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 Fifteen: Durka Returns

Rygel’s past comes back to haunt him one more time, as the rest of the crew try to deal with both this as well as Moya’s continuing pregnancy.

K: As we join our brave heroes, Moya is still suffering through her pregnancy. Pilot is getting snippy on Moya’s behalf as their crew complain a little.

A: Turbulence, starburst, and a ship…

K: They starburst, and crash into an unsuspecting ship which Pilot brings on board, as the crash disabled them. And Lucius Malfoy arrives. And with him is an old friend of Rygel…

A: I like that Pilot is completely doing his own thing – bringing the other ship on board – without checking with anyone.

Another Rygel-heavy ep? Aw man.

K: Even Aeryn is a little shaken by the events.

A: AHAHA it’s Dennis Denuto from The Castle as Salis!

K: ‘Incapable of evil’, really? Blue man is also a little creepy. I wonder if the blue symbolism we were discussing regarding Zhaan etc extends to this new comer.

A: Anyone who speaks that softly all the time is a bit dodgy in my book.

K: Oh great, just what they need, another dangerous crim– CHIANA! Hello Chi! I wonder if we can tell the longevity of a character from how detailed their makeup and clothing are. Chi’s makeup is much clearer than the other blue guy’s.

A: HA. I like that as a marker. Her hair is incredible and I love her outfit.

K: Mind control and elimination to change the will of a person. It’s an interesting theory. Utterly unmoral, but… if what someone does does wrong and is cruel and there’s the option for it to be removed… which could be for the benefit of hundreds or thousands… surely it’s — too hard for me to say.

A: “Neural realignment”. Changing someone’s personality in order to fit your perception of what is correct is a deeply disturbing thought, even though I can absolutely ways that it would be useful… but it’s too easily misused.

K: Aeryn’s a fan, in a way.

A: ‘Childish vendetta’, Aeryn? Really? That’s a bit harsh. I don’t get Aeryn’s deal here actually; it doesn’t really make sense for it to be hero worship, does it? … oh, no, here we are: there is a bit of hero worship going on.  

K: Poor Chiana. Or is this just all a big scam.

A: She’s sensual right from the start is our Chi. And also, I think, really quite worried… although that last look at that camera is a bit troubling.

K: Rygel is such a selfish piece of work. And Durka reveals that he is still capable, a little, at least, of violence.

A: I have a lot of sympathy for Rygel at this point. I don’t think violence is the answer but I do know that after being tortured Rygel is hardly going to be rational about it all.

WHY are the crew siding with Durka rather than Rygel? That doesn’t make sense to me. 

K: Creepy blue man. Fitting in, bah, overrated.

A: They’re really not making Chiana’s people sound very attractive, are they?

K: How did they even miss that massive bomb thing in Rygel’s quarters before?

A: Hilarious. Silas’ assumption that Rygel needs adjustment, and that the crew would just… hand him over… speaks to a lot of arrogance. Also saying such things about your host, to her face? Seriously Silas?

K: Tsk, Chiana. Though points for kicking Rygel’s ass. Though points to Rygel for being brave for once.

A: Chiana out of her chains very easily! She’s not nearly as helpless as she seemed which is AWEsome. Rygel is definitely showing a lot of bravery here, and I really thought that he was going to go along with Chi’s plan. Why wouldn’t he?

K: Chiana is highly capable which is awesome, and the crew are suitably wary but impressed and understanding. Aeryn with both guns is kinda awesome.

A: They certainly take her seriously, although D’Argo is a bit arrogant.

K: Durka remains creepy though. Careful Aeryn! Don’t go near him!

A: SO CREEPY. Zero sympathy for Silas. Two-gun-Aeryn! Aaaand the real Durka comes out. WHAT a surprise. He was clearly a very good actor.

K: At least she rolls herself into recovery position when knocked out, eh? John, why isn’t your spidey sense tingling when Aeryn’s knocked out?

A: Heh. You know to take someone seriously when they cut off their hair with a knife.

K: Durka and Aeryn have a little chat, about how he actually was mind-controlled but it hasn’t worked as well as people may have hoped.

A: Huh. Not acting – Rygel got rid of the mind-cleansing! Interesting! Still massively arrogant though: this is my ship, so nyer. Orly??

K: ‘New commander’, really? When John slow-motion runs you know things are serious. D’Argo is running at normal pace!

A: Heh!

K: Aha PIlot’s still so chill. And D’Argo, too. ‘Ha, have I got a plan…’ he says. And his ‘best’ was VERY Kiwi.

A: “That madman has taken over!” Pilot is so indignant rather than worried. John’s burn about D’Argo not falling out of the ship again is awesome.

K: Aeryn is so awesome when she gets snarky. She’s so cutting.

A: BURN, baby. Burn. But you’re not as smart as you thought you were, are you, Durka?

K: Oh, that’s right, Chiana’s on here. I totally forgot with all the other crazy. She’s so delightfully strange.

A: She moves beautifully, and so idiosyncratically. I wonder if that took practise or if Gigi did it naturally. Also her speech-patterns are unique.

K: Poor Aeryn. Rygel’s actually been pretty decent this episode – scared beyond his wits and yet overcoming it to smart-talk Durka when he advances on Aeryn.

A: Has Aeryn lost so much of her training that she would show fear to Durka? But yet Rygel’s arrogance here is entirely appropriate and useful.

K: WHY would you think it’s a good idea to tell an evil person about a defenseless baby?

A: It makes ZERO sense from a tactical point of view, surely? There’s no need to tell him this in order to stop him pushing for starburst…

K: I can’t decide if Chiana using her feminine wiles is empowering or problematic. The smoke is atmospheric though.

A: I think… empowering? She already has with Silas. We know nothing about whether Chiana has a problematic sexual background, so here it comes across as Chiana using any methods necessary to save herself. Which I think makes sense?

K: And Crichton has a plan, we know that at least will be problematic, though a different kind.

A: And BAHAHA Crichton’s plans… at least Aeryn isn’t there to roll her eyes… Chiana is running as bait very convincingly.

K: Welcome to the gun show! Featuring actual guns.

A: That was a very weird scene.

K: Durka goes to escape, Chiana’s bleeding blue, and — wait, no, not escaping at all, committing murder. Charming.

A: Whatever works, man. No going back to mind-control!

K: No, it’s fine John, take your time playing lawn bowls…

A: Isn’t that going to hurt Moya? Apparently not, if you do it in slo-mo.

K: What an action hero. I think this counts as one for John saving the day. Noooooo save the DRD! How does Zhaan know to not stop the doors? Can she even see a screen?

A: Yeh… chalk that one up to Narrative Expediency I think.

K: The trash has been taken out, and we shall mourn the poor DRD. Little cutie 😦

A: Vale, DRD. “Get in line, Durka” – YEH DURKA, LANI TUPU IS FIRST.

K: Aha, good one, Aeryn. I do like how they handle Chiana, and how people can be younger than they look or seem in alien bodies.

A: BURN, baby.

Zhaan’s lack of patience with Chiana is hilarious. And John, your sexy-pose is a bit much.

K: And we’re left not knowing. Or DO we.

A: WE’re definitely left not knowing what Chiana is capable of, which I think is very clever.

In summary, Moya gets another crew member. Maybe.