| What Happens To A Rev Deferred? | |
|---|---|
| |
| Production | |
| Episode |
3.15 |
| Production # |
312 |
| Original air date |
February 24, 2003 |
| Written by | |
| Directed by | |
| Developed by | |
| Producer | |
| Executive Producer |
Allan Eastman |
| Production Designer | |
| Cast | |
| Guest stars |
Brent Stait as Rev Bem |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | |
| Followed by | |
Are you a freak?
Will you be my friend!
Or have you lost your way.
With trouble to pay,
When you come to your journey's end?"
Empyrium Lullaby, CY 8745
"What Happens To A Rev Deferred?" is episode 15 of Season 3.
The Regular Cast of Andromeda Season 3
Synopsis[]
The Andromeda Ascendant is assisting with the evacuation of Empyrium, a world with a history of Magog invasions. The planet is falling apart, due to severe geological instability. Almost the entire population has been evacuated, when one ship turns from the evacuation fleet, and heads back towards the planet. The crew guesses that the ship may be headed back to loot what was left on the planet, but Dylan orders pursuit. The ship starts to fire on the Andromeda, and Rommie returns a few warning shots.
Trance notes that a new star has appeared in the system. Rommie explains that an uncharted brown dwarf star has collided with Asteroid debris, and re-ignited. Trance declares it a "sign of welcome".
While sorting through the communications signals, Rommie discovers a message broadcasting from the collapsing planet, it is former crew member Rev Bem, identifying himself as "the last inhabitant of a dying world". The message is repeating, over and over again. Dylan remembers Rev giving him advice in the past. They review Rev's goodbye message, trying to understand why he is here, now.
Trance is convinced that all of these events are related, and the new star is at the center of events. She says that the star will light the way. Rommie manages to locate the source of Rev's signal.
Harper remembers how Rev helped him deal with difficult situations in the past. He tries to convince Dylan to allow him to join the mission to rescue Rev, but Dylan insists that he needs Harper to be safe on the ship. Reluctantly, Harper agrees to stay behind.
Rommie has finally located the reason for the planet's instability – there is a point singularity inside the planet. No explanation is apparent for this, but they guess that it may have been left over from the last Magog raid.
On the planet, Rev is alone. Beka remembers how Rev helped her deal with her Flash addiction. Dylan, Beka, and Tyr go to the planet's surface to find Rev. They locate the source of his signal, a communications terminal, which is being activated by a wind-blown shutter.
Rev is wandering the planet's surface. He is clearly still tormented by his experiences in the Magog World Ship, but he draws strength from a picture of his "mother". He wanders into an abandoned house, where he is suddenly greeted by a vision of his "mother". He states that he has found his way home, but a female voice condemns him, as Magog are born from death, and they cause suffering.
Harper and Trance warn Dylan, Beka, and Tyr that they have, at most, 36 hours until the planet is completely destroyed. Tyr remembers discussing the incident at Serendipity with Rev.
Rev is being tormented by voices, but he clings to his Wayist beliefs, and draws strength from them. The voices call to him, reminding him of his true name, "Red Plague", and how the Spirit of the Abyss called to him in the Worldship. The voice promises to give him what he wants.
Dylan, Beka, and Tyr find the house where Rev was, and find the picture of his "mother", which Dylan identifies.
Rev insists, to the voice, that he has stayed true to Wayism. A gang of looters find him, and, seeing he is a Magog, start to shoot, injuring him. The voice encourages Rev to fight back, and to kill them, promising Rev he will be rewarded. She claims that she did this for him. Rev seems to have been disabled, and the looters move to check him for valuables. The voice again urges Rev to kill them, but Rev remembers wishing that he had died, rather than killing on the Worldship. Finally, Rev starts to fight back, but he regains control and flees before actually killing anyone.
Shortly afterward, Dylan, Beka, and Tyr come across the looters, and a firefight ensues. Tyr questions putting themselves at risk to try to save someone who has willingly put himself in danger, but Beka insists that they must save him, because Rev saved them many times.
Rev again speaks with the voice, which seems to be coming from the new star. He insists he has stayed true to his faith, but realizes he is being tested.
Tyr wonders if they can be sure that Rev is still "good", insisting that the Magog nature is strong. He remembers how Rev acted on the Worldship. Dylan, however, remembers Rev's strength of faith. Rev gave him strength in difficult situations, so he trusts Rev's ability to hold to his faith.
Rev is standing on a cliff, still talking with the voice. The voice claims that Rev has abandoned his nature, but Rev insists that his nature is not that of a typical Magog. The voice asks: "Is that your request?"
Dylan, Beka, and Tyr confront the looters, and Dylan urges them to leave, as the planet is about to blow up. They insist that they "want the Magog". Dylan realizes that his only option is force, and the three of them kill the looters.
Rev's emotional conflict is becoming unbearable for him. He recalls his realization that the Magog were not created by the Divine, but by the Spirit of the Abyss. He resolves that he is "at an end".
Through binoculars, Dylan spots Rev on the cliff. He, Tyr, and Beka, rush towards him.
Rev begs for an end to his journey, and the star brightens, calming him. The voice declares that this is not the end of his journey, but a beginning. The voice promises to carry him, and he calls out to her. The star flares, knocking Rev down, and a transformation comes over him.
Dylan, Tyr, and Beka arrive at the cliff where Dylan spotted Rev, but cannot find him. They are running out of time, when they spot a hooded figure. It is Rev, but he has been changed into something that seems to be half-Magog, half-human. The four of them return to the Andromeda on the Maru, as Empyrium collapses into the point singularity.
Trance insists that this was all orchestrated by some higher power, which kept everyone safe, and did it all for Rev.
On the Command Center, Rev and Beka are talking, in hushed tones. Beka is upset by what Rev is saying. Rev gives her a Wayist medallion, and tells her to keep it. Rev then turns to Tyr, and asks him if he ever wished for peace, amidst his striving for power. Tyr replies that he "is" at peace, and that bothers him. Rev tells Trance that he believes that a higher power has ordained him.
Rev speaks briefly with the other crew members, clearly saying his good-byes. He says that he has things that he must do elsewhere, but he is sure that they will meet again. He departs, seeming happier than he has been since the Worldship.
Trivia[]
- The title refers to the poem "Montage of a Dream Deferred" of Langston Hughes: "What happens to a dream deferred?"
- Rev Bem was last seen in season 2's "Ouroboros". In a 2011 interview Brent Stait specified that it was a general exhaustion from the weight and heat of the costume (not an allergy, as was rumoured) which led to his giving up the role.
Memorable Quotes[]
Dylan: Well, for a panic evacuation, that is… a mess.
Trance: Harper, when has arguing ever helped the situation?
Harper: Arguing? Not very often, but whining… (to Dylan) Please?
Dylan: Count of three?
Tyr: No, let's just shoot them.
Rommie: Trance, miracles are just extraordinary phenomena with a scientific explanation.
Trance: Well, for those who don't believe, no explanation is possible. For those who do, no explanation is necessary.