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Look! More EFC nostalgia!
Weee~ Continuing nostalgia! I'm pretty sure I'm not gonna do the entire series, but I'm having fun rewatching these episodes on nightshifts, and putting down thoughts, so I might as well continue for the moment. :)
1.03 Miracle
Julie Payton, a girl who lost both her arms from the elbow down as well as her parents in a childhood car crash, is about to jump off a ledge. Boone, just passing by, hurriedly talks her down, but this gives Da'an the idea to make Julie the first public recipient of a Limb Regeneration technology the Companions have been trialling. Julie is understandably agreeable, and in short order she has new hands. During the press conference to announce this, while she's deliriously happy, she sees an aura of light around Da'an, and pronounces him a messenger from God. Humanity goes crazy as a result.
The Taelons find this adulation rather useful and chose not to dissuade anyone of Da'an's angelic status. The leader of a religious group called the 'Church of the Companions' (which sounds like a group whose end would be talked about on the front page of the newspapers and not in a happy and sunshine sorta way) finds this a great PR boon and talks endlessly of the 'miracle' (a phrase used about a million times in this episode) of her hands.
Well, it all comes a cropper when the limbs die off, leaving Julie as she was. Sandoval has orders to 'isolate' Julie and presumably make her disappear. But Boone and Lili break her out of the Church of the Companions headquarters (where Julie had gone in the hope of being taken to the Companions to be cured) and put her instead on national TV, where she claims that no, Da'an's not a Godly messenger, she was mistaken, and her limbs may have failed but she has a new lease on life, etc.etc..
At the end of the episode, we find out that the Church of the Companion's leader is working for Da'an.
Thoughts
I'm in two minds on this episode. On the one hand, it touches upon something that is only referred to perhaps once or twice in later seasons: the religious response to the arrival of the Companions (another group shows up, led by Marina Sirtis, in the third season). On the other hand, it rather disturbingly paints the Human race as religion-besotted morons who see everything in terms of miracles. The scientists who are present at Julie's press conference to announce the success of her treatment react with stunned incredulity. The doctor who announces the success (or she might be a PR woman - she's wearing a cadeuceus on her badge, so that could mean anything) speaks in breathless tones of a miracle. The news reports focus on the 'miraculous' nature of her new hands (yes! we get it! The name of the episode is MIRACLE).
Science has no place in this episode. The only bits of it we get are from Da'an, providing technobabble during Julie's surgery, and it can be safely assumed that he's repeating what he's been told. Later, he gets asked a science question, and responds with a thousand mile stare and what boils down to 'I'm just repeating what I've been told'. So clearly, not a scientist.
When the limbs fail, it's treated like a massive failure. I'm struggling to understand why. It's the first trial, they admit, on someone who isn't suffering from mortal wounds or terminal illness, so, presumably, no one previously survived long enough for the limbs to fail. And scientist, Human or alien, should have been able to say, "Failure was not unexpected" and yet it's treated like it was a done deal. There were apparently no checkups to make sure the limb was taking, and no effort was made by the scientists to emphasise the experimental nature of the program. I realise that these omissions are necessary for the plot, but I tend to feel that if common sense undermines the plot, then it's a hole big enough to fall into and drown.
Part of the show's mythology is also added to here, with the inference that the Taelons have been on Earth a long time, masquerading as important religious figures. The rationale for this is... weak... to say the least, and comes so totally out of left field that you wind up going: eh?
1.04 Avatar
James Pike, convincted serial killer, is painting on his wall in blood, then apparently dies. Then ten minutes later, he wakes up in the morgue and escapes. Boone and Lily are assigned to chase him down, even though the police haven't been informed of his escape. The reason probably has something to do with the fact that Pike is the first recipient of the CVI, which is now breaking down in what appears to be built-in obsolesence, which is a fact that will come back later in the season.
Pike is in a motel, having visions of a Taelon in body armor, and while he's there, he kills one of a pair of twins in a mimicry of the painting of the wall of his cell. While Boone and Lily are aimlessly flying around, trying to figure out why exactly Pike is able to write in the Taelon's language, Pike hacks into the Taelon communications sytem and threatens Da'an. They trace the transmission to a rooftop. Lili stays with the shuttle while Boone prowls around, hilariously holding his wrist as one would the butt of a gun, as if he's not capable of raising his arm without aid, but Pike gets the drop on him. He says um'rathama will die.
