DS9 - Past Prologue

Plot – It feels like the political system around DS9 is on a knife edge at this point with the Cardassians arrogant enough to think that their withdrawal from Bajor is only temporary and the Bajorans considering the Federation administrators of their independence another occupying force there to tell them what to do. One wrong move at the moment could plunge this tenuous peace into conflict, it feels and that is a fascinating position for the Federation to be in. 

It’s very clever how Kira mentions that the wormhole is the future of Bajor. It’s the thing that Cardassians are most interested in, and the Federation. It makes perfect sense to believe that if you get rid of the wormhole, then all those prospectors would vanish. Life really isn’t that simple but it makes for an exciting climax as Kira has to stop Tanha from exploding his device and destroying the wormhole.

Character – Plain, simple Garak. I make no exaggeration when I say that Andrew Robinson’s Garak is not only one of the best characters of Trek, but he’s one of the best characters on television full stop. I don’t think you will find many people that would argue with me. He’s marvellously mysterious, witty and brutal but with a sarcastic edge, intelligence and a shady past that gets uncovered slowly but with breathtaking assuredness by the writers and the actor. He makes an instant impression here, clearly desperate to shag Dr Bashir’s brains out and making no secret of that desire. To have an openly seductive gay (or at least bisexual) character on Star Trek at the time was a phenomenal move and whilst they shied away from this aspect of his character in later appearances, it was certainly undeniably there in droves at the start. In the writing and in the way that Robinson so teasingly plays him. Did he stay on DS9 as the eyes of and ears of the Cardassian people? What did he do to make his people force him into exile? Is he using Bashir as a conduit to get information to the Federation? So many questions arise around this character who is cloaked in enigma. Add to that Robinson’s magnetic performance and you have a character who raises the profile of the show by his mere inclusion.

How marvellous that nobody bats and eyelid when Bashir turns up in Ops to boast about Garak making contact. Bashir is so wistfully naïve at this point to be virtually unlikable and so O’Brien refusing to acknowledge that he even exists is actually very funny.

A vital episode for Kira so early in the show. She’s still more a Bajoran freedom fighter (or terrorist if you will) than an administrator and so when somebody from her violent recent past shows up it is a great chance to show how divided her loyalties are. Kira goes on more of a journey than practically anybody else on this show (perhaps only Odo and Bashir go on more of staggering level of development) and in these early episodes she is self-destructive, brutally emotional and suffering from the fallout of her violent childhood. It’s not always easy watching but Nana Visitor is always compelling and it is pieces like Past prologue that show there is much more going on under the surface of this woman than just a fiery redhead with a chip on her shoulder.

In a quiet moment Odo admits that Cardassian rule might have been oppressive but at least it was simple. I like the fact that he has this darker side to his personality, one that favours swift justice rather then political nicey-niceness of the Federation. It means when we meet his mirror universe counterpart in series two it isn’t such a stretch to see how he became such a sadistic tyrant.

Performance – Perhaps the tension between Sisko and Kira is a little overstated here by both actors. In one early scene they are arguing vehemently over a matter that requires gentle debate. DS9 was trying to stick out as a show with in built tension between its character and that was a laudable goal but I can see why (especially on the back of TNG) people might have had an issue with just how divisive and combative the show was this early in its run.

Great Dialogue – ‘I know its difficult to see after all we’ve been through, we want it all now.’

‘It was so much easier when I knew who the enemy was.’

Production – Early DS9 was a dark, oppressive, claustrophobic place. It was all smoke and shadows and dingy sets. I rather liked it because it felt edgy and dangerous at the time, but I have to say when they lightened the show up and made the sets feel bigger and brighter it certainly felt much more welcoming. Thank God the runabouts were given less importance when the Defiant turns up. They are pathetic.

Best moment – I love the scene where Lursa and B’tor meet with Tahna in one of the cargo bays. I love the idea of DS9 as a location where dark and dirty corners can be used as locations to make illicit deals for weapons. This isn’t the Trek we have been used to.

The highlight of the episode is the scene between Kira and Odo. You can see the seeds for so many future developments being laid here. Kira’s change of heart about the Federation. Odo’s investment in her. Their relationship. Visitor and Auberjonois together are just gold. They can take good material and make it great. Kira asks how she can turn against her own people and betray them to the Federation, to which Odo replies ‘are they your own people?’ ‘They’re no different than how I used to be’ ‘Used to be?’

Worst moment – ‘That Bajoran woman you have working for you’ is how an Admiral speaks of Major Kira in a tone that suggests she thinks that humanity is far superior to any other species. It’s so shocking to see this kind of TNG mentality on DS9, but then it was still early days.

I wish they hadn’t done that – I don’t care where Netflix chooses to place this, Past Prologue will always be the first episode after the pilot for me and a pleasing first step into political underhandedness for the show on the back of the incredible first episode. Whilst it is always nice to see Lursa and B’tor (of the house of Duras), this absolute pandering to the TNG crowd of which there would be a fair amount in the first season (Q, Vash, Picard, Mrs Troi). Interestingly, as soon as DS9 finds its voice it jettisons these gestures of welcome to the TNG viewers and would complete embrace its own identity and audience. Voyager never quite found that confidence.

A reason to watch this episode again – Another reason that I enjoy DS9 so much is because once you have watched this show through it is fascinating to go back and see where these people started out. At the time the first season was patchy and awkward, albeit with hugely promising character work shining through. Now it is a glorious first chapter of an epic piece of storytelling and an intriguing glimpse of these people before they were fully formed. Bashir is a naive and irritating, Garak is sadistically creepy and mysterious, Sisko lacks the commanding presence he would have later on, Dax is more a wise old woman than the aggressively confident young woman she would become. Kira is the one who stands out the most; on the verge of being utterly unlikeable because of her traumatic past (Visitor is playing a woman with serious PTSD at this point) but immediately going on a journey of healing and spiritual redemption. Past Prologue takes the reactionary Major from the pilot and puts her in a situation where she has to choose whether to continue as she has all these years or embrace her future and it doesn’t make that a forced decision. You can see why fans of TNG might have been turned off by this – this episode is stationary and it has none of the wonder of space travel or quirky high concepts that people have come to associate with early 90s Trek. But it is those very things that has made this show endure whilst TNG can be written off as a piece of SF ephemera; the political shenanigans, the intense character work and idea of creating an entire universe of worlds with rich colours and detail rather than broad strokes. Past Prologue isn’t quite fully formed DS9 firing on all cylinders but it has many thoughtful moments, terrific opportunities for great acting and some marvellous twists and turns that it promises a show that will deliver in spades.

**** out of *****

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