For 'Scapers Only
Jul. 2nd, 2006 06:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stoutfellowOne of the local stations is showing episodes of Farscape on Sundays. Today, they showed the episode "The Ugly Truth", which was Farscape's Rashomon episode: Talyn destroys a Plokavian vessel and then skedaddles, leaving most of Moya's crew holding the bag when more Plokavians show up. Various crewmembers are interrogated about the events on Talyn just prior to the attack. It's not one of the better episodes, but there's a plot point which interests me: I think the writers may have made a strategic error in one of their choices. To spare non-'Scapers, the discussion is under the cut.
Toward the end of the episode, the prisoners are discussing the manner in which the Plokavians will execute the guilty parties; one of them - Aeryn, I think - says that they told her the villain would be "dispersed". Stark finds this interesting, and decides to confess (though, in fact, he may not be responsible); he points out that, being not purely a physical being, he may be able to survive dispersal (whatever that is). The Plokavians return; Stark confesses, gives his mask to Zhaan, and is executed. The others are released; John and Aeryn speculate as to Stark's chances of survival, and there's a meant-to-be-touching shot of Zhaan holding, and then kissing, Stark's mask.
Now, of course, Stark did eventually return (again, and again, and...). But it occurs to me that the long-range story might have been more effective if he had not mentioned the possibility of survival. Just show him reacting strongly to the mention of dispersal, and let him confess and be executed. Then his return is a bit more of a surprise, but - by accenting his reaction and not explaining it - you've left a bit of a mystery, which is answered when he returns. Was it an act of altruism? Was it just the death-wish that Stark always seemed to show? Why did he do it? (The altruism hypothesis isn't completely destroyed by his return, as long as it's made clear that he wasn't sure he'd survive.)
So, any fellow 'Scapers want to weigh in? Does the way it actually went have advantages over what I'm suggesting?
Toward the end of the episode, the prisoners are discussing the manner in which the Plokavians will execute the guilty parties; one of them - Aeryn, I think - says that they told her the villain would be "dispersed". Stark finds this interesting, and decides to confess (though, in fact, he may not be responsible); he points out that, being not purely a physical being, he may be able to survive dispersal (whatever that is). The Plokavians return; Stark confesses, gives his mask to Zhaan, and is executed. The others are released; John and Aeryn speculate as to Stark's chances of survival, and there's a meant-to-be-touching shot of Zhaan holding, and then kissing, Stark's mask.
Now, of course, Stark did eventually return (again, and again, and...). But it occurs to me that the long-range story might have been more effective if he had not mentioned the possibility of survival. Just show him reacting strongly to the mention of dispersal, and let him confess and be executed. Then his return is a bit more of a surprise, but - by accenting his reaction and not explaining it - you've left a bit of a mystery, which is answered when he returns. Was it an act of altruism? Was it just the death-wish that Stark always seemed to show? Why did he do it? (The altruism hypothesis isn't completely destroyed by his return, as long as it's made clear that he wasn't sure he'd survive.)
So, any fellow 'Scapers want to weigh in? Does the way it actually went have advantages over what I'm suggesting?
