Farscape Episode 2.17: “The Ugly Truth”

[chavalah.livejournal.com]

We’re nearing the end of season two, which means, hopefully without incurring much by the way of spoilers, I can divulge that episodes are about to get a lot more action-packed and exciting. These are the types of episodes that really draw in the fans, tying together major storylines, introducing expansive elements, basically keeping us at the edge of our seats. It’s all plot-based, reward-driven fun, but what I’m trying to say here is that in the wake of all that, episodes like this tend to get overlooked. I know that I probably did, on first viewing.

Although not fully episodic, this one could be relatively standalone and it seems to exist as filler leading up to the major ones. But what those major ones are for plot, this one is for character. It’s been awhile since we’ve checked up on our Moya crew, and tonight’s episode serves as a way to get into their heads, see how they perceive each other, and where they personally stand at the end of all that.

Plotwise, “The Ugly Truth” chronicles Talyn firing on a dangerous vessel, and members of the Moya crew being captured and forced to explain their versions of what happened. Topically, it may appear to be a rewrite of “Out of Their Minds,” but instead it’s an extension of that, from Talyn’s story arc, and an introspective study into how everyone perceives events differently. Apparently this holds as true for Delvians, Luxans, Sebaceans and Bannik slaves as much as it does for humans. :P Definitely a more compelling world that way, I must say!

Episode summary is here, courtesy of the John and Aeryn Fansite.


Well, after all of that, why not just start with the B storyline? :P While the others are off giving their inconsistent accounts to the aliens called Placavians, Moya, with Chiana and Rygel aboard, abandons them to try and find Talyn. Moya knows the full truth, that John, Aeryn, D’argo, Stark and Zhaan do not know—Talyn fired on this Placavian ship when Moya explained they were carrying dangerous weapons. He did so to protect his mother. Crais had invited these aliens to exchange Talyn’s canon for a dampening net; he’s worried about our boy’s growing violence. :P (And sheesh, I love this about this show…a ship being a violent youngster and protecting his mother.) Anywho. Rygel’s content just to eat, but Chiana…who, for some reason, was excluded from going aboard Talyn with the rest of the crew to liaise with Crais, is the one who talks Pilot (but more importantly Moya) into going back for them. It’s an interesting turn that apparently she’s not enough a member to go with John et al (this could also be explained away by the assumption that perhaps D’argo wanted her to stay out of harm’s way,) but she proves herself on Moya. Rygel, though he’s been around longer, is more firmly rooted in the standoffishly selfish role (not that Chi doesn’t have her moments.) I’m just glad that they’re building up her character.

Speaking of the Moya mains, they awake on this floating hubcap (to steal from John) which serves as a jail cell as the Placavians take them away one by one for interrogation. Aeryn goes first, sitting in a weird, uncomfortable chair elevated over a few inches of water. A lot of her interpretation of events can only be analyzed in hindsight, when compared to the others’. Her defense is that what happened to the other ship was an unexplainable accident, and she basically keeps her story short and to the point to confirm that. Her past self, in her version of events, is also to the point—after Crais explains why he’s invited the Placovians, she’s all for the transfer so long as the Moya crew can supervise (and she suggests a personal link to Talyn to try and get him to cooperate. Godmother Aeryn has faith in their bond. :P) John is immediately distrustful—and mispronounces Placavians as Placavoids; a nuance only she and John himself remember (interesting. Is it because she sees him as naïve or because she pays more attention to him? :P) D’argo is rather aggressively distrustful, Zhaan is wishy-washy on who to believe (she does point out the Helosians as a sign that Crais is trying to not let a massacre like that happen again, to which a very calm and controlled Crais agrees.) Stark is also surprisingly calm, informative while explaining who they are (builders of dangerous weapons,) but a little quick to suggest raising the defense screen (Aeryn stops him from touching the offending console.) So the canon fired, but it couldn’t be one of the crew, OR Talyn, since Crais had engaged manual override previously. The big takeaway is how Aeryn views her crewmates and Stark, which I think is truthful in and of itself.

