Farscape Rewatch: "Infinite Possibilities (Part 1): Daedalus Demands"
Wiki summary: The Ancient in the form of Jack Crichton accuses the John aboard Talyn of carelessly giving away his wormhole knowledge, but John suspects that his module has been copied by Furlow. They return to Dam-Ba-Da where to find Furlow has been attacked and the Scarrans are on their way to steal her information.
You know, I don't think I ever watched this after the initial viewing. Not because I dislike it, but, well, you know what's coming. Also: the initial scene of John and Aeryn just happy and relaxed and comfortable and sensual with each other all at the same time reminds me we arguably won't see them again this way until The Peacekeeper Wars. I mean, we will see John happy, we will see Aeryn happy, we will see them briefly happy with each other at different points, too, but not in this way, because after this two parter, it's angst all the way until the later half of s4 and then when they finally have resolved things between them they have other things to worry about, too. So: even for a non-shipper, or perhaps especially for a non-shipper like yours truly who ended up weary of the angst fest in s4, this is something of a poignant moment.
As far as super powerful enigmatic aliens singling out our hero go, I like Jack the Ancient better than the Vorlons (B5) or, ugh, the Prophets (DS9), but otoh I have to concede both Koshs are characters on B5, and while I still have serious Prophet issues, at least DS9 made them distinct and did some interesting things with them through the series (in addition to some infuriating things). The Ancients, though, never feel like more than plot devices to me. They exist to import the wormhole knowledge on John, which is key for the show storylines from late s1 onward, but I can't imagine them outside this context. As for "Jack", I appreciate Ken Cord playing him slightly different than he plays Jack Crichton in the pilot and in mid s4, and he has a sympathetic aura. But given the episode title - and the next one following, with its allusion to the Daedalus and Icarus myth - I wish the show had made him a bit more of an individual. Showing up as Crichton's father was and remains manipulative, and that John is aware doesn't change that. I don't mean he should have been a villain, and I get why the series alludes to that myth - Daedalus invented and gave Icarus those waxen wings when they both escaped from Crete, and he had to watch his son die because of it. But if you want to have that kind of poignancy, then let the two have a relationship first, not two relatively short encounters, in the first of which "Jack" is lying all the time. Again: B5 let Kosh and Sheridan create a believable relationship (and Kosh was a stunt guy in a shower curtain), despite the fact that they had just a few scenes together over course of s2 and s3.
But enough about the Ancients. This episode has Furlow returning, still as cheerfully amoral and profit minded as ever. Unfortunately it's hard to comment on her appearance in this two parter without invoking the second part, so I'll wait till next week to say more. By contrast, our regular character who otherwise get's the "what's in it for me" lines is here used in a rare not even comically twisted series of scenes that include him torturing a sentient being to death. While I recall that upon my original watch, I did take note of this showcasing how vicious (and dangerous) Rygel can get, I don't think that back in the day, the full implication really sunk in with me. (This was before "24", Abu Ghraib and a great many good guys getting into the torture for information business, of course.) Not least because it's over so quickly, unlike, say, Rygel's Durka encounters. Also both the puppeteers and Jonathan Hardy's voice acting sell Rygel's deep fear and loathing in the exposition scene when he talks about the history between the Hynerians and the Charrid. But still. Torture. To death. I'm not saying it's ooc - Rygel after a century of imprisonment and multiple torture sessions as the victim certainly is more than able and willing when feeling threatened enough - but I do wonder what the audience reaction would have been if the Charrid looked like Sebaceans and had red blood, not yellow.
Harvey, Talyn Edition: I had forgotten that his turning on John is actually well motivated and that the episode carefully makes it clear that his existence is at stake. However, that's precisely why the cliffhanger scene, while being effective and providing yet another example of Ben Browder doing a brilliant and chilling Wayne Pygram impression, feels like cheating, because if you think about it, it makes no freaking sense. Harvey has ever reason NOT to alert Aeryn to the fact he's taken over (however shortly). And we now he can easily fake being John. This muwahahaahing is just there for the shock effect without being ic.
Hm, reading through what I've written here, there seem to be more complaints than praise, and yet I think this is a good episode: the pace feels just right, it has character scenes for the ensemble, the returning guest stars are good, it pushes the overall storyline forward, including the s3 important "it's never just science" theme of responsibility for one's creations, I was never tempted to fast forward but was glued. It's just that I've been more inspired to ramble about my nitpicks.
