Episode Report Card Couch Baron: A+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Unacceptable Losses
By Couch Baron | Season 1 | Episode 22 | Aired on 01.27.2000
D'Argo, thinking Zhaan is within earshot, is moving some heavy containers as he asks an explosives-related question. Aeryn appears and says Zhaan didn't mention the answer, to which D'Argo counters, "Perhaps she doesn't even know." Considering it sounds like Zhaan wrote this section of the galaxy's equivalent of The Anarchist's Cookbook, I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. Anyway, the point of this scene (and thanks to Rygel for having arrived, which gave me a much-needed emotional break) is for Aeryn and D'Argo to say goodbye; Aeryn tells him that she relies on him now, and D'Argo expresses a similar sentiment. It's a testament to the power of the scene that I can't even bring myself to start singing "Islands In The Stream." Although somehow I think D'Argo would make a great country singer. Aeryn then changes the subject: "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to meet your son Jothee." I see the translator microbes are on strike again, because there's no way she could possibly mean that. They share a nice moment talking about D'Argo's fatherly influence, and then D'Argo seriously says that he always thought he'd live much longer. Aeryn smiles: "I never thought I'd live this long." And I don't think I'll live through this recap. Aeryn takes her leave, and D'Argo bellows for Zhaan.
Dressed in a pretty sweet leather jacket, the underling from last episode and the earlier scene comes in and tells Scorpius that the search team is confident of finding Moya soon. I neglected to mention this in the last recap, but the underling is actually Braca -- last episode was his first appearance. Something I also didn't mention is that the actor playing Braca, David Franklin, will be recognizable to Xena: Warrior Princess watchers as Brutus. (Hey, what can I say? Even I'd switch teams for Lucy Lawless. Also, just to be thorough, the guy who played Br'nee in the last episode, Marton Csokas, was Xena's lover Borias, but I don't think the most diehard Xena/Gabrielle 'shipper could have recognized him in that getup.) Braca reports no word from Crais, and then asks for and is granted permission to speak freely: If Scorpius suspected Crais didn't intend to return, why did he let him go? Scorpius somewhat obliquely says that we all have "windows of usefulness," which I take to mean he expects Crais to be dying on this mission one way or another. He adds that he suspects Braca's career may well be on the rise, and pats him on the arm before leaving the room. For someone who just tacitly got told a Captain's rank is in his future, Braca sure looks like he just shit his pants. Maybe that's an involuntary reaction to being touched by Scorpius.