Liars, Guns and Money and Die Me, Dichotomy

[minxy]

Liars, Guns and Money.

Part I:

AAAAAAwwwwwwwwww, STARK! Yay. Yay Stark. I like Chiana’s wisdom, John as elected negotiator, D’Argo not having any bullshit…

I don’t know why exactly Stark is so hell bent on helping D’Argo find Jothy, but I may have missed something.

Aeryn seems to be quite on the periphery. D’Argo is really rushing into everything awfully quickly, but I may be in love with his faults at this moment.

Love John using obscure Earth references and exploiting his otherness.

Wow, heels.

Stark has a weird combination of occasionally crazy, zen, abrasive, funny, smart, wacky alien, calm and freaked. I’m not sure I get it, but I sorta buy it.

Cute Chiana echoing Zhaan with her BDSM eyepatch. I enjoy that Aeryn has such a matter of fact attitude about John’s hallucinations, and the implications that he tells her about them, which is raw.

Eeew. Wow. I think they may have just squicked me with the creepy alien licking.

Coolness. John and Aeryn are snuggling whilst they hide from the bad guys.

Oh, it worked? I thought Rygel just got his clothes blown off, but I guess he got Scorpius’s stuff after all. And now John is kissing Aeryn to center his brain back into reality and she’s totally unfazed and I love Aeryn.

Chiana and Zhaan giggling about how they got the gas mix right finally is cute and wonderful. Do the Scapers have the same knee jerk anti-women reaction that I’ve seen in other fandoms?

Wow. Compulsion. Life debts. Wow, Ben! Whoa. Amazing.

John and Aeryn moment. About what they didn’t say, which is always extraordinary. And Claudia Black is really very gorgeous. I think I may have a thing for her eyebrows, oddly.

Whoops, stolen money is booby trapped. They do a good job of making their bugs gooey. Really adds to the creepiness factor.

Part II.

Do you see? Do you see Claudia’s eyebrows??? Michael Shanks needs to be asking for advice. The hair slicked back makes me a bit sad.

They did a nice job setting up this moral quandary for D’Argo with John vs. Jothy. Very nice set up.

Creeeeeeediiiiiiiits.

And, it would appear that John’s not the only one losing it this episode as D’Argo is ripping up command and having his own hallucinations. I foresee problems.

And D’Argo and Chiana are communicating, but sadly. Am worried.

But look! Aeryn is gettin’ it done. That’s my girl.

It’s interesting to me that John is using the Scorpius link both consciously and unconsciously, letting it protect his brain, using his knowledge of the experience to anticipate next moves… and HEY, initiating a real conversation? Like a link? Wackiness.

High school? Bwahaha.

I like Chiana’s new clothes. Are those replicators or the crawling money? Freaky how everything goes around and comes around.

‘Yes, but—we’re POOR’ Rygel.

They’re bouncing right along with these flashes of action. Ooooh, Chiana with a rilly big gun. Go girl.

HEH. ‘I’ve seen bigger.’ Dat’s right, Aeryn.

What happened to Jothy’s nose, huh? You know what they say about a Luxan’s nose…

Stark is interesting. I don’t get him, but he’s interesting. HEY, not fair to eat the DRDs, mean replicator looking money bugs. Not nice.

That is totally a glow stick she just stuck in Scorpius’ head. Dude, those two are creepy. Creepy how proud she is while telling him how she tried to kill him.

Was that… was that continuity with the Builder’s reference? Was that what that was? OmgwtfDURKA! I’m almost sure, this is continuity.

My Pilot is screaming! And now he’s whimpering. This is not okay. But it’s lovely how responsible for it all Zhaan feels..

Jothy has nice teeth. Very straight. He looks like he’s dressed like a Tibetan. Aeryn is very cute in the background happy for them and then so worriedscaredhurt not two seconds later. Aw.

And yeah, John was a noble type guy. Hope he has a back up plan. Dayum but Scorpius does get OFF on the power trip, doesn’t he?

BA-dum bum. Part III.

OW, John is strapped to a big globe. DOES HE HAVE A SAFE WORD???

Aeryn is punchy with D’Argo, which he really deserves, frankly, he’s been a prick and now Jothy is safe he’s a teddy bear, but I still feel like Aeryn is distracting herself from her worry by … um, taunting the pirates? Awesome.

Talyn is here now? Whut dah fook. Did they think the series was ending or something? Because they are pulling out all the stops.

Crais, baby. Normally I don’t find you very scary, but today you are crisp and flippant and quick and you’re impressing me. Yups.

Jothy is a very sympathetic obstacle. So is D'Argo, for that matter. And the pirates, or bounty hunters or mercenaries or whatever.

Cool mirror between Scorpius calling the guy ‘Bounty Hunter’ and the creepy chick calling him ‘Animal’.

Sweet, the pace picked up once the Bounty Hunter guy ‘fessed up.

And Moya provides a surprise whilst Aeryn, D’Argo and the guy with the gauntlet are a three man army. Only with a girl. And a Luxan. And a guy with a gauntlet.

Creepy gauntlet guy is shooting the guys already down, innit he? Nice.

Braca and Scorpius seem to have a very sweet sort of old married love.

So can John shoot Scorpius? I don’t think so. Will Natia? ‘Parently not. But HEY, lookit D’Argo and Aeryn in at the last moment! Tiiiiiming, very good timing.

Uh, meanwhile back on the ship, the Irish guy has Chiana over a table. Poor Chi. Althought, nice shot.

John is barely functioning in the light show, but Aeryn and D’Argo and the Gauntlet Guy are a three man army.

Guess it’s dangerous to assume that John is going to just be passive. HEE! Luckily Aeryn wasn’t assuming that. Oh sweet, they’re going into the vault, aren’t they? Smart Aeryn girl.

I don’t suppose Talyn is actually going to kill Scorpius. That would sort of frell with the casting for the PKW.

*wibble* D’Argo please? *wide eyes* Beeeeeeeennnnnnnn! Wooobie!

Is that the end of the third one? WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!?!?!?!

*bites first finger in worry*

*debates queueing up Die Me, Dichotomy Right Now*

*has no self-control*

*is totally going to regret watching a season ender without the next disc standing by*

*it’s probably a cliff-hanger too*

*curls up amidst ‘Scaper pals lest consoling is required*

*but it'll be alright, right? RIGHT SCAPER PALS?*

Die Me, Dichotomy (2.22)

Hey, lookit Rygel delivering good news, even after getting his nuts squashed.

Uh. Oh. John is really losing his sense of self. Wow.

*is alarmed*

*curls up in jenlev’s lap for this episode*

They don’t hold on to money long, do they? Crazy low class impetigo guy is funny while blatantly exhorting the Moyans.

It is Not Cool that Scorpius is driving this little moment with Aeryn.

Good boy D’Argo. Way to be backup.

M’Kay, reset with John and Aeryn, Chiana and D’Argo are on the rocks, but Chiana and Jothy are getting along well.

And everybody is high? Pilot is high?? Yay!

Zhaan, dear, when is it ever a good idea to mind meld with a crazy person? I don’t care what he wants to tell his Dad.

Aeryn has options. John has skills and Scorpy is totally willing to brag. Only she’s out of options. WWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

YOU CAN’T KILL AEEEEEERRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYNNNNNNNN.

Oh, okay. She’s swimming. I thought she was stuck in the harness.

SHE’S STILL IN THE HARNESS JOHN YOU BASTARD.

They pulled her out? She okay?

Not Okay. NOT OKAY.

*clings to jenlev*

*leaps off and clings to Aeryn*

*lets Rygel in*

That’s right John’s in chains. Damn well better be. Prolly suicidal too. DON’T GIVE HIM A WEAPON.

Wow, that was very love suicide. Except he was going for her hair, of course he was. He’s always had a thing for her hair.

*meh* So there’s information with Crais. Yadda.

John is weighing the value of his memories.

Rygel is leaving? Staying?

Um, Chiana? No sleeping with multiple members of the family, hun. Mourning or not. Playing with fire.

That was a huge hole bored in John’s brain. And Braga wandering about the morgue.

Riiiiiiight. Replace brain.

So, uh, Scorpius not so dead? He seems a little too fine with the chip being removed from John’s brain.

(*&**YYHiughj7i6%H*&^ I Knew There Would Be A Cliff Hanger.

Still pissed about Aeryn, though.

*seeks solace*

Thank goodness I’ve seen PKW, but somehow it’s not that consoling.

*gets DVDs into Netflix envelopes with lightning speed*

*reorders Netflix queue*

*is prepared to camp out by the mailbox until the next episodes arrive*

*lip wibbles*

AND WHY ARE THERE NO COMMENTARIES ON THESE EPISODES??? HUH??

Comments

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

Hee - there's really no way to describe watching DMD in real time, having absolutely no idea what would happen next. Screaming was involved. Possible gnashing of teeth and many, many declarations that if Aeryn were really dead, there would be no more watching of Farscape.

This was also in the heyday of Scifi's programming schizophrenia so you never knew when anything was going to be on.

I love this run of eps:) It's just so epic and continuity heavy and gorgeous and... so many things this show does so very, very well.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

Netflix doesn't HAVE the disc with eps 7-9 on it. WHAT AM I GONNA DOOOOOOOO?????

*hyperventilates*

*is perhaps, just a leeeeettle bit worked up yet*

[lunachickk.livejournal.com]

OMG, I can't believe you watched DMD without the next disc in hand. I just about died when I saw that ep!
I have no sense of self-restraint. *points to recent shoe-obsession* I would be on my way to Best Buy to buy the Starburst edition. *eg*

OMG, I MISS FARSCAPE NOW!

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

7-9 of S3? I think we can probably take care of you:)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

*clings*

Oh good, I didn't have the funds to go out and get the Starburst editions at this time. And I didn't want to have to borrow someone's entire set.

*looks up adoringly*

Give a shout if you need info.

[rydra_wong]

Hee - there's really no way to describe watching DMD in real time, having absolutely no idea what would happen next. Screaming was involved.

And remember when BB did an interview before the start of s3 and talked about how weird it was to be on the set without Claudia there?

Got to respect that sort of evil.

[lunachickk.livejournal.com]

*counts the ways she adores BB* ♥

[cofax7]

He didn't! OMG that Is Evil. Hah!

fourteenlines was so traumatized by DMD she couldn't go into the freezer section of the grocery store for a year. Heh.

[katie-m.livejournal.com]

And this was the season break that lasted, like, thirteen months, right? Or a ridiculously long time, anyway.

[cofax7]

Actually, I think that was a standard 5-month or so hiatus. The worst hiatus was the mid-season break between Fractures and IYYY, which was eight months long. Madness.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

Sometimes I'm really grateful I only have to wait two days for the Netflix turnaround.

[cofax7]

Well, it was something of a cliffhanger, so we got a fair amount of interesting fic during that time. Still, horrible to make us wait that long. And then they aired the final 4 eps in the UK about a month before the US, so the spoilage risk was very high (this was before most of the standard file-distribution systems were in place: I ended up begging a friend to tape and convert them for me).

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

So evil. So so mean. Even the Undressed special totally played it like Aeryn could really be dead. Evil:) It's why we loves 'em:)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

Oh wow.

*is appalled*

He does approach it from the POV of a fan, though, doesn't he?

[rydra_wong]

BB is totally a big geeky fan, and it's a beautiful thing.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

Yes, it is. I may have to fangrrl him for a moment. As you were.

*fangrrls BB*

[rydra_wong]

(Btw, Thea, you were looking for more Sheppard/Mitchell, yes? Promotion.)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

Weren't there two announced on Friday? I can only find that one, though I liked it. *shrugs*

[rydra_wong]

Do the Scapers have the same knee jerk anti-women reaction that I’ve seen in other fandoms?

I missed it, if we did. Barring random crazies, and the occasional fic writer determined to turn Aeryn into a housewife - nope.

I think the thing is that the show has so many strong women characters that anyone unable to deal would have been sent fleeing for the hills pretty early on.

And because there are so many female leads, none of them gets the burden of being the Female Role Model, which helps.

Not that Farscape fandom doesn't have our fair share of Fandom Crazy, but we seem to have missed out on some of the standard forms. We never really had ship wars, either.

[(Anonymous)]

Agreed, if there is that odd contingent of anti-women, I think most of us probably missed it. Crazies, sure? But I don't think it manifested itself in that way. You've still got people who favor John over Aeryn and vice versa, but those discussions tend to be less acrimonious than agreeing to disagree:)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

Good. If Farscape is on the special crack, you should get the special kind of crazy.

No stereotypical wankery for you! Noooo.....

[cofax7]

The fiercest divide I know of is the Scorpius v. Crichton divide--there's a small but vocal contingent who take the stand that Crichton is no more a hero than Scorpius is. In fact less, since Scorpius has a purpose greater than himself, and Crichton is just trying to survive. Of course, for me this point is lost a bit when you look at the 10,000 dead Baniks in LGM--but it's an interesting argument.

