So, "A Human Reaction" is a really good episode that explores how Crichton would actually be received when he returned to Earth. I was surprised they got him back to Earth so soon, but then I realized they were only doing it so that he could be forced back out into space with no more desire of returning home. And in fact, he would choose to go back to Moya, because, like Rose in Doctor Who, he's seen so much extraordinary that he can't go back to the fish-and-chips life. He doesn't have a whole lot to stay for besides his father, who is willing to let him go now that he's gotten his chance to say goodbye. And Rygel is dead, which was more shocking and sad than I would have anticipated, but no one will really miss him that much for very long.

And then it turns into every sci-fi movie made in the last ten years. It was all fake, made from your memories, blah-di-blah-blah. It was still cool, but less cool. It seemed like a lot of trouble for them to go through when they could have, I don't know, ASKED. Crichton has no reason to lie. And how the hell did they find him anyway? What the hell kind of powers does this species have that they can create fake wormholes and magical physical representations recreated from memories? And why didn't we get to see the hot and wild John/Aeryn sexapalooza?

The show is back to being really good again, though, which is yay.

It seemed like a lot of trouble for them to go through when they could have, I don't know, ASKED. Crichton has no reason to lie.

But they had no way of knowing that until they were deep enough in his head to have already done the thing. And he need not have been purposely lying to them. I would like to be able to believe that we would welcome aliens onto Earth, and, with a little more skill at self--deception, I might be able to make myself believe it, but building a world where that was the case would require significant re-characterization of the human race as I have observed it.

What the hell kind of powers does this species have that they can create fake wormholes and magical physical representations recreated from memories?

Hand-wavy magic--I mean advanced technilogical or spiritual powers. I mean, they're Ancient . That's a lot of time to have to figure stuff out.

And why didn't we get to see the hot and wild John/Aeryn sexapalooza?

I'm going with either A) Not enough time, or B) The writers wanted that visual in their pocket for future use, should the spirit so move them. I mean, what "happened" on Earth is pretty non-binding, as events go. Or, maybe, C) It would look a lot more like human sex than anything we've actually seen up to this point, which made someone uncomfortable.

The "everything you wish for oh whoops it's a fake" meme is an old one in SF. But in the case of AHR it's used in service of thinking over Crichton's own paranoia, twice over: once as he unravels the fakeness of the Ancient set-up, and then a second time, retroactively, as you ponder the fact that the Ancients made the scenario up out of his own thoughts. Which says Crichton doesn't have the most positive thoughts about how Earth would handle aliens -- I don't know if you want to take that as a basic assessment, or as a worst-case scenario, or as a reaction to his won situation of being an alien in a context where his arrival was also his death-sentence.

The fact that Crichton has a paranoid streak is an immportant character point. The fact that somebody out there does know how to make wormholes at will is an important point for the arc of the show.

And I was always kind of surpruised that there weren't reams and reams of fanfic about the "real" time he goes back to Earth. (I mean, before the 4th season episode where that happened in a very lame fashion. ) You know, if he is primed to think of Earth with paranoia, how does he approach it the second time? What safety measures would he take? How would his relationships be different? I guess, because the scenario involves The Big Love only tangentially, it didn't get a lot of attention. (Also, Farscape fanfic was in its infancy at that point in canon/airing.)

Which says Crichton doesn't have the most positive thoughts about how Earth would handle aliens -- I don't know if you want to take that as a basic assessment, or as a worst-case scenario, or as a reaction to his won situation of being an alien in a context where his arrival was also his death-sentence.

Oh yes, this I did like, when I thought about what the plot twist really meant. (In addition to the cleverness of Cobb's not knowing who won the Super Bowl because Crichton didn't know who won the Super Bowl.)

The fact that Crichton has a paranoid streak is an immportant character point. The fact that somebody out there does know how to make wormholes at will is an important point for the arc of the show.

But it wasn't an actual wormhole, though, right? It just looked like one. They never really explained "where" he went.

And I was always kind of surpruised that there weren't reams and reams of fanfic about the "real" time he goes back to Earth.

That seems rather nonsensical. Come on, ficcers! What's wrong with you people?

(Also, Farscape fanfic was in its infancy at that point in canon/airing.)

Oh, that.

I was kind of surprised that they never mentioned his almost-fiancée, who seemed to be his only other big tie to Earth.

And thanks for whitefonting.

I was kind of surprised that they never mentioned his almost-fiancée, who seemed to be his only other big tie to Earth.

We don't actually know how long ago the flashbacks in rhapsody in Blue were, do we? At least a couple years, in which case it doesn't surprise me all that much (even more so give than it's generated within Crichton)

Yeah, Crichton and Alex ended when he went into the space program, which has to have been at least two or three years before the pilot -- remember, he said he'd been up in the shuttle twice before already.

Season 4 spoilery discussion: Nutty, I had issues with your comment about Terra Firma being "lame", but I suppose plot-wise you're right--the whole invisible alien thing was really off. I still like many of the character bits there, though, particularly for Crichton--and that ep was written by Ricky, for whom I have a soft spot. Besides, I did write one piece of fic as a fix for one of the holes I saw. So much of season 4 made me crazy, and TF was one that didn't, except for being too short. And the terrible American accents on the American government guys.

P-C, you are getting to the point where there is good fic. If you tell me what sort of stuff interests you, I can probably point you in that direction. I keep thinking I should do a season-by-season fic recs index, and then don't, because that would be work.

Oh, I don't read fic, but thanks.

Oh, I don't read fic, but thanks.

t gasp

Blasphemy!

Forgive me ficcers for I have sinned.

Oh, I don't read fic, but thanks.

Leave this house!

flounces away, sits next to Dana, reads porny fic