Ezri was a good comedic character who appeared at a time when comedy was becoming more rare on the show.
My DS9 Rewatch Odyssey
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“TAKE ME OUT TO THE HOLOSUITE”
“Me—obsessive?!!!”
“Yes, Ben, you—obsessive!”
I must confess I’ve never been a sports fan. As a young kid, I was the conscientious artist type and I could never understand why people got so passionate about chasing a ball around a field. I got why dogs would love that, but not people. I’m also British and I don’t think anyone outside of the US is at all interested in baseball, so this is quite an American-centric episode from the offset.
Having issued my disclaimer, I must admit that in spite of my reticence—this is a genuinely fun and funny episode. I don’t consider it up there alongside the show’s top-tier comedies (such as “Our Man Bashir”, “The Magnificent Ferengi,” “In the Cards”, “Little Green Men”) but it’s nevertheless a winner. As with most of the show’s comedy romps, it requires a significant suspension of disbelief and a generous pinch of salt. If you can do that, you’ll likely find a lot to enjoy.
On the downside, while the rivalry between Sisko and Solok serves to drive the episode, I found it slightly unpleasant in some respects. Specifically, the Berman era of Star Trek was generally pretty awful at depicting Vulcans. I don’t think the writers really knew what to do with them, and “Take Me Out...” is a prime example. TOS featured an entertaining “frenemy” relationship between Spock and Bones—and yet, in spite of what would now be considered some racially insensitive remarks from both sides, it never felt like bullying or outright racism. Unfortunately, that’s precisely how Solok comes across: a Vulcan supremacist bully. There can be a fine line between provocative barbs and outright baiting, and Solok definitely crosses that line here. What an absolute asshole. It also struck me as a little unnerving that his ship—a Starfleet vessel, not a Vulcan one—was entirely crewed by Vulcans (what kind of strange apartheid is this anyway?) and led by such an out and out bigot.
Anyway, as uncomfortable as I found that, the episode belongs to Sisko and Avery Brooks carries the entire show delightfully. His infuriation at being slighted by Solok leads him back to obsession territory as he rallies his senior crew (which now somehow includes Ensign Nog) into forming a rival team. Quite where they all got this time and energy from in the middle of a war I’m not sure, but let’s forget about the war this week—it’s still there, and this is one of the surprisingly rare lighthearted episodes in an otherwise stark and intense season. There’s a great deal of fun to be had, so long as you don’t think about things too much. I loved seeing the crew’s ineptitude as they begin training and the Infirmary scene is a genuine hoot, with Rom’s reckless incompetence having caused a number of injuries (“tell [Worf] I’m soooooorry!”). The episode gets high points for bringing together the entire ensemble; something which doesn’t actually happen all that often, but which is generally a treat when it does.
If the episode has a flaw it’s simply the predictability and the overabundance of sitcom-level sports cliches and tropes. It feels like a story we’ve all seen many times before: inept sports team must shape up to face down greatly superior rival team, while learning about the true value of friendship, loyalty and sportsmanship along the way. I’m glad the Niners didn’t win at the end, because that would have strained credulity and then some, but the twist—turning defeat into victory by altering their attitude—is fun and uplifting. I’ve learned the hard way that attitude and mindset is pretty much everything in life, and sometimes all we can do is look for ways to turn defeat into triumph, even if it means spinning a whole new narrative.
Rom is a delight throughout, even if his arc is predictable and well-worn, and Max Grodenchik is in great form. In fact, all the cast get a chance to shine and clearly look like they’re having fun. As noted, this is Brooks’ episode and he does a wonderful job, even if he seems to be playing a character other than Sisko in the stadium scenes—although I guess it’s possible Ben simply switches into the mode of aggressive, pushy baseball coach when he enters the holosuite. It’s interesting, however, just how much his body language, voice and accent all shift in these scenes. Aside from Sisko and Rom, Rene Auberjonois is also hilarious as Odo, who ends up taking his role as umpire just a little too seriously. The relish with which he throws Sisko off the pitch is a scream (and so is Sisko’s anguished line: “What were you doing—regenerating?!”). Speaking of lines, all the best go to Worf, with his iconic “Death to the opposition!” certainly ranking up here with “I am NOT a merry man!”
That’s about all I have to say about this one. Although basically an assortment of sports team tropes and cliches, it’s nevertheless an engaging, refreshing, feel-good and at times genuinely hilarious episode. It will undoubtedly appeal more to baseball aficionados than this sports sceptic, but it’s impossible not to appreciate the sheer fun of it. Rating: 7
“Me—obsessive?!!!”
“Yes, Ben, you—obsessive!”
