Couple things before I start: I'd like to thank the Farscape posters for buying me the first-season DVD set after I recapped "Premiere." Also, I'm aware that I referred to a certain character as "Zhann" instead of the correct "Zhaan." I blame Ben Browder for pronouncing her name like it should be followed with the words "of Green Gables." And before you get too stuck on that mental picture, let's settle into the episode.
Red roses are in the foreground as we open with Crichton declaring to some blonde underneath him, "You are the tastiest thing that I have had since last night." Considering that he's (a) Crichton, and (b) shirtless, it probably goes without saying that the feeling is mutual. They make out for a bit until Crichton realizes that something else is on the blonde's mind, and she tells him she's taking "the Stanford job." Crichton rolls off the blonde, no doubt able to recognize "the Stanford job" as meaning "something that means we will no longer be having sex on even a semi-regular basis." He is a rocket scientist, you know. Anyway, the blonde, "Alex," is getting a full scholarship in California while Crichton's got a shot at the space program in Florida. Also, Alex's bags are clearly already packed, so as he turns away from her, she tells him that she'll always be there for him, a thought that we know Crichton will latch onto in a delusional state. Hard to believe that Crichton losing mental faculties is a theme that's still relatively new at this point in the series. Anyway, we pan down to see a couple of half-full champagne glasses and a box with a wedding ring in it. He dejectedly closes the box, and then puts on a brave face and sighs, "Well, if we're meant to be together, we'll be together." It's just as well it's ending now, Crichton. If you couldn't hack a bi-coastal relationship, you really would have had some problems once this show started. Alex smiles and tells him she loves him, and he returns the thought. They kiss and roll toward the camera...
... and in a nice cut, Crichton gets pitched out of his bed on Moya. He sleeps in his boxer briefs and nothing else, by the way, and thanks to whatever spatial phenomenon is tossing him around the room like a rag doll and making that abundantly clear. He finally steadies himself and runs out...
... and on the bridge, we see that Moya is in starburst. As Crichton, not dressed, appears on the bridge, Pilot whines to D'Argo that he doesn't have any answer for them. He doesn't add that he might be doing better for them if he had that extra arm they cut off a few episodes ago, an incident I'm sure I'd be taking every reasonable opportunity to remind them of and then some. Crichton notes that the starburst is taking quite a bit longer than normal, and Rygel snarks, "Hail, Prince of the Obvious." This may be one of those episodes where I like him. Aeryn and Zhaan appear as Moya finally comes out of starburst, and Pilot, via Clamshell Cam, informs them that Moya herself initiated the process, as she thought she heard the distress call of another pregnant Leviathan. I think Moya just wants a sympathetic ear so she can bitch about the band of freaks she has to cart around. Again, that's just what I'd do. Rygel makes a comment not overly noteworthy except for the fact that it tells us he has multiple wives, a revelation over which Crichton gives him a high-five. Yes, Crichton, you certainly were cavalier enough about the institution of marriage when you were trying to stop the tears from dripping into your cheap champagne.
Anyway, Rygel babbles a bit more, and then Crichton notices that Aeryn is wearing a pair of his Calvins. D'Argo doesn't seem interested in Crichton's underwear, and I may not be all that familiar with this show, but I think I'm aware enough to know that that's probably a surprise to a lot of people. D'Argo informs the sleepy gang that he was dreaming of the last night he spent with his wife before she was murdered. Crichton says that was his dream, and happily they don't drag out the obligatory "You dreamt about my wife?" joke for more than two seconds before Crichton clarifies that he dreamt of someone he cared about. He asks the girls if they woke up wet, basically, and Aeryn, amused, says she sleeps soundly, while Zhaan sniffs, "I am unimpressed by your masculine reveries." Looks like it's been a while since someone experienced the fourth sensation. Zhaan asks Pilot about the Leviathan, and is informed that there isn't another ship, but they are receiving a transmission from a nearby planet. The group looks at the monitor and sees a female Delvian with wavy bluish-white hair pop up and apologize for the deception, and explain there was no other way their signal could reach across the void. I'd complain that that makes no sense, but it's not like her word is going to prove to mean a whole lot anyway. She goes on that "[they]" so wanted to meet "Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan." Zhaan misses her opportunity to say "I haven't heard that name in a long time," but maybe she's not an Alec Guinness fan. She is weird, after all. Instead, she just stares at the monitor, not wholly pleased, as we head into the opening credits.
