Farscape Episode 3.06: “Eat Me”
Sep. 15th, 2015 11:08 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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scifi_rewatchWelcome to the horror episode of “Farscape.” :P Yeah, horror isn’t really my thing. I could appreciate that the editing was used to great effect to slowly reveal the bad guy and his sinister plot, and the special effects were phenomenal. Particularly the score; in fact, composer Guy Gross did the episode commentary for this one, explaining how he used warped violin and trumpet sounds, and all sorts of other memorable goodies.
But plot for plot’s sake, ridiculous caricatures (Jool, once again, being amongst them)…eh. It’s basically a watered-down Hannibal Lecter scenario, with a few more annoying tropes built in. It’s a freakout, absolutely, but I’d rather delve into complicated characters and the deeper issues they come across in their journey.
To be fair, this episode covered a little bit of that, particularly with Chiana. I wouldn’t say it was Ben Browder or Anthony Simcoe’s finest performances on the show, but Gigi Edgley really brought something real, and varied, to Chiana’s arc this hour. Was especially nice, because this was the first time she’s really been center stage since the Jothee affair.
And this whole episode was necessary because of the big reveal at the end. Suffice to say, this plot twist was one of the more amazing inventions of the show. It didn’t amount to much in this hour, but it’ll have a long tail of repercussions.
Episode summary is here, courtesy of the John and Aeryn Fansite.
So…twinning. Not cloning, but twinning. “Farscape” made sure to make this into a big deal, what with having Kaarvok repeat it as the Johns remained tied at rock, paper, scissors. I think this quiet, steely determination was Ben’s best acting in the episode, hee. (And damn, they are killing it with these final scenes; that exchange between Aeryn and Rygel said so much.) We were supposed to think of both Johns as the real John, and both D’argos and Chianas as real, too, which had much more of an impact in this particular episode. Another alternate realities write-off, kinda like the whole shifting timeline thing last eppy. Now there’s two Johns to forge two destinies in the Uncharted Territories. It’s not like the clones in “My Three Crichtons” anymore; both Johns are equal and original! (Guy Gross quipped that maybe Aeryn could have a little fun with this…yeah, that girl doesn’t make it easy for herself in the romance department, lol.) But bravo, “Farscape.” Top marks for creativity.
Before John got twinned, his attitude was still all over the place. :P I remember thinking, with the last ep, that we barely had time for any Crichtonisms; here his dialogue was a cesspool of them. He was also delving deep into homeboy territory with his CAPSLOCK southern twang. Nothing against it, but it was certainly more style over substance; a way for John to get through the kookiness without invoking Harvey, cos this whole thing was just too redonkulous. Though maybe it’s worth noting that he’s been growing more and more unhinged for awhile. The Scaper Chronicles noticed that he was also quick to make brash plans, even after everything that happened in “…Different Destinations.” Continuity issue or character flaw? I do think there was a definite difference in tone between the secondary characters here, vs in other recent episodes, where both friends and foes were given some nuance. Here, the only characters of any merit or importance are John, D’argo, Chiana and maaaaybe Jool. John made crazy plans, and death was barely a consideration (morelike a joke, when Chiana was shooting some people through the body of another guy) because ultimately, none of this really mattered.
I’m not trying to be a stickler on the deaths; just to mention that these extras, even Kaarvok, were just window dressing. The tropes were a little more wearying to me. The deformed Peacekeepers (I’ll give kudos for the line about the pet-like Xarai) looked a bit like savage natives from a “King Kong” flick; some of them were even smeared with dark grease. I guess that was supposed to infer ill-health or eating the ship, or who knows. Then the whole mad-scientist impregnation thing, sheesh; pretty overdone in B-rated horror, methinks. They obviously tried to play it off for laughs; D’argo, at most, was uncomfortable by the prospect, and of course he and Chiana had to share an awkward moment as “Belima” licked him like a mad puppy. Just saying, it’s a far cry from recent “Farscape,” where sexual agency and empathy for different peoples were treated with consideration. But I’ll go ahead and give Shane Briant, aka Kaarvok, some kudos; he was one-dimensional, but his crazy lines about family-as-food merited a laugh.
If the A-storyline was predominately an extravagant way to get to John’s twinning at the end, the B-storyline, so far, hasn’t led anywhere. It was basically just a bookmark for the future; Talyn and Crais are unconscious, and they may live, or may not. (Apparently, according to Stark who had calmed considerably since the last episode, Talyn has a better chance than the good captain.) The remained-on-Moya crew was barely on screen at all, and I’d definitely say the most intriguing part of all of it was Aeryn and Rygel. When Rygel realized that Talyn was a sitting duck, he did the self-preservation thing of suggesting they abandon him to the elements. But his argument to Aeryn was relatively sound; if there’s something out there that can hurt Talyn (we’d recently learned of a Scarran party in the A-storyline,) who is far more formidable than his mother, then how could Moya possibly survive it? To ensure that at least someone survives, shouldn’t the course of action be to flee? Aeryn is a logical soul, and you could see her weighing his words. Of course it amounted to nothing, except for some clever threats to the Hynerian, because our former Peacekeeper is loyal over all. But this was a nice interlude from the craziness on the other Leviathan.
