrator Douglas Logan is a hardass, anecdotally antagonistic in the way that Rygel can be, and John, pushing boundaries, reacts in a similarly patronizing, if more over the top, way. (Flipping business cards at him gets me every single time. :PP) Acting crazy and slipping into Crichtonisms is his way to try and stay in control, in this episode and in others.
When we get to the bar, things shift again. Dr. Fairchild is no longer playing Aeryn’s “protector” role to John, but instead is ignoring him to go neck with Gary Ragel. :P It’s unclear whether the Scarran actively decided to push the Aeryn character out of a more usual role, or if it was John’s subconscious, responding to stimuli telling it to turn on the freaky a little bit, but same result either way. The whole plot of this episode, which we will find out later, is about slowly breaking John’s mind. At the moment he’s going through a list of enemies, trying to narrow down who did this to him—more continuity ftw. He centers on Scorpius, who appears twice in this hallucination, first as someone who talks straight to him (yeah, this is all a hallucination and you need to get out) and then as a jive drummer playing in the cantina band with Pilot. :)) I love this episode. And it’s such a great introduction to “Harvey,” who will have a pivotal role for many episodes to come, but I should zip my lips. :P Instead, I’ll focus on my irritation that Harvey interrupted a sexy John/Chiana (as Jessica, the “astronaut groupie”) moment. Dammit, there’s so few chances for J/C shippers like me to get our rocks off. :P
So John, once again testing boundaries and inadvertently being funny, gathers Fairchild, Jessica and Gary into the car (with Harvey as the unwelcome bug on the windshield :P) and crashes into a truck to see where things go next. And we shift, with increasing rapidity, into deeper layers of the onion. First, they survive the crash—lucky break—which Fairchild tells John with huge curlers in her hair. (A spur of the moment decision, but boy does it work.) But we can’t stay silly forever, and the introduction of John’s mother…wow. I love it on so many levels. It was a great move to unnerve him, as he was growing far too comfortable with the earlier scenarios. It also did great things for Ben’s range of performance. But mostly, I love the depth for the character. We learn that there were some complications and some guilt around her death—I wish the show had explored that more, on the whole. But more to the point, John’s mother, in the beginning, speaks to his guilt about losing his innocence since joining the Moya crew. Yes, in the moment it’s about breaking him, but on a larger level I think it encapsulates his guilt about losing “his innocence” and engaging in some dark things, like murder. I’m glad the show doesn’t let him off the hook. Anywho. After John broke my heart in the “cancer scene” in the bar, I rather like that Captain Crais and the others took over the comedy, leading up to the big Harvey reveal. And again, thanks to the Scaper Chronicles for pointing out that on a deeper level, maybe being in a room with his friends where there were no pictures of him riding rockets or winning a platinum record (trololol,) was meant to trigger his feelings of inadequacy; he had nothing to show for himself. Hell, the crowd even ignored him while he was trying to shoot them, instead arguing over what to order for lunch. :P And to cap it all off, Crais, carrying Toto, figures that five counts of attempted murder, amongst other things, only amounts to $29.40. :P I dunno, seems pathetic to me.
I’m gonna skip past all the big plot reveal stuff for a moment to center on the final quarter, when John and the audience are now aware of who’s pulling the strings. This is obviously the most ridiculous and off-the-rails part of the episode as John jumps quickly from one crazy scenario to another, barely holding onto his sanity. First, we have Aeryn, Zhaan and Chiana doing some sexy role play, until Rygel steps up with a freaky BDSM outfit. :P In the “Mama Ward,” DK plays out a macabre horror scene after he slits his wrists after having a post-firing breakdown. John’s stuffed into an oversized carriage while his parents argue over his existence; Jack tips him out the window, preferring to get a terrier. :P Crais, wearing red pumps, screams out the weirdest set of Miranda rights ever, but leaves John on the street when he says he doesn’t understand them. D’argo, in a high-pitched feminine tone of voice, propositions John sexually while “parked,” with more BDSM suggestions and the caveat of Chiana as a voyeur. Zhaan and his sexily-clad mother join him in the psychologist’s office to discuss the Oedipus complex…oh dear. And finally, just when John (and I, at least,) don’t think we can be any more cognitively dislocated, a PK-clad Aeryn shoots the disco ball amidst a night of boogey-ing, but it turns out it’s just another onion layer, since she’s more interested in what our human has to say about Scorpy than getting him out of harm’s way. Oh well. Anything to give Claudia Black a chance to do that thing with her tongue. :P I really love this section. It’s hilarious and bewildering, and it pushes the envelope in scifi entertainment. Some fans thought (particularly the Oedipal scene, I’m sure,) it went too far, but I disagree. I think the human subconscious is a murky place, particularly when it comes to our sexuality. And I don’t think there’s any better way to believe, as the audience, that John’s about to lose it. His insecurities, his emotions, his whole sense of reality is on the frying pan.
