Single Father: ‘Its wartime! Its not up to me! I go where
I’m sent!’ Homeless, jobless, on the run and with the crippling tension
that his son is trapped behind enemy lines - Sisko has never been more
interesting. He has to face the wrath of his father when he tells him the news
about Jake and soon finds himself in his own office at a new Starbase and
giving orders that will affect hundreds of lives. They’re setting up this
character as the saviour of the Alpha Quadrant and I just hope he is ready for
the responsibility that brings. Sisko is effectively a terrorist now, working
behind enemy lines and destroying their facilities and murdering their people.
How did it happen so that feels like the right thing?
Tasty Terrorist: A Time to Stand kicks off a fascinating
character arc between Kira and Damar that would continue to evolve and surprise
until the very last episode of DS9. At this stage they hate each other’s guts –
she resents the fact that the Cardassians are running the station and he knows
she is plotting their downfall. But at the moment with Weyoun and Dukat
watching their every move all they can do is stand at a distance from each
other and sneer. It wont be long before their hatred of each other breaks out
into violence but at the moment this restrained tension is fascinating. Even
worse is the lecherous advances of Dukat…but take a look at the ‘Moment to Watch
For’ section for that.
Unknown Sample: Odo is now in a position of power that he
refuses to wield with Weyoun attempting to please him left, right and centre.
It takes Kira to remind him that they need to start making demands in order t
ride through this storm. The way he simply gets what he wants when asking made
me laugh my head off. He should have told Weyoun to hop on one foot as well.
Now he’s a member of the station’s ruling council with a voice in its policies.
Mr Wolf: Trust Worf to be obsessing over a minor wedding
detail in the midst of battle for weeks (everybody knows in a Klingon wedding
you are supposed shed blood first and then feast!).
GE Doctor: Bashir suddenly looks less like an idealistic
young Starfleet officer and more like a battle hardened veteran and the shift
is definitely in his favour. I especially like the emphasis on his genetic
engineering – Garak suggests he isn’t genetically engineered but a Vulcan when
he calculates the ludicrously pessimistic likelihood about them losing the war
(a 32.7% of survival – I guess he didn’t factor in the Prophets!). Garak is
right; he’s not so boyish anymore.
Nine Lives: Dax is off shagging Worf before the pre credits
sequence is over!
Community Leader: Its great to hear Quark saying that he
misses the Federation and he also makes the point that things could be a lot
worse such as they were during the Cardassian Occupation.
Young Sisko: Having Jake stuck on the station under Dominion
rule is a great idea and the scene between him and Weyoun shows exactly this
thread should be explored. Jake is writing news reports but Weyoun is not
letting them go anywhere until he reports from
more balanced view. Jake refuses to writer Dominion propaganda and so
they reach a stalemate. It’s the most interesting Jake has ever been within the
running story arc too.
Slimy Snake: Dukat is completely in love with his role as
Prefect of Terok Nor again and marches around the station like a kid in a sweet
shop. He thinks it is only a matter of time before Earth becomes another
conquered planet under Dominion rule which would be hyperbole had we not
already seen how badly things were going for the Federation.
Wily Weyoun: Another major strength of the Dominion taking
over the station is the fact that we get to spend six episodes (count them)
with Weyoun. Did I mention that he was my favourite Star Trek character? Every
line that comes out of Jeffrey Combs’ mouth is a gem – when we first see him he
is enthusing about the Bajorans retuning to the station and the habitat ring
echoing with the laughter of happy children! What a card! He’s desperate to
prove to Odo that the Dominion is holding up their end of the bargain with
regards to Bajor because he knows that the Founders don’t give a toss about the
Alpha Quadrant when compared with the notion of bringing one of their own back
into the fold.
Head Chef: How great is it to see Joseph back in DS9? He’s
such a marvellously cantankerous old git he lightens up any scene he is in and
hive gives Sisko exactly the sort succour he needs right now. A reprimand about
leaving Jake behind on the station and a great deal of love and support. It
makes me smile to think we would be seeing him again in Far Beyond the Stars
later in the season.
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘We can’t keep taking these sorts of
losses, sir, not if we expect to win this!’
‘I never expected to say this but as Occupations go, this
one’s not so bad. Look around. Do you see any ghetto fences dividing the
Promenade? Or exhausted Bajoran slaver labourers sprawled on the ground after
some gruelling day in the Ore Processing Centre? Do you hear the cries of
starving children? I don’t’ – leave it to Quark to find the silver lining in
every cloud.
‘What about freedom of the press?’ ‘Please tell me you’re
not that naive…’
‘You sold Cardassia to the Dominion!’ ‘Yes, a high price to
be sure but look at what we’re getting in return…the Alpha Quadrant itself.’
‘I could make things very pleasant for you here, Kira’ ‘You
could start by doing something about your breath.’
‘The computer agrees with Julian’ ‘Of course it does, they
think alike!’
The Good: Now the wonderful writer Robert Hewitt Wolfe has
moved on to pastures new it is Hans Beimler that has taken over his role of
working with Ira Steven Behr to write the juicy arc episodes. At first the
thought of the two writers responsible for Ferengi Love Songs in this role is
daunting but the quality of this episode speaks for itself (and Sacrifice of
Angels, His Way, Tears of the Prophets, Shadows and Symbols, The Siege of
Ar-558, etc). Clearly everybody has an off day and there’s just happened to be
their first! Another Trek reviewer mentioned that this episode has the same
dark and twisted tone as Yesterday’s Enterprise but what is so exciting here is
that this isn’t a parallel universe. Its real and the horror isn’t going
anywhere. The opening shot of the Federation fleet limping home is a powerful
one, exposing three months of ‘bloody slaughter’ at the hands of the Dominion.
To be fair we have seen wartime before on Star Trek – Yesterday’s Enterprise
and The Year from Hell but one was an alternate reality and the other was
completely reset so it never happened! One DS9 it is the only time Trek faces a
genuine long term conflict and it kicks of seasons six with a sense of
determinism and strength that even Way of the Warrior with its mad Klingon
developments had to work hard for. A Time to Stand was given a great gift by
Call to Arms and pleasingly (what I should say is shockingly) it doesn’t drop
the ball here by wrapping everything up but shows this episode as another
chapter in the wars history. Star Trek has always traded on the optimistic and
the glory of space exploration but DS9 has headed in the other direction
focussing instead on the depressing anxiety of a long-term conflict and it is
the most gripping any Trek has ever been. Go figure. Maybe Roddenberry
did have it wrong after all. The whole idea of the Sisko living on the Defiant,
homeless, and constantly on the run from the Dominion is glorious and it completely
wrong foots the viewer expecting to tune in to another adventure on the
station. By the end of the episode he isn’t even the Captain of the Defiant
anymore! We cut to the Dominion ships around the station and Dukat giving a
‘Captain’s Log!’ Its so topsy-turvy and different it has to be applauded. What
is so enthralling about the scenes on the station is how many character arcs
are intertwining with the new status quo – Dukat trying to seduce Kira, Damar
wanting to kill her, Weyoun trying to please Odo, Kira being comforted by the
man who loves her and Weyoun and Dukat butting heads with their overawing
arrogance. It’s a powder keg of tension that at this stage is bubbling along
but you know there will be conflict and resolution down the line. The Dominion
requires reinforcements and fresh supplies of Ketracel White from the Gamma
Quadrant so there is a ticking clock on their efforts to bring down the
minefield. Again this is the perfect get out clause for the writers to wrap
everything up in this episode and by including this comment it almost feels as
if they are playing with us. Nice to see DS9 using its own continuity to such
good effect once again and the reappearance of the Jem H’adar warship they
captured in The Ship is put to work infiltrating behind enemy lines. I love the
visual quirkiness of the Vorta viewscreen in Sisko’s head, it affords the show
to do a scene that has been seen ad nauseum in Trek shows in a fresh and
exciting way. What’s the worst thing that could happen if you are off on a mission
in a Dominion ship? You guessed it – a Federation ship starts attacking you!
Brilliantly Sisko finds himself coming up against one of his friends and unable
to warn him that he is in command of the Jem H’adar warship. Saving the mission
until the last few scenes of the episode means that we leap from A Time to
Stand on a dramatic high and with Kroeker in the directors chair every ounce of
tension is wrung from this scene. Being trapped inside the forcefield with the
bomb about to go off any second had me on the edge of my seat. The dark humour
of the cliffhanger (with Bashir telling them how long it is going to take them
to limp home) once they have been damaged by the bomb shows a series with
absolute confidence in itself and this new direction and leaves us salivating
for more.
The Bad: Amazingly Voyager almost (but the material is so
good it doesn’t succeed) threatens to undo all of DS9’s sterling work with the
war over the next two by only mentioning the conflict once (Message in a
Bottle) and then after it is over (season six of Voyager onwards) failing to
refer to the consequences in episodes like Pathfinder. It’s a shocking, almost
insulting oversight on their part when just a tiny reference about rebuilding
or a memorial service would have made all the difference.
Moment to Watch Out For: The scene between Kira and Dukat in
his office is absolutely captivating. He dribbles all over her drunk on power
and loving his control and she tells him in no uncertain terms that she would
rather kill him than get into bed with him. Its an accumulation of several
years worth of build up and the razor sharp tension is tangible throughout. If
the character is going to be this strong through this mini arc we are in for a
real treat. ‘Are you actually so deluded that you think that we’re going to
have some kind of intimate relationship?’ ‘Ohhh…we already do.’
Fashion Statement: Kira goes through more different haircuts
and uniforms than any other character in Trek but her season six and seven
looks are without a doubt the best (despite being very different). I love her
non nonsense hairdo (but unlike season one it isn’t in the style of a militant
feminist lesbian but) and her uniform accentuates her body in all the right
ways without being a spray on insult like Seven of Nine’s.
Result: Its like returning to a completely different show
and its better than ever. A Time to Stand doesn’t offer the fireworks that were
promised at the end of Call to Arms but instead flaunts a freshly laundered
series with the enemy running the station and our heroes on the run, the
Federation on the verge of collapsing and the Dominion a battle or two away
from claiming the Alpha Quadrant as their prize. It’s a fascinating state of
affairs and the way the characters react to the new status quo is what makes
all this so gripping. Kira is in a claustrophobic nightmare, fighting of the
advances of Dukat and the homicidal urges of Damar. Sisko is concerned for his
son and forced to run suicidal terrorist missions in order to bring the enemy
down. Odo is trying to take charge of his security force and wields some
enticing power over Weyoun. Bashir is depressed at the odds of winning.
Everyone gets a moment in the spotlight to shine and it is the way that these
riveting character dynamics are juggled with the atmosphere of doom that makes
this script so impressive. This is Trek like you’ve never seen it before and it
is long past time one of these shows took such a big gamble. Wartime has come
to DS9 and its exactly where this show needs to be. And what a
cliffhanger: 9/10
Rocks & Shoals written by Ronald D. Moore and directed
by Michael Vejar
Single Father: Sisko will happily comment that the Jem
H’adar soldiers he worked with in Rocks and Shoals were professional and
talented. His laughter when O’Brien cracks the joke about his pants sounds
slightly hysterical and much needed. There is another of those excellent
discussion amongst the crew that DS9 excels at and its probably one of the best
because it is about something as real as massacring a group of defenceless
soldiers. O’Brien thinks it is cowardly, Garak thinks that humans oppose far
too many rules on combat that make victory a lot harder than it needs to be and
Sisko steps in with the very convincing statement that everybody needs to leave
their morals at the door because when it comes to a choice between us and them
there is no choice. That’s what makes him such a good leader – its not a
decision that Picard or Janeway could make without soul searching for five
years afterwards but Sisko sees this situation for what it is and pushes the
moral agony to one side for the sake of his men. He tries to talk to the Jem H’adar
leader and find another option but even when he realises that these guys will
commit suicide to maintain their integrity he still orders his crew to fire on
these lambs to the slaughter. Its uncomfortable viewing but absolutely rivets
you to the screen.
Tasty Terrorist: Rocks And Shoals is so carefully directed
to ensure that we are with Kira every step of the way in her Dominion
nightmare. So we see her day from when she wakes up in bed, getting to work,
taking up her post twice over, once before the Vedek kills herself and once
afterwards. You can see how she has almost adjusted to the Dominion having
taken over the station and whilst she isn’t smiling about it she is at least
getting on with her life. The details are subtle but in your face at the same
time; a lift full of Jem H’adar soldiers and Kira casually thanking a
Cardassian for bringing her a drink as she takes her station. Yassim reminds
her why that is a mistake because the Dominion is evil but Kira (who cannot see
any way around this situation) talks her down and suggests that there is
nothing to be done and the Vedek simply doesn’t understand how politics work.
It’s a glib answer and it is going to take something shocking to make Kira sit
up and pay attention to what she is saying. It takes her horrific suicide to
drive the point home to Kira that evil has to be opposed and by hanging
herself the Major is forced to look at herself and she doesn’t like the
Dominion puppet she has become. The scene where she realises this and looks
around Ops in astonishment as if she is waking up for the first time and seeing
that she surrounded by enemies is astonishingly powerful and all told without a
single line of dialogue. This is some powerful storytelling and Vejar is more
than up to the task of telling a powerful character arc without any need for an
explanation. She can now get up in the morning and not be nauseated by what she
sees in the mirror (she’s such a babe how could she say that?). Now it is time
to fight back and I can’t wait to see terrorist Kira back at work.
Everyday Engineer: Proving what a wonderful character he
really is, O’Brien manages to find the fun in the very dangerous situation they
have wound up in by reacting in horror at his torn trousers! This in turn makes
everybody laugh their head off at such ridiculous minutiae when they have just
stared death in the face so intimately.
Plain and Simple: Who would have ever thought that scenes
between Garak and Nog could be this amusing after last years camp farce Empok
Nor? When the young Ferengi starts spouting his serial number to the Jem H’adar
Garak spares them the trouble of telling them to shut up and does it for them!
Its Garak that saves Nog’s life when he tells the truth (for a change!) about
how many people there are in their camp.
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘Does this have anything to do with the
unfortunate circumstances between you and me last year?’ ‘You tied me up and
threatened to kill me!’ ‘There were extenuating circumstances!’ – nice to see
that the ridiculous developments in last years Empok Nor are being referred in
such a witty way!
‘Evil must be opposed!’
‘Your insides are being held together by cellular micro
stitches and a lot of hope.’
‘I’m going to order the Jem H’adar to order your position
tomorrow regardless of whether you agree to my terms or not so you can either
kill them or they’ll kill you. Either way…they’re coming.’
‘When I was in the resistance I despised people like
me. I’m a Collaborator, Odo.’
‘It is not my life to give up, Captain. And it never was.’
‘You know Captain, if I’d had just two more vials of White
you never would have had a chance’ – a Vorta’s gratitude.
The Good: From one of my favourite episodes comes one of my
favourite pre-titles sequences picking up exactly where A Time to Stand ended
with Sisko and his crew trapped on a damaged Jem H’adar fighter behind the
lines. Within seconds they are detected and fired upon and it is a race against
time to salvage the ship as it falls into orbit of a nearby planet. The
dialogue is sharp and witty (‘Try the lateral impulse thrusters and watch your
mouth!’), the pace relentless and the whole scene is imbued with a great deal
of style (Garak’s ‘Oh no! Hold on!’ as he realises they are about to crash) and
excitement. Season six really has gotten off to a fantastic start and this is
all part of their mission statement. I guess the writers have realised that the
audience that is still watching is the hardcore fans so there are no catch up
speeches, we are flung straight in at the deep end and expected to cope along
with these characters who have never been in greater danger (the exploding
bulkhead that falls on Dax in slow motion looks really painful). As ever DS9 is
flaunting cinematic location work and the opening shot of the two Jem H’adar on
the sun kissed planet from atop a cliff looking down at the surf below is
striking. Its through these Jem H’adar characters that you can see just how
good the make job is – look at how intricate their craggy necks are and how the
bones around their face are so realistically integrated into their split faces.
Phil Morris manages to portray a Jem H’adar soldier with rare depth and vision.
This is probably the most fascinating Jem H’adar character we have seen since
the one who gave up his life for Worf in By Inferno’s Light and as well as
being scary as hell they continue to show rare depth for Star Trek heavies
(unlike, say, the Hirogen who were literally just shallow nasties with no
character). Have we ever seen scenes of character swimming ashore from a crashed
ship in the water before on Trek? Certainly it has never looked this cinematic
and expensive and it really highlights the life or death situation our heroes
are in. The effects shot of the sinking ship in the distance is a movie worthy
special effect, it blows you away be being so subtle and in the foreground as
if the director instead wants you to focus on the where the drama really is –
the crew swimming ashore. Look at the striking lighting in the cave scenes,
absolutely all the technical crew are giving 100% to this episode to ensure
that it looks as filmic as possible even when we are in the studios. Dominion
facilitators are moving down to Bajor to help with supplies – this is starting
to look more and more like the Occupation as the Cardassians also offered to
help to improve this backward species. Where do they find these superb actors
to play the Vorta characters? Christopher Shea has exactly the same silk smooth
menace as Jeffrey Combs and seems to be enjoying himself playing this loathsome
character – I bet actors love it when they get a chance to abandon reality for
a while and play characters that are this evil. Only this show could create
such a thoughtful, hissable character and reduce him to the unforgettably
humiliating fate he reaches in The Magnificent Ferengi. DS9 has often been
referred to by its writing staff as a western in space and here at last we get
to see a big budget gunfight played out in a sunny location – if you swapped
these characters for cowboys and the phasers for rifles the gunfight could
pretty play out in exactly the same way in a western movie. The gorgeously
filmed prisoner exchange is another moment that could have leapt from a
western. The slow motion slaughter is unforgettable and Keevan dancing through
the corpses is an appropriately sour ending to such a discomforting piece of
drama. I really like that despite everything Sisko still loses one of his
people to the Jem H’adar, another little touch of despair
Orchestra: The music on this show has truly come into its
own and the menacing build up to the final confrontation is extraordinarily
tense and emotional.
Result: A stunning episode, Rocks & Shoals is a
powerhouse moral dilemma episode that puts Sisko in the uncomfortable position
of having to murder without honour and it handles the theme with absolute
honesty. From the excitement of the opening to teaser to the unforgettable
climax, this plot is unmissable and it we watch as Keevan the Vorta manipulates
his way to freedom at the expense of his men’s lives and Sisko’s soul. The Kira
subplot is just a dramatic with some exquisitely filmed sequences that show her
journey from willing Dominion puppet to the realisation that she is in bed with
the enemy and needs to get back to what she is good at – terrorising the bad
the guys. Ronald D. Moore hits a Trek career high with this script and he
imbues all of the characters with depth and a moral ambiguity that is
discomforting to watch and never lets the plot take the easy option which makes
the situation more powerful for it. Michael Vejar is basically directing a film
with a television budget (albeit a very good budget) and every aspect of the
production is worthy of praise from the luscious outdoor filming, strong
lighting, exquisite effects and dramatic music. DS9 has stormed so far ahead of
its franchise stable mates at this point in terms of the quality of the
scripts, running storylines and production values and it has forced this
universe into some dark, complex and riveting directions. Its far from typical
Trek but it is all the better for it and this sumptuous looking masterpiece is
another example of this show at its all time best: 10/10
Sons & Daughters written by Bradley Thompson & David
Weddle and directed by Jesus Salvador Trevino
Tasty Terrorist: Its rather wonderful (and pretty scary)
that Kira and Odo sit at Quark’s a stones throw away from Jem H’adar warriors and
discuss their terrorist plans. It’s a not so subtle reminder that enemies could
be around you at any time and yet look seemingly innocuous. As soon as you
realise that Dukat is having Kira meet him from the airlock every time he
returns to the station you realise that their scheming is fully justified.
Suddenly Kira is trapped in a very awkward social situation as soon as Ziyal
returns to the station at having to have dinner with the man she is plotting to
overthrow. Because of her love for
Ziyal Kira cannot see that she is starting to enjoying her time with Dukat,
enthusing over their daughter until the wonderful moment where he sends
her a dress and she starts enthusing over it in a mirror. Who hasn’t had one of
those ‘what the hell am I doing?’ moments? Throwing the gift back in his face
and calling him an opportunistic, power hungry dictator is a great moment. She
would never ask Ziyal to choose between them but there are certainly more
fireworks to come.
Mr Wolf & his Boy: Bringing back Alexander is not
something that inspires me with a lot of confidence because despite having a
few amiable moments on TNG the majority of his storyline was predictable and
dull (usually with massive dollops of counsellor Troi which is enough to
depress anybody) and sunk by the one note, emotionless performance by
Brian Boswell. Well hurrah for DS9 completely re-interpreting the character as
a wanabees warrior now he has come of age and recasting him with the much more
convincing Marc Worden. Worf is honest about Alexander’s rejection of Klingon
society to Martok even though it might cost him his commission on the Rotaran
(it could just be Worf’s way of explaining why the character of Alexander was
there one minute and gone the next…because he didn’t really work). Alexander is
slight, awkward in a warriors uniform and vaguely comical and you can sense
Worf’s humiliation that he is attempting to embrace a lifestyle that clearly
doesn’t suit him. You realise that Alexander has gotten in over his head when
he approaches a knife fight by staring at the weapon as if he expects it to
reveal its secrets! Michael Dorn is vicious in the sequence where he trains
Alexander to fight with the Bat’leth and the uncomfortable disapproval feels
very natural. Worf admitting his
parental mistakes and telling his son that he will stand by him is predictable
but still satisfying.
Nine Lives: There is real passion between Dax and Worf and
we open the episode with one pressed against the other on the bridge of the Rotaran
snogging each other like mad! There is a real believability about their
relationship, a need for each other that really convinces. She takes great
delight in winding up Worf by refusing to join the House of Martok as a joke
and he concludes that their lives together will be very interesting. If he knew
how short as well.
Gentle Giant: ‘War is much more fun when you’re winning!’
A definite fixture in the series now, J.G. Hertzler’s Martok continues to be a
massive asset to the show by brining a thoroughly entertaining Klingon presence
and adding much depth to Worf’s character whilst also being a thoughtful
character in his own right. The image of him growling on dialogue and holding
up a handful of Gagh gives me the chuckles (‘Look at this Worf! Barely
moving!’). With the insanely dangerous mission he is being forced to take part
in Martok almost feels young again! He proves himself to be a good friend to
Worf and a great leader by telling Alexander to get off his ship, it’s a tough
decision to make but he doesn’t pull away from his punches. I loved him saying
that serving the Empire is slogan and not what is in somebody’s heart – its
almost as if he has been watching the old Klingon episodes and is bored by the
clichés.
Cross Breed: Ziyal’s story about moving onto Bajor and trying
to fit in but being ostracised by people who only see her as the daughter of
the man who once ruled over their planet and has recently taken up the reins
again rings true. Her desire to bridge the differences between Cardassia and
Bajor is ingrained in her right down to her physiognomy but to encapsulate
through old enemies Kira and Dukat is naïve and inadvisable. The station is the
closest thing she has to a home now regardless of who is currently the
administrator. She is so under her fathers charismatic spell she thinks he is
really thoughtful when he palms his discarded gift for Kira onto her.
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘Or perhaps the son of our illustrious
first officer would prefer an Earth beverage? A glass of root beer with a lump
of ice cream…ummm!’ – it’s the last thing you would expect a Klingon
officer to say it made me laugh so hard!
‘What is wrong with you?’ – a very realistic moment
that many fathers and sons must go through when they don’t turn out to be what
you hoped (from both angles). I had a moment like this with my Pops when I came
out.
‘You don’t like the dress?’ ‘The dress is fine…I don’t like
you!’
‘I wasn’t the kind of son you wanted so you pretended you
had no son’ – ouch, I have said words like that too.
‘I will teach you what it is to be a warrior and you can
teach me what it is to be a father.’
The Good: I’m very pleased that they didn’t just expect us
to except that O’Brien could turn ‘rocks into replicators’ in Rocks &
Shoals and we actually see them being picked up by the Rotaran. It ties
this story into theirs and shows the baton being handed over from one to the
other. The floor of the Rotaran is covered in blood splatters from the various
fights that have taken place – I so wouldn’t want to work on that ship! Dukat
forcing Damar to deliver the dress to Kira is very amusing. I’m glad that Worf
and Alexander reconcile their differences and he joins the House of Martok,
it’s a lovely moment of the two families coming together.
Moment to Watch Out For: The cringeworthy embarrassment when
we realise that Alexander has left the battle simulation plan running. I was
hiding under a pillow!
Foreboding: Ziyal returning to the station is the slow burn
build up to the most stunning moment of this six episode arc.
Result: Speaking as somebody who is estranged from his
father I can completely I could invest in a lot of this material but even I
have to accept that this is the weakest episode of the arc and a bit of a sore
thumb amongst all the juicy arc material. However that doesn’t make Sons &
Daughters a bad episode, just a misplaced one and had this turned up later in
the season it wouldn’t have felt so incongruous. If that was the case it couldn’t feature Ziyal (otherwise we
would have to lose the gutting twist in Sacrifice of Angels) but I would be
prepared to make that sacrifice (plus we could have given this a more
aggressive title!). Whilst the actual plot doesn’t go anywhere especially
surprising (in fact there is very little plot to comment on) there are lots of
intelligent details that try and compensate. The Kira/Dukat subplot on the
station is probably more interesting than Worf’s domestic arrangements (because
there’s much more history within DS9 itself to call upon to make this tense)
but there is a realistic strained chemistry between him and Alexander these
days that rings true and this look like it might be the first of regular visits
to his son. The five episodes are integral to the arc and have a real impetus
about them and those are the things that are missing in this enjoyable, if
slight character episode: 6/10
Behind the Lines written by Rene Echevarria and directed by
Levar Burton
Single Father: The secondary plot of Sisko being promoted
and having to deal with the idea of his friends going off on dangerous missions
without him isn’t as immediate as the Kira/Odo stuff on the station but it
still shows a new facet to this war that we hadn’t considered. To wait in an
office for the reports of a success or failiure in the wake of so many deaths
must be an agonising experience, especially when you are the one who is used to
giving the orders and taking the risks.
Tasty Terrorist: Kira proves that being subtle, by using a
scalpel rather than a pipe, terrorism is much more effective and destructive.
Simply dropping the wrong information into the hands of one half of this uneasy
alliance and watching the fireworks ensue is far more satisfying than actually
getting your hands dirty yourself. Kira’s reaction to Odo and the Female
Shapeshifter linking is fascinating on so many levels; she’s frightened that
the enemy might have acquired all the information regarding her terrorist
actions against them, she seems genuinely affronted that he would seek comfort
from another woman because they have had an argument and considering what was
revealed to her in Children of Time she is genuinely jealous that he would
shift his feelings towards somebody else so quickly. It is a scene packed with
nuances that come from the compelling gestation of both characters it kept me
riveted by its possibilities. When I
say that these characters are so well defined that the stories are practically
self perpetuating this is the sort of thing I am talking about.
