TheGodBen Revisits Deep Space Nine

[DS9 Gal AZ]

One of the things I love about the reveal of Tain as Garak's father is that Bashir is in the room to witness it. When Tain asks if they're alone, Garak glances over at Bashir and then just flat-out lies (heh, typical). The fact that he would allow Bashir to witness such an intensely private, emotional moment ... to me, that just speaks volumes about their friendship. It's like he wanted Bashir to understand more about who he was, and why he was the way he was.

Of course I am very into the whole Garak/Bashir thing so it's quite possible I could be reading more into it than is there ...

 

[R. Star]

One of the things I love about the reveal of Tain as Garak's father is that Bashir is in the room to witness it. When Tain asks if they're alone, Garak glances over at Bashir and then just flat-out lies (heh, typical). The fact that he would allow Bashir to witness such an intensely private, emotional moment ... to me, that just speaks volumes about their friendship. It's like he wanted Bashir to understand more about who he was, and why he was the way he was.

Of course I am very into the whole Garak/Bashir thing so it's quite possible I could be reading more into it than is there ...

I was just half expecting Tain to say, "I can still see idiot boy! Don't try and out lie your daddy!"

As for the whole Bashir/Garak thing... I dunno. People that want to see it do, those who don't, don't. I personally believe that Garak was tired of living the lie to -everyone- and given his past with Bashir, he did trust the poor gulliable human despite his naievte, and wanted to be whatever his true self is around one person at least.

 

[Paper Moon]

One of the things I love about the reveal of Tain as Garak's father is that Bashir is in the room to witness it. When Tain asks if they're alone, Garak glances over at Bashir and then just flat-out lies (heh, typical). The fact that he would allow Bashir to witness such an intensely private, emotional moment ... to me, that just speaks volumes about their friendship. It's like he wanted Bashir to understand more about who he was, and why he was the way he was.

Of course I am very into the whole Garak/Bashir thing so it's quite possible I could be reading more into it than is there ...

I was just half expecting Tain to say, "I can still see idiot boy! Don't try and out lie your daddy!"

As for the whole Bashir/Garak thing... I dunno. People that want to see it do, those who don't, don't. I personally believe that Garak was tired of living the lie to -everyone- and given his past with Bashir, he did trust the poor gulliable human despite his naievte, and wanted to be whatever his true self is around one person at least.

I agree, that's a really, really touching scene.

Re Bashir/Garak: Garak was clearly coming on to Bashir in "Past Prologue," but I think he was doing that just to mess with Bashir*. Bashir was able to take the heat and not get (too) freaked and later proved to be a loyal friend. So I think their friendship is just that and nothing more.

*I actually did that myself in high school. Being a bit of a nerd (and being a good singer), jocks would sometimes give me shit about being gay or girly or whatever. So I'd turn it right around and pretend I was checking them out. It really freaked some of them out! Of course, I'm not actually gay, unlike Garak, who could plausibly be gay or bi. (I think he was somewhat interested in Ziyal.)

 

[datalogan]

"In Purgatory's Shadow" is one of my favorite episodes of DS9. Very significant, sweeping, galaxy-changing events. And great cliff-hanger ending.

I love Garak in this episode, as usual. Him lying about the original message. The bit with him lying to Worf about wanting to join Starfleet. Or when the Jem'Hadar first beam aboard and he says "Oh, I'm so glad you showed up. Can you direct us to the wormhole?" Pure Garak Gold!

Love the continuing-to-develop relationship between Worf and Dax.

And maybe that subtle hint of a continuing-to-develop relationship between Odo and Kira. I wonder if Odo regrets not pursuing Kira while he was a solid? Better yet, I wonder if Odo regrets never having had sex while he was solid?

I love seeing Martok and Tain come back. Love those re-ocurring characters. Granted, Martok hasn't really been that great of a character up to this point. But that was the changeling doppleganger. This real Martok has never meet Worf before, just "hear of him". Now that the real Martok's here the party can really start.

