5-18. Business as Usual.

Quark goes into business with ruthless
arms dealer Hagath (Steven Berkoff).

THE PLOT

A feldomite strike has sent Quark's investments into freefall, effectively wiping out what little he had left in the wake of the ban by the Ferengi Commerce Authority. "I'm up to my lobes in debt," he frets, with no apparent way to maneuver himself out of his predicament.

Enter Gaila (Josh Pais), Quark's cousin who tried to kill him the previous year. Gaila is here not to bury Quark, but to offer him a lifeline: A 5% cut of a string of lucrative arms dealers brokered on behalf of humans arm dealer Hagath (Steven Berkoff). "Weapons is a growth industry," Gaila tells him. "In a month, all your debts will be paid. In six months, the Ferengi Commerce Authority will be begging to reinstate you. In a year, you'll have your own moon!"

Out of desperation, Quark agrees, only to find himself in very treacherous territory. The station personnel shun him in disgust for his career switch, while it quickly becomes apparent that Hagath is not just ruthless, but downright murderous to anyone who crosses him. Quark tries to ease any pangs of conscience by clinging to the notion that he is selling defensive weapons... Until a crazed Regent (Lawrence Tierney) demands bio-weapons, wanting a final body count of about 28 million!

CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Hagath's connections are such that he can't touch Quark for arms dealing, not so long as the Ferengi avoids breaking any actual station laws. But he makes it clear that this marks a firm end to his former tolerance for the Ferengi's activities. When Quark ultimately does the right thing, Sisko extends his forgiveness - but only at a rather steep price.

Quark: Quark is given everything he supposedly ever wanted. His debts are rapidly repaid, and the very deal that troubles his conscience is the one that will give him the kind of profits he's always dreamed of. All that is required is for him to be the person he's always pretended to be: A grasping, soulless being who cares for nothing but profit. Instead, he is stung at being shunned by all Federation personnel. The end of Body Parts showed that, though his own people may have cut him off, he was anything but alone. This episode dangles the prospect of ending the FCA ban - but at the cost of isolating him from people he's come to see (whether he admits it or not) as friends. Quark's final choice is predetermined; this isn't a show that's going to turn one of its regulars into a quasi-villain. But the way in which that choice is portrayed feels very true to who Quark is, which is why the episode works as well as it does.

Dax: Acts as the voice of Quark's conscience. Sisko's may be the official rejection, but Dax's disgust is the rejection he truly feels. This fits, as Dax behaved as a friend to Quark from fairly early on. When he decides he cannot live with the Regent's demands, Dax is the person he chooses to visit before he takes action.

O'Brien: In subplot land, he gets a sitcom story involving his baby's refusal to stop crying unless he's holding him every second. It's dispensable fare, but it's painless enough. The situation is one most parents in the audience will be able to relate to, as O'Brien becomes ever more desperate for his son to stop crying. The final scene of the subplot, as Worf reflects on how he never got to see his own son as a baby and how lucky he thinks O'Brien is, represents a nice character scene. Completely unrelated to the "A" plot, but easy to take in spite of that.

Villain of the Week: Steven Berkoff was a "go-to villain" of the 1980's and early '90's. His Hagath isn't at all far removed from his role as Victor Maitland in Beverly Hills Cop: a soft-spoken businessman whose reptilian presence makes him sinister even when he's behaving in a relatively friendly manner. Hagath is shrewd, knowing when to sell to both sides in a conflict, when to sell to the stronger side, and when to sell to the weaker one. He supplied arms to the Bajorans during the Occupation, choosing to make a friend of Bajor as a business calculation." I knew the Cardassians would eventually lose... They underestimated the Bajoran thirst for freedom. I didn't."

THOUGHTS

"Look out there. Millions and millions of stars, millions upon millions of worlds. And right now, half of them are fanatically dedicated to destroying the other half. Now, do you think if one of those twinkling little lights suddenly went out, anybody would notice? Suppose I offered you ten million bars of gold pressed latinum to help turn out one of those lights, would you really tell me to keep my money?"

-Gaila, bluntly laying out the stakes for his cousin Quark.

When I put in a Ferengi episode, I still go in expecting a comedy. By now, I should know not to pre-judge. Last season's Bar Association and Body Parts both offered Quark-centric plots with serious underpinnings, milking decent drama out of episodes that I expected to be mediocre comedies. Business as Usual takes that further, offering an episode that is very clearly not a comedy. This episode puts Quark into a genuinely serious situation, and then cuts off all support from the remaining regulars. He is left entirely to his own devices to extricate himself, one of many excellent choices made by writers Bradley Thompson and David Weddle.

One thing I appreciate is that this entire story is a consequence of a previous story. The FCA ban levied against Quark leaves him in a desperate situation. All Ferengi are barred from doing business with him, which cuts deeply into his options. Quark can cross one of his few lines, and deal in weapons sales, or he can lose everything. Little surprise that he makes the choice he does.

I've already discussed Steven Berkoff's Hagath. The other notable guest star is Lawrence Tierney, an actor with a long history of playing crime figures. He's probably best remembered for Reservoir Dogs, though his career stretches back considerably further than that (he also previously guest starred in TNG's The Big Goodbye, playing - you guessed it - a crime boss). The Regent is a very small role, which is likely why Tierney was even up to playing it in the wake of a severe stroke. He only has one major scene. But his presence adds a sense of menace and, yes, insanity that makes Quark's decision to risk his life to sink this deal entirely believable.

Business As Usual is a good episode, one which takes a character often at the center of lighthearted shows and puts him in the middle of a genuinely clever suspense plot. For Alexander Siddig, who directed this episode under his real name (Siddig El-Fadil), it's a strong directorial debut, one which leaves me hoping we'll see more episodes helmed by him in the future.

Overall Rating: 8/10.

Previous Episode: A Simple Investigation
Next Episode: Ties of Blood and Water


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3-22. Explorers.

Sisko and Jake share an adventure.

