Summary of Season 1, epys 6-10
Onward and upward . . .
1:06: Thank God It's Friday. Again.
The crew finds itself on a planet where everyone works in the field digging up what looks like huge turnips, and then party at the end of the day. The workers are led by an albino woman with long blond hair (hilarious - Aeryn is trying to tell Crichton "she gives me the willies," which she gets turned around, and says, "she gives me a woody". . . the look on Crichton's face is priceless!). It turns out the food has some sort of drug in it which has a calming/happiness effect on most people (watching a calm D'Argo was a little strange . . . ). Those who are not affected by it are killed to keep the "order" working. This small faction puts a worm inside of Crighton so the drug will not affect him; they want his help to stop the process (although they don't really tell him why).
While D'Argo and Zhaan are digging in the field sounding like 60's hippies, Rygel thinks he is the victim of an assasination attempt. In actuality, the drug in the food caused his . . . ahem . . . pee to be explosive. Crichton sends Rygel back to the ship with Aeryn (who can not stand the heat on the planet) to find out what is wrong with Rygel. This sends Aeryn for a loop; John wants her to use her brains, and she's used to getting what she wants by bludgeoning the subject into submission ("you turned in your pulse rifle for a Junior Chemistry Kit"). Crighton is stuck on the planet (really sick at his stomach now) and pretending to be "happy." Aeryn and Pilot discover that the turnips are turned into the substance that fuels all Peacekeeper weapons. Crighton finds out that the Peacekeepers return to the planet to collect this substance. The albino leader tries to get Crighton to give her Moya. Eventually the crew persuades the members of the planet to defend themselves against the Peacekeepers, and not to provide any more ammunition.
1:07: PK Tech Girl.
On of the fans' faves. The crew finds a large ship called the Zalbinion, formerly the first line ship of the Peacekeepers, now floating in space for over 100 cycles/years. When they board her to find answers, and possibly weapons to protect Moya, they find her completely scavanged and empty except for one thing: a Peacekeeper "tech" by the name of Gelina, who becomes a particular friend of Crighton (those Sebatians do look like us, don't they?). This is the first time Aeryn admits any interest in John when she catches him kissing Gelina.
In this epy, we find out about the rigid hierarchy of the Peacekeepers. We also find out that as John has been telling Aeryn about Earth, his home, when she envisioned her "home," she envisioned a ship like the Zalbinion which is all she ever knew as home (it definitely gives you something to think about as the series progresses forward, particularly about how many changes Aeryn is constantly being required to make as she goes along with the crew of Moya). There is a subplot with D'Argo and Zhaan. They are trying to talk their way out of a confrontation with a race of scavengers, and Moya has no weapons. D'Argo believes it is dishonorable even to "talk a good game," but Zhaan persuades him to do so. By the end of this epy, D'Argo realizes that Zhaan, even with her choice to become a priestess/peaceful, respects his code of honor among warriors.
We also find out Rygel's had been a prisoner aboard the Zalbinion and tortured by a Peacekeeper commander named Durka (who shows up again later). Zhaan warns Rygel that he must come to terms with his past, and in the one time he shows bravery, Rygel makes his peace with Durka's corpse. And Aeryn somehow makes peace with what her life is now when they let Gelina go, and she tells her to lie, to be smarter than she was ("I hope you never have to know what it is to have to leave the life you love").
1:08: That Old Black Magic.
An evil sorcerer/vampire, Muldis, brings Crighton and Peacekeeper Crais together for a showdown. Muldis tricked Crichton in order to convince him that he could "help" the crew, and we learned info about John we didn't know: his mom's maiden name was MacDougal; he lost his virginity to Karen Shaw in the back of a four-by; and he skipped the third grade (a smart kid even then).
Zhaan's powers are tested in the end when she pits herself against Muldis to save the crew, who are trapped behind mirrors. She tells John what to do, but not why - she can't tell him Muldis can read their minds. John still doesn't understand all of Zhaan's powers, but it is clear that by this time, he trusts her, and she him (even as a lesser species!). Zhaan made a great point: who do we fear most, others or ourselves? D'Argo's answer to Zhaan's dilemma: which evil should she allow? The one that is already loose? Or unleash another to stop it? Zhaan chose "the lesser evil."
1:09: DNA Mad Scientist.
One of my faves; it shows Claudia Black's full acting abilities, as most of the time she is acting with muppets.
The crew is enticed by an alien mad scientist, Namtar, to give a sample of each of their DNA in order to find where their home worlds are located (which means letting him stick a needle in each of their eyes). He also wants one of Pilot's arms as part of the deal. We find out just how badly everyone wants to go home when the three of them, D'Argo, Zhaan and Rygel, take one of Pilot's arms . . . involuntarily (with all the differences between them, when it comes to getting home), D'Argo, Zhaan and Rygel would do just about anything (cutting off SOMEONE ELSE'S arm) to get home . . . I think this made an impact on our fans and how they viewed these three characters).
