2.13 - The Maltese Crichton
(Look at the Princess: Part 3)

John's excursion into local politics causes him to lose his head. Literally. Palace intrigue rises to a peak while, elsewhere, Moya's creators pass judgment on her.

That's either the most pathetic fabrication I've ever heard or the most pathetic life I could ever imagine. - Jenavian
Oh, like there aren't some whacked-out antecedents to a chick with a stiletto in her wrist. - John Crichton

You know, things never work out like you plan. - John Crichton
That's what makes it fun. - Jenavian

You want it to not hurt? - Aeryn Sun
Yes! - Dregon
Well, next time, hold onto the frelling wall! - Aeryn Sun

Emotional pain you wear like a badge; it means you've been there. And it can't get callused because each fresh hurt stings like the first. - Dregon
Why would you want that? - Aeryn Sun
Because of all the days before it hurts. The good days, when you're in love. - Dregon

You always know just what to say. - Jenavian
Not always. Just, sometimes I know who to say it to. - John Crichton

What about Scorpius, is he dead? - John Crichton
If he isn't, he should be by the time you come out. - Ka D'Argo

We see a brief summary of parts one and two of the trilogy.

Chiana, D'Argo and Rygel are in the audience chamber with Tyno and the statues of John and Katralla. They comment on the pose John is in and Tyno points out he probably did the best he could. They use a small device which allows them to talk to John even in his frozen state and we learn that he can both see and hear them.

Tyno tells them that Scorpius and his command carrier will be leaving the next day and after that hopefully Moya will return. Rygel says he will stay on the planet as John will need advice once he is released from being a statue and because the food is good.

Later, the room is darkened and Cargn and Clavor enter. Clavor is angry and hits John's statue but only succeeds in hurting his hand. Cargn causes a laser sword to appear from his wrist and cuts the head from John's statue.

Cargn and Clavor then go to a factory of some type. Clavor tells Cargn that John is still alive since each cell is encapsulated separately and that he can still see and hear them. He tells John that he will become emperor since both Katralla and John have to be alive to rule then throws the head into a vat of acid.

Elsewhere, Aeryn and Dregon are standing at the base of a pair of rock spires; an ocean in the background. They are wearing climbing gear and Aeryn is planning how they will climb the spire. Dregon accepts her plan and she comments that he is being very agreeable with her. He mentions that he is rated expert at climbing and kisses her, to her surprise. They start to climb.

Later, at the palace, everyone is in the audience chamber with the headless John statue. Empress Novia says that the planet is under strict law until John is restored and that no one is allowed to leave or even contact their ships. She leaves and Tyno asks where Aeryn is. D'Argo protests that she cannot be involved but Tyno points out she was angry with John over the marriage and so is an obvious suspect. Rygel suggests Cargn and Clavor but Tyno only says that they need to find John's head because none of them will be safe if Clavor assumes the throne.

Back at the factory, Scorpius appears and retrieves John's head from the acid vat. He mentions that he was able to find John since he had sampled John's DNA while in the Aurora Chair. He also says that the statue was designed to withstand the elements for 80 cycles but was starting to pit after only a few arns in the acid. He puts the head in a bag and is about to leave when he hears something. He is hit by two energy bolts and falls to the ground, dropping the head.

Meanwhile, on Moya, Zhaan is working on John's module with the aid of a DRD. Kahaynu appears and says she should leave on one of the pods instead of the small module. She asks once again that he save Moya and, when he refuses, activates the engine on the module. Kahaynu's mist-like form is sucked into the intake of the engine and he disappears.
"Dear Goddess!" says Zhaan. "In my rage, what have I done?"

Back on the planet, D'Argo returns to his room to find Chiana waiting for him. He feels guilty because he feels as if he pressured John into marrying the princess but Chiana tells him there is nothing else they could have done.

Elsewhere in the palace, Jenavian opens the bag containing John's head and retrieves it. She is in the room with the device which turned John into a statue and his body is already within it. She activates the communication device and John is screaming. She manages to calm him down and tells him it should be possible to restore him and that once she does he can tell Empress Novia what happened and Cargn and Clavor will be in trouble. John is uncertain but she places his head back on the statue, adjusts it carefully, then activates the machine. John is converted back from a statue to normal. She asks if he can move his neck and he does, thanks her, then collapses on the floor with a moan. Jenavian rolls her eyes in exasperation.