 

[DS9 Gal AZ]

As for the whole Bashir/Garak thing... I dunno. People that want to see it do, those who don't, don't. I personally believe that Garak was tired of living the lie to -everyone- and given his past with Bashir, he did trust the poor gulliable human despite his naievte, and wanted to be whatever his true self is around one person at least.

But the beauty of it is, even if you don't ship Garak and Bashir romantically (and I will freely admit that I do), you can still appreciate the deep, complicated friendship that they have developed over the years. That's what I like about this scene. They've come a long way from Garak just enjoying messing with Bashir's mind.

 

[InklingStar]

And in contrast to the Undercover Bashir Changeling retroactive twist, the revelation that Tain was actually Garak's father works perfectly. It explains a lot about Garak's personality as he was always hiding his true identity, and it manages to add an extra layer to their earlier interactions on the show.

"They called us the Sons of Tain..." Great stuff.

 

[TheGodBen]

By Inferno's Light (****)

Coming from the amazing cliffhanger that ended the previous episode, the audience is probably expecting a massive battle like the one in The Way of the Warrior (I know I was), but that's when DS9's writers pulled off one of their greatest twists. They did something even bigger, they turned the political landscape of the Star Trek universe on its head, they turned a major character that was on the path to redemption back towards villainy, and they set the Federation on an unstoppable course to war. And they did it all in the teaser. There have been many great teasers in Star Trek, but few did so much in so little time as this one did. To top it all off, there's no reset button, the rest of the episode deals with the consequences of this historic moment, and the resolution makes it clear that those consequences are going to continue into the future.

Dukat and the Cardassians joining the Dominion is one of those things that's shocking at first, yet makes perfect sense. Dukat is delusional and lusts after power, he's willing to make any deal that offers him a shortcut to power without fully considering the long-term implications. Cardassia is a beaten empire, unable to defend themselves from a bunch of weak Federation colonists in the DMZ, so it makes sense that they'd side with the Dominion to restore their empire and their pride. What's most impressive about this twist is that it ties together so many of the plot threads that already existed. The Obsidian Order attacked the Dominion and were wiped out, the Cardassian military lost control to the civilian government without the OO, the Klingons (under the influence of a Changeling) used this as a pretext to attack Cardassia, and that sent Cardassia running into the arms of the Dominion. It just works perfectly, and it makes the period of Klingon antagonism, which was a detour done for ratings purposes, into an important part of the tapestry of the show.

There are problems with the episode, of course. The escape from the POW camp was extremely convenient, the Dominion leaving the runabout next to the facility with no other ships to guard is a great example of villains acting stupidly in order to aid the needs of plot. The Undercover Bashir Changeling trying to blow up the Bajoran sun also makes little sense, the resulting nova would probably destabilise the wormhole. And it raises the question that if the Dominion had the ability to build such weapons and a willingness to use them, why did they not use them during the war? Why did the Breen attack Starfleet HQ instead of blowing up the entire solar system and completely crippling the Federation? These issues don't detract much from the greatness achieved in this episode, but they do hurt the finished product a bit.

Runabouts Lost: 6
Wormhole in Peril: 7
Stupid French Things: 4

 

[R. Star]

Really twists like this are what makes Dukat the best villain in Trek. He's multi-layered for sure and doesn't fit the cookie cutter villain of the week cliche by any means. If you asked him, he's the hero of his own story. He's the guy who just honestly doesn't get why people don't want to be ruled by his benevolent hand. When he was working with the good guys in seasons 4-5, it wasn't out of a path to redemption more than it was just in his self-interest. So when he sees an oppurtunity to grab power again, and destroy his enemies, it's only natural he grabs at it. This will have lasting consequences the rest of the series.

The UBC(I like the acronym) was certainly a shock, but in the end poorly used. DS9 certainly did have the same flaw as many week to week shows that the plot often doesn't have an overall direction regarding specifics like this. But the show is willing to take chances, rock the boat and not willing to settle for the status quo. So I'm usually more forgiving towards DS9's plot holes than I am say Voyager's.

