I've returned to Deep Space Nine...

[DS9 Gal AZ]

I know some people felt the "it was all a dream" thing was stupid, but I kind of liked it. The Dominion is insidious, I totally buy that they would go all lab-rat on other races. And yes, it is a shame we never see T'Rul again, especially since Starfleet seems to use the Romulan cloak on the Defiant with apparent impunity (and no Romulan interference or supervision) throughout the rest of the series. I believe the plan was to make T'Rul a permanently recurring character but for some reason they just decided not to. However, Voyager fans will later come to know the actress as "Seska."

 

[flemm]

I actually think The Search, part II ranks as possibly DS9's biggest disappointment in my eyes. Here we have an extremely cool new enemy that has just been introduced, a brilliant twist that will impact the show for the rest of its run, an AWESOME new starship and a defining character moment for Odo... and yet all we get in part two is a retread of the virtual reality trope that had already grown stale on TNG.

The evaporation of the virtual reality events makes the episode feel like it has a reset button even though it makes a massive contribution to the unfolding saga. This is the best example in the early seasons of old habits dying hard: basically we end up with a TNG-esque resolution to an important DS9 plot.

In fairness, the scenes with Odo and Kira on the changeling homeworld are very good, and of course the revelation that the Changelings are the Founders sets the stage for everything that is to come in the later seasons. But, considered in isolation, The Search is a story with incredible potential that destroys itself by resorting to a cheap, recycled plot device.

On the positive side, you can see that the writers are trying to think in terms of big, epic, galaxy-shaking events: they're just not ready to make it happen yet. Later in seasons 3 they get things sorted out and are ready to make it happen for real with Improbable Cause/The Die is Cast and The Adversary. So, in retrospect, the fact that The Search fizzles out doesn't really matter too much in the scheme of things. Suffice it say, however, that I don't like how the VR side of things is handled

The Dominion is insidious, I totally buy that they would go all lab-rat on other races.

I agree that it is in character for them to do this, but I don't think it works as a way to conclude what should have been an epic storyline.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

I know some people felt the "it was all a dream" thing was stupid, but I kind of liked it. The Dominion is insidious, I totally buy that they would go all lab-rat on other races. And yes, it is a shame we never see T'Rul again, especially since Starfleet seems to use the Romulan cloak on the Defiant with apparent impunity (and no Romulan interference or supervision) throughout the rest of the series. I believe the plan was to make T'Rul a permanently recurring character but for some reason they just decided not to. However, Voyager fans will later come to know the actress as "Seska."

I wonder if the Voyager folks just liked the actress too much and refused to let go of her? Nah, she wasn't in that many episodes... maybe TPTB decided they liked her quite a bit, gave her the role of Seska and felt that having her on both sides of the galaxy would be a particularly unwise thing to attempt?

As I mentioned in the review, I definitely agree that the Dominion come across as menacing for what they've done. Yet I do agree with flemm...

I actually think The Search, part II ranks as possibly DS9's biggest disappointment in my eyes. Here we have an extremely cool new enemy that has just been introduced, a brilliant twist that will impact the show for the rest of its run, an AWESOME new starship and a defining character moment for Odo... and yet all we get in part two is a retread of the virtual reality trope that had already grown stale on TNG.

Indeed. There's so much going on here and we wind up with an already-stale trope.

The evaporation of the virtual reality events makes the episode feel like it has a reset button even though it makes a massive contribution to the unfolding saga that will define the show for the rest of its run. This is the best example in the early seasons of old habits dying hard: basically we end up with a TNG-esque resolution to an important DS9 plot.

That's a very interesting line of thought. I hadn't considered the whole thing about how much of the first few seasons still followed the TNG formula despite such breakout episodes as "The Wire" and arc-developing intrigue progressing in-between. "The Search, Part II" is a particularly unfortunate victim of that.

In fairness, the scenes with Odo and Kira on the changeling homeworld are very good, and of course the revelation that the Changelings are the Founders sets the stage for everything that is to come in the later seasons. But, considered in isolation, The Search is a story with incredible potential that destroys itself by resorting to a cheap, recycled plot device.

It didn't quite destroy itself with me, but I'll be the first to admit I might skew my reviews a bit on the high side -- completely inadvertently, of course. I just get so drawn into the better aspects of an episode and consider them so vital and engrossing that I'm a somewhat more lenient reviewer. "The Search" does cripple its good name quite a bit with the recycled plot device proceedings, though; had things on Sisko's end been given severe tinkering, this could have been another 10.