Clavor meets with Cargn outside the palace and tells him that John has been restored. Cargn is surprised that John is alive and Clavor tells him that if they are found out then they are both in trouble but that Cargn will be executed.

Out in the barren lands, Aeryn and Dregon are halfway up their climb when Dregon begins to have problems. Aeryn tries to help him and he announces, to her surprise, that he is afraid of the height and admits that his expert rating was only at the training facility; he has no actual experience.

Aeryn tries to help him but he panics and grabs onto her, letting go of the wall. Aeryn cannot hold both of them, her anchor gives way and they both fall.

Elsewhere in the wilderness, Jenavian leads John, who can barely walk, to a tent set up near a lake. He collapses to a bedroll on the ground and she asks him who he is and who Scorpius is. He tries to avoid answering her by saying that he can't tell her that information but she says that she overheard Scorpius talking to him and that he wasn't protecting John; he was capturing him. She also points out that his DNA shows that he isn't a Sebacean.
"If you're not Sebacean," she says, "you're not a Peacekeeper. If you're not a Peacekeeper, you're not Special Directorate. If you're not Special Directorate, you can't be a Disruptor."

She suddenly grabs John and pulls his head back. The stiletto springs from her wrist and she places it against his neck.
"And, if you aren't a Disruptor," she says coldly, "then you know too much about me!"

Later, the stiletto still at this throat, John has apparently told her the truth about himself. She looks at him dubiously."
"That's either the most pathetic fabrication I've ever heard," she says, "or the most pathetic life I could ever imagine."
John strains to look up at her. "Like there aren't some whacked-out antecedents to a chick with a stiletto in her wrist?"

Jenavian releases him, the stiletto disappears and he sits up. He asks if she killed Scorpius and she says she didn't want to leave bodies around. He then asks why she decided to help him instead of Scorpius.

She explains that she is only interested in her assignment; making sure the Scarrans don't gain control of the empire. She tells John that he is her best hope of achieving that goal. John reminds her that doing so requires him to become a statue again.

Jenavian leans forward and her attitude becomes softer and warmer. "John," she says quietly, "if I fail, so many innocent lives will be lost. Help me do my job and I'll help you get what you want... whatever it is."
John looks at her. "You know, things never work out like you plan."
Jenavian smiles. "That's what makes it fun."

Out in the barren lands, Dregon is lying on the ground, obviously badly hurt and in pain. Aeryn limps past, badly banged up and with her leg in a splint. Dregon tells her that no one ever comes to the area they are in and she says they will have to go inland to try to find help.
"Please!" Dregon whispers. "Don't leave me!"
Aeryn gives him a disgusted look. "Don't tempt me!"

Meanwhile, on Moya, Zhaan is praying over Pilot's body when Kahaynu appears. She is angry at first but Moya's power suddenly comes back on and Pilot starts to wake up. Kahaynu says that they were testing her to see if she was someone who would protect Moya from those who would try to use her to create more warships and that they now know that she is a worthy protector. Zhaan is still angry but Kahaynu says that Moya wishes to speak to her. Moya's voice echoes through the corridors and asks Zhaan to sing.

Back on the planet, D'Argo approaches Scorpius who is sitting at the bar. He asks if Scorpius knows where John is and Scorpius says he does not. He also says that he is in as much danger as the others if John is not found and suggests that they work together. He says he will retrieve the wormhole knowledge from John's head then return him unharmed to them. D'Argo is doubtful, says that Clavor and Cargn probably have John and points out that Scorpius is half-Scarran. Scorpius seems angry at that reminder.

At this point, Cargn appears. D'Argo turns to leave but Cargn calls him back and comments that D'Argo and Scorpius are working together. D'Argo denies this and Cargn is surprised. He then uses his heat beam on D'Argo and asks if he knows where John is. When D'Argo says no he asks if anyone does and D'Argo says that Chiana thinks she does. Cargn releases D'Argo who collapses to the floor.

Scorpius and Cargn verbally spar briefly, each threatening war if the other gains control of the empire. Cargn says he will race Scorpius to Chiana and leaves.

In the barren lands, Aeryn is dragging Dregon behind her on a makeshift stretcher. Dregon yells in pain and Aeryn stops to look at him.
"You want it to not hurt?" she asks. He grunts in pain and she continues. "Well, next time, hold onto the frelling wall!"

