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scifi_rewatchMan oh man. After those last couple of episodes we could have used something fluffy, or at least light, but WE DID NOT GET IT. Remember when I named the last eppy ending as one of my favorites for its haunting implications? Well, what that one did with subtlety this one hit us over the head with; qualta blades, pulse pistols, flaming arrows, the works.
I’d say this might be one of the most depressing episodes of “Farscape.” Yeah, we’ve seen all of the main characters go through the psychological ringer in the past, but there’s a definitive sense of futility here. The stakes are high, probability for success keeps slipping further away, this excursion wasn’t supposed to be a problem at all.
There are far deeper implications at play here, too, themes that crop up in this episode that will mold the trajectory for much of the over-arching plot for the series. Not sure how I’m gonna talk about it under the spoiler cut without giving away everything. :P Suffice to say, this isn’t really a stand-alone episode. The issues we’re probing here are meant to last.
Episode summary is here, courtesy of the John and Aeryn Fansite.
I think I’ll start where we left off last episode—with Zhaan. :/ While Moya regenerates, John, Aeryn, D’argo, Jool and Stark go down to a nearby planet where there’s a peace memorial. John kind of wants to use it as a therapeutic tool for Stark who is sitting in a corner holding a tree branch that possibly reminds him of his lost love. *wibble* Through a tear in space time *eyeroll* they can see the events of 500 cycles past unfold, where a group of nurses bury the hatchet with a vicious horde that had been terrorizing them. During the actual battle part the Peacekeepers have come to the aid of the nurses, in what is a rare show of honor from those folks. You can see that Aeryn takes particular pride in this stand-off, where 30 PKs lost their lives and a hero called Sub-Officer Dacon was forged. Chiana checks in via coms to say that Moya isn’t ready to leave yet, then she and Rygel have a rather touching moment in Zhaan’s room. The Hynerian claims he’s just there to gain a profit, but when Chi says she doesn’t want to partake in her usual looting, Rygel lets down his guard as well. I keep remembering how, a few episodes back, Zhaan was the one who was able to get Ryg to calm down about John, and she was a mothering comfort to Chiana when they thought they were facing doom. The relationship progression bears a mighty tail, and it earned, in that moment, our two little thieves growing a conscience. Ryg and Chiana undergo moving character growth.
Anywho, John puts the new mask on Stark, but it interferes with his old mask, and then when John tries to remove it (poor John keeps making unintentional messes) the group gets sucked back in time! I’m gonna be a little bit eyerolly about the pulpy time travel gimmick, but what comes after (or should I say, in the past) does make it all worth it. They arrive in time to see most of the Peacekeepers killed, except for Dacon who is a young, untrained cook and not the gruff military man whom Aeryn envisioned. As history goes, Dacon is supposed to die while sending a white flag message over the wall of their monastery, and then General Grynes ofthe Klingons the Horde will accept a ceasefire, since the nurses no longer have fighters or weapons. Only problem is, John et al take place in some fighting, and in this altered reality Grynes doesn’t make it back to his men! Our human finds him wounded inside the monastery. They talk, and Grynes gives the impression of being a good guy; he doesn’t want to hurt people (the Horde is famous for bloodlust, especially against children,) he just wants access to water under the mountain, lest his people starve. Oh war, how you complicate humanitarian (for lack of a better word) concerns. Anywho, John gets the idea to sneak Grynes out in a nurse’s uniform, but he doesn’t TELL anyone his plan, so the scared head nurse, Kelsa, kills him and claims John is a traitor. Hey…you know I’m blaming John for this one. Aeryn and D’argo were peeved, too; he should have discussed this plan rather than going off half-cocked.
From there this episode is largely a race to get the timeline back on track. From the future—or should I say, the show’s present—we can tell it’s not going very well. Primarily through Chiana and Pilot’s discussions (they ignore Jool, even though she’s been down there,) we discover new outcomes as everyone else alters the past—first the wrong side wins the war, then fewer people live on the planet, then NO ONE lives there, and finally the entire planet is gone (though the rings still remain. :P Even I know that’s scientifically inaccurate…I think. What are they orbiting? Anywho.) Rygel is otherwise absent, except for that first scene. Maybe “Farscape” spent too much money on extras and special effects, or maybe the Moya scenes featured enough people as it was. Near the end of the episode Chiana takes a transport to the…empty space, encountering gamma disruption, which presumably has something to do with the shifting realities. And ultimately she’s able to land on an actual planet. :P A final note, because I’m not sure it’s worth a full paragraph—I’m not too fond of the slapstick way they use Jool here, though it is reminiscent of the recently unearthed “Three Stooges.” :P She’s basically the comic relief, what with her gurgling piss, being thrown into walls and whining about stupid dren. I guess I just expect more well-rounded characters. To be fair, if any episode could use a little levity…hee.
Another moment of levity included Harvey, wearing cowboy boots and playing the harmonica. :P Apparently it was Ben Browder’s idea to write “Andy” on the sole of his shoe, which was frelling brilliance, dude. Also, a reference that I actually got, unlike the one with the Alamo. *blushes* Here we are, talking about my own country’s history, with Dacon being cast as folk hero Davy Crockett, I presume, but I’m unlearned. Guess I have to thank a sci-fi TV show for some of my education. :P Anywho, there’s a lot to unpack with John and Harvey. They talk about the ripple effects of changing history, and how feasible it is (or isn’t) to lure things back to the original timeline, and wow, that conversation means a lot more after watching the entire series. *zips lips* Specifically to this situation, I think it’s noteworthy to realize Harvey’s disinterest in helping the nurses, which is John’s main reason for calling him out. I think this speaks to Harvey’s selfishness and self-preservation. He helped out John last episode, when our human’s life was in imminent danger. Here, he presumes correctly, that John will ultimately re-find the time tear and go through it, unharmed. Harvey is no longer linked to Scorpius, but his driving motivation remains John’s wormhole knowledge, not humanitarian work. He may be hilarious, but he’s not a nice guy.