On the positive side, you can see that the writers are trying to think in terms of big, epic, galaxy-shaking events: they're just not ready to make it happen yet. Later in seasons 3 they get things sorted out and are ready to make it happen for real with Improbable Cause/The Die is Cast and The Adversary. So, in retrospect, the fact that The Search fizzles out doesn't really matter too much in the scheme of things. Suffice it say, however, that I don't like how the VR side of things is handled

Those are three episodes I very much look forward to sharing my thoughts on, especially the two-parter. The writers are getting there. The story is getting there. Everything is getting there in "The Search", but I think it isn't until the episodes you mentioned that they're really starting to approach brilliance.

I'd best leave things at that, lest I spoil the gist of upcoming reviews!

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

3x03
"The House of Quark"

"I am Quark, son of Keldar. And I have come to answer the challenge of D'Ghor, son of... whatever."
-Quark

Karl Marx once said that history repeats itself, "the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce." Scenes in the Great Hall on Qo'nos rather deliberately echo the more dramatic pieces in The Next Generation's "Sins of the Father", but with a comic twist that works quite well. "The House of Quark" is like that -- a nice farce and the best Quark vehicle to-date.

For the record, don't start thinking I'm brilliant because I quoted Marx up there. I totally stole that comparison from Memory Alpha just now.

Business is terrible at the bar, and it's all Sisko's fault, or so Quark insists. You see, with the Dominion threat looming, families are leaving the station, patrons are going wayward and even Morn just stepped aside. Quark and Rom discuss things while a drunken Klingon demands more blood wine; it soon becomes apparent the Klingon can't pay, and in a quick, unlikely scenario, Quark is nearly killed by the man but instead the lumbering oaf falls on his own knife, dead.

Seizing opportunity despite the potential for incredibly dangerous repercussions, Quark takes advantage of the situation and boisterously proclaims the struggle was far more even and prolonged, and the gallant Ferengi killed the Klingon warrior in self-defense. Telling the tall tale while the bar is filled with curious onlookers, business immediately begins to pick up again; the story itself is rather funny and Armin Shimerman does his usual fantastic job of selling it.

Naturally, things soon go horribly awry. A man named D'Ghor, who claims to be the fallen Klingon's brother, threatens to kill Quark if he says anything other than the lie that his brother was slain in honorable combat. While it seems like a Klingon enough kind of demand, there's something a bit odd about the event; indeed, this isn't a complaint but rather, a nice set-up for what Quark eventually learns is the real deal behind the matter. The barkeep is then visited by Grilka, the slain Klingon's widow, and from there he's tossed into a tangled web of peculiarly economic underhanded Klingon intrigue.

There's a lot to like about where "The House of Quark" goes from here. Much of it is rather ridiculous, but would you expect much else from a certifiable Ferengi episode? The humor here is more consistent than in previous Ferengi outings, and that fact probably owes a lot to our seeing the greedy race clashing with the warrior castes of Qo'nos instead of just more of itself.

Grilka, played well by the talented Mary Kay Adams, is an instant winner. In a society that shuns women from ruling Houses as she aims to do, her obvious feminist plight isn't overstated but rather, nicely interwoven. Instead, Grilka simply comes off as an enjoyable guest character with some great lines and even better physical humor. I can't decide which is funnier -- seeing the incredibly rushed wedding ceremony when Quark is suddenly forced into marriage with the woman and her fast kiss followed by disgusted spitting, or seeing the abrupt divorce at the end of the episode when Grilka unceremoniously slaps the Ferengi, then kisses him in a far more heartfelt, but still out-of-nowhere light. Shimerman and Adams have excellent chemistry together.

As for D'Ghor, his actor musters the best possible portrayal of a Klingon only Klingon by blood; the deceptive, monetarily mischievous man comes across as such despite all that warrior's makeup. All that scheming is ripe for Quark's investigation into matters, and lands some more comic gold as Klingons in the Great Hall confusedly peer over ledgers and accounting practices. The clash of societies trope is often a strong one and it's seen here in a delightful way.

Guest-starring for the first and only time in the franchise in an episode without Worf in it is Gowron, played by the reliable Robert O'Reilly and his ever-ridiculous eyes. In the final moments of the story, after Quark's show-winning monologue during his refusal to face D'Ghor in open combat, Gowron has a nifty scene as he ousts D'Ghor from the Hall and refers to Quark as a brave Ferengi.