Back at the bar, D'Argo enters and finds Rygel getting drunk. Rygel is concerned because the Empress has threatened to execute everyone from off-world and the last time she made such a threat she carried though on it! D'Argo explains that both Cargn and Scorpius are looking for Chiana and asks Rygel's help in finding her. Rygel agrees to float above the street level looking for her.

Cargn, carrying an unconscious Chiana, arrives at an outdoor pavilion where Clavor is waiting for him. Clavor is angry but Cargn points out that if John is not found by the next day then Clavor will become emperor. Clavor says that the Empress knows about him and Cargn and that he will have to denounce him before the ceremony and suggest that Cargn hide or be executed. Instead, Cargn turns his heat beam fully on Clavor and kills him.

At the lake, John approaches the tent where Jenavian is waiting. He says he is ready to leave but she tells him that dangerous animals are out at night. They both agree they will return to the palace in the morning and John enters the tent.

D'Argo is back in his rooms when Scorpius arrives. Scorpius says he has found Cargn and that Cargn has Chiana. He asks D'Argo for his help. D'Argo asks Scorpius what he wants and Scorpius says he wants John. D'Argo says John would die before allowing Scorpius to capture him.
"You underestimate the strength of our relationship." says Scorpius with a disturbing smile. "Even your friend does not yet understand."

Back at the lake it is now fully dark. A fire is burning outside the tent. Both John and Jenavian are in the water, embracing each other. They are speaking quietly and laughing before coming together in a kiss.

Somewhat later, they are both sitting beside the fire, a single blanket wrapped around both of them. Both are relaxed and content. Jenavian gives John an amulet and demonstrates how it can be used as an energy weapon. She also says that she may not be able to protect John once they return to the palace.
"One step at a time, Jena." he says "One step at a time." He leans towards her and they kiss.

Elsewhere, near another fire, Aeryn and Dregon lie collapsed on the ground. Dregon asks if she would be giving up if John were waiting for her and she tells him he would not understand. He then asks if her broken leg hurts and she says it does but that she is trained to deal with it.
"That's the answer." he tells her. "You're not trained to deal with emotions so you're afraid of them. Emotional pain you wear like a badge; it means you've been there. And, it can't get callused because each fresh hurt stings like the first."
"Why would you want that?" Aeryn asks.
"Because of all the days before it hurts." he tells her. "The good days, when you're in love."

He tells her that it is too bad she can't get back to tell John how she feels and, angrily, she tells him it wouldn't matter as John is a statue. Dregon points out that, even as a statue, he can still see and hear her.
"He'll know, Aeryn." he says. "At least he'll know."

The next morning, Jenavian is walking through the palace when John calls to her. He asks if she is ready and, smiling, she says she has grieved with the best of them. She also says that she hopes everything works out for the best for both of them.

She turns to John and offers him a compatibility vial. He looks at it for a moment.
"We're not compatible." he tells her.

Without changing expression, she tosses the vial over her shoulder.
"You always know just what to say." she tells him.
"Not always." he tells her. "Just, sometimes I know who to say it to."

Still in the barren lands, Aeryn continues to painfully drag Dregon behind her. Suddenly, Dregon points to a distant figure. The figure sees them and yells that he will come for them. Aeryn collapses in relief.
"Aeryn, listen." Dregon says suddenly. "I know this didn't turn out like we wanted. I know I was a hindrance. But, I was hoping... we could go out again?"

At the palace, Jenavian is crying over the body of Clavor. Rygel says that it is obvious that the Scarran killed him but Tyno says that it doesn't matter; the Empress has ruled that all off-worlders will be arrested and executed. Rygel asks why and Tyno tells him that, despite everything, Clavor was still her son.

At this point John enters, to the surprise of both Rygel and Tyno. He says he opposes the executions then tells Jenavian he is sorry about Clavor but that he deserved it. Jenavian slaps him hard across the face and runs from the room, crying.

John asks about the others and Rygel tells him that D'Argo has gone with Scorpius to kill Cargn, who has Chiana. John leaves and Rygel asks Tyno if the execution is off.

D'Argo and Scorpius arrive at the factory where John's head was thrown into the acid bath. Cargn is waiting for them and Chiana is hanging from some chains above the acid. He says that Chiana does not know where John is but that she did tell him that she and the others were not in league with Scorpius, meaning that his suspicions were all incorrect. Scorpius asks how it feels to be defeated by your own mistakes.

