4-12. Paradise Lost

Sisko finds himself in conflict with Admiral Leyton.

THE PLOT

It's been four days since the power outage that led to the President's declaration of martial law, and Sisko finds himself increasingly troubled. The events surrounding the outage don't add up. If the Dominion was responsible, why was there no invasion? The power is back up, and Earth is now more fortified than ever - Hardly a set of circumstances that favors the enemy.

When Odo discovers a log of Red Squad, an elite group of Starfleet Academy cadets, beaming back on the night of the outage, Sisko becomes suspicious that another agenda was at work. When he interrogates the leader of Red Squad, his suspicions are confirmed. The Dominion didn't sabotage the power grid - someone at Starfleet did. Someone Sisko knows and respects... 


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Spends the first part of the episode debating what to do with the information he has gathered. It doesn't take long for him to realize what Admiral Leyton (Robert Foxworth) has done, but he still respects the admiral and doesn't want to act against him. He does know his duty, however, and when he realizes that Leyton's plans go further than the enhanced security that's already in effect, he puts together a plan to expose his old friend. Avery Brooks is in fine form, showing both regret at being in opposition to Leyton and a righteous fury at Leyton's betrayal of his Starfleet oath.

Odo: Less prominent than in Part One, though he still gets some good material. Most notable is his loyalty to Sisko, which doesn't waver even though he shares Leyton's concerns about the Changeling threat. Amusingly, when he extracts evidence from Starfleet's security systems, he gives credit to Quark for being able to hack in so adeptly.

Pompous Earth Bureaucrat of the Week: Part Two thrusts Admiral Leyton into a full villain's role, though he remains sincere in his belief that he is doing good. He genuinely believes that Starfleet needs stronger leadership than that provided by President Jaresh-Inyo (and he might have a point there). He is likely sincere when he tells Sisko that he only intends for military control to be temporary... though Sisko knows as well as we do that such arrangements usually end up being permanent, at least until the next coup. Robert Foxworth continues to play the role straight-up, as a sincere man who believes he is acting honorably, and the scenes between Foxworth and Brooks are uniformly excellent.


THOUGHTS

Homefront built up a general atmosphere of fear. It was clear that Changelings were creating havoc on Earth, and it seemed equally clear that Leyton's reaction to this was likely to lead to further problems. By the end of the episode, the Federation President has granted Leyton his full goal and instituted martial law on Earth.

Paradise Lost picks up with that, and builds on the theme of fear and how people react to it. We are told that the population of Earth overwhelmingly supports Leyton's security measures. We even see Sisko's father cooperating with them, despite his stubbornness in Part One. The power outage caused enough fear for people to crave safety, even at the expense of some liberty. Exactly according to Leyton's plans.

Still, this episode mostly lacks the atmosphere of fear that pervaded the first part, and that's one reason why it's not quite as good. Part One built up the sense of paranoia, so that when Sisko's father cut himself with the knife, we were looking for him to be a Changeling right along with Ben. This episode mostly is about explaining the full plot. It moves quickly and is never dull, but there's little time for atmosphere.

There is one wonderfully atmospheric scene, though. Right at about the midpoint, after the first of the three excellent Sisko/Leyton scenes, Sisko goes for a night walk. He is greeted by a friendly face: O'Brien. Who can't possibly be on Earth. This is, of course, a Changeling. Sisko thinks of calling for help - but as Changeling O'Brien points out, he'll be long gone before anyone arrives. So Sisko grants his request for a little chat, in which the Changeling talks pleasantly about how much damage just a handful of their number have caused on Earth.

"We're smarter than solids. we're better than you. And most importantly, we don't fear you the way you fear us. In the end, it's your fear that will destroy you."

A nice, creepy reminder of the genuine Changeling threat in an episode otherwise focused on the internal threat of Leyton's coup. 

And yes, as we discover, Leyton's plot is to stage a coup against the democratically-elected President. It's Deep Space 9's version of Seven Days in May, with the final scene between Sisko and Leyton a direct reflection of the final scene between Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas in that film. Right down to Sisko telling Leyton that he used to consider him a man of honor. 