Establishing shot of Moya above the planet. On the surface, the female Delvian -- whose name we'll soon learn is "Pa'u Tahleen" -- is explaining that when they landed, their ship heated up the surface rock to the point where it became molten, and the bulk of it submerged, all by design. Zhaan explains that Tahleen is part of a missionary group as Aeryn appreciatively notes that the setup decreases the likelihood that the ship will be seen from space. Tahleen notes that it's instructive how different cultures view the same situation differently -- where Aeryn sees defense from attack, she sees solitude for piety. And where Tahleen sees gentle wisdom, I see irritating condescension. Fascinating! If you watch Aeryn as the two Delvians move away, though, she gives a dismissive shake of her head, making the entire exchange worthwhile. Zhaan asks, if they're so pious, what was up with the deception to bring them there, and Tahleen breezes that their isolation probably contributed to an error in judgment. Given later events, they must have been isolated an awfully long time. She suggests that they all chill out at the "Altar of Essence," which has sweet air, unlike the toxic surface. Crichton grouses, and somewhere nearby, we see a male Delvian with a metal rake watching them with a concerned expression on his face. I'd be concerned too if I thought I was going to have to clean up after this group.
Inside the ship, Tahleen welcomes them to the "New Moon of Delvia," their "modest temple to the goddess of spiritual renewal." Crichton looks down the back of Aeryn's pants and is dismayed to see she has a weapon with her, which is apparently strictly verboten. I think he's just worried she's accidentally going to blow a hole in his precious designer underwear. Tahleen graciously says she heard they were low on supplies, and introduces another female Delvian, "Lorana," whom she says will show Crichton to their food source. As they take in the temple, which has a shallow little pool in the center, Crichton whispers that it's so perfect, his teeth ache. Aeryn hisses, "That's from all the sincerity." Hee. Looks like Aeryn's sarcasm detector is coming along. A few episode ago, she probably would just have stuck a dentic in his mouth, not that that wouldn't have been hilarious as well. Elsewhere, Zhaan, still not ready to let it go, asks why Tahleen lured them there. Tahleen says she already knows, but Zhaan denies that. "What I do know is you invaded my soul last night and you left me bitter." This brand of sincerity feels a little different. Tahleen notes that her friends were happy with their "remembrances," the implication being that whatever made Zhaan bitter was a memory of hers as well. Also, I don't know how thrilled Crichton was to get dumped, but maybe they had some mind-blowing goodbye sex that we didn't get to see.
Back at the little pool, Crichton pulls something out that he says is "part plant, part animal." It looks like all plant to me, specifically the rubber plant, but I'm not the props guy here. Anyway, Aeryn is unimpressed with the food source and even more so with the place in general, what with all the peace and serenity. "It amazes me how people mistake theosophy for superiority." God, I love her. Crichton goes off on one of his "the universe is an endlessly fascinating treasure trove" speeches, and despite Aeryn's nature, it's clear that she's learned a thing or two about patience if she can sit through Crichton's recitation of "Ode on a Squid Calamari Cucumber." Crichton babbles on about how great the ship is, unaware that Tahleen and Zhaan are now watching them. Zhaan says she can't help Tahleen, so Tahleen asks her for the power to help themselves. Zhaan asks when the "madness" started, and Tahleen replies that it was recent, "but already Pa'u Tuzak is beyond redemption." The point of this conversation is that Tahleen knows that Zhaan beat her dark side. "So how does the pious Zhaan coexist with all that rage?" Zhaan does not say, "By cutting the arms off my shipmates whenever I get a chance." I'd think I need to let this go, if it hadn't happened only THREE EPISODES AGO. Tahleen asks Zhaan to save her, and in return, "I will show you paths to abilities beyond your comprehension." Nothing could go wrong with that plan. Tahleen sees Crichton pulling out still another squalamucumber, and closes her eyes, sending Crichton into a memory...
... of when he was a little boy and he used to look at water snakes. His mother yells at him to come away before he falls in...
... and back in the present, Crichton looks out of it as Tahleen takes Zhaan's hand, apparently sharing the vision with her...
... and young Crichton does indeed fall into the water, where he thrashes about and calls for his mother...
... until back in the present, Crichton snaps out of the vision with a start, followed by Zhaan doing the same. Aeryn somewhat hilariously draws her weapon as Zhaan realizes that Tahleen altered Crichton's memory, and orders her to put Crichton back the way he was. Sure, okay.