The other Leviathan was named Rovhu. I think I agree with the Scaper Chronicles; Rovhu’s Pilot looked too much like Moya’s Pilot, though I could hardly expect them to create a spare animatronic of Pilot’s magnitude. (Oh, how I’d love to see him in person! Anywho.) Still, maybe something in post to grade his color or what have you. Feels ridiculous to kvetch about such a minor detail, given everything they did to the Leviathan insides. Must have been fun to mess those walls up. :P I liked the bones, and the addition that the rotting Leviathan smelled bad, too. Of course I get why Kaarvok didn’t primarily mean to twin John at all, considering he likely assumes he’s Sebacean, and there’s already plenty of former-PK Xarai. I liked how the twinning special effect looked like an atom splitting; the visuals don’t appear dated to me at all, even after all of these years. Jool was still mostly just dumb comic relief, and cynical me doesn’t buy for a second that her home is that peaceful. :P If they don’t oppress people with guns, then they probably do it through social class or somesuch. At least, going by Jool, the Interons certainly have an ingrained sense of both coddled innocence and superiority. Finally, when it comes to D’argo, I think my favorite part of Anthony’s performance was when he was contained yet adamant about the danger posed by a Peacekeeper ship. Great reminder of backstory.
Finally, Chiana. Her part in this story really began when the maguffin shuttle doohickey (gyro-sensor) fell off, sending her into the ship proper to look for a replacement. She really ran the gamut this episode, from brash with Jool, to mildly terrified when the Xarai were after her, VERY terrified and trapped when Kaarvok was after her, angry, crazed, then resigned and haunted after D’argo’s death (in the beginning I definitely thought big D was gone for good,) and totally manic post-twinning. It had to be exhausting for Gigi, but all of it felt so real, so genuine, even inside of this kooky episode. She even did a “Xena” scream. :D Guy Gross noted in his commentary that he didn’t get the whole thing with D’argo dropping a gyro-sensor, and then later Chiana picking it up to compare to hers; personally I think it’s just a nice piece of cohesion and ambiance. D’argo discarded it, because it didn’t mean what it meant to Chiana, who was looking for that part. A useful prop for delving into her identity crisis, and in drawing out both creepiness and the narrative plot. I think Chiana was the only one out of the twinned three (so far) who really dealt with the complexities of the situation. D’argo didn’t remember his twin, so it meant less to him to ponder these questions, but for Chiana, she was dealing with the fact that she left her…other to die. Gigi was amazing for the entire performance—Chiana’s pause when she weighed saving herself, her manic attempt at justification immediately after, and then her more difficult conversation with D’argo and Stark at the end. The evolving struggle was palpable. Meanwhile, I’ll agree again with the ScapeCast—it’s time for the fans to admit that we lost D’argo and Chiana tonight. Sure, we have a couple of spares, but our characters who died on Rodhu were real, too—the same ones we’ve been with since season one. Trust “Farscape” to create something that can make your mind implode.
Favorite Crichtonism: HEY KAARVOK! IT'S JUST YOU AND ME NOW! WHAT DO YOU SAY WE MEET FOR SOME COFFEE OR SOMETHIN'? I'M SURE WE GOT LOTS OF STUFF WE COULD TALK ABOUT! WE'LL COOK YOU UP SOMETHIN' SPECIAL K-MAN. IT'S GONNA TAKE A LITTLE WHILE - WE'RE GONNA HIT YOU WITH SOME STARBURST SUUUPREEEME!
Favorite Quotes:
*the preliminary predicament on Rovhu*
John: Burnt. Battered. Busted. Ding-dong, the pod is dead.
*Luxan word, or D’argo’s attempt at English?*
D’argo: This place is bad voojoo.
*the boys and girls split up*
Jool: I'm getting back in the transport pod. And I'm staying there!
Chiana: Thank frek.
John: Nah - you stay with her Chiana.
Chiana: No way.
John: Pip - transport's all we got.
Chiana: I'm warning you - I'm gonna end up killin' that red-headed tralk!
John: Whatever.
*spooky setup, some techno babble, and the boys argue and split up*
John: Abbott and Costello and the House of Horror. You know we should talk to the Pilot -- he could tell us where to find all the stuff we need.
D’argo: Ah! Crichton! *opens access hatch* in here.
John: WHOA! Oh man that smells worse than Rygel!
D’argo: Well - almost. Get in.
John: *inside, scavenging* Yup - threekay wire. Good call! How'd you know?
D’argo: It's a wild guess. This duct leads to the klestron filters. We'll have to scrape out what we can.
John: HO! Oh man that's pus! The ship is oozing pus man!
D’argo: Yeah the whole ship is diseased.
John: Aw geez - no DRDs - what's that about? It's like she got hit by some kind of biochemical weapon.
D’argo: Narium coils - tier 7.
John: Huh-uh. We gotta find the Pilot.
D’argo: Crichton we get what we need and we get out.
John: What we need - is the guy who controls the maintenance bay doors. The hangars - the whole damn ship in fact!
D’argo: This is meant to be a hit-and-run mission so we get the parts that we need!
John: And what if we're dying? What if we've been exposed to some radiation, or some virus that's gonna mutate us into the Night of the Living Dead?
D’argo: THEN THE SOONER WE GET OUT OF HERE THE BETTER! IF YOU WANT TO GO ALL THE WAY TO PILOT’S DEN, THEN YOU ARE TINKED!
John: HEY YOU KNOW WHAT? WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH HERE!
D’argo: This - is a Peacekeeper prison ship. That's all you need to know.