THE PLOT

Sisko returns from Bajor with a goatee and a new project. Having viewed designs of ancient Bajoran spaceships that traveled the stars using solar sails, Sisko has decided to build his own solar spaceship. As he constructs his exact replica, he comes up with an additional plan: To prove that it's possible that Bajoran legends about travelling all the way to Cardassia in these ships are possible.

Obviously, he can't take what would be a years-long voyage to Cardassia. But he can take four days to sail the ship through the Denorios belt, the most difficult part of the journey. If he can take the ship that far, then he will have proved that it was at least possible for the ancient Bajorans to make the trip. And by inviting Jake to be his co-pilot on the journey, he will get some rare time to bond with his son.

But the journey will bring with it a few surprises. All too soon, Sisko will find his trip is just a little more perilous than he had planned...


CHARACTERS

Commander Sisko: This episode marks the debut of the goatee. As with the first appearances of Riker's beard, it doesn't quite look right yet, but will in time come to suit his face - particularly when he gets around to shaving his head. This episode is a good one for both Avery Brooks and Sisko. Sisko throws himself into his project with enthusiasm, insisting on making every detail as authentic as possible, right down to using the same tools the Bajorans had used. Brooks, who has often been at his best in the more action-heavy episodes, here gets a chance to shine in the quiet moments. Particularly good scenes include a quiet moment with Dax, in which the two friends recall Sisko's building of Jake's first bedroom, and the scenes with Jake in which he pushes his son to accept the offer of a writing fellowship. fellowship.

Jake: The writers of Deep Space 9 have been careful from the first not to repeat the mistakes TNG made with Wesley Crusher. From as early as the pilot, Jake has been characterized as a fairly normal kid. He's smart, but no super-genius who regularly shows up the adult professionals at their own jobs. He's a decent young man, but still prone to getting into mischief. As a result, he's been able to emerge as likable, but he often hasn't been a very distinct character in himself. This episode sees some focus on Jake as his own person. We learn that he not only has an interest in writing, but a genuine talent for it. We also see that he's worried about leaving his father on his own, concerned about his father's lack of companionship outside of work. These are good character notes, and may help Jake to emerge more from the background in the future.

Dr. Bashir: In a "B" plot, Bashir deals with anxiety over the person who beat him out for valedictorian coming to the station. As was the case when Bashir was nominated for a prestigious award, we see how sensitive he is about being "second best," even though Deep Space 9 was where he wanted to be in the first place. He feels as if his accomplishments aren't quite truly his, because she could have taken this assignment away from him if she had wanted to. An amusing scene shows Bashir and O'Brien getting drunk together, showing how far their friendship has evolved from a beginning when, as the chief frankly admits, O'Brien had "hated" Julian.


THOUGHTS

Explorers is a quiet, character-based episode, which is exactly what is called for after the seismic shift of the preceding 2-parter. This isn't about sabre-rattling or grand plots. It's about characters in rooms, talking. Because the characters are people we've come to care about and the dialogue is well-written, it works.

There is no connection at all between the "A" plot and the "B" plot, but they still manage to fit together. Maybe it's because both plots are heavily character-based. The tone is also kept even. The Bashir material has nothing to do with the Sisko story, but it feels like it belongs in the same episode. Also, both plots use character pairs. Sisko and his son interact throughout the main story, while the subplot mainly sees Bashir talking with O'Brien.

Though the episode is mostly talk, it's still highly visual. The set design of Sisko's Bajoran replica is really well-done. The interior looks like something out of a Jules Verne novel, with dials and levers and even a porthole. It's also well-lit, enhancing the feel of being inside something akin to an old seafaring vessel. The exterior model makes a good match for the interior, and is also eye-catching. And the setting of this primitive vessel allows just enough action to be injected into the episode to keep things moving, allowing some incident between one dialogue scene and the next.

On the whole, an enjoyable piece. It provides a breather after the big events of The Die Is Cast, while working as a fun little episode in its own right.


Overall Rating: 7/10

Previous Episode: The Die Is Cast
Next Episode: Family Business


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3-18. Distant Voices.

Dr. Bashir, age 100+.

THE PLOT

It's just a couple of days before Dr. Bashir's thirtieth birthday, and he's feeling very grumpy. He sees this milestone as marking the end of his youth and the beginning of the long trudge toward middle age and, eventually, death. He expresses these sentiments to Garak before being interrupted by an associate of Quark's: a Lethean (Victor Rivers) hoping to purchase an illegal biological substance. Bashir flatly refuses... only to be assaulted by the Lethean in sickbay later that same day!

When Bashir wakes up, he discovers that none of the computers are working. He is unable to contact security or any of the Ops staff. When he ventures out, he finds the station all but deserted. A cowering Quark informs him that the Lethean is going to find them and kill them. As Bashir presses on, he discovers that he is now aging rapidly. By the time he meets up with the command staff, he looks closer to sixty than thirty.

That's when O'Brien receives an audio signal: The voices of Dax and Sisko, discussing Bashir's condition. The doctor is in a coma. None of the others are actually there - They simply represent different facets of Bashir's own personality. The doctor is stuck in his own mind.  If he can't get himself out, he will be dead in a few short hours!


CHARACTERS

Commander Sisko: Within the delusion, he represents Bashir's professionalism and dedication to duty. Both confident and competent, the projection of Sisko seems the most likely to truly help Bashir succeed in his fantasy-like quest. No surprise, then, that the Lethean kills him mere seconds after Bashir reaches him..

Dr. Bashir: Has always been an overachiever, outstanding both as an athlete and as a doctor. The worst voices in his subconscious nag at him for quitting tennis to become a doctor, and there are hints that he deliberately botched a question in his exams to avoid being first in the class - which actually fits with his discomfort at being nominated for a prestigious medical award. Still, his dedication to medicine is very real, and he would not trade his current life for the life of a pro athlete. He also has a strength of will that generally remains hidden beneath his slightly arrogant demeanor and his sense of humor.

