" form a dramatic unit on their own.
There's a nice balance between which plot elements are resolved and which are left open. Aeryn's confrontation with Crais, the death of Gilina and the birth of Moya's baby are all important resolutions, but there's plenty more to come.
For example, we now know who Stark is, but his dramatic moment hasn't come yet -- we'll probably have to wait for the next two episodes for that.
Likewise, we're not done with Scorpius either, especially after the fourth act closes on such a dramatic image of him. We now know what ships -- Moya and her baby -- are silhouetted against a bright explosion shown in the trailers, and it's a fair bet that Scorpius' wormhole research is somehow responsible.
Moya's baby is a perfect example of how this episode combines resolution and complication. A more pedestrian series would hold off the birth until the final episode of the season, creating a traditionally satisfying dramatic climax.
By moving the birth up two episodes, the expected climax became a surprise. The fact that the baby has been genetically altered creates a new complication, which will probably lead to a bigger climax in the season finale.
"I lost everything because of you -- and you know what I learned while Iwas away from you? Everything I lost isn't worth a damn."
Farewell, PK tech girl
Another dramatic resolution is much sadder.
Our minds continually draw connections between birth and death, and good stories rarely have one without some hint of the other. The anguish of Gilina's death plays off the satisfaction of the baby's birth, and each storyline enhances the other.
I'm finding myself in an uncomfortably split position. In three appearances, Gilina established herself as a lively and sympathetic character. As a viewer, I'm miserable that she's been killed off. As a critic, I have to applaud how bad the writers and actors have made me feel about her death.
So far, Farscape is doing a magnificent job with its season-ending arc. Now the show faces the difficult task of making us look back in a few weeks and say, "Those first two episodes of the finale were great, but they were just the warm-up!"
DANGLING PLOT THREADS
What new abilities have the Peacekeepers' genetic tampering given Moya's son, and where will his loyalties lie? Will he need a Pilot, and if so, where will they find one?
Will Crais' already shaky sanity survive being left in the chair by Aeryn?
Scorpius is alive and well, as is his wormhole project. What's his next move?
What place is it that Stark remembers, and why does it provide so much peace to Crichton and Gilina?
REALITY CHECK
Explosives are usually optimized to be as efficient as possible. How can Zhaan improve on the work of skilled engineers in a few hours with limited equipment?
TUNE IN NEXT WEEK WHEN . . .
Moya and her unsuspecting crew encounter a carnivorous alien in the next-to-last episode of the season, "Bone To Be Wild".
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