Farscape: DNA Mad Scientist
July 31, 2015 5:38 PM - Season 1, Episode 9 - Subscribe
In exchange for samples of their DNA, a genetic scientist offers the Moyans star charts to reach their respective homeworlds, but his demands become too extreme when he takes one of Pilot's arms and his experiments result in Aeryn mutating into a Pilot hybrid. [via]
In which needle in the eye! Needle in the frelling eye!
Namtar is an interesting creation. Warren Ellis' line about "one American's descent into Australia's S&M scene" has been quoted here before, but it seems appropriate to quote it again given Namtar's fishnet, leather straps, and stainless steel body harness with what definitely appear to be integral nipple piercings. Aside from that he's a remarkable example of how far Farscape could push a blend of prosthetic and animatronics to create characters. At the same time, he is still pretty obviously someone on stilts, and the deliberate and exaggerated movements don't exactly help with the illusion. I think he works; but I recognize this is probably a deal breaker for some people watching the show.
I also think that making an explicit comparison to Mengele was a false note. Because Mengele, and from what I understand with one or two exceptions, all of of the Nazi medical experiments, were worthless as experiments. They accomplished nothing beyond putting a technical gloss on sadism and torture. Comparing someone who is, in the story, running a terrifyingly effective research and development program to Mengle, felt to me like crediting Mengele with an effectiveness and purpose he was completely lacking.
So, there are my issues with the episode. At the same time, there is a lot to like here. How quickly Zahn, D'Argo, and Rygel are willing to hack off one of Pilot's arms, how quickly they descend into infighting, plotting, and threats doesn't just make for a compelling story; it very effectively raises the stakes. The Moya crew all have their own agendas, and they're all willing to harm the others to get what they want. That understanding colours future conflicts, and future positive interactions, at least for a while.
We get to see a positive side of Peacekeeper values here as well. Aeryn is disgusted with them for attacking pilot, and her outrage is expressed explicitly in terms of her militaristic viewpoint. Aeryn and her Peackeeper beliefs reminds me a bit of Worf in Star Trek and his interactions with other Klingons. They're both the embarrassing sort of person who believes in a group or civilization's stated ideals, rather than the rather more informal code of behaviour that most people actually live by.
"Lucky for you, you didn't trade anything of real value to get it." Pilots have superior regeneration, multi-tasking, and passive-aggression.
posted by Grimgrin at 7:32 PM on July 31, 2015 [3 favorites]
Namtar is an interesting creation. Warren Ellis' line about "one American's descent into Australia's S&M scene" has been quoted here before, but it seems appropriate to quote it again given Namtar's fishnet, leather straps, and stainless steel body harness with what definitely appear to be integral nipple piercings. Aside from that he's a remarkable example of how far Farscape could push a blend of prosthetic and animatronics to create characters. At the same time, he is still pretty obviously someone on stilts, and the deliberate and exaggerated movements don't exactly help with the illusion. I think he works; but I recognize this is probably a deal breaker for some people watching the show.
I also think that making an explicit comparison to Mengele was a false note. Because Mengele, and from what I understand with one or two exceptions, all of of the Nazi medical experiments, were worthless as experiments. They accomplished nothing beyond putting a technical gloss on sadism and torture. Comparing someone who is, in the story, running a terrifyingly effective research and development program to Mengle, felt to me like crediting Mengele with an effectiveness and purpose he was completely lacking.
So, there are my issues with the episode. At the same time, there is a lot to like here. How quickly Zahn, D'Argo, and Rygel are willing to hack off one of Pilot's arms, how quickly they descend into infighting, plotting, and threats doesn't just make for a compelling story; it very effectively raises the stakes. The Moya crew all have their own agendas, and they're all willing to harm the others to get what they want. That understanding colours future conflicts, and future positive interactions, at least for a while.
We get to see a positive side of Peacekeeper values here as well. Aeryn is disgusted with them for attacking pilot, and her outrage is expressed explicitly in terms of her militaristic viewpoint. Aeryn and her Peackeeper beliefs reminds me a bit of Worf in Star Trek and his interactions with other Klingons. They're both the embarrassing sort of person who believes in a group or civilization's stated ideals, rather than the rather more informal code of behaviour that most people actually live by.
"Lucky for you, you didn't trade anything of real value to get it." Pilots have superior regeneration, multi-tasking, and passive-aggression.
posted by Grimgrin at 7:32 PM on July 31, 2015 [3 favorites]
Grimgrin: “How quickly Zahn, D'Argo, and Rygel are willing to hack off one of Pilot's arms, how quickly they descend into infighting, plotting, and threats doesn't just make for a compelling story; it very effectively raises the stakes. The Moya crew all have their own agendas, and they're all willing to harm the others to get what they want. That understanding colours future conflicts, and future positive interactions, at least for a while.”That's a tremendous insight. It definitely throws this episode into a different light given what comes later.
