Farscape - "They've Got a Secret" (TV Episode Review #22)

Here’s a title that sums up exactly what the episode is about: “They’ve Got a Secret”.  Who’ve got a secret?  D’Argo and the living ship herself, Moya—that’s who!  In offering a new inside look at the main ship and one member of her crew, this episode is a character study done right.  Plus, it all takes place onboard Moya, which allows us to see more of Farscape’s main ship.

The main premise is that Moya is suddenly hostile to her own crew for some odd reason.  She behaves strangely, from gathering all of her DRDs in the same place to injuring D’Argo (setting off his mental episode) to knocking Pilot out.  Since the crew has to explore Moya to solve the issue, we get to check out some new parts of the ship.  These new parts are consistent with what’s been shown before, with more of Moya’s biomechanical design.  The DRDs play a bigger role here than in previous episodes, and never have we seen so many of them at once—it’s quite remarkable. (On a side note, I wonder how many practical DRD animatronics were built with the scenes with so many DRDs at the same time.)

Some extra new details about the ship offer a new perspective, such as when Pilot is unconscious, we get to see more of the control panels in his cockpit, as they are operated by Aeryn in the meantime.  I especially like how big these panels are.  They are not equipped for little Sebaceans of Aeryn’s size, but for giant Pilots.  Showing more of Moya allows her to feel more alive.

D’Argo’s dark little secret is finally revealed.  It has been established in previous episodes that D’Argo would never, ever let slip the truth about his own past—especially since he has been running away from it for so long.  The only reason why he reveals his past is because he’s in a bit of a trance, thanks to his injury.  He is acting almost blissful at times, calling his crewmates names of people he knew but they don’t know.  It is up to Crichton, Zhaan, and Rygel to decode what he’s talking about while still investigating Moya.

While not without its humorous moments, D’Argo’s mental state is not entirely played for laughs.  Rather, it becomes the source of much serious drama in the second half.  It’s executed rather well, thanks to the way writer Sally Lapiduss framed story to sympathize for what D’Argo went through in his past.  Anthony Simcoe, always good in this role, plays this emotional range with such conviction, acting like he really is the D’Argo of the past.

With both of these focal characters’ arcs all set up, “They’ve Got a Secret” tells their stories with a very unique scenario.  The central plot involves the crew investigating Moya get to the bottom of this and figure out is going on.  It is largely a slow mystery thriller that reveals what is causing Moya to act up, piece by piece.  The secrets of Moya and D’Argo are gradually revealed to the audience to the characters as they discover more clues onboard.  And while there is no actual villain, there seems to be no need for one here.  What matters more is how compelling the conflict is—and boy, is it compelling.

This is a great episode.  Setting it entirely on Moya is a bold concept that pays off very well.  D’Argo’s backstory reveal adds new depth to his character, told in a way that truly honors him and laying the groundwork for his arc moving forward.  It easily could have been boring filler, but instead uses this opportunity to enrich the characters and the setting perfectly.