Comments | danceswithwords: "Run! Fight! Surrender! Pick one!"

danceswithwords

"Run! Fight! Surrender! Pick one!"

Jul 13, 2006 18:12

Standard disclaimer: this post and/or the comments may and probably will contain spoilers for the entire series. Previous episode posts here.

( Farscape 2.11 - Look at the Princess Part 1 - A Kiss Is but a Kiss )

farscape

Comments 8

pellucid July 14 2006, 02:43:00 UTC

Ah, I always enjoy your Farscape musings so much!

LATP is one ep that I enjoy more each time I watch it--there just seem to be more layers to the trilogy than I would have guessed the first time through, between John and Aeryn, John and Scorpius. For me it's the point where the degree to which John has been affected by Scorpius becomes clear to the audience. Interestingly, though, I don't think the other characters get it yet--D'Argo and Chiana perhaps a bit more than Aeryn at this point, but Aeryn is so all over the map with her own emotional development here that she's hardly paying attention to John's. And vice versa.

You make me want to go re-watch these eps. And then to re-read Thea's "Blue Eyes" fic, which is definitely my favorite LATP-related fic.

danceswithwords July 14 2006, 04:17:55 UTC

For me it's the point where the degree to which John has been affected by Scorpius becomes clear to the audience.

Yes, I really feel like it all comes bubbling to the surface here, when John actually meets Scorpius face-to-face again. But it's been there all along, in the way John has been harder and so much more erratic since the gammak base, and the pieces click into place, all of his motivations ring true; it's really excellent character development.

I don't think the other characters get it yet--D'Argo and Chiana perhaps a bit more than Aeryn at this point, but Aeryn is so all over the map with her own emotional development here that she's hardly paying attention to John's. And vice versa.One thing I really like about the friendships on this show is that their understanding is always imperfect, as it tends to be between complex people, especially when they're not talking about all of their problems. But the thing that makes me a little sad about Aeryn from this point on in Season 2 is that I don't think she really quite gets ( ... )

pellucid July 14 2006, 14:03:55 UTC

I don't think she really quite gets how much trouble John is until he kills her

Oh, absolutely! I'm not sure that my emotional reaction is quite to be sad for Aeryn, though. More that I get frustrated for the both of them that they're failing to connect and understand each other and the gravity of the situation (the latter problem more Aeryn's than John's). But my awe at this stroke of character development actually intereferes a bit with my empathy here. Frelling brilliant show! ;)

danceswithwords July 14 2006, 18:10:34 UTC

Heh. Yes, I get sad in an abstract way, when I think of the big picture; when I'm watching the episodes, there's more than a little wanting to thwap one or both of them. Aeryn is so convinced that he can fight it if only he'll be strong, because it's the only thing she knows how to do, and it's a very particular kind of denial. It makes sense, for her, with her imperfect empathy and imperfect understanding of how bad things are for him, but is sometimes very frustrating to watch. He's always been so open, she's not equipped to deal with something that scares him so badly he won't talk about it.

kernezelda July 20 2006, 01:54:47 UTC

I don't think I've said before how much I enjoy your episode reviews, but I really, really do.

danceswithwords July 20 2006, 18:31:04 UTC

I'm so glad. :)

brynnmck July 26 2006, 21:38:40 UTC

Awww, man, I have been dying for you to get to this trilogy. :) This was the first series of episodes of Farscape that I actually wanted to re-watch immediately--just so much excellent stuff going on here. And, as usual, you have such fantastic insights.

She's gotten a very good look at where all of this is leading, has seen the delight on John's face when he held that baby, and she's as incapable of resisting that fear as John is of fighting Scorpius

As usual again, you give me a whole new perspective on Aeryn. Identifying with John as I do, Aeryn frustrates the crap out of me in this episode, because John just wants something and she just can't give it to him and aaaaaargh. But I forget how enormous this idea is for Aeryn, the idea of actually being in a relationship (which, of course, we've seen her reject in the past with Velorek), and that this episode is a very clear indication of what John's looking for in the long run ( ... )

danceswithwords July 26 2006, 23:50:53 UTC

Aeryn's level of denial in these episodes is frustrating, but I think that's why seeing what John's looking for in the long run, truly understanding that, and then coming to him at the end of it all with that vial of compatibility serum was so meaningful. It was her way of saying that she got it, and was willing to try. And I love John so much for backing off after that instead of continuing to push her, of letting her move closer in her own time; I think all he needed was that hope to make him willing to wait.