He’s not the only one who is a little rough around the edges. There’s lots of proof in this episode that our homeboy isn’t the optimistic young lad who first entered the Uncharted Territories anymore. When he argues with Aeryn he’s the one who sees the future as gloomy, and he’s also insistent on sending Dacon (played so convincingly by youthful Dan Spielman) to his doom, because “he died in history.” Wow, there’s a lot of tension and guilt passing between our two lovebirds when Dacon, who believes in putting himself out there for the greater good, takes his final steps. For Aeryn’s part she may have been disappointed that Dacon wasn’t the traditional hero, but she’s a caretaker in her own right and immediately took him under her wing. Claudia’s scenes of tending to him, both alive and dead, were just beautiful. Finally we have Stark delivering the episode title to Kelsa as she faces the possibility of death: “different beliefs, different destinations.” The Scaper Chronicles claim that this is the most transparent the show has been about religion, though I think it refers more to the issue with the changing timeline. Different players in this battle have different motivations, which lead them to different destinations, based on who has the mic. I also firmly believe that this episode showed us just what we lost with Zhaan no longer being around. She may have had just the conciliatory nature to salvage this situation, dammit.
I’m going to end with D’argo and Kelsa’s daughter, Cyntrina (played beautifully by Basia A’Hern. I also really liked Lucy Bell’s performance as the desperate and overwhelmed Nurse Kelsa.) Thanks so much to the Scaper Chronicles for making me put all of this together. This episode, as mentioned earlier, shows us the Peacekeepers doing what they were meant to do—defending the innocent, rather than becoming a dictatorial military state. Maybe it’s because this planet, presumably, is made up of Sebaceans. When it comes to D’argo’s family, PK xenophobia rips them apart. D’argo never had the chance to be a good father to Jothee, and he probably could have tried harder with his angry adolescent son, but the bad blood between them was largely due to external forces. Anywho. Cyntrina is the type of child he could reach out to, the type who shows the best of his parenting skills. What great advice he gives her—to leave her mark so that she will live on in this world. Makes for such a harrowing ending once she’s dead, and the memorial changes for the final time. I was in tears, I admit. John already lives in infamy in the present; why not in the past, too, where Kelsa dies screaming his name? (To be fair, I kinda blame Aeryn for this one; her frontal assault bit didn’t have the best long-lasting results when the Horde was looking for their futuristic weapons.) I agree with many on the ScapeCast that the Horde, under new leadership, probably would have killed the nurses either way. But if John and/or the weapons were around, maybe it would have been more painless for them. Sigh, no happy endings here. And I’m left with John’s words as he’s trying to suss it all out—why did any of this have to happen? War, in the endgame, is often so pointless.
Favorite Crichtonism: *as he’s running across the battlements, “making like an army”* TONY MONTANAAAA!
Favorite Quotes:
*John’s first example of sticking his foot in his mouth with his words, in a manner of speaking*
John: This sucker is a tear in time. It links to the past. It looks back to the actual moment when the event occurred. Now, check it out. This is the nurses surrendering to the Venek Horde.
D’argo: Can they see us?
John: I hope not.
*Aeryn and Jool differ on the glory of the Peacekeepers. Poor D’argo has to referee*
Aeryn: This recording device is accurate. I learned about this Jocacean Memorial.
Jool: Well need I say more? If you learned about it in military school it's certain to be farko.
Aeryn: 500 cycles ago 30 Peacekeepers lost their lives defending this monastery and Sub-Officer Dacon is one of our greatest heroes!
Jool: Propaganda for morons.
Aeryn: I don't believe-!
D’argo: Enough ladies! Some decorum please! This is a peace memorial. Let's not kill one another.
Aeryn: *to Jool* You're wrong you know.
Jool: Bullfrell.
Aeryn: You're wrong!
Jool: Bullfrell!
Aeryn: You're wrong! If you'd only-! Sub-Officer Dacon stood right up there! The device says RIGHT UP THERE! Guts pouring out everywhere! Bleeding! And yet he still managed to initiate the peace process to save the nurses!
Jool: Bullfrell! Peacekeepers have always been a manifest military contagion that has raped and pillaged! They haven't DIED for any nurses! That's just a silly little story to help -- naive children sleep at night.
Aeryn: Do you know what would help me sleep better at night?
D’argo: Stop this.
Aeryn: *ignoring D* Do you want to hear?
D’argo: Girls stop this!
Aeryn: *to Jool* I'm going to get this thing as far down your-
D’argo: Stopstopstopstopstopstop! STOP IT! OKAY? STOP! Good.
*Chiana and Rygel can’t do their usual looting in Zhaan’s quarters*
Chiana: What are you doing in Zhaan’s quarters?
Rygel: You know why I'm here. Same reason as you.
Chiana: And why am I here?
Rygel: To steal whatever's left.
Chiana: Yeah. That's right.
Rygel: Well we're sensible you and me. Leaving this to rot won't bring Zhaan back.
Chiana: No. You can have whatever you find. I don't want it.
Rygel: No. Neither do I.
*John trying to be a good friend*
John: Come with me. Come on. *affixes new mask to Stark’s face* With these, you can see 500 cycles into the past, as it's happening - back to the moment when the nurses here were saved.
Stark: Aaah... I don't want to. No. No.
John: No it's okay. It's a moment of peace. It's the very thing Zhaan treasured most.
*as the Scaper Chronicles folks said, poor Jool should get a t-shirt: “I went to a peace memorial and all I got was this leg wound.” :P*
Jool: I THOUGHT WE WERE AT A PEACE MEMORIAL! I GOT SHOT AT A PEACE MEMORIAL!
*Aeryn has to do some quick thinking to explain to the Peacekeepers on site. Thank goodness she and John are dressed for the part*
Tarn: DON'T MOVE!
John: WHOA! WHOA! NO WEAPONS! NO DON'T SHOOT! DON'T SHOOT! DON'T SHOOT!
Aeryn: Reinforcements.
Tarn: You received our distress call?
Aeryn: Yes we did. Are you Sub-Officer Dacon?
Tarn: No, Commanding Officer Tarn.
Aeryn: Officer Sun, Sub-Officer Crichton. Luxan is a mercenary.
Tarn: How did you get inside?
Aeryn: We rappelled down the cliff face. Only 5 of us made it.
