Farscape Encyclopedia Project
Register
Advertisement
Farscape episode
“What Was Lost, Part I: Sacrifice”
WWL1
Episode no. Season 4
Episode 02
Guest star(s) Raelee Hill (Sikozu); Tammy MacIntosh (Jool); Melissa Jaffer (Old woman); Rebecca Riggs (Grayza); David Franklin (Braca); Steve Le Marquand (Oo-Nii); Elizabeth Alexander (Vella); Kim De Lury (Tarnat); Dinah Shearing (Voice of Elack's Pilot)
Writer(s) Justin Monjo
Director Rowan Woods
Production no. 10402
Original airdate June 14, 2002 (US); September 30, 2002 (UK)
Episode chronology
← Previous Next →
"Crichton Kicks" "What Was Lost - Resurrection"

More of the crew are reunited, and while they discover the secrets of an ancient civilization, a serious threat looms...

Synopsis[]

Previously on Farscape... Braca tells Commandant Grayza that, if an officer superior to her orders it, he will execute her without hesitation. Grayza replies, "So says every one of your psychological evaluations, Captain Braca." Then later, Scorpius tells Braca that Grayza is a manipulator, to which Braca responds that Scorpius no longer has a ship to command.

Note that the above scenes were cut from earlier broadcasts, and as such were included in the "Previously on..." segment to bring viewers up to speed on Braca's promotion and switch to Grayza's side, and the downfall of Scorpius.

And now, on Farscape... Pilot tells John that Elack senses a planet nearby, but the weather patterns are interfering, while Rygel, Chiana and Sikozu are trying to fix scan to no avail. Pilot asks why they're searching for this planet, as it's uninhabitable. John replies that Jool told them that every few cycles the magnetics drop low enough for the dig team to stay a while. Pilot relays that Elack doesn't sense any lifeforms, but is weak so John tells her to rest as he and Chiana take a trip down to the planet, Arnessk.

In some kind of temple, Chiana and John search around with flashlights, then, as they get to a corner, they are met by an Interion pointing his weapon at them. He threatens to kill Chiana if John doesn't drop his weapon, despite them explaining that he's not a Peacekeeper. Jool and D'Argo suddenly come out imploring the Interion, Tarnat, to get back. D'Argo immediately rushes to John and gives him a hug, as Jool does the same with Chiana, despite Tarnat's objections. D'Argo asks John if Aeryn and Rygel are with them, to which John says Rygel yes, but they haven't heard from Aeryn. John asks if she's contacted them, but D'Argo says no, not yet, but she will. Chiana asks Jool if Moya's there, but Pilot and Moya are off looking for Aeryn. John spots some symbols on a wall, and D'Argo goes up to him telling him to cheer up; he has a lot to tell John about his travels. Meanwhile, Jool announces that she is extremely happy to be there, alive, with no one trying to kill them. As they leave the room, a creature is seen in the water, listening to them...

Jool tells Crichton that this is the most important planet in the Universe, when John asks about Moya getting spat out of the wormhole she was sucked into. Jool doesn't remember but says that D'Argo has gone to find the weird old lady the crew picked up following the destruction of Scorpius's Command Carrier, and she'll explain what happened, since she spoke to Pilot for arns about it. Jool explains to John and Chiana how the sensors work to detect the magnetics, and hence how much habitable time is left, and explains that this temple is the greatest archaeological find for the last one thousand cycles. Chiana, still suffering from the rough time she had away from Moya, breaks an artifact before storming off. John wants to go and find the Old Woman but since D'Argo is already looking for her Jool pleads with him to stay so she can tell him all about this place.

Chiana is looking for D'Argo, who approaches her from behind. He tells her he couldn't find the Old Woman outside so he came to look in there, and lets Chiana know that it's good to see her again.

Jool tells Crichton that 12000 cycles ago Arnesskan Priests worshiped at this temple and somehow maintained a truce with the Scarrans and the Peacekeepers for five hundred generations. No one knows how they achieved peace as they just vanished one day and no one knows why. A woman, Instructor Vella (also Interion) sneaks in saying that she knows why. First she lets John know that she can see how Tarnat mistook him for a Sebacean: same height, same color, but smaller brain capacity. She can see that John is not fascinated by the temple, and says that believe it or not this place was once a paradise. She picks up a probe and explains that three of them, which together form the Darnaz Triangle, were launched by enemies of peace, creating magnetic summers that killed the priests and drove everyone away. Jool adds that Vella has found two of the probes, and if she finds the third, legend has it that she can reverse the effects – reactivating the Darnaz Triangle.

