“OUR MAN BASHIR”
(Genetically) Tinker(ed), (Friends with a) Tailor, Doctor, Spy...
(I love the movie poster Vash posted, I was going to post it on the review! It’s wonderful)
Let’s get this clear upfront: I’m not easily pleased when it comes to holodeck episodes. That could be because the novelty had LONG since worn off by the time TNG heaved its final breaths. Whereas Voyager overused the holodeck obscenely (the very memory of Janeway hooking up with some hologram in that ghastly village of the Oirish stereotypes makes me wretch), DS9 had thus far managed to avoid holodeck—or, sorry, holosuite—shenanigans. Which, I suppose, contributes to a sense of novelty for “Our Man Bashir”; an episode which, I have to admit, I absolutely ADORE. For me, this is one of the show’s all-time finest ensemble comedy romps, up there with “Trials and Tribble-ations” and “In the Cards”. Make no mistake, “Our Man Bashir” is one of the most fun, engaging and downright feel-good episodes DS9 ever did. I found it an absolute blast from beginning to end.
It’s no secret that the writing staff frequently ‘borrowed’ plots, themes and tropes from classic Hollywood movies, often with mixed results (lest we ever forget the dire Brigadoon fiasco that was “Meridian”). In this case, “Our Man Bashir” is a less than subtle pastiche of spy flicks and, most obviously, the James Bond franchise. Whereas this had the potential to be a cheap and tacky parody, the writers, actors and production staff all pull together, embrace the inherent silliness and, in the process, create a memorable and thoroughly entertaining an hour of television.
Plot-wise, it’s a stretch, to put no fine a point on it. But I did appreciate that this wasn’t the standard “holodeck breaks down endangering the crew” episode we’ve all come to expect. Here, the holosuite actually
saves the crew’s lives. While I’m on the subject, one of the episode’s failings is that we have two security officers, Odo and Eddington, and an assistant barman (!), Rom, attempting to solve this tech nightmare and save Sisko and co. Odo and Eddington may have been the senior officers on duty, but where are the engineering and operations crew? Shouldn’t have someone more specialised have been directing the recuse operation? DS9 often seemed surprisingly reluctant to depict junior level Starfleet or Bajoran crew members, even when necessitated by the plot. Still, apart from that and the technobabble, these scenes are still surprisingly fun, thanks in large part to Rom, who is always a hoot, and his tech expertise does foreshadow his upcoming career change. I also found the introduction of the True Way Cardassian terrorist group an interesting touch, even if it was never destined to go anywhere in the long run.
Alexander Siddig seems to relish his centre stage role here, and the idea of Bashir playing a super-suave spy in his spare time is quite delicious, although the really inspired touch was pairing him with
actual spy Garak, and the interaction is a treat. Bashir is perhaps a little embarrassed now that his fantasy life has been revealed (but, let’s face it, given what we know of Bashir’s fantasies and what most clientele would seem to use the holosuites for, Garak’s intrusion could have been a HELL of lot more awkward!). Garak is both amused and annoyed at what he sees as a ridiculously unlikely depiction of a spy, and he’s on hand throughout to throw shade, with a number of delightful and sarcastic barbs (and I swear, the way Andy Robinson plays it, Garak seems quite jealous of all the women throwing themselves at Bashir).
The real joy of this episode is, of course, seeing the rest of the cast bring the various Bond-esque caricatures to life. Everyone is having so much fun here and it truly shows. Alexander Siddig looks fantastic in a tux and is charming throughout, while Andy Robinson is brilliant as the less than unimpressed Garak. Of the rest of the cast, the two standout performances, by a mile, are Nana Visitor as the sexy KGB operative Anastasia (completely with an impressively thick Russian accent) and Avery Brooks, who steals the show as the megalomaniacal Doctor Noah (clearly a riff on Doctor No). Brooks, in particular, chews the scenery like there’s no tomorrow, and absolutely goes to town delivering one of my favourite villain performances of the entire franchise. He is staggeringly, deliriously captivating, and dwarfs everyone else in his scenes. The others don’t get quite as much to do, with Terry Farrell doing little more than looking pretty and acting shy, and Colm Meaney snarling as henchman Falcon. Michael Dorn looks particularly memorable as a Klingon in a white tux, although, disappointingly, plays Duchamps pretty much the same way as he plays Worf.
The plot is both suitably silly and surprisingly engaging, and the pacing is spot on. Indeed, Winrich Kolbe helms the episode expertly and, perhaps trying to make up for the disappointingly generic score for “Little Green Men”, Jay Chattaway has a ball with the music, admirably rising to the occasion and delivering an appropriately fun and kitschy score. The set designers also deserve kudos for the wonderfully colourful and retro sets. Everything about this episode is just on point and it makes for a hugely refreshing, lively and joyful hour of entertainment.
Rating: 10
