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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Nov 24, 2010 17:30:58 GMT -5
general impressions 1.4 Throne for Loss
*"Tavlek." tee hee. tee hee hee hee. I love it when a joke goes on so long that it stops being funny and then goes back to being funny again.
*Interesting exploration of the embracing of violence.
*I particularly like the exploration of Zhaan's character, who tries to teach Kyr a Very Important Lesson, but only ends up learning a more profound one herself.
*D'Argo tries to act as captain for the very first time.
*D'Argo threatens to rip off Pilots arms.
*Rygel's royalty in the last episode was an asset; in this episode, it turns out to be a liability.
*First drug taking plot of the series.
*Rygel is the first Moyan to be reimprisoned after the initial escape.
*The music in the episode seemed a little awkward to me; rock doesn't really fit with Farscape, I don't think.
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Nov 24, 2010 20:17:47 GMT -5
general impressions 1.5 back and back and back to the future
*Matala has the distinction of being the first alien to mess with Crichton's head.
*She also has an incredibly annoying voice.
*This is the first episode where the Moyan's are really comfortable interacting with each other.
*I'm a fan of the time shifting plot device in scifi, so I liked that part.
*I also really liked the breaking of the mask breaking over and over, and then Crichton stepping on the mask the last time. Though I have to wonder if the mask was some kind of priceless artifact and Zhaan was just being too polite to say anything, heh.
*the reveal that D'Argo was imprisoned for something different than what he said was nicely done.
*I also liked the conversation D'Argo had with Verell, catching up on current events and so forth. It was a nice reminder of how life had gone on without the Moyans and the universe had changed while they were in prison. That, in a sense, they were very much stuck in the past. *There are parallels between this episode and Different Destinations with the shifting timelines.
*There are also parallels between what Matala does to Crichton and D'Argo here and was Grayza does later.
*This is the first mention of wormholes/blackholes being used as a potential weapon.
*I wonder if Crichton's exposure to the black hole had anything to do with The Ancients targeting him later.
*"Do you mock me?" "D'Argo, I mock all of us."
*Crichton's wearing a black t-shirt for the first time. Mmm...black t-shirt...
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Nov 25, 2010 10:05:08 GMT -5
general impressions 1.6 Thank god it's Friday...again.
*Yay!!! I love this episode.
*I love how the episode is such a well done commentary on Big Agriculture and the very Green hope that came in the end.
*I love that they gave a backstory for peacekeeper weapons and they have biological origins rather than technological ones.
*I love Volmae, how she talked, moved, and acted. I love how despite initially appearing to be simply a villain, she was as trapped as everyone else and was making her own haphazard attempt to get out of the trap.
*I love how Rygel's body fluids turned explosive.
*I love how Aeryn had to use science to solve the problem of Rygel's explosive urine, and also how she accidentally broke off Rygel's whiskers when he was frozen. hee.
*I love the scoring in this episode, particularly the dance music in the club and the music during the working in the fields scenes.
*I love the conversations that Zhaan and D'Argo have, about Zhaan's epiphany to be a priest, about the joys of working with your hands in the soil, and about dreams they had of the future.
*I love that despite everything, D'Argo's not wrong about the contentment and sense of belonging and purpose he felt while on the planet and that in some ways it's better than a life on the run with an uncertain future.
*I think Aeryn's reaction the D'Argo was really interesting, she can't conceive at this point of a warrior wanting to do something other than fight.
*Crichton's experience with the worm makes me think of what's coming with the neural chip.
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Nov 26, 2010 12:25:34 GMT -5
general impressions 1.7 PK Tech Girl
*this is a nice little haunted ship story. Aeryn also appears to be channeling Sigourney Weaver's character in Alien at some points.
*In this episode, Aeryn, Crichton, and Rygel get an opportunity to revisit their pasts
*The episode opening on Rygel's eye makes me think of Lost, only this was before Lost, so I guess it's not really an homage.
*I like Gilina alright, but she's a bit to scaredy cat girly for my tastes.