*Jool protests that she can’t defend herself if Chiana leaves her*
Jool: You know - we don't have weapons on our planet. We don't have violence, we don't have war- *Chiana punches her* What the frell? *Chiana keeps hitting her until Jool hits back* OOOOOHH- Frelling hezmana!
Chiana: See? Violence - you'll get the hang of it.
*John’s introduction to Rovhu’s Pilot*
John: What the hell? *eyes wide with terror; his arms have been hacked off. Amazing puppetry on this show* Holy Mother of God. *John approaches, despite Pilot’s cringing* Easy- *chases away Xarai, keeps a little distance as Pilot remains distressed* I'm not gonna hurt you. My name is Crichton. I live on a Leviathan. We have a Pilot, he's - kinda like you. What happened to you?
RovhuPilot: Please... Kill me.
*Chiana meets some Xarai*
Chiana: Come on - come out and play. *comes across feral sebaceans around a fire; slowly moving to surround her* Don't mind me - just - just talk amongst yourselves.
*our first creep-factor reveal*
John: Look your arms are gonna regenerate.
RovhuPilot: Growgan cut... aaahhh...
John: Grogan? Who the hell is Grogan?
RovhuPilot: Growgan! Growgan cut! GROWGAN CUT!
John: They - cut - your arms - and when they grow back - they hack 'em off again. Why the hell would they do that?
RovhuPilot: Because - because - because they're EATING ME!
*D’argo’s introduction to Kaarvok*
D’argo: Who are you? Where's Chiana, the Nebari? Stay back! Stay back or I swear, I will kill you.
Kaarvok: I don't think that's very polite.
*meanwhile, there’s some drama in the B-storyline, too…*
Pilot: Moya was responding to a distress call. Perhaps you can see for yourself.
Aeryn: Talyn! Crais, come in - this is Aeryn. Crais! *a beat* Pilot there's no answer from Crais.
Pilot: Nor is Moya getting any answer from Talyn.
*Chiana and John deal with the immediate aftermath of D’argo’s death, and other eeriness*
Chiana: We have-we have to give him the death rites.
John: Yeah...
Chiana: We have to give him - a proper-
John: I'm sure there's a BUNCH of Oricans around here! Dammit! We shoulda stuck together! I wanted us to stick together! But he- we-
Chiana: No, no, no...
John: -both of us!
Chiana: It's not your fault.
John: We were too DAMN stubborn! Chiana! D'Argo is DEAD! Jool's god knows where - and we have been here befo- *dark movement ahead*
Chiana: No we haven't- Whoa! They're eating the ship.
John: This is a Leviathan. It's like Moya. It's alive. *siding with the Leviathan, he kills the zombie-like creatures attacking her*
Chiana: We have to get outta here! We have to-we have to get out of here!
John: Yes - we do.
*Jool as the comic relief, thanks to Tammy MacIntosh’s performance*
Jool: Okay. Okay. I can do this. I can. I can do anything. That's what my father told me. That's what my mother told me... and I've never doubted them before. Maybe once or twice - but I shouldn't doubt them. I should believe in them. And I should - believe in myself! Oh, I don't think this is right - I shouldn't be here. I'm a civilized being. There's got to be someone here who recognizes that. I just need to find them. Hello? Hello?
*John goes into CAPSLOCK southern twang, and we start to get more plot clues*
John: All right Pilot - narium coils - where are they? *Pilot makes defensive movements* Yeahyeahyeah - I get it! I-I - you know - I get it! I come forward, you scream. I move back etc. etc. etc. PILOT I'm OVER it. You're gonna HELP me. You're gonna GIVE me something, and you're gonna give it to me NOW!
RovhuPilot: Teré khaté go-eth hévah-
John: TALK TO ME - slowly.
RovhuPilot: Th-this shiiip - Rovhu - was.. Was- aahHH - Ket-ha ho pahto-
John: Slow-ly!
RovhuPilot: Detention ship. Prison ship - ship for- for the- kr-krishoooolll...
John: What the hell is that?
Chiana: The criminally insane. *John stares at her; lightbulb!* The criminally insane.We fix the transport pod - we get out of here. We got threekay wire. That's a start at least.
John: HE CONTROLS THE WHOLE SHIP CHIANA! HE'S GOT THE MAINTENANCE BAY! HE'S GOT THE DOORS! HE'S GOT THE WINDOWS! HE'S GOT THE SMOKE ON THE WATER!
Chiana: I don't know what you're talkin' about!
John: THE GUY! WHATEVER! WHOEVER! THE ONE THAT KILLED D'ARGO! DR. SPIKE!
RovhuPilot: Kaarvok. Kaarvok! Spike!
*more clues, Crichtonisms, and a sudden confrontation!*
Chiana: They had a whole prison ship for one prisoner?
John: What about all this other vermin we're seein'? The hungry-hungry hippies?
RovhuPilot: Peacekeepers.
John: Peacekeepers?
RovhuPilot: They were Peacekeepers. All of them. *John and Chiana suddenly sucked out of the room!* He's venting the Chamber!
Kaarvok: I wish you wouldn't talk about me behind my back.
*Aeryn and Rygel argue about survival, loyalty and intel*
Rygel: No-ho-ho-ho. You are not taking him back to Moya.
Aeryn: He is still alive Rygel.
Rygel: We can fix that! *Rygel yanks out Crais’s transponder; both he and Talyn start to go haywire*
Aeryn: What are you-? Give me the transponder! The ship is shutting down! Give it back! Rygel! Now! *Rygel hands it back; Aeryn plugs it in and they stabilize*
Rygel: That's what we're hoping for.
