The crew discover a recording of events that took place aboard Moya three cycles earlier. As a result, ugly memories raise their heads for certain people on board the Leviathan --- memories that lead to long-buried secrets which may tear the crew apart...

I watched this today, wow, it blew me away. How can anyone look at Pilot, and say it's just a puppet. :o

I'll post more, when I can gather my thought better.

truly excellent ep :thumbsup:

:cry: :cry: :cry:

And I haven't even watched it yet! :lol:

BTW, Lisa, is that thought gathered yet? :P :lol: ;)

You'll have to excuse spelling atm, Steve, some of my letters, are a bit hit and miss at the moment. I'm waiting for a new keyboard, for my laptop :P

I was just hoping that you'd review the ep before I did. ;) :)

I will later, promise :)

So far, back stories involving the crew, have been a bit hit and miss for me. This however, is a perfect example, of how to do it. Aeryn's life as a peacekeeper is exposed, when, some footage showing the death of Moya's first Pilot, is found, showing Aeryn as a guilty party.

Just when you think, you can put the past behind you, and carry on with your life, something unexpected, brings it all flooding back.

This was such a heartfelt episode. I didn't know who to feel more sorry for, Aeryn or Pilot. :( Can I just say, I think this episode showed me, just how big Pilot actually is. The puppeters and whoever is responsible for the facial expressions did some absolutely fantastic work, for this ep. I forgot he was a puppet, and that can't be easy to do.

Coming on top of Aeryn's bonding with both Pilot and the offspring, the turning up of the footage, obviously comes over as far worse. Very clever editing though, CB pulled off, just the right expressions, for when the flashbacks were to occur. She's a very interesting character. I think Chianna actually hit the nail on the head, with reply to the look of horror on the other crew's faces. I wish I could remember what she said, but whatever it was, fitted the occasion.

I can understand Aeryn's position, she was just doing her job, following orders, and from the look on her face, when she took the helmet off, I've never seen such lack of emotion. I'm not sure what to make of the old Aeryn. She had such a lack of emotional attachment, esp, when you find out, that the man, she admits to loving, is betrayed by her. I'm not sure either which part was more upsetting for her. Realising that the pilot she shot, was the original pilot on Moya, realising that she had transported the current Pilot to Moya. That she had betrayed the only man she had ever cared about, (till now obviously) or that she had done all of the above. The tears streaming down her face, upon viewing the footage, and the shame she felt, was pretty convincing to me.

Another appearance from Crais, what can you say, he was starting to be a bit more likeable, and now we see him again, at his ruthless best.

Crichton desperately trying to appease the situation. D'Argo trying to stop the situation getting worse, by not allowing the tape to be shown to pilot. Rygel, a horrible little toad, for taking the tape straight to Pilot. And Zhann deserving a huge smack, for being so disgustingly sanctimonious about the whole thing.

Who would have thought, that the gentle Pilot, would try and kill Aeryn. :o

I think the scenes between Aeryn and Pilot are amongst some of the best I've seen with Farscape, so far. She has to be an incredible actress to pull all of that off, whilst working alongside a puppet, that's being manuevered and operated by god knows how many people, whilst she's doing these incredibly emotional, and passionate scenes. :cry:

Pilot also, when he admits how he was brought to Moya, and that he knew that the first pilot would have to die, for him to replace her :cry: :cry: :cry:

Overall, an incredible episode; How we can find such joy, watching something so heartbreaking, is beyond me, but there you go.

"What have you guys been thinking all this time? What, she was out picking baskets of Rawliss Buds while all the other mean Peacekeepers did all the really nasty stuff?"

Oh wow, I really don't know where to start with this episode. I remember, when I first saw it, it left me speechless and with tears streaming down my cheeks. Now I've just watched it again it's left me feeling almost exactly the same, possibly even worse seeing as I've had so much more time to bond with the characters now.

On that first viewing it took me completely by surprise. Sure, I knew the series was capable of hitting emotional highs after the likes of A Human Reaction and Family Ties, but it had never done it in such a heart-rending, gut-wrenching, dark and, frankly, honest way.

You see, for me, the thing with The Way We Weren't is the way in which it takes a character that we have grown to know and love and then quite mercilessly pulls the rug out from under our feet, saying all the while "Look! Look at her! This is what she was! She was a cold, heartless murderer who didn't hesitate to kill a poor, harmless, defenceless creature. And not only that, but also she didn't hesitate to turn traitor on her lover in order to advance her own career! Are you sure you really know this person?" It can't be... can it?

But that's exactly what it is. Aeryn was this person. We saw a brief glimpse of that part of her back in The Hidden Memory, when she cranked up the power on the Aurora Chair and left Crais at its mercy. It's still in her.

Zhaan: I still can't accept the cold-blooded slaughter of such a helpless creature.
Aeryn: Oh it's perfectly fine to cut off one of it's arms then, is it Zhaan?

What this episode also does, though, is explain to us why and, more importantly, how she has changed. Peacekeepers don't bond, they don't indulge in long-term relationships, sex is known as recreation and they partake in it whenever and with whomever they choose. Nothing wrong with that, you might say, but in essence it robs them of feeling.

Aeryn: Things were very different then: my priorities, my values - and my relationships.

Aeryn freely admits that she had many liaisons of this nature, but that she never had feelings for any of them except Velorek. And it is left highly ambiguous as to why she betrays him, although there is a definite inference that she was scared by her own weakness, that she might be falling in love, even to the point where she tries to talk him out of his plans for sabotage right at the last moment. The look on her face as he is marched away speaks volumes.

