Season 4, Episode 11:
Unrealized Reality
While studying a wormhole in EVA, Crichton gets sucked down it and deposited in the private dimension of a powerful being he nicknames "Einstein". It's revealed that Einstein's people are of the same race as the Ancients, who were "substantially modified" to exist in Crichton's realm in order to monitor and "influence" the state of wormhole technology. After contact was lost with the Ancients, Einstein was tasked with investigating the current state of the realm's wormhole knowledge: finding a Pathfinder beacon he dragged the beacon-bearing ship down a wormhole, only to discover that the ship he'd retrieved was actually Moya. After questioning the crew at length, he learned about Crichton and his fascination with wormholes, and has spent the last year tracking him down.
During this encounter, Crichton gets a crash-course in wormhole physics, and discovers that wormholes connect not only different points of space, but different points in time, allowing for someone traversing wormholes to travel backwards and forwards in time and potentially cause paradoxes. Crichton also witnesses the phenomenon of "unrealized realities" — universe where events occur radically different as a result of meddling with time and space via wormholes. Einstein sends him to several of these unrealized realities, including one where the identities of Moya's crew are hopelessly jumbled from one character to the next note ; another where Crichton is a Peacekeeper officer interrogating Sikozu, a Scarran spy; and one where the Scarrans conquered Earth many generations ago and interbred with the human population, resulting in versions of Crichton and his father note that are quite clearly Scarran hybrids.
As he talks with Crichton, Einstein becomes convinced that Crichton can be trusted with his wormhole knowledge, and gives him the Ancients' old mission of preventing hostile forces from gaining wormhole technology- for the moment anyway. Finally, he imparts some knowledge that allows Crichton to traverse a wormhole in only his EVA suit. However, when he arrives on the other side, he's not back at Moya — he's in orbit around the Earth...
Tropes present in this episode include:
- A Form You Are Comfortable With:
- Well as comfortable as you can get standing on an iceberg talking with a well-dressed gentleman with pitch-black eyes.Crichton: Nice threads. Helps to humanize you. Makes it easier for me to sympathize with your problems.
- As Einstein weakens, he tries to lecture Crichton on what he needs to know about wormhole travel. The lecture is then taken up by Talking Heads of former friends and acquaintances who have been appearing throughout the episode.John: I don't...understand any of this.Cut to Caroline: There's nothing to understand. It's not a science, John.Cut to Schoolteacher: It's an art.John: You failed me in Art. Not to mention 3rd grade English and I still do not understand the proper use of a COMMA!
- Well as comfortable as you can get standing on an iceberg talking with a well-dressed gentleman with pitch-black eyes.
- Armor-Piercing Question: "Are you afraid of this knowledge?" The first time Crichton says, "No." After he's seen the consequences of casual meddling in the timeline, he says, "Yes."
- Alternate Reality Episode: Crichton travels to several different such realities. The regular characters only appear in the teaser, so their actors spend the rest of the time playing different versions.
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: One sequence features a bunch of Talking Heads denouncing Crichton. After such accusations as failure or blasphemous, it concludes with Caroline calling him bad in bed.
- Bad "Bad Acting": Crichton while revisiting "the first day.""Why don't we move this along? 'WHAT IS - THE MATTER - WITH YOU PEOPLE?!'"
- Bizarro Universe: Rather than the usual alternate universe where everyone is playing different roles, this one has everyone played by different actors!
- Butterfly of Doom: Going backward in your timeline and effecting events is more harmful than going forward in time thanks to this trope, as the ripple effect is greater.
- Call-Back:
- The realities include a couple of flashbacks to when Crichton first met D'Argo, Zhaan, Rygel and Aeryn.
- Explaining how he abducted Moya last season, Einstein says he originally expected to encounter a Pathfinder vessel—meaning he got to Moya because of the beacon Neeyala implanted.
- Worried over the temporal damage he could cause by arriving at a point before he left, Crichton is told that "events that match close enough to course have a way of restructuring themselves." Crichton then remembers that Harvey told him the same thing over a year ago.
- The Chosen One: Einstein tries to convince Crichton of this, but seems pleased when Crichton rejects it.
- Cursed with Awesome: Einstein concludes that Crichton himself is benevolent, but that his wormhole knowledge makes him a target of aggressive species.
- Dramatic Shattering: Spy-Sikozu uses her Wall Crawl ability to run along a line of angled windows while a Peacekeeper soldier fires at her.
