Flatulence. Gluttony. Egotism. Whininess.

Is it any wonder we love the little guy?

Discuss his Royal Majesty Rygel XVI and all of his various appetites.

And yet, could be noble and graceful at just the right moment. Not many of them, but a few.

Did you ever, especially the first time you watched Farscape, forget Rygel was a muppet? I did. It would go: "Damn Rygel. He's in trouble now. Ooo, he's gonna get hit lookout-MOVE! Idiot should've....oh yeah. Muppet".

Also, I refuse to believe Pilot is not a real creature. Because I love him.

He's nobody's Muppet!

He had some of the best lines, too. Well, they all some really good lines.

I have to admit the title of this thread bothers me a bit. Rygel and Pilot aren't muppets, they're puppets. Sorry to be so nitpicky, but I do hear it's a big thing over at Henson's.

Of course, "puppet monarch" doesn't alitterate...

I kinda wish we'd have named it something along the lines of "Rygel the sixteenth, Dominar to over 600 billion people: "I don't need to talk to you". Or possibly: "Unloved, unwanted, unpopular - unconcious..." Heh!

I like Rygel. I like being annoyed by him when he's annoying, and I like loving him in those rare moments when he's suddenly transformed into more than just an egotistic, hungry gasbag. And I like that you can never really tell when he's going to be what. Will he sell them out? Probably, but you can't bet on it.

He looks harmless enough, but even in the very first ep, he shows his true colours: spitting, stealing, dealing, talking down to people (well, mostly to John, of course).

And best lines? I don't know about best, seeing as this is Farscape, and there are plenty of best lines around, but yeah, he does have the gift of the gab, our little Dominar.

And exploding pee!

Wise Rygel - who always says the most pertinently annoying things.

Farts helium and exploding pee.

A Dominar of Action!

Rygel did have some great lines, though. One of my favourites is:



And he said it with such an evil grin. Cracks me up every time!

I forgot he was a puppet almost immediately. Both him and Pilot had such distinct personalities, it was easy to see them as just another character.

Everytime Rygel said, "Blue-assed bitch", I giggled hardcore.

Every.freakin'.time.

Love it.

Actually, everytime he said bitch in general. Something about a foul-mouthed puppet that cracked me up. Like in Terra Firma when Aeryn throws him off the couch (or was it Kansas?) and pretends he's a toy. When the cop leaves and he looks up and says, "You bitch! I think you cracked a rib!"

Cracked up!

But I loved his zingers:

Stark: "You're loose! You're completely loose!"
Rygel: "Not half as loose as Chianna I can assure you".

Heh.

I personally loved it when Rygel fed that doctor the shellfish, and then tossed the other half out with the rats.

And it was awesome how much Rygel grew and matured over the years. The scene in the tiny bottle with Sikozu alone is priceless.

Thanks for saying this, Kanel. I would have, but it was not yet time for my semi-annual "they're not muppets" post (though anyone interested can read the last one here). I really don't know why, but I'm with you on this -- the thread title, and frequent "muppet" references in Farscape reviews and commentary (both loving and derisive) really bug me. But I think you (we) may be in the minority, so I've pretty much given up on it...

THERE's the perfect thread title! :-)

(*shakes hands with fellow muppet nitpicker BostonTony*)

Of course they're muppets. Puppets are just that, gloves with someone's hand up their arse. You never get the sense that they are anything more manipulated bits of fabric.

Muppets on the other hand, are fully fleshed out, 3d people who are made of latex or fabric, but they love and cry and scream and laugh every bit as much as we do. It doesn't matter if it's Kermit or Piggy or Elmo or Oscar or Rygel.

They're real.

A muppet is Multilayered Person Of Fabric or Foam.

Or, as Greg the Bunny liked to call them "Fabricated-Americans" although in this case I guess it should be "Fabricated-Australians"

Rygel is the only thing that keeps my 21-month-old daughter from dismissing Farscape out of hand.

As for the thread name, I would have gone with this -- Rygel: "I'm no one's puppet!"

Since this thread was already named, I used that for the thread about the Jim Henson Creature Shop :)

Wouldn't that be a Muppoff..? ;-)

I just finished watching Dog with Two Bones and absolutely love Rygel for his wonderful eulogy. For all you want to smack that Ryg, he does step up when it's needed. What a mensch.

And his talk with Aeryn in The Choice. Zhaan called him wise... and she called it correctly. Just in a really annoying, smelling package.

And sometimes that wisdom comes in the form of "we are all going to die might as well try to turn myself in into Scorpious and Crais in order to save myself." Which can be vexing. He is wise. But sometimes wisdom and self interest are a bad combination.

He does come through most of the time though.

What endears me to Rygel is thinking about what he went through. Over a hundred cycles before he, Zhaan and D'argo escape on Moya with John and Aeryn in tow, he had everything taken away from him. His home, his family, his wealth/power and his very identity. He spent that century in degrading imprisonment by the Peacekeepers. He was tortured by Durka and eventually had to harden himself to survive.

