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scifi_rewatchOK, so yeah, I said that this two parter was my favorite part of the entire Farscape run…but really, this one was my favorite episode. :P It was so jampacked with character drama and wrapping up the major themes of season three…about the dangers of wormhole technology, about letting go of your past and/or taking steps into a new future, and most importantly, about the end of certain huge relationships. And characters…because yes, we have some big character deaths in here! And no Zhaan to bring them back this time.
I mean, I should like the season 3 finale better, I think, because Chiana has more screen time in it, I’m pretty sure! Instead, even some 20 years later, I am riveted by the finale John and Scorpy scene together. Guy Gross’s dramatic Latin music, sort of in the vein of the Agnus Dei he used at the end of “Die Me Dichtochromy” last season, certainly helped as well.
I just listened to Rockne O’Bannon and David Kemper’s commentary on this episode, and I can’t believe how much they were winging it. :P I mean, in the big picture, they knew where they wanted to end the season. And they even scavenged and saved old sets so that they could make a big-ass looking Peacekeeper Command Carrier! But apparently Rockne was writing this episode, episode 2 of Into the Lions Den, concurrently, more or less, with Richard Manning who wrote part 1, Lambs to the Slaughter? Oy.
Thinking critically about all of this, especially after listening to O’Bannon and Kemper, I think the reason this season finale gets to me more than any of the other stellar season finales on this show is BECAUSE of where the Moya crew (and their contemporaries) were at this point in time. Unfortunately I don’t think season four was as strong as this one, but I will be revisiting those impressions soon! I do know that we’ve been following Scorpius since the end of season one, and got really up close and personal with him this year. I know that we’ve been following Crais since the beginning of the show, but this year he became one of the family, if often a strained member. I know that the Command Carrier gave Aeryn the chance to confront her past and John the chance to unlock his wormhole knowledge. I know that D’argo and Rygel are set on new paths since last episode, and well, Chiana has the promise of her visions turning into something big. Moya and Talyn are also on the cusp of change after it’s decided that Talyn needs a personality overhaul. And Jool is…well, she’s there, I guess. :P I admit, I don’t feel for her as much as I do for the others.
All of this rambling is to say that these characters are well defined, and often well loved, and this episode put all of them into a point of culmination that I don’t think happened anywhere else. I think that is the power of this particular duology.
There is so much to talk about under the cut; I hope I do it justice!
Episode summary is here, courtesy of Farscape World.
Turns out smashing his head against a table and threatening Earth is a great way to get John over his “Hamlet” dilemma from the last episode, and return, gung ho, to the plan of stopping Scorpy’s wormhole project. And when I write “gung ho,” I MEAN “gung ho.” Something I didn’t comment on from the last episode—the command carrier’s hull is acting as a wave repeater, so basically, it IS the wormhole project. John wants to go fast (seems like sabotaging the data will take too long) because Grayza might be back at any minute. Also, homeboy likes a flair for the dramatic. :P The rest of the crew was ready to bail back to Moya, but they are on board to help with this. …well, perhaps all except for Crais and Aeryn, who lived here, after all, and the latter points out just how many thousands of people might be collateral damage in a blow up. Crais, in particular, isn’t on board, because he goes straight to Scorpius and tells him about it! :0 All of the Moya crew (except Aeryn, hmm) are arrested AGAIN. John is about to blow his fuse at Crais, but back in the room o’ mist, Crais and Aeryn let on that this whole thing was a ruse, to make Scorpius think he neutralized John’s attitude problem. Instead, Crais has a completed plan—he’s going to starburst on Talyn in the command hangar. It will take awhile for the ship to completely go down, so that most people will be able to escape. Crais goes into navel gazing monologue mode and it’s soon apparent why—he and Talyn will not be surviving this action. But in order to prep Talyn for this sacrifice, the former PKs need John to distract Scorp for a little while. John realizes he needs his module to successfully navigate a wormhole and not turn into goo like the other pilots (turns out our primitive technology is good for something. :P Also, returning to Moya, of course, gives John the opportunity to let Pilot in on the plan. …Look, I know this is just a complex puppet…but it’s not, too. This scene was so raw and so real. Anywho.) Back on the command carrier, John invites Scorpy to go along for the ride. Everyone on the carrier is so transfixed by this flight that Aeryn and Crais can walk around undetected. When the wormhole duo returns, Crais makes his final soliloquy to the whole ship, aboard Talyn. Talyn starbursts, the captain goes down with the ship…maybe in both cases, given Scorp at the end of this episode. In the interim, we see the ship explode and people make it (or not) to safety. John and Scorp seem to have enough respect for one another to release each other from their i-yensch bracelets, but Scorp’s words to John are pretty ominous. :/ Oh well, that’s a next season problem! The penultimate episode of season three ends with the Moya crew, all safely back on board, realizing that they now have the means to go their separate ways. Oh, and also…Scorp’s wormhole weapon might be destroyed but John is still writing unlocked equations down on his arm. Seems like this plot is far from over.
…do you SEE how much is going on in this episode? :P I will try and make the rest of this less rambly. First, well…this is our final farewell to Bilair Crais! :0 I still feel like I’m in my parents’ family room, watching that scene as a teenager. From the villain who “irreversibly contaminated” Aeryn to the reluctant hero who tempers his own desires with helping the Moya crew and Talyn, Crais might have the biggest arc on the entire show. There are other villains who did/will become more trustworthy *cough* *spoilers* *cough* but this is hands down the best representation. Crais is in a weird place here. The dream and the nightmare of his relationship with Talyn is at an end. Now he’s back on the command carrier he used to run, getting maliciously ribbed by his former subordinate Braca. Oh, and his one time lover, Larell, is spying on him…and he totally knew. Show couldn’t let her pull one over on HIM. Also, as a reminder, the person he loved most, his brother, is dead (but John’s been off the hook for awhile) and he was conscripted into the Peacekeepers. No one, apparently, chooses this life, except for Scorpius. And Crais hates Scorpius. Beyond all of this self involvement, Crais, (and frankly a few folks this episode) speak to the danger of turning the wormhole into a weapon. He’s not the hot headed nincompoop he was at the beginning of the show! (Though he pretty much riles up Talyn against the PKs at the end…and man, I love how “Farscape” uses sounds to delineate Talyn’s mood! Anywho.) His death is cool and calculated. The only thing I think it missed, really, was that elongated deleted scene where he apologizes to Aeryn for all the ways he’s mistreated her. They basically keep the ending in, where Crais and Aeryn share a quick look and then she leaves him to his fate. Makes her seem rather cold, frankly, which maybe, is in line with the character. But I don’t think I really believe that. Maybe the old Aeryn who used to live on this command carrier as a PK, but not the woman now who is openly talking about how she’s on a better path now.
So! Speaking of Aeryn and her arc this episode…well, she certainly hasn’t convinced Henta of anything. And when she’s on the planetary terrain, watching kids at their martial lessons and trying to show some mercy to a little girl, Henta shows up and bruises the girl further. There will be none of Aeryn’s softer, newfound compassion HERE! O’bannon had an interesting line about this scene, that it was supposed to be longer and the girl go through more of an arc, but he was afraid about if a one time child actor could handle it. Frankly, I think it was best to focus on Aeryn and Henta, with more to the point references about the little girl being a stand in for Aeryn’s childhood. Anywho. Henta does not make it off the ship alive. :/ She’s hit with convenient falling fire when confronting Aeryn about it. Frankly, I think this CGI was the weakest in the show (though BBC chose not to air it at the time!), but it was impactful because of the relationship. Couldn’t help but to feel horrible for Aeryn, as the last of her good PK memories was ripped from her. As o’Bannon and Kemper said, this is Aeryn shutting the door on her past. She’s been stoic (yet heartbroken) this entire episode. For John this seems to mean that she will sit with him but she will not open up to him. Her braid remains tight and slick…just like the little girl’s in the planetary terrain.
Most of the scenes regarding the rest of the Moya crew—that is, D’argo, Rygel, Chiana and Jool—were cut for time, though I got to see the deleted scenes at last via the DVD! :D But here is what was on screen the first time—a quick reference to the fact that they want to return to Moya (the elongated scene goes more into their reasonings and personal stories,) before recommitted John convinces them to stay and help him. Then they are off doing errands for John’s plan when Crais betrays them and they are arrested again. Uh oh. They spend most of the rest of the episode in a cell, though at least D’argo and Rygel get a little time to feel some post traumatic stress about the past. :/ Oy. Then, when Crais and Talyn sacrifice themselves, their cell door basically warps in on itself. :P Which at the time looked a bit like they could get crushed, “Star Wars” trash compactor style, but ultimately Aeryn finds and saves them. As she is want to do, hee. D’argo gets an additional badass moment when he makes his way to Scorpius’s control room, contacts Pilot and then speaks directly to his ship, Lo’La, demanding an autopilot “rescue retrieval.” Booyah. From there, we get two quick and sad scenes (even from Jool!) about the fact that the team is about to split up. But everything is much more fleshed out in the deleted scenes. D’argo and Jool looking up schematics on a computer and talking about their issues (particularly D’argo with Macton.) Chiana and Rygel’s is a bit funnier, with Chi acting claustrophobic in the officer’s lounge so that Rygel has an opportunity to ask a nice PK (whom Chiana is rubbing herself on, of course) how many people are aboard the Command Carrier and whether there are enough escape pods available for everyone. But to end on the stupidest of funny scenes, the crew clears the room o’ mist of Peacekeepers by Chiana pulling Rygel’s finger as he farts helium. :P Oh, “Farscape.”
But we didn’t have enough time for any of that, alas, not in the days before “Farscape” might have been produced for a streaming service where episodes could be longer than 40-some minutes, heh. The important thing to depict, of course, maybe the most important thing, was John and Scorpy’s relationship. I mean, what can I say. They start off this episode in a low place, with Scorp threatening Earth. John goes to Harvey in his little World War II scenario where the two of them play card games (a metaphor for mind games?) and Harvey sticks to his story that Scorp probably wouldn’t go out of his way to do it. Shew. Harvey brings up something much more insidious, though…would John destroy the wormhole info now that he has an actual path home?? In a way, the show provides a cop out here, because John DOES destroy Scorpy’s project, and yet his wormhole knowledge remains unlocked. But anywho. While Scorp and his Command Carrier are still standing, he may not go out of his way to destroy Earth but he can go back on his word and destroy the Moya crew! (To be fair, they kinda/sorta attacked him first. ;P) Basically, Scorp feels he’s neutralized John’s rebellion and John is pissed…until he learns the truth about Crais’s motives and then redirects himself. He asks Scorp to go with him through a wormhole! :o Kemper and O’Bannon seemed to imply that this turn of events was implausible, but they put it in the story because the most important part of storytelling is giving the audience what they want. Oy. Not sure I want to take the time to unpack that statement…but it’s true, watching John and Scorp in that module together definitely felt like fan service…for me. :P But I also figured it wasn’t too out of left field. If i-yensched John is going to go into the wormhole, Scorp’s life is already in danger anyway. So why play it safe? Anywho. When our duo returns to the Command Carrier and Crais’s plan reaches culmination, things get really interesting. Because John isn’t gloating. He almost looks contrite as he sits on his module while Crais’s soliloquy tears into Scorp. Then, of course, the Command Carrier implodes, and John and Scorp don’t see each other again until the very end. O’Bannon and Kemper talk of adversaries feeling some respect for one another. I guess it’s legit to take it that far, so long as it stops before John feels something blatantly positive about the other guy. :P But it’s also apparent that he gets their shared passion for wormholes, even if he refuses to turn his knowledge into a weapon. “We were close,” he told Scorpius. For Scorpy’s part, it’s obvious that his idea of revenge is so tied into the Scarrans that he’s not going to waste any of it on John. So the two of them release each other from the i-yensch bracelets, and John’s code, poignantly is 9-11 (for the sense of emergency, not for the ubiquitous date in history that John so far doesn’t know about!) The music is swelling, and even though I know exactly where this series goes for the rest of its run, I still feel the angst with the John/Scorp goodbye, complete with the tease that maybe Scorp is giving up for good. He certainly has reason to, with his research in tatters around him. And since we’ve spent the entire season with him as a main character, the loss feels pretty huge. I dunno, there’s just so much emotional gravitas between the characters here. I’m still affected, all of these years later. I’m still calling it my favorite scene in television.
And in conclusion, here are some more behind the scenes goodies having to do with the penultimate episode of season three. That scene with the water cascading down the steps of Scorpius’s office room…holy hell. It always reminded me of “Titanic,” (the movie more than the actual ship and accident) where the flood water came through at the top of the dome. Here, I shrugged off where the water could have come from—a huge command carrier would have more than one pipeline after all—but apparently Kemper and O’Bannon meant for it to be the lake water from the planetary terrain “set” (really a park in Sydney.) They could only shoot that scene once, and man did they not nail it completely?? Apparently some of the people slipping and sliding at the time were not meant to slip and slide, but it certainly fit the mood. Most importantly, Wayne Pygram kept his balance when slowly ascending those stairs at just the right moment. (If too early, with most of the water gushing down, he would have slipped, too!) Apparently, according to the wikia, he wished the tread on his boots was a little thicker, heh. Elsewhere, O’Bannon explained John’s “yo Harrison, get your shoes on” line to Strappa as a bit of an inside joke; apparently he had a neighbor when he was a kid who never had his shoes on to help with outdoor tasks quickly when needed. Here I just thought I was missing a cultural reference! Wouldn’t be the first time. :P Apparently Henta’s death scene was supposed to be even more dramatic, with the character moving towards Aeryn as she burned! Speaking of “Aeryn,” Claudia and others apparently made bets on which way the statue in the planetary terrain would topple. Hope she went for backwards! Director Rown Woods wasn’t thinking of “Titanic” like me; he considered the episode to be an homage to 1950s and 60s war films like “Tora, Tora!” and “The Battle of Britain.” Hey, whatever would get us through to that stellar ending, man.