Unknown Sample: One of the best examinations of Odo in the
series that leads to some pretty frightening and unpredictable results. He is
treating the resistance meetings as little more than time filler trying to stop
Kira from stirring up the situation on the station and is furious when his
advice is ignored. He takes it very personally because he is the one who is
sitting on the Council ensuring Bajor survives the war intact. He is even more
shocked when Kira accuses him of forgetting there is a war going on whilst he
is in bed with the Dominion. When the Female Shapeshifter says that has been
trapped behind enemy lines for too long and is desperate for the company of
another changeling Odo scoffs at the irony considering how she rejecting him so
dramatically at their last meeting. They have forgiven him since his punishment
but the important thing is that he hasn’t forgiven her. The shift in
Auberjonois’ performance after he has been in the Link, staring serenely out of
the window and greeted Kira with such grace is brilliantly handled. He has so
many questions about his people that can finally be answered.
Community Leader: Thus beings Quark’s heroic role in the
retaking of the station as he is informed by a drunken Damar that the minefield
is coming down which forces our favourite bartender to contact the resistance
and inform them. He’s tried his best to run his establishment under Dominion
rule but its no fun and he wants the Federation back (‘I want to sell root beer
again!’).
War Criminal: Salome Jens is such a fine actress she can
take a role like the Female Shapeshifter and imbue it with such depth and that
is exactly what she does here. Whilst she has always been suspicious of
outsiders, the one thing that has defined this character is her love for Odo
and her wish to entice him back to the Great Link. What we discover here is
that the Founders consider the return of one of their own to be more important
than the entire Alpha Quadrant. It really drives home how alien these creatures
really are that they would rather tuck themselves away and be together as one
than conquer the universe but you cannot ensure one without the other. What
impresses me about her characterisation here is that there isn’t a single
moment that betrays what has gone before – even though her purpose is to seduce
Odo and bring him home she still condemns him for his actions in The Adversary
and considers his punishment in Broken Link and fair one. Her subtle seduction
by getting him wound up discussing his feelings for Kira and then offering him
a taste of the peace of the Link and asking ‘do you want me to stop?’ is
beautifully done. I love the assertion that words are so clumsy and imprecise
and the Link is a much more explorative way to communicate. She doesn’t
consider herself a separate entity from the others in the Link and that is why
she hasn’t bothered to give herself a name. She convinces Odo that he has made
irrational promises to Kira by saying he wouldn’t Link with her and states he
is the master of his own destiny and she shouldn’t hold him back.
Wily Weyoun: As a diplomat Weyoun knows that their men need
to see that they are still allies despite the recent outbreak of violence and
so whilst he is chastising Dukat he still has his arm around his shoulders and
is smiling amiably as if everything is under control. Unlike Dukat he refuses
to take any responsibility for the success of the war effort because he has
merely followed the plan that the Founders laid out for him.
Dukat’s Aide: Its our first sight of Damar drinking heavily
when he is in a stressful occasion and it is something that will become a major
part in his character arc as he assumes the mantle of Dominion puppet shortly.
If you want a great example of how much the situations and characters shift and
develop on DS9 watch Kira and Damar in this episode and then compare them to
events in just a season and a half later when they are allies, working together
and learning a great deal about each other. It’ll take a lot of humility on
both of their parts but you would never imagine it given their hatred towards
each other here.
Starfleet Ferengi: He may be a cadet but he’s still a
Ferengi and with a busy Starbase to exploit he manages to acquire a case of
brandy for the crew to sup after battle.
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘Are you questioning my loyalties,
Major?’
‘I’m so vulnerable to her. All she has to do is smile at me
and I’m happy beyond reason. A minor disagreement between us and I’m devastated!
Its absurd!’ – Odo discusses he feelings for Kira in a way we can all recognise
when we are in love.
‘Ever since the day you to crossed paths she has lied to
you, tricked you, stood in judgement of you. I don’t trust her, I don’t
understand how you can!’
‘I just shared a bottle of Kanar with Damar! Hahahaha! That
rhymes!’
‘Do you realise what you just did? You just handed the Alpha
Quadrant to the Dominion!’
‘You look troubled, Odo. Did she upset you?’ ‘No. Not
really…’
The Good: If the speech about the power cell seems a little
cheesy for you put yourselves in the shoes of these officers that are living
under constant and attack and are in need of some relief and morale boosting
every now and again. Its tiny rituals like this that get soldiers through wars
without cracking. We’ve been through plenty of Admirals in our time on DS9
(Leyton, Nechayev, Whatley) but finally they have chosen somebody to be a
recurring presence on the show. Admiral Ross is something of a non entity for
the most part, the bland face of Starfleet but he does have his moments along
the way (especially Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges). Turns out the sneaky
Dominion have been monitoring ship movements for over five months with a sensor
array that has given them a massive tactical advantage and now the crew are
involved in taking that benefit away from them. Its another awesome pre credits
sequence with Kira and Rom narrating a story featuring Damar and the Jem H’adar
getting into a bloody fight over the formers suggestion that they stop giving
the latter their supply of white and let them die out before it runs out –
intelligence that Kira has acquired and put into the hands of the foot soldiers
of the Dominion. Its witty, exciting and beautifully paced. The return of the
Female Shapeshifter couldn’t come at a worse time for Kira who is at
loggerheads with Odo but it couldn’t come at a better time for us because it
adds the dimension of the Dominion hierarchy to the situation on the station.
Dukat is sleazy towards her and she practically ignores him, Weyoun is her
right hand man and enthuses after her every word, Kira fears her and Odo is
seduced by the peace that she offers him during wartime. Amazing how much
substance one character can bring to the show. Sticking Dukat, Weyoun and the
Female Shapeshifter in a room together and it explodes with great interaction.
Like the Ketracel White mission in A Time to Stand and the Jem H’adar massacre
in Rocks & Shoals, Behind the Lines provides a race against time set piece
to sabotage the deflector array before Damar can use it to bring down the
minefield with disastrous consequences for the Quadrant. Everything is running
like clockwork until Kira strolls along the Promenade and realises that Odo
isn’t in his office t disable the alarm that Rom will trip. As a result the
Ferengi is arrested and charged with war crimes and Kira has no hope of
stopping those Dominion reinforcements from spilling through the wormhole. Oh crap.
Result: Its something of a Trek career best for Rene
Echevarria (I would say only Children of Time and Chimera are better than this
and rather wonderfully it is the stepping from one to the other in the great
Kira & Odo romance) and it doesn’t surprise me to read that this script had
such a difficult gestation because every line is packed with nuance and
meaning. Its astonishing how many compelling situations they are reaping from
the decision to put the series on a war footing and the continuing Kira/Odo
unrequited romance is dusted down and given its most attention grabbing
development to date. By bringing the Female Shapeshifter back there is the
opportunity to stir up all of the (already fascinating) relationships on the
station and the news that Damar is close to brining down the minefield forces
Kira and her terrorist cell to acting irrationally to prevent the Dominion from
completely conquering the Alpha Quadrant. Both plots embrace in the gripping
finale that goes about as badly as possible and causes some eye opening
fireworks between our heroes. There is also a subtle subplot about Sisko being
kept out of the action which cannot measure up to the astonishing material that
is happening on the station but provides the contractual obligations amiably
enough. Rom has been arrested, Odo has turned rogue and Kira is alone and
powerless to prevent the sweeping events of war which have suddenly swung in
the Dominion’s favour. Where are things going to go from here? Spellbinding: 9/10
Favor the Bold written by Ira Steven Behr & Hans Beimler
and directed by Winrich Kolbe
Single Father: Listening to Sisko enthusing about Bajor is a
joy especially when you consider his reaction to his assignment in Emissary. Over
the last six years he has grown to understand its people and enjoy the planet
to a point now where when he talks about going home it will always be to Bajor.
That is a massive statement and a very satisfying one. He talks of building a
house on the planet and this is picked up again in Penumbra.
Tasty Terrorist: ‘Did you kill him?’ ‘No…but I thought about
it’ is the exchange between Ziyal and Kira after she kicks the crap out of
Damar!
Unknown Sample: Odo tries to teach the Female shapeshifter
what it is like to experience intimacy as a solid but it backfires because she
considers it a pale shadow compared to what they experience in the Link. Odo
admits that when he has done it before he enjoyed it and wishes he could have
gotten this close to Kira but that possibility is getting further and further
away since he betrayed her. Even though it is heartbreaking to watch it is a
real moment of justice when Kira rejects Odo in exactly the same manner that he
did to her in the previous episode. Rene Auberjonois shows Odo physically
crumbling at her dismissal which really sells the fact that he is still
desperately in love with her.
Mr Wolf: Dax and Worf flirting across view screens feels
very new, I honestly couldn’t imagine this in Picard’s day!
Community Leader: ‘Billions and billions of people are
counting on you!’ ‘Boy are they going to be disappointed…’ How marvellous
is the fact that Kira and Quark are not only allies but working together to
bring down the Cardassian presence on the station? I can remember a time when
she didn’t have the time of day for this ‘greedy, misogynistic little troll’
but difficult circumstances have brought them together to a point where he is
the hero of the hour and she is relying on him to free her from the Dominion. Quark’s
relationship with Odo gets some examination as well and he cannot believe that
he would have arrested Rom by choice and he knows that he isn’t a
collaborator. Wonderfully Leeta steps in and makes Quark’s heroic statement
that he will rescue Rom whatever it takes less humanistic by agreeing to work
his Dabo tables for two entire years for free!
Secret Genius: Isn’t it great that Rom has gone from being
an idiot who ‘couldn’t fix a straw if it was bent’ to a ‘diabolical genius who
came up with self replicating mines in the first place’ over six seasons? To
take a comic relief character and give him such a pivotal role in this arc
could have gone disastrously wrong but they treat it with as much conviction as
everything else here and the result is a net win for a character that has kept
the audience on the fence. All this talk of executions is strong stuff and how
he calmly accepts his fate in the face of his brother and wife is commendable.
He tries to talk Quark into finishing what he has started and brining down the
deflector array even if it means ending up in the same position as him. Rom has
become a true hero in every sense of the word.
Wily Weyoun: ‘Sometimes I think it would be nice to be
able to carry a tune…’ Even Weyoun studying one of Ziyal’s pictures has
depth to it as he tries to find meaning and artistic value in the work. He
states that if aesthetics were truly worth anything then the Founders (being
Gods) would have included it in their genetic make up. The way he wistfully
wishes that things were different makes him so much more than just a stock
baddie.
Plain and Simple: Garak is convinced that the Federation are
so desperate to win the war that they have implant a neural transmitter in his
brain to monitor his potentially treasonous thoughts! He always hopes for the
best but experience has taught him to expect the worst!
War Criminal: It is fascinating to watch the shifts in
Salome Jens’ performance as the Female Shapeshifter because she is so warm and
considerate with Odo and then abuses and dictates to Weyoun. She goes from an
enticing friend to a terrifying war criminal from one scene to the next but
unlike the lost at sea characterisation of the Borg Queen in Voyager there is a
conviction to her performance and a strong enough backstory to explain her very
different relationships with the characters that makes it all feel very natural
and part of a complex alien character. Whilst Dukat, Weyoun and Gowron are
remembered as vivid Star Trek villains it is the Female Shapeshifter that I
remember the most as a baddie on this show because she is so insidious and
manipulative. You get the feeling that no matter how many lives she crushes in
this war to bring order to the chaotic Alpha Quadrant she genuinely cares for
Odo and wants to bring him home for no other reason than for him to rediscover
himself (‘You are a changeling. You are timeless’). Talk about an actress that
can bring depth and meaning to every line too, Jens is a real find and its
another stonkingly good recurring character. She’s appalled at Weyoun’s
suggestion that she has broken Odo and puts him in his place in no uncertain
terms.
Dukat’s Aide: You almost feel bad for Damar despite the fact
that he is so abusive towards Kira and is the man who could have handed the
Alpha Quadrant to the Dominion because Dukat sends him on all kind of domestic
tasks that he is so unsuited to. He’s such a bad judge of women that he thinks
he can literally drag Ziyal back to her father and be by his side. Cue a very
satisfying beating from Kira that we have been longing to see her dish out ever
since he sneered at her when they took the station in Call to Arms.
Cross Breed: Ziyal bless her is still convinced that her
father is a forgiving compassionate man who would free Rom at her request and
soon learns that he is as much a puppet of the Dominion as everybody else. She
declares that he is a true Cardassian and that she could never be like him. At
this point when I first watched this I knew that this was leading
somewhere I just never considered it would be as devastating as it turns out.
What’s Morn up to: Is upset that he has to attend his
mothers birthday party! Isn’t it wonderful that even Morn is roped into helping
retake the station by getting a message to Sisko that the minefield is on its
way down and they need to step up any plans to retake the station.
‘Weak eyes, good ears.’
‘I feel sorry for them’ ‘They need out guidance Odo, not our
pity’ ‘They cherish their freedom’ ‘We’ll have to break them of that…’
‘We are way, way past sorry.’
‘There’s an old saying. ‘Fortune favors the bold’ – I guess
we’re about to find out…’
The Good: Like Rocks & Shoals the writers are simply
continuing their story without any need to include a ‘previously on…’ montage
at the beginning of the episode despite the massive event that ended Behind the
Lines so powerfully. I guess they have finally decided that if you haven’t been
watching this phenomenal show since it returned in season six it is your own
fault if you haven’t kept up with the developments. In a similar moment of
confidence the show begins with the Defiant apparently dead in space and at the
mercy of Jem H’adar ships…and we don’t have a clue as to why until the Rotaran
cloaks. It’s a two finger salute to the fans that enjoy being spoon fed their
plot on Voyager. The fact that they are a decoy is a terrifically brave tactic,
risking half of our regular cast to destroy a pair of enemy ships is a bold
move. When Sisko declares in the pre titles sequence that they are going to
retake Deep Space Nine it is the first indication this season that things will
ever get back to normal again – five episodes in! When all other Trek
shows end on a powerhouse cliffhanger they always wrap it up at the beginning
of the next season but this exercise in wrong footing the DS9 fans for six
episodes has been a total success. What’s even better is that whilst things
might have the illusion of returning to normal at the end of the next episode
there is still a massive shift in the shows tone and political landscape which
powers the storytelling for the last year and a half of the show. Odo’s horror
that he is expected in a meeting that took place three days ago is a wonderful
moment of shock where we realise that the Founders literally have no
understanding of time and meetings and plans – they live their lives exploring
themselves and each other and the rest of the universe can go hang. It’s a very
alien way of looking at things, something that is antithetical to our
way of life. The way the episode ratchets up the tension by suggesting a race
against time to take the station before the Dominion brings down the minefield
gives the upcoming battle a real sense of importance because so much is resting
on its outcome. Having to go without the ninth fleet and the Klingons means
Sisko will be desperately outnumbered but they kick ahead with the attack
regardless because the consequences if they don’t could be ruinous. They
outnumber them two to one and the powerful shot of the swarm of ships is enough
to make you recoil from the screen. You wonder how on Earth the Federation is
going to survive this one which is exactly the right note to end the episode
on.
The Bad: Its only when Jake turns up that you realise that
he is the one character who has been neglected this season.
Moment to Watch Out For: There’s a gloriously quiet moment
when Odo and the Female Shapeshifter stand in judgement over the Solids on the
Promenade where you get a real sense of how they view the rest of the universe
and why the Founders want to impose their order on it. That’s some deft
writing. It adds serious depth to an episode that ends on two giant military
fleets facing off against each other with fingers hovering over the weapons
buttons itching to start firing. I don’t know when Trek could give us such
invaluable insight into the enemy and could whip up such an epic, exciting and
edge of the seat scenario but I’m sure glad it did. This is top notch material.
Fashion Statement: Nog is now in a proper Starfleet uniform and it really suits him!
Orchestra: There is an awesome dramatic sting as the
Federation fleet heads off to engage the Dominion.
Result: ‘One week and the Alpha Quadrant is ours…’ Character,
character, character…you get the idea? Its is one terrific character scene
after another as the foreboding plot gathers momentum for the biggest battle
and most important conflict to
determine the fate of the entire Alpha Quadrant. This is an episode that is
literally assembled by vignettes of the astonishing recurring cast that DS9 has
managed to assemble over the years and Dukat, Weyoun, Damar, Ziyal, the Female
Shapeshifter, Rom, Nog, Leeta and even Morn all manage to get a moment to
shine. The Kira/Odo tension continues to bubble along, Sisko pulls together a
daring plan to retake the station, the minefield is on the verge of coming down
and the role of the saviour of the Alpha Quadrant is shifting onto Quark’s
unlikely shoulders. Its ambitious stuff and massively entertaining to watch and
would have only been a letdown had they fudged the conclusion and not given us
the battle that we all salivated after but even that is as grand as expected.
Favor the Bold is the accumulation of four episodes worth of set up converging
to make an appetite whetter for the climactic end of season spectacular to come
that brilliantly doesn’t even come at the end of the season. This mini arc has
been an absolute triumph of striking plotting and embryonic characterisation
and this is another top notch instalment: 9/10
The Sacrifice of Angels written by Ira Steven Behr &
Hans Beimler and directed by Allan Kroeker
Single Father: Avery Brooks has never been more passionate
in this role and more convincing than in the scene where he implores the
Prophets to wipe out the Dominion fleet. What a time to get it bang on the
nail. Why is it that Sisko cannot die? What is the penance that will be exacted
for helping him?
Tasty Terrorist: Poor Kira stuck with Jake, Leeta and Quark
as her only allies to help bring down the Dominion presence on the station.
Like Call to Arms there is the wonderful reversal of our heroes attempting to
sabotage or destroy the place we would usually be calling home.
Unknown Sample: No matter how much Odo has tried to convince
himself that he belongs with his people the thought of his friends dying in a
bloody war and his feelings for Kira tie him to the Solids in a way that the
Founders could never appreciate. He might have a lot to make up for but he
knows he wont be able to live with himself if he doesn’t do something to
help. It’s the reactions of Odo and the rest of the characters on the station
that give the fight that Sisko and the others are embracing all the more
effective. Just watch the scene where the Female Shapeshifter asks Odo if he
wants to come with her to Ops ad he states ‘I’ll be fine here’ – the dialogue
is doing some of the work but Odo’s decision to remain behind and help his
friends is completely sold by the performances of Auberjonois and Jens. This
is what strong actors can bring to a show.
Community Leader: With Kira and her cohorts arrested Quark
is the only person left can possibly do anything to help them and it’s the one
and only time the fate of the entire Quadrant rests on the shoulders of the
Ferengi comic relief character. Its such a crazy turn of events and Armin
Shimmerman leaps at the chance to show the honourable side to his character and
looks truly awesome wielding two guns and blasting the Jem H’adar guards who
are holding his brother and friends. Shimmerman always said that Quark would
only fire a weapon in defence of the people he loves and the shock on his face
when he kills them is palpable and finally earns him Kira’s respect.
Slimy Snake: This is the ultimate downfall of Dukat who has
been high on success and power so far this season and you slowly come to
realise that the writers have been building up his arrogance to uncontrollable
levels only to shove back down in the gutter which such a bump it is as
emotionally affecting for the audience as it is for the character. Dukat is
back in the heart of a war zone but giving the instructions from afar and
loving that he understands the psychology of the conflict more than Weyoun. He
restrains Damar from attacking the Dominion representatives that insult him
regardless and informs him that their time will come. His arrogance is what
brings him down as he freely admits that even if they did conquer the Earth he
wouldn’t destroy its population but force them to acknowledge his greatness.
Dukat is so obsessed with his image, he’s taken a hold of Kira’s planet and
forced her to work for him and now he wants to do the same thing with Sisko. I
could listen to this guy stroke his ego all day especially when he convinces
himself that the Bajorans were lucky to have him as their liberator and that he
cared for them as if they were his own children! 50,000,000 of them died during
the Occupation!
Dukat’s Aide: From the beginning of this episode the signs
are there that Damar would step in and protect Dukat from his feelings for his
daughter. When he suggests that she might working with the resistance to bring
him down Dukat is outraged and spells out his loyalty to her in no uncertain
terms. It is going to take something massive to tear these two apart.
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘War is such thirsty work. Don’t you
agree?’ ‘Perhaps if you didn’t talk so much your throat wouldn’t get so dry…’
‘Never underestimate the element of surprise.’
‘Chief how does that poem end?’ ‘You don’t want to know…’
‘I don’t want to see Bajor destroyed and neither do you but
we both know that is exactly what’s going to happen if the Dominion takes over
the Alpha Quadrant! You say you don’t want me to sacrifice my life – well fine neither
do I! You want to be Gods? Then be Gods! Stop those ships!’
‘Time to start packing!’ – one of my favourite lines in
Trek, trust Weyoun to make light of this humiliating situation!
The Good: It feels like the space battles on DS9 have been
building to this moment. There have been fantastic eye candy conflicts on this
show stretching back as far as The Die is Cast but each has managed to best the
last. The Cardassian/Dominion confrontation took place when there wasn’t really
the resources to pull off the scale of such an attack (aside from the Defiant
gloriously biting its way through a Jem H’adar fighter) so it sold the battle
through its mesmerising performances. The Way of the Warrior had a massive
injection of budget and mixed live action with effects to dazzling effect but
it was still only the station against the fleet. Shattered Mirror impressed
with a Defiant versus Klingon battle that saw the ships ducking and diving
around the station with real dynamism. Finally Call to Arms offered a striking CGI
shoot out with the Dominion forces giving the station a pounding and forcing
its inhabitants to leave but again the defence force consisted of the station,
one Klingon ship and the Defiant. These gorgeous effects set pieces are nothing
compared with what we get in The Sacrifice of Angels which is the sight of an
entire Federation and Dominion fleet squaring off against each other to fight
for the entire Quadrant. The opening shots of the fleets facing each other and
the way the ‘camera’ swoops around to bring the epic size of these armies in
their entirety are extremely powerful. I have never found battle tactics to be
anything worth writing home about by my husband is obsessed by them and loves
playing battle simulation games like Total Annihilation and Star Trek Armada.
He adores this episode with a passion bordering on insanity and loves telling
me about how Sisko pokes at the Cardassians to get them to react and how Dukat
realises that this what he is up to and arrogantly gives him an opening which eventually
loses him the station. Simon talks about it all so passionately and the effects
are so extraordinary that the whole fight takes on a new dimension for me. I
remember Doctor Who writer Matt Jones complaining in his reviews for TV Zone
that they were using the excuse to fill the screen with computer generated
ships hacking away at each other as an excuse to pad out and dumb down the
show. It simply is not the case. The stakes have never been higher and
this battle has been exquisitely plotted into this arc to ensure that whoever
departs victorious will claim the entire Alpha Quadrant and tying into the very
tactics of the fight are Sisko and Dukat pitting their wits against other,
Weyoun at sea, the Female Shapeshifter eyeing everything from afar and Worf
leaping in to save the day. At the same time you have the unlikeliest of heroes
stepping up to the plate on the station (Quark), Kira doing what she does best
(kicking some serious butt) and a shocking punch the air turnabout from Odo.
This fight is loaded with character moments and depth and you don’t even have
to dig to see it – its about as far from the shallow action scene you get in
each Voyager episode (whether it is needed or not) than you can get. All the
crews reactions feel believable – Nog is scared, O’Brien quotes a foreboding
poem and laughs at Bashir’s attempts to big him up, Garak complains about the
lack of a Klingon presence… Ships tear across the screen gouging great holes
out of each other and blossoming into flames, we swoop close to battleships and
see torpedoes dancing around the Defiant, Galaxy class saucers curve into view
wielding multi phaser beams, ships are struck by fire and split in half
dramatically, the action comes straight at the audience in spots with beams of
light leaping from the screen and the Klingons turn up at exactly the right
point to drive a massive, destructive hole in the Dominion arrogance. This
is the battle that was promised to us in The Best of Both Worlds but we only
got to explore some of the debris thanks to a lack of funds needed to bring it
to life. In the midst of the mêlée there is five minute sequence between Dukat
and Weyoun that should feel horribly crowbarred in and distracting us from the
explosive death count elsewhere but it is a vital scene that delivers the very
crux of what the fight is about. Without this scene the battle would be
worthless – Dukat talks about bringing the Federation to its knees and Weyoun
suggests how this will be implemented (an enormous number of ships, a massive
occupational army and the eradication of the populace of Earth). Its
groundbreaking dialogue that you wont see on any other Trek show that isn’t
afraid to shake up things to the point where these horrors seem like a genuine
possibility. Garak and Dax’s reaction to the Klingons turning up and saving the
day is a real punch the air moment of triumph. Gasp in astonishment at the
final, amazing effect of the Defiant racing along the hull of a Dominion ship
as it explodes. As if things weren’t exciting enough there is a glorious phaser
fight which ends in a cargo bay with the Jem H’adar cut down and Kira saved
by…Odo! A joyous moment. There is a terrific visual as the camera pulls away
from four of the greatest villains you will ever see on TV – Dukat, Weyoun,
Damar and the Female Shapeshifter – as the order is given to bring down the
wormhole where Deep Space isn’t just the best Trek show but the best show on
TV. Ever. I love a sting in the tale and the glorious ‘oh shit’ feeling
when the minefield comes down still gets me bouncing on my seat! In the hands
of Allan Kroeker the sequence with the Prophets is the best filmed since the
pilot with some outstanding imagery and effects that make this a surreal, alien
experience. A criticism levelled at this episode is how the inclusion of the
Prophets is a deus ex machina – which literally means an unsolvable
problem is abruptly solved by a contrived intervention. I would fully accept
that being the case if this was the first time we had seen the Prophets but
this is an element that has been weaved into the series from the very first
episode and has been taken out for an airing every single season. How can you
suggest that something that has been this much a staple of the show is
contrived when the very make up of the bridging between these two Quadrants
that brought the Dominion to us is constructed of these beings? They have been
tied to Sisko in a very personal way (and this would make even more sense come
season seven’s Shadows & Symbols) and would naturally want to protect him
and they declared quite blatantly that they were ‘of Bajor’ in Accession. In
fact rather than feel contrived it feels as if this concept has been bred into
the series for this very moment and everything has been building to this
point. Both the Dominion threat and the Prophets have been building to
something spectacular as the show has continued – they are diametric opposites
(a benevolent Godlike race and a devilish invading force) and the way one wipes
out the other in this climactic moment feels very satisfying. Plus with all
this talk of a penance and the Dominion now trapped in enemy territory and
forced to rethink its tactics there is plenty of juicy threads left to pick up
on. On all counts it works for me. Who ever expected for the show to feature
such a sudden trauma inside the enemy camp but as Dukat’s dreams come crumbling
around him the direction gets disorienting and claustrophobic. One of this
shows many strengths is how it characterises its villains so well and reveals
their ambitions and tactics in the conflicts – its come to a point in this arc
when they are as much regulars as the usual cast. So when we see Dukat tripping
along the Promenade desperate to reach his daughter, the one thing that he can
hold onto now his dreams of conquest have been shattered we truly feel for this
intergalactic despot. Who would have ever thought that would be the case? Its
subverting our expectations again in all the best ways. It tinges the
triumphant return of Sisko to the station with a touch of tragedy that makes
the smiles almost discomforting. Garak desperately seeking out Ziyal still
breaks my heart. The symbolic gesture of Dukat giving the baseball back to
Sisko thus handing him back possession of the station is the perfect closing
touch and ties in beautifully with Call to Arms.
Teaser-tastic: Its one of the best ever pre credits
‘previously on’ montages you will ever see with clips that state things like
‘the Dominion wont attack Earth’, ‘Execute Rom?’, ‘we’ll take the ships we have
and fight out way to Deep Space Nine…’ – it leaves you reeling with the
ambition and thinking ‘oh my God what have I missed?’ if you happen to have
skipped Favor the Bold.
