TNMC
This site’s design is only visible in a graphical browser that supports web standards, but its content is accessible to any browser or Internet device.
Greetings Scapers!
Well, it was inevitable. The Summer of Sci Fi is sadly at its end, and 12 new Farscape episodes have come and gone, just like that. The crews have been split ever since the end of Thanks for Sharing, but now - 2 ½ months and 10 episodes later, it's time to find out how the family reacts to the reunion.
"Fractures"
Season III, Episode XVIII
Directed by: Tony Tilse
Written by: Rockne S. O'Bannon
A quick re-cap: when we last saw the Talyn crew, Aeryn was grieving over the loss of Crichton in The Choice. Whereas life aboard Moya hasn't been nearly as eventful, filled with mostly bickering and fighting between John and D'Argo, which was finally resolved at the end of the surreal Revenging Angel. But neither crew has any idea what the other has been up to since the threat of the PK retrieval squad. So while John is as giddy as an 8-yr old on Christmas morning at the prospect of seeing Aeryn again, he's in for a rude awakening.
Pilot informs the crew that a transport pod is en route, but cannot verify who's on it. To the surprise, and dismay of John, et al., it's three, actually four, escaped PK prisoners - a Scarran, a Nebari, a female Hynerian, and a very odd creature - a Boolite. Not to mention one very upset PK Tech who they took with them. The prisoners claim to have escaped during the testing of a new weapon, but obviously the crew is cautious. D'Argo keeps a close eye on the Scarran, while Chiana watches the Nebari, and Rygel gets cozy with a female slug. Wait - did I say Rygel? I must be getting ahead of myself. Let's rewind...
Shortly after the first transport pod arrives, Pilot announces that Talyn has been found, and that another pod is making its way toward them. Sensing John's unbearable excitement, D'Argo tells him to go welcome their friends, while he keeps an eye on the Scarran. What followed was certainly the second best scene of the entire hour.
John, barely able to contain himself, standing at the bottom of the transport pod's stairwell, waits for Aeryn to come out. Rygel comes out first, and greets him with a half-hearted joke, which John politely dismisses. Then Crais disembarks, and merely gives Crichton an uneasy glance. Finally, Aeryn walks out, and while John playfully says, "Now there's a familiar face...," all Aeryn can muster is "Hello, John", and walks right past him.
The look on John's face spoke volumes - I can't do it justice here, but he immediately knows something is wrong. Crais tells him that the other Crichton is dead, and hands him his bag of belongings - something which leaves John speechless.
In a fairly morbid scene, John goes through his counterpart's stuff - the leather trench coat, holsters, etc. One thing I found especially intriguing was that after comparing the two guns, his own and the other John's, he replaces his with the other's. A very small detail, but I was pondering the significance.
Much of the rest of the episode is filled trying to find out who is sending the PK's distress signals from within Moya. None of the four prisoners have been left alone, and the tech guy is locked up. The way it's played out, we are certainly meant to suspect Aeryn, as she seems to not care about Moya or her crew anymore. But in the end, we find out it was really the female Hynerian, who was conspiring with the tech while Rygel slept. (by the way, did you notice the tech was played by Mouse, from The Matrix?)
Anyway, if I gloss over the main story, it's because far more important things were going on. Crichton cannot accept Aeryn's refusal to talk, and it's tearing him up. D'Argo tries to comfort him, but it's little use. D'Argo reminds him, that to her, he's the copy.
Now earlier I mentioned the second-best scene of the episode. Well, here's the first. When John finally gets a hold of Stark's mask, it begins to play an interactive message, from Talyn-John himself. He tells him that he was able to unlock the knowledge in his head, so it's within John's capabilities as well. He also reminds him that Scorpius is still on the loose, and that the knowledge must be protected at all costs. He then goes on to say, "Well, man - this is where I piss you off." He tells him to give Aeryn time, because she's a tough nut to crack, especially now. It's a heartfelt conversation, and you can see throughout the course of it, Moya-John's growing respect for him, and his acceptance that they are truly both John Crichton. As if there were any doubt to this at all, the writers give us a truly memorable moment, as Talyn-John says, "Oh yeah, one last thing." He raises his hand in a first, and so does the other John. The proceed to play paper, rock, scissors one last time, and when it's all over, they both went scissors - still tied, as it should be.
In the final scene, Crichton tells the rest of the crew that he must seek out Scorpius, and destroy all his wormhole research once and for all. The others think he is crazy, but John insists that it must be done. Knowing first hand the destructive power of the technology, Aeryn and Crais join him. But before we can find out if D'Argo or the others concur, the episode ends, and we're left hanging.
