Prepare for Starburst: A Farscape Rewatch Thread

[Falcon Horus]

Jeremiah Crighton

The beard was so fuzzy and fake it bothered me the entire episode.

Anyhoodle... John has enough of everything, steps into his module and Moya starbursts out like a mother leaving her screaming child in the cookies aisle of the store.

"Oh crap..."

Next thing we know we see John waiting around on his module for a crustecean-like creature to take the bite, and the first thing my sister and I yell (simultaneously I might add): "WILSOOOOOOON!!" **

** For those who never saw Cast Away with Tom Hanks. He had a Wilson volleyball as companion.

It's assumed he ran out of fuel and planted his butt on this planet that feels like Earth. However, the truth is that machinery doesn't function as power is drained by a device left by Rygel's people. And Rygel can set them free -- oh, how he loved being the sovereign.

I giggled a lot with Zhaan and Aeryn's dialogue when they're referring to their male companions as not being the brightest of them all.

The fact they kept looking for John and were not going to give up just yet, shows they don't actually think he's that useless after all. They are far more tolerating of each other than they would like the others to think -- friendships are beginning to take shape. They respect each other, or try to respect each other. I don't know... it's how I feel.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the story of John on the planet and the idea that he decided not to live with the tribe, but outside of it. His friendship with the people, and him slightly annoyed when D'Argo and Rygel show up, even though they came with the best intentions. The idea that a people was left behind without the ability to progress due to the force field's limitations.
Zhaan and Aeryn on Moya.

It's an okay episode -- but more looking forward to the next few episodes where we have a new character to love (I love her already but that's beside the point).

[jelgate]

@Jel.. I would agree with you that at this point John does come off as more agnostic....questioning if there is a God and not sure.

Glad you finally see the wisdom that is jelgate

I didn't want you to think I didn't like the episode at all. I thought it was a nice "Gilligan's Island" castaway type ep that gave us a unique perspective for a space show. I enjoyed the colors (in general I loved the Farscape sets and lighting and colors. I think that is one area they really put alot of thought into their sets and designs...yes jel I'm talking about ART!! Deal

That wasn't directed at you personally. Just a comparasion that unlike you and blue I liked the episode. The planet was a location spot. Their were no sets, so your Art comment doesn't really apply

What sex jokes? I'm ready lay them on me I think they left the ladies on the ship because I don't think it would've been wise for everyone to leave Moya. Aeryn said they already risked one transport shuttle pod or whatever they call it...and that it wasn't a good idea to risk another one. So it made logical sense to not have them traipse down there as well. I did like the creative way Aeryn crafted that projectile and sent John a map...yes I used the word CREATIVE I also liked how Aeryn said she did all she could but basically that she needed John's expertise to finish which would've been nice for John to know that for once Aeryn didn't think he was useless. You make a good point in mentioning how this really did show just how much our characters have changed and have grown fond of John. I liked that about the ep too.
History book? Nah... A. I don't read and B. I don't read history books

That was a jab at how much I noticed you are obsessed with sex in these reviews. Almost every episode has some of the characters (Pilot doesn't count) stay on Moya. I'm not criticizing leaving Zhaan and Aeryn, just interesting it was the women. The projectile was different so I'll give you the creative this time. Remember what Zhaan says in a future episode. The Moya crew became a family. It becomes evident in later seasons (and actually an episode 2 weeks from now) how much they have grown to care about John and the others.

Can't wait for Chiana...and I didn't think it took this long before she showed up in the season.

Originally Chiana was only meant to be a one episode character I remember correctly. Quite an expected payday for Gigi if you think about. Our favorite villian is only two weeks behind Chiana

Jeremiah Crighton

The beard was so fuzzy and fake it bothered me the entire episode.

Meh. I'm used to fakeness in TV

Anyhoodle... John has enough of everything, steps into his module and Moya starbursts out like a mother leaving her screaming child in the cookies aisle of the store.

"Oh crap..."

Did that happen to you FH?
I give John a lot of criticism but I don't blame him in this situation

Next thing we know we see John waiting around on his module for a crustecean-like creature to take the bite, and the first thing my sister and I yell (simultaneously I might add): "WILSOOOOOOON!!" **

** For those who never saw Cast Away with Tom Hanks. He had a Wilson volleyball as companion.

You probably could argue many survival movies if you wanted. I will admit that I thought of Castaway. Rygel looks like a very ugly volleyball-

It's assumed he ran out of fuel and planted his butt on this planet that feels like Earth. However, the truth is that machinery doesn't function as power is drained by a device left by Rygel's people. And Rygel can set them free -- oh, how he loved being the sovereign.

