Farscape Volume 8
featuring the episodes Durka Returns and A Human Reaction
If the last two volumes of Farscape’s first season showed the show settling into a comfortable status quo, this one starts upsetting all the apple carts. Durka Returns marks the first major cast change with the addition of Gigi Edgley’s Chiana. Edgley fits into the ensemble quite well, and her character adds a layer of unpredictability to the crew’s relationships that had diminished as we became more familiar with them. Durka’s return is a nice use of continuity - if you’ve seen PK Tech Girl, great, but if you haven’t, all the information you need to understand Durka is laid out in this episode. (If one were to be uncharitable, one might comment that it’s a pretty small galaxy that Moya would encounter both the Zelbinion and her lost captain in a relatively short time frame, but I will refrain from such remarks.)
A Human Reaction marks a major turning point for the series’ overall plot, although its ramifications aren’t really understood until later. On its face, the episode is the standard tease-the-hero story that are a staple of trying-to-get-home series. There’s a lot about the first two thirds of the episode that don’t quite ring true - the confrontations feel a little forced; John’s nightmare scenario develops a little too quickly. When John figures out where he really is, though, that “off” feeling makes perfect sense, which is a nice bit of craft on the part of the writers.
Rating continues to reflect the lack of commentaries. Good episodes, though, and important to the show’s ongoing storyline.