#Farscape Exodus from Genesis

[filmjunky-99]

f a r s c a p e created by rockne s. o'bannon [exodus from genesis, s1ep3]

'Is that how you see yourself?' - zhaan

'Mother always said I was the best looking. That's why she had my older brothers banished. She said my face belonged on the Imperial Seal.' - rygel

[freckleslikestars]

You know, all things considered, there are worse ways to end a day.

FARSCAPE | 1.03 Exodus from Genesis

[zavuya]

[sersi]

FARSCAPE (1999 - 2003) 1.03: Exodus from Genesis

[weirdpsychoticlife]

Growth chamber stills

I don't remember this room of Moya's being given a canon name, and I'm not sure which Earth-familar organ it most resembles. Uterus? Maybe, but an anatomist might limit that term to the structures closer to Talyn's body. Maybe neither is right, and the whole shebang has more in common with a marsupium. Maybe we'd have to come up with a new word, if we found out that pregnant vacuum-dwelling space whales really existed. IDK, this show is weird, and I appreciate that.

So I'm going with "growth chamber," since her baby, later named Talyn, appears to grow inside it until he can survive outside. I say "appears" because, since the next time we see Talyn is in the "birthing channel," we can't say, for sure, that he doesn't move elsewhere for a later phase of the pregnancy. After all, human zygotes move from the fallopian tube into the uterus; if an alien embryo had to implant more than once during its development, that wouldn't be the weirdest thing to happen on Farscape.

I altered the lighting and colors of these caps to make the shapes more visible, so, if you want the exact correct colors, you'll have to re-watch this scene from "They've Got a Secret."

Above, John is approaching on a catwalk and shining his flashlight on Talyn. The layout of the chamber looks so much like Pilot's den that I wonder if Pilot lives in a different baby den with some bells and whistles added.

Compare it to this shot of Pilot's den, from "Exodus from Genesis":

A closer look at Talyn:

Pilot's controls:

Same front panel, same crystal stuck in it.

However, one thing that I don't think we see anywhere else but the growth chamber is the suckered tentacles supporting Talyn. In the scene (from "The Way We Weren't") where Pilot cuts himself loose from Moya, his nutrient tubes appear smooth or lightly segmented.

Of course, given how he and Moya were grafted together, those tubes might be his own, like these that Velorek pulls out during surgery:

I'm not sure if the tentacles provide Talyn with nutrients, or if all that comes in through the smaller, cobwebby pieces. For that matter, it might be that the DRDs take care of Talyn's nutritional needs, without an umbilical cord. Although, in "Thanks for Sharing," Moya provides a transfusion to Talyn (now living outside her body) via something that translator microbes render as "umbilicals," this might not be an exact match for the human umbilical cord. In "Liars, Guns and Money, Part III," Talyn gives Moya a similar transfusion, so "umbilicals" likely aren't exclusive to female Leviathan anatomy.

It's hard to tell if the transfusion "umbilicals" are anatomically similar to the tubes in the growth chamber. If you want to attempt informed speculation, here's Moya administering a transfusion to Talyn in "Thanks for Sharing":

And here our beloved ships are separating, so you can see Moya's umbilicals at a different angle:

[bonecouch]

i get that like from a writing perspective it mightve like taken away the ticking clock element but how come in the farscape episode exodus from genesis nobody thinks to pour cold water on aeryn until like the end of the episode

[marnie85]

1x03 - Exodus From Genesis

[filmjunky-99]

f a r s c a p e created by rockne s. o'bannon [exodus from genesis, s1ep3] Zhaan While Taken Over by the Drak Monarch

[sydnam]

Exodus from Genesis, with Mom

EXODUS FROM GENESIS

“Well, that’s an interesting title” says mom.

Rygel appears: “I really like this character the most!”

NEVER SWALLOW THE DENTIC! What happens if you DO swallow the dentic though? Will it eat a hole in your insides? Make you sick? Or just be a waste of a perfectly good dentic? 

Zhaan appears: “I also like this person. Thing? Whatever it is.”

On Rygel: “See, that would be a fun little thing to have around the house. Like a Gizmo. Or a Furby.”

Pilot said hours instead of arns there.

This is the first time we learn about Sebacean intolerance to heat.

That little DRD sprang into action to defend Moya. Because D’Argo was making poor choices.

And now we have bugs that look like people except we don’t know that yet.

Zhaan reasonably asks how to tell real people from bug people. D’Argo immediately suggests permanent mutilation because D’Argo is a foolish young man.