D'Argo asks Chiana if Jool is driving her crazy yet, and Chiana replies that she just keeps going on about this place. D'Argo can understand why; it can be like an obsession and they've been working here from dawn till dusk. Chiana is then disturbed to learn that D'Argo and Jool have had a fling, and asks how he always managed to stay so far ahead of the Peacekeepers when they she was always close to being caught. D'Argo reveals his ship (which he has named Lo'La, after his deceased wife), which has the capability to turn invisible, allowing him to remain hidden from the Peacekeepers.

John explains to Rygel what is happening, and Rygel says that Moya better hurry because Elack's knackered; they need to get off her soon. External comms are suddenly cut off because systems are starting to shut down; Sikozu is trying to get John's module started in case they might need it.

On a Command Carrier, Braca shows Grayza a message that they intercepted; it's from Vella to Moya telling them to retrieve Crichton and the others as soon as possible. Grayza tells Braca that he was right - they did follow the Interion to the planet. She tells him to get them there in five arns, but first to see something. She has Scorpius in the Aurora Chair, where he says he finds her amateur attempts at torture most pleasurable. She says that maybe he can withstand it, maybe not, but the rod she has will make it all the more difficult. Braca inserts a yellow rod into Scorpius' coolant system, and Scorpius pleads with Braca not to do it because "I made you", but Braca retorts, "No, I made you". Grayza is confident that now he will tell her all the secrets about Crichton that he's holding on to because he fears that by revealing them he will then be killed, and he's probably right.

Crichton finds the Old Woman, and also the creature, Oo-Nii. She tries to get it to scatter, and then with a bit of prodding she remembers who John is. She tells him to ask Pilot the details of what happened to Moya because she needs to follow Vella. She tells him she is 293 cycles old, and anytime there is goodness it will be destroyed by a cause, or a weapon, and she won't let Vella have it. John says that he might've stopped Aeryn if he'd known about her pregnancy sooner, since she's carrying his child. The Old Woman says that she just wanted him to accept Aeryn's decision. She then spots and snaps up a small one-claw-legged snail-like creature (a Lakah) crawling up the wall nearby, crushes off it's shell and tells John that it's insides contain a substance ("Distillate of Lakah") that, when shoved up the nose, will help him forget Aeryn/everything for some time. She offers him that as an alternative, which after a moment's hesitation he refuses. Then tells him to ask Vella "If all the priests died here, why are there no bones?"

Jool and D'Argo are using a Serax carver to uncover symbols on one of the walls, and D'Argo tells her he's really enjoyed being here, so he doesn't know when he'll head off with Crichton. Vella shows up and tells him that the symbol is a prayer wheel found on every wall. She asks why he is using the carver, as in unskilled hands it can be perilous. The process that strips away age, when it hits living flesh, absorbs the molecular signature of whatever it touches, and she proceeds to turn a bug to rock.

As Grayza takes a bath, Braca tells her it's impossible for the Command Carrier to land due to the interference, but Marauders, with their less sophisticated technology, can make it through. The dig site will remain habitable for another 40 to 50 arns. She then calls Braca closer, and makes him get on his knees. He tells her the only other ship in the vicinity is a dead Leviathan in decayed orbit, and he's preparing a squad now. Grayza wipes some sort of sweaty fluid off her body and wipes it on his lips, seemingly bringing him under her complete control. He reassures her that he's not bothered by what's happened to Scorpius, and she tells him they will go to the planet with three Marauders and twenty soldiers. She will go herself to see if somehow she can use Crichton; perhaps Scorpius' enemy can be her friend, as Braca continues to try and get closer to kiss her.

Jool is with Vella, and Vella asks if Jool will keep studying when they leave the dig, while D'Argo is round the corner listening. Jool says that she will continue if allowed, and when questioned about him she says D'Argo is her friend. Vella states that he's not her equal; intellectually Luxans are an inferior subspecies, and she will be blamed for any of his mistakes, which Jool knows and accepts.

John is outside, when Tarnat brings the Old Woman out at gunpoint. He arrested her because she told him what John was planning. She bites Tarnat's arm and runs to safety behind John, continually egging him on to shoot Tarnat, saying they won't use the probes for good. John tries to persuade Tarnat that he's not a threat; he just wants Moya to come so he can leave. Except for one thing, and he punches Tarnat saying "do not point your guns at people!" The Old Woman tries to get John to punch Tarnat again, and shows him how it's done. She says that he has to shoot people because Vella will take the probes and use them as a weapon; that's why she sent the rest of the dig team away. There was once peace here and she thinks that John should see what was lost here, so she blows some herbs in his eyes to make him see the ancient world. He sees priests, a goat-like alien creature and a pyramid shaped children's tile. The woman says that a peaceful threat within us all, it started here. She makes John see the effect of the Darnaz probes, and when the vision ends he tells her what he saw, and she blows more herbs to send him to sleep.