Nearby, Crichton is trying to shake off the memory tampering when Aeryn finds him and announces, "You are the most bizarre creature I have ever met." My guess is that she doesn't watch dailies.
On Moya, D'Argo tells Rygel that he's worried there's some Delvian trickery going on, what with them all having the same dream, and they should leave. Rygel instructs him to get the food first, as he's only crapped out an eighth of his body weight so far today.
In the temple, Crichton is looking at an enormous twisting object when the male Delvian from outside startles him. "Do not touch the Sanctity Root." ["Please tell me I'm not the only one who thought of 'the Honesty Stone' and started snickering just now." -- Sars] Considering how often Crichton acts like a twelve-year-old, I'm amazed he refrained from giggling, especially as the guy goes on that it's "poison to [his] hand." He introduces himself as "Tuzak: Teacher-Leader-Holy Reaper-Seeker of the Flame." Well, he may not be beyond redemption, but if that's how he introduces himself, he's certainly beyond boring. He goes on that he's insane because of Crichton. "Because I touched inside what I needed to touch you outside." I think he means that the power he tapped into to invade the minds of the Moya crew caused his madness, but I'll admit that his way of saying it, while more vague, certainly sounds hotter. Anyway, Crichton looks mildly uncomfortable, as he's only got the no-doubt-familiar idea that someone's hitting on him, but then Tuzak tells him Zhaan is in peril. Unfortunately, he leaves with only this reminder: "Do not touch the Root." Fine, if no one's going to giggle, I won't hee hee hee.
Aeryn's lurking somewhere when a younger male Delvian, "Hasko," gives her shit about her weapon. Aeryn's not fazed, and I'm not surprised, especially given that the guy looks and sounds like he'll be hopping on with Cirque Du Soleil as soon as they make it to his corner of the galaxy. Anyway, the guy mentioning that Peacekeepers drove him from Delvia is enough to get Aeryn to leave, and when she's gone, he tells the aforementioned Lorana that they're far outside their vows. Jeez, something's rotten in the New Moon of Delvia. We get it. Anyway, Lorana says that she and Tahleen share Unity now, and she won't beard for him any more -- I mean, "listen to his jealousy."
Zhaan and Tahleen are starting some ritual when Crichton barges in with the news about Aeryn. Zhaan already knows that she's gone back to Moya, as Zhaan wanted her to, and what's more, she needs Crichton to help her make a decision. By the way, Tahleen mentions in this scene that they don't know how to get back to Delvia, so her ostensible reason for wanting Zhaan's power -- the desire to free Delvia from the Peacekeepers -- seems even more suspect. Zhaan explains that she dreamt the other night as well, also of the last person she loved, and says that Crichton needs to open his mind. Tahleen wonders if that's a good idea, as his "capacity" is well below even that of a "Level One." Well, it's not like comments about Crichton's diminished capacity are anything new. And this is only my second recap. Zhaan is sure that Crichton will understand, and urgently instructs Tahleen to show him. Tahleen fixes Crichton with a look...
... and in flashback, Zhaan and her lover, "Bitaal," are holding each other's heads with their hands as Zhaan recites the Unity ritual. All seems well until Zhaan reveals that Bitaal betrayed their world, presumably to the Peacekeepers, and she kills him with her mental and physical powers on the spot. Hate it when that happens. Zhaan cries in anguish...
... and in the present, Crichton snaps out of it and is shocked. "You killed the guy you were having sex with!" Interesting that he focuses on that, instead of the idea that she also presumably killed the guy she loved. If I said that it disturbed me that Crichton places a high value on sex, however, I'd be lying. Anyway, Zhaan pleads that she needs him. Crichton: "For what? Target practice?" Hey, Crichton got off a good one! Well, for him, anyway. Zhaan says she needs the judgment of someone she trusts, and him to understand. Crichton asks, if she wants understanding, why she showed him that memory. Zhaan: "Because they want me to do it again." Well, in fairness, Crichton, you did ask.
