1.21 - Bone to be Wild

While hiding in an asteroid field from Scorpius and Crais, Moya receives a distress call from a woman who claims to be in danger from a monster. The crew launches a rescue mission but things are not what they seem and the danger increases when Zhaan is kidnapped.

Let me explain to you what's going on inside my nose right now. There's large pieces of green mucus gunk... - Ka D'Argo
No, no, no, no. Stop it with the Luxan poetry. - John Crichton

There is much cruelty in the universe. - Zotoh Zhaan
Yeah. And we seem to have a treasure map to it. - John Crichton

Everyone is in Command huddled in blankets around a console. Crais' Command Carrier is scanning the asteroid belt in which Moya and her baby are hiding and they have reduced power to keep themselves hidden. They are cold but undetected.

Pilot announces that they are receiving a distress call from a nearby asteroid. The call is from a woman who says a monster has killed her family and is now coming for her. She screams and the call cuts off.
"A distress call?" asks Chiana. "Directed at us?"
John laughs. "How stupid is that?"

On the Command Carrier, Crais is talking to Lt. Braca. Braca tells him that they are unable to locate Moya or the baby because of the number of asteroids. Crais wants to change position for another scan but Braca is concerned that it will affect their mobility.

Scorpius enters and suggests using radio signals to frighten the baby into leaving the asteroid field. Crais rejects his idea and tells Braca to proceed with his plan.

Meanwhile, D'Argo, John and Zhaan have descended to the asteroid which turns out to be a botanical paradise. D'Argo and John are suffering from allergies but Zhaan insists that the plants here are a pharmacological treasure trove.

They suddenly hear a scream and run to a clearing where they find a woman being threatened by a large creature. They shoot at the creature and it runs off. D'Argo chases after it and John goes to the aid of the woman.

The woman reveals herself to be M'Lee and is almost hysterical with fright. She begs John and Zhaan to help her. D'Argo returns, saying he could not follow the creature, and all of them head back to the transport pod.

Arriving at the pod, the crew prepares to leave when the creature suddenly reveals itself to be aboard. D'Argo and John both fire at it but miss and the creature attacks D'Argo then runs away. John chases it but it gets away again. It is discovered that the pod was damaged in the firefight and that D'Argo is badly injured.

Back on Moya, Pilot summons Aeryn to his Den. He reveals that Moya is having trouble communicating with her baby. It knows it is different and that is causing tension between it and Moya. Since the baby is part Peacekeeper, he and Moya ask Aeryn to go over to the baby and try to communicate with it.

Aeryn goes to the baby and goes aboard. There she finds that the baby is a complete synthesis of Peacekeeper and Leviathan technology. Flashing lights lead her to various controls and she discovers that the communications array is off and that the baby possesses a sonic ascendancy cannon. She tries talking to the baby and it beeps welcomingly to her.

On the Command Carrier, Crais enters his quarters and finds Scorpius there. Scorpius tells him that he is only admiring the quarters since they are very opulent by Peacekeeper standards. He also tells Crais that if he fails again that the Carrier will need a new captain.

Back on the asteroid, Zhaan tends to D'Argo while John talks to M'Lee. She tells him that she was part of a large group which intended to colonize the asteroid but the monster killed all of the other colonists, including her family.

M'Lee suddenly sniffs Zhaan and says she smells like the outside. Zhaan complements her on her sense of smell and confirms that she is indeed flora, much to John's surprise. Zhaan is amused that John did not know.
"Know what?" says John in shock. "You're a plant?"
"Always have been, John." she tells him. "Why? Does it bother you?"
"No." he assures her. "It doesn't bother me. I just never suspected..." he pauses and looks in surprise again. "You're a vegetable?"

John, Zhaan and M'Lee are outside the pod collecting more plants so Zhaan can use them to help heal D'Argo. John and Zhaan are still talking about her being a plant when M'Lee suddenly sniffs and screams that the creature is nearby. She runs off into the vegetation with John following.

Zhaan closes her eyes and her appearance changes to match the surrounding vegetation. The creature enters the clearing and does not see her until she opens her eyes again, at which point it suddenly attacks.

