"Through The Looking Glass"
Air Date: September 10, 1999
To summarize, an ill-timed starburst splits Moya and her crew up into separate dimensions and Crichton has to find a way to save them from an alien presence.
After two weeks of intense anticipation, spurred on by the events in "A Human Reaction", I ardently awaited resolution in the next episode. I have to admit, I was partially distracted by the presence of another watchable story with a strong hook - but as far as the Aeryn and Crichton subplot was concerned, if you'd not seen The Kiss, you'd never even know it occurred. The writer gave us a case of here a tease, there a tease, just enough to make a woman, well, hot and bothered.
But before I start overheating let me get back to "Through the Looking Glass". The hook I mentioned occurs right in the beginning of the episode where we see the crew sitting around a table talking about abandoning Moya!
Ouch. Have a heart, people. Biomechanoids have feelings too!
Such feelings include insecurity and fear, which incite Moya to starbust just to prove that she's still useful to the crew and not the liability they think she is. The resulting schism in time and space creates four separate Moyas who inhabit the same spot in time and space, each at least one member of the crew.
I have to wonder what kind of psychotropic drugs the director and SFX crew were taking because the use of monochromatic color schemes to set the moods of the Four Faces of Moya are just psychedelic. Not to mention the use slow motion and the wild camera angles. I was feeling motion sick right along with Crichton and D'Argo for a few minutes.
The red setting seems to be the harshest, and I don't think it's a coincidence that D'Argo is the only inhabitant. Despite the change in scenery, he remains his grumpy Luxan self during the crisis and not even the sight of Crichton spewing on the floor manages to inspire sympathy.
The yellow setting has the absolute opposite effect on Rygel who becomes the ship's royal jester, cracking jokes and making up limericks. Funny ones, too. The laughter shared by Rygel, Chiana (yes y'all, she's still with the crew) and Crichton is infectious.
The blue setting in which Aeryn is caught doesn't affect her adversely. In fact it actually brings out her techie side which I loved seeing. She's evolving beyond her violent, militaristic Peacekeeper breeding wich can probably be attributed to being around non-Sebaceans in general and Zhaan and Crichton in particular.
Somewhere in the midst of the four Moyas is normalspace where Zhaan is stuck; yet she seems too be out of character exhibiting a shoot first, ask questions later attitude regarding the alien presence leaving fire-colored claw marks all over the ship. And then just about the time that Pilot begins to display yet another facet of his gradually evolving, emerging personality, Crichton plays hero and saves the day. Again.
I could go on and on about all the good parts of "Through the Looking Glass" because there are so many. I could also mention the irritating bits like the lack of closure regarding The Kiss and Crichton's increasing Earth slang slinging, but... Oh, just watch the ep when it repeats and make up your own mind.
-- Vivian E. Lee
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