That said, this is one I skip. Because needles and eyes.
posted by ob1quixote at 7:45 PM on July 31, 2015 [1 favorite]
This one's a little gross, which is saying something, but what I like the most about it how it shows that these people really have no attachment to each other, which makes their growth throughout the seasons all the more interesting. It's also sort of galling how little remorse there seems to be for what they've done.
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 1:57 AM on August 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 1:57 AM on August 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
I love this episode. I remember watching it on first screening with my mouth open. Not because of the body horror stuff, but because they made the decision to have some of the 'heroes', people I thought I had a bit of a handle on, do something utterly monstrous. What a risk this early on in the show's life. Could have alienated the entire viewing audience. Probably did quite a few.
My reaction of horror to what Z, D and R did to Pilot convinced me that this show had something. I didn't know what exactly, but I couldn't stop watching after that. It also sold me fully on the puppets. If I could get that outraged on behalf of Pilot, then yeah, Henson were doing something completely right.
I do wonder if Zhaan would have acted as she did in this episode if the events of last episode hadn't happened. The blue mask of peace and love got comprehensively shattered. I expected Rygel to behave like that, mabe even D'Argo a bit, but Zhaan caught me out. Perhaps her desperation to get home stemmed from that sense that her carefully constructed inner peace was crumbling away. I don't think I ever completely trusted her again after that. This incident screwed things up for the whole ship. Of course, trying to outwit the Master Yoda of Hynerian Sneakiness was also doomed to fail.
More revisiting of this season's themes - loss, exile, inferiority, loneliness. And for Aeryn all of this is compounded with what must be a complete nightmare for PKs - actual physical and mental contamination. Losing her physical Sebacean identity and her sense of self, everything she's relied upon in her life. I think it's reasonable to suppose that this incident starts to unravel some of her most core beliefs. She really found herself on the sharp end of being considered inferior. For Aeryn to admit to Crichton that she was scared was huge. His offer of a place on Earth with him - all that kind of plays into the idea that John and Aeryn will ultimately find a home in each other.
I remember from way back that this episode sparked off the great speculation about Aeryn carrying Pilot's DNA and what might happen because of that. I still think that could play into any future storylines featuring Little D. (I never read the comics so I dodn't know if that was ever mentioned there.) Certainly it brings Aeryn and Pilot even closer. And Pilot's response to having his arm cut off? There has to have been an element of self-punishment in it for his role in replacing the other pilot.
I loved all the prosthetic stuff - Namtar, so creepy and smug. The Star Wars aliens in the bar. Cornata's giant hand. Even Namtar devolving into a distant relative of Salacious B. Crumb. I get that Crichton would make the Mengele reference because even though it's not really accurate it's still embedded in popular consciousness as an example of 'evil scientist doing experiments without compassion on innocent people.' (Which might then raise the ethical question of Cornata's experiments.)
posted by along came the crocodile at 11:48 AM on August 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
My reaction of horror to what Z, D and R did to Pilot convinced me that this show had something. I didn't know what exactly, but I couldn't stop watching after that. It also sold me fully on the puppets. If I could get that outraged on behalf of Pilot, then yeah, Henson were doing something completely right.
I do wonder if Zhaan would have acted as she did in this episode if the events of last episode hadn't happened. The blue mask of peace and love got comprehensively shattered. I expected Rygel to behave like that, mabe even D'Argo a bit, but Zhaan caught me out. Perhaps her desperation to get home stemmed from that sense that her carefully constructed inner peace was crumbling away. I don't think I ever completely trusted her again after that. This incident screwed things up for the whole ship. Of course, trying to outwit the Master Yoda of Hynerian Sneakiness was also doomed to fail.
More revisiting of this season's themes - loss, exile, inferiority, loneliness. And for Aeryn all of this is compounded with what must be a complete nightmare for PKs - actual physical and mental contamination. Losing her physical Sebacean identity and her sense of self, everything she's relied upon in her life. I think it's reasonable to suppose that this incident starts to unravel some of her most core beliefs. She really found herself on the sharp end of being considered inferior. For Aeryn to admit to Crichton that she was scared was huge. His offer of a place on Earth with him - all that kind of plays into the idea that John and Aeryn will ultimately find a home in each other.
I remember from way back that this episode sparked off the great speculation about Aeryn carrying Pilot's DNA and what might happen because of that. I still think that could play into any future storylines featuring Little D. (I never read the comics so I dodn't know if that was ever mentioned there.) Certainly it brings Aeryn and Pilot even closer. And Pilot's response to having his arm cut off? There has to have been an element of self-punishment in it for his role in replacing the other pilot.
