Farscape s01e02: I, E.T.

Series

Farscape^[3]

Season

1^[2]

Episode

2^[2]

Production code

#10102^[2]

First aired (US)

30 April 1999^[2]

First aired (UK)

20 December 1999^[2]

Written by

Sally Lapiduss^[2]

Directed by

Pino Amenta^[2]

Running time

48 minutes 17 seconds^[1]

What happens in "I, E.T."?

The episode opens with the crew of the living ship Moya dealing with a Peacekeeper beacon that has been installed on board and is broadcasting their position to pursuing forces.^[1] To remove it, they land on a swamp planet in search of an anesthetic element that can numb Moya enough for the beacon to be cut from her neural nexus.^[1]

Pilot explains that Peacekeepers normally sedate Leviathans like Moya with a potent sleep agent before installing control collars and modifying a ship's propulsion and guidance systems.^[4] The crew determines that an element they identify as chlorum, also written as florum, can serve as the numbing agent, and John Crichton, Ka D'Argo and Aeryn Sun leave Moya to search the planet for it.^[4][2]

A rushed descent to silence the beacon's signal forces Moya down into marshland, where the planet's gravity starts bearing down on her.^[2] Pilot warns that, even with chlorum, the crew cannot finish the extraction before the heavy gravity crushes Moya.^[4]

On the surface, the locals react with hostility to the strangers, and the ground team draws fire as it gathers what it needs.^[2]

0:00 I, E.T. The episode as published by the rights holder, from the start.

Memorable quotes

“you want to know about mud I know about mud”7:30

“I have no idea you didn't really choose me did you”35:19

In the episode

0:30 Pilot identifies a Peacekeeper beacon The DRDs trace a maddening siren to a hidden tracking device implanted in Moya's starboard compartment, broadcasting her location to Peacekeeper patrols.

1:31 Pilot explains the collar's function Pilot reveals the device requires a control collar signal to stay dormant and that DRDs cannot approach it.

3:00 Plan to muffle signal with water Crichton proposes submerging Moya in the swamp below to insulate the broadcast, and Pilot warns about the ship's inexperience with gravity.

5:01 Moya plunges into the swamp Pilot guides Moya down into the muddy waters of the planet and the living ship begins to sink beneath the surface.

7:00 Sinking confirmation and concerns Pilot confirms the mud successfully dampens the signal but reports that Moya is terrified by the experience.

8:31 Decision to remove the beacon surgically Rygel suggests cutting the device out, prompting fears that the procedure will inflict intolerable pain on Moya's neural nexus.

12:39 Encounter with local townsfolk Aeryn and D'Argo are detected by residents with a vehicle, forcing them to split up while drawing the locals away from the ship.

14:30 Zhaan volunteers to share Moya's pain Zhaan offers her high-level priestess abilities to absorb the agony of the extraction, easing the procedure for Moya.

16:32 Crichton meets a local boy Crichton encounters a child named Foster in the swamp while searching for the element, beginning an unexpected first contact.

19:02 Conversation in the alien kitchen Foster's mother confronts Crichton inside her home, realizing he is an extraterrestrial visitor while military forces approach.

24:30 Aeryn prepares the bone knife Rygel hands Aeryn a ceremonial Luxan knife and she steels herself to begin cutting the beacon from Moya's living tissue.

32:32 Pilot loses control of Moya Pilot reports Moya collapsing under her own weight and refusing commands, forcing Aeryn to attempt the extraction immediately.

37:32 Hostage situation at the farmhouse The military team takes Foster's mother hostage, demanding Crichton surrender as he races back with the gathered element.

43:30 Beacon severed from Moya Aeryn completes the removal of the device deep within the neural nexus, confirming that the broadcast has finally ceased.

44:38 Moya breaks free from the swamp The crew urges Moya upward and the leviathan powers her propulsion system for the first time, lifting off the planet.

Air date, credits and where to watch

"I, E.T." first aired in the United States on 30 April 1999 and in the United Kingdom on 20 December 1999.^[2] Sally Lapiduss wrote the episode and Pino Amenta directed it.^[2] It is the second episode of the first season, which began when Farscape premiered on the Sci-Fi Channel's SciFi Friday block on 19 March 1999.^[2][3]

The rights holder published the full episode on the official Farscape YouTube channel on 23 July 2024, which is why it can be watched on this page; the upload runs about 48 minutes and 17 seconds.^[1]