Dax: Represents Bashir's confidence, and as such is the first of his projections to be struck down by the Lethean attack. What better way to stop his efforts to save himself than by destroying his confidence? Bashir admits that even though he no longer pursues Dax sexually, he does still have feelings for her - He just values their friendship too much to trade it for a brief encounter.

Garak: Though Bashir likes Garak, he still doesn't entirely trust him. Hence, Garak is a shadowy figure in his dream world. The projection of Garak taunts Bashir and distracts him more often than he actually helps, deflecting his efforts with sudden birthday parties and games of tennis. When the real Garak hears the full story, he is anything but offended. Instead, he takes these signs of Bashir's mistrust to mean that "there's hope for you yet, Doctor."


THOUGHTS

More than just a good characer piece, Distant Voices is also a strong continuity piece. Remember that Bashir's character got off to a very poor start, with early episodes of the series making him boorish and obnoxious. He was effectively rebooted for Season Two, with his worst elements discarded in favor of a stronger focus on his desire for friendship with O'Brien and his dedication to his work. Gone were his pursuit of Dax and much of his overt arrogance. This was a good move for the series. In a subtle way, by shifting emphasis from character traits that didn't work to ones that did, the writers were able to transform an often insufferable man into someone genuinely likable.

The consequence was that many of Bashir's early characteristics all but disappeared. This episode folds those traits back into the whole. We are reminded of his pursuit of Dax, and told that he stopped chasing her because he came to care about his friendship with her. He didn't really care about being first in his class; he feels that Deep Space 9 is where he belongs. Judging from the girl singing a suggestive rendition of "Happy Birthday" to him in Ops, he certainly retains appreciation of a pretty face and figure. It's just that these elements are no longer the ones that define him. By touching on these near-forgotten elements of his "false start" in Season One, Bashir's continuity becomes more cohesive, and his character becomes that much richer.

The episode is stylishly directed by Alexander Singer, who transforms the standing sets of the station into a surreal, Alice in Wonderland-like world for the doctor to roam about in. As someone who enjoys dreamlike episodes, I certainly appreciated the offbeat nature of both the story and the visuals. There is something genuinely eerie about seeing the station so basically deserted. Finally, it should be noted that the Emmy winning aging makeup is quite effective, even almost twenty years after the fact.

For all of these virtues, the episode doesn't quite connect with me the way I would like it to.  It works as a character piece; but as a piece of drama, it doesn't quite reach its potential. The narrative fails to provide much sense of momentum. Bashir wanders from one set piece to another, but it's only late in the episode that there's any feeling of urgency to his efforts. More of a sense of conflict, of Bashir really being beaten down by the Lethean, would make his triumph at the end feel more meaningful.

A worthwhile episode for the atmosphere, acting, and character work. But with one more rewrite, this could really have been something special.


Overall Rating: 6/10

Previous Episode: Visionary

Next Episode: Through the Looking Glass

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3-17. Visionary.

O'Brien sees his own death.

THE PLOT

After having reached an agreement with the Federation to equip Defiant with a cloaking device, the Romulans have come to Deep Space 9 to collect the information about the Dominion that they were promised. They are particularly suspicious of Odo, a member of the very race that is the power behind The Dominion. Sisko attempts to navigate a diplomatic tightrope to satisfy the Romulans without appearing weak in the process - an effort which is complicated by the arrival of a Klingon ship.

While all this is going on, Chief O'Brien receives a mild case of radiation poisoning. Bashir treats it immediately, and there appears to be no real danger. Then O'Brien begins experiencing "time shifts." He is propelled five hours into the future. First he observes a minor interaction with Quark. Then he observes a bar brawl between the Klingons and Romulans. After both of these come to pass, the entire Ops crew is taking the matter very seriously.

Then O'Brien "shifts" again and gets the most disturbing vision of all: his own death!


CHARACTERS

Commander Sisko: Tries to be patient and diplomatic in dealing with the Romulans. He wants to accomodate them as much as possible. But he won't be taken for a weakling. When the Romulans demand classified information, he makes it clear that any such information must be cleared through Starfleet Command. His strongest moment comes late in the episode, when the threads linking all these events come together and he faces down the responsible party, letting the steel that is his strongest attribute finally show through.

Major Kira: Has a highly emotional reaction when the Romulans imply that Odo might be interested in her. Her outburst, capped with a threat not to repeat those allegations to Odo, is perhaps a little too defensive. I suspect Kira is at least subconsciously aware of Odo's interest, but keeping deliberately in denial - hence her rage at having something she's trying to deny thrust right at her.

O'Brien: His reaction to the time shifts is very well-portrayed. At first, he is in denial, thinking that he is experiencing hallucinations. Then he becomes actively worried when he sees his own death. That is an image he can't entirely shake, actually seeing himself lying dead at his own feet. He very clearly wants to be saved from the consequences of the time shifts. Nonetheless, he doesn't hesitate to put himself at risk in order to stop a greater catastrophe.

Dr. Bashir: His friendship with O'Brien has clearly grown, and the two have an easy chemistry throughout the episode. Bashir starts out being very lighthearted about O'Brien's shifts. But as it becomes clear that the situation is serious and that his friend is at very real risk, his tone changes to one of genuine concern. In the tag, as O'Brien mulls over all that has happened with a certain insecurity, Bashir does his best to ease his mind.

Odo: When he figures out the means by which some surveillance equipment was beamed onto the station, he does the full Hercule Poirot in unveiling the solution to Sisko. By looking over the equipment, he has determined how it was done and who did it - and he followed up by doing enough research to prove it. When Sisko asks why Odo couldn't just tell him the who and how without the rest of it, the security chief's reply is priceless: "Sometimes I have to remind you just how good I am."

Romulans: The agreement to equip Defiant represents a major step in Federation/Romulan relations. It is the first cooperative venture that the two governments have ever embarked upon, and as such its success is very important to both parties. This cooperation is possibly only because the Romulans recognize the level of threat the Dominion represents. The Romulans' devious nature is not forgotten, nor is their deep-set enmity with the Klingons; both traits actively play into the story's unfolding.