And now, we get to the crux of the plot. First of all, the Scarrans are a relatively new enemy. We only first heard about them a few episodes back in the Princess Trilogy (Cargn obviously got the word out about the Scorpy/John thing before his demise. At least this new Scarran comes with better makeup. :P) A nice, subtle tie-in from the entirety of the episode is that John’s been sweating thanks to the already established Scarran heat probe. Harvey’s been manifesting himself whenever the Scarran’s not around, cos…dun dun DUUUUN…we get the reveal about the chip in John’s head! This is the reason that he’s been getting flashes of Scorpy, on and off, since the start of season two, and this is why he couldn’t kill the real Scorpy on the Royal Planet. It’s just so wonderful and elegant and I’m still so in love with it, all these years later. Such a great way to build up the John/Scorpy relationship (not to mention, a shrewd way, on the Peacekeeper’s part, to extract the wormhole information.) John gives this clone the iconic name of Harvey, after the mischievous, invisible friend from the Jimmy Stewart movie. I like, too, that even though John defeated the immediate enemy in this episode, he’s aware, however briefly, that another exists. Expect many iterations of this plot, and this central relationship, yes, yes. It will continue to be a wild ride. :P
Favorite Crichtonism: Come out, come out, wherever you are! And see the young man who fell from the star!
Favorite Quotes:
*John tries to suss things out with “Dr. Fairchild”*
John: I crashed? I don't - remember crashing. But, I-I did have this -this terrible nightmare. I was on a ship full of aliens.
Aeryn: Is that why you went after your father and bruised 2 of his ribs?
John: Yeah. He- he looked like he was human - but he had alien goo on the inside. It was - pretty freaky, huh?
Aeryn: But now you know better.
*ladies bathroom scene*
John: Won't get fooled again. *pushes bathroom door open dramatically*
Woman: Hey! You mind?
John: Sorry - I ah - thought it was co-ed.
Woman: Co-ed? What planet are you from?
John: *walking away, talking to himself* Not this one.
*callback to a certain missing person from “A Human Reaction*
DK: Papa Bear!
John: Whoa! Ho! DK! Hey-ey-ey! You made it this time!
*”Dr. Kaminsky” explains away her alien status*
Zhaan: I'm Dr Kaminsky.
John: U-huh. And ah - you are a psychiatrist? I don't think so. On Earth - psychiatrists don't come in blue.
Zhaan: Do you have a problem with people of color?
John: I have a contextual problem. You're an alien.
Zhaan: Yes, that's true. But I do have a green card.
*introduction to “Gary Ragel”*
D’argo: Oooohhhh ladies.... *flirting with some extras*
John: You know that guy?
DK: Gary Ragel. Newest hotshot to come out of IASA Astronaut Training. Watch your back, he's got ambition.
John: Gary Ragel - has tentacles.
DK: Yeah.
D’argo: Oh my God! Oh my God! It's a straight boy!
John: What? He looks normal to you?
DK: It's a lifestyle choice. Anyway, his looks are the least of his problems. He's a jerk.
*Dr. Fairchild changes roles*
Aeryn: Hey! Buy a girl a drink?
John: Oh my GOD! The off duty DOCTOR! Join us! OH- Gary Ragel! Meet Doctor - Bettina - Fairchild!
D’argo: Ohhh...
Aeryn: Hi.
D’argo: Hi. *Fairchild crawls into his lap and they start necking*
John: Excuse me. You two know each other?
Aeryn: No.
D’argo: Never met.
*second-favorite Crichtonism, still from Wizard of Oz*
John: Scorpy - you don't fit the pattern. You got not Halloween costume, got no assumed name - you're not playing a role. That suggests something to me. That suggests that you are the man behind the curtain!
*a changing definition of “home”*
John: It's strange... I miss Moya. A ship full of aliens becomes so normal.
*Jack plays it straight with D. Logan; John, not so much*
Jack: John's experiment will pave the way for deep space exploration sir.
Rygel: Cork it already! *as John flicks business cards at him* Quit it with the cards!
*John has some fun with “Jessica”*
Chiana: You're an astronaut too?
John: Yeah.
Chiana: Oh. I like astronauts.
John: You're an astronaut groupie?
Chiana: Yeah.
John: That so works for me.
*Mama Crichton pushes some buttons*
Leslie: You've changed.
John: People change to survive.
Leslie: But did you have to lose so much? You were so innocent - so full of wonder - it's all gone! You've become callous - you've killed!
John: You can't know that.
Leslie: It's true. Isn't it? That's what bothers you. That's why you can't sleep nights.
John: I sleep fine.
Leslie: Where are you going?
John: Away from something that isn't my mother.
Leslie: Are you going to leave without saying goodbye?
