Meltdown
Nitcentral's Bulletin Brash Reflections:
Farscape:
Season Three:
Meltdown
"God-like aliens...man, do I hate God-like aliens. I'll trade a critter for a God-like alien any day."
--Crichton to no one regarding MuQuillus
PLOT SUMMARY:
The story picks up overlapping the events of "Relativity". We see Crais with his weapon trained on Xhalax Sun. He shoots it and it hits the tree beside her. He says that he doesn't want her dead. He wants her to take a message to the Peacekeepers. He'll give them Crichton and Talyn in exchange for his reinstatement as a PK and Aeryn. "IS THAT WHAT YOU THINK HAPPENED?" says Crais to the audience.
What a classic opener. I was completely fooled. I (along with most of the Farscape fanbase from what I've read) was shouting "I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT!" at the screen the whole time and then it turned out to be Crichton's opinion of what he THINKS happened. It was brilliant IMHO! One of the best opening scenes for an episode (second only to "The Way We Weren't") that I've ever seen.
Unfortunately, the rest of the episode went downhill from there.
Not a plummeting drop, but it kinda dragged.
Anyhow, Talyn gets moody all of a sudden and charges right for a sun and then backs away and parks himself in orbit over the sun. (NOTE: Being in orbit of a SUN is not a great idea.) On the other hand, Crichton manages to stay in a VERY close orbit of another Sun for much of the episode. (WAKKA WAKKA WAKKA!!) Okay, enough lame puns. This proximity releases a mist from Talyn. It's like his adrenaline. And it's making the crew go batty. (Think "Crackers Don't Matter") Crais is going major Hitlerish. Rygel can't stop eating. And John and Aeryn? Well, when the heavy sax jazz is goin on in a steamy corridor(I'm not making this up), You can make your own conclusions.
Anyway, a lady made of mist shows up that only Stark can see. She says that she's been stuck in this mist like state for ages. Stark thinks he can help her die. Mist lady says that a guy named MuQuillin is keeping her from dying.
So who should show up on the bridge but MuQuillin. (He looks like Rev Bem from Andromeda without the fur.) He says that the sun is like a Siren song drawing in Leviathans thus killing them. He offers to help Talyn get out. They all tell him to get lost.
But Stark wants to help his new mist babe. He finds a Pilot's chamber (Talyn apparently grew one) and he hops in. Suddenly he's got cables attached to his lower body and he's floating around. He controls Talyn now. He takes them away but MistGirl disappears so he goes back in (this really ticks off the crew). Stark breaks down as he realizes that he's killed his friends. Crichton manages to soothe him by telling him that Aeryn is to Crichton as Zhann is to Stark. The blow up MuQuillis and zoom away and Ludicrous Speed.
ANALYSIS:
>> Been there. Done that. It's almost an exact replica of "Crackers Don't Matter" only not as funny. It tries to be both serious and comedic so it doesn't come off well.
>> Aeryn's reaction to Crais's threat to kill her was priceless.
>> Stark is a raving lunatic. Some people are best suited for a padded room that has no access to sensitive areas of the ship.
>> As I said, great opener.
>> MuQuillis was such an obvious villain.
>> They better reunite the crews and soon.
NITS:
>> I know they had some lame excuse about greedy shipbuilders, but why does MuQuillis have this wonderful job? From the look of his clothes, he doesn't seem to be profiting much from the ships. And what does he see in MistGirl?
>> I wonder if Sebaceans and Humans are "compatable". (That's not really a nit, but I was thinking about it)
NEXT WEEK:
Time for shore leave and it is an uneventful and relaxing vacation. YEAH RIGHT!
MAXWELL SMART: "Well would you believe..."
By cstadulis on Monday, July 16, 2001 - 11:43 am: This was one funny/weird episode.
I was truly fooled by the opening sequence. I was yelling "I knew it, I knew it" and then Crais had to look at the camera and say, "Do you really think that's what happened?" I was so mad, I threw my popcorn at the t.v.
I think all 'Shippers everywhere should write a letter of thanks to the writers for letting Aeryn and John get all hot and heavy for all of this episode. Perhaps TPTB felt bad for teasing people for so long with the A&J relationship and the "will they or won't they" aspect of it.
I definately liked this episode, it had a good, hard sci-fi quality to it. Crew in danger from something they don't quite understand, a strange mist affecting everyone differently, who to trust and who not to trust: makes it classic sci-fi stuff.
By Michael Conlon on Sunday, July 22, 2001 - 9:18 pm: You know what, I don't think we need to kill off one of the Crichtons. Have the one on Moya suddenly find a way back to Earth. I mean the one on Talyn will probably not want to go back to Earth. He'll want to stay with Aeryn. So both Crichtons will be somewhat happy. One will have his girl, and the other will be home.
By cstadulis on Monday, July 23, 2001 - 11:37 am: But, wouldn't that destroy the whole premise of Farscape? I mean, what would the rest of the series focus on (or would they just end it?)? For the most part, it's always been about John trying to find his way home. If one makes it home, what will the other do?
By Callie Sullivan on Tuesday, November 20, 2001 - 2:32 am:Yep, I was one of those yelling at the screen at the beginning, though instead of “I knew it!” I was yelling, “See? See?! I told you!” There wasn’t even anyone else home at the time ...
Mind you, I wouldn’t put it past Crais to pull a double bluff. I’m still not totally convinced that Xhalax is really dead.
My prediction for the future of the two Crichtons (and I’ve read no spoilers so this is complete guesswork and therefore probably totally wrong!): I wouldn’t be surprised if TPTB don’t want John and Aeryn happy for too long and so I reckon they’ll kill off this Crichton, leaving Aeryn unable to relate to the other John.
Is having only half of the cast in the show each week saving budget? I sure hope that the actors had their contracts negotiated to say that they get paid for each and every episode in the series whether or not they actually appear on screen, otherwise Ben and Lani are the only two getting a decent salary at the moment!
TUE wondered at the bottom of the plot summary whether humans and sebaceans are compatible. Remember season 2’s “Look at the Princess” trilogy with the magic liquid that you drop on your tongue before kissing someone? From the smiles on John’s and Aeryn’s faces after they’d tried the stuff, I’d say they’re compatible.