The system destroying bomb, I dunno... I think it was made of the same stuff that the terrorist in that season 1 episode used to try and blow up the wormhole. It was implied the stuff was rare and hard to get. So I'd hope that's just the case. It was a climatic moment when you're expecting the Cardassian and Jem'Hadar fleets to arrive only to have the whole thing be a trap though.

The escape... was very convienent. Bashir will even get called on this in a future episode when his loyalty is in question. I dunno, I would have found it more convincing if they snuck out through the walls and stole a Jem'Hadar ship in a firefight or something than the comm relay transport to our runabout which is still very convienently in orbit thing. It still would have had holes either way, and there was no one else to rescue them. But as I said, DS9 tries and isn't afraid to shake things up, so you can forgive plot holes now and again.

It was a good episode and a promise of things to come with Dukat's poorly veiled threat at the end. I did like how it was even "You foiled my plot... but I'll get you next time Gadge-- I mean Sisko! Next time!" Now only if they just had a Cardassian cat for Dukat to be maliciously petting when he said that. :P

 

[datalogan]

Dukat ends up right where he should be at the end of "By Inferno's Light": in the top echelon of a horrible group of bad-guys. Just where I love to have him -- so I can hate him for good reason. (I didn't like the middle seasons as much, when Dukat was more of a "good guy".) I wonder what the average Cardassian thinks of it all -- joining the Dominion and Dukat being in charge versus the old civilian Detapa Council that Dukat use to work for?

Wonderful that the relationship between Worf and the real Martok starts out on a better footing than between Worf and the changeling Martok back in "Way of the Warrior". Here they really hit it off. Sometimes almost too much. Like it seems that Martok is almost gushing to be in Worf's presence. But probably that was just him playing it up to build up Worf's confidence. And Martok will be around on the station now. Yet another great DS9 secondary character.

I love the scenes dealing with Garak's claustrophobia. (Big shock, right, liking Garak scenes.) Not only was it a great moment for Garak's good qualities like determination and self-sacrifice to shine, it also allowed us a chance to see that Garak really can't shut up, even when he's only got a light and himself to talk to.

Loved seeing the Romulans show up to help. Maybe it's the beginning of a real partnership, "the enemy of my enemy" and all that. (And I'll try not to read too much into the fact that the Klingons and Federation are now back together only because the Dominion and Cardassians have joined forces.)

As TheGodBen mentions, I love how there was a hugh Dominion fleet poised to attack DS9 in this episode -- twice -- and yet no attack happens. After all this build-up, the story suddenly goes off in a different path. You're expecting to see some great battle footage, but then the story gets resolved some other way. I loved that aspect of the writing on DS9 -- always challenging our expectations as viewers.

But it also says something about the Dominion in-universe. They probably could have battled those 2 times, and probably done very well. But they chose to do things differently: gain allies (in the Cardassians); try to use subterfuge and undercover operatives to gain a military advantage versus direct confrontation. It really let's you know that the Dominion is cunning -- and they are in this for the long game, they're willing to wait until their hand is strong.

 

[MacLeod]

One of the things I remember about this two parter, is when the Romulan's show up to stand with the UFP and Klingon Empire.

 

[R. Star]

One of the things I remember about this two parter, is when the Romulan's show up to stand with the UFP and Klingon Empire.

Which is really out of character for the Romulans when you stop and think about that for a moment.

 

[SilentP]

One of the things I remember about this two parter, is when the Romulan's show up to stand with the UFP and Klingon Empire.

Which is really out of character for the Romulans when you stop and think about that for a moment.

Well we know the Romulans aren't above making an alliance with the Klingons, even if it was about a century ago. They've also been the most aggressive in ways towards the Dominion.

For example:

-Striking against the Founder home world (even if it was initiated/controlled by an imposter)

-Equipping the Federation (of all factions) with a cloaking device upon one of their most powerful ships (the Defiant) to spy on them, though one could argue that they'd rather let the Federation do the leg work here.

