Aeon Flux: Long Episodes: Isthmus Crypticus

“Trevor Goodchild’s latest obsession is an exquisite being which he keeps
locked away in a secret chamber. It’s non-of Aeon’s business but…. “

Aeon Flux meets a spooky looking bloke in an old disused laboratory. She seems to dislike the geezer who is there to do a deal with her for capturing Trevor’s latest experiment.  The experiment if that’s the right word, is a pair of winged ‘Cereph’ creatures, the female of which we see in a compromising embrace with Trevor. Aeon is appalled. She’s definitely jealous and when she learns that the spooky looking bloke wants her to capture it, she refuses and leaves. Actually, ‘leaves’ is a little bland, she was in fact, chased out by a giant metal worm! I’m not quite sure why it appeared, but it sure didn’t like Aeon very much.

Later, Aeon visits her friend Una. Una is a wide-eyed college student with a heart of gold. Before Aeon Flux arrived she rescued an injured carrier pigeon from a group of young vagabonds. She noticed that it had a picture attached to its leg. The picture was of the male Cereph creature that was being held captive by Trevor. She is very taken by the image and it may sound strange, but I reckon she fancies this creature like mad!

Una is a lovely girl who is perhaps a little light headed. Suddenly a knock at the door heralds her friend Aeon Flux who enters with a stern order that her services are being commandeered for a job by the Monican Republic! Una is surprised and a little amused by Aeons formal greeting. They hug and Aeon gives her some Breen codes to translate. Una is a little reluctant to help Aeon because of her existing time commitment but agrees when Aeon fixes the bird’s wing with a splint.

Una must translate the documents by morning. She settles down but can’t concentrate – she keeps looking at the picture of the male creature, she’s falling in love with it!

I can’t help wonder at what it is that Una is falling in love with, perhaps it’s the pointy feet or the blue face or perhaps the big, and I MEAN big erm…. wings.  Whatever it is she doesn’t manage to translate the documents.

Trevor meanwhile is looking through his binoculars at his … subjects carrying out their daily routine. It seems that everywhere he focuses, someone is performing some sort of covert duty! He sighs, “I tell myself they want for nothing, there every need met. They can’t complain, they have it all, the intelligence quotient survey at ten, the full benefit plan at twenty, every one of the touched by the consequences of my leadership.” He walks away saddened by what he’s seen, but there is also something else, he continues, “But I am not touched, the only solace is the self denying bliss to be found in the wings of the Cereph creature.“

He turns of a monitor and watches the two Cereph creatures kneeling captive in separate cells – it seems that they are trying to communicate with each other. He dresses in a weird looking bird like costume and goes down to see the female Cereph.

Meanwhile, Una has fallen asleep dreaming of her male Cereph bloke. She dreams of him flying free with the birds. The dream however turns into a nightmare when a rather grotesque image of Aeon Flux with bat wings attacks one of the birds and chases after the Cereph male. She wakes with the entrance to her apartment of her lover Merik. She clearly has no time for this geezer anymore and they argue. She tells him that she has no time for him anymore and he leaves angrily demanding that he have his ‘Shattered Fixtures’ cassette back by Wednesday! Merik is a bit of an airhead, Una can certainly do better – not sure about her falling in love with a winged beast though!

Merik storms out as Aeon arrives to collect her translation. She is annoyed to find that Una hasn’t even started it. She grabs Una’s arm and decides to take her on the assignment. Una will have to translate the documents (apparently directions) as she reads them, directing Aeon to her destination via a comms link.

As Aeon and Una arrive at the Trevor’s laboratory complex we see Trevor dressed in his Cereph costume comically prancing around trying to make like a Cereph!   He is oblivious to the attentions of a subordinate waiting patiently to see him at the back of the room. Eventually the officer, Number 3, tells Trevor that Aeon Flux is attempting to break into the complex and that it is probably her that has the directions to the Cereph cells. Trevor orders that security is increased to “zero tolerance.” He then goes to visit his winged girlfriend yet again. It seems that Trevor no longer has the hots for the lovely (and dangerous) Aeon.

As he is about to enter the female Cereph cell, the spooky looking bloke that tried to enlist Aeon’s services at the beginning smashes Trevor over the head rendering him unconscious.  Aeon is being guided to the door of the Cereph cells when Una suddenly realises that it is HER winged idol that Aeon is after. She tries to send Aeon the wrong way and makes off for the Male cells on her own. The two arrive there at the same time and Una tries to protect the birdman from Aeon.

The spooky bloke meanwhile, has arrived at the female Cerephs cell next door. He tries to talk to her, tell her that he will set her free etc….. etc…. He takes off her blindfold and smiles at him. In the next cell, Aeon and Una argue and Aeon shoots a hole in the cell wall.  The two Cerephs are able to see each other and as the female notices the male and begins to rush over, a small metallic wasp that was inadvertently brought in by the spooky bloke, stings the female Cereph and she dies. At this sad end, I should have been upset for the female Cerephs death, but I couldn’t help think that Trevor was going to be VERY annoyed! Una, Aeon and the mortified spooky bloke look on horrified.

Sure enough Trevor in his fetching winged costume arrives moments later and shoots the spooky bloke. The male Cereph flies away with a delighted Una clinging on to him,  her arms around his neck.

Trevor is saddened by the death of the Female Cereph and Aeon tries to make light of it (it has to be said that she doesn’t seem to bothered) by telling Trevor that he has, “nice wings.”

“Go to hell” Trevor retorts (that’s probably what I’d have said – or words to that effect). Nevertheless, Aeon Flux kisses him lightly and says,

“Will you fly me there. You know, some people are just never meant to be together.“

I’m not sure if she was referring to Trevor and she or Trevor and the female Cereph. Aeon leaves as Trevor holds the dead Cereph in his arms.

The winged male Cereph and Una fly off into the sunset. Una is looking very happy but we notice a little insect scurry from under the wings of the Cereph and onto Una’s arm. It bites her and the bite wound seems to grow at an alarming rate. You can’t help feel that Una’s ecstasy is short lived and will probably kill her.  You might also consider that this is a very effective way to get rid of unwanted girlfriends.

I’ve just got to rate this doomed romantic 34,388 out of 10.
What did you think?

Discuss this in the Aeon Flux Forum

The “Isthmus Crypticus” episode review is © 1999, 2000 Tony Fawl.
Not for reproduction without the authors express permission

The Aeon Flux names, characters, pictures and everything else associated with the series are the property of Peter Chung, Chung, MTV Networks, Colossal Pictures and Liquid Television. All rights reserved.