A Snurcher's Guide to Farscape

The Ugly Truth



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Production No. 216

Best Viewed As 2.17

Aired As
2.17 (US & UK)

Original Airdates
08 Sep 2000 (US)
13 Nov 2000 (UK)

Ratings
1.6 (US)
2.22 (UK)

The Ugly Truth
Abbreviations: TUT
Alternate Titles: (none)

Wassup? · Backstory · Reactions · Annotations · Microbes · Quotes · Cast & Crew


Writer: Gabrielle Stanton & Harry Werksman, Jr.
Director: Tony Tilse
Guests:
Lani Tupu..................Capt. Bialar Crais
Paul Goddard...............Stark
Linda Cropper..............Fento
Peter Carroll..............Gahv
Complete Credits


Wassup?

Rashomon in space...

Crais returns to ask the crew's help in modifying Talyn's weaponry -- which unexpectedly destroys a Plokavian vessel under mysterious circumstances. Facing death by dispersion if they don't give up the crewmate responsible for firing the fatal shot, our heroes reveal completely different perspectives of the event during the ensuing Plokavian interrogation.

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Backstory

(none)


Reactions

Questions (none)

Observations (none)

Bloopers (none)

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Annotations

The narrative structure of the episode is taken from that of Akira Kurosawa's famous 1950 film RASHOMON, based on two stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa: "Rashomon" and "Yabu no naka" [In a Grove]. Four witnesses to a rape and murder (including the ghost of the victim!) tell four very different accounts of the incident.

John: "Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye."

A common children's oath to indicate that the truth is being told. Of unknown origin.


Translator Microbe Report

Bleethik something or someone that makes a lot of noise: "They're chattering away like a pair of bleethiks."
Dampening net the only Plokavian weapon that isn't lethal; it can be used to incapacitate hostile vessels
Dispersal Plokavian method of execution in which the condemned is literally dispersed into component atoms
Hoobcap D'Argo's mishearing of hubcap
Novatrin gas Plokavian weapon; D'Argo says it eats you alive, from the inside out
Plakavoids Crichton's mishearing of Plokavians
Plokavian a species known for building lethal weapons, with strong beliefs about truth and justice
Privacy mode mode in which Crais disconnects the neural transponder with Talyn, and Talyn cannot hear what is being said on the bridge
Proximity sensors component on Talyn
Seismic disruptors Plokavian weapon; Stark says it can destroy entire planets
Shatter grenades Plokavian weapon; Stark says it turns bones to powder
Skizzik something or someone with poor luck: "Moya hasn't got a skizzik's chance of finding him."
Weapons console control panel on Talyn's bridge


Quotables

(none)


Comments from Cast & Crew

  • Richard Manning, June 1, 2000

      Moderator: This question is popular!
      Moderator: <Ooshati> to <Moderator>: Good Evening. When will Crais (and hopefully Talyn) come back?
      Moderator: <passionsfool>: Sorry if this has been asked... Any plans for Crais and Talyn?

      FrooniumRicky: Soooooooon.
      FrooniumRicky: Loads of plans.
      FrooniumRicky: We didn't build that lovely Talyn Bridge set for nothin'...
      FrooniumRicky: And you don't think we'd let a terrific actor like Lani Tupu out of our clutches for TOO long, do you?

    • Bouncer: *Gmmas* Why did Talyn choose Crais? And who is really in charge?

      FrooniumRicky: Two Good Questions. My view: Talyn's a Peacekeeper-bred gunship.
      FrooniumRicky: He'd naturally choose a PK Captain, a strong father figure.
      FrooniumRicky: With the neural interface, Crais is "in control" of Talyn...
      FrooniumRicky: But let's not forget Aeryn's words: "You cannot command a Leviathan, you can only persuade."
      FrooniumRicky: We have yet to see whether Crais will be able to command Talyn for very long...

    Farscape Season Two Wrap, June 15, 2000

    • Moderator: <CB> to <Moderator>: Tim, what prop are you really proud to have made?

      TimFerrier: There is a chair coming up in "The Ugly Truth" which I'm really proud of. Plus I love any prop that makes Ben uncomfortable. I feel I've done my job properly then.

      Ben: Tim... that is SOOOOO true.
      Ben: next year time has to test drive any device he builds for me.
      Ben: he will be sooo sorry.

    Pilot, with Sean Masterson (Puppeteer) & Lani Tupu (Voice of Pilot), July 13, 2000

    • Moderator: <MarylandJKoba> to <Moderator>: So, Lani... who's in charge, Crais or Talyn?

      LaniTupu: I think I am in charge... no I know I am in charge, however I thinky Talyn has the upper hand.

    Paul Goddard, May 10, 2001

    • Moderator: <naturalredhead> to <Moderator>: paul.. what do you wear under your "mask" if anything? and how long does makeup take for it?

      PaulGoddard: A little bit of rouge and some eyeliner :)
      PaulGoddard: but seriously..... I am the lukiest S.O.B. in the show with regard to make up - only half a face to be made up in the first place and very little hair.
      PaulGoddard: I'm in the chair for 10 minutes while others are in there for hours.
      PaulGoddard: Underneath the mask when we do the special light effect I sometimes wear a few dots, so that when I remove the mask the special effects team have a kind of grid to lock onto.
      PaulGoddard: For the moments when you have seen my actual face without the lights they have used a big blue patch to blue screen in the nothingness.

    • PaulGoddard: I am more of a psychology fan than physics fan. Hence it is often the episodes of Farscape in which the core drama is interpersonal or psychological or philisophical that I find most galvanising.