I always thought it was because John saw an habitable. Despite what Aeryn says, John is no idiot. He knows that the chances of his module finding another place to land is slim.

I giggled a lot with Zhaan and Aeryn's dialogue when they're referring to their male companions as not being the brightest of them all.

It reminds me of a book series I have read where the males think the females are insane and vice versa

The fact they kept looking for John and were not going to give up just yet, shows they don't actually think he's that useless after all. They are far more tolerating of each other than they would like the others to think -- friendships are beginning to take shape. They respect each other, or try to respect each other. I don't know... it's how I feel.

Their is a difference between useful and loving a person. A child is useless but family will still love them. I do agree about them becoming closer as a family

Anyway, I really enjoyed the story of John on the planet and the idea that he decided not to live with the tribe, but outside of it. His friendship with the people, and him slightly annoyed when D'Argo and Rygel show up, even though they came with the best intentions. The idea that a people was left behind without the ability to progress due to the force field's limitations.
Zhaan and Aeryn on Moya.

I think John saw how much his advancement could damage a primitive culture. John probably watches too much Star Trek It probably resonates John because he thought Moya left him behind like the Hynerians did to these aliens

It's an okay episode -- but more looking forward to the next few episodes where we have a new character to love (I love her already but that's beside the point).

Patience lemening. You have to wait two days.

[Falcon Horus]

Did that happen to you FH?

No, not in that way.
My mother forgot me once at the grocery store but realized soon enough she had both her kids with her and had simply forgotten I was taking the cart back.

Did leave me with some abandonment issues though.

I give John a lot of criticism but I don't blame him in this situation

I'm surprised he didn't snap sooner.

I will admit that I thought of Castaway.

Since it's the only one my sister and I saw together, it will forevermore be WILSOOOOOON!!!

I think John saw how much his advancement could damage a primitive culture. John probably watches too much Star Trek

The Prime Directive.

[jelgate]

Durka Returns

One thing I liked about Farscape is how seriously it treats death. So many shows use the cliché of no one dies in science fiction. But not Farscape. So lets mourn the passing of that beloved DRD who lost its life to space Durka. Now that joke is over lets talk about the episode. It is kind of in 2 parts. It is more of a plot episode than a character episode. That doesn't really bother me because you need to set up why Chiana is joining up with Moya. Speaking of Chiana, am I the only who feels like the Chiana is different than the frell everyone, I want to have draz Chiana we grow to love later. That is not really a criticism, just an observation. It is not uncommon for characters to act different when introduced because the writers are still fleshing them. I just noticed that Chiana acts a little different in this episode. Anyway I seem to be rambling on. That right laugh it off SQ. As I said their is like two. The first part is about the Nebari and their abhorrent practices. I am all about respecting and learning new cultures, but can we all agree what the Nebari do is abhorrent? FH, I'm looking at you. I think we call all agree that the mental cleansing is wrong. This is not an argument of individualistic vs collectivistic cultures (and I lost SQ) but more of forcing people to act a different way. That Nebari attitude of conform to our way else is why Chiana acts the way she does. Through John's eyes in the first part we see how Chiana is tortured and abused. I think it makes us sympathize with her and what makes us love that free spirit we say later on. But we will come to that later. The episode kind of changes direction when Salis is killed. Don't really feel sorry for him given what to how he harm Chiana. You can't really blame Rygel for wanting to kill Durka for what he did. Its easy for everyone to forgive when you weren't being tortured by him. I honestly didn't even put much thought into Rygel's actions since it was pretty self-explaintory. I like how it leads to Salis being killed (or maybe Chiana did it). The second part is to show just how vile and sadistic Durka is and to give an enemy for Rygel. I just love the part about how he shows Durka lost. It also prevents a crisis to show how Chiana contributes to Moya and what her skills are. Sometimes she can be little psychotic. I think she liked playing the part of the bait. If I have a compliant, its the end where Durka is taking his ship to destroy Moya's baby. It is confusing what John is doing with the doors and how is able to expel his damaged ship from Moya. All in all I love this episode even if D'Argo disappears for no reason. I'm going to end this with an open-ended question, who do you think killed Salis?

