| It was well into the first season before the Farscape we've come to know and love arrived. "The Flax" is one of the first episodes to capture that spirit. "The Flax" is three subplots that meld into one fine show. Onboard Moya, Zhaan & Rygel must delay the guardians of the 'flax' (a kind of space web that traps ships for plunder). These pirates must be delayed because John & Aeryn are trapped in the flax and are running out of air. D'Argo, with the assistance of a rogue collector, sets out to free John 'n Aeryn. But he gets diverted to a gigantic salvage yard to search for clues about his son's wherabouts. Admittedly, there is a certain "soapy" quality to each plot, but the acting and nice storyline twists keep this way above the "All My Children" level. 'Shippers (a term for those who follow John 'n Aeryn's budding relationship) will note that this is the first episode where they reveal their feelings for each other (the earlier episode PK Tech Girl only scratched the surface). Not to mention the top notch special effects work, particulary the junk yard with the Luxon ship. A real highlight is the fantastic music by Subvision. Take particular note of the scene when D'Argo says, "...but can I look him (my son) in the eye." The background music is simply wonderful. "Jerimiah Chricton" starts off with a great tease of John being abandoned by Moya after an accidental starburst. He's stranded on a paradise-ish planet where a dampning field prevents power sources from working. The Moya crew manages to find John and keep him from the clutches of the natives. This episode features some really good special effects (take note of the first scene after the credits where John is sunbathing on his ship) and some humerous moments with Rygel. But all in all, it's not that interesting since the "natives" look like refugees from "Xena: Warrior Princess" and lack the ability to act. Plus the plot is boringly predictable, despite a end of show twist involving Rygel. All in all, a worthy edition to your Farscape collection. |