A good episode, and a well-scripted finale to a very fine two-parter. It isn't quite up there with Part One, but that shouldn't be held against it.


Episode Rating: 8/10.

Overall Rating for Homefront/Paradise Lost: 9/10.

Previous Episode: Homefront
Next Episode: Crossfire 


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4-11. Homefront.

Admiral Leyton (Robert Foxworth) has a job for Sisko.

THE PLOT

When a bomb goes off at a conference between Federation and Romulan diplomats, Sisko and Odo are summoned to Earth. Analysis of security video shows that the attack was the work of a Changeling. As Admiral Leyton (Robert Foxworth) explains, Sisko knows more about the shapeshifters than anyone in Starfleet. To that end, Leyton is naming Sisko acting head of Starfleet Security - effective immediately!

Sisko, Leyton, and Odo work together to institute new precautions throughout Starfleet. Phaser scans will be done of all objects going into high-security areas. High-ranking Starfleet officers and their families will be required to submit to blood tests to prove they are not Changelings. Even gaining these concessions from the peace-loving Federation President Jaresh-Inyo (Herschel Sparber) is not easy. But when a further Changeling infiltration is discovered, Leyton worries that their security is not enough, and that firmer steps must be taken to protect Earth!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Experiences firsthand the paranoia left by the Changeling attack when his father (Brock Peters) refuses to submit to a blood test. The elder Sisko insists that he never joined Starfleet and never swore any oath to them, and that he has no duty to cooperate with a violation of his rights. Ben's response? Suspicion. When his father cuts himself with a knife, Ben stares at the blood on the blade, frozen in the rush of emotion at this confirmation that his father really is human. His father points out that a Changeling might fool a blood test by stockpiling human blood in any case, and Ben worries that he may be right - not about Starfleet betraying its principles, but about the prospect of the Changelings overcoming their security measures.

Odo: Odo has always been authoritarian in nature. We saw back in Season Two's The Maquis that Odo prizes security over freedom, when he observed that for all the Cardassians' abuses, the station was safer when they were in charge. It's no surprise that he is in lockstep with Admiral Leyton about the need for increased security. His time as security officer has also granted him an understanding of the worst aspects of human nature, notably of the power of fear. This gives him just enough insight to persuade the Federation President - first with a demonstration, then with words - to grant Leyton the very powers the admiral is seeking. 

Pompous Earth Bureaucrat of the Week: Leyton is Sisko's former CO, and the man who recommended Sisko to command Deep Space 9. He and Sisko are initially on the same page about the need for increased security on Earth. Gradually, however, we see hints of xenophobia in the admiral. He observes of the president that Earth "isn't his world. We can't expect him to care about it the same way we do." We don't see any sign that Leyton wants anything other than the security of Earth, and to actor Robert Foxworth's credit, he never plays Leyton as a villain. He is genuine in his dealings with both Sisko and Odo, and shows genuine intelligence and authority. Still, I suspect Leyton's pursuit of security will see him in the role of (well-meaning) villain come the second half of this two-parter.


THOUGHTS

"Fear is a powerful and dangerous thing... If you don't act, if you don't show them that they're not alone, then fear will surely take over."

Odo's warning to the Federation President achieves his goal, as the man accedes to the wishes of him, Sisko, and Leyton, signing off on additional security measures. What is lost on Odo and the other characters, but not on the audience, is that these measures are a response to fear. They know of only a single Changeling on the planet. But out of fear of what might happen, they are reacting as if they are under siege by an unseen army. 

The idea of Changelings invading Earth was originally intended for the Season Three finale. When Paramount overruled the show's producers, not wanting to end the year on a cliffhanger, the concept was recycled for this mid-Season Four two-parter.

I think it worked out for the best. The Adversary was an ideal endpoint for Season Three, demonstrating the threat posed and the damage done by a single Changeling. That was further developed by The Way of the Warrior, a story whose catalyst was the paranoia created by the Changelings. All of this allowed the threat to build steadily, so that it is all the more effective when it literally comes home.