Favorite Chrichtonism: Flying through wormholes ain't like dusting crops farmboy. It takes a little finesse.
Favorite Quotes:
*a state of affairs at the beginning of the episode*
John: You think holding a freakin' gun on my planet is gonna motivate me to help you?
Scorpius: I - have run - out - of - time!
John: *responding to Scorp throwing him around* Don't stop - let's see how much pain you can take!
Scorpius: That Commandant bitch will return here anytime. I must be able to report success OR - she's going to scrap my wormhole project and soon - the Scarrans will rule - half - this - GALAXY! (
John: Oh Grasshopper - you're so screwed!
*John is gung ho about explaining his plan to the Moya crew*
John: We came to permanently sabotage Scorpy's project. Now I've been trying to kill it from the inside - but we have run out of time. We have one option left. Only one. We blow up the Command Carrier.
Jool: Blow up - the Command Carrier? The entire Command Carrier?
John: All of Scorpy's data is on this ship! He's retro'd the entire damn hull into a repeater necessary to stabilize a wormhole! This boat - is - the Peacekeeper Wormhole Project!
Rygel: But this Carrier's huge - over a metra long!
Chiana: Is it possible to blow up the whole ship?
John: It's armed to the teeth. We can blow the munitions store. Hell we can stick a banana in the tailpipe. I do not care how we do it - but we do it!
Aeryn: There are over 50,000 men, women and children aboard this ship.
John: Then we find a way - to get 'em off before we blow it up.
D’argo: John there's no way-
John: Is this not - what we came here to do?
*Rygel is surprisingly prescient in hammering the moral message home*
Rygel: I did see what the Scarrans were able to do. Even if by some wild miracle I manage to regain my throne - I won't hold it for long if the Peacekeepers have this technology. I know what horrible destruction wormholes can wreak. Nobody should wield such power - nobody.
*John and Harvey play games and discuss Scorp’s motives*
Harvey: Hm? Oh! Would Scorpius actually attack Earth? If you fail in delivering the wormhole answers. *checkmates John* Hah-hah! Would he set out on a 60 cycle mission? To destroy an insignificant planet? Hmph! Though I would never underestimate Scorpius' resolve for retribution John -- If he feels he's been-
John: No wait... * tries to change his move*
Harvey: HEY! Took your hand off! *soundly beats John at checkers, then the game changes* Got any threes? Heh-ha! Yes! So tell me John - if you do develop wormhole travel and gain the ability to return home - would you really - destroy that information?
John: Got any sixes?
Harvey: GO FISH! Yah-HAH!
*John’s mental breakthrough about wormholes*
Strappa: Crichton... Crichton... Crichton... Crichton you're no longer writing on the tablet. Crichton? Crichton? *John looks down to see what he wrote on his hand* Oh my, Jenset - look what you've done! I-I think you've unlocked the 5th level coupling anomalies.
John: So that's how it works.
Strappa: I must get these figures plugged in immediately.
John: We're close.
Strappa: Yes! Oh yes!
John: I can do this.
*Crais (supposedly) changes sides!*
Scorpius: You have something for me?
Crais: Yes. A demand.
Scorpius: Get him out of my - get him out of my sight!
Crais: *as he’s dragged towards door* I demand that I suffer no repercussions for any of my actions during exile! I demand assurances that the Leviathan hybrid WILL BE RESURRECTED - that I will be leader of that project working alongside Lieutenant Larell!
Scorpius: Stop. Let him speak. You have something - comparable - I assume.
Crais: More than comparable.
Scorpius: Any deal you strike with me may not prove enforceable once Commandant Grayza returns.
Crais: If you delineate my requests in an Executive Order signed while you are still in command of this vessel High Command must honor it - no matter what - dishonor - you may endure.
Scorpius: I accept your terms. Release him.
Crais: Scorpius - Crichton has no intention of helping you. He has determined that there is only one way to stop you and your experiments with finality. He is conspiring with some of Moya's crew to destroy - this Command Carrier.
*Aeryn tries to show compassion to a PK cadet, only to be thwarted by Henta*
Brenna: Ow! Let me go!
Aeryn: HEY! *scares off kids holding her down* Got an injury?
Brenna: Yes.
Aeryn: Let's have a look. All right. Well this may sting a little. *antiseptic squirt* When I was your age - do you have any idea how many times I was ambushed when I wasn't ready? Let me see -
Henta: Cadet! At service now!
Aeryn: Henta!
Henta: *strikes Brenna’s hands hard* Let it bleed. Let it scar. You're wanted - go. Don't make her soft Aeryn.
Aeryn: So much you don't know Henta.
*the Moya crew in jail again*
Jool: We didn't actually do anything. I mean - all they have is our intent.
Chiana: They're Peacekeepers Jool. They're not into justice - they're into enforcement. *trying to soothe D’argo* Hey - come on! We've been in worse scrapes than this.
D’argo: I was a Peacekeeper prisoner for 8 cycles. And I think that I spent every single solar day trying to escape.
Rygel: Last time it took me a 130 cycles to escape.
Jool: A 130 cycles?
Rygel: I was lucky.
*Crais’s sacrificial plan*
Crais: All that I have cared for have gone. My parents taken away from me, my brother dead. So now I live - I plan - I do - all in the service of my own interests. In that I believe I am not unique in the universe.
John: Snap this up I gotta get back.
Crais: Despite all of this - I understand the power of the technology that Scorpius is attempting to harness. I understand the horror that will wash over this galaxy if anyone wields this weapon. And last of all - I now know that I am the only individual capable of stopping him.
John: Have fun.
Aeryn: Listen! We all were on the same team - we all want this ship destroyed.
Crais: And the only way to do that - is with Talyn.
Aeryn: Crais is proposing that he and Talyn starburst while still inside the Command Carrier hangar.
Crais: The Carrier will collapse upon itself - outer decks first - central core last.
Aeryn: It will take at least half an arn for the ship to fully implode.
John: Giving the crew time to abandon ship. Tell me - you believe this.
Aeryn: Do you have a plan to destroy the ship?
John: Not yet.
Aeryn: D'Argo and the others are probably in a holding cell and I can find them.
John: Where do we meet up with you and Talyn?
Crais: You don't. Starburst in a confined space where the energy can't dissipate... It will be the heroes death that Talyn deserves.
*Crais gets the last laugh on his former lover turned spy*
Larell: What's happening?
Crais: Nothing.
Larell: You forget how well I know you. I can tell you're about to do something.
Crais: You do know me very well.
Larell: If I suspect you're conspiring against Scorpius - I must report it.
Crais: Larell - if you suspect anything you must report it. Do not be disloyal - to Scorpius in any way.
Larell: Tell me- Tell me!
Crais: Tell Scorpius it's not going to work! Next time he sends someone to spy on me - SEND SOMEONE I CARE ABOUT!
*the puppets—and even the ships—are real, man. Maybe can’t see that through the dialogue alone, but here it is*
Pilot: Moya understands. She says it is best this way. Talyn - was always destined for a violent end. This then at least - will be a noble one. We may never see any of you again.
John: Pilot - just be ready to starburst if you don't see us haulin' ass towards you. You give Moya my love.
Pilot: And - her love to you... As well as mine.
*John’s big distraction, plus making a fandom dream come true :P*
Scorpius: I allowed you to get this - primitive ship - how is it going to get me what I want?
John: Read the middle finger Scorpy. I have a thought forming in my head as to why this primitive ship with no shielding allows me to survive wormholes. I'm gonna check it out.
Scorpius: Which pilot is ready for deployment?
John: Whoa- no. Nono. Nobody flies it but me. One of your bozos screws up and bye-bye birdie.
Scorpius: You could die John.
John: Yes I could die. If I don't kick this project in the ass before Commandant Cleavage gets back - she's gonna execute me anyway right? What? You worried if I turn to silly putty so do you? Why don't you come with me? C'mon Grasshopper - come with me. You spent your life in search of wormholes - let me introduce you to one.
*this about sums up seeing a wormhole from the inside :P*
John: What do you think?
Scorpius: This is without description John.
John: It's a real Kodak moment.
*in terms of dialogue, Aeryn’s goodbye to Crais still feels a little bit lacking*
Aeryn: Now you go.
*Crais gets Talyn to agree to this sacrificial move…not without some emotional manipulation*
Crais: Yes Talyn. I'm here. No need to be afraid. Talyn... the firing mechanism on your cannon - was taken from you - by the Peacekeepers. The rest... have been captured. And Moya... Moya will soon be enslaved. Unless - we do something. Something radical. You and I - together.
*Crais’s final soliloquy (as interrupted occasionally by people who can’t stop him*
Crais: Scorpius? I am just making my final - good-byes.
Scorpius: Where are you Crais?
Crais: I am standing in your heart - and I am about to squeeze.
Scorpius: Braca - find the source of this transmission and arrest that fool.
Braca: It's coming from the hybrid in the - gamma hangar on level 12. The hybrid's powering up.
Crais: You are the most repellent of creatures Scorpius. You weren't born into Peacekeepers. You weren't - conscripted against your will. You chose to be one.
Scorpius: I want the bay doors sealed! All Prowlers scrambled! That hybrid must not get away!
Braca: The hybrid's building to maximum power - inside the hangar. I don't think he's planning to escape.
Crais: The last time I left this ship - MY ship - I did so under a veil of secrecy! YOU forced that situation. YOU took away MY command! You STOLE my LIFE from me! Well this time Scorpius... I am not leaving quietly.
Scorpius: Somebody find that fool! And get him out of that ship! SOMEBODY GET THAT TRAITOR OFF THAT SHIP!
John: I suggest you hang onto something.
Crais: Talyn. Starburst.
*scientist showdown about morality*
John: We have to go!
Strappa: NO! I MUST SAVE OUR DATA!
John: This ship - IS DEAD! The wormhole experiment is over Co-Kura! It's for the best.
Strappa: You had something to do with this! BUT YOU WANTED THIS TOO!
John: More than you knew!
Strappa: To stabilize a wormhole - to tame it, to tame its power would have been the greatest scientific discovery anyone could imagine!
John: IT IS NOT - JUST - SCIENCE! It is never - just science! It's a weapon. It kills. And I will not let the Peacekeepers have it. Do you understand me?
Strappa: Yes - I understand. But you still have the knowledge - in your mind!
John: Then, I'll have to be very - very careful.
*…though Strappa finally does the right thing, and wipes his own mind of wormhole knowledge in the most painful way*
Strappa: The Aurora Chair will erase all wormhole knowledge from my mind.
John: Yeah but Co-Kura - the chair won't wipe what I know and if it could - I don't know that I could do what you're doin'. You're a brave man.
*Jool gets the funny line as she and the others are about to be trapped by their cell door*
Jool: WE'RE GONNA BE BOOLITE GOO REAL SOON!
*but D’argo still claims the most badass moment :P*
D’argo: Pilot? PILOT can you hear me?
Pilot: D'Argo? Is that you?
D’argo: This Command Carrier is blowing to bits and we cannot get an escape pod off! I need transportation out of here NOW!
Pilot: What do you want me to do?
D’argo: Patch me through to my ship.
Pilot: Doing it - now.
D’argo: Voice activation - On! Weapons and defense shields - Activate! Prepare for rescue-retrieval.
*Henta, who refuses to change for the better, is sort of duped into her own death*
Henta: OFFICER SUN! DROP YOUR WEAPON! You did this didn't you? You and your fellow traitors! There are 50,000 of us!
Aeryn: We gave you enough time - most of you will survive.
Henta: Most!
Aeryn: I know that by destroying this ship I am saving millions of lives Henta!
Henta: Too bad you can't save yourself! *engulfed by flame*
*still think this is my favorite moment in television history…the music and cinematography certainly helps. Including J/A nostalgia at end*
John: Looks like our partnership is over.
Scorpius: John Crichton. Commander John Crichton. Generations will know that name. Because of you - very soon now the Scarrans will destroy us.
John: One evil at a time. That's the best I can do. Tell me Gandhi - you still goin' after Earth?
Scorpius: To what purpose? Vengeance against YOU? The only vengeance I cared about is no longer within my grasp! While holding two lights - depress 3-1-7 then release.
John: Hold two- press 9-1-1 and release. We were close. If we're gonna get off this boat now would be a good time.
Scorpius: I may not be getting off this ship John. Good-bye Crichton.
John: SCORPIUS!
Aeryn: (on comm) Crichton? The others are on D'Argo's ship. I've taken a Prowler and I'm leaving now.
John: On my way. Aeryn?
Aeryn: What?
John: Fly safe.
*nobody looks completely happy about what seems to be leading into the season finale—everyone splitting up*
D’argo: We all knew the time would come when we'd split up. In the beginning I would never even have believed it could take so long.
Rygel: Don't think I'm gonna to miss you! Any of you - I'm not! Well maybe a little bit.
D’argo: What are you going to do Chiana?