Most things about "The House of Quark" really work, but what doesn't is a rather badly-timed turnabout toward the end. When Quark decides he's in over his head and it's time to get the hell out of Dodge, he and Rom abandon Grilka only to return immediately thereafter without a coming-around scene to better accommodate proceedings. While I recognize that this 'getting rid of the middleman' practice is a commonly-accepted style in television and film, I believe it only works in certain cases and this isn't one of them. We do see Quark hesitate briefly before departing, and Rom is far more hesitant, but they seem to have made their peace and they leave, and then they're back and Quark is stalwart in his plan. I think it's jarring and hurts the resolution somewhat, but it's not a major gripe.

Not to forget the B-story, which while somewhat light also manages to be rather important in some ways and somewhat poignant, Keiko has closed down the school -- an important element in the first and second seasons, it should be noted -- after the last Bajoran students' families move back to Bajor thanks to the Dominion threat. This is something I can understand, but while I recognize and appreciate the justification, I feel it's also a bit of a waste. Why, much of "In the Hands of the Prophets" was about Keiko making her stand; it's a shame we don't get to see her attempting to hash out some kind of compromise with some of the parents. I suppose that might have been too much; as she points out to her husband, it's not like she was planning on being a teacher forever. Keiko simply wanted to do something to contribute, and to feel useful.

The scenes to this end are largely effective and a nice reminder that Star Trek: Deep Space Nine isn't just about the big things, but rather, the whole of the big picture. This is a small-scale, one-couple matter, but it's good to see it getting some attention. Watching Miles' attempts to cheer her up, and the ending in which Mrs. O'Brien leaves for Bajor for six months to do something related to her botany experience, is all well and good.

One thing I wasn't too fond of was the scene between O'Brien and Bashir; that's a statement I would very rarely make, but I'm not sure I completely agree with the doctor's analysis that people will never be truly happy unless they're working actively in an occupation-like environment (as in job, not the Occupation, of course!) on something they love. When he asks O'Brien if he'd be happy spending his life on a hobby and the latter concedes, I'm of mixed feelings. Maybe I'm a bad person, but I don't think I'd mind much. While I'd rather do something to benefit others, I don't think I'd be routinely unhappy doing something like writing or acting for fun instead of profit, were I in a situation in which I could do that. Maybe after a while, but not right away.

It could be argued that Keiko is clearly written as the type that wouldn't like that, and that's a valid point, but the way Bashir puts it, no one would be happy unless doing something with their professions that they have studied and love. Maybe I'm just being overly harsh on this because I currently work at McDonald's, but it's not for lack of pursuing a better future for myself; I'm just not there yet. And despite that, I can honestly say I'm mostly happy with myself. So it all just falls on deaf ears, even if the outcome is amicable.

Talk about a tangent. It's a minor thing, but I felt like expressing it nevertheless. For many, it probably wouldn't be a detraction. For me, it is.

Despite a few quibbles, "The House of Quark" is a fun romp and, as I said in the beginning of the review, the best Quark vehicle yet. The only previous one I can think of that I think comes close is "Rules of Acquisition"; this is superior to "The Nagus" and definitely superior to the very mediocre "Profit and Loss". I'm happily giving it a strong rating and look forward to watching it again sometime.

Rating: 8/10

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Home from work. Time permitting, I'm going to pop in "Equilibrium" and get something up either tonight or tomorrow around midday.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

3x04
"Equilibrium"

"If you want to know who you are, it's important to know who you've been."
-Jadzia Dax

Not bad at all, but lacking in impact at crucial junctures and too mired in technobabble and somewhat-incredulous statements to stand mightily with the giants. Still, as a vehicle for Jadzia and a course on Trill society, "Equilibrium" gets the job done, and it has some great moments and possibly the best teaser the show has given us yet.

Yes, the teaser. Much of the cast is at Sisko's for dinner, and we get a terrific glimpse into the commander's cooking prowess. We also hear about his father's restaurant in New Orleans for the first time, although I think the jury's still out on whether or not the man is alive after the continuity error in "The Alternate". Odo is hilarious here, stirring with such rigid precision; truly an alien among these solids. Even funnier is Kira's reaction when she tells him he looks 'cute' and Odo's subsequent expression. It's all fun and games, and then Jadzia shows up and begins masterfully playing a piece on an old instrument of Jake's. The piece, which will become a recurring sound throughout the episode, is quiet yet impressively moving and while I'm usually not the biggest Jay Chattaway fan, I have to hand it to him here.