The foulmouthed, cynical, duplicitous and wise creature we came to love was a product of a nasty set of circumstancews that he didn't even see coming. He earned the right to be a heartless bitch. He's the kind of person who comes to believe that no one is really on his side. When he says that he'd sell out everyone on Moya, I think he honestly believes the reverse no matter how many times John kisses him (which was like what ... three?) or Zhaan strokes his eyebrows.

Recalling his 'don't jump' speech to Aeryn in The Choice, it really seemed like Rygel was remembering the person he used to be before his world ended.

Ah, the Dominar - probably my favourite character.

Rygel is indeed a demonstrated survivor - he's self-centred and cowardly but he's also a formidable, skilled politician and easily the smartest of the whole lot of them. I love the episodes that show the Rygel of keen intelligence, where he's really given the chance to show what a devious, wily old sod he really is.

Rygel's greatest moments? Engaging in I, Claudius-like power games whilst hobnobbing with the Empress during the "Look At The Princess" trilogy and plotting with Scorpius in "I Yensch, You Yensch", matching him all the way quip for quip, move for move.

The next episode of The Scapecast is going to feature a character review of Season One Rygel. He really is a complex, aggravating, funny and oddly endearing creature. Plus you can download episode one today. :)

Don't forget to sign up on Feedblitz at The Scapecast so you don't miss the announcement.

We are still looking for writers by the way - if anyone is interested. *hint* *hint*

If you've ever wanted a Rygel of your very own, and really, who hasn't, they've just made a stuffie version available for pre-order here and here.

How cute is that?

The best thing about Rygel is his abilities like cunning tricks , misdirection , knowing ways of monarch and cultures , diplomacy vs. He may be greedy , vain and selfish ( complate contrast with his cuteness ) but his abilities above saved crew of Moya many times. For example I remember the trick he pulled of at "The Flax" episode. I expected him to sell his friends till last minute on that part. I was quite shocked when I discovered he planned everything to misdirect pirates after them

You know, I always got the feeling that that trick in The Flax Rygel played mostly because he was bored. Saving the others was more of a side issue, and the real reason he did it was that it was a challenge for him to outwit the pirates. Just me?

<Raises hand> What sort of sample should be sent where for this, Firecracker?

SpacePPoliceman I just sent you an e-mail. And you ROCK!

I just got done watching Jeremiah Chricton (a pretty meh episode, I think), and the only thing I pulled away from it (other than a lot of eye-rolling at the translation of "priestan" for priest - I can buy units of measurement having similar translated names because they might be slightly different, but I'm pretty sure a priest's a priest) was an insight into Rygel's character.

On a superficial reading of the little guy, you'd think he'd be the first to jump at the chance to be revered as a God by a bunch of primitive people. And you can see in his expression and intonation (I can't believe I just wrote that about a freaking puppet) when he realizes what his ancestor did to the colonists to achieve godhood in their eyes that Rygel can understand the urge to be worshipped, in a cynical sort of way.

But all Rygel wants is to be a king. He believes he deserves to be a king. It's easy to laugh at Rygel, even after you get past his appearance and odd physiology. He's an irritating, whiny little jerk who acts like he's God's gift to the Uncharted Territories. Despite his posturing about his royal status, it's easy to forget that he really did rule trillions of people; he really was treated for years like a wise ruler. It makes you wonder if that's how he survived Durkha, survived the Peacekeepers: by latching onto the thought "I am the Dominar. They can't take that away."

Consider doing that for 100 years of torture and imprisonment, and it becomes a lot more clear why Rygel is the way he is, flaws and all.

Rygel: I am not a deity. I am but a worthy being like yourselves. But I am your sovereign.

I thought JC was a pretty meh episode as well. Not as bad as the cast and crew thought it was (the commentary on the Starburst Editions is hilarious), but still not great.

I find that this episode is better if you ignore everything with Crichton and most of his shenanigans with the villagers (specifically Lashalla *shudder*) but the end - where Rygel rises to the occasion you begin to see what exactly Rygel is made of. He may be a smelly, annoying, arrogant, demanding little toad - but he is fully aware of the responsibilities of his rule. And he would never have done to his people what his ancestor did.

Zhaan called him wise. She was right.

I agree with this. And I really think JC would ahve been better if it was all about Rygel. H

The thing about Rygel is he is self-centered and greedy. But he has also lost everything he ever had. All of his hoarding. Everything he tries to steal from others. All the people he tries to cheat. Its Rygel making sure that no one ever takes anything from him again. Every little piece of jewlery or the food cubes he keeps under the bed is a lame attempt to regain a small part of his empire, in his own mind. He overcompensates to an insane degree.

I think that if anyone else had lost his vast empire to a family member, whom I assume he trusted, and then spent years being tortured then they would be bitter and selfish too. And I don't think Rygel gets enough sympathy for his loss. Most people would collapse under that much pressure.

And sure I have no doubt in my mind that Rygel was a glutton as a monarch. But that is the consquence of being spoiled and raised to believe you are the most important creature in the universe. And I will bet he wasn't great at his job. Only because it seems he was relatively young at the time and never challenged. I don't think he was ever intentionally cruel or mean. At least not by their standards. I have no doubt that when he returns he will be the greates Dominar Hyneria has ever seen.

