Recap / Farscape S 03 E 13 Scratch N Sniff

Season 3, Episode 13:

Scratch 'n Sniff

The scene changes back to Moya, where John is attempting to explain to Pilot why he and the rest of the crew have returned after only two days from Lomo, the pleasure planet where Pilot and Moya sent them in the hope of a few days of peace and quiet away from their endless bickering.

According to John, he, D'Argo, Chiana and Jool were partying in a club when two passing girls slipped the guys a Mickey. John and D'Argo woke up scantily-clad, devoid of money, and missing Chiana and Jool. With the help of a somewhat untrustworthy local informant, Raxil, John and D'Argo discovered that the girls had fallen into the clutches of a local gangster, Fe'Tor. Fe'Tor's racket was to kidnap unsuspecting women and extract Freslin, an aphrodisiac drug, from their bodies, a process which can be fatal if taken too far. He intended to drain Jool to death and auction Chiana off as a sex slave.

John and D'Argo infiltrated the auction and, after the usual failure of a plan to survive contact with the enemy, rescued Chiana and Jool. Chiana killed Fe'Tor by pouring an overdose of Freslin down his throat. Raxil proved to have orchestrated the whole thing to regain control of the Freslin racket, which she first began but Fe'Tor took from her.

Pilot disbelieves the whole thing and announces that he has found a new destination for John and D'Argo, a nearby industrial planet that will be much less comfortable than Lomo.

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Tropes present in this episode include