Da'an goes to the prison to read the wall paintings. It is a depiction of a Taelon legend: Um'rathama and Shaqarava, two brothers, fight over the meaning of an omen. Um'rathama, the liar, defeats Shaqarava, who returns from the void stronger than ever, with truth on his side. Um'rathama, it seems, is supposed to be Da'an, who Pike plans to kill.
Pike kidnaps Dr Belman, then hacks into the Taelon system again to create a near-perfect hologram which he uses to have a conversation with Boone. They track the transmission, and Lili finds Belman there, head shaved, having been forced to alter Pike's CVI and to give him Sandoval's skrill (bioenergy weapon grafted to a Human host, fyi).
Da'an has gone to a conference (supposedly in Chicago, according to the posters, but the room itself has the words 'Toronto township' in massive letters on the wall, so this is epic fail on the part of the director who could have shifted the frame down to avoid that if they'd wanted to). Pike fires the skrill, but only blows up a hologram. As he lies dying, he says that the Taelons are afraid, and that the "Sleeper Will Come".
A final conversation between Da'an and another Taelon reveals that Pike's mind had evolved to a state similar to the Taelon's own, but marred by insanity. The question is if the other Implants will attain the same thing, and it's implied, in this conversation, that this is what the Taelons hope will happen.
Thoughts
I really like this episode. The Taelon mythology, rarely touched upon (and when it is, it's so often a Human parable with the names changed) is interesting to hear about. It's also the first time we hear the word shaqarava which viewers who've seen future series will know is the name given to Liam Kincaid's glowy hand thingies. I'm not sure why they appropriated the word in that respect. In this context we can take shaqarava as being synonymous with truth but this is something that is never explored later. With the show's later retool, much of the depth was lost, to the show's unfortunate detriment.
As a mystery building episode, this is great. It shows that the Taelons are afraid - of what we don't know! And that they're interested in directing Human evolution. The alienness of Da'an really comes over best to me in the scene in the prison, where the previously raucous inmates fall silent. When Da'an addresses one clearly insane man, he is meek, apologetic, and says, "I could love you".
They also build up possibilities that, with Boone's death, never come about. It's inferred he will be the light of truth, who reveals why the Taelons are there. It hints (and later episodes will also go into) what the CVI does to Humans. I'll go into that if I wind up reviewing those episodes at a later date.
1.05 Old Flame
Boone, Da'an, et al are at the gifting of a music conservatory, and by gifting they mean 'watch it grow'. There's a concert given at the event by a woman called Elise Chapel, who Boone had a torrid relationship with in the past. Meanwhile, plutonium is stolen from a nuclear plant and is reported to Boone. Sandoval claims this is a threat to Da'an.
To sidetrack for a moment, this is a time where EFC's odd first season geography is in full effect. Boone, in spite of being head of security, isn't based in D.C. with Da'an (we know that, since at one point he tells Lili to "fire up the shuttle, we're going to D.C."). It's implied in the pilot, in fact, that Boone is based on the other side of the continent. So why would they care about a local problem that is happening on the other side of the continent to Da'an? They do provide a reason why they'd care - the plant the material was stolen from was being retrofit by Companion technology - but they don't avail themelves of that excuse. Sandoval secures the 'lake front' (so there's no coast, but there is a lake), Lili the airports, and Boone volunteers to oversee metro transit.
Anyway. Boone blows off securing metro transit (leaving the job to his former colleague Bob) to see Elise, who's had an abrupt change of heart f rom the night before, claiming a new relationship wouldn't work, and kicks him out. Back at the office, Lili points out that he never showed up at metro. Boone, realising that he might be a wee bit obsessive and it's a bit weird, goes to have his CVI checked out by Belman, who finds no problem with it.
Boone goes to see Elise, but while he's confronting her on the street, gets the call that the thieves are in the metro station. He chases them, and a shoot out starts, which Elise walks into. Boone vaporises the thief holding her hostage, and clings to her. Lili, unhappily, observes.
While Boone and Elise go off to do the horizontal tango, Lili goes to meet Augur to get him to look into Elise. This is the first of their scenes in which the pair flirt outrageously, the start of a relationship that ends tragically later on, but is fun to watch at this point. Elise, back at her apartment, spoils the mood by proclaiming to Boone that she'll fight the Taelons as long as they remain on Earth.
Boone tells Lili this, who freaks slightly and doesn't believe it. She tries to remind Boone of his wife, and he yells at her. Lili gets a page and goes to see Augur, who hands over a bunch of files which are 'interesting'. Lili goes back to Boone, and shows him. Elise Chapel is an FBI operative with at least two other identities in the FBI system.
The last remaining thief tries to get through a checkpoint with the plutonium. Boone, back on the ball, helps capture him. After that, he goes back to his office and starts going through files, and finds that his memories of Elise are contradicted by his photos and files, which make no mention of her. Boone confronts Elise, and she admits that she's a Taelon operative. He brings her before Da'an, and reveals that he's perfectly aware that his memories of her were implanted as a quality control of his CVI, the goal being to ensure that the motivational imperative was working, as supposedly only a fully loyal implant would overcome the strong emotion and put the Taelons first. Da'an is impressed: none of the other Implants ever figured out the test. Sandoval looks a bit embarrassed by that.
Thoughts
Doesn't really add anything to the series mythology, but it's an entertaining episode anyway. Really, the best bit is the Lili-Augur interaction. I love the fact that they had her flirting with him, instead of the Standard Hollywood Female Response (i.e. aggression).
Fun for the eagle eyed: the picture of Gene Roddenberry on Belman's (Majel Barrett Roddenberry) desk.
I do wonder why it was necessary to create three separate files for Elise's identity in the FBI system. That doesn't seem very smart, somehow. But oh well. Bigger plot holes than that await the unwary in this series.
1.06 Float Like A Butterfly
In an Amish community, three children take a look at something they call the "Metal Scarecrow", a weirdly shaped contraption that looks metallic, and shaped like a crystalline nightmare. After they leave it alone in a barn, a butterfly lands on top of it, and is absorbed by a light coming from the top. Moments later, hundreds of identical butterflies are released from it.
A doctor from that Amish community, Elijah Good, goes to Boone, looking for help. He believes his community is experiencing delayed Companion Reaction Syndrome, where people commit suicide after having their worldview shaken by the knowledge that aliens are out there. While he's explaining this, an Amish man is shown calmly dousing himself in gasoline and setting himself alight. With the prospect of a new outbreak of CRS, Da'an sends Boone to investigate.
They try to examine the bodies, but are forbidden from any invasive procedures by the Elders of the village. They can't take the bodies away to a hospital to be properly autopsied. While Boone, Lili and Good try to learn as much as they can, a man traps himself in a shed and... somehow kills himself. I'm not sure how. The building he's inside fills with smoke, but when he comes out, dead, he's covered in some sort of filmy white substance. Disturbingly, a butterfly emerges from the mouth of the dead man and flies away.
The Elders shun Good for disobeying them, and with nothing left to lose, they bring in outside medical equipment and scan the bodies. All this is completely non-invasive, by the way. It shows something moved through the body from a puncture wound all the way to the mouth. Unaware of the danger, Good's sons catch a butterfly and put it in a jar. Later that night, the butterfly drills its way out of the jar, and flies into Good's bedroom.
The following morning, his wife drinks cleaning solution and nearly kills herself. A butterfly flies away. The children admit to Boone and Lili that they found the Metal Scarecrow, but when they go looking, there's nothing there but an oddly shaped space on the barn floor. The Scarecrow is in fact in the forest, where its found by the bishop who ordered Good shunned. It's inferred it kills him. All that's left in the barn is some butterflies, which they shoot down to discover they produce a goo that crystallises quickly, and that the butterflies are in fact machines. Boone and Lili decide this is Taelon technology designed to test the limits of the Human body.
Lili goes to send a transmission from the shuttle to Doors to get the Scarecrow picked up, giving them the first chance to examine Taelon tech for themselves, but the butterflies congregate, thinking the shuttle is alive. They manage to free Lili and the shuttle, and trick the butterflies into flying over the nearby Scarecrow (which is WATCHING), shooting them down, forcing their goo to land on top of it, crystallising, and shutting it down.
The shunning is reversed! Doors has the Scarecrow! Butterfly lands on someone's shoulder and causes a weird grin-to-camera moment.
Thoughts
Another fun mystery episode. This episode raises a lot of questions. While Boone and Lili believe the Metal Scarecrow is Taelon tech, is that the right conclusion to draw? After all, Taelon tech is all blue and curvy and organic. The Metal Scarecrow looks all green metal and crystal, hard edges. And why would the Taelons need to use some secret tech to examine the Human body's limits? They have all the access to Human medical information that they need, through legitimate sources. They've cured hunger and many diseases after all. This is not a race lacking in information on Human anatomy and physiology. Why would Da'an send them to investigate if the Taelons are conducting some sort of experiment there? Is there another, third race out there?