Pilot reaching out to keep Aeryn from falling is so sweet. And this is BEFORE they bond.

The first time we have two Crichtons. Not the last. Also not the last time we have a decapitation to prove something is dead.

And not the last time someone gets possessed. 

And not the last time Crichton accidentally starts a war, really. Or the last time he averts one.

Or the last time Moya gets invaded. 

Oh man I forgot about the weird makeup eyebrows on the commandos.

And not the last time one of them asks another to kill them before things get worse.

Rygel saves the day, the commandos are chased off, the draks finish spawning, and all is well. 

Mom’s trying to figure out what she’s seen Claudia Black in before and I honestly am not sure aside from some random guest spots where I probably went “OMG LOOK WHO IT IS!” and my poor mother had no idea what I was talking about.

“So,” Mom says, “you guys just thought I wouldn’t watch this or I wouldn’t like it? Cause…I like it!” VICTORY

[leolaroot]

does farscape get better? or is it like this always … i am on episode three.

LOL. UH. well it depends what you mean. Like This. I personally was On Board by Exodus From Genesis, but I'd say give it until at least DNA Mad Scientist? I looove that episode.

[zavuya]

[360degreesasthecrowflies]

FarscapeWatch 03: 1.03 ‘Exodus From Genesis’

Well, here we are folks. I watched the first few episodes a bit out of order after noticing a little late that the order I was watching in wasn't the intended broadcast order, and trying to correct that midway through with limited success. This was actually the second full episode I watched, so my reaction to it was a little coloured by it seeming to come as a direct follow-up to the premiere, yet acting as if they'd been in space bonding for weeks already. It was a little confusing! Having now seen 1.02 I, E.T. in full, I think I can better appreciate this one. Ish. Let's jump in.

~~

We open on Rygel...painting. Quite badly. And eating. Jump to D'Argo and John...D'Argo encouraging John to eat a bug to clean his teeth. Lovely.

Aeryn is in command of the ship. A cloud of debris is blocking their path. Everyone is still very colour-coded and very four humours. Aeryn's black and John's tan/off-white and Zhaan's blue to D'Argo's red are for sure deliberate.

Okay so they're goind to hide behind the debris to avoid a scan from another ship. Clever. Aeryn's idea. Pilot is grateful. Now there's a friendship I didn't expect, but hey, I guess she's used to practicality and tools and Pilot is effectively just an interface with a face.

The 'debris' turns out to be space bugs. Damn. Hope this isn't a gross episode. This has to earn its adults-only rating somewhere.

Post-credits, open on Aeryn and John. We learn a bit of Aeryn's history while she explains a little about Peacekeeper tactics. John makes a pretty weak joke but... despite myself, I do find him kinda charming. There's a twinkle there. I'm starting to think John could end up as adorkable due to being a fish out of water here, despite his position as a skilled scientist and Dude on Earth. I hope they go that way anyway, it would be interesting.

Oh. I love this. John starts to give a typical 90s afterschool special speech about them having to stick together and Aeryn interrupts sarcastically, amused at the very concept of them becoming friends, or worse, FAMILY. I miss me a character like that on tv, I'm almost getting Cordelia vibes, although the characters in other ways couldn't be more different.

Cut to Zhaan for the first time. She's with Rygel, helping clean up things that spilled when they first hit the debris field. She's such an interesting character, especially as the blue, and all of what blue normally signifies. Calmness is one, but coldness is another, and that's something we only see flashes of. So often, Zhaan is apart from the group, even while being a little like the group's mother or spiritual leader. She makes a good show of that being because of her status, or because, perhaps, of her age, but at times there are flashes that she simply thinks herself better than the others. And here's another; she mocks Rygel's painting with a smile on her face, projecting gentleness to hide the thorn, then proceeds to paint over it using her creepy super speed. It's a slightly random scene, used to give a bit more depth into Rygel mainly, and makes me wonder if what the writers are doing with Zhaan is deliberate or not. She's definitely the most interesting character for me thus far.

[So all through these scenes there are intermittent cuts to something watching the crew from the shadows; presumably it's the bugs, unless they've Alien-style mutated into some new second-level form]

Cut back to Aeryn and John. She's warm, and D'Argo reports that the ship's temperature is abnormally high. Aeryn is shot in the leg by something...one of the bugs, but it must be a light wound as she doesn't really react, nor does John notice as she was behind a table at the time. It shoots her again in the hand and this time she notices, but dismisses it as a splinter of metal. What will it be, poison? Aeryn out of action this episode?