Orchestra: The stirring, moody, unpredictable score as the
two sides in this bloody fight battle it out is unforgettable – David Bell is
back on board and this is definitely a cinematic soundtrack worthy of a
release.
Result: What can I say that I haven’t said already? This is
more climactic, epic and far reaching than any of the Trek feature films and it
pulls of a mini movie with a TV budget. Trek has such a bad hit rate at
concluding its multi part storylines which is what makes the termination of
this seven part arc such a magnificent achievement. We have been promised a
big, explosive battle and boy do we get it – special effects in Star Trek have
never been quite this revolutionary before and it really sells the excitement
and the cost of this battle. Coupled with David Bell’s dynamic score these are
some of the best action scenes ever seen in a TV series but it isn’t the eye
candy that makes this episode such a standout. It’s the characters.
Sisko proves himself to be a military tactician of the highest order, Dax beams
with joy when Worf turns up to save them, Kira is enjoying her terrorist ways
kicking some serious Dominion butt, Odo salvages a bad situation by doing the
right thing at the right moment, Quark tosses away his arrogance and becomes
the shows greatest hero, Weyoun wants to wipe out everybody on Earth, the
Female Shapeshifter is heartbroken that Odo wants to remain behind and Damar
commits a horrific act that brings this concluding story to an end with you jaw
on the ground. Its extraordinary the way all of these characters are kept in
the action whilst the epic sweep of the story passes us by and there isn’t a
single character that is neglected. Ultimately we come to realise that this arc
has been about Dukat more than anybody and the writers have fed his ego for so
long just so they can tear him down and they do so in a spectacularly cruel
fashion, having his daughter murdered before his eyes. This scene remains one
of the most powerful in DS9’s run and the final shot of him cradling himself in
a dark cell hiding away from dealing with the shock leaves fascinating
potential for the future. Frankly this is a dazzling episode that manages to
bring to an end the strongest arc on this series so far satisfactorily and
still leave plenty of fallout to keep the show on fire for the next year and a
half. Simon and I both love this one and despite the fact we have
watched it ad nauseum and our shared enjoyment is just the cherry on the cake.
Can I watch it again now please?: 10/10
You Are Cordially Invited written by Ronald D. Moore and
directed by David Livingston
Single Father: The crane shot of Sisko watching his people
enjoying themselves on the Promenade is a wonderful visual statement that this
man has reclaimed his castle. He can’t stop beaming and telling people how good
it is to be home and his chemistry with Kira has never been more apparent. The
relationship between Sisko and Dax has always been treasurable and it has just
gotten better as the show has continued. This is their last great confrontation
before Jadzia’s dramatic exit from the series and they have saved the best for
last. As much as she rants and raves Sisko can see right through her bluster
and spells out the fact that she loves Worf enough to do anything for
him, least of all suck up to some Klingon harridan (the way Avery Brooks says
‘and you are in love with him’ gets me every time). A glorious scene.
Unknown Sample: I was really fearing that we would have to
go through a soul searching episode where Kira and Odo explore their feelings
for each other but instead they consign their reconciliation to a quiet couple
of hours in a closet where the party is being held. Its probably the most approach
for all concerned. In a scene that parallels a similar moment in Favor the Bold
Odo loses all track of time – it seems that only happens when there is a pretty
(or gloopy) woman involved!
Mr Wolf: ‘She mocks everything while I take everything so
seriously…’ What’s great about Martok is that he can take the piss out of
Worf whilst still respecting him completely and by doing so he tips the wink to
the audience that writers are aware of Worf’s flaws and they like him
that way. He’s been droning on about the wedding to everybody and obsessing
over the details and it is a glorious gender reversal for the man to get so
caught up in all the preparations where the woman just wants to turn up! To
show how much he has loosened up he changes his wedding plans on a sixpence
when he realises that it will be a long time before he gets to see Alexander
again. Being raised by human parents and joining Starfleet has left Worf
clinging at every possible Klingon ceremony he can include in his life and a
traditional Klingon wedding with all the trimmings is something he has longed
for since he was a boy. Everybody is so rude to Worf in this episode (‘What is
he doing here?’ ‘I meant no disrespect’ ‘Then leave!’ and Martok’s wonderfully
awkward ‘the truth is…she doesn’t like you that much either’) you actually feel
sorry for the grumpy Klingon. When they threaten to separate Worf points out
all the reasons why they would be hopeless together, all the reason why they
are complete opposites and the audience realises all the reason why they are perfect
for each other. I’m as different to my husband as Dax is to Worf and that is a
real strength in a marriage, not a weakness.
Nine Lives: ‘I don’t beg…’ Could she be anymore
relaxed about her wedding? Jadzia has been through so many ceremonies in her
many lifetimes she is happy for Worf to deal with all the minutiae whilst
she parties the night away with her
friends. There’s a lovely moment at the start of the episode where she, Worf and
Alexander relax together in Quarks (as much as anybody can relax with that
disastrous kid around!) and you can see the potential for a family unit here.
She thinks that meeting the mother in law is going to be a piece of cake and
has no idea of the torture she is about to be put through. She is described as
an honourable woman and a formidable warrior by Martok but Sirella has already
made up her mind regarding this party animal good time girl. Whether Sirella
genuinely is as xenophobic as she seems or she is trying to push Jadzia to
prove herself is a moot point, her insults simply make Dax more determined than
ever to seek her approval. She goes a roundabout route to achieve this by
having some fun distorting Sirella’s family history and suggesting that her
grandmother was nothing but a peasant. She’s such a naughty thing! Things can’t
get much worse than your prospective mother in law calling you a slut and you
smacking her around the face! Her quarters are a wreck, there’s men strewn on
the floor and she heads straight for the replicator to order a strong sweet
coffee – I think we can assume that Dax had a good hen party! Worf considers
their wedding the start of a spiritual journey but she sees it as a commitment
to each other. As ever the pair of them don’t see eye to eye regardless of how
much they love each other and if there hadn’t have been a near split before the
wedding I would have been disappointed. Dax realises through her best friend
that she has to grow a pair (metaphorically speaking) and give Sirella the
respect she is due.
Community Leader: Quark turns up for some very funny
dialogue and I really laughed when he described Worf as a ‘walking frown.’
Gentle Giant & His Missus: Its another superb episode
for Martok and is it just me or does he get more winsome with every passing
episode he appears in? He’s the new Supreme Commander of the Ninth Fleet which
means far more responsibility (and paperwork) and its another step in his
journey to become Chancellor of the Klingon Empire (but more on that later).
What a fabulously bitchy harridan his wife turns out to be, expertly played by
Shannon Cochran and proving once and for all the all mother in laws are evil
people! She has the ability to insult her husband within seconds of seeing him
for the first time an age just like all good partners who know how to take
control of their relationship. I love seeing him and Worf having a good
singsong and enjoying their trials in the road to Kalhaya whilst the others are
suffering terribly (Alexander faints and cries ‘Grandma?’). The way Martok points
out all of the horrendous flaws that his wife is made out of but how he longs
to be with her all the time might be the finest description of love I have ever
heard in Trek. J.G. Hertlzer is phenomenally good in this scene.
What’s Morn up to: He loves the fact that his Starfleet
broads are all back and gets a kiss from one of them in the opening scene
whilst heading for Quarks. He’s a distinguished guest at Dax’s party and can’t
resist a boogie and slapping chests with a Bolian! He wakes up the morning
after Dax’s hen party on her floor with a glass still clenched in his hand.
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘All men are sentimental. They
just cover it up with scowls and clenched jaws’ – Jadzia describes the gender
divide as well as any I have heard before!
‘I sold my first book today’ ‘Really how much did you get
for it?’ ‘Its just a figure of speech’ ‘Well then you have my sympathies and
the first round of drinks is on the house’ ‘Really?’ ‘No, it’s a figure
of speech.’
‘Kill Worf…kill Worf…kill Worf…’
‘Haven’t you heard – the wedding’s off!’ ‘Off? Why?’ ‘She
says its because he is a stubborn, pig headed man who puts traditional before
everything else. He says its because she’s a frivolous emotional woman who
refuses to take him or his culture seriously. You can see the problem’ ‘Yeah.
They’re both right.’
‘We are not accorded the luxury of choosing the women we
fall in love with.’
‘No food for those on the path to Kalhaya!’ ‘No refunds for
those on the path to Kalhaya either. Sorry.’
‘To this day, no-one can oppose the beating of two Klingon
hearts.’
The Good: What’s so uplifting about the opening of this
episode is that the series has been so turned on his head of late that
something that opened practically every episode of the series in the first five
years (Sisko narrating an explanation of what is going on at the station) can
be seen as a moment of triumph. And without the tragedy of Dukat’s breakdown
which slightly soured the closure of The Sacrifice of Angels there is a sense
of optimism about things returning to normal whilst the war still bubbles along
in the background so they have also dodged the Trek bullet of the reset being
thrown. Trust those dastardly Klingons to turn their bachelor party into a
mental and spiritual journey that sees its participants deprived of all worldly
pleasures (including eating) for four days! Bad news for Bashir and O’Brien but
good news for us as we get to enjoy watching them suffer! The five trials are
fasting, blood, pain, sacrifice anguish and pain (which Bashir compares to
marriage!) – I guess the Klingons have to make up for being such rowdy drunken
louts when they get marries and have some discipline instilled in them for such
a responsible act. Everyone stepping back so that Bashir is the first one to
face the knife is really funny. What an insane party Dax throws with
Hawaiian drums getting everybody jiggly, a half naked flame thrower and Nog
dancing away like he is walking on hot coals! It’s a really enjoyable sequence
because after all the grim war stuff its so nice to see these people smiling
and relaxing in each others company. Captain Shelby? Nice to see that the
ambitious Commander from The Best of Both Worlds made it and am I the only
person who wants to know why she owes Dax several favours? Wow, the food that
is presented to Bashir and O’Brien looks so good I want to make love to it! To
have that snatched away from you when you must be so hungry, you really feel
for these two (especially O’Brien who must be seeing steaks dancing in his
dreams by now!).
Moment to Watch Out For: It’s the most unusual of wedding
ceremonies and it is beautifully done. The blood red lighting, the drums, the
dress and the tale of the two Klingon hearts are all perfect. I’m not sure what
is my favourite moment; Sirella’s dramatic reading, Quark looking seriously
bored, Dax’s appearance, ‘my daughter’ or Bashir and O’Brien’s hilarious
revenge on Worf. It’s sublime.
Fashion Statement: Kira looks beyond foxy in her red dress
and with casual hair. However nothing could match up to Jadzia appearing in the
Klingon wedding dress. I’m gay and even I was drooling.
Result: Perhaps the ultimate refreshment after seven
episodes of war, You Are Cordially Invited is an uplifting, rowdy Klingon
wedding with plenty frivolity and frolics, drunken parties, half naked men,
bachelor hell and strained relationships. Anything that came after the
emotional fireworks and dynamic action of the mini arc was going to be a
struggle but Ronald D. Moore is on hand to provide something that we have never
seen before – a full on Star Trek wedding (Data’s Day doesn’t count because we
hardly knew O’Brien and the focus was on Data) with all the horrors (the mother
in law from hell), recriminations (waking up with a half naked man in your
quarters) and reconciliation (it’s a great time for other people to talk about
their feelings as Dax and Worf tie the knot, as Kira & Odo take advantage
of) that comes with it. So far season six has been the least conventional
series of Star Trek and it has been all the stronger for it. Michael Dorn and
Terry Farrell throw themselves into this episode with real gusto and its great
opportunity to see the rest of the crew relaxing and having fun celebrating
together. The wedding itself is exquisitely scripted and filmed, full of
atmosphere and climaxes on a terrific gag. If you can’t go along with the party
atmosphere of this instalment then that is your prerogative but I think this is
precisely what was needed at this junction and provides some excellent light
relief and warm sentiment: 9/10
Resurrection written by Michael Taylor and directed by Levar
Burton
Single Father: At least Sisko is wise enough to warn Kira
away from the seductive experience of being reunited with a dead lover from the
alternative universe.
Tasty Terrorist: I can understand that there might be an
attraction to somebody who looks like a man you once loved deeply and I can
also see the appeal in redeeming somebody who has made a lot of mistakes (Kira
herself has been through this). What I don’t get is how she could possibly act
on those feelings when Bariel is clearly manipulating her and surely she must
see her Bariel every time she looks into this mans face? The tale that Bariel
tells Kira in her quarters about the girl he never got to say I love you to is
so appalling I was simultaneously guffawing and screaming at the telly for her
naiveté. All it takes is one evening out and a dreadful sob story and she leaps
in bed with the man! Doesn’t she know that Odo is waiting in the wings?
Mr Wolf: Hurrah! Worf finally meets his match and gets that
grumpy look wiped off his face when Bariel steals his Mek’Leth to cut their
desert.
Nine Lives: After practically ignoring the friendship
between Kira and Dax for a couple of years (she’s been busy having the
O’Brien’s kid and she’s been busy bedding Worf) this is the second episode in a
row that sees the two of them walking the corridors and having a good gossip.
Dax’s taste in men frightens Kira and she points this out just as they are
passing Worf in Ops! I cannot believe that Dax has the nerve to criticise
somebody else (in this case Bashir who has come to Ops for no other reason but
to find out what happened between Kira and Bariel) for being a gossip!
Community Leader: Quark gets a good scene when he tries to
warn Kira that Bariel is up to something. There really has been a shift in
their relationship ever since they worked together during the Dominion
Occupation.
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘Admit it you’ve never found me more
exciting. Its like having the best of both worlds’ – some might think this is
the alternate Kira talking about cross dressing but all she has done is squeeze
herself into the Major’s uniform.
The Good: We’ve heard so much talk about services in the
Bajoran shrine it is nice to finally see one and it is very atmospherically
lit. Thank goodness somebody mentioned the war halfway through the episode
because I wondered if we had leapt backwards to season two again! Halfway
through the episode I was so bored by all the romantic slush I actually cheered
with the Indendant showed up to complicate things. It comes to something when
the first surprising event occurs 25 minutes into the episode! The moment when
she tries to find out what Bariel thinks of the normal Kira and then tries to
punch him when he admits that she is incredible is one of the few moments of
worthwhile psychology in this episode. I don’t know if the Indendant hates
herself or just hates people liking anyone but her but she has some real
issues.
The Bad: Did we really go to all that trouble to recapture
the station from the Dominion to be served with episodes like this? Bring
Dukat, Weyoun and the Female Shapeshifter back immediately. If they were really
going for the jugular in this episode (and had it been written by Ira Steven
Behr – the man who gave us the Indendant nibbling on the Nagus’ ear hair and
militant lesbian Leeta) it would have been Kai Opaka who beamed into Ops
wearing shiny black leather, spiky jet black hair and a huge whip to punish the
Emissary for being a naughty boy! How odd that as Kira happens to be talking
about her surprisingly vacant love life an alternate version of her dead lover
beams into the station – sounds like a Voyager writer is contributing this
episode! Oh wait, he is! Redemption is such a boring plot device and so for
Bariel to come to his senses and double cross the Indendant guts the story so
its one redeeming feature. It would have been much more fun had Bariel not
discovered his soul and went riding off into the sunset with his kinky broad
and his booty and leaving Kira broken
hearted and ready to fall into the arms of Odo. The direction surrounding the
theft of the Orb is so bland Burton cannot be bothered to make it slightly
tense or exciting. Bariel just walks in like he is going shopping.
Fashion Statement: Rough him up a bit, let his hair hang and
Bariel becomes quite the hottie. He’s certainly a great deal more appealing
than the man of peace Kira shacked up with in the early seasons of the show.
Especially when he’s topless in bed. The Indendant giving this bit of rough a
snog to pass on to Kira could be potential trouser tentage if you were a
certain way inclined.
Result: A huge round of applause for trying something
different for a mirror universe but an even bigger smack around the face for
removing all the fun, naughtiness and humour that are the staples of those
shows. After his dazzling turn in the directors chair in Behind the Lines Levar
Burton once again shows signs of tiring of Star Trek although to be fair it
would have been tricky for anybody to have salvaged much from this script. From
the pre credits sequence you can pretty much plot out the rest of the story –
Kira will fall in love with Bariel and Kira will lose Bariel – and besides an
amusing return of the Indendant there’s little to get excited about. Frankly I
find it very disturbing that Kira would so readily fall into the arms of a man
who looks like her dead lover and the way everybody accepts it like it is the
most normal thing ever baffles me. The performances of Nana Visitor and Philip
Anglim are sincere and there is certainly a believable connection between the
two characters but I am confused as to why the writers felt the need to tell a
story where Kira is made to look so foolish. With a slothenly pace and
predictable conclusion this is the weakest DS9 episode for an age and just
about the nadir of season six: 4/10
Statistical Probabilities written by Rene Echevarria and
directed by Anson Williams
Single Father: ‘Surrender to the Dominion? Not on my
watch!’ Thank goodness Sisko is smart enough (or should that be stupid
enough) to want a more detailed explanation of the long term intelligence that
Bashir bombards him with. He’s furious at the very suggestion that they should
surrender to the inevitable and simply let the Dominion win to save as many
lives as possible. Sisko would rather battle on against the odds rather than
surrender to them because this is what a wonderfully stubborn human being would
do.
Everyday Engineer: I’ve said it time and time again but
O’Brien really is the most believable character in Star Trek simply because he
is so wonderfully flawed and prejudiced. Take a good look at his face when he
walks into the cargo bay and sees the crazies dancing because you might just
see exactly the same discomfort you might feel around retarded people. It’s the
way he opens a window through the centuries so we can see exactly how we might
react to the same situations that makes him such a joy. Mind you if somebody
read my body language quite so publicly as the crazies do to him I don’t know
how happy I would be about it. He might be uncomplicated but he can
still surprise at times and certainly remembers that Bashir is supposed to be
playing darts from a distance!
GE Doctor: This is another terrific episode for Bashir who
started off as the weakest character on the show but has evolved over time into
one of the best. Its fascinating to watch him get to grips with this group
because it is clear he feels he owes them some debt just for the privilege of
having a normal life. When he looks at them he can see what he could have been
but he also sees victims of their parents decisions and people that need help.
In every way there is a personal stake in this for him. You can quickly see
that the major difference between Bashir and Jack is that the good Doctor is
ashamed of his genetic sequencing whereas Jack is proud and thinks he is better
than others. He’s been an exception all of his life, first because of his
genetic tampering and now because he is allowed to stay in Starfleet. Once he
has gotten them engaged with wartime predictions it is easy to see how Bashir
might get carried away with this assignment. He genuinely wants them to have a
purpose and for people to see how they could be useful to the war effort but
somewhere along the line he completely loses his objectivity. It would have
been nice if Garak had turned up with a witty quip or two to tell him he is
merely a statistical robot and no longer behaving like a human being. The
conclusion that Bashir comes to that maybe their predictions were wrong and
something completely unexpected might happen in the future (or in the words of
Joseph Sisko: ‘The soufflé will either rise or it wont. There’s not a damn
thing you can do about it…’) is a very worthy moment for the character.
Uncertain Leader: ‘Uneasy lies the head that wears the
crown…’ I don’t want to give you guys any ideas but it would appear that the
best way to get a promotion is to murder your bosses daughter! How
uncomfortable does he look when giving a speech that so clearly should be made
by Dukat? You can almost see Weyoun in the background pulling the strings and
prompting the words! I love the way the crazies read his body language so
skilfully – it’s a field that I am fascinated in personally and to see it
scripted so well here is a joy. Clearly he still loathes Kira and practically
gobs phlegm at her when he walks onto the station.
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘There are rules! Don’t talk with your
mouthful. Don’t open an airlock when somebody is inside it. And don’t lie about
your genetic status! You did! You lied and then when you got caught you cut a
deal with Starfleet!’
‘Now do something about that noise or I will snap her neck!’
‘You want me to play with you do you Chief?’
‘I’m happy to hear your groups advice on how to win this war
but I don’t need your advice on how to lose it!’
‘I know, I know…I honour you with my presence.’
Moment to Watch Out For: Bashir imploring Serena to untie
him and save the Alpha Quadrant from being completely wiped out is beautifully
done. You can see why they brought these two together for the sequel.
Result: ‘Its kind of a relief in one way. After all who
wants to wave a white flag?’ The writers continues to find unexpected ways
to explore the war theme with this intelligent, psychological piece. The way
Rene Echevarria weaves both Bashir’s genetic engineering and the war threads
together very cleverly allows us to get a new take on both and give the ongoing
story a pleasing push in the right direction. The crazies are a colourful
bunch, well played and written (Patrick is just adorable) and the way they
engage with the details of the war reminds me amusingly of a Star Trek fan
trying to figure out from what we have already seen how the story is going to
end! There’s so much clever detail in the script and some gorgeous discussion
of pre-determinism but I did feel that Bashir pushed a little too hard at the
end when his calculations were rejected outright. However the conclusion is
salvaged beautifully by a star turn from Faith Salie who manages to express her
love for Jack without saying a single word. No wonder upon their return she is
given the starring role. I could imagine the concepts of this episode playing
out in the other Trek series but when you factor in the war this series has nurtured
so carefully it becomes something unique and special. I don’t know much about
the future, but I know what I like and I like Statistical Probabilities: 8/10
The Magnificent Ferengi written by Ira Steven Behr &
Hans Beimler and directed by Chip Chalmers
Tasty Terrorist: Kira almost talks to Quark reverentially
these days after he rescued her from the Dominion. It’s a very warm development
of both characters born out of their desperation during the Occupation.
Community Leader: Despite his efforts during the Dominion
Occupation Quark knows that within his everyday life as a bartender he is no
hero and his thunder is well and truly stolen when a group of Starfleet heroes
enter the bar as he is bewitching the customers with a tale of his latest
financial cunning. The Magnificent Ferengi then goes onto to explain that when
the life of one of his family is in danger (just like in Favor the Bold/The
Sacrifice of Angels) he will always step up to the plate and fight for them.
That’s a hero in my book. Quark is always going wind up a winner and he offers
and even split of the reward money minus his usual finders fee. Quark
wants to prove that Ferengi can be tough as any other race as long as they have
the right incentive! He’s pretty embarrassed by his families antics when they
are reunited but Keevan doesn’t understand (‘I was cloned’).
What’s Morn up to: He’s forbidden to touch the syrup of
Squill, a rare commodity that Quark is going to force people to pay through
their noses for!
The Good: I love Quark, Rom and Nog for very different
reasons and so bringing them together for a fun action adventure is definitely
my idea of a good time. Quark is great because he remains the one true Ferengi
of his family, fleecing his customers and reaping the rewards of a greedy life
whilst still succumbing to morality at the most unfortunate of moments. Rom
makes me smile because he is completely without guile and tries his utmost to
ensure that his brother and son are happy usually to his own detriment. And Nog
managed to climb out of the hole that was waiting for him as an adult by
joining Starfleet and making a man out of himself – and proving that not all
kids on Trek shows have to be annoying swots when it comes to joining
Starfleet. Together they are a formidable team and highly watchable. Leck is a
really gigglesome character to add to the mix, a hardcore action Ferengi who
enjoys polishing knives, discussing how to dissect the enemy and enjoys a
challenge. Cousin Gailia made an instant impact in last years Business As Usual
and now he is broke and stuck in prison and Quark secures his rescue to ensure
his co-operation in his little enterprise to save his mother. Nobody would even
consider allowing a disgraced Brunt to come along and restore his reputation
with the Nagus until he mentions that he has a ship… ‘A child, a moron, a
failiure and a psychopath!’ as Brunt says, its quite a little team Quark
has put together! I know some people had a problem with a character like Keevan
who was so gripping in Rocks & Shoals being used as a pawn in a
diabolically funny Ferengi episode but frankly after what he did in that
episode I cannot think of a better fate for the guy than to be mistreated and
abused in such a way. I think a return to Empok Nor was always on the cards but
I never thought it would be in this type of episode…fortunately for us it seems
far more suited as a backdrop for some blackly funny antics than it was for an
all out psychological horror. The shot of a whole battalion aiming their guns
at Nog as he tentatively peers through the Infirmary door is the moment I
realised they had really managed to pull off this most insane of concepts! Iggy
Pop? Seriously, Iggy Pop is in this! That’s just nuts! Brilliant, but
completely nuts. I cannot believe they had the nerve to do an out and out
homage to the scene where the three cowboys walk along main street in The
Magnificent Seven!
- The very idea of Moogie being kidnapped by the Dominion makes me laugh! Why would they do such a thing? What could they possibly want from Ferenginar? I have the awful vision of a shapeshifter being present during the events of Ferengi Love Songs collecting intelligence as, say, a bowl of freshly chewed tube grubs!
- ‘Its about the Nagus and Moogie. They’re lovers’ ‘Noooo…’ ‘Its been going on for over a year’ ‘Nooooo…’ ‘She’s his secret financial advisor. She helps him run the entire Ferengi Alliance!’ ‘Noooooo…’ Max Grodenchik nails Rom’s reaction so perfectly.
- The very fact that there is a dialogue scene between Quark and Rom that sees them continuously moving along the Jeffries tubes and winding up in Sisko’s office. ‘I was following you…’ I love Sisko’s deadpan reaction and the way he practically turns to the camera and goes ‘eh?’
- Almost as if it is a comment on how TNG tried to make the Ferengi a genuine threat in the first season Quark suggests he is just going to use Ferengi in his commando rescue attempt and Rom replies ‘then we’ll all die!’
- When Rom tries to implore Nog to help them out you realise how much trouble they are in when he admits that his son is the only person who knows how to fire a phaser!
- The practice run for rescuing Moogie from the Jem H’adar is like a hilarious parody of the dry run of action in Dark Frontier. It gets me every time I see it! Quark is shot in the leg, Gailia runs away screaming, Rom walks into a wall and Leck kills Moogie! ‘I saw we weren’t going to rescue her so I put her out of her misery!’ Bloody funny!
- I love the scenes as the Ferengi characters spill out onto the Promenade and when they try and stop Keevan from escaping because they all have such distinct personalities as they try and man up and explore the creepy space station and dash into action. Even better all of these comic actors are trying desperately to upstage each other! All the farcical bumping into walls is a glorious reminder of comedy from yesteryear.
- ‘The Vorta where is he?’ ‘I don’t know!’ ‘What do you mean you don’t know? You were guarding him!’ ‘He must have slipped away whilst I was sleeping!’
- ‘Why are we hiding?’ ‘There are Jem H’adar out there!’ ‘Of course they’re out there! We asked them to come!’
- Nog cuts his own grandmother to make sure that she isn’t a shapeshifter! ‘Now lets see if you’re a changeling!’ she screams smacking him on the head over and over! ‘That’s no way to tell if he’s a changeling!’ declares Rom. ‘You’re right…give me that knife!’
- Whilst I am shaking my head with despair I am also biting my tongue to stop myself from laughing – sending out Keevan’s corpse by remote control is so side splittingly disgusting how can you resist the laughter? Its like when you hear that somebody has died straining on the toilet, its disgusting, its tragic but its also really funny despite all that. If this were Voyager they would be taking this blackly funny idea deadly serious but on DS9 they simply run with the insane humour and have him walking into walls and tripping over his own feet! ‘What have they done to him?’ Only the Ferengi could possibly think this is a good idea…and that’s why I love them. Plus the way the Keevan corpse walks looks as if the Federation has been committing constant anal rape on him ever since they got their hands on him!