Well, we know the answers, but where's the fun in explaining it all here? ;)
1.03 Miracle
Julie Payton, a girl who lost both her arms from the elbow down as well as her parents in a childhood car crash, is about to jump off a ledge. Boone, just passing by, hurriedly talks her down, but this gives Da'an the idea to make Julie the first public recipient of a Limb Regeneration technology the Companions have been trialling. Julie is understandably agreeable, and in short order she has new hands. During the press conference to announce this, while she's deliriously happy, she sees an aura of light around Da'an, and pronounces him a messenger from God. Humanity goes crazy as a result.
The Taelons find this adulation rather useful and chose not to dissuade anyone of Da'an's angelic status. The leader of a religious group called the 'Church of the Companions' (which sounds like a group whose end would be talked about on the front page of the newspapers and not in a happy and sunshine sorta way) finds this a great PR boon and talks endlessly of the 'miracle' (a phrase used about a million times in this episode) of her hands.
Well, it all comes a cropper when the limbs die off, leaving Julie as she was. Sandoval has orders to 'isolate' Julie and presumably make her disappear. But Boone and Lili break her out of the Church of the Companions headquarters (where Julie had gone in the hope of being taken to the Companions to be cured) and put her instead on national TV, where she claims that no, Da'an's not a Godly messenger, she was mistaken, and her limbs may have failed but she has a new lease on life, etc.etc..
At the end of the episode, we find out that the Church of the Companion's leader is working for Da'an.
Thoughts
I'm in two minds on this episode. On the one hand, it touches upon something that is only referred to perhaps once or twice in later seasons: the religious response to the arrival of the Companions (another group shows up, led by Marina Sirtis, in the third season). On the other hand, it rather disturbingly paints the Human race as religion-besotted morons who see everything in terms of miracles. The scientists who are present at Julie's press conference to announce the success of her treatment react with stunned incredulity. The doctor who announces the success (or she might be a PR woman - she's wearing a cadeuceus on her badge, so that could mean anything) speaks in breathless tones of a miracle. The news reports focus on the 'miraculous' nature of her new hands (yes! we get it! The name of the episode is MIRACLE).
Science has no place in this episode. The only bits of it we get are from Da'an, providing technobabble during Julie's surgery, and it can be safely assumed that he's repeating what he's been told. Later, he gets asked a science question, and responds with a thousand mile stare and what boils down to 'I'm just repeating what I've been told'. So clearly, not a scientist.
When the limbs fail, it's treated like a massive failure. I'm struggling to understand why. It's the first trial, they admit, on someone who isn't suffering from mortal wounds or terminal illness, so, presumably, no one previously survived long enough for the limbs to fail. And scientist, Human or alien, should have been able to say, "Failure was not unexpected" and yet it's treated like it was a done deal. There were apparently no checkups to make sure the limb was taking, and no effort was made by the scientists to emphasise the experimental nature of the program. I realise that these omissions are necessary for the plot, but I tend to feel that if common sense undermines the plot, then it's a hole big enough to fall into and drown.
Part of the show's mythology is also added to here, with the inference that the Taelons have been on Earth a long time, masquerading as important religious figures. The rationale for this is... weak... to say the least, and comes so totally out of left field that you wind up going: eh?
1.04 Avatar
James Pike, convincted serial killer, is painting on his wall in blood, then apparently dies. Then ten minutes later, he wakes up in the morgue and escapes. Boone and Lily are assigned to chase him down, even though the police haven't been informed of his escape. The reason probably has something to do with the fact that Pike is the first recipient of the CVI, which is now breaking down in what appears to be built-in obsolesence, which is a fact that will come back later in the season.
Pike is in a motel, having visions of a Taelon in body armor, and while he's there, he kills one of a pair of twins in a mimicry of the painting of the wall of his cell. While Boone and Lily are aimlessly flying around, trying to figure out why exactly Pike is able to write in the Taelon's language, Pike hacks into the Taelon communications sytem and threatens Da'an. They trace the transmission to a rooftop. Lili stays with the shuttle while Boone prowls around, hilariously holding his wrist as one would the butt of a gun, as if he's not capable of raising his arm without aid, but Pike gets the drop on him. He says um'rathama will die.
Da'an goes to the prison to read the wall paintings. It is a depiction of a Taelon legend: Um'rathama and Shaqarava, two brothers, fight over the meaning of an omen. Um'rathama, the liar, defeats Shaqarava, who returns from the void stronger than ever, with truth on his side. Um'rathama, it seems, is supposed to be Da'an, who Pike plans to kill.
Pike kidnaps Dr Belman, then hacks into the Taelon system again to create a near-perfect hologram which he uses to have a conversation with Boone. They track the transmission, and Lili finds Belman there, head shaved, having been forced to alter Pike's CVI and to give him Sandoval's skrill (bioenergy weapon grafted to a Human host, fyi).
Da'an has gone to a conference (supposedly in Chicago, according to the posters, but the room itself has the words 'Toronto township' in massive letters on the wall, so this is epic fail on the part of the director who could have shifted the frame down to avoid that if they'd wanted to). Pike fires the skrill, but only blows up a hologram. As he lies dying, he says that the Taelons are afraid, and that the "Sleeper Will Come".
A final conversation between Da'an and another Taelon reveals that Pike's mind had evolved to a state similar to the Taelon's own, but marred by insanity. The question is if the other Implants will attain the same thing, and it's implied, in this conversation, that this is what the Taelons hope will happen.
Thoughts
I really like this episode. The Taelon mythology, rarely touched upon (and when it is, it's so often a Human parable with the names changed) is interesting to hear about. It's also the first time we hear the word shaqarava which viewers who've seen future series will know is the name given to Liam Kincaid's glowy hand thingies. I'm not sure why they appropriated the word in that respect. In this context we can take shaqarava as being synonymous with truth but this is something that is never explored later. With the show's later retool, much of the depth was lost, to the show's unfortunate detriment.
As a mystery building episode, this is great. It shows that the Taelons are afraid - of what we don't know! And that they're interested in directing Human evolution. The alienness of Da'an really comes over best to me in the scene in the prison, where the previously raucous inmates fall silent. When Da'an addresses one clearly insane man, he is meek, apologetic, and says, "I could love you".
They also build up possibilities that, with Boone's death, never come about. It's inferred he will be the light of truth, who reveals why the Taelons are there. It hints (and later episodes will also go into) what the CVI does to Humans. I'll go into that if I wind up reviewing those episodes at a later date.
1.05 Old Flame
Boone, Da'an, et al are at the gifting of a music conservatory, and by gifting they mean 'watch it grow'. There's a concert given at the event by a woman called Elise Chapel, who Boone had a torrid relationship with in the past. Meanwhile, plutonium is stolen from a nuclear plant and is reported to Boone. Sandoval claims this is a threat to Da'an.
To sidetrack for a moment, this is a time where EFC's odd first season geography is in full effect. Boone, in spite of being head of security, isn't based in D.C. with Da'an (we know that, since at one point he tells Lili to "fire up the shuttle, we're going to D.C."). It's implied in the pilot, in fact, that Boone is based on the other side of the continent. So why would they care about a local problem that is happening on the other side of the continent to Da'an? They do provide a reason why they'd care - the plant the material was stolen from was being retrofit by Companion technology - but they don't avail themelves of that excuse. Sandoval secures the 'lake front' (so there's no coast, but there is a lake), Lili the airports, and Boone volunteers to oversee metro transit.
Anyway. Boone blows off securing metro transit (leaving the job to his former colleague Bob) to see Elise, who's had an abrupt change of heart f rom the night before, claiming a new relationship wouldn't work, and kicks him out. Back at the office, Lili points out that he never showed up at metro. Boone, realising that he might be a wee bit obsessive and it's a bit weird, goes to have his CVI checked out by Belman, who finds no problem with it.
Boone goes to see Elise, but while he's confronting her on the street, gets the call that the thieves are in the metro station. He chases them, and a shoot out starts, which Elise walks into. Boone vaporises the thief holding her hostage, and clings to her. Lili, unhappily, observes.
While Boone and Elise go off to do the horizontal tango, Lili goes to meet Augur to get him to look into Elise. This is the first of their scenes in which the pair flirt outrageously, the start of a relationship that ends tragically later on, but is fun to watch at this point. Elise, back at her apartment, spoils the mood by proclaiming to Boone that she'll fight the Taelons as long as they remain on Earth.
Boone tells Lili this, who freaks slightly and doesn't believe it. She tries to remind Boone of his wife, and he yells at her. Lili gets a page and goes to see Augur, who hands over a bunch of files which are 'interesting'. Lili goes back to Boone, and shows him. Elise Chapel is an FBI operative with at least two other identities in the FBI system.
The last remaining thief tries to get through a checkpoint with the plutonium. Boone, back on the ball, helps capture him. After that, he goes back to his office and starts going through files, and finds that his memories of Elise are contradicted by his photos and files, which make no mention of her. Boone confronts Elise, and she admits that she's a Taelon operative. He brings her before Da'an, and reveals that he's perfectly aware that his memories of her were implanted as a quality control of his CVI, the goal being to ensure that the motivational imperative was working, as supposedly only a fully loyal implant would overcome the strong emotion and put the Taelons first. Da'an is impressed: none of the other Implants ever figured out the test. Sandoval looks a bit embarrassed by that.
Thoughts
Doesn't really add anything to the series mythology, but it's an entertaining episode anyway. Really, the best bit is the Lili-Augur interaction. I love the fact that they had her flirting with him, instead of the Standard Hollywood Female Response (i.e. aggression).
Fun for the eagle eyed: the picture of Gene Roddenberry on Belman's (Majel Barrett Roddenberry) desk.
I do wonder why it was necessary to create three separate files for Elise's identity in the FBI system. That doesn't seem very smart, somehow. But oh well. Bigger plot holes than that await the unwary in this series.
1.06 Float Like A Butterfly
In an Amish community, three children take a look at something they call the "Metal Scarecrow", a weirdly shaped contraption that looks metallic, and shaped like a crystalline nightmare. After they leave it alone in a barn, a butterfly lands on top of it, and is absorbed by a light coming from the top. Moments later, hundreds of identical butterflies are released from it.
A doctor from that Amish community, Elijah Good, goes to Boone, looking for help. He believes his community is experiencing delayed Companion Reaction Syndrome, where people commit suicide after having their worldview shaken by the knowledge that aliens are out there. While he's explaining this, an Amish man is shown calmly dousing himself in gasoline and setting himself alight. With the prospect of a new outbreak of CRS, Da'an sends Boone to investigate.
They try to examine the bodies, but are forbidden from any invasive procedures by the Elders of the village. They can't take the bodies away to a hospital to be properly autopsied. While Boone, Lili and Good try to learn as much as they can, a man traps himself in a shed and... somehow kills himself. I'm not sure how. The building he's inside fills with smoke, but when he comes out, dead, he's covered in some sort of filmy white substance. Disturbingly, a butterfly emerges from the mouth of the dead man and flies away.
The Elders shun Good for disobeying them, and with nothing left to lose, they bring in outside medical equipment and scan the bodies. All this is completely non-invasive, by the way. It shows something moved through the body from a puncture wound all the way to the mouth. Unaware of the danger, Good's sons catch a butterfly and put it in a jar. Later that night, the butterfly drills its way out of the jar, and flies into Good's bedroom.
The following morning, his wife drinks cleaning solution and nearly kills herself. A butterfly flies away. The children admit to Boone and Lili that they found the Metal Scarecrow, but when they go looking, there's nothing there but an oddly shaped space on the barn floor. The Scarecrow is in fact in the forest, where its found by the bishop who ordered Good shunned. It's inferred it kills him. All that's left in the barn is some butterflies, which they shoot down to discover they produce a goo that crystallises quickly, and that the butterflies are in fact machines. Boone and Lili decide this is Taelon technology designed to test the limits of the Human body.
Lili goes to send a transmission from the shuttle to Doors to get the Scarecrow picked up, giving them the first chance to examine Taelon tech for themselves, but the butterflies congregate, thinking the shuttle is alive. They manage to free Lili and the shuttle, and trick the butterflies into flying over the nearby Scarecrow (which is WATCHING), shooting them down, forcing their goo to land on top of it, crystallising, and shutting it down.
The shunning is reversed! Doors has the Scarecrow! Butterfly lands on someone's shoulder and causes a weird grin-to-camera moment.
Thoughts
Another fun mystery episode. This episode raises a lot of questions. While Boone and Lili believe the Metal Scarecrow is Taelon tech, is that the right conclusion to draw? After all, Taelon tech is all blue and curvy and organic. The Metal Scarecrow looks all green metal and crystal, hard edges. And why would the Taelons need to use some secret tech to examine the Human body's limits? They have all the access to Human medical information that they need, through legitimate sources. They've cured hunger and many diseases after all. This is not a race lacking in information on Human anatomy and physiology. Why would Da'an send them to investigate if the Taelons are conducting some sort of experiment there? Is there another, third race out there?
Well, we know the answers, but where's the fun in explaining it all here? ;)