While on a planet looking for a cure for Rygel's cold something strange happens to Crichton; his spirit is snatched from his body by a being called Maldis. It soon becomes apparent that Maldis is very powerful... he also summons the spirit of Captain Crais. There bodies are left were they were but whatever happens to them in Maldis' strange realm also happens to their real bodies which is a bit of a problem for Crichton as Crais is determined to kill him! While Crichton is struggled to survive there the others are trying to find out what has happened to him; a man named Liko tells them of Maldis and how he has ruined the planet; he believes that there is only one way to defeat him; Zhaan must use her own powers against him; powers that she had struggled so hard to keep suppressed.
Early on I thought I wouldn't like this episode but soon changed my mind; Maldis may have been a pantomime villain but actor Chris Haywood hammed it up delightfully making him fun to watch. It was also good to see Crichton and Crais finally get together; even if it was only their spirits fighting it was effective as the consequences were real and the fight scenes were entertaining. Having only seen the peaceful side of Zhaan so far it was good to see her dangerous side; Virginia Hey did a fine job portraying this dangerous character who craves inner peace... it will be interesting to see how what she did in this episode affects the character later in the series. Rygel provided some good laughs as he performed a version of his species last rites for John before stealing his stuff... he may be a puppet but he is a very real character. Fans of Christine Stephen-Daly, who plays Crais's loyal underling Lieutenant Teeg will be a bit disappointed by the ending... he repays her loyalty by killing her to protect a secret that could get him court-martialled... a pity as I rather liked her character but it did underline Crais's ruthlessness.
Early on I thought I wouldn't like this episode but soon changed my mind; Maldis may have been a pantomime villain but actor Chris Haywood hammed it up delightfully making him fun to watch. It was also good to see Crichton and Crais finally get together; even if it was only their spirits fighting it was effective as the consequences were real and the fight scenes were entertaining. Having only seen the peaceful side of Zhaan so far it was good to see her dangerous side; Virginia Hey did a fine job portraying this dangerous character who craves inner peace... it will be interesting to see how what she did in this episode affects the character later in the series. Rygel provided some good laughs as he performed a version of his species last rites for John before stealing his stuff... he may be a puppet but he is a very real character. Fans of Christine Stephen-Daly, who plays Crais's loyal underling Lieutenant Teeg will be a bit disappointed by the ending... he repays her loyalty by killing her to protect a secret that could get him court-martialled... a pity as I rather liked her character but it did underline Crais's ruthlessness.