Terry Farrell works more than adequately with the script as the uncharacteristically distant and then mean-spirited Dax, proving once again she has the chops to perform when given something substantial. Unfortunately, I wasn't as impressed with the mysterious mask scene which soon ensues as I'm sure was intended; despite the intriguing subtext and eerie atmosphere, the whole ordeal somehow comes across as a bit too hokey in presentation, dampening the mood somewhat.

When the strange events eventually land Jadzia in sickbay, Doctor Bashir prescribes technobabble and the Defiant leaves for Trill, promising to give us a first-time look at the world Dax hails from. There's some decent dialogue on the ship, including a scene where Bashir tells another story as to why he went into medical school; it's also interesting to see that Jadzia is something of a celebrity on Trill, for being the only initiate to ever reenter the program after being dropped, as we learned last year. Good continuity. The enigmatic figure she encountered earlier in a bizarre vision on the Promenade has another scene here and it's less jarring this time, better-executed somehow. I wish I could properly address my issue with the first vision, but try as I might, I'm let down by a lack of words.

Things grow more dire for Jadzia despite early success in helping her escape her life-threatening Trill-related predicament, and Sisko and the others continue to look into the source of the music the woman has been plagued with in search of clues. It's all pretty standard, but brought to life by some touching dialogue and the database-sifting routine involving an ominous tune rather than a more standard subject.

Of note is Timor, played by Nicholas Cascone; a 'Guardian' assigned to all manner of oversight concerning symbionts, the character is well-performed and comes across as very socially inept and a fun contrast to the typically more-pleasant Starfleet types he's made to deal with. The insight on the symbionts -- their electrical pulses and the like -- is also rather fascinating, though I admit I can't help but see shades of Stargate SG-1 despite that series having debuted years after this episode originally aired.

The climax, with a revelation concerning Trill society that seems a bit hard to swallow -- that nearly half the population is capable of being joined, but the Symbiosis Commission has reason to avoid this being known to the public -- still manages to arouse some suspense thanks chiefly to the interesting things we learn about Dax's hidden host, the musically-talented, violent-tempered Joran. It's unfortunate, then, that Commander Sisko's ultimatum to the Commission and a relatively mundane 'coming together' between Jadzia and the forgotten Joran aren't especially compelling, but the final scene, which sports the episode's chosen quote, helps alleviate any feelings of letdown. None of this is bad, and I don't mean to state that I feel as such, but it's simply not the most riveting thing you'll see by any means.

In the end, we learn something new and surprising about Dax and Farrell is awarded with another shot at a Dax-themed episode she's actually awake for. (I'm looking at you, "Invasive Procedures".) So what is "Equilibrium"? It's a decent hour with heart somewhat lost in about as much mundane exposition as there are noteworthy lines, but it remains a vital and fairly lively affair worth watching at least once.

Rating: 7/10

 

[DS9 Gal AZ]

Doctor Bashir prescribes technobabble

Heh. That made me giggle.

 

[InklingStar]

Doctor Bashir prescribes technobabble

Heh. That made me giggle.

I listened to Ron Moore and Brannon Braga's commentary for Generations the other day. I loved how they talked about writing scripts with literally "Then LaForge says 'We need to tech the tech', but Picard says 'We don't have the time to tech the tech, what if we teched the tech', so LaForge responds with 'Maybe if we tech the tech!'"

Then the science editor would come up with something plausible.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

That's hilarious. I need to watch that movie again now and laugh all the harder whenever something like that happens.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

I'll be back later tonight with my fiftieth review, for which there will be cake.



And beer, too, apparently. Since I couldn't find a cake icon.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Can we have beer cake? With gagh frosting?

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Wow, that sounds...

Wow.

Sure!

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

3x05
"Second Skin"

"Mr. Garak, I believe that's the first completely honest thing you've ever said to me."
"How perceptive of you, commander."
-Sisko and Garak

Thrilling. Deep Space Nine does Philip K. Dick and does it well. "Second Skin" is this year's first really Kira-centric episode, and it seldom disappoints. I'd be hard-pressed to say it disappoints at all, past a few early bumps. An episode forged upon lie after lie, building an elaborate (and indeed inevitable, but nonetheless deeply moving) hoax, all-the-while giving us top-notch characterization and an ample supply of Cardassian political intrigue. And of course, Garak is along for the ride and he's in peak form. What a winning combination.