Chiana: I think I might... I might try and find the Nebari Resistance. …
Pilot: Should we manage to reunite you with your people - will you be leaving us?
Jool: From what I can tell Pilot - I won't be the only one leaving Moya soon.
I mean, I should like the season 3 finale better, I think, because Chiana has more screen time in it, I’m pretty sure! Instead, even some 20 years later, I am riveted by the finale John and Scorpy scene together. Guy Gross’s dramatic Latin music, sort of in the vein of the Agnus Dei he used at the end of “Die Me Dichtochromy” last season, certainly helped as well.
I just listened to Rockne O’Bannon and David Kemper’s commentary on this episode, and I can’t believe how much they were winging it. :P I mean, in the big picture, they knew where they wanted to end the season. And they even scavenged and saved old sets so that they could make a big-ass looking Peacekeeper Command Carrier! But apparently Rockne was writing this episode, episode 2 of Into the Lions Den, concurrently, more or less, with Richard Manning who wrote part 1, Lambs to the Slaughter? Oy.
Thinking critically about all of this, especially after listening to O’Bannon and Kemper, I think the reason this season finale gets to me more than any of the other stellar season finales on this show is BECAUSE of where the Moya crew (and their contemporaries) were at this point in time. Unfortunately I don’t think season four was as strong as this one, but I will be revisiting those impressions soon! I do know that we’ve been following Scorpius since the end of season one, and got really up close and personal with him this year. I know that we’ve been following Crais since the beginning of the show, but this year he became one of the family, if often a strained member. I know that the Command Carrier gave Aeryn the chance to confront her past and John the chance to unlock his wormhole knowledge. I know that D’argo and Rygel are set on new paths since last episode, and well, Chiana has the promise of her visions turning into something big. Moya and Talyn are also on the cusp of change after it’s decided that Talyn needs a personality overhaul. And Jool is…well, she’s there, I guess. :P I admit, I don’t feel for her as much as I do for the others.
All of this rambling is to say that these characters are well defined, and often well loved, and this episode put all of them into a point of culmination that I don’t think happened anywhere else. I think that is the power of this particular duology.
There is so much to talk about under the cut; I hope I do it justice!
Episode summary is here, courtesy of Farscape World.
Turns out smashing his head against a table and threatening Earth is a great way to get John over his “Hamlet” dilemma from the last episode, and return, gung ho, to the plan of stopping Scorpy’s wormhole project. And when I write “gung ho,” I MEAN “gung ho.” Something I didn’t comment on from the last episode—the command carrier’s hull is acting as a wave repeater, so basically, it IS the wormhole project. John wants to go fast (seems like sabotaging the data will take too long) because Grayza might be back at any minute. Also, homeboy likes a flair for the dramatic. :P The rest of the crew was ready to bail back to Moya, but they are on board to help with this. …well, perhaps all except for Crais and Aeryn, who lived here, after all, and the latter points out just how many thousands of people might be collateral damage in a blow up. Crais, in particular, isn’t on board, because he goes straight to Scorpius and tells him about it! :0 All of the Moya crew (except Aeryn, hmm) are arrested AGAIN. John is about to blow his fuse at Crais, but back in the room o’ mist, Crais and Aeryn let on that this whole thing was a ruse, to make Scorpius think he neutralized John’s attitude problem. Instead, Crais has a completed plan—he’s going to starburst on Talyn in the command hangar. It will take awhile for the ship to completely go down, so that most people will be able to escape. Crais goes into navel gazing monologue mode and it’s soon apparent why—he and Talyn will not be surviving this action. But in order to prep Talyn for this sacrifice, the former PKs need John to distract Scorp for a little while. John realizes he needs his module to successfully navigate a wormhole and not turn into goo like the other pilots (turns out our primitive technology is good for something. :P Also, returning to Moya, of course, gives John the opportunity to let Pilot in on the plan. …Look, I know this is just a complex puppet…but it’s not, too. This scene was so raw and so real. Anywho.) Back on the command carrier, John invites Scorpy to go along for the ride. Everyone on the carrier is so transfixed by this flight that Aeryn and Crais can walk around undetected. When the wormhole duo returns, Crais makes his final soliloquy to the whole ship, aboard Talyn. Talyn starbursts, the captain goes down with the ship…maybe in both cases, given Scorp at the end of this episode. In the interim, we see the ship explode and people make it (or not) to safety. John and Scorp seem to have enough respect for one another to release each other from their i-yensch bracelets, but Scorp’s words to John are pretty ominous. :/ Oh well, that’s a next season problem! The penultimate episode of season three ends with the Moya crew, all safely back on board, realizing that they now have the means to go their separate ways. Oh, and also…Scorp’s wormhole weapon might be destroyed but John is still writing unlocked equations down on his arm. Seems like this plot is far from over.
…do you SEE how much is going on in this episode? :P I will try and make the rest of this less rambly. First, well…this is our final farewell to Bilair Crais! :0 I still feel like I’m in my parents’ family room, watching that scene as a teenager. From the villain who “irreversibly contaminated” Aeryn to the reluctant hero who tempers his own desires with helping the Moya crew and Talyn, Crais might have the biggest arc on the entire show. There are other villains who did/will become more trustworthy *cough* *spoilers* *cough* but this is hands down the best representation. Crais is in a weird place here. The dream and the nightmare of his relationship with Talyn is at an end. Now he’s back on the command carrier he used to run, getting maliciously ribbed by his former subordinate Braca. Oh, and his one time lover, Larell, is spying on him…and he totally knew. Show couldn’t let her pull one over on HIM. Also, as a reminder, the person he loved most, his brother, is dead (but John’s been off the hook for awhile) and he was conscripted into the Peacekeepers. No one, apparently, chooses this life, except for Scorpius. And Crais hates Scorpius. Beyond all of this self involvement, Crais, (and frankly a few folks this episode) speak to the danger of turning the wormhole into a weapon. He’s not the hot headed nincompoop he was at the beginning of the show! (Though he pretty much riles up Talyn against the PKs at the end…and man, I love how “Farscape” uses sounds to delineate Talyn’s mood! Anywho.) His death is cool and calculated. The only thing I think it missed, really, was that elongated deleted scene where he apologizes to Aeryn for all the ways he’s mistreated her. They basically keep the ending in, where Crais and Aeryn share a quick look and then she leaves him to his fate. Makes her seem rather cold, frankly, which maybe, is in line with the character. But I don’t think I really believe that. Maybe the old Aeryn who used to live on this command carrier as a PK, but not the woman now who is openly talking about how she’s on a better path now.
