In the eighth episode of the fourth season of Farscape, Crichton discovers that the rest of the crew has been captured by bounty hunters. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Farscape.
YES. YES. This is such a great thriller and bottle episode, and it also builds off of established mythology! WELL, THERE’S ALSO THAT GREAT THING AT THE END THAT I’LL GET TO THAT ABSOLUTELY JUSTIFIES THIS ENTIRE EXPERIENCE. But shit, y’all, I love how single-minded this cat-and-mouse game feels, despite that this is not the first cat-and-mouse style episode we’ve got, nor is it the first time the crew has come across bounty hunters eager to turn them over for their cut of a bounty.
So what makes this episode feel so exciting?
Crichton’s Denial
Laced throughout “I Shrink, Therefore I Am” is Crichton’s increased use of the root that Noranti gave him that allows him to temporarily forget his anxieties for Aeryn. It’s both heartbreaking and understandable. I can’t deny that the use of the root helps him to focus on the crisis before him. It does! But it continues to break my heart because I know that it means that Crichton will keep avoiding any progress with Aeryn. This story, while only a small part of the episode, is still an important part of this season’s greater arc, and I’m glad that the writers keep this kind of shit in mind, you know?
The Coreeshis
I will never stop praising the work of the Jim Henson Company, and I will never understand how they’ve been able to consistently create so many incredible character designs over the four seasons of this show. It’s unreal. It’s unparalleled! I can’t think of a single television show that’s ever done this with as much consistency or wonder or ingenuity. Borrowing bits from Cylons and Daleks, the team designed a new species that’s intimidating and mysterious. We learn very little about their species or culture over the course of “I Shrink, Therefore I Am,” but I enjoy that. It makes them so much more frightening, especially once we find out why this episode had the title that it does. My god, are they built for bounty hunting??? I imagine so, given that they can capture bounties, shrink them, AND THEN WEAR THEM. It’s brilliant. BRILLIANT. I was fascinated by how they easily respected the fact that Crichton was a formidable enemy! I also dug the fact that by the end of this episode, Crichton had to admit that he couldn’t beat the Coreeshis. They were better equipped to fight him, and he flat out lost. So he figured that turning them against Axikor was his best bet! TOO BAD THEY ALL MELTED, OH MY GOD.
Crichton and Scorpius, the buddy cop comedy we’ve always wanted
If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m kind of obsessed with the buddy cop trope in all its forms, and by gods, this episode gives me it IN SPADES. Forced to work with Scorpius, Crichton has to examine exactly what he’s going to do with the guy. Along the way? SHENANIGANS. SO MANY SHENANIGANS. That includes lots of bickering, Crichton refusing to trust Scorpius until he has to, Scorpius finding out he’s got an unloaded gun and that he’s bait, AND IT’S JUST SO BEAUTIFUL TO WATCH.
So what exactly is Crichton supposed to do with Scorpius? We still don’t know what his ulterior motive is. (I’m referring to what he told Sikozu.) But he did help here, there wasn’t some awful twist or betrayal, and… I don’t know, y’all. I don’t think he’s necessarily trustworthy. I know that, at the very least, he wants to keep Crichton alive and away from Grayza or the Scarrans for his own reasons. Which is enough to keep Crichton safe, sure, but that’s not really enough to trust him, right?
I AM FASCINATED BY THIS DYNAMIC SO MUCH. BRAVO, FARSCAPE.
Chiana’s Sight
What’s going on here, y’all? We’ve still never gotten an explanation as to why she has this power, and now her blindness is lasting longer than usual. I’m concerned. What’s happening to her?
Shrink Rays!
While this is (mostly) wrapped up neatly by the end of the episode, I did like the utilization of the shrinking within this episode. It added to the dread we felt because the Coreeshis were designed to be so invulnerable. (Well…. almost!) But my favorite part? That bizarre fight scene between Axikor and Crichton. IT’S SO WEIRD AND INTENSE, AND I LOVE IT.
Scarrans and Tormented Space
What a twist!!!! Y’ALL, AXIKOR WAS REALLY A SCARRAN IN DISGUISE WHAT A COMMITMENT TO A DISGUISE. This is a thrilling way to re-introduce the threat of the Scarrans on top of everything else. “I Shrink, Therefore I Am” absolutely had to sell the idea that the Scarrans were not just desperate for Crichton, but that they were closer than ever to capturing him. Look at how easily Axikor was able to infiltrate the Coreeshis, find Crichton’s crew, capture all of them and nearly catch Crichton, too. He’s the first legitimate threat this season, and he got dangerously close to them all. This is not going to stop anytime soon, and the crew has to admit by the end of this episode that there are now TOO MANY PEOPLE LOOKING FOR THEM.
Y’all, it’s called TORMENTED SPACE. Tormented!!! Are you kidding me? Shit, it’s got so much potential. A place full of wormholes that even Scarrans and Peacekeepers won’t travel in? AND THEY’RE ALL WILLINGLY GOING THERE? Sign me up. NOW. I am so stoked for this ride, and I know it’s going to be messed up, and I’M SO EXCITED.
The video for “I Shrink, Therefore I Am” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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