He awakes in the water, woken by the creature, Oo-Nii, who he initially runs from. Oo-Nii explains that the Old Woman left him in the river, and that Vella has found the location of the third probe underground and the Old Woman swears she will kill Vella to stop her using it as a weapon, and she took John's gun to use.

On Elack, Pilot is chanting when Rygel disturbs her, so he pets her and tells her that no one's here and to carry on. Meanwhile, D'Argo asks Jool why she didn't stick up for him with Vella. Jool tells him that most Interions think Luxans are inferior, but on pressing she says she thinks he's "unusual for a Luxan." Rygel calls Sikozu and asks if she's finished with the module, and she gets it started. Back to Arnessk, Jool says that she never believed any of them cared what she thought, but D'Argo does care, and if someone would've criticised her he would've stuck up for her.

John is looking for the Old Woman, who herself is trying to find Vella with his gun in tow, to stop her from destroying another world. She is hearing voices saying "don't let them use it." Vella finds something, but someone comes up behind her, and turns her into rock so she's a part of the wall. John spots the shot, and finds Vella only to be met by D'Argo, wearing the Serax carver. He tries to keep John quiet, and when Tarnat comes over D'Argo knocks him out, grabbing Oo-Nii who is trailing behind.

As the Old Woman prays for Vella outside, Jool and Chiana join John and D'Argo. John asks why he knocked out Tarnat, and D'Argo replies that if Tarnat had seen him with Vella he would've attacked, and then he would be dead. John wonders if the Old Woman did it, as she's been acting strange.

On Elack, Rygel tells Sikozu that if she's leaving on the module then so is he. She says the module won't travel for more than an arn, so no, she's not trying to escape. Suddenly she picks up a coded Peacekeeper transmission (having earlier modified the module to pick them up), discovering the three Marauders heading for the planet. She tells Rygel to contact Moya and warn her not to approach the planet then to hide and shield his life signature, while she goes down to the planet to warn them.

John is with Tarnat outside, looking for the Old Woman, when he gets a case of déjà vu, remembering this place from his vision. Using the carver he finds the child's tile he saw in the vision. He recognises one of the symbols as possibly being ancient Egyptian, while Tarnat says one is Interion and another may be early Sebacean. The symbols mean peace and security. D'Argo is trying to contact Chiana from his ship, as he's preparing for a flyover to find the Old Woman, when he gets proximity warnings. John tells Tarnat that there's a link between this world and his. He spots Chiana who whispers "Peacekeepers", and out steps the entourage, killing Tarnat.

D'Argo is looking for Chiana when Sikozu appears above him telling him they've already captured, and to stop the comm. Meanwhile, John and Chiana are thrown to the floor as Grayza approaches. She tells him she can make things easy for him, and to prove her good will she gets Braca to bring in Scorpius, on a leash and dribbling. She says he'll never bother Crichton again, and gets him to kiss her feet. When she offers him to John, he tells her he can't come up with anything better to do than that. She strokes more fluid off her chest and makes John smell it, saying he might like what she wants. John grabs her, but only to kiss her! She tells him to wait an arn and then they'll meet.

Rygel wakes Pilot to try and get her to comm Moya, but Pilot can't do it. Braca tells Grayza that they've captured an Interion, Nebari and an old Traskan, but nothing on the Luxan or the Peacekeeper traitor. They have about twenty arns left on the planet, when Grayza notices Scorpius regaining motor stimulus, so, for all the times he had to say "yes" Braca changes the rod. Meanwhile, Oo-Nii is seen ensuring the two found probes are safe.

Locked up, Chiana tells the Old Woman that Crichton found a tile, as Jool is depressed and tells that she stole things from digs before to learn more, but never from here. She dreamt of discovering this temple. The Old Woman gets Chiana to distract a guard by letting her go to the loo. Meanwhile, Grayza uses more fluid to get John under her control, despite his resistance, and they get it on, with John offering her whatever she wants.

The Old Woman finds John curled up, haunted by Grayza's violation of him, telling him that the magnetics must push the visions further – the suggested becomes real. Grayza doesn't know that John saw the probes, since the Peacekeepers must never have it. He knows where the third probe landed, and she thinks it's her fault. She only wanted to show him peace but somehow she showed what he must not know. She blows more herbs, and tells him that Grayza can never know where the third probe is, so he must die. As she repeats "forgive me", she makes him walk to the edge of the cliff, and as Braca arrives on the scene, John jumps over the edge and into the water below, and the Old Woman says "he'll never tell you now... Never."