Aeryn: Look - if you want to have it out with Moya you can go right ahead!
Rygel: Listen you bartantic bitch. Talyn's supposedly the meanest, deadliest, all time yave-of-the-yoovo fighter ship. But somebody -something - beat the yotz out of him! And when they come back to finish him off - we'll be here with him! Unarmed!
Aeryn: And if we can keep him alive, we might find out what happened.
Rygel: In another arn or two it won't matter! Let's go! While we still can!
*the remaining Chiana tries to justify her recent twinning*
Chiana: Okay. Okay... Come on - come… Okay. Okay. Two Chiana’s. Two... She- she and me. Yeah. I'm me. She - she was just a clone. A clone. So... I'm the real me? I'm the real me.
*John goes into crazy suicide-pact land*
John: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah - I can feel it! THAT SICK HAMMER HORROR SON OF A BITCH! HE'S GONNA BE SUCKIN' MY BRAINS THROUGH A SIPPY-STRAW AND IT AIN'T MAKIN' ME FEEL COMFORTABLE! NOW SEE - I HEAD FOR THE TRANSPORT POD, AND HE RUNS ME DOWN LIKE A SICK LIZARD OR -- WE TAKE BACK CONTROL!
RovhuPilot: No.
John: WE PATCH YOUR ASS BACK IN -
RovhuPilot: No!
John: WE VENT THE CHAMBERS -
RovhuPilot: No!
John: -AND SUCK HIS ASS OUT INTO SPACE!
RovhuPilot: No! No! No!
John: PILOT! PILOT! PILOT! YOU LISTEN TO ME!
RovhuPilot: No!
John: WE CAN DO THIS! WE FIND JOOL, WE TAKE BACK CONTROL! You an' me buddy! Good things are gonna happen! Good things!
*Kaarvok explains the major plot point—and then whoah horror plot trope*
D’argo: What have you done with me? I saw...
Kaarvok: Yes? You saw -? What did you see? Another D'Argo?
D’argo: You cloned me.
Kaarvok: Not the word “clone” please. I doubled you. I - twinned - you. Two D’Argo’s. Equal and original. And - tasty. I've never twinned a Luxan before.
D’argo: Why me?
Kaarvok: We're going to make babies.
*Chiana, running, hiding, rummaging, still trying to make sense of what’s happened*
Chiana: Chiana in two. Two... two of me. Two - Forked! He copies you. That's what he does. Two Chiana’s. *tapping her head with her gyro-sensor, and D’argo’s* Think! Think!
*Kaarvok explains what’s happened to the Peacekeepers*
Kaarvok: (brightly) I can double you again! And again. And again. Look at the Peacekeepers!
D’argo: What Peacekeepers?
Kaarvok: All over the ship. The Xarai, I call them. Private joke - I once had a tame vangern called Xarai. As you can see, once you've been twinned 30 or 40 times you're not much good for conversation. Not that you're especially witty right now.
*Kaarvok’s definition of paradise*
Kaarvok: This is my home. All I need is more - what? food? Family? Is there a difference?
*Aeryn’s parting threat to Rygel before she leaves*
Aeryn: If you try anything when I am gone - whatever you have in the place of mivonks and wherever they are - they will be gone. When I get back.
Rygel: We give her 300 microts. Then we cut ourselves free from Talyn - and we starburst.
Stark: Talyn will recover. Crais may not. I suspect that now is not the right moment to abscond.
*of course the horror-flick breeding trope is used for comic effect when Chiana walks in*
Chiana: D'Argo!
D’argo: Aaahhh - Um - Help me.
Chiana: Are you sure you...? I'm not interrupting something?
D’argo: Chiana just hurry up! *not so much pain or fear, just discomfort and possibly arousal at the Xarai’s ministrations*
Chiana: Okay. 'Cos you know I-I could just leave you there if-if you want. It's no trouble.
D’argo: Nonono - Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! OoOOoOooHHhhh!
*John attempts to out-freak Kaarvok*
John: KAARVEY! WHAT'S THAT I HEAR? IS THAT -- STARBURST?
Kaarvok: We can't starburst. We're in a control collar.
John: Oh yes we can starburst. Just means this whole ship is toast.
*the final stand of the one-dimensional villain. Getting flashbacks to Tra’altix*
John: What the hell are you still doin' here Kaarvey?
Kaarvok: Others will come. More and more of you will come! To me! My - family! My farmland! My - my perfect - perfect dish!
*John invites the Xarai to a southern barbeque*
John: HEY KIDS! IT'S DINNER TIME! AND IT'S FINGER-LICKIN' GOOD!
*the big reveal!*
John: Jool! You're alive!
Jool: Come on! Hurry up! Chiana let's go!
John: Chiana!
John#2: Hold the door! Jool! You're alive!
*Chiana and D’argo discuss twinning—feeling very differently about it—with Stark*
D’argo: It was over in a flash no more than a - tenth of a microt! But I saw it! I saw - myself. Another me.
Stark: Do you remember the actual moment?
D’argo: No, I don't remember anything except... It was a corpse.
Chiana: It was just a copy. A fake.
D’argo: I keep telling myself that, but then - this Crichton - and Kaarvok - he said that he'd created two “equal and original.”
Chiana: Boll-yotz. Kaarvok was full of it.