- ‘This is the sloppiest, most amateurish operation I have ever seen! If you ever do something like this again…count me in!’
Moment to Watch Out For: I’ve seen other examples of the
‘accidental death of the hostage’ scenario (I remember The New Avengers pulled
it off by having the exchange take place in a lift – yaaaawn!) but this is
certainly the funniest. I don’t know if it’s the hysterics (‘you’ve had this
coming for a long time cousin!’), the despairing look on Keevan’s face that it
has come to this or the camera angle from the corpses point of view of
the Ferengi characters all staring down in horror but this just makes me howl.
Result: The funniest, darkest Ferengi comedy on this show
since Little Green Men, The Magnificent Ferengi sees this sub genre get right
back on track after the dismal Ferengi Love Songs last year. How they manage to
weave this insane plot into the Dominion war arc is worthy of praise on its own
but this episode manages to offer constant gags, both witty and visual ones and
some really tasteless black humour that proves that even when it is being funny
this show is still pushing the boundaries. By bringing all of the great Ferengi
characters together on this show (it’s a shame Wallace Shawn wasn’t
available for this one) you can see just how much time and effort has gone into
making these comedy heroes some of the finest characters in the DS9 ensemble
(and Leck is a fine addition to the crowd). Its written and filmed in the style
of a spaghetti western with lots of inventive camerawork and the way it gets
away with confidently pastiching both The Magnificent Seven and the gloriously
oddball TOS episode ‘Spock’s Brain’ really makes me smile. Any time I get to
spend with Armin Shimmerman, Max Grodenchik, Aron Eisenberg, Cecily Adams,
Jeffrey Combs and Josh Pais (& Iggy Pop!) is time I consider very
well spent: 8/10
Waltz written by Ronald D. Moore and directed by Rene
Auberjonois
Single Father: Sisko prefers to think of Dukat as a crazy
man and a part of him wishes that he was dead even though he recognises that
those are the sorts of thoughts he should be recording in an official log. It
definitely sets the tone for the rest of the episode. In the early scenes Sisko
treats Dukat sensitively, unlike his razor sharp hatred for Eddington because I
think he knows in his heart that Dukat would always have gotten into bed with
the Dominion. Its in his character to be nefarious and you can’t punish a man
for who he is. Eddington lied about his true nature and drew Sisko into a web
of those lies. That’s the big difference between them. Sisko is trapped in an
impossible situation of having to feed Dukat’s ego gently whilst still
remaining true to his character and telling him what he thinks. He’s in the
unenviable position of being the person that Dukat needs approval from and that
is something he simply cannot give. Dukat knows that Sisko isn’t a man who
hesitates to make snap judgements when the decision calls for it but he cannot
tell the man what he really thinks of him whilst he is at his mercy. When Sisko
says that Dukat was a soldier and he had to carry out his orders he is merely
mollifying him but I think Sisko forgets that he said something very similar in
A Time to Stand (‘its war time, I go where I’m sent…) just before he headed a
mission that saw the destruction of a Ketracel White facility and a high death
count. Maybe there are similarities between these two after all if you look
hard enough. His beating at Sisko’s hands is mostly implied rather than shown
but from Avery Brooks’ pained, shivering performance you can see how brutal it must
have been.
Mr Wolf: There are over 30,000 troops in the defenceless
convoy that he has to protect and the Captain is one man…it doesn’t take him
any time at all to figure which is more vital.
Slimy Snake: Marc Alaimo has truly become one of the unsung
heroes of DS9 over the years. He’s an actor of no small talent and he has been
handed a fascinating, three dimensional character that is constantly evolving
and surprising its audience. He must have been thrilled each time a new script
arrived! I love the ambiguity surrounding the talk of the Lieutenant who was
killed when the Hanshu was attacked. Did shrapnel really lodge in his
head or did Dukat murder him so he could have this time alone with Sisko? The
visions give Dukat’s madness an sinister outlet and all tell us something very
interesting about how Dukat sees these people. Weyoun taunts and gloats at him
because Dukat saw him as a rival, Damar is his loyal friend and Kira viciously
dissects his character as his long term enemy. When Sisko asks Dukat to change
the subject he spits on the ground and says ‘the Emissary has spoken.’ For that
moment he feels like a man who is jealous that the Bajoran people opened their
hearts to Sisko when they couldn’t find it in them to do the same thing for
him. He fails to understand why Kira, Odo and the rest didn’t appreciate his
gentler policies towards the Bajorans during this Occupation. He’s convinced
that he and Benjamin are old friends but he stopped being able to use that term
when he got in bed with the enemy and started throwing his weight around the
Quadrant. One thing that Dukat has always demanded is that people respect him
(he made an announcement to Weyoun in The Sacrifice of Angels that this is his
biggest regret during the Cardassian Occupation) which makes him one of the
most tragic characters in Star Trek because he simply cannot see the terrible
things he does that prevents that. He genuinely thinks anything that elevates
him is for the good of everybody else. When you see Dukat having a deep conversation
with a rock (that he thinks is Damar) you realise the depths of his psychosis –
these visions aren’t just happening in his head but he is seeing these people
for real. By the time he became Prefect of Bajor the Occupation had been
going on for almost 40 years and the planet still wasn’t ready for full scale
colonisation – Central Command wanted the situation rectified ad they didn’t
care how it was done. Because the death rate had dropped by 20% at the end of
his first month of his administration of the planet Dukat thinks he is some
kind of hero – what he forgets is that beside his benevolent acts he was still
a tyrant. He’s got unfinished business on Bajor and wants to wipe out
the entire populace – finally Star Trek has truly frightening villain to watch
out for.
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘You’re going to share your feelings of
isolation and loneliness with your long time adversary! Dr Cox would be so
proud!’
‘What do you think they would say if they could see the
Emissary of the Prophets and the evil Gul Dukat were sitting her
together getting along just like the two old friends that they really are’ –
man he really is nuttier than squirrel shit, isn’t he?
‘Yes but Neyrs wont leave well enough alone! She’s
always interfering, always trying to upset me!’ ‘Maybe we should just ignore
her. Lets pretend that the Major isn’t even here…’ – this manages to be
very scary and very funny at the same time, a very hard act to pull off this
well.
‘You will forgive me if I don’t consider your honour to be
worth Captain Sisko’s life’ ‘You may leave the Bridge, Doctor’ – a surprising
exchange from both parties.
Sisko asks Dukat why the Bajorans didn’t appreciate his
benevolent leadership during the Occupation and he replies ‘because they were
blind, ignorant fools…’ Dukat is one of the finest Trek
characters, isn’t he? That level of self deception has to be applauded! ‘We did
not choose to be the superior race! Fate handed us that role!’
‘I should have killed every last one of them! I should have
turned their planet into a graveyard the likes of which the galaxy has never
seen! I should have killed them all!’ – and that’s where Dukat stops being
funny and starts being terrifying.
The Bad: There’s that horrendous TNG studio planetary
backdrop again! I kind of like it here though because director Rene Auberjonois
throws everything he possibly can at Sisko from lightning, savage winds and
gritty sand and the backdrop accentuates the dramatic theatrical nature of this
story.
Plus the entire sequence where Dukat and Sisko finally have
it out with each other. Intense doesn’t cover the fireworks that fly
here. ‘Behold, Captain Sisko. I man of such high moral calibre that he can sit
in judgement over all the rest of us!’ ‘What the hell do you want from
me? My approval? Is that what this is all about? You want me to give you my
permission to cause more suffering and death? Well if that’s what you’re after
you might as well pull out that phaser and end this right now because I will never
give it to you!’ This is the court case that we were denied by his escape
in this episode, where the Kira, Damar and Weyoun ghosts get to have their own
say on his defence of his dictatorship. It’s a gripping scene, stunningly performed
and I was glued to the screen throughout.
Result: A sequel to Duet? Has Ronald D. Moore gone insane?
Well apparently not because this is another spellbinding season six effort that
takes the controversial route (because in Trek we are so used to humanising the
villains) of making Dukat dangerously, unpredictably mad. It’s a
phenomenal chance to stick Sisko and Dukat on a remote planet and argue through
the decisions made in the past two years and reach the conclusion that they
really are enemies despite the Cardassian’s insistence otherwise. What marks
this out as something really different are the bitter, twisted and sadistic
visions that Dukat has that show the audience directly just what horrors are
going on in his head. Marc Alaimo and Avery Brooks are both exceptional and
Rene Auberjonois directs the episode with such intensity you might feel as if
you have succumbed to its twisted atmosphere before the credits role. The final
court room scene where Dukat reaches some truly frightening decisions about his
character and the future of Bajor may just be the finest acted scene ever in
Star Trek. Waltz is a transfixing psychological piece of drama with outstanding
dialogue and is buoyed by the contractual appearances of the regulars rather
than suffer because of it. Mesmerising: 10/10
Who Mourns for Morn written by Mark Gehred-O’Connell and
directed by Victor Lobl
Unknown Sample: Odo invents a regulation where the contents
of a dead mans storage locker has to be inspected by security when the truth is
he is just a nosy git!
Mr Wolf: The thought of Worf and Morn being sparring
partners and enjoying weekly combat in the holosuites is hilarious! When he is
back it is a shame we never got to see them going at it because I would pay
good money for that!
Nine Lives: As we all know Dax used to have a little crush
on Morn but unfortunately (for her) he wasn’t interested. She was probably a
little too easy for him.
Community Leader: It amuses Quark to see his hologram of
Morn completely fooling Odo. Quark has cottoned on to the fact that people
adore him and so whenever he is away on business he has a fake Morn propped up
on the bar! Now that makes me wonder when in all those times I have spotted him
I have been seeing the real Morn! When he learns of Morn’s death you can see
Quark is thinking of his dropping sales and not the loss of a friend! However
being the shrewd Ferengi that he is he soon starts exploiting people with
regards to the death customs of Morn’s people, flogging Yuridian ale by the
case load! He’s such a lecherous old creep and he enjoys stroking Larell’s legs
and nibbling on her chest when he has the power of Morn’s wealth on his side!
When a shoot out ensues Quark finds the most agreeable place to run and hide –
in a vat of gold!
What’s Morn up to: Ha! Only this show would create a non
speaking semi regular who over time starts being weaved into huge plots (he
helps get a message to Sisko during the Dominion Occupation) and then gets a
whole episode to himself! I think it is about this delightful character is
rewarded with some decent exploration and character background, he is adorable
and I cannot imagine this show without him and his drunken, flirty presence! Morn
had two stomachs to fill so his food and drink bar bill was often extortionate
and he died without paying off this months! There are Klingons, humans, Ferengi
and Bajorans at his funeral so it would appear the one person who could have
united the Quadrant is Morn! He slept in a bed of bubbling, warm mud in
otherwise sparse quarters and he was approaching bankruptcy before his death.
Apparently he won a thousand bricks of latinum in the Lisepian lottery and has
it stashed away as his retirement fund! Basically we learn in this episode that
Morn is what we always suspected he was…a talisman at Quark’s and a thoroughly
agreeable fellow. Works for me, although I don’t know if we needed a whole
episode to figure that one out.
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘Why doesn’t it talk?’ ‘Do you know how
much an interactive hologram costs? Besides it’s a relief to not have to hear
him go on…you know Morn, he never shuts up!’ – a chucklesome reference to
Morn’s gossipy nature!
‘I bet the Royal Family sleep soundly knowing you’re on the
job!’
‘Take that gold dust of yours. I hear there are some
cultures that consider it quite valuable…’
The Good: The brothers work in exactly the same way as the
two goons in A Simple Investigation didn’t, they bounce well off each other and
have witty line in sadistic threats. And for once it’s a humanoid make up job
which looks a lot more interesting than just a few bumps or a change of skin
colour – these guys look like a cross between man and salamander! At about the
half an hour mark you realise that Quark has been fed nothing but a pack of
lies throughout the entire episode and that Morn wasn’t a lottery winner,
indebted to the brothers or a Prince! He is in fact a shady criminal whose
business partners are extremely adept at spinning a web of deceit to get their
hands on their share of their last job together. Gregory Itzin has appeared in
DS9 before in a far more dramatically satisfying role (Tandrell in season one’s
Dax) but he’s such a good actor and he definitely makes the most of what little
he gets here. I love the shot of all the criminals pointing their guns at one
another and Quark backing up into the path of each one.
The Bad: To the cynically minded this episode could be seen
as a pointless jog around the station learning little that is new about its
characters and filling up an episode slot in the season. If the acting on
display wasn’t so good I might be inclined to waver in favour of that argument.
Orchestra: I have lauded David Bell’s scores in the dramatic
episodes but like The Bride of Chaotica his morose musical style rally doesn’t
match up with the lighter ones. Imagine if this had been treated to a truly
whacky The Trouble With Tribbles style score?
Fashion Statement: Quark must think that his luck has
finally come in when the gorgeous Larell (claiming to be Morn’s wife) appears
in his mud bath completely naked!
Result: I never quite know what to make of Who Mourns for
Morn which is an agreeable episode but it never really makes me laugh (oh I
tell a lie Quark’s screams when the criminals try and take his thumb off had me
howling!). Its placing in the season is a little odd because we have only just
had a riotous Ferengi episode so another dollop of Quark so soon feels like
overkill. However it features a cast of enjoyable characters from Morn’s life
that pop up and I wouldn’t mind seeing any of this colourful lot again. As a
treasure hunt it lacks the mystery to really lure you in but surprisingly the
big revelation at the end really comes as a pleasing surprise. Victor Lobl
would go on to direct the seasons finest episode and yet here he doesn’t
utilise any of the pacing or weird camerawork that would have made this
funnier. I love Morn and I do appreciate this peek into his background but
something tells me this might have been better consigned to a subplot. Enjoyable
but slack, comfortable but never compelling – its an odd episode for sure but I
will take this over the trips to Risa and Ferenginar last year: 6/10
Far Beyond the Stars written by Ira Steven Behr & Hans
Beimler and directed by Avery Brooks
Single Father: The war is really taking its toll on Sisko as
another ship is destroyed with one of his friends killed in action. He’s
frustrated that every time he achieves a real victory something comes along and
snatches it away. Benny is a shy, retiring sort of man who adopts that role so
that he isn’t noticed because of his colour. He’s so proud of his story even
though he knows that it is revolutionary and everybody admits that it is
fantastic before Pabst tears his dream away of it ever being published. The
hurt that Avery Brooks expresses and the desperate need to get this message out
there is devastating to watch. When they agree to publish his stories Brooks
plays Benny in a blur of euphoria and he takes the audience right along with
him. We should know by now with this show that when things get too happy we are
heading for a fall (indeed Sisko says it himself in the first scene) but its so
great to see Benny so happy you cannot help but smile! He suffers the indignity
and pain of a beating at the hands of the cops and then is informed that the
issue his story is due to be published in is to be pulped. He is crushed, this
is the epitome of a beaten man and has raging, breathless outburst is his final
act of defiance to a system that constantly knocks him down because of his
race. Calm never got him a damn thing and now he needs to scream at a punishing
world before collapsing to the floor with every ounce of fight bled from him.
Mr Wolf: Michael Dorn is an absolute revelation in his role
as a charismatic, egotistical baseball player who is allowed to play
because he is so good. Its so different from his grumpy, deadpan turn as Worf
its like being slapped around the face to see what a versatile actor he is.
Community Leader: Herbert Ross is a man who is full of his
own self importance and can take a picture that he declares garbage and turn it
into a story worthy of the name art. Armin Shimmerman has been pleasingly vocal
about his pride in this episode and you can tell how much he enjoyed the chance
to rip off the make up and say something really important for a change. Don’t
get me wrong he’s always great in his role as Quark but there is a blazing eyed
passion to his performance here that left me reeling.
Freighter Captain: Its been ages since we last saw Kassidy
(nearly an entire season ago in Rapture) so her appearance is long overdue
(that’s what happens when you cast a much sought after actress like Penny
Johnson). And you can see why she is much sought after with her performance
here, footloose and fancy free and offering a great deal of sex appeal.
Head Chef: Twice in one season! Go Joseph! He was always
taught when you are asked a question say something nice so he describes the
station as…big. Joseph has finally decided to stop being so stubborn and
come visit his son because its clear that he has been carrying the fate of the
entire Alpha Quadrant on his shoulders and it is now or never.
Starfleet Ferengi: Just as I suspect…Aron Eisenberg is the
cutest thing on two legs sans makeup and his little cameo at the
beginning is delightful. ‘Machine guns blazing…ahahaha!’
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘Oh I bet you can! I can see it now…a
lonely little girl befriended by apathetic aliens who teach her how to smile!
Its enough to make you want to go out and buy a television set!’
‘If the world’s not ready for a woman writer imagine what
happen if it learnt about a Negro with a typewriter? Run for the hills, it’s
the end of civilisation!’
‘You see Albert’s got the right idea. He’s not interested in
Negroes or whites he writes about robots!’ ‘That’s because he is a robot! No
offence Albert…’
‘Well I’ve got news for you. Today or a hundred years from
now it don’t make a bit of difference…to them we’ll always be niggers.’
‘You cannot destroy an idea!’
‘For all we know at this very moment somewhere far beyond
all those distant stars…Benny Russell is dreaming of us.’
In Joke: There are so many lovely little touches in this
episode I thought I would have a section to list them…
- In the Bennyverse the characters played by Nana Visitor and Alexander Siddig are a couple…just as they were in real life at the time!
- Pabst and Herb are constantly at loggerheads with each…just as Odo and Quark always are and it gives Rene Auberjonois and Armin Shimmerman to do what they do best, to spar delightfully!
- Kay has to sleep late the day there is a photo shoot of the writers because god forbid anybody finds out that she is a woman. It’s a poignant reminder that it wasn’t just the ethnic community that were persecuted for who they were in this period – women had a rough time of it as well. The story really hits home when it parallels what D.C Fontana went through when she wrote for the original Star Trek series in the sixties.
- Marc Alaimo and Jeffrey Combs are (brilliantly) playing the villains, a pair of sadistic cops who are just looking for an excuse to beat up Benny simply because he is black.
- When Sisko writes six sequels to his story I wonder if they were called ‘Past Prologue’, ‘A Man Alone’, ‘Babel’, ‘Captive Pursuit’, ‘Q-Less’ and ‘Dax.’
Moment to Watch Out For: We stare racism right in the face
as the camera swings up from Jimmy who has bled to death by gunshot wounds and
experience Benny getting a vicious beating at the hands of the police (the
authority figures!). Its shockingly graphic and Brooks never shies away from
the violence, in fact he forces you to endure it far longer than Trek would
usually dwell on such things because he wants to show you this is where
prejudice can lead. Very cleverly he films some of this scene from our POV so
it is literally the audience that is getting beaten up. This could be you
if somebody felt that strongly that you were different. Its probably the most
important scene in Star Trek ever.
Orchestra: Every detail has been considered in this episode
and that includes the music. The saxophone plays throughout the day to day
scenes of Benny’s life, stressing the period this is set.
Foreboding: The visions would be back to plague Sisko one
last time in seasons seven’s Shadows & Symbols.
Result: Avery Brooks’ masterpiece, exquisitely directed and
acted by the shows leading man in an episode that promotes Sisko as a modern
day icon. Far Beyond the Stars is one of the most extraordinary episodes in an
extraordinary season and manages to be many things at once. It’s a unflinching,
touching treatise on racism, a gripping character drama, a chance to see all of
the regulars out of their make up and a promotion of the idea that the future
will be better if we work to make it so. In every way this is the perfect Star
Trek episode and coming from the bastard child of the franchise that is quite a
feat. Its also the point where the cast of DS9 prove without a shadow of a
doubt that they are finest arsenal of acting talent that the franchise has at
its disposal and everybody from the regulars to the recurring cast are on superb
form. Is Benny and his experience a dream handed down by the Prophets or is our
DS9 Trek universe created by the imagination of a discouraged man dreaming of a
better future? Who knows? All that can be sure is that this episode opens a
revolving door between the two and teaches us something very profound about
ourselves at the same time. A classic: 10/10
One Little Ship written by David Weddle & Bradley
Thompson and directed by Allan Kroeker
What’s it about: Honey I Shrunk the Runabout!
Single Father: Sisko is the reason that Alpha Quadrant Jem
H’adar exist so the First thanks him for being so bloody minded and stopping
the reinforcements from coming through the wormhole. When Sisko started reeling
off all the technobabble that the enemy are going to have to learn in order to
fly the ship I thought I had slipped back in time to the TNG episode Rascals
when Riker did pretty much the same thing. Until I realised that the Jem H’adar
are way scarier than the Ferengi and Sisko is in much greater danger if he gets
caught. He’s smart enough to recognise that the relationship between the Alphas
and the Gammas is explosive and subtly manipulates both to his advantage.
Tasty Terrorist: Kira accepts that they are about to blown
to pieces but takes comfort with the fact that they will take the Jem H’adar
with them.
Mr Wolf: He’s angry at himself for losing the ship to the
Jem H’adar and takes it out on Nog – sacrilege darling!
Everyday Engineer: ‘Are you telling my I’m gonna be this
bloody tall of the rest of my life?’
GE Doctor: ‘I’m sorry…it was very small of me’ Even
Bashir has found the fun again (he’s been a little depressed of late) and I
love his upside down revelation of what has happened to the runabout.
Nine Lives: Dax doesn’t need any persuasion to pilot their
tiny ship inside the Defiant! She just says ‘I love it, let go!’ and gets on
with the plot. Its almost as if the character know how we want this to proceed.
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘I do not see what is so humorous about
being small’ ‘Neither do I!’ – poor titchy Nog!
‘And they say you don’t have a sense of humour…’
The Good: Things get off on exactly the right foot with Kira
laughing her head off at the sheer ridiculousness of the premise and the
writers letting us know that they know how barmy it is and just to go with it
for a fun ride. Voyager writers (especially when it comes to evolving the
Captain and helmsman into lizards) please take note. Just when we think we are
in for an episode of Honey I Shrunk the Runabout along comes a Jem H’adar
attack squad to kick the shit out of the Defiant and take the crew hostage! Now
they have my attention. Its nice to see after two seasons of treating the Jem
H’adar as mindless thugs (I like them that way, they’re scarier) there is some
development of their race by introducing a new breed of soldiers created in the
Alpha Quadrant. The conflict between the Alphas and the Gammas works for the
purposes of this episode although it might have been nice to have worked their
conflict into the overall arc of season seven (although to be fair they did
have rather a lot to wrap up without adding further complications). There are
some very effective effect shots in this episode but I think the one which
impressed me the most was the dramatic zoom away from the runabout and along
the Defiant’s hull. Every rivet on that ship looks real these days
thanks to some impressive CGI. Tee hee…I have always taken the Michael at how
ridiculous the runabouts are as offensive weapons (especially when Sisko
ordered their launch in By Inferno’s Light) and here they have built an entire
episode around the idea that a shrunken version can take down an entire squad
of Jem H’adar soldiers! I’ll never take the piss again! And doesn’t it look
just the cutest thing the way it hovers around like a lazy bumble bee up
plasma shafts and along corridors? Leland Crooke is no Jeffrey Combs but he
still gives a pleasingly slimy portrayal of Gelnon and it is nice to see him
turn up in the next episode too. O’Brien talking us through who is actually
working on the warp drive and all the subterfuge that is going on elsewhere.
Seriously – how is this episode this good? We’ve seen giant isolinear
chips since season one of TNG so to have Bashir and O’Brien walking around a
crazy, colourful set mapped out with giant versions is great fun. It’s the most
delightful coda since Accession with Worf cracking a joke about his (lack of a)
poem and Odo and Quark playing a prank on Bashir and O’Brien about their size
(the giant Dabo girl is hilarious!).
The Bad: I wouldn’t have even bothered to try and squeeze in
the science element of the episode about the oxygen particles although you just
know there would be a number of science geeks out there whose heads explode
with the illogic of the idea of beaming off the ship!
Moment to Watch Out For: I find it astonishing that they
would use up such a large chunk of budget on such a ridiculous set piece but
I’m really glad they took the plunge because the all out action in Engineering
at the climax had me bouncing up and down on my seat. The gunplay is impressive
and this crew once again show their formidable talent in combat but what makes
it so special for me is the teeny tiny runabout and its pellet like torpedoes
striking the chests of the Jem H’adar soldiers! Its funny, exciting and really
barmy!
Result: Somehow (and please don’t ask me how) this
singularly failed to suck! One Little Ship has one of the most
ridiculous concepts ever to come out of the Voyager bargain bin and yet the
show as presented is glossy, pacy and most of all funny! The interaction
between the regulars is better than ever and they are just running with the
lighter tone of the piece (‘is it my imagination or did the kid just cover for
him?’). After helming some awesomely significant arc episodes Allan Kroeker
gets the chance to have some fun and with some dazzling effects work and a
sparkling script he has all the tools at his disposal to pull of a first class
hour of entertainment. What really makes One Little Ship work is how it should
be another daft Trek schedule filler but the Dominion war arc butts its nose in
before the titles have even run and so afford the episode some bold visuals and
a truly wonderful action sequence at the climax. I remember just before I first
saw this one preparing myself for it to be dreadful and smiling all the way
through at how stylish and engaging it was. Against all the odds this is a
really agreeable slice of high concept madness: 8/10
Honor Amongst Thieves written by Rene Echevarria and
directed by Allan Eastman
What’s it about: O’Brien is working undercover to infiltrate
the Orion Syndicate…
Everyday Engineer: O’Brien is the perfect man to be handed
this assignment because he doesn’t have to try to be a normal man who is down
on his luck. Like the alternative Smiley in Crossover it is a role that Colm
Meaney can completely sell with his puppy dog eyes and weary attitude and you
could imagine anybody wanting to befriend this guy. It might be a little odd
that Starfleet security chose a low ranking officer (and a family man at that)
for this dangerous assignment but these are desperate times and they must have
all agreed that he just looked the part. This episodes is so beautifully
performed I’m happy to skip over the reason of why O’Brien was chosen and just
enjoy his time amongst the criminal class. It would appear O’Brien is as
invaluable as everybody says since the station seems to fall apart the second
he is off on his mission for Starfleet security! Goodness knows what they did
when he left post What You Leave Behind. Its not his perfectly detailed credentials
that convinces Bilby of O’Briens sincerity, it is his honest reaction to his
wife’s dry cake. As soon as Bilby witnesses for him O’Brien realises how far
this has gone and a mans life hangs in the balance and he is too much of a
human being to write him off just because he has committed criminal acts. He’s
not so much seduced by the lifestyle but the company of Bilby and begins
enjoying his assignment because he gets to spent time with his friend. O’Briens
awkward reaction to having to turn down the prostitute is very funny! O’Brien
should have left well alone because he forced Bilby into a position where he
has to choose to die, but he couldn’t live with his conscience if he hadn’t at
least tried to stop him.
GE Doctor: There’s a really interesting relationship
developing between Bashir and Sisko this season that I like a lot. It appears
that Bashir is the one character who isn’t willing to put up with Sisko’s
excuses and there are scenes between them in Statistical Probabilities, Honor
Amongst Thieves and In the Pale Moonlight that are great examples of the
character conflict that DS9 is celebrated for.
