Hell hath no fury like the wrath of a Luxan, as these two episodes of Farscape illustrate. In "Back and Back and Back to the Future," the giant warrior D'Argo falls for a sharp-eyed beauty who arrives on Moya with a scientist after barely escaping the unexplained collapse of their ship. That mystery may also explain Crichton's short jaunts into the near future, which the episode weaves so inventively into the fabric of the narrative that both he and we become momentarily lost in the myriad of possible futures. D'Argo's chest-thumping alpha-male aggression runs right into the opening of "Thank God It's Friday... Again," where he hunts Crichton in a hormonal rage before jetting down to the planet to cool off. He accomplishes that and more; when the crew finds him he's a gentle giant full of inner peace, hearty bear hugs, and a sudden desire to remain in the agrarian society. Crichton meanwhile uncovers a conspiracy that explains the explosiveness of Rigel's bodily fluids and the preternatural complacency of this cultlike civilization of far-flung flower children. This installment is a more conventional tale than most, reverberating with echoes of Star Trek episodes ("This Side of Paradise" in particular), though it's loaded with ironies uniquely resonant in this series, culminating with the most inventive secret weapon the series has yet come up with. Each episode includes footage unseen in the U.S. broadcasts, and the DVD features a profile of Virginia Hey's blue-skinned priestess, Zhaan, as well as commentary on each episode. Star Ben Browder (Crichton) and episode director Rowan Woods team up for the commentary track on Back and Back... while Anthony Simcoe (D'Argo) joins producer and co-creator Rockne S. O'Bannon for Thank God.... --Sean Axmaker
"Back and Back and Back to the Future" - After rescuing two aliens from their disintegrating ship, Crichton and D'Argo fall victim to effects brought on by the presence of the alien female. Soon, Crichton experiences "future flashes" where she attacks him, both sexually and fatally. Is Crichton losing his mind? Or does he now, mysteriously, have the gift of prophecy? "Thank God It's Friday...Again" - When Moya's crew follows D'Argo to the planet Sykar, they find a strange, almost Utopian society centered around a certain plant. But the world's happy veneer is ripped away when Crichton is assaulted, Rygel's body becomes explosive and D'Argo and Zhaan become pleasure-seeking cult members. As the true purpose of the plant and the planet are revealed, Crichton finds the Uncharted Territories to which they've escaped are not as uncharted as they seemed.
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