Let’s find out what Green Shirt John and the rest of the crew are doing on Moya.
To be honest, this is really not a favorite episode of mine. The plot isn’t very compelling, and I really want to go on to the next episode which is a very good one. Green shirt John seems like Comedy John to me for quite a while, and that’s really not a bad thing, it’s just not as great to watch as the mostly serious drama happening to the Talyn crew.
The plot of this one is that there are creatures that are energy riders that have snuck aboard Moya after she has passed some sort of cluster. I never did understand what they were or what they wanted, except the fact that one was chasing the other. One was mean and angry, and the other one was nice, supposedly. Our crew had to figure out which was which, and to get the remaining creature off the ship after it killed the other and decided that Moya was a great home, and decided to stay.
I didn’t really care about either creature, but the one that possessed Chiana for a time was amusing, I suppose. The first time I watched this episode, the way the creature was speaking through Chiana was very familiar and it took me a while to figure out why, but then I got it. She sounded just like Jodie Foster in the movie, Nell. It was a little hard to take it/her serious after that.
The other creature possessed Pilot, which gave the practical effects team the chance to really use their smoke machines, and shake Pilot around a lot. There were also scenes of bleeding, levitation, shaking, face-plant fainting, and running around Moya while yelling stuff.
Meanwhile, we get to see Scorpy, Braca, and assorted Peacekeepers experimenting with a wormhole. Things are not going very well, when a PK pilot goes through the wormhole, he comes back as a pile of goop. We do learn why Scorpy is so keen on wormholes as weapons. The Scarrans outnumber Peacekeepers ten to one, and Scorpy needs a strong weapon to keep the threat at bay.
Since I’m having a hard time finding anything interesting about the episode to write about, let’s focus on the costumes. Jool is wearing a new outfit, which kind of resembles a long leather hula skirt. She has thigh high boots, and arm things that go from biceps to wrist. Maybe her elbows get cold? I also don’t know why Chiana wears gloves all the time. It must be a cultural thing, when people from her planet are shown, they are also wearing gloves. From now on, I’m going to have to notice if she ever takes them off. As an aside that you probably really don’t care about, my feet are always cold, so I have a large slipper collection. Anyways, D’Argo is wearing a purple costume with kimono sleeves. I would think that he would catch those big sleeves on stuff. Crichton is still wearing that awful green shirt. Additionally, Scorpy’s tails on his outfit have often seemed weird to me. I guess they are supposed to remind us of a scorpion. I just have problem thinking about when his clothes were made for him, like the tailor said, “I know! You need a tail for this outfit because that would look really cool.” Maybe it was Scorpy’s idea. Speaking of Scorpy, his teeth are very sharp and pointy looking. I would bite my tongue and cheeks constantly if I were him. Ouch.
Space Oddities:
Fun Farscape Fact: Ben Browder (Crichton) is the only cast member who has to act every week for awhile. The others got to have some time off. I guess Lani Tupu (Crais) worked every week, as he is also the voice of Pilot.
D’Argo says his “first time” was when he was seven. I love the way John stares at him the rest of the way down the hall.
The starburst chamber is shown for the first time. It is a pretty place, all blue and glowing.
Gigi Edgley (Chiana) does know how to do the sexy alien act very well, but she is only in her early twenties and Ben Browder is fifteen years older. I like them better together when they are doing that big brother/younger sister thing.
I like John’s interactions with DRDs. He treats them almost like sentient beings. I like it when he gets down to their level to talk with them, and then gives one a pat before sending it on its way. It’s a wonderful gift, that Browder has chemistry with everyone, even the machines.
The DRD in this episode was named Pike by Crichton. The Star Trek reference has to do with an episode from the sixties, where a character named Pike only communicated through a device that gave one for yes and two for no.
Poor DRD Pike did not have a happy ending. He was left behind the closed door in the starburst chamber and presumably perished. Poor little guy.
Chiana and Jool were actually nice to each other in this episode. We’ll see how long that lasts.
Chiana had an interesting development to her character at the end. She knew that D’Argo was coming to join them before he actually got there.
Cosmic Quotes:
John: “Anything strange happen to you guys?”
D’Argo: “I live on this ship, something strange always happens.”
John: “We don’t understand the R2D2 crap; we’re going to use the Star Trek System. One blink for yes, two blinks for no.”
D’Argo: “This plan is so bad, it has to be ours.”
D’Argo: “Actually, now that you mention it, I’ve been feeling a little angry.”
John: “Yeah, that’s normal for you.”
This is not the most interesting or entertaining episode, but it did show us a few things that may become important to build upon in the future.
Two out of Five Jodie Fosters.
Mallena loves her DVR, her Pug, almost anything in the sci-fi, fantasy, and supernatural genres, and her family. Well, maybe not in that exact order.
This episode is relatively weak, the storyline is a bit confusing and as a viewer you are dying to get back to what is happening on Talyn.
ReplyDeleteGreen T-Shirt John is grumpy and feeling he has lost Aeryn is more focussed than ever on worm holes and getting home and his crew mates are driving each other nuts desperate for some off ship R&R.
I didnt like the suggestion that there is sexual interest between Chiana and John, i too prefer the big bro little sister dynamic.
The biggest plot development is learning Scorpius' team have discovered a worm hole and are trialling flight, albeit wit disastrous result of liquidifying the pilots.