Farscape Episode 3.01: “Season of Death”
Jan. 30th, 2015 11:19 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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scifi_rewatchIt's been a long time, and there's a lot that's new! It's a new year, at least secularly, for this reviewer and I'm coming at you from my new condo. :p. It's also a new season in "Farscape," complete with a new intro to better encapsulate John's changing experience in the Uncharted Territories. There are plenty of old faces, but new additions, to the main cast billing. I find this to be a robust but streamlined year for the series, and many folks, at least the veterans on the ScapeCast, call season three their favorite.
That being said, this episode in particular didn't thrill them. :p. There's a lot of what they called "hand waving" that the show runners employed so as to back away from the corner they painted themselves into at the end of season two. There are some character beats that I think the ScapeCasters are a little too finicky about, but I definitely agree about certain elements of the plot. Not the strongest episode of the season, although I found it moving in some ways, and we have to start somewhere.
Episode summary is here, courtesy of the John and Aeryn Fansite.
So here's a basic rundown of the plot, disregarding Chiana and Jothee for now, because they are small and self-contained. In the beginning we play some catch up--the Moya crew is anxious for John updates, but grieving Pilot doesn't know anything so he snaps at them. Grunchlik is disclosing, through his altercation with Braca, that he called Scorpius and backstabbed the main cast, as soon as he figured out the John connection. (Scorp also eats that bit of John's brain...Bluergh! "Farscape" is back. :p). John himself is still yelling intelligibly on the operation table (and the diagnosan is dying on the floor,) but they are finally intercepted by Rygel, who has come down to confront Grunchlik since his escape plan didn't pan out. (In the interim we see Harvey again, realize that he's still in John's brain but he wants out, which means John has to die). D'Argo, Zhaan and Stark come down to help, leaving Scorpius to take over Grunchlik's mind with a doohickey. His carrier is still a ways away and Scorp is worried that on their own they'd be overtaken by Talyn. His puppet attempts to get the crew, and especially Crais, away from the ice planet don't work as they find out about the clone remnant and argue over whether to use a donor for his operation despite John's wishes (but a freaked out Stark, who hears their voices, finally kills one and settles that. Also John has to mentally defeat Harvey, but anyway. This also leads to Zhaan and an unwitting Stark being able to bring Aeryn back from the almost-dead). Plot twist in that earlier, Grunchlik unfroze a Scarran for leverage against Scorpius; Scorp sends him after our boys and uses his cocky pilot as a diversion to get Crais and Talyn away. The reunited crew ultimately dispatches the Scarran and leaves, as do Scorp and Braca a little later, to start more long-term plot for down the road. :p. Shew, that was long.
Now I'll go through and highlight what I, or occasionally just the ScapeCast, take to be hand waving by the show. The diagnosan, Tokat, not being dead certainly applies. They laid it out plain as day last season that if you breathe on him outside of the operating area, he's dead. Not only did he survive Scorp, but Rygel actually resuscitated him by giving him mouth to mouth! Obviously the show runners were on thin ice with who could operate on John. Too bad Tokat wasn't part of a practice. :p. Anywho. I'll also go ahead and agree that letting Scorpius control Grunchlik's mind was a copout for the plot. Why wouldn't he have used such a device on John last season, make things go easier? I'm not buying that Grunchlik's race is particularly simple; maybe he's not as sophisticated as Scorp, but our diagnosan's helper has a few tricks up his sleeve. I remember, on first viewing, being freaked out by the hand waving scene (and of course the finger eating scene, ick,) but now I wish they'd handled Scorpy's Moya crew conundrum without that bit of convenient puppeteering. Moving on. Character wise I don't find Stark getting agitated by "the voices" and killing a donor to be too out there for his character, but the whole thing felt kinda fake because the show wasn't really dealing with the moral implications; again, they just needed to fix John.(And D’argo’s warning: “do not make me tongue you” made up for some of it.) :p. Zhaan being so quick to kill our human is a little iffier for me. On the one hand, yes he's suffering, but to go to such extremes so quickly, without assessing other options? I don't dislike her as much as some of the ScapeCast folks do, but I do think the show runners gave her a more shallow treatment overall. Aeryn's resuscitation probably deserves more than a mention, so moving on. :p. It's convenient that the Scarran knew about Scorpy's obsession with John since it's still relatively new; I would have assumed he was frozen from long before that. Maybe Scarrans have psychic abilities, but eh. I'll say that's a minor "hand wave," and I think it's the last one. The ScapeCast had other quibbles with character motivations, which I'll get to in due time. :p
The Chiana and Jothee subplot came as no shock, I think, to anyone who watched the season two finale. We sort of got a cliff notes version of their more nuanced character development from then--the twosome are frustrated when D'Argo bans them from joining him on the dangerous ice planet, and later they act as teens. And then some. :p. I get why the ScapeCast was disappointed in this development from an angle that's sympathetic to the characters--D'argo's basically "our boy" (especially since John is our human connection into the Moya crew,) and speaking as a big Chiana fan, I don't have be familiar with the series to know that a train wreck is coming. I'd be curious to know how universal the Jothee dislike is or isn't among the Scaper community; I never really had a problem with him, even here (ok, I was kinda worried for Chiana the first time around, I admit. :p. But I didn't hate Jothee as much as I over-identified with our Nebari gal, and wanted her not be--literally or figuratively--frelled). Also maybe it's because I was a teenager when I was first watching the series, and there's nothing more teenagey than the teasing, defensive and veeeery physical style of flirtation that we saw. (Those folks had chemistry; Gigi is always awesome in this role). But I think I mostly liked Jothee more as an anecdote; he was D'Argo's backstory come to life, and that made our Luxan feel more real. Anywho. When he comes back to Moya D'Argo, very purposely put in there, has temporarily lost his sense of smell, aka he can't smell the sexual deviance surrounding him. :p. (Also, Rygel keeps the mood a liiiitle light with his "detonating crockery" and other astute lines, lol. Can't pull the wool over his eyes, fellas). So we get a small reprieve from the coming storm, but damn. The way Chiana and Jothee look at each other guiltily, and the way she's draped over D as he tries to play happy family man just gets to me. It's heartbreaking, but I really like this character-driven interlude, maybe because it's something many of us can recognize from our own relationships. This might be the more human storyline of this episode, actually.