Zhaan goes next, though she’s unable to overhear much of Aeryn’s whispered conversation with John about what she’s surmised of their captors and their interrogations. In her version she’s far more self-confident, even taking on the role of explaining the Placavians (whom she says value truth and justice—seems like an ass-kissing attempt, though, given where she is now.) John is the wishy-washy one in her story, still naïve about the world around him, while Zhaan takes more of an active role in negotiations. She spins the Halosian story to say that Crais showed restraint (trying to make John see that he’s changed.) Stark, her new (ahem) friend basically backs her calm optimism about the situation. D’argo, again, is the distrustful one, though his anger isn’t as acute as it is with Aeryn (Zhaan also explains it away to the Placavians, citing his biological hyper rage but also his Jothee feels.) Aeryn is largely uninvolved, except to suggest linking to Talyn to “teach him how to behave.” As the Plokavians arrive, Stark and Zhaan step aside to admire the aesthetics of the ship (nose getting a little brown there, Zhaan? :P) and ergo it’s John, not Stark, who moves towards the console, wanting to disarm it. Given that almost everyone else fingers Stark, it seems Zhaan is doing her best to protect her friend. In fact, she later admits that she knows it was Stark who first attempted to touch the console. But her intentions with the Plokavians are perhaps the most manipulative, in how she’s trying to make everyone look innocent (and highlighting the Plokavian positive attributes). We can see from her recollections that she views herself as a bit of a magnanimous peacemaker.

Stark is the one to frell over the story that the ladies set up, letting bigger biases cloud his judgment. He very much doesn’t trust Crais, who, although didn’t directly imprison him, was definitely part of the system that did. He even visited Scorpius as a Peacekeeper at the time. Anywho. In his version, Crais is angry and power-mad, and the others definitely don’t trust him. Aeryn’s desire to speak directly with Talyn is an attempt to replace Crais as captain. Zhaan brings up the Halosians to highlight that Talyn attacked, and Crais responds by pffting “well, I saved their lives.” :P And in a complete break from the other stories, Crais deliberately, unexplainably and manically fires on the Plakovian ship. Stark can at least justify the choice of the ladies to not mention this by saying that they want to protect Talyn. But seeeeesh. Talk about a scapegoat. Later, however, when it’s clear that his (and D’argo’s) conflicting testimony put everyone in danger, he’s the one to make the ultimate sacrifice. Sure, there’s a possibility that he might survive the dispersal, but there’s little reason to hope for much; he’s a guest star, after all. (Though sheesh, Paul Goddard is gold. :P And Zhaan is sad. :/ That scene of her cradling his mask at the end…*wibble*)

I’m going to skip over D’argo, for the time being, and go straight to John. One thing this episode introduced to me from the very beginning was, if everyone sees things a little bit differently, whose version are we seeing from week to week? It’s probably an easily answerable question—John is our boy, our eyes into this alien world. OK, moving on. :P His version emphasizes the most teamwork, that is, the crew of Moya (and Stark) as white hats against Crais. He doesn’t put the blame on the other guy, but he does portray him as a bit sneaky and manipulative. Stark is immediately against dealing with the “Plakavoids”—(lol moment; everyone mispronounces “Plokavians” in John’s account :P), citing both their weaponry and enslavement tactics, but he’s not crazy/paranoid. Zhaan is apprehensive, but again she brings up the Halosians to point out that Crais is trying to avoid the worst. D’argo is distrustful and even threatening, but not in a raging way. Aeryn is actually largely quiet—perhaps reflective—except to suggest becoming Talyn’s new captain. As for John himself, he’s still distrustful, but it makes more rational sense in his scenario with Crais’s attitude. But he also justifies discrepancies in the others’ stories—we hear conflicting parts of their testimony flash across his face (cool effect. The closeup of the Plokavians, though…*shudder* :P) The stories aren’t hugely different; the “who touched the weapons console” bit is largely about seeing someone else move from afar, and Stark…well, John admits that he has personal feelings against Peacekeepers. But what the others didn’t see, John divulges, distracted when they were when the Plokavians first hailed them, is that he shut down the weapons console so that Stark couldn’t fire the canon, and which ergo gave control back to Talyn. Complicated exchange there! (Then, in the postscript, John was briefly worried about Aeryn’s feelings for Crais, but obviously the one she actually cares about is Talyn. Weirdest love triangle ever? :P Anywho.)

