Rygel's old nemesis Durka proves not to be dead after all, and a new face joins Moya's crew.
(Originally aired August 13, 1999)
Written by Grant McAloon
Directed by Tony Tilse
GUEST STARS
David Wheeler -- Capt. Selto Durka
Tiriel Mora -- Salis
WHAT HAPPENED
Crichton and the rest of Moya's crew are having a rough ride. Moya's advancing pregnancy has made starburst maneuvers difficult for her.
When they emerge from starburst, they're right in the path of another ship, and Moya is too weakened to evade. The ensuing collision doesn't harm the Leviathan, but it badly damages the other ship.
After bringing the ship aboard, Moya's crew cautiously goes to the hangar to see who they've collided with and what they can do to repair the damage. An old man with long white hair emerges, and telling them that he is unarmed and that there are two more on the ship.
When
Rygel joins the rest in the hangar, he's shocked to recognize the old man. "You! You can't be alive!" he shouts. "I saw your stinking corpse!"
He's certain the old man is Durka, the Peacekeeper captain who tortured him years ago about the Zelbinion ("
PK Tech Girl"). Crichton can't believe it, telling Rygel "you're way off base here."
"No," the old man says. "He is not off base. I am Durka." (more
spoilers)
ANALYSIS
After 14 episodes, why introduce
Chiana?
That's not a complaint -- both the character and actress Gigi Edgley have brought nothing but good things to the show. But she seems like something of an afterthought.
Chiana's probably not strictly necessary to the mix of skills and inclinations among the characters. Most of them are impulsive and a bit selfish, and Rygel has demonstrated some impressive talents for breaking, entering and pilfering.
She does complement the others as a master of both burglary and creating distractions. Edgley plays her as an exceptionally athletic character, so wiry and energetic that she can make just standing around feel like an action scene.
If she largely duplicates some of Rygel's talents, she can go places and do things impossible to the height-challenged Hynerian. That makes her guttersnipe personality no accident -- it keeps her and the imperious Dominar's behavior patterns from becoming too similar.
You can never have too many love interests
Chiana also provides another useful romantic foil to Crichton. The attraction between them is immediate, probably because they're such opposite personalities.
Even without
Gilina in the picture, Crichton is caught between the duty-driven Aeryn and the irresponsible Chiana. Neither of them is a safe match for his straightforward nature, but they're both tantalizing possibilities.
It's no wonder the square-jawed astronaut tries to treat her largely as a kid sister in later episodes. She's a relative youngster among her species, and Crichton's life is complicated enough already.
Chiana as catalyst
It may or may not have been planned, but Chiana's personality and skills prove crucial for setting the tone of the last third of the season. At first, she's a new face at the table, an outsider who points out to the others that they are a group, more used to each other than anyone else.
Her ability to sneak or lie her way into situations establishes her value to the family, and her usually unstated wish not to be alone makes her receptive to joining them.
She's the most singular, chaotic and outrageous of Moya's family -- learning to love and accept her means learning to love everybody else. As the one furthest on the outside, she binds the family tighter together the closer she comes to them.
Dramatically, she's the last to arrive because she has to be. And Chiana probably wouldn't have it any other way.
WHAT WE LEARN
Nebari have a rigidly conformist culture, in which the free-spirited Chiana is a complete misfit.
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
It's fairly certain that Durka killed Salis -- but Chiana's coy refusal to provide an alibi does open up the possibility that she really did do it.
TUNE IN NEXT WEEK
. . . when the Sci-Fi Channel begins to rerun the four-episode season finale with "
Nerve" and "Hidden Memory". New episodes start March 17!
What do you think? Send comments to the
author or editor.
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