731: How to Get a Head in Politics (Farscape S2E13-14)

We review a couple of dark episodes on the day before Halloween, which is fitting we guess. First up — “…Different Destinations”. Where the crew accidentally go back in time and try to set right what they messed up by trying to make sure they didn’t mess history up. But this isn’t your typical time travel episode where things all turn out the same or better in the end. Afterall, this is Farscape we’re talking about. Finally the really dark episode, “Eat Me”. Farscape’s survival horror episode. Where the crew fend off cannibalistic pseudo-zombies and a mad scientist on a diseased and dying Leviathan. And where the ending leaves the crew seeing double… double Crichtons. Eric Scott and Jason Johnson.

We have our first two parter of season 3 already. And it’s not a happy, fun time for our wayward crew. First up — “Self-Inflicted Wounds (Part 1): Could’a, Would’a, Should’a”. While on their way to a planet that can help Zhaan heal, Moya runs across a wormhole. Before anyone can do anything, a ship comes out of it and materializes part way inside Moya. The crews of both ships work on ways to separate themselves, but it seems the aliens on the other ship have ulterior motives. And we meet our newest crewmember - Jool. Finally in “Self-Inflicted Wounds (Part 2): Wait for the Wheel”, we learn that the aliens are sabotaging Moya so their ship can be the only one to escape the wormhole. Our crew must put their differences of opinions and desires aside to save them all before the aliens’ plans are realized. And one of our crew makes the ultimate sacrifice. Eric Scott and Jason Johnson.

Eric and Jason are back after an extended time away, some of which was out of their control. They jump into the beginning of season three — which now has new opening theme music, “new” cast members and a new narration. First up, the exciting conclusion to the end of season two, “Season of Death”. That’s the name of the episode, not the name of the last season… Does Aeryn come back to life? Does Crichton get his head back together, both literally and psychologically? Does Rygel really like what Chiana’s cooking? Then we wrap up with “Suns and Lovers”. Where we hopefully put the whole D’Argo / Chiana / Jothee love triangle behind us, never to be spoken of again. And not just because the crew is trapped on a disabled space station about to be destroyed by a mysterious wave of energy soon approaching. Can they find the source of the signal attracting the wave in time? Can they saved the trapped children and themselves? And can Aeryn and Crichton finally find some “alone time”? Eric Scott and Jason Johnson.

Eric and Jason close out season two of Farscape with a pair of episodes reviews and then the season two review, lowlights and highlights. First up, “Liars, Guns and Money (Part 3): Plan B”. Instead of using their newly obtained mercenaries to rescue D’Argo’s son, now they’re off to rescue Crichton from Scorpius’ clutches. But don’t worry, Stark has another foolproof plan… ah, frell that, it’s time for a guns blazing, frontal assault! They manage to rescue Crichton, but at what cost? Finally, “Die Me, Dichotomy”, the (mostly) exciting season two cliffhanger. The crew locates a healer who can both heal Moya and get the neural chip out of Crichton’s head. But the chip isn’t having any of that and does its best to get itself, and Crichton, back to Scorpius. And then some other things happen that we’d like to forget about, before the exciting cliffhanger ending that sets up season three. Eric Scott and Jason Johnson.

Eric and Jason review the first two parts of Farscape’s second ever three part storyline, “Liars, Guns and Money”. And during all that, wander off on tangents about Star Wars, the A-Team and past episodes of this here podcast. First up, “Part 1 - A Not So Simple Plan”. Which is pretty much as advertised. Stark (hey, isn’t he dead?) has a not so simple plan to steal enough money to buy D’Argo’s son Jothee from the slavers holding him captive. With such a complicated plan, it goes off without any issues at all. No… who are we kidding? Of course not. The crew must deal with a heavily secured depository, its leader, and our old buddy Scorpius to get what they need. Finally, “Part 2 - With Friends Like These…”. After learning that all their efforts last time weren’t quite good enough, this time it’s Crichton who comes up with his own somewhat simpler plan to free Jothee. But it involves recruiting several people we met in season one who they didn’t leave on the best of terms with. It goes better than you’d expect, but there’s yet another complication that might make their hard work all for naught. And Crichton has to make a hard choice… Eric Scott and Jason Johnson.