Speaking of our bros, D'Argo and John in the snow was probably one of the most beloved scenes in the episode, for some. Anthony really brought it--from his startled attack on the Scarran who suddenly appeared in his path, to his critical "whoahs!" about encountering cold weather. Something about their futile attempts to outwit the bad guy reminded me of a dude comedy, where a couple of numbskulls get in over their heads. :p. Thank goodness Aeryn was there to save them with the Qalta blade, as she did with Zhaan and Stark earlier. Last season, the ScapeCasters and I offered some thoughtful commentary as to why the Luxan might've given up his weapon, but today there was an unavoidable surface reason--it served the immediate plot. :p. But more on Aeryn later. With the adage in mind "keep your friends close and your enemies closer," let's move on to John and Harvey. Harvey is still around! Frankly, I think this was a great choice for the show to make--it sort of melds the classic external protagonist vs antagonist, and the literary Faulkner quote about the best conflicts being those of the heart. Or brain, in this case. :p the beginning scenes with the clone taunting an isolated, grieving John to end his life were actually quite haunting. Harvey was a byproduct of the chip, and ergo last season he was mostly a clinical presence. But starting with "the dumpster scene," this is the Harvey I best remember--untethered from Scorpius and slowly being drawn into our human's kooky world. :p. It's great to see John starting to take more control, too--and note the way his outfit changes, from the idealistic, naive IASA uniform when Harv was bullying him, to his Peacekeeper black when our human called the shots, to wild, mind applause. I remember a few years ago at DragonCon, Ben Browder started a "Farscape" panel the way he always does after this episode--"Can I get a hell yeah?!" Wonder if he still does that, hee.
Before I get to Aeryn's resurrection, perhaps I should get to Crais's. I was remembering how wild and panicked he was during the season one finale, vs how calm and controlled he is here. I realize that Scorpius was more concerned with Talyn's ability to take them down than with Crais's, but I don't remember him being too concerned about the former commander a year ago--perhaps an unhinged Crais is easier to control than this one, who is angry but directed about Aeryn's death. It's worth pointing out how much character growth he's gone through--and we will obviously be seeing more of him, along with Scorp and Stark, given the credits. Anywho. Although expected for plot purposes, the return of Aeryn Sun doesn't get a free pass from me, and much less from the ScapeCasters. They weren't thrilled with the Unity aspect, given that Zhaan couldn't physically get forehead to forehead, though I can let that slide thanks to Stark's unwilling help (there's an instance where it makes sense for Zhaan to be a little violent). I do suppose it's a bit convenient for Stark's powers to master that--and so much else on this show. And I suppose that we are supposed to assume that Zhaan only thought of resurrecting Aeryn now because Stark confirmed that he heard the other voices and then she happened to check Aeryn's controls, and then things clicked. Meh. Personally, I wish they'd had a closed coffin funeral last eppy. I know Aeryn is an alien and blah blah, but it would be easier to accept that she was still alive if she'd been frozen the full time. The actual unity scene was beautifully edited and scored. Claudia's hair was so gorgeous, too. :p. I like how this residual Aeryn basically reverted to the world she knew--all ranks and reassignments--and unity was a great way to bring her up to speed, while at the same time keeping us in the dark about the specifics, until the big J/A reunion at the very end of the ep.
Quick deviation before I get to the J/A stuff--(he touched her shorn hair in the snow to make sure it was truly her! *swoon*)--let me quickly address two deleted scenes. The first was a short and sweet Aeryn/Pilot reunion, which certainly would have left me feklempt after the reminder, at the beginning of the ep, that they were besties. And then there's Rygel, who when D'Argo characterizes him as uninterested in Aweyn's death, angrily confronts the Luxan with the info that he was the one to swim into the lake and retrieve her body. A foreshadowing event for those of us who watched the miniseries, and also a reminder that Rygel does have genuine feelings for some of the crew. Jonathan Hardy really did up the inflection there. But now to J/A, and how, even when they are reunited from death, they are still kept apart. (Though they do get a genuine "I love you" scene--very moving). The ScapeCasters were a little annoyed at Aeryn's reluctance, but personally I find that a little cold. So she feels guilty that her life came at the cost of someone else's. Zhaan might not be your favorite character, but she at least deserves a little consideration; our former PK would be a witch with a b to not feel anything, and evolved, season three Aeryn, so far feels quite deeply. (I'm also ok with Zhaan's death taking a little while--Aeryn was still alive during "the energy transfer," so I think we've earned a little bit of a prolonged goodbye to a long-time main cast member. I'll shush before I get too spoilery here. :p). There are two things I love about this ending. First--Aeryn's return from "the dead" indeed comes with a big cost. And second--the ep ended with John going to Zhaan. He may not be romantically interested in her, but she's still a close friend and he still wants to fight for her. These are relationships worth watching on screen. Also, again with the editing--Stark holding Zhaan in the ruins of her quarters--just beautiful. All "hand waving" plot devices aside, let's bring on season three!
Favorite Crichtonism: CAN I GET A "HELL, YEAH!"?
Favorite Quotes:
*Grunchlik proves he’s a rat*
Braca: Now why were you hiding Grunchlk?
Grunchlik: Well why do you and your goons come storming in here with your guns drawn?
Braca: Oh, just a precaution.
Grunchlik: Precau-? Well so was that. So go on son, put your 'precautions' away and pay me what we agreed. Listen - I informed you the microt that Crichton got here. So you keep up your end of the deal, all right? Listen son, you don't want to frell with me on this one!
