Ratings
1.5 (US)
2.14 (UK)

Lani Tupu..................Capt. Bialar Crais
Alyssa-Jane Cook...........Gilina [PK Technician]
Gigi Edgley................Chiana
Kent McCord................Jack Crichton
Wayne Pygram...............Scorpius
Paul Goddard...............Stark
Imogen Annesley............Niem
Stephen Leeder.............Commander Javio
Anthony Kierann............Lt. Heskon
Christian Bischoff.........Bixx
Pete Walters...............Crais' Guard

Wassup?

Beware the Chair!

Aeryn's muscles have healed from her recent stab wound, but her paraphoral nerve hasn't...and won't. To save her life, Crichton again dons his Peacekeeper disguise and attempts to infiltrate a PK Gammak base, with Chiana in tow. Spotted by Gilina on their arrival, they manage to make it through security with her help from behind the scenes. John is captured as he tries to return to Moya with Aeryn's cure, and tortured in the Aurora Chair by Scorpius, a Sebacean/Scarran scientist.

Backstory

Reactions

Questions (none)

Observations (none)

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Annotations

John: "Because a little while ago a commando skewered you with his Swiss Peacekeeper Army knife."

Reference to the universal tool/knife (in many respects, the predecessor to today's Leatherman tools) which was popularized during WWII.

John: "Oh, yeah. You should see my Immelmann. Check this out."

An aerial maneuver (named for a WWI flying ace) in which the aircraft loops up and over, then rolls back into a right side up position, resulting in it flying at a slower speed, but at a higher altitude and in the reverse direction. Both filmed and animated demonstrations are available online.

Chiana: "The more they look at me, the less they look at you."
John: "Do you think that, before they elect you centerfold of the year, we could get on with the business of saving Aeryn?"

John is commenting on Chiana's sexual mores by referring to the practice of including a two-page photograph of an attractive woman in the exact middle of a magazine (literally, on the center fold); while such pictures in the past were merely suggestive "pin-ups", the current style depends on models who are generally nude, and often in explicit poses. Playboy magazine is known for designating one nude model per issue as the "playmate of the month", and one model annually as the "playmate of the year".

Scorpius: "I'm Scorpius."
John: "But of course you are."

John is mimicking Sean Connery's line (and accent) from 1971's James Bond installment, DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER:

Plenty O'Toole: "Hi, I'm Plenty."
James Bond: "But of course you are."
Plenty O'Toole: "Plenty O'Toole."
James Bond: "Named after your father, perhaps?"

John: "For the ninth time, Nosferatu, I'm not a spy."

Nosferatu ("undead") was the title given to F.W. Murnau's unauthorized silent film adaptation of Bram Stoker's DRACULA after Stoker's estate sued. One can watch the film via Real Player at http://tlc.discovery.com/tlcpages/specialeffects/nosferatu.html

There was also a remake by Werner Herzog in 1979, and 2000's SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE, starring John Malkovich and Willem Dafoe, was about the making of Murnau's film.

John: "Danger, danger, Will Robinson. Beware the chair. Beware the chair."

"Danger, danger, Will Robinson" was a frequent utterance by the Robot to Billy Mumy's character in TV's LOST IN SPACE, and made reference to in the 1998 film version.

John: "Fetch the comfy chair."

From Monty Python's famous "Spanish Inquisition" sketch.

John: "I got my mind right, boss. Be nice."

A quasi-quote from the 1967 film COOL HAND LUKE, starring Paul Newman (see also http://www.filmsite.org/cool3.html):

Boss Paul: "You got your mind right, Luke?"
Luke: "Yeah. I got it right. I got it right, boss."

John: "It's deja vu all over again."

A paraphrase of one of baseball great Yogi Berra's famous yogi-isms, "It's like deja-vu, all over again."

Translator Microbe Report

Quotables

Comments from Cast & Crew

Ben Browder, May 11, 1999

• Moderator: <IsoTek> to <Moderator> are you ever going to get Crais?
  

  BenBrowder: LOL! He's after me We will see him again

Rockne O'Bannon, June 24, 1999

• Rockne: The stuff we prepping for next year will dovetail with the BIG STUFF we have planned for the last four eps of this year (they"re gonna rock the series< and the characters!