*I like how Aeryn criticizes Crichton for his presumption that the peacekeepers "fulfill his expectations of who he thinks they should be."
*I see Crichton's relationship with Gilina as a template/baseline for all his relationships before this point, easy, comfortable, pleasant during and forgettable afterwards. It matches very nicely with what we learn later of his relationships with Caroline and Kim. The doors closing on her at the end seem to say that that part of his life is over, for good.
*Was this the first time that Crichton was aware that feelings between him and Aeryn were mutual?
*I like how Moya gets the defense screen. She too is changed by the journey.
*"In my world, they say that loss is the hardest emotion to deal with." "In my world, showing pain is a sign of weakness." Says a lot about what they both go through during the course of the show.
*I love Crichton's bit in the end about imagining going back home, where everything is the same, but the people are all dead.
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Nov 27, 2010 17:36:09 GMT -5
general impressions 1.8 That Old Black Magic
*so the last episode revisted Aeryn, Rygel, and Crichton's past, in this episode shows Zhaan learns that she hasn't left her own past behind after all. And we learn that Zhaan wasn't kidding when she said she used to be the lead anarchist.
*I like the bit about eating the birds brains, as a reminder of how alien everyone is in this verse, even Aeryn.
*I also keep thinking that the birds are going to break out into a "meep meep" rendition of Bridge Over The River Kwai a la Spaceballs.
*This is the first mindscape episode, which is always a favorite plot device of mine.
*Every time I watch this episde, I keep thinking that Liko is actually another avatar of Maldis and this whole thing is a set up to get to Zhaan. But he never is.
*We learn a lot about Peacekeepers in this episode, most importantly, that Crais's pursuit of the Moyans and his behavior in general does not fall within established rules and regulations.
*I love Rygel's eulogy for Crichton. "Get your own Hallowed Realm!" Hee!
*We see Crichton in the pumpkin suit for the first time since the pilot.
*Most importantly, this episode is about the search of the "third choice, even though [...] there are only 2." What Zhaan struggles with here, Crichton will struggle with once he gets his own power, in the form of wormhole knowledge. And in this episode Crichton starts realizing that in this verse there are no peaceful resolution to conflict, there's only winning and losing, and while fighting you become as dark as that which you are fighting against. Deeper into the Uncharted Territories indeed.
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Nov 28, 2010 9:26:50 GMT -5
general impressions 1.9 DNA Mad Scientist *This episode touches on several of the major themes of the show: home and family, scientific obsession and the misappropriation of science and technology, and the mind-body connection. *There are also strong Wizard of Oz connection: like the wizard, Namtar offers to give the Moyans something they desire, yet already have without knowing it (home = brains/courage/heart), can't help Dorothy/Crichton, in exchange for a totem (Wicked Witch of the West's broomstick = pilot's arm) that will advance his own agenda, when the curtain is pulled back in the end, he is revealed to be an impotent little rat creature only pretneding to be great, much like the Wizard. *I'm not sure I buy the premise of the episode. If it were a magic doohicky, sure, but as a science doohicky, I can't. Even if Namtar were completely making it up, I'm not sure that I could believe that the Moyans would believe it, no matter how clouded their judgment is. Also, there's the misuse of the concept of DNA (nothing new to sci-fi) and Namtar steps all over the concept of evolution as well. Grr. *Aeryn again makes the case for the Moyans becoming a family. I wonder if she can be seen as an avatar of Hestia/Vesta, goddess of hearth and home. Hmm. *I really feel for Aeryn in this episode. Not having a place to belong and being left behind are the worst things in the world, worse than death, I think. Even though it's clear from the beginning that the Moyans aren't actually going to go home (or else there would be no show), it makes me really sad. When I was little and my family went RoadTripping, the end of the journey was always the saddest part for me. I always hated that part. *Pilot talking about him and Moya exploring the galaxy in their own way makes me think of the short story, "The Zoo." www.stevenliter.com/Reading/zoo.html*What happens with Aeryn and Namtar has some similarities to what happens to Crichton and Scorpius later. *I love that Crichton made Aeryn a smiley face out of food cubes in the end. Awww... *Also, I love D'Argo playing the shilquin for pilot at the end.
