Character – How glorious to have Worf (who has been stoic and pretty grumpy thus far on DS9) catch sight of Grilka and be completely besotted. It’s long past time DS9 starting doing new things with Worf between utilising him as a Klingon warrior and this is where they truly get to grips with the character (by pairing him up with Dax for the ultimate Trek romance) and taking him to places where TNG never dared. They find a way to pair Worf and Quark together here that doesn’t involve him strangling the Ferengi and is perfectly charming. Worf is the expert on wooing a Klingon woman and so (to prove to himself that he can do it) he helps him to seduce Grilka.
Dax, who has been gagging for Worf ever since he first turned up, has finally had enough. She is literally shoving herself in his face throughout this episode and making herself extremely available. Throughout season four they have been sparring partners on the holodeck and behaving a little like David and Maddie from Moonlighting, witty quips and stolen glances. Finally, the writers have caught up with the obvious sexual chemistry between Farrell and Dorn and decided (very wisely because it works out well for both characters) to do something about it.
It astonishes me that Quark can put his lust for latinum aside on occasion and concentrate on matters of the heart. His previous relationship with Natima, his flirtation with Pel, his marriage to Grilka. You’d think that such a scheming little toad would bypass the ladies but Quark has two things at his disposal that works a charm; he’s a smart guy and his very charismatic. Quark loathes Klingon culture but he loves Grilka and how he is willing to respectfully endure one to please her shows a new side to his character. You can rely on Quark to keep himself alive in a tight spot and when the VR equipment breaks down and he is staring the sharp end of a Bat’leth up close he is at his improvisonal best. The poetry is awful, mind.
I hear that some people think the Kira/O’Brien ‘will they/wont they’ is problematic and whilst it is not a pairing that I would ever want the show to pursue, I think that anybody who has been in a situation where they are attracted to somebody that they shouldn’t be can relate to this. Kira is living in O’Brien’s house, she’s extremely attractive and she is having his baby. I can see perfectly why he might be tempted. As for Kira getting the hots for O’Brien…well maybe she just likes a bit of Irish rough. It makes for some amusing and uncomfortable scenes. I love Keiko being so oblivious to the whole thing that she is trying to send them to a romantic setting together – that’s how much she loves and trusts her husband. ‘Are you two fighting again?’ makes me laugh every time. The odd moment comes in the runabout when the two of them are trying to stop themselves from tearing each other’s clothes off. Thank goodness we were spared that. This is put to bed in this episode, and never mentioned again. It made me chuckle but I’m certainly glad that they didn’t pursue this.
Great Dialogue – ‘This is ridiculous! I’m surrounded by corpses! My shoes are dripping with blood, and you want me to feel romantic?’
‘You know it’s attitude like that stops you from being invited to all the really great parties.’
Production – I really like how huge and expansive the sets feel in the holodeck sequences. At one point Robinson pans across the entire set and it feels the size of an arena.
Best moment – Morn being thrown across the set in Worf’s romantic bid for Grilka. It makes me howl with laughter every time.
Worf is so serious, obsessed with a certain kind of woman, so strict in his lifestyle…he is desperately in need of crazy, unpredictable, messy and the (very) sexually liberated Dax to step in shake his life up. This episode makes that perfectly clear. And he’s so blind to her advances that once the fun and games are over Dax has to literally call for a weapon, beat the shit out of him and jump his bones in order to let him know her intentions. It’s one of the most satisfying moments in DS9’s entire run because it gives the audience exactly what they want, pays off a whole year of teasing and pushes both characters in a captivating new direction.
The scene in sickbay at the end of the episode is one DS9’s best. Everybody has been fucking, and they’re heading to sickbay to have their bones mended and Bashir simply does not want to know how the injuries occurred.
I wish they hadn’t done that – Yeah, I’m going to be that person. Nobody mentions K'ehlyr.
A reason to watch this episode again – People bemoan that this isn’t what Star Trek should be about; charismatic sex romps but I’d ask those same people to watch this episode again with a less Trek critical eye. What you’ll see is a cast absolutely at the top of their game, a witty script, some wonderful character development (Quark is given terrific treatment and this episode changes Worf’s life for good) and feeling of warmth and entertainment that can only come from a show that has ridden the rough edges of its early seasons and become very comfortable with its own identity. It’s a sweet romantic interlude set entirely on the station and a very easy episode to enjoy with a drink and the one you love. I think that Trek is far more malleable than people think and that it doesn’t need to be all spaceships, strange new worlds and Prime Directive lectures every week. If that makes space for an uplifting rom-com like Par’Mach then all the better. This is Andrew Robinson’s directorial debut and he does a fantastic job; there’s some excellent camerawork and staging here and he manages to brew up that enticing chemistry amongst the cast and deliver wholesale it to the audience. Delightful.
****1/2 out of *****
Clue for the next episode -
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