I loved all the prosthetic stuff - Namtar, so creepy and smug. The Star Wars aliens in the bar. Cornata's giant hand. Even Namtar devolving into a distant relative of Salacious B. Crumb. I get that Crichton would make the Mengele reference because even though it's not really accurate it's still embedded in popular consciousness as an example of 'evil scientist doing experiments without compassion on innocent people.' (Which might then raise the ethical question of Cornata's experiments.)
posted by along came the crocodile at 11:48 AM on August 1, 2015 [2 favorites]
The needle in the eye connected this show in my mind with pre-code comics. (Bondage clothing probably helps with that, too.)
posted by RobotHero at 9:17 AM on August 2, 2015
posted by RobotHero at 9:17 AM on August 2, 2015
This is probably known by most fans, but I haven't seen it mentioned in these threads yet: if you were wondering why the first season's episode titles were so weird, it's because they never appeared onscreen and were only created for internal use, as "an indication to the production crew as to the contents of the story."
posted by Ian A.T. at 9:49 AM on August 2, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by Ian A.T. at 9:49 AM on August 2, 2015 [5 favorites]
Well, I didn't know that. :)
posted by along came the crocodile at 10:58 AM on August 2, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by along came the crocodile at 10:58 AM on August 2, 2015 [2 favorites]
That's news to me, too!
This is definitely a great (if not fun for the characters) rebound from the previous episode. It''s a fascinating comparison of "magic" with science that by its effects upon Aeryn, appears almost like magic - transforming her from a human appearing woman into something of a mix between that and Pilot.
One thing not mention yet was the very ending. I loved how D'ago came to pilot and simply played him music, an unspoken apology or at least, D'ago felt he owed Pilot something for what happened. We never see Rygel or Zhaan do the same (that I can remember).
I also think that making an explicit comparison to Mengele was a false note. Because Mengele, and from what I understand with one or two exceptions, all of of the Nazi medical experiments, were worthless as experiments. They accomplished nothing beyond putting a technical gloss on sadism and torture. Comparing someone who is, in the story, running a terrifyingly effective research and development program to Mengle, felt to me like crediting Mengele with an effectiveness and purpose he was completely lacking.
I don't think it's so much the results at play here, but how they're being derived - from unwilling victims who are suffering because one scientist believes he has the right and power to do so. Namtar is torturing Aeryn just like he tortured Cornata for the sake of his own desires - be it productive research or simple torture. In that perspective, I think the comparison is fair.
I'm always mixed on Namtar's appearance. At times I really like the creativity and the guts to go forward with an alien like him, but equally, I can't help but feel that it fell just short of pulling it off. Be it the gesticulating of his oversized hands or the failure of his mouth/face to really express.
That said, I'm still confused about his ability to regenerate his clothing - which fell to the ground when he was reduced in size at the end.
As others have well discussed, Aeryn's vulnerability and loss of identity, it's poignant that it literally became part of the crux of the story as she was disappearing into Namtar's creation. It's as if Aeryn's fears manifested themselves upon her and threatened to devour who she was.
posted by Atreides at 7:14 AM on August 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
This is definitely a great (if not fun for the characters) rebound from the previous episode. It''s a fascinating comparison of "magic" with science that by its effects upon Aeryn, appears almost like magic - transforming her from a human appearing woman into something of a mix between that and Pilot.
One thing not mention yet was the very ending. I loved how D'ago came to pilot and simply played him music, an unspoken apology or at least, D'ago felt he owed Pilot something for what happened. We never see Rygel or Zhaan do the same (that I can remember).
I also think that making an explicit comparison to Mengele was a false note. Because Mengele, and from what I understand with one or two exceptions, all of of the Nazi medical experiments, were worthless as experiments. They accomplished nothing beyond putting a technical gloss on sadism and torture. Comparing someone who is, in the story, running a terrifyingly effective research and development program to Mengle, felt to me like crediting Mengele with an effectiveness and purpose he was completely lacking.
I don't think it's so much the results at play here, but how they're being derived - from unwilling victims who are suffering because one scientist believes he has the right and power to do so. Namtar is torturing Aeryn just like he tortured Cornata for the sake of his own desires - be it productive research or simple torture. In that perspective, I think the comparison is fair.
I'm always mixed on Namtar's appearance. At times I really like the creativity and the guts to go forward with an alien like him, but equally, I can't help but feel that it fell just short of pulling it off. Be it the gesticulating of his oversized hands or the failure of his mouth/face to really express.
That said, I'm still confused about his ability to regenerate his clothing - which fell to the ground when he was reduced in size at the end.
As others have well discussed, Aeryn's vulnerability and loss of identity, it's poignant that it literally became part of the crux of the story as she was disappearing into Namtar's creation. It's as if Aeryn's fears manifested themselves upon her and threatened to devour who she was.
posted by Atreides at 7:14 AM on August 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
Namtar=Ratman backwards. Also, I feel like this episode show the strength that John brings to the group, even if they don't recognize (or appreciate) it: compassion. He talks about compassion in the first episode with Aeryn, and it is a running theme with him. He is the one who thinks about how his actions are going to affect others and looks beyond the surface differences to the "person" underneath.
posted by cshenk at 11:42 PM on August 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by cshenk at 11:42 PM on August 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
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posted by [insert clever name here] at 5:41 PM on July 31, 2015