THOUGHTS

In many ways, Visionary feels like a companion piece to Season Two's excellent Whispers. Both are O'Brien-centric episodes, and both play with questions of identity in their endings. That one felt modeled on 1970's paranoid thrillers while this one has a healthy dose of Slaughterhouse Five. But most particularly in the two episodes' resolutions, they feel at the very least like cousins.

Visionary isn't as good as Whispers. It doesn't have the same momentum, and it takes a long time for all the threads (the time shifts, the Romulans, and the Klingons) to come together. There's also a regrettable amount of Technobabble involved in the solution, both in identifying the singularity and in transforming O'Brien into a deliberate time traveler. The ending is intriguing in some of the questions it poses... but I have a feeling that Bashir's statement that it makes no difference is the show's final word on the subject and that, if this is even mentioned again, it will almost certainly be in passing.

For all of that, Visionary is still a good episode. We again see Deep Space 9's strength as a true ensemble show, with solid roles for every regular who appears in the episode. The Dominion threat continues to hang over the characters' heads, like a Sword of Damocles that may fall at any moment. The events of this episode show that, while that threat may have led to an alliance between the Federation and the Romulans, this alliance remains vulnerable to subterfuge and conflicting agendas.

The episode strongly benefits from just how likable and credible Colm Meaney's O'Brien is. This character feels entirely real and natural, and Meaney fits into it so effortlessly that he doesn't even appear to be acting. It's just about impossible not to relate to him, with all of his reactions seeming reasonable and human at every turn. It's odd. When I watched (on-and-off) Deep Space 9 at the time, I never really considered O'Brien to be anything more than a background player. On this viewing, with the benefit of several extra years, O'Brien stands out as one of my favorite characters in a very strong cast.

Not great, but good, Visionary is another solid episode in a series that has become not only the most interesting Trek series, but also the most reliable.


Overall Rating: 7/10

Previous Episode: Prophet Motive

Next Episode: Distant Voices

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3-13. Life Support.



Vedek Bareil (Philip Anglim) chooses
to risk his life for his principles.




















THE PLOT

Kai Winn (Louise Fletcher) and Vedek Bareil (Philip Anglim) are on their way to top secret negotiations with the Cardassians when their shuttle suffers a serious accident. Deep Space 9's security and medical teams are able to evacuate the shuttle, and most of the passengers are only lightly injured.  With one serious exception: Bareil.

Bashir is able to revive and stabilize the Vedek, but Medical Technobabble means that there are problems with Bareil's bloodflow. Bashir wants to put him in stasis until a medical solution can be found, but Bareil insists on remaining conscious, urgent about the need for him to participate in the negotations. He doesn't want to die - but if he must risk himself to grant Bajor a chance of lasting peace with the Cardassians, then he will.

As Bareil's organs begin to fail, it becomes ever more clear that if he insists on lasting through the negotiations, he will not survive. Unless Bashir can get Kai Winn to order him into stasis, Vedek Bareil's death is inevitable...


CHARACTERS

Commander Sisko: With Kira, Winn, and Bashir all invested in and emotional about the situation, Sisko acts as the level head in the room. When Bareil is unconscious, his only hope of recovery a procedure that will make his brain part machine, Sisko reminds Bashir that they should consider what Bareil would wish. When Winn attempts to deal with the Cardassian Legate, only to find herself outclassed both mentally and politically, Sisko goes to her aid in clarifying the question of Bajoran prisoners and acts as a sounding board when she tries to figure out what the Cardassians are up to with a seemingly benign demand.

Major Kira: Most of the episode puts her in a supporting role, thrust into the unlikely position of backing up Kai Winn in keeping Bareil alive, no matter what. Still, Nana Visitor gets several fine scenes. One that stands out is fast and mostly nonverbal. When Bareil wakes up from having positronic implants put into his brain to keep him functioning, Kira grabs his hand. Bareil tells her that her touch feels "like a memory of a touch," rather than like an actual one. The pain in her reaction is superbly acted. More showy, but just as outstanding, is the final scene of the episode, in which Kira claims the story's heart with a stunning monologue. It really is a shame that they never give Emmys for acting to outer space science fiction series, because Visitor's work is more deserving than many winners have been.

Dr. Bashir: Another excellent episode for Bashir, who has gone from the series' weakest link to one of its strongest. He is very focused on the welfare of his patient, trying desperately to convince Bareil to allow himself to be put into stasis. When Bareil's sense of duty makes him push himself into a risky experimental treatment to help with the negotiations, it isn't long before he begins to deteriorate. Bashir tries to appeal to Winn, asking her to tell Bareil that his help is no longer needed. Winn refuses - and when she lets slip that her reasons lie at least partly in her desire to have a scapegoat if the talks fail, Bashir lambastes her for her cowardice.

Jake/Nog: A (very ill-advised) comedy "B" plot shows Jake and Nog on a double-date. This exposes the vast cultural differences between humans and Ferengi, with Jake appalled when Nog insists on treating his date like a servant girl. The fallout forces Jake to admit that there are areas in which they are very different, leading to the first serious conversation between the two friends about their cultures.

Vedek Bareil: Has pushed Winn to entering negotiations with the Cardassian government, to try to establish a lasting peace. Bareil has been very much the leader in this effort, to the point that Winn fears the negotiations can't continue wtihout him. When we see the bedridden Bareil "advising" Winn about the negotiations, it is clear that he is the real power, at least in this area (and likely in others). Winn makes occasional protests, but bows to his suggestions at every turn. Realizing that he is needed to make these negotiations successful, he puts his people above himself one last time, even knowing the dangers to his health as he does so.

Kai Winn: This is the first time we've seen Winn this season, and it's also the first look we've had of her as a leader. It's very clear, watching her and the Cardassian legate, that Winn is in over her head in the negotiations. It's clear to her, too. She may be a capable politician, but she isn't equipped to deal with the complexities of the pages upon pages of "legalisms" involved in treaty discussions. In this area - and probably in others - she uses Bareil as a crutch, drawing on his expertise to allow her to maintain the appearance of a leader. It will be interesting to see where her character arc goes now.