Rygel is that kid in class with so much potential. but he kind of needs to get get his ass kick into gear before he will live up to it.

I think this is exactly right. I hadn't thought of Rygels greed in quite that light - but once you put the pieces together for me it makes perfect sense.

But Rygel can still be the most annoying shipmate.

Totally agreed. Bar none. Espcially when he does annoying things like sell them out to the PK's and brings hated captains aboard.

Having just finished watching the "Liars, Guns, and Money" trilogy, I was shocked that I totally forgot about Rygel carrying around Durka's head on a stick.

A Dominar of Action indeed.

It was a bit of a letdown though. I mean, much as I hated Durka, for all the effort they put into him, an onscreen death would have been nice. I agree it was deliciously shocking though.

I LOVE Rygel and his little Durka-on-a-Stick. After a long string of episodes where the Dominar is only there to be smacked around for comic relief, it's wonderful to be reminded that he's also a very old, very cunning man who bears a grudge harder than anyone else on the show. For more evidence of that, all you have to do is look at how much longer he treats Aeryn as "The Peacekeeper" than any body else.

Which makes his farewell to her in Die Me Dichotomy that much more heart-breaking, of course. It's easy to think, based on his actions, that Rygel doesn't care about his shipmates at all. But I think that it's not that he doesn't care, but that he'll never care about them as much as he cares about himself. The mixture of spoiled upbringing and a century of torture have pushed his desire for self-preservation to the point where nothing else can ever match it, no matter how much he cares for his home or his friends.

Years ago when I first caught a glimpse of this show I was like, "WTF, Muppets?", and promptly ignored it, until this summer, that is, when, for whatever reason--perhaps out of fairness because I was willing to endure Firefly and Serenity--I decided upon a FARSCAPE marathon.

And the funny part about this lengthy exercise?

The bloody Muppets turned out to be one of the series irreplaceable features.

Certainly I had to come to terms with their technical shortcomings, just as I might with any special effect, but that was much easier to overcome thanks in no small part to the very fine voice talent.

Rygel is a hoot. Next to John, Zhaan and Scorpius, he's amongst my favorite characters. I'd probably over-compensate too if I were only a 3 ft tall amphibian dependent upon bullying fleshies for company.

They certainly are the defining visual trait of the show.

I confess- I never realised he was a puppet. I thought he was a dwarf in a very bad costume.

Ditto with Pilot and trick photography. It's only when I came to TWoP here, that I realised thay were puppets.

*blushes*

I liked the little Dominar from the beginning. That doesn't mean I didn't think he often needed to have someone go upside his head for alot of the stuff he said and did. I felt much the same way about Chiana.

But, getting back to Rygel, I don't recall ever seeing this comparison, but in his basic personality (not to mention his looks) he really reminds of Toad from The Wind In The Willows.

I've always wondered if his creators based at least part of who Rygel was on another of my favorite fictional characters.

I have to admit, I regularly feel sorry for Rygel, he was trapped on a ship full of people who at first barely tolerated him. Then in time learned to like his uses. That and he had one of the dryest wits in the universe.

I hate it when they abuse Rygel. I mean, he's so much smaller than them. Sure, he's got sharp teeth, but it's like abusing a cat or something.

I know what you mean, although most cats weren't bitchy, greedy, and hormonal. Or was that Aeryn?

Bitchy, Greedy, and Hormonal--three of Disney's Seven Dwarfs in an Unrealized Reality. :-)

Don't forget Camply(John Crighton) And Slutty (Chiana).

Or Testy (D'Argo).

And Stoner, the dwarf priestess (Pau'u Zotoh Zahn)

Bitchy, greedy and hormonal describes just about every cat I have ever known. Also, many of my former roommates.



One of the many reasons Henson kicks Disney's Ass!

I have been thinking about our machiavellian little muppet and I am beginning to suspect that the whole confusing subplot involving Chiana/D'Argo and Scorpius in Look at the Princess Part 3, might well have had Rygel in the background pulling the strings.

Rygel was the most at home with court intrigue and he was the one who Empress Novia respected more than any of them. Plus the whole subplot with D'Argo setting up Chiana to be captured by the Scarran has always puzzled me. D'Argo knows that Chiana doesn't have a clue about Crichton's whereabouts so why would he tell the Scarran that Chiana 'thinks she knows' what has happend to Crichton. Not to mention that Rygel is the one who tells Crichton: "D'Argo's with Scorpius. They think the Scarran has Chiana. So they're gonna kill him."

I need to think on this a little more. Perhaps the little hynerian was in the background pulling strings the whole time. And that confusing little subplot that I thought was a terrible mess - isn't such a mess after all.

So what are you saying? That Rygel told D'Argo that Chiana knew where Crichton was?

OK, I just typed that sentence and even I have trouble figuring out what I'm saying.

But what I still don't get is: who was behind the floating soccer ball of death? Clavor sent those folks to kill Crichton with the melty ray, and then Clavor and Cargn have an argument and say (this from the transcript):



So who was behind the gas attack if it wasn't Cargn or Clavor? Are you saying it was Rygel, and that's why he was so ready with the plan to get Crichton off the planet?