*the Horde attacks and John tries to not change history, yet defend himself at the same time*
John: Oop! Sorry! Don't die! Don't die!
*Chiana and Pilot are starting to see some changes in the present…*
Pilot: Have you heard from Crichton at the memorial?
Chiana: Yeah D'Argo commed about an arn ago. He said Jool and Aeryn were tralk-fighting. That seemed normal. Why? What's the matter?
Pilot: Nothing. Just - when we arrived, the automated orbit instructions were broadcast in Jocacean.
Chiana: Yeah well it's their memorial.
Pilot: But now Moya received a request to lift orbit. This time the broadcast was in basic Venek vernacular.
Chiana: Yeah but didn't the Veneks abandon the planet like, 400 cycles ago?
Pilot: That's what *I* thought.
Chiana: Well comm Crichton and D'Argo. I'll poke around in some frequencies and see what I can find.
*John and Aeryn kinda switch roles on the optimism front. Character growth*
Aeryn: You know if we did change things, it is possible that we could improve the future.
John: With our record? You think that's gonna happen?
*John tries to break the tension with some Crichtonisms*
Dacon: This one's still alive. Can you help me get him to the lock room?
John: Yeah no problem Opie. *to Aeryn* I just hope this was supposed to happen. *to Dacon* So you guys got any beer around here? Beer - it's, ah - like fellip nectar.
*Jool’s first slapstick act*
Jool: This is great! I've got to get some of this to bring home! What is it?
Kelsa: One part water, 9 parts fellip urine.
Jool: You made me drink piss?
*Aeryn learns uncomfortable truths about military history*
Aeryn: Dacon have you been a soldier long?
Dacon: Were you talking to Officer Tarn?
Aeryn: No - It's just that I - once heard you - killed a dozen Veneks when they breached the sack wall.
Dacon: Me?
Aeryn: Did you not also save the nurses convoy?
Dacon: No. Officer Tarn did all that. He was a very noble man. He always gave credit away.
*Stark and D’argo attempt to find the time tear*
Jool: I'm not going! *D pushes her into a wall, and she falls*
D’argo: Well that was obviously wrong.
*D’argo may be losing his cool with Stark at last*
D’argo: You will LISTEN TO ME! TELL ME WHERE THE TEAR IS OR I WILL USE YOUR FACE TO CREATE A NEW ONE!
*After realizing they have to fix the timeline*
D’argo: Can't we just go through and sort this all out later?
Stark: We must do it here! Now! *with hand motions* As Zhaan always says - "Do right by the wrong. Goddess helps us all along."
Aeryn: Feeling left out D'Argo? We're the only ones who don't have voices in our heads.
*the present keeps changing for the worse…*
Pilot: Chiana - I - believe Jool may not have overstated the situation. Much to - my surprise.
Chiana: These broadcast frequencies are static - what happened to them?
Jool: Well I kept trying to tell you!
Pilot: Apparently devastated by conflict, the planet is still inhabited - but by a bare fraction of the population from just a few arns ago.
Jool: You don't like me - fine! But don't treat me like I'm non-existent! Somehow we went back in time and the others are still there and if you knew anything about linear continuity, you'd realize what they're doing back there now is affecting things on that planet!
Pilot: What minimal data stores I can access - indicate a vicious war claimed millions of lives around 500 cycles ago.
*Aeryn explains her mentality to struggling Dacon*
Aeryn: Dacon! Slowly take your finger off the trigger and point the weapon away from both of us.
Dacon: Those recruitment holochips never said anything about this.
Aeryn: About what? Fighting with primitive weapons?
Dacon: Dying. Knowing you're going to die. Having time to think about it.
Aeryn: Well as a soldier you don't think about it.
Dacon: I'm a cook. I like to think about food. Why did you join up?
Aeryn: I didn't.
Dacon: You were born into service?
Aeryn: Aboard a Command Carrier.
Dacon: No wonder you're fearless.
Aeryn: No - it's easy to be fearless around here. This is what Peacekeepers are meant to do - help the defenseless.
John and General Grynes reach an understanding*
John: Why is this cloister so important?
Grynes: Your superiors sent you into battle without an understanding of the antecedents? You really are barbarians.
John: No, we're Peacekeepers. Barbarians butcher children.
Grynes: Yes, the Horde is bloodthirsty, and almost impossible to control. I am trying not to be a barbarian - and I've never harmed a child in my life.
John: Why is your army here?
Grynes: My soldiers used to share the waters of the Kritland River with the cities on the plateau. Now our supply - has dried. And we're dying.
John: So this is about water?
Grynes: Inside this mountain is the source of the river. If we don't gain access to it, the - Horde will attack the cities. And millions will die.
John: But you - you want to offer a cease-fire.
Grynes: How do you know this?
John: Doesn't matter. We accept your offer.
Grynes: But the Horde will not offer it while opposing soldiers are still here.
John: We won't be here. By the time you and your soldiers arrive, we'll be gone.
Grynes: And why would you do this?
John: Same reason you'll offer amnesty. We're not barbarians. You give me your word you won't harm the women and children - and I'll get you out of here.
*Kelsa shows another side of the Peacekeepers, and asks a favor of D’argo*
D’argo: There seems to be too many nurses here and not enough fighters.
Kelsa: We were on a healing caravan when the Horde began the conflict. This detachment of Peacekeepers found us. Brought us here for our protection.
D’argo: Are the Peacekeepers contracted to defend your world?
Kelsa: They uphold all that's good. It's ironic - we might have been safer if they'd never found us. Do you know - what the Horde does to children? If they overrun us... and I'm too weak or unable... I'd rather my girl were at peace than in their hands. Please - I depend on you.
*John’s “good feelings” are starting to get scary*
John: Hey General - Got a good feelin' 'bout this. I think history is gonna remember you as a maker of great peace- *Grynes shot in the chest by Kelsa*!
*…I wouldn’t be pointing fingers, John*
John: That guy you shot? He was their General. He wanted to offer you a cease-fire.
Kelsa: I don't believe you.
Aeryn: Why didn't you tell us anything?
John: There wasn't time.
