Trivia
Radiation and Roll: The title is a pun on La Bamba - the title of a spanish tinged rock 'n' roll hit from Ricky Valens and a 1987 movie about his life.
Starking about: Stark actor Paul Goddard is given an on-screen credit this week, now his character's reappearance isn't a secret anymore. A theatrically trained actor, Goddard has had parts in movies including The Matrix and The Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers movie.
Say my name: Two mysteries are cleared up this episode. Firstly, D'Argo's ship Lo'la turns out to be an Eradicator. Secondly, and more importantly, Captain Braca's first name is revealed to be Nikalou.
Scorpius so far: So, it seems that Scorpius is a half-Sebacean, half-Scarran Commandant in disgrace, but with friends on the inside still, pretending to be a Scarran spy pretending to be an asylum seeking Peacekeeper criminal. What a tangled web he weaves.
The John Crichton guide to pop culture.
NY Peacekeeper D: Harvey seems to be picking out a US cop series from John's head to argue in this week - complete with interview room, bad coffee and mention of doughnuts.
Holy Scarrans, Robin: John casually refers to the Chrystherium cavern as the Bat Cave - the nerve centre of Gotham City caped crusader Batman. The original Bat Cave set, made for the 1960s series, was destroyed when the show was cancelled. Sadly, this meant that although another network was interested in picking it up, the show became to expensive to rescue.
Bard Timing: "If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well/It were done quickly:" quotes John from Shakespeare's Macbeth, just before agreeing to Scorpius' plan. In the play, the lines are spoken by Macbeth as he argues himself round to killing his king and relative Duncan. An act that didn't really turn out all that well for him, as John probably realises.
So, who's Huggy Bear?: Forced into an uneasy pairing, John refers to Scorpius and himself as Cadaver and Hutch, harking back to 1970s cop show Starsky and Hutch. That would give him the David Soul role.
Say it with neutrons: John writes "Hi there!" on the side of his bomb, paying a sly homage to superb nuclear comedy Doctor Strangelove, or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Bomb. Starring Peter Sellers as the mad Doctor of the title, one scene in the 1964 film shows a cowboy-hatted soldier riding a bomb as it plunges to earth.
Going underground: "Mind the gap," says John as he exits the Rabrokator, parroting the well known London Underground platform announcement.
Crichton and the Crystherium factory: As D'argo tries to get the Rabrokator to work, John asks him "Do you know how to pilot this Wonkavator?" - referring to much-loved children's book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and its sequel, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator.
