Farscape breaks out its first A-plot / B-plot / C-plot structure with great success. Leading the A-plot is a series of eel-choreographed action sequences that have both humor and decent fight scenes. Sun and D'Argo show the first real camaraderie-chemistry that works on screen, much better than the forced sexual tension with Crichton that has so far dominated Sun's screen time.
A rapid fire first act puts the ship in peril, the crew on edge, and poor Rigel up to his puppet implements in mud. The B-plot thrives on the strong voice acting and clever writing behind what could have been the very boring stage of Rigel and his cellmate trading palace platitudes about their respective political accomplishments.
In the C-plot we finally learn more about Farscape's resident priest Zhaan. Her heart of gold bristles with purely demonstrative violence, revealing that her seemingly meek exterior is by choice, since she seems to have been a kung fu wizard all along. This is cleverly mirrored in her treatment of an alien captive, who is himself posed with true choice between violence and freedom (he makes the wrong choice, implying to us than Zhaan herself has made that same choice the other way around).
This episode is altogether successful because it evenly divides the screen between all the main characters. Rigel's pompous greed imperils his friends, who work together to save the day (and the engine component Rigel has stolen to decorate his scepter) while Zhaan shows us a dimension to her character that has so far been hidden beneath her previously bland, meditative exterior. Guest characters are well acted, including the green arthropod of immaculate and creepy construction.
A rapid fire first act puts the ship in peril, the crew on edge, and poor Rigel up to his puppet implements in mud. The B-plot thrives on the strong voice acting and clever writing behind what could have been the very boring stage of Rigel and his cellmate trading palace platitudes about their respective political accomplishments.
In the C-plot we finally learn more about Farscape's resident priest Zhaan. Her heart of gold bristles with purely demonstrative violence, revealing that her seemingly meek exterior is by choice, since she seems to have been a kung fu wizard all along. This is cleverly mirrored in her treatment of an alien captive, who is himself posed with true choice between violence and freedom (he makes the wrong choice, implying to us than Zhaan herself has made that same choice the other way around).
This episode is altogether successful because it evenly divides the screen between all the main characters. Rigel's pompous greed imperils his friends, who work together to save the day (and the engine component Rigel has stolen to decorate his scepter) while Zhaan shows us a dimension to her character that has so far been hidden beneath her previously bland, meditative exterior. Guest characters are well acted, including the green arthropod of immaculate and creepy construction.