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 Sixteen: A Human Reaction

A: Aw, John is still talking to his dad… and then Pilot sees a wormhole! With Earth at the end!!

K: I wonder if I’d be like that. I get along great with my mum, but… I don’t think I’m hopeful enough to think there’d be any point? He’s quite a good age to only be starting to get grey hairs, isn’t he? I do like how dismissive they all are about us though – no red moons indeed.

A: I like my grey hair.

Oh Aeryn. She’s clearly so torn about not going with John… and possibly about John leaving…

K: Go on, Aeryn! An adventure is an adventure, right?

A: Everyone saying goodbye is so sweet. Zhaan’s is the loveliest.

K: And n’aww, D’Argo – using a human form of farewell. And then even Rygel not being a complete ass for once.

A: Of course, given this is the middle of the season, we all know John’s not actually going to get home that easily…. Right?

K: Exactly. And who could resist Aeryn all teary eyed? Something meaning something means something, y’know?

A: Yup, that’s exactly how we’re going to treat our first alien contact. Put em down with tranqs. Then do medical experiments and interrogate them.

K: Pretty much. Safety and national security are the Government’s first concern above all else. Including being decent.

A: I’m so sad for John that he’s treated like this when he gets home. And those photos are really freaky.

K: I don’t see why he was so excited to get home anyway. The sun? Big whoop.

Cobb! He was in the Matrix series as one of the suits, I think?

A: Actually, no, Australians don’t gotta know who won the Superbowl.

K: I can confirm that I have never come across it any year – ever – not even with how much social media we now have. And I say that as someone who quite enjoys watching Australian Football here, so it’s not like I avoid all sports at all times. Ask who won the last AFL grand finale maybe?

A: Hi Dad!! Well this is all a bit uncomfortable.

K: Hey, Dad! I think NASA (and their brothers and sisters)  in general have a little more consideration for mental health than this.

A: Why has Moya’s pod arrived?

K: Why indeed. Maybe they wanted to try this ‘chocolate’ thing John’s been going on about.

A: omg I love hearing what Aeryn and Rygel are saying in their own languages!

K: And I love hearing the behind the scenes parts on this where they talk about how they developed their own language. How hard it must be to make it all sound similar but varied? I love Aeryn’s clipped noises.

A: Rygel!?! (I guess it would be harder to kill other aliens for autopsy…)

K: This is true. And he’s smaller. Less jars.

A: YES JOHN CHOOSE AERYN.

K: AERRYYYN. Smarter than them Earth idiots by far! And she’s so pretty!

A: Aeryn in the rain! So cute!

K: She’s such a… what’s the current internet slang thing? Precious cinnamon roll.

A: Yup, beer is exactly what you need in this situation.

K: Hrm. I wonder what I’d need. I’d probably still just want a really fresh sandwich – after that long of eating mostly food cubes? I’d want to sink my teeth into something fresh.

A: John, is this really the best time to be making a move on Aeryn? When you’re in fear of being captured?

K: Well, I probably would too if I hadn’t already… I mean, he’s an idiot for leaving it this long. I don’t know how long my livejournal icons were of this scene.

A: YOU, show, are a TEASE.

K: We’re only in season one, Alex. SEASON ONE. Four seasons and a movie! ‘Not top priority,’ indeed.

A: Um, really? Aeryn in a flowery dress? Still grabs a gun fast though.

K: They had to make it happen, eh. A little gratuitous but – Aeryn. A dress! I’m waiting for the princess bed episode though. Where did they even get the clothes?  

A: Aw Dad, you are heroic.

K: Of course the Americans are heroic and the Australians are all evil paper demons. I don’t think we ever get to know what Aeryn said to his father.

A: Oh wow I had not made that connection.

Aaaaand now things are starting to unravel. All the papers on the street are seven months old, and he’s just realised he knows everyone on the street…

K: Dun dun DUN! What could this all mean!

A: Nice little anti-smoking message in there…

K: Yup, smokin’ s’bad m’kay.

A: Yes, the ladies’ toilets are indeed the final frontier.

K: Well this was after primary school when it wasn’t a dare to run into the girls toilets, of course.

A: Damn, John’s been experimented on. And Rygel is still alive.

K: Dammit on both counts.

A: The aliens are dying? And need a place to live to build up their numbers?

K: Kinda disappointing, like a few Doctor Who endings. It’s just… is that it? Oh. Moya time again please. And hug Aeryn or something.

A: I don’t really see why John is fixated on having had his memories ‘stolen’ – and since he still has them, they were copied, not stolen. There are surely bigger issues here.

K: Surely. Like, he didn’t even freak out as much about Rygel and possibly D’Argo being dead. Pretty uneven. And I mean, it was pretty, so…

A: Pretty pessimistic view of humanity… although probably realistic.

K: Probably. And I don’t really agree with the ‘if all people were like you (John)’… because he’s not exactly the best example of a wonderful enlightened being.  

A: What a very weird episode.

K: But I just love John/Aeryn so damn much.

In conclusion, how far (literally) would you go for a person? If this hadn’t all been a thought experiment…