So! Speaking of Aeryn and her arc this episode…well, she certainly hasn’t convinced Henta of anything. And when she’s on the planetary terrain, watching kids at their martial lessons and trying to show some mercy to a little girl, Henta shows up and bruises the girl further. There will be none of Aeryn’s softer, newfound compassion HERE! O’bannon had an interesting line about this scene, that it was supposed to be longer and the girl go through more of an arc, but he was afraid about if a one time child actor could handle it. Frankly, I think it was best to focus on Aeryn and Henta, with more to the point references about the little girl being a stand in for Aeryn’s childhood. Anywho. Henta does not make it off the ship alive. :/ She’s hit with convenient falling fire when confronting Aeryn about it. Frankly, I think this CGI was the weakest in the show (though BBC chose not to air it at the time!), but it was impactful because of the relationship. Couldn’t help but to feel horrible for Aeryn, as the last of her good PK memories was ripped from her. As o’Bannon and Kemper said, this is Aeryn shutting the door on her past. She’s been stoic (yet heartbroken) this entire episode. For John this seems to mean that she will sit with him but she will not open up to him. Her braid remains tight and slick…just like the little girl’s in the planetary terrain.
Most of the scenes regarding the rest of the Moya crew—that is, D’argo, Rygel, Chiana and Jool—were cut for time, though I got to see the deleted scenes at last via the DVD! :D But here is what was on screen the first time—a quick reference to the fact that they want to return to Moya (the elongated scene goes more into their reasonings and personal stories,) before recommitted John convinces them to stay and help him. Then they are off doing errands for John’s plan when Crais betrays them and they are arrested again. Uh oh. They spend most of the rest of the episode in a cell, though at least D’argo and Rygel get a little time to feel some post traumatic stress about the past. :/ Oy. Then, when Crais and Talyn sacrifice themselves, their cell door basically warps in on itself. :P Which at the time looked a bit like they could get crushed, “Star Wars” trash compactor style, but ultimately Aeryn finds and saves them. As she is want to do, hee. D’argo gets an additional badass moment when he makes his way to Scorpius’s control room, contacts Pilot and then speaks directly to his ship, Lo’La, demanding an autopilot “rescue retrieval.” Booyah. From there, we get two quick and sad scenes (even from Jool!) about the fact that the team is about to split up. But everything is much more fleshed out in the deleted scenes. D’argo and Jool looking up schematics on a computer and talking about their issues (particularly D’argo with Macton.) Chiana and Rygel’s is a bit funnier, with Chi acting claustrophobic in the officer’s lounge so that Rygel has an opportunity to ask a nice PK (whom Chiana is rubbing herself on, of course) how many people are aboard the Command Carrier and whether there are enough escape pods available for everyone. But to end on the stupidest of funny scenes, the crew clears the room o’ mist of Peacekeepers by Chiana pulling Rygel’s finger as he farts helium. :P Oh, “Farscape.”
But we didn’t have enough time for any of that, alas, not in the days before “Farscape” might have been produced for a streaming service where episodes could be longer than 40-some minutes, heh. The important thing to depict, of course, maybe the most important thing, was John and Scorpy’s relationship. I mean, what can I say. They start off this episode in a low place, with Scorp threatening Earth. John goes to Harvey in his little World War II scenario where the two of them play card games (a metaphor for mind games?) and Harvey sticks to his story that Scorp probably wouldn’t go out of his way to do it. Shew. Harvey brings up something much more insidious, though…would John destroy the wormhole info now that he has an actual path home?? In a way, the show provides a cop out here, because John DOES destroy Scorpy’s project, and yet his wormhole knowledge remains unlocked. But anywho. While Scorp and his Command Carrier are still standing, he may not go out of his way to destroy Earth but he can go back on his word and destroy the Moya crew! (To be fair, they kinda/sorta attacked him first. ;P) Basically, Scorp feels he’s neutralized John’s rebellion and John is pissed…until he learns the truth about Crais’s motives and then redirects himself. He asks Scorp to go with him through a wormhole! :o Kemper and O’Bannon seemed to imply that this turn of events was implausible, but they put it in the story because the most important part of storytelling is giving the audience what they want. Oy. Not sure I want to take the time to unpack that statement…but it’s true, watching John and Scorp in that module together definitely felt like fan service…for me. :P But I also figured it wasn’t too out of left field. If i-yensched John is going to go into the wormhole, Scorp’s life is already in danger anyway. So why play it safe? Anywho. When our duo returns to the Command Carrier and Crais’s plan reaches culmination, things get really interesting. Because John isn’t gloating. He almost looks contrite as he sits on his module while Crais’s soliloquy tears into Scorp. Then, of course, the Command Carrier implodes, and John and Scorp don’t see each other again until the very end. O’Bannon and Kemper talk of adversaries feeling some respect for one another. I guess it’s legit to take it that far, so long as it stops before John feels something blatantly positive about the other guy. :P But it’s also apparent that he gets their shared passion for wormholes, even if he refuses to turn his knowledge into a weapon. “We were close,” he told Scorpius. For Scorpy’s part, it’s obvious that his idea of revenge is so tied into the Scarrans that he’s not going to waste any of it on John. So the two of them release each other from the i-yensch bracelets, and John’s code, poignantly is 9-11 (for the sense of emergency, not for the ubiquitous date in history that John so far doesn’t know about!) The music is swelling, and even though I know exactly where this series goes for the rest of its run, I still feel the angst with the John/Scorp goodbye, complete with the tease that maybe Scorp is giving up for good. He certainly has reason to, with his research in tatters around him. And since we’ve spent the entire season with him as a main character, the loss feels pretty huge. I dunno, there’s just so much emotional gravitas between the characters here. I’m still affected, all of these years later. I’m still calling it my favorite scene in television.
And in conclusion, here are some more behind the scenes goodies having to do with the penultimate episode of season three. That scene with the water cascading down the steps of Scorpius’s office room…holy hell. It always reminded me of “Titanic,” (the movie more than the actual ship and accident) where the flood water came through at the top of the dome. Here, I shrugged off where the water could have come from—a huge command carrier would have more than one pipeline after all—but apparently Kemper and O’Bannon meant for it to be the lake water from the planetary terrain “set” (really a park in Sydney.) They could only shoot that scene once, and man did they not nail it completely?? Apparently some of the people slipping and sliding at the time were not meant to slip and slide, but it certainly fit the mood. Most importantly, Wayne Pygram kept his balance when slowly ascending those stairs at just the right moment. (If too early, with most of the water gushing down, he would have slipped, too!) Apparently, according to the wikia, he wished the tread on his boots was a little thicker, heh. Elsewhere, O’Bannon explained John’s “yo Harrison, get your shoes on” line to Strappa as a bit of an inside joke; apparently he had a neighbor when he was a kid who never had his shoes on to help with outdoor tasks quickly when needed. Here I just thought I was missing a cultural reference! Wouldn’t be the first time. :P Apparently Henta’s death scene was supposed to be even more dramatic, with the character moving towards Aeryn as she burned! Speaking of “Aeryn,” Claudia and others apparently made bets on which way the statue in the planetary terrain would topple. Hope she went for backwards! Director Rown Woods wasn’t thinking of “Titanic” like me; he considered the episode to be an homage to 1950s and 60s war films like “Tora, Tora!” and “The Battle of Britain.” Hey, whatever would get us through to that stellar ending, man.
