Farscape — 3x18 — Fractures
Synopsis
Not far from Moya and Talyn's expected rendezvous point, Moya picks up a badly damaged Leviathan Transport Pod carrying a Scarran, an Hynerian and a Nebari - all escaped prisoners - and their Peacekeeper hostage, complicating the long awaited reunion between Moya and Talyn's crew. When the Scarran is shot, it's clear that someone on board is a traitor.
Filler rating: not filler
Numerous major long term plot threads are serviced here.
Remarkable scenes
- Jool: "Aeryn's fine. I'm sure the other you has taken extra good care of her. I mean, all I meant was, I'm sure that he did everything that you would have done if you had been there with Aeryn all this time."
- A Scarran, a Nebari, a Sebacean, and a Hynerian, all escaped prisoners boarding Moya from the transport pod rather than Talyn's crew.
- Talyn's crew reuniting with Moya's.
- Aeryn giving John the cold shoulder.
- Crais telling John that the other Crichton is dead.
- Rygel meeting the female Hynerian.
- John going through his counterpart's stuff.
- Somebody shooting the Scarran.
- The Peacekeeper tech taking out the DRD watching him.
- The female Hynerian betraying Rygel.
- D'Argo, John, and Aeryn going after the pod in D'Argo's ship.
- John watching the recording from his other self.
- John proposing an attack on Scorpius to prevent him from gaining wormhole technology.
Review
The reunion between Moya's and Talyn's crews could have been a better story. The plot concerning the Scarran, Nebari, Hynerian, and Peacekeeper escaped prisoners struck me as a big red herring designed solely to add some action to the episode. The much more interesting plot was the reunion and John deciding based on his counterpart's recording that he should attack Scorpius to prevent the Peacekeepers from acquiring wormhole technology.
That said, even the red herring of the escaped prisoners had some nice bits to it. I loved a number of small details about it. For one, it's good that they're using already known aliens. I also loved seeing a non-antagonist Scarran for once and it was a real treat getting to see another Hynerian. Chiana's budding premonition abilities make another appearance and we learn another interesting little tidbit of Nebari society: they're intolerant of hermaphrodites.
Aeryn's grieving in this episode was far better played than in the last episode. Her apathy is far more interesting and realistic than her brooding from the last episode. Her indifference to the other John is understandable because in order for her to connect with him she'd have to pretend all her time on Talyn never happened and reset herself all the way back to the time when the two Johns split. A tall order.
I enjoyed that she slipped up, referencing something she did with the other John in Green Eyed Monster to this John who of course had no idea what she was talking about. This small detail was representative of Aeryn's slow journey to accept this John, a journey she appears to have nearly completed by the end of the story when she becomes the first person to agree to his insane plan to attack Scorpius. Overall this was a strong story. Had the escaped prisoner plot been toned down or perhaps entirely omitted it could have been an even stronger story.