I must confess I’ve never been a sports fan. As a young kid, I was the conscientious artist type and I could never understand why people got so passionate about chasing a ball around a field. I got why dogs would love that, but not people. I’m also British and I don’t think anyone outside of the US is at all interested in baseball, so this is quite an American-centric episode from the offset.
Having issued my disclaimer, I must admit that in spite of my reticence—this is a genuinely fun and funny episode. I don’t consider it up there alongside the show’s top-tier comedies (such as “Our Man Bashir”, “The Magnificent Ferengi,” “In the Cards”, “Little Green Men”) but it’s nevertheless a winner. As with most of the show’s comedy romps, it requires a significant suspension of disbelief and a generous pinch of salt. If you can do that, you’ll likely find a lot to enjoy.
On the downside, while the rivalry between Sisko and Solok serves to drive the episode, I found it slightly unpleasant in some respects. Specifically, the Berman era of Star Trek was generally pretty awful at depicting Vulcans. I don’t think the writers really knew what to do with them, and “Take Me Out...” is a prime example. TOS featured an entertaining “frenemy” relationship between Spock and Bones—and yet, in spite of what would now be considered some racially insensitive remarks from both sides, it never felt like bullying or outright racism. Unfortunately, that’s precisely how Solok comes across: a Vulcan supremacist bully. There can be a fine line between provocative barbs and outright baiting, and Solok definitely crosses that line here. What an absolute asshole. It also struck me as a little unnerving that his ship—a Starfleet vessel, not a Vulcan one—was entirely crewed by Vulcans (what kind of strange apartheid is this anyway?) and led by such an out and out bigot.
Anyway, as uncomfortable as I found that, the episode belongs to Sisko and Avery Brooks carries the entire show delightfully. His infuriation at being slighted by Solok leads him back to obsession territory as he rallies his senior crew (which now somehow includes Ensign Nog) into forming a rival team. Quite where they all got this time and energy from in the middle of a war I’m not sure, but let’s forget about the war this week—it’s still there, and this is one of the surprisingly rare lighthearted episodes in an otherwise stark and intense season. There’s a great deal of fun to be had, so long as you don’t think about things too much. I loved seeing the crew’s ineptitude as they begin training and the Infirmary scene is a genuine hoot, with Rom’s reckless incompetence having caused a number of injuries (“tell [Worf] I’m soooooorry!”). The episode gets high points for bringing together the entire ensemble; something which doesn’t actually happen all that often, but which is generally a treat when it does.
If the episode has a flaw it’s simply the predictability and the overabundance of sitcom-level sports cliches and tropes. It feels like a story we’ve all seen many times before: inept sports team must shape up to face down greatly superior rival team, while learning about the true value of friendship, loyalty and sportsmanship along the way. I’m glad the Niners didn’t win at the end, because that would have strained credulity and then some, but the twist—turning defeat into victory by altering their attitude—is fun and uplifting. I’ve learned the hard way that attitude and mindset is pretty much everything in life, and sometimes all we can do is look for ways to turn defeat into triumph, even if it means spinning a whole new narrative.
Rom is a delight throughout, even if his arc is predictable and well-worn, and Max Grodenchik is in great form. In fact, all the cast get a chance to shine and clearly look like they’re having fun. As noted, this is Brooks’ episode and he does a wonderful job, even if he seems to be playing a character other than Sisko in the stadium scenes—although I guess it’s possible Ben simply switches into the mode of aggressive, pushy baseball coach when he enters the holosuite. It’s interesting, however, just how much his body language, voice and accent all shift in these scenes. Aside from Sisko and Rom, Rene Auberjonois is also hilarious as Odo, who ends up taking his role as umpire just a little too seriously. The relish with which he throws Sisko off the pitch is a scream (and so is Sisko’s anguished line: “What were you doing—regenerating?!”). Speaking of lines, all the best go to Worf, with his iconic “Death to the opposition!” certainly ranking up here with “I am NOT a merry man!”
That’s about all I have to say about this one. Although basically an assortment of sports team tropes and cliches, it’s nevertheless an engaging, refreshing, feel-good and at times genuinely hilarious episode. It will undoubtedly appeal more to baseball aficionados than this sports sceptic, but it’s impossible not to appreciate the sheer fun of it. Rating: 7
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Great review and illustrations! What a wonderful episode…. Loved Odo’s umpire moves, Ezri's Fancy Dan, O'Brien's scotch chewing gum, Kasidy’s batting tips.
The big irony is, Max Grodenchik was in fact a semi-professional baseball player in high school and almost went full professional, before deciding to become an actor. Avery Brooks, Cirroc Lofton --nephew of Giants player Kenny Lofton-- and Armin Shimerman are also talented players, as well as the late Aron Eisenberg. Michael Piller was a solid fan, always wearing a baseball cap.
