The basic plot for Bringing Home the Beacon is simple – give the ladies something to do while the guys are off at the mental institute getting their brains scrambled. [Mental as Anything] But Farscape being Farscape, the basic simple plot is anything but basic. Or simple.  

Chiana, Aeryn, Sikozu and Granny head down to the nearest dead Leviathan to purchase a sensor distorter which will make Moya appear to be a freighter to long-range scans. The process takes about four arns, leaving the women with time to kill. Soon, Grayza, Braca and several Peacekeeper special forces march in, giving the women something to kill besides time. Even worse, Ahkna, the Scarran War Minister, shows up for a meeting with Grayza.  

The scenes between Grayza and Ahkna are some of the most intense ever seen on Farscape. Grayza’s position of strength is entirely false, but she talks such a good game that she assumes she has Ahkna fooled into believing that the Peacekeepers not only have a wormhole weapon but have used it to destroy a Scarran Dreadnought. But Ahkna isn’t the fool Grayza takes her for. She has suspicions that most of the Peacekeeper’s superior weapons are either non-existent or non-Peacekeeper and she’s determined to get the truth. 

So Grayza offers the Scarrans the Luxan territories. In exchange, she demands that the Scarrans give up all claims to the disputed sectors of the Uncharted Territories. Grayza has no right to make this offer but she doesn’t let that stop her. The two leaders sign a treaty before Aeryn can shoot them, but the ink (or whatever it is) is barely dry before Ahkna puts her real plan into motion. The Scarrans kill all the Peacekeeper guards, immobilize Braca with their heat-radiating thingie, and take him and Grayza prisoner.  

Meanwhile, Aeryn and Sikozu, are trying to get a shot at Grayza because if Grayza lives, she’ll spill everything she knows about John, wormholes and Dreadnought destruction to the last people in the universe who should have the knowledge.

Thanks to Granny and her latest batch of pixie dust, Ahkna’s Charrid guards are disposed of. Aeryn and Sikozu make good use of the Charrid weapons and uniforms and sneak into bay nine where Braca and Grayza are being held prisoner. Grayza talks them into sparing their lives so that she can repudiate the treaty to Peacekeeper command and Sikozu and Granny lead them away at gunpoint while Aeryn stays behind to cover for them. But Braca and Grayza overpower Sikozu and Granny and head off to find the marauder.  

Back on the transport pod, Chiana takes possession of the sensor distorter and is soon joined by Sikozu and Granny. After a few tense moments, Aeryn tumbles in and they all head back to Moya with a Scarran warship in hot pursuit. Moya StarBursts away, but they aren’t able to lose the Scarran ship. Why not? Because somewhere on Moya is a homing beacon.  

Everyone gets scanned by the DRDs, but no beacon is found. People are scrambling all over Moya looking for the thing while John and Aeryn have a little conversation about the baby. Or rather, John talks and Aeryn looks confused. Uh oh! Well, it could just be a momentary lapse (what mother hasn’t wanted to forget her kids now and then) so he gives her a few hints. He even sings the alphabet to jog her memory. Now, John is no Pavarotti, but he’s not off-key enough for Aeryn to pull a gun on him. Before she can take a shot, John grits his teeth and shoots her in the head. Voilà! One homing beacon. And one bioloid Aeryn. The real Aeryn is on her way to Katratzi with the real Grayza and Braca as prisoners of the Scarrans. 

John is a bit upset, to say the least, and D'Argo tries to console him with the promise that they will not give up the search for Aeryn. Even though “To Be Continued” wasn’t written on the screen, it was there nonetheless. 

The Scarrans in Bringing Home the Beacon are the best to date. Pennoch, Ahkna’s adjutant, has the most realistic facial movements of any warrior Scarran we’ve seen so far. Dave Elsey, the head of the Creature Shop, told Karlsweb [Four Questions with Dave Elsey] that he considers Scarrans the hardest of the Farscape characters to bring to life and that they’ve been refining the design for Scarrans since they first appeared in Season Two. “In season 4, they are the best they have ever been…” I definitely agree with that! 

Speaking of Scarrans, everything about War Minister Ahkna succeeded, most of all the actor who played the part. What an incredible job Francesca Buller did! It’s hard to believe she’s the same person who played M’Lee, ro-NA and whacko Raxil in previous seasons. Costuming and makeup also deserve a mention here. Since Ms. Buller isn’t terribly tall, she wears a majestic headpiece that not only makes her appear tall, it gives her a very commanding presence.   

Bringing Home the Beacon is an all-around success. It has everything – humor intrigue, action, great music, great performances. I can’t believe the masterminds at SciFi cancelled this show. What is the matter with those people?