Somewhat later, John and M'Lee are back in the pod with D'Argo. D'Argo criticizes John for running off and leaving Zhaan unprotected. M'Lee says the creature will not eat Zhaan until he has taken her to his eating ground and offers to lead John there. D'Argo tells John that Zhaan is in more danger than he is and tells him to go with M'Lee.

John and M'Lee reach the eating ground where chunks of meat litter the ground. John is looking around and has his back to M'Lee when she suddenly changes. Spines sprout from her body and a large fin extends from her back. She screams and John turns to her and stops in surprise.

The creature suddenly enters the clearing and John shoots at it but misses. The creature knocks John over then picks up his pulse pistol and fires at M'Lee, who runs off screaming. The creature then helps John back up.
"I'm not your enemy." the creature says. "She is."
"OK..." says John, in shock.

Later, John is in a room that looks like a cross between a lab and a greenhouse. Zhaan is here as is the creature, who is identified as Br'Nee. Zhaan explains that Br'Nee is a botanical pharmacologist who is using the plants on the asteroid to create medicines and cures.

Br'Nee says his people seeded the asteroid many cycles before and he was part of a group which came to harvest the plants. M'Lee attacked his group and killed everyone except him. She is a calcivore, a bone eater. She eats the bones of her victims and leaves the meat to rot.

He tells her that when M'Lee gets hungry she turns into the creature that John saw. After she eats she becomes dormant for a while. He says their best chance will be to kill her after she has eaten one of them, a plan which John is not fond of.

Back on Moya's baby, Aeryn is contacted by Pilot who says that the Peacekeepers are scanning their area again and wants her to power down the baby. She tries to but the Leviathan resists. She tries to explain to the baby that the Peacekeepers may have created him but that they are not to be believed, that she was once a Peacekeeper herself and so knows. She asks the baby to trust Moya and to trust her. After a pause, the baby powers down its systems.

Zhaan has almost finished collecting the plants she needs to heal D'Argo. She is missing one plant and Br'Nee shows her a specimen jar containing a small sample. He places it in a machine which scans it and uses a laser to create a larger version of the plant. He says that his people keep all of their samples miniaturized and that this machine restores them. Zhaan collects what she needs from the plant.

Br'Nee and Zhaan then get ready to leave for the pod. Br'Nee asks John to stay in the lab and protect his specimens as M'Lee will try to destroy them if she can. He says they will return after D'Argo is healed to collect the specimens and escape.

After Br'Nee and Zhaan leave, M'Lee calls out to John. She is hiding somewhere in the lab and says she overheard what Br'Nee told him. She says that Br'Nee did not tell him everything. Br'Nee and his kind originally brought her and others like her to the asteroid so that they would eat all of the animals there and leave only the plants behind. But, after all the animals were gone they were left there to feed on themselves or to starve. She is the only survivor. She tells John that she will control her hunger if he will find out from Br'Nee where her home world is and take her there.

Still on Moya's baby, Aeryn manages to get the main cannon powered up. Pilot thanks her and says that Moya is now communicating better with the baby and Aeryn says that she and the baby seem to be getting along as well. She also says that she feels at home among all the Peacekeeper technology and Rygel suggests that she stay there. Chiana hits Rygel then tells Aeryn what they mean is that they may need to use the baby's weapons if they are attacked. Aeryn is reluctant to involve the baby in combat but Rygel points out that they may not have a choice.

Back on the asteroid, Br'Nee and Zhaan have finished healing D'Argo, who is surprised but appreciative. John appears and angrily tells them what he learned from M'Lee and what Br'Nee's people did to hers. He and D'Argo are angry but Zhaan is more supportive and sees nothing wrong with what they did in order to protect the plants. John gets angry with her and she reminds him that she is a plant too.

Br'Nee becomes excited and says he has heard of Delvians but has never met one. He offers them a set of navigational charts that can get them safely out of the asteroid belt and away from the Peacekeepers. Zhaan goes with him back to his lab to get the charts.