Before the game starts we hear, for the first and only time, the anthem of the United Federation of Planets, composed by David Bell.
The big irony is, Max Grodenchik was in fact a semi-professional baseball player in high school and almost went full professional, before deciding to become an actor. Avery Brooks, Cirroc Lofton --nephew of Giants player Kenny Lofton-- and Armin Shimerman are also talented players, as well as the late Aron Eisenberg. Michael Piller was a solid fan, always wearing a baseball cap.
Before the game starts we hear, for the first and only time, the anthem of the United Federation of Planets, composed by David Bell.
Didn't they say they were several weeks from the nearest Dominion outpost? I always thought that the wormhole opens into an area that's not (yet) in Dominion territory. A lot of the planets they visit at first have never even heard of the Dominion. There's a reason it took a couple years for them to hear of and establish contact with the Dominion. So yeah it's a bit disingenuous to expect the Dominion to recognize Federation salvage rights but I guess they could argue the technicality that they're not in Dominion space, either, despite being in the Gamma Quadrant.
There's some interest in Japan and Cuba. Of course U.S. teams don't play Cuban teams because stupid coldwar reasons that are 50 years out of date...
About Afterimage:
1) Great review! Keep up the good work.
2) Fictions are notoriously bad at psychology, not just Star Trek. Take Hitchcock's "Psycho" for example, as a movie it's a masterpiece, as psychology, it's worthless, filled with urban legend level chlichés that aren't even worth disproving. So how can Star Trek be any good at it?
This is why I wasn't expecting anything insightful psychology-wise in this episode and I wasn't disappointed because I got exactly what I expected, nothing. But that's also the case when they talk about science ( e.g. that stupid idea of a proto universe remember?) Or anything technical really. More generally, I don't watch DS9 expecting to learn anything about the real world.
That said, I wasn't overly impressed by this episode. I don't blame the actors as much as the writers and the director though.
1) Great review! Keep up the good work.
2) Fictions are notoriously bad at psychology, not just Star Trek. Take Hitchcock's "Psycho" for example, as a movie it's a masterpiece, as psychology, it's worthless, filled with urban legend level chlichés that aren't even worth disproving. So how can Star Trek be any good at it?
This is why I wasn't expecting anything insightful psychology-wise in this episode and I wasn't disappointed because I got exactly what I expected, nothing. But that's also the case when they talk about science ( e.g. that stupid idea of a proto universe remember?) Or anything technical really. More generally, I don't watch DS9 expecting to learn anything about the real world.
That said, I wasn't overly impressed by this episode. I don't blame the actors as much as the writers and the director though.
About TMOTTH:
1) I enjoyed the review!
2) The episode was certainly entertaining but only as mindless fun because when you stop to think about it, it's idiotic. First, it's impossible to win against a teal of supermen at ANY sport, never mind how much heart or whatever you have... Just as the strongest man in the world would last ten seconds against a gorilla!!! No matter how much faith he puts into it. So they were certain to lose.
Solok is definitely an ass, a completely Vulcan ship in the federation makes no sense. It's stupid... It would make sense if the federation condoned a certain form of apartheid but we know that it doesn't so... How is that accomplished... So you see what I mean when I say that we're completely disjointed with the real world?
But Sisko is hardly better, I mean he's a grown man and still let someone like Solok get to him again and again... I mean that's ok for a teenager I guess but someone who's old enough to have an eitheen-year-old son, hardly.
Solok is also a bit cartoonish, I mean, for a Vulcan he let people easily get to him... That's not very Vulcan...
I find the ending pathetic personally. They've lost but they just pretend that they've won... That's not every sporting is it? That's the opposite of sportsmanship, a team that would behave that way in the real world would be considered doubly as losers by the rest of the world. One for losing the game and second for being bad graceless losers!
However, as mindless entertainment goes, this one wasn't so bad.
In fact, it's like the game didn't matter at all, no matter the outcome they would have all ended laughing and pretending to have won...
How about they don't play the game and just throw a party?
1) I enjoyed the review!
2) The episode was certainly entertaining but only as mindless fun because when you stop to think about it, it's idiotic. First, it's impossible to win against a teal of supermen at ANY sport, never mind how much heart or whatever you have... Just as the strongest man in the world would last ten seconds against a gorilla!!! No matter how much faith he puts into it. So they were certain to lose.
Solok is definitely an ass, a completely Vulcan ship in the federation makes no sense. It's stupid... It would make sense if the federation condoned a certain form of apartheid but we know that it doesn't so... How is that accomplished... So you see what I mean when I say that we're completely disjointed with the real world?
But Sisko is hardly better, I mean he's a grown man and still let someone like Solok get to him again and again... I mean that's ok for a teenager I guess but someone who's old enough to have an eitheen-year-old son, hardly.