- Eating the Eye Candy: Lampshaded when Sikozu ponders a Relationship Upgrade with Scorpius.Sikozu: Should I accept your proposal...to be allies...what assurances do I have that you will watch my back?Scorpius: (running a scanner over her Sexy Backless Outfit) Apart from the pleasantness of the task?
- "Eureka!" Moment: When Crichton first encounters Einstein, he keeps saying one word over and over: "Time". Crichton gives pat answers until he suddenly realises what Einstein is after.Einstein: Time.Crichton: ...is relative.
- Evil Counterpart:
- One of the realities shows Crichton as a Peacekeeper officer and Sikozu as a spy for the Scarrans. When he tries to have her released, she seizes his pulse pistol and kills everyone in the room, except PK-Crichton who uses Braca as a Human Shield.Sikozu: Weak species!(PK-Crichton guns her down with a smile on his face. Smash Cut back to Einstein)Crichton: That's not me...that's not me...Einstein: Whatever it was would be you, could be you.
- In the final reality the entire crew of Moya have been killed by Peacekeepers except for John who finds himself in a Mexican Standoff with Captain Crais...who lowers his gun and embraces Crichton, congratulating him on a job well done.
- One of the realities shows Crichton as a Peacekeeper officer and Sikozu as a spy for the Scarrans. When he tries to have her released, she seizes his pulse pistol and kills everyone in the room, except PK-Crichton who uses Braca as a Human Shield.
- Exact Words: Crichton focuses explicitly on going home. He thinks he means back to Moya, but he arrives in orbit of Earth, his original home.
- Fantasy Keepsake: Crichton is denying the reality of the "Everybody Dies" Ending he just saw, when he realises he's clutching hair from when he shoved ChiAeryn away. However, Einstein says the reality would only have become real if he'd stayed in it.
- Flanderization: The final unrealized reality purposefully amps up established traits: Chiana's promiscuity and willingness to give up, D'Argo's anger and barking orders, Stark's craziness, Noranti's "unique" ways of solving problems, and Jool's panicking under pressure. Rygel is also a Dirty Coward selling the crew out, but we've actually seen him go that far before.
- Foreshadowing:
- A montage about the danger Crichton could cause features brief snippets from "Kansas" and "Terra Firma"; in short, the unrealized reality he ends up taking.
- One unrealized reality features Sikozu as a Scarran spy.
- Einstein also states that he will remove the wormhole knowledge from Crichton "one day."
- Sikozu!Stark name-drops Katratzi, which proves very important for the last third of the season.
- "Here's Johnny!" Homage: Replaying the events of "Premiere", Crichton knows to step out of Rygel's way when he comes shooting in on his throne sled, with Crichton shouting: "Heeeere's RYGEL!"
- It's a Long Story: Crichton responds this way when Einstein asks him how he got his wormhole knowledge. Suddenly he experiences a flashback montage as Einstein examines his memories for a more informative answer.
- Lousy Lovers Are Losers:
- One sequence has a bunch of characters from his past, ending in his ex-girlfriend Caroline talking about how good he was in bed. Then an alternate reality has them saying bad things, concluding with Caroline saying he was lousy in the sack, while also making a pinching gesture to indicate he has a Teeny Weenie.
- In the final bizarro reality, ChiAeryn tells D'ARygel that he sucks as a captain even more than he did in bed. Cue Brain Bleach.
- The Multiverse: Rejected by Einstein; there's only one Crichton with many potential alternate realities.
- The Nicknamer: Justified given that the Sufficiently Advanced Alien can't be bothered introducing himself, dismissing his name as unimportant to their discussion. As they are discussing the relativity of Time, Crichton dubs him Einstein.
- Not So Invincible After All: At the start of their meeting, Crichton fires a pulse shot at Einstein which he stops in mid-air before it reaches him. Later Crichton lashes out at Einstein and is surprised when he's able to knock him down. As he helps him up again, there's an ominous rumble and Einstein says his ability to maintain the artificial environment they've been using to communicate is weakening.
- Out with a Bang: Crichton finds himself in a reality where everyone's dead except for a bizarro Aeryn who looks and acts like Chiana. With Moya in flames and no means of escape she tries to get Crichton to have sex so she can at least die doing something she likes. More freaked out than turned on, Crichton shoves her away with a Big "NO!" and Smash Cuts back to Einstein.
- Phallic Weapon: A subtle version for that trope, but after ChiAeryn complains about D'ARygel being lousy in bed, D'ARygel brandishes a Qualta blade which is a lot smaller so he can hold it with his tiny arms.
- The Reveal:
- This episode finally explains what happened to Moya at the end of "Dog With Two Bones".