*the “lunch conversation” as John attempts to shoot them*
Zhaan: Is anyone else hungry?
Aeryn: I'm starving.
Zhaan: Shall we send out for some lunch?
Rygel: Oh, anything but Thai food.
DK: Pizza?
Aeryn: No, I'm sick of pizza. How about deli?
Jack: Corned beef on rye for me.
John: SSSSSSTTTTTTOO-
*…but Crais seems to have noticed*
Crais: I like your style hombre. But this is no laughing matter. Assault on a Police Officer! Theft of police property! Illegal possession of a firearm! 5 counts of attempted murder! That comes to - $29.40! Cash, check, or credit card? *hands John ticket, then addresses dog before leaving* Toto.
*and the plot reveals itself*
John: I don't know any Scarrans. What would a Scarran want with me?
Harvey: Well, now that the Scarrans know I'm after you. They want to know why. This is their um - standard method of interrogation. Induced delusions to break down all - mental defenses. The Scarrans aren't trying to fool you John. They're trying to break you. This is a deliberate attempt to drive you into insanity and it's working. Your mind is about to crack. And I cannot allow that. I was here first.
John: No you weren't.
Harvey: True. The Ancients were here first, implanting the wormhole knowledge I seek. But when my Aurora Chair failed to unlock that information, I had to implement a second strategy.
John: *after a flashback to the Aurora chair, realization strikes* You put something in my head!
*the ladies and Rygel want some sexytime with John*
John: What are you doing?
Aeryn: Nothing you won't like
Chiana: Nothing you haven't already - fantasized about.
Zhaan: Admit it. You've had sexual thoughts about all of us - haven't you?
John: Not me.
Chiana: *between John’s legs* Well come on! You're a male!
Zhaan: *joining Chiana* It's just- the way- you- are- wired.
Aeryn: *inserting large metal tube through dilator* Nothing to be ashamed of. Not when females are willing.
Zhaan: Say what's your pleasure boss.
Aeryn: I'm a doctor. Just relax.
Zhaan: I can wear a Freudian slip.
Aeryn: I'll find new places to take your temperature.
Chiana: I can teach you - the left-handed Latvian Rodeo Torture!
Rygel: All of you bitches out! Now! Crichton is mine! *flicking whip* This is for calling me "Sparky." And this is for "FluffyAnd this is for "Buckwheat," -- whatever that means! *John frees hand to angrily knock Rygel out*
*John has some weird parental issues*
Dad: Don't look at me! You're the one who wanted a child! I wanted a terrier!
Leslie: Oh you couldn't give me what I really wanted!
Dad: Oh! So we get this loser! He can't fetch a ball, he can't get my slippers! He can't even land a damn module! *tips John out the window*
Leslie: OH, NO! DON'T YOU HURT MY BABYYYY!
*John narrowly avoids arrest*
Crais: FREEZE! You're under arrest! You have the right to the remains of a silent attorney! If you cannot afford one - TOUGH NOOGIES! You can make ONE phone call! I recommend Trixie - 976-Triple 5-LOVE. Do you understand these rights as I have explained them to you? Well do you, PUNK?
John: No.
Crais: THEN I CAN'T ARREST YOU!
*an unusual proposition from D’argo*
D’argo: *in high pitched voice* I was wondering, if you would mind participating with me in a little Luxan bonding ritual. Here's the thing - okay? What we need are - some chaaaiiins -- uh - my Qualta Blade, just a little thkirt of lutra oil, and -- OH! Chiana!
John: Chiana?
D’argo: Yeah. She wants to watch.
John: Oh no...
D’argo: *in normal voice* Oh yesss!
*John almost falls for PK-Aeryn*
John: Scorpius? Was he , um - he was behind this?
Aeryn: "Was" being the operative word.
John: That's interesting.
Aeryn: Why is it interesting, John?
John: It's just that he - ah -
Aeryn: Tell me.
John: Later. Let's ah - let's get out of here.
Aeryn: No. Tell me now.
John: *realization* No. No you get nothing from me.
Aeryn: Frell you then. Stay. *crazy tongue move*
*final showdown with Harvey, back in the real world*
Harvey: I had to stop your brain function for a few microts - to divert the Scarran. No harm done. I'll go back in your subconscious mind now.
John: Don't get too comfortable. I'm gonna get that chip out of my head.
Harvey: There's no chip in your head John.
John: Yeah there is. You - told me - There's a, um- Mmm-men...
Harvey: You were saying?
John: Mm-Mental chip! Mmm-
Harvey: Ah - you were saying?
John: What am I saying? I'm...
Harvey: As it should be. I won't trouble you again. Until I need to. There's an exit to your left which will no doubt take you back to the surface of this commerce planet. I leave you to your shipmates John. But rest assured - I'll be with you always. Keeping you safe.
___
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