Solok is also a bit cartoonish, I mean, for a Vulcan he let people easily get to him... That's not very Vulcan...
I find the ending pathetic personally. They've lost but they just pretend that they've won... That's not every sporting is it? That's the opposite of sportsmanship, a team that would behave that way in the real world would be considered doubly as losers by the rest of the world. One for losing the game and second for being bad graceless losers!
However, as mindless entertainment goes, this one wasn't so bad.
In fact, it's like the game didn't matter at all, no matter the outcome they would have all ended laughing and pretending to have won...
How about they don't play the game and just throw a party?
In TOS "The Immunity Syndrome" they established that USS Intrepid was crewed entirely by Vulcans. The ship was lost with all hands.
There would be some reasons for having the whole crew be the same species. Similar prefered temperature and diet and compatible recreational activities when they are off duty. Spock was an exception, but of course he was only half Vulcan.
There would be some reasons for having the whole crew be the same species. Similar prefered temperature and diet and compatible recreational activities when they are off duty. Spock was an exception, but of course he was only half Vulcan.
I don't buy that. Sarek and Amanda lived together for a very long time, one of them had to adapt to the other's conditions of living... Vulcans and Humans can definitely live on the same ship or on the same planet for decades, more so a few years.
NO IMO, the idea is inexcusable and therefore inexplicable. Solok could be a racist but why would the federation allow him to be a racist is what is really puzzling.
My alerts didn't show me the updates for this thread for a couple days. I happen to look at the DS9 threads, so here are a couple things to catch up.
Regarding "SHADOWS AND SYMBOLS"... great review. Wonderful end to the trilogy.
I also don't think this Pah-Wraith is the same as the one from "THE RECKONING" or "THE ASSIGNMENT". Each one seems to be different.
I loved how each of the stories were concluding together at the same. Great editing. I also give this an 8.
Regarding "AFTERIMAGE"... I actually seem to enjoy this more than you. While the episode does feel like a paint by numbers one, it was needed. Some of the contrivances are... contrived. But I really liked Garak here, and what he is going through makes sense. I agree that what Garak said about Jadzia was great.
With Reassociation within Trill society, I think that deals more specifically with romantic involvements. Friendships can obviously carry over, otherwise there would have been a big issue with Dax and Sisko. And especially with the Dominion War on, postings from a former life can be redone. Particularly when you realize that the Dax symbiote was likely one of the only Trill casualties in the war where only the host dies. Given how few symbiotes there are, the Trill Symbiosis Commission probably gave a pass to this scenario.
Also, put me in the camp of really enjoying Ezri. I thought then and still do feel she was a good addition. While her episodes may not have been great, her character was well done and acted. (I talked with her for a while when she came to DragonCon. Very sweet and fun to talk to. I remembered her from her days on BEYOND REALITY, an early 90s scifi/paranormal series, when it first aired. I told her this and she was completely shocked. She told me that virtually all her acting roles can be traced to her work there... a lot of the producers and writers for that show ended up on other shows or movies where she starred, like THE DEAD ZONE. Hans Beimler was a writer for there, too.)
About the portrayal of psychology here, I never found a problem with it. But I'll be blunt... I don't really put a lot of stock in psychology. I'm not saying the people who practice it aren't helping some people. But overall, I don't trust them. I find that a majority just look at little things and make more than what's there. And they play mind games. They come up with things to have people come in for sessions over and over again just to keep lining their pockets. I think I trust them less than doctors, and that's a VERY low bar to clear.
Not a great episode, mind you, but it is worth a 6.
Regarding "TAKE ME OUT TO THE HOLOSUITE"... great review. I am NOT a sports fan, either. Especially baseball. I find it boring.
Having said that, it's almost impossible not to enjoy this one because it DOES utilize everyone. Something rarely done, particularly during the war.
I can see the staff finding the energy to do something like this during the war... it's something to get their minds off such a grim thing. And they can incorporate elements of it in their day jobs. Look at Quark while cleaning the bar as an example. DS9 needs light every so often, especially during a war. It's one of the reasons why MASH lasted so long. (Hell, it lasted almost 4 times as long as the ACTUAL war it was set in did.)
It does paint Sisko in a bad light, but he ended up better because he finally let go of that rivalry. Solok IS a dick. No question. And while it may seem racist of Starfleet to have an all Vulcan crew, keep in mind there has been at least one other on screen instance with the Intrepid on "THE IMMUNITY SYNDROME". There's advantages to having a single species be the crew, like easier health maintenance, temperature, and atmosphere regulation.
