Episode Report Card Jacob Clifton: C+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Aeryn Wide Awake In the Garden
By Jacob Clifton | Season 1 | Episode 2 | Aired on 03.25.1999
HA! D'Argo's totally staring at a spur with his blood all over it. Oh, and then he drops it. Never mind. Aeryn and John join him in command, the latter bitching about the heat some more. "Moya's propulsion system is generating more heat than usual at this speed," Pilot says, and D'Argo notes a blockage in the vents to space. Aeryn asks about the A/C, and Pilot informs her that "all attempts to chill the ship are being overridden by the heat buildup," and John gives her a look. "Chill being the operative word here, Aeryn." Pilot gives updates that, even if he shuts down the nonessentials, the heat's going to be at plus fifteen within six hours. Rygel's like, "Fix it, bitches!" and...so is Aeryn. "I'll fix the damned problem myself." Zhaan tries to calm everybody down and says that they'll all search together, tier by tier, with Pilot narrowing it down from his chamber. She's good in a crisis, and good at being the glue. I will give her that. "On Luxan, this is a mild winter morning," says D'Argo, like somehow he's more of a badass for not caring about the A/C, and Aeryn's so not impressed: "Another reason Sebaceans hate his world." Ah, the smell of apartheid in the morning.
Zhaan indicates the main valve control for "all of tier seven" to John, who pushes and pulls and looks like an idiot for awhile, until she finally giggles and easily switches it. He duffs around ("Oh yeah. No, I knew that.") but she's very cool about it. "There's so much new information for you to assimilate. Sometimes the smaller things will allude you." He thanks her gratefully for understanding that fact. "The others treat me like I'm some kind of Earth idiot." God forbid she let that one go: "Granted, they're not the most patient beings. But what did you expect?" John doesn't notice the propaganda: "A little slack, maybe? You know, at least they know where they are. How things work. Takes me ten minutes to figure out how to open the door." She's really amazing in this scene -- none of the resentment that's characterized her interaction with Aeryn, and hardly any of the condescension D'Argo might earn. I think this is maybe due to Virginia Hey's acting here, because she's an impeccable actress (and loves Zhaan's kinder, more mystical side almost as much as I resist it) -- and so she shades everything with John in this episode to almost entirely loving solidness. It's a nice leadup to next week, of course, but also says a lot about Zhaan -- the only people she treats with honest respect are Rygel and John, or the guy next week. That takes a lot of strength, because she regularly levels with the most irritating possible people, and it's not condescension when she does it. They give her the best window for learning about people, I think, because they tell themselves less lies, because they're too naïve to tell the really good ones. Like she can. Zhaan begs him to develop some patience with himself, if he's going to make it -- ignorance is a parasite -- and John nods. "I am trying. But you know, with Aeryn and D'Argo, it's like...everything's a test. It's like I'm in some neverending Frat Hazing at Alien U." Translator microbes are like, "We give." He tells her they can rent Animal House on their next stopover planetside. She smiles again. "John, they're soldiers. Win their respect." He asks -- short of cutting somebody's throat -- how he can possibly do that. Since Zhaan's strategy of just openly telling anyone who will listen that she's better than them won't exactly work for him, because of how he's a fuckup. "Actions. Actions speak to them. Like tactical maneuvers. Defending the ship. Fixing the heat," she grins, pointing a thumb at the valve. He thanks her for this one, and takes off. She calls after him, making sure he's got the hang of the A/C. "Oh yeah. Just watch me spring into action." He says he's going to check all the vents in the living quarters and they agree to meet back at command.
Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21Next