On the Command Carrier, Scorpius enters and confronts Crais. He shows Crais the report he is sending to High Command which details how Crais disobeyed direct orders and killed his own lieutenant. He says he intends to see Crais stripped of rank and executed. He also says that he has taken control of Crais' ship.

Crais attacks him and they fight. Crais is winning at first but Scorpius gains the upper hand and throws Crais to the floor then places his boot on Crais' neck.
"If you want to fight anyone," he says "attack your executioner."

John goes to the lab to tell Br'Nee and Zhaan that the transport pod is repaired. He finds evidence of a fight and an injured Br'Nee. Br'Nee tells him that M'Lee attacked and took Zhaan. John runs off towards the eating ground.

He gets there and suddenly remembers that Zhaan does not have bones. He realizes that he has been tricked and runs back towards the lab.

M'Lee appears at the transport pod and is confronted by D'Argo. She convinces him that she is trying to keep herself under control but begs him for something to eat. D'Argo gets an idea and tells her that after they leave a ship with thousands of people on it will appear and she can eat all of them she wants. She agrees to continue to try and control herself.

John returns to the lab and confronts Br'Nee. He accuses him of faking his injuries and searches through the lab until he finds a miniaturized Zhaan. Br'Nee attacks him and they fight until John manages to knock him unconscious. John puts Zhaan in the miniaturizer machine and is trying to turn it on when Br'Nee reappears with John's pulse pistol. He insists that his people will be able to make many cures from Zhaan but John tells him that Zhaan is a person, not a specimen. Br'Nee threatens to kill him but John shows him the chakan oil cartridge from the pistol and starts the machine.

Br'Nee attacks John again and they fight but this time John throws him through the laser from the machine. The laser vaporizes half of Br'Nee's body and he collapses.
"What the hell am I looking at?" says John, staring at the body.
"Justice." says Zhaan, who is now restored.

On the Command Carrier, Braca enters Crais' quarters and says that they have detected a transport pod on the asteroid and that Scorpius has ordered several Marauders into the asteroid field. Crais puts his head on his desk and tells Braca to follow Scorpius' orders.

Zhaan is gathering what plants she can from Br'Nee's lab when M'Lee appears. She tells them of her deal with D'Argo but says that she cannot wait to eat. John points out Br'Nee's remains and M'Lee attacks them noisily.
Zhaan watches her feed. "There is much cruelty in the universe." she says.
"Yeah." says John. "And we seem to have a treasure map to it."

Back on Moya, everyone is gathered around Command again, still bundled up in their blankets. Pilot thanks them for the navigation charts. Aeryn tells John how amazing the baby is and Zhaan expresses sorrow to D'Argo about the loss of the plants on the asteroid. D'Argo points out to her that someone will find the plants and be able to use them and she accepts what he says. Chiana tells Rygel to get his hand away from where it is and Rygel crawls out from under her blanket.

Pilot calls again to thank Aeryn and says that Moya and baby are now communicating well, thanks to her. He says Moya has asked that Aeryn name the baby. Aeryn seems pleased.

On the asteroid, Scorpius and a group of Peacekeepers are searching when M'Lee appears and starts telling how the creature has killed her entire family.
Scorpius tells the other Peacekeepers "We must know when to be strong, and when to show compassion." M'Lee thanks him profusely.
Scorpius continues. "As a matter of honor, sometimes we must be willing to give of ourselves."
M'Lee simply sniffs deeply, and smiles.

There have been several hints about Zhaan's nature along the way. Her "blood" is a milky white fluid which has medicinal properties (Throne for a Loss), her body does not contain bacteria (They've Got a Secret), bright light causes her to have "photogasms" (Till the Blood Runs Clear), the center of a Delvian temple is a root (Rhapsody in Blue) and her body contains "fibers", not muscles (Through the Looking Glass).

Moya's pregnancy was caused by the breaking of a Peacekeeper shield in They've Got a Secret. The baby was born in The Hidden Memory (Part 2).

We learn that Peacekeeper weapons use Chakan Oil as the power source for their weapons in Thank God It's Friday. Again.