They split off to search the ship to see why it's overheating as they don't know from diagnostics. Zhaan with John. He complains a bit to her about the others not respecting him; she is not quick to correct his view of her as separate from them! Very sly. She advises him he must win their respect. Unfortunately, although I'm a little charmed by this scene, it does also play as being aimed at quite a young audience. Just a 90s thing maybe?

So despite Zhaan's idea that no-one should search alone, she and John almost immediately split up after their heart to heart. Genius.

Cut to John. There's a bug in his quarters and holy shit these are big buggers! D'Argo and Aeryn over the intercom are no help and unsympathetic, telling him he must capture it. This will no doubt be a John-proves-his-worth episode then.

These bugs are nasty. John manages to catch it in his blanket and then beats it to death while inside. Not exactly capturing! Nice work, science guy...

Next scene; Zhaan is dissecting it. Another to add to her laundry list of skills. All she needs now is to be able to fly and she's got the whole set.

Okay so there's a whole load of these things on the ship. For the second episode in a row we have a plot that relies on Rygel being small enough to investigate/go through small holes. Hmm. While I'm not averse to that necessarily from a worldbuilding standpoint, it does seem a bit of an easy out to let the character still be a pain in the ass... although, on that point, I guess this is a twist on the special-skilled cleric/mage character being only too happy to help. I wonder which came first, the character design of making a small character to test the puppetry and make the world more alien, or, once that character was established, hastily building plots around small doors and passageways to give him something to do?

So we're 20 minutes in and it seems we've established the basic plot; the ship is going to overheat because the bugs for whatever reason are affecting the ventilation, so we need them removed. Somehow. Although they're heavily outnumbered.

Ah, so Aeryn can't take the heat. (So stay out of the kitchen?) That's an interesting weakness to have but I guess it's not hard to film and will open up interesting plot restrictions later down the line. Of course, they need a weak point to take Aeryn out of commission as it's between her and Zhaan for who's the most competent character aboard this ship.

Skip back to John and D'Argo for a bit of exposition. D'Argo is still fantastically racist, he hates all of Aeryn's kind - but he's going to make an exception for her. John is a little too shocked by this I feel, but then, I guess this was made in an optimistic,, pre 9/11 world.

Aeryn and Pilot is an interesting pairing. Also bloody hell Pilot is huge. (Pairing in terms of onscreen together, pretty sure Pilot is asexual)

Cut to Rygel exploring and wow, I hope they gave James Cameron a bit of credit for this episode, he's literally come across Ripley's Alien Queen egg chamber. Let me guess, they're raising the temperature to incubate, a la Aliens.

Well fuck me a bug stabbed Zhaan. Good storywriting though, take out the most competent characters one by one. That was a nasty stab but old bluey will probably be fine, god knows what she's made of. Cut to Aeryn who is also passed out, and now we're back to John, everyone seems to've gone radio silence... and well shit, there is now another John. That's a turn I did not foresee this episode taking. (I guess we have to vary it up away from *Aliens* pretty rapidly now after those last few scenes just to avoid infringing anything or stepping on anyone's toes.) Now, will this be a bug thing or will it be due to something else, just their luck?

New John also has the same clothes.  Mirror thing? Oh they're fighting, typical. Seems incapable of speech? Quite well shot esp for the 90s, doing twin scenes is never easy as anyone who's been watching Orphan Black (RIP! :( ) can attest to.

Okay so the clone people are bugs. Somehow. Rygel is trapped by a horde of them watching them spawn. Zhaan is somewhere. D'Argo, Aeryn and John are in command...and now I feel like the Big Brother voiceover person so I'm going to stop this. The crew are a bit hopeless, the heat is still going up making it hard to think and neither D'Argo or John are particularly the brains of the operation here.

Thank god, Zhaan comes in. She still has that stabby spike in her neck/chest but she is up and walking about doing her thing, what a trooper. She goes to have one of the others help her remove it and ohshit, now she's possessed. So I guess the bugs are somehow psychic now as well as being transformers and mad scientist cloners and a big cloud of space dust. Why not eh?

Because everything was going so well already.

Interesting. Removing Zhaan is a clever way to give John a level-up as Aeryn is out of action and D'Argo is reckless; John here has to use logic to stop him from slicing Zhaan in two while she is possessed because he forgets she isnt a clone. Smart writing as a way to empower the seemingly lowest-level member of the team. Crichton is Farscape's Squirrel Girl.

