Eh. This one doesn't really work for me.
Plot Synopsis:
Farscape World has a recap here.
The Skinny:
I think what I need most in this episode is a touch more world building. In order for me to accept that 90% of the Litigaran population has taken up the law profession without that civilization completely falling apart, I need some dialogue explaining how that came about. I'm not asking for a full-on info-dump here -- just a few lines on the order of the following:
- "The professions used to be more balanced. But once our technology became more advanced, that allowed more people to take up the study of the Law."
- OR: "Once we encountered other alien species and forged trade agreements with them, it was no longer necessary for us to grow our own food, and people finally felt free to pursue the Law."
The writers also seem to have a less-than-deep understanding of the Litigaran belief system. The way I see it, any religion you devise for an alien planet has to make sense. In other words, it has to provide satisfactory answers to the Big Questions:
- Why are we here?
- What is the difference between right and wrong, and how do we know?
- Why do people act the way that they do?
- What happens when we die?
- Etc., etc., etc.
Unfortunately, by the time this episode ends, I don't know anything more about the Axiom and its origins than I did at the start. And without at least a basic understanding of why the Litigarans came to worship the Axiom and its associated commentaries, I can't help but conclude that the underlying premise here is a bit ridiculous -- and ridiculous premises make weak episodes.
Writing: 4.0
As I discuss above, the setting isn't believably written. I also feel that Zhaan's distress at being framed for murder is overdone.
Acting: 7.0
Any flaws in the acting here are mostly due to the writing and direction.
Message: 6.0
I don't really know enough about the Utilities to care about their struggle for equal rights, so the message here gets a neutral score.
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