Each week on a Sunday afternoon, join Alex (of Randomly Yours, Alex) and Katharine (of the unpronounceable Ventureadlaxre), as they re-watch the Australian-American sci-fi show Farscape, notable for the Jim Henson animatronic puppets, the excellent mish-mash of accents, and the best OTP ship of all time.

Season One, Episode Fourteen: Jeremiah Crichton

Crichton accidentally gets abandoned and Rygel features a bit too much.

K: Once again, John is being snappy and inconsiderate of others.

A: It can’t be easy losing some of his connection to Earth – no more fuel. Nonetheless, being mean to Zhaan is inexcusable.

K: Must be pretty cool to be able to fly out into space instead of just going for a walk around the block, though.

A: It would be a very way of getting away from everyone. Although with added options for hurting yourself.

K: Moya suffers a few other issues from her pregnancy, which results in starburst right when John’s ‘out for a drive’, so next moment we see him ‘Castaway’ style except he doesn’t have a Wilson to talk to. Just yet another pretty girl. It’s unclear how long he’s been there for, but it’s long enough to grow some decent face fuzz.

A: I like the ringed planet in the background. Totally incongruous but y’know. Every show that features a lot of travel has to have a Robinson Crusoe episode, I guess. Eep, the pretty girl is a bit… exotic-looking… And smart, because that map was a lot of work. Not really sure why the dudes are hanging around shirtless though.

K: And Moya has been trying to find him this entire time. Countless planets, and D’Argo knows they’re responsible.

A: How long is a quarter of a cycle? Is that a quarter of a year? That’s quite a long time to be searching. Hey, D’Argo has multiple hearts! And it’s interesting that Zhaan is the one being realistic about not searching forever… I like that line from Aeryn about Crichton having met his destiny “and we are just not part of it.”

K: The planet John has arrived at looks just like a place not too far from where I live, which is probably true of most parts of Australia. And of course John has already become prime picking for a lifelong mate. At least the female gets to choose, and at least her other contender respects her choice and doesn’t seem to agree with his mother’s assessment.  

A: John’s all ‘prime directive’ here which I find quite interesting. Ah controlling mothers, what a fun trope that is.

K: Zhaan and Aeryn disagree over the finer points of their rescue slash correction of the situation as Rygel and D’Argo’s transport disappears off all systems.

A: Oh no, interference with the radio… and other electronics, like Rygel’s flying chair HA HA. Meanwhile Aeryn is being pragmatic – don’t waste the last pod – and science-y to boot, regarding the electronics…

K: Okay so maybe this chap doesn’t disagree as much as first thought. Yay D’Argo!

A: Gah, damn. If only we could have an honorable love-argument. I’m afraid I really can’t take D’Argo’s battle face seriously. I do love that John’s just sitting there, watching.

K: And John continues to be a petulant little kid.

A: ‘Get away’?! What is John’s problem? Maybe he’s resigned to the planet and just doesn’t want to change again… And these people were once space travellers? Interesting. I like the girl’s feistiness.

K: Wow, quarter of a cycle. Did John then say 30 months?

A: He’s spent all of this time thinking they abandoned him! That’s terrible! And no, he said 3 months only. But STILL that’s a long time for John to be stewing.

K: Ahh okay, that fits with the quarter of a year thing then.

A: Aeryn’s quip about looking for highly advanced species and that ruling out Crichton, Rygel and D’Argo is such a burn. HA.

K: Women have such power, and yet he still doesn’t listen to his daughter, Go figure.

A: Just because women get to pick their mates doesn’t mean they have particularly much power in the society.

K: That’s true. And yet again, everything is ridiculous when it comes to Rygel. Sigh.

A: Yikes. It’s a bit C3PO and the Ewoks.

K: At least we know that things won’t be as easy as they seem – these plots always go as the god is a savior and he’ll be sacrificed and then boom.

A: Sacrifices are very useful. And ‘we’re here to bathe you’? Urgh.

Aeryn doing science-y things! And acknowledging her limitations! Such development!

And Rygel manages to be sneaky and sensible. That’s quite nice to see too.

Way to go insulting a girl’s entire life and religion, JOHN. There have got to be better ways to suggest doubt about Rygel’s divinity than just ‘your beliefs? They’re wrong’.

K: At least it’s something technical that cancels out all power sources, and not something like the rock or resources within the planet’s core itself.

A: It’s a horrible to have happened… but again, it’s good to see Rygel actually taking some responsibility for what his family did.

K: And of course the most annoying woman is the one who overhears their careless discussion.

A: Natch.

K: Rygel is half good and half awful at bullshitting his way through this.

A: Starts well, falls flat.

K: Ahaha they just take off and leave him there. Excellent. Rygel would be a pretty good sacrifice just to be on the safe side, though.

A: It’s a bit rich to call him a false god when he never called himself a god originally. Of course when you’re in the midst of religious hysteria is probably not the time to be thinking sensibly.

K: Surely it’ll be too hard for John to convince them away from generations of belief. Oh, I guess it helps if they just stumble over it like that. How excellent!

A: Did the priests lie? I think that’s unclear. Perhaps they might just have been trying to make life work for their people?  

Oh the classic mother vs potential-wife tussle for the young lad. 

K: So… in a way… did Rygel prove the prophecy as their god?

A: AHAHAHA yes.

K: All’s well that ends well.

A: Although that whole ‘you look after the girl, fellow!’ is so old.

In summary, respect the beliefs of those you come across, and be a bit hesitant when they expect too much of you.