Memorable quotes[]

Old Woman: Ask Vella, if all the priests died here, why are there no bones? Why are there no bones?
Grayza: Remember me?
John: Oh yeah, I remember a couple of things.
Old Woman: Crichton! (Moves to hug him)
John: Oh! Ah - damn! You need a bath!
Old Woman: Never bathe, never bathe - It washes off the juice.
Vella (To Jool): Intellectually - Luxans are a subspecies. He will make mistakes. You will be blamed for them.

Background information[]

  • Claudia Black (Aeryn) does not appear in this episode.
  • Many of the scenes were filmed in the same locations as the climactic sequence in Mission Impossible II. Tim Ferrier designed a series of tunnels in the studio to match (and extend) those that existed on location. ("Cool Farscape Facts" - Starburst Edition DVD v4.1)
  • The crew returned to Middle Head, in Sydney Harbor, for the first time since the filming of "Throne For a Loss". ("Cool Farscape Facts" - Starburst Edition DVD v4.1)
  • The story for this two-parter was originally going to be the finale for Season 3. ("Cool Farscape Facts" - Starburst Edition DVD v4.1)
  • The "Previously on Farscape" segment includes scenes shot for "Crichton Kicks" that were not used in the episode due to time constraints. The producers felt that including them here would bring the audience up to speed. The entire scene was included on DVD releases as a deleted scene. ("Cool Farscape Facts" - Starburst Edition DVD v4.1)
  • Oo-nii was played by Steve Le Marquand, Ben Browder's stunt double during the first season. Some of his lines had to be re-dubbed to mask his strong Australian accent. ("Cool Farscape Facts" - Starburst Edition DVD v4.1)
  • A large number of versions of Oo-nii were created by Jim Henson's Creature Shop to ensure that all of the script requirements could be met, including more than ten pairs of hands and feet. ("Cool Farscape Facts" - Starburst Edition DVD v4.1)
  • The strange goat seen in Crichton's vision was nicknamed "Goatzilla" by Jim Henson's Creature Shop and fulfilled David Kemper's long time desire to see a "star goat" on the series. ("Cool Farscape Facts" - Starburst Edition DVD v4.1)
  • Wayne Pygram was extremely ill during the filming of this two-parter and lost a fair bit of weight. He had to eliminate gluten from his diet in order to recover. ("Cool Farscape Facts" - Starburst Edition DVD v4.1)
  • Wayne Pygram suggested to director Rowan Woods that Scorpius be led around on the dog leash to emphasize his dramatic change in situation. ("Cool Farscape Facts" - Starburst Edition DVD v4.1)
  • During Crichton's vision of the priests, they can be heard singing a version of Farscape's main theme rearranged by Guy Gross. ("Cool Farscape Facts" - Starburst Edition DVD v4.1)
  • Gross also re-introduced the use of a shakuhachi, a type of Japanese flute, an instrument he last used in the score of "Eat Me". ("Cool Farscape Facts" - Starburst Edition DVD v4.1)
  • Jool's physical appearance receives some minor alterations from this episode onwards; her hair now remains permanently red, and she is given matching make up above her eyes (which was matched with Vella, another Interion). Her eyes are also made a brighter shade of green.
  • A deleted scene from the episode showed D'Argo explaining to Chiana that he had a change of heart; killing Macton would not bring his wife back, so instead D'Argo transmitted a message to Macton indicating he knew his location, feeling that having his enemy live in fear that D'Argo could turn up at any moment would be better than killing him.

Links and references[]

Starring[]

Guest stars[]

Guest cast[]

Puppeteers[]

Voice artists[]

References[]

arn; Arnessk; Aurora Chair; chakan oil; command carrier; comms; coolant rod; cycle; Dalek; Darnaz probe; Darnaz Triangle; Earth; Egyptian; Elack; Eye of Horus; Falle Loosen; Farscape-1; frell; heppel oil; Human; Interion; jarnice; Lakah; Lo'La; Luxan; marauder; microt; Moya; Nebari; nelly-whipped; neural cluster; Noatian gem mine; nooly; Peacekeeper; Pilot; Pilot's den; Pip; Priests of Arnessk; pulse pistol; Scarran; Sebacean; Sparky; Sun, Aeryn; Tal, Lo'Laan; tork; tralk; Traskan; Winona; wormhole; zolk

Crichtonisms[]

Chicago Bears; Creature from the Black Lagoon; Croft, Lara;

External link[]

Advertisement