Favorite Chrichtonism: Flying through wormholes ain't like dusting crops farmboy. It takes a little finesse.
Favorite Quotes:
*a state of affairs at the beginning of the episode*
John: You think holding a freakin' gun on my planet is gonna motivate me to help you?
Scorpius: I - have run - out - of - time!
John: *responding to Scorp throwing him around* Don't stop - let's see how much pain you can take!
Scorpius: That Commandant bitch will return here anytime. I must be able to report success OR - she's going to scrap my wormhole project and soon - the Scarrans will rule - half - this - GALAXY! (
John: Oh Grasshopper - you're so screwed!
*John is gung ho about explaining his plan to the Moya crew*
John: We came to permanently sabotage Scorpy's project. Now I've been trying to kill it from the inside - but we have run out of time. We have one option left. Only one. We blow up the Command Carrier.
Jool: Blow up - the Command Carrier? The entire Command Carrier?
John: All of Scorpy's data is on this ship! He's retro'd the entire damn hull into a repeater necessary to stabilize a wormhole! This boat - is - the Peacekeeper Wormhole Project!
Rygel: But this Carrier's huge - over a metra long!
Chiana: Is it possible to blow up the whole ship?
John: It's armed to the teeth. We can blow the munitions store. Hell we can stick a banana in the tailpipe. I do not care how we do it - but we do it!
Aeryn: There are over 50,000 men, women and children aboard this ship.
John: Then we find a way - to get 'em off before we blow it up.
D’argo: John there's no way-
John: Is this not - what we came here to do?
*Rygel is surprisingly prescient in hammering the moral message home*
Rygel: I did see what the Scarrans were able to do. Even if by some wild miracle I manage to regain my throne - I won't hold it for long if the Peacekeepers have this technology. I know what horrible destruction wormholes can wreak. Nobody should wield such power - nobody.
*John and Harvey play games and discuss Scorp’s motives*
Harvey: Hm? Oh! Would Scorpius actually attack Earth? If you fail in delivering the wormhole answers. *checkmates John* Hah-hah! Would he set out on a 60 cycle mission? To destroy an insignificant planet? Hmph! Though I would never underestimate Scorpius' resolve for retribution John -- If he feels he's been-
John: No wait... * tries to change his move*
Harvey: HEY! Took your hand off! *soundly beats John at checkers, then the game changes* Got any threes? Heh-ha! Yes! So tell me John - if you do develop wormhole travel and gain the ability to return home - would you really - destroy that information?
John: Got any sixes?
Harvey: GO FISH! Yah-HAH!
*John’s mental breakthrough about wormholes*
Strappa: Crichton... Crichton... Crichton... Crichton you're no longer writing on the tablet. Crichton? Crichton? *John looks down to see what he wrote on his hand* Oh my, Jenset - look what you've done! I-I think you've unlocked the 5th level coupling anomalies.
John: So that's how it works.
Strappa: I must get these figures plugged in immediately.
John: We're close.
Strappa: Yes! Oh yes!
John: I can do this.
*Crais (supposedly) changes sides!*
Scorpius: You have something for me?
Crais: Yes. A demand.
Scorpius: Get him out of my - get him out of my sight!
Crais: *as he’s dragged towards door* I demand that I suffer no repercussions for any of my actions during exile! I demand assurances that the Leviathan hybrid WILL BE RESURRECTED - that I will be leader of that project working alongside Lieutenant Larell!
Scorpius: Stop. Let him speak. You have something - comparable - I assume.
Crais: More than comparable.
Scorpius: Any deal you strike with me may not prove enforceable once Commandant Grayza returns.
Crais: If you delineate my requests in an Executive Order signed while you are still in command of this vessel High Command must honor it - no matter what - dishonor - you may endure.
Scorpius: I accept your terms. Release him.
Crais: Scorpius - Crichton has no intention of helping you. He has determined that there is only one way to stop you and your experiments with finality. He is conspiring with some of Moya's crew to destroy - this Command Carrier.
*Aeryn tries to show compassion to a PK cadet, only to be thwarted by Henta*
Brenna: Ow! Let me go!
Aeryn: HEY! *scares off kids holding her down* Got an injury?
Brenna: Yes.
Aeryn: Let's have a look. All right. Well this may sting a little. *antiseptic squirt* When I was your age - do you have any idea how many times I was ambushed when I wasn't ready? Let me see -
Henta: Cadet! At service now!
Aeryn: Henta!
Henta: *strikes Brenna’s hands hard* Let it bleed. Let it scar. You're wanted - go. Don't make her soft Aeryn.
Aeryn: So much you don't know Henta.
*the Moya crew in jail again*
Jool: We didn't actually do anything. I mean - all they have is our intent.
Chiana: They're Peacekeepers Jool. They're not into justice - they're into enforcement. *trying to soothe D’argo* Hey - come on! We've been in worse scrapes than this.
D’argo: I was a Peacekeeper prisoner for 8 cycles. And I think that I spent every single solar day trying to escape.
Rygel: Last time it took me a 130 cycles to escape.
Jool: A 130 cycles?
Rygel: I was lucky.
*Crais’s sacrificial plan*
Crais: All that I have cared for have gone. My parents taken away from me, my brother dead. So now I live - I plan - I do - all in the service of my own interests. In that I believe I am not unique in the universe.
John: Snap this up I gotta get back.
Crais: Despite all of this - I understand the power of the technology that Scorpius is attempting to harness. I understand the horror that will wash over this galaxy if anyone wields this weapon. And last of all - I now know that I am the only individual capable of stopping him.
John: Have fun.
Aeryn: Listen! We all were on the same team - we all want this ship destroyed.
Crais: And the only way to do that - is with Talyn.
Aeryn: Crais is proposing that he and Talyn starburst while still inside the Command Carrier hangar.
Crais: The Carrier will collapse upon itself - outer decks first - central core last.
Aeryn: It will take at least half an arn for the ship to fully implode.
John: Giving the crew time to abandon ship. Tell me - you believe this.
Aeryn: Do you have a plan to destroy the ship?
John: Not yet.
Aeryn: D'Argo and the others are probably in a holding cell and I can find them.
John: Where do we meet up with you and Talyn?
Crais: You don't. Starburst in a confined space where the energy can't dissipate... It will be the heroes death that Talyn deserves.
*Crais gets the last laugh on his former lover turned spy*
Larell: What's happening?
Crais: Nothing.
Larell: You forget how well I know you. I can tell you're about to do something.