Scorpius seems to be having some problems as he seems weak and is staggering slightly. Cargn asks if what he has heard is true and, when Scorpius does not answer, tells D'Argo that Scorpius has great problems with his thermal balance. The part of him that is Scarran thrives on heat but it is a threat to his Sebacean half. Because of this he is forced to wear a thermal suit and to have cooling rods inserted directly into his brain.

Scorpius is now visibly staggering but he charges Cargn anyway. Cargn easily overpowers him and throws him against the wall. Scorpius slumps to the floor and D'Argo charges Cargn. Cargn causes the laser sword to appear from his wrist again and swings at D'Argo. D'Argo avoids the beam but it cuts through one of the chains holding Chiana and she dangles precipitously over the acid bath.

It appears that Cargn is gaining the advantage over D'Argo when John comes in holding the amulet that Jenavian gave him. He shoots Cargn several times, causing him to drop D'Argo, then several more when he turns to face him. Cargn seems to be little more than inconvenienced by the energy blasts and starts advancing on John. John grabs one of the hanging chains and swings towards Cargn, hitting him in the chest and causing him to fall backwards into the acid bath. Cargn struggles for a bit then sinks out of sight.

At this point Chiana loses her grip and falls towards the bath. D'Argo leaps across the acid bath and catches her.
"Whoa!" says John. "How Batman was that!"

D'Argo says he and Chiana are fine. John asks if Scorpius is dead and D'Argo suggests that he won't be by the time John leaves. He gets up and, carrying Chiana, leaves.

John goes to where Scorpius is lying, grabs him and drags him to the edge of the acid bath. He is about to push Scorpius in when his face suddenly freezes in pain.

Flashback: John is in the Aurora Chair. Scorpius is pressing a needle-like spike into the back of his head.

John jerks as if he is waking up from a dream then leans towards Scorpius, who's head is only a few inches from the acid.
"I'm not your enemy." he says quietly. "I'm not your friend. You leave me the hell alone or the next time we part, one of us will be dead."

John stands up and leaves. Once he is gone, Scorpius stands up as well; all traces of weakness or discomfort gone. He brushes the surface of the acid bath with his fingertips, flicks the acid off, then leaves.

Some time later, John is in the audience chamber with Empress Novia and Tyno. John says that he will not be made a statue again and Novia surprises him by saying that if he is the kind of man who would abandon his own child they would not want him as Regent. He is stunned and starts to protest that he and Katralla never did anything together but the Empress interrupts him, saying they used samples from the DNA tests they ran on him.
"Did you really think a system this stable would leave so important a detail to chance?" she asks.

John hesitates only a moment then tells her and Tyno to make him a statue again. Smiling, Novia agrees but this time it is Tyno who objects. Tyno tells them that the statue machine is only calibrated for Sebaceans, not Humans, and if they use it on John again it will kill him.

John is upset and angry, saying he will not live for 80 cycles and so won't be there for the child when it is born. Suddenly he gets an idea and tells Tyno to take his place. The Empress objects, saying that Katralla and Tyno are not genetically compatible but John points out that no one on the planet knows about him other than them and that since Katralla is already pregnant it won't matter. He goes to stand in front of Katralla's statue.
"And," he says, "they love each other."

Using the communication device he talks to Katralla and she agrees with his suggestion and thanks him. Finally, Novia reluctantly agrees, provided that no one ever learns of what happened. John says that the good guys get to win for once but that he will have a child he will never know. He starts to leave but is stopped by Tyno who, relaying a message from Katralla, asks John if he wants to see what his child will look like. John agrees.

The hologram activates and John sees a young girl. He walks up and kneels in front of her.
"Are you my daddy?" the girl asks. John nods.
"I love you daddy." she says and hugs him.
John hugs her and the hologram fades. He stands, a tear running down his face. He rests his hand briefly on Katralla's shoulder and starts to leave, stopping beside Tyno to make a final request.
"Take care of my little girl." he tells him. He leaves without looking back.

Later, on Moya, Chiana is in D'Argo's quarters. They wonder where Moya was while they were on the planet and say that neither Pilot nor Zhaan will talk about it. D'Argo thinks they were just lost.