I actually disagree that Berman era shows depicted Vulcans wrong. Some Vulcan guest stars, certainly. Not Tuvok. Not ENTERPRISE. Let's be real... Vulcans ARE arrogant. And they have reason to be... they are supremely intelligent and physically formidable. Spock had an arrogant streak on a LOT of things. So did Tuvok. The Vulcans on ENTERPRISE were much more condescending to humans, and given how technologically advanced they were, I can see that. It took them a while to soften their view of humans.
But it was EARNED. When you finally get a Vulcan's respect, you really did earn it, and they are VERY loyal to you. Like Spock, Tuvok, and T'Pol. If any fault goes to how Vulcans are portrayed, it's the actors, in my opinion. The VOYAGER episode "MUSE" explains why it is so easy for actors to portray them so badly... actors need to emote and show feeling. But they tend to play them without feeling, which is exactly why it's wrong. It's all subdued massively. Leonard Nimoy set the standard, and Tim Russ followed brilliantly. Jolene Blalock did a great job, too, though I found her to be a distant third place of the three.
Anyways, I rate this a 7. It would have been an 8, but I just don't like baseball.
Regarding "SHADOWS AND SYMBOLS"... great review. Wonderful end to the trilogy.
I also don't think this Pah-Wraith is the same as the one from "THE RECKONING" or "THE ASSIGNMENT". Each one seems to be different.
I loved how each of the stories were concluding together at the same. Great editing. I also give this an 8.
Regarding "AFTERIMAGE"... I actually seem to enjoy this more than you. While the episode does feel like a paint by numbers one, it was needed. Some of the contrivances are... contrived. But I really liked Garak here, and what he is going through makes sense. I agree that what Garak said about Jadzia was great.
With Reassociation within Trill society, I think that deals more specifically with romantic involvements. Friendships can obviously carry over, otherwise there would have been a big issue with Dax and Sisko. And especially with the Dominion War on, postings from a former life can be redone. Particularly when you realize that the Dax symbiote was likely one of the only Trill casualties in the war where only the host dies. Given how few symbiotes there are, the Trill Symbiosis Commission probably gave a pass to this scenario.
Also, put me in the camp of really enjoying Ezri. I thought then and still do feel she was a good addition. While her episodes may not have been great, her character was well done and acted. (I talked with her for a while when she came to DragonCon. Very sweet and fun to talk to. I remembered her from her days on BEYOND REALITY, an early 90s scifi/paranormal series, when it first aired. I told her this and she was completely shocked. She told me that virtually all her acting roles can be traced to her work there... a lot of the producers and writers for that show ended up on other shows or movies where she starred, like THE DEAD ZONE. Hans Beimler was a writer for there, too.)
About the portrayal of psychology here, I never found a problem with it. But I'll be blunt... I don't really put a lot of stock in psychology. I'm not saying the people who practice it aren't helping some people. But overall, I don't trust them. I find that a majority just look at little things and make more than what's there. And they play mind games. They come up with things to have people come in for sessions over and over again just to keep lining their pockets. I think I trust them less than doctors, and that's a VERY low bar to clear.
Not a great episode, mind you, but it is worth a 6.
Regarding "TAKE ME OUT TO THE HOLOSUITE"... great review. I am NOT a sports fan, either. Especially baseball. I find it boring.
Having said that, it's almost impossible not to enjoy this one because it DOES utilize everyone. Something rarely done, particularly during the war.
I can see the staff finding the energy to do something like this during the war... it's something to get their minds off such a grim thing. And they can incorporate elements of it in their day jobs. Look at Quark while cleaning the bar as an example. DS9 needs light every so often, especially during a war. It's one of the reasons why MASH lasted so long. (Hell, it lasted almost 4 times as long as the ACTUAL war it was set in did.)
It does paint Sisko in a bad light, but he ended up better because he finally let go of that rivalry. Solok IS a dick. No question. And while it may seem racist of Starfleet to have an all Vulcan crew, keep in mind there has been at least one other on screen instance with the Intrepid on "THE IMMUNITY SYNDROME". There's advantages to having a single species be the crew, like easier health maintenance, temperature, and atmosphere regulation.
I actually disagree that Berman era shows depicted Vulcans wrong. Some Vulcan guest stars, certainly. Not Tuvok. Not ENTERPRISE. Let's be real... Vulcans ARE arrogant. And they have reason to be... they are supremely intelligent and physically formidable. Spock had an arrogant streak on a LOT of things. So did Tuvok. The Vulcans on ENTERPRISE were much more condescending to humans, and given how technologically advanced they were, I can see that. It took them a while to soften their view of humans.
