Episode Report Card Jacob Clifton: C+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Mothers & Fathers and Brothers & Suns
By Jacob Clifton | Season 1 | Episode 10 | Aired on 06.24.1999
Aeryn takes over for Pilot, acting on instinct of course, and for the first time is able to explain what she's doing, even as she's unable to explain how she knows how to do it. John and Zhaan wonder about how Aeryn and Pilot's DNA connection last week is still operating if, as Zhaan says, "That was all flushed out of her." Which, let's unpack that briefly, because (a) their connection isn't necessarily physical, and all the DNA stuff is just a way of making it biologically official, which is (b) pretty much sex, not to mention (c) of course Zhaan assumes that these kind of spiritual truths and infections can be "flushed" so easily, and (d) of course John sees the big picture: "Aeryn, whatever you're doing, just keep doing it." (Also, though, John understands that both Aeryn and Pilot, for him, are a way of interacting directly with the divine -- (b) again -- and that Aeryn and Pilot's connection is something you can't really parse out in words, because that's the opposite of what it is. And he has no business looking too closely at it.) But Zhaan exists in part to radicalize and problematize (and ultimately make transcendent) John's relationship with Aeryn, which means hauling these kinds of wordless truths back over the line to the science they share. Zhaan symbolizes John's ambivalence about Aeryn's (meaning his own, of course) warrior nature; when she's gone is when the love becomes real, without fear. Which is, admittedly, a lot to get out of like one sentence, but here's the thing: I'm terrified about recapping "Die Me, Dichotomy," so the more we get out of the way here, the less I'll have to talk about this stuff down the road.
Rygel "wanders" into D'Argo's chambers and starts going through his shit, because that's how Rygel goes. D'Argo wakes up and snorts at him, and Rygel starts lying immediately. "I know exactly what you're trying to do, Jothee. Come here, boy!" Rygel's like, "Boy?" but D'Argo won't be denied. "Now." Rygel tries to lie some more about his snurching, and D'Argo grabs him, beginning once again the Luxan Death Hug. I like how D'Argo's like this genie that they keep taking out of the bottle and then putting back, over and over again: "D'Argo's gone nuts! He's going to fuck you up! ...With hugs and giggles! Never mind!" It's a good description of the character, and of the horrors and wonders of the show, and I love that they do this over and over. D'Argo puts little Rygel down and kneels to smile in his face: "Now, what did I tell you about going through other people's things?" Rygel is more interested in what the hell D'Argo's doing, and D'Argo does the lint-flick trick where you point to the chest and then bop the chin. This is awesome because it's the Dominar. Li'l Imaginary Jothee is sooo cute, because he makes D'Argo sooo cute. I miss Imaginary Jothee! Rygel tells D'Argo to fuck off and D'Argo...tickles him. "Jothee! You are so big!" The line reading is so adorable. Rygel snits, with five times the gravity he should be able to muster right now, "Oh, my size is never a matter of discussion."