There are not, thank heavens, any real shipping wars, since the OTP is so much a part of the canon, and there really aren't any triangles as such. Yay!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

Actually, that is interesting. Scorpius crosses into death and pain and manipulation and hatred a little too often for me to love him, but I really enjoy him as a character.

I'm beginning to think that one of the big differences between Farscape and Stargate for me is how completely they commit to ideas. Stargate has a lot of token things going on: token female, token alien, token character of color, token scientist, token love interest... and they always do just enough to make the gesture and then hit reset: it's the basis of the show to be episodic.

In contrast to Farscape that does everything whole hog. Main love interest flirting and messing it up and sleeping together and declaring intentions and dying and forgetting and remembering and wanting and coming together and separating... to say nothing for multiple women, love interests, aliens, people of multiple colors... It hasn't always worked, but you can't argue with their committment to the concept. And sometimes? It really works. Fail big!

[eve11]

Oh, okay. She’s swimming. I thought she was stuck in the harness.

SHE’S STILL IN THE HARNESS JOHN YOU BASTARD.

They pulled her out? She okay?

Not Okay. NOT OKAY.

Is it bad that I am totally laughing my head off at this commentary here? Not that I'm enjoying your pain or anything. But I will send you quick Netflix vibes so's you can see the next ep as quickly as possible.

The opening scene between Aeryn and Crichton in Die Me Dichotomy kills me every time. And hey, now you can read Walk Out of the Air, which is the quintessential episode add-on to LGMIII.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

No, it's fine, enjoy my pain. *sniff* I'll be okay.

OOooooh! Walk Out of the Air? I've totally heard good things about that one. Yay!

[eve11]

AND WHY ARE THERE NO COMMENTARIES ON THESE EPISODES??? HUH??

Sorry to post twice, but I had to add, YES! Damn it, waaay back in the wonderful commentary for Throne for a Loss, either Ben or Claudia hinted that there was quite a story to be told in this episode about how the actor playing Bekhesh nearly sent (Claudia?) to the hospital... but then they stopped and (Ben?) even said something to the effect of, "But we don't want to spoil you for it so you'll just have to wait for those episodes to come out on DVD to hear the story in the commentary track."

And I was getting those DVDs in real time too; I waited probably close to a year for the disc to come out, and there was no commentary! I was very sad.

Eventually I got over it. Eventually.

[rydra_wong]

IIRC, the story (as told in interviews) is that the Bekhesh headgear meant that the actor playing him was effectively completely blind. So he had to do all his scenes by counting steps, remembering where the other actors were, etc.

This worked okay until they were filming the big LGM sequence where they run through the corridor shooting the guards - he was "gauntletting" someone and swung round at the wrong moment and landed his fist full-force in Claudia's face.

[(Anonymous)]

There's commentary for DMD on the Starburst editions.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

REALLY? Oh holy soap on a stick... I totally don't have the funds to run out and get the starburst editions...

But now I totally want them.

(otoh, it is my birthday tomorrow...)

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

Growls. The anonymous comments are me. Sigh.

[jenlev.livejournal.com]

{{{{{snuggles you right back}}}}}

oh those episdoes. every time i watch them i'm stunned and overwhelmed and just verklempt. just. plain. wow.

{{{hugs you some more}}}

ps. and that moment when moya swoops down towards the repository makes me happy.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

Because the THING! and when he! ... and then she!... and then *hand flaps*....

*crawls back into your lap*

Moya is happy-making. Loved John's response to seeing her.

[jenlev.livejournal.com]

yes, exactly. {{{hugs}}}

i adore john's response to moya, god what a great three episodes. one of the astounding thing is how they layer the dynamics between the characters and the revelation of all their internal "worlds" in the face of what's going on. yeah.

ps. and because i'm braver about these things these days...i posted a story this morning. a plot bunny that fbf sent my way. here's the link: http://jenlev.livejournal.com/276302.html

[50mm.livejournal.com]

*would be happy to mail you spare S3 box set to borrow, should Netflix FAIL at DVD*

I feel your pain though--I watched FS initially on DVD (pre any PKW) via Netflix, and didn't have the S3 first disk waiting after I watched end of S2 either. eeeeeeeeeeeee!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

Eeeeee! *feels your pain*

I'm going to see if I can do it without borrowing first, but thank you for the offer.