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘Gentleman we just robbed the bank of
Bolias!’ ‘I was thinking of opening an account there…’
‘Don’t tell me you don’t like girls?’
‘I wasn’t even your target…I suppose I’m not important
enough.’
The Good: Star Trek is notorious for its pretty but
unexciting (and shockingly repetitive) establishing planet shots. There are a
few exceptions that are stunning (Bajor & Cardassia both say a lot about
their respective races) but on the whole we get the same matte shot over and
over for new planets (this is especially apparent in TNG and VOY which head off
to other worlds all the time). Honor Amongst Thieves has a gorgeous establishing
shot of the industrial park on Farius and it is packed with detail (walkways,
skyscrapers in the distance, shuttles rushing about, a transit system, people
walking the streets and a general dark, oppressive atmosphere) that makes it
look like a place that is truly worth exploring. We move around a bar where
there is gambling, drugs being sniffed, drinking and a dishevelled looking
O’Brien at the bar. It’s a dark, dingy opening that really captures your
attention. Its great to finally get to explore the seedy world of the Orion
Syndicate after discovering about the criminal organisation in The Ascent
(where they tried to kill Odo & Quark) and A Simple Investigation (where we
were introduced to the idea of cyber crime). Secret meetings in dark, smoky passageways…this
is what espionage tales are all about! They have really got the hang of these
‘contractual obligation’ scenes for the regulars these days when they want to
focus on one character for the most part – Quark and Odo clashing in Ops is
great fun and Bashir’s concern for his friends is palpable. I love the bar set,
it is a terrifically seedy location to set the main action in and has been lit
to perfection to allows for some vivid theatrical shots. Rene Echevarria is
perfect to script a character like Bilby because he excels at this kind of
intimate drama and bringing guest characters to life with real economy and
shrewdness (Yedrin Dax and Laas from Children of Time & Chimera are too
similar examples of his ability in this discipline). He’s a family man who has
fallen into a bad crowd that allows him to give them the life they deserve,
he’s in over his head and cannot break free and has been seduced by the
responsibility and control that his job gives him. He’s essentially a decent
man who does terrible things for a living for all the right reasons. Nick Tate
excels in bringing this complex character to life and any scene between him and
Colm Meaney shines with acting talent. I love the scene where Bilby shoots his
contact in the leg and then murders him because until that point he has been
portrayed as quite a nice guy but suddenly his dangerous side emerges and you
know a similar fate awaits O’Brien if he is ever discovered as a fraud. Poor
Bilby tells O’Brien that he can read people really well and knows what’s in
their hearts…however this episode ends you know his confidence in himself is
going to be shot to hell. Speaking as cat person (I have two gorgeous girls)
Chester makes my heart melt! The episode starts with O’Brien out to expose the
Orion Syndicate contact in Starfleet but soon becomes much more interesting
when the Dominion make their presence known. What the Dominion/Orion Syndicate
are planning is monstrous but the Federation taking a step back and allowing
the Klingons to execute the criminals is similarly discomforting. You can see
why O’Brien is trapped in moral dilemma. O’Brien admitting his deception to
Bilby is a wonderfully acted moment and it genuinely feels like a climactic
moment in their relationship despite the fact they hadn’t set eyes on each
other before this episode. The fact that Bilby walks off to face his death at
the hands of the Klingons to protect his family is heartbreaking and he finally
proves how honourable he is. Hurrah – Chester is now staying with the O’Briens!
Moment to Watch Out For: I love the sequence where a traitor
in the ranks is exposed and you are so sure that it is going to be O’Brien. The
way Gelnon enjoys purring past the four men who are crapping themselves trying
to figure out which one of them it is another example of Dominion cruelty. The
performances, music and lighting here are just superb (as they are for the rest
of the episode too). And then they hit us with the awesome revelation that the
Klingon disruptors are for an assassination of the Klingon Ambassador at Farius
to tear the Empire apart. To suggest that Gowron has executed this man because
of his political leanings - that the Klingons should break away from them and
concentrate on defending the Empire - is typical insidious Dominion politics.
Result: To think this is exactly the sort of filler episode
that would be completely forgettable in earlier seasons but thanks to the
exposure of the Orion Syndicate, Colm Meaney and Nick Tate’s gorgeous
performances and the tense atmospherics that Allan Eastman achieves in this
fresh environment it is a massively enjoyable character piece. What I love
about this season is how even the standalone episodes are dragged into the
Dominion war arc and the sudden twist in the heart of Honor Amongst Thieves offers
another intriguing angle that the enemy is engaging to bring down the great
powers in the Alpha Quadrant. How they are scrutinising the war through so many
angles is coalescing to create one of the most detailed and thought provoking
arcs I have seen in science fiction. The O’Brien/Bilby relationship is written
superbly and we are never allowed to forget the danger that our everyday
engineer is in right up until the climax where he makes a powerful decision.
It’s a quiet episode that deals with some dark possibilities (assassinating the
Klingon High Council) but never forgets about its character so it drives one
hell of an emotional punch at the end. Any episode that pushes Colm Meaney to
the front of the pack is destined to be a winner and this is another example of
the ‘torture O’Brien’ sub genre that really hits the spot: 8/10
Change of Heart written by Ronald D. Moore and directed by
David Livingston
What’s it about: Dax and Worf are off on a mission behind
enemy lines together…
Single Father: It seems that every episode these days has a
great Sisko scene. He chews Worf out at the end for failing to complete the
mission but sympathises with him by saying he would have probably done the same
thing.
Mr Wolf: The story opens on the familiar scene of Dax and
Quark playing Tongo which we have seen several times now (Playing God, Business
as Usual) but with the added pleasure of having Worf watching her from the
rafters and placing a wager on her with O’Brien at the outcome of the game. It
shows how much he has grown because he has always hated Quark and everything
that he stands for but he is willing to hanging around and watch the game
because his wife is playing. Even when he has absolutely no idea how the game
is played! And to top it off…she loses and he owes O’Brien a bottle of single
malt from the Highlands but he still doesn’t care because he lost a bet on his
wife and got to enjoy the game. I don’t know if I’ve ever liked Worf
quite as much as I do in this episode. His ‘Jadzia, get up…’ before pulling
away the covers and leaving her naked and freezing in bed is hilarious – Simon
does the very same thing to me whenever I have to get up early! He capitulates
to her wish to visit Casperia Prime and cheekily asks her if she wanted to
fight over it. Clearly married life really agrees with him! I love the way they bicker amusingly…it
feels so real and Worf listing all of Jadzia’s irritating domestic rituals had
me laughing my head off. The way Dax hits Worf when he is trying to clean her
wound…that’s something I do to Simon! There two really remind me of us at
times. Using the mating cries to detect approaching Jem H’adar shows off Worf’s
ability to read nature. Worf is trapped in an impossible dilemma of whether to
save his wife or save the Dominion contact. Everything in his life is about
honour and duty and it is wonderful to see him abandon that in order to save
the woman he loves. If there was ever a moment to high five Worf, this would be
it! The information Losaren had could have saved millions of lives but Worf
could not ignore the beating of his heart, consequences be damned. He has
risked his career and he probably wont be offered a command after his actions
but he still knows he has done the right thing.
I could have never have left my husband to die like this
even if it had cost me my life in the bargain – the few times he has been in
pain it has felt like agony for me too. To be able to walk away and leave him
to die would take a braver, more heartless man than me.
Everyday Engineer: ‘Think of it as a challenge!’ ‘That’s
your obsession Miles, not mine’ Clearly Keiko has been away for a while and
the very horny and frustrated Irishman has to get his kicks elsewhere and so
ropes Julian into crushing Quark’s winning streak at Tongo (since he’s hopeless
at it himself). The relaxed chemistry between Meaney and Siddig make these
scenes very easy to watch even though they aren’t really about anything in
particular.
GE Doctor: ‘Genetically engineered or not…you’re still
hew-mon’ Julian thinks he is so smart taking on Quark at Tongo and he might
think that he has learnt all the rules and strategies but he has forgotten the
psychological angle that Quark exploits to his advantage. There’s actually some
very useful set up in this subplot that creeped up on me unexpectedly. It
resurrects the feelings that Bashir once had for Jadzia (which was neatly put
to rest in Starship Down) and he walks away from the game thinking he has
missed his opportunity with the one woman who might have made him truly happy.
He doesn’t know what the future holds but there will be a new, single Dax along
pretty soon and things may start to develop…
Nine Lives: ‘Just kiss me and go…’ The Dax/Worf
relationship is at its peak and examined in real depth here – even something as
simple as their bedroom rituals with Dax gossiping away and falling silent as
Worf prays and then Dax enticing him into bed wrapped in furs feels very real
to me. She rejects all of Worf’s energetic honeymoon ideas and he crumples as
she says that she wants a room with a view that makes you want to break down
and cry at the sheer beauty of it…because he fears she is talking about Risa
again (and so are we!). Seeing her wrap the blanket around Worf to keep out the
cold and then cuddle him tight is so charming it made me purr. This material
isn’t revolutionary but for Star Trek it certainly is and its like being
cuddled yourself to watch it. With Terry Farrell’s incredible performance and
some effective make up Dax looks really ill and it sells the danger of the
situation. She can’t resist cracking jokes even when her life hangs in the
balance, bless her. Farrell’s performance when she tells Worf to leave her
might just break your heart.
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘On the Enterprise I was considered to
be quite amusing’ ‘That must have been one dull ship!’ – where do I start with
the funny?
‘When this mission is over I will smile all you want’ ‘Oh
you promise?’
‘You come first. Before career. Before duty. Before anything.’
The Good: Ron Moore has such an ear for entertaining,
believable dialogue and the runabout scenes features Dax and Worf batting back
and forth one great line after another. Although this is primarily a character
study of our newlyweds, its another piece of the Dominion war puzzle with
Losaren wanting to defect from the enemy with valuable information that could
aid with the war effort (in particular he knows how many changelings there are
in the Alpha Quadrant and what their current locations are). Its coming at the
war from yet another angle to give it more substance. Losaren’s blatant racism
towards his rescue party is another intelligent detail. The runabout weaving
through the asteroid field is a completely pointless and yet gorgeously
detailed effect as is the ship making an atmospheric landing over the cluster
of trees. Its one of the most convincing jungle sets we have ever seen in Trek,
exquisitely lit to looks humid as a rainforest and filled with snakes and
lizards to add some exotic detail. For some shots you would swear they dumped
Michael Dorn and Terry Farrell in the middle of a real jungle with a camera and
told them to film the episode! Moore wisely ends his subplot halfway through
the episode so as not to gut the tragedy of the main plot – he really did learn
his lesson from Life Support!
I’m on the fence about the ending of this episode – not that
Worf went back to save his wife because I would have felt that it was a
complete betrayal of the character had he let her die – but this would have
been the perfect point for Jadzia to die. It really feels as if we are leading
up to that climax and it is snatched away at the last minute. The performances
are so sensitive it would have broken my heart to have lost her at this point.
However the scenes between the couple after Worf does save her are so
beautifully done I really cannot complain. And I do rather like the sudden,
tragically unfortunate way that Jadzia dies in Tears of the Prophets. This
feels like it is made to say goodbye to a character whereas her shocking death
at Dukat’s hands for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time is
somehow more tragic because it just happens. Like I said, I’m on the
fence. Had she died here I wouldn’t have objected because it would have felt
right (although Worf would have had to have at least tried to have saved her
and been too late for that to have felt natural) but the very wrongness of the
actual death at the end of the season has much more of an impact.
The Bad: Putting a married couple together on a mission is
probably the least smartest move you could make…especially when they have to
head behind enemy lines. A compromised mission is a dead certainty. The subplot
of O’Brien and Bashir taking on Quark at Tongo to wipe the smile off his face
is really cute but let’s not pretend it is anything more than filling time to
pad out the episode.
Moment to Watch Out For: The last scene between Dax and Worf
is just beautiful. I don’t know if I have seen a better example of love in Star
Trek.
Result: A vastly underrated episode that proves to be the
finest character study of Dax and Worf we would get with both characters on top
form. I love the relaxing, natural chemistry between Michael Dorn and Terry
Farrell at this stage of the show and they get the chance to bring some superb
Ronald D. Moore dialogue to life. The plot is pretty predictable until the end
but that isn’t the point of what we are watching. The whole idea of going on
this dangerous mission with the newlyweds is to be entranced in their company
and then to ask the audience to question themselves at the climax and see what
they would do in Worf’s impossible dilemma. As a example of the new places that
DS9 took Worf there is no finer episode and I have to say he has never been
more likable. There’s some more detail added to the Dominion war, a cute
subplot that sets up some future developments for Bashir and Dax and a
heart-warming conclusion that puts the icing on the cake as far as the weight
of this marriage is concerned. Change of Heart isn’t the most gripping episode
of Deep Space Nine but its nicely directed, gorgeously acted and is packed with
real sentiment that proves to be quite seducing. If this is how good the mid
season filler episodes are we are in fantastic shape: 8/10
Wrongs Darker than Death or Night written by Ira Steven Behr
& Hans Beimler and directed by Jonathan West
What’s it about: Kira has to face up to her mothers mucky
past…
Single Father: Another Sisko cameo and another great scene.
His ‘excuse me?’ when Kira says she is going to use the Orb of Time to
head back in time to find out the truth about her mother is the equivalent of
Avery Brooks raising an arched eyebrow directly to the audience to let us know
the writers know it is an insane idea but go with it. He starts telling her
that the Federation has strict regulations about time travel but what he rally
means is he dreads another visit from Temporal Investigations!
Tasty Terrorist: We’ve all been watching Star Trek for too
long now not to recognise when a character is heading for a fall and Kira admitting
that her father always said that her mother was the bravest woman he ever met
is a classic warning sign. Kira is already the most explored Star Trek
character and now we get to skip back in time and meet her family and look at
the grey areas that they faced during the occupation. She really is one of the
finest female characters to have been represented on television because there
is so much substance to her personality and history. I love the scene where
Kira tells Bashir to piss off back to work and reminds everybody in Ops that it
isn’t gossips corner – whilst I am pleased that there is a much more relaxed
atmosphere on the station than in the earlier seasons its good to remind people
they are still at work! The way she comfortingly tries to befriend her mother
and protects her is touching, especially during the scene where she discovers
the scar on her face. Whilst unsavoury, Kira’s interaction with her sleazy
Cardassian suitor is also very funny (‘You’d like to get us all drunk and kill
us in our beds’ ‘Are you sure you’re not part Betazoid?’). The horror of seeing
her mother seduced by the comforting lifestyle that Dukat offers and slipping
so effortlessly into the regime that she has always thought so hard against
makes Kira sick to her stomach. She tries to reason with her mother but the
truth of the matter is that Meru is too fragile to resist Dukat’s charms and
has bought into every one of his excuses. The choice to murder her own mother
is a massive moment for Kira, it’s a moment of violent emotion that she will
have to come to peace with in her own time but within the confines of this
story and given Kira’s beliefs and history it makes perfect sense when
confronted with such a repulsive shock. Where Voyager would have offered a nice
tidy ending DS9 leaves us upset that Kira’s opinion of her mother has been
completely soured by this experience. It’s an honest, satisfying ending that
means something for the character.
Unknown Sample: In the face of Kira’s wrath only Odo is
willing to speak up and make her realise how abusively she is behaving.
Nine Lives: Jadzia does not believe there is such a thing as
privacy between friends. That explains why she is such a merciless gossip!
Slimy Snake: After his revelatory chills in Waltz I have
been chomping at the bit to see Dukat return to take his vengeance on Bajor and
this is an intriguing start to his revenge plan. Contacting Kira in the early
hours to inform her, sitcom style, that he used to her mother’s lover wasn’t
exactly what I had in mind but as far as Kira is concerned that is more
horrific than anything he could have done to the planet and its populace. I
remember when I first watched this episode and I was unconvinced at first and
felt as though the writers were making this up to create some drama between the
two characters but the more I thought about, the more it made sense. Since
season four Dukat has been trying to get close to Kira for some unknown reason
and we always thought it was because he wanted to seduce her. On the one hand it
would make perfect sense that he would like to get to know the daughter of the
woman he loved during the Occupation (one of the many women he took to his bed
it would seem) and on the other it is very Dukat to want to take to his bed
both mother and daughter to feed his ego and try and salvage something of Meru
in Kira. Either way it is a stomach churning twist that opens up a nasty wound,
gives the episode a solid issue to explore and leaves dramatic possibilities
for the future. Not bad going at all! You definitely get the sense that Dukat
loves being able to parade up and down and make these Bajoran women feel
comfortable on the station, strutting his stuff and flirting with the ladies
are two of his most favourite things! What is frightening is that within the
confines of his quarters Dukat can be a good man and a generous lover to Meru
but as soon as he walks out of the door each morning he is once again a
sadistic dictator controlling the lives of millions.
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘Whilst your busy in here playing
parlour games he is carrying out the extermination of our people…’ – it warms
my cockles to think that a Star trek show flaunted fantastic dialogue like
this.
‘Is that what you tell yourself that you’re doing it for the
children? The clothes, the food, the easy living…that you’re doing it for them
- are you that deluded? Its not for them, its for you. You like
it here, you enjoy playing house with that murderer. Don’t you see what
you are? What you’ve allowed yourself to become? You’re a collaborator!’
The Good: There is a very subtle effects shot of the
exterior of the station where you can see the colours of the Promenade through
the windows on the upper level. Frankly these Trek shows use so many extreme
and unconvincing methods to travel through time I am glad that DS9 has skipped
all the pretence and created a device wherein they can pop back to the past
whenever they choose! If that sounds like a glib answer to the Orb of Time’s
convenient abilities I’ll counter that with the fact that nobody minded during
Trials and Tribble-ations. I’ve always believed that good lighting can make or
break a show and Jonathan West goes out of his way to prove that by filling
this episode with beautiful images. He manages to use the neon backdrops of the
station well, adds a real sense of mysticism to the temple scenes on Bajor and
uses striking sunlight to catch the faces of the characters on the station to
point out that the mining facility is still in orbit of Bajor. The wormhole has
been a source of creative and visual joy on this show but the glorious way the
sunlight spills through the windows in this episode almost makes me wish the
station had stayed in orbit of Bajor. We’ve heard much about the Singha refugee
camp so it is great to finally see it and its about as unhealthy an environment
to bring up children as you can imagine with Bajorans holding knives on to each
others throats to steal what little food they are given from each other. These
kind of details that make the Bajorans more than just victims but idealists too
(especially Basso, Dukat’s vile Bajoran aide who has definitely made the best
of a bad situation and even Meru eventually who is seduced by the luxury Dukat
can offer her) makes the situation far from black and white. Just when you think
the Cardassians cannot be portrayed any more hatefully along comes their
requests for ‘comfort women’, literally cherry picking the prettiest ladies of
the race they have conquered to make their tour of duty raping their planet
more comfortable. Having their egos (and a lot more besides) stroked by the
women they have dominated – its so tasteless (especially Basso telling the
ladies that Cardassians value cleanliness so to scrub up well when they are
being forced to do something so dirty) it turns my stomach. The scene where
Meru is dragged from her family might have been overplayed if it wasn’t for the
fact that Kira can see herself experiencing the loss of her mother which is
heartbreaking. Visiting the station at its inception is a healthy reminder that
the very location we visit every week had a much more sinister purpose when it
was first built and the history that comes with it. Whilst we were never going
to see full blown shagging against a wall on primetime television there is a
repulsive shot of a Cardassian literally devouring Meru’s neck whilst she
struggles against him. Just as we have written off Meru as a collaborator along
comes the message from her husband that makes her break down and forces both
the audience and Kira to rethink our position. Is she making a sacrifice to
give her family a better life or has she abandoned them to a better life with
Dukat? The episode offers both possibilities and allows the audience to make up
its own mind on the presentation and I like the moral ambiguity of that.
The Bad: And the award for the most pretentious title goes
too…Wrongs Darker than Death or night! In a hotly competitive race against
other stalemates such as Nor the Battle to the Strong, The Darkness and the
Light, Ties of Blood and Water and Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges this has to be
the most tongue twistingly over the top episode title. Especially when the
wrongs aren’t anywhere near as dark as death or night. I realise a lot of these
titles have been selected from poems and sayings but the sad truth of the
matter is that plenty of poetry and proverbs are pretty pretentious too. I do
feel that they genuinely missed a trick in not making Meru Ziyal’s mother…this
would have been the perfect opportunity to have tied in her character and given
her relationship with Kira more depth posthumously. Kira meeting herself as a
child is very cute but shouldn’t the universe implode when they shake hands or
something?
Moment to Watch Out For: Watch the fireworks fly between
Kira and Meru as they come to blows over her relationship with Dukat. The
dialogue is exceptional.
Fashion Statement: Are they going to some effort to make
Kira look more feminine this year? She looks adorable when she wakes up sleepy
to take Dukat’s call and dressing her up as a sophisticated looking hooker can
only have increased viewers at the time!
Result: DS9 explores the horrors of forced prostitution and
Kira gets a sharp shock about her mother in this focussed, unrelenting drama.
Like the mirror universe episode this year it takes a staple ingredient of the
show (the Occupation as seen in Necessary Evil & Things Past) and does
something very different with it but unlike Ressurection it works a
treat because Kira is written so honestly and has to face up to the loathsome
idea that her mother got in bed with Dukat during this horrific period of
Bajor’s history. Nana Visitor is so good at bringing these emotional journeys
to life and everything from her reaction to Dukat’s shocking news, her
irritable behaviour in Ops, her protectiveness towards her mother and her final
condemnation of Meru’s decision to live with this monster rings true. Jonathan
West’s direction is a thing of beauty and the way he uses the lighting to
create sensual, memorable images is extraordinary. The time travel element is
skipped over in a glorious example of how to shrug the insanity of such a
concept off and getting to visit the station when it is first built and about
to be put into action adds to the mythology of the show. It’s the oddest of
episodes this because there is so much that is a great about it and yet it
isn’t one of the most standout dramas simply because it is quite quiet for DS9.
But it handles its themes with sensitivity, it doesn’t cheat the audience and
it gives Marc Alaimo the chance to be as smooth as silk with the ladies. It’s
the third mid season character tale in a row that I enjoy (although given the
themes I’m not sure that’s appropriate) a lot: 8/10
Inquisition written by Bradley Thompson & David Weddle
and directed by Michael Dorn
What’s it about: Is Bashir really a Dominion agent?
Single Father: ‘I don’t think you’re lying
Julian…’ Once again Sisko is used in a very clever way. By having him admit
that Bashir has made some questionable decision and actually asking if
engromatic dissociation is possible it eats away at whatever assurances Bashir
had about himself.
GE Doctor: ‘This man concealed the truth about his
illegal genetic enhancements for over thirty years! He lied to get his medical
licence! He lied to get into Starfleet. He lied to you when he came aboard this
station and he’s been lying to you ever since!’ Another top notch Bashir
episode – this guy has got the Midas touch! The medical conference that Bashir
was supposed to attend was to take place on the latest Federation
holiday spot, Casperia Prime (they can’t talk about Risa in the same seductive
breath anymore not after we visited it last year). The fact that the entire
episode is told from Bashir’s point of view works on two counts – it gives a
very personal view of this type of intrusion into your life and it also gives
the viewer an inkling (although I was completely in the dark the first time I
watched it) that this is all for his benefit and not real. Would Bashir have
come forward and told Sisko the truth about his genetic enhancements if he
hadn’t been found out? The fact that he cannot answer that question says
everything the you need to know. There’s a glorious Second Skin moment in this
episode where even Bashir starts to doubt his own loyalty and when it comes to that point (just as
Kira thought she might genuinely be a Cardassian) the audience is left
wondering if the writers are going to go through with this and genuinely push
the character in this direction. The trouble with manhunts like this is that once
you have been pinned for a crime no matter how much you wriggle and object it
simply makes you look more guilty. Introducing Section 31 via Bashir was such a
smart move because it taps into that desire of his to become a spy like Garak
(why do you think he plays at secret agent in the holosuite?) but it is also
antithetical to his naïve opinion of the Federation and everything it stands
for. Its both seductive and appalling to him and that’s a great mix to whip up
some drama through the character. He condemns their methods at the conclusion
of this story but also looks as though he is looking forward to tackling his
first assignment working for the Federation to expose them and bring them down.
Its another really exciting development for Bashir’s character who is
unrecognisable from the irritating womaniser from season one.
Section 31: William Sadler is an outstanding actor (he was
the best thing about Roswell by miles) and he brings a real presence and
gravitas to this story aided by a script that offers him some dramatic
opportunities. When he stands that in Ops staring down at the assembled DS9
crew as though they are all lambs to the slaughter I felt a shiver down my
spine. You realise he is after one of them and has shuffle that victim into the
pack to make them complacent. He’s clearly a master psychologist and approaches
Bashir initially in a warm and affable manner, praising his work and calming
his nerves. Its just a softening up technique so he can completely floor the
Doctor with some outrageous accusations. And yet even when he is being kind
there is suspicion behind those eyes and a darkness to his tone. His second
interview is much more clipped and to the point, it feels as if Sloan is
closing his fist around Bashir’s life and squeezing out all of its dirty
secrets. After making his intentions clear he starts working on Sisko and his
doubts about Bashir and treats him like the criminal he so clearly believes him
to be. Sadler is extraordinary during the interrogation scenes, wringing every
last iota of threat out of his dialogue. Finally Sloan offers Bashir a way out
of prison by confessing to the crimes he has committed. He has him from every
direction. Sloan is the head of Section 31, a covert organisation that protects
the security of the Federation. He is not afraid of bending the rules, his
actions are unaccountable and his morality is to ensure that the good people of
Starfleet can sleep at night through whatever means maybe necessary. He’s an
awesome character and ticks all my boxes.
The evidence that Sloan cooks up against Bashir is so
convincing that he even had me going for a little while. Its another
astonishing example of DS9’s ability to capitalise on what has gone before and
they use plot details from Hippocratic Oath, In Purgatory’s Shadow, Dr Bashir,
I Presume and Statistical Probabilities to whip up a compelling case that he is
a Dominion spy. Bashir was kidnapped
and and held in a Dominion prison for five weeks, he lied about his genetic
enhancements, he did sympathise with a group of rogue Jem H’adar and he did
almost cause the Federation to lose the war when his genetically enhanced group
tried to give intelligence to the Dominion. Even better the writers use the
much criticised ‘runabout left in orbit’ plot detail from By Inferno’s Light to
suggest that it was a deliberate ploy by the Dominion to allow Bashir to escape
and begin working for them behind the lines. Its inspired writing. The truth of
the matter is there is a pattern of deceptive behaviour and it is very possible
that the Dominion might have broken him in prison and convinced him to work for
them for humanitarian reasons – his attempts to convince Sisko to surrender to
the enemy in Statistical Probabilities could have been a peaceful way for him
to achieve that.
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘We constructed a transmitter using
components from the barracks life support system and we used it to contact our
runabout in orbit and beam ourselves out of the camp. Now forgive me Doctor,
that sounds a little hard to believe’ – Sloan reviewing the climax of By
Inferno’s Light!
