6-13. Far Beyond the Stars.

Science fiction writer Benny Russell's
new story causes controversy...

THE PLOT

"I don't know how much more I can take!"

So Benjamin Sisko says to his visiting father (Brock Peters) after receiving news about the loss of a friend's ship near the Cardassian border. He has lost a lot of friends recently. Despite retaking the station, he is teetering on the brink of despair.

Which is when he experiences a vision. He is no longer Benjamin Sisko, but instead Benny Russell, a science fiction writer working for a minor sci-fi magazine in New York, 1953. Benny is talented enough to write for Incredible Tales - but only so long as the reading public believes him to be "as white as they are," as editor Douglas Pabst (Rene Auberjonois) explains... It never entering Pabst's mind that some of the readers may be other than white.

A drawing of a space station catches Benny's eye, and he writes a submission featuring a 24th century captain named Benjamin Sisko. Everyone in the office agrees that the story is excellent. But Pabst announces they cannot publish it because Sisko is black. "Your hero's a Negro captain... People won't accept it. It's not believable!"

Benny continues to push the story, determined to find some way to make the magazine publish it. When Albert (Colm Meaney), a friend and fellow writer, recommends making the story the dream of someone in the present day, Benny believes he has found the answer. Pabst reluctantly agrees to publish, and Benny is overjoyed.

But as the street preacher (Brock Peters) warns: "Hope and despair walk arm in arm..."


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko/Benny: Sisko and Benny are very different people, and Avery Brooks' performance reflects this. As Sisko, Avery Brooks' eyes always meet whomever he is speaking to. Benny rarely directly meets the eyes of his co-workers, usually looking a little downward or at least away. Even when arguing with Pabst that there are successful black authors, Benny does so in a quiet tone, not allowing any inflection of anger into his voice. Benny knows "the rules" of his society and, save for when he loses his self-control, he is careful to follow them. For Sisko, those same "rules" simply don't exist. Avery Brooks' performance is such that the two characters never seem like the same person, and it is easy to forget that Benny and Sisko are played by the same actor.

Kasidy Yates/Cassie: Penny Johnson's brief appearance as Kasidy in the teaser reminds us that the relationship between Sisko and Kasidy is still ongoing, and re-establishes her independent nature. In the bulk of the episode, Cassie is also independent, having worked hard at a diner in a black neighborhood and pushed the owner to agree to sell it to her upon retirement. Cassie supports Benny in his writing, clearly wanting him to succeed at his passion, but she just as clearly would be happiest if he would quit his thankless job and go into the restaurant business with her.

Pabst: Rene Auberjonois' condescending editor is the closest thing this episode has to a villain. Pabst would never identify himself as a racist. He clearly feels guilty enough at rejecting Benny's story to offer him a novella and a chance at the cover as compensation - Provided, of course, that Benny abandons his Sisko character. At the same time, there's no sign that he's willing to champion the story to the owner. "I wish things were different, but they're not." This seems to be his catch-phrase when racial issues come up, and the way he recites it is pretty much by rote. When Benny replies that wishing never changed anything, Pabst clearly becomes uncomfortable and retreats from the conversation.

Herbert: Armin Shimerman is terrific as the most prominent of Benny's co-workers, a liberal Jewish intellectual who rails against Pabst's refusal to publish Benny's Sisko stories. When Herbert and Pabst clash, there's none of the good nature that underlies the Quark/Odo disputes. These two genuinely despise each other. As the argument grows more heated, Pabst puts Herbert in his place as well, intimating that Herbert is "a red" to coerce him to silence (blacks being far from the only people who can be persecuted in 1953). Herbert is on the right side of the argument, but he is too rigid a figure to be likable. When Benny accepts Albert's "dream" compromise to make the story publishable, Herbert moans that this "will gut the story." He refuses to see that a compromised story is better than nothing at all.


THOUGHTS

Far Beyond the Stars is a very different Deep Space 9 episode. That some fans dislike it is hardly surprising. If you removed the teaser and the epilogue, you would be hard-pressed to identify this as an episode of Star Trek at all.

I think it's an outstanding piece, and one that works surprisingly well within the context of the series. The themes of Benny's story resonate strongly with the themes of the Dominion War. Sisko was informed just a handful of episodes ago that it is statistically impossible for Starfleet to win the war against the Dominion. His own battle for the freedom of the Alpha Quadrant seems just as hopeless as Benny's fight to have his science fiction story about a black captain published. Sisko opens the episode in despair; Benny's story ends in much the same place.

Just as Sisko's apparently futile battle against the Dominion is worth fighting, so is Benny's futile battle to get his Sisko stories out there to a broad readership. The black neighborhood in which Benny resides is a different world from the white neighborhood occupied by his co-workers. From Benny's point of view, it's a very limited and hopeless world. The closest thing to a mainstream success is Willie (Michael Dorn), a baseball player who enjoys his celebrity in his hometown. When asked why he doesn't move to a more upscale neighborhood, Willie's response recalls Pabst's insistence that the world simply is as it exists, and that it's not his job to change it:

"(White people) can hardly get used to the idea of me playing alongside them. Living next to them? That's a whole other story. Besides, around here, when people look at me, it's 'cause they admire me. There, I'm just another colored boy who can hit a curve ball."

Jimmy (Cirroc Lofton), a small-time crook, scoffs at Benny's writing, asking why he would want to waste his time reading about "white people living on the moon." When Benny reveals that the hero of his new story is black, Jimmy becomes genuinely interested, saying that he just might be interested in reading that story - in having a black hero to root for in a world where his legal job options appear limited to "a delivery boy or a dishwasher." Cirroc Lofton is great in this scene, his quick facial and vocal changes making clear Jimmy's hunger for something more - but only showing that for a second before reverting to his "street hood" personality.

The tag raises the question of who is "real" within the fiction of this episode: Sisko or Benny. I tend to think the answer is both. The prologue shows that Sisko is once again experiencing visions like the ones from Rapture. If the Prophets/wormhole aliens transcend space and time, then it hardly defies belief that they could grant visions to two people separated by time and space - Sisko experiencing a slice of Benny's life, and Benny channeling a vision of Sisko into fiction even as he is aware that "Ben Sisko... That future, that space station, all those people... They exist!"

In the end, Far Beyond the Stars offers a strong period drama, well-scripted and wonderfully performed. Its thematic ties to the larger Deep Space 9 story make it feel relevant to the series... But honestly, I'd like this even if it was a complete digression. I know some will disagree, but I found this compelling viewing, worthy of full marks.


Overall Rating: 10/10.

Previous Episode: Who Mourns for Morn?
Next Episode: One Little Ship

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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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