Season 1, Episode 6:
Thank God It's Friday...Again
Crichton is hiding from D'Argo, who is experiencing Luxan Hyper Rage. The rage makes him angry and he's after Crichton just because he's another male. He eventually leaves the ship for a nearby planet, and after giving himm some time to cool off the crew go to find him. They enter a bar and Crichton spots him – and runs D'Argo catches him and hugs him, saying it's so good to see him.
D'Argo tells Aeryn he's been labouring, and everything is okay. He says he is no longer a warrior, and here his efforts have a purpose, then a female draws him away. A lady named Volmae welcomes them to the planet, saying she's the Sykaran leader and they should stay as long as they want. On their way out a woman approaches Crichton and tells him that no matter what, he must not leave. Crichton is baffled, but they all find Rygel screaming near an explosion and saying someone's dropped a bomb and is trying to assassinate him while he was relieving himself.
Aeryn and Rygel return to Moya, whilst Crichton and Zhaan visit D'Argo's house. They say something odd is happening here, and they want him to return to Moya. However he says they can stay as long as they like, and goes to his room where his girlfriend awaits. On Moya, there are explosions emanating from Rygel's quarters, and Aeryn finds him there sweating. She contacts Crichton saying that Rygel's bodily fluids have turned explosive. He tells her to run tests, and to get Pilot to help.
The next day, D'Argo tells Crichton that there will be a celebration tonight since tomorrow is a rest day, and goes off to work. Zhaan and Crichton accompany him, and Crichton notices the woman from yesterday, and goes to speak to her, but he is pulled in to a carriage and the Sykarans force a worm-like creature into his bellybutton. They tell him the eating will ease the pain the creature causes. Meanwhile Zhaan asks D'Argo if he really wants to spend the rest of his life this way, and she finds the food very satisfying...
Aeryn and Pilot have frozen Rygel, and Pilot needs her to examine him. She reluctantly agrees. Zhaan and D'Argo return home to find Crichton laid out ill, and Zhaan starts saying how wonderful this place is. Crichton realizes Zhaan is now like D'Argo so he can't tell her what happened. They all go to the celebration, and the woman, Tanga, talks with Crichton again. Her father says the worm thrives on the toxin in the tannot root, so it will keep him immune from the effects. They say he has to act as if he is affected or else the others will kill him. Volmae comes to speak with him, so he acts as if he is content. She is very interested in his ship.
Aeryn doesn't want to perform the surgery on Rygel because she finds it too difficult. Pilot says he also finds it difficult and doesn't always understand science either. He has to study and work at it, but he still only understands a fraction of it. He's told this to no one but her, because he feels he can trust her. She does the tests, with a little help from Pilot, and lets Crichton know that the food caused his bodily fluids to turn explosive, and she's flushing out the toxins now.
Tanga and Crichton speak again. She says that the "others" brought the food here; they return every half a cycle to collect the food. Volmae was selected as their leader and has the worm. Her father is ill, and she fears he will die soon.
At the celebration, Volmae invites Crichton to go for a walk. She asks him what it's like out in space, since her people never aspired to travel into space. She asks if his ship's cargo hold could carry some of the tannot root, so she can sell it off since it must be valuable. She tells Crichton to bring the other two from his ship down to the planet so they can start loading it up. Crichton notices the markings on the wall are the Peacekeeper insignia.
Aeryn and Rygel join Crichton on the planet. She says he looks terrible, and he says they need to find a secluded spot. She says she wants to get Zhaan and D'Argo and return to Moya, but Crichton says it'll only happen if Volmae orders it, and tells her of her plan to use Moya. Crichton has bit of a go at her, but she is very proud of what she accomplished with Rygel.
Volmae orders Crichton to bring her Aeryn and Rygel, but he refuses and tells her to step outside. He says he wants D'Argo and Zhaan back, which enrages Volmae. Zhaan and D'Argo question his actions, saying this is their home and if necessary D'Argo will kill him to protect it. Crichton calls for Rygel, who does his exploding pee routine, and Crichton says that demonstration was fueled by the tannot – the same thing that fuels the pulse rifle. D'Argo realises it's the Peacekeepers. Volmae says it's used for food, but Crichton says they're lying to her, and Aeryn says when mixed like it is in Rygel's body, it produces shakan oil, which fuels all Peacekeeper weapons. Volmae says this doesn't matter, but Crichton says that the Peacekeepers will come eventually, and D'Argo says when they do the Sykarans cannot win. Volmae says the Peacekeepers are controlling her, and her people. Crichton says no – it's her doing the controlling and it's her decision, they can all start rebuilding from tomorrow if she wants, and after a plea from Tango's father she says no, not tomorrow – tomorrow is a real rest day.