Zhaan explains that Bitaal was their "spiritual counselor," but when his term was up, instead of yielding power, he and the other "conservative Pa'us" hired the Peacekeepers for external security, changing Delvia forever. Damn, people using religion to further their own personal power and glory. Good thing that only happens in fiction. Zhaan goes on that the Peacekeepers rounded up all liberals and voices of protest, and her own father was sent to an asteroid camp. She explains that as Delvians train for purity, they often become vulnerable to their own dark impulses, and if the impulses surface, they succumb to them as to an infection. However, were Zhaan to enter into Unity (the "sacred surrender of two minds together") with Tahleen, she could teach Tahleen to overcome the madness, allowing her to lead the liberals against the Peacekeepers. I probably shouldn't go into such detail, as all this is kind of a crock of shit anyway, but then I realized if people had never recapped crocks of shit, TWoP would never have come into being. ["Yeah, pull up a chair and tell me about it." -- Sars]
On Moya, Rygel is babbling to Aeryn about the virtues of the squalamucumber until Aeryn backhands him and his Thronesled into a wall. Heh. After comparing notes, D'Argo and Aeryn decide to head back to the planet, and Rygel says he'll tag along.
In the temple, Hasko informs Lorana and Tahleen that Aeryn and D'Argo intend to return. I'm surprised Aeryn announced this to the Delvians. Not that it likely would have made a difference, but still. Tahleen says they must be stopped, so as not to distract Zhaan. She instructs the two underlings to attack Crichton's, D'Argo's, and Aeryn's minds "with their own hopes and fears." She leaves, and the underlings are none too pleased.
Crichton's sitting somewhere in the temple when Alex comes marching up. He asks who the hell she is. Under further questioning, she explains that she never went to Stanford, but instead joined the space program. At that moment, Crichton gets a fake memory of Alex in an IASA uniform. It's too bad the fake memory couldn't have included a more flattering hairstyle for Alex, but who am I to tell the superior Delvians what to do? As Crichton gets his patented "somewhat drunk-looking and therefore dumber than usual" look on his face, another fake memory gives Crichton the idea that Alex was his co-pilot on the mission.
Outside, crazy old Tuzak is poking around with his rake when Zhaan finds him. They each affirm that they know who the other one is. Between the closed-captioning and the recap, I sure as hell hope so. Tuzak is tending the "orchard," which only contains dead-looking wood, but as he explains, "sanctity roots don't grow on trees." That's Tuzak for you, ladies and gentlemen. Fortunately, I've seen the rest of the episode, and I can guarantee he won't be here all week. After affirming that Zhaan is a "ninth-level" Pa'u, he tells her that experiencing the darkness is normal, but when you reach down to pull it up, that's when there's trouble. Zhaan asks if she should give Tahleen what she wants, but his answer is infuriatingly, if predictably, equivocal.
Inside the temple, a milky-eyed Hasko chants as Tahleen waits. On Moya, the chanting is audible as D'Argo grabs his sword and instructs Rygel to come after them if he hears nothing. Rygel: "Yes, of course. My thought exactly." Heh. They're ready to go, but suddenly Aeryn drops her pulse rifle, and we see she's under the illusion that it's fallen apart. They argue for a little too long until D'Argo cottons on and asks Pilot if any Delvian transmissions are coming to Moya. Before we hear a reply, however, D'Argo hears the anguished cries of his son, Jothee. Jothee may be a kid, but he still sounds like kind of a wuss for a Luxan. D'Argo stands up and sees a Peacekeeper bustle Jothee away, and orders Pilot to seal all the exits as he goes chasing after the vision. Aeryn asks Rygel for help, but he suddenly shrinks to a tiny percentage of his normal size. Well, it's not like he can afford that, but perhaps there will be a plus side and his ego will shrink accordingly. He's got a little more to spare in that department.
Zhaan has decided to share Unity with Tahleen, although the latter cautions that Zhaan can't have the slightest bit of doubt. Given what's to come, I assume that means that the transfer will be unsuccessful if Zhaan isn't one hundred percent committed to what she's doing. I'm surprised she doesn't have any misgivings, considering it took her about a year to come to this decision. They take each other's head in their hands and touch foreheads...
... and then we see a vision of their two essences coming together. All seems well at first, but once the transfer begins, Zhaan appears to be in pain. Tahleen apologizes, but says that what Zhaan has learned will take her too long to master on her own, so she's taking all her restraint, or knowledge, or knowledge of restraint, or whatever. (Don't email me.) I'm starting to think this Unity thing isn't all it's cracked up to be. Zhaan cries out some more...
... and then the Unity breaks, and Tahleen stands tall as Zhaan looks at her with red eyes and snarls that Tahleen betrayed her. It's too bad I'm watching this on DVD, because I'd love to see if Visine cleverly bought time in the imminent commercial break.