Chiana wonders why John didn't kill Scorpius and D'Argo admits that it was probably a mistake to let him live. Something continues to bother him and, when she asks, he tells her that he knows how he feels over losing his son and that it pains him knowing what John is going through now that he has a daughter he will never see. Chiana lies next to him and says she feels the same way.
"It pains me too. And you said we weren't compatible."

John arrives in the maintenance bay where Aeryn is busy exercising. He goes to work on his module, talking to her as he does so, saying that he was worried when she didn't show up for the wedding, glad that her leg is fine and that he has noticed that she isn't talking to him.

Aeryn stands up and, limping slightly, walks over to him and offers him a compatibility vial. He hesitates, then takes it from her and places a drop from the vial onto his tongue then onto hers. Again they both hesitate, then they kiss.

The kiss ends and they look at each other for a moment then Aeryn turns and walks away. As she does, we see her expression slowly change to a smile. Watching her go, John begins to smile too, a tear forming in the corner of his eye.

Sebacean's negative reaction to heat was first mentioned in Exodus from Genesis and we first saw the cooling rods in Scorpius' head in Mind the Baby.

We learn of D'Argo's lost son in They've Got a Secret.

The title of this episode is an obvious takeoff on the title of the movie The Maltese Falcon.

Scorpius was obviously faking his discomfort in the factory. Why? So Cargn would kill D'Argo? So John and the others would think he has a weakness he does not have? Something else?

Why did John let Scorpius live? Scorpius apparently did something to him when he was in the Aurora Chair, but what?

When did Moya gain the ability to talk? That would certainly have come in handy a few times, especially in They've Got a Secret. (Moya speaks in the previous episode as well.)

Do Kahaynu and Moya's builders not realize that there are more people than just Zhaan on Moya? They trust her not to let anyone else use Moya to create gunships. It seems odd seeing that she is not the only person involved.

Why are they only concerned about Moya anyway? Apparently the only reason that previous attempts failed was because the Leviathans in question were wearing Control Collars. Do they not think the breeding program will ever be repeated on another "free" Leviathan?

Why don't Pilot or Zhaan tell the others what happened?

Seemingly major plot hole. We are told that John and Katralla can see and hear while statues and see that it is possible to communicate with them as statues. All of this is demonstrated several times. So, when everyone is trying to determine who cut John's head off, why didn't anyone ask Katralla? She was standing right next to him and, even in statue form, would have seen and heard everything that happened. Maybe she was asleep at the time?

Did we miss anything?

Yep, it would be difficult to find any element missing from this episode or from the trilogy as a whole. Well, there is one nagging, not-so-minor plot point but we'll get to that in a minute.

John's time as a statue didn't last too long. He loses his head to Clavor who tosses it in an acid bath. He gets rescued by Scorpius (if you can call it that) then rescued from him by Jenavian; the second time she has rescued him. Well, with Aeryn not around apparently John needed some Peacekeeper to watch his back.

Jenavian is an interesting character. Her mission here seems to have been to prevent the Scarrans from gaining control of the empire. She is dedicated enough to that end that she is willing to help John, even after learning that he and the others are escaped Peacekeeper prisoners. It seems that Jenavian is a Peacekeeper who is actually interested in... well... keeping peace. Maybe we should think about the Peacekeepers for a moment.

Most of what we know about the Peacekeepers comes from the crew of Moya but most of them have very good reasons for not liking them. D'Argo, Rygel and Zhaan were all prisoners of the Peacekeepers and John has had several chasing him around the galaxy since he arrived. Crais and Scorpius have not exactly presented the most positive image of them either.

In PK Tech Girl John wonders what the Peacekeepers could accomplish if they turned their efforts to good. Aeryn gets upset and tells him "Other cultures hire us to keep order. To keep harmony." Of course, Rygel arrives at this point and adds "As well as assassinations, torture, kidnapping..." Which one is more correct?

Are the Peacekeepers ruthless? Perhaps. Do they consider the ends to justify the means? Probably. Are they convinced of their own superiority? Definitely. Are they "evil"? Not necessarily.

What makes this interesting is that in most science fiction factions are either portrayed as "good" or "evil" without any further interpretation. Also, many of the "evil" factions seem to be evil just for the sake of being evil. There is little (if any) reason to explain why they are behaving the way they are.

Contrast this with Farscape. Scorpius is certainly evil (actually, "amoral" is probably a better description) but has a reason for behaving the way he is. Scorpius wants the wormhole information in John's mind and will do anything to obtain it. He has nothing against John but at the same time does not care what happens to him (as long as the information is safe.) The ends justify the means.

