Text Transcript
At the end of “A Bug’s Life,” we left Aeryn recovering from the stab wound that Laraq had inflicted on her. Turns out she is not fully recovered.
<I didn’t lie to you clip>
Crichton, of course, has a plan to save her.
<argument clip>
Crichton foolishly thinks he can pull off this mission on his own. Chiana has to remind him that he needs help.
<travelling outfit clip>
In “Nerve,” Chiana becomes a major part of the show by becoming useful to our heroes’ efforts to survive. In the previous few episodes, Chiana contributed little more than eye-rolling and snarky comments. She jumps at the chance to accompany Crichton, certainly eager to get off the boat and entertain herself, but she earns her passage by saving Crichton’s eema.
But first, they need to get to the secret gammak base. Suddenly, Crichton can pilot a prowler. We had seen him practicing with a transport pod under Aeryn tutelage. A prowler is a totally different animal—a high-performance jet fighter, and it is unlikely that Aeryn would have consented to giving him lessons.
Nevertheless, we need a plot, and that requires Crichton and his girl in gray to zip down to the Peacekeeper base.
<targeting systems clip>
Thanks to Chiana’s talented burglary, they pass through security. Then Chiana begins her job of distraction-causer.
< Javio: I’ve never seen a species quite like her clip>
Nor have we, though the femme fatale trope is nothing new.
< Javio: Does she give good – value?>
And at that moment, 12 minutes and 6 seconds into the 19th episode, appears the greatest villain in the history of science fiction.
<Scorpius first appearance>
More on that guy later. First, Crichton needs more help.
<Heskon and the genetic scan clip>
Yes, what is she doing there? The universe isn’t that small. This plot twist is even more unbelievable than Crichton’s sudden ability to be a fighter pilot.
But we need a plot, and now we have the three things we need for this episode. Crichton’s sudden fighter pilot ability, Chiana stealing Larraq’s ident chip, and Gilina appearing out of nowhere to complete Crichton’s mission.
< Crichton: Unless I find a match clip>
Gilina goes to find a tissue match to save Aeryn.
< We don’t need to find a donor. Our medics can now synthesize paraphoral tissue.?
How convenient. Chiana goes off to distract Heskon and Javio, but doesn’t realize who she really needs to distract.
<Scorpius spots Crichton clip>
Meanwhile, on Moya, D’Argo shows his intelligence in problem solving.
<toxins clip>
D’Argo and Crichton have briefly swapped roles. Crichton blunders into danger while D’Argo is the thoughtful caretaker who comes up with the plan to save the day.
<D’Argo and Zhaan clip>
Meanwhile, back at the gammak base, meet the comfy chair and our new villain.
< I’m Scorpius clip>
Of course he is, but Scorpius doesn’t waste time on pleasantries.
<interrogation clip>
A memory. Remember that, and I’m not playing with words. Crichton’s memory is the defining thread of Farscape the original series.
Scorpius’s aurora chair is a classic mad scientist device. It extracts memories from people including Crichton’s most recent encounter with Crais.
< Crais: Tauvo is dead.>
Ah, but Crichton is now Scorpius’s prey. It is what Scorpius and his assistant find locked in Crichton’s memory that changes everything.
<wormhole knowledge clip>
Wormholes. What a concept; what a mystery. Gee, I believe they could make wormholes the center of a science fiction series.
<What’s this base got to do with clip >
Um, this is no laughing matter, Crichton. Just wait.
Next, we meet a second new character.
<Stark clip>
At least Stark didn’t throw you to the floor like Aeryn did at first sight.
And look, our old friend Crais has returned.
< Crais arrives and Crichton is clever clips>
Crichton plays for time while Galina creates a way for Chiana to get back to Moya with the tissue graft that will save Aeryn. Suddenly, Chiana can pilot a prowler. Must be something in the water on Moya. Chiana gets back and earns her keep aboard this boat. D’Argo sits with Aeryn while Crichton sits in the chair.
<end scene>
It’s Farscape’s first multi-part episode. A taste of what’s to come.
What We Learn in this Episode
We learn about another sebacean Achilles heel. Wound their paraphoral nerve, and it is certain death. We previously learned sebaceans crumple in heat, and now we learn they are prone to a battle injury from which they can’t recover. Their paraphoral nerve weakness is similar to the Luxan blood not bleeding clear weakness.
We learn a bunch about Chiana. “Nerve” is our first extended view of Chiana, her previous appearances being mainly snarky and petulant comments. She shows herself to be clever and useful. Crichton’s mission could not have succeeded without her help. Chiana has already been referred to as young, but she already knows how to deal with men.
<Chiana clever with Javio clip>
We also see that Chiana is capable of killing when the situation calls for it.
<Chiana kills Javio>
We meet two new characters: Scorpius and Stark. Both are mysterious in their own ways. Scorpius clearly has authority in the Peacekeeper hierarchy. He seems to have rank over Javio, but Crais believes he outranks Scorpius. Newcomer Scorpius is not in uniform as is everyone else on the base. Though perhaps in this part of the galaxy, that get up is the uniform of a mad scientist, which is what he seems to be. Who or what Scorpius is remain a mystery at the end of this episode. Stark is also a mystery other than he definitely is high strung.
<my side your side clip>
Ponderables
<planet shields us clip>
Okay, sorry, no way in hezmana the Peacekeepers wouldn’t be monitoring everything that enters the stellar system and every approach to their gammak base. Ah well, we need a plot.
On Earth, some humans are still having difficulty accepting relationships between people of different skin colors. In this part of the galaxy, people have no difficulty with sexual relations between people of different species.
I must say, that is very woke.
Things are shifting in big ways at this time, and those big shifts continue in part two, “The Hidden Memory.”