D’argo had been pretty aggressively distrustful of Stark since, well, the end of last episode, which I think is about more than just “shooting the messenger” who told him such dire news about his son. This is also about D’argo’s flaws as a character, flaws that he thinks over, guiltily, with Chiana after Stark’s sacrifice. He’s distrustful of newcomers, of people not already in his circle. If this episode had happened a season and a half ago, it likely would’ve been John whom he abused then threw under the bus. (The way he approaches his relationships with the women is a bit different, methinks, because this is an “alpha male” impulse.) But anywho. In his version, amusedly, he sees himself, though distrustful of Crais, as calm and rational, not flying off the handle. That falls to Stark, who is basically the terrified child who ultimately pushes something on the weapons console. This is actually true to life, but he missed the part where John disabled it. John didn’t do much independent thinking in his head; he was mostly just D’s wingman. :P How things change. Zhaan is the peacemaker, who again points out the Halosian incident as a reason to trust Crais’s motives now. But she’s not as unshakably defensive of the guy as Aeryn (former-PK; D must still have some issues,) whose suggestion to link with Talyn comes off more as helping Crais. But Crais, for all of D’argo’s distrust, seems relatively calm until Stark (foolishly, against D’argo’s advice, where he’s standing with Zhaan and discussing dangerous weaponry on the Plokavian ship scan,) fires the canon. But then our warriors, including Aeryn, are gleeful, and Crais angrily wakes up Talyn to threaten them off the ship; it’s not a fun final encounter in anyone’s story, but the drama is pretty amped up with D’argo. Violence, too; the ScapeCast pointed out that his Plokavian story included a body flying out of the exploding ship. :O Wow. Back in interrogation, he explains that he doesn’t want the full crew to be held responsible for something Stark alone did. But later, after Stark’s sacrifice, he rethinks his overall perceptions of the guy. Why would he come to Moya to tell D’argo about Jothee? The Luxan’s become so distrustful of people, even when they’re trying to help him. In a way, this final exchange with Chiana makes D’argo the star of the story. He’s the one who actually learns, and questions, his own reality in the face of what happened in the episode. It’s a nice moment for him, in realizing that maybe other folks, and his reaction to them, could benefit from some personal evolution.

Favorite Crichtonism: *after spitting from the floating hubcap* That's a long way down. Either that or they got deep shag carpet.

Favorite Quotes:

*hello, innuendo :P*
Rygel: Pilot - has Talyn grown bigger since last we saw him?

Chiana: His, uh - cannon - sure looks bigger.

*first impressions of the jail cell*
D’argo: *attacking Stark* YOU! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!

John: Stop it!

D’argo: But he-!

John: Quiet! Cut it out!

D’argo: Where the hezmana are we?

John: Some kind of floating hubcap.

D’argo: Hoobcap? Where's Aeryn?

John: Good question.

D’argo: Bad answer.

*the false information that compromised everyone else*
Aeryn: I have told you. No one is responsible.

Gahv: Someone is! You destroyed a Plokavian vessel!

Fento: You say Talyn is a living ship. Is Talyn responsible?

Aeryn: There is no way that Talyn could have fired that cannon on his own. His manual overrides were engaged.

*Aeryn’s version—John’s mispronunciations and being out of his depth, D’argo as angrily untrusting, Zhaan as wishy-washy, Stark doesn’t really count, and Aeryn (and Crais) as in control*
John: I see a potential difficulty here. What if Talyn doesn't want us frelling with his weaponry?

Aeryn: He will if I say it's okay.

Crais: I need your help - and Moya’s - to convince Talyn to accept the modifications.

D’argo: I will not be a party to this!

John: Yeah, I have a problem. I mean, c'mere - what do we know about these Plakavoids?

Aeryn: It's 'Plokavians', John. And how much do we really need to know? It's a simple transaction.

Crais: One that benefits Talyn.

Zhaan: Weeelll - I'm not sure I agree. I'm going to have to think about this and perhaps even meditate on the subject.

D’argo: Enough thinking! If we really want to help Talyn, then we should KILL Crais!

John: I am up with that!

Aeryn: No! That doesn't help anything.

*Aeryn physically stops Stark from touching the weapons console*
Aeryn: They are armed - very well armed.