Crais: You do know me very well.
Larell: If I suspect you're conspiring against Scorpius - I must report it.
Crais: Larell - if you suspect anything you must report it. Do not be disloyal - to Scorpius in any way.
Larell: Tell me- Tell me!
Crais: Tell Scorpius it's not going to work! Next time he sends someone to spy on me - SEND SOMEONE I CARE ABOUT!
*the puppets—and even the ships—are real, man. Maybe can’t see that through the dialogue alone, but here it is*
Pilot: Moya understands. She says it is best this way. Talyn - was always destined for a violent end. This then at least - will be a noble one. We may never see any of you again.
John: Pilot - just be ready to starburst if you don't see us haulin' ass towards you. You give Moya my love.
Pilot: And - her love to you... As well as mine.
*John’s big distraction, plus making a fandom dream come true :P*
Scorpius: I allowed you to get this - primitive ship - how is it going to get me what I want?
John: Read the middle finger Scorpy. I have a thought forming in my head as to why this primitive ship with no shielding allows me to survive wormholes. I'm gonna check it out.
Scorpius: Which pilot is ready for deployment?
John: Whoa- no. Nono. Nobody flies it but me. One of your bozos screws up and bye-bye birdie.
Scorpius: You could die John.
John: Yes I could die. If I don't kick this project in the ass before Commandant Cleavage gets back - she's gonna execute me anyway right? What? You worried if I turn to silly putty so do you? Why don't you come with me? C'mon Grasshopper - come with me. You spent your life in search of wormholes - let me introduce you to one.
*this about sums up seeing a wormhole from the inside :P*
John: What do you think?
Scorpius: This is without description John.
John: It's a real Kodak moment.
*in terms of dialogue, Aeryn’s goodbye to Crais still feels a little bit lacking*
Aeryn: Now you go.
*Crais gets Talyn to agree to this sacrificial move…not without some emotional manipulation*
Crais: Yes Talyn. I'm here. No need to be afraid. Talyn... the firing mechanism on your cannon - was taken from you - by the Peacekeepers. The rest... have been captured. And Moya... Moya will soon be enslaved. Unless - we do something. Something radical. You and I - together.
*Crais’s final soliloquy (as interrupted occasionally by people who can’t stop him*
Crais: Scorpius? I am just making my final - good-byes.
Scorpius: Where are you Crais?
Crais: I am standing in your heart - and I am about to squeeze.
Scorpius: Braca - find the source of this transmission and arrest that fool.
Braca: It's coming from the hybrid in the - gamma hangar on level 12. The hybrid's powering up.
Crais: You are the most repellent of creatures Scorpius. You weren't born into Peacekeepers. You weren't - conscripted against your will. You chose to be one.
Scorpius: I want the bay doors sealed! All Prowlers scrambled! That hybrid must not get away!
Braca: The hybrid's building to maximum power - inside the hangar. I don't think he's planning to escape.
Crais: The last time I left this ship - MY ship - I did so under a veil of secrecy! YOU forced that situation. YOU took away MY command! You STOLE my LIFE from me! Well this time Scorpius... I am not leaving quietly.
Scorpius: Somebody find that fool! And get him out of that ship! SOMEBODY GET THAT TRAITOR OFF THAT SHIP!
John: I suggest you hang onto something.
Crais: Talyn. Starburst.
*scientist showdown about morality*
John: We have to go!
Strappa: NO! I MUST SAVE OUR DATA!
John: This ship - IS DEAD! The wormhole experiment is over Co-Kura! It's for the best.
Strappa: You had something to do with this! BUT YOU WANTED THIS TOO!
John: More than you knew!
Strappa: To stabilize a wormhole - to tame it, to tame its power would have been the greatest scientific discovery anyone could imagine!
John: IT IS NOT - JUST - SCIENCE! It is never - just science! It's a weapon. It kills. And I will not let the Peacekeepers have it. Do you understand me?
Strappa: Yes - I understand. But you still have the knowledge - in your mind!
John: Then, I'll have to be very - very careful.
*…though Strappa finally does the right thing, and wipes his own mind of wormhole knowledge in the most painful way*
Strappa: The Aurora Chair will erase all wormhole knowledge from my mind.
John: Yeah but Co-Kura - the chair won't wipe what I know and if it could - I don't know that I could do what you're doin'. You're a brave man.
*Jool gets the funny line as she and the others are about to be trapped by their cell door*
Jool: WE'RE GONNA BE BOOLITE GOO REAL SOON!
*but D’argo still claims the most badass moment :P*
D’argo: Pilot? PILOT can you hear me?
Pilot: D'Argo? Is that you?
D’argo: This Command Carrier is blowing to bits and we cannot get an escape pod off! I need transportation out of here NOW!
Pilot: What do you want me to do?
D’argo: Patch me through to my ship.
Pilot: Doing it - now.
D’argo: Voice activation - On! Weapons and defense shields - Activate! Prepare for rescue-retrieval.
*Henta, who refuses to change for the better, is sort of duped into her own death*
Henta: OFFICER SUN! DROP YOUR WEAPON! You did this didn't you? You and your fellow traitors! There are 50,000 of us!
Aeryn: We gave you enough time - most of you will survive.
Henta: Most!
Aeryn: I know that by destroying this ship I am saving millions of lives Henta!
Henta: Too bad you can't save yourself! *engulfed by flame*
*still think this is my favorite moment in television history…the music and cinematography certainly helps. Including J/A nostalgia at end*
John: Looks like our partnership is over.
Scorpius: John Crichton. Commander John Crichton. Generations will know that name. Because of you - very soon now the Scarrans will destroy us.
John: One evil at a time. That's the best I can do. Tell me Gandhi - you still goin' after Earth?
Scorpius: To what purpose? Vengeance against YOU? The only vengeance I cared about is no longer within my grasp! While holding two lights - depress 3-1-7 then release.
John: Hold two- press 9-1-1 and release. We were close. If we're gonna get off this boat now would be a good time.
Scorpius: I may not be getting off this ship John. Good-bye Crichton.
John: SCORPIUS!
Aeryn: (on comm) Crichton? The others are on D'Argo's ship. I've taken a Prowler and I'm leaving now.
John: On my way. Aeryn?
Aeryn: What?
John: Fly safe.
*nobody looks completely happy about what seems to be leading into the season finale—everyone splitting up*
D’argo: We all knew the time would come when we'd split up. In the beginning I would never even have believed it could take so long.
Rygel: Don't think I'm gonna to miss you! Any of you - I'm not! Well maybe a little bit.
D’argo: What are you going to do Chiana?
Chiana: I think I might... I might try and find the Nebari Resistance. …
Pilot: Should we manage to reunite you with your people - will you be leaving us?
Jool: From what I can tell Pilot - I won't be the only one leaving Moya soon.
