Self-Inflicted Wounds - Could'a, Would'a, Should'a

Farscape episode
“Self-Inflicted Wounds Part I: Could'a, Would'a, Should'a”
Episode no.	Season 3 Episode 03
Guest star(s)	Tammy MacIntosh (Jool), Victoria Longley (Neeyala), Nicholas Hope (Kreetago), Dwayne Fernandez (Cresto), Kerith Atkinson (Shreena), Brian Carbee (Lastren)
Writer(s)	David Kemper
Director	Tony Tilse
Production no.	10303
Original airdate	March 30, 2001 (US); September 10, 2001 (UK)
Episode chronology
← Previous	Next →
"Suns and Lovers"	"Self-Inflicted Wounds - Wait for the Wheel"

Zhaan's salvation is delayed when Moya collides with another ship, both becoming trapped in a wormhole with no way out.

Synopsis

Aeryn Sun and Ka D'Argo are moving the remaining Interion cryo-chamber and D'Argo is still hurting from finding out about Ka Jothee and Chiana, but doesn't want to discuss it. Aeryn tells him they were just rebelling like children and offers to listen to him.

Stark is watching Zhaan in her quarters, as her condition is getting much worse. John Crichton complains to Pilot that Stark says Zhaan needs to be "put in soil" soon, to which Pilot says a planet meeting requirements is less than an arn away. Crichton wants to go immediately but Pilot says he thought Crichton might like to see this first it's a wormhole Crichton tells Pilot to take readings, but Pilot says that a ship is approaching fast, and it collides with Moya.

When Crichton gets up, the two ships appear to have some how merged. Pilot and Moya are in a bad state, when an alien steps out calling for "Neeyala". Crichton pulls his gun on him and everyone panics in a standoff. Stark and D'Argo go to tend to Pilot as the alien comments to Neeyala that they seem to communicate in different tongues and yet all understand each other. A DRD injects her with translator microbes and she introduces herself to the crew as Pathfinder Neeyala.

D'Argo and Stark are with Pilot, who vomits everywhere, saying that he cannot function here. He tells them to disconnect him from Moya's neural nexus and then vomits again.

The merged ships are still stuck in the wormhole, as Neeyala explains that her ship was regaining dimensionality when the ships collided. They are trying to bring online a generator that will hopefully help separate them. The alien man, Kreetago, attempts to join in the discussion only to be rebuked by Aeryn because for not being injected with the translator microbes, however she must show him around the ship to help familiarize himself with the ship. Neeyala says that they can escape the wormhole through a small gap that they pass every third of an arn. They have ricocheted into the "turbulent zone" of the wormhole – the distorted region dividing a wormhole from normal space-time.

In her quarters, Zhaan sees an image of an Earth-like planet through her window before an image of a serpent flies past. Stark enters and Zhaan tells him that the Goddess has chosen her harbinger. Stark tells her of the planet that is near, but she says a serpent lies between which Stark says is a hallucination. She tells him that he's so afraid to let go and he tells her he has a darkness that frightens lovers away; when he assists the dying he involuntarily absorbs a tiny part of their existence. Over the cycles he's accumulated a vast reservoir of evil. He says that he can't bear to lose the one thing that mitigates the twisted core of his existence.

Crichton explains to D'Argo and Stark that they need to wake Pilot to get starburst when they get to the gap. Everyone goes to seal all the vents while they have time. When Chiana arrives to assist D'Argo, he's less than friendly. He's still cold with regard to their relationship.

In the cargo bay, Rygel has accidentally triggered the remaining cryo-chamber to open. The woman inside suddenly wakes up, asks who Crichton is, and says his time is up. She thinks he's Sebacean and when asked she clearly hasn't heard of Earth. Crichton asks her name, to which she replies Joolushko Tunai Fenta Hovalis, but it's so long he shortens it to "Jool." When Rygel tells her that she was in the chamber for 22 cycles she lets out a terrible scream which melts nearby metal.

Moya starbursts, but it only causes more damage instead of setting them free. Zhaan tries to heal one of Neeyala's injured crew, but since Neeyala is the only one with translator microbes she cannot communicate with it. Neeyala believes that the generator can be repaired before they're all incapacitated, but she needs vital information about their position within the wormhole and asks Crichton to get it. Stark tells Crichton that stopping starburst took everything out of Pilot, so Aeryn goes to help. She has a private word with Crichton first where she brings up how suicidal the plan is. She's worried that the wormhole's getting him a little too excited. Meanwhile, Zhaan says she couldn't save Cresto and Neeyala gives Crichton a position recorder and says that she appreciates the risk he's taking.

