TNMC
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Greetings Scapers!
Six weeks I've had to wait to say those words, but it's been well worth it. I have to admit, I was worried that Farscape would be unable to maintain such a high level of excellence going into this season, but I have been pleasantly surprised once again. The Season III premiere picks up right where "Die Me, Dichotomy" left off -- Aeryn Sun dead, Crichton unable to speak and missing part of his brain, Scorpius victorious, and Moya's crew uncertain of their respective futures. How did it all play out? Read on, but do so knowing that this review is spoiler-ridden, because some things just demand to be talked about.
Season III Premiere -- "Season of Death"
Original Air Date: 3.16.01
Well, let's start at the beginning -- as in the credits. I was a bit shocked, and initially disappointed that the opening credit sequence had been altered for the first time in the show's history. But by the time it was over, I was pretty thrilled. The new sequence just radiates coolness, and hints at possible happenings down the road. For one thing, John's voice over -- he wonders what his new found knowledge of the Uncharted Territories could mean for the future of Earth. Come again? Let's face it, John's return to Earth has been largely forgotten since the Series Premiere, but maybe it will be a focus once again? Is it possible that at some point, the action will shift to Earth? Then, we see that Crais, Stark and Scorpius have all been added to the roster, and no longer just guest stars, to which I say, "Sweet!" Scorpius is a total bad-ass, and possibly the coolest villain since Darth Vader. For a time I thought he might buy it in the Season II finale, but apparently he's in this thing for the long haul. Also, Jothee was not in the credit sequence, which can only mean his tenure on the show is not permanent. And that's one thing I love about Farscape. From all appearances, this cast is going to keep changing over time, but we'll get to that later.
Alright, the basic plot -- Scorpius is waiting to leave the planet, but knows Talyn and Crais are waiting in orbit to blast him out of the sky. D'Argo, Stark and Zhaan go down to the surface to rescue John. Everyone is still grieving the loss of Aeryn, especially John, who wishes to die. As if accidentally killing Aeryn weren't enough, he's stuck with an autonomous Scorpius clone in his head that didn't leave with the chip. Things just never get easier for Crichton do they?
So naturally, there is some cool action (a Scarran is also thrown into the fray), including a little bit of outer space combat, but the real story here is Aeryn Sun. More specifically, the revival of Aeryn Sun.
That's right, perhaps predictably, perhaps not, Claudia Black's character did not stay dead very long. Using her "spiritual energy" during that "unity" thing she does, Zhaan reconnected Aeryn's soul with her body. At this point, I had mixed emotions. And here's why.
I was honestly pretty devastated when Aeryn died. I mean, her relationship with John is a central theme of the show. Much of me wanted her back, but part of me really respected the cajones of the writers for killing off such a major character. I guess if I had my way, she would have been brought back, but not until mid-season, or even later. I think she should have stayed dead longer. But the obvious upside is she's back, baby! To that, I am relieved.
Now those of you who actually read my musings will recall I predicted the demise of Zhaan when rumors were flying of a main character's death. Well, this is where the writers make up for the predictability of Aeryn's return. Somebody is going to die as a result of the season II finale, just not Aeryn. By using her spiritual force, Zhaan essentially gave Aeryn the gift of life, the ultimate sacrifice, because it will ultimately cost her her own. Zhaan is dying.
This I am sure will happen for multiple reasons. Primarily, I think the fans would be severely annoyed at another "death false alarm", but also, I've felt for some time that Zhaan's character had done all she could for the show. Sending her off like this is the greatest possible way to making Virginia Hey's character remembered fondly. The only questions now are how will Stark react, since he obviously has feelings for her, and how much time does she actually have?
So...is Farscape still the best sci fi show on the air? You bet! I am continually blown away with how good this show has become. Two years ago, I didn't think it would survive it's first season, but how glad I am that it did. My only qualm with this episode -- a subplot regarding the impending love triangle between D'Argo/Chiana/Jothee. I guess I'll just wait and see where this goes, but I'm not totally sold on this idea. A little too soapy for me. But I guess all you shippers are loving it. Oh, one last note -- if you blinked you probably missed it, but a couple of frozen bodies were brought back on Moya, which seems like a pretty good way to introduce new characters. Let's just hope they're are cool as Chiana and Stark, who have both really added to the show.
I could go on and on...whoops, already did. Farscape rules. This episode ruled. 9 out of 10.
Be sure to tune in this Friday night, as it's Season III, episode II.
- your resident Farscape guru, Ultra Magnus
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