Exodus of Genesis

Farscape Episode Review

In which it gets very very hot.

What Happened

Space bugs get onto Moya, raising the temperature and stealing bits of the crew's DNA to create clones that can run the ship. Crichton gets beaten up by two of them, including an "Aeryn" that wants to make it even hotter.

That would be bad, as the real Aeryn cannot handle high temperatures without eventually losing her mind. (No. No one suggests that she take her Prowler and wait outside that I saw.) While Zhaan looks for something to dissolve the blue bug-snot, Rygel is sent, reluctantly, into the vents to find the nest.

After a variety of excitement, one of the bugs is able to use Zhaan to communicate. Crichton realizes that the bugs are spawning and will leave once they are finished. That may be too late for Aeryn, so Crichton suggests a compromise temperature that allows the bugs to breed and Aeryn to be miserable but still coherent.

Unfortunately for the fragile truce, a Peacekeeper patrol docks and starts killing bugs. With the temperature rising again, Crichton and Zhaan badger Rygel into negotiating with the Monarch. Crichton asks the Monarch to jack the temperature up for the moment, weakening the Peacekeepers until he and D'Argo can beat them up and get them to leave.

Genesis complete, the bugs leave and Aeryn recovers.

What We Learned

• Luxans clean their teeth with a mouth maggot.
• D'Argo warns against swallowing it.
• It's kind of minty.
• Earth calls Peacekeeper-types "linebackers" or "serial killers," depending on whether they are professional or amateur.
• Rygel the First had it easy.
• The giant Ouija Board says optimum plus three.
• It takes Crichton ten minutes to figure out how to open the door.
• Sebaceans are incapable of handling sudden changes to high temperatures without suffering "the Living Death:" loss of control, short term memory and then long term memory, until they are left in a permanent vegetative state.
• The replicant felt exactly like Aeryn, it was impossible to tell the difference.
• The fact that it was trying to sabotage the ship wasn't a clue.
• Eddie Marks kicked John's ass in the seventh grade.
• Rygel's body has functions.
• They didn't cover the life cycle of space insects at JFK High.
• Crais picked the wrong species to screw around with.
• Rygel had blue crud up in places Crichton doesn't want to hear about.

Best Lines

John: "It's just you and me."
D'Argo: "Actually, it's just me... and you."

What Did I Think?

There's only so much you can do with space roaches, but it is nice to see Crichton talking to them and negotiating a compromise rather than just using them as target practice. It was also an credible threat to Aeryn, covering the "bonding by saving her life" ground, but with less shooting than usual.