Category: Farscape

When Moya discovers a wormhole that appears to lead right to Earth, an overjoyed (if somewhat hesitant) Crichton attempts to make the journey home. His homecoming is not quite the happy event he anticipated, however, as the military doesn’t trust that he is who he says he is, or that he still has Earth’s best intentions at heart even if he is. Over time, and with some help from his father, he starts to convince his former colleagues and current captors that he can be trusted – until Aeryn, D’Argo, and Rygel show up looking for him. The military’s paranoia kicks into even higher gear, and when Rygel and D’Argo meet unfortunate ends, Crichton decides his loyalties lie with his former shipmates and tries to escape. Things aren’t quite right with the world outside the compound, either, and Crichton starts to wonder if he really made it home after all.

written by Justin Monjo
directed by Rowan Woods
music by Subvision

Guest Cast: Gigi Edgley (Chiana), Kent McCord (Jack Crichton), Phillip Gordon (Wilson), Richard Sydenham (Cobb), Frankie Davidson (Newsstand Guy), Albert Mensah (Dialectic), Andy Cachia (Technician), Selina Muller (Woman On Beach)

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

With Moya’s behavior becoming more unstable due to her pregnancy, the crew begins to wonder if it’s not time for them to find another home. Overhearing these remarks, Moya tries to prove herself and StarBursts before her systems are fully prepared. When the ship returns to normal, Rygel is missing, even though Pilot’s scans show him to be still onboard. Soon D’Argo and Aeryn disappear as well. Eventually, Crichton discovers that Moya has somehow gotten stuck in the border between dimensions, creating four Moyas all existing within the same space. The missing crew have each found their way onto one of the other Moyas, almost overwhelmed by the sensory distortions they encounter and being chased by some sort of clawed energy creature from beyond the barrier. Crichton develops a plan to try and reintegrate the Moyas, but time is of the essence. Not only is the creature still after them, but the Moyas themselves have begun to disintegrate.

written by David Kemper
directed by Ian Watson
music by Subvision

Guest Cast: Gigi Edgley (Chiana)

Notes: This episode’s original title was The Fifth Reality.

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

When a Peacekeeper special ops team experiences a fuel leak, its commander demands that Moya bring them aboard and take them to a secret Peacekeeper base nearby. The crew decides to bluff their way through the encounter, as Rygel, Zhaan and D’Argo return to their cells while Crichton and Aeryn don Peacekeeper uniforms. Fate – and the size of the captain’s uniform left aboard Moya – demand that Crichton pose as the ship’s commander, and the charade goes reasonably well at first. When Rygel and Chiana decide to find out what’s so precious about their guests’ cargo, however, they unleash a sentient virus capable of possessing its host. The virus leaps from host to host, trying to buy time until Moya arrives at the base and its spores are ready to release, at which point hundreds of worlds will fall victim to it. With their cover blown, the crew must work with the Peacekeepers to figure out who can be trusted and how to recapture the virus, before its latest host kills them all.

story by Doug Heyes, Jr.
teleplay by Steven Rae
directed by Tony Tilse
music by Subvision

Guest Cast: Gigi Edgley (Chiana), Paul Leyden (Larraq), Richard White (Thonn), Zoe Coyle (Hassan), Michael Tuahine (Rhed)

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

Crichton is surprised to learn that Aeryn has not fully recovered from her injuries at the hands of the Peacekeeper commandos. While the muscle damage has healed, her paraphoral nerve, which helps to eliminate toxins from her system, has been irreparably damaged. Without a graft from a compatible donor, she will soon die. Crichton decides to try to pose as a Peacekeeper one more time, and find a donor at the Gammak base. With help from Chiana and his old friend Gilina, he manages to get a synthetic graft. But just as he’s ready to make his departure, the base’s deformed commander Scorpius realizes his energy signature is distinctly not Sebacean. As he’s captured, Crichton manages to smuggle the graft to Chiana, who gets it back to Moya and Aeryn. Scorpius places Crichton in the Aurora Chair, a device that allows Scorpius to bypass a verbal interrogation and access the subject’s memories directly. Searching for Crichton’s true mission aboard the base, Scorpius learns of Moya and its escape from Crais, but encounters a neural block when he tries to access Crichton’s encounter with the wormhole aliens. Pushing past the block, Scorpius – and Crichton – learn that the aliens placed the equations for wormhole travel into Crichton’s subconscious, to help guide his research. This is quite a find for Scorpius, whose own research seeks to unleash wormholes’ potential as weapons. To help convince Crichton to give up what he knows, Scorpius summons Crais, but Crichton won’t budge. What Scorpius doesn’t realize is that it’s not wormhole information Crichton is trying to hide – it’s Gilina, who’s still hiding in the base as Scorpius places Crichton in the Aurora Chair for one more go-round . . .

