| Brief synopsis: |
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| A species called the Draks invade Moya, and begin turning up the heat in order to complete their breeding cycle. The crew battle against them, but appear unable to stop the temperature rising. This isn't good for Aeryn, a sebacean, who suffers from heat delirium when things get too hot.
When the Peacekeepers come onboard as well, only an alliance forged by Rygel, and the Monarch of the Draks can save the crew.
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| The Main Story: |
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| Aeryn calls the crew to command, as Moya encounters what looks like an asteroid field. The particles don't look right though, and the movement is almost lifelike, rather than random rock motion. At the same time, a Marauder makes a sweep of the area, but Aeryn and Pilot are able to hide Moya behind the field, and avoid detection.
However, the Marauder turns out to be the lesser problem as a stream of buglike creatures, the Draks, swarm aboard, and infest Moya. At first however, the crew are unaware, and life continues as normal, with Zhaan producing a rather impressive spirit painting of Rygel.
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The first sign of trouble though, is when the heat starts to rise, and a blockage forms in the vents. John and Zhaan go to sort out the problem, and whilst there, Zhaan reassures John that all he needs is time and patience in order to find his place with Aeryn and D'Argo. After switching on the vents, John goes to his quarters, where he encounters the first bugs.
Crichton captures one, and takes it to Zhaan for examination, but the heat is now rising rapidly, sending Aeryn into a state of heat delirium (see Trivia). Meanwhile, D'Argo discovers that the main cooling vents have been sealed off with a substance that even a cutting laser can't penetrate.
John goes off to try and find more ways to cool the ship down, and meets Zhaan... apparently sabotaging the ship. He also finds Aeryn at command, trying to turn the heat on even more. He fights Aeryn, and pulls off her arm... only to find it isn't really Aeryn, but a replica created by the Draks.
Rygel goes through a hidden access shaft discovered by Pilot, and tries to see what the Draks are up to. They are breeding, and fast. At the same time, Aeryn is reaching the latter stages of heat delirium. Pilot, showing affection for Aeryn for the first time, stops the ship's engines, and opens the cargo bay doors to cool the ship down.
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Though the crew try to identify themselves using marks, this doesn't work, as the Draks adapt to everything. It seems as if the crew could be overwhelmed, until the Monarch of the Draks speaks to them, using Zhaan's body. The Monarch tells them of Genesis, their breeding cycle, and asks why they resist and kill her young. The crew are able to strike a deal, allowing the Monarch to continue, whilst the heat is turned down in certain areas, for Aeryn.
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However, disaster strikes when the Marauder returns, and boards Moya. Their unprovoked attacks on the Draks make the Monarch believe she has been betrayed, and the heat goes through the roof. Fortunately, Rygel is able to negotiate, and persuades the Monarch that it is not his crew who are responsible. The Monarch lets John and D'Argo free to fight the commandos, whilst Zhaan stays to look after Aeryn. However, before leaving, Aeryn asks that John promises to kill her should the living death set in.
With the commandos suffering heat delirium, and with the help of many Draks, John and D'Argo overwhelm the commandos, but John lets them go to their ship, to leave and warn Crais that John is ready for a fight, with his numbers in the thousands.
This leaves the Monarch to finish her breeding cycle, and eventually leave. D'Argo is left with a greater respect for Crichton, and fortunately Aeryn survives her delirium. John goes to see her at the end, and though she remembers little of the experience, it is clear that she too has more respect for John now, and perhaps something else too.
References and continuity:
Crichton: "That things a Hyundai"
The Hyundai brand of cars isn't exactly associated with high levels of speed, so Crichton uses it to criticise the speed of the Marauder, claiming that because it only moves at hetch 7, Moya has nothing to worry about. However, the command carrier is much faster, meaning that they wouldn't be able to outrun that so easily.
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Funny or interesting quotes:
Aeryn: "What could I possibly need from you?"
Crichton: "I dunno, manners, personality, stock tips..."
Crichton is still struggling to prove his worth in the uncharted territories. Both Aeryn and D'Argo need more evidence of his skill.
D'Argo: "We will cut off the tip of our little finger for identification..."
With clones on the loose, D'Argo makes a poor suggestion for identifying eachother. Instead, the crew go with John's idea to use orange patches of spray.
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Rygel: "When I move, they get disagreeable"
D'Argo: "Right. Don't move."
Rygel is given sound advice by D'Argo, though the little Hynerian still finds the luxan exasperating.
Crichton: "Its just you and me"
D'Argo: "Actually, its just me... and you."
Is D'Argo finally accepting John as an ally?
Crichton: "Hey! Remember me? Didn't we meet at a party a few years back?"
John checks on Aeryn to see how she's dealing with the short term memory loss after her heat delirium.
Episode Trivia:
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Farscape deals with the necessities of life when John experiments with the dentik, a creature that cleans the mouth of particles and unwanted bacteria. Dentiks should not be swallowed!
This episode was filmed simultaneously, alongside Premiere, the first episode of Farscape.
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Sebaceans are extremely susceptible to heat, and when the temperature rises, they go into a state of "heat delirium". If the condition is allowed to worsen, they eventually enter the living death. Short term memory, goes, the ability to think is lost, and long term memory is lost. In this final state, the living death, Sebaceans beg for a merciful death.
Writer:
This episode was a one off for writer Ro Hume.
Director:
It was also the only episode directed by Brian Henson, the overseer of Farscape.
| Episode Aliens: |
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| Crichton and company encounter the Draks, who are performing "Genesis". The species lives in space, but when they need to breed, they come aboard ships like Moya in order to utilise the heat produced.
During their time aboard Moya, they demonstrate the ability to create versions of themselves whose exterior is identical to any being they chose, provided they have encountered that being's DNA.
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Farewell to:
Zhaan, D'Argo, Crichton and Aeryn... well, the replicated versions of them. When the Peacekeepers come aboard, they kill several Drak versions of the Moya crew.
Guest Stars:
- Damian de Montemas as Melkor.
- Jodie Dry as Kyona.
- Geoff Barker, Chenoeh Miller, and Tai Scrivener as PK commandos.
Personal Opinion:
Though the Draks were an interesting encounter, the episode's main attraction was really the developing relationships of the characters. Throughout the episode, John is having to prove himself to his crewmates, whilst relying on the support of Zhaan. The delvian priestess has clearly set herself out as the spiritual leader of the crew.
By the end of the episode, the crew have survived the Peacekeeper marauder, Aeryn's heat delirium, and a species performing Genesis, but most importantly, D'Argo and Aeryn seem to be accepting Crichton as an ally at last.
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| Good to see the crew coming together. | | 6/10 |
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