THOUGHTS

Another strong episode, offering some excellent character material. One thing I particularly enjoy about Deep Space 9 is that it's not afraid to create different character combinations. By this point, we expect that an appearance by Winn will mean flinty confrontations between her and Sisko or her and Kira. But this episode saves its Showdown with Winn scene for Bashir - a character with whom she has barely (if ever) interacted before.

It's also a major episode, involving the death of a recurring character and the first steps toward a peace treaty between Bajor and Cardassia. The treaty has potential to be intriguing, not least because it seems clear in the negotiation scenes that the Cardassians may have their own agenda. It could also be interesting to see how the people on Bajor may take this - it was only a few years ago that they were occupied, after all. Unless this is used as an excuse to sweep all the Bajoran/Cardassian conflict under the rug (which, from Deep Space 9, I doubt is the case), then this new "peace" could open up some wonderful narrative opportunities.

Or it could just be a way to shut down a running arc that's become inconvenient with the introduction of the Dominion. And if that's the case, then I'll be very annoyed.

While most of the material involving Bashir, Bareil, and Winn is well-executed, the episode suffers from the inclusion of a comedy "B" plot. The Jake/Nog scenes aren't bad in and of themselves. This would be a fine "B" plot for a lighter episode. But the comic tone of these scenes badly jars with the grimness surrounding it, and it creates a disconnect when we cut from Bashir's desperate attempts to save Bareil's life to Nog behaving with sexism that would put Archie Bunker to shame. The point about differing culture values isn't a bad one, the subplot itself works fine in isolation - It just belongs in a different episode.

The disconnect between the "A" plot and the "B" plot, combined with just a bit too much medical Techno Babble, keeps this from being quite the episode it might have been. But the character material is so good, and the performances so strong, that I still find this to be above-average - if short of the great episode it might have been.


Overall Rating: 7/10

Previous Episode: Past Tense

Next Episode: Heart of Stone 

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3-11, 3-12. Past Tense.

Fort Apache: Sanctuary District, 2024.

THE PLOT

Starfleet has invited Sisko and the Deep Space 9 command crew to Earth to discuss current developments in the Gamma Quadrant. Sisko, Dax, and Bashir beam down to attend an official dinner in San Francisco. But a transporter disruption causes them to materialize at the correct destination... but more than 200 years in the past!

Early 21st century America is not a pleasant place to be. The economy is in bad shape, and Europe is in political and economic chaos. Problems of homelessness and poverty have become so vast that the system has effectively surrendered, dumping anyone with no home and job into a "sanctuary district." This is where Sisko and Bashir find themselves, in a poverty and crime-ridden ghetto. Dax, meanwhile, was fortunate enough to materialize out of sight and to catch the eye of a local media figure.

As Dax figures out where Sisko and Bashir must have been taken, Sisko makes an even more sobering realization. They have arrived mere days before a riot in the sanctuary, one which will end in a tragedy that will nevertheless begin the transformation of Earth's society. A large part of the reason for this transformation rests with a man named Gabriel Bell, whose adherence to nonviolence keeps the protesters from being viewed as the villains in the public eye. But when Sisko and Bashir are attacked by a criminal, a man is killed trying to come to their rescue. That man? Gabriel Bell...


CHARACTERS

Commander Sisko: For the sake of plot expedience, Sisko is revealed to be an armchair expert in 21st century history. Bashir knows nothing about this period of history, which allows Sisko to deliver reams of exposition throughout Part 1. This feels a bit labored, but it's necessary to give us the context to really invest in the action of Part 2. Sisko tries hard to keep from interfering with history. But when the brutish B. C. (Frank Military) forces interference on them, resulting in Bell's death, Sisko promptly steps into the role of Bell and rapidly takes charge of the hostage situation. Avery Brooks is at his best in these scenes, alternately manipulating and confronting B. C. and rather marvellously losing his temper at Vin (Dick Miller), the most argumentative of the hostages.

Dr. Bashir: A fantastic episode for Bashir. His horror at the treatment of the Sanctuary District residents is palpable. Seeing mentally ill homeless people wandering around the ghetto-like streets, he bitterly complains about a society that doesn't care. When Sisko reminds him that this is a very different time with very different resources, Bashir reminds him that the medical technology exists even in the early 21st century to help many of the people around them. The flipside of Bashir's moral outrage is his compassion. The best of many good scenes comes in Part 2, as Bashir observes the distress of one of the hostages and quietly engages her, calming her down and diagnosing both her underlying medical condition and how to help her. It's very hard to reconcile this character with the callow fop of Season One, but it does show just how far the character has come and how well the writers did at revamping him.

Dax: In contrast to the two men, who are hauled away to a ghetto when they are discovered, Dax is treated like a princess and taken to the equivalent of a palace. In part, she's just lucky. She materialized out of sight, so the police don't see her when they take Sisko and Bashir away. But there's also the other part, as writer Ira Steven Behr noted in interviews. "A beautiful white woman is always going to get much better treatment than two brown-skinned men," Behr observed, and it doesn't feel like much of a reach that the man who finds Jadzia is focused on helping her. For her part, she's not above flirting pretty heavily, and Terry Farrell has Jadzia giving a lot of nonverbal looks and cues to her wealthy benefactor that are more than a little flirtatious.


THOUGHTS

Past Tense was written and shot in the mid-1990's, but a lot of it seems quite prescient in 2011. Bad economy? A lack of jobs? People who had always been middle-class suddenly unemployed and slipping into poverty? There are even mentions of chaos and protests in Europe. All right, we don't have concentration camps for the homeless. But a lot of the context created for this episode matches up eerily well with today's situation. If things were to continue deteriorating for another 13 years, it wouldn't be a stretch to see a world much like the one glimpsed in this episode.

As a 2-part piece of television drama, Past Tense works very well. It's not perfect. There isn't quite enough story to fill two full episodes, and Part 2 has some very visible padding. The Kira/O'Brien scenes are particularly weak. The "comedy" of their search of different time periods is thin and obvious, and these scenes clash horribly with the bleak tone of the overall story. Worse is the sheer volume of technobabble O'Brien spouts to justify the time travel. There's also a frankly horrible scene in Part 1 in which Jadzia attends a "rich snob" party. The two snobs who chat with Brynner (Jim Metzler), Jadzia's rescuer,are horribly overwritten, and the acting of the two bit players is gratingly artificial.

That scene stands in stark contrast to the main body of the episode, which is filled with performances that are very sharp and feel heavily rooted in reality. The scenes in the Sanctuary District are marked by a gritty, filmic quality that's rare in Star Trek. Talk about job searches, hunger, and desperation is easy to relate to. The directing is very good, both by Reza Badiyi (Part 1) and by Jonathan Frakes (Part 2). Frakes' direction is more dynamic, but that's largely because his half is more action-heavy. Badiyi's half is largely about setting up the world in which the story occurs. Music is sparse, largely confined to the action sequences, which emphasizes the almost documentary-like nature of the early Sanctuary District scenes.

This is a very message-heavy episode, and that message is delivered with all the subtlety one expects of Trek - which is to say, none. If things are bad, no one can entirely blame you for ducking your head and telling yourself that it's not your fault. But if everyone does the same, then nothing will change. Is it heavy-handed, even perhaps bordering on trite? Perhaps. But it's still a worthy message, one that seems even more relevant today than when this episode was made. The brief exchange between Sisko and Detective Preston particularly lingers in my mind:


PRESTON: Change takes time.
SISKO: You've run out of time.


Overall Rating: 9/10

Previous Episode: Fascination

Next Episode: Life Support

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3-04. Equilibrium.

Jadzia's hallucination.

THE PLOT

After hearing a snatch of music, Jadzia finds herself distracted, unable to think of anything except the song that she can't quite place. After snapping at both Sisko and Kira, then suffering a hallucination, she goes to Dr. Bashir. He diagnoses a drop in her isoboramine levels, which keep the host and the symbiote in balance. He and Sisko insist on taking her to the Trill homeworld for treatment.

As the Trill doctor (Lisa Banes) focuses purely on the isoboramine levels, Sisko and Bashir follow other avenues of investigation. A Trill guardian, one of those who devotes his life to watching over the unjoined symbiotes, speculates that one of Dax's previous hosts was the issue. When Sisko and Bashir identify the composer of the music that was troubling Jadzia, Sisko begins to understand what is happening... even as the Trill doctor prepares to remove the symbiote from Jadzia's body - killing her in the process!


CHARACTERS

Commander Sisko: The teaser shows him cooking with evident skill and joy, and reveals that his grandfather ran a restaurant in New Orleans. Though he's developed a bond with Jadzia, he confesses that he still misses Curzon. When Jadzia is in danger, Sisko is relentless in his investigation and ruthless when he bargains for Jadzia's life. "I have no interest in revealing your secret," he tells the Trill doctor, bluntly adding: "You know my terms." There's no heavy-handed moralizing ala Picard here. Sisko wants to save the life of his friend and officer, and is coldly pragmatic in making that happen.

Dax: After her blowups at her friends and her first hallucination, she doesn't try to pretend she's fine. Instead, she does the smart thing and goes directly to Dr. Bashir to find out what's wrong with her. Terry Farrell is very good, playing Dax's fear, her confusion, and even her desire to go into denial about what is happening when she talks about wanting to show Sisko and Bashir the sights at one point. She also is not simply the "damsel-in-distress" here, actively participating in the investigation by guiding Sisko and Bashir to the guardians. By integrating yet another new personality into the composite that is Dax, the groundwork is laid for potential changes to her sometimes too-calm personality, though I have doubts as to whether the writers will actually make use of this.

Dr. Bashir: Became a doctor in order to have the knowledge that the seemingly all-knowing doctors had. As he went through his studies, he decided what he really wanted most was simply to help people. That he genuinely cares about Jadzia has been shown many times in the past. Freed of the boorish behavior of Season One Julian, he is far more likable simply acting as a good friend here.


THOUGHTS

Season Two of Deep Space 9 ended with a run of very good to excellent shows. Season Three has thus far extended that winning streak, with all four of the Season Four episodes I've reviewed thus far being good ones.

Equilibrium mixes a science fiction medical mystery with a conspiracy thriller, to very good effect. The made up science surrounding Jadzia's condition feels convincing, with just enough information imparted to make the Technobabble (Medobabble?) fit what we already know about the host/symbiote relationship. There is sufficient development of the medical scenes to sell that both Bashir and the Trill doctor genuinely want to stabilize Jadzia to keep the current joining viable. What we already know about Trill society also makes it believable that, when it comes to a choice, the symbiote is ultimately more valued than the host - a chilling thought, one that could make for a genuinely scary story if the show is ever interested in exploring that further.

The investigation into the past of the Dax symbiote also expands on the relationship between these two living beings, as we see Dax's past impacting Jadzia. Even in personality, as Dax's distress first manifests through uncharacteristically aggressive behavior by Jadzia. The secret at the heart of the mystery makes sense, and would be something worth revisiting in my opinion, along with the notion that past hosts' secrets can impact the current host.

The episode is well-directed by Cliff Bole, who draws a fair amount of atmosphere out of Jadzia's hallucinations and out of a scene late in the episode in which Jadzia literally embraces Dax's past. It's a shame the show's first visit to the Trill homeworld shows us so little of the planet, but given the need to get through the story and the limitations of the budget, that's hardly a major gripe.

Another good episode. I'd say Deep Space 9 has improved every bit as much between its first season and here as TNG improved between Seasons One and Three - and given how much a better a start Deep Space 9 had, that says something about how good a show it is by this point.