A wise decision is to craft Homefront not as a Changeling hunt, but instead as a story about paranoia. The Changeling attack provides the catalyst, and a second infilitration pushes Leyton's suspicions to the brink at just the right moment. However, the real threat is the one the President sees - that of transforming Earth into a police state, oppressing its citizens in the name of protecting them.

This is a terrific episode, the first real payoff we've gotten to The Adversary's declaration that, "We are everywhere." The Way of the Warrior saw the Klingons responding to the perceived threat of the Changelings. Now we see Earth going the same direction - only this time, it's not just a perceived threat. There is a Changeling on Earth, maybe more than one. There's enough here to hint that Leyton's approach to the problem is the wrong one. At the same time, there is a legitimate threat, one which does require a response.

It's one of the joys of Deep Space 9, in my opinion. A situation is created with many shades of gray. The President doesn't want to do anything about the problem, only agreeing to added security after Odo provides him with a visceral scare. The end of the episode shows him weak and indecisive in a moment that demands leadership. He has the right instinct, to protect people's rights and protect the values of the federation. But he still comes across as weak. Leyton's instincts to secure against potential invasion are not all wrong, but his desire to enforce martial law is an overreaction. Both men have valid arguments, but both are ultimately wrong.

An excellent first half, and one which leaves me eager to watch Part Two.


Overall Rating: 9/10.

Previous Episode: Our Man Bashir
Next Episode: Paradise Lost


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3-14. Heart of Stone.

Odo refuses to abandon the trapped Kira.

THE PLOT

Kira and Odo are returning to the station after checking security at a Bajoran border outpost, when they receive a distress call from a ship under Maquis attack. They pursue the surprisingly fast ship to an unstable moon, where interference forces them to land and search for their quarry on foot. They split up to search the area more quickly. But it isn't long before Kira calls for help. When Odo arrives, he discovers that her foot is encased in a crystal mass - one which is slowly spreading to encase her entire body!

Meanwhile, Nog has an unexpected request for Commander Sisko. He has just attained official Ferengi manhood, and the time has come for him to apprentice himself to a suitable role model. Surprisingly, he has not chosen Quark or a similarly venal Ferengi businessman. He has selected Sisko as his role model, and asks the commander to help him attain entrance as the first Ferengi in Starfleet!


CHARACTERS

Commander Sisko: Though taken aback by Nog's request, he is too thoughtful to simply disregard it. Once he realizes the young Ferengi is serious, he decides to set up a test for him - a difficult and tedious inventory for Nog to complete without help. He selects a cargo bay which has a lot of valuable material, in order to tempt Nog with an easy opportunity to steal. In short, he gives the Ferengi a chance to prove he's worthy of Starfleet, and then leaves his destiny entirely in his own hands.

Major Kira: Though this is Odo's episode, Kira gets a very strong role. Trapped in the crystal, we see her first being blase about the situation. It's an inconvenience, but not something life-threatening. When the crystal begins to expand, we see fear slipping through the surface. Visitor constricts her voice as the crystal spreads, giving the impression of Kira finding it increasingly difficult to breathe as she is encased.

Odo: Rene Auberjonois is always excellent, but here he is even more focused than usual. His interactions with Kira ring true throughout, from his peevishness at not being asked whether or not he wanted to attend a dinner to his determination to free her. We also learn more about his background, as Odo tells Kira the origin of his name - which in Cardassian, translates to "nothing." He tells Kira that he always felt it an appropriate name for him, until he met her and the others. Now, as he has become increasingly integrated with the crew, he says: "I no longer feel like nothing. I feel like me."

Nog: Aron Eisenberg gets a chance to show how good he is in this episode. The glimpse of Nog's life, as he watches Quark bullying his father for something that's Quark's own fault, is quite effective. Even before he says anything about his reasons, we are shown that Nog truly does have something to escape from. Ferengi society will allow him only to be an exploiter, like his uncle, or someone exploited, like his father. Through his friendship with Jake and his time in Keiko's school, he has seen that there are other options. He wants more, and is willing to do whatever it takes to get a chance to do more.


THOUGHTS

Deep Space 9 continues to show strength in its continuity. The previous episode saw Bajor signing a treaty with the Cardassians. This episode opens with a mention of that treaty - and signs that the Bajorans don't fully trust the Cardassians to honor it.

