A change of perspective: The fragmentary, multiple viewpoint storytelling of this episode calls to mind Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, as well as the season two episode The Ugly Truth.

Family ties: In a snide reference to the events of Relativity, John says that Falaak should have met Aeryn's mother, if he thinks she's moody. It's a fair comment - the woman in question, Xhalax Sun, did hunt down Talyn and try to kill Aeryn, John and Crais after all. Of course, that happened to the other John - this one never saw quite how 'moody' Xhalax could get.

Talk proper, like: "I'm getting a really bad bribe," says Aeryn, driving John to distraction by speaking English. She means vibe.

However much Moya's crew hear John rattle out his idioms, they never seem to pick them up quite correctly.

Time for rehab? John's still hitting the concentrate of laka hard - pretty much every time Aeryn speaks to him. According to Noranti, each dose takes the pain away for about 500 microts - that's about eight of your earth minutes.

The John Crichton guide to pop culture.

Off goes the King: "Elvis has left the building," says John of Chiana's forced departure, totally confusing Aeryn. A phrase which has come to mean "the show is over," it was announced at the end of every Elvis concert, to persuade fans to leave quickly.

Eternal champion: Prefect Falaak, with his long white face and lugubrious expression, looks astoundingly like the Michael Moorcock character Elric of Melniboné, an albino sorceror with power over the wind. Maybe it's a homage to Moorcock, who revitalised the world of British sci-fi in the late 60s with his innovatory magazine New Worlds, in which authors like J G Ballard were first published.

For more on Elric, check out this Elric fansite, complete with pictures so you can make up your own mind.

The engines canna take it! John does probably the worst impression of Scottie, the Original Star Trek Chief Engineer, ever seen on TV. In response to D'Argo's request that he return to Moya, he warbles, "I don't know when I can get the systems back online, Cap'n," in something slightly approaching a Scottish brogue.

Bonnie wee voice: Still on the Scottish theme, John croons a few lines from the auld Scottish air The Bonnie Banks O' Loch Lomond. Although he doesn't sing any more than the first three, very well known lines - "Ye'll take the high road, and I'll take the low road, and I'll be in Scotland before you," - it's significant that the song continues, "But me and my true love, will never meet again." A comment on his relations with Aeryn, perhaps?