{"id":3910,"date":"2014-07-31T08:00:42","date_gmt":"2014-07-31T15:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/?p=3910"},"modified":"2014-07-22T15:04:48","modified_gmt":"2014-07-22T22:04:48","slug":"mark-watches-farscape-s01e14-jeremiah-crichton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/2014\/07\/mark-watches-farscape-s01e14-jeremiah-crichton\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Watches ‘Farscape’: S01E14 – Jeremiah Crichton"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the fourteenth episode of the first season of\u00c2\u00a0Farscape<\/em>, I can’t explain this one. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch\u00c2\u00a0Farscape<\/em>.<\/p>\n

I’ve sat here for at least ten minutes, trying to sort out my thoughts on “Jeremiah Crichton,” and my rough draft is not helping. My thoughts aren’t all that coherent or organized, and I blame that on what I just saw because\u00c2\u00a0it was not coherent or organized<\/em>. It’s not the\u00c2\u00a0worst<\/em> thing I’ve ever seen by a longshot, but lord. What was this?<\/p>\n

The Good<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Look, I\u00c2\u00a0think<\/em> the writers were trying to tackle the concept of colonialism and oppression. So I appreciate that Rygel finally gets his wish here \u00e2\u20ac\u201c to have worship and adoration \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but comes to feel uncomfortable with his place in this culture’s oppression. Once he realizes that his own empire purposely subjugated these people and then abandoned them, he doesn’t really want anything to do with ruling them. THIS IS GREAT. I just wish that they’d taken this a bit further. It’s such a fascinating thing to do with Rygel’s character! I thought that “Jeremiah Crichton” would only deal with Crichton’s role in this village, so it was a surprise when the focus switched to Rygel.<\/p>\n

Despite that I fully acknowledge that it’s underdeveloped, I’m totally in favor of scenes where Aeryn and Zhaan learn to get along to solve a problem. FANTASTIC. ENTERTAINING. MORE OF THIS. Oh god, I might just ship them soon enough if they keep smirking at one another.<\/p>\n

The Bad<\/strong><\/p>\n

Where the hell do I start?<\/p>\n

Crichton’s temper tantrum is tonally jarring and way too sudden. Let’s just begin with that. I’m fine with him being portrayed as flawed. By all means, go down that path! But how on earth does this character go from telling Aeryn in “Rhapsody in Blue” that she should experience more wonder and excitement as they travel the universe, to a bitter, angry, and frustrated man who hates space and the people who have helped him survive all these months? The cold open feels like we just missed an entire episode, and I don’t mean that in a good way. IT’S SO WEIRD. And then he’s a jerk to D’Argo and Rygel within\u00c2\u00a0minutes<\/em> of them showing up to rescue him! DUDE.\u00c2\u00a0DUDE<\/em>.<\/p>\n

I should also start this point by stating that I thought the costuming here was a fascinating combination between East African garb and South Pacific wear. I’m not a part of these cultures so I can’t speak to any issues of cultural appropriation, but I\u00c2\u00a0was<\/em> excited to see such a diverse cast! It’s done well if you accept that these people were descendants of a group of colonists. It would explain why they all look so different! And then everything just gets so\u00c2\u00a0weird<\/em>. The\u00c2\u00a0trope of a tribal culture misreading someone as a god has been done a billion times in genre works. Then we’ve got the stereotype that tribal cultures are inherently violent. And then\u00c2\u00a0none of this makes sense<\/em>. Are you telling me that\u00c2\u00a0every<\/em> priestan for HUNDREDS OF YEARS lied about the power drain? None of them realized that they could obtain power by\u00c2\u00a0leaving the fucking planet?\u00c2\u00a0<\/em>It’s so utterly unbelievable! It makes this story less about colonialism and more about the colonized\u00c2\u00a0oppressing themselves<\/em>, which is a Pandora’s box of awful all by itself.<\/p>\n

One of the main problems here is that the Acquaran culture is so haphazard. You’ve got too many ideas! Women choose who to marry, not the men, but then there are two leaders? Who is actually in charge \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Neera or Koto-Re? I ask that because there are on-screen suggestions that Koto-Re cannot operate without the priestans’ approval, but it’s never really explored beyond that. Are they a primitive society? Then how come they all know how to work their electric pumps at the end of this episode? Are there seriously only a handful of people in one village on this entire planet? With no antagonistic forces, how are there not hundreds of thousands of people here? I’m glad that the writers were conscious enough of the white savior trope to not have Crichton sweep in and save Lishala, but then\u00c2\u00a0that<\/em> story is complicated further by how marriages are arranged. Do the men not have to consent to the women choosing them? How the hell am I supposed to believe that Rokon and Lishala are into each other by the end of the episode? (That’s highly suggested by the way they look at one another and stand together.)<\/p>\n

WHAT IS GOING ON IN THIS EPISODE. Like I said on video, I have a suspicion that the rest of the fandom doesn’t think highly of “Jeremiah Crichton” either. And it’s always hard for me to gauge that! I never really know, and I’ve definitely enjoyed episodes that other folks have DESPISED. But this is all over the place, consistently so, and I am at a loss for how to talk about it constructively. I mean, it’s basically an hour of John Crichton throwing a temper tantrum and deciding that\u00c2\u00a0Cast Away<\/em> is how he wants to spend the rest of his life. IT’S NOT A GOOD EPISODE.<\/p>\n

The video for “Jeremiah Crichton” can be downloaded here for $0.99<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Mark Links Stuff<\/b><\/p>\n

– If you would like to support this website and keep Mark Does Stuff running, I’ve put up a detailed post explaining how you can!<\/span><\/a>
\n– Please check out the MarkDoesStuff.com<\/span><\/a>. All Mark Watches videos for past shows\/season are now archived there!
\n– My Master Schedule<\/span><\/a> is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often.
\n– I will be at quite a few conventions and will be hosting events throughout the US, Canada, and Europe in 2014, so check my Tour Dates \/ Appearances page<\/span><\/a> often to see if I’m coming to your city!
\n– Inspired by last year’s impromptu event in London, I am taking Mark in the Park on the road! You can see all currently planned dates and pitch your own city here<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"