(Plot wise, essentially the bugs accuse our heroes of starting fighting with them instead of vice versa. That's some Trumpian logic.)

So yeah the hive has landed in the ship to reproduce because obviously space is cold, okay. This seems like a slightly 101 plot that, again, could have been lifted right out of Alien(s).

So, with Aeryn out and Zhaan out, John takes halfway command - mental, leaving D'Argo as the enforcer. It's interesting that the show seems to be in some ways agreeing with my early assessment of the characters' competencies and usefulness order. Especially because, if John is meant to be the actual central character, that requires devolving competency and narrative centrality to two 'alien', Other self-styled side characters. I guess in some ways that's usual with traveller adrift stories, though.

This is an aside, but an interesting parallel I'm feeling with this character structural setup is to Neon Genesis Evangelion. Zhaan being, of course, Rei, Aeryn Asuka, and Crichton himself a more self-assured, but equally, more fish out of water Shinji. I guess that leaves D'Argo as Makanami and Rygel as Misato's penguin?

Back to plot. The bugs want to keep raising the heat. John points out that if they do that, Moya will die and then the heat will go completely off, killing all the spawning bugs - the hive head's children. We cut to truce, and interestingly, John has taken pure command now, D'Argo is fussing over Zhaan and Aeryn is by all accounts, out for the count, and has managed to change into what looks like an anachronistic little black dress... guess if you're going to suffocate and burn to death, might as well do it in style. Rygel is still awol.

Zhaan is back in business. The four humanoids are isolated off in a small room that, perhaps, will be not so hot? Who knows.

Okay so now the ship has been invaded by randoms. Because this plot wasn't already bloated enough. They're Peacekeepers, and are attacked by replicants. Handy.

Pilot alerts our heroes that the ship has been invaded; the alien bug leader of course takes these new invaders as proof that the crew have broken the truce and cranks up the heat again.

We cut to the Peacekeepers roaming the ship, killing every clone they come across, and I can't help thinking how much fun I'm sure the actors had getting to die and act surprised and fall over in these scenes. Something else to take away; Zhaan's maxi dress robe reveals itself here to actually be more akin to capri pants. In 1998! Add fashion forward to her laundry list of skills and attributes.

The Peacekeepers are pleasingly gender mixed.

Aeryn wants John to promise to kill her, as a friend, to save her from a painful death with her brain melting. I can't help but think D'Argo would do it.

Cut to more action scenes. Then cut to Rygel. The crew have decided to send him in - or he's decided it himself, it's fuzzy - to negotiate with the bug leader in person. He is actually quite respectful if pompous and gives it gravitas. I can't quite help though but feel this plot twist is just a little of an attempt to give every one of the main characters a key role to play and something to do, here while they're still establishing.

Honestly so far, I feel like this episode is dragging. There's a bit too much going on and most of the cast are just playing to their core characteristics, while being split up, while a whole bunch of side characters come in. That's just me though.

Okay so Rygel strikes a deal. Now the crew strike another deal with the alien leader; now the Peacekeepers are attacking the bugs, our heroes will drive them off if...the bugs will forgive them? idk, because John also lets them crank the heat up more even though that's torture to Aeryn. I'm not quite following this plot beyond the bare bones.

So another aside, Bechdel test. Zhaan offers now to stay with Aeryn while the boys go and greet the Peacekeepers. I'm unsure, three episodes in, if Zhaan and Aeryn have yet directly interacted. Now, I'm not surprised because they're two women - it's not like vaginas necessarily commune, and tbh, who even knows what any of these folk have under their suits - but I am surprised that the two most competent characters as I've seen them haven't really yet compared notes. I guess in many ways they are foils, but on the flipside, that would be in itself a reason for them to have interacted. Anyway, this comes up because Aeryn, instead of being left with Zhaan, needs to be reassured by John before he leaves.

Now, tbh, I'm torn how I feel about John's defensiveness of, and implicit connection with Aeryn, this feels a little...soon... and also just a touch away from looking after her in the hopes she'll fall into his arms. I'm a little unnerved too, that she asks of him amercy, and he refuses to even consider the thought of acquiescing to her request. It's for honorable reason; because he believes she won't die or come close to death, but still... overriding a woman's dying wish because you think you know better is not so cool.

Action scenes follow. The PKs are being themselves adversely affected by the heat. This is intercut with scenes of Aeryn going mad.

