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Production No. 117

Best Viewed As 1.17

Aired As
1.17 (US & UK)

Original Airdates
10 Sep 1999 (US)
10 Apr 2000 (UK)

Ratings
1.5 (US)
2.41 (UK)

Through the Looking Glass
Abbreviations: TTLG
Alternate Titles: The Fifth Reality

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


Writer: David Kemper
Director: Ian Watson
Guests:
Gigi Edgley................Chiana
June Salter................Voice of Interdimensional Being
Complete Credits


Wassup?

Moya discovers the Twilight Zone.

A very pregnant Moya tries to starburst in order to reassure her restless crew, but her defensive move backfires, stranding them ...somewhere ...inbetween. Crew members start disappearing into thin air, and Crichton finds himself playing interdimensional messenger in order to help Moya pull herself back together.

Synopses

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Transcripts

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Screencaps

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Backstory

(none)


Reactions

Questions (none)

Observations (none)

Bloopers (none)

Reviews

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Annotations

John: "Salmonella...what the hell is that?"

Salmonella is a variety of food poisoning.

Pilot: "Quantify 'disappeared'."
John: "Here one second, gone the next. Dis-a-Elvis-has-left-the-building-appeared."

(By the way, that's a "[sic]". Crichton actually does say the "a" in both places.)

"Elvis has left the building" was a signature phrase used at Elvis's concerts to indicate to the audience that the show was over and that they should go home.

(The part of John's line in the above quote before "these readings" appears only in the longer version of the episode available on DVD/VHS.)

John: "OK, Alice, once more through the looking glass."

A reference, of course (and from whence the episode's title comes) to THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, Lewis Carroll's sequel to ALICE IN WONDERLAND.

Zhaan: "Then why can't we see them?"
Pilot: "Because..."
John: "Because you don't have X-ray vision...do you?

X-ray vision is one of Superman's better known powers.

John: "Still auditioning for STAR SEARCH, I see."

Hosted by the ever-smiling Ed McMahon, STAR SEARCH was a notable televised talent show that ran from 1983 to 1995. Several successful stars got their start on this show, including the infamous Britney Spears and the 400 pound Gorilla, comedian Dennis Miller.

(On his HBO show, DENNIS MILLER LIVE, Miller is listed in the closing credits as "400 Pound Gorilla", from the old joke "What does a 400 pound gorilla say?" "Anything it wants to.")


Translator Microbe Report

Buckwheat Crichton's nickname for Rygel
Calanese cleric religious title referenced in Rygel's joke
Center Chamber main common area on Moya
Cholian curd salad foodstuff Rygel prepared, that nobody liked
Den, the Pilot's domain on Moya
Dimensional Schism mathematical hypothesis where light and sound are disjointed into base elements
Four-arms Chiana's nickname for Pilot
Galley, the Moya's kitchen
Gris idiomatic equivalent of crap or snot: "And when they didn't give it back, we beat the gris out of them."
Grotless "I'm scared grotless, not stupid."
Guido Crichton's nickname for Rygel
House of Rygel royal lineage of Hyneria
Ion backwash part of Moya's propulsion system: "when the ion backwash reaches maximum, funnel it all to reverse propulsion"
Junior Miss Tough Chick of the Universe Crichton's nickname for Chiana
Krawldar foodstuff that Rygel values: "A delicacy -- even for pagans."
Mippippippi D'Argo's mishearing of Mississippi
Molecuar diaspora what will happen if Moya et al get pulled apart
Mr. Serious Rygel's nickname for Crichton
Pip Crichton's nickname for Chiana
Radiation filters Moya's sunglasses
Shellack D'Argo's derogatory term for Crichton's space rodent dish: "Who made this shellack?"
Smoked pronga sinew D'Argo and Rygel particularly like this foodstuff; Aeryn says it's quite easy to make
Starlurch Chiana's mishearing of Starburst
Strategy table table in Command
Trawlian priest religious title referenced in Rygel's joke
Your Lowness Aeryn's nickname for Rygel


Quotables

(none)


Comments from Cast & Crew

Virginia Hey, August 19, 1999

  • Moderator: <Ricks8> to <Moderator>: What are your favorite episodes?

    VirginiaHey: That Old Black Magic, DNA Mad Scientist, Rhapsody In Blue...
    VirginiaHey: Back and Back and Back to the Future.
    VirginiaHey: They've Got A Secret.
    VirginiaHey: ...it's so hard to chose because I'm in love with every single episode.
    VirginiaHey: Through the Looking Glass is brilliant, watch out for that one coming up.

David Kemper (& Ben Browder), September 23, 1999

  • Moderator: <Ricks8> to <Moderator> Dave, out of all the episodes you've written, which one do you think came out the best?

    DavidKemper: I'm really partial to #17 -- Through the Looking Glass -- at this point. Ian Watson, the director, Ben, and everyone associated with it just made magic.
    DavidKemper: Kudos to Craig Barden, our D.P. for working magic!

Richard Manning & Andrew Prowse, January 6, 2000

  • Moderator: <great-lakes> to <Moderator>: "Through The Looking Glass" was one of the most beautiful episodes of season 1. What was the motivation behind the different color sections of the ship as well as the sight, sound and smell effects?

    Ricky: David Kemper wrote it and Ian Watson directed it...
    Ricky: Neither's here, so we're dodging the question.
    Ricky: Ben [Browder] says that David wanted to see Rygel stoned, so he came up with an excuse to make it happen.

    Andrew: We had to work out a visual way of representing dimensional dislocation.

Gigi Edgley, January 20, 2000

  • Moderator: <Enigmatic-Scully> to <Moderator> Gigi, great job on Nerve and Hidden Memory, you were great, and I guess I missed this, but where did the "Pip" nickname come from?

    GigiEdgley: Ahhh...you'll have to speak to Ben Browder about that one.
    GigiEdgley: It's a little bit of a behind the scenes joke, I hear.
    GigiEdgley: But coincidentally enough, I was actually called Pip as a young girl.

Ben Browder, January 28, 2000

  • Question: Ben: Gigi told us to ask you about the nickname "Pip". So what is the origin of that name you gave Chiana?

    Ben Browder: It just came out one day. I looked at her and just said "Pip!" There was another nickname scripted, but I just looked at her and said "Pip." And it's her.

Farscape Season Two Wrap, June 15, 2000

  • Moderator2: <MarylandJKoba> to <Moderator2>: Ben, is it true that "Through the looking glass" was partially inspired by you wanting to see Rygel stoned?

    Ben: David wanted that
    Ben: and I beleive it's true.
    Ben: That and he wanted to see J and A play charades