Scorpius: Grunchlk -- if I was in your situation - I'd be attempting to present evidence that I still served a purpose.
…
Grunchlik: Serve a purpose? 'Course I serve a purpose. An-y pur-pose you like sir! Got a purpose? No? Well-ah- I'll come up with one! Look! There-there's a purpose in itself!
*Harvey is a scary nightmare*
Harvey: Death is the only sensible course John! For everything there is a season - A time to be born, and a time to die!
John: Yes, yes, yes - the devil quotes scripture. I thought you were put in here to protect me!
Harvey: Until my task here was completed! Now that Scorpius has recovered the neurochip-
John: You should be gone! How come you're not?
Harvey: I don't know - but this - THIS is intolerable! For both of us! End it John! Free us from one another! Scorpius has beaten you! Aeryn Sun is dead! Your power of speech is gone - the only one you'll ever talk to again is me!
*D’argo keeps Chiana and Jothee on a short leash*
D’argo: There's a problem. Zhaan, Stark and I are going down to the planet.
Jothee: We'll go with you.
D’argo: No, I need you to stay here with Moya. Scorpius' Command Carrier could arrive any microt. If it does, I want you to starburst away immediately.
Jothee: But-
Chiana: But-but- but Pilot can-
D’argo: DO - what I tell you!
Chiana: FRELL!
Jothee: FRELL! I'M SICK OF THIS!
*an explanation for why Harvey is still around*
Stark: Why is Scorpius still in Crichton’s mind?
Grunchlik: Well the Doc figures it's like a neural bleed. The ah - clones personality has been in there so long, that it's consciousness has, like - merged - with Crichton’s. *Scorpius interjection* H-how interesting.
*skimping past donor morality so that we can save John*
Tocot: But - Crich-ton insisted - no harm - to donor.
Stark: You're the one harming the donors! Their souls are crying out! Screaming out in pain!
Tocot: No - pain!
Stark: I CAN HEAR THEM! "Effectively dead!" That isn't death at all! THIS- is death! *Stark kills Interon as John yelps in alarm* And that - that was mercy. His agony was far greater than yours.
D’argo: *to Tokot* Now my friend. Can you help John?
Tocot: Can -try.
D’argo: Well, go ahead. *to Stark* And as for you - Do NOT - make me tongue you.
*Chiana/Jothee flirtation turns into something else*
Chiana: I thought you weren't hungry?
Jothee: I wasn't 'til I started eating. You want some?
Chiana: No.
Jothee: Come on - it'll put color in your cheek.
Chiana: No.
Jothee: Come on - we'll die of boredom. But we'll be well fed. *he puts his hand to her mouth to feed her and she snaps her teeth at him* What'd you do that for?
Chiana: I don't know.
Jothee: Think!
Chiana: Well maybe I don't like being taken care of.
Jothee: Maybe I don't like being bitten!
Chiana: *reaching into his space* Yeah? Well then keep your hands outta my face!
Jothee: *swatting at her* Keep your hands outta my food!
Chiana: *pushing him* Hey! I helped make that!
Jothee: *grabbing her * Too bad!
Chiana: *suggestive rubbing* Still bored?
Jothee: Stop it! *more tussling; now her back is at his front*
Chiana: You better - you better let go! Otherwise I'm going to have to try something else.
Jothee: You'll lose an arm.
Chiana: Well - you'll lose worse than an arm.
Jothee: You wouldn't do that.
Chiana: Don't tell me what I- what I would or wouldn't do. I do as I please. *moving in for a panting smooch*
*Doctor’s gotta pee, John needs a pick-me-up, so D’argo plays a little hard and fast with “the truth” about Aeryn’s death*
Tocot: Done. Dam-age - repaired. Speech - should return.
Stark: "Should"?
Tocot: Will know - soon.
D’argo: Hey! Where are you going?
Tocot: Must - excrete.
John: D - D'Argo. Aeryn's gone. Want to die.
D’argo: Aeryn died so that you could live John. She would want you to keep fighting.
*John takes back power with Harvey, leading to “the dumpster scene”*
John: Hey Harvey. Let's have a little chat.
Harvey: I don't wish to 'chat', John. I wish to leave. That is why you must die.
John: Why don't you kill me? You did it before - stopped my brain function cold. What's the matter? You lost your touch?
Harvey: Circumstances are different now.
John: Yes, they are. You got no connections, no backup, no power supply. No place to hide. I'm going to make some rules now.
*Grunchlik tries in vain to keep control over his hidden manipulation, and Tocot dies for real*
Scorpius: One of the cryogenic pods is starting an auto-release sequence eh?
Grunchlik: Aw nah - can't be. Let me talk to him. Sorry Doc. Say again? What? Full restoration? You sure? Nah. Nah it- it must be a screwed up sensor. You go back and tend to your patient Doc. I'll deal with it. DOC - leave it - to me! Doc get out of there! I'll handle it! Doc? DOC!
Tocot: Scarran!
*Grunchlik reveals his double double cross*
Scorpius: A Scarran? Here? Why?
Grunchlik: Get frelled.
Scorpius: Grunchlk. You can do one of two things with your mouth. The first is talk to me. *forces Grunchlik to bite off and eat his own finger* That is the second.
Grunchlik: All right - You know the Scarrans are after you. They found out this is where you had your - cooling system - installed, and they sent a spy who offered me currency to keep him hidden until you came back for a check-up.
Braca: And you took his money.
Grunchlik: Just his advance. I was going to keep the dumb frell frozen and hand him over to you.
Scorpius: But you didn't.
Grunchlik: When your goons came in locked and loaded, I kind of doubted your good intentions. As insurance - I switched on the Scarrans auto-release - 3 arns delay. If you'd behaved, and paid what we'd agreed, I'd have switched it off. I hope he kills you - very - slowly.
*Rygel knows more than he’s saying, guys :P*
Jothee: If my father finds out, we're dead.
Chiana: He won't find out.
Rygel: What the hezmana happened in here?
Chiana: Oh uh - we were, ah - we were making some soccorins and - and the pot exploded.
Rygel: You blew up a cook pot?
Jothee: We used too much lutra oil. The grolak's fine though.
Chiana: Yeah, nice and crispy. Here - sit down and eat. Ah - I'll give the ah- Uh - I'll give the soccorins another try.
Rygel: I'll ah - consume this in a room without detonating crockery. Thank you very much.
*Grunchlik talks to the Scarran and survives the heat probe, thanks to Scorp*
Grunchlik: Plonek! Erathran Plonek! I'm alo-one! I've got a present for ya!
Plonek: Grunchlk - where is Scorpius?
Grunchlik: He's not here.
Plonek: Then why did you release me?
Grunchlik: Well, I-I've got someone almost as good - John Crichton. You know who that is?
Plonek: Yes - Scorpius seems obsessed with him. We want to know why.
Grunchlik: Why don't you ask him? He's in the surgery room, recovering. *mind probe* No! Not- oowwhh!
Plonek: Are you lying? Is this a trap?
Scorpius: No-no-no. No trap.
Plonek: Where is Scorpius?
Scorpius: Scorpius isn't here.
Grunchlik: *still controlled by Scorp* Scorpius isn't here, I told you. But I'm sure he's on his way back to the planet -- to capture Crichton.
Plonek: Who is with Crichton?
Grunchlik: Just a Luxan - and a Banik slave.
Plonek: *freezes Grunchlik in his abandoned pod* I might have use for you later.
*famous last words from cocky Officer Kobrin (Aeryn is apparently an inactive pilot with a higher score :P*)
Kobrin: Sir! The Carrier is now much closer. I am certain we can outrun the gunship long enough to reach it safely.
Scorpius: You have that much faith in your piloting skills?
Kobrin: My last rating was 991 sir. No active pilot rates higher.
Scorpius: Your skills will be tested - very soon.
*Numbskull dude movie, starring John Crichton and Ka D’argo*
John: No sign of the Scarran - you think he's following?
D’argo: Better hope he is!
John: Sounds like you got a plan.
D’argo: We're going to bring him out here and see how HE likes being in the cold!
John: And what if he likes it?
D’argo: LOOK! ONE - PLAN - AT A TIME!
*Zhaan and Aeryn have a schmaltzy reunion*
Zhaan: Do you know who I am? Do you know who you are?
Aeryn: Officer Aeryn Sun, Special Peacekeeper Commando, Icarion Company, Pleisar Regiment. Have you come to reassign me?
Zhaan: I've come to take you back.
Aeryn: Zhaan? What is this?
Zhaan: Unity, Aeryn. The sharing of minds and souls. As our thoughts merge, you will understand.
Aeryn: I understand that you shouldn't be here.
Zhaan: Nor should you.
Aeryn: Why are you doing this?
Zhaan: Because I love you. More importantly - Crichton loves you. You must take this gift, not for my sake, but for his.
Aeryn: I can't. I know your thoughts, and I know what this will cost you.
Zhaan: Stop resisting Aeryn. Accept this!
Aeryn: No!
*Crais has avenged Aeryn—he thinks*
Scorpius: Crais! Cease this pursuit at once!
Crais: This pursuit will end in your death Scorpius.
Scorpius: Aboard this Marauder is information that will help us defeat the Scarrans. You may have foresworn the Peacekeepers, but before you act, consider your fellow Sebaceans.
Crais: You consider one Sebacean who died at your hands - Officer Aeryn Sun. Yes Talyn, I see it. Command Carrier.
Scorpius: Crais. You destroy this ship - my Command Carrier will destroy you.
Crais: Possibly. Talyn! Are we in agreement? FIRE! *Maurauder destroyed, Crais makes a call* Pilot. Scorpius is dead. His Command Carrier is now in pursuit of Talyn, we'll draw it away from your position before we starburst.
Pilot: Scorpius is - dead?
Crais: Yes. Officer Sun is avenged.
*John takes the Interons with them to Moya—new plot development ahead? :P*
John: We're going to take these two with us.
D’argo: The Interons?
Aeryn: Why?
John: One of them died because of me.
Aeryn: What? You think they can be saved?
John: You were.
*Scorpy is definitely ready for new plot*
Braca: A signal from the Command Carrier sir. Moya and Talyn have both fled. A Prowler detail is on its way to pick us up.
Scorpius: The Marauder?
Braca: Destroyed.
Scorpius: Plainly, Officer Kobrin overestimated his piloting skills.
Braca: Well perhaps Talyn is more formidable than we thought. Sir, Crais must be-
Scorpius: First Command has already taken care of that situation. Our task is much more important. We have a new Gammak Research Base ready to go into operation. Hundreds of techs are waiting to apply this - *holds chip jar to forehead* - priceless information. Let's not keep them waiting Lieutenant.
*John confronts Aeryn and Zhaan*
John: Finished making your rounds?
Aeryn: Mm-hm. I shouldn't be here.
John: This is exactly where you should be. I love you.
Aeryn: I love you too. *intense kissing scene, which Aeryn breaks* We will not act on it.
John: Aeryn...
Aeryn: My Peacekeeper training was right about one thing - soldiers and emotional attachments. In battle they distort your thinking.
John: We're not in battle Aeryn - Scorpius-
Aeryn: What happens- what happens when Moya comes into contact with more Scarrans, or Nebari, or Sheyangs, or something worse? I will not be the cause of any more deaths because my judgment was faulty. I will not permit anyone else to sacrifice their life for mine.
John: What do you mean "anyone else"?
…
Zhaan: Hello John.