Overall Rating: 7/10

Previous Episode: The House of Quark

Next Episode: Second Skin

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2-23. Crossover.

Kira, through the looking glass.

THE PLOT

While Major Kira and Dr. Bashir are returning from the Gamma Quadrant, a minor malfunction causes a disruption in the wormhole. When they reach the other side, they find that they are no longer in their universe. They are in the parallel "mirror universe."

Here, Deep Space 9 is still known as Terok Nor, and is run by an alliance of Bajorans, Cardassians, and Klingons. The Terran Empire has fallen, all as a consequence of Captain Kirk's visit 100 years earlier, and now the humans live as slaves. Terak Nor is ruled over by The Intendant - also known as Kira Nerys, Major Kira's counterpart. The Intendant is instantly fascinated with our Kira, allowing her the run of the station while hoping to share information with her... among other things. Meanwhile, Bashir is sent to the mines, with his life held hostage to Major Kira's cooperation - a hostage the mirror universe's Garak plans to use in his own grab for power!


CHARACTERS

Commander Sisko: "Mirror Sisko" has the demeanor of a pirate. Which, save for his operations being sanctioned by the Alliance, basically describes his work - commanding a Terran crew to collect tribute. He justifies himself to Kira by stating that he has "made the best of a bad life" for his crew. But after The Intendant chooses the worst possible moment to show her true colors, he shows that he isn't as different from our Sisko as he first appears. Avery Brooks has a grand time overacting and snarling his way through Sisko's "pirate" scenes, while also doing well with his hero moment at the end.

Major Kira: Nana Visitor is terrific in a dual role, playing both the normal Kira and the seductive Intendant. Visitor has great fun with the Intendant, adopting the kind of confidently sexual attitude Kira is normally denied. She all but purrs over her counterpart, her gestures recalling the attempted seduction of Dax in Dramatis Personae - only this time there's no alien influence, this is simply who Kira became in this set of circumstances.

Our Kira is initially intrigued with her, taken with the idea of a strong Bajor and feeling that in that, at least, the mirror universe might have something to show the fragemented Bajoran government of her world. She doesn't even seem particularly put off by The Intendant's obvious designs on her, though neither does she seem particularly interested. She is appalled, however, when she sees the mines, and I think it's that moment - seeing her people and Odo becoming exactly like the Cardassians - in which she truly resolves to escape by any possible means. Visitor is just as good as normal Kira as we've become accustomed to, making her effectively both hero and villain of the piece.

Dr. Bashir: The teaser reminds us that however far he may have come, Bashir has never really shed the arrogance he brought with him on his arrival. Attempting to bridge the differences between himself and Kira, he mainly succeeds in reminding her of all the reasons she initially disliked him.  She even refers to him as "arrogant" and "pampered" when talking to the Intendant. Despite this reminder of his shortcomings, Bashir is very effective as he works on O'Brien, pushing him to the strength and decency that he knows any Miles O'Brien must have. He also doesn't hesitate to take decisive action when an escape opportunity presents itself, and faces down the Intendant's pronouncement of his death sentence without blinking.

O'Brien: Is probably the most like his counterpart in the main universe. He's hard-working, and has learned how the machinery on the station works. He's raised himself to the point that he can actually talk back to the evil "mirror Odo" without getting slapped. He finds it a wonder that a Terran like Bashir could have become a doctor in the other universe, and cannot fully believe that his own counterpart could be chief of operations. He resists stepping out of place until the very end. But when he does finally aid Bashir, as we know all along he has to, he gives the Intendant an accounting of himself that's so raw and simple that it not only convinces when it leads Sisko to action, it more or less sums up the entire episode in a few, plain, defiant words.

Quark: Just as our Quark used his position to aid Bajorans during the Cardassian occupation, the Quark in the mirror universe does what he can to help Terrans escape the Alliance. "Mirror Quark" appears to be more altruistic than regular Quark. Our Quark might do good, but even then he'll usually make sure that he's getting some profit out of it - nor is he above doing things that are very, very bad. This Quark doesn't pursue profit. His price for helping Kira is for Kira to help him in aiding the escape of more Terrans.

Garak: It's good that The Wire preceded this episode, as The Wire indicated that Garak had been a force - likely, a sometimes sadistic one - prior to his disgrace. This episode's "mirror Garak" is just as devious as our Garak. But without the benign surface or the friendship with Bashir to humanize him, he is a genuinely frightening figure - far scarier, with his dulcet tones and his way of smiling as he threatens oh-so-politely, than Gul Dukat has ever indicated he even could be. Andrew Robinson seems to enjoy the chance to cut loose and really show Garak's dark side, and I suspect the Garak we see here isn't really very far removed from our version in the days before he was reduced to being "a simple tailor."


THOUGHTS

With a script by Peter Allen Fields and Michael Piller, almost certainly the two best writers at this point in Deep Space 9's run, it's no surprise that Crossover is a very good entertainment. Fields and Piller use the ending of TOS' Mirror, Mirror as a starting point. Kirk's heroic speech to "mirror Spock" made an impact, it turns out. Kirk got up on his soapbox and succeeded in changing things - by making them vastly worse than they had been already.

That in itself is a terrific twist, one which makes this trip to the mirror universe one in which everything really is "through the looking glass," as Kira says. Not only is Kira confronted with evil versions of herself and Odo, a ruthless and apathetic Sisko, and (perhaps most disturbing of all) an altruistic Quark, but everything is turned upside down. The Bajorans are the oppressors, treating the human Terrans at least as badly as the Cardassians treated them. Kira, the freedom fighter, sees herself turned into the worst oppressor of all.

This is a expertly directed episode, with David Livingston using some interesting lighting and camera angles to truly make the scenes in the familiar space stations sets feel otherworldly. This isn't just the harsh, bleak feel of the Occupation scenes in Necessary Evil. This time, the feel is vaguely surreal, as if we're seeing a world distorted through a funhouse mirror. It's done well enough to create the effect, without being heavy-handed enough to distract from the story.