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Nov 28, 2010 16:19:46 GMT -5
general impressions 1.10 They've Got a Secret
*Really nice integration of the reveal of D'Argo's backstory and the reveal of Moya's pregnancy in this episode.
*Love pilot taking advantage of the previous episodes events to guilt everyone into doing a little spring cleaning, heh. Passive aggressive pilot is entertaining.
*Not sure it makes sense for D'Argo (or any of the other aliens) to be able to survive in a vacuum for so long, but it is kind of cool.
*Very interesting conversations between Crichton and Aeryn about human vs sebacean use of other life forms ("you love what you enslave?" Hmm...) and about medical advances to combat disease.
*"You guys don't have chocolate." Yeah, I would really miss that part, too.
*I love that Aeryn's "DNA" is as affected by the journey as Crichton's. Aeryn-->Pilots and Leviathans, Crichton-->wormholes.
*I love the visual of all the DRDs lining the walls as well as Crichton's sliding face to face with DRDs ready to kill him.
*I love the camera work during the convo between Crichton, Aeryn, and Zhaan when they're discussing what to do with Moya.
*The discussion about what to do about Moya is later revisited when discussing what to do about Talyn.
*"'What to expect when you're expecting a baby leviathan,' by Dr. Spock...Mr. Spock..." Hee.
*This is the first episode where Crichton pretends to be a Peacekeeper.
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Nov 28, 2010 20:14:53 GMT -5
general impressions 1.11 Till The Blood Runs Clear
*This episode has a lot about group dynamics, hierarchies, and self centeredness.
*The girls generally act pretty awesome in this episode, which the guys, with the exception of Rygel and Pilot, act kind of stupid.
*Again, I did not like the rock music scoring, it's just not "Farscapy" enough for me.
*Crichton turns into a scary mo-fo when wormholes are involved. And this is when his obsession begins in earnest.
*I love that the Farscape module is also becoming part of the Moyan family as well. I assume that the modifications included something that allow it to take of from a planet, cause that design normally allow for that sort of thing.
*Both Crichton and Aeryn are given an illusion of the opportunity to go home again.
*I wonder if Crais' offer included reinstating her unit to their previous status or not, cause that kind of makes a difference in how Aeryn's decision should be judged.
*Furlough! I love Furlough.
*I love Zhaan teasing Rygel with her nudity. Hee!
*I love how Crichton explains the concept of the handshake and then they shake hands while D'Argo holds on to his qualta blade with the other hand. HA!
*Crichton calls Aeryn "Sundance." Sundance. Aeryn Sun. Sun. Solar flares... which blind her, give Zhaan photogasms, and create wormholes, which Aeryn hates. Hmm...
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Post by Lola m on Nov 29, 2010 21:33:59 GMT -5
Just a couple things that struck me after re-watching season 1
* I forgot how quickly things fall apart for Crais. For some reason I forgot that by the end of season 1 was was already on the run with Talyn.
* I'd also forgotten how broken/changed John was already by the end of season one. The two part-ep on Scorpy's gammak base is sooooo tasty angsty goodness.
* I found it interesting to look back at the season and see where all the character were compared to when we first met them - who had changed, who had not, in what ways, etc. What surprised me was the changes we've started to see in Rigel. All those years in prison didn't change him as much as this short time freed but powerless and depending on/working with others. D'Argo is really the most steadfast character - his real trials are yet to come, I think. Because they're not physical ones, they're emotional.
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Nov 30, 2010 22:05:32 GMT -5
general impressions 1.12 The Flax
*In the last episode Crichton took Aeryn out in his module, and this episode Aeryn's teaching Crichton how to fly the transport pod. I like the reciprocity there.
