Reviews & Overviews by Rod Cameron

        

Farscape Season 4 : Episode 2 : What was Lost - Sacrifice (Part 1)
Elack, the dying Leviathan has managed to limp to the planet which Crichton recalls Jool mentioning as being where she had wanted to go on leaving Moya. Crichton and Chiana go down to the surface, leaving Rygel on the space-ship with the new alien Sikozu trying to create fuel for Crichton's Pod. The planet is regularly sterilised by electromagentic radiation, but occasionally the radiation drops, enabling it to be explored safely.  They discover an archaeological site being excavated by Jool with two other Interions, together with D'Argo and the 3-eyed old lady (Granny / Wrinkles). D'Argo (with his space ship Lo-La), Jool and Granny were deposited by Moya / Pilot who then left. On meeting him, Chrichton immediately asks D'Argo whether he has seen Aeryn, but he has not. The excavators have encovered amazing facts about the priestly civilisation that lived there 500 years earlier. Importantly, that the priests managed to keep peace between the Sebacians and the Scarens for 500 years. But also that three probes were landed on the planet which cause the radiation.  Chrichton is puzzled what happened to Moya. Both Jool and D'Argo can't help and tell him to speak to Granny. She blows dust in his face and gives him visions of the priests - trying to show him what the peaceful civilisation was like. Unwittingly, she also shows him the location of the three radiation-probes. The boss of the archaeological dig, Veela becomes irritated by Jool & D'Argo (they are lovers) to the extent of radioing the homeworld for someone to come and relieve them.  Unfortunately, this call is intercepted by the Peacekeepers. Commandant Grayza and Bracca, who did survive the end of the last series, having nothing better to do, are torturing Scorpius, trying to find out what he knows about Crichton. Scorpius is reluctant to tell because he believes he would be killed if they new everything. Grayza displays an interesting "super-power" when she rubs some super-pheromonic liquid (note to file : ladies do not sweat) from between her breasts on to Bracca's face - he immediately goes into a trance and tries to kiss her. It has to be said in Bracca's defense that she was in the bath at the time. Grayza & Bracca set course for the planet with 20 Peace-Keepers in three Sebacian Prowlers.  The Peacekeepers land on the planet and capture everyone except D'Argo and Sikozu. Grayza confronts Chrichton, and tries to get him on her side by leading Scorpius to him on a lead, like a dog and getting him to lick her boot. But Chrichton is not so easily won over. So she is forced to use her super-pheromones again which has an instant effect. When Granny sees Grayza locked in the arms of Chrichton, she realises she shouldn't have revealed the information about the Priests, and the location of the probes. She says that for there to be peace there must always be a sacrifice; hypnotises Chrichton with her dust and persuades him to walk off a cliff into the sea. End Credits / To Be Continued ...  Still Missing :		Zhaan - Still dead (and unlikely to re-appear due to an allergy to blue body paint)
	Aeryn Sun in Prowler + possible child fathered by 'other' Crichton (deceased)
	Moya (Leviathan) + Pilot
	Stark - alien with half a face and half a mind - last seen some time ago looking for Zhaan * Alien who is an expert in wormhole technology (look likes Crichton's Dad)
	Jothee - D'Argo's son
	Well-built (ok, fat) lass who is a mechanic

So how was episode two? I enjoyed it. There was a lot going on, with a good cliff-hanger at the end - literally. The usual confusions occurring because people don't speak to each other. It remains to be seen whether the resolution lives up to the first part. It appears that Scorpius is now being groomed for sympathy. Presumably he will end up being rescued by the "team" from his current indignancies, and become one of the good guys. Those of us who are old enough to remember and appreciate Servalan off Blake's Seven, now have Grayza to drool over. Presumably her "magic" pheromones are enhanced, and she is not just a normal over-sexed female baddy. It would be interesting to see if the BBC cut anything from the episode. I would also like to know if this slight turn in direction towards a more adult content made the program harder to place, and contributed towards its cancellation. Enjoy, Rod