In the fifth episode of the second season of Farscape, I AM DONE, NOW AND FOREVER. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Farscape.
While I don’t see much here that links this episode to what happened in the previous one, I think there’s a subtle parallel here in terms of how “The Way We Weren’t” was written. It is incredibly risky to have characters do things that are undeniably unlikable. There are components of that in the last episode, but the writers explore this dynamic with a lot more brutality here. And unlike Crichton’s story in the last episode, Aeryn’s story is not without consequence or accountability. From the opening scene through to the end, we’re not allowed to forget what a horrible thing Aeryn did. Her past as a Peacekeeper is always relevant.
But it’s not like the show also ignores how much she’s grown, either. However, what if someone onboard Moya once did something so horrific that it’s practically unforgivable? Given that the backstories of these characters are often muddled and unclear, it stands to reason that one of them actually did do something worthy of being in prison. The ironic twist here, of course, is that it was Aeryn, and she never once did any time in a prison for what she did.
This is a difficult, complicated, and risky episode of this show, and I’m so pleased that it was pulled off with such respect and detail. This was undeniably a huge episode for Farscape, one that re-contextualized the past and gave us a new subplot for the future. But it’s in the show’s flashbacks that we get to see how Farscape can further twist and push the boundaries of the sort of stories they can tell within this narrative. The opening scene delivers us a shocker: Aeryn and Crais were both instrumental in killing the Pilot that came before the Pilot we know now. Our Pilot was a replacement, one who was forced to graft with Moya in order to fulfill an experiment that Crais was running. The video that Chiana finds onboard unearths the uncomfortable past that Aeryn possesses, and it’s through this that the writers explore Aeryn’s development over the past year.
Again, no one, including Aeryn herself, denies what life as a Peacekeeper was like. While the rest of the crew is justifiably disgusted with what they see on the video, they do make attempts to express the fact that they understand that Aeryn has changed. Crichton himself is the most openly sympathetic person for Aeryn, which is a nice change from all the rage we’d seen in the past episodes this season. He does his best to get her to talk about what happened all those cycles ago because he can clearly see that it’s bothering her. Hell, he recognizes this before she beats her knuckles to a pulp in the workout room.
If this story had been solely about her murder of the original pilot and her eventual betrayal of Velorek, I’d still have nothing but positive things to say about “The Way We Weren’t.” But in addition to this thrilling, haunting plot, we finally get the information necessary to understand why Aeryn has been so resistant to Crichton in terms of romance. It’s part worldbuilding, part character building, and it helps flesh out the reasons Aeryn did what she did as a Peacekeeper. At the heart of this is the fact that Peacekeeper culture necessitates breeding for purposes of passing along pure bloodlines, but otherwise? Peacekeepers are encouraged to pursue purely physical relationships as often as they like. Both options are empty and devoid of emotional attachments, so much so that Peacekeepers are well aware that they simply do not fall in love. Well, they’re not supposed to.
AND LORD, THIS EXPLAINS SO MUCH, not just for Aeryn, but for all the interactions we’ve seen between Peackeepers. They’ve got so little sexual tension between them. When they’re working, they are clinical and detached. And if they’re encouraged to deal with their sexual impulses as often as they need to, it helps explain the atmosphere we’ve seen. For Aeryn, though, it’s a clear explanation for her distance from Crichton. It explains why she was willing to have sex with him and forget about it in “A Human Reaction.” I’d even say it contributes to her reluctance to just be vulnerable around him. If she’s so unused to being close to other beings, wouldn’t it make sense that she’d still cling to that after leaving the Peacekeepers?
Of course, it’s a lot more complicated than that because Aeryn did fall for someone. Torn between the confusing and exciting notion of love and her own duty, Aeryn eventually chose to betray Velorek for a promotion to Prowler duty. So how does she approach love this time? She obviously has feelings for Crichton, but perhaps she’s reluctant to engage with them because she’s worried about betraying the one she loves. Again. Plus, it’s not like she has a whole lot of experience navigating this sort of thing, you know?
But the bulk of “The Way We Weren’t” shows us the past through the eyes of Aeryn and Pilot, who both had to deal with traumatizing and upsetting developments in their lives. Admittedly, things were way worse for Pilot, who betrayed his elders in order to take the opportunity to travel aboard a Leviathan. (OH MY GOD, IT’S PILOT’S HOMEWORLD, I’M SO DONE.) While Aeryn is still responsible for being one of the Peacekeepers to slaughter the original pilot, Pilot has to cope with the fact that his choice sealed that pilot’s fate. If Velorek hadn’t found a replacement, she’d still be alive. This episode also details the painful and disturbing process by which Pilot was grafted to Moya. Instead of taking over a cycle for the bond to grow, Pilot was forced to bond, as was Moya. They were tortured into their arrangement. And even worse? This episode reveals that the grafting caused Pilot constant, permanent pain. PILOT HAS BEEN IN PAIN FOR OVER THREE CYCLES BUT SIMPLY LEARNED TO IGNORE IT.
OH MY GOD WHAT IS THIS SHOW DOING TO ME.
The writers don’t ignore that Aeryn still played a part in this, nor do they belittle Pilot for his angry, furious reaction to discovering Aeryn’s role in his grafting. But the second half of “The Way We Weren’t” provides the context we need for what might be the most shocking aspect of this episode: Pilot ripping himself free of Moya. The show had done such a fantastic job explaining Pilot’s connection to Moya prior to this that IÂ knew what a horrifying development this was. It’s based on Pilot’s own guilt, isn’t it? He really felt like Moya deserved a better pilot than him, and even if he put the other passengers at risk, he believed he wasn’t worthy of such a wonderful ship.
BASICALLY, THIS EPISODE IS RELENTLESSLY SAD AND UPSETTING. It’s a constant surprise, and I honestly think it’s the absolute best episode I’ve seen of Farscape thus far. While the story is simply stunning, it’s the emotional resonance that makes it so memorable. I loved the idea that both these characters had to forgive themselves first and that they had a long, painful journey ahead of them. But they’re willing to do it together. I know that this episode hit so hard because Aeryn and Pilot were super close, and that’s even openly addressed in the dialogue here. So I feel like “The Way We Weren’t” only solidifies their connection, giving them another reason to grow closer. Also, can I remind y’all that Aeryn is stroking a CRYING PUPPET and it’s like the most emotional thing ever??? HOW DOES THIS SHOW DO IT???
Damn, well done, Farscape.
The video for “The Way We Weren’t” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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