Aeryn: Oh like frell there wasn't! And since when do you make decisions for me?
*you always know that the misogynist in the group will be a jackass*
Lennok: Jocacean civilians and Peacekeeper Militia - Hear me! You will never know how close to salvation you came. How near lasting peace you brushed. The death of our General in battle we understand and accept. But to disgrace him in your females cloth? You have the nights stars to make peace with your deities. On the dawn, your severed heads will be nailed to the walls you defend.
*kickstarting a grander conversation…but for the specifics, Harvey is no help*
Harvey: All modern research points to the elasticity of time - rather than a brittle framework.
John: Can it be corrected?
Harvey: Hm - if nudged closely enough to course - events have a way of restructuring themselves. If the participants are the same, the venue's the same, the motivation's the same, then well - the outcome is likely to be the same.
John: So we have to find a way to kick-start this thing.
Harvey: And soon! When the Horde attacks at dawn - events will vector further away from the reality you and I both know.
John: Suggestions?
Harvey: No. Not this time John. There's been so much change what with you here, Grynes dead - I don't want the consequences of catastrophic failure resting on my head.
John: I'm in a hell of a slump here. Everything I do just makes things worse.
Harvey: Well then! Do better.
*John’s strict adherence to history makes him sorta cruel*
Aeryn: Sub-Officer Dacon does not have to die.
John: He's Davey Crockett at the Alamo. He stands on the wall and he takes one for the home team - I've thought about this! It's the only thing I could come up with to fix the timeline!
Aeryn: Oh you and your stupid timeline!
John: What? You think I want to do it? Think it's my first option? Read the history! It's in your pocket! If Grynes lives - he's a hero who averts a war. Dead - he's just another guy in the Laura Ashley Spring Collection! It's you and me now - we've gotta do something.
Aeryn: He's not a soldier.
John: I know that. But the way history unfolds, that doesn't stop him from taking an arrow.
*Stark counsels Kelsa on the end*
Kelsa: You deal with the dead?
Stark: Someone must.
Kelsa: Death is when my expertise ends.
Stark: When you shot the General - how did you feel?
Kelsa: I felt hatred - fear.
Stark: Fear is good. Keep that. But travel light. Forget hate.
Kelsa: If we die - will I be with my daughter - after?
Stark: Different beliefs... Different destinations. I cannot tell before the end. Should the worst befall - you will not be alone.
*D’argo gets the chance to be a good father figure*
Cyntrina: My Mother says when loved ones die - we must remember them forever.
D’argo: Well your Mother is right.
Cyntrina: Do you think when I'm dead - someone will remember me?
D’argo: You know what? I know a secret - that will guarantee it. Make your mark. *gives her a knife* Carve it into the stone. That way, in the future, anyone that reads it will think of Cyntrina.
*Dacon sacrifices himself for the home team, despite Aeryn’s guilt*
Aeryn: I'm - delivering the message.
Dacon: There? You should shoot from down here!
Aeryn: Ah - no. We only get one chance, I can't have it go wrong - and it needs to land right near their camps.
Dacon: You can't expose yourself to their fire. Let me do it.
Aeryn: I appreciate the gesture - but a soldier should do it.
Dacon: Better if a cook does it.
Aeryn: I don't want you to get hurt.
Dacon: Well, better me than you.
*attempting Aeryn’s full frontal solution, as the time tear still isn’t there, and battle continues*
Aeryn: I listened to you! I let a man DIE! And we changed NOTHING! NOTHING!
John: HE WAS SUPPOSED TO DIE! THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED IN HISTORY!
Aeryn: THEN WHY ISN'T THE TEAR BACK?
John: I DON'T KNOW! Untie me!
Aeryn: Can we use our weapons now or are you still afraid to change things?
John: YES we can use the weapons! Untie me!
*tensions between Chiana and Jool once the planet disappears*
Chiana: Keep the comms open. I'm going out to look for them.
Jool: There's nothing there! It's all gone! Where are you going to look?
Chiana: Hey how's that arm going? Has the piss worn off?
Jool: Yes. Actually it's quite sore. Thanks for asking. *Chiana punches the wound; Jool starts screaming*
Chiana: And stop screaming! It is very, VERY irritating, and I don't want you melting anything!
*I kind of think only Rygel should be allowed to live this long, but talk about bittersweet :/*
Cyntrina: Will I ever see you again?
D’argo: How long do your people live?
Cyntrina: My Mother says I'll live for 700 cycles.
D’argo: Well maybe I'll see you again when you grow up.
*Kelsa’s fear is not really that unfounded, despite her stupidity in operating fire weapons when she’s untrained and scared*
John: We have to go.
Kelsa: If you're not here the Veneks will murder us.
John: No, no. If there's no soldiers here, they'll offer a cease-fire.
Kelsa: How do you know that?
John: I just... do.
Kelsa: Veneks are predators. They kill. That's what they do. They don't have cease-fires. Please... at least - leave your weapons then-
John: No! I-I can't. I'm sorry. You're gonna be safe. I promise.
*Chiana and Aeryn compare notes while John lets sand slip through his fingers*
Chiana: On Moya, we registered every change as it happened. First - there were-there were millions dead. And then the planet disappeared. And then it came back. I almost crashed the pod trying to get it in here.
Aeryn: And - nothing changed on Moya?
Chiana: No. Only the planet was affected by what you did. Everything's the same. E-except uh –So is there any chance you can go back?
Aeryn: No. The ah - tear is no longer stable. Stark tried, but he can't get us back through.
*I wasn’t all that conscious of my feelings about war when first watching “Farscape” as a teen, but man does this line up with my opinions now*
John: I screwed up.
Aeryn: You- We - did what we could.
John: Why would they do that? What's the point?
Aeryn: There probably was no point.
*altered history; the terrified nurses fall prey to a venomous horde*
Lennok: TELL ME! WHERE ARE THE SOLDIERS WHO WERE HERE?
Kelsa: I-I know nothing! They-they just left. I don't know where they are!
Lennok: NO-ONE COULD HAVE GOTTEN PAST MY FORCES! TELL ME WHERE THEY ARE! I CAN'T CONTROL THE HORDE UNLESS-
Kelsa: Crichton said that-that they planned to escape from the cliffs but-
Lennok: Too many Veneks have died here! THE BLOOD LUST IS ON THEM! I need to give the Horde something. WHERE ARE THE PULSE WEAPONS THEY FIRED ON US?
Kelsa: Crichton took them! Please! Please! I don't know where they've gone! I don't know!
Lennok: I CAN'T STOP THE HORDE UNLESS YOU TELL ME WHERE THIS CRICHTON IS!
Kelsa: I don't know! I don't know! CRICHTON!
___
I’d say this might be one of the most depressing episodes of “Farscape.” Yeah, we’ve seen all of the main characters go through the psychological ringer in the past, but there’s a definitive sense of futility here. The stakes are high, probability for success keeps slipping further away, this excursion wasn’t supposed to be a problem at all.
There are far deeper implications at play here, too, themes that crop up in this episode that will mold the trajectory for much of the over-arching plot for the series. Not sure how I’m gonna talk about it under the spoiler cut without giving away everything. :P Suffice to say, this isn’t really a stand-alone episode. The issues we’re probing here are meant to last.
Episode summary is here, courtesy of the John and Aeryn Fansite.
I think I’ll start where we left off last episode—with Zhaan. :/ While Moya regenerates, John, Aeryn, D’argo, Jool and Stark go down to a nearby planet where there’s a peace memorial. John kind of wants to use it as a therapeutic tool for Stark who is sitting in a corner holding a tree branch that possibly reminds him of his lost love. *wibble* Through a tear in space time *eyeroll* they can see the events of 500 cycles past unfold, where a group of nurses bury the hatchet with a vicious horde that had been terrorizing them. During the actual battle part the Peacekeepers have come to the aid of the nurses, in what is a rare show of honor from those folks. You can see that Aeryn takes particular pride in this stand-off, where 30 PKs lost their lives and a hero called Sub-Officer Dacon was forged. Chiana checks in via coms to say that Moya isn’t ready to leave yet, then she and Rygel have a rather touching moment in Zhaan’s room. The Hynerian claims he’s just there to gain a profit, but when Chi says she doesn’t want to partake in her usual looting, Rygel lets down his guard as well. I keep remembering how, a few episodes back, Zhaan was the one who was able to get Ryg to calm down about John, and she was a mothering comfort to Chiana when they thought they were facing doom. The relationship progression bears a mighty tail, and it earned, in that moment, our two little thieves growing a conscience. Ryg and Chiana undergo moving character growth.
Anywho, John puts the new mask on Stark, but it interferes with his old mask, and then when John tries to remove it (poor John keeps making unintentional messes) the group gets sucked back in time! I’m gonna be a little bit eyerolly about the pulpy time travel gimmick, but what comes after (or should I say, in the past) does make it all worth it. They arrive in time to see most of the Peacekeepers killed, except for Dacon who is a young, untrained cook and not the gruff military man whom Aeryn envisioned. As history goes, Dacon is supposed to die while sending a white flag message over the wall of their monastery, and then General Grynes of
From there this episode is largely a race to get the timeline back on track. From the future—or should I say, the show’s present—we can tell it’s not going very well. Primarily through Chiana and Pilot’s discussions (they ignore Jool, even though she’s been down there,) we discover new outcomes as everyone else alters the past—first the wrong side wins the war, then fewer people live on the planet, then NO ONE lives there, and finally the entire planet is gone (though the rings still remain. :P Even I know that’s scientifically inaccurate…I think. What are they orbiting? Anywho.) Rygel is otherwise absent, except for that first scene. Maybe “Farscape” spent too much money on extras and special effects, or maybe the Moya scenes featured enough people as it was. Near the end of the episode Chiana takes a transport to the…empty space, encountering gamma disruption, which presumably has something to do with the shifting realities. And ultimately she’s able to land on an actual planet. :P A final note, because I’m not sure it’s worth a full paragraph—I’m not too fond of the slapstick way they use Jool here, though it is reminiscent of the recently unearthed “Three Stooges.” :P She’s basically the comic relief, what with her gurgling piss, being thrown into walls and whining about stupid dren. I guess I just expect more well-rounded characters. To be fair, if any episode could use a little levity…hee.
Another moment of levity included Harvey, wearing cowboy boots and playing the harmonica. :P Apparently it was Ben Browder’s idea to write “Andy” on the sole of his shoe, which was frelling brilliance, dude. Also, a reference that I actually got, unlike the one with the Alamo. *blushes* Here we are, talking about my own country’s history, with Dacon being cast as folk hero Davy Crockett, I presume, but I’m unlearned. Guess I have to thank a sci-fi TV show for some of my education. :P Anywho, there’s a lot to unpack with John and Harvey. They talk about the ripple effects of changing history, and how feasible it is (or isn’t) to lure things back to the original timeline, and wow, that conversation means a lot more after watching the entire series. *zips lips* Specifically to this situation, I think it’s noteworthy to realize Harvey’s disinterest in helping the nurses, which is John’s main reason for calling him out. I think this speaks to Harvey’s selfishness and self-preservation. He helped out John last episode, when our human’s life was in imminent danger. Here, he presumes correctly, that John will ultimately re-find the time tear and go through it, unharmed. Harvey is no longer linked to Scorpius, but his driving motivation remains John’s wormhole knowledge, not humanitarian work. He may be hilarious, but he’s not a nice guy.
He’s not the only one who is a little rough around the edges. There’s lots of proof in this episode that our homeboy isn’t the optimistic young lad who first entered the Uncharted Territories anymore. When he argues with Aeryn he’s the one who sees the future as gloomy, and he’s also insistent on sending Dacon (played so convincingly by youthful Dan Spielman) to his doom, because “he died in history.” Wow, there’s a lot of tension and guilt passing between our two lovebirds when Dacon, who believes in putting himself out there for the greater good, takes his final steps. For Aeryn’s part she may have been disappointed that Dacon wasn’t the traditional hero, but she’s a caretaker in her own right and immediately took him under her wing. Claudia’s scenes of tending to him, both alive and dead, were just beautiful. Finally we have Stark delivering the episode title to Kelsa as she faces the possibility of death: “different beliefs, different destinations.” The Scaper Chronicles claim that this is the most transparent the show has been about religion, though I think it refers more to the issue with the changing timeline. Different players in this battle have different motivations, which lead them to different destinations, based on who has the mic. I also firmly believe that this episode showed us just what we lost with Zhaan no longer being around. She may have had just the conciliatory nature to salvage this situation, dammit.
