Ratings
1.5 (US)
2.13 (UK)

John Brumpton..............B'Sogg
Justine Saunders...........Altana
Rob Carlton................Vija
Hunter Peshe...............Temmon
Gavin Robins...............Keedva

Wassup?

"No more Captain Kirk chitchat."

When the crew runs short of food, they visit an old haunt of Chiana's, a mining colony on a huge space carcass. Naturally, there are complications: Moya is debilitatingly allergic to Zhaan -- who herself will die if they can't find her some meat, and fast -- and Chiana's history with the colony may undermine the whole effort.

Backstory

Delvians are immobilized by famine, and their species developed poisonous buds as a defense mechanism. When the buds are eaten by an attacker, the animal dies, providing food for the Delvian; animal protein stops the budding process.

Zhaan's spores have a numbing effect on Moya's neural systems; Pilot believes Moya could be permanently blinded by extended exposure to high spore levels.

Moya can be vented to space in 5 microts, but it takes over an arn to repressurize her.

Zhaan has some ability to levitate.

Reactions

Questions (none)

Observations

1. Warning: do NOT eat pizza when watching this episode.
2. The relationship between D'Argo and Chiana, hinted at in previous episodes, takes a step forward here. While the foundation has been in place since at least Family Ties, some chatroom denizens felt that additional build-up would have been helpful, prior to the closing scene of this episode.

Bloopers (none)

Annotations

The title comes from "Home on the Range", the Official State Song of Kansas and a popular folksong known by most children in America.

Aeryn: "I'll pass."
John: "Suit yourself, Jenny Craig, but I'm hungry."

Aeryn's preference to go hungry rather than eat a dentic reminds John of the queen of weight-loss programs, Jenny Craig.

John: "Aeryn, we are out of supplies. We're gonna become the Donner Party of the Uncharted Territories if we don't get some food soon."

The Donner Party (see also http://members.aol.com/DanMRosen/donner/index.htm) was a wagon train travelling from Illinois to California in 1846-1847. Several tragic incidents depleted their numbers, and finally, passing through the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the party was trapped by a blizzard, and many resorted to cannibalism to survive.

Rygel: "What the dren are we waiting for?"
Chiana: "Me."
Rygel: "Yotz."
John: "Shazam!
D'Argo: "That's nice."

John's expression was a favorite of Gomer Pyle, native of Mayberry, North Carolina on THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, and played by Jim Nabors. Gomer later joined the Marines, and got his own spin-off series, GOMER PYLE, USMC.

Gomer probably got the expression from the comic book adventures of Captain Marvel, which began in 1940 in WHIZ COMICS #2. Newspaper boy Billy Batson encountered the ancient wizard Shazam, who invested Billy with Solomon's wisdom, Hercules's strength, Atlas's stamina, Zeus's power, Achilles's courage, and Mercury's speed, as Captain Marvel, whenever Billy said "Shazam!" (saying it again as Captain Marvel would change him back to Billy).

Rygel: "What are those men doing?"
B'Sogg: "Deemo. Do you play?"
Rygel: "I'm about to."
John: "We're here for Zhaan, Maverick, not games."

John's referring to the gambling brother heroes of the classic 1950s Western TV series, MAVERICK (see also http://home.talkcity.com/chaplinct/mavericktv/gotopage.html or the IMDb), specifically the irrepressible lead character, Bret Maverick, played by James Garner. Jack Kelly played Bret's brother Bart. In later years, future James Bond Roger Moore played British cousin Beau, and for a measly two episodes, Robert Colbert played another brother, Brent. The series took a downturn when Garner left it after the third season.

The first attempt at a revival was the 1978 TV movie, THE NEW MAVERICK, which reunited Garner and Kelly, and introduced cousin Beau's son, Ben Maverick (Charles Frank), who became the lead in a series YOUNG MAVERICK the next year.

A couple of years after that, Garner returned to play the lead in another short-lived revival, BRET MAVERICK. Last, but not least, was a 1994 theatrical film, MAVERICK, starring Mel Gibson, and directed by his LETHAL WEAPON director, Robert Donner.

