For 'Scapers Only

[stoutfellow]

One 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?

Comments

[bright-lilim.livejournal.com]

I have mixed feelings about it. On the other hand, I agree with you. But on the other and possibly a little stonger hand, if they hadn't mentioned it and he would have returned it would have been very cheesy. I get the feeling that the writers may have read more than a few X-Men comics and they might have been aware of how angry some fans were when Jean Grey was brought back again and again. They might have wanted to avoid that, well, disappointement by telling about it first.

[stoutfellow.livejournal.com]

I think that the problem with the first resurrection of Jean Grey was that it was not foreshadowed - that, at the time of her first death, there was no intention that she return. In the scenario I'm envisioning, Stark's reaction to Aeryn's comment and his subsequent decision to confess are, I think, an indication that there's something more going on - that his return is not a retcon, but something foreseen from the beginning; and I think that that makes enough of a difference to justify it. My opinion only, of course.

[bright-lilim.livejournal.com]

Have you seen this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Phoenix_Saga

"Claremont and Byrne originally wanted Jean to be depowered by Lilandra's alliance to prevent any recurrence of Dark Phoenix's havoc, so that they could bring Jean (and her evil Dark Phoenix alter ego) back for future stories."

But I agree that in the story that got printed there was no foreshadowing and possibly no intention at the time to bring her back.

It's true that Stark's reaction to Aeryn's words could have been enough of an indication for the religious watchers like you and me. But the writers were probably thinking of a larger audience. Would it have been enough for the average viewer? We can only speculate, of course.

[stoutfellow.livejournal.com]

I haven't read that article, no, but I'm familiar with the story.

Mm. The avid fan vs. the average viewer... Your point is a possible explanation; after that, we start getting into questions of the proper function of art and stuff like that (amplified by the pressure of ratings and unsympathetic superiors). I don't know.