This is the second episode in a row to have an A plot/B plot structure in which the "B" plot has no connection with the "A" plot. The structure works much better than it did in Life Support. This is mostly due to tone. The last episode made a misguided effort to use the "B" plot as comedy relief - which ended up jarring with the tragedy of the "A" plot. This time, both plots maintain a serious tone. The stories may not feed each other, but they still feel like part of the same whole.

This is a big episode for Odo, perhaps even moreso than The Search. It's the first time he's directly revealed his growing feelings for Kira, and it's clear through Auberjonois' splendid performance how difficult it is for him to speak them aloud. His skill as an investigator is also highlighted. When an attempt to free Kira fails - one that should have worked - he realizes something about the situation is "off." From that moment, his instincts kick in and he is alert for discrepancies. He eventually finds them, with the results turning a strong character-centric episode into an equally strong arc episode.

With success in both its "A" and "B" plots, this is a particularly strong episode, and a "Must-See" within the overall context of the series.


Overall Rating: 9/10

Previous Episode: Life Support

Next Episode: Destiny

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2-12. The Alternate

Odo and his foster father (James Sloyan).

THE PLOT

Dr. Mora (James Sloyan), the Bajoran scientist who worked with Odo in the laboratory before the shapeshifter struck out on his own, comes to the station. Dr. Mora has discovered traces of DNA similar to Odo's in the Gamma Quadrant, and would like Odo's help in investigating this discovery.

Mora and Odo discover an artifact on the planet. When Mora has it beamed up to the runabout, it triggers volcanic tremors, which release a gas that incapacitates everyone except Odo. The security chief gets them all back to the ship and then to the station, where Dr. Bashir is able to tend to them. But one of the organic samples brought back reproduces rapidly before escaping into the station's air vents. Soon, Dr. Bashir is attacked in sickbay, leaving Odo spearheading a full-fledged monster hunt: a hunt for a creature that may not be too dissimilar to himself!


CHARACTERS

Commander Sisko: When Odo asks for the use of a runabout, Sisko grants the request even before Odo fully explains his reasons for needing one, which shows that he has developed a tremendous trust in his security chief. Even so, he is very much a pragmatist, moreso I would say than any of the other Trek series' leads. When it becomes clear that it is necessary to endanger Odo in order to ensure the safety of the station, he doesn't hesitate to give the order, even telling his men to set their weapons to "Kill" if "Stun" fails to work.

Odo: It remains true that the most certain way to catch Odo's attention is to dangle some clue about his origins in front of him. It worked for Croden back in Season One, and it works for Dr. Mora here. Rene Auberjonois gives another excellent performance, particularly when we see hints of emotion from him beneath his stoic surface, such as when he visits Mora in sickbay.

Dr. Bashir: Is conscious of Dax's enjoyment of their eternally unconsummated little dance, and it frustrates him. "One day, I'm going to stop chasing after her," he muses after one particularly flirtatious encounter, "and then we'll see." Shows quick thinking in using a laser scalpel to fend off an attack by the creature.

Dax: Is strangely "off" in this episode. There's something a bit distant and artificial about her responses to characters. I actually suspected at a few points in the episode that Dax had been replaced by the shapeshifter, simply because she seemed so cold in her interactions with Odo and particularly Mora. On the other hand, she is nicely perky when teasing Julian, so it could be that Terry Farrell was having on off day when some of her scenes were recorded. Either that, or it was a deliberate attempt at a red herring that just didn't quite come off.

Dr. Mora: James Sloyan is very good as Mora, the scientist who essentially became Odo's foster father. Various turns in the episode see him behaving in both roles. He expresses pride at the excellence with which Odo does his job, and shows genuine feeling as he tells Odo that he wants to be a part of his life. But he also tries to bully Odo into returning to the lab, showing frustration at Odo's departure thwarting his ongoing studies.


THOUGHTS

Any Odo-centric episode gets an immediate boost from Auberjonois' consistently excellent performance. Odo is an interesting character, with a lot of layers hidden beneath his stoic exterior, and Auberjonois reliably gives just enough of a reaction to events to hint at what's going on underneath that exterior.

