Farscape s04e22: Bad Timing

Series

Farscape^[1]

Season and episode

Season 4, episode 22^[1]

First aired (United States)

10 March 2003^[2]

Published on YouTube

22 February 2026, on the official Farscape channel^[1]

Running time

44 minutes 15 seconds^[1]

Summary

In "Bad Timing", John Crichton proposes a scheme to eliminate the wormhole danger to Earth permanently by piercing the pressure bubble created at the moment a wormhole is about to form, intending to close the passage forever.^[1] The rights holder's description adds that Earth depends on Crichton to try to bring down the wormhole, and that he is uncertain both about his capacity to rescue Earth and about the durability of his relationship with Aeryn Sun.^[1] The episode closes the series, after season 4 aired on the Sci-Fi Channel in the United States and on the Nine Network in Australia.^[3]

What happens in "Bad Timing"?

Crichton's plan is to dive into the pressure bubble that forms just before a wormhole opens and puncture it at the last moment, sealing the wormhole forever.^[4] On Moya, Pilot warns him that the timing needed to puncture the bubble at its maximum radius is in the millimicrons, and that even if Crichton could see the bubble, his eye-limb coordination is lacking.^[4] Pilot also notes that a Scarran striker craft could reach the wormhole before Moya unless they perform an extended Starburst.^[4]

One reply to whether the plan can be done is "No. Maybe."^[4] Scorpius tells Crichton that aligning with the Peacekeepers would mean seeing Earth's entire might deployed in its defense.^[4] The crew then prepares and executes the maneuver against the wormhole, in spite of Pilot's calculations and the approaching Scarran strikers.^[4]

Memorable quotes

“Dear God, don't let me screw this up. Yeeha!”26:41

“What scares me is I always could.”33:35

“I was really worried about what the scar did to me. The fetus has been released from its stasis.”38:03

In the episode

7:20 Crichton's arrival voiceover John Crichton narrates over imagery, describing how he was shot through a wormhole and now travels aboard Moya with escaped prisoners.

10:34 Extended starburst begins Pilot announces that three more starbursts are required to reach the wormhole, and Rygel, Stark, and Crichton suffer from the strain.

14:02 Crichton shares the theory Crichton explains his plan to Pilot: dive through the wormhole, pop the pressure bubble at its peak, and collapse it forever behind him.

15:34 Pilot declares the maneuver impossible Pilot calculates that the timing required is in the microseconds and that Crichton's reflexes cannot match the precision needed.

18:00 Scarran commander's orders Bralan Grays and Commandant Gray give orders regarding Crichton, confident that the human will eventually return of his own will.

21:30 Pilot reveals the truth Pilot admits to D'Argo and the crew that he withheld the possibility of helping seal the wormhole, and Moya is deeply distressed by the plan.

23:00 Pilot cuts free from Moya On Crichton's command, Pilot surgically severs his own neural link from Moya so he can guide the transport pod into position.

26:31 Crichton launches into the module Crichton boards his module with Aeryn, says farewell to the crew, and rockets toward the forming wormhole as Scarren ships close in.

28:00 Crichton reaches the IASA base Crichton lands at Serenity Base on the moon and tells his father that he must seal the wormhole to protect Earth from the Scarren.

31:02 Crichton says goodbye to his father Jack Crichton wishes his son well and the two embrace before Crichton returns to space to execute the plan.

32:34 Scarren command carrier arrives The Scarren command carrier emerges near Moya, cripples the living ship, and begins its descent toward Earth.

33:30 Crichton pops the bubble From inside the module, Crichton hits the pressure bubble at its maximum radius, collapsing the wormhole and trapping the Scarren fleet.

36:33 Stark's permanent blindness Zhaan confirms to D'Argo that the neural damage has cost Stark his sight forever, and Chiana promises to help him.

37:43 Aeryn reveals the pregnancy Aeryn tells Crichton that the Scarren released the stasis on the fetus and that she is carrying his child.

39:30 Crichton proposes marriage Crichton drops to one knee in the sinking boat, slides a ring onto Aeryn's finger, and asks her to marry him.

Air date, credits and where to watch

"Bad Timing" is episode 22 of season 4, the season that closed out Farscape's run on the Sci-Fi Channel in the United States and the Nine Network in Australia.^[2][3] The rights holder published the full episode on the official Farscape YouTube channel on 22 February 2026, which is why it can be watched here; as of 20 September 2026, the upload ran for 2,656 seconds, about 44 minutes.^[1]