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Family Ties
Summary: Still hiding in the asteroid field, the crew know it is only a matter of time before the Peacekeepers discover their location. The situation goes from bad to worse when Rygel betrays the crew and surrenders to the Peacekeepers. Promising information about John and the crew in exchange for his freedom, Rygel makes a deal with Scorpius. His actions force the crew into desperate actions. Their only way out of danger is for one of them to crash a transport pod into the command carrier -a suicide mission- thus allowing Moya to escape. To everyone's surprise, Rygel returns and Crais tags along. Knowing he has no future with the Peacekeepers beyond death, Crais joins the crew and asks for mercy and protection. The change of events leads to a change of tactics. Instead of crashing the pod into the command carrier, the crew decide to crash it into the Gammak base destroying it and the Aurora chair. Piloted by John and D'Argo, the pod makes a desperate attempt to reach the base and draw Scorpius away from Moya. However, events don't go as planned as the crew is rocked by another betrayal - leaving them separated from each other and vulnerable. Analysis: Following the disaster of BTBW, I was concerned the show would end season one with a dud. I shouldn't have bothered with the concern-Family Ties is a great episode. Farscape will never blow anyone away with great effects or loud explosions, what makes it special are the characters. Family Ties is a character heavy story dealing with honor, loyalty and sacrifice. It deftly balances between corny sappiness on one side and melodrama on the other and pulls off one of the more satisfying shows of the season. Family Ties if full of so many great scenes, I can't possibly list them all here. It reminds me of what a Farscape Christmas episode would be like if the show produced one. Suffice to say, FT is arguably the best episode of the season.
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Originally aired in the US January 28, 2000 Writers: David Kemper & Rockne S. O'Bannon Director: Tony Tilse |