As Aeryn opens the hangar doors, Stark, rather disturbingly, notices how pretty she is. She says that she's not Zhaan and they'll get her out of here and put her in the soil that she needs to heal. Meanwhile, a young Pathfinder named Shreena tells Kreetago that the generator is leaking and she doesn't want to die, but Kreetago says that the information on the ship must be saved no matter the cost.

Jool asks Rygel how her cousins died and as he's about to say Chiana enters and stops him from blabbing. Jool asks what they're not telling her, but Chiana says they're in a crisis so to either shut up, help, or go back to sleep. Jool says that she won't be spoken to like that by some "alley whore" when Crichton comes in to take Rygel with him. They leave in Farscape-1 and begin to take readings.

Aeryn goes to D'Argo telling him Pilot's been unconscious for an arn and he should stop ripping out the wiring. D'Argo's angry with himself, though, because he almost forgave Chiana. He asks how he could trust Chiana again and then asks if Aeryn can trust Crichton. She says that he trusts the aliens and that wormholes seem to blind him. Suddenly a serpent shoots past... and it's definitely real.

Rygel asks what he and Crichton are doing here since they're just recording images. He wants to escape the wormhole, but Crichton tells him he's being selfish. Rygel reminds him how they all came together against their will and all want to go home.

Zhaan is with Pilot and Stark says how masterful she is with him. Zhaan says that he must replace her and minister to these souls. Stark says he loves her and Zhaan asks if she didn't feel the same and more how could she ask this sacrifice of him?

Rygel attempts to take over the module, escaping from the wormhole, but Crichton whacks him and goes back in, where they get caught in the docking web. Rygel swears that Crichton has attacked him for the last time.

Aeryn and Zhaan have Neeyala in command and are questioning her about the serpent. She says that she could have killed them all, but didn't and instead worked with them, proving her intentions. She explains that the serpent only exists in wormholes and is only visible when shifts in the phase are present. Jool and Chiana run in having been scared by the serpent, when it comes into command.

D'Argo and Stark meet in the corridor saying that systems are failing everywhere. D'Argo blames Pilot, but Stark says the stress on Moya is frying junctions everywhere – the wormhole is killing her. Meanwhile, Zhaan visits Rygel who is preparing to kill Crichton, but talks him out of it. He tells her he appreciates her counsel and she says that by him accepting it she knows so.

Crichton is watching the images captured from the wormhole, only he's watching them in his mind with Harvey, sitting on his car at a drive-thru. Harvey resents being called there at Crichton's whim and when asked says he thinks Scorpius is alive and that the wormhole technology is the center of a new research facility. Crichton tells him that only one ship can survive and Harvey says he knows; it's a shame about Moya. He asks if Crichton called him to talk him out of his guilt, which Crichton refutes saying he still hasn't decided. Harvey tells Crichton that he knows he's already made the decision to abandon Moya in favor of the wormhole technology and is simply trying to justify the decision to himself. Reminding him that if Moya and Pilot are to die anyway he needs to take advantage of the huge prize that has dropped upon him and call it a day.

Later, the crew are debating which ship to use, with Zhaan, Stark, Aeryn, and D'Argo objecting to leaving Moya while Crichton, Jool and Neeyala are in favor. Neeyala explains that after separation one vessel slides into the portal maintaining a chance of surviving, the other will tumble through the wall to normal space. While Zhaan continues to object, Rygel and Crichton say they have to leave Moya and Zhaan comments on how desperate Crichton must be for the wormhole technology. D'Argo adds that he places his obsession above the lives of his friends. After everyone leaves, Rygel tells Jool what really happened to her cousins.

Zhaan meets Chiana in a corridor and Chiana says that she feels guilty as she loves Pilot and Moya, but doesn't want to die here, so Zhaan comforts her.

Aeryn tells Crichton in a cargo bay that everything is blown. After Aeryn leaves, Jool enters and attempts to kill Crichton, but is unsuccessful and D'Argo tongues her. D'Argo notices that the gap in the force field of the ship he brought aboard is the key to its access, then tells Crichton to lock Jool up.

Neeyala tells Shreena that she does not enjoy sending the youngling to her death, but plays a guilt trip about her family and says the crew of Moya must not know her true mission. Meanwhile, Chiana checks a panel, but before she closes it, it shorts out. She tells the others that there's no way they can repair all the damage. A big shake occurs and Aeryn says that settles it – they will abandon Moya.