Robert Hewitt Wolfe's otherwise-peerless script falters a bit toward the beginning, though it's largely just the banal nitpicking of a hard-working reviewer that bothers to bring this up. When Kira and Dax are standing together at the end of an entertaining teaser, and Kira is told by a Bajoran official her records indicate the major was present at a Cardassian internment camp she knows she never went near, a picture of our liaison officer comes up and Jadzia is given the facepalm line of 'it's you!' (This is somewhat lampshaded much later on by Garak mocking a Cardassian who makes a silly statement of similar worth, though.) I recognize that such an exclamation in a shocked person is somewhat believable and I could even see myself saying it, but on television it comes across as kind of corny. Couple this with the too-typical Panning Shot Up And Reveal Of Scheming Alien (TM) to end the teaser, and you have a corny moment.

However, I've literally gotten just about everything negative I have to say about "Second Skin" out of the way already and I've barely begun. That's a very good thing. And getting my one issue out of the way from the start is worth noting; it means after the first few moments, this one really takes off and never lets go.

And indeed it does not. As Major Kira descends down a path that leads her to soon find herself awakening in a dark room appearing as a Cardassian, no doubt bringing up memories of The Next Generation's "Face of the Enemy" (albeit with a stronger... everything), a sick and twisted game begins, one that revolves around a spinning wheel of deception and powerful dialogue. Strong acting from both the regulars and all guests involved helps to escalate the episode all-the-higher.

Kira is told repeatedly by an agent of the Obsidian Order, one Entek, whose performance by Gregory Sierra as the cunning and silver-tongued sort of villain is captivating, that she is, in fact, Iliana Ghemor -- a Cardassian undercover operative who had willingly had her mind wiped some ten years past to infiltrate the Bajoran resistance. From the first, this seems ludicrous -- indeed, it is. Yet the shear strength and ongoing tenacity of Entek's subtle methodology and his placement of 'Iliana' with her 'father', the compassionate Cardassian legate Tekeny Ghemor, throws convention out the window; we don't see Kira tortured in the physical way, but the emotional way. We don't see the dank prisons of the Order's facilities as befell O'Brien in "Tribunal", but the neat, familial environs of Ghemor's government-afforded estate. And most intriguingly of all, we never see Ghemor break some guise; we learn his will is true, and he is being played for all he's worth by Entek and the Order. Like Kira, he is a victim. Their bond is touching and memorable.

There are lots of twists and turns, and plenty of scenes on Cardassia to call 'favorite'. Ghemor, played by Lawrence Pressman, who would steal the show were he not surrounded by several greats, is breathtakingly believable as a father searching for his long-lost daughter through Kira. That we learn he truly believes Kira is Iliana is saddening; that he does not find her by hour's end, heartbreaking. Between his lines about Iliana's artistic talent (an interesting comparison can be made to the fourth season's "Ascension", when Kira attempts sculpting; it pays to be behind on reviews!), his gentility as he walks in on Kira's attempted escape, and his accepting of the woman as 'the closest thing to family he has' at the end of the episode, I was rooting for Ghemor the whole way through. An understandable position, considering it turns out he's with the Cardassian Underground and hence, Entek's entire gambit -- to use Kira's resistance to believing herself Iliana to force Ghemor's hand and make him do something indisputably self-implicating.

Of equal power is Kira; her turn as the used, psychologically-abused victim of the Obsidian Order's intricate web is absolutely flawless. Try as I might to find some fault in the setup, the proceedings or the payoff, or even the acting (something I've long since given up on ever really finding in the case of the unstoppable Nana Visitor), I just can't. Director Les Landau keeps the camera on Kira for long stretches of time while Entek and Ghemor clash heads, or one or the other speaks to her, and the result is engrossing. We see in those Bajoran-turned-Cardassian eyes something delicate gradually beginning to crack; when Kira shatters the mirror in defiance and breakdown, I feel a very fitting resonance in the action. There's a whole lot of fire in those eyes, but it diminishes; at last, when Kira falls and grabs her alleged father's leg in support as he vows to get her off of Cardassia, we see one of Deep Space Nine's best-executed scenes to-date.

I'd like to make short mention of Visitor's particularly good work in this episode considering her claustrophobia. I'm aware of her tremendous discomfort with the makeup process, and so because, despite that, she never faltered in what we see on screen, the woman is to be commended.