[squirrely1]

Durka Returns

John sums this ep up with one of his hilarious lines, "Nebari Cleansing fails to get the tough stains out" I mean really....you gotta love the Crichtonism's

And yes jel you lost me for about 2 minutes until I googled what Collectivism and that other word was *snort*

As for me, I could agree with jel a little (can't let things go to his head) with respect to how differently Chiana acted. I don't think she was fully into the role yet and there was so many trust issues with her. I do love the sexual tension between her and John and those awesome scenes with the fog...just brilliantly shot ...here I'll post a few pics so you can enjoy that art in all it's splendor

Spoiler:

John is showing off his bicep here LOL


Chiana notices
That is all

Ok anyway... I just love how John and Chiana sort of just mesh together right from their first meeting. It's difficult to sort their relationship at first because they do have so much on screen chemistry but we can already tell that John is quickly developing a soft spot for Chiana. Maybe it's because he can sympathize with her that she is a prisoner like they all are and she was tortured and he more or less rescued her (although her ability to all of a sudden get the collar off was sort of convenient...but meh)

So I do see it as a character ep for John and Chiana. Rygel for saving Aeryn's life and Aeryn being thankful but not quite ready to say it out loud to him yet.

As for what John was doing at the end with the door I think Zhaan mentioned that it was Moya who "expelled" Durka's ship in an attempt to protect her baby. THey even mentioned they weren't sure how Moya did it but there you have it.

I think Durka killed Salis no doubt. When John asks Chiana if she had ever killed anyone she answered with no. I don't think she'd start killing now. Durka had more reason to kill him and seemed to be most likely the culprit with his cleansing gone. That too was a bit hokey IMO that his cleansing was that easily reversed. Even Chiana said that Nebari cleansing is permanent and irreversible.

So my question to all of you is:
Do you think Durka was ever really Nebari Mind Frelled OR do you think he was faking it...like he faked his death until an opportunity presented himself to get free...yes even if it meant faking it for 100 cycles.

[Falcon Horus]

First I need to get something off my chest...

CHIIIIIII-AAAAAA-NAAAAAAA

So... onwards...

Durka Returns

The episode I have been waiting for since it brings us Chiana, and I love Chiana.

So Durka is dead in the Selbinion episode, the corpse had a glass eye. And yet, here he is... alive and well. Well, sort of well. The Nebari gave him a lobotomy so I wouldn't say he's all there. Rygel goes ballistic and wants revenge. I can't blame him.

In the montage when we see Durka torturing Rygel, it felt to me, the way it was edited that Durka too seemed to remember something.

They take the Nebari on board -- and I felt like wringing his neck every time he spoke. Violent outburst brought on by too much calm. He seriously got on my nerves. Durka behaves until Rygel blasts his neurons back into order in his brains.

Chiana escapes. Rygel escapes. Durka's true self escapes. And all goes to hell in a hand basket.

I think Rygel finally having the courage to talk Durka down was admirable. Aeryn's grin at the end when she tells him he just compared himself to a Peacekeeper, though.
And we get to keep Chiana -- all is well with the world.

[B]The first part is about the Nebari and their abhorrent practices. I am all about respecting and learning new cultures, but can we all agree what the Nebari do is abhorrent? FH, I'm looking at you.

I quite literally said at one point that he could stick his mental cleansing where the sun doesn't shine - wherever that may be in a Nebari.

...who do you think killed Salis?

Durka did.
It was a violent death -- too violent for a petty thief like Chiana.

So my question to all of you is:
Do you think Durka was ever really Nebari Mind Frelled OR do you think he was faking it...like he faked his death until an opportunity presented himself to get free...yes even if it meant faking it for 100 cycles.

Aeryn calls him legendary, until she learns he escaped the Selbinion and left his crew to die. He is in fact a coward. However, he is a psychopath nonetheless, taking pleasure in mind frelling his victims. He's Farscape's Ramsay Bolton. Although Bolton might take the cake on torture and mind frelling.
Anyways, it is possible he allowed them to think he was converted but 100 cycles seems like a long time to keep up the act. So, I have to say that I do think the Nebari cleansing worked and that Rygel's bomb and following blast wave knocked the sense back into his brain.