As everyone reflects on the decision, D'Argo sees Chiana and says that he can't leave her alone in pain. Once again, Crichton watches the pictures from the wormhole in Pilot's den, and tells Pilot he's so sorry. He notices one of the pictures is a familiar black and white scene. It's the Three Stooges. Suddenly, the serpent attacks and he's left hanging on the edge of the walkway, with a long drop below...

To Be Continued...

Memorable quotes

John: Hey sleeping beauty. Wake up and die

D'Argo: Now, John, we're trapped in this... vawn of a wormhole. Pilot's unconscious, Moya is dying, and my son has slept with my betrothed. LOCK... THIS WOMAN... UP!

• Aeryn:(to Kreetargo despite the translation barrier) You can shut the frell up i think, because if you're not going to take the translator microbes, you don't get to participate, tell him that!

Background information

• Among the civilizations photographed by the Pathfinder vessel's sensor are the Acquarans from "Jeremiah Crichton" and the Sykarans from "Thank God It's Friday... Again"
• Crais does not appear in this episode
• The original idea for this episode came up in 1998 when Rockne S. O'Bannon and David Kemper were brainstorming story ideas. ("Cool Farscape Facts" - Starburst Edition DVD v3.1)
• In her shortened role in the third season, Virginia Hey wore a bald cap while in previous seasons she had shaved her head. ("Cool Farscape Facts" - Starburst Edition DVD v3.1)
• According to Paul Goddard, Pilot's puke was "tastier than it looked" and was not as revolting as it appeared on screen. ("Cool Farscape Facts" - Starburst Edition DVD v3.1)
• Jool's hair was designed to change colors with her mood, blonde when calm, vivid red when excited. ("Cool Farscape Facts" - Starburst Edition DVD v3.1)
• Before deciding on the Three Stooges, other possibilities for the Earth transmission were I Love Lucy, Mr. Ed, and the Marx Brothers. ("Cool Farscape Facts" - Starburst Edition DVD v3.1)
• The wormhole snake was created as CG by Animal Logic. The original plans to have Jim Henson's Creature Shop create a snake head for closeups were dropped during filming. ("Cool Farscape Facts" - Starburst Edition DVD v3.1)
• The script for the episode suggested that the Pathfinder vessel was about 1/20th the size of Moya. ("Cool Farscape Facts" - Starburst Edition DVD v3.1)
• There's a landmass in the shape of the continental United States on the planet Zhaan sees fly by as she's looking out the window.

Links and references

Starring

• Ben Browder as John Crichton
• Claudia Black as Aeryn Sun
• Anthony Simcoe as Ka D'Argo
• Virginia Hey as Zotoh Zhaan
• Gigi Edgley as Chiana
• Paul Goddard as Stark
• Lani Tupu as Bialar Crais
• Wayne Pygram as Scorpius

Guest stars

• Tammy MacIntosh as Jool
• Victoria Longley as Neeyala
• Nicholas Hope as Kreetago

Guest cast

• Dwayne Fernandez as Cresto
• Kerith Atkinson as Shreena
• Brian Carbee as Lastren

Puppeteers

• Sean Masterson
• Tim Mieville
• Mat McCoy
• Mario Halouvas
• Fiona Gentle
• Dave Collins

Voice artists

• Jonathan Hardy as Rygel
• Lani Tupu as Pilot

References

Ancient; arn; arth; Bailey, F. Lee; bio-mechanoid; briko; Buckwheat; cargo bay; Colonel Klink; Command; cycle; docking web; Dominar; DRD; drist; dumpster; fairway; Farscape-1; frell; galla root; Gammak Base; Goddess of the Delvian Seek; golf; Guido; hamman; Harvey; hetch; hezmana; Hogan's Heroes; Holy Grail; Human; ion backwash chamber; Ka Jothee; Leviathan; Lo'La; Luxan tongue sting; mesot; microt; Motel 6; Moya; neural cluster; neural nexus; Pa'u; Pathfinder; Pathfinder vessel; phasic restin ion; Phaztillin generator; Pilot's den; pizza; position recorder; Predorian fly; pulse rifle; Rado Slana; Roto-Rooter; Scorpius; Sebacean; selticore vent; Sleeping Beauty; Slijot; Sparky; spillet; Stanerian lizard; Star Trek; starburst; Three Stooges; ThroneSled; translator microbe; Trintika Major; Uncle Sam; wellot; Winona; wormhole; wormhole technology

External link

• Farscape World Synopsis by Dani Moure