‘You’re saying that I’m a Dominion spy and don’t even know
it!’
‘I’ve had enough of your lies, Doctor! You think
you’re smarter than the rest of us, don’t you? You think you’re smarter than
the millions of brave men and women that put their lives on the line for the
Federation? You want to do things the hard way, fine! But I’m going to get the
truth out of you and when I’m done I’m going to take whatever’s left of you and
I’m going to lock it away…’
‘Do you remember when I first offered scones?’
‘How do you deal with them?’ ‘Quietly.’
‘The next time he asks you to join his little group you will
say yes…’
The Good: Cleverly the deception begins from the second
scene where Bashir wakes up in what feels an hour after he has gone to sleep
(haven’t we all had a moment like that?) which has in fact only been an
hour to instantly unnerve and disorient him. Isn’t it great that Kookalaka the
stuffed bear who began his life in a throwaway story in The Quickening is now
being utilised as an instrument of suspense? What is it about being told that
your work is being monitored or evaluated that makes you so paranoid. I
remember when I used to work in an office and when the auditors were in there
was a feeling of disquiet and self doubt despite the fact that nobody had done
anything wrong. The DS9 universe is in the middle of a nasty war so the very
suggestion that there could be a traitor on board is enough to get everybody
suspecting and pointing the finger and the episode utilises that same feeling
of oppressive paranoia really well. It’s a great premise and if it was going to
be explored now is absolutely the best time. I love the way that little details
like the pencil under the sofa are focused on so intensely that they create
suspense. Armed soldiers run down corridors to freak out Bashir further and
Michael Dorn cleverly shoots Bashir’s walks too and from the ward room in the
style of a criminal being taken to his execution chamber. Given the twist about
Bashir being a shapeshifter in In Purgatory’s Shadow and genetically enhanced
in Dr Bashir, I Presume we know the writers are willing to take risks with this
character. Which means there is a real possibility that he really could be a
Dominion spy! Dragging Bashir through the Promenade is a great visual that wont
be forgotten in a hurry. The sudden beaming out of Bashir by Weyoun was when I
finally came around to thinking this was an illusion…but its such a great scene
with the Vorta Ambassador at his seductive best and it works because this is
where Bashir is really questioning himself. To say that the introduction
of Section 31 is like a copycat version of Babylon 5’s Psi Corps is to do this
episode and the series a massive injustice. For one thing these aren’t telepaths
and they do use magical science fiction trickery to manipulative people, they
use psychology which is far more effective dramatically speaking. Secondly
Sadler is ten times the actor Walter Koenig is (I’m sorry to all of you TOS
aficionados but its true). Thirdly the Psi Corps doesn’t destabilise the
very nature of the show like Section 31 does. We have been told about the
flawless, superior Federation ever since the early days of TNG and Picard and
Janeway have held up the values of this conglomerate of planets as a badge of
honour, sometimes insultingly so. For us to learn that there is an inscrutable,
insidious organisation working beneath the public persona of the Federation to
murder, corrupt and destroy any potential threats is jaw droppingly exciting
and makes a mockery of all those drawn out egotistical speeches of Picard’s
about the infallibility of the Prime Directive. To pioneer such an organisation
is to DS9’s credit as they have always taken a far more realistic approach to
the Federation (it is criticised at every possibility by the alien characters
and quite rightly too) and as Odo says it seems brainless to think that there
isn’t a dark underbelly looking out for the Federation’s best interests. What
this means is there is an avenue for more stories exploring the activities of
Section 31 and a chance for the superb William Sadler to return. To massive
plus points in this shows favour.
The Bad: The two security officers are a little overplayed
at times (‘I believe that but yours were Jem H’adar!’).When he is quickly
rescued by the Defiant so quickly and the crew are so overwrought about his
betrayal (‘Why did you do it Julian?’) the cleverly built up scenario
comes tumbling down. Its all in the execution rather than the script but I
think this is the point where the walls are supposed to come crashing down
because that is when they reveal the deception. You’d think we were heading for
an appalling Star Trek wrap up when nothing could be further than the truth…
Moment to Watch Out For: The final confrontation between
Bashir and Sloan is one of the best conclusions to a DS9 episode. No quick
fixes, no technobabble, no Trek clichés…its an exploration of ‘the end
justifying the means’, a genuinely innovative addition to the Trek universe and
a two finger salute to the tedious morality of Roddenberry inflicted upon this
series. The sooner Section 31 returns, the better.
Fashion Statement: Spare me the sight of O’Brien in his
tight fitting lycra kayaking gear!
Result: ‘We search out and identify potential dangers to
the Federation…’ A clever, intense episode that genuinely opens a door in
the Star Trek universe to somewhere much darker and sinister. There are so many
great things about Inquisition from its dark, oppressive atmosphere, its twists
and turns, an extremely strong role for Bashir, a compelling turn by William
Sadler and an ending that threatens to disappoint but then completely floors
you by shifting the morality of the Federation as we know it. I doubt that Gene
Roddenberry would have liked the direction this episode takes Star Trek in and
it is so much the better for it in my eyes! Michael Dorn’s sophomore effort is
another confidently told piece with lots of subtle details adding up to make
the tone as repressive as possible and you genuinely feel for Bashir as his
past decisions come back to haunt him and damn his character. The interrogation
scenes are awesomely scripted and performed with plot details from previous
episodes cohering to create a convincing case against Bashir and for a while it
is possible to believe that Dominion really did break him. The
introduction of Sloan and Section 31 proves that even now when we are a stones
throw away from the series’ end DS9 is still innovating and adding to its
legacy and what an addition this is. If we hadn’t have seen this perfidious
organisation again I would have been disappointed but Inquisition spawns the
equally deft Inta Arma Enim Silent Leges. A terrific instalment: 9/10
In the Pale Moonlight written by Michael Taylor (although it
has Ronald D. Moore’s fingerprints all over it and he should deservedly get the
credit) and directed by Victor Lobl
What’s it about: Sisko is going to bring the Romulans into
the war…
Single Father: We open on Sisko making his log, distracted
and frustrated and its easy to see that this isn’t going to be an easy ride. He
can’t even talk to his closest friend (Dax) about what he has done so he has to
lay it out in a message that he knows can never be entered officially
into the log. Sisko has always been a realist and a fighter but his decision to
bring an entire race of people into their conflict with the Dominion takes his
recklessness and risk taking to a whole new level. He will single handedly be
condemning a race of people to terrible casualties to make the losses his side
is taking less severe. That’s dark territory for any character but for Sisko
who has always been characterised as a builder of things to see him tear a
society down so brazenly is shocking. Its another example of this war pushing
the characters into dark corners and forcing them to make tough calls that will
relieve the situation but eat at the soul. What’s very sweet is that initially
Sisko does believe that he might be able to dredge up some genuine evidence of
Dominion duplicity. His intentions were good but I don’t think he realises (at
first) the lengths he is going to have to go to to see this thing through.
Sisko steps over the line as soon as Garak suggests manufacturing evidence to
convince the Romulans of the Dominion’s intended treachery and he listens.
He had the choice to walk away and he didn’t take it. Sisko thinks that he is
off the hook by getting permission to go ahead with this insane plan from
Starfleet Command but the moral implications soon sink their claws into him. I
get goosebumps every time I see Brooks addressing the camera directly and
telling us that people are dying out there everyday and his morality will have
to be shoved aside to save lives. If you want to see how intimidating Sisko can
be as a character and Avery Brooks can be as an actor watch the scene where he
threatens Tolar, pinning him to the wall. Brrrr. The trouble with
Sisko’s argument to Vreenak is that he is talking about what will happen after
the war is over…the Romulan has facts at his fingertips the prove that there is
a more likely chance that the Dominion will win given the current statistics.
He lied, he cheated, he bribed men to cover the crimes of other men, he is an
accessory to murder…and yet he thinks he can live with it. Sisko looks directly
at the audience and tells us that he can live with his guilty conscience…but
faltering repeats the statement as though even he can’t quite believe it.
GE Doctor: Bashir has become a tough bastard this year,
hasn’t he? I love the way he stands up to Sisko in this episode and refuses to
be cowed by his intimidation.
Nine Lives: It’s the last great Sisko/Dax scene of the
series where she steps into the role of a Romulan leader and tries to make
Sisko see that he is going to have to provide some pretty compelling evidence
in order to get them to side with the Federation. Her controlled, eyebrow
raising delivery is spot on and Sisko is right when he suggests that Dax would
have made a good Vulcan! ‘So their crossing my backyard to give the Federation
a bloody nose? I can’t say that makes me feel very sad…’
Community Leader: The look of satisfaction on Quark’s face
when he realises that every man has his price is a golden moment in this drama.
Neelix would have been only too willing to have helped Janeway out of this
sticky situation with the law whereas Quark is revelling in the fact that he
has the good Captain at his mercy and exploits the situation for all the profit
that he can.
Plain and Simple: It’s a tough call but this probably just
about inches out The Wire, Improbable Cause and In Purgatory’s Shadow as the
finest Garak episode but it is a very tough contest. Andrew Robinson gives a
tour de force performance in this instalment and manages to deliver some
stunning expository dialogue to the audience with razor sharp wit and
compelling menace. After Garak’s disturbing revelation that everybody seems to
trust him these days along comes an episode that shows how dangerous this man
can be and how far he is willing to go to get results. Infiltrating enemy
territory and dredging up damning evidence against the Dominion is a suicide
mission and that is way outside his field of expertise. I love the way Garak
informs Sisko that all of his contacts on Cardassia are all dead within one day
of speaking to him (‘I guess that’s a testament to Dominion security…’) because
he is wide eyed and amused by the idea! It seems that since the murder of Ziyal
he has lost all interest in relationships and is focussing on the bigger
picture. Garak’s plan to convince the most openly pro-Dominion Romulan senator
to back them and forcing the rest of the Senate to fall into line is a strong
one but what a risky strategy to use faked evidence of a planned
invasion of Romulus. Despite things being this perilous there’s still time for
some great humour with Garak as he tells Tolar that he will be along to say hello
and winds up Worf just by telling him it’s a pleasure to see him.
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘That was the moment I made the
decision. It was like I had stepped through a door and locked it behind me. I
was going to bring the Romulans into the war!’
‘It may be a very messy, very bloody business. Are you
prepared for that?’
‘You will tell the Senator that this information was
obtained through various covert means at great cost to the Federation. At least
ten good men lost their lives bringing it across the line, that sort of thing.’
‘I have to promise to stay away from the Klingon Empire. That’ll
be tough!’
‘I’m making a new agreement. If that programme passes inspection,
you walk free but if there is even the slightest flaw then I will send you back
to that Klingon prison and tell Gowron to take his time while he executes
you!’
‘To be honest my opinion of Starfleet officers is so low
you’d have to work very hard in indeed to disappoint me…’
‘The soufflé will either rise or it wont. There’s not a damn
thing you can do about it!’
‘It’s a faaaaake!’
‘And what about Tolar? Did you kill him too?’ ‘Think of them
both as tragic victims of war!’
‘That’s why you came to me, wasn’t it Captain? Because you
knew I could do those things that you weren’t capable of doing. Well it worked
and you’ll get what you wanted, a war between the Romulans and the Dominion.
And if your conscience is bothering you you should soothe it with the knowledge
that you may have just saved the entire Alpha Quadrant and all it cost was the
life of one Romulan senator, one criminal and the self respect of one Starfleet
officer. I don’t know about you but I’d call that a bargain.’
The Good: The idea of framing the story with Sisko’s log
entries is a stroke of genius because throughout it guides us through this web
of lies and deceit, it emphasises moments of drama and makes them even more
tense than they already are and it allows us closer to Sisko than we have ever
been before and it his darkest moment of the war. It gives us a direct window
to Sisko’s soul, he isn’t really making a log, he is talking to directly to us
and asking for us to make a judgement on these events. The fourth wall has well
and truly been smashed. The very idea of a weekly casualty list being posted
and becoming a grim ritual on board the station during wartime is terrifying –
Sisko mentions that not a week goes by when somebody doesn’t spot the name of a
friend, an acquaintance or a family member on that damned list. It’s a crushing
reminder that peoples lives are being affected everyday by this devastating war
and Sisko has grown to hate Friday’s when he has to post them. The Romulans
have always been the most evasive and insidious of Alpha Quadrant races and as
Dax says they are in the perfect position to watch their biggest rivals slug it
out in a long bloody war. It makes what Sisko suggests so dangerous, by
attempting to bring the Romulans into the war it could go either way. They
could ally themselves with either side and since the Federation is taking such
heavy losses already it would just about finish them off to have another fleet
turn against them. With so many lives hanging in the balance and an example of
the dramatic uprooting of peoples of lives if this goes wrong being epitomised
in the opening six episodes of this season, the stakes have never been higher.
That is a great place to start an episode. The Dominion has invaded
Betazed? About damn time! We can only hope that Counsellor busybody was
visiting her mother at the time (Troi has never been a decent character and
Lwaxana failed to impress in either Fascination or The Muse) and was caught in
a horrific blast by a Jem H’adar strike party. What’s that? She turns up on
Voyager? Trust them to spoil the party! Tolar is exactly the sort of weird
looking alien that turns up on Voyager every week (in fact I think he might be
the very alien from The Voyager conspiracy painted blue!) but he is given a DS9
makeover and winds up being a seedy, drunken, violent criminal that Sisko just
happens to need to see this scheme through. Throughout Victor Lobl’s direction
is claustrophobic and tenser than the elastic on a fat mans waistline but the
way he executes the sneaking in of the Romulan ship invisibly is expertly done.
Stephen McHattie provides a memorable Romulan character and probably the most
important appearance of anybody from that species in the Trek franchise. His
signature line has gone down in Trek history (its there in the sparkling
dialogue section). The Dominion shipyards are operating at peak efficiency
whilst the Federation ones are being rebuilt, the Dominion is breeding legions
of Jem H’adar warriors and Starfleet is experiencing a manpower shortage…which
side would you choose? Garak has set up Vreenak as evidence that the Dominion
is planning to invade Romulus. By murdering him on a secret detour to a
Federation station when publicly he is returning from Dominion territory it
looks like they have tried to assassinate him because he has found out
something dreadful. With the data rod surviving and any imperfections put down
to the explosion there is all the evidence they need to join forces with the
Federation against an enemy that was planning to conquer them. Clever
bastard. Sisko deleting his log means we as the audience are the only
people that will ever know what has happened to bring the Romulans into the
war, its our secret now. Absolute perfection.
The Bad: This is not a criticism of this episode but of the
sort of people that suggest that because this is an episode of Star Trek this
isn’t a drama that is entering dark territory like ‘real life’ dramas do. The
horrendously underwritten and overpriced Trek review book Final Frontier
suggests this and it made me want to use the breeze block of a book and use it
for toilet paper but I wouldn’t assail my arse with such disagreeable
scribblings. Whilst shows such as The West Wing do open our eyes to the tough
decisions of government and how people are affected about those decisions it is
the scale of this episode that makes it so impressively sinister and
penalties so colossal. We’re not talking about one planet but an entire
Quadrant. One mans soul is the tipping point between saving billions of
lives and throwing them away. We are never allowed to forget the consequences
if Sisko’s plan is compromised (indeed we saw that in The Sacrifice of Angels
when Weyoun suggested that the entire population of Earth would be wiped out if
the Dominion managed to take the Quadrant) and we are reminded of the crushing
effect on his morality if he does go through with it. Under any circumstances
this is dangerous material, ominously presented and it genuinely pushes DS9 (a
show that is no stranger to presenting the less savoury side of life in the 24th
Century) into even darker territory. Its fascinating to compare the lives of
Sisko and Janeway in their respective series six – he is juggling the fates of
Empires whilst she is personalising her own dildo!
Moment to Watch Out For: Has there ever been a better ‘oh
shit!’ moment than the one where Vreenak turns on Sisko in appalled fury and
declares that he knows the data rod is a fake. All of the worrying, the buttock
clenching, the soul searching…all of that for nothing as the whole plan
crumbles before Sisko as the Romulan plans to expose his deception to the
entire Quadrant. The first time I watched this I was gasping for air! Like the
minefield being deactivated and Dukat’s declaration that he is going to murder
everybody on Bajor it is another season six moment where I genuinely thought
‘how the hell are they going to get out of this one?’ If that wasn’t enough the
final dialogue between Garak and Sisko is possibly one the best scripted
exchanges ever seen in Trek. Go and watch it now and bask in the riveting
performances.
Only DS9: Erm, yes.
Orchestra: Rocks & Shoals, The Sacrifice of Angels and
Tacking the Wind all have outstanding David Bell soundtracks but I don’t think
his music has ever felt more appropriate than in In the Pale Moonlight. As soon
as Sisko embarks on this scheme it is greeted by a foreboding notes that
suggest this is going to be an ominous ride and the dark forcefulness of the
score when Sisko shoves his principles aside and pushes on gave me chills.
Foreboding: This is the beginning of a strong Romulan
presence on DS9 which would turn out to be another fine innovation late in the
day that would reap some dramatic rewards. Check out Shadows & Symbols and
Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges for the best examples of this.
Result: Justifiably one of the most popular episodes of Star
Trek and paradoxically one of the least Roddenberryesque pieces of drama the
franchise ever put out, In the Pale Moonlight is a triumph of taking risks and
winning and establishes itself as a benchmark in quality for DS9. Sisko has the
germ of an idea that could help the Federation win the war but in order to put
that into practice he has to make a deal with the devil, wrestle with his
conscience and put the lives of billions of innocent people before his own
integrity. Before you know it the Captain is breaking crooks out of jail,
manipulating logs, blackmailing local crooks and obtaining illicit tender for
the criminal classes. It’s an astonishing downward spiral of events that fights
against the grain of Roddenberry’s idea of the perfect leader. The next time
you want to criticise Avery Brooks’ performance as Sisko remember this episode
and bite your tongue. Between Far Beyond the Stars, Waltz and In the Pale
Moonlight you have an actor that has blossomed into his role and is delivering
powerhouse performances on a regular basis. Coupled with Andy Robinson’s tour
de force as Garak who is characterised so sharply he might just slash your
wrists if you get too close and you have a drama that is truly bolstered by the
gob smacking quality of the dialogue and performances. The epic sweep of events
and the fiendishness of Garak’s plan kept me on tenterhooks throughout and at
one point I genuinely thought it was all over for the Federation. I’ve said it
before but I don’t think it is more appropriate than during this episode (and
selected highlights of season seven) but putting DS9 on a war footing has been
the best decision Trek has ever made. It has forced the show to raise its game
even higher, delivered consistently powerful drama and afforded the Trek
franchise to explore some edgier, more controversial themes. In the Pale
Moonlight is the epitome of all of these innovations and top class drama in its
own right: 10/10
His Way written by Ira Steven Behr & Hans Beimler and
directed by Allan Kroeker
What’s it about: Odo is lost in love and needs some help to
get the girl…
Single Father: Its possibly the best Sisko cameo of all the
wonderful contractual appearances he has made this year! Odo turns up in his
office and delivers a report and starts singing and the good Captain joins in
with him! Its delightfully played (Brooks really has been superb this year) and
somehow I can’t imagine the Worf/Picard or Tuvok/Janeway alternative ever taking
place.
Tasty Terrorist: Even if everything in her is telling her
not to go on a date with Odo who could possibly resist the charms of James
Darren? If he told me to go on a date with Neelix I think I would have to
relent. All of Kira’s reactions on their first date are right on the money from
her feeling silly being in a holosuite, losing her appetite, seeing Odo
enjoying himself and opening herself up to the possibility of a future with him
and her laughter as they dance together. The chemistry between Auberjonois and
Visitor has never been better.
Unknown Sample: ‘You’ve got about as much personality as
an icicle. Cool is one thing but you’re frozen solid!’ The embarrassed look
between Odo and Kira at Vic’s says everything about how much help these two
need to get them to admit how they feel to each other. Vic can see what we have
all seen for the past four seasons, that Odo is crazy about Kira but he’s too
afraid to do anything about it. He also knows that Kira thinks of him as a
friend and that women have been known to change their minds with a good enough
reason. I love the way he tenses up again as soon his friends are mentioned, he
simply doesn’t know how to let go around them. The scene where he gets to hold
the fake Kira should be lecherous and uncomfortable but Rene Auberjonois
absolutely sells the moment. It feels as though an ambition that has weighing
on him for so long has finally been fulfilled and we almost breathe a sigh of
relief with him. But its still not the real thing…and surely they would never
go all the way with this romance and have the real Kira fall under his charms?
His awkward rejection of the fake Kira proves how bad Odo is at this sort of
thing and makes you wonder how on Bajor he is going to manage with the real
thing! The horror that crosses Odo’s face when he realises he has romancing the
real Kira is worthy of Shakespearean character in one of the Bard’s comedy of
errors!
Everyday Engineer: Rather than having his wrist slapped for
eyeing up the ladies at Vic’s he is encouraged to do so…you can look at the
menu with greedy eyes but you can’t order anything.
Nine Lives: Whilst we usually get to catch up with Dax when
she is being heroic or witty His Way exposes what she gets up to the rest of
the time – gossiping in the turbo lifts! Oh she’s a terror for gossip, that
one.
Community Leader: This is another surprising use of Quark
this year has managed to be an action hero twice (The Sacrifice of Angels, The
Magnificent Ferengi) and now gets to be the best friend that Odo never had by
giving him some tough advice and keeping his evening trips to Vic’s quiet. Odo
has had over a year to approach Kira since she found out how he feels and he
has let every opportunity slip away…and Quark tells him that simply and
directly just like a good friend needs to.
50s Crooner: Introducing Vic Fontaine, the character with
the daftest spec and yet one of DS9s best successes. He’s a smart, amiable
fellow who has seen much of life and is ready to help out whenever you need
him. He also has pretty sweet lungs for a light bulb! I laughed my head off
when he told Bashir that his entourage need to wear smarter clothes next time
they visit…coming in their Starfleet/Bajoran uniforms they look like a trapeze
act! Cleverly Vic uses Odo playing the piano to prove that with the right style
you can make people believe anything and by the end he is thoroughly enjoying
himself – the ice cube has melted! He arranges for some gorgeous buxom babes to
accompany Odo and him on a night out so he can practice his charm offensive…and
by the looks of it he is going to need as much rehearsal as possible! I love
the way Vic cheekily skips from his programme to Kira’s meditation one to set
up a date! Its bonkers and on verge on implausible but its terrifically shot and
performed so who gives a damn?
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘You know what a square is, right?’ ‘Its
one side of a cube!’ ‘Well I guess that answers my question…’
‘You’re not exactly the most lovable person in the galaxy.
You’re not even the most lovable person in this sector. Or on the station. Or
even in this room.’
‘Maybe I could help you get your diploma…’ – kinky bitch!
‘And after that I suppose you’ll expect me to kiss you?’
‘It’s possible!’ ‘Well who needs dinner why don’t I just get it over with and kiss
you right now?’ ‘Well why don’t you?’ – I don’t know how I thought Kira and Odo
would get together but this was the furthest thing from my mind! And I couldn’t
be happier!
Dreadful Dialogue: ‘Catch you later baby!’ just sounds wrong
coming out of Bashir’s mouth!
The Good: I love the closeness of everybody in the first
scene as Vic belts out his first number – Dax & Worf are cuddling at the
bar, Bashir and O’Brien are practically holding hands and Odo & Kira are on
the verge of consummating their relationship. The bar itself is a masterful
piece of design, so completely un-Star Trek in its style and atmosphere that it
makes an instantly fun place for the characters to hang out. Unlike Sandrines
on Voyager (which was similarly anachronistic and a delight to visit) the DS9
production team know when they are onto a good thing and don’t chuck it away.
Like all good romantic musicals the director makes his cast look as pretty as
possible so notice how soft and warm the lighting is throughout this episode. Come
on admit it…you want to have a few sips of a Warp Core Breach as much as I do!
Sticking Odo in a tux is a mighty fine idea and they way he chases the piano
keys during his performance makes me laugh every time. The date between Kira
and Odo is one of my favourite sequences of the year – everything about it is
just perfect. The mood, the music, the performances…this is one episode I find
it really easy to luxuriate into. What an old romantic…I can’t tell you how
many times I rewound the scene where Odo and Kira argue on the Promenade and
end up in a passionate embrace for everybody to see! Its sensational,
spectacular, totally out of this world…and I love it! Quark’s smile,
Dax’s raised eyebrow, the music…oops sorry I’ve gone off to my happy place
again!
The Bad: I agree that a 1950s crooner who dispenses advice
on love, life and women and winds up counselling half the regular cast is a
ridiculous idea. But d’you know what – they make it work. His Way, Its
Only a Paper Moon and Badda Bing, Badda Bang are three terrific episodes and in
James Darren’s hands Vic is a delight. Now I believe that this production team
can pull anything off. The only scene that really makes me cringe is the
‘total clarity’ advice that Dax gives. What is she going on about?
Moment to Watch Out For: It has to be Nana Visitor’s
scorching turn as Lola Crystale and her smouldering rendition of Fever (which
was another of my wedding songs…). Boy oh boy she is smoking hot. I don’t
butter my bread that way but I would!
Fashion Statement: How great does Odo look in a tuxedo? Kira
as Lola is smoking hot but Kira as Kira in eveningwear just about takes the
biscuit. Whenever they get Nana Visitor out of that figure hugging monstrosity
I am reminded of just how beautiful this woman is.
Result: Commentators on His Way fall into two categories;
those that love it and those that hate it. Can you guess which category I fall
under? I had no relationship with 50s music before I watched this episode and
because of it I now have a stunning CD collection of tunes that includes
the James Darren soundtrack. Even better I fell so much in love with ‘I’ve Got
You Under My Skin’ as heard here when Odo and Kira finally clinch the deal that
it was mine and Simon’s first dance on our wedding day. This just ticks all of my boxes, its witty,
passionate, visually stunning and played with such sunniness and delight that
my critical faculties melt away and I just bask in the glorious atmosphere of
it all. The songs are fantastic and it’s the closest we are ever going
to get to a musical in this franchise (incidentally a genre I adore) with James
Darren stepping into the series as though he has always been there and oozes
style and charisma. Auberjonois, Visitor deliver sparkling performances too and
Allan Kroeker proves to be as adept at bringing romantic comedy to life as
memorably as drama. It takes hold of the Odo/Kira romance plot and does
something that nobody expected…they finally get it together! If you feel that
it happened on such a fluffy, superficial episode then don’t panic because
there is plenty of deep stuff to come for these two but for now just bask in
the warm glow of sentimentality exudes because things are going to get a lot
darker soon. Is it corny? You bet your life! Does it give me a great big hug
and make me feel like kissing the man I love? Without a doubt. I’ve got His Way
under my skin and every rewatch reminds me of the first time this all singing,
all romanticising dazzler first enchanted me: 9/10
The Reckoning written by Bradley Thompson & David Weddle
and directed by Jesus Salvador Trevino
What’s it about: War has broken out between the Prophets and
the Pah Wraiths…
Single Father: Kira is right, it is nice for Sisko to find
something else to obsess over for a while than the Dominion. . Rapture brought
out something very special in Avery Brooks as Sisko tackled the mystery of the
lost city in a gentle but compulsive manner and here he taps into that energy
again but the man is in a much darker place than he was then (he’s coping with
a bloody war rather than the potential coming together of Bajor and the
Federation). Dax recalling that Sisko used to call the Prophets ‘wormhole
aliens’ is another reminder of how much his opinion has changed about Bajor
since he first arrived. There’s a great scene between Sisko and Kira where he
admits that Winn is not an easy woman to like and Kira admits that she is
envious of how he gets to speak with her Gods and they listen to him. Its not a
gift he sought and that is why she doesn’t resent him. Its very satisfying that
Sisko demands that the Prophets tell him what they want him to do and stop
being so damned mysterious and even though he tries to suggest that they wanted
him to smash the tablet I bet he enjoyed doing it too as a two finger
salute in the Kai’s face. When his staff are all telling him the same thing –
to not allow the battle between these elemental forces to take place on the
station – Sisko is firm in letting it take place because he owes the Prophets.
