Icarus Abides, pt 2

Farscape Episode Review

In which things get better, then worse, then really really worse.

What Happened

Jack tells Aeryn that the clone is dying. This is its last gasp, an attempt to get John killed before he goes. John collapses, then looks up and tells Aeryn that Harvey is gone. Once they have finished modifying the phase stabilizer, Furlow kills Jack, then disarms John and takes the weapon. She is going to meet the Scarrans and complete the deal she made with them.

On Talyn, Crais and Stark are captured by a Scarran scout. Learning about the Leviathan, the Scarran tells Stark to create a neural clamp so that the Scarran can control the ship. Talyn traps the Scarran with the transponder, however, then fires internal defenses, killing it.

John gives chase in his own dune buggy and runs Furlow off the road. Realizing that the weapon is armed and the casing is open, Furlow bugs out. John gets hit by a radiation blast, but manages to close the casing. He attaches it to the module, telling Aeryn about the rad blast.

After a tearful goodbye scene, John flies off. Crais and Talyn lure the Scarrans into position and the weapon pulls a chunk of star through the wormhole and vaporizes the Dreadnaught. There is nothing that can be done to save John, however. As Aeryn holds him, Stark eases his pain, then leaves so that she can say good-bye.

What We Learned

• It's not easy putting a pulse blast in John Crichton.
• The mind's gone, but the rest of his body's intact, it would be a shame to spoil it.
• Jack isn't feeling any smarter.
• John hasn't maxxed out yet.
• Always be the one to walk away while the hero dies. That's Furlow's motto.
• The Scarrans must be terrified.
• John hates long good-byes.
• It's a lucky or ambitious man who goes when he's ready.

Best Lines

John: "Dammit, Crais, knock it off. Don't make me start liking you."

What Did I Thnk?

I really love how they had their cake and ate it, too. By twinning John and splitting the cast, they could flip back and forth between low comedy and high drama, milking the John-Aeryn romance for all it's worth, but at the same time, continuing the will-they-won't-they suspense.

They even managed to set things back at the beginning, without hitting the ever-horrible "Universal Reset Button."