• Ambiguous Situation: Was Crichton making it up or was it real? The whole ordeal is something that could plausibly happen in the Farscape universe and some details do correspond to it, but it is equally plausible that Crichton made it up and Pilot points out several holes in the story.
• Anachronic Order: The episode has constant split-second flashes forward and back to earlier and later events.
• Argument of Contradictions: The ending of the episode fades out on one between John and D'Argo.
• Auction of Evil: Chiana is auctioned as a Sex Slave. Crichton and D'Argo pose as buyers to get inside the building and rescue her and Jool.
• Audience Surrogate: Pilot is just as confused with the disorienting and bizarre method Crichton tells the story as the audience is likely to be and points out several plot holes, before finally snapping.
• The Bad Guy Wins: Raxil orchestrated the whole thing and will continue Fe'Tor's racket now he's dead.^note However a Deleted Scene aboard Moya from the ending has John and D'Argo break Raxil's data device, leaving her with nothing. An artifact of this ending is the scene of John and D'Argo high-fiving in Moya's corridor, which originated from this scene.
• Banned from Argo: The Moya crew end up being banned from Lomo as a result of these events. Unfortunately Pilot and Moya still don't want Crichton and D'Argo on board, so they get packed off to another planet which will provide less opportunity to cause trouble.
• Batman Gambit: Raxil turns out to have arranged the whole thing to get her racket back.
• Between My Legs: The Reveal Shot that Crichton is wearing ladies stockings. He Screams Like a Little Girl and runs off.
• Brick Joke: Crichton and D'Argo arguing over the number of steps to Fe'Tor's chamber. When D'Argo has to walk there in the dark, he ends up walking into the door and concedes Crichton was right.
• Brother–Sister Team: Possibly. Crichton briefly muses that the woman overseeing the milking room is Fe'Tor's sister, though he is admittedly unsure.
• Continuity Nod: D'Argo's comedy freaky-dancing under the influence is copied from "Won't Get Fooled Again" (even though the D'Argo in that episode wasn't real).
• Coolest Club Ever: Lomo in general but the club where the episode begins is clearly meant to be one of these.
• Crazy Jealous Guy: D'Argo's continued feelings for Chiana and dislike of seeing her with other men repeatedly cause problems. Even Crichton gets this during the auction, despite D'Argo being told what the plan was.
• Cruel and Unusual Death: Chiana once again shows what happens when you seriously piss her off. She kills Fe'Tor by pouring freslin all over him and force-feeding some of it to him, fatally overloading his senses. Her only regret is that the scumbag is going to die happy.
• Darker and Edgier: This episode looks a bit like a riposte to the Risa episodes in Star Trek, with a rather darker depiction of what a planet largely devoted to sex tourism might turn into.
• Delivery Guy Infiltration: D'Argo doesn't quite get the idea.
  Mook: Deliveries are round the back.
  D'Argo: Oh, oh, round the back?
  Mook: Yeah.
  D'Argo: OK, thanks. (punches mook in the face and walks in the front door)
• Didn't See That Coming: D'Argo over Raxil having heard of him and Crichton.
• Did They or Didn't They?: Crichton and D'Argo may or may not have slept together when they were drunk and blacked out. Crichton makes a point not to find out, and D'Argo needles him about it repeatedly.
• Distracted by the Sexy: Raxil paid the two women to flirt with Crichton and D'Argo so that they wouldn't be around to keep Fe'Tor from sniffing around Chiana and Jool.
• The Dog Was the Mastermind
• The Dreaded: Fe'Tor is a Sissy Villain, but he has enough pull on the planet to make Kabaah very reluctant to cross him. Crichton has to hold Kabaah at gunpoint to force his compliance.
• Dutch Angle: To emphasize Crichton's altered state of mind a lot of the episode is shot off-kilter.
• Everybody Must Get Stoned: Pretty much all the regular characters are drunk, high, stoned or hungover for most of the episode, and the visual style reflects this, with heavy use of Repeat Cut, Smash Cut, Dutch Angle, Shaky Cam, and others.
• Evil Wears Black
  Fe'Tor. Bad guy. Dressed in black.
• Eye Scream: Milder than usual, but still yucky. John and D'Argo have to read Kabaah's memories by sticking his tentacles in their eyes.
• Eye Spy: Kabaah, a member of the Han-jee species, has this ability and uses it to act as a Knowledge Broker. And pornographer.
• Faceless Mooks: Fe'Tor's muscle wear masks.
• Failed a Spot Check: Averted. Crichton immediately notices when Raxil pays Kabaah with brandar tiles (the kind of currency that was stolen from him and D'Argo).
• Foreshadowing:
  • On second viewing, it's clear that various characters treat Raxil much more cautiously than they would if she were the unimportant petty crook that she imitates for John and D'Argo.
  • Raxil is shown paying the two girls who later rob John and D'Argo.
• Fridge Logic: In-Universe. A scene shows us "the milking room," where Jool is in the process of being drained. All of a sudden the screen freezes.
  Pilot: If they drained that much fluid from her, Crichton, she would be dead.
  Crichton: Shut up and let me tell my story!
  • Compounding it, John wasn't even present for that scene.
• Girl on Girl Is Hot: A drunk Jool and Chiana acting flirtatious with one another definitely has this effect on guys in the club, and later Kabaah, probably as they planned. D'Argo of course, not so much.
• Handshake Substitute: Due to the link provided by Kabaah, Harvey gets to talk to D'Argo.
  "Ka D'Argo, give me five!"
• Hangover Sensitivity: Funniest when John and D'Argo are violently interrogating Raxil and she threatens to scream.
• Homoerotic Subtext:
  • Crichton and D'Argo are Mistaken for Gay, and the next day John wakes up naked (except for ladies stockings) with D'Argo on top of him.
    Crichton: There were girls, right?
  • Chiana and Jool dancing together.
• Inopportune Impersonation Failure: Late in the episode, D'Argo is given a pheromone disguise so he can get into Fe'Tor's slave auction without being detected; however, he is warned to stay calm or risk the "aura morph" wearing off before they can rescue Chiana and Jool. For most of the auction, D'Argo remains in perfect disguise, but just as it looks like the plan is going to go off without a hitch, D'Argo loses his temper over being manipulated by Raxil and reverts to his true form - triggering a massive shootout.
• Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique: Used by both John and D'Argo on both Raxil and Kabaah.
• Karmic Death: Fe'Tor dies of an overdose of Freslin poured down his throat by Chiana.
  Chiana: Sad thing is, he's going to die happy.
• Kill the Lights: The Plan involves Crichton killing the lights and then the guards thanks to his Night-Vision Goggles, while D'Argo follows Crichton's instructions to get to the milking room in the dark. As usual things don't quite go to plan, but they muddle through as always.