Okay so they trick the PKs with a bluff; using multiple Crichton clones, they give the PKs the impression that he regenerates and is invincible; as the clones cannot talk, he also takes a chance in staring down the PK leader, armed, while unarmed, to give a speech about his invulnerability. The actor here shows shades of having a steel underneath the bluster that's thus far characterized John Crichton. (ohgod I have just realized the initials and I am hoping this will not turn at some point biblical)

A short fight scene but Crichton ultimately uses words to triumph. It's okay but very self-congratulatory to be honest. I don't dislike John Crichton, but this really was a second focal episode in a row that felt just a little contrived.

Time skip for a coda, everything is okay. D'Argo now respects John more. Good because THAT conflict was old two episodes ago.

Bug leader briefly possesses Zhaan again to say goodbye and thanks for all the fish. JC walks her back to her rooms and they have a heart to heart, and I've realized what it is I'm disliking, the focus on John in these episodes is unnatural. We only see a scene, generally, if John's in it. Nobody else is bonding that much except here and there as a nod to establish interactions. I'm hoping that changes.

Still. This show was a contemporary of Xena, which was hardly outstanding in that field.

End up for this episode. Aeryn and JC in a new location, 'the terrace' according to Pilot. Aeryn is back in her black leathers, thank god. Oh, they are leaning IN to this ship. Aeryn takes a step towards a truce with John with a joke about lesser lifeforms, double meaning; humans and bugs. And we close with them watching the...sunset? Thank god that's over.

So, ultimately I think this might tie with episode 1 for my least favourite so far. This episode felt overstuffed and my favourite characters pushed to the sidelines. Still, there was some character work done. Let's get into the beats.

 CHARACTER BEATS

JOHN

This episode is VERY John-heavy. His baptism of fire, getting Zhaan on-side and then moving to impress D’Argo and Aeryn…I guess everyone forgets about Rygel again. John shows a lot of skills in this episode, but it gets to the point where you almost wonder why we need the others, if John’s there to be the voice of reason, the warrior, the scientist, the logic, the negotiator, the moral centre, and the big damn hero. And all those in an episode where we’re supposed to believe he’s doubting himself and his skills! Okay then…

 ZHAAN

Zhaan, even though out of action for a lot of this episode, still is at a lot of her best. With every episode I find myself wondering what exactly she CAN’T do… but somehow, she’s not a Mary Sue either. I’m still unsure what age she is, especially as I already am sensing the seeds of the writing trying to move her into something of a mother figure role. I’m not sure if she needs to be older to contrast with Aeryn; two women can be a similar type or age in the same show without the universe imploding, even in 1999. This episode sees Zhaan the medic, Zhaan the telepath, and Zhaan the peacekeeper with a small p. I’m still sensing that Zhaan could have elements of danger within her though; no-one is that self-assured without knowing they have the ability to back it up.

 D’ARGO

Third time in a row this isn’t a great episode for D’Argo, and right now I can’t see him being anyone in the audience’s favourite character. I’m suspecting more character beats will come through at some point though, frankly, because D’Argo design-wise isn’t good looking enough to be able to keep going just as eye candy and a walking anger issue, as some ‘big guy’ characters are in other shows.

 RYGEL

Well…Rygel gets things to do in this episode, but generally is humiliated. I don’t know, I really didn’t like this episode so much. Rygel pulls diplomacy out of the hat, inspired by an ancestor, I guess…but I feel it loses its weight because I’m still not quite sure how old Rygel is. Also, although it was painted as a triumph that Rygel negotiated…I’m still not sure what it was he negotiated. At least he seems not to hate the others so much, but at the same time, he still feels a little apart from the group, which is already a little fragmentary.

AERYN

Aeryn is also not that well served by this episode. We see a few excuses to get her out of her clothes and generally helpless, and the narrative implies that this might be coincidence, but it might also be penance for her previous self-assuredness. Her desire to be mercy killed as well is also laughed off and unacknowledged; yes, it privileges John the human’s ways of doing things over the brutal Peacekeepers, but it also walks over Aeryn’s choices and desires just on a whim. Nice. This episode also leans hard into what it poses as a mutual closeness between John and Aeryn that I’m just not sure is at this point earned, it does edge almost into Tarzan and Jane territory. Eek.

 PLOT POINTS AS OF 1.03

They’re still on the run. They’re bonding. There is shipping. That’s kinda where we are now.