Crais disobeyed a direct order and killed his lieutenant in That Old Black Magic. Scorpius learned this in The Hidden Memory (Part 2).

The title of this episode is probably a variation on the title of the song Born to be Wild.

What will happen to M'Lee? Where is her home world and how many like her are out there?

All animal life on the asteroid was wiped out by M'Lee and her people. But what happened to the insects? They don't have bones or contain calcium so M'Lee wouldn't want them. What killed them? Were there any other invertebrates on the asteroid?

Does Scorpius know what M'Lee is? His comment about "giving of ourselves" sounds out of character unless he knows what she is, at which point it becomes somewhat ominous. Is he really going to sacrifice part of his own crew to her? (Wait, we know this one. Of course he is!)

What will happen to Crais?

Scorpius has taken over Crais' Command Carrier. Will he return to his research on the Gammak Base or will he pursue John and Moya?

What will Aeryn name Moya's baby?

What happened to Stark? Is he still on Moya and they just didn't show us or did they drop him off somewhere?

All too often, television science fiction (or television in general for that matter) tends to paint the world in shades of black and white. Of course, the real world is seldom that simple. Things tend to be in shades of grey and sometimes it is difficult to tell what is right and what is wrong.

Bone to be Wild addresses this type of issue. We have M'Lee and Br'Nee. Which one is the monster? Which one is the victim? And who do we believe?

Consider M'Lee first. She and her kind wiped out all animal life on the asteroid they are on. Then they turned on themselves until she was the only survivor. Then she killed all of Br'Nee's team till only he was left. So, she's responsible for mass extinction, cannibalism and murder. But is she a bad guy?

Well, she's a calcivore. She eats bones. That's the hand nature has dealt her through evolution and everyone knows that nature is a mother. She can either do what she has to do to survive or she can not eat and effectively commit suicide. As Tennyson said, "Nature red in tooth and claw...". M'Lee is being true to her nature and we can no more condemn her for it than we can condemn the lion when it kills the antelope.

Now, what about Br'Nee? He's a scientist and a healer. He takes the plants on the asteroid and plans to use them to create medicines and cures, possibly saving millions. He or his people also deliberately placed M'Lee's people on the asteroid to cause the extinction of all animal life on it and then left them there knowing they would cannibalize themselves. He also kidnaps Zhaan and plans to use her in his experiments.

On the other hand, farmers have always used means to get rid of the insects and animals which tried to eat their crops, including insecticides and traps. And scientists have always used animals to test their new drugs on.

Suppose it was found that a Delvian could be used to produce a drug which could cure cancer (or, say AIDS). The death of one Delvian could save dozens or maybe hundreds of others. Would it be justified to cause the death of one being in order to save a dozen others?

Also, we must remember that D'Argo effectively turns M'Lee loose on the Peacekeepers, knowing what she will do to them and also surely knowing that eventually they will discover what she is doing and will kill her. True, the Peacekeepers are his enemy but there are Gilinas out there as well as Craises. Was he justified?

Interestingly enough, the show does not really answer these questions. Br'Nee is their enemy because he kidnapped one of their own. M'Lee is their friend because she warned them about Br'Nee and can be used against the Peacekeepers. And the Peacekeepers are, well, Peacekeepers.

The subplots in this episode were interesting as well. The power struggle between Crais and Scorpius was well done. The results of Crais obsession have finally come home to roost. He started out wanting revenge on John for the death of his brother but now he has lost his ship and his position. He has nothing left. All season he has been somewhere behind Moya and her crew, pushing them onwards, and now he will be lucky to escape with his life.

We also get to see a bit more of Scorpius' personality here. He is cold, ruthless and a far more dangerous opponent than Crais ever was. He won't make the same mistakes Crais did and will probably be a far more implacable foe than Crais.

A bit of a change of pace episode after the past few but we probably needed a break anyway. With the season finale coming up next episode that's probably a good thing. A good episode, but not up to the levels of the ones around it.

Just a final note: Francesca Buller, who played M'Lee, is the real-life wife of Ben Browder, who plays John Crichton. Wonder if that was why we didn't have any scenes with Aeryn and John this time out?