D’argo: But how do you know that I am not the copy? Maybe the real D'Argo is dead.
Chiana: Because you just know! Y-you know. Frell.
*too much subtext in this exchange; my brain can hardly process it!*
Aeryn: How is... he?
Rygel: Still tied.
___
But plot for plot’s sake, ridiculous caricatures (Jool, once again, being amongst them)…eh. It’s basically a watered-down Hannibal Lecter scenario, with a few more annoying tropes built in. It’s a freakout, absolutely, but I’d rather delve into complicated characters and the deeper issues they come across in their journey.
To be fair, this episode covered a little bit of that, particularly with Chiana. I wouldn’t say it was Ben Browder or Anthony Simcoe’s finest performances on the show, but Gigi Edgley really brought something real, and varied, to Chiana’s arc this hour. Was especially nice, because this was the first time she’s really been center stage since the Jothee affair.
And this whole episode was necessary because of the big reveal at the end. Suffice to say, this plot twist was one of the more amazing inventions of the show. It didn’t amount to much in this hour, but it’ll have a long tail of repercussions.
Episode summary is here, courtesy of the John and Aeryn Fansite.
So…twinning. Not cloning, but twinning. “Farscape” made sure to make this into a big deal, what with having Kaarvok repeat it as the Johns remained tied at rock, paper, scissors. I think this quiet, steely determination was Ben’s best acting in the episode, hee. (And damn, they are killing it with these final scenes; that exchange between Aeryn and Rygel said so much.) We were supposed to think of both Johns as the real John, and both D’argos and Chianas as real, too, which had much more of an impact in this particular episode. Another alternate realities write-off, kinda like the whole shifting timeline thing last eppy. Now there’s two Johns to forge two destinies in the Uncharted Territories. It’s not like the clones in “My Three Crichtons” anymore; both Johns are equal and original! (Guy Gross quipped that maybe Aeryn could have a little fun with this…yeah, that girl doesn’t make it easy for herself in the romance department, lol.) But bravo, “Farscape.” Top marks for creativity.
Before John got twinned, his attitude was still all over the place. :P I remember thinking, with the last ep, that we barely had time for any Crichtonisms; here his dialogue was a cesspool of them. He was also delving deep into homeboy territory with his CAPSLOCK southern twang. Nothing against it, but it was certainly more style over substance; a way for John to get through the kookiness without invoking Harvey, cos this whole thing was just too redonkulous. Though maybe it’s worth noting that he’s been growing more and more unhinged for awhile. The Scaper Chronicles noticed that he was also quick to make brash plans, even after everything that happened in “…Different Destinations.” Continuity issue or character flaw? I do think there was a definite difference in tone between the secondary characters here, vs in other recent episodes, where both friends and foes were given some nuance. Here, the only characters of any merit or importance are John, D’argo, Chiana and maaaaybe Jool. John made crazy plans, and death was barely a consideration (morelike a joke, when Chiana was shooting some people through the body of another guy) because ultimately, none of this really mattered.
I’m not trying to be a stickler on the deaths; just to mention that these extras, even Kaarvok, were just window dressing. The tropes were a little more wearying to me. The deformed Peacekeepers (I’ll give kudos for the line about the pet-like Xarai) looked a bit like savage natives from a “King Kong” flick; some of them were even smeared with dark grease. I guess that was supposed to infer ill-health or eating the ship, or who knows. Then the whole mad-scientist impregnation thing, sheesh; pretty overdone in B-rated horror, methinks. They obviously tried to play it off for laughs; D’argo, at most, was uncomfortable by the prospect, and of course he and Chiana had to share an awkward moment as “Belima” licked him like a mad puppy. Just saying, it’s a far cry from recent “Farscape,” where sexual agency and empathy for different peoples were treated with consideration. But I’ll go ahead and give Shane Briant, aka Kaarvok, some kudos; he was one-dimensional, but his crazy lines about family-as-food merited a laugh.
If the A-storyline was predominately an extravagant way to get to John’s twinning at the end, the B-storyline, so far, hasn’t led anywhere. It was basically just a bookmark for the future; Talyn and Crais are unconscious, and they may live, or may not. (Apparently, according to Stark who had calmed considerably since the last episode, Talyn has a better chance than the good captain.) The remained-on-Moya crew was barely on screen at all, and I’d definitely say the most intriguing part of all of it was Aeryn and Rygel. When Rygel realized that Talyn was a sitting duck, he did the self-preservation thing of suggesting they abandon him to the elements. But his argument to Aeryn was relatively sound; if there’s something out there that can hurt Talyn (we’d recently learned of a Scarran party in the A-storyline,) who is far more formidable than his mother, then how could Moya possibly survive it? To ensure that at least someone survives, shouldn’t the course of action be to flee? Aeryn is a logical soul, and you could see her weighing his words. Of course it amounted to nothing, except for some clever threats to the Hynerian, because our former Peacekeeper is loyal over all. But this was a nice interlude from the craziness on the other Leviathan.