*Aeryn misses the teamwork of combat flying, not the adrenalin. The one thing I'm really noticing on this run through is that Aeryn seems to be the one most interested in building relationships between the Moyans. She's the only one who wasn't marginalized or distanced the everyone else in their respective societies before the premiere. For that reason, she's the one least comfortable with their loner outcast status.
*I love Pilot interrupting the squabble at the beginning. Hee.
*Lots of stuff about home and family in this episode. "Nothing worse than losing family."
*When watching all the stuff about death and dying between Crichton and Aeryn, it's hard not to think about all the times yet to come when one or the other ends of dying, or being mostly dead. "Maybe I wasn't supposed to die that time." Aeryn doesn't want to die alone.
*All this talk from D'Argo about wanting to be worthy of Jothee only makes it more tragic when they finally reunite and Jothee doesn't live to D'Argo's expectations.
*Rygel wins the game by losing. Very interesting from a meta perspective.
*The gender bending stuff was interesting, I just wish it had made more sense.
*And they kiss!!! OMG, I could watch that scene a million times. And I find it hilarious how Aeryn's head gets stuck in her collar as they try to take off her suit off. And D'Argo's expression when he walks in on them is priceless. Ahh...
*What did this make-out-in-the-face-of-impending-death mean to Crichton and Aeryn, I wonder? I find it interesting that Aeryn didn't just try to blow it off as purely recreation.
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Dec 3, 2010 20:49:53 GMT -5
general impressions 1.13 Rhapsody in Blue *Lots about freedom and power. Echoes of the conflict between the Scarrans and the Peacekeepers. Tahleen manipulating Zhaan in order to take something from her mind, is echoed in what Scorpius later does to Crichton and everyone's pursuit of the ability to control wormholes. "Pillaging knowledge without the wisdom to control it," indeed. *What Tahleen also reminds me of that Twilight Zone episode "Self-Improvement of Salvadore Ross." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Self-Improvement_of_Salvadore_Ross*Lots of references to being lost. *Dreams in the beginning, all about love and loss. Bittersweet. I wonder who Aeryn dreamed about; Valorek, perhaps? It would fit, in that Crichton, D'Argo, and Rygel all dreamed about those who were taken from them, while Zhaan dreamed about some one she lost by her own hand. *I like Ben Browder well enough, but I'm not a fan of him shirtless. Too much chest hair, and I think his attractiveness is more in his personality than his looks. *I love all the Moyans in their pajamas in the beginning. *The exchange about Aeryn wearing Crichton's boxers is funny, but the set up doesn't make any sense. *Aeryn criticizes the Delvians for their superiority. Pot. Kettle. Black. *I love Crichton's sense of wonder about the world around him. *I love the "trigopod," the "squid-calamari-cucumber." Hee. *Aeryn mocks the "trigopod" for being special. Crichton thinks its...unique. Which gives me a really interesting visual. I'm sure some one somewhere created fan art about that. *I love the flames dancing on the water. *Given that the Delvians can implant memories and alter them, were the memories of Alex in the beginning even real? I'm not sure it makes much of a difference. *We get some good insight into how the other Moyans view Crichton. Aeryn finds him confused and bizarre. Rygel finds him disturbing. Zhaan finds him clever but wonders what goes on inside his head. *So many great lines in this episode: -"I like my wives pregnant and my ships cold to the touch. That way my feet stay warm and my slumber is uninterrupted." (That just so very...Rygel) -"Something Crichton said is disturbing me." "Finally! I've been saying that since he arrived." -"For what, target practice?!" -"This is such a bad combination; I never should have left them. Zhaan distracted; Crichton confused..." "Crichton is always confused." -"Sanctity roots don't grow on trees, my dear." (That just cracks me up in a very Zen like way)
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Dec 3, 2010 21:50:54 GMT -5
general impressions 1.14 Jeremiah Crichton
*I don't hate this episode. I don't rank it very high, but it's certainly not the worst one IMHO. It's pretty, and it's got some interesting stuff.