Aeryn initially refuses, but later gives a sample of her DNA, unknown to the rest of the crew, because she does not want to be left behind (this is one of the first times we see her as really vulnerable. She does not know that, at the same time, Namtar uses her as a guinea pig, injecting into her eye Pilot's DNA. Aeryn soon starts to feel unwell, and soon she begins to look like Pilot. Namtar would eventually kill her and add her/Pilot's DNA to his own. At one point, Aeryn shoots Namtar, which did not work, although she did not know that when she shot. She knew he was the only person who could return her to her normal self, but Namtar was so evil, she was willing to be rid of him for all time, at whatever risk to herself.
When the crew attempts to use the crystal given to them by Namtar to see the maps where there home planets are located, they find out there is too much information within the crystal, and only one map can be shown. In order for that one map to be used, the information showing the other two home worlds must be destroyed. The three begin to fight for the crystal, again showing their darker sides. Eventually Crichton talks another scientist in Namtar's lab to assist Pilot in preparing a remedy for Aeryn. We get to see her looking almost entirely like Pilot. Crichton has to inject her again into her eye for the formula to work. Ironically, Namtar turns out to actually be a lab rat, who eventually became so smart from the scientists' experiments, it took over the scientists. At the end, when he had been reduced to his normal form, Namtar looked more like a hairless squirrel than a monster.
1:10: They've Got A Secret.
After being accidentally jettisoned outside the ship (and breaking a shield on Moya, which they later find out was to prevent Moya's pregnancy), D'Argo's background is revealed. Aeryn went after him in her prowler and saved his life. When he returns to Moya, he is acting differently, as if he is living his old life. We find out D'Argo's wife was a Sebatian with whom he had a child. Peacekeepers are indoctrinated from birth that interrelations with other species are evil and unpure. His wife's brother, a Peacekeeper, killed his own sister in order to keep her from D'Argo. After D'Argo finally returns to normal, Aeryn talks with him and asks him to show her a picture of his wife. She tells him she knows his son is not evil because she knows D'Argo, and promises to never tell the Peacekeepers about his son.
And the crew realizes there will be a Leviathan baby ("I wonder how big that thing's gonna get?"). It appears the title of the epy refers to (1) The DRDs secret w/ Moya about the baby, and it being a gunship, and (2) D'Argo's secret (the actual crime for which he was imprisoned and his son).
Onward and upward . . .
1:06: Thank God It's Friday. Again.
The crew finds itself on a planet where everyone works in the field digging up what looks like huge turnips, and then party at the end of the day. The workers are led by an albino woman with long blond hair (hilarious - Aeryn is trying to tell Crichton "she gives me the willies," which she gets turned around, and says, "she gives me a woody". . . the look on Crichton's face is priceless!). It turns out the food has some sort of drug in it which has a calming/happiness effect on most people (watching a calm D'Argo was a little strange . . . ). Those who are not affected by it are killed to keep the "order" working. This small faction puts a worm inside of Crighton so the drug will not affect him; they want his help to stop the process (although they don't really tell him why).
While D'Argo and Zhaan are digging in the field sounding like 60's hippies, Rygel thinks he is the victim of an assasination attempt. In actuality, the drug in the food caused his . . . ahem . . . pee to be explosive. Crichton sends Rygel back to the ship with Aeryn (who can not stand the heat on the planet) to find out what is wrong with Rygel. This sends Aeryn for a loop; John wants her to use her brains, and she's used to getting what she wants by bludgeoning the subject into submission ("you turned in your pulse rifle for a Junior Chemistry Kit"). Crighton is stuck on the planet (really sick at his stomach now) and pretending to be "happy." Aeryn and Pilot discover that the turnips are turned into the substance that fuels all Peacekeeper weapons. Crighton finds out that the Peacekeepers return to the planet to collect this substance. The albino leader tries to get Crighton to give her Moya. Eventually the crew persuades the members of the planet to defend themselves against the Peacekeepers, and not to provide any more ammunition.
1:07: PK Tech Girl.
On of the fans' faves. The crew finds a large ship called the Zalbinion, formerly the first line ship of the Peacekeepers, now floating in space for over 100 cycles/years. When they board her to find answers, and possibly weapons to protect Moya, they find her completely scavanged and empty except for one thing: a Peacekeeper "tech" by the name of Gelina, who becomes a particular friend of Crighton (those Sebatians do look like us, don't they?). This is the first time Aeryn admits any interest in John when she catches him kissing Gelina.