The other Leviathan was named Rovhu. I think I agree with the Scaper Chronicles; Rovhu’s Pilot looked too much like Moya’s Pilot, though I could hardly expect them to create a spare animatronic of Pilot’s magnitude. (Oh, how I’d love to see him in person! Anywho.) Still, maybe something in post to grade his color or what have you. Feels ridiculous to kvetch about such a minor detail, given everything they did to the Leviathan insides. Must have been fun to mess those walls up. :P I liked the bones, and the addition that the rotting Leviathan smelled bad, too. Of course I get why Kaarvok didn’t primarily mean to twin John at all, considering he likely assumes he’s Sebacean, and there’s already plenty of former-PK Xarai. I liked how the twinning special effect looked like an atom splitting; the visuals don’t appear dated to me at all, even after all of these years. Jool was still mostly just dumb comic relief, and cynical me doesn’t buy for a second that her home is that peaceful. :P If they don’t oppress people with guns, then they probably do it through social class or somesuch. At least, going by Jool, the Interons certainly have an ingrained sense of both coddled innocence and superiority. Finally, when it comes to D’argo, I think my favorite part of Anthony’s performance was when he was contained yet adamant about the danger posed by a Peacekeeper ship. Great reminder of backstory.
Finally, Chiana. Her part in this story really began when the maguffin shuttle doohickey (gyro-sensor) fell off, sending her into the ship proper to look for a replacement. She really ran the gamut this episode, from brash with Jool, to mildly terrified when the Xarai were after her, VERY terrified and trapped when Kaarvok was after her, angry, crazed, then resigned and haunted after D’argo’s death (in the beginning I definitely thought big D was gone for good,) and totally manic post-twinning. It had to be exhausting for Gigi, but all of it felt so real, so genuine, even inside of this kooky episode. She even did a “Xena” scream. :D Guy Gross noted in his commentary that he didn’t get the whole thing with D’argo dropping a gyro-sensor, and then later Chiana picking it up to compare to hers; personally I think it’s just a nice piece of cohesion and ambiance. D’argo discarded it, because it didn’t mean what it meant to Chiana, who was looking for that part. A useful prop for delving into her identity crisis, and in drawing out both creepiness and the narrative plot. I think Chiana was the only one out of the twinned three (so far) who really dealt with the complexities of the situation. D’argo didn’t remember his twin, so it meant less to him to ponder these questions, but for Chiana, she was dealing with the fact that she left her…other to die. Gigi was amazing for the entire performance—Chiana’s pause when she weighed saving herself, her manic attempt at justification immediately after, and then her more difficult conversation with D’argo and Stark at the end. The evolving struggle was palpable. Meanwhile, I’ll agree again with the ScapeCast—it’s time for the fans to admit that we lost D’argo and Chiana tonight. Sure, we have a couple of spares, but our characters who died on Rodhu were real, too—the same ones we’ve been with since season one. Trust “Farscape” to create something that can make your mind implode.
Favorite Crichtonism: HEY KAARVOK! IT'S JUST YOU AND ME NOW! WHAT DO YOU SAY WE MEET FOR SOME COFFEE OR SOMETHIN'? I'M SURE WE GOT LOTS OF STUFF WE COULD TALK ABOUT! WE'LL COOK YOU UP SOMETHIN' SPECIAL K-MAN. IT'S GONNA TAKE A LITTLE WHILE - WE'RE GONNA HIT YOU WITH SOME STARBURST SUUUPREEEME!
Favorite Quotes:
*the preliminary predicament on Rovhu*
John: Burnt. Battered. Busted. Ding-dong, the pod is dead.
*Luxan word, or D’argo’s attempt at English?*
D’argo: This place is bad voojoo.
*the boys and girls split up*
Jool: I'm getting back in the transport pod. And I'm staying there!
Chiana: Thank frek.
John: Nah - you stay with her Chiana.
Chiana: No way.
John: Pip - transport's all we got.
Chiana: I'm warning you - I'm gonna end up killin' that red-headed tralk!
John: Whatever.
*spooky setup, some techno babble, and the boys argue and split up*
John: Abbott and Costello and the House of Horror. You know we should talk to the Pilot -- he could tell us where to find all the stuff we need.
D’argo: Ah! Crichton! *opens access hatch* in here.
John: WHOA! Oh man that smells worse than Rygel!
D’argo: Well - almost. Get in.
John: *inside, scavenging* Yup - threekay wire. Good call! How'd you know?
D’argo: It's a wild guess. This duct leads to the klestron filters. We'll have to scrape out what we can.
John: HO! Oh man that's pus! The ship is oozing pus man!
D’argo: Yeah the whole ship is diseased.
John: Aw geez - no DRDs - what's that about? It's like she got hit by some kind of biochemical weapon.
D’argo: Narium coils - tier 7.
John: Huh-uh. We gotta find the Pilot.
D’argo: Crichton we get what we need and we get out.
John: What we need - is the guy who controls the maintenance bay doors. The hangars - the whole damn ship in fact!
D’argo: This is meant to be a hit-and-run mission so we get the parts that we need!
John: And what if we're dying? What if we've been exposed to some radiation, or some virus that's gonna mutate us into the Night of the Living Dead?
D’argo: THEN THE SOONER WE GET OUT OF HERE THE BETTER! IF YOU WANT TO GO ALL THE WAY TO PILOT’S DEN, THEN YOU ARE TINKED!
John: HEY YOU KNOW WHAT? WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH HERE!
D’argo: This - is a Peacekeeper prison ship. That's all you need to know.
*Jool protests that she can’t defend herself if Chiana leaves her*
Jool: You know - we don't have weapons on our planet. We don't have violence, we don't have war- *Chiana punches her* What the frell? *Chiana keeps hitting her until Jool hits back* OOOOOHH- Frelling hezmana!
Chiana: See? Violence - you'll get the hang of it.
*John’s introduction to Rovhu’s Pilot*
John: What the hell? *eyes wide with terror; his arms have been hacked off. Amazing puppetry on this show* Holy Mother of God. *John approaches, despite Pilot’s cringing* Easy- *chases away Xarai, keeps a little distance as Pilot remains distressed* I'm not gonna hurt you. My name is Crichton. I live on a Leviathan. We have a Pilot, he's - kinda like you. What happened to you?
RovhuPilot: Please... Kill me.
*Chiana meets some Xarai*
Chiana: Come on - come out and play. *comes across feral sebaceans around a fire; slowly moving to surround her* Don't mind me - just - just talk amongst yourselves.
*our first creep-factor reveal*
John: Look your arms are gonna regenerate.
RovhuPilot: Growgan cut... aaahhh...
John: Grogan? Who the hell is Grogan?
RovhuPilot: Growgan! Growgan cut! GROWGAN CUT!
John: They - cut - your arms - and when they grow back - they hack 'em off again. Why the hell would they do that?
RovhuPilot: Because - because - because they're EATING ME!
*D’argo’s introduction to Kaarvok*
D’argo: Who are you? Where's Chiana, the Nebari? Stay back! Stay back or I swear, I will kill you.
Kaarvok: I don't think that's very polite.
*meanwhile, there’s some drama in the B-storyline, too…*
Pilot: Moya was responding to a distress call. Perhaps you can see for yourself.
Aeryn: Talyn! Crais, come in - this is Aeryn. Crais! *a beat* Pilot there's no answer from Crais.
Pilot: Nor is Moya getting any answer from Talyn.
*Chiana and John deal with the immediate aftermath of D’argo’s death, and other eeriness*
Chiana: We have-we have to give him the death rites.
John: Yeah...
Chiana: We have to give him - a proper-
John: I'm sure there's a BUNCH of Oricans around here! Dammit! We shoulda stuck together! I wanted us to stick together! But he- we-
Chiana: No, no, no...
John: -both of us!
Chiana: It's not your fault.
John: We were too DAMN stubborn! Chiana! D'Argo is DEAD! Jool's god knows where - and we have been here befo- *dark movement ahead*
Chiana: No we haven't- Whoa! They're eating the ship.
John: This is a Leviathan. It's like Moya. It's alive. *siding with the Leviathan, he kills the zombie-like creatures attacking her*
Chiana: We have to get outta here! We have to-we have to get out of here!
John: Yes - we do.
*Jool as the comic relief, thanks to Tammy MacIntosh’s performance*
Jool: Okay. Okay. I can do this. I can. I can do anything. That's what my father told me. That's what my mother told me... and I've never doubted them before. Maybe once or twice - but I shouldn't doubt them. I should believe in them. And I should - believe in myself! Oh, I don't think this is right - I shouldn't be here. I'm a civilized being. There's got to be someone here who recognizes that. I just need to find them. Hello? Hello?
*John goes into CAPSLOCK southern twang, and we start to get more plot clues*
John: All right Pilot - narium coils - where are they? *Pilot makes defensive movements* Yeahyeahyeah - I get it! I-I - you know - I get it! I come forward, you scream. I move back etc. etc. etc. PILOT I'm OVER it. You're gonna HELP me. You're gonna GIVE me something, and you're gonna give it to me NOW!
RovhuPilot: Teré khaté go-eth hévah-
John: TALK TO ME - slowly.
RovhuPilot: Th-this shiiip - Rovhu - was.. Was- aahHH - Ket-ha ho pahto-
John: Slow-ly!
RovhuPilot: Detention ship. Prison ship - ship for- for the- kr-krishoooolll...
John: What the hell is that?
Chiana: The criminally insane. *John stares at her; lightbulb!* The criminally insane.We fix the transport pod - we get out of here. We got threekay wire. That's a start at least.
John: HE CONTROLS THE WHOLE SHIP CHIANA! HE'S GOT THE MAINTENANCE BAY! HE'S GOT THE DOORS! HE'S GOT THE WINDOWS! HE'S GOT THE SMOKE ON THE WATER!
Chiana: I don't know what you're talkin' about!
John: THE GUY! WHATEVER! WHOEVER! THE ONE THAT KILLED D'ARGO! DR. SPIKE!
RovhuPilot: Kaarvok. Kaarvok! Spike!
*more clues, Crichtonisms, and a sudden confrontation!*
Chiana: They had a whole prison ship for one prisoner?
John: What about all this other vermin we're seein'? The hungry-hungry hippies?
RovhuPilot: Peacekeepers.
John: Peacekeepers?
RovhuPilot: They were Peacekeepers. All of them. *John and Chiana suddenly sucked out of the room!* He's venting the Chamber!
Kaarvok: I wish you wouldn't talk about me behind my back.
*Aeryn and Rygel argue about survival, loyalty and intel*
Rygel: No-ho-ho-ho. You are not taking him back to Moya.
Aeryn: He is still alive Rygel.
Rygel: We can fix that! *Rygel yanks out Crais’s transponder; both he and Talyn start to go haywire*
Aeryn: What are you-? Give me the transponder! The ship is shutting down! Give it back! Rygel! Now! *Rygel hands it back; Aeryn plugs it in and they stabilize*
Rygel: That's what we're hoping for.
Aeryn: Look - if you want to have it out with Moya you can go right ahead!
