Farscape Rewatch: We're So Screwed (Part 1): Fetal Attraction (4.19)
Wiki summary: Moya's crew infiltrate a Scarran outpost in an effort to rescue Aeryn. Things don't go as planned, when Noranti deliberately releases a deadly plague.
This episode, I had zero recollection of, to the point that I'm wondering whether I ever watched it. S4 was the first season I saw almost in real time, so maybe I missed it (or my source who sent me the episodes as soon as they were broadcast did)?
Anyway: this is where we find out more about the Khaelish, Sikozu's people, which as I do recall will continue in the remaining s4 episodes. The concept of them living in a subjugated but somewhat privileged position due to to their intellectual and scientific know how makes me wonder whether it's inspired by the Chinese after the Mongolian Conquest. Mind you, the mere existence of the Khaelish does somewhat refute Scorpius' idea that the Scarrans, if unchecked, would wipe out everyone else in the universe and makes their idea of Empire look not that different from the Peacekeeper idea of Empire. (Neither idea, I hasten to add, being a good one if you want to live a non-oppressed life.)
How many Scarran/Sebacean hybrids are there? I thought Scorpius was the only successful attempt (so far), which would make him instantly recognizable, instead of the Captain buying his cover story for the entire episode until finally clueing in something is wrong.
Noranti's ruthless and improvised way of creating (well, continuing) a lockdown that prevents the freighter with Aeryn of leaving, including the way it gets out of hand and actually kills someone, strikes me as very Farscape, and I do appreciate that the episode gives her the scene with Rygel at the end where she talks about this guilt instead of the poor guy being ignored while our heroes make their escape. Also, Rygel's answer that he can't help her with that, that's hers to deal with, but that he can forgive her for his own part (i.e. that she put him through a dangerous illness again) is both a rare moment of kindness (that also illustrates how far Rygel has come from how he was directly after his century of imprisonment) and one of those moments where it truly does feel as if those two are the oldest people on board.
(As during my original watch, I think Noranti in the second half of the season - when she's more than a running gag with cryptic utterances - is one of my favourite characters in this particular constellation of characters.)
Aaaannd the show signals D'Argo has still romantic feelings for Chiana. Presumably a fifth season would have had their getting together at a slower pace, but then again, I'm not sure I'd have bought D'Argo/Chiana as an established long term couple, because while both have matured, their basic differences haven't gone away.
Sikozu being the only one to protest at leaving Scorpius in the ditch: on the one hand, emotionally, I'm with Sikozu. Otoh, given our gang's backstory with him, it's not surprising no one else is. On the non-existing third hand, though, if you don't want your ally (and John did make an alliance with him) to stab you in the back at the first opportunity, maybe it's a good idea to keep up your side as well?
Okay, I do remember the Harvey surrection scene, but I remember seeing it on Youtube many a year ago, in isolation. Two hands again: otoh, the show clearly needed a justification for Team Moya to go and try to rescue Scorpius in Scarran space instead of getting the hell out of there. Otoh, when Harvey says Scorpius knows everthing John knows via him (including John's post s2 wormhole realisations), John should have known he was bluffing - otherwise Scorpius would have had no reason to do anything for him or keep hanging out on Moya at all.
On to the next part.
The other episodes This entry was originally posted at https://selenak.dreamwidth.org/1460765.html. Comment there or here, as you wish.
This episode, I had zero recollection of, to the point that I'm wondering whether I ever watched it. S4 was the first season I saw almost in real time, so maybe I missed it (or my source who sent me the episodes as soon as they were broadcast did)?
Anyway: this is where we find out more about the Khaelish, Sikozu's people, which as I do recall will continue in the remaining s4 episodes. The concept of them living in a subjugated but somewhat privileged position due to to their intellectual and scientific know how makes me wonder whether it's inspired by the Chinese after the Mongolian Conquest. Mind you, the mere existence of the Khaelish does somewhat refute Scorpius' idea that the Scarrans, if unchecked, would wipe out everyone else in the universe and makes their idea of Empire look not that different from the Peacekeeper idea of Empire. (Neither idea, I hasten to add, being a good one if you want to live a non-oppressed life.)
How many Scarran/Sebacean hybrids are there? I thought Scorpius was the only successful attempt (so far), which would make him instantly recognizable, instead of the Captain buying his cover story for the entire episode until finally clueing in something is wrong.
Noranti's ruthless and improvised way of creating (well, continuing) a lockdown that prevents the freighter with Aeryn of leaving, including the way it gets out of hand and actually kills someone, strikes me as very Farscape, and I do appreciate that the episode gives her the scene with Rygel at the end where she talks about this guilt instead of the poor guy being ignored while our heroes make their escape. Also, Rygel's answer that he can't help her with that, that's hers to deal with, but that he can forgive her for his own part (i.e. that she put him through a dangerous illness again) is both a rare moment of kindness (that also illustrates how far Rygel has come from how he was directly after his century of imprisonment) and one of those moments where it truly does feel as if those two are the oldest people on board.
(As during my original watch, I think Noranti in the second half of the season - when she's more than a running gag with cryptic utterances - is one of my favourite characters in this particular constellation of characters.)
Aaaannd the show signals D'Argo has still romantic feelings for Chiana. Presumably a fifth season would have had their getting together at a slower pace, but then again, I'm not sure I'd have bought D'Argo/Chiana as an established long term couple, because while both have matured, their basic differences haven't gone away.
Sikozu being the only one to protest at leaving Scorpius in the ditch: on the one hand, emotionally, I'm with Sikozu. Otoh, given our gang's backstory with him, it's not surprising no one else is. On the non-existing third hand, though, if you don't want your ally (and John did make an alliance with him) to stab you in the back at the first opportunity, maybe it's a good idea to keep up your side as well?
Okay, I do remember the Harvey surrection scene, but I remember seeing it on Youtube many a year ago, in isolation. Two hands again: otoh, the show clearly needed a justification for Team Moya to go and try to rescue Scorpius in Scarran space instead of getting the hell out of there. Otoh, when Harvey says Scorpius knows everthing John knows via him (including John's post s2 wormhole realisations), John should have known he was bluffing - otherwise Scorpius would have had no reason to do anything for him or keep hanging out on Moya at all.
On to the next part.
The other episodes This entry was originally posted at https://selenak.dreamwidth.org/1460765.html. Comment there or here, as you wish.