John: Aeryn just told me that, aahh- whatever you did to bring her back-
Zhaan: A gift of spiritual energy.
John: Yes... that it took everything that you had. Is there anything we can do to help?
Zhaan: Nothing.
John: I will not accept that.
Zhaan: I have John. I'm dying.
___
That being said, this episode in particular didn't thrill them. :p. There's a lot of what they called "hand waving" that the show runners employed so as to back away from the corner they painted themselves into at the end of season two. There are some character beats that I think the ScapeCasters are a little too finicky about, but I definitely agree about certain elements of the plot. Not the strongest episode of the season, although I found it moving in some ways, and we have to start somewhere.
Episode summary is here, courtesy of the John and Aeryn Fansite.
So here's a basic rundown of the plot, disregarding Chiana and Jothee for now, because they are small and self-contained. In the beginning we play some catch up--the Moya crew is anxious for John updates, but grieving Pilot doesn't know anything so he snaps at them. Grunchlik is disclosing, through his altercation with Braca, that he called Scorpius and backstabbed the main cast, as soon as he figured out the John connection. (Scorp also eats that bit of John's brain...Bluergh! "Farscape" is back. :p). John himself is still yelling intelligibly on the operation table (and the diagnosan is dying on the floor,) but they are finally intercepted by Rygel, who has come down to confront Grunchlik since his escape plan didn't pan out. (In the interim we see Harvey again, realize that he's still in John's brain but he wants out, which means John has to die). D'Argo, Zhaan and Stark come down to help, leaving Scorpius to take over Grunchlik's mind with a doohickey. His carrier is still a ways away and Scorp is worried that on their own they'd be overtaken by Talyn. His puppet attempts to get the crew, and especially Crais, away from the ice planet don't work as they find out about the clone remnant and argue over whether to use a donor for his operation despite John's wishes (but a freaked out Stark, who hears their voices, finally kills one and settles that. Also John has to mentally defeat Harvey, but anyway. This also leads to Zhaan and an unwitting Stark being able to bring Aeryn back from the almost-dead). Plot twist in that earlier, Grunchlik unfroze a Scarran for leverage against Scorpius; Scorp sends him after our boys and uses his cocky pilot as a diversion to get Crais and Talyn away. The reunited crew ultimately dispatches the Scarran and leaves, as do Scorp and Braca a little later, to start more long-term plot for down the road. :p. Shew, that was long.
Now I'll go through and highlight what I, or occasionally just the ScapeCast, take to be hand waving by the show. The diagnosan, Tokat, not being dead certainly applies. They laid it out plain as day last season that if you breathe on him outside of the operating area, he's dead. Not only did he survive Scorp, but Rygel actually resuscitated him by giving him mouth to mouth! Obviously the show runners were on thin ice with who could operate on John. Too bad Tokat wasn't part of a practice. :p. Anywho. I'll also go ahead and agree that letting Scorpius control Grunchlik's mind was a copout for the plot. Why wouldn't he have used such a device on John last season, make things go easier? I'm not buying that Grunchlik's race is particularly simple; maybe he's not as sophisticated as Scorp, but our diagnosan's helper has a few tricks up his sleeve. I remember, on first viewing, being freaked out by the hand waving scene (and of course the finger eating scene, ick,) but now I wish they'd handled Scorpy's Moya crew conundrum without that bit of convenient puppeteering. Moving on. Character wise I don't find Stark getting agitated by "the voices" and killing a donor to be too out there for his character, but the whole thing felt kinda fake because the show wasn't really dealing with the moral implications; again, they just needed to fix John.(And D’argo’s warning: “do not make me tongue you” made up for some of it.) :p. Zhaan being so quick to kill our human is a little iffier for me. On the one hand, yes he's suffering, but to go to such extremes so quickly, without assessing other options? I don't dislike her as much as some of the ScapeCast folks do, but I do think the show runners gave her a more shallow treatment overall. Aeryn's resuscitation probably deserves more than a mention, so moving on. :p. It's convenient that the Scarran knew about Scorpy's obsession with John since it's still relatively new; I would have assumed he was frozen from long before that. Maybe Scarrans have psychic abilities, but eh. I'll say that's a minor "hand wave," and I think it's the last one. The ScapeCast had other quibbles with character motivations, which I'll get to in due time. :p
The Chiana and Jothee subplot came as no shock, I think, to anyone who watched the season two finale. We sort of got a cliff notes version of their more nuanced character development from then--the twosome are frustrated when D'Argo bans them from joining him on the dangerous ice planet, and later they act as teens. And then some. :p. I get why the ScapeCast was disappointed in this development from an angle that's sympathetic to the characters--D'argo's basically "our boy" (especially since John is our human connection into the Moya crew,) and speaking as a big Chiana fan, I don't have be familiar with the series to know that a train wreck is coming. I'd be curious to know how universal the Jothee dislike is or isn't among the Scaper community; I never really had a problem with him, even here (ok, I was kinda worried for Chiana the first time around, I admit. :p. But I didn't hate Jothee as much as I over-identified with our Nebari gal, and wanted her not be--literally or figuratively--frelled). Also maybe it's because I was a teenager when I was first watching the series, and there's nothing more teenagey than the teasing, defensive and veeeery physical style of flirtation that we saw. (Those folks had chemistry; Gigi is always awesome in this role). But I think I mostly liked Jothee more as an anecdote; he was D'Argo's backstory come to life, and that made our Luxan feel more real. Anywho. When he comes back to Moya D'Argo, very purposely put in there, has temporarily lost his sense of smell, aka he can't smell the sexual deviance surrounding him. :p. (Also, Rygel keeps the mood a liiiitle light with his "detonating crockery" and other astute lines, lol. Can't pull the wool over his eyes, fellas). So we get a small reprieve from the coming storm, but damn. The way Chiana and Jothee look at each other guiltily, and the way she's draped over D as he tries to play happy family man just gets to me. It's heartbreaking, but I really like this character-driven interlude, maybe because it's something many of us can recognize from our own relationships. This might be the more human storyline of this episode, actually.