I’m going to end with D’argo and Kelsa’s daughter, Cyntrina (played beautifully by Basia A’Hern. I also really liked Lucy Bell’s performance as the desperate and overwhelmed Nurse Kelsa.) Thanks so much to the Scaper Chronicles for making me put all of this together. This episode, as mentioned earlier, shows us the Peacekeepers doing what they were meant to do—defending the innocent, rather than becoming a dictatorial military state. Maybe it’s because this planet, presumably, is made up of Sebaceans. When it comes to D’argo’s family, PK xenophobia rips them apart. D’argo never had the chance to be a good father to Jothee, and he probably could have tried harder with his angry adolescent son, but the bad blood between them was largely due to external forces. Anywho. Cyntrina is the type of child he could reach out to, the type who shows the best of his parenting skills. What great advice he gives her—to leave her mark so that she will live on in this world. Makes for such a harrowing ending once she’s dead, and the memorial changes for the final time. I was in tears, I admit. John already lives in infamy in the present; why not in the past, too, where Kelsa dies screaming his name? (To be fair, I kinda blame Aeryn for this one; her frontal assault bit didn’t have the best long-lasting results when the Horde was looking for their futuristic weapons.) I agree with many on the ScapeCast that the Horde, under new leadership, probably would have killed the nurses either way. But if John and/or the weapons were around, maybe it would have been more painless for them. Sigh, no happy endings here. And I’m left with John’s words as he’s trying to suss it all out—why did any of this have to happen? War, in the endgame, is often so pointless.
Favorite Crichtonism: *as he’s running across the battlements, “making like an army”* TONY MONTANAAAA!
Favorite Quotes:
*John’s first example of sticking his foot in his mouth with his words, in a manner of speaking*
John: This sucker is a tear in time. It links to the past. It looks back to the actual moment when the event occurred. Now, check it out. This is the nurses surrendering to the Venek Horde.
D’argo: Can they see us?
John: I hope not.
*Aeryn and Jool differ on the glory of the Peacekeepers. Poor D’argo has to referee*
Aeryn: This recording device is accurate. I learned about this Jocacean Memorial.
Jool: Well need I say more? If you learned about it in military school it's certain to be farko.
Aeryn: 500 cycles ago 30 Peacekeepers lost their lives defending this monastery and Sub-Officer Dacon is one of our greatest heroes!
Jool: Propaganda for morons.
Aeryn: I don't believe-!
D’argo: Enough ladies! Some decorum please! This is a peace memorial. Let's not kill one another.
Aeryn: *to Jool* You're wrong you know.
Jool: Bullfrell.
Aeryn: You're wrong!
Jool: Bullfrell!
Aeryn: You're wrong! If you'd only-! Sub-Officer Dacon stood right up there! The device says RIGHT UP THERE! Guts pouring out everywhere! Bleeding! And yet he still managed to initiate the peace process to save the nurses!
Jool: Bullfrell! Peacekeepers have always been a manifest military contagion that has raped and pillaged! They haven't DIED for any nurses! That's just a silly little story to help -- naive children sleep at night.
Aeryn: Do you know what would help me sleep better at night?
D’argo: Stop this.
Aeryn: *ignoring D* Do you want to hear?
D’argo: Girls stop this!
Aeryn: *to Jool* I'm going to get this thing as far down your-
D’argo: Stopstopstopstopstopstop! STOP IT! OKAY? STOP! Good.
*Chiana and Rygel can’t do their usual looting in Zhaan’s quarters*
Chiana: What are you doing in Zhaan’s quarters?
Rygel: You know why I'm here. Same reason as you.
Chiana: And why am I here?
Rygel: To steal whatever's left.
Chiana: Yeah. That's right.
Rygel: Well we're sensible you and me. Leaving this to rot won't bring Zhaan back.
Chiana: No. You can have whatever you find. I don't want it.
Rygel: No. Neither do I.
*John trying to be a good friend*
John: Come with me. Come on. *affixes new mask to Stark’s face* With these, you can see 500 cycles into the past, as it's happening - back to the moment when the nurses here were saved.
Stark: Aaah... I don't want to. No. No.
John: No it's okay. It's a moment of peace. It's the very thing Zhaan treasured most.
*as the Scaper Chronicles folks said, poor Jool should get a t-shirt: “I went to a peace memorial and all I got was this leg wound.” :P*
Jool: I THOUGHT WE WERE AT A PEACE MEMORIAL! I GOT SHOT AT A PEACE MEMORIAL!
*Aeryn has to do some quick thinking to explain to the Peacekeepers on site. Thank goodness she and John are dressed for the part*
Tarn: DON'T MOVE!
John: WHOA! WHOA! NO WEAPONS! NO DON'T SHOOT! DON'T SHOOT! DON'T SHOOT!
Aeryn: Reinforcements.
Tarn: You received our distress call?
Aeryn: Yes we did. Are you Sub-Officer Dacon?
Tarn: No, Commanding Officer Tarn.
Aeryn: Officer Sun, Sub-Officer Crichton. Luxan is a mercenary.
Tarn: How did you get inside?
Aeryn: We rappelled down the cliff face. Only 5 of us made it.
*the Horde attacks and John tries to not change history, yet defend himself at the same time*
John: Oop! Sorry! Don't die! Don't die!
*Chiana and Pilot are starting to see some changes in the present…*
Pilot: Have you heard from Crichton at the memorial?
Chiana: Yeah D'Argo commed about an arn ago. He said Jool and Aeryn were tralk-fighting. That seemed normal. Why? What's the matter?
Pilot: Nothing. Just - when we arrived, the automated orbit instructions were broadcast in Jocacean.
Chiana: Yeah well it's their memorial.