Then, there is Crais. He killed his second in command, obviously an "evil" act, and chased our heros across the Uncharted Territories. But Crais was unbalanced by the death of his brother. His father's last words to him were for him to take care of his brother. His brother died because of John. An accident, sure, but it was enough to force him over the edge and to try to get revenge. (It should also be noted that Crais was about to give up his vendetta when Maldis intervened in That Old Black Magic.) Like Scorpius, he has a reason for his actions.

How about Durka? (PK Tech Girl and Durka Returns) He is certainly cruel and sadistic and probably qualifies most for the title of "evil" among the Peacekeepers we meet. Aeryn originally says that she studied his career but once she finds out the truth about his past and sees his actions she rejects him, implying that his behavior does not match general Peacekeeper norms.

What about the other Peacekeepers we have met? Well, Gilina (PK Tech Girl, Nerve and The Hidden Memory) helped John and the others many times, eventually even getting killed for helping them. Larraq, from A Bug's Life was hunting down the intelligent virus but seemed to be a more or less decent person who was concerned about his crew. He even admits that the Peacekeepers wanted the virus so that they could defeat an enemy army without having to kill them. Then there is Velorek from The Way We Weren't. He was behind replacing Moya's original Pilot but he seemed to try to avoid killing her until he had no other choice, seemed to have at least some compassion for Pilot and even put the shield in place to protect Moya from Crais' warship breeding program. Even Aeryn defends him, saying that he wasn't a sadist and that fact was part of the problem he faced.

Then, of course, there is Aeryn herself. She was a Peacekeeper and is still somewhat defensive of her past but she is one of the good guys now!

That leads us back to Jenavian. She simply wants to keep the empire out of Scarran control and will use any means at her disposal to achieve that goal; a goal that seems more directed at blocking the Scarrans than benefiting the Peacekeepers. She also saves John's life twice! This should give her provisional "good guy" status at least.

What do we make of all this? Well, let's be clear; the Peacekeepers aren't the nicest bunch of people to have around and their arrival probably isn't good for the local property values. But, saying that the Peacekeepers are "evil" is missing the complexity of the background. The Peacekeepers are composed of individuals and those individuals each have their own motivations and goals. This makes them much more interesting adversaries in that the appearance of a Peacekeeper does not automatically make them an enemy. This richness of background is part of what makes Farscape what it is.

But enough of that digression.

There are more developments in the relationship between John and Aeryn this time out. Previously I had been speculating that Aeryn was holding herself distant from John because she did not want to get hurt. Here, Dregon directly confronts her with that and she does nothing to disagree with him. In fact, her question "Why would you want that?" clearly indicates that she has considered being hurt as an outcome and has been avoiding a relationship in order to protect herself. She is in love with John, though she may not have even admitted that to herself yet, and ran off with Dregon simply so she would not have to see him being married to someone else. Now, she is faced with the thought that she may never see him again and that he may never know how she feels. This seems to hurt her even more. Aeryn is well beyond her comfort level here and it clearly shows.

John is hurt when Aeryn doesn't show up at the wedding but he handles it much better than Aeryn does. Of course, he has Jenavian there to help him get over his pain. Despite his feelings towards Aeryn he has no problem taking advantage of the situation with Jenavian. John probably doesn't feel too guilty about this; after all, Aeryn has been pushing him away pretty much since their arrival at the planet and if he knows she left with Dregon he probably feels completely rejected. We don't know how much goes on between Aeryn and Dregon (we know he at least kissed her) but it doesn't seem that things went as far as they did between John and Jenavian.

Jenavian seems to have enjoyed her time with John too. Her offering him the compatibility vial shows that she is at least willing to consider him more than a passing "recreation" session. She is pragmatic enough to realize that John is probably correct and that, in the end, they aren't compatible but it does seem as if he has left some impression on her. On the other hand, given what we see of her "fiancee" Prince Clavor it is a good guess that her time with John was probably a welcome relief!

The key scene though is the one at the very end, and one that is incredibly well acted despite being done totally without words. Everyone is back on Moya and John finds Aeryn in the maintenance bay. He comments that she isn't speaking to him but instead of saying anything she produces a compatibility vial and offers it to him.

