A doctor has been found for both Moya and John, but Harvey isn't about to go down without a fight - one that may cost John and the crew dearly...

Aeryn: I am reminded at this point of a word that you actually brought to this vessel: hope.
John: I would be lost without you.
Aeryn: Then you'll never be lost.

I've heard so many people say that this is the best episode of the entire series. I've seen a lot of polls that put it at or near the top, too. I've never been able to understand it - it's not very good at all.

Okay, I'm lying. It's amazing. It is, much like the previous episode, Farscape at its awe-inspiring best. I'm not going to say that it's the best episode of the lot because there are so many others that deserve a mention, so much great stuff to come. But it is up there with the likes of Becoming and Anasazi and The Best of Both Worlds as the best season finale ever.

It's the end of the road. Crichton is a wreck and Moya may never recover from her extensive injuries. Only a Diagnosian, Tocot, and his grubby assistant Grunchlk (an inspired guest appearance from Hugh Keays-Burn - by turns hilarious and revolting but never less than brilliant) provide any promise of a cure for either.

The others are contemplating their futures, thinking about leaving and going their separate ways. Aeryn is being tempted to join Crais and Talyn; D'Argo has rehearsed a marriage proposal for Chiana, whom he wants to join him and Jothee; Rygel goes as far as to ask Grunchlk to arrange a ship for his personal use. But their plans are put on hold when Harvey takes control of Crichton once and for all.

Aeryn: I don't have any options.
John: Baby you're not going to die like this. You are not going to die like this.
Aeryn: I hope you meant what you said in the neurocluster. I did.

The dogfight is unbelievably good, the scenes that follow just laden with suspense and emotion. The funeral is staged so evocatively, and the reactions of the crew towards Aeryn so convincing, that it is hard to believe it is not the climax of the episode. It's heartbreaking.

Almost as heartbreaking as it is shocking to see Crichton turn into Scorpius. It seems to me that Ben Browder has really relished these last few episodes, as Crichton's condition has increasingly deteriorated. His impersonation here of Wayne Pygram's speech patterns is uncanny, his shock and anguish at his uncontrollable actions is totally convincing. The other actors also seem to know that they're onto something special: Claudia Black and Anthony Simcoe stand out as normal, but Pygram and Tupu aren't far behind.

The writers still manage to throw humour in, whether it's in the form of a doped up Pilot, D'Argo and Stark, or Crichton's mindless gibbering as Scorpius gleefully interrupts Tocot's marvellously stomach-churning procedure.

I must admit that I've sprinted through these last four episodes because they are all so good. Much like the batch of episodes that concluded season one, they have tied up a lot of loose ends and answered a lot of lingering questions. On first viewing I didn't realise how subtly Die Me, Dichotomy was setting plotlines in motion for the third season, but on subsequent watches its brilliance is only amplified. It's the halfway point of the series and, as the culmination of a superb string of stories to conclude the season, the point where the show moved up several gears.

And oh, what a cliffhanger!

Scorpius: You've cost me much - and I do not suffer disappointment well. I condemn you, John Crichton, to live, so that your thirst for unfulfilled revenge will consume you. Goodbye.

:o :o :o

Season 3 anyone?

Talyn and Crais have located a healer to help both Moya with her burns and John with his Harvey problem, which has gotten so bad that he can barely tell fantasy from reality. The clone finally takes control altogether. Now that is one look even BB can’t pull off, but Mr Browder does do an amazing job imitating Scorpius, his voice, mannerisms, everything.

It’s just typical that Aeryn finally decides to unburden herself of her feelings to John but he isn’t actually home at the time. So she tells him she loves him and gets knocked unconscious for her troubles. Later on John will not remember a word of what has happened here :(

Yet another Farscape gross out moment. John’s brain covered in a net of black filaments from the neural chip. Even Crais, who dropped in for a show of support, looks a little queasy!

The bad news. The doc can’t remove the chip without killing John. The good news. The doc has a supply of compatible brain tissue from a race known as the Interons (Are they more genetically similar to humans than Sebaceans?) which can be used to repair any damage to John’s brain that the chip removal will cause.

Now back onboard Moya (why?) a restrained Harvey/John tricks Zhaan into joining with him in unity and then escapes (How?) in John’s module waiting for his lift. Aeryn pursues in her prowler, and a dogfight ensues which culminates in Harvey/John forcing Aeryn to ditch into a frozen lake.