Stark: Perhaps we'd better raise the defense screen, just in case.

Aeryn: No! That may be interpreted as a sign of bad faith.

*post-shooting, Aeryn wants to stay and explain everything*
John: YOU FRELLED US!

Stark: What's happening?

Aeryn: He's taking over Talyn again!

Crais: LEAVE MY SHIP NOW!

Aeryn: We have to stay and explain this!

John: No Aeryn! We have go! Now! Come on!

Aeryn: I can't let you do this!

Crais: GO!

*in the present, obligatory “Farscape” bathroom humor*
John: Sooner or later, one of us is going to have to find a bathroom.

D’argo: I really wish you hadn't said that.

*Zhaan takes care of the Plokavian explanation in her take on events—making sure to spin a good story*
Stark: Plokavians?

Zhaan: Oh, I've heard of them. Quite far advanced technologically. Strong believers in truth and justice.

*D’argo is cynical, John is wishy-washy, Aeryn is irrelevant, Stark takes Zhaan’s side*
D’argo: What if he's lying? What if this is just a trick to get even worse weapons aboard Talyn?

John: Oh yeah - th-that's a good point. D'Argo makes a good point.

Aeryn: D'Argo is thinking with his mivonks again.

Stark: A Plokavian dampening net is just what Talyn needs.

D’argo: If this is a trick Crais, I'll break your neck!

*Zhaan’s intentions in bringing up the Halosians, in her own recollections*
Crais: John - I have not misused Talyn’s power. I've only fired his cannons in self-defense.

Zhaan: Yes, he may be speaking the truth. Consider his encounter with the Halosians. He could've destroyed them, but he didn't.

Crais: Correct. They attacked us, but I showed restraint.

*protecting Stark, still sucking up about the Plokavians (Zhaan’s edits on the truth :P)*
Stark: Beautiful ship, isn't it?

Zhaan: Mm. Quite aesthetically pleasing.

Aeryn: Weapons console malfunction. *stops John from touching anything* Nonono! Stay away!

John: We have to disarm it!

Aeryn: You might set it off.

*Zhaan is the voice of reason here as Crais wants to flee post-shooting*
Zhaan: If the authorities arrive, you and Talyn should be here to explain what happened.

Crais: I can't take that chance! Leave now! Or I'll force you!

Zhaan: He has another transponder!

Crais: NOW GO!

*In the present, southern-boy humans have way too many words for one place :P*
John: This is the weirdest hoosegow I've ever been in. Slammer. Clink. Jail. Prison-

Aeryn: Just how many of them have you been in?

John: Just what are you implying?

*in Stark’s version of events, Crais is the flailing bad guy and everyone is against him*
John: You expect us to help you?

Crais: You must help me. Talyn is refusing to permit any modifications.

Aeryn: Good for Talyn!

Zhaan: Evidently, your control over him isn't as absolute as you thought.

D’argo: John - give me the word and I'll break his neck.

Crais: You don't dare. Talyn would be lost without my guidance. He needs a Captain, and he chose me!

*sudden huge shift in the story…*
Plokavian ship: Crais, your ship is still active.

Crais: Never mind! Our deal is canceled.

Plokavian ship: I cannot permit that. The contract stands. *Crais fires the weapon*

*D’argo’s version—he’s distrustful but calm, John is the wingman, Stark the panicked child, Zhaan the peacemaker and Aeryn too defensive of Crais*
Aeryn: Crais only wants a dampening net.

D’argo: Dren. I think he wants to equip Talyn with even deadlier weapons.

John: You know what I think? I think you are right!

Crais: Not at all. You can supervise the installation yourself.

Stark: No! We must leave now!

Crais: You can't leave. I need your help and Moya’s to sedate Talyn for the modifications.

D’argo: We will not be a party to this.

Stark: We must stop the Plokavians! They're evil! Their weapons have helped enslave many worlds! including - mine.

Crais: But this weapon - will help Talyn.

D’argo: I think I know how to help Talyn. Why don't we - break Crais' neck?

John: I am down with that!

Zhaan: Violence will not solve the problem.

*Zhaan and D’argo are the ones to the side, discussing Plokavian weaponry, Stark makes a panicked decision, and then everything gets way dramatic*
Zhaan: Look at the cargo analysis.

