Accession - The best episode nobody mentions

[Oddish]

In terms of character growth and development, this is actually one of DS9's often overlooked but pivotal episodes. Consider...

SISKO: At the start of this one, Ben is eager to shed the title and responsibilities of Emissary to the Prophets. However, the events of this story make him realize that yes, his role is important. Yes, the Prophets have chosen him. And yes, his destiny and Bajor's are linked.

If you pay attention to Avery Brooks when the Prophets basically tell Akorem "Nope, you're not the Emissary, he is", you can see genuine sympathy there. He understands that Akorem has just had his illusions completely smashed, and he feels for him. Mr. Brooks just nails it.

KIRA: Although this episode is less pivotal for her character, I enjoy watching her in it a lot. She finds herself placed in a very conflicted position. Leaving the life she has built and the friends to do something she has no gift for whatsoever feels wrong to her, but she is ready to follow this new path. Kira has extraordinary faith and courage, and we see them both tested here. I have to wonder if I could make the choice she did.

A standout moment with her is when she sits among her badly made clay birds and smooshes one. She is alone, and says nothing. Sometimes (like with Admiral Henry in "The Drumhead"), no words are necessary.

AKOREM: He paints a perfect picture of a man rather like Jack Skellington: he wants to do right... but gets it so wrong. Even when he is in the Prophets' presence, he is so certain that he is doing the right thing, he's telling them what they want instead of asking (Sisko, by comparison, is there to listen).

It is a strange irony that Akorem sought to serve the will of the Prophets, and he did... just not in the way he expected. Perhaps, if he had remembered what happened, he would have taken some comfort in that.

MILES & KEIKO: Some people might take shots at Keiko, but in my opinion, she and Miles show what marriage is all about. They hit rough patches and have disagreements, but they are committed to their family and each other. And, they know when and how to look out for each other. Here, Keiko understands what Miles won't, that he still needs his friendship with Julian, and makes sure he maintains it. At the end, Miles realizes what she is doing and says "I'm a lucky man." And at the end, seeing him and Julian tromp through Quark's with their swords and jerkins, bickering, you feel that all's right in the world again.

QUARK AND WORF: They might just be here for the giggles, but they do it so well, and in completely different ways. For a character with little sense of humor, Worf can be very funny. And Quark, through his stroll down memory lane, also shows that love of children and family transcends race and culture.

Ok, gushing over. What are your thoughts?

 

[dupersuper]

I've always liked it, though the Bajorans don't come off that great.

 

[Oddish]

It explains why they made relatively slow progress in the last few thousand years... getting locked into an oppressive caste system would slow things down.

 

[Michael]

I always liked the concept of someone other than Sisko appearing and claiming the emissary title for themselves. As far as I remember this was also the point where not only Sisko accepts his role as the emissary, but also the writers finally really embraced the notion and started doing something with it.

Where the episode kinda runs short is the implausibility of the idea that a planet's entire people would adopt an outdated way of life that completely upends their society practically overnight. For me that stretched credibility just a tad too far.

 

[Oddish]

Where the episode kinda runs short is the implausibility of the idea that a planet's entire people would adopt an outdated way of life that completely upends their society practically overnight. For me that stretched credibility just a tad too far.

We actually don't know what would have happened. Akorem was clear that he was not, at first, enforcing the d'jarras by legal sanction (though he intended to). That's why Vedek Imutta was free to refuse to leave the order.

Bajor was probably well on it's way to complete chaos, and maybe even civil war. Thankfully, Sisko's return and his assurance that the Prophets had no desire to bring back the d'jarras defused the situation.

 

[Unicron]

I always liked the concept of someone other than Sisko appearing and claiming the emissary title for themselves. As far as I remember this was also the point where not only Sisko accepts his role as the emissary, but also the writers finally really embraced the notion and started doing something with it.

Where the episode kinda runs short is the implausibility of the idea that a planet's entire people would adopt an outdated way of life that completely upends their society practically overnight. For me that stretched credibility just a tad too far.

Part of the problem is that the studio didn't want any stories delving into Bajoran culture, religion, or philosophy, because attempts at doing those earlier in the series didn't always succeed and were regarded as essentially turn offs by the network. I think "Accession" is a fun concept but the final episode could have been handled a bit better, if the production crew had more freedom from Paramount to explore those story possibilities.

I'd also find it interesting to learn more about the d'jarras and their original role in Bajoran culture, because I'm tempted to assume (based on my study of real history) that they weren't entirely as one-dimensional and oppressive as some of the hints in the episode would lead us to assume. Might be wrong of course.