Rygel: Listen you bartantic bitch. Talyn's supposedly the meanest, deadliest, all time yave-of-the-yoovo fighter ship. But somebody -something - beat the yotz out of him! And when they come back to finish him off - we'll be here with him! Unarmed!
Aeryn: And if we can keep him alive, we might find out what happened.
Rygel: In another arn or two it won't matter! Let's go! While we still can!
*the remaining Chiana tries to justify her recent twinning*
Chiana: Okay. Okay... Come on - come… Okay. Okay. Two Chiana’s. Two... She- she and me. Yeah. I'm me. She - she was just a clone. A clone. So... I'm the real me? I'm the real me.
*John goes into crazy suicide-pact land*
John: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah - I can feel it! THAT SICK HAMMER HORROR SON OF A BITCH! HE'S GONNA BE SUCKIN' MY BRAINS THROUGH A SIPPY-STRAW AND IT AIN'T MAKIN' ME FEEL COMFORTABLE! NOW SEE - I HEAD FOR THE TRANSPORT POD, AND HE RUNS ME DOWN LIKE A SICK LIZARD OR -- WE TAKE BACK CONTROL!
RovhuPilot: No.
John: WE PATCH YOUR ASS BACK IN -
RovhuPilot: No!
John: WE VENT THE CHAMBERS -
RovhuPilot: No!
John: -AND SUCK HIS ASS OUT INTO SPACE!
RovhuPilot: No! No! No!
John: PILOT! PILOT! PILOT! YOU LISTEN TO ME!
RovhuPilot: No!
John: WE CAN DO THIS! WE FIND JOOL, WE TAKE BACK CONTROL! You an' me buddy! Good things are gonna happen! Good things!
*Kaarvok explains the major plot point—and then whoah horror plot trope*
D’argo: What have you done with me? I saw...
Kaarvok: Yes? You saw -? What did you see? Another D'Argo?
D’argo: You cloned me.
Kaarvok: Not the word “clone” please. I doubled you. I - twinned - you. Two D’Argo’s. Equal and original. And - tasty. I've never twinned a Luxan before.
D’argo: Why me?
Kaarvok: We're going to make babies.
*Chiana, running, hiding, rummaging, still trying to make sense of what’s happened*
Chiana: Chiana in two. Two... two of me. Two - Forked! He copies you. That's what he does. Two Chiana’s. *tapping her head with her gyro-sensor, and D’argo’s* Think! Think!
*Kaarvok explains what’s happened to the Peacekeepers*
Kaarvok: (brightly) I can double you again! And again. And again. Look at the Peacekeepers!
D’argo: What Peacekeepers?
Kaarvok: All over the ship. The Xarai, I call them. Private joke - I once had a tame vangern called Xarai. As you can see, once you've been twinned 30 or 40 times you're not much good for conversation. Not that you're especially witty right now.
*Kaarvok’s definition of paradise*
Kaarvok: This is my home. All I need is more - what? food? Family? Is there a difference?
*Aeryn’s parting threat to Rygel before she leaves*
Aeryn: If you try anything when I am gone - whatever you have in the place of mivonks and wherever they are - they will be gone. When I get back.
Rygel: We give her 300 microts. Then we cut ourselves free from Talyn - and we starburst.
Stark: Talyn will recover. Crais may not. I suspect that now is not the right moment to abscond.
*of course the horror-flick breeding trope is used for comic effect when Chiana walks in*
Chiana: D'Argo!
D’argo: Aaahhh - Um - Help me.
Chiana: Are you sure you...? I'm not interrupting something?
D’argo: Chiana just hurry up! *not so much pain or fear, just discomfort and possibly arousal at the Xarai’s ministrations*
Chiana: Okay. 'Cos you know I-I could just leave you there if-if you want. It's no trouble.
D’argo: Nonono - Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! OoOOoOooHHhhh!
*John attempts to out-freak Kaarvok*
John: KAARVEY! WHAT'S THAT I HEAR? IS THAT -- STARBURST?
Kaarvok: We can't starburst. We're in a control collar.
John: Oh yes we can starburst. Just means this whole ship is toast.
*the final stand of the one-dimensional villain. Getting flashbacks to Tra’altix*
John: What the hell are you still doin' here Kaarvey?
Kaarvok: Others will come. More and more of you will come! To me! My - family! My farmland! My - my perfect - perfect dish!
*John invites the Xarai to a southern barbeque*
John: HEY KIDS! IT'S DINNER TIME! AND IT'S FINGER-LICKIN' GOOD!
*the big reveal!*
John: Jool! You're alive!
Jool: Come on! Hurry up! Chiana let's go!
John: Chiana!
John#2: Hold the door! Jool! You're alive!
*Chiana and D’argo discuss twinning—feeling very differently about it—with Stark*
D’argo: It was over in a flash no more than a - tenth of a microt! But I saw it! I saw - myself. Another me.
Stark: Do you remember the actual moment?
D’argo: No, I don't remember anything except... It was a corpse.
Chiana: It was just a copy. A fake.
D’argo: I keep telling myself that, but then - this Crichton - and Kaarvok - he said that he'd created two “equal and original.”
Chiana: Boll-yotz. Kaarvok was full of it.
D’argo: But how do you know that I am not the copy? Maybe the real D'Argo is dead.
Chiana: Because you just know! Y-you know. Frell.
*too much subtext in this exchange; my brain can hardly process it!*
Aeryn: How is... he?
Rygel: Still tied.
___
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