Keeping things going station-side, and eventually leading to a nice shipboard scene and a conclusion shared with events on Cardassia, is an exciting B-story surrounding Sisko teaming up with Garak to retrieve the kidnapped major. Early on -- before Kira has even gone missing -- there's a lovely lunch meeting between Garak and Julian discussing the wonders of travel and the tailor's envy of the doctor's ventures off of Deep Space Nine, which leads to some more Cryptic Garak (TM). Unlike many of those moments, however (and I'm okay with this, for the record), we actually get some more payoff to that banter this time; when the former agent of the Order tips Bashir off to Kira's likely whereabouts, Commander Sisko decides that Garak is going with them on the Defiant, straight to Cardassia. It looks like he'll be getting a chance to leave the station, after all.

It shouldn't go without being said that the scene in Odo's office where Sisko bribes Garak into coming with is unparalleled in deliciousness. Avery Brooks brings the Playful, Unbreakable Sisko (TM) to the conversation with a hilarious string of facial expressions almost inconceivably rivaling Robinson's own set of endlessly superb twitches and signals. The dialogue here is profoundly juicy, and is also the source of this episode's chosen quote. Even Auberjonois gets his fair chance to shine, largely in the background; a delightfully harsh smile at Garak's plight is unmissable.

There's some nice, thematically resonating duplicity on the Defiant when a Cardassian vessel nearly ends the trip early, and some very clever usage of first-season stock footage of a Kobheerian freighter captain. Go figure.

Eventually, the stories' paths intersect; Entek successfully brings Ghemor's treachery from the shadows to the forefront, and of course, just in the nick of time, Sisko, Garak and Duffel Bag Surprise Odo (TM) arrive to place the Order in a compromising position. The usual stellar exchanges of words continue on through to the last, and in a tasty finish, Garak shoots Entek dead before remarking that he rather liked the man. A heroic stance moments prior in which Sisko, Kira, Garak and Ghemor preside over the antagonists makes me wish the latter-most were more of a recurring character than he winds up being.

A poignant, potentially tear-inducing final scene between Kira and Ghemor on DS9 wraps a weighty, hard-hitting episode in tender goodness. We're treated to some of the series' best characterization yet throughout "Second Skin", and still more dramatic insight into the Cardassian mentality and the Machiavellian Obsidian Order. (I'm compelled to abbreviate that as 'MOO', and... well, there, I did it. I couldn't help myself.) Despite a couple of stray quibbles in the teaser, there's nothing else to be found which I have anything but kind words for. Even the music -- David Bell's score is far less mundane than what Chattaway and even McCarthy often have to offer -- is emotionally impacting and very appropriate.

"Second Skin" is just shy of perfect, and really, really moved me. It's no exaggeration to say I loved it, and it's one of those episodes that, should someone ever ask me what it is I see in this franchise that keeps me coming back for more, I will proudly point to.

Rating: 9.5/10

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Well, I thought long and hard about making a badly-crafted shop job for a gagh cake, but decided against it when I saw this:

 

[DS9Continuing]

I agree - one of the best episodes, that combines a powerful Kira story with the continuing meaty exploration of Cardassia's political situation. It's not impossible to trace a direct line from episodes like this all the way through to "What You Leave Behind" in terms of Cardassian politics.

...no doubt bringing up memories of The Next Generation's "Face of the Enemy" (albeit with a stronger... everything)

Well, we have to remember that "Face of the Enemy" was a pretty damn big deal for TNG - a much stronger political and character episode than viewers were used to from that show, not to mention Troi's biggest vehicle to date. It's just that, well... DS9's standards were much higher than TNG's ever were in that regard, so it's no surprise that it's similar effort would be so much better.

...Between his lines about Iliana's artistic talent (an interesting comparison can be made to the fourth season's "Ascension", when Kira attempts sculpting; it pays to be behind on reviews!)...

Just to be clear, Kira's lack of artistic ability was established long before "Accession" (the actual title, btw - it gets on my tits only because I'm writing a fan-fic whose title actually is "Ascension"). It was established in "The Circle."

Personally I've always found it nifty that Kira and Iliana were such opposites in that way - opposites eventually become the same person.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Gah, I hate it when people list episode titles incorrectly, and here I am doing so in one of my better reviews to-date. Ugh, wtf. Thanks for that. And you're right, it was established in "The Circle"!

