Wormholes and Deserts

Farscape presents a thrilling tale of tough moral choices characters are obliged to make at a breakneck pace. It's also an episode where the duplication of its main character several episodes back starts to fulfil its ultimate potential.

Season Three, Episode Fifteen: Infinite Possibilities, Part II: Icarus Abides

The fantastic action of Part I keeps its stride in Part II. Rygel (Jonathan Hardy) is injured in the turret outside while Aeryn (Claudia Black) finds herself confronting a Crichton (Ben Browder) now possessed by the Scorpius clone, who seems a lot less like a pooka now.

But this is only death throws as the Ancient, "Jack" (Kent McCord), informs Aeryn and soon a newly liberated Crichton finds himself helping Jack construct that very same wormhole weapon Scorpius and the Scarrans are racing to get their hands on. And speaking of the Scarrans, Crais (Lani Tupu) and Stark (Paul Goddard) find themselves having to deal with one on the bridge of Talyn.

I love how Stark is able to foil the Scarran's heat ray truth serum by telling him the truth--that he hates Crais and was his slave. It just goes to show the complexities of sentient relationships can't always be divided into "true" and "false".

In the main story, Furlow (Magda Szubanski) is starting to look more devious and Aeryn and Crichton are becoming surer of their affections for each other. Crichton's less sure about Jack's ability to stop with killing a Scarran dreadnought once the weapon's finished but Crichton doesn't have much choice but to help him. This episode has betrayal as well as unexpected loyalty (Stark for Crais), again exploring the theme of aberrant relationships. After this episode, Aeryn's relationship with Crichton is going to become weirder and more complicated. Crichton himself reaches a peace of sorts but, really, his fate is unfair. Browder never stops looking a bit crazy and the perpetual pain and confusion of his experience is always visible on his face. So his final line, borrowed from Douglas Fairbanks, is even more effective in conveying his courage; "I've never felt better."

The episode has some incredibly effective action, including the dune buggy chase before a finale that rivals Gunbuster in terms of intergalactic destruction.

. . .

Farscape is available now on Amazon Prime.

This entry is part of a series I'm writing on Farscape for the show's 20th anniversary. My previous reviews can be found here (episodes are in the order intended by the show's creators rather than the broadcast order):

Season One:

Episode 1: Pilot
Episode 2: I, E.T.
Episode 3: Exodus from Genesis
Episode 4: Throne for a Loss
Episode 5: Back and Back and Back to the Future
Episode 6: Thank God It's Friday Again
Episode 7: PK Tech Girl
Episode 8: That Old Black Magic
Episode 9: DNA Mad Scientist
Episode 10: They've Got a Secret
Episode 11: Till the Blood Runs Clear
Episode 12: Rhapsody in Blue
Episode 13: The Flax
Episode 14: Jeremiah Crichton
Episode 15: Durka Returns
Episode 16: A Human Reaction
Episode 17: Through the Looking Glass
Episode 18: A Bug's Life
Episode 19: Nerve
Episode 20: The Hidden Memory
Episode 21: Bone to be Wild
Episode 22: Family Ties

Season Two:

Episode 1: Mind the Baby
Episode 2: Vitas Mortis
Episode 3: Taking the Stone
Episode 4: Crackers Don't Matter
Episode 5: Picture If You Will
Episode 6: The Way We Weren't
Episode 7: Home on the Remains
Episode 8: Dream a Little Dream
Episode 9: Out of Their Minds
Episode 10: My Three Crichtons
Episode 11: Look at the Princess, Part I: A Kiss is But a Kiss
Episode 12: Look at the Princess, Part II: I Do, I Think
Episode 13: Look at the Princess, Part III: The Maltese Crichton
Episode 14: Beware of Dog
Episode 15: Won't Get Fooled Again
Episode 16: The Locket
Episode 17: The Ugly Truth
Episode 18: A Clockwork Nebari
Episode 19: Liars, Guns, and Money, Part I: A Not So Simple Plan
Episode 20: Liars, Guns, and Money, Part II: With Friends Like These . . .
Episode 21: Liars, Guns, and Money, Part III: Plan B
Episode 22: Die Me, Dichotomy

Season Three:

Episode 1: Season of Death
Episode 2: Suns and Lovers
Episode 3: Self-Inflicted Wounds, Part I: Would'a, Could'a, Should'a
Episode 4: Self-Inflicted Wounds, Part II: Wait for the Wheel
Episode 5: . . . Different Destinations
Episode 6: Eat Me
Episode 7: Thanks for Sharing
Episode 8: Green Eyed Monster
Episode 9: Losing Time
Episode 10: Relativity
Episode 11: Incubator
Episode 12: Meltdown
Episode 13: Scratch 'n Sniff
Episode 14: Infinite Possibilities, Part I: Daedalus Demands