• Lie to the Beholder: Raxil gives D'Argo (without warning him) an unusual type of Freslin that makes him emit pheromones that cause people to see him as an entirely different species.
• Love Potion: The usual form of Freslin is an aphrodisiac.
• Manipulative Bastard: Raxil
• Meaningful Name: Fe'Tor has a Perverted Sniffing habit and likes talking about people's smell. "Fetor" is a medical/archaic term for a (usually unpleasant) odour.
• Mistaken for Gay: The two girls in the club initially ask if John and D'Argo are "together".
• More Dakka
  Raxil: Two guns? You brought just two guns? I mean — I thought you were the Great Crichton & D'Argo! [clip of D'Argo and John high-fiving each other on Moya] I mean you blew up a shadow depository! I mean, I thought you'd bring pelshfer charges! [clip of detonation in space that looks like a small sun] And a plasma bomb! [clip of the explosion that obliterated Scorpius' Gammak Base] And a really big gunship! [FLASH on nothing less than a Peacekeeper Command Carrier complete with its cloud of small fighter craft.] BUT NO! YOU BRING NOTHING! YOU BRING 2 LITTLE WEAPONS THAT WOULDN'T KILL A NEGNIK! [clip of a negnik]
• Musicalis Interruptus: The scene of D'Argo dancing is interrupted by—
  Pilot: Stop stop STOP! This makes no sense; YOU make no sense!
• Night-Vision Goggles: John uses a single infra-red eyepiece after shooting out the lights at Fe'Tor's club.
• Not What It Looks Like: D'Argo hears Jool screaming and rushes to help her, only to find she was just screaming in joy at the footrub she was getting while in the bath.
• Only Sane Man: Pilot.
• Open Mouth, Insert Foot: D'Argo balking at going to the auction prompts a frustrated Raxil to spill the beans about planning all this. She immediately tries to take it back, as D'Argo angrily looms over her.
• Pensieve Flashback: Kabaah's powers put John, D'Argo and Raxil into one.
• Pleasure Planet: A deconstruction of the concept. Yes, Lomo is a fun place to hang out and party, but there's a Trafficking ring using unwitting victims as a source for drugs.
• Pragmatic Villainy: Fe'Tor politely has D'Argo ejected from the building, as a greater show of force would complicate his operation. Raxil also notes that he would've avoided Chiana and Jool completely had Crichton and D'Argo stayed close by.
• Precognition: Chiana foresees Fe'Tor attacking John and removes his night vision monocle in precaution. One of the first signs of her developing talents.
• Properly Paranoid: Despite D'Argo's changed form, Fe'Tor finds him somewhat familiar and eyes him suspiciously.
• Rage Breaking Point: At the auction, D'Argo is on edge after seeing Crichton get a little too close to Chiana while telling her the plan. Crichton manages to talk some sense into him, but D'Argo ends up exploding anyway when yelling at Raxil for causing this whole mess. This reveals his true form to Fe'Tor's mooks.
• Repeat Cut: Occurs frequently due to Crichton's disjointed retelling of the events on Lomo.
• Screams Like a Little Girl: John, when he discovers that he's in a shop window wearing women's underwear.
• Ship Tease: In the jacuzzi, a drunk Jool invites D'Argo to hop right in.
• Shout-Out:
  • John calls Raxil and Kabaah "Ren and Stimpy".
  • John talks about Raxil dosing D'Argo with "Love Potion No. 9".
  • For the auction, Crichton adopts a Good Ol' Boy accent, even quipping, "Knowhutimean?"
• Shrouded in Myth: Raxil has picked John and D'Argo because of their fearsome reputation and is somewhat disappointed.
• Sissy Villain: Fe'Tor
  John: Does this guy just scream "Vegas" or what?
• Slipping a Mickey: Crichton and D'Argo's drinks get spiked leading to them waking up in a shop window.
• Smash Cut: Another technique used to disorient.
• Snark-to-Snark Combat
  Jool: I'm out of currency.
  Chiana: Playland for the rich too classy for ya?
  Jool: Effervescent spirits cost more than cheap raslak. But you...you just keep on hunting for that long range cargo hauler of your dreams. 'Cos he's bound to throw up in your lap one day.
• Sneaky Spy Species: The Han-Jee, a near-mythical species with detachable eyes that can work remotely. For good measure, they can share the memories of what they've seen via the tentacles on their back. As such, Han-Jee apparently have a reputation for working as information brokers, to the point that D'Argo instantly recognizes the significance of meeting Kabaah as soon as they're introduced. However, it's also indicated that Kabaah has a sideline interest in making porn.
• Stripperiffic: Many of the walk-ons in various scenes, both male and female. This is supposed to be a pleasure planet, after all.
• This Cannot Be!: Pilot actually has heard of the Han-jee species before, but he is outright incredulous that Crichton encountered one.
• Unreliable Narrator: John may, possibly, have made up part or all of this in an effort to convince Pilot that he and the others didn't just get drunk and start a riot. Pilot breaks in to call bullshit a few times, and in the end doesn't believe a word of it.
• Variations on a Theme Song: The normal closing theme is replaced with the lounge-jazz music from the club.
• Very Special Episode: According to various sources, this episode was originally intended to be a very gritty and serious examination of sex trafficking and forced prostitution. At some stage during the production, the producers decided that it was turning out to be heavy-handed, depressing, and boring, and decided to turn it into a gonzo farce instead.
• We Are Not Going Through That Again: When John offers to explain what happened one more time, Pilot responds with a Big "NO!".
• What Did I Do Last Night?: Oh frell yes.
  D'Argo: Crichton...Crichton! Wake up! WAKE UP!
  Crichton: Unnnggghhh...what happened?
  D'Argo: What didn't happen?
• What the Hell Is That Accent?: John puts on a ludicrously fake "Texan" accent when infiltrating the slave auction as a buyer. It's not like there are any genuine Texans to notice.
• Whole Episode Flashback: The episode is this, framed by Crichton attempting to tell Pilot what happened.
• Worf Had the Flu: At Fe'Tor's home, D'Argo could've taken the mooks in a fair fight, but they had guns in violation of the planet's laws, while he was unarmed.
• Would Hit a Girl:
  • D'Argo quickly tires of Raxil's behavior, but learning she was responsible for this mess makes him go this far. Even Crichton is about ready to deck her for that, but D'Argo holds him back (because he wants first dibs).
    Raxil: Please don't hit me. Please don't—
    [D'Argo punches her in the face]
    Raxil: [clutching her nose] All right, you can hit me just once! Just once!
  • In the milking room, Fe'Tor backhands Chiana for her continued defiance.
• You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: You want us to put your tentacle on our eye?