But it was EARNED. When you finally get a Vulcan's respect, you really did earn it, and they are VERY loyal to you. Like Spock, Tuvok, and T'Pol. If any fault goes to how Vulcans are portrayed, it's the actors, in my opinion. The VOYAGER episode "MUSE" explains why it is so easy for actors to portray them so badly... actors need to emote and show feeling. But they tend to play them without feeling, which is exactly why it's wrong. It's all subdued massively. Leonard Nimoy set the standard, and Tim Russ followed brilliantly. Jolene Blalock did a great job, too, though I found her to be a distant third place of the three.
Anyways, I rate this a 7. It would have been an 8, but I just don't like baseball.
I personally think that the idea of a ship with only a Vulcan crew, in Starfleet really stinks and is inexcusable. I don't care if it's practical, racism can't be explained away with practicality, IMO. It was a stupid idea back in TOS and it's even more of a stupid idea now. The authors should have known better. Plus think about this, Vulcans are a minority in Starfleet, so to get a big chunk of them on one ship you have to actively work for it. Put a sign on your door that says "Non-Vulcans Need not apply" for example... How does that work? IN STARFLEET!!!! I mean to see that happen on Vulcan is already quite shocking ( I am referring to the several instances when we're told that Spock and/or his Sister were victims of outright discrimination) but IN STARFLEET it's unthinkable.
Solok's ship is named T'Kumbra, which sounds Vulcan. Maybe it was also built at the Vulcan shipyards. I know it was Nebula class ship, but they could have built it.
Another thing to consider... what if it's a psychological experiment by some of the Starfleet brass? There might be an all Andorian or all Tellarite crew.
And just because a crew is manned by all of the same species doesn't automatically mean it's racist.
Another thing to consider... what if it's a psychological experiment by some of the Starfleet brass? There might be an all Andorian or all Tellarite crew.
And just because a crew is manned by all of the same species doesn't automatically mean it's racist.
What's the alternative? Coincidence? Are you kidding?
Oldtrekkie wrote:
I find the ending pathetic personally. They've lost but they just pretend that they've won... That's not very sporting is it? That's the opposite of sportsmanship, a team that would behave that way in the real world would be considered doubly as losers by the rest of the world. One for losing the game and second for being bad graceless losers!
Hmmm….I think the moment Sisko decided to let Rom have a turn at bat near the end of the game, he had already won the “inner game” - he got past the angry determination to beat his opponent, and focused on the team just having fun together. Solok on the other hand was still stuck with his smug attitude, which they relished teasing him about.
I’ve always been the artistic, not athletic type, but my dad used to take my brothers and me to watch the Red Sox …unlike American football, it's a game I can actually follow.
I find the ending pathetic personally. They've lost but they just pretend that they've won... That's not very sporting is it? That's the opposite of sportsmanship, a team that would behave that way in the real world would be considered doubly as losers by the rest of the world. One for losing the game and second for being bad graceless losers!
Hmmm….I think the moment Sisko decided to let Rom have a turn at bat near the end of the game, he had already won the “inner game” - he got past the angry determination to beat his opponent, and focused on the team just having fun together. Solok on the other hand was still stuck with his smug attitude, which they relished teasing him about.
I’ve always been the artistic, not athletic type, but my dad used to take my brothers and me to watch the Red Sox …unlike American football, it's a game I can actually follow.
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Arguably, the T'Kumbra team had already turned the match into an unsporting event. They were obviously a superior team intent on using their victory to humiliate their opponent. IRL, a superior team that failed to limit the performance of their opponent to the expected level would cast doubt on that team, particularly in sports organizations are so broad that all teams cannot compete against each other, but are instead ranked. Being incapable of shutting out the Niners should be considered a humiliation for the Logicians, even in victory.
As for the T'Kumbra itself, we know nothing about the reasoning for it having an all-Vulcan crew and if it is exclusive. We have no reason to believe that the existence of a single species-specific crew would have excluded any members of Starfleet or the Federation in general. The existence of women's colleges and HBCUs are not themselves institutions of discriminiation and racism, and they have evolved as the opportunities for women and Africans have increased over the last several decades.
Perhaps more importantly, there is a tradition of composing military units with the same background or origins. Sometimes it was on the basis of racist assumptions: because of their culture or biology, they were seen as better playing a particular role in combat. In other circumstances, it was convenient to group together soldiers who had the same material and cultural needs. Often, soldiers from the same region were put together under the assumption that they would communicate with one another better and would feel a stronger bond in the face of combat.
When there were racist assumption that brought about the unit, the soldiers who comprised it could use the unit as an opportunity to prove their value, contributing to civil rights despite their obvious exclusion: see the Tuskeegeee Airmen and the 701st Tank Batallion (the Black Panthers).
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I'll just say that given we have no idea why the T'Kumbra has an all-Vulcan crew, it seems to be assuming incredibly bad faith of Starfleet to ascribe racist motivations to it. I say Starfleet rather than Solok because while Solok himself does read as a little bit racist (though we don't know how he interacts with people other than Our Heroes), I can't see Starfleet letting him have an all-Vulcan vessel if they didn't approve of it.
