John Crichton
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | John Crichton |
| Occupation: | Former Astronaut |
| Relationships: | Aeryn Sun (wife), Jack Crichton (Father) |
| Fandom: | Farscape |
| Other: | Played by actor Ben Browder |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
John Crichton is the main protagonist and only human main character in the TV series Farscape. He is an IASA astronaut when he's introduced in the first episode of Farscape. While conducting an experiment in space, he creates a wormhole and travels to a distant part of the galaxy.
Canon
Upon travelling through the wormhole, Crichton is quickly taken aboard the living ship Moya. Her crew of escaped prisoners want him to help them escape the Peacekeepers. Crichton is confused by the aliens. Initially unable to understand them, he is injected with translator microbes. Still confused, he is of no help and is quickly placed in a cell. John and the ship's other captive Aeryn Sun, a peacekeeper soldier, eventually join Moya's crew, as they too are hunted by the Peacekeper forces.
Over the course of the series, John navigates the new world he finds himself in with varying degrees of difficulty. The alien crew of Moya are often confused by his pop culture references and human colloquialisms. He quickly adapts to using alien pulse pistols and other technology, like hetch drives.
His crewmates often view humans as a primitive species.
Fandom
Crichton Whump
Over the course of Farscape, John Crichton repeatedly suffers violence and torture at the hands of his enemies. The presence of Crichton Whump in canon was recognized by fans. The Society Against Cruelty to Crichton was a fan group of "Scapers dedicated to protecting Crichton from the cruelty of sadistic screenwriters. SACC was created when it became clear that our own beloved John Crichton couldn't seem to make it through an entire Farscape episode without getting the dren kicked out of him."
Unlike many other sci-fi series, Crichton's trauma is often acknowledged in canon as well as fan works. There was no 42-Minute Reset on Farscape, and John often references his trauma and is shown to be under increased mental strain during the series. Other characters also express concern for his mental state.
His rape by Grayza is also acknowledged in canon, during The Peacekeeper Wars mini-series:
Season 4 textually acknowledges Grayza raped Crichton, but in way that's still roundabout (read: someone could read differently). Here, we get an explicit, definitive, direct "yes that was rape" when Crichton lists rape among the things the Peacekeepers did to him and it flashes to his ordeal with Grayza. I'm glad, in addition to the show continuing to recognize it, it continues to be one of Crichton's recurring traumas.[1]
Shipping
John Crichton/Aeryn Sun is the most popular pairing in this fandom, and their relationship is canon in the show. Smaller ships include John Crichton/Scorpius, Chiana/John Crichton and John Crichton/Ka D'Argo
Common Tropes & Storylines
- Bodyswap fics usually set during the episode Out of Their Minds.
- Alien Kink often appears in fics as John is the only human in the Uncharted Territories.
- Fics set during the episode Terra Firma, when John and the Moya crew return to Earth. Many works focus on how much Crichton has changed during his time in the Uncharted Territories, the difficulties he faces on his return home and his decision to leave Earth.
- Hurt/Comfort fics often focus on John dealing with the aftermath of torture or other traumas
- Future Fics, focusing on Aeryn and Jon's life after the Peacekeeper Wars. Many of these are Kidfics.
- AU fics are common, and there are several canonical alternative universes which feature in fics as well.
- There are a small number of clonecest fics pairing TalynJohn with MoyaJohn. As well as threesome fics pairing both Johns with Aeryn Sun.
- John Crichton's canonical habit of assigning nicknames to his crewmates and making pop culture references also appears in fandom.
Connections to Other Fandoms
Ben Browder, the actor who plays Crichton, also portrays Cameron Mitchell on Stargate SG-1. Another Farscape alum, Claudia Blac plays both Aeryn Sun on Farscape and Vala Mal Doran on Stargate SG-1. Their previous involvement in the Farscape universe was referenced regularly in Stargate episode, including this parody clip. There are a small number of crossover fics.
Fan Comments
John Crichton - the brilliant and yet niave scientist and explorer. John T. Kirk, except without the Enterprise and in a violent world. Pop culture his only weapon. His mind his greatest asset, yet he begins to lose it...suffering under the weight of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and prolonged exposure to violence and war. One of the most complex characters I've seen in Sci-Fi. Capable of horrific and wonderful things at the same time.[2]
Example Fanworks
Fanfiction
- The Talyn Suite Series by RobynBender, The Talyn Suite takes John and Aeryn from the fadeout of Green-Eyed Monster to a coda for Icarus Abides. (2003) See also, Ao3 link to The Talyn Suite Series.
- Cut Some Slack (The Dr. Spock Remix) by feldman, He retains enough of his template's early memories that the idea of willfully bringing life into the universe disturbs him still. (Harvey's perspective, Kidfic)
- Scientist, Astronaut, and Nymphomaniac: The nine lives of John Crichton by feldman, Set during "Out of Their Minds" (AU): possession is nine-tenths of the law
- Obsidian Spirits (Part One) by gigerisgod, The John that lived and the ghost of "TalynJohn" merge together, or John Crichton is haunted by himself.
- The Multiverse Tango by sospes, A stranger turns up in Atlantis’ gateroom wearing Cam Mitchell’s face. The consequences? Alien ships, space battles, and a paradigm shift in John Sheppard’s relationship status. Crossover with Farscape, but the focus is on the characters from the Stargate universe.
Fanvids
Fanart
- Through the Looking Glass by Project7723
- Artwork for All Shook Up, a fic by Tanaqui. Fanart by danceswithgary
Meta
- You Just Can't Go Home Again, Dorothy - (Constellation of Doubt and Terra Firma - Farscape S4) by shadowkat67
- John Crichton, on the Dark Side by ceallaig
External Resources
- Works tagged John Crichton on Ao3
- John Crichton works on ff.net
- John Crichton stories on Leviathan
- John Crichton on Farscape Wikia
- John Crichton on Wikipedia