Ok. I admit it. I cried when John shook off the chips influence as Aeryn was falling. Begging her to get out of the chair. His look of despair. Her look of acceptance. John’s howl of anguish as she hits the water, her last word his name. Aeryn is dead. Sob :cry:

As the ultimate sign of respect to a fellow warrior cut down in battle, D’Argo lays his Qualta blade in Aeryn’s coffin. Rygel gifts her with his seal of office. I guess Sparky really does have feelings. Crais looks distraught. Chi is putting on a brave face, as she knows Aeryn would have wanted. John, in chains, asks for her forgiveness, tells her he loves her, and takes a lock of her hair. He’s ready for surgery now.

During the operation it seems that John may lose part of his memory. He lets the doc remove US politics, but asks him to try to save the memories of his dogs. Another tendril shows his memories of Aeryn. Will he choose to retain these now she is gone?
The chip is close to John’s speech center and removal results in John no longer being able to speak. The doc says he can repair the damage but before he can start, Scorpy, humming the Star Spangled Banner, enters the operating theatre, kills the doc, and gets his chip. He taunts John (see Steve’s review) and finally walks away, leaving John helpless and unable to do anything but howl in frustration.

What a cliffhanger. John speechless. Scorpy has the wormhole knowledge. D’Argo is going to propose to Chi, who seems to be more interested in Jothee. Aeryn dead.

When I first saw this episode I was speechless (Yes. It does occasionally happen) and I anxiously waited to hear if there was another season. Luckily, this time, there was.

He was so respectful in that scene that it just added to the weight and emotion of it. :cry:

I know I would...

:innocent: :whistling:

Well. There was that one time when they got rather....close. I'm sure that memory alone would be worth it.

Personally I'd go for the one where he was in her body :ph43r:

I don't know where to start, I watched it twice :o

Aeryn :o <stunned silence> :cry: :cry: :cry:

The funeral was beautiful, Rygel's tribute was so touching, D'argo giving his blade, and Crichton, omigod, the way he cut of that bit of Aeryn's hair, it was just so geniune, a total believable reaction, stunned, literally :cry: :cry:

I don't want to mention anything else, you pretty much covered it all, and I don't want to make a joke in the post, wow :o

I'm going to watch it again right before I watch Season of Death. :)

You're right about the funeral, Lisa, it's wonderfully done.

So, onto season 3 then?

I'm ready.

Already downloaded and burnt onto disc :thumbsup:

OMG. I wish It was me just watching this episode for the first time :(

I remember just how you feel Lisa!

Yeah, me too. :(

I can't remember whether I was more gobsmacked by how good it is, or whether it was because this series which I had disregarded for so long had had the audacity to become so amazing.

I had watched Farscape from the very beginning so you can imagine just how invested I was with all these characters.

I think Aeryns death affected me as much as Angel's in Buffy (I didn't know he had his own show at that point ;) ).

It was just a total shock, I wasn't expecting the death of Aeryn at all. Even when she hit the water, I was expecting her to be rescued, so the funeral was just shocking :cry: :cry:

Totally. As you have both said earlier, the funeral was written and acted just so perfectly it was hard to watch.

Funnily enough, Brian (Skibore) was always talking about how good the series was but I never gave it the time. I guess I dismissed it as easily as most other people have, as a kids show with puppets.

It wasn't until I saw Suns & Lovers that I decided it was worth another go. The characters had developed so much, and the feel of the series was so different. That's when I went back and got all the dvds. When I finally saw the rest of season 1 and then season 2 I was kicking myself :lol:

For want of a better expression, Die Me, Dichotomy is the dog's bollocks. And it only gets better from here.

I think that's testimony to the chemistry that both sets of leads have. Although, having said that, BB and CC act the socks off SMG and DB. :)

And the fact that it happens only halfway through the episode makes it even more shocking, I think. You spend the rest of the episode going "She's not really dead... is she?" :cry:

I couldn't agree more :D

You're right both of you re SMG and DB, I still think AD is my fav tv actor, but I think BB may overtake him :o

I've never rated DB as an actor :ph43r:

Claudia is probably the finest example of a television actress I've ever seen :thumbsup:

See how you feel by the end of season 3 ;) :thumbsup:

Totally. She does the subtle, little things so well that by the time you reach the big moments you're hanging on every one of her lines or expressions. Amazing.