-They plotted to destroy the wormhole once (in 'Visionary'), risking the ire of the Federation to ensure that the Dominion couldn't reach the Alpha and Beta Quadrants.

If anything, it seems to make sense that the Romulans were acting in character, despite their usual antagonistic stance towards the Federation.

 

[Sindatur]

One of the things I remember about this two parter, is when the Romulan's show up to stand with the UFP and Klingon Empire.

Which is really out of character for the Romulans when you stop and think about that for a moment.

Well we know the Romulans aren't above making an alliance with the Klingons, even if it was about a century ago. They've also been the most aggressive in ways towards the Dominion.

For example:

-Striking against the Founder home world (even if it was initiated/controlled by an imposter)

-Equipping the Federation (of all factions) with a cloaking device upon one of their most powerful ships (the Defiant) to spy on them, though one could argue that they'd rather let the Federation do the leg work here.

-They plotted to destroy the wormhole once (in 'Visionary'), risking the ire of the Federation to ensure that the Dominion couldn't reach the Alpha and Beta Quadrants.

If anything, it seems to make sense that the Romulans were acting in character, despite their usual antagonistic stance towards the Federation.

In addition to the fact, that they made it clear when they showed up, they weren't there as Federation Allies, but, ratehr they were there for their own benefit, to stop the threat before it could come to their front door step

 

[Satyrquaze]

^"Better to deal with the devil you know..."

 

[MacLeod]

One of the things I remember about this two parter, is when the Romulan's show up to stand with the UFP and Klingon Empire.

Which is really out of character for the Romulans when you stop and think about that for a moment.

True, which is why it stands out because it is so unexpected.

 

[InklingStar]

When it seemed like an invasion was imminent, the Romulans were willing to join the fight to keep the Dominion on the other side of the galaxy.

Spoiler: Later,

when the Dominion has been established as part of the AQ political situation, they sign the nonaggression pact and bide their time.

Both are totally in character I think.

 

[R. Star]

When it seemed like an invasion was imminent, the Romulans were willing to join the fight to keep the Dominion on the other side of the galaxy.

Spoiler: Later,

when the Dominion has been established as part of the AQ political situation, they sign the nonaggression pact and bide their time.

Both are totally in character I think.

The Romulans almost always manipulate things from behind the scenes only directly involving themselves as a last resort.

The Dominion, who they acknowledge as a threat and the Federation, their cold warriors, fighting each other should if anything make them pleased. Both sides would be weakening each other and they stand in place to be able to pick up the pieces from such a destructive conflict.

 

[Pavonis]

I'm sure the Romulans want everyone to think that they always manipulate things from behind the scenes. It's much easier than actually having to manipulate things from behind the scenes. Making the enemy paranoid is probably just SOP for the Romulans.

Anyway, the Romulans would have to recognize that after the destruction of the Klingons and the Federation (and the assimilation of the Cardassians into the Dominion) that they'd be next on the Dominion's hit list, and that they'd have no back-up afterwards. Besides, as allies of the Federation, they have a chance to recruit and place agents and observe Starfleet tactics for the post-war hostilities.

 

[Seven of Five]

I love this two parter. I loved that it followed up Garak and Tain's storyline, but the way it pulled the rug out from everyone by putting the Cardassians in bed with the Dominion was inspired. Nothing's the same anymore.

 

[flemm]

I like the idea, and I like that Sisko went a little bit villainous in this episode (I am a fan of Breaking Bad, after all ), it's just that I think the execution in this episode was terrible. Poisoning a planet is a huge deal, Sisko should probably be spending the rest of his life in a penal colony in New Zealand for what he did, and if the episode wasn't willing to show how he got off the hook then they probably shouldn't have sent him to such an extreme action.

I basically agree.

The core idea is good, and I like the dynamic between Sisko and Eddington.

But... As is occasionally the case on DS9, you can feel that the writers want to go to a dark place with the characters but aren't always really ready to do it. Or they want to do it, but then feel the need to immediately undo it.

I still enjoy the episode for the core material, but it has some really obvious problems, especially the end.