D’argo: Novatron gas. Eats you alive from the inside out.

Stark: We can't let Crais get near these monsters! We have to strike first! *hits the canon—massive explosion*

D’argo: STARK!

Crais: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?

D’argo: Give it up Crais!

John: Stark frelled you Crais!

Aeryn: *brandishing the transponder Crais relinquished* Yeah you're not getting this back either!

D’argo: *as Crais plugs in another one* He's got another transponder!

Stark: OH! What's happened?

Zhaan: He's back in control of Talyn!

Crais: Did you think I'd give her my only transponder? Now - GET - OFF - MY - SHIP!

*Chiana gets some personal time with Pilot—and Moya*
Chiana: Hey - I'm sorry I yelled at you. It's just it's-it's been over 3 arns. Just between you and me, wh-what are our chances of finding Talyn?

Pilot: Miniscule.

Chiana: So - what are we doing?

Pilot: Moya feels guilty.

Chiana: Why? Because-because Talyn blew up some weapons dealer? Well, if you ask me, they had it coming.

Pilot: Talyn's her son Chiana. She feels responsible for what he does.

Chiana: Yeah, but doesn't she also feel responsible for D'Argo, Crichton? Zhaan? Aeryn? Don't you? You're the Pilot, aren't you?

Pilot: I will not force her to abandon the search. But - I - will ask her.

Chiana: But what if they manage to escape in the transport pod and - and we're not there to get them?

Pilot: Moya understands your concern. And she agrees with it.

*John rationalizes discrepancies*
D’argo: *projected testimony* Stark was at the weapons console. He was frantic. Before I could stop him, he fired the cannon.

John: D'Argo said that?

Fento: Was he lying?

John: He - was confused Stark's never even been aboard Talyn. He probably wouldn't know how to find the weapons consoles. *Aeryn’s testimony projected*

Aeryn: Stark offered to raise Talyn’s defense screen. He started towards the weapon console, but I stopped him before he could touch anything.

John: Well that makes sense. D'Argo sees Stark near the weapons console, so after the big bang, he assumes it's Stark because Stark was the closest. *Zhaan’s testimony projected*

Zhaan: No one ever approached the weapons console. When it malfunctioned, Crichton started toward it, but Aeryn told him not to touch it.

Fento: Then you were closest.

John: Look, you guys gotta understand something. Everybody's stories are going to be a little different. Nobody sees things the exact same way.

*John’s version—the team rationally works together against the scheming Crais—they’re the good guys, and they all mispronounce ‘Plokavian’*
Stark: We can't have anything to do with this. The Plakavoids are an evil race. Their weapons have helped enslave many worlds, including my own.

Crais: This weapon will help Talyn.

D’argo: I know a way we can help Talyn. Why don't we just break your neck?

Crais: That would exacerbate the problem. Talyn would be even more destructive without my guidance.

Zhaan: You mean your control.

Crais: I only control him to a point. And I can't seem to convince him that the use of his weapons should only be as a last resort.

Aeryn: Perhaps another captain would have more success.

Crais: Doubtful. He trusts me.

John: Then he's the only one around here who does.

*John brings up a different angle on the negotiations*
John: Crais, assuming we want to neuter Talyn are these really the people we want to be in business with?

*John’s unseen actions at the weapons console*
John: Stark! What are you doing?

Stark: We have to strike first. *John pulls him away briefly to disarm manual override, before Stark tries to fire the canon. It fires anyway* What have you done?

*Stark’s goodbye to the crew before dispersal*
Stark: I thank you all for the great risks you took to save a mere Banik slave. Your acceptance... Your friendship... has meant a lot to me. *gives immobile Zhaan his mask*

*D’argo’s life lesson, and Chiana gives her own perception of Stark’s behavior*
Chiana: *coming across D’argo looking at Stark’s picture of Jothee* You'll find him.

D’argo: I know I will. But only because Stark came back to tell me where he was. Why did he do that?

Chiana: Well, he... he felt he owed you and Crichton a debt. Maybe this was his way of repaying it.

D’argo: I've become so distrustful of people, even when they're trying to help me. What does that say about what I've become?

___