That is until he sees who the enemy vessel is… They just love tossing Sisko
about, don’t they these elemental forces? He’s sure that the Prophets wont let
anything happen to Jake but as Dax points out they are currently trying to kill
him!
Tasty Terrorist: The way Kira subtly mentions that she
doesn’t know how people get through the day without faith is another of those
grand moments that reminds you that this is an openly religious character on
television who isn’t a psychopath or cult nutter (we’ll leave all that to
Winn). Its actually rarer than you might think. Odo thinks the Prophets chose
her because she has faith and humility.
Unknown Sample: It’s like Odo is a different person now he
is in a relationship with Kira and the way they flirt and touch foreheads after
everybody has left the ward room is lovely. Odo has only just found love with
Kira which is something he has pined for for a long time and that makes his
support of her wishes to be a vessel for the Prophets all the more meaningful.
That’s the mark of true respect between lovers, to allow them to proceed with
something that you don’t agree with because it is something they need to do. He
is rewarded for that moment of selflessness and it gives their relationship an
extra layer of depth.
Nine Lives: ‘I had a pretty good idea of what this was
when I first laid eyes on it…it’s a slab of stone with some writing on it!’
Dax is in an especially cheeky mood this week but then to be fair she has often
been quite clipped and humorous when talking about Sisko’s role as the
Emissary. It’s Dax who reminds Sisko that the Prophets said he would have to
exact a penance…brrr!
Young Sisko: How nice to be reminded that Jake exists! Was
Cirroc Lofton unavailable for most of this year or something? I always thought
it was season seven that neglected him the most (but thinking about it he turns
up in Image in the Sand, Shadows & Symbols, Afterimage, Take Me Out to the
Holosuite, It’s Only a Paper Moon, Til Death Do Us Part and What You Leave
Behind) but to my knowledge this the first we have seen of him since…Far Beyond
the Stars! And he wasn’t even himself for much of that episode! With his large
role in The Reckoning, Valiant, The Sound of Her Voice and Tears of the
Prophets its nice that one of the quietest and yet most talented guest
performers is about to get some real focus again. Jake is disappointed with
B’Hala and considers them just a load of old ruins…he was probably hoping to
get acquainted with a Pah Wraith. Be careful what you wish for Jake! Twice in
one year Dr Bashir has called him to the Infirmary to tell him that something
is wrong with his father, that’s why this Emissary stuff scares him so
much. I have to give Cirroc Lofton his due, he plays the evil sonofaPahWraith
with real melodramatic fervour.
Spiritual Leader: ‘Perhaps the next time we have a
disagreement he’ll consider my wishes more thoughtfully’ ‘The next time? You’re
anticipating more disagreements?’ Winn is back for her annual visit
and this time she is determined to make Sisko’s life a political hell. She’s
appalled that Sisko has taken the artefact from an archaeological site without
her consultation but promises to let the Prophets decide whether it was a good
idea. Then as soon as his back is turned she’s on the phone to Shakaar and
Starfleet and piling on the bureaucratic pressure to have it taken back into
her custody! You’ve got to watch that one! She has spent her whole life in the
service of the Prophets and after all those years of self sacrifice and
commitment they choose an outsider, a non believer as their Emissary. When put
like that you can see why she is so bitter. She has to share the role of
spiritual leader with Sisko and she is jealous of his relationship with the
Prophets. The Kai implores the Prophets to speak to her but it resolutely
ignores her…if they really can see the past and the future as one they must
recognise her and the allegiance that she is going to make in the next season.
Kira blatantly points out the mistake that Winn has made. Sisko was willing to
sacrifice his own son to ensure that the Pah Wraiths were destroyed but Winn
stepped in because she couldn’t bear for him to be the saviour of Bajor. It’s a
decision she will dearly regret for the short time she has left to live.
What’s Morn up to: He doesn’t look particularly impressed
when the Kira Prophet stats smashing up his favourite bar!
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘The time of reckoning is at hand. The
Prophets will weep. Their sorrow will consume the gateway to the temple…’
‘During the Reckoning the Bajorans will either suffer
horribly…or eat fruit. Given the tone of the rest of the inscriptions I would I
would bet on horrible suffering.’
‘If you talk to the Prophets again, ask for a dictionary.’
‘You’re not getting another urge, are you?’
The Good: The opening scene is carefully crafted to get all
the viewers up to speed on the latest developments – the Dominion is winning
the war, the Romulans have recently joined in the fight and Kira and Odo are
now a couple…and there is even still time these days to enjoy some further
exploration of Bajoran mythology! The last time the show was focussing on
B’Hala it was a rich episode so even the mention of the lost city gives me
happy feelings. Unlike Voyager, DS9 usually gets around its zanier of premises
by having its regular cast all having conflicting opinions on the matter –
Sisko risking his life for his visions in Rapture sparked off some dramatic
dialogue, as did the descendant dilemma of Children of Time and now here Bashir,
Odo and Quark discuss the relevance of the prophecies of doom that the tablet
has forecasted. Most people would just shrug off the forewarnings like Bashir,
Worf is worried but does not necessarily believe it and Odo believes in always
preparing for the worst. With so many intriguing opinions flying about the
place the insane premise (a divination of doom) feels real, relevant and like
something worth arguing about. You could have learnt a lot from this show,
Voyager! I’ve heard a lot of complaints about how the Prophets and the Pah
Wraiths actualise their battle but I think it works a treat, both in how its
realised and on a deeper, character level. Kira is willing to give up her life
to serve the Prophets and finds it a great honour to be chosen as their vessel
and Sisko has to see this thing through but might lose the one thing that means
the most to him in the world, his son. On a visual level Kira looks awesome
with blue contacts and the explosions that rock the station and noses oozing
blood give this fight a real sense of tension.
The Bad: The Kai recounts the terrible sufferings that
Bajorans are facing because of Sisko’s act of sacrilege but its all just words.
If we had been able to see the elements turning against the people it would
have made this feel far more epic. During the evacuation Worf seems to be at an
airlock and in Ops at exactly the same time. That’s not the sort of blatant
continuity error I have come to expect from DS9. Who are those random kids that
Dax finds in the corridor? Did some dreadful Bajoran parents just abandon them
as soon as the station began shaking itself apart?
Moment to Watch Out For: What Winn doesn’t realise is that
the Prophet was driving the Pah Wraith back and about to destroy it when she
activates the increase in chronoton particles that drive them both out of their
hosts. She is indirectly responsible for all of the lengths that the Pah
Wraiths go to to try and destroy the Prophets, including Dax’s sudden murder. I
was literally screaming at the TV for Winn not to get involved!
Foreboding: Reckoning literally means ‘a settling of
accounts’ and after Sisko’s warning that a ‘a penance will be exacted’ this
title and the sudden focus on the Prophets gets my tummy in knots. What’s
lovely is that this episode convinces you that the price for their help in
destroying the Dominion fleet is Jake but it’s all smoke and mirrors, the real
penance is the shocking developments in the season finale. Winn looks
positively hurt when she says the Prophets have never spoken to her…something
that would be explored (and explained) in some depth in season seven. The Pah
Wraiths were introduced in The Assignment last year when they tried to wipe out
the Prophets for good and we got a good look at their age old conflict. Now it
looks as if that conflict is going to take place writ large in the Alpha
Quadrant after their differences were failed to be resolved in their battle
here. God help anybody that gets in the way of elemental forces waging a war!
Result: The Reckoning is an odd beast for sure because it
isn’t as strong as either Accession or Rapture but it still managed to hold my
attention and had an abundance of rich dialogue and strong characterisation and
despite the unhurried pace I found this addictive viewing. Sisko is back in
passive obsessive mode, Kira deftly discusses her faith, Jake is worried that
he is going to lose his father to the Prophets (which is quite portentous), Dax
is devastatingly witty, Winn is pulling political strings and everybody else is
chipping in with their unique take on the foreboding prophecies that are
affecting the station. As soon as Kira and Jake start blasting the crap out of
each other as the Prophets and the Pah Wraiths you can see that the first half
an hour has all been set up to make this action sequence work on a personal
level as well as a epic and visceral one and I was jumping up and down on my
seat to see how it would work out. The intervention comes from a surprising
source and would lead to some dramatic developments down the line including the
destruction of the wormhole, the return of Benny Russell and a deliciously
loathsome romance between Winn and Dukat! This is the first step on that path
and whilst it isn’t the sharpest DS9 episode ever produced it is still ominous,
exciting and packed full of substance. Give it another go and you might just be
surprised at how good it is: 8/10
Valiant written by Ronald D. Moore and directed by Mike
Vejar
What’s it about: Red Squad are trapped behind enemy lines…
Community Leader: I like how the subplot looks as though it
is completely throwaway, a reminder of how much Quark would like to get into
Jadzia’s knickers and steal her away from Worf. When in fact it brings this up
at exactly the right time for her imminent demise so that his feelings can
transfer to Ezri and the competition with Bashir can begin. Plus its nice to
see Odo teasing Quark about being in love when he was just as succinct with his
feelings about Odo’s unrequited romance with Kira just a few episodes
previously.
Young Sisko: Wowza, the Federation must be desperate indeed
if they are turning to the Grand Nagus to make an alliance with Ferenginar!
Jake is on hand to get the first scoop as Nog delivers the message to the Nagus
and it is timely reminder of his job as a reporter for the Federation New
Service. When Jake gets to gobby in the face of their rescue by the Valiant his
console explodes and he is thrown to the floor – Moore fills his tale with lots
of little moments like that. Little touches that prevent the story from getting
too pat. Jake has always been one to talk a lot of good sense (his commentary
about cowardice in Nor the Battle to the Strong still resonates) but never more
so than here where he cuts through all the arrogance and sees these kids for what
they are – a bunch of Starfleet fanatics looking to blaze their names in the
stars even if it costs them their lives.
Starfleet Ferengi: Remember when Jake and Nog were last seen
in a runabout together at the end of season two? Nog was hopelessly out of his
depth, screaming at the computer to fire the torpedoes with Jake calming him
down and trying to pilot the ship. Now Nog is in Starfleet uniform, dodging a
squadron of Jem H’adar fighters and calmly giving Jake the instructions. You
can’t argue with that kind of development. Nog’s willingness to give his
allegiance to Watters and the Valiant crew might seem a little naïve until you
remember that a) he was desperate to join this group in Homefront/Paradise and
this is a direct continuation of that and b) he has become something of a
Starfleet drone just as they are (albeit a little more jaded hanging around
with the pleasingly robust DS9 crew). He’s being offered a promotion, a
position of real responsibility and a great deal of respect…who wouldn’t be seduced
by that? Losing this fight so badly is a hard lesson for Nog to learn but its
all part of his education to becoming a better Starfleet officer, one who
doesn’t blindly follow orders. To be continues in The Siege of AR-558 where he
follows an order that affects him very deeply indeed.
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘And then we destroyed that Cardie
ship!’ – that’s coming from the Captain, a commanding officer that has been
bred to express such racist opinions. We aren’t in Roddenberry territory
anymore…
‘Dawn is so shocking on the moon. One minute you’re in the
darkest night you can imagine and the next instant the sun lifts up and this
glorious, pure light just explodes across the surface…I felt like I met God
every morning’ – what a gorgeous description!
Dreadful Dialogue: ‘I don’t remember anyone inviting
you to the Bridge!’ – where’s that trout?
The Good: Defiant or Valiant…that make of ship blasting the
crap out of Jem H’adar fighters is a whole world of cool. Sheppard turning up
at the helm is a lovely touch of continuity after his appearance in Paradise
Lost. Watching this bunch of teenagers (I don’t think they are meant to be much
older) pretending to have the authority and the judgement of adults is
genuinely awkward to watch and I think that was supposed to be the idea. Most
of the performances work because they are trapped in that uncomfortable phase
between being an immature kid and being a sensible adult where there are
flickers of both so seeing them trying to behave in a similar manner to the well
oiled DS9 crew sets my teeth on edge. Its just asking for trouble. When they
start screaming out their squadron name you can see how they have been
completely brainwashed to aspire to perfection by Starfleet and as I have said
about Janeway on many times when she tries to break her wayward crewmembers it
strays uncomfortably close to parallels with the Nazi youth. This is the most
dominant example yet, their screaming mantra sounds just like a Nazi rally and
like Hitler’s army they think they are untouchable, the best that
humanity has to offer. Its an uncomfortable area to explore but one that I
think is well worth touching upon if only to expose further flaws in Gene
Roddenberry’s pleasant but unrealistic hopes for the future. Ashley Brianne
McDonogh is the perfect example of this childish maturity and she pitches her
performance perfectly. She’s uncomfortable with the responsibility she has been
given and cries because she misses her parents and yet tries to maintain a
professional attitude at all times. Her spiral into depression is quite
fascinating to watch and the cost of acting like a good Starfleet officer is
that she loses all of her colleagues and friends. That’s a tough lesson to
learn. Watters with his melodramatic poses and smooth charm is like a proto
Kirk (the way he spins around in his chair on the Bridge during the ‘preparing
for the attack’ montage is especially buttock clenching in that respect) and
its cringeworthy to watch…but that is the whole point. Its holding a
mirror up to how ridiculous these Starfleet Captain’s are with their
unflappable arrogance and superior attitudes and encapsulating all that heroism
into a child that cannot pull it off (the character, not the actor)
really drives that point home. I really admire that kind of criticism of the
franchise. Watters ‘We’re Red Squad and we can do anything!’ is paradoxically
one of the best and worst lines ever uttered in a Star Trek episode – the worst
because it is utterly humiliating in its fallacy but one of the best because it
is absolutely terrifying. These stupid, brainwashed kids actually
believe they can take on the toughest ship of the most badass enemy the
Federation has ever faced! Its at this point where I got those grumbles in my
belly that this wasn’t going to go down well (plus the Ron Moore name of the
credits and the memory of the end of Rocks & Shoals). Its astonishing that
they would afford a throwaway episode (and I mean that only in the sense that
it is only loosely connected to the central arc and the regulars) like this
such a dazzling effects sequence. The attack on the Dominion warship is another
top notch triumph for the CGI team with the Valiant sliding along the hull and
releasing a volley of torpedoes and some glorious shots from the POV of the
viewscreen. Physical effects match the graphics and the ship literally feels as
though it is being torn apart from the inside out. As the corpses start piling
up you have a graphic visual representation of how dangerous Starfleet ideals
can be when taken to the extreme. Does the destruction of a Defiant class ship
gut the similar scene that takes place this time next year? Maybe. Is it still
an astonishing effect anyway? Absolutely.
The Bad: Not since the last Voyager episode that I watched
have I wanted to slap somebody around the chops with a freshly caught trout
that is still wet and slimy as much as Courtney Peldon’s Farris. She’s is the
epitome of everything that is wrong with Starfleet, unwavering arrogance, the
ability to look down her nose at everybody that isn’t a member of Starfleet and
a square vision. There is more than a touch of Picard in this character and to
top it off Peldon plays the role with an atrociously wooden superiority.
Frankly if she didn’t die in the climax I would have demanded a refund for my
box set. This has been a pretty expensive year for DS9 all told with some
glorious space battles and luxurious production values in evidence (Far Beyond
the Stars, His Way). Some of that money has been recouped by reusing the DS9
sets (Empok Nor in The Magnificent Ferengi & Terok Nor in Wrongs Darker
& the holosuite in Inquisition) and the Defiant sets in this episode. I’m
not saying it’s a bad thing, just that it is a noticeable money saving
exercise.
Moment to Watch Out For: ‘You don’t understand because
you’ve never put on one of these uniforms! You don’t know anything about
sacrifice or honour or duty or any other thing that makes up a soldiers life!
I’m part of something larger than myself, something bigger than just me. All
you care about is you’ ‘That’s right! All I care about is Jake Sisko and
whether he’s going to be killed by a bunch of delusional fanatics looking for
martyrdom!’ An astonishing moment between these two characters who were
inseparable as children but have gone on to choose very different paths in life
that has led to some sizable differences that have driven a wedge between them.
It strikes me as very realistic development, if not likable because I have seen
this sort of thing happen so often between friends who were tight at an early
age and because estranged as they grew up and found out who they really are.
Plus the moment of triumph when the Valiant crew think they
have destroyed the ship that is so cruelly yanked away from them is an absolute
triumph in defying expectations. If this wasn’t a critique on the
absurdity of Federation principles they would be cheering all the way home to
Earth. Instead the ship survives the explosion (the effect when it careers
towards them through the flames is very menacing) and unleashes hell on the
kiddies, slaughtering all but a handful of their crew and completely destroying
the ship. What an ending! I especially love how the ruthless Dominion soldiers
open fire on the escape pods, destroying a handful of them as they start to
push away from the ship. Imagine the relieved teens in those pods, terrified
but glad to have escaped and going up in flames…
Fashion Statement: Is it wrong for me to fancy Captain
Watters? How old was he when he made this? 25…phew!
Result: Simon hates this episode (I think it has
something to do with irritating kids…) but I am much more favourable towards it
because of Mike Vejar’s urgent direction and Ron Moore’s refusal to allow these
supercilious kiddiewinks have a happy ending. Its probably the best ‘crazy cult’
episode that Star Trek has ever attempted because this time its personal and
the attack is against the Federation itself. Its another unique look at
the war from a fresh perspective and if you find the crew of the Valiant tough
to bear there is a dramatic schism between Jake and Nog to enjoy that shows
just how far both characters have come in unexpected directions. Some of the
guest performances aren’t the greatest (yeah Courtney Peldon I’m looking at
you) but as a look at how the Federation can actually cause more harm than good
at trying to breed people who think they are the best of the best I think the
presentation here is admirable. What really sells the episode is the last ten
minutes which features a terrifically nasty action sequence that wipes the
smiles of this arrogant bunch of cadets faces and reminds us of what a menacing
foe the Dominion is. The way it refuses to take the Star Trek route of
everything turning out for the best is commendably downbeat (had this been
Voyager they would be at home hugging their parents by the end), the death
count is shocking (and bloody) and the realisation of the Valiant’s destruction
unforgettable. This is the second episode in a row that hasn’t quite made it
into the upper echelons of DS9 but I still have a high regard for because it
pushes the show into some uncomfortable directions which I think might account
for its marmite reputation: 7/10
Profit and Lace written by Ira Steven Behr & Hans
Beimler and directed by Alexander Siddig
What’s it about: Quark’s cross dressing, Rom’s acting like a
gayer, the Grand Nagus is coming onto men…just a normal day on DS9!
Community Leader: We open this episode with Quark demanding
outrageous sexual favours from one of his female employees and threatening to
sack her if she doesn’t comply. Talk about tackling the theme from the off.
This isn’t even a perversion of his character because this misogynistic side to
his character has been in evidence since Captive Pursuit in season one. He’s
utterly patronising in the way that he compliments and then manipulates her…but
they have also been mainstays in his character since day one. If Quark’s
outraged reaction to the news that Ferengi women are being given equal rights
(‘that can’t be the good news?’) is anything to go by this is going to
be one hell of a fight! I could really buy into what Quark says about he and
his mother showing affection is by arguing – it would sure explain a lot about
my family! Most of the criticism of this episode seems to stem from Quark’s
characterisation when he is transformed into the luscious beauty that is Lumba!
Detractors comment that when he becomes a she there is a sudden vanity, light
headedness and melodramatic streak. What they fail to mention is that Quark
behaves like that as a man most of the time too! Lumba is also shrewd,
resourceful, improvisonal (‘doesn’t wearing all those clothes make you feel
like a deviant?’ ‘Not at all. Because I know that under these clothes…I’m
totally naked’), witty and smart. That’s a little bit like Quark too. So is
this episode actually saying that men and women are quite alike in many ways?
He suggests that his hormones are racing out of control because he has only
been a man again for a few hours…oh Quark, you’re that sensitive all the time!
Secret Genius: Rom mincing across the room and sitting down
like a man who has dropped the soap a few times in prison made me laugh so
hard.
Starfleet Ferengi: ‘And this my son Nog…he’s the first
Ferengi to join Starfleet!’ ‘I’ll try not to hold that against him.’ I’ve
always said the Nagus was a very perceptive man.
Wrinkly Tycoon: If you get the chance switch the DVD to
German and listen to the guy who is playing the Nagus…bloody hilarious! Playing
the DVDs on my computer has this weird effect of opening the episodes on German
rather than English and listening to the voice dubs can sometimes provoke some
real laughter! However there is only one Wallace Shawn and he is having a blast
and a half in this episode flirting with men and women, attempting a bar fight
and smoothing his way with Ferengi businessmen. He’s a delight to watch. Before
he met Moogie Zek was a lonely, unhappy man…but he was rich. It depends which
you think is more worthwhile as to which side of this argument you support.
Flighty Female: ‘Get used to it limp lobes! This is the
future…’ Moogie has big plans to liberate all females on Ferenginar and to
one day see a woman take the role of Grand Nagus! Even Zek looks shocked to
hear that. Whilst they have never exactly been the model mother and son unit in
the past they reach new levels of dynsfunctionalism here. When Quark criticises
his mother suggesting that she has been whispering feminist propaganda in the
Nagus’ ear ever since they have been together there is a hint of truth in his
words.
Acting Grand Nagus: Proving that perhaps these Ferengi
episode aren’t quite as realistically portrayed as the dramatic
instalments…having Brunt go from a pauper to Grand Nagus in the space of 10
episode is not exactly a convincing development. But we’ll go with it because
he’s such a slimy backstabber who’s loving the moment.
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘A Dominion invasion of Ferenginar?’
‘Think of the terrible repercussions to the Alpha Quadrant!’ ‘I cannot think of
any…’
‘Boys together we’re going to retake an Empire or diiiieeeee
in the attempt!’
‘Remember she’s Rom’s wife!’ ‘Meaning what?’ ‘Meaning she’s
broke!’ ‘She doesn’t look broke to me…’ – continuing the sexism theme, the
Nagus admires Leeta’s…umm attributes.
‘Tell him that tomorrow he’ll be meeting with another of my
female financial advisors….ueggggh….Lumba!’
‘I need you!’ ‘What you need is a cold shower!’
‘You maybe a lousy son but you made a wonderful daughter!’
The Good: The Nagus has supported a bill to allow Ferengi
females to wear clothes and go to work…and even earn profit. Say what
you will about these Ferengi episodes they flaunt more development that Voyager
manages in any of its plotlines throughout all of its seven series. I always
laugh my head off when all of the actors start singing the ‘Slug-o-Cola’
jingle! How great are these guys together (‘I just kicked the Grand Nagus out
of my bar!’ Everyone: ‘Acting Grand Nagus!’)? Its pretty amusing to
think that Profit & Lace is pretty much a re-run of the same events in In
the Pale Moonlight albeit with a comic slant. It’s a massive deception to get
the get the staunchest member of a race to agree to a radical change in policy
to promote a revolution. Moogie’s comedy faint shouldn’t be funny but it gets
me every time…I’m rally glad they were made to re-film these scenes. For once I
think Paramount was right on the ball - this shouldn’t have been a sinister
exploration of the mother/son dynamic. Sometimes it is a lot easier to make
your point effectively by making people laugh and when I did at this point I
suddenly thought…should I be laughing at this? Dragging up men has been
a staple of comedy since Shakespeare’s time and beyond and with the advent of
pantomime it is something that is celebrated en masse. I’m not sure why people
have a problem with Quark having a sex change and decking himself in
disgraceful women’s clothing but this is the sort of thing I have been exposed
to ever since I was three every single Christmas. The comic misunderstandings
(‘you may walk like a man but you make a very attractive female…confusing,
isn’t it?’, questions of sexuality (Rom is a total gayer!) and social
commentary (‘would you stop staring at your chest!’ says a lot about how men
view women) that this transformation encourages is worthy of the Bard. Shoving in
the man on man (or should that be man on man who has become a woman) kiss is
merely the icing on the cake!
The Bad: I think it will upset people more if I find no
fault in this at all.
Moment to Watch Out For: The sad truth is there are an awful
lot of men like Nilva who enjoy indulging in things that society would consider
utterly reprehensible. The fact of the matter is that this is a comedy
attempted rape scene…and whilst it should be deeply uncomfortable to watch it
is played so outrageously over the top it is impossible to look at it in that
manner. It’s a madly energetic slapstick scene with Quark running around a
table, threatening him with a chair and hanging from the ceiling. Its utterly
ridiculous and I can completely understand why some fans would hate it but
forgive if in the same breath I can enjoy it all the more so because of that.
‘Come to me my little love slave!’
Fashion Statement: Enhancing the pantomime feel of this
episode out steps Moogie wearing something that even a panto dame might blush
at putting on! Sequins & baubles & silks and bobbly bits!
Result: The worst Star Trek episode of all time! That
is what some insane people declare about Profit & Lace (obviously they
haven’t seen The Naked Now, Code of Honor, The Last Outpost, Justice, Hide
& Q, Home Soil, Where Silence Has Lease, The Outrageous Okona, Shades of
Grey, Captain’s Holiday, Devil’s Due, New Ground, Man of the People, Aquiel,
Suspicions, Descent, Gambit, Force of Nature, Sub Rosa, Masks, Emergence, The
Passenger, Melora, Second Sight, Rivals, Meridian, Fascination, Life Support,
Sons of Mogh, The Muse, Let He Who is Without Sin, Ferengi Love Songs,
Ressurection, The Emperor’s New Cloak – and not to mention two thirds of
Voyager’s overall output). I don’t even think it is the worst Ferengi
episode. Far from it. It’s a witty and watchable sitcom episode that takes hold
of sexism as a theme and absolutely murders it. I can more or less sum
up these Ferengi episodes by comparing them with a quaint old British sitcom
that was very popular in the 1990s…’Allo ‘Allo. The two have a great
deal in common. They are a mixture of farce and slapstick comedy, they employ
the services of confident actors with good chemistry to drive the witty
scripts, they rely on repeated (and ever more extreme) catchphrases to get the
best audience laughs and they spend a lot of time exploring the baser side of
humanity. This isn’t the sort of US sitcom where people walk into a room and
smile and get a round of applause without doing a thing (ala Friends & Will
and Grace), it is paradoxically (for a comedy) much darker and more introverted
than that (dealing with issues such as greed, gender disassociation, union
strikes and sexism). Frankly I can understand why the majority of the American
market didn’t go for these episodes because they aren’t shallow, cute and full
of sexy performers flirting madly with each other (odd how episodes such as
Take Me Out to the Holosuite & Badda Bing Badda Bang were much better
received in the US). Profit and Lace is patronising? Not from where I am
sitting. Quark’s transformation is outrageous and gaudy but it still has some
interesting things to say about how men treat women. Over the top? This is a comedy,
dammit! This is the last great outing for my Ferengi family and with Quark,
Rom, Nog, Moogie, the Nagus, Leeta and Brunt all on top form the chemistry
between the actors is more palpable then ever. You might think that I have gone
clinically insane to slaughter so many Voyager episodes and praise this one but
I can genuinely see a difference in quality between the two. Plus this gets an
extra point for the glorious sequence where the show finally tips over into old
school slapstick (I can hear the Benny Hill theme tune playing) and has
Quark running around a table trying to escape the clutches of a lecherous
misogynist. I can hear the teeth grinding of po faced Star Trek fans everywhere
during that scene and it makes me laugh all the more. Chill out guys…put Rise
and Favourite Son on if you need and antidote to all this fun. Chucklesome: 8/10
Time’s Orphan written by Bradley Thompson & David Weddle
and directed by Allan Kroeker
What’s it about: Molly falls through a time portal and
returns ten years older…
Tasty Terrorist: I love the fact that even during its lesser
episodes DS9 can still creep in the odd astonishing moment of characterisation
and Kira admitting that she might want a baby of her own one day (and Odo’s
pained reaction) really hits home.