 WHAT THIS EPISODE ADVANCED:

Honestly, not a lot. We learn a weakness for both Aeryn and Zhaan, that plots need to be heavily contrived to feature Rygel prominently, and that John Crichton has hidden depths when needed, some steel there. Forgive the shade, fans, but this one just didn’t do it for me.

 CHARACTER RANKING AS OF 1.03:

1)      Zhaan

2)      John

3)      Aeryn

4)      Pilot

5)      Rygel

6)      D’Argo

And that’s it for this episode of FarscapeWatch! Check back in my Farscape 2017 section on my blog (also linked on the homepage) for my next episode reviews, as they come! Or feel free to give me a follow to catch all of my stuff ;)

Also, if you’re enjoying these, feel free to shoot me a message or comment :3 Sorry we’ve been a late at getting them out, pesky real life getting in the way! Also, would you guys like me to put a cut in instead of running these as one huge post? Let me know!

[sersi]

FARSCAPE (1999-2003) ▶▶▶ Exodus from Genesis (1x3)

[blue-mint-winter]

Farscape rewatch - s1e03 Exodus from Genesis

I have to admit, this rewatch brought me a new and greater appreciation of D’Argo. I mean, this episode literally starts with him forcing a teeth-cleaning bug into Crichton‘s mouth :) And D’Argo admits to feeling comradery with the crew. And he cares about Aeryn not dying despite hating Peacekeepers.

Same with Aeryn, this rewatch helps me see her good sides more clearly.

The plot is that the ship while hiding from Peacekeepr scouts gets infested by some bug species. They need heat, but it’s going to kill Aeryn because of Sebacean Heat Delirium.

Ah, the beginnings of Aeryn-Pilot friendship :) D’Argo on the other hand earns minus points with Pilot for damaging Moya with his rash actions.

It’s also nice to see Zhaan work her magic on Rygel by helping him become his better self (and her Spirit Painting of him is amazing!). That pays off.

Zhaan gives good advice to Crichton too. I love their friendship.

Crichton has to prove his ability to win respect from D’Argo and Aeryn who are warriors. But instead of fighting, he does it his own way. It’s so admirable of him that he solves the conflicts by talking - both with the Monarch and the Peacekeepers. He truly doesn’t want to kill anyone. It felt very Star Trek to me, how he approaches problems.

Aeryn asking for a mercy kill before she enters the Living Death state from heat delirium, ouch. Very emotional. I really don’t think Crichton would have done it.

Lol, Rygel’s stature once again works to his advantage as he both can get to the nest and gains the respect of his fellow Monarch ;)

Good ep.

[holdouttrout]

Farscape: Exodus from Genesis and Throne for a Loss

Week Two! I remembered! I’m scheduling this for early Wednesday morning, but probably won’t be around until later in the day.

Exodus from Genesis

Dentics! I mean, gross. So gross.

I always forget that the bit with the Peacekeepers in the ship is only a tiny fraction of the plot in this one. (The rest, of course, is made up of the crew having to fight an infestation of Moya, and if I'm recalling correctly, it's one of several episodes that could be classified that way.)

I'm actually all in on episodes where characters are sweating and taking off clothes. Nice.

Crichton's little ruse at the end is a really nice way to try to throw off their pursuit. Good try. Also: how many times does this man get duplicated, anyway??? I'd start keeping track, but someone's probably already got the list somewhere.

Throne for a Loss

I love how John and Aeryn get shoved together during the firefight - and then again… and then another, third, time, just for good measure. Why have one forced proximity alert when three will do?

"Somewhere out there, there's a whole world of Crichtons. Imagine how useless that would be."

Ah, the bonding over how inferior humans are. So night to see Aeryn and D'Argo getting along.

One of the things I love about this show is that each character brings different strengths and weaknesses, flaws and viewpoints to the table, and none of them are just a good thing or a bad thing. Take Rygel. In the very last episode, his being a (deposed) Dominar and offering to negotiate on behalf of the crew saves them. In this, his insistence on appearing powerful means he's taken captive for ransom and also that he's brought back to life by his fellow captive (albeit for the wrong reasons.) Him being seen as valuable throws another wrench in the rescue plan. 

Also: they are really, really lucky they ever survive anything. 

This is such a funny little show. There are clear moral imperatives, but none of them are straightforward or simple. Zhaan helps this Tavlec wean himself off the gauntlet but he chooses to go back to it in the end, and I'm not sure he made the wrong decision, exactly, even if Zhaan is disappointed.