Speaking of our bros, D'Argo and John in the snow was probably one of the most beloved scenes in the episode, for some. Anthony really brought it--from his startled attack on the Scarran who suddenly appeared in his path, to his critical "whoahs!" about encountering cold weather. Something about their futile attempts to outwit the bad guy reminded me of a dude comedy, where a couple of numbskulls get in over their heads. :p. Thank goodness Aeryn was there to save them with the Qalta blade, as she did with Zhaan and Stark earlier. Last season, the ScapeCasters and I offered some thoughtful commentary as to why the Luxan might've given up his weapon, but today there was an unavoidable surface reason--it served the immediate plot. :p. But more on Aeryn later. With the adage in mind "keep your friends close and your enemies closer," let's move on to John and Harvey. Harvey is still around! Frankly, I think this was a great choice for the show to make--it sort of melds the classic external protagonist vs antagonist, and the literary Faulkner quote about the best conflicts being those of the heart. Or brain, in this case. :p the beginning scenes with the clone taunting an isolated, grieving John to end his life were actually quite haunting. Harvey was a byproduct of the chip, and ergo last season he was mostly a clinical presence. But starting with "the dumpster scene," this is the Harvey I best remember--untethered from Scorpius and slowly being drawn into our human's kooky world. :p. It's great to see John starting to take more control, too--and note the way his outfit changes, from the idealistic, naive IASA uniform when Harv was bullying him, to his Peacekeeper black when our human called the shots, to wild, mind applause. I remember a few years ago at DragonCon, Ben Browder started a "Farscape" panel the way he always does after this episode--"Can I get a hell yeah?!" Wonder if he still does that, hee.
Before I get to Aeryn's resurrection, perhaps I should get to Crais's. I was remembering how wild and panicked he was during the season one finale, vs how calm and controlled he is here. I realize that Scorpius was more concerned with Talyn's ability to take them down than with Crais's, but I don't remember him being too concerned about the former commander a year ago--perhaps an unhinged Crais is easier to control than this one, who is angry but directed about Aeryn's death. It's worth pointing out how much character growth he's gone through--and we will obviously be seeing more of him, along with Scorp and Stark, given the credits. Anywho. Although expected for plot purposes, the return of Aeryn Sun doesn't get a free pass from me, and much less from the ScapeCasters. They weren't thrilled with the Unity aspect, given that Zhaan couldn't physically get forehead to forehead, though I can let that slide thanks to Stark's unwilling help (there's an instance where it makes sense for Zhaan to be a little violent). I do suppose it's a bit convenient for Stark's powers to master that--and so much else on this show. And I suppose that we are supposed to assume that Zhaan only thought of resurrecting Aeryn now because Stark confirmed that he heard the other voices and then she happened to check Aeryn's controls, and then things clicked. Meh. Personally, I wish they'd had a closed coffin funeral last eppy. I know Aeryn is an alien and blah blah, but it would be easier to accept that she was still alive if she'd been frozen the full time. The actual unity scene was beautifully edited and scored. Claudia's hair was so gorgeous, too. :p. I like how this residual Aeryn basically reverted to the world she knew--all ranks and reassignments--and unity was a great way to bring her up to speed, while at the same time keeping us in the dark about the specifics, until the big J/A reunion at the very end of the ep.
Quick deviation before I get to the J/A stuff--(he touched her shorn hair in the snow to make sure it was truly her! *swoon*)--let me quickly address two deleted scenes. The first was a short and sweet Aeryn/Pilot reunion, which certainly would have left me feklempt after the reminder, at the beginning of the ep, that they were besties. And then there's Rygel, who when D'Argo characterizes him as uninterested in Aweyn's death, angrily confronts the Luxan with the info that he was the one to swim into the lake and retrieve her body. A foreshadowing event for those of us who watched the miniseries, and also a reminder that Rygel does have genuine feelings for some of the crew. Jonathan Hardy really did up the inflection there. But now to J/A, and how, even when they are reunited from death, they are still kept apart. (Though they do get a genuine "I love you" scene--very moving). The ScapeCasters were a little annoyed at Aeryn's reluctance, but personally I find that a little cold. So she feels guilty that her life came at the cost of someone else's. Zhaan might not be your favorite character, but she at least deserves a little consideration; our former PK would be a witch with a b to not feel anything, and evolved, season three Aeryn, so far feels quite deeply. (I'm also ok with Zhaan's death taking a little while--Aeryn was still alive during "the energy transfer," so I think we've earned a little bit of a prolonged goodbye to a long-time main cast member. I'll shush before I get too spoilery here. :p). There are two things I love about this ending. First--Aeryn's return from "the dead" indeed comes with a big cost. And second--the ep ended with John going to Zhaan. He may not be romantically interested in her, but she's still a close friend and he still wants to fight for her. These are relationships worth watching on screen. Also, again with the editing--Stark holding Zhaan in the ruins of her quarters--just beautiful. All "hand waving" plot devices aside, let's bring on season three!
Favorite Crichtonism: CAN I GET A "HELL, YEAH!"?
Favorite Quotes:
*Grunchlik proves he’s a rat*
Braca: Now why were you hiding Grunchlk?
Grunchlik: Well why do you and your goons come storming in here with your guns drawn?
Braca: Oh, just a precaution.
Grunchlik: Precau-? Well so was that. So go on son, put your 'precautions' away and pay me what we agreed. Listen - I informed you the microt that Crichton got here. So you keep up your end of the deal, all right? Listen son, you don't want to frell with me on this one!
Scorpius: Grunchlk -- if I was in your situation - I'd be attempting to present evidence that I still served a purpose.
…
Grunchlik: Serve a purpose? 'Course I serve a purpose. An-y pur-pose you like sir! Got a purpose? No? Well-ah- I'll come up with one! Look! There-there's a purpose in itself!
*Harvey is a scary nightmare*
Harvey: Death is the only sensible course John! For everything there is a season - A time to be born, and a time to die!
John: Yes, yes, yes - the devil quotes scripture. I thought you were put in here to protect me!
Harvey: Until my task here was completed! Now that Scorpius has recovered the neurochip-
John: You should be gone! How come you're not?
Harvey: I don't know - but this - THIS is intolerable! For both of us! End it John! Free us from one another! Scorpius has beaten you! Aeryn Sun is dead! Your power of speech is gone - the only one you'll ever talk to again is me!
*D’argo keeps Chiana and Jothee on a short leash*
D’argo: There's a problem. Zhaan, Stark and I are going down to the planet.
Jothee: We'll go with you.
D’argo: No, I need you to stay here with Moya. Scorpius' Command Carrier could arrive any microt. If it does, I want you to starburst away immediately.
Jothee: But-
Chiana: But-but- but Pilot can-
D’argo: DO - what I tell you!
Chiana: FRELL!
Jothee: FRELL! I'M SICK OF THIS!
*an explanation for why Harvey is still around*
Stark: Why is Scorpius still in Crichton’s mind?
Grunchlik: Well the Doc figures it's like a neural bleed. The ah - clones personality has been in there so long, that it's consciousness has, like - merged - with Crichton’s. *Scorpius interjection* H-how interesting.
*skimping past donor morality so that we can save John*
Tocot: But - Crich-ton insisted - no harm - to donor.
Stark: You're the one harming the donors! Their souls are crying out! Screaming out in pain!
Tocot: No - pain!
Stark: I CAN HEAR THEM! "Effectively dead!" That isn't death at all! THIS- is death! *Stark kills Interon as John yelps in alarm* And that - that was mercy. His agony was far greater than yours.
D’argo: *to Tokot* Now my friend. Can you help John?
Tocot: Can -try.
D’argo: Well, go ahead. *to Stark* And as for you - Do NOT - make me tongue you.
*Chiana/Jothee flirtation turns into something else*
Chiana: I thought you weren't hungry?
Jothee: I wasn't 'til I started eating. You want some?
Chiana: No.
Jothee: Come on - it'll put color in your cheek.
Chiana: No.
Jothee: Come on - we'll die of boredom. But we'll be well fed. *he puts his hand to her mouth to feed her and she snaps her teeth at him* What'd you do that for?
Chiana: I don't know.
Jothee: Think!
Chiana: Well maybe I don't like being taken care of.
Jothee: Maybe I don't like being bitten!
Chiana: *reaching into his space* Yeah? Well then keep your hands outta my face!
Jothee: *swatting at her* Keep your hands outta my food!
Chiana: *pushing him* Hey! I helped make that!
Jothee: *grabbing her * Too bad!
Chiana: *suggestive rubbing* Still bored?
Jothee: Stop it! *more tussling; now her back is at his front*
Chiana: You better - you better let go! Otherwise I'm going to have to try something else.
Jothee: You'll lose an arm.
Chiana: Well - you'll lose worse than an arm.
Jothee: You wouldn't do that.
Chiana: Don't tell me what I- what I would or wouldn't do. I do as I please. *moving in for a panting smooch*
*Doctor’s gotta pee, John needs a pick-me-up, so D’argo plays a little hard and fast with “the truth” about Aeryn’s death*
Tocot: Done. Dam-age - repaired. Speech - should return.
Stark: "Should"?
Tocot: Will know - soon.
D’argo: Hey! Where are you going?
Tocot: Must - excrete.
John: D - D'Argo. Aeryn's gone. Want to die.
D’argo: Aeryn died so that you could live John. She would want you to keep fighting.
*John takes back power with Harvey, leading to “the dumpster scene”*
John: Hey Harvey. Let's have a little chat.
Harvey: I don't wish to 'chat', John. I wish to leave. That is why you must die.
John: Why don't you kill me? You did it before - stopped my brain function cold. What's the matter? You lost your touch?
Harvey: Circumstances are different now.
John: Yes, they are. You got no connections, no backup, no power supply. No place to hide. I'm going to make some rules now.
*Grunchlik tries in vain to keep control over his hidden manipulation, and Tocot dies for real*
Scorpius: One of the cryogenic pods is starting an auto-release sequence eh?
Grunchlik: Aw nah - can't be. Let me talk to him. Sorry Doc. Say again? What? Full restoration? You sure? Nah. Nah it- it must be a screwed up sensor. You go back and tend to your patient Doc. I'll deal with it. DOC - leave it - to me! Doc get out of there! I'll handle it! Doc? DOC!
Tocot: Scarran!
*Grunchlik reveals his double double cross*
Scorpius: A Scarran? Here? Why?
Grunchlik: Get frelled.
Scorpius: Grunchlk. You can do one of two things with your mouth. The first is talk to me. *forces Grunchlik to bite off and eat his own finger* That is the second.
Grunchlik: All right - You know the Scarrans are after you. They found out this is where you had your - cooling system - installed, and they sent a spy who offered me currency to keep him hidden until you came back for a check-up.
Braca: And you took his money.
Grunchlik: Just his advance. I was going to keep the dumb frell frozen and hand him over to you.
Scorpius: But you didn't.
Grunchlik: When your goons came in locked and loaded, I kind of doubted your good intentions. As insurance - I switched on the Scarrans auto-release - 3 arns delay. If you'd behaved, and paid what we'd agreed, I'd have switched it off. I hope he kills you - very - slowly.
*Rygel knows more than he’s saying, guys :P*
Jothee: If my father finds out, we're dead.
Chiana: He won't find out.
Rygel: What the hezmana happened in here?