John: "Hey, Blue. Delivery. It's not exactly Domino's, but it got here in less than 30 minutes."

Domino's is a world-wide chain of pizza shops whose ads at one time guaranteed delivery to your door within 30 minutes.

John: "No more Captain Kirk chit-chat."

Captain of the Enterprise from STAR TREK, of course.

Translator Microbe Report

Quotables

"Fields of green grass..."
"Well, mold is, uh, is green."
"Crystal blue streams..."
"Ruptured bile ducts, actually."
"If I had anything at all left in my stomach right now, I'd throw up."
- John Crichton, Chiana

"I hope it's not a cold, 'cause I'm sure not going to get any chicken soup on a budong." - John Crichton

"What is that appalling smell?"
"Breakfast."
"Dentics? You can't eat dentics!"
"Fried dentics. You can eat anything if it's fried."
"I'll pass."
"Suit yourself, Jenny Craig, but I'm hungry."
"Obviously, not that hungry."
- Aeryn Sun, John Crichton

"Aeryn, we are out of supplies. We're gonna become the Donner Party of the Uncharted Territories if we don't get some food soon!." - John Crichton

"Sha-zam." - John Crichton

"Oh, that's just great. I get to stay onboard with the blooming blue bush, and you get to play with your favorite little tralk." - Aeryn Sun

"I have a plan."
"D'Argo, it's okay. Chiana has a plan."
- Chiana, John Crichton

"Here ya are, Marshall." - John Crichton

"You better shut it, before something you won't like flies in." - Altana

"You can ignore the little green eating machine. We appreciate what you've done for us." - John Crichton

"Deemo. Do you play?"
"I'm about to."
"We're here for Zhaan, Maverick, not games."
- B'Sogg, Rygel, John Crichton

"Hey, Blue, delivery. It's not exactly Dominos, but it got here in less than 30 minutes." - John Crichton

"What were you thinking, attacking B'Sogg like that? What, did you think he'd just hand over the meat?"
"It seemed like a better idea than waiting for you to frell him into submission."
- Chiana, D'Argo

"It should be easy. It's never easy." - John Crichton

"Slug monkey..." - John Crichton

"OW! What was that for?"
"I ain't your lunch."
"The dentics tasted better. [spits]"
"You tasted worse. [spits] Okay, here's the plan: you're going to go back to the transport pod and stay there."
"What about Vija?"
"What about Keedva?"
"Oh. Good plan."
- Rygel, John Crichton

"D'Argo, are you and Chiana together?"
"No."
"No, or not yet?"
"That's up to her."
- D'Argo, Altana

"No more Captain Kirk chitchat." - John Crichton

"Chiana...you're a thief and a tralk...but you're not a killer."
"I'm evolving, as a...as an individual."
- B'Sogg, Chiana

"Yeah. Carolina-style keedva. Best barbeque this side of a budong." - John Crichton

"Whoa." - Chiana

Comments from Cast & Crew

Virginia Hey, January 25, 2000

• Question: Virginia: We all thought its pretty neat that Zhaan is evolved from plants. What was your reaction to that development? And does Zhaan breathe oxygen or carbon dioxide?
  

  Virginia Hey: Very good question! I think you've got us here....I'm going to have to go ask the writers no....whatever is in outer space is what I breathe. Since we don't know...we'll have to keep wondering. She's not comparable to any plant life we have on earth. That question is something we'd have to think seriously about. I'll put the answer on the FAQ page of my site. About being a plant...I love it! I'm now in the flora and fauna category. I was a little bit insulted last week when I was reading a posting on the sci-fi fi board..one of the fans referred to me as a turnip, LOL. I'm not sure I can relate to that..but I love that Zhaan is unlike anything we've heard of. We can reinvent her constantly since there is no comparison to anything that exists. Just wait until episode 8 of season 2 "Home on the Remains"....for some earth shattering revelation.....I can't tell you what it is.....
  

Ben Browder (Interview Published April 20, 2000)

• "Yesterday, I was on a flying rig for about half the day, it was a very painful event. And the first AD, who's sitting in the car with me, had no idea I was in pain, and he tortured me, continued to torture me. 'Yup, lift him up, come on, get him up there!' And I'm hanging there. Thirty minutes later, 'OK, rolling!' I'm like, 'Thank you, I can't feel my toes and I will have no more children, thank you.'"

Virginia Hey, April 27, 2000

• Moderator: <RoguePlanet> to <Moderator> Virginia, any chance we'll see more of Zhaan's "dark side" in the upcoming season?
  

  Virginia: Hello RoguePlanet, Yes, In order to get to the next level Zhaan must jump hurles of dark impulses and confusion. Tests and challenges are always provided in spiritual quests. Zhaan has free will and choice to accept the challenges and go through that particular learning process, or back away and accept fate at its present level. XXX
  

Justin Monjo & Rowan Woods, May 11, 2000

• Moderator: <AutumnH> to <Moderator>: When you have scenes with the "non-human" actors like Rygel and Pilot, how much is changed in how you approach the scene. Is there a higher difficulty level?
  

  RowanWoods: it's a tough one on the floor, and I'm learning all the time. I hadn'd a lot of experience with puppets, and no experience with
  RowanWoods: animatronics. it's a gradual process. you learrn to treat the whole puppetry team as a character. it takes a while.
  RowanWoods: it took me 2 or 3 eps before I was able to treat them as a real, living entity.
  RowanWoods: hopefully, some of my eps this year will show that sort of experience.
  RowanWoods: there's a great ep coming up with some hillarious Crichon scenes -- Home on the Remains -- coming up after your break in the States.
  

  JustinMonjo: Rowan likes to be able to make the puppets do whatever he likes, I write them as being another character, just like any other
  

  RowanWoods: One of the scariest things about directing Rygel, is that after you've been treating him as a real guy for maybe half an hour of intense work,
  RowanWoods: everyone goes for a break and you're just sitting there going through your notes, and you look across to Rygel without the team
  RowanWoods: and there he is with his mouth agape, sort of dead.
  RowanWoods: and it's sort of scary and bad -- it's like you're with him one minute and you're not the next.
  

Farscape Season Two Wrap, June 15, 2000

• Moderator: JohnBrumpton is here -- a new name for Farscape fans, if I'm not mistaken.
  Moderator: John, can you introduce yourself?

  JohnBrumpton: G'day, I play a character you'll see Friday night by the name of B'sogg. He's one hansome, tough dude.

• Moderator: What do you make of all this Farscape stuff, John?

  JohnBrumpton: I think its quite amazing. The incredible sets, incredible costumes, incredible stories and really wonderful people to work with.

• Moderator: <PhantomComputer> to <Moderator>: to John, not having seen the ep yet, is the B'Sogg character wearing a lot of heavy makeup?
  

  JohnBrumpton: Oh yes, it took one hour to put on, and I still can't get it all off.

• Moderator: <NA-Tek> to <Moderator>: John, if I understand correctly you're going to be a guest star this week. Just curious, how muchdid you know about Farscape before doing the part?

  JohnBrumpton: I didn't know anything about Farscape, as it hadn't been screened here. One of the producers had seen my previous screen work and offered me the role of B'Sogg. I read the script and watched a couple of episodes of series one and immediately said yes.

• Moderator: <Sifaria> to <Moderator>: For JohnBrumpton Hello, and wondered if you speak fluent Farscapeze yet? :)

  JohnBrumpton: It took a few days and we had to create an accent, that was way out of this galaxy, so yes I do speak farscapeze.

• Moderator: <Kaeryn> to <Moderator>: John: what race is your character? (delvian, peacekeeper... or new?)

  JohnBrumpton: He's a miner, running a mining camp. He has a history with Chianna, and is a race all on his own.

• Moderator: <ChaoticDreamer> to <Moderator>: John, welcome to the insanity that is a Farscape chat...by they way...did your character harm John is any way? :)
  

  JohnBrumpton: Well I have a bit of a spar with Anthony......

  Moderator: Anthony's a big fella -- are you in his weight class?

  JohnBrumpton: Yes, I give him a good run for his money, a real good run in fact. I don't like John Crichton and I give him a bit of a go as well. B'Sogg is one, sexy street fighting man.

