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Farscape episode
“Through The Looking Glass”
Ttlg
Episode no. Season 1
Episode 17
Guest star(s) Gigi Edgely (Chiana); June Salter (Voice of Interdimensional Entity)
Writer(s) David Kemper
Director Ian Watson
Production no. 10117
Original airdate 10 September 1999 (US);10 April 2000 (UK)
Episode chronology
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"A Human Reaction" "A Bug's Life"

Synopsis

Remind the crew to tell Pilot and Moya that they should never decide when to starburst...

Moya's crew are discussing the prospect of leaving her because she is pregnant. Aeryn says she will not abandon Moya, but Zhaan agrees with D'Argo – without starburst they're all at risk. Crichton doesn't want to leave either, and Rygel says that relationships change all the time and he wants to trade Moya for a faster vessel. As the argument continues, Pilot appears on the clamshell and says that he and Moya want them to stay since they are most fulfilled when serving others. He says that they should have been included in the discussion, and to prepare for immediate starburst to prove that Moya is capable. During starburst they appear to hit something, and everyone falls from their seats.

Aeryn says that they must have hit something, and the fibres on Zhaan's arm are damaged. They suddenly notice that Rygel is missing, and a white light is surrounding the ship. D'Argo goes to walk to command when he suddenly disappears in front of their eyes, then when Aeryn walks forward, she disappears too! Crichton makes it to command, where Pilot says that most systems are out, and Moya's frightened and in great pain. He reads Rygel on tier eight and Aeryn in maintenance bay three, he's still looking for D'Argo. Chiana wants to leave, but Crichton says not without everyone else. Zhaan goes to comfort Pilot in his den, whilst Crichton tells Chiana to look for Rygel. She says no, but Crichton says Pilot can't get the outer doors open, and so she goes to find Rygel.

Crichton goes to the maintenance bay, but Aeryn is not there. A table begins to shake when suddenly Crichton gets sucked in to the "red Moya". He gets nauseous and throws up since the light is affecting his vision. He goes to Pilot's den, where the controls are moving but Pilot is not there. D'Argo is also nauseous in red Moya, and he sees Crichton walk past but he can't get to him. Crichton hears another sound, and climbs on a table, hoisting himself into "blue Moya", where a piercing noise is deafening him.

He finds Aeryn, but they can't speak, so use hand signals to ask if either has seen D'Argo or Rygel. Both say no, and they go to where Crichton hoisted himself into the blue Moya, but this doesn't work, much to Crichton's confusion. They walk along the corridor, when something rips through the air behind them, revealing a bright light. They continue to Rygel's quarters, but he is not there. Crichton spots his tape recorder on the table, but when he reaches for it he gets sucked into "yellow Moya".

Crichton finds Rygel there, who is just laughing at everything, and calls him "cute". Crichton explains what happened, and he starts to laugh too. They go on, continually laughing. He tells Rygel to listen for a noise, but Rygel won't take him seriously so he leaves him. As he walks along the corridor, he hears the noise down a chute. He jumps down and returns to normal Moya.

Chiana and Zhaan tell Pilot that he's giving them false information as to the others' locations, they are not on board. Crichton enters and tells them that there are at least three other Moyas, and asks Pilot if he knows anything similar to what is happening. Pilot says that starburst is the seam between space-time dimensions; Moya rides the stream and is pushed out at a random location. She entered starburst without adequate thrust, so they appear to be stuck in starburst, with whatever is on the other side. Crichton explains about the creature, and tells them to get guns whilst he works with Pilot.

Pilot explains how to reverse thrusters, and says they're still getting sucked in. Crichton says that Moya didn't have to starburst, but Pilot says it is no time for recriminations; they should have been up front, and he says that Moya is very scared. Crichton tells Zhaan and Chiana that he has a plan, when the creature rips through again. Crichton tells Zhaan to stay with Pilot, as he and Chiana go through to red Moya.

The light doesn't affect her, and D'Argo walks in asking what is going on. Chiana says she's heard of it before – her people's weapons scientists once poked a hole through to another dimension, but once widened they lost control, and the whole solar system, four planets, dissolved into dust. Crichton tells D'Argo that they have to get the engines going all at once, when the creature bursts through. They shoot it, and it retreats. D'Argo gets ready in Pilot's den, and so Crichton and Chiana enter blue Moya.

