Episode Report Card Keckler: C+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Zhaan Goes To Seed
By Keckler | Season 2 | Episode 7 | Aired on 06.15.2000
On Moya Zhaan's head hangs in some black place. She opens her mouth and silently vents more spores. Her eyes are red.
Aeryn walks around yelling stuffily for Zhaan. Pilot can't locate Zhaan because Moya's senses are all congested, and since Moya is worsening, he thinks they might have to vent the atmosphere anyway. "Udderstud," Aeryn sighs.
Budong. D'Argo helps Altana with her mining and they talk companionably about how she'll miss the thrill of living on the budong. "Thrill?" D'Argo asks, slugging water. "Always being constantly on your guard," Altana explains, as the keedva slinks up behind them, dragging an anvil. The talk turns to Chiana. Altana says that Chiana is a wild one with a heart of gold. "Her loyalties are certainly flexible, that's for sure," D'Argo notes a bit sourly. He wonders how Chiana could steal from Temmon if, as Altana explained, he treated her so well. D'Argo turns away, sneering that it's that sort of behavior that makes it difficult for him to trust her. Catching on, Altana asks if Chiana and D'Argo are together. "No," D'Argo says quietly. "No? Or not yet?" Altana asks. "That's up to her," D'Argo says. Do you think one of those caverns leads to Gringotts?
Moya. They still can't find Zhaan, and Moya can't be saved without instant decompression. However, unless she's in a transport pod, Zhaan will die during decompression. Aeryn gives the order to seal off command and commence with decompression. Pilot sadly notes, "Decompression in five microts." I get really upset; not about Zhaan, but because an unwary DRD gets sucked away somewhere. Doesn't Moya need the DRDs to function? Does she just produce more? Or is it like ovaries in that Leviathans are born with all the DRDs they will ever have? How does that all work? As decompression continues, the door to command closes and Aeryn sighs, "Oh, Zhaan, forgive us." She drops her head. In funereal tones, Pilot informs her that spore levels have dropped and he's beginning repressurization.
Budong. The keedva leaps on D'Argo and drills him to the ground. D'Argo is knocked unconscious while the keedva turns on Altana, slashes at her, and then drags her wetly off. The keedva then lifts Altana up like a ragdoll and slams her repeatedly on the cave floor until her neck snaps. The high-pitched screel sounds off. The keedva seems to protest the maulus interruptus but galumphs off anyway, leaving both D'Argo and Altana behind.
In the main caverns, Crichton and Chiana meet up. Chiana is worried about D'Argo and Altana. Crichton is worried about Zhaan and says if they don't get meat by the end of the day, he's going cut off his own damn arm and feed it to her. The creature alarm goes off, and Chiana breathes, "Altana!" Not that into D'Argo that she worries about him first, is she? Chiana finds B'Sogg and asks what happened. "The mine were closed, but some of you decided to ignore that," B'Sogg reminds her. "Where's D'Argo and Altana?" Chiana begs. "I found your friends but got there too late," B'Sogg smarms. We see what "too late" means as D'Argo comes stumbling and choking out of the mine. Black blood courses from his mouth. D'Argo chokes that he couldn't protect Altana. Chiana gazes down at Altana draped across a mine cart. She's bloody and twisted and it looks like one of her feet was ripped off at the boot, but it's a very dark shot.