That Old Black Magic

Hi everyone!

I got a chance to watch That Old Black Magic this morning and review it, since SACC didn't exist when it first aired. A side note: if you're looking for an excellent movie, go rent Beyond Silence. It's a German film with subtitles, but it's a beautiful movie and had half of my friends crying all night (and the fact that we're music majors and it's all about a clarinet player child of two deaf parents didn't have anything to do with it! :-) ) Anyway, enough about me...now to the REVIEW! WARNING!: Spoilers for That Old Black Magic. Freshness date on package has been passed!

Overall:

• As much as I hate watching Crichton get knocked around, this episode is still one of my favorites. The two main themes in this episode are played out extremely well: Zhaan's fight with (and eventual succumbing to) her dark side that sets up the next few episodes, and Crichton's fight (and eventual failure) to keep Crais from going completely revengefully insane. In the end there is a false happy ending, everyone is saved and the bad guy is dead. Yet it's not a happy ending; Crichton now has an insane man after him who will be stopped by nobody, and Zhaan has a battle with her evil side to fight. This is as close to a real life adventure as you get; there is no riding of into the sunset with everything just beautiful at the end, the characters have to deal with the consequences. Wow.

Crichton:

• Oh dear. This episode helped create SACC...lets see. We've got a sucked out soul, nasty hand gash, general being beaten up bruises, a dislocated shoulder and then the Rigg's impression to pop it back in (OUCH!), a Zhaan Zap, and two stolen boots. This episode ranks a Long Stay in Intensive Care.
  At least he didn't die...well unless you talk to Rygel :-)

The Good:

• Quite a bit...the flirting that took place between Zhaan and the red priest (sorry I don't remember his name) at the beginning was both cute and fun to watch.
• Speaking of great acting, Virginia Hey's performance overall is OUTSTANDING. I especially love when she is explaining to D'Argo the two choices they have how a lone tear falls down her cheek.
• Also how after each lesson in inflicting pain, she seams to be self-consciously rubbing her attack hand as if she is in pain.
• "His odor is even stronger than yours"
  "I don't have an odor!"
• D'Argo and Aeryn coming to Crichton's aid and being concerned about him so quickly. This was relatively early in the series and you can see when they first find him that despite the problems they have had, they still care about Crichton.
• The look on D'Argo's face when the priest was explaining about Maldis...his fear/hatred of the supernatural is an interesting facet of his character and was played out especially well.
• The second time Zhaan goes to attack the Double-Headed Space Chicken the beast flinches away from her when she reaches out to begin again.
• The whole Maldis' Modern Art Museum of Death set! Very cool!
• Rygel's whole ceremony of passage: "Go find your own Hallowed Relm!" LOL!
• And finally, I liked how Aeryn admitted at the end she was wrong about Zhaan. She may have said the wrong thing, but the fact that she could admit to underestimating Zhaan is an important lesson she learns.

Speculation of the Week:

• There was a lot of talk about if Crichton was right to so brutally attack Crais at the end, and why he may have done so. I find it more than a coincidence that he charges Crais right after Zhaan beings her attack on Maldis. Perhaps her "bad vibes" affected everyone in Maldis' compound.

The Bad:

• No Pilot! :-(
• The big one though...all right I know that except for the end, Crichton did not want to attack or provoke Crais in any way. But *why* did he have to keep getting rid of any weapon he had to defend himself?? The spear he takes from Crais disappears, the flaming thingie in the room with the huge barbecue pit gets thrown in the fire, the chain he wrestles from Crais gets dropped...ya think he would have hung on to SOMETHING for protection!

The Nitpicky:

• I think after this episode, everyone will learn that when their on a strange planet they need to hold hands and stick together! :-)
• Missing Dialogue: Jester, "I know all your problems, *John Crichton*" Crichton, "How did you know my name?" Jester, "I read it off the front of your flight suit!"
• Now an actual nit-pick...when Crais attacks John with the chain, I swear it looks like he grabs John's LEG, and then after a quick cut when we come back its around John's arm, allowing Crais to dislocate his shoulder (OUCH!)...hmmm...

Odd Observation of the Week:

• All the scene's in Maldis' place reminded me of the very end of Monkey Island 2 (a computer game I love...if you haven't played it you won't get this OOW). When Gybrush is wandering around the tunnels under Big Whoop trying to figure out what's going on and how to save himself, LeChuck keeps appearing and zapping him. It kinda parallels Crichton wandering around Maldis' tunnels trying to figure out what's going on and how to save himself, and Crais keeps appearing and whacking him. Perhaps I'm just weird.

You were dead, I revived you! - Rygel
SACCer #1
Lauren (OboeCrazy)