• Moderator: <CraisLover> to <Moderator>: John, ... do you think your charac will be coming back in Season 3?

  JohnBrumpton: On Farscape anything is possible so you'll have to wait and see in Season 3.

• Moderator: <WarriorWoman> to <Moderator>: What is B'Sogg's sexiest quality?

  JohnBrumpton: A nice big head to get in the right places :)

• Moderator: <CHIANASGECKO> to <Moderator>: To john brumpton: your character wont hurt chiana will he? cause man that would just be bad ;(

  JohnBrumpton: My character has a lot of different things he'd like to do to and with Chianna.

• Moderator2: <Ariadne55> to <Moderator2>: If John Crichton had a superpower, what would it be?

  Ben: I'm still buckin for James Tiberious Kirk's superpower.

Gigi Edgley, June 29, 2000

• Moderator: <Corde> to <Moderator>: Hi Gigi! What was it like to kiss Anthony when he's wearing that mask and makeup? Did your lips actually touch, or was it just the makeup?

  fweakn-Gi: inside info hey???
  fweakn-Gi: you might have to ask ant about that one
  fweakn-Gi: hhhhehehehee
  fweakn-Gi: yes, but briefly..to get down to the juice of it
  fweakn-Gi: his tentra is awsome to play with as you may have seen in some of the promos
  fweakn-Gi: it's easy to get to cause with all the prostetics it gets a little tricky to locate what's actually where..hehehheee

• Moderator: <MarylandJKoba> to <Moderator>: Hi, Gigi! Are we going to find out more about Chi's brother as the season goes on?

  fweakn-Gi: What ep are you guys up to...*?
  fweakn-Gi: 8?

  Moderator: We are up to ahhhh....hold on.

  fweakn-Gi: We find out alot more of chi's past including the connections she had with her brother....i think it helps to explain alot about chi and her mannerisms

  Moderator: Home on the Remains. Out of their Minds airs next Friday.

  fweakn-Gi: cool
  fweakn-Gi: so the did the D'argo and chi fling come as a bit of a suprise to you guys?

  Moderator: Oh. Sorry. Dream A Little Dream was the last ep. aired.

  fweakn-Gi: ohh gotcha
  fweakn-Gi: geez you guys are gonna love what scaperlands got in store for you..hehehhehee

• Moderator: <OfficerAerynSun> to <Moderator>: I know that Chi has had a difficult childhood, especially living on the streets. We saw a glimpse of Aeryn's past in "The Way We Weren't" and it really revealed a lot. Will we be seeing such an episode based on Chi? And if so will we be seeing a dramatic change in Chi afterwards?

  fweakn-Gi: yes, in the up and coming eps. you find out a lot about Chiana's history, you probably will sense changes or realise why she has such mannerisms in the first place.
  fweakn-Gi: Quite often Chi doesn't react as humans would, sometimes hurting the one she is closest too.

David Kemper, with Richard Manning & Ben Browder ("Bruno"), August 17, 2000

• Moderator: <Trager> to <Moderator>: David, first, congratulations on a well built and compelling show that the fans ADORE. My question is, how long has the Chianna and D'Argo romance been planned? And is it going to have an effect on John and Aeryn's "relationship"?

  Kemper: Good question.
  Kemper: We've been working toward that since the end of last year.
  Kemper: Go back and watch how Chi and D deal with each other in "Bone"
  Kemper: and "Family Ties."
  Kemper: If you're in a small ship with a limited number of
  Kemper: other people, and 2 of them begin a romance,
  Kemper: I don't see how it can AVOID affecting everyone else.

• Moderator: <PyeCat> to <Moderator>: in HOTR, Chiana quite deliberately shot the acid pod instead of B'Sogg. Was she trying to hurt him instead of killing him, or trying to kill him in a particularly painful way? Going all the way back to "Durka Returns", it's been an intriguing question if Chiana is capable of killing.

  Kemper: Chiana is capable of doing whatever she has to keep herself and the ones
  Kemper: she loves alive.
  Kemper: Chiana is a survivor.