Zhaan's moping somewhere in the temple when Crichton finds her and asks her what's up with the eyes. Zhaan, with bitter humor, says it's tissue burn migrating to her brain. Crichton does not say, "Boy, I know what that's like." Sorry, I'll stop now. (Heh, right.) Zhaan goes on that Tahleen took her ability to control her dark impulses, and what's more, she can't just take them back from Tahleen -- she'd have to start from scratch to regain her discipline. Crichton starts to give her a pep talk, but Zhaan grabs him and snarls that it took her seventeen cycles to master her impulses last time, and she doesn't have the strength to start again. Considering the way she's manhandling Crichton, she might be underestimating herself here. Crichton regards her warily, but asks her to stay where she is.
Cut to Crichton trying to track down Tahleen. He comes across "Alex," who tries to distract him with kisses and a minor guilt trip about how he's always there for other people before he's there for her. She also asks if he remembers when they "made love in the reflecting pool at Canaveral." Given that he doesn't seem to get a false memory here, I hope the water was chlorinated. Crichton ignores "Alex" long enough to learn from Pilot that everyone is behaving rather strangely. From the look on Crichton's face, he seems to be picking up on the implicit "for them" at the end of the sentence.
Speaking of, D'Argo's harassing Pilot to help him find his son, Aeryn's amusingly flummoxed by something technical, and Rygel, somewhere off-screen, still thinks he's the Napoleon of Hyneria. Well, even more so than usual. Crichton breaks away from "Alex," who poutily sighs. Zzzzz.
Crichton finally finds Tahleen, who tells him there are a billion Delvians living in fear, but Crichton doesn't want to hear it, saying that what she's doing is about power, not freedom. Fair point. He suggests Tahleen set things right, but when he's gone, she instructs Lorana to incapacitate him. Lorana doesn't see the harm in letting him go, but Tahleen says Zhaan held something back, and she didn't get enough to quell the madness. You know, this madness really doesn't seem so bad here, considering how everyone seems to be strolling around going about their daily routines. Then again, I see a lot of people for whom madness is part of their daily routine, but I do live in the East Village. When Tahleen's gone, Hasko warns Lorana that Tahleen will forge another Unity with Zhaan and probably kill her in the process. Crichton may have some competition for that "Prince of the Obvious" title here. Hasko sweeps out of the room, and Lorana looks picturesquely worried.
Crichton's walking around the temple. For a place that's supposed to be a sanctuary, people really don't seem to sit down and chill out a whole lot. "Alex" pops up and bitches at Crichton, holding up her ring, which is a mistake, since Crichton remembers he never gave it to her. Except, of course, another false memory pops up, wherein she's scared because she turned down Stanford, so Crichton asks "Alexandra Kimberly O'Connor" to marry him. In the present, "Alex" does aghast pretty well, and as Crichton stammeringly digs himself deeper, another false memory, this one of their wedding, pops up. Considering how much Crichton doesn't remember, he must think he had one hell of an imaginary bachelor party. Anyway, "Alex" succeeds in distracting Crichton from helping Zhaan. She'd really bug me if it weren't for her uncanny ability to get Crichton's shirt off.
Outside in the "orchard," we learn that Tuzak is Tahleen's father, he disapproves of the way she's gathering power, and Delvian women treat their fathers much as they treat their lovers. On the plus side, now Tuzak can fertilize all those sanctity roots that seem to be having a hard time growing. By the way, Tahleen's eyes are now red as well, but that could be from all the toxic dust as easily as from the patricide.
In the temple, Tuzak's laid out to rest, or whatever, and Zhaan's doing the same by lounging with her head on his legs. Well, it's not like he's in a position to mind. Crichton appears, apparently having gotten away from "Alex," and Zhaan tells him she plans to join in Unity with Tahleen once again. Crichton calls her out, saying she's going to try to kill Tahleen. Zhaan: "You were always the most clever one on Moya." She must be feeling some really dark impulses to be able to make fun of him like that. Crichton gets nowhere with Zhaan, so he leaves...