[squirrely1]

First I need to get something off my chest...

Aeryn calls him legendary, until she learns he escaped the Selbinion and left his crew to die. He is in fact a coward. However, he is a psychopath nonetheless, taking pleasure in mind frelling his victims. He's Farscape's Ramsay Bolton. Although Bolton might take the cake on torture and mind frelling.
Anyways, it is possible he allowed them to think he was converted but 100 cycles seems like a long time to keep up the act. So, I have to say that I do think the Nebari cleansing worked and that Rygel's bomb and following blast wave knocked the sense back into his brain.

Awesome comparison Durka to Ramsay Bolton. Yeah I think Ramsay probably has Durka beat in the torture department by a long shot.

Yeah now that I really think it over it seems that 100 cycles probably is too long to fake such a thing unless he really didn't have an opportunity to run, but you're probably right.

AND Yes jel we can all agree that what the Nebari do is frelling abhorrent.

[jelgate]

A Human Reaction

This episode presents as another one of those stand alone episodes. But as often in Farscape, the writers are tricking us. But we will come to that in 2 weeks. For now I am going to treat this as a stand alone episode because that is how it is presented. I know the first something is up. Space is big. Bigger than that house that SQ's rich job gives her. The probability that a wormhole would go to Earth? I would have a better shot of winning the lottery. So the point is something was up. But before we get to the deception, I would like to say I liked seeing the fake goodbyes. Again it points this is a different Moya that we saw in the pilot. I especially liked the respect for John goodbye D'Argo had. Notice how Chiana has like two scenes. I believe that is because by the time the writers were writing this episode, they hadn't decided to make Chiana a regular. The story of this episode is really not that original. Its the classic we Earthlings don't trust aliens and treat extraterristals. Its a cliché so common it is almost a classic. That is really what the story is. John comes home. We don't trust him because he is different so the government spies on him. It gets even more cliché when the Moya crew get sucked in. I am not surprised in the slightest that Rygel was experimented on. I do have a hard time believing Aeryn when she says even Peacekeepers wouldn't do this. Given their love of torture, I believe the Peacekeepers would experiment on us if they saw a benefit. Speaking of Aeryn, I wonder how she escaped. It always seems a tad convenient. This leads us to the elephant in the room. The thing that is making SQ (and possibly blue) jumping over the walls. I can't deny that John and Aeryn had sex. Its vague but its quite clear they slept together from John's dialogue the next morning. What I find interesting is that its similar to what happened to them in the Flax. They come to these romantic "activities" because of desperation. A large part of them having sex is because John and Aeryn feel like they are being chased by the government. I kind of felt like the writers wrote themselves into a corner in this episode. They didn't know where to go so John just magically realizes its a façade and goes crazy (foreshadow of things to come)where he confronts the Ancient. Its almost like a Star Trek message on the dangers of hate. One thing I do like is how the Ancient says how the most evolved species is often the most destructive. That speaks to me. I think it explains a lot of problems that exist in the real world. I know it may seem that I hate this episode. Its just without that spoiley scene, this episode is largely unimportant. I do laugh when we find D'Argo and Rygel still alive, Rygel is having the time of his life

[jelgate]

Durka Returns

John sums this ep up with one of his hilarious lines, "Nebari Cleansing fails to get the tough stains out" I mean really....you gotta love the Crichtonism's

Depends on the Circhtonism. I like this one but some of the pop culture ones annoy me.

And yes jel you lost me for about 2 minutes until I googled what Collectivism and that other word was *snort*

I figured you would. Its a simple concept but not a subject that is really touched on until you take college courses. I don't the rest of us were alive when SQ was in college

As for me, I could agree with jel a little (can't let things go to his head) with respect to how differently Chiana acted. I don't think she was fully into the role yet and there was so many trust issues with her.

I looked it up and I was right Originally Chiana was supposed to be a one episode character and be killed by Durka in the climax. The writers obviously changed their mind. Look at Stargate and how some characters are written differently when they are guests compared when they are main characters. Similar concept in my opinion

I do love the sexual tension between her and John and those awesome scenes with the fog...just brilliantly shot ...here I'll post a few pics so you can enjoy that art in all it's splendor [

Spoiler:

[IG]http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p285/sqirrely1/Farscape/john%20and%20chiana/chianaandjohn01640x481.jpg[/IMG]

[IG]htt,p://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p285/sqirrely1/Farscape/john%20and%20chiana/chianaandjohn3019640x482.jpg[/IMG]

[IG]http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p285/sqirrely1/Farscape/john%20and%20chiana/chianaandjohn4020640x481.jpg[/IMG]

[IG]http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p285/sqirrely1/Farscape/john%20and%20chiana/chianaandjohn5021640x477.jpg[/IMG]

[IG]http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p285/sqirrely1/Farscape/john%20and%20chiana/chianaandjohn6022640x478.jpg[/IMG]

[IG]http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p285/sqirrely1/Farscape/john%20and%20chiana/chianaandjohn7023640x479.jpg[/IMG]

[IG]http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p285/sqirrely1/Farscape/john%20and%20chiana/chianaandjohn8024640x481.jpg[/IMG]

[IG]http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p285/sqirrely1/Farscape/john%20and%20chiana/chianaandjohn21014640x481.jpg[/IMG]
John is showing off his bicep here LOL

[MG]http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p285/sqirrely1/Farscape/john%20and%20chiana/chianaandjohn23016640x480.jpg[/IMG]
Chiana notices
That is all

Notice how John is in the similar position with Chiana that he was with Aeryn in the pilot. Using your own logic says they must have feelings for each other from the first moment just like John and Aeryn do in Premiere. I'll leave you to mind frell that

Ok anyway... I just love how John and Chiana sort of just mesh together right from their first meeting. It's difficult to sort their relationship at first because they do have so much on screen chemistry but we can already tell that John is quickly developing a soft spot for Chiana. Maybe it's because he can sympathize with her that she is a prisoner like they all are and she was tortured and he more or less rescued her (although her ability to all of a sudden get the collar off was sort of convenient...but meh)

They don't really mesh at first. This is again because Chiana was written as more of a guest star for her original role. Even that said it develops her back story. John's soft spot is he says Chiana is a person who has been physically tortured because she doesn't conform to the Nebari's way. Think of what North Korea does to people who oppose the government. Its not much different. I think they explain the collar is because of how agile Chiana is. She is like this for most of the series.

So I do see it as a character ep for John and Chiana. Rygel for saving Aeryn's life and Aeryn being thankful but not quite ready to say it out loud to him yet.

Its not a character episode. Its a plot episode. We have a story of the Nebari mental cleansing and Durka taking over the ship. Its more focused on that than exploring characters. I think you get the two mixed up

As for what John was doing at the end with the door I think Zhaan mentioned that it was Moya who "expelled" Durka's ship in an attempt to protect her baby. THey even mentioned they weren't sure how Moya did it but there you have it.

I remember them saying that after the fact. It didn't make sense when Durka was trying to leave to harm Moya's baby.

I think Durka killed Salis no doubt. When John asks Chiana if she had ever killed anyone she answered with no. I don't think she'd start killing now. Durka had more reason to kill him and seemed to be most likely the culprit with his cleansing gone. That too was a bit hokey IMO that his cleansing was that easily reversed. Even Chiana said that Nebari cleansing is permanent and irreversible.

I'm playing devil's advocate. She did not John first of all if you look at the last scene. The writers have admitted to keeping in ambiguous. John actually asks in future episode. of killing Salis. One can not deny that with his cold bloodied psychotic tendencies that Durka has the means to kill Salis. I don't think that we should overlook Chiana. Salis has tortured her for a long time. That would give plenty of motive to kill. Anything to get rid of being tortured again.

So my question to all of you is:
Do you think Durka was ever really Nebari Mind Frelled OR do you think he was faking it...like he faked his death until an opportunity presented himself to get free...yes even if it meant faking it for 100 cycles.

Remember Salis said Durka had been frozen for 100 cycles. That is how they explain he could still be alive. I do think he had been mind cleansed until Rygel threw the bomb. For one he could have taken advantage of the time Moya crashed into the Nebari ship.

First I need to get something off my chest...

CHIIIIIII-AAAAAA-NAAAAAAA

So... onwards...

I think FH is trying to tell us something. What is it girl? SQ trapped in a well again

Durka Returns

The episode I have been waiting for since it brings us Chiana, and I love Chiana.

Who doesn't like Chiana?

So Durka is dead in the Selbinion episode, the corpse had a glass eye. And yet, here he is... alive and well. Well, sort of well. The Nebari gave him a lobotomy so I wouldn't say he's all there. Rygel goes ballistic and wants revenge. I can't blame him.

You can tell from his zombie like demeanor that the cleansing took away part of his personality. Durka tortured Rygel so yes its understandable he wants revenge which reinforces my earlier Chiana and Salis point

In the montage when we see Durka torturing Rygel, it felt to me, the way it was edited that Durka too seemed to remember something.

I thought it was just stock footage from PK Tech Girl

They take the Nebari on board -- and I felt like wringing his neck every time he spoke. Violent outburst brought on by too much calm. He seriously got on my nerves. Durka behaves until Rygel blasts his neurons back into order in his brains.

Too many pronouns. Who gets on your nerves? Salis or Durka? Because Durka doesn't have any violent outbursts until Rygel's bombs. But Salis and Chiana do.

Chiana escapes. Rygel escapes. Durka's true self escapes. And all goes to hell in a hand basket.

Rygel only escapes because Chiana escaped. As for the hand basket, just a typical day on Moya

I think Rygel finally having the courage to talk Durka down was admirable. Aeryn's grin at the end when she tells him he just compared himself to a Peacekeeper, though.
And we get to keep Chiana -- all is well with the world.

I loved Aeryn's line especially when it creeps Rygel out. It was to show us how Rygel has conquered his fears. On Zelibonin, Rygel cowers in front of Durka. But not here even when he was about to die.

I quite literally said at one point that he could stick his mental cleansing where the sun doesn't shine - wherever that may be in a Nebari.

Probably the same place for us. Their anatomy doesn't look that different than ours. Now lets all get our vomiting done after that gross image

It was a violent death -- too violent for a petty thief like Chiana.

I can think of numerous episodes in the future when Chiana kills someone. I'm not convinced Chiana is unable to do it. Stats show the most violent deaths come when we kill someone we fear. I can see that with how Salis tortured Chiana. Again devil's advocate

Aeryn calls him legendary, until she learns he escaped the Selbinion and left his crew to die. He is in fact a coward. However, he is a psychopath nonetheless, taking pleasure in mind frelling his victims. He's Farscape's Ramsay Bolton. Although Bolton might take the cake on torture and mind frelling.
Anyways, it is possible he allowed them to think he was converted but 100 cycles seems like a long time to keep up the act. So, I have to say that I do think the Nebari cleansing worked and that Rygel's bomb and following blast wave knocked the sense back into his brain.

Not really surprising. Villians are often cowards when their own mortality is coming up. Remember Cavil in the BSG finale. I had to look up Bolton as I have never watched Game of Thrones.

Awesome comparison Durka to Ramsay Bolton. Yeah I think Ramsay probably has Durka beat in the torture department by a long shot.

Yeah now that I really think it over it seems that 100 cycles probably is too long to fake such a thing unless he really didn't have an opportunity to run, but you're probably right.

He was frozen for 100 years

AND Yes jel we can all agree that what the Nebari do is frelling abhorrent.

That's twice you have agreed with me

[Bluemeany]

Human Reaction

An oddly topical episode this week given my country’s current national situation.

Crichton is home; but the humans aren’t particularly welcoming of outsiders. Plus it rains a lot. ‘Earth minus the sunshine’ is a pretty good description of the UK right now.

Still in a happier frame of mine, this is probably my favourite Farscape episode, with the possible exception of ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’.

First, I love the way it looks. For the Earth bits they are definitely using a different type of grading than usual, maybe even totally different cameras. The bleak and stripped back tone is great.

The director definitely knows what they’re doing. I think some of the shots and set piece mirror ones from famous indie-type films. For example, Crichton & Aeryn on the bed is framed the same way as the end of The Graduate.

Similarly, there’s a British film called A Matter of Life & Death. Anyone seen that? It’s a 1940’s movie in which a doomed fighter pilot falls back to Earth after everyone thought he was dead.

Anyway, he wakes up on a beach in his flightsuit. Crichton’s scene on the beach mirrors that exactly. From the shots they do of the waves and the sky, to the point where he runs up to a girl and asks her where he is. Excepting in AMOLAD it’s a fighter plane than flies over and interrupts, rather than a helicopter.

That film is also half in colour ( for scenes on Earth) and half in black and white ( for when he’s in Heaven). Human Reaction mirrors that divide: out space is all technicolour, where Earth is grey and drab. Seriously this director is a good one.

I also love that they use the freaky ‘aaahs’ from the title music as the cue for the Earth. I think I’m right in saying that this is the only time in the entire series they use the title music in the soundtrack? Really drives home the point that it’s Crichton/Earth who are the distant ones, strange and weird and not the universe he finds himself in.

Character-wise I think that it’s from this point that Crichton starts getting darker. It’s a trajectory that is accelerated by what happens with Scorpius but it starts here when he goes home. Even if it is a fake at the end, I think he realises that it could all too easily be reality. The humans would be just as harsh as the rest of the universe.

To my mind, this is where John and Aeryn become a couple (and not because they sleep together). It’s the bit where Aeryn says ‘Are you with us or them?’ and Crichton replies ‘I’m with you, Aeryn’.

Can we talk about Claudia Black? I think she nails this episode. She’s awesome. From how childlike and vulnerable she looks when Crichton leaves, to the way she tastes the rain in the thunderstorm.

Also the delivery of the line ‘ Did I kill him?’ re. the knocked out guard. Probably written in the script to mean, “Is he still alive?” but acted as “Does it matter to you that I did it?” Or even ‘Are you going to grass me up?’. Great choice.

The way they handle the translator microbes is also cool - with John responding in English and the audience/ Jack just having to extrapolate what they say.

From an editing point of view: so much good stuff in this episode Definitely worth cutting up, and not only if you’re doing a John/Aeryn vid. It has such a distinctive, earthy look when compared with rest of series that it’s very handy.

[Bluemeany]

I do have a hard time believing Aeryn when she says even Peacekeepers wouldn't do this. Given their love of torture, I believe the Peacekeepers would experiment on us if they saw a benefit.

Yeah, don’t I seem to remember in the Premier, Crais wanted to have Crichton dissected to see what humans were made of? Now I know Crais isn't a particularly nice peacekeeper but he's not the worst either...

This leads us to the elephant in the room. The thing that is making SQ (and possibly blue) jumping over the walls. I can't deny that John and Aeryn had sex. Its vague but its quite clear they slept together from John's dialogue the next morning.

Not so much cartwheels but I did enjoy the way that scene looked so much that I drew a picture of it after the re-watch Just be thankful it’s of them just before they have sex rather than during.

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[squirrely1]

Human Reaction

This is one of my favorite episodes for obvious reasons... I think you guys know why So I will spare you all and not gush about that part so much.

I actually watched the ep and then watched it again with the audio commentary with Ben and Claudia. The nice thing about these audio bits is they were added in years later I think. Because we have Ben admitting that the gray hair wasn't actually his, but he says now he has plenty LOL

They didn't actually know what to do with Chiana for this ep Ben talks about that and that is why they put her in that opening scene with Zhaan arguing about stealing something and well I thought that was perfect and gave us a little character moment for her. That she may still be struggling with her old ways and fitting in.

Loved the Goodbyes and that to me is what really sells it that Wow John could be going home. And like jel mentioned I loved the really touching Goodbye between D and John. Very awesome to see how far our characters have come and just how much they've bonded with John.

John swirls down the Worm hole and (yeah I'm with jel it seemed all too easy and convenient...but meh.... I'm going on this adventure and liking it). So BOOM...he lands on earth with that poor Shuttle again.... it's seen more action than anyone I think

Ben commented he spent some time surfing there (it was shot in Austrialia) and he actually got a bruise which you see when he has his "wife beater" shirt on in the safe house with Aeryn. it's funny how you never notice things until the actor points it out and then you go oh yeah Ben also said he had gotten very ill from food poisoning or something but there was a cot on set and in between takes he would crash out and spent several days so deathly ill, coming from both ends, but he never took a day off filming.

So back to the crash....surf...BOOM...here come the troops up over the hill. John is shot and tranquilized. They said the way they shot that they wanted it to be like when an animal is hunted and falls down dramatically. And they really wanted this ep to have that independent film feel and so with the camera work and blocking I think they did a fabulous job.

They spent 4 hours waiting for that crab to crawl across that pin that Jack threw into the water.