Pilot: But now Moya received a request to lift orbit. This time the broadcast was in basic Venek vernacular.
Chiana: Yeah but didn't the Veneks abandon the planet like, 400 cycles ago?
Pilot: That's what *I* thought.
Chiana: Well comm Crichton and D'Argo. I'll poke around in some frequencies and see what I can find.
*John and Aeryn kinda switch roles on the optimism front. Character growth*
Aeryn: You know if we did change things, it is possible that we could improve the future.
John: With our record? You think that's gonna happen?
*John tries to break the tension with some Crichtonisms*
Dacon: This one's still alive. Can you help me get him to the lock room?
John: Yeah no problem Opie. *to Aeryn* I just hope this was supposed to happen. *to Dacon* So you guys got any beer around here? Beer - it's, ah - like fellip nectar.
*Jool’s first slapstick act*
Jool: This is great! I've got to get some of this to bring home! What is it?
Kelsa: One part water, 9 parts fellip urine.
Jool: You made me drink piss?
*Aeryn learns uncomfortable truths about military history*
Aeryn: Dacon have you been a soldier long?
Dacon: Were you talking to Officer Tarn?
Aeryn: No - It's just that I - once heard you - killed a dozen Veneks when they breached the sack wall.
Dacon: Me?
Aeryn: Did you not also save the nurses convoy?
Dacon: No. Officer Tarn did all that. He was a very noble man. He always gave credit away.
*Stark and D’argo attempt to find the time tear*
Jool: I'm not going! *D pushes her into a wall, and she falls*
D’argo: Well that was obviously wrong.
*D’argo may be losing his cool with Stark at last*
D’argo: You will LISTEN TO ME! TELL ME WHERE THE TEAR IS OR I WILL USE YOUR FACE TO CREATE A NEW ONE!
*After realizing they have to fix the timeline*
D’argo: Can't we just go through and sort this all out later?
Stark: We must do it here! Now! *with hand motions* As Zhaan always says - "Do right by the wrong. Goddess helps us all along."
Aeryn: Feeling left out D'Argo? We're the only ones who don't have voices in our heads.
*the present keeps changing for the worse…*
Pilot: Chiana - I - believe Jool may not have overstated the situation. Much to - my surprise.
Chiana: These broadcast frequencies are static - what happened to them?
Jool: Well I kept trying to tell you!
Pilot: Apparently devastated by conflict, the planet is still inhabited - but by a bare fraction of the population from just a few arns ago.
Jool: You don't like me - fine! But don't treat me like I'm non-existent! Somehow we went back in time and the others are still there and if you knew anything about linear continuity, you'd realize what they're doing back there now is affecting things on that planet!
Pilot: What minimal data stores I can access - indicate a vicious war claimed millions of lives around 500 cycles ago.
*Aeryn explains her mentality to struggling Dacon*
Aeryn: Dacon! Slowly take your finger off the trigger and point the weapon away from both of us.
Dacon: Those recruitment holochips never said anything about this.
Aeryn: About what? Fighting with primitive weapons?
Dacon: Dying. Knowing you're going to die. Having time to think about it.
Aeryn: Well as a soldier you don't think about it.
Dacon: I'm a cook. I like to think about food. Why did you join up?
Aeryn: I didn't.
Dacon: You were born into service?
Aeryn: Aboard a Command Carrier.
Dacon: No wonder you're fearless.
Aeryn: No - it's easy to be fearless around here. This is what Peacekeepers are meant to do - help the defenseless.
John and General Grynes reach an understanding*
John: Why is this cloister so important?
Grynes: Your superiors sent you into battle without an understanding of the antecedents? You really are barbarians.
John: No, we're Peacekeepers. Barbarians butcher children.
Grynes: Yes, the Horde is bloodthirsty, and almost impossible to control. I am trying not to be a barbarian - and I've never harmed a child in my life.
John: Why is your army here?
Grynes: My soldiers used to share the waters of the Kritland River with the cities on the plateau. Now our supply - has dried. And we're dying.
John: So this is about water?
Grynes: Inside this mountain is the source of the river. If we don't gain access to it, the - Horde will attack the cities. And millions will die.
John: But you - you want to offer a cease-fire.
Grynes: How do you know this?
John: Doesn't matter. We accept your offer.
Grynes: But the Horde will not offer it while opposing soldiers are still here.
John: We won't be here. By the time you and your soldiers arrive, we'll be gone.
Grynes: And why would you do this?
John: Same reason you'll offer amnesty. We're not barbarians. You give me your word you won't harm the women and children - and I'll get you out of here.
*Kelsa shows another side of the Peacekeepers, and asks a favor of D’argo*
D’argo: There seems to be too many nurses here and not enough fighters.
Kelsa: We were on a healing caravan when the Horde began the conflict. This detachment of Peacekeepers found us. Brought us here for our protection.
D’argo: Are the Peacekeepers contracted to defend your world?
Kelsa: They uphold all that's good. It's ironic - we might have been safer if they'd never found us. Do you know - what the Horde does to children? If they overrun us... and I'm too weak or unable... I'd rather my girl were at peace than in their hands. Please - I depend on you.
*John’s “good feelings” are starting to get scary*
John: Hey General - Got a good feelin' 'bout this. I think history is gonna remember you as a maker of great peace- *Grynes shot in the chest by Kelsa*!
*…I wouldn’t be pointing fingers, John*
John: That guy you shot? He was their General. He wanted to offer you a cease-fire.
Kelsa: I don't believe you.
Aeryn: Why didn't you tell us anything?
John: There wasn't time.
Aeryn: Oh like frell there wasn't! And since when do you make decisions for me?
*you always know that the misogynist in the group will be a jackass*
Lennok: Jocacean civilians and Peacekeeper Militia - Hear me! You will never know how close to salvation you came. How near lasting peace you brushed. The death of our General in battle we understand and accept. But to disgrace him in your females cloth? You have the nights stars to make peace with your deities. On the dawn, your severed heads will be nailed to the walls you defend.
*kickstarting a grander conversation…but for the specifics, Harvey is no help*
Harvey: All modern research points to the elasticity of time - rather than a brittle framework.