Unknown Sample: Odo’s decision to help the O’Brien’s to
escape is really lovely and Keiko giving him a kiss and a cuddle practically
made me purr.
Mr Wolf: You know things are a little off when the best
material of the episode is ‘Worf the babysitter’ but that is underselling just
hoe charming this subplot really is. Michael Dorn is so chilled out in the role
these days he simply exudes charisma and his quirky chemistry with Terry
Farrell really makes me smile. He feeds, changes, sings and reads Kirayoshi a
story but still he cries…it’s the sort of horror that every new parent faces.
But Worf is trying to prove himself to Jadzia that he would be a good enough
father to her children so he wont give up. We get a glimpse of the old Worf
when he complete overreacts about Kirayoshi taking a little tumble but
fortunately Dax is there to sort him out.
The O’Briens: Its only during the first handful of scenes
that I realised how much we have seen the O’Brien household grow since Miles
and Keiko got together. We’ve watched their marriage, the birth of Molly, the
move to the station, the birth of Kirayoshi and now the addition of Chester.
Whilst these scenes are hardly a gripping start to an episode they do expose
just how natural they have cohered into a family unit. O’Brien promises his
daughter that they will never be apart again and aside from the massive irony
of that statement given what happens next he is true to his word and moves
himself and his family to Earth when the war is over. Even when the situation
is as ridiculous as this its great that the performances are so vivid –
Rosalind Chao and Colm Meaney really convince as parents sick with worry about
their missing little girl. Keiko has known Miles long enough to know when he is
planning something and she wants to face the consequences of whatever it is
with him. Their decision to let go of Molly and allow her to live her live back
in the past is a huge sacrifice but the way the material has been presented it
is clearly the best thing for her.
GE Doctor: I’m not really the best person to discuss
temporal mechanics with but I’m pretty sure the excuse Bashir spins as to why
they cannot return the older Molly to the portal and retrieve the younger one
is absolute nonsense. Surely it would just be a simple rewriting of her
history? And since the Doctor is isn’t around it doesn’t seem as though it is
going to impact much that is going on at the moment. Apart from there was
something a little off about Alexander Siddig’s performance here…he seemed a
little smug and self satisfied in each of his scenes. Go back and watch it and
see what I mean.
What’s Morn up to: He just about manages to avoid being
stabbed in the gut by Warrior Molly!
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘Oh bollocks!’
‘No. I am a Klingon warrior and a Starfleet officer. I have
piloted Starships through Dominion minefields. I have stood in battle against
Kelvin’s twice my size! I courted and one the heart of the magnificent Jadzia
Dax! If I can do these things I can make this child go to sleep!’
Dreadful Dialogue: ‘This is a ball Molly’ ‘May I have the
ball? Would you like the ball Molly?’ – have we wondered into a Voyager script
conference?
The Good: Imagine the horror of losing your kid down a
precipice like this? Trying to grab hold of her hand but just not being quick
enough? Little details like the older Molly bending down because she remembers
looking up them as a child help to see the situation (although I could have
done without O’Brien pointing this out). As ever the location is absolutely
stunning – this is definitely the sort of place I would love to go for a picnic
(minus the time portal of course). Molly’s blaze of destruction through Quark’s
superbly directed. It takes a lot of skill to make that kind of planned chaos
look completely accidental.
The Bad: I get the idea of shoehorning One Little Ship into
season six to try and show that whilst the series is immersing itself into a
long bloody war there is still space to tell fluffy Trek high concept bollocks.
I get that because they introduce a strong Dominion element into the story.
Time’s Orphan feels right out of place on the other hand because unlike the
rest of the season it is literally a standalone episode that has nothing to do
with anything much. Its just kind of there. It’s a pleasant enough watch for
the sincerity of the performances, etc but I cannot understand why it has a
place in the show at this stage of the game. It honestly feels like it heralds
from season three and the fact it sticks out like such a sore thumb shows that
this kind of Trek standby isn’t what DS9 is about anymore. So let me get this
straight Molly just happened to find the only time portal on the planet and
accidentally slipped into it? That just happened to be the spot where they had
their picnic and nobody did a scan for alien tech?
Moment to Watch Out For: The most blatant reset DS9 has
pulled off in many a year and its just as annoying as any of the myriad of
Voyager examples. Wouldn’t it have been hilarious if O’Brien had destroyed the
time portal just before the younger Molly was about to walk through? Or does
that make me sick?
Result: Molly, Warrior Woman? The writers are getting
pretty desperate at finding new ways to torture O’Brien, aren’t they? I cannot
deny that the performances are gorgeous and the musical score is absolutely
triumphant but this is surface gloss that hides the fact that Time’s Orphan
serves no other purpose but to fill an episode slot in the season and have no
impact on it whatsoever. I have never seen such a blatant attempt at a show
having its cake and eating it than when the O’Brien’s make a shocking decision
to lose their daughter for her happiness and then the younger version is
returned to them anyway. Molly has no role to play at all in season seven so
there is no reason why shouldn’t have been written out at this stage and it
would have certainly turned this unmemorable episode into something much more
powerful. The adventures of Worf the Supernanny should have continued…gungungung!
Completely disposable but entirely without merit: 5/10
The Sound of Her Voice written by Ronald D. Moore and
directed by Winrich Kolbe
What’s it about: A lone voice in the night is the answer to
the Defiant crews problems…
Single Father: Things are really strained between Sisko and
Kassidy and he is barely bothering to disguise it. Their brief scene in the
Mess Hall is one of awkward glances and discomfort. Just what Lisa needs to
hear is bunch of updates about a horrific war that she never even knew had been
raging! Nice one Sisko! Lisa can tell that Sisko and Kassidy are having
problems the second he mentions her name because there is no joy in his voice.
Its true actually, whenever I talk about Simon I usually find myself smiling. I
would hate for there to come a day when I stop. Lisa charms Sisko with her own
tale of woe concerning mixing work with pleasure and then dishes out some great
advice. She really should be a counsellor you know, or at least they
should get one aboard DS9 post haste because its clear that there are a lot of
issues that need discussing. Off duty Kassidy is exactly what Sisko needs but
she doesn’t belong in his work life. She’s a distraction and that’s a problem
and that’s why he doesn’t know how to handle her in this environment. When
Sisko heads over to apologise to Kassidy at Lisa’s wake for his rude behaviour
her whole body language screams of somebody who thinks they are about to
be given the push. This is a relationship that has hit some patches but always
manages to ride them. I heard them described as the dullest couple on TV (stand
up Gary Russell who actually took the honour of writing that himself when he
poisoned the Doctor/Charley relationship over at Big Finish Productions) but I
think they share a very believable chemistry and their continuing development
just makes them more watchable to me. I’m really glad we’ll be seeing a lot
more of Kassidy next year.
Everyday Engineer: Strangely this is a far better episode
for O’Brien than Time’s Orphan was (‘this is a ball Molly!’) and he once again
gets the chance to flaunt how great a character he is just by being so normal.
Having Lisa’s distressing whinings playing in the background as he tries to
establish contact just so somebody is listening is very sweet. He’s seen a lot
of combat and it’s a heavy burden to carry around and when Lisa asks where his
friends are and why he can’t discuss this with it opens his eyes to how he has
been isolating himself.
GE Doctor: As Kassidy points out once upon a time you
couldn’t shut Bashir up and now he barely allows you a syllable before sitting
on his own and immersing himself in his work. He deserved everything he got
when Lisa pretended to be attacked by a great scary monster! Fancy leaving a
damsel in distress hanging like that and focussing solely on your work.
Actually I have to be honest I’ve had a few phone conversations with my mum
like this…as much as I love her she can go on a bit so the standard ‘uh-huh’,
‘oh really?’ and ‘you don’t say’ responses come into play as I surf the web!
How did they let him out of medical school with this kind of bedside manner?
Community Leader: Quark is being persecuted by Odo again but
notices that as soon as Kira is in the bar his attention slides clean away from
him. Money spins in the air as Quark sees an opportunity to exploit their
relationship to distract Odo and make some profit. Quark spells out that he
helped Odo find love with Kira (which is true) and unbeknownst to him Odo is
listening from a disguised location and ponders thoughtfully on whether to let
the little toad get away with this one. He does of course and the delicious irony
is that Quark thinks that just this once he has beaten Odo when it is in fact a
rare moment of kindness from his nemesis. That makes me glow.
Young Sisko: Nice to get some Jake subplot action of the
sort we used to enjoy on a regular basis but has been put on hold since the war
broke out. He’s pretending that he’s working on a story and needs some
nefarious background detail for a criminal character but I think he just wants
to get his hands dirty and to see what Quark gets up to behind the scenes.
What’s Morn up to: Morn is stuck between Odo and Quark’s
usual round of bitching with the security officer suggesting he may tumble from
his stool and puncture one of his lungs (which makes him stand up) and Quark
rebutting that his body weight is perfectly distributed (and gives him a couple
of spins to prove it!). Poor sod.
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘She’s gone! I have eaten her!’ – hahaha!
‘I have this growing sense of isolation. I see people, I
talk to them, I laugh with them but some part of me is always saying they may
not be here tomorrow. Don’t get too close.’
‘I owe him one. So he’ll get this one. But just this
one.’
‘Contrary to public opinion I am not the arrogant, self
absorbed God-like Doctor that I appear to be on occasion. Why don’t I hear
anybody objecting to that statement?’ ‘I will if you insist’ ‘I insist’ ‘Then I
object!’
‘I never shook her hand and I never saw her face but she
made me laugh and she made me weep. She was all by herself and I was surrounded
by my friends yet I felt more alone than she did. We’ve grown apart, a lot of
us. We didn’t mean for it to happen but it did. The war changed us, pulled us
apart. Lisa Cusak my friend but you are also my friends and I want my friends
in my life because some day we’re going to wake up and we’re going to find that
someone is missing from this circle. And on that day we’re going to mourn and
we shouldn’t have to mourn alone. To Lisa and the sweet sound of her voice!’ –
if you ever needed proof of what an astonishing actor Colm Meaney is then stick
this scene on. He’s incredible and always reduces me to tears.
The Good: You can always tell when an episode is underunning
a tad because there is a very apparent b plot shoehorned in to make up the
time. Time’s Orphan was buoyed by a narrative of Worf holding the baby and The
Sound of Her Voice gets most of its laughs from the charming Odo/Quark subplot
(the likes of which we haven’t seen for too long) that is saturated with great
character moments. Whoever decided to keep the actors and Debra Wilson apart so
they only ever performed against her voice was a genius because there is a
palpable feeling of distant between the ship and the wreck throughout the
episode. Wilson is extraordinarily good, warm and witty despite being in a
dreadful situation and unlike Voyager’s attempts to bring a strong personality
to the mix (ala Ashes to Ashes) there isn’t the sense that she towers above the
rest of the crew. It’s a great character interacting with great characters. In
a way I wish we could have enjoyed this episode without the daft twist at the
end because the idea of a lone voice speaking to all of the crew and
effectively counselling them during their crisis whilst experiencing one
herself is a fantastic premise for a show and it does go most of the way towards
realising it. It’s a shame that the twist is ultimately so hackneyed because
the production levels are superb with the new craft leaving the Defiant and
landing on the storm lashed planet and then the physical effects taking over
and offering the most convincingly inhospitable planet since TNG’s The Enemy.
What does work about the ending is the thought that all this hope that the DS9
crew have been offering this woman was for nought. She was always going to die.
That’s really quite tragic. The last scene is quite divine for its performances
and optimistic tone but could they have signposted Dax’s death any more
obviously? Lisa taught them all it was necessary to say important things to
your friends and this last scene reflects their shard intimacy extremely well.
The Bad: Think of all the co-incidences that would have to
be aligned in order for this distress call to reach this location. It just
happens to be a ship that went off exploring the Beta Quadrant so it has been
away for x amount of time, it just happens to have hit the singularity that
bends it through time into the future… It does begin to sound a little
unlikely, doesn’t it? Time travel bollocks, bending the beam through time
bollocks…its just a deeply unsatisfying ending. Its not often that I would say
something this outrageous but Voyager did this sort of thing much better in Eye
of the Needle.
Moment to Watch Out For: O’Brien’s conversation with Lisa
about how the war is affecting demonstrates why DS9 is a different sort of Trek
than we are used to. The dialogue is dark and delicious, the psychology warped
and fascinating. This sort of scene can only come off if you have developed a
character and an arc to this extent where one is literally feeding the other
and both are saying interesting things about each other.
Result: Basically an early episode of In Treatment
fifteen years early with a daft Star Trek twist at the end. I think the
character work in The Sound of Her Voice is outstanding which is a
relief because the plot itself is old hat with a twist that is guessable about
five minutes into the episode. So the fate of this episode lies on the
shoulders of the regulars so lets be thankful that we are not watching Voyager!
Its been a dark season and this is a chance to reflect on the horrors that our
heroes have faced and see how the prolonged fight is affecting them. Watch
Winrich Kolbe’s direction of this episode really carefully (I knew it was one
of his before his name even showed up after the titles) and how he brings the
camera really close to the actors faces so they are completely exposed and have
to really sell the scene they are in. Fortunately the DS9 regulars are at the
top of their game more than ever and up to the task of driving home how the war
is haunting their every move and pushing them towards depression. With the aid
of Lisa (played to perfection by Debra Wilson) they manage to find some peace
and realise that they are lucky to have each other. If that sounds twee it
really isn’t, its all achieve with some typically reflective and memorable Ron
Moore dialogue. Add to the mix a delightful Odo and Quark subplot which ensures
the episode is a balance of light and dark and has a heartfelt ending and you
have a pretty strong episode all told. It would be even stronger had the
initial premise been tweaked to toss out the Trek clichés and implausibilities
but its still a muscular hour with plenty to say and well timed just before the
war steps up a notch: 8/10
Tears of the Prophets written by Ira Steven Behr & Hans
Beimler and directed by Allan Kroeker
What’s it about: The invasion of Cardassia has begun…
Single Father: ‘You are even the Emissary or a Starfleet
Captain! You can’t be both…’ Of all the Captains I think Sisko deserves the
medal of valour more than any of his stable mates for the hell he has been
through this year and still managing to stay (reasonably) sane (it was touch
and go in Waltz and In the Pale Moonlight). Sisko has been pushing for an
advancement into Dominion territory ever since the Romulans joined the war and
finally Starfleet is listening. Look at him go giving the other great powers of
the Alpha Quadrant a slap on the wrist for griping at each other when they have
a common goal of bringing down the Dominion. He really has been set up as the
saviour of the Quadrant, hasn’t he? Sisko being torn between his duties to
Starfleet and his duties to Bajor have been in evidence since the beginning of
the series but what has changed so significantly is his feelings on the matter.
He has grown so attached to the planet now that he considers it his home so
when Admiral Ross demands that he makes a commitment to the Prophets or to
Starfleet it really is a big moment for the show. Once again DS9 shows that
choosing to walk the Federation path (see also Valiant) is not always for the
best and the resulting punishments for him and Bajor may both have been avoided
had he chosen his faith. Sisko’s decision to leave the station is a massive one
for the series which is why his goodbye scene to Jadzia is so vital. It reminds
us of how much he needed this character in his life, how much he has suffered
at the hands of the Dominion and explains why it is so vital that he get away
for a bit to clear his head and try and find himself again. To abandon your
crew because of your feelings of loss and failiure is very un-Starfleet and
that’s why I like it because it feels very real. This is not the action of a
hero but a bruised man who cannot take any more hurt. The final shot of him
scrubbing potatoes at his fathers restaurant sees him as far away from his life
as possible and leaving the audience wondering if he will ever return. That
baseball really has become a symbol of his character, hasn’t it? Because he has
taken it with him Kira isn’t sure if he will ever be back. Those are some
pretty metaphorical tatties he is working at too, scrubbing them clean just as
he is trying to do with his soul.
Tasty Terrorist: After a month or so of the honeymoon period
its about time for Odo & Kira to have their first tiff and when he arrests
a Vedek on the Promenade for raising funds for the Bajoran war orphans it gives
her a great opportunity to get in a massive grump with him! When it comes to
Dax’s death it was the close up on Kira that got me the most, Nana Visitor
plays the scene as though it is the last thing she ever expected to hear and
its all the more effective for it.
Mr Wolf: He’s become such a kinky bastard these days…and he
certainly doesn’t consider making a baby with Dax work. We don’t really
have to ponder on Worf’s reaction to Dax’s death but that’s okay because he has
an entire season to follow up on those feelings to come.
GE Doctor: Space is big and there are a lot of nice girls
out there…but Bashir is depressed at the thought of having lost Jadzia to that
walking frown of a husband. It’s going to take something pretty huge to turn
that around and see him in with a chance again…
Nine Lives: Last chance to saloon to see Worf and Dax
enjoying that special chemistry that exists between them. It is slightly
manipulative to have them discussing having a baby in the episode that she is
torn from him but since this was all set up so well in Time’s Orphan it doesn’t
feel at all out of place. Its seems an odd moment for her to stay behind on the
station until you realise why but its about time somebody from the
senior staff was left to housesit whilst everybody charges off to war. Dax
literally says goodbye to everybody at the airlock for the last time…sniff,
sniff… Let’s chalk Sisko and Kira as two more potential targets for the blame
of Dax’s death – him because he didn’t heed the warning of the Prophets and
stay behind when he could have potentially have protected Dax and Kira because
she said a prayer for their hopes of having a baby which lead our sacrificial
Trill to the shrine to thank the Prophets. Add Kai Winn into the mix for
enforcing a long struggle between the Prophets and the Pah Wraiths (which could
have ended in The Reckoning) and Dukat for being the instrument of her demise
and there is plenty of finger pointing to go around. Whilst some people might
have liked a big heroic death for Dax what I love about it is that it is so low
key. It is literally a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time with
none of the tedious hero worship a lot of fictional characters get during their
exits. This is more akin to real life (not being killed by an elemental
force trying to bring down a wormhole, the being in the wrong place at the
wrong time bit) and its great that just this once there is something so
avoidable about how events play out and the tragedy comes from the fact that it
wasn’t. The way she is casually tossed aside like a rag doll means that
she wasn’t even the target of this rage, she was just in the way. A complete
irrelevance. What a horrible way to go. I’m so pleased that they followed this
unheroic method of death up at the beginning of season seven. The way she is
killed is so quick and nasty that you don’t have time to mourn (added to the
fact that there is so much going on elsewhere) which leaves a massive window of
opportunity to drive some drama from this event in the next season. Its
probably the first time I have seen a character written out this way, blunting
the impact of the moment to make the consequences much more vital and
heartbreaking later but you can’t argue with the successive drama that follows.
Again DS9 takes risks and wins. Worf has lost his wife, Sisko his mentor, Kira
her friend and Bashir the one that got away…so much to capitalise on in the
last season plus the introduction of a new Dax character. Who said writing out
a character this close to the end was a bad idea? Its possibly the best boost
the show could have had going into its final year.
Community Leader: ‘And I’m worried that the kid’ll end up
looking like its father!’
Young Sisko: ‘We’re talking about the invasion of
Cardassia! A savage thrust into the very heart of the Dominion!’ Even Sisko
looks appalled at that line and Jake promises not to write it up that way.
After a half season absence Jake is very much part of this show again in a
major way and Sisko allowing him to come with them during the battle is a great
way to get him up close and personal to the Dominion war in his career.
Plain and Simple: It would appear that Garak is going to
turn up on the bridge during every battle now and yet as soon as he mentions it
is his homeworld is being liberated his presence makes perfect sense. Like Jake
though, he kind of gets lost in the mix.
Wily Weyoun: It has been too long since we last caught up
with Weyoun (In the Pale Moonlight to my knowledge and then only in the form of
a faked recording) and the lack of scenes in the enemy camp has made the second
half of the season less superior to the first half. Its not a mistake they
would make with the shows seventh season which has plenty of Weyoun/Damar
action throughout. His opinion of Dukat has not improved (‘you’ve got from
being a self important egotist to a self deluded madman…’) and the look that he
gives Damar when the former Cardassian leader starts chanting Bajoran script is
hilarious.
Slimy Snake: ‘Heroes get welcomed home Dukat, not
failures…’ You have to admire the sheer gall of Dukat simply strolling into
Central Command on Cardassia and making demands. It would appear that the loss
of Deep Space Nine has been aimed squarely at Dukat whereas (as he points out)
Weyoun was by his side agreeing with every decision he made at the time. It
would appear that his time with Sisko during Waltz has truly unhinged the man
and he now blames every misfortune he has suffered on the man who is living his
life. Even the loss of his daughter is no longer attributed to Damar, he
genuinely believes that Sisko forced his hand. He’s far beyond conquest and
power now, he just wants his revenge on the man who belittled and insulted him
and he’s turned to an unexpected ally to make this happen. That Dukat and the
Pah Wraiths should join forces makes sense because of who he is trying to bring
down – if Sisko has allied himself with the Prophets then who better to aid him
in his revenge than their greatest enemies?
Gentle Giant: Martok is displeased about the Romulan
alliance despite the military advantages it adds to their war effort. He finds
them an arrogant, untrustworthy people although whether that is simply racism
of a genuine observation is unclear.
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘It is a private matter’ ‘We’re thinking
about having a baby!’ ‘It was a private matter…’
‘Romulans don’t believe in luck…’ ‘All the better! Leaves
more for the rest of us!’
‘Look at Dax and Worf. They love each other but they fight
all the time!’ ‘Are you saying that you love me?’ ‘Don’t change the subject!’ –
they’ve taken a relationship that could have gone either way and made it work.
More, they’ve managed to make it the best domestic relationship between two regulars
from any of Star Trek series.
‘All this talk of Gods strikes me as little more than
superstitious nonsense!’ ‘You believe the Founders as Gods, don’t you?’ ‘That’s
different’ ‘In what way?’ ‘The Founders are Gods.’
The Good: Excuse me? The invasion of Cardassia? Lead by
Sisko and featuring the combined forces of the Federation, the Klingons and the
Romulans? Are you kidding me? That is the most exciting plot development
in any Star Trek show ever. Slap me just to make sure this isn’t all a
dream and that a Trek show definitely has developed to a point where the
Federation is invading other worlds! Its such a two finger salute at Gene
Roddenberry’s golden vision of the future (which as I have said in the past is
a nice idea in theory and offers hope to future generations but doesn’t equate
to a decent dramatic television show) it makes me feel even more golden! Once
again DS9 offers an intimate glimpse behind enemy lines to see how the Dominion
reacts to every move that Sisko makes. Has any other show developed an arc in
this with as much focus on the villains as on the heroes? With such gorgeous
baddies as this I’m sure it must have been irresistible but it also has the
effect of making this conflict a lot more in depth. The conference session
featuring the Federation, Klingons and Romulans just goes to show what a great
idea it was allying these three great powers because despite their common goal
there are massive differences between them which makes for great tension and
amusing asides. Any show that can stick a musical number in the middle of this
epic storytelling gets my vote! Its great to see Vic back providing a charming
(and hilarious) number to Bashir and Quark who are mooning over their lost
love, Jadzia. Here’s to the losers indeed! Trust the Prophets to show up and
offer word of a terrible future should Sisko head the mission to
Cardassia…still you can’t say they didn’t warn him! How fecking awesome are
those weapons platforms? When the first one powers up and starts fire a volley
of phasers and torpedoes I started screaming encouraging words…until I realised
I was cheering on the enemy! We haven’t had a battle with planets providing a
backdrop before and the effects work is striking and unusual in that respect.
Once again DS9 is boasting cinematic CGI and its another massive strength of
the episode. The Jem H’adar front a series of suicide runs to destroy the
Klingon ships in the first wave, literally throwing down their lives for their
Gods and buying time to get the weapons platforms operational. The scene in
which Dukat vomits the Pah Wraith into the Orb, turning it black plus
completely wiping the wormhole from existence is not only a frightening
sequence but also has massive ramifications for the series. Federation soldiers
have landed on Cardassian soil and the wormhole is gone without any chance of
reinforcements from the Gamma Quadrant so things aren’t looking too rosy for
the Dominion either. It will be interesting to see how both sides jump in the
last season.
The Bad: ‘Our baby would have been so beautiful’ is the only
note that I don’t like. It feels blatantly manipulative. Fortunately Worf’s
anguished growl brushes that aside in a hurry.
Moment to Watch Out For: The way the script affords Sisko a
massive victory in taking the Chin’toka system and then snatches it away with
the loss of Dax and the wormhole is deliberately very cruel and you wonder how
much longer these characters will be able to take these one step forwards, two
steps back setbacks. For the sakes of drama though, its excellent.
Foreboding: ‘Mark my word! By this time next year the three
of us will drink blood wine in the halls of Cardassia’s Central Command!’ You
can’t say that Martok isn’t a man of his word, can you?
Result: Tears of the Prophets brings the season to a close
on a truly unexpected note with the wormhole destroyed, Dax dead and Sisko
resigning his post and moving back to Earth. After season five ended on such an
optimistic note despite the Dominion takeover of the station it is a massive
gamble to plunge the series into such a state of depression at the end of the
sixth year. But then DS9 has always been known to take risks and this is a
perfectly formed finale which plays out like a mini movie in three stages –
character vignettes as we lead up to combat, the fight itself and then the
consequences. It’s a massive series overview encapsulated in one instalment
with the central Dominion arc taking priority but with time for Kira &
Odo’s relationship, mooning losers Quark & Bashir, Dax & Worf’s desire to
have a baby, Jake’s continuing career, tension between the Klingons and the
Romulans and even a song from Vic Fontaine. The way the writers manage to
juggle this material and still make the episode feel fluid and with plenty of
dramatic momentum is extraordinary and the space battle sequences and Dax’s
death are both exquisitely filmed to provide some real consequences for Sisko’s
decision to head the mission. Some might accuse the episode of being over
stuffed but I simply didn’t see that as being the case…it’s a dizzying mixture
of style and substance that rounds of an incredible year of Star Trek on
an memorable note. With so many developments to explore and wrap up in the last
series it looks like DS9 is going to go out on a real high: 9/10
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