Farscape: Infinite Possibilities (Part 2): Icarus Abides Rewatch

January 29, 2016 11:39 PM - Season 3, Episode 15

The Ancient helps John construct a device to destroy a Scarran Dreadnought to prevent them from leaving with wormhole technology. Furlow, only motivated by commercial interests, steals the device. John reclaims it but is exposed to a lethal dose of radiation in the process.[via]
posted by cshenk (3 comments total)

Oh, this episode. We knew it was coming as soon as Green Eyed Monster aired, but they still managed to gut both Aeryn and the viewer. So good, although it always bothered me the way they were ready to abandon Moya John and go back to Earth...
posted by suelac at 8:25 PM on January 31, 2016

It didn't just gut me, it took my insides out and decorated a nearby fir tree for Christmas with them. The final scene of Aeryn crawling onto the bed and pulling the sheet up around her and John's body is just an emotional nuke. ARGH. One thing I did notice, it seemed as if they had boosted the Scarran puppetry or something, as this guy seemed more animated. I have to give Rygel serious props for his efforts in this and last episode. Sparky always manages to redeem himself from time to time, enough to keep us from wanting to kick his little green behind out the airlock for [enter a selfish act here].

Furlow, would be dealer of death, your go lucky capitalistic maneuverings were just a shade too far over the line.

R.I.P., Jack, who's second to last expression got to be dismissively smirking and turning away from the person who shoots him in the back. Kudos.
posted by Atreides at 6:57 AM on February 1, 2016 [1 favorite]

I will confess that I didn't watch this episode again. It is too hard! I remember the first time I watched it and I couldn't believe that they killed John, well, at least this John. He and Aeryn were so happy! Which is, of course, why he was the John who had to die. David Kemper (from the companion book): "I needed the audience to absolutely, totally, one hundred percent believe that this Crichton was the real one, because it was true. And as soon as we were sure that they did--I knew I could go ahead and kill him! I knew I wanted to let the audience fall in love with the romance, and let Crichton and Aeryn really be together. By the time you got to the end, you know these two so love each other, that you know he was real." Director Ian Watson: "... the moment when Claudia sees the light go out in his [Ben's] eyes and lets her grief overtake her. I think that five seconds of television is the finest work I've ever done on the show."

It is a crime that Farscape wasn't watched by a bigger audience and given the awards it deserves. One of a kind.

BTW, with the death of John, that brings the "Season of Death" tally to six--basically most of the main cast. And we're not done yet...
posted by cshenk at 11:50 PM on February 2, 2016 [2 favorites]