*This episode is ultimately about Crichton's fears about giving in to the inevitable, growing connections and dependencies with his new family on Moya, the alteration of his identity. His tantrum is triggered by running out of earth fuel, of the distinctions between his technology and the Moyan's technology becoming one. My side/your side, bleeding together. The "contamination" becoming more than just temporary. The conversation with D'Argo at the very beginning about the module is key to getting anything out of this episode at all, I think.
*"There come a time when we will have to acknowledge that Crichton has met his destiny and we are just not part of it." "Then I will wait for you to tell me when to abandon the search. When we abandon Crichton."
*Interesting discussion of religion, politics, hierarchy, and perversion of original intent, things we see echoed later in the series.
*I find it interesting that despite being on the planet almost as long as he had been on Moya (I think), Crichton didn't adapt and become part of the village. Already, he is more comfortable being on the fringes of society, like the rest of the Moyans. "I belong with my own kind," as he says in the end.
*I hate the beard.
*I realize how much of the episode is generic, but I'm still rather entertained about Return of the Jedi homages when the Moyans are captured by the villagers. And how the villagers practically turn into Heaven's Gate when Rygel shows up. I also like how the prophecy was realized, despite it being fake.
*"Since I left my home, I been hunted, beaten, locked up, shanghaied, shot at. I've had alien creatures in my face, up my nose, inside my brain, down my pants. This is the first time, the first place, I've found peace."
*I love Rygel's voice. In general of course, but particularly when he says, "Not a god, but a sovereign." It's just such a great delivery and the music there is great, too.
*I don't understand Hynerians ruling over Sebaceans.
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Dec 5, 2010 20:04:46 GMT -5
general impressions 1.15 Durka Returns
*Chiana!!!
*Unless I've missed something, I think this is the first episode that has that characteristic cinematography, with the camera always moving, ducking, weaving, pitching, yawing in that dream like quality.
*"A million cycles will not change him; he will always be Durka!" "Your friend will soon understand that he is wrong." "Might take a while. Being tortured has that effect." "I suppose you would know..." Oooh!!!
*Aeryn meets a hero of hers, and is further disillusioned about the Peacekeepers.
*More discussion in this episode about crime, punishment, justice, power, and control. Also a very interesting discussion about punishment vs treatment (knife attack vs life saving surgery). I like that Crichton is yet again reminded that he doesn't make the rules in this 'verse.
*Aeryn's display of compassion towards Durka is what allows him to get the drop on her. She's come a long way since the premiere.
*Crichton pinning Chiana to the ground, and the subsequent alliance they form has echoes of Aeryn pinning Crichton to the ground in the premiere.
*Chiana joining the Moyans signifies that they have become more than just a bunch of folks who fell in together. Also, Crichton's no longer the new one; there's "we," him and the other Moyans, and newcomer Chiani.
*Lots of discussion about what Moya is. A prison transport? A Glendian pleasure vessel? A diplomatic ship (well, actually, sort of in season 4)?
*"We have rules." "When I see any of you following them, so will I."
*So, who killed Salis? Chiana or Durka?
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Dec 6, 2010 15:25:00 GMT -5
general impressions 1.16 A Human Reaction
*OMG, this episode. I could probably write a book about it, but just a few things for now.
*I kind of see Jeremiah Crichton, Durka Returns, and A Human Reaction as a trilogy, all to do with Crichton committing to his new life, his new home, his new family.
*I love the Truman Show aspects, particularly the final shot when Crichton stands in the open doorway.
*This episode has also got some pretty strong connections with Ender's Game. I think the ultimate goal of the Ancients was to see if he could handle the wormhole knowledge and what he would do and how far he'd go when pushed to the edge; like in Ender's Game, they were looking for a compassionate killer, one who, when pushed, would kill without hesitation, but could still love and inspire the love of others.
*I love how the translator microbes are used in this episode. In general I like that they are more than just a plot device so we're not wondering why all the aliens speak English and can understand each other.
*I love the music and sound in this episode, particulalry the main theme. Does it become a motif later on or not? I can't remember.
