Episode Report Card Jacob Clifton: A+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Believing The Strangest Things
By Jacob Clifton | Season 1 | Episode 7 | Aired on 05.07.1999
Because of the metal-zapping issue, Zhaan has sent Rygel into the hatch with a bone knife, which she stole from D'Argo's quarters. Rygel realizes what it is and gets horrified. "This is a Tokkar knife! Do you know what ceremony young Luxans males use this for? On themselves? At that certain age?" She nods, like, regrettable indeed that you're messing around with something that gross, but when he's done bitching she goes back to her usual serene competence. "Then I suspect that D'Argo will want it back unharmed." She goes to the bulkhead pillar opposite the hatch and asks if he is ready. "Moya," she says, bracing herself against the bulkhead, "I will take your pain." She puts her cheek and hands against the pillar, and her pupils go away and then her eyes turn white. ("Shut up, Storm," is what my friend Lily would say at this point.) "You may begin." One of the things I liked best on first blush about this show is the way that everybody carries equal weight: John's the main character, but only provides our entry point as a human being surrounded by weirdness, which is what you are when you watch the show -- but as much as it's about John and Aeryn specifically, it's still an ensemble cast. I was struck by how many of the storylines in each episode didn't even include John. Whenever he's doing something, you can rest assured that somewhere, there are Muppets and people in tons of weird makeup doing stuff that's equally important, and I can't think of any other show where the weirdoes get equal time like that. Maybe Will & Grace, but they're all such caricatures that it doesn't really have the same bite. Rygel makes the first cut and both Moya and the camera go completely insane, shaking and whirling and moving too fast. Zhaan's clearly in pain. "Continue. Rygel, you must continue!" He...doesn't, and then finally lunges forward again.
Aeryn and D'Argo's tree, where Aeryn is marveling that "this primordial rock" actually reminds John of home. The way she says it, you can tell she was just sitting there thinking about John Crichton for a while before she spoke up. We've all done it. D'Argo scoffs, "No interplanetary travel, retrograde technology, fossil fuel-burning ground vehicles...." They giggle at what a savage he is, but Aeryn gives a different flavor of hum after they're done laughing. "Does that bother you?" asks D'Argo, grinning hugely and cheekily behind her in the tree, and her back goes very straight because she simply has no idea what he could possibly mean by that, and she changes the subject. "No. Of course not. Look, he's had plenty of time to find the chlorium, I'm going back." D'Argo and Aeryn agree that she'll signal him immediately once she finds him. And if he's not there, D'Argo says he'll find him. Aeryn rolls her eyes, like, just because they are united in looking down on John doesn't mean that she doesn't still get to look down on D'Argo too. You could be more. "You think I will not?" And she snorts, but it's not entirely unfriendly. "I think I will be searching for both of you in less than an arn."