[pellucid.livejournal.com]

Love your reactions!!!! And while I was explicitly warned not to watch DMD without SOD in hand, in retrospect I sort of wish I *had* waited and let the angst simmer a bit. Of course it's easy enough to say that in retrospect... ;)

AND WHY ARE THERE NO COMMENTARIES ON THESE EPISODES???

On the Starburst edition there's a Ben, Claudia, and David Kemper commentary for DMD. But should you get hold of it, DON'T WATCH IT TILL YOU'VE SEEN ALL OF SEASON 3!!!!!!! Ben and Claudia are pretty good about avoiding spoilers for future eps in their commentaries, but DK totally gives away a major plot point for the end of season 3. I was extraordinarily pissed off!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

I'm willing to simmer for 2, maybe 3 days, but that's it.

Spoilers in the commentary, right. Will avoid. Good excuse to wait before tumbling into purchasing the Starburst Editions. Still... Ben and Claudia on commentary are teeeeemptiiiiing....

[fbf.livejournal.com]

hee.

YAY! you watched it!

yup, there is just something about LGM that just does it for me. There is the action, the snark, the funny, and then the angst. Although it has slow spots, overall the action just moves forward in such a way that you are swept along with it. IT doesn't hurt that Guy Gross' soundtrack for this trilogy was awesome. Nothing like sweeping music to help along the dramatic tension.

*jumps up and down, clapping*

and yeah, DMD hurts, alot. John's scream of "Aeryn." when she falls into the freezing cold water just about breaks my heart everytime. The fact that it ends with John babbling on a table with a hole in his head is just the icing on the cake. I'm very, very glad that I didn't watch this in real time cuz I just don't know if I could have made it through the hiatus.

and if you are that desperate, I can send you the S3 set if you want.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

I did, I did. In no small part because you were so enthusiastic.

I think I love that ending with John, because he didn't seem to remember what the Scorpius in his brain said to Aeryn, and I didn't want it to be a reset or have her death be less of a gut punch to him, but it was enough for him to break throught the persona, and to leave him broken and cut off and alone is a perfect crazy response when Aeryn herself was so matter of fact.

I wanted it to matter to him, and it certainly seems to.

I think Thea can hook me up with the one disc Netflix doesn't have, that's good enough for now.

[bugchicklv.livejournal.com]

LGM is probably my favorite multi-part. By far better than LATP, ILD/IYYY (s3) and WSS (s4). As far as 2 fers go, Nerve/Hidden Memory rock but DMD/SOD had me in tears.

When you have seen SOD you can finally watch my vid "Crystal Planet." (http://bugchicklv.com/My%20Videos/CrystalPlanet.wmv) (right click and save) That is the only vid I have ever made that used scenes EXCLUSIVELY from one ep (or one 2 part ep, which TPTB have said DMD/SOD qualify as).

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

Wow. Um. Even if I've seen the episodes, I really don't remember the titles most of the time (this is true of Stargate too) so apart from LGM, which I'm pretty sure is the ep I just watched... I have no idea what you just said with all those acronyms.

Huh. I think I get the gist, though, and it's that you liked these episodes and you made a vid from the S3 opening episode? That I can watch as soon as I've seen the ep and you've given me a shiny link?

Coolness.

[bugchicklv.livejournal.com]

LMAO! Sorry, sometimes I forget that most of my flist isn't a 'Scaper, or hasn't been for very long.

LATP= Look at the Princess
ILD/IYYY= Into the Lion's Den/I Yensch, You Yensch
WSS= We're So Screwed
DMD= Die Me, Dichotomy
SOD= Season of Death

And yes once you see SOD you can watch the vid.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

Hee! Thanks for the translation. I love trying to avoid spoilers with my flist talking in code when they write snippets and fic and things. I err on the side of not reading if I don't know what they're talking about.

There will be meta up and a parenthetical spoilers for ACRONYM, so don't read if you haven't seen it! and I'm left scratching my head over whether I'm in or out, there.

:)

DVDs are away! New ones should arrive Monday, I estimate.

[rydra_wong]

*runs past yelling "Happy Birthday"*

[http://users.livejournal.com/_minxy_/]

*grabs a bull horn to shout back "THANK YOU!"*

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

Happy Birthday!! And e-mail me with exactly which episodes you need. thassalia at yahoo. Oh, and your address:)