Yes. If the odds makers have the T'Kumbra the overwhemling favorite in 50 points based on being Vulcans who have trained as a team for months as opposed to mixed species, mostly weaker than Vulcans, who have only trained as a team for a week or two, the Niners had a moral victory by scoring even once. And Solok letting himself get so emotionally overwhelmed that he touched the umpire, even with Sisko getting ejected for doing the same thing fresh in his mind... Well, Solok is lucky the T'Kumbra isn't a Klingon ship or he'd be fighting his first officer.
Oldtrekkie wrote:
I find the ending pathetic personally. They've lost but they just pretend that they've won... That's not very sporting is it? That's the opposite of sportsmanship, a team that would behave that way in the real world would be considered doubly as losers by the rest of the world. One for losing the game and second for being bad graceless losers!
Hmmm….I think the moment Sisko decided to let Rom have a turn at bat near the end of the game, he had already won the “inner game” - he got past the angry determination to beat his opponent, and focused on the team just having fun together. Solok on the other hand was still stuck with his smug attitude, which they relished teasing him about.
I’ve always been the artistic, not athletic type, but my dad used to take my brothers and me to watch the Red Sox …unlike American football, it's a game I can actually follow.
I know about the Red Sox because of Cheers, Sam is a former pitcher for the Red Sox, he had to retire early because he had a drinking problem though. As a batter, he stinks though as his friends established that his batting average is ridiculous.
Ah, I must have missed that reference to Dominion outposts. I still think it’s a pretty big nerve on Sisko’s part. If it’s not in Dominion space, it’s on the verge of it, and it is both their property and their side of the wormhole. I kind of feel that if a hostile power had done this with a Federation starship in the Alpha Quadrant it would have pretty much been tantamount to an act of war. I was astonished rewatching the series that the Alpha Quadrant actually provoked the Dominion quite a number of times before war eventually broke out.
“CHRYSALIS”
“Don’t worry, Serena, this is a COMPLETELY ethical and non-exploitative relationship, Doctor’s honour!”
H’oh, boy, I still don’t know quite what to make of this one. To begin with, I find it unfortunate that, with the clock ticking away and the end of the series looking, the writers insist on giving us yet another one of those romance-of-the-weeks stories which end in inevitable heartbreak and which ultimately have no impact on the series or the characters. On the plus side, “Chrysalis” has some lovely moments and a winning performance by Faith C. Salie. Yet, try though I might, I just can’t see this as a “love story”. Nope, in my book, it’s a cautionary tale about a doctor’s psychological manipulation and grooming of a vulnerable patient. It may be inadvertent on Bashir’s part, and attributed to his loneliness (which the start of the episode lays on thick), but there’s simply no excuse for his actions here. In fact, for much of the episode I was rather horrified.
It is at least, however, a watchable episode, and the return of Jack and his fellow “mutants” (what a terrible term to use on human beings!) make for some genuinely fun and engaging scenes (“That’s a stupid question!”). I loved the throwaway sub-plot of Jack and co attempting to prevent the inevitable collapse of the universe, and the performances are lively and endearing. The highlight of the episode is definitely the musical number which, as staged as it may be, is a moment of sheer joy and delight that always brings a smile to my face. In fact, I kind of wish they’d called it a day and ended the episode there and then.
“Chrysalis” bears some similarities to the second season’s “Melora”, with Bashir—again suddenly one of the most skilled and brilliant neurosurgeons in the universe!—managing to cure Serena’s catatonic state just because the plot ordains it. The change in Serena is wonderfully played by Faith Salie, and she simply shines throughout the episode—emerging as a delicate, warm, incredibly fragile young woman who is suddenly seeing the entire universe with childlike wonder. I can certainly understand how Bashir finds her adorable, because she is. But the relationship aspect just never works, in spite of the earnest writing, performances and directing. The primary reason is that Serena is essentially a child (if not in age then in psychological maturity), and Bashir’s behaviour is way, way out of line. There’s a reason doctors should never become involved with their patients, particularly vulnerable patients, and that’s because there’s an inherent power imbalance. Bashir’s pursuit of Serena made me uncomfortable and his assertion that he transferred her care to another doctor doesn’t make a whit of difference. It’s clear that Serena feels a huge debt of gratitude to him and is far too unsure of herself to be able to assert boundaries with anyone. She’s going along with this because she feels that she should, and she wants to make him happy, rather than because it’s something that she wants. As she later confesses, she hasn’t a clue what she wants and doesn’t even know what love is. In many ways, she’s only just been BORN and she’s still completely undeveloped emotionally and psychologically.
