Chiana, mourning the death of someone close to her, leaves Moya to join a group of thrill-seeking alien youngsters...

John: "Be nice."
Aeryn: "I'm not good at nice."
John: "Just don't shoot her."

You know, I had every intention of just writing a one word review of this episode. Actually, it would have been more than one word. It would have been something like: "This episode is pants. Pants, pants, pants, PAAAAANTS!". In all honesty, I wanted to watch it as soon as possible just to get it the hell out of the way.

But the fact of the matter is, after watching it for what I think is only the third time (it's always been my least favourite episode of the entire series) I feel the need to say a bit more about it. I don't know whether it's the effect of losing someone close to me in the meantime, whether I'm just mellowing, or whether I just saw more in it this time around, but there are a few redeeming nuggets to be found in amongst all the other dren on show here.

For instance, I felt Chiana's loss much more this time around. I think Gigi Edgley acted it very well, particularly in the final scenes with Crichton. I had some problems with the inconsistency in the character, though: this is a very different Chiana to the one who infiltrated the Gammak base with Crichton a few episodes back. But that's a minor niggle compared to some of the others in this episode.

I also think that the characterisation of John and Aeryn is very good in this episode. Ben Browder gets to do his "unhinged Crichton" routine, which is always great to watch. As he says to Aeryn at the end of the episode, "Lately, do I seem a little crazy to you?" Well, frankly, yeah you do kiddo.

But all the good work is undone by a very basic, very predictable plot. Farscape doesn't do predictable. Farscape revels in taking the predictable and turning it on its head, shaking it around and seeing what comes out. The last two episodes just haven't done that.

It doesn't help that the aliens on show are nothing more than Aussie surf dudes who've done a bit to much of the naughty. It also doesn't help that the subplot involving Rygel, Zhaan and D'Argo is so laughably lame and inconsequential that it really is just padding to fill out an incredibly lightweight story. And we all know that Chiana isn't going to die.

It's boring.

Or, back to my original idea, it's pants. Big pants. HUGE pants as worn by the marshmallow man at the end of Ghostbusters. If you washed these pants it would take a year to dry them. And you'd never get the stains out.

Pure pants.

Right there with you Steve, pants, pants ,pants, dreadful, dreadful plot/ costuming/make-up/hair, pants, pants, pants. Have you ever seen The Tribe? It was all I could think about during this episode :lol: :lol:

Redeemable parts, Crichton being stoned :lol: :lol:

Aeryn's 'I'm not good at nice'

By the end, I didn't actually care if Chianna jumped/died/or shaved her head. :unsure:

And what's going on with Crichton's hair? Did he bathe in hair gel or something? :unsure: :lol:

Oh no Steve, he still looked fabulous :P :thumbsup: :lol: :lol:

It was pants!

Disjointed, badly explained, I didn't care what happened to any of the characters.

At the risk of repeating myself: Bastard <_< :lol:

I'm detecting a definite "pants" theme for this episode. Maybe they should have called it Taking The Pants instead. :lol:

Erm. Yes Steve :blink:

The planet surface was quite spooky, if nothing else. I know it's not a new concept, having a "burial planet", but it looked good. The only problem was that it raised more questions than it answered, particularly in regard to the useless Rygel subplot and what the surfer dudes were doing there in the first place :huh:

Did anyone else get a bit freaked at the 'pregnant' lady (see through skin) And bless John for saying "Are you sure you should be doing that" in ref to said lady, swigging from a bottle.

The planet, yeah a bit spooky :fear:

Yes, that was very weird. I guess the old trick of shoving a cushion up her jumper to make her look pregnant was a bit too expensive to do :blink:

Obviously ;) :lol: :lol:

I agree that the episode is a bit 'pants' but you have to give BB, CB and GE credit for some damn fine acting throughout.

You really feel for Pip, EG finally gets to show the softer side to everybody's favourite Tralk!!
And I just love crazy Crichton ;)

Also there is a really funny deleted scene from that episode on the DVD :D

To sum this one up; oh dear.

I wasn't much for the last episode, and I felt particularly unlucky to have picked two episodes to watch this evening and it was the previous episode and this one :rolleyes:

This one's without doubt the worst episode to date in my view, worse even than Jeremiah Crichton.

The story was both dull and incredibly disjointed. The topic of loss is a worthy one, but it's just wasted for the most part here. Further to that was it actually explained why she went to the moon she did ?? I obviously missed it if they did. And then, when they get there, it turns out to be Bill & Ted World :rolleyes:

This is like one of those early TNG Season 1 episodes, where pretty much everything about it is just awful.

I really don't want to go into much more depth than that.

Positives ?? It's a small one, but the incidental music, especially that towards the end of the episode. it's sounds remarkably like that used on B5 at times :)

Ok I don't like this episode however it does have its moments.

Take away the surfer dudes who ruined the episode and it could have been great.

It was a huge storyline for Chiana and Gigi was great, unfortunately the

as you say let the episode down badly.

Just imagine for an instance that they weren't involved how much better it would have been, if had just been Gigi wanting to take a suicidal risk and John & Aeryn trying to talk her out of it, it could have been very poignant.

Can't say I didn't warn you James :lol:

:rolleyes: You are not imagining are you

Just take away the tribe :lol:

That's one of the best analogies for it, although I still prefer my "pants, pants, pants, PANTS!" conclusion. :lol:

:rolleyes:

So Gigi & Ben & Claudia weren't good, because I thought there were some great scenes in this.

The surfer tribe story was rubbish but there is some good stuff in this one.

It is not a pants episode, is an episode that was ruined.

That's true enough.

Dress it up as you will, this one was awful :p

Heres some nice pics of it then :)

:lol:

Not so sure about the second one there, doesn't do too much for me :rolleyes:

:lol: Its a great pic :drool:

Okay, unmerited Browder drooling gets one of these;

:whip:

:lol:

I second the motion :lol:

I second the drooling :drool: :drool:

Oi :lol:

:whip:

:p

:whistling: :lol: :lol:

All's I can say is :snooty:

He'd look better with one a :bag: over his noggin :lol:

Sweetie, you so need to go to the opticians :p :lol: :lol:

Next you're going to tell me Johnny Depp looks like a girl :rolleyes:

A damned ugly one if he is :lol:

:whip: @ James

Oi, give me my whip back! :o :lol:

Far too many whips in here for my liking :o

:lol:

That's Farscape for you :lol:

:unsure:

It is........??

:lol:

Leather and bondage. And Scorpy's the gimp :lol:

Oh.....dear :unsure: