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Greeting Scapers!
Sci Fi Channel frequently runs 'chain reactions' -- just a fancy name for mini-marathons basically. Last Sunday, we were finally treated to a Farscape four-episode chain reaction. While the first episode was a stand alone piece, and pretty dull at that, the next three got the ball rolling on what would eventually lead up to the season one climax. In my mind, this is where Farscape really started picking up momentum. So without further ado...episode one of three.
A Bug's Life - Season I - Original Air Date - 9.20.99
When a disabled PeaceKeeper Marauder vessel must dock with Moya, Crichton must pretend to be a PK Captain, complete with uniform, and Aeryn his first officer. The rest of the crew must assume their previous prisoner status. The ruse works reasonably well until things get complicated. It's soon revealed that the PK's are on a mission to capture a sentient virus, and return it safely to a secret base hidden in the Uncharted Territories. And they've brought it aboard, supposedly contained.
This is alarming to the crew for at least two reasons -- a virus that's already wiped out most of the PK Special Ops Unit is now on board, and on top of that, there's apparently a PK base nearby. Predictably, the virus is loosed by Rygel's stupidity (he just had to see what they were transporting that was so important), and chaos ensues.
Some people have complained that Farscape has overused the "monster/alien/virus loose on Moya" scenario, but I have yet to mind. It's always different, and always very "Alien"-esque. This particular virus can change bodies with a simple touch, but cannot re-enter the same body twice. What this means is we have a fantastic, climactic scene where almost everybody is pointing their weapons at each other, as Zhaan injects each person with a serum to determine if they've been infected. Your basic process of elimination, and it actually gets pretty tense.
This is just a great episode. Tons of action, great special effects, good character development, and some terrific acting. We see Aeryn instantly bond with her former comrades, especially the charismatic Captain Larraq, and her subsequant resentment at how her dreams of rising up the PK ranks were shattered. We've come to love Aeryn so much, it's easy to forget, she's still an enemy at heart. She'd like nothing more than be a PeaceKeeper again. Crichton was also very cool as a PK Captain himself. He even adopted that psuedo-british accent all PK's seem to have.
I usually don't give spoilers, but since this was a rerun, what the hell. The virus tries to escape in the body of the PK Captain using the Marauder. What it fails to realize is that the Marauder is leaking cesium, hence the emergency landing. Crichton instructs Moya to turn around and send some exhaust right up the Marauder's tail. "Boom." Damn straight. But in the process, Aeryn has been critically stabbed by the Captain...(too bad you guys already know she survives...)
Episode Rating: 9 out of 10
Highlights:
- Crichton slapping around the crew while pretending to be Captain
- Lots and lots of cool action
Quotes:
Rygel: "How dare you sneak up on me. I should make you wear a bell around your neck!"
Chiana: "Keep your fantasies to yourself, frog boy."
Crichton: "This is working -- they think I'm a Peacekeeper captain."
Zhaan: "Certainly the uniform is convincing."
D'Argo: "Yes. You, uh, look very fetching."
D'Argo: "If the virus is allowed to spawn it could contaminate thousands of species before it is able to be contained again."
Larraq (possessed): "I'm sorry -- is that a problem?"
- your resident Farscape guru, Ultra Magnus
What do you think? Talk about it on the Forums