Right about "Face of the Enemy", too, of course. Actually, I realize my words come off as harsh concerning that one, simply because I say so little. I quite liked it, though -- it was a biggie, it just didn't have the emotional oomph of "Second Skin", IMO. This sort of episode, with the long-stemming lines of plot and characterization, is what DS9 is known for; in TNG's case, it's a nice excursion, like when DS9 does something that doesn't fall into the serialized field.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Next review: tomorrow afternoon.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

3x06
"The Abandoned"

"Major... about the boy. You were right."
-Odo

Since the season premiere, there's been a steady stream of character vehicles that I've enjoyed to varying extents. "The House of Quark" was a good Quark showing, "Equilibrium" was a troubled but mostly effective Jadzia tale and "Second Skin" was Kira's best work since the "Homecoming" trilogy. Now we're back to Odo, who was the star of "The Search" and needed some more first-rate attention ever since.

"The Abandoned" starts off a bit cliche and plodding, and doesn't really display its Odo-centric banner until a good fifteen minutes into the episode, but once it gets going, it rarely lets up. It's also an episode about the Jem'Hadar, specifically the boy brought to the station. It's very revealing of them; this is the sort of depth they needed as a race after their sparsely-relevant roles in the season premiere. Sure, there was great space and on-board action, but we didn't get to learn much more about their origins and what makes them tick. This, coupled with a return to the drama of everyone's favorite constable, makes "The Abandoned" a winner in my book.

The Boslic freighter captain makes her second appearance, tantalizing Quark with her smooth moves and bizarre sense of style until he agrees to purchase the wreckage of a ship from her. Once he inspects the wreckage -- indeed, he should have done so before making payment, and this is humorously noted a bit further on -- he is rather disgusted to learn that a humanoid baby is part of his purchase.

Commander Sisko instantly takes a liking to the child, reminiscing with Dax over those long-gone days with Jake. But something strange is happening -- the child is growing at an incredibly accelerated rate. Great balls of fire, it's the rapid-aging trope! Your humble reviewer was worried sick when he saw this, worried sick, I tell you, because it's rare that I see this cliche in action and anything good comes of it. Made all-the-more typical by Frontier Doctor Julian Bashir's technobabbling analysis, I began to lose interest briefly.

Amusingly enough, it's the B-story involving Jake's girlfriend that keeps "The Abandoned" afloat during a brief flirtation with corniness. I might as well cover this now, since I brought it up already; Jake's girlfriend, Mardah, whose Big Dinner With The Father (TM) scenario has been set up since last year's "Playing God", finally arrives and Ben reveals to O'Brien he just wants to 'see what he's up against'. Not only do we soon learn Mardah is a fairly sophisticated young lady and the age gap between she and Jake might not be as troubling as it seems, we also learn that Jake is quite the writer (!) and a dom-jot player extraordinaire to boot.

The reference to his literary abilities paves the way for much of Jake's future development, so this is a pretty important moment in and of itself. The entertaining dialogue across this B-story secures a place for it in my memory as more than just that, though; it's a nice, heartwarming little distraction, and the kind of thing I like to see sometimes on Deep Space Nine. Plus, it proves that Jake doesn't always need Nog to crack a smile for the audience -- his glance to his father when Mardah talks about how 'some people will judge others just based on their profession', or something along those lines, is absolutely hilarious.

Back to the main draw of the episode. Early warning signs soon prove irrelevant as the baby-turned-boy-turned-angry-adolescent thread takes off in an important way. This is no ordinary rapidly-advancing child, you see; this is a Jem'Hadar, and from all this we begin to learn quite a bit about them. Clearly their genetically-engineered status would mean that there would be no use for them as children, so within days they're beyond all that. Once our unnamed guest has reached adolescence, his desire to fight, fight, fight overcomes him and he breaks out of his isolation in sickbay, rampaging through the Promenade. It's an effective scene, especially because we don't actually see that the boy is Jem'Hadar until after he's thwarted by Odo's fast-thinking Changeling antics.

Rewinding a little, Odo is properly introduced in "The Abandoned" with a wonderful scene with Kira. Their scenes together continue to be crucial as the episode plays out, but in this first one, we're treated to Odo's new quarters, where, as we learn, he no longer needs the bucket; he will be continuing to learn more about his abilities and reverting to his gelatinous state every sixteen hours without the restrictions of the thing. A beautiful centerpiece, abstract and looming, 'a work in progress', overcomes much of the room. Kira has brought Odo flowers, the two share their always-enjoyable chemistry and Odo symbolically uses his old bucket to hold those flowers. It's a delightful character piece and a great way to get the constable involved in the running issue of the hour.