What follows is one of the best scenes in the series. Both look at each other without expression then John takes the vial and applies the drops to his and Aeryn's tongues. His expression changes to one of uncertainty and hers to one of fear. This is a big step forward; both of them know it and both of them know that the result could change the relationship they have or want completely.

After the kiss, they pull apart and are once again wearing blank expressions. It is only when Aeryn turns away from John that she allows herself to smile. John watches her leave and seems to be contemplating the implications of what just happened; his slight smile and the hint of tears in his eyes clearly showing his own feelings.

We don't need dialog to know the results of that test, do we?

Speaking of John and his feelings, we learn an interesting bit about him in this episode. He has been attempting to find a way off the planet for the past few episodes and only went along with marrying the Princess as it seemed to be the only way for him to save his own life. Here, he is finally able to leave safely.

But, when he starts to do so, the Empress tells him that Katralla is already pregnant with his child. Immediately John changes his mind and decides to stay. Then, when Tyno tells him he cannot become a statue again, John actually gets angry at not being able to do so. The exact opposite of everything he had been attempting over the last few episodes.

We have seen very little of John's feelings about children before this. In Family Ties John comments that he probably won't have children and so won't be able to be a hero to them and Premiere and A Human Reaction show that his relationship with his own father has some problems. It has been implied that one of the problems John has with his father is that his father was not always there for him, being too involved in his work. So, John apparently feels very strongly that a child should have a good father and is determined not to do to his own children what he feels his father did to him. This is an important aspect of John's personality and one we have not seen before. We now know that he and Aeryn are genetically compatible but it remains to be seen how the possibility of their having children will affect their relationship.

Moving on to other parts of the episode, we also learn more about Scorpius this time around. We now know what that rod assembly in his head is; a cooling unit to balance his Sebacean intolorence for heat with his Scarran desire for it. Scorpius is internally constantly fighting with himself. His cold and unemotional demeanor is obviously a facade which covers his true nature and possibly explains the occasional glimpses we have had of the cruelty with which he treats everyone around him. Scorpius is a very complex character and a very good "villain" for the series.

Despite what we have learned, there is probably much about his character that we have yet to see. For example, why did he fake his discomfort when he and D'Argo faced Cargn in the factory? It obviously was faked; he certainly did not seem inconvenienced when he departed at the end. What did he hope to accomplish by pretending to have a weakness that does not exist?

Speaking of Scorpius, why couldn't John kill him? It is obviously related to something Scorpius did to him while he was in the Aurora Chair. (Nerve and The Hidden Memory) Did Scorpius implant some type of post-hypnotic suggestion in John to prevent John from harming him in the future? If so, why couldn't he have implanted a suggestion to make John turn himself over to Scorpius? Hopefully this is something we will learn more of in the future.

Finally, I would be remiss if I failed to point out what (to me) is a major plot oversight in this episode. Early on, Clavor and Cargn enter the room where Katralla and John are statues. Both talk for a while then Cargn cuts John's head off.

Later, everyone is in the same room and the Empress is announcing how the person responsible for cutting off John's head must be found. Now, just minutes earlier in the episode, it had been demonstrated that John could see and hear what was going on around him while a statue and that it was possible to communicate with him using the headset device. Tyno also pointed out that the acoustics of the room funneled all sound to Katralla and John.

Why didn't anyone simply ask Katralla what happened to John? After all, she was right there and should have heard everything that happened, even if she didn't see it. (For that matter, she should also have been able to see Jenavian take John's body away later.) We know they can talk to her as a statue also because they do so at the end of the episode. It doesn't seem as if anyone even thought of it!

The problem with this is that it could have easily been explained away with a few seconds of dialog. Cargn could have expressed concern about Katralla being a witness and Clavor could have produced some small device which he says prevents the statues from seeing or hearing anything. (Why not? It makes as much sense as them being able to see and hear as statues in the first place.) Or, he could have said that they can only see or hear if the headset or something like it is activated and that he has turned it off or that it is off so they can "sleep" or something. Or they could simply have tossed a bucket over her head. At any rate, they could have very easily filled in this hole but didn't. This bothers me since I think this episode is so well done otherwise that this one glaring oversight sticks out like a sore thumb.

Even with this problem, this remains an excellent episode and the trilogy as a whole remains my favorite all-time episode of Farscape. You want to see this episode and should catch it when you get the chance.