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Farscape: We're So Screwed, Part One: Fetal Attraction

I absolutely love this title.

In fact, Billie Doux loved this title so much, she used it as the title of the Lost pilot in her review.

This episode was familiar, but despite the similarities to previous attempts by Moya’s crew to pull off a mission impossible version of a heist, this one feels more important. Maybe it is because Aeryn is truly helpless, broken to a place we have never seen her before. Maybe it’s because Scorpius is directly involved, because his presence still feels like a giant trap. I guess the main reason is that this is the end.

When Farscape season four was announced, it was coupled with a renewal for season five. We weren’t just getting a brand new arc, but a two season arc. They introduced new characters and new enemies, shifted the game towards the Scarran threat despite introducing Grayza as a ruthless replacement for Scorpius. Everything seemed to be going great, and then the ax fell and season five was cancelled. I don’t remember when we heard, but we knew they had finished filming the season.

I won’t go into details yet, because I’m saving that for a few episodes from now. I just wanted to touch base with my feelings going into this final three-parter, because they are similar to what they were when it first aired. We knew the show was ending, and the sense of finality was palpable. Everything felt like it was ramping up. So in a way, the stakes were never higher.

Did we know that Aeryn would be rescued? Well yes, but maybe not in this episode. Did we know Rygel would get better? Honestly, killing the slug would have been a shock, but I’m glad they didn’t go that way. The crew's almost patented makeshift plans that always seem to go off the rails, kind of didn’t this time. Everything they set up went according to plan, with one tiny consequence.

Scorpius was captured by the Scarrans.

Um, yay!

Show’s over, the bad guy was taken prisoner by the bigger bad guys. Aeryn is safe, the crew is all aboard. That’s a pretty satisfying end. Of course, there is another shoe about to drop, and this time it takes the form of Harvey. Apparently Scorpius couldn’t leave well enough alone and started tampering with John’s brain again, reinstalling Harvey with some upgrades. I honestly cannot say I’m surprised, but I wonder what is actually going on. Does Scorpy truly have wormhole technology? Because if he does, why the games? He could’ve gone directly to Peacekeeper command with that information. Why did he go along and help John rescue Aeryn? Something doesn’t add up.

Bits:

Small moments truly do make this series special, and I love the small exchange between D'Argo and Chiana. Maybe those crazy kids will work it out in the end.

Noranti is a constant source of trouble. This time she risks Aeryn’s life to save her, and some innocent and some not so innocent lives were lost. For example; Vreena – the evil Sebacean nurse died horribly as a casualty of Noranti unleashing the Hynerian plague (Dermafollica). While no tears are induced from her death, she was an interesting character, although John's attempt at seducing her felt awkward and contrived.

I’m a little confused with the timeframe. There was a hand wavy line that the Scarran freighter transporting Aeryn was on its last day of the security pass when Moya arrived. For me the coincidence seems forced and the timeline doesn’t quite line up.

How many Scarran/Sebacean half-breeds are there? I got the impression Scorpius was unique, or at the very least infamous. Wouldn't his presence set off some alarm bells?

What the hell is going on with Sikozu? That hand glowy thing looked vaguely Scarran. Is she a spy?

The chase scene with Chiana was well done, but did they have to torture Aeryn some more? I mean that machine the Scarrans used looked like something The Master designed.

The coffin scene with Harvey was a hoot, plus Scorpy already looks like Nosferatu.

Quotes:

Trayso: “A Luxan assistant?”
Noranti: “Oh, yes. Luxans make fine pilots, exceptional bodyguards and superlative lovers.”

Crichton: “Harvey? You're not dead.”
Harvey: “Of course I'm not dead. I am the... undead.”
Crichton: “That’s not funny.”

Sikozu: “What about Scorpius?”
Chiana: “What about him?”
Sikozu: “Well, he might have been captured!”
Chiana: “Or killed.”
D'Argo: “We can only wish.”

Sikozu: “If the freighter escapes, then we abandon all hope.”
Crichton: “We abandon all hope of leading long and prosperous lives and we follow the freighter. She's still learning.”

While a perfectly good episode, it wasn't spectacular.

3 out of 4 Half-baked plans that usually go off the rails

Samantha M. Quinn spends most of her time in front of a computer typing away at one thing or another; when she has free time, she enjoys pretty much anything science fiction or fantasy-related.

3 comments:

  1. Lol, J.D. :) I remember how totally pissed I was when the powers that be actually took back that season five renewal. How could they?

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  2. So glad Farscape reviews have resumed, doing a rewatch at the moment, commenting as i go.

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  3. Aeryn is just so broken in this epsiode, and it is a relief when John rescues her. When she asks him m tp stay i just wanted him nto crawl into bed and hold her, not sit by her bed side.

    But then of course the other shoe drops with Harvey resurfacing to orchestrate the rescue of Scorpius. Now it doesnt really make sense that Harvey would be able to transmit knowledge to Scorpius, but the manipulation is masterful as ever.

    The tempo of the We're So Screwed trilogy had my heart pounding constantly.

    ReplyDelete

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