Chiana starts screaming, the noise seemingly amplified in her head. Crichton picks her up, carrying her away, and sends her through to yellow Moya. The creature bursts through, and Crichton just stares at its scratch marks. Aeryn appears and shoots at it, then gives Crichton a headset so the can speak. She asks why he didn't shoot the creature, but he doesn't know. He tells Aeryn the plan, and she says to go, she knows what to do. Crichton says that Pilot was very specific, but she recites what to do for full reverse, after all she has some of Pilot's DNA (1.09 "DNA Mad Scientist"). He notices the scratch marks again, and then goes through to yellow Moya.

The white light is cutting many of the corridors off. He goes to Pilot's den, where Chiana and Rygel are joking together. He performs the sequence for full reverse, and tells her if anything goes wrong to restore the green knob. He then returns to normal Moya.

Pilot reports full reverse power, but says they're still being drawn in. He and Zhaan go to command, where Crichton again notices the scratch marks. Pilot says that Moya could purposely lose the baby, since that would increase the power. Both say no, that is not an option and they will go together and keep the baby. The creature bursts through, with the rip being much larger than before. Pilot tells them to shoot it, because Moya is so scared. Crichton tells Zhaan to hold her fire, noticing that the scratch marks are all grouped in prime numbers, so it must be trying to communicate. He goes and enters the hole, where everything is white. He spots the creature, who says that they have breached his realm, and its function is to repair the breaches. It says that it will destroy them, and if they reverse it will tear the rupture beyond repair. It says to go forward, it will attempt to conduct them to the space that they began. He comes out of the hole, and Pilot and Zhaan say he barely got his head in the hole, so there was no time to speak. Crichton says they must starburst forward, and Pilot explains that they have to reverse the last four controls. Crichton says to give him 500 microts.

He goes to red Moya and explains to D'Argo what to do – go forward in 300 microts. Then he returns to blue Moya, puts on his headset and tells Aeryn to go forward maximum thrust in 150 microts. He has to take the long route to quarters, because the light is taking over the ship. He goes to yellow Moya and puts it in maximum thrust at the right time. The four Moyas converge, and she exits starburst with everyone on top of Pilot's controls. They burst into laughter, but Pilot fails to see the source of their amusement.

They are all once again around the table eating, telling stories and joking. D'Argo asks if it is him or is this the best food they've ever had. Aeryn says she could live on anything here for a cycle. The jokes continue until Pilot interrupts and asks how they can be so jovial after such a near miss. Aeryn says it affected him profoundly, and asks how he and Moya are handling it. He says well enough to alleviate their concerns about starburst problems. There has also been a change in the baby's status: Moya feels the day she gives birth is near. Crichton says that this is one of the good days, and they toast to a healthy and happy baby.

Trivia

  • The title refers to Lewis Carroll's novel Through the Looking Glass, the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
  • David Kemper originally pitched this concept as an idea for an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation
  • The music style for each dimension is different, with little music on yellow Moya, ominous music on red Moya, and dreamy music on blue Moya.
  • One working title for this episode was "The Fifth Reality"
  • This episode seems to establish that Nebari have more sensitive hearing that humans or Sebaceans

Quotes

Rygel: (As they prepare to starburst out of the rift) Shall I disrobe so it's memorable?
Zhaan: My dear, I've kicked more arse than you've sat on.
Rygel: (sings) Oh, there is no expanse of the mind the Will cannot traverse;

Or physically, the distance laid across the Universe; There's blessings many in the stars, save one lamented curse; That Sixteenth Rygel, glory me, must travel in reverse!

John: I gotta get outta here before I end up like you!
Rygel: What? Handsome with a great sexual prowess?
John: Ugh! Aww, salmonella, what is that?
Rygel: That's kroll-dar, a delicacy--even for pagans.
John: Yeah? Well how long was it under your butt getting delicate?
Pilot: I fail to see the source of your amusement.

Sources

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