TNMC
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Greetings Scapers!
So after last week's Losing Time, it's now back over to Talyn's crew. Last we saw them, they'd just escaped the digestive track of a Budong, and were still hiding out from the PK retrieval squad, lead by Aeryn's mother, Xhalax Sun. As per my usual style with the more "event" episodes, spoilers are included, so don't say you weren't warned.
"Relativity"
Season III, Episode X
Directed by Peter Andrikidis
Written by Rockne S. O'Bannon
While always an executive consultant, it's rare for series creator O'Bannon to pen an episode himself, so I knew right away we were in store for a treat. We begin with Talyn on the surface of a jungle/swamp planet, making use of the planet's vegetation to help conceal its presence, as well as its restorative properties. Since the crew is merely biding their time, some are making pretty good use of it.
What I'm talking about of course, it the 2 1/2 years in the making consummation of John and Aeryn's relationship. And I don't think I'm alone in saying that it was well worth the wait. It's quite a treat to actually see Aeryn totally shed her tough exterior (if for only a few microts) and completely give herself to John. Whatever problems they had as a result of John, er, trying to kill her, well, they've now been fixed. Of course, this doesn't come as much of a surprise after the fantastic, shippy ending to Green Eyed Monster, and as an added bonus, provides some pretty decent humor. While complaining about his lack of sleep due to John and Aeryn's, uh, recreation, Rygel states, "He was worse than she was! He actually sounded like he was exerting himself! What kind of male is he anyway?"
Rygel actually seemed to get the majority of the good lines in this week. Moments later a ship is detected entering the atmosphere. Not surprisingly, Stark begins to freak and won't stop asking, "Friend or foe? Friend or foe?" To which Buckwheat replies, "Will you shut the frell up?! Of course it's a foe -- we have no friends!" True enough, as it's the PK retrieval squad, and it's only a matter of time before they're found. Talyn is currently unable to fly, however, as systems are powered down to expedite the healing process, so John, Aeryn and Crais must go out on foot to try to buy the ship some more time. As diversions go, it's a pretty lame one, but they don't have a whole lot to work with.
So the three set out, and are hunted by Xhalax, and her two mercenary trackers -- aliens called Calortas -- the shape-shifting, nasty looking deals from Thanks for Sharing. Naturally, a furious, and extremely well-photographed gunfight ensues, leaving Aeryn separated from the others, and Crais badly wounded. Eventually, Xhalax and Aeryn confront each other, and Aeryn wins. She takes her mother back to Talyn, ostensibly to either convince her to leave them the frell alone, or for some kind of leverage. More realistically, I think -- she couldn't bring herself to kill her. Not yet, anyway.
Meanwhile, John and Crais are lost, and it doesn't help matters any when Crais passes out from exhaustion. During this interval, while John's making some bamboo-like rods into spears (yes, really), he gets a little visit from Harvey, the Scorpy-clone. Harvey decides to help John along to the realization that Crais hasn't been entirely forthright with them. As it turns out, the retrieval squad has two acquisition targets -- not just Talyn, but also Crais. As a Captain with privileged information, high command can't afford to have him gallivanting around the galaxy. Once John realizes that they've all been used, and effectively Crais' bodyguards all this time, he decides that it's time to lessen Talyn's load by a passenger.
Possibly the coolest scene in the ep -- John ties Crais up, and let's the Calortas have easy access to him. Crais is crying like a baby since he thinks John's left him for dead, but in reality, he's using him for bait, and ambushes the Calortas. Knowing that the aliens would smell the trap, he needed Crais' genuine fear. But even after the ruse works, he is about to leave Crais for dead, until the former captain convinces him that John needs him, especially if Aeryn didn't make it. Man, these two really don't like each other, and it sure is a lot of fun to watch. But they're in a bad way these days, and like it or not, need each other.
Back on Talyn, meanwhile, everything's gone to hell. Xhalax has managed to untie herself (she keeps a shiv under her skin on her wrist...yikes...) and with the help of a pain-suppressing drug, kicked the dren out of Aeryn, Stark and Rygel. That's right, Rygel actually tried to help, and the diminutive dominar nearly died for it -- Xhalax sliced him up like a holiday ham.
Actually, according to Stark, Rygel did die for a few microts, but he was able to bring him back, and claimed he was able to communicate with Zhaan in the process. That she was there, watching over them. Even though Virginia Hey's character is gone, it's cool that in some small way, she isn't.
Okay, so fast forward a bit -- the final confrontation between Aeryn and Xhalax. With Aeryn at gunpoint, it seems grim, until Crichton makes it just in time to disarm her. What followed was certainly the emotional highpoint of the ep, with the realization that Aeryn's mom needed to die. Aeryn gives her a chance to live, asking if she would really keep coming after them. "What do you want me to do -- lie? Beg for my life? I will keep coming after you, and I will kill you," warned Xhalax. To which a teary-eyed Aeryn had to say, "Good-bye mother." John helped the sobbing Aeryn away, as we heard the gunshots in the background of Crais presumably carrying out the unenviable task of Xhalax's execution. I only say presumably because we don't actually see it, but I can only imagine to is due to the graphic nature of repeated pulse-rifle shots to the head...
All in all, it was Farscape near it's best. Probably the best episode so far in season III. It had humor, sex, violence, and loss. You can't ask for much more. I'm also still loving this two crews dynamic, although you know it can't go on forever, and for me at least, it's almost turned into a morbid waiting game, because I just have this awful feeling that Talyn Crichton has way too much going for him these days...
Episode Rating: 9 out of 10
Make sure to tune in BOTH nights next weekend, as there's new Farscape on Friday night, and a special new episode at 8PM Saturday, right before the 2 hr premiere of The Chronicle. Til then...
- your resident Farscape guru, Ultra Magnus
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