*I love the cinematography in this episode, particularly the use of light, how Crichton often (and AncientJack once) ends up with his face half in shadow, and the flashbulb freeze frames when the humans are examining him.
*favorite shots -the eagle pin and the crab in the water -Crichton looking out the window of the safe house. The shot really brings out the blue in Ben Browder's eyes, which is often pretty subtle. -Crichton's arms. I may not like Ben Browder shirtless, but I have to admit he's got amazing arms. -The shot right before Crichton and Aeryn kiss
*We see Crichton in his pumpkin suit for the last time (I think), except in Unrealized Reality.
*"Remember, there's a part of me inside you; take care of it." I'm not sure I've ever heard a more succinct and beautiful expression of what community means.
*I love the bass-trout conversation, with Crichton and Jack each trying to figure out whether the other is an alien. It's got a real Alias feel to it. I also find it interesting that Crichton doesn't remember which birthday was his 10th until he's reminded where he was living, because memory often works that way.
*I love Aeryn's joy at experiencing the rain for the first time.
*At first, I found it rather surprising that Crichton and Aeryn would sleep together this early in the series, but actually it makes sense because the question was never will they/won't they, but, rather, how.
*I'm really bothered by the Pygmalion aspects of Crichton making Aeryn wear the dress rather than the suit.
*This episode shows Crichton as unhinged as we've seen him up until this point. And we see what drives him to violence is as a last ditch effort to keep his sanity when all other options have been taken away. He comes real close to pulling the trigger here. Really close.
*The episode ends with Crichton getting a new mission (though it's a while before he realizes it), bringing to mind the words from Apocalypse Now: "Everyone gets everything he wants. I wanted a mission, and for my sins, they gave me one...It was a real choice mission, and when it was over, I'd never want another."
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on Dec 6, 2010 19:08:24 GMT -5
general impressions 1.17 Through the Looking Glass *This is a very meta episode. If there's a way in there's a way out, only the solution isn't to go backwards but to go forwards, not a way out as much as a way through. Not an attack, but an invitation. Crossing the threshold, passing the point of no return. And what's on the other side? *I love the opening scene with the Moyans discussing their new found status as a family, over a family meal, is discussed openly for the first time. It's also a very green thing, the sharing of food as the basis of forming community. *I hate how patronizing everyone is towards Chiana. It's understandable, but not always justified, and of course, it comes back to bite them later, particularly D'Argo. *I'm sure there's symbolism to the different Moyas, colors, senses, numbers, who's stuck where, who's the most affected by which dimension, etc, but it's not immediately obvious to me. *While Aeryn is the one most devoted to family, forming the core perhaps, Crichton is the one who pulls everyone together, the go between all the different elements, keeping everyone connected to each other. *I love Aeryn and Crichton doing charades. Hee! *I think all the actors and writers were having a lot of fun with the stoned dimension. *"Your inability to locate them does not negate the fact that they are there." *Pilot reveals he and Moya have a great deal of knowledge about the space-time continuum, and than starbursts are essentially a type of wormhole. They probably knew exactly how to send back Crichton in the Premiere, too, but didn't tell him because they a) hate wormholes, and b) wanted Crichton to stay. Very Wizard of Oz. *"Hypotheses just don't materialize." *The creature touches Crichton somehow, right? Crichton also hesitates to shoot the creature. Interesting. *"Do you know any good jokes?" "Not besides the one I'm living." *There's a lot of great Rygel lines, but I like the song he sings the best. Hee! *"I wish people would stop pointing guns at me." Keep wishing, Crichton. *"What used to be important, isn't. what should be important, never will be." *"Why don't you relax; join in the fun?" "Give me 7 seconds, baby, and we'll come and go together." :X *"Shall I disrobe so it's memorable?" *So in the end the family is back together as a cohesive whole, including Moya and Pilot this time, and committed to each other. Everybody's happy and laughing, with a baby on the way, so they're all going to live happily ever after, right? Right?!
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