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4x13 - Terra Firma

Jenn's Note: Sorry for the delay in getting this up. I was in Seattle for the weekend and then got back and found out I'd scratched my cornea....the hard way. I put in my contacts yesterday with my new contact solution and the solution had hydrogen peroxide in it. Ouch!

The ep title, Terra Firma, is Latin. It means firm land.

To Sikozu about Scorpius
J: Yea, you can stop pimping for him anytime now.
A "pimp" is someone who manages or promotes the sexual enterprises of a prostitute. In this case, I'm sure John is referring to Sikozu promoting the good Scorpy is doing by sitting at the other end of the wormhole.

To DK's wife, Laura, about DK
J: You said he was a geek.

Writing in his notebook
J: I figured Earth would freak out and it's delivered, in spades, on time, 30 minutes or less. ... Uncle Sam is keeping the aliens safe and contained. ... Of course, the suits are more interested in the technology. ... Some of the VIP's have accepted translator microbes.
To do something "in spades" is to go all out and do the best job. "30 minutes or less" is an old Domino's Pizza slogan. The pizza was there in 30 minutes or it was free. So basically, in John's opinion ....Earth freaked out in every way he figured they would and then some. "Uncle Sam" was made popular by political cartoonists in the late 1800s. They began to use the character of Uncle Sam as a popular symbol of the United States. He was a tall, slim figure with white whiskers, wearing a top hat, swallowtail coat, and striped pants. Since then he has appeared on everything from recruiting posters to this cast-iron mailbox stand. (from the National Museum of American History for kids) "Suits" is a reference to men and women who wear suits to work, managers and high-level employees. "VIP" stands for Very Important Person.

R: What's it called?
N: It's called "cop porn."
Hmmm....Noranti meant "pop corn" but "cop porn"...now that would be interesting to see.

Discussing with a US government official, Holt, who will benefit from the alien technology
J: Local meaning red-blooded Americans. No deal, no cookie.

Answering the door
J: It's the doorbell. I'll get it.
He is surprised to see Caroline, an old girlfriend
Caroline: Special delivery from the ghost of Christmas past.
The Ghost of Christmas past is a reference to the Charles Dickens novel, A Christmas Carol. The ghosts of Christmas past, present and future visit Ebenezer Scrooge and teach him a lesson about where his miserly lifestyle will lead him if he doesn't straighten up and learn to love and care for the people around him. As a result, Scrooge undergoes a major transformation, and his Christmas spirit is restored.

Walking out to find John on the dock writing in his notebook
Caroline: Hey Buck Rogers. You're supposed to be fishing, not writing memoirs. What's that?
J: It's homework.
We went over Buck Rogers in ep 4x11, Unrealized Reality. Buck Rogers, a comic book and movie character. He's a 20th century astronaut who emerges from suspended animation 500 years in the future time where Earth is threatened by alien invaders

J: Space travel was your dream to unite mankind. When did that change?
Jack: September the 11th. This isn't the same world you left four years ago, son. .... You just don't understand the global situation.
J: I don't understand because I've been out of town or because daddy knows best.
Jack goes into how the US has changed since September 11th, and while I don't want to get into a political or war discussion with anyone, I will only say that I think the world and every living human could be under seige. Currently, I'm just choosing to look at it much less pessimistically than Jack Crichton. "Daddy knows best" is probably a reference to the television show, Father Knows Best, which ran from 1954-1962.

J: Aeryn, listen up, if you've got a problem with them poking around at your prowler, why don' t you leave it here. The IASA guys have enough to look at with D'Argo's guppy and my module.
A guppy is a little fish, and in comparison to Moya, D'Argo's ship is a guppy.

D: I'm glad to see you taking a positive approach.
J: Cooperation, teamwork, distraction. We give 'em a few hints and then we get the hell out of Dodge and hope they get their act together before the real space monsters show up.
Dodge is a reference to Dodge City, Kansas, made famous by Wyatt Earp and his brothers. Earp was the sheriff in Dodge City and left there to go to Tombstone, Arizona, site of the famous, OK Corral shootout. Wyatt Earp died in 1929 in Los Angeles, California. The Wyatt Earp Historical Homepage has a lot of great information.

DK's wife: It's theoretically impossible.
J: Theory is wrong. Newton, Einstein, Hawking...we prove them wrong everytime we pop out for groceries.
Popping out for groceries is a reference to shopping for food, grocery shopping. Every time they leave Moya to go to a commerce planet for supplies they are "popping out for groceries." As for the scientists John names:

John is trying to lighten the mood and speaks in an E.T. voice and holds out his finger
J: Don't worry, it'll be OK. (laughs)
Olivia: OK
J: Trust me.
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial is a Steven Spielberg movie. E.T.'s most famous line is "ET phone home."

John walks off after saying goodbye to his family. Rock music begins to play and he strolls off in slow motion. I'm thinking he is no longer Dorothy Gale from Kansas, but is now Buck Rogers....off to save the world.