Though it takes its time getting to where it's going, the episode takes off from here. What commences from hereon out is a brilliant duet between Odo, who has recently chosen not to stay with his people, and the unnamed Jem'Hadar, who has never seen his people but holds an immediate, programmed reverence for Odo. Rene Auberjonois fills his character with the conflicted state of a man trying his absolute hardest to give the boy a chance to be free of the life of a killer but awkwardly placed in the role of a Founder by birthright, which only serves to reinforce many of the boy's innate beliefs. Bumper Robinson's turn as the adolescent Jem'Hadar is quite good as well, conveying the necessary stubborn determination to do battle, to automatically follow Odo until a certain point, and to deliver particular key lines with an inescapable irony.

Of essential listing is Odo's request that the boy smile; seeing the constable do so in his unique, precious way is good enough, but watching the Jem'Hadar's lips quiver, unaccustomed to the muscle movements required, is telling.

The dialogue between the duo is first-rate. Odo continues to persevere, doing everything he can think of to keep the boy focused on the concepts of equality and individuality. Various tactics backfire, though; when Odo shows the boy 'his people' in the form of footage from the Defiant's memory banks of the crew's skirmish from "The Search", there is a blatant intrigue in the adolescent's eyes. When Odo follows up on this by introducing the boy to a holographic fight simulator so he can vent his natural desire to do battle in a safe way, the boy is alarmingly powerful and one-dimensionally charged. It awakens even more of his genetically-engineered state; he lives for this stuff.

It's around this point that Odo has another scene with Kira, whereby she reminds him of what he's dealing with. The major is fierce in her proclamations, but Odo scores a strong point when he poignantly proclaims:

"My body, mind, and instincts were designed to be a Founder. You were trained to be a terrorist. But each of us chose to be something different. I just want to give him the same chance we've had."

This explores much of the very core of "The Abandoned", and it's a good time to bring up director Avery Brooks' take on the episode. In his eyes, it's very much a story about young brown-skinned men, and a society that's responsible for the creation of a generation of young men who are feared, addicted and potential killers. Food for thought, and heartbreaking given the conclusion.

When Sisko breaks the news that Starfleet won't back down in its claim to take the Jem'Hadar for testing -- another recurring and important angle, one dear to Odo and one he's fought against -- the boy makes his stand, firmly on the side of rejoining his people and living the life of a killer. Another demand is that Odo goes with him to the Gamma Quadrant, that the both of them would be with their kind. Odo agrees to go with him, escorting him but returning to the station instead of remaining with the Founders. Aggressively, the Jem'Hadar insists that Sisko and the others are afraid of him, and now he knows they that are not his people are his enemies. Odo has completely failed in his attempts, and I give the writers props for daring this ending on the audience.

I would have liked to have seen the actual trip to the Gamma Quadrant. Whether Odo would beam down to the surface with the boy or remain on the runabout doesn't matter much to me; it would have been an excellent opportunity for more time with Odo and his previous decision to choose DS9 over other Changelings. I'm disappointed we didn't get to see this, but I can accept that it isn't immediately relevant to the proceedings "The Abandoned" attempts to tackle.

The final scene, between Kira and Odo once more, bears a single line from Odo and says no more. Telling her she was right about the boy, with great sorrow Kira simply looks to him and the episode ends. I wouldn't want such a bitter finale from every story, but Deep Space Nine has consistently proven that when the circumstances are ripe for such an impacting ending, it delivers. The strength here is no exception.

Brooks' careful direction, the writers' attention to characterization and the spotlight on the Jem'Hadar (hey, they even bring up that enzyme we'll soon call Ketracel-white!) come together nicely, but some early misgivings and a missed opportunity near the end keep "The Abandoned" from reaching truly classic status. No matter -- this is still an hour well-spent and a compelling Odo episode we've needed since "The Search, Part II". Color me satisfied.

Rating: 7.5/10

 

[CobraCommander]

I've felt that the Star Trek TNG cast should not have made films while DS9 and Voyager were running. I think the producers just wanted to cash in on some big bucks. Unfortunately the films didn't live up to expectation and limited future series developments. In regards to DS9, I feel that it ended the best out of all the Star Trek series. Sisko became a god, Bashir got the girl, Dukat and Winn got their just desserts, and Worf became an ambassador. A movie would just be damaging to DS9's legacy just as the TNG movies have damaged the TNG legacy. Star Trek can't be done in a meaningful way in under 2 hrs. Cobra

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

Not to diminish from your thoughts... but I think you might have posted that in the wrong thread.