Eric and Jason have been gone for a little while due to real life, but we’re back with two above average episodes to make up for it. First up, “The Ugly Truth”, where Crais tries to get Moya’s crew to help him disarm Talyn. But things don’t go according to plan and the crew has to recount, from each of their perspectives, what went wrong or else face summary execution. Finally, “A Clockwork Nebari”, where Chiana learns some truths, some ugly, some not-so-ugly, about her people and her brother. Meanwhile the crew is mentally cleansed by the aforementioned Nebari and have to snap out of it if they’re going to get away. It’s like totally bitchin’, man. Far out. Eric Scott and Jason Johnson.

This time we review two really amazing episodes. Granted, in the grand scheme of things, they didn’t really happen but they’re still amazing. First up, “Won’t Get Fooled Again”, where Crichton is back on Earth again. Or is he? This time it’s completely different… and just keeps getting crazier and crazier. And we also prove conclusively that the 2000’s line-up of the Guardians of the Galaxy is a complete rip-off (homage?) of Farscape. We wrap up with “The Locket” where the crew gets all timey-wimey inside a misty space bubble. Aeryn and Crichton are stranded on nearby planet that seems to only appear every 55 years while Moya and the rest of the crew never age. How can they all get reunited and back to their normal ages before it’s too late? And our old buddy Stark is back with some dire news for D’Argo. Eric Scott and Jason Johnson.

We conclude the amazing three part “Look at the Princess” trilogy and then talk about a not-so-amazing story. First up, the exciting conclusion of the trilogy, “Look at the Princess, Part 3: The Maltese Crichton”. They manage to wrap up all the plotlines from the last two episodes in a very satisfying way. And start up a new plotline that will run for many more episodes. Everyone gets a happy ending. Well… almost. Finally, “Beware of Dog” gets a mixed review from both of us. We felt the main plot was a rehash of a couple of different season one episodes. However, we really loved the subplot about Crichton’s continuing interaction with visions of Scorpius that are becoming more and more frequent and intense. Eric Scott and Jason Johnson.

Eric and Jason watch the first two episodes of an amazing three part Farscape epic — “Look at the Princess”. In “Part 1: A Kiss is but a Kiss”, we enter a world full of political and social intrigue. Crichton can’t catch a break between Aeryn, who can’t commit more to their relationship, a princess to whom Crichton is the only one genetically compatible who needs a husband so her scheming brother doesn’t become ruler, and our old buddy Scorpius who wants to dissect Crichton’s brain. While those relationships are complicated, D’Argo and Chiana’s budding new relationship is getting more intense. In “Part 2: I Do, I Think”, Crichton has no choice but to marry the princess to escape Scorpius. But there’s a downside to married royal life… he and the princess must spend the next 80 cycles as statues. What will the crew do to prevent that? What will all the scheming political envoys do to either prevent the marriage or make it succeed? Oh, and Zhaan and Pilot meet Moya’s creator. And it’s not happy that she gave birth to a gunship and proceeds to shut her down, for good. Eric Scott and Jason Johnson.

We’re almost halfway through season two! Farscape season two is in its groove as Eric and Jason review another two really good episodes (hey, spoilers!) First up, “Out of Their Minds”, where an unfortunate side effect of a strange alien ship’s weapon and Moya’s defense screen causes the crew to switch bodies. Several times. We also learn that the DRD’s have more functions than we previously realized. Oh, and the attacking aliens have programmable vomit. Yes, you read that correctly. Finally, we review “My Three Crichtons”, where the crew has to deal with the clones of Crichton Past and Crichton Future that some strange ball of energy created. Which Crichton winds up as the “Last Crichton Standing”? But where’s Uncle Charley? Okay, that last one was probably too old a reference to “My Three Sons”, go look that up on Wikipedia kids… Eric Scott and Jason Johnson.