John: Can it be corrected?
Harvey: Hm - if nudged closely enough to course - events have a way of restructuring themselves. If the participants are the same, the venue's the same, the motivation's the same, then well - the outcome is likely to be the same.
John: So we have to find a way to kick-start this thing.
Harvey: And soon! When the Horde attacks at dawn - events will vector further away from the reality you and I both know.
John: Suggestions?
Harvey: No. Not this time John. There's been so much change what with you here, Grynes dead - I don't want the consequences of catastrophic failure resting on my head.
John: I'm in a hell of a slump here. Everything I do just makes things worse.
Harvey: Well then! Do better.
*John’s strict adherence to history makes him sorta cruel*
Aeryn: Sub-Officer Dacon does not have to die.
John: He's Davey Crockett at the Alamo. He stands on the wall and he takes one for the home team - I've thought about this! It's the only thing I could come up with to fix the timeline!
Aeryn: Oh you and your stupid timeline!
John: What? You think I want to do it? Think it's my first option? Read the history! It's in your pocket! If Grynes lives - he's a hero who averts a war. Dead - he's just another guy in the Laura Ashley Spring Collection! It's you and me now - we've gotta do something.
Aeryn: He's not a soldier.
John: I know that. But the way history unfolds, that doesn't stop him from taking an arrow.
*Stark counsels Kelsa on the end*
Kelsa: You deal with the dead?
Stark: Someone must.
Kelsa: Death is when my expertise ends.
Stark: When you shot the General - how did you feel?
Kelsa: I felt hatred - fear.
Stark: Fear is good. Keep that. But travel light. Forget hate.
Kelsa: If we die - will I be with my daughter - after?
Stark: Different beliefs... Different destinations. I cannot tell before the end. Should the worst befall - you will not be alone.
*D’argo gets the chance to be a good father figure*
Cyntrina: My Mother says when loved ones die - we must remember them forever.
D’argo: Well your Mother is right.
Cyntrina: Do you think when I'm dead - someone will remember me?
D’argo: You know what? I know a secret - that will guarantee it. Make your mark. *gives her a knife* Carve it into the stone. That way, in the future, anyone that reads it will think of Cyntrina.
*Dacon sacrifices himself for the home team, despite Aeryn’s guilt*
Aeryn: I'm - delivering the message.
Dacon: There? You should shoot from down here!
Aeryn: Ah - no. We only get one chance, I can't have it go wrong - and it needs to land right near their camps.
Dacon: You can't expose yourself to their fire. Let me do it.
Aeryn: I appreciate the gesture - but a soldier should do it.
Dacon: Better if a cook does it.
Aeryn: I don't want you to get hurt.
Dacon: Well, better me than you.
*attempting Aeryn’s full frontal solution, as the time tear still isn’t there, and battle continues*
Aeryn: I listened to you! I let a man DIE! And we changed NOTHING! NOTHING!
John: HE WAS SUPPOSED TO DIE! THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED IN HISTORY!
Aeryn: THEN WHY ISN'T THE TEAR BACK?
John: I DON'T KNOW! Untie me!
Aeryn: Can we use our weapons now or are you still afraid to change things?
John: YES we can use the weapons! Untie me!
*tensions between Chiana and Jool once the planet disappears*
Chiana: Keep the comms open. I'm going out to look for them.
Jool: There's nothing there! It's all gone! Where are you going to look?
Chiana: Hey how's that arm going? Has the piss worn off?
Jool: Yes. Actually it's quite sore. Thanks for asking. *Chiana punches the wound; Jool starts screaming*
Chiana: And stop screaming! It is very, VERY irritating, and I don't want you melting anything!
*I kind of think only Rygel should be allowed to live this long, but talk about bittersweet :/*
Cyntrina: Will I ever see you again?
D’argo: How long do your people live?
Cyntrina: My Mother says I'll live for 700 cycles.
D’argo: Well maybe I'll see you again when you grow up.
*Kelsa’s fear is not really that unfounded, despite her stupidity in operating fire weapons when she’s untrained and scared*
John: We have to go.
Kelsa: If you're not here the Veneks will murder us.
John: No, no. If there's no soldiers here, they'll offer a cease-fire.
Kelsa: How do you know that?
John: I just... do.
Kelsa: Veneks are predators. They kill. That's what they do. They don't have cease-fires. Please... at least - leave your weapons then-
John: No! I-I can't. I'm sorry. You're gonna be safe. I promise.
*Chiana and Aeryn compare notes while John lets sand slip through his fingers*
Chiana: On Moya, we registered every change as it happened. First - there were-there were millions dead. And then the planet disappeared. And then it came back. I almost crashed the pod trying to get it in here.
Aeryn: And - nothing changed on Moya?
Chiana: No. Only the planet was affected by what you did. Everything's the same. E-except uh –So is there any chance you can go back?
Aeryn: No. The ah - tear is no longer stable. Stark tried, but he can't get us back through.
*I wasn’t all that conscious of my feelings about war when first watching “Farscape” as a teen, but man does this line up with my opinions now*
John: I screwed up.
Aeryn: You- We - did what we could.
John: Why would they do that? What's the point?
Aeryn: There probably was no point.
*altered history; the terrified nurses fall prey to a venomous horde*
Lennok: TELL ME! WHERE ARE THE SOLDIERS WHO WERE HERE?
Kelsa: I-I know nothing! They-they just left. I don't know where they are!
Lennok: NO-ONE COULD HAVE GOTTEN PAST MY FORCES! TELL ME WHERE THEY ARE! I CAN'T CONTROL THE HORDE UNLESS-
Kelsa: Crichton said that-that they planned to escape from the cliffs but-
Lennok: Too many Veneks have died here! THE BLOOD LUST IS ON THEM! I need to give the Horde something. WHERE ARE THE PULSE WEAPONS THEY FIRED ON US?
Kelsa: Crichton took them! Please! Please! I don't know where they've gone! I don't know!
Lennok: I CAN'T STOP THE HORDE UNLESS YOU TELL ME WHERE THIS CRICHTON IS!
Kelsa: I don't know! I don't know! CRICHTON!
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