This episode gives us a look at Odo's immediate past, while hinting a bit more about his ultimate origins. It has already been made clear that Odo was left with emotional scars from being put on display in the lab on Bajor. Now we see his complex reactions to the man most responsible for his development within the lab. He does react to Mora very much as a foster parent, even in his resentment toward him. At the same time, he makes it clear that he will never go back to that laboratory.

The scenes between Odo and Mora are quite effective, and Rene Auberjonois is typically reliable in carrying the scenes in which Odo investigates the creature's escape. The actual "monster hunt" scenes, particularly near the end, are far less effective. There's a third act twist that genuinely surprised me, but it doesn't come off as well as I'd have liked. The implications of that twist are brushed aside, with an ending that provides a seemingly complete reset.

More intriguing is the artifact retrieved from the planet. I have hopes that this column, and the potential clues it represents toward Odo's people, will be followed up in future episodes. That open question, plus some effective character scenes, helps to elevate the episode above its weakest elements. Not one of Deep Space 9's best, but still a solid piece.


Overall Rating: 6/10.

Previous Episode: Rivals

Next Episode: Armageddon Game

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1-12. Vortex

Croden (Cliff DeYoung) gets under Odo's skin.

THE PLOT

Quark is completing a deal with a pair of aggressive aliens selling merchandise that was almost certainly stolen. The deal turns bad when Croden (Cliff DeYoung), a refugee from the Gamma Quadrant, attempts to steal the merchandise. Croden ends up killing one of the pair in the ensuing violence, and the survivor swears revenge.

Sisko takes a runabout to the Gamma Quadrant to let Croden's people know what happened.  He learns that the refugee is a wanted man, whose people demand he be turned over for immediate exeuction.  Meanwhile, Croden tries to convince Odo to let him go, and he has the perfect leverage.  There are other changelings in the Gamma Quadrant - And if Odo frees him, then he will take him right to them, letting him be with his own kind for the first time ever!


CHARACTERS

Commander Sisko: There's not much for Sisko in this episode, though we do see him taking his duty very seriously, even when that duty compels him to release a prisoner into the custody of people who will surely execute him.

Odo: When Croden reveals that there are other shapeshifters, Odo's first impulse is denial. But he cannot make himself dismiss even the possibility of finding another being like himself. So he goes to his next default - He plays detective, employing his favorite investigative technique: Grilling Quark. His sense of duty is too strong to give into Croden's cajoling, but he remains fascinated with both his prisoner and the man's story about other changelings. Rene Auberjonois is excellent throughout, and this is thankfully a better episode than the last Odo-centric piece.

Quark: Though in a supporting role, we do get to see both sides of Quark's character. He is dishonest to the core, arranging a robbery to defraud his (admittedly crooked) seller. However, when it seems quite likely that Odo and Croden will end up dying as an indirect result of his actions, Quark is far from happy - and reacts with disgust when Rom is pleased.

Croden: Cliff DeYoung is very good as Croden, his performance and the script moving our perceptions of him constantly back and forth between victim and villain. It is clear that he is willing to say anything to manipulate Odo into freeing him.  But as the episode goes on, his story seems ever more plausible, and we're as eager as Odo to see where he leads us.


THOUGHTS

Disc Three has made me nervous about Deep Space 9. The series had an excellent start, and the first two discs were made up of mostly good episodes, a few of them very good, with no genuinely bad ones. This disc, however, has seen that quality bog down a bit, with one middling runaround, one entertaining exercise in silliness, and finally the series' first genuinely poor offering.  Still, there's no cure as effective against the Bog of Mediocrity as a single very good episode, and Vortex is probably the strongest episode the series has seen to date.

It helps that it centers around two terrific character actors, both of them playing well-written characters. Rene Auberjonois and Cliff DeYoung bounce off each other to good effect. The episode advances Odo's character particularly well, emphasizing just how much of a sense of isolation he feels being the only one of his kind, and how much he longs for a place he can truly belong - something which should build further in the future.


Rating: 9/10.

Previous Episode: The Nagus
Next Episode: Battle Lines


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