In this epy, we find out about the rigid hierarchy of the Peacekeepers. We also find out that as John has been telling Aeryn about Earth, his home, when she envisioned her "home," she envisioned a ship like the Zalbinion which is all she ever knew as home (it definitely gives you something to think about as the series progresses forward, particularly about how many changes Aeryn is constantly being required to make as she goes along with the crew of Moya). There is a subplot with D'Argo and Zhaan. They are trying to talk their way out of a confrontation with a race of scavengers, and Moya has no weapons. D'Argo believes it is dishonorable even to "talk a good game," but Zhaan persuades him to do so. By the end of this epy, D'Argo realizes that Zhaan, even with her choice to become a priestess/peaceful, respects his code of honor among warriors.
We also find out Rygel's had been a prisoner aboard the Zalbinion and tortured by a Peacekeeper commander named Durka (who shows up again later). Zhaan warns Rygel that he must come to terms with his past, and in the one time he shows bravery, Rygel makes his peace with Durka's corpse. And Aeryn somehow makes peace with what her life is now when they let Gelina go, and she tells her to lie, to be smarter than she was ("I hope you never have to know what it is to have to leave the life you love").
1:08: That Old Black Magic.
An evil sorcerer/vampire, Muldis, brings Crighton and Peacekeeper Crais together for a showdown. Muldis tricked Crichton in order to convince him that he could "help" the crew, and we learned info about John we didn't know: his mom's maiden name was MacDougal; he lost his virginity to Karen Shaw in the back of a four-by; and he skipped the third grade (a smart kid even then).
Zhaan's powers are tested in the end when she pits herself against Muldis to save the crew, who are trapped behind mirrors. She tells John what to do, but not why - she can't tell him Muldis can read their minds. John still doesn't understand all of Zhaan's powers, but it is clear that by this time, he trusts her, and she him (even as a lesser species!). Zhaan made a great point: who do we fear most, others or ourselves? D'Argo's answer to Zhaan's dilemma: which evil should she allow? The one that is already loose? Or unleash another to stop it? Zhaan chose "the lesser evil."
1:09: DNA Mad Scientist.
One of my faves; it shows Claudia Black's full acting abilities, as most of the time she is acting with muppets.
The crew is enticed by an alien mad scientist, Namtar, to give a sample of each of their DNA in order to find where their home worlds are located (which means letting him stick a needle in each of their eyes). He also wants one of Pilot's arms as part of the deal. We find out just how badly everyone wants to go home when the three of them, D'Argo, Zhaan and Rygel, take one of Pilot's arms . . . involuntarily (with all the differences between them, when it comes to getting home), D'Argo, Zhaan and Rygel would do just about anything (cutting off SOMEONE ELSE'S arm) to get home . . . I think this made an impact on our fans and how they viewed these three characters).
Aeryn initially refuses, but later gives a sample of her DNA, unknown to the rest of the crew, because she does not want to be left behind (this is one of the first times we see her as really vulnerable. She does not know that, at the same time, Namtar uses her as a guinea pig, injecting into her eye Pilot's DNA. Aeryn soon starts to feel unwell, and soon she begins to look like Pilot. Namtar would eventually kill her and add her/Pilot's DNA to his own. At one point, Aeryn shoots Namtar, which did not work, although she did not know that when she shot. She knew he was the only person who could return her to her normal self, but Namtar was so evil, she was willing to be rid of him for all time, at whatever risk to herself.
When the crew attempts to use the crystal given to them by Namtar to see the maps where there home planets are located, they find out there is too much information within the crystal, and only one map can be shown. In order for that one map to be used, the information showing the other two home worlds must be destroyed. The three begin to fight for the crystal, again showing their darker sides. Eventually Crichton talks another scientist in Namtar's lab to assist Pilot in preparing a remedy for Aeryn. We get to see her looking almost entirely like Pilot. Crichton has to inject her again into her eye for the formula to work. Ironically, Namtar turns out to actually be a lab rat, who eventually became so smart from the scientists' experiments, it took over the scientists. At the end, when he had been reduced to his normal form, Namtar looked more like a hairless squirrel than a monster.
1:10: They've Got A Secret.
After being accidentally jettisoned outside the ship (and breaking a shield on Moya, which they later find out was to prevent Moya's pregnancy), D'Argo's background is revealed. Aeryn went after him in her prowler and saved his life. When he returns to Moya, he is acting differently, as if he is living his old life. We find out D'Argo's wife was a Sebatian with whom he had a child. Peacekeepers are indoctrinated from birth that interrelations with other species are evil and unpure. His wife's brother, a Peacekeeper, killed his own sister in order to keep her from D'Argo. After D'Argo finally returns to normal, Aeryn talks with him and asks him to show her a picture of his wife. She tells him she knows his son is not evil because she knows D'Argo, and promises to never tell the Peacekeepers about his son.
And the crew realizes there will be a Leviathan baby ("I wonder how big that thing's gonna get?"). It appears the title of the epy refers to (1) The DRDs secret w/ Moya about the baby, and it being a gunship, and (2) D'Argo's secret (the actual crime for which he was imprisoned and his son).
