Episode Report Card Jacob Clifton: C- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT In This Dojo
By Jacob Clifton | Season 4 | Episode 15 | Aired on 01.30.2003
Katoya watches the students return to their benches, and nods to the Charrid behind Macton. "Please." The Charrid grunts and approaches the taskchairs. Rygel grumbles that he'd love to take the Charrid on -- I guess I forget why that's such a big deal -- and gets very big for his froggy little Sparky britches: "I'd show him some real pain." Boys, I don't know what to do about them. John sits down next to D'Argo and refuses to tell him about the conversation with Macton, because it'll just piss off D'Argo. D'Argo shouts a little bit, causing Katoya to offer the opportunity to "spend some of that energy." Rygel totally volunteers: "Not him. Me." D'Argo waves the little guy off honorably, having been chosen, but Rygel explains that "these Charrid fracks" killed billions of his people, so there you go. Katoya tells him it's not "a safe place to settle grudges" and that it's not a game. Rygel replies in an incredibly Rygel way: "It's a war of wills. Where else will I get a chance at a fair fight where I have the advantage?" Heh. Katoya smiles and lets him in. D'Argo continues to bully Crichton about the Macton talk, and John finally just says that Macton said D'Argo was being threatening. Which D'Argo admits is quite true.
As Rygel and the Charrid settle and start with the movements, D'Argo continues to needle John. Finally John admits that Macton mentioned the hyper-rage blackouts, and that all Luxans get them.
Then: D'Argo storms through the house, yelling that Macton's not allowed in the house. He slams the kitchen table around a bit as Lo'Laan begs: "You're upsetting yourself over nothing!" The action grows repetitive as he raises the table and slams it down, again, and again, and again. "D'Argo, can you hear me?" He begins to scream. "D'Argo, can you hear me?" He shakes his head. He's gone. Lo'Laan watches, hands at her mouth, and begins to weep. "D'Argo..."
Now: D'Argo admits blackouts do happen, but protests that he "learned to control all that." Even John's like, "So you got the problem licked?" D'Argo explains that young Luxans are genetically violent: "Their impulses, chemistry, biology...it takes cycles to master. It's why Luxans aren't allowed to marry young." So of course D'Argo did. "She said she knew I could never hurt her. Even more than that, I gave her my solemn vow...if I did ever hurt her, I would leave immediately, no questions." John's like, "So that worked out really well for you, huh?" "Lo'Laan was always there for me." Which is kind of the rub, because, given the blackouts, that puts the entire Tronball in her court: if he can't remember whether or not he hurt her, but he's threatened to leave if he does, then it's completely in her best interest to lie.