Still, the showstopping scene belongs not to Kira, not to Garak, and not to Sisko. The scene of the episode is the one I referenced earlier, the plain, desperate weariness expressed by plain, simple O'Brien. His speech to the Intendant is the one genuinely emotional moment of the episode, and is so good that I can't think of a better way to close this review than to simply quote it in full:

"This man is a doctor where he comes from. And there's an O'Brien there, just like me... Except he's some kind of high-up chief of operations. And they're Terrans. Can you believe that? Maybe it's a fairy tale he made up, but it started me thinking how each of us might have turned out, had history been just a little different. I wanted him to take me with him because, whatever it's like where he's from, it's got to be better than this. There's got to be something better than this."


Rating: 10/10.

Previous Episode: The Wire

Next Episode: The Collaborator

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2-22. The Wire.

Garak lashes out at Dr. Bashir.

THE PLOT

Garak is unwell. He's uncharacteristically short-tempered, his skin is clammy, and he is having regular headaches. Despite this, he resists Dr. Bashir's attempts to get him to the infirmary for a check up. Instead, he goes to Quark, making clandestine arrangements for a secret piece of Cardassian biotech - so secret that not even Quark's contacts will be able to obtain it.

When Garak collapses, Bashir discovers there is an implant inside Garak's head, connected to his entire central nervous system. He confronts Garak, who confesses that the implant was put there by the Obsidian Order, the Cardassian secret police. It was designed to make Garak immune to torture, by increasing his body's production of endorphins. Pain literally becomes pleasure. But the device "was never designed for continuous use," Garak tells Bashir. Finding his exile to the Bajoran-controlled Deep Space 9 to be a living torture, Garak simply switched the device on and left it run. Now it is malfunctioning, and Garak insists that there is nothing Bashir can do to help him...


CHARACTERS

Commander Sisko: Barely present, though he does amusingly describe his yelling at an admiral (from the previous episode, perhaps?) as expressing his opinion, "loudly."

Dr. Bashir: After being an insufferably boor for the bulk of the first season, Dr. Bashir has grown into a strong character in Season Two. This episode gives him a particularly meaty role, showcasing his dedication to his patients and the strength of his friendship. He refuses to allow Garak to push him away, either when Garak tells him the most brutal version of his story or when he physically assaults him. He also refuses to allow Odo to intimidate him into questioning Garak while he's still in critical condition. By the end, Bashir knows that he hasn't learned much about Garak, with the connection to the Obsidian Order probably being the only new information truly confirmed. But he seems willing to accept the subterfuge and contradictions as simply part and parcel of a friendship with Garak.

Quark: Gleeful at the prospect of making the elusive Garak into one of his clients, and perhaps at the idea of repaying Garak for his mercy. Whether hoping for future business, repaying a personal debt, or a bit of both, Quark does his very best to assist Garak - though when the words, "Obsidian Order" are mentioned by his Cardassian contact, his self-preservation instincts kick in very, very quickly.

Garak: Garak hasn't actually been in very many episodes, with this being his fourth appearance in more than 40 shows, but he already feels like an integral part of the show. Between the shaded writing of the character and the performance by Andrew Robinson, which I think may be the very best work of Robinson's long career, he is a character who is as fascinatingly complex as he is fun to watch. We learn a lot about Garak's past in this episode... though most of it contradicts itself.

Garak was exiled in disgrace to Deep Space 9, after having been a powerful figure within the Obsidian Order. That much we know for sure. We don't know which of Garak's other stories are true, though - the one in which he was exiled for showing mercy, or the one in which he was exiled for being relentlessly merciless. It seems entirely possible that both incidents he related are true, and simply occurred on different occasions. It is certain, however, that Garak was an influential figure, and that his existence has not simply been forgotten back on the home to which he can never return. I look forward to his next appearance, though I'm guessing that won't occur until next season.


THOUGHTS

"My dear doctor, (the stories are) all true... especially the lies." The odd, mistrustful friendship between Garak and Bashir is the focus of this episode. After the teaser, the episode begins with Dax observing that Bashir and Garak aren't really friends, they simply have lunch together once a week. The episode then moves on to firmly establish that Bashir's friendship with Garak is genuine. Bashir may not truly know Garak, with even the end leaving him (and us) with a mass of contradictions.

Though a Garak-centered episode is always good news, The Wire is a particularly fine show. It's a character-centered episode that doesn't feel the need to graft on some extra, external threat to the station. This story is about the relationship between Bashir and Garak, and the contradictions of Garak's past. There's no looming military threat tenuously tied to Garak's implant. It's all character-centric, and remains that way. It's a very tightly-focused episode as a result, and that focus combines with excellent acting by Andrew Robinson and Siddig El-Fadil to make this one of the best of the season.

It's also an expertly-structured script, with the stakes rising steadily throughout. Bashir overcomes the barriers Garak throws in front of him, only to encounter new barriers due to the lack of medical information about Cardassians. Given that we've seen him treat Cardassians before, I'd have thought he'd have developed a lot of that information by now - but the episode's so good that I'm more than willing to let that slide. Bashir's commitment is tested at every point. He must overcome Garak's resistance, he must face down Odo at one point. Finally, he is forced to go to Cardassian space to confront a particularly infamous Cardassian (wonderfully played by Paul Dooley). And even at the end, neither he nor we know what crimes Garak is truly guilty of.

Dooley's cameo, by the way, is yet another instance in which Deep Space 9 has lured terrific character actors into its fold. All the Trek shows have had snared strong guest stars, probably a tribue to the franchise's iconic status even when it was in its dying days. But Deep Space 9 seems to get this calibre of actor more regularly than other Trek shows, and gets more out of their casting as well. I can't help but think that the show's consistently fine character writing - which far outstrips that of any other Trek, at any point in the franchise's history - probably has something to do with that.


Rating: 9/10.

Previous Episode: The Maquis

Next Episode: Crossover

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