- The Ancients are also revealed to have originally come from the same realm as Einstein to "catalog and report" about wormhole technology. Their traveling to a new world caused their brethren to lose contact with them, prompting Einstein to take direct action.
- Shout-Out:
- When Einstein keeps saying, "Time", the pat answers that Crichton gives include: "Bandits" and "Rosemary and (Thyme)".
- Crichton introduces himself to Past-Aeryn as Jose Jimenez, and calls D'Arygel "Little Big Man."
- "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn. I'm just trying to keep you alive."
- While focusing his mind for one last leap into the wormhole, Crichton tells himself to "Feel the Force."
- A whole string of them from Crichton during his final conversation with Einstein.
- Stock Footage: A number of clips from past episodes are re-used, such as for Einstein reading Crichton's mind, and to add to the craziness of the bizzarro realities.
- This Is the Part Where...: Crichton replaying the events of Day One on Moya.
- "Hey, why don't you try ripping out that control panel?" (D'Argo proceeds to do so.)
- "Oh no, this is the dream where I wake up in a cell, naked." (Crichton opens his eyes and finds out he still has his clothes on.)
- To Be Continued: Crichton is dangling in orbit of Earth.
- Took a Level in Badass: Lampshaded when Crichton, finding himself replaying his first meeting with Officer Aeryn Sun, is able to match her in sparring, having been taught by Aeryn herself. Then she sucker-punches him, throws him on the floor and breaks his neck.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: Pilot in the final unrealized reality.Pilot: Right now Moya couldn't starburst the length of your stubby little arm!D'Arygel: This stubby little arm is—Pilot: Is short—as is our ability to maneuver, accelerate, or defend ourselves!ChiAeryn: Why doesn't anything work?Pilot: Because—slutty tralk—of all the half-frelled modifications for HIS wormhole experiments...
- Vichy Earth: A reality shows an Earth conquered by the Scarrans, with John and Jack Crichton (the latter played by Wayne Pygram) as Half-Human Hybrids wearing monitoring cuffs.Scorpius-Jack: You remember what we were like centuries before the Scarrans conquered us—weak genes, disease, death. I think our health and longevity outweigh some personal freedoms don't you, son?Scarran-John: No.Scorpius-Jack: You never change. But you're young. I never told you this, but when I was young, I wanted to fly too. Space—a dream. But it wasn't to be. And it won't be for you either.
- Wham Shot: At the end of the episode Crichton emerges from a wormhole and finds himself in orbit above Earth.Crichton: Whoops...
- World of Snark:
- The first exchange between Einstein and Crichton goes thus:Einstein: Time.Crichton: Zup?Einstein: Time.Crichton: Flies.Einstein: Time.Crichton: Bandits.Einstein: Time.Crichton: Wounds all heels.Einstein: (Louder) Time...Crichton: (Singing) Rosemary and—Einstein: Time—Crichton: Zup!(He whips out his pulse pistol and fires—only to see the bolt stop just a few inches away from Einstein's face.)Einstein: (Turning away) Time.Crichton: (To himself) Either stop pointin' guns at people or get a bigger gun.
- Now that he knows the crew of Moya a lot better, Crichton can't resist dropping a few zingers.Past-Zhaan: Answer him quickly. You know how Luxans can be.John: (choked in Neck Lift) Oh you betcha...Past-D'Argo: Your ship; what kind is it?John: It's a... 4-cylinder. Got a plastic Jesus on the dashboard.
- Then after Rygel comes in:Past-Rygel: They brought you on board, didn't they? Don't worry, I'll protect you. I'll look after you now, you look after me later.John: No offense Buckwheat, but you couldn't look after a Chia Pet. (dodges Spiteful Spit)
- Doesn't work so well with Past-Aeryn though.Past-Aeryn: Rank and regiment. Now. And how do you know my name?John: What you should really ask, is how I know you've got a birthmark on the sweet spot of your hip?
- From the final bizarro reality:RygAnti: Transport pod is loaded with supplies, but there are Marauders waiting to shoot us down! We can't escape!JoolArgo: We're trapped?RygAnti: That's what “we can't escape” means! Go help Stark hyperventilate!
- Even Pilot gets in on the action.Rygel: Trust me! I wouldn't have risen to Dominar if I wasn't good at recognizing things before they happen!Pilot: You were deposed in a coup led by your own cousin.
- The first exchange between Einstein and Crichton goes thus:
- You Know Too Much: Einstein tells Crichton that he should kill him just for the knowledge he possesses alone. The only reason he doesn't—given the stakes—is because Einstein trusted the Ancient who originally entrusted Crichton with that knowledge.