The other episodes This entry was originally posted at https://selenak.dreamwidth.org/1437738.html. Comment there or here, as you wish.
You know, I don't think I ever watched this after the initial viewing. Not because I dislike it, but, well, you know what's coming. Also: the initial scene of John and Aeryn just happy and relaxed and comfortable and sensual with each other all at the same time reminds me we arguably won't see them again this way until The Peacekeeper Wars. I mean, we will see John happy, we will see Aeryn happy, we will see them briefly happy with each other at different points, too, but not in this way, because after this two parter, it's angst all the way until the later half of s4 and then when they finally have resolved things between them they have other things to worry about, too. So: even for a non-shipper, or perhaps especially for a non-shipper like yours truly who ended up weary of the angst fest in s4, this is something of a poignant moment.
As far as super powerful enigmatic aliens singling out our hero go, I like Jack the Ancient better than the Vorlons (B5) or, ugh, the Prophets (DS9), but otoh I have to concede both Koshs are characters on B5, and while I still have serious Prophet issues, at least DS9 made them distinct and did some interesting things with them through the series (in addition to some infuriating things). The Ancients, though, never feel like more than plot devices to me. They exist to import the wormhole knowledge on John, which is key for the show storylines from late s1 onward, but I can't imagine them outside this context. As for "Jack", I appreciate Ken Cord playing him slightly different than he plays Jack Crichton in the pilot and in mid s4, and he has a sympathetic aura. But given the episode title - and the next one following, with its allusion to the Daedalus and Icarus myth - I wish the show had made him a bit more of an individual. Showing up as Crichton's father was and remains manipulative, and that John is aware doesn't change that. I don't mean he should have been a villain, and I get why the series alludes to that myth - Daedalus invented and gave Icarus those waxen wings when they both escaped from Crete, and he had to watch his son die because of it. But if you want to have that kind of poignancy, then let the two have a relationship first, not two relatively short encounters, in the first of which "Jack" is lying all the time. Again: B5 let Kosh and Sheridan create a believable relationship (and Kosh was a stunt guy in a shower curtain), despite the fact that they had just a few scenes together over course of s2 and s3.
But enough about the Ancients. This episode has Furlow returning, still as cheerfully amoral and profit minded as ever. Unfortunately it's hard to comment on her appearance in this two parter without invoking the second part, so I'll wait till next week to say more. By contrast, our regular character who otherwise get's the "what's in it for me" lines is here used in a rare not even comically twisted series of scenes that include him torturing a sentient being to death. While I recall that upon my original watch, I did take note of this showcasing how vicious (and dangerous) Rygel can get, I don't think that back in the day, the full implication really sunk in with me. (This was before "24", Abu Ghraib and a great many good guys getting into the torture for information business, of course.) Not least because it's over so quickly, unlike, say, Rygel's Durka encounters. Also both the puppeteers and Jonathan Hardy's voice acting sell Rygel's deep fear and loathing in the exposition scene when he talks about the history between the Hynerians and the Charrid. But still. Torture. To death. I'm not saying it's ooc - Rygel after a century of imprisonment and multiple torture sessions as the victim certainly is more than able and willing when feeling threatened enough - but I do wonder what the audience reaction would have been if the Charrid looked like Sebaceans and had red blood, not yellow.
Harvey, Talyn Edition: I had forgotten that his turning on John is actually well motivated and that the episode carefully makes it clear that his existence is at stake. However, that's precisely why the cliffhanger scene, while being effective and providing yet another example of Ben Browder doing a brilliant and chilling Wayne Pygram impression, feels like cheating, because if you think about it, it makes no freaking sense. Harvey has ever reason NOT to alert Aeryn to the fact he's taken over (however shortly). And we now he can easily fake being John. This muwahahaahing is just there for the shock effect without being ic.
Hm, reading through what I've written here, there seem to be more complaints than praise, and yet I think this is a good episode: the pace feels just right, it has character scenes for the ensemble, the returning guest stars are good, it pushes the overall storyline forward, including the s3 important "it's never just science" theme of responsibility for one's creations, I was never tempted to fast forward but was glued. It's just that I've been more inspired to ramble about my nitpicks.
The other episodes This entry was originally posted at https://selenak.dreamwidth.org/1437738.html. Comment there or here, as you wish.