Chiana: Oh uh - we were, ah - we were making some soccorins and - and the pot exploded.
Rygel: You blew up a cook pot?
Jothee: We used too much lutra oil. The grolak's fine though.
Chiana: Yeah, nice and crispy. Here - sit down and eat. Ah - I'll give the ah- Uh - I'll give the soccorins another try.
Rygel: I'll ah - consume this in a room without detonating crockery. Thank you very much.
*Grunchlik talks to the Scarran and survives the heat probe, thanks to Scorp*
Grunchlik: Plonek! Erathran Plonek! I'm alo-one! I've got a present for ya!
Plonek: Grunchlk - where is Scorpius?
Grunchlik: He's not here.
Plonek: Then why did you release me?
Grunchlik: Well, I-I've got someone almost as good - John Crichton. You know who that is?
Plonek: Yes - Scorpius seems obsessed with him. We want to know why.
Grunchlik: Why don't you ask him? He's in the surgery room, recovering. *mind probe* No! Not- oowwhh!
Plonek: Are you lying? Is this a trap?
Scorpius: No-no-no. No trap.
Plonek: Where is Scorpius?
Scorpius: Scorpius isn't here.
Grunchlik: *still controlled by Scorp* Scorpius isn't here, I told you. But I'm sure he's on his way back to the planet -- to capture Crichton.
Plonek: Who is with Crichton?
Grunchlik: Just a Luxan - and a Banik slave.
Plonek: *freezes Grunchlik in his abandoned pod* I might have use for you later.
*famous last words from cocky Officer Kobrin (Aeryn is apparently an inactive pilot with a higher score :P*)
Kobrin: Sir! The Carrier is now much closer. I am certain we can outrun the gunship long enough to reach it safely.
Scorpius: You have that much faith in your piloting skills?
Kobrin: My last rating was 991 sir. No active pilot rates higher.
Scorpius: Your skills will be tested - very soon.
*Numbskull dude movie, starring John Crichton and Ka D’argo*
John: No sign of the Scarran - you think he's following?
D’argo: Better hope he is!
John: Sounds like you got a plan.
D’argo: We're going to bring him out here and see how HE likes being in the cold!
John: And what if he likes it?
D’argo: LOOK! ONE - PLAN - AT A TIME!
*Zhaan and Aeryn have a schmaltzy reunion*
Zhaan: Do you know who I am? Do you know who you are?
Aeryn: Officer Aeryn Sun, Special Peacekeeper Commando, Icarion Company, Pleisar Regiment. Have you come to reassign me?
Zhaan: I've come to take you back.
Aeryn: Zhaan? What is this?
Zhaan: Unity, Aeryn. The sharing of minds and souls. As our thoughts merge, you will understand.
Aeryn: I understand that you shouldn't be here.
Zhaan: Nor should you.
Aeryn: Why are you doing this?
Zhaan: Because I love you. More importantly - Crichton loves you. You must take this gift, not for my sake, but for his.
Aeryn: I can't. I know your thoughts, and I know what this will cost you.
Zhaan: Stop resisting Aeryn. Accept this!
Aeryn: No!
*Crais has avenged Aeryn—he thinks*
Scorpius: Crais! Cease this pursuit at once!
Crais: This pursuit will end in your death Scorpius.
Scorpius: Aboard this Marauder is information that will help us defeat the Scarrans. You may have foresworn the Peacekeepers, but before you act, consider your fellow Sebaceans.
Crais: You consider one Sebacean who died at your hands - Officer Aeryn Sun. Yes Talyn, I see it. Command Carrier.
Scorpius: Crais. You destroy this ship - my Command Carrier will destroy you.
Crais: Possibly. Talyn! Are we in agreement? FIRE! *Maurauder destroyed, Crais makes a call* Pilot. Scorpius is dead. His Command Carrier is now in pursuit of Talyn, we'll draw it away from your position before we starburst.
Pilot: Scorpius is - dead?
Crais: Yes. Officer Sun is avenged.
*John takes the Interons with them to Moya—new plot development ahead? :P*
John: We're going to take these two with us.
D’argo: The Interons?
Aeryn: Why?
John: One of them died because of me.
Aeryn: What? You think they can be saved?
John: You were.
*Scorpy is definitely ready for new plot*
Braca: A signal from the Command Carrier sir. Moya and Talyn have both fled. A Prowler detail is on its way to pick us up.
Scorpius: The Marauder?
Braca: Destroyed.
Scorpius: Plainly, Officer Kobrin overestimated his piloting skills.
Braca: Well perhaps Talyn is more formidable than we thought. Sir, Crais must be-
Scorpius: First Command has already taken care of that situation. Our task is much more important. We have a new Gammak Research Base ready to go into operation. Hundreds of techs are waiting to apply this - *holds chip jar to forehead* - priceless information. Let's not keep them waiting Lieutenant.
*John confronts Aeryn and Zhaan*
John: Finished making your rounds?
Aeryn: Mm-hm. I shouldn't be here.
John: This is exactly where you should be. I love you.
Aeryn: I love you too. *intense kissing scene, which Aeryn breaks* We will not act on it.
John: Aeryn...
Aeryn: My Peacekeeper training was right about one thing - soldiers and emotional attachments. In battle they distort your thinking.
John: We're not in battle Aeryn - Scorpius-
Aeryn: What happens- what happens when Moya comes into contact with more Scarrans, or Nebari, or Sheyangs, or something worse? I will not be the cause of any more deaths because my judgment was faulty. I will not permit anyone else to sacrifice their life for mine.
John: What do you mean "anyone else"?
…
Zhaan: Hello John.
John: Aeryn just told me that, aahh- whatever you did to bring her back-
Zhaan: A gift of spiritual energy.
John: Yes... that it took everything that you had. Is there anything we can do to help?
Zhaan: Nothing.
John: I will not accept that.
Zhaan: I have John. I'm dying.
___
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