Back on Moya, Aeryn removes the worm from Crichton, and tells him and Rygel to stop sulking about their pains, since Pilot wants to Starburst away. Crichton asks Rygel what's up with her, and he says she thinks she's a scientist now. She retorts that she is happy that she triumphed for once using her mind. Crichton says that it doesn't have to be just this once, and Aeryn thanks him for his assistance. Meanwhile D'Argo is speaking with Zhaan and says maybe he's destined to never be happy, but she argues that he was for five glorious days. He says that as a boy he dreamed of two different futures - becoming magnificent warrior, or a farmer. She says dreams can't be found – they have to be built – and his hands are still strong so there is plenty of time.
Tropes present in this episode include:
- AcCENT upon the Wrong SylLABle: Volmae has a peculiar (and creepy) way of pronouncing words.
- Bizarre Alien Biology: Rygel's stomach acids react with the tannot root in such a way that it makes his bodily fluids explosive.
- Body Horror: Crichton gets implanted with a worm that makes him immune to the effects of the tannot root - via the worm burrowing its way into his belly button. Ouch.
- Call to Agriculture: Turns out D'Argo genuinely did want to be a farmer, and regarded this as an alternate path to being a warrior.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: The Sykarans wear conical hats, similar to those found in many Asian cultures on Earth: they are forced to grow what is (for them) a drug, which is also used to keep them docile; the process of growing this crop has done serious damage to their economy and soil; their oppressors appear intermittently in ships to collect the harvest... Any resemblance to the horrors of the British East India Company's opium trade (or its even more ruthless modern equivalents) are... somewhat undercut by the ultimate purpose of growing the root, but still pretty clearly there.
- Conical hats, monochrome outfits, everyone goes out into the fields to work, constant broadcast of propaganda, forget the past, report dissent, to keep you is no benefit, to kill you is no loss.
- Fartillery: Rygel nearly blows himself up while taking a dump.
- Getting Smilies Painted on Your Soul: Ingesting the planet's tannot root causes people to be extremely susceptible to the planet's propaganda of happiness.
- Internal Retcon: The propaganda of Sykar states that every day is the end of the working week, and tomorrow will be a rest day. The Sykarans work all day, party into the night, and fall asleep content, only to get up the next day and be told the same thing. Thanks to the tannot root, they don't seem to realize that they are essentially in an administrative "Groundhog Day" Loop.
- Karma Houdini: Volmae. Although she's arguably just another victim.
- Lotus Eater Planet
- Ms. Fanservice: The attractive Sykaran woman D'Argo briefly hooks up with.
- Mondegreen Gag: Aeryn unsuccessfully attempts to use a human expression after meeting Volmae.Aeryn: She gives me a woody.(John stares at Aeryn)Aeryn: "Woody." It's a human saying. I've heard you say it often, when you don't trust someone or they make you nervous, they give you...John: Willies! She gives you the willies.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: D'Argo is actually happy!
- Rubber-Forehead Aliens: The Sykarans differ from humans in their eye color, hair color and skin color but only in a minor way. According to Aeryn they're a cousin species to Sebaceans, although they dispute this.
- Terminally Dependent Society
- There Is Only One Bed: With D'Argo and his date occupying the only bedroom, Crichton and Zhaan are left with a small futon on the living room floor to sleep on. Crichton offers to let Zhaan have it but she insists they share because he'd be too cold on the floor. Crichton ends up getting no sleep, partly because Zhaan keeps rolling over and touching him in places he'd rather she didn't.
- Unstoppable Rage: Luxan Hyper Rage, a deadly state which can be ended either by allowing the afflicted Luxan to calm down naturally - or by the Luxan killing someone.
- Wham Shot: The Peacekeeper insignia above the door to the bunker.