 

[Farscape One]

In terms of character growth and development, this is actually one of DS9's often overlooked but pivotal episodes. Consider...

SISKO: At the start of this one, Ben is eager to shed the title and responsibilities of Emissary to the Prophets. However, the events of this story make him realize that yes, his role is important. Yes, the Prophets have chosen him. And yes, his destiny and Bajor's are linked.

If you pay attention to Avery Brooks when the Prophets basically tell Akorem "Nope, you're not the Emissary, he is", you can see genuine sympathy there. He understands that Akorem has just had his illusions completely smashed, and he feels for him. Mr. Brooks just nails it.

KIRA: Although this episode is less pivotal for her character, I enjoy watching her in it a lot. She finds herself placed in a very conflicted position. Leaving the life she has built and the friends to do something she has no gift for whatsoever feels wrong to her, but she is ready to follow this new path. Kira has extraordinary faith and courage, and we see them both tested here. I have to wonder if I could make the choice she did.

A standout moment with her is when she sits among her badly made clay birds and smooshes one. She is alone, and says nothing. Sometimes (like with Admiral Henry in "The Drumhead"), no words are necessary.

AKOREM: He paints a perfect picture of a man rather like Jack Skellington: he wants to do right... but gets it so wrong. Even when he is in the Prophets' presence, he is so certain that he is doing the right thing, he's telling them what they want instead of asking (Sisko, by comparison, is there to listen).

It is a strange irony that Akorem sought to serve the will of the Prophets, and he did... just not in the way he expected. Perhaps, if he had remembered what happened, he would have taken some comfort in that.

MILES & KEIKO: Some people might take shots at Keiko, but in my opinion, she and Miles show what marriage is all about. They hit rough patches and have disagreements, but they are committed to their family and each other. And, they know when and how to look out for each other. Here, Keiko understands what Miles won't, that he still needs his friendship with Julian, and makes sure he maintains it. At the end, Miles realizes what she is doing and says "I'm a lucky man." And at the end, seeing him and Julian tromp through Quark's with their swords and jerkins, bickering, you feel that all's right in the world again.

QUARK AND WORF: They might just be here for the giggles, but they do it so well, and in completely different ways. For a character with little sense of humor, Worf can be very funny. And Quark, through his stroll down memory lane, also shows that love of children and family transcends race and culture.

Ok, gushing over. What are your thoughts?

Completely agreed that this episode is underrated. There's a lot going on here, and all of it works well.

I also defend the O'Briens' marriage as the most realistic portrayal of marriage in the franchise. Especially Keiko, as she has gotten some unnecessary flak over the years. Being married myself made me appreciate the relationship even more.

(My wife and I are currently on a DS9 rewatch. This will be the second time she's seen the show, while this will be my... we'll call it a dozen because I stopped counting after that. But the great thing is I still get something new from the rewatches.)

 

[Oddish]

There's give and take. Keiko isn't wild about DS9, but understands that Miles shouldn't have to give up his promotion. Miles wants Keiko with him, but understands that she needs to be a botanist, and finds a way to let her be one, at his own cost. Keiko suffers as well when Miles gets everything but the kitchen sink thrown at him, but she stays by him. And she might not be wild about cats, but she understands Miles's obligation to care for Chester. And so on.

 

[dupersuper]

she might not be wild about cats, but she understands Miles's obligation to care for Chester.

Except why a station engineer was randomly sent to infiltrate the mob in the first place. No one understands that.

 

[Oddish]

Except why a station engineer was randomly sent to infiltrate the mob in the first place. No one understands that.

Same reason a shipbuilder, station commander, and religious icon thought he was the right person to trick the Romulans into the Dominion war.

 

[dupersuper]

Same reason a shipbuilder, station commander, and religious icon thought he was the right person to trick the Romulans into the Dominion war.

There's doing something yourself. then there's being rather forcefully recruited by an agency that's supposed to do this themselves...

 

[kkt]

Same reason a shipbuilder, station commander, and religious icon thought he was the right person to trick the Romulans into the Dominion war.

That seems like a better fit, though. At least he's a senior officer so it's believable that he'd use his initiative to that extent.

 

[Oddish]

Still, on one side you've got the Romulan Empire, an interstellar polity with a reputation for underhandedness and craftiness. On the other side, a guy who builds ships and runs a space station. If someone was going to play someone, seems like it would be the other way around.