... and then "Alex" finds him at the Sanctity Root and asks him why Zhaan's so important to him. If the deceitful Delvians were cleverer, they'd give him some false memories to make Zhaan look bad. Like, for example, cutting off one of their shipmate's arms, or perhaps murdering her lover. Speaking of which, I don't really understand why Zhaan was so anxious to get home to Delvia as to cut off Pilot's arm if Delvia is currently lousy with Peacekeepers. Anyway, Hasko's pissy queening has apparently finally gotten through to Lorana, as "Alex" confesses that she's simply a figment of Crichton's imagination. Crichton's head is so screwy that he doesn't believe her, so "Alex" morphs into Lorana as she tells him, "I release you from what is not true." Some part of Crichton has to be wondering if that means there really aren't any anthropomorphic Muppets. Lorana abjectly apologizes for all the deception, and adds: "Whilst in your mind, you have showed me the ember of my own virtue." Some sentences are hard to take at face value. She goes on that if Crichton is willing to take the risk, he may similarly be able to show Zhaan her goodness.
On Moya, Hasko is telling the crew that he lifted the spell, but they can't come down to the temple because of the delicate balance therein, or something. D'Argo, no strong believer in delicacy at the best of times, allows Hasko two arns. That's two more than I would have expected, but that might be because I have no idea what the hell an "arn" even is. (I don't need to say it, do I?)
Lorana and her newfound conscience go to see Tahleen, who scornfully tells her she was "easy and pleasurable." I've been called worse. Lorana considers a moment, and then informs Tahleen that Crichton and Zhaan have fled to the surface in an attempt to return to Moya. Tahleen buys this and rushes off, leaving Lorana to look pleased with herself.
Zhaan heads to the appointed place to see Tahleen, only to find Crichton there instead, who informs her he'll be taking Tahleen's place in the ritual. Zhaan thinks Unity will kill him, but Crichton tells her he understands that if she chooses to protect him, he'll survive. Zhaan starts to move away, but Crichton clucks at her, and when she turns back, he asks, "Your translator microbes handle that one?" Heh. Zhaan replies: "I must admit, I have always wondered what could possibly go on in there." She's thinking pretty clearly for a madwoman. Crichton does pretty well with his comeback of "Not a lot. I'm a guy." Anyway, soon their heads are each other's hands...
... and, Unity. All seems to be going well until Crichton recoils at seeing the depths of Zhaan's soul. Crichton shivers in fear, but Zhaan calmly instructs him not to absorb any of her rage. She thinks it's time to separate, as she doesn't know how much longer she can shield him, but he insists that she look at the way he sees her. The Music of All's Right With The World swells as Crichton tells her all the beautiful things he sees in her. Zhaan takes in what Crichton's telling her...
... and then they suddenly break apart and fall to the floor. Crichton's okay, but Zhaan takes a few moments to come back to consciousness. She eventually sits part of the way up and looks at Crichton with red eyes, but he exhorts her to fight her demons, and her eyes start to go back and forth between blue and red. She then collapses again, and Crichton moves to her and puts her head in his lap. She slowly opens her eyes again, and they're blue. They both look like they're going to cry as she thanks him, but it could be because of the swelling of the overwrought music again. Still, awwww. That was nice.
Crichton's hacking away at the Sanctity Root with a small axe as Zhaan tells him that the memory of Unity is transitory. Tahleen and the other SAG Delvians rush up, and Tahleen focuses her powers on Crichton, but Zhaan blocks her assault and informs her enemy that thanks to Unity with Tahleen, she's now a tenth level Pa'u, and as such has the power to protect. I guess her hit points are going to go up too. (Like you're surprised I'm a geek?) With Tahleen no longer a threat, Crichton finishes his assault on the root, and the room starts to shake. Tahleen turns to Zhaan and pleadingly tells her they want the same things. Zhaan gives a long response that can be summed up as, "Um, not." She leaves the room, and Crichton, after stopping to exchange a warm touchy goodbye with Lorana, follows.
But first, Zhaan has to go through the motions of leaving her Pa'u vestments behind, as she feels she's no longer worthy of them. If murdering her lover wasn't enough to make her ditch them, I'm not sure why this would put her over the edge, but logic is a rare commodity in this part of the galaxy, along with other qualities such as "sanity" and "non-Muppetness." Anyway, Zhaan tells Crichton that she is a once and future, but not present, Pa'u. Crichton opines that it's a shame to waste all those cycles of training, but Zhaan demurs, saying they weren't a waste, but the best cycles of her life. Given that they were spent in prison, if I were Crichton, I'd take that as an insult. That is, if I were Crichton but had at least the intelligence of an average human. (Okay, I'll really stop now, but only because it's the end of the recap.) See you time!