written by Richard Manning
directed by Rowan Woods
music by Subvision

Guest Cast: Gigi Edgley (Chiana), Lani John Tupu (Captain Bialar Crais), Alyssa-Jane Cook (Gilina), Kent McCord (Jack Crichton), Wayne Pygram (Scorpius), Paul Goddard (Stark), Imogen Annesley (Niem), Stephen Leeder (Commander Javio), Anthony Kierann (Lt. Heskon), Christian Bischoff (Bixx), Pete Walters (Crais’ Guard)

Notes: Gilina encountered Crichton and Aeryn aboard the Zelbinion in PK Tech Girl. Crichton’s encounter with the wormhole aliens occurred in A Human Reaction. Paul Goddard makes his first appearance as Stark in this episode; he would later join the cast as a regular crew member. This episode was considered the first of two parts, with a “To Be Continued” slug at the end, although unlike future multi-part stories, the title does not reflect this.

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

A barely-recovered Aeryn insists on leading a mission to rescue Crichton, while Moya’s labor shuts down all her propulsion systems. At the Gammak base, Crichton gradually befriends his cellmate Stark, while Gilina patches into the intercom long enough to tell Crichton that the next time Scorpius puts him in the chair, he should recall their kiss aboard the Zelbinion. Crichton is a bit confused by this, as that’s exactly the memory he’s been trying to hide, but Gilina insists that she trust him. When Crichton recalls the kiss, he triggers a flood of false memories that Gilina programmed into the chair – “memories” that implicate Crais in a conspiracy to use wormhole technology against the Peacekeepers. When Crais denies this, Scorpius orders him into the chair to prove his innocence. With help from Aeryn and company, Stark, Crichton and Gilina make their break. As they try to escape, Chiana and Rygel must try to survive the birth of Moya’s child – a Leviathan/Peacekeeper hybrid complete with weaponry that blocks the offspring’s exit from the birth canal. But the baby wants out, and if he has to fire on his mother to do it, so be it.

written by Justin Monjo
directed by Ian Watson
music by Subvision

Guest Cast: Gigi Edgley (Chiana), Lani John Tupu (Captain Bialar Crais), Alyssa-Jane Cook (Gilina), Wayne Pygram (Scorpius), Paul Goddard (Stark), Imogen Annesley (Niem), Anthony Kierann (Lt. Heskon), Pete Walters (Crais’ Guard), Nicole Roma (Blonde Technician)

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

Scorpius accompanies Crais back to his Command Carrier to continue the hunt for Crichton, who along with the rest of Moya’s crew is hiding in an asteroid field. With their power shut down to escape detection, the crew faces two problems: they can’t navigate the asteroid field, and they have no idea if Moya’s offspring will ally with them or with the Peacekeepers. Aeryn boards the new ship to help Moya bond with her child, while Crichton, D’Argo and Zhaan follow a distress signal to one of the asteroids, hoping they can find someone with a map. They find M’Lee, the sender of the distress call, apparently on the run from a creature that she claims massacred the rest of her family. Crichton soon discovers that M’Lee is the actual predator, and the creature is in reality a botanist named Br’Nee. That does not necessarily mean that he’s the most trustworthy resident of the asteroid, however, as the botanist has an agenda of his own – one that centers on Zhaan, who, like all Delvians, is a sentient plant. The three quickly find themselves trapped between M’Lee’s hunger and Br’Nee’s curiosity…and all the while, Crais and Scorpius are closing in.

