WARNING: Some of the following may contain spoilers for episodes you haven't seen, especially if you live outside the United States, which has currently seen all of season 1, 2, and 3, and is currently in season 4.
Before you ask (if you haven't seen the 3rd season yet)--I know I skipped episodes 9, 11, 13, and 16--BUT Rygel didn't appear (except in the 'Last time on Farscape' bits) during those episodes, hence nothing to be learned about his eminence, okay?
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Rygel saved the life of Diagnostician Tocot by turning on the protective field and then performing CPR (as Zhaan had instructed him how to do it--the question is, where did Zhaan learn it, since John only taught Aeryn (in The Flax)that we know of, unless she got it from her unity with him).
He acts as a voyeur at the beginning of the episode, enjoying watching Chiana and Jothee making love.
Ironically, he later calls Chiana a slut and informs her that he doesn't have to tell D'Argo a thing--he'll smell Jothee on her. And later still, he tells John why D'Argo is acting completely out of character.
He also selflessly took medical supplies to Zhaan on the station, instead of trying to escape at the first chance he got. (Though later he did repeatedly state that he wanted to leave, not stay and get killed, but that's just self-preservation.)
He also repeatedly rammed Borlik while she was stuck to the pipe in the bar, though this is most likely because he realized that she couldn't do anything back to him (except annoy him with her constant chanting).
Rygel is back to his backstabbing self, wanting to save his own life (and incidently Crichton's since he was on Farscape 1 too) at the expense of their friends on Moya. After John breaks his 'nose' or 'slits' or whatever, Rygel promises he won't forget it and that it's the last time John will use him as a punching bag.
Later Rygel makes good on his promise (after John has hit him again, this time with a ball) by telling Jool exactly how her cousin died on the Diagnostician's planet.
However, he is still on relatively friendly terms with Zhaan, telling her in his own way, how much he cares about her ("Have I ever told you how much I appreciate your counsel?").
Also contributed to a catfight between Jool and Chiana (which John dragged him from before he made it worse).
Rygel doesn't believe Stark about the budong being dangerous until they nearly are eaten themselves. Then when the budong is far enough away, he starts to activate the pod to leave the others behind, telling Stark that they're dead (having palmed earlier a part from the comm system so Stark couldn't confirm this).
Rygel has that voyeuristic streak again. And this time Stark joins in, as they 'listen' to what they think is John and Aeryn making love in the next room.
Once more, he shows that he'll abandon the others if he thinks that his own safety is threatened. But when Xhalax breaks free from her bonds, he attacked her just as Aeryn and Stark did, getting stabbed in the process, dying (for a few microts) before Stark revived him.
Rygel is affected by the gas leak on Talyn, like the rest of the crew. Unfortunately for him, it means he eats everything put in front of him until he begs Crais to shoot him so he can stop eating.
Rygel tells us that the Charrids came and killed and ate millions of Hynerians hundreds of cycles before and that his people only stopped their attacks by suicide runs against the Charrids by the millions.
Rygel doesn't care what the others want in regards to their 'guests' or 'prisoners' when said individual affects his own personal feelings (i.e. Durka, or in this case, the Charrids)--he'll kill them whether or not the others want them alive, and do it gladly.
Rygel tells Aeryn about his ancestor, Rygel IX, who foolishly charged at the head of the battles he fought instead of sensibly remaining in the rear (and admits that he can understand the thrill his ancestor got from it from his taste of blasting Charrids for himself).
Rygel gets to blast more Charrids this episode. Not much else for him to do (other than the fact that he is injured from the end of previous episode).
He also shows how fond he is of John (or specifically, John on Talyn) when he goes to say goodbye to him, knowing John is dying. He even laughs at John's remark about not getting his stuff (a reference to when Rygel took John's stuff in That Old Black Magic, believing John to be dead). Those who doubt Rygel genuinely cares about this crew (as long as they don't interfere with him getting home, which is his first priority always) should watch the little scenes like this one to be proven wrong.
The 'someone important' in Rygel's life was named Kellor. She died a long time ago, and it took him a great while to get over her, even contemplated suicide from what he told Aeryn before deciding against it.
He showed compassion for Aeryn because he does know what she's going through, and tried to reason with her.
On the other hand, he has little patience for Stark and Crais's games, pointing out quite rightly that Aeryn doesn't want to be with them--any of them. And when Crais's deception is revealed, he keeps him in restraints up until a large number of people start firing on them, telling Crais that he'll make an excellent shield.
Rygel gets some in this episode! He runs into a female Hynerian named Ohrrn who he spends a great deal of time with. She is only using him, however, and uses him once more to try and make her break and planned to turn him over to the Peacekeepers for the reward.
The others didn't think twice about rescuing Rygel (well maybe for a few seconds). John and Aeryn grabbed Sparky off the transport pod, while D'Argo kept his ship steady above it. Quite a change from Throne for a Loss, where they would've left him behind in a heartbeat.
He found himself working with Scorpius (and incidently, building up trust) in order to get them all out alive when the crooks take them hostage.
Rygel states he was a Peacekeeper prisoner for 131 cycles.
1. Season of Death
2. Suns and Lovers
3. Self-Inflicted Wounds, pt. 1: Could'a, Would'a, Should'a
4. Self-Inflicted Wounds, pt. 2: Wait for the Wheel
5. ...Different Destinations
6. Eat Me
7. Thanks for Sharing
8. Green-Eyed Monster Ben's episode!
10. Relativity
12. Meltdown
14. Infinite Possibilities, pt. 1: Daedalus Demands
15. Infinite Possibilities, pt. 2: Icarus Abides
17. The Choice
18. Fractures
19. I-Yensch, You-Yensch
20. Into the Lion's Den, pt. 1: Lambs to the Slaughter
21. Into the Lion's Den, pt. 2: Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
22. A Dog with Two Bones
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