So it is fairly safe to assume that the change in her is not only made out of choice but also because, with the safety net of Peacekeeper culture taken away from her, she has allowed herself to develop feelings for those around her, and especially Crichton and Pilot.

Pilot: You killed this ship's first Pilot, the Pilot that belonged here. I will not have you aboard defiling her with your presence.

But, of course, that is The Way We Weren't's other magnificent triumph: it completes Pilot's journey to becoming a fully rounded character. It allows Lani Tupu and the incredible puppeteering team to really let rip. And it gives this wonderful creation a heartbreaking backstory. Just to think that he has been in constant pain through all the time we have known him is bad enough. But to know all of the reasons behind it, that he blames himself for the death of Moya's original pilot, that he is prepared to die as a consequence, and that he is prepared to relinquish total control in order to bond with Moya naturally, amplifies the whole sad situation immeasurably. And the look on his face as Velorek tempts him to look up at the stars from the surface of his homeworld brings a huge lump to my throat just thinking about it.

And, even taking all this into account, the episode offers yet more. Such as Crichton's obvious jealousy when he finds out about Aeryn and Velorek. Or the fact that Rygel was prepared to use even this for his own personal gain. Or the fact that Crais was crazy even before his brother died, and that it was his project to create a Peacekeeper Leviathan warship (thereby explaining his desire to get control of Talyn) and that Velorek was plotting to stop him. Or the wonderfully evocative sepia-tinged flashbacks. Or the fact that D'Argo still cannot beat Crichton at rock/scissors/paper.

Aeryn (to Pilot): Do you remember when you first came aboard Moya? Velorek stroked your cheek like this to calm you. Back then I couldn't fathom why he'd do a thing like that. And now I wouldn't fathom not doing it. We've come a long way since then, Pilot, and we've still got a long way to go. Take the journey with me.

When it comes down to it, though, this episode belongs to Aeryn and Pilot. I've praised Claudia Black to the heavens before but I just cannot speak highly enough of her in this episode: it is a stunning performance. She reduced me to tears on two or three occasions, not least in her final scene with Pilot as she stroked his cheek. Had this been in practically any other genre she would have won an Emmy.

This is quite simply an amazing episode. As far as Farscape's stand-alone stories go, The Way We Weren't is one of the very best. I can only think of one other sf series which even comes close to the level of emotional intensity this episode throws at the viewer. And that other series has to work hard for it. Farscape seems to manage it with ease.

A bonafide classic.

omigod steve, you've reduced me to tears, just reading this review. :cry:

You're now back on first review duty :thumbsup:

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Not my intention, honestly! :lol:

Mind you, I'm still drying my eyes after watching it. :cry: :rolleyes:

What can I say, this episode is up there with Not Fade Away, in relation to the emotion I felt. I can't believe she's never won an award. There's no justice. You're absolutely right, if she'd been in anything but a genre show, Claudia Black would probably be an A lister by now.

Here here! :thumbsup:

I think the closest she's got so far was being cut in half in Pitch Black! :x :lol: :lol:

I didn't know she was in that. I wouldn't have recognized her anyway. I've only seen her in Farscape :o

She doesn't get to do a lot in it... apart from die, that is :lol: :cry:

You would, she looks exactly the same, down to the black clothes :)

The only difference is the broader australian accent she uses in Pitch Black

I'd say i'd rewatch it, to see her, but I wasn't that overly struck on it, maybe it's better second time round :unsure:

Pitch Black is the sort of film that's great if you disengage the part of the brain that thinks plots ought to make sense :)

Er, nope! :lol:

I thought it was great first time through, and I kinda liked the sequel too. But it didn't stand up to repeated viewing for me - so if you didn't like it first time it probably won't improve ;)

I don't have anything new to add. So I won't :D

Oh go on :)

Nope. I think yourself and Lisa have summed it all up.

I'll just say one thing. Brilliant episode.

You see, this is why I don't want to be first reviewer ;)

Don't be silly.

Your reviews are always good. Mine, on the other hand, are a bit naff :P

I'm sure everyone would much rather read yours ;)

Now who's being silly? This is for everyone's opinions, after all. :D

I guess I'm just being paranoid ;)

Lisa hadn't posted her review when I started writing mine, and then when I was finally happy with it and posted it she'd beaten me to it. Big "YAY" for Lisa! :thumbsup: :lol:

That'll be the paranoia speaking :rolleyes: :lol:

LOL Steve, so glad I could oblige. But we all prefer reading your reviews, mine are fairly naff too, Melian :lol: :lol:

Come on guys! There's no blushing emoticon!! :)

And besides, I love reading all your comments. ;)

Nah Lisa, I enjoy yours too :D

It's just mine that are a bit bobbins.

Don't worry. I can deal :lol:

Cheers Melian, and awwwhh Steve for the blushing ;) :lol: :lol:

Feel the love Steve!!

What you wrote, Lisa, about feeling good about something bad happening was so true. ;)

And I'm definitely not posting first next time! :lol:

Oh, please. You know you want to. You know WE want you too.

Then we don't have to bother ;)

Nope. Not gonna do it. :lol:

I suppose I better go watch the next ep then. :rolleyes:

I didn't feel like it after TWWW, for some reason ;) :lol: :lol:

Are you sure we can't change your mind Steve, I was only joking afterall, about you leaving us something to write about. :thumbsup:

Tell you what, why don't we take it in turns? Therefore... it's Karen's go! :ph43r: :lol: ;)

<_< Cheers guys.

Fine I'll do it now.

Way to go, Karen! :thumbsup:

But, I'll warn you now, it'll be a bit pants!

And I'm only doing it under duress :(

I'm such a mug, some people seem to be able to talk me into doing anything ;) :lol: