In Whole
After the previouslys, we find that the crew are all off in separate directions for the next few days. The girls are off to find a component for Moya, and the guys are off to a mental training ground. John and Aeryn are discussing this (while making out on the sly) in Pilot's Den. Aeryn gives Crichton his Christmas present - a TV remote. The other half is taking over John's quarters. They eventually leave - John off to the mental grounds that Scorpius has recommended, Aeryn off to pick up a replacement part for Moya.

At the ground, the group are met by the rest of their class and the instructer, a Charrid. If they leave, a small diamond drill will bore into their brain. They're there to mainly get information on the creature that attacked on Earth, but Katoya's price (Katoya being the instructor) is completion of the course.

Meanwhile, D'Argo gets some quick flashbacks - a bearded sebacean man, and a woman. Something smells familiar. Rygel thinks it must be one of the other instructors, a Charrid - and probably mentally vows vengeance against the instructor at that moment.

But one of the classmates removes his hood, revealing a bearded sebacean.

It is none other than Macton T'el.

D'Argo cannot control his rage, and starts beating Macton, holding him against the wall. Macton says D'Argo does not want to hear the truth. Crichton and the others are kept from interfering by Katoya, but Crichton pulls them apart. Macton exclaims that D'Argo has been lying, that he beat Lolaan to death (anyone confused should see They've Got A Secret in season 1). However, Katoya splits the two combatants up.

And here come the opening credits!

In their sleeping quarters (more like a prison cell) D'Argo is exclaiming how Macton is a liar. Rygel concurs - he's a Peacekeeper, so what's new. Rygel recommends they leave, before more arrive. Scorpy disagrees though. They agreed to stay before, and must abide by the rules. Besides, this sector of Tormented Space is off-limits to PKs without express permission from First Command, therefore Macton is likely to be here unofficially. D'Argo is intent on killing Macton now (bit of a change from Dog With Two Bones) but Scorpius says Katoya will not allow it. D'Argo, being D'Argo, doesn't seem to care.

Flashback. Lolaan talking to Macton. Macton seems to think D'Argo has hurt her, and Lolaan is telling him otherwise. Macton says he's a Luxan, and will hurt her eventually. D'Argo was overhearing though. Macton shows himself out, passing D'Argo on the way.

Back at class, demonstrations begin. Katoya invites John to join him, but John insists on not participating. Katoya invites Scorpius, who joins in without hesitation.

Katoya and Scorpius are strapped into a machine which projects their minds into a weird virtual reality scape. Katoya summons a fireball, which the two will strive to bounce from one to the other, enduring the pain and putting in effort, overcoming the pain as they go. After a bit, Katoya draws Scorpius nearer using bizarre Jedi-like things, so the fireball has little space between them, and blows the fireball up in his face.

Scorpius leaves the machine, and shortly after Macton finds Crichton in the quarters. Macton tries to persuade John that D'Argo was the one who killed Lolaan, in a fit of hyper-rage. Macton tells John that hyper-rage also causes blackouts. Perhaps it is D'Argo who isn't telling the truth, and he doesn't even know it.

Back at the class, the Charrid instructor is going on the machine next. Rygel insists it's his turn, planning to have a go at the Charrid. John and D'Argo talk as Rygel goes into the machine against the Charrid. While Rygel appears to be losing miserably, John asks D'Argo if hyper-rage causes blackouts.

Flashback. D'Argo is getting quite annoyed that Macton was in their house. He seems to be losing it.

D'Argo admits to John that blackouts during hyper-rage occur, but D'Argo has controlled it, mastered the violent part of himself. D'Argo says Lolaan knew he would never hurt her, and if he did D'Argo would leave immediately of his own free will. Meanwhile, Rygel is faring less well in the machine, but eventually manages to blast the fireball right back at the Charrid, knocking him out.

D'Argo and Crichton take Rygel back to their quarters - Rygel is unconscious and ice cold, Crichton having a quick argument about the dangers of the mental training with Katoya, and that they should leave. Katoya insists their training isn't over, and to prove the point mentally trips Crichton up.

Class is beginning again, Macton seeming to suck up to Katoya a bit. D'Argo is absent, having been moved to 'remedial training'. Rygel, absent also, is recovering. D'Argo and Scorpius are there, Scorpius trying to persuade D'Argo to remain focussed on the studies. But now it's D'Argo's turn in the machine.

Flashback. D'Argo is recovering from his hyper-rage. He asks Lolaan if he hurt her, and she says no. She says nothing D'Argo will do can hurt her, but D'Argo believes he has hurt her.

Inside the machine, D'Argo is trapped in a path of lights. The lights seem to cause pain, and they are changing where they point. Macton watches on gleefully from outside as D'Argo fails, remembering Lolaan and Macton. Katoya releases him from the machine, telling him to have more self control.

Back in the quarters, D'Argo is telling Katoya he is leaving, but Katoya tries to insist that he stays. D'Argo is saying that if he stays, he will kill Macton, but calms down. To Katoya, this represents D'Argo controlling his anger, and tries to prove his point for D'Argo staying.

Turns out 'remedial training' is another word for being stuck in a pit with a metal grate over it, and a small portion of the floor red hot coals. Crichton isn't enjoying it much. But back in the quarters, Rygel insists Macton is lying - he's a PK, and all PKs lie. Back with John, Katotya offers to give him the key to open the grate, and drops it in the coals. Crichton will have to be quicker than that, or willing to endure the pain of fishing it out.

Back in the quarters, D'Argo and Macton bump into each other. D'Argo warns Macton to stay away and stop telling his lies, but Macton is still persisting that he's in the right, and that D'Argo beat Lolaan. D'Argo is trying to be the pacifist, but not succeeding very well. But Macton wants to tel his side of the story, the side the Luxan black arts (?) stopped him from seeing - how Lolaan was killed in a fit of hyper-rage by D'Argo. Unable to control himself, D'Argo throws Macton to the table and, realising his mistake and violence, begins to believe Macton.

Back at 'remedial training', John's not having any luck. Keys are dropped in quite often, but he's still not able to get one. Scorpy comes by, telling him Earth is not safe. The Scarrens are after him, will interrogate him, and that is why John is here - to resist their interrogation methods.

Back in the quarters, Scorpius meets with Katoya, who says Crichton may not survive. Scorpius also wants something done about Macton, as he is a distraction to D'Argo. It's also revealed that Scorpius has saved Katoya on many occasions, from PK imprisonment and the Aurora chair, using Katoya's teachings (though Katoya claims he would survive the aurora chair). Katoya though is asked three favours by Scorpius - intensify Crichton's training, do something about Macton, and information about the creature who attacked Crichton.

Back with John, who is still having no luck. He is visited by D'Argo, who brings him so water. D'Argo is still wanting to kill Macton, but is starting to feel convinced he was responsible for Lolaan's death. John is trying to persuade him otherwise, but D'Argo is still feeling convinced.

D'Argo is having a chat with Katoya in the quarters, telling Katoya how much he respects his work, but believes he will glean nothing from his teachings. D'Argo though asks Katoya to help him find out what kind of monster he is.

D'Argo and Katoya go into the machine, visiting D'Argo's past and nightmares about Lolaan. They see the dead Lolaan, stabbed with a knife. Lolaan though talks to D'Argo, and D'Argo begins succumbing to hyper-rage. He doesn't know if he used it against Lolaan, and knocks her over. But he only hit her. Lolaan still loved him. The two have a heart-to-heart, while unfortunately Macton kills Katoya and goes into the machine himself.

Macton finds D'Argo and Lolaan in the machine, and takes D'Argo back to the scene of the crime. D'Argo tries to fight Macton, but finds himself fighting Lolaan instead. Macton shows him Lolaan's marks from where he says he beat her, unable to control his violence. D'Argo then finds himself inside his cell on Moya, and is chained up as before. Macton says he's earned those chains.

Macton is having great fun beating up the chained D'Argo, while Crichton actually overcomes his fear of pain and grabs a key from the coals.

D'Argo is pleading his innocence - he didn't kill Lolaan. Macton actually agrees with him - he didn't kill her. Instead, D'Argo did something much worse.

He drove her to kill herself.

We then see Lolaan stabbing herself. Macton says D'Argo beat her beyond her capacity to endure, and she took her own life. D'Argo is believing it. Macton arrived first at the scene, and doctored the evidence to put him in prison.

As a result, D'Argo appears to go insane inside the machine, but gradually he focusses. He sees the truth, breaks out of his chains, and tells Macton the truth.

Lolaan would never take her own life and left her son without a mother.

Flashback. D'Argo's got Macton to show him HIS memories. Macton is talking to Lolaan, saying D'Argo will be sent away. Lolaan tries to stop him, injure him with a knife, but Macton's instincts take over - he stabs her before he realises what he's done. In a panic, he doctors the scene so it looks like D'Argo had committed the crime, beating her body so it looks like D'Argo had been the culprit.

In the machine, D'Argo leaves Macton to his memories of killing and beating his sister.

Journeying back to Moya, Rygel still says D'Argo should have killed Macton. D'Argo says Macton has a far worse punishment - he is trapped in a coma facing his own nightmares. Killing him would be merciful. Scorpy though has come through with the info on the creature - a Skreeth (that's the actual name of the species). It can communicate telepathically over vast distances. If it mapped out where Earth was, it would be able to pass it on. Most likely it was employed by Grayza, so she would know everything the creature did, possibly knowing where Earth was. However, Grayza is not after Earth - she may go there, but she wants Crichton.

In the meantime, D'Argo has things on his mind - things he's done, things he can't take back...

What I thought
Hmm... odd one this. It's another two-plot thing, with Crichton's training on one hand, and D'Argo and Macton on the other. Scorpius seems to be a bit of a background character, but still needlessly important, and Rygel's just along for the ride and to egg D'Argo on at one point or another. Still, some nice effects, and it fills in the background on D'Argo more and more. Probably not an important episode in the whole scheme of things, but an important one for D'Argo. Some good acting, but nothing award-winning. A bit average all round really. Tempted before to give it a 4, but I think a pretty strong 3.

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