Of course, it would have helped if, I don’t know, there had been a COUNSELLOR on board who could help her work through this. Oh, wait, there IS a counsellor, but she spends most of the episode acting cutsey around Julian and, if anything, actually encouraging the relationship. It takes Miles to point out that what Bashir is doing is wrong, although he’s not nearly forceful enough and it takes Serena pretty much having a breakdown to snap him out of his selfish and exploitative behaviour. Now, if writer Rene Echevarria hadn’t addressed the fact that Bashir was in the wrong I’d have rated this episode significantly lower. Julian does, thankfully, end up beating himself up, and I guess we do all make mistakes, but I still find this an awkward episode tonally. “Chrysalis” desperately wants to be a sweet and earnest love story—and it’s helped by some nice flourishes and strong performances—but there’s just no getting around the fact this wasn’t about love, but about manipulation. Bashir was never “in love” with Serena—he was in love with the idea of her, and basically wanted her to take away his sense of loneliness. That’s not love. Again, if Ezri had actually been a halfway decent counsellor, she’d have recognised the red flags and warned Bashir that he was going down a dangerous, and thoroughly unprofessional, road. Not that, I suppose, he’d necessarily have listened to her.
In the end, this is just a rather sad and uncomfortable episode and I wish it had focused more on Serena’s transformation than Bashir’s creepery. There’s no getting around the flaws, but Salie is a joy to watch, and the involvement of Jack, Lauren and Patrick make this a watchable and engaging hour with some fun moments, including that gloriously offbeat and uplifting Doe-Rae-Me scene. Rating: 6
“Don’t worry, Serena, this is a COMPLETELY ethical and non-exploitative relationship, Doctor’s honour!”
H’oh, boy, I still don’t know quite what to make of this one. To begin with, I find it unfortunate that, with the clock ticking away and the end of the series looking, the writers insist on giving us yet another one of those romance-of-the-weeks stories which end in inevitable heartbreak and which ultimately have no impact on the series or the characters. On the plus side, “Chrysalis” has some lovely moments and a winning performance by Faith C. Salie. Yet, try though I might, I just can’t see this as a “love story”. Nope, in my book, it’s a cautionary tale about a doctor’s psychological manipulation and grooming of a vulnerable patient. It may be inadvertent on Bashir’s part, and attributed to his loneliness (which the start of the episode lays on thick), but there’s simply no excuse for his actions here. In fact, for much of the episode I was rather horrified.
It is at least, however, a watchable episode, and the return of Jack and his fellow “mutants” (what a terrible term to use on human beings!) make for some genuinely fun and engaging scenes (“That’s a stupid question!”). I loved the throwaway sub-plot of Jack and co attempting to prevent the inevitable collapse of the universe, and the performances are lively and endearing. The highlight of the episode is definitely the musical number which, as staged as it may be, is a moment of sheer joy and delight that always brings a smile to my face. In fact, I kind of wish they’d called it a day and ended the episode there and then.
“Chrysalis” bears some similarities to the second season’s “Melora”, with Bashir—again suddenly one of the most skilled and brilliant neurosurgeons in the universe!—managing to cure Serena’s catatonic state just because the plot ordains it. The change in Serena is wonderfully played by Faith Salie, and she simply shines throughout the episode—emerging as a delicate, warm, incredibly fragile young woman who is suddenly seeing the entire universe with childlike wonder. I can certainly understand how Bashir finds her adorable, because she is. But the relationship aspect just never works, in spite of the earnest writing, performances and directing. The primary reason is that Serena is essentially a child (if not in age then in psychological maturity), and Bashir’s behaviour is way, way out of line. There’s a reason doctors should never become involved with their patients, particularly vulnerable patients, and that’s because there’s an inherent power imbalance. Bashir’s pursuit of Serena made me uncomfortable and his assertion that he transferred her care to another doctor doesn’t make a whit of difference. It’s clear that Serena feels a huge debt of gratitude to him and is far too unsure of herself to be able to assert boundaries with anyone. She’s going along with this because she feels that she should, and she wants to make him happy, rather than because it’s something that she wants. As she later confesses, she hasn’t a clue what she wants and doesn’t even know what love is. In many ways, she’s only just been BORN and she’s still completely undeveloped emotionally and psychologically.
Of course, it would have helped if, I don’t know, there had been a COUNSELLOR on board who could help her work through this. Oh, wait, there IS a counsellor, but she spends most of the episode acting cutsey around Julian and, if anything, actually encouraging the relationship. It takes Miles to point out that what Bashir is doing is wrong, although he’s not nearly forceful enough and it takes Serena pretty much having a breakdown to snap him out of his selfish and exploitative behaviour. Now, if writer Rene Echevarria hadn’t addressed the fact that Bashir was in the wