Wiki summary: The crew of Moya must deal with having two Crichtons, the slowly recuperating Crais and Talyn, and the tumultuous political situation of a nearby planet. In the end, the crew are split when Talyn has to make a quick departure, with both Moya and Talyn carrying a single Crichton aboard.




This was an episode where I hadn't remembered much of, other than expecting one of the Crichtons to die, which did not happen, and the use of two Crichtons to fool the crabby lie detector. For example, I vaguely recalled that Sarova turned out to be bad news, but not that she was a shapeshifting creature in disguise working for Xhalax; I had misremembered this was just another case of ruling family intrigues. Now I wonder: at what did Sarova get replaced by the shapeshifter? Before the episode? During?

It's pretty much a transition episode, to get the show from plot point a - two identical Crichtons - to B - one on Talyn with Aeryn, one on Moya, allowing the show to explore two different ways John could develop. And of course, it introduces, via cameo, Xhalax Sun by name (as opposed to "my mother" whom Aeryn had told John about when narrating the memory), thus setting up a half a season arc. Which I'm torn about. On the one hand, I actually love the Greek tragedy between Aeryn and her mother, really appreciate that it's the mother, not the father (when in felt 99% of US based shows, the leads area always having to deal with daddy issues), and Linda Cropper who plays Xhalax looks enough like Claudia Black to sell the casting. Also, it's easy to see Xhalax as a might have been for Aeryn if she'd remained with the Peacekeepers. On the other hand: in the flashback, Xhalax telling Aeryn she was conceived in love and is therefore special creates the unfortunate impression that the show thinks this is what made Aeryn able to transition from fascist to heroine many years later. Now, I can buy that children raised by a loving couple, whether or not that couple are the biological parents, have a greater shot and being emotionally functional. But that is explicitly not what happened to child!Aeryn, who was raised the way every other Peacekeeper was who wasn't, like Crais, drafted. She does not need that kind of backstory singling out; I always thought Aeryn's story is more powerful if she is presented as no different from any other PK right until she starts to make different decisions.

(All this nitpicking not withstanding, by and large that is the impression Farscape has left me with, which is one of many reasons why Aeryn's overall story is great, and, say, Finn's story in the SW sequels is frustrating.)

This is also the episode where the writers apparently recalled Moya still needs a medic, so now Jool has the requisite knowledge. It's a bit sudden - it would have been better if this had come up earlier, say, when Zhaan was still alive - Jool trying to figure out a way to save her would have also given Jool some early characterisation and the Moyans a reason to keep her on board - , but it does mean Jool starts to gain character dimension. It did amuse me that John bribes her by promising some of Rygel's stashed sweets, too.

I have to say for me the most moving scene of the episode was when Crais sees a very much alive Aeryn. Lani Tupu plays that so well, and even the otherwise Crais sceptical John notices the impact. Incidentally, because of the two Johns situation I also had the impression Aeryn in this episode finds it easier to interact with Crais than with either Crichton. It will be different if it's just one John on Talyn, of course, but I do wonder: if Aeryn and both Johns had remained on the same ship, how would she have dealt? (Long term wise, I mean, never mind the possibility of a threesome. *g*)

Crais essentially pitching a Xhalax Sun redemption plot to Aeryn, with "you and I did it, why not her?" expressed in the magical words: "she can be more": how much does he believe it is possible, and how much is this about getting Aeryn to join him and Talyn, which he's been trying to since s2? On the one hand, Crais due to his different childhood could believe that biological parenthood might make all the difference, - his own tie to his brother had been more meaningful to him than any connection he'd formed within the Peacekeepers - , on the other, in my recollection Crais never afterwards gives me the impression of believing that Xhalax is retrievable.

And lastly: Ben Browder plays the two Johns as identical here, and I remember that this wasn't the case anymore by the time the arc ended, but I might let the knowledge of the story impact my memories in this regard. So in future eps, I'll try to see whether the impression upholds.

The other episodes