So what I was annoyed with the way humans were depicted as these really intolerable racists that wants to just kill and cut open all alien life forms. That whole stereotype is rather troublesome but we now know it was how the ancients constructed events from Johns memory. That really begs the question that honestly do you think it was cheaper for them (resource wise) to construct all that huge elaborate experiment rather than just use their resources to go scouting on their own and do the best they can? I find it rather plot devisive but *shrugs* it was good story telling so I'm gonna forgive it.

So D, Aeryn and Rygel come down....Surprise!!
I loved the back and forth with the alien language overlayed with what we can understand in the room with John and what we can't understand outside the room. That was very awesome. I think it adds realism to the whole thing.
Rockne and Rowan allowed Aeryn to come up with her own language Claudia mentions that she just decided she wanted it to be English backwards. So I think they actually manipulate her audio so it's running backwards.

There is that interesting bit when Aeryn is leaving the safe house and she says something to Jack and he actually seems to understand it and says "Thank you Officer Sun" I think that is when as the audience you are starting to feel like whoa wait something is amiss here.

So Look there did you see? I skipped right over the John/Aeryn kiss/ love scene. Actually Ben and Claudia commented that they added the "Euro Release" the morning after scene and of course Aeryn is all business and John and trying to discuss things. It's really hilarious that they make John more like the woman there...wanting to talk about it and process it and here is Aeryn playing more the male role of what? It's no big deal.. let's move on. LOL I do love the scene and that they don't have to show anything really....but it's still very sensual and meaningful. But Ben and Claudia also mentioned what jel did that it's their "Emergency Sex" LOL because they only seem to get it on when they are about to die.

So back to how John starts figuring it out and it's all hinging on the women's restroom. Ah Ha! Good one...cuz John has never been in there. Right! Even Claudia called him on that one. LOL I think that is sort of a weird way to do it cuz wouldn't there be pockets of that Red Static from little areas he wasn't in? I guess eventually he would've found them. Funny thing the men's restroom Ben said from left to right the men in there were: Anthony Simcoe, Rowan Woods and Ricky Eyres.

As for the ending, I really didn't care much for the alien and it seemed a bit confusing to me when I had to try to go back (after the reveal) where exactly did they take John to do this elaborate ruse? Ben said it was some giant incinerator designed to burn garbage but it had never been used and it was about 80 feet deep, so it was a very expansive space...so I guess we are to assume it was all "Matrix Trickery" until John took the Red Pill and he woke up in never never land.

Very head trippy and Poor John....Even Ben says this is the last of John's innocence and from here on out he's gonna start to slowly lose it.

[squirrely1]

Yeah, don’t I seem to remember in the Premier, Crais wanted to have Crichton dissected to see what humans were made of? Now I know Crais isn't a particularly nice peacekeeper but he's not the worst either...



Not so much cartwheels but I did enjoy the way that scene looked so much that I drew a picture of it after the re-watch Just be thankful it’s of them just before they have sex rather than during.

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Very Awesome Blue!! I would green you but I can't

[Falcon Horus]

I thought it was just stock footage from PK Tech Girl

It is, but the way they flipped the shots from Rygel to Durka in the second flashback it felt like Durka was supposed to remember flashes of that event as well.

Too many pronouns. Who gets on your nerves? Salis or Durka?

Salis.

I had to look up Bolton as I have never watched Game of Thrones.

Iwan Rheon did an awesome job with that character. Quite possibly the most hated character in the show, right after Joffrey Baratheon.

[Bluemeany]

Yeah, don’t I seem to remember in the Premier, Crais wanted to have Crichton dissected to see what humans were made of? Now I know Crais isn't a particularly nice peacekeeper but he's not the worst either..

Yeah, I went back to check my memory wasn’t playing tricks on me. He does:

‘ A Human? That will require some study. I will enjoy pulling you apart to see what you are made of’.

Interestingly though, that is the exact point at which Aeryn jumps in to stand up for Crichton. So it’s possible that dissecting prisoners is beyond normal peacekeeper morals (or at least Aeryn genuinely believes that it is and that Crais is wrong).

Kind of neat that when they go into each other’s worlds John and Aeryn’s positions are reversed. They both have to defend the other from being experimented against by their own people. And they both end up going on the run for it.