• Moderator: <Mithrandir2> to <Moderator>: Will any of the minor first season characters (like the PK Tech Girl) show up again next season?
  

  Rockne: Oh, sure. PK Tech Girl returns in.......................................
  Rockne: ............oh no, that would be telling. Suffice it to say, the writers want this to be a flesh-and-blood world....
  Rockne: where even characters who appear to be "one shot" visitors, return...often in remarkable ways....

• Rockne: The BIG STUFF that's going down in the last 4 eps of this season will slingshot us off on some truly wild character tangents next year...

Ben Browder, July 29, 1999

• baby789_99: I was just curious as to what your favorite episode is and why?

  Browder: My favorite episodes come in batches...of the first third of the season Back and Back and Back to the Future. Of the middle third...DNA Mad Scientist. Of the latter third... A Human Reaction and Nerve.

Lani Tupu, November 8, 1999

• Moderator: <Ricks8> to <Moderator> Lani, which is you favorite episode?
  

  LaniTupu: Apart from That Old Black Magic, the last four episodes as a bunch are probably my favorite to date.
  LaniTupu: And, also, going into the 2nd series, there are some wonderful stories I'm working on now.
  LaniTupu: All I can say is that: hang on to your seats, the wait will DEFINITELY be worth it.
  

• Moderator: <optimusp> to <Moderator> Lani. In one sentence, how would you sum up the last four episodes of the season, w/o giving anything away?
  

  LaniTupu: In one sentence?
  LaniTupu: um...with regards to Crais, "He'll hate it."
  

Richard Manning & Andrew Prowse, January 6, 2000

• Moderator: <Enigmatic-Scully> to <Moderator>: What is your favorite aspect of the upcoming episodes?
  

  Ricky: The variety. We've got all kind o' things in store.
  Ricky: Characters will go through MANY changes.
  Ricky: Some fun new folks will appear.
  Ricky: Some old favorites will reappear.
  

  Andrew: They're huge and they'll blow you away.
  

• Moderator: <Koba> to <Moderator>: Are all of the PK's as insanely obsessive as Crais is, or are we going to see a different side of them?
  

  Ricky: If you think Crais is obsessive, wait 'til you meet the new guy.
  

• Moderator: <Kieriahn> to <Moderator>: Question: Will we be able to look forward to multi-part episodes in season two?
  

  Andrew: why not!
  

  Ricky: Who are we to stop you?
  Ricky: Actually, the next four eps Plus the first two eps of season 2 do form something of an "arc" --
  Ricky: -- not a Bab 5-type arc, but they do (we hope) Progress...
  

  Moderator: you heard it here first -- the "four episode arc" is really a SIX episode arc!
  

• Moderator: <SciFiScribe> to <Moderator>: Mr. Manning, We've noticed that often plot elements are introduced whose significance may only be revealed until many episodes later. How far in advance are the story lines established and who does that?
  

  Ricky: Stuff that's set up in "Nerve" pays off several eps later.
  Ricky: In our heads, we know every moment of every episode through Season Twelve.
  Ricky: No, I'm lying.
  

  Andrew: we're still not sure of the storyline in rhapsody in blue
  Andrew: the storylines are established well in advance and then changed completely before, during and after shooting
  

  Ricky: We (the writers) block out general storylines in advance, under the guidance of the Farscape Gods (Rock O'Bannon and David Kemper, two swell guys to work for -- NOW can I have my raise?)...
  

• Moderator: <fairy74> to <Moderator>: Hi! Are we going to be seeing any new permanant or semi-permanant character in the second season?
  

  Ricky: Yes.
  Ricky: You REALLY don't want me to tell you more, do you?
  

  Moderator: a little?
  

  Ricky: We'd have to Spoiler Warning the entire chat.
  Ricky: You're gonna see a new face tomorrow night on "Nerve"...
  

• Moderator: <Korban> to <Moderator>: What are your favorite FarScape episodes you did *not* direct/write?
  

  Andrew: good question!
  Andrew: Thank God it's Friday, Human Reaction, and the 4 you're about to see
  

• Moderator: <dw-mckim> to <Moderator>: Do we see any non-Peacekeeper Sebaceans in season 2 (or for that matter non-Sebacean Peacekeepers?)
  

  Ricky: Yes to the first (in a big ep that David Kemper is writing even as I type -- get back to work, David). A half yes to the second, and you'll understand why after Friday night.
  

• Moderator: <RygeltheFirst< to <Moderator>: For Mr. Manning: "Froonium" has shown up more than once in shows that you write for. Do you hold the exclusive rights??
  

  Ricky: (laughing) I'm amazed you caught THAT.
  Ricky: BUT you haven't heard it on Farscape...
  Ricky: ...yet.
  Ricky: It was something Hans Beimler and I always used as a generic term on Next Gen when discussing technobabble --
  Ricky: "okay, the communicators don't work on this planet because of the high froonium level in the rocks..."
  Ricky: But I don't think we ever DID get it into a Next Gen ep.
  Ricky: So I've been making up for it ever since.
  [...]
  Ricky: John stays clean shaven, of course, using Froonium Shave.
  Ricky: (See how useful the word is?)
  Ricky: (Better than Spatial Anomaly!)
  

Rockne S. O'Bannon, January 13, 2000

• Moderator: <slidecat> to <Moderator>: Now i heard that this 4 parter is somehow going to be concluded to the next season, thus making it like a six parter...is that true or just a vicious rumor to scare us half to death?
  

  Rockne: Torture is our business. Yes, there's a two-hour conclusion coming next March 17.
  

• Moderator: <Ooshati> to <Moderator>: Was the "hidden memory" footage not used in Human Reaction because of time constraints?
  

  Rockne: Nope. We shot that special, knowing what we had up our sleeves for "Nerve". We writers may not be able to balance our checkbooks, but we're keeping several story threads going (but it takes all of us!)...
  

• Moderator: <tuvok> to <Moderator>: Mr. O'Bannon, this Scorpius fellow seems very interesting and an even more vicious villian. Where does he come from and who is he. He is a hybrid of some kind, correct?
  

  Rockne: Evil Mr. Spock... yada yada yada... most of you've probably read my quote about the origins of the essentials of the character....
  Rockne: ...but the specifics are that he is a half-breed (like Mr. S), half Sebacean, half Scaren....
  Rockne: We'll be meeting a FULL Scaren sometime next season. Sparks will definitely fly....
  

• Moderator: <StarPaw> to <Moderator>: How did Scorpius know Crichton was an imposter?
  

  Rockne: He has extraordinary (as in extra ordinary) sensory perceptions....
  

• Moderator: <WarriorWoman> to <Moderator>: Dargo seemed to care much more about Aeryn's well being in "Nerve" than in other episodes. Why?
  

  Rockne: I noticed that, too! You think it's just two warriors who've come to respect each other... or is there something potentially romantic going on....?
  

• Rockne: Ben wanted to tweak the way he spoke to "fit in" better among the PKs. Speaking of James Bond, I especially liked when Scopius introduced himself and Crichton said, "But of course you are..."
  

• Moderator: <McKinsit> to <Moderator>: "Nerve" seemed to have a darker, grainy look to it. Was this intentional to add to the gritty, claustrophobic feel of the episode?
  

  Rockne: Definitely intentional -- the work of the fantastic director of the ep, Rowan Wood. In my opinion, it's arguably our most "Australian"-influenced episode (the look, the costuming, the design of the Aurora Chair room, etc.). Really very distinctive from other USA tv, even other USA series shot in Oz or New Zealand. Rowan and the crew really kicked a**...
  

• Moderator: <Gmmas> to <Moderator>: Rockne: in the Premiere, Crais sentenced Aeryn to death for hanging out with Crichton; in Nerve, Chiana flirted freely with PKs. Why the difference?
  

  Rockne: Aeryn was alone with escaped prisoners, and dared to defend the "alien" who killed his (Crais's) brother....
  Rockne: Chiana is a server who gives "good... value".... nothing wrong with that, in the eyes of Peacekeepers....
  

• Moderator: <JTMarechal> to <Moderator>: Who came up with "Fetch the Comfy Chair"?
  

  Rockne: One of the things I've tried to move the writers toward is to put the quirky references that we say to each other in the writing room into the scripts....
  Rockne: If we say it to each other and it makes us laugh, then John Crichton should say it....
  Rockne: So often writers talk to each other and make irreverent comments, then write tried-and-true dialogue...
  Rockne: On Farscape, we have the chance to put what we say to each other into the mouth of our lead character....
  Rockne: The great thing is, Ben is just like the writers, and adds a lot of his own wry asides....
  

Gigi Edgley, January 20, 2000

• Moderator: <SM28> to <Moderator> So, Gigi, of all of the episodes that have aired so far, which was your favorite to shoot?
  

  GigiEdgley: 15 and 19. My first one, and the one you guys saw a couple of weeks ago.
  GigiEdgley: Because when I initially came in at 15, I had a really strong idea of the character I wanted her to be, which in some ways is a good thing and others a bad thing.
  GigiEdgley: But I trusted my choices a lot. And now I'm starting to replace the nervousness with just excited enthusiastic vibes, and just to bring back the playfullness in it.
  GigiEdgley: Sometimes you can forget about the playfullness when everything is so crazy.
  GigiEdgley: But the guys here tell me I'm young and exhuberant -- so I'm giving it my best shot.
  

• Moderator: <SWORDandMUG> to <Moderator> Gigi, do you follow the Farscape Bulletin Board, and what are you views on the commentary you may have seen there?
  

  GigiEdgley: I try and follow it as much as I can, but basically moreso I try to get into the Farscape chat room as much as I can.
  GigiEdgley: Because I can speak to you guys live and get feedback there.
  GigiEdgley: I've been trying to get into the bulletin board a lot more, but between e-mails and checking out websites and going on the chat program, it's a little tricky to get there sometimes.
  GigiEdgley: I did get online when ep 19 featured the other night, and I was online watching all the comments come in.
  GigiEdgley: My hands were shaking and I was sweating profusely.
  GigiEdgley: It's awesome to hear feedback from you guys, because it's not out here in Australia at the moment.
  GigiEdgley: And a lot of the time I don't get a chance to watch the eps until they're absolutely locked off. Sometimes it's a good month and a half before I get to see a finished ep.
  GigiEdgley: So you guys might have to start writing to me to tell me how they're going!
  

• Moderator: <truthseekr> to <Moderator> What experience or techniques did you draw from in helping to develop Chianas unique mannerisms (in particular the walk, head tilts, eye shifts)?
  

  GigiEdgley: Throughout my university course, I was trained in Method. So I use a lot of the character choices, a lot of stimuli of animals, or dreams, or fantasy creatures.
  GigiEdgley: Because no one knows what an alien looks like, I had a lot of freedom to play with.
  GigiEdgley: Originally I went into the audition and said "how much alien characteristics do you want me to use here?"
  GigiEdgley: And they replied: we just want to know if you can act.
  * GigiEdgley laughs. *
  GigiEdgley: On the first makeup test, which ended up taking about 6 hours the very first time, I realized what an amazing look she had and how much there was to play with.
  GigiEdgley: So I disappeared to a dark corner of the studio and tried to find Chiana.
  

• Moderator: <valleyofstags> to <Moderator> Gigi, a lot of your work is very physical. How many of your own stunts do you do?
  

  GigiEdgley: As many as I can do.
  GigiEdgley: I'm the next up-and-coming Jackie Chan
  GigiEdgley: I hope...
  GigiEdgley: I'm just about to start kung-fu and ti-boxing classes as well, which hopefully will extend Chiana's action ability a bit more.
  GigiEdgley: And Gigi's health a bit more, too, hopefully. :)
  GigiEdgley: I love doing action scenes because you're absolutely thrown into it. You can't ACT, you're running from fireballs or smashing someone around.
  GigiEdgley: You don't have an opportunity to act, you've just got to be there in the moment, and that's awesome.
  GigiEdgley: That's the fantastic thing about Farscape. You can really be in the situation with the sets, the props, the other characters.
  GigiEdgley: They allow you to experience.
  

Gigi Edgley, January 24, 2000

• Question: What is your favorite episode of Farscape so far?
  

  Gigi Edgley: 15 and 19 are my favorites. I really relaxed into them. It's sometimes difficult to know whether you pulled it off successfully until you actually see it. Sometimes I go "Ah, in that scene I didn't do a great job", and then see the rushed and go "Wow". Other times, I go "What was that?"
  

• Question: Gigi: Loved the head movements in episode 19, particularly when Chiana and Crichton were doing the same movements. Did you and Ben have to practice that a lot to get it down so well?
  

  Gigi Edgley: Instinctually it's very easy when you work with people for heavy hours to pick up their movements and their habits.
  

David Kemper, January 27, 2000

• Moderator: <Nerys> : My question is character-specific, but I've seen it brought up lately and nobody seems to know the answer. Regarding Chiana's head/body movements; were they planned by the writers, or is that something Gigi brought to the character on her own?
  

  DK: Chiana.
  DK: Cheetah.
  DK: We talked with G prior to shooting.
  DK: Her interpretation works.
  DK: She runs with it.
  DK: We're all happy.
  DK: And I LOVE Gigi.
  

• Moderator: <kitsah> to <Moderator>: Is there a particular reason--other than convenience--that some PK's have one name and others two? Is it due to their origins (class, culture etc) in Sebacean society?
  

  DK: They all have two names. We just don't use them all the time. Crais, Aeryn, etc. have first and last names.
  DK: Only Scorpius is different, because, well... HE is.
  

Ben Browder, January 28, 2000

• Question: What is your favorite episode? Past present future...and if it has happened why?
  

  Ben Browder: Absolute favorite for Season One is #19, "Nerve." Why? One word...Chair. Or rather... three words, the COMFY chair.
  

Justin Monjo & Rowan Woods, May 11, 2000

• Moderator: <BG> to <Moderator>: Mr. Woods--Hello, and thank you for being here! What inspiration did you give Mr. Browder for those screams in "Nerve"?
  

  RowanWoods: re Nerve:
  RowanWoods: I had an australian electronic cattleprod ppointed at his rear end.
  * RowanWoods laughs. *
  RowanWoods: seriously though -- that was the MOST enjoyable ep, and Ben and I had a lot of fun.
  RowanWoods: he really went for it, and played to the torture and the psychological stress.
  RowanWoods: in the most gut-wrenching fashion.
  RowanWoods: it was a pleasure to have the whip in my hand with such a brave actor in the room with me.
  

• Moderator: <Leonard> to <Moderator>: In the vein of the question about directing -- what are some of the biggest "chances" you have taken in directing farscape?
  

  RowanWoods: The thing that's cool about the show is the fact that Kemper, Rockne, Ricky and the line producers actually bank on you taking risks.
  RowanWoods: Every show is sort of like a feature film -- there's no clearly identifiable house style, as yet.
  RowanWoods: So you get on the floor and go for it.
  RowanWoods: That whole concept of where we were with Farscape hit me on ep 16 last year.
  RowanWoods: when we had to shift our emphasis from sunny Australia to dark Australia.
  RowanWoods: and then it was a pleasure going into ep 19, Nerve,
  RowanWoods: with that sort of risk-taking ethos, with all of those around you taking the same risks.
  RowanWoods: Nerve was such a cool ep for me.
  RowanWoods: And the Ricky Manning ep that I'm doing now in season 2
  RowanWoods: which will air as 14 or 15, I'm not sure,
  RowanWoods: is probably the most insane risk taking by a writer that I've ever, ever had the pleasure to direct.
  RowanWoods: you'll have to see it to believe it.
  

Richard Manning, June 1, 2000

• Moderator: <Kieriahn>: Helloooo Richard! Is there any particular character you find easier to "get inside their head" and write (uh...not including Scorpy, of course...) ;)

  FrooniumRicky: Hi, Kierahn! (Your site's STILL among the Very Best.) Go ahead and include Scorpy...
  FrooniumRicky: I had the privilege of introducing his character in "Nerve," and I really enjoy writing for him.
  FrooniumRicky: Everyone on the show's fun to write, of course, because everyone's so Different...

• FrooniumRicky: As you may've noticed from the titles of other eps, we're certainly not above "borrowing" a title here and there...
  FrooniumRicky: or, worse yet, punning on a title.
  FrooniumRicky: (Applause to the first person who can tell me whence I nicked the title "Won't Get Fooled Again"...)
  

  Bouncer: first one in was: *PyeCat* the Who

  FrooniumRicky: PyeCat wins!
  FrooniumRicky: "Mind the Baby", however, was (as far as I know) original (okay, semi-original... if I stole it, I didn't do so Consciously).
  FrooniumRicky: "Nerve" is actually the title of Dick Francis's first novel (my wife's a Dick Francis fan), but it seemed appropriate, so I grabbed it.

Farscape Season Two Wrap, June 15, 2000

• Moderator: <stargatetravler> to <Moderator>: Hi Ben! How hard were the torture scenes with Scorpy to do? You really seemed to give your all emotionally and physically!

  Ben: Rowan and Ian our directors strapped me in that chair and left me there for three days... I remain unbroken. But I fully admit Wayne scared the bejezzus out of me.

Wayne Pygram, September 21, 2000

• Moderator2: <Rehanna> to <Moderator2>: Hey Wayne! Thanks for talkin to us. I was just wondering what's been your favorite episode(s) so far?

  WaynePygram: The most potent time for my development was the initial four episodes I did probably episode 19. Every day in the intial stages was very challenging and exciting and Ben and our director Rowan Woods handed over the playpen and allowed me to have fun and do my thing.
  

Paul Goddard, May 10, 2001

• Moderator: <BigNoseBob> to <Moderator>: Paul, I know firsthand how hard it is playing an unstable character. Do you do any warm ups...mental or physical in terms of acting?

  PaulGoddard: I just take a lot of drugs....ha ha!
  PaulGoddard: No...I do drink strong coffee if there is a scene where Stark is supposed to be extremely agitated. I'm not much of a coffee drinker you see.
  PaulGoddard: For the initial preparation I looked at One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest of course. It was particularly the characters other than Jack Nicholson that were of use.
  PaulGoddard: I found the whole film in retrospect a bit of a romanticisation of mental illness.
  PaulGoddard: I also looked at Brad Pitt in 12 Monkeys, I thought he was terrific.
  PaulGoddard: It's tricky playing an alien who is mentally unstable because you are not operating under the same perameters as if you were a human. You don't know what an alien's idea of stable is. Perhaps what we consider as a bit of craziness in Stark is actually the norm in his culture.
  PaulGoddard: I have wondered whether upon meeting more Banik slaves we might find they are all neurotic by our standards.

• Moderator: More mask questions (we're on a roll):
  Moderator: <Summerhush> to <Moderator>: Paul, this may sound stupid, but I've always wondered... Do you keep the eye under the mask open or closed?
  Moderator: <Tolfin> to <Moderator>: does you face hurt after whering it for so long

  PaulGoddard: Initially, we had trouble with it, every time my left eye blinked my right eye would follow suit and the eyelid/lash scraped itself against the chamois lining of the mask.
  PaulGoddard: We then dug out the chamois around the eye and tried putting an eye patch over the eye to hold the lid down.
  PaulGoddard: But now I am able to wear the mask and forget about such questions all together. Some how its taken care of itself. I can't tell you now whether my eye opens and closes naturally in tandem with other eye.
  PaulGoddard: Tolfin, my face doesn't hurt, I remove it after every take. It's just strap on, strap off.

Dave Elsey, July 19, 2001

• Moderator: <GutPageant> to <Moderator>: Did any particular creature or makeup job exceed your expectations?

  DaveE: Yes. Scorpy, I think, just hits the mark. I think what I tried to do with him was create the most evil character that I'd ever seen on TV. He's the grim reaper, he's the Emperer from Star Wars, he's the SS. And Wayne took what I did and took it a stage further.
  DaveE: Also, one of my persona; favourites is Natira. She's cool.
  DaveE: When the writer said that they were going to show Scorpy's girl friend, I just went mad!!
  DaveE: Then when I met Claudia Karvan, and she told me that her one condition for being on the show was that she got to play a creature, everything just clicked into place.

• Moderator: <JennHi> to <Moderator>: What is your absolute favorite creation? And if it's different, what's your favorite in Farscape?

  DaveE: Cool question.
  DaveE: I have many many favourite creatures.
  [...]
  DaveE: As I said before, of my own creations, I'm very fond of Scorpy and Natira.
  DaveE: But there are some characters that I've created this season that you haven't see yet that are going to knock you socks off!!!! I hope.