written by David Kemper and Rockne S. O’Bannon
directed by Andrew Prowse
music by Subvision

Guest Cast: Lani John Tupu (Captain Bialar Crais), Wayne Pygram (Scorpius), Francesca Buller (M’Lee), Marton Csokas (Br’Nee), David Franklin (Lt. Braca)

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

Rygel decides that it’s time to save his own skin, and takes a transport pod to Crais’ Command Carrier to trade his life for the rest of Moya’s crew. Rygel quickly realizes he is dealing from a position of weakness – but so is Crais, who soon loses command of his crew to Scorpius. Crais and Rygel escape back to Moya, where Crichton and the others are decidedly less than thrilled to see them. Crichton decides to buy time for Moya to escape by piloting a transport pod full of explosives directly into the Gammak base, knowing that Scorpius won’t kill him before he has the chance to access the wormhole equations in Crichton’s mind. D’Argo chooses to assist Crichton, and while the crew hatches a plan to try and bring everyone back alive, they know it’s a long shot at best. When Crais takes Moya’s offspring – newly christened Talyn by Aeryn, in honor of her father – the odds get even longer.

written by Rockne S. O’Bannon and David Kemper
directed by Tony Tilse
music by Subvision

Guest Cast: Lani John Tupu (Captain Bialar Crais), Wayne Pygram (Scorpius), David Franklin (Lt. Braca)

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

D’Argo, Crichton, and Zhaan discover a dying Luxan elder, a holy woman known as an Orican. The Oricans enter death through a ritual that can only be performed with the aid of another Luxan, but at first Nilaam refuses D’Argo’s aid. When she eventually reconsiders, she is surprised by the apparent strength of D’Argo’s life force, and performs a renewal ritual that leaves her young and healthy. The two quickly become lovers and plan their return to Luxan space. Those plans are quickly compromised when Moya and Pilot begin aging rapidly, and it soon becomes clear that D’Argo’s was not the only life force being tapped.

written by Grant McAloon
directed by Tony Tilse
music by Subvision

Guest Cast: Melissa Jaffa (old Nilaam), Anna Lise Philips (young Nilaam)

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

A distressed Chiana is looking for some reassurance from her otherwise-occupied crewmates; their apparent disinterest motivates her to take a shuttle and head off of Moya. The others soon discover the source of her troubles – a life-disc that had kept her aware of her brother has blinked out, indicating his death. When Crichton, Rygel and Aeryn track her down to a nearby cemetery planet, they find her in no rush to return. Indeed, she’s found comfort with the group of young daredevils that live beneath the surface, and announces her intent to join in one of their rituals, a chasm dive called “taking the stone” that is sometimes but not always fatal, thanks to an intermittently functioning forcefield generator. For the natives, even death by the stone is an attractive option, since radiation poisoning means everyone will soon die a slow painful death anyway. Crichton refuses to accept any of this, searching for a way to prevent the radiation sickness and talk Chiana out of jumping. But it doesn’t seem like anyone’s interested in what solutions he might offer.

written by Justin Monjo
directed by Rowan Woods
music by Subvision

Guest Cast: Anthony Hayes (Molnon), Peter Scarf (Das), Michela Noonan (Vyna), Natasha Beaumont (Janixx)

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

While buying food on a commerce planet, the crew meets Traltixx, an alien who claims he can make Moya undetectable. A demonstration on Crichton’s module convinces the crew to bring the ship through a set of pulsar lights to his transformation yard, even when Traltixx warns them that the intense light can have a strange effect on many species. Zhaan certainly has no complaints, as the light brings her such intense pleasure that she soon shuts out everything else around her. Everyone else, however, gets more paranoid than ever, and unusually attached to the dry, flat wafers they’ve added to their food supply. Traltixx is no help, either. Indeed, he encourages Pilot to turn against the rest. Crichton must overcome his paranoia and the delusions that go with it – including visions of Scorpius – to rally the crew together and save the ship.

written by Justin Monjo
directed by Ian Watson
music by Subvision

Guest Cast: Wayne Pygram (Scorpius), Danny Adcock (Traltixx)

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

Chiana and Rygel return to Moya from a trading expedition with an added gift, a picture that appears to depict Chiana. The picture unnerves Zhaan, especially when it changes to depict Chiana with a broken leg and Chiana breaks hers soon after. When the next change shows Chiana burst into flames, everyone shares Zhaan’s concerns – but they’re too late to stop Chiana’s combustion. As the portrait begins to depict the rest of the crew’s demise, Zhaan manages to deduce the picture’s true purpose. Instead of killing them, it’s drawing them into another dimension, where the sorcerer Maldis waits for his chance to avenge his previous defeat and, just as importantly, regain corporeal form.

written by Peter Neale
directed by Andrew Prowse
music by Subvision

Guest Cast: Chris Haywood (Maldis/Kyvan)

Notes: Zhaan defeated Maldis in order to save Crichton in season 1’s That Old Black Magic.

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

Chiana discovers an old recording that reveals the fate of Moya’s previous Pilot – he was killed by a squad of Peacekeepers under Crais’ command, a squad that included Aeryn. The discovery forces both Aeryn and Pilot to re-examine how they first came to Moya as part of Crais’ project to breed a Leviathan warship. Aeryn, stuck on guard duty while pursuing assignment as a fighter pilot, became involved with Velorek, the Peacekeeper Leviathan expert in charge of the project. Pilot, eager to be bonded with a ship, allowed the Peacekepers to mechanically bind him to Moya when she did not immediately accept him. In the present, overcome by guilt, Pilot demands that Aeryn leave the ship and detaches himself from Moya.

written by Naren Shankar
directed by Tony Tilse
music by Guy Gross

Guest Cast: Alex Dimitriades (Velorek), Lani John Tupu (Capt. Crais)

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

Low on supplies, the crew follows Chiana to a mining colony harvesting the remains of a Budong. Their situation is becoming extreme; a starving Zhaan has started to sprout as a defense mechanism, and the resulting pollen threatens to overwhelm everyone, including Moya. Although Chiana knows the colonists, she left on good terms with only a few – and one of those is quickly killed by a predator called a Keedva. The colony’s leader, B’Sogg, is not inclined to offer Chiana any favors. As Zhaan worsens, the crew pursue their own methods to mine enough crystals to buy some food, but the Keedva and its owner have very different plans.

written by Gabrielle Stanton & Harry Werksman, Jr.
directed by Rowan Woods
music by Guy Gross

Guest Cast: John Brumpton (B’Sogg), Justine Saunders (Altana), Rob Carlton (Vija), Hunter Perske (Temmon), Gavin Robins (Keedva)

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

Zhaan tells Crichton about the time she, Chiana, and Rygel spent searching for him, D’Argo and Aeryn after their destruction of the Gammak Base. Desperate to find her friends, Zhaan found herself increasingly giving in to despair. Matters became even more dire when they searched on the planet Litigara, a society in which only ten percent of the population – a derided minority called Utilities – were not lawyers. Moya was becoming increasingly hard to control, as she sought to find her missing offspring. Zhaan, however, soon found herself imprisoned on a trumped-up jaywalking charge, then lured into an alley by the promise of escape, and ultimately framed for murder. Unable to find any Litigaran willing to defend her, Zhaan could only turn to Rygel and Chiana for help. And since the Litigaran legal code forbids lying, it was no surprise that the case started badly. Soon, Zhaan had withdrawn far into her own mind, overcome by hallucinations of her missing friends.

written by Steven Rae
directed by Ian Watson
music by Guy Gross

Guest Cast: Steve Jacobs (Ja Rhumann), Sandy Gore (Judge), Simone Kessell (Finzzi), Marin Mimica (Dersch), Peter Kowitz (Tarr)

Notes: Originally titled Re: Union, this story was intended as the second season premiere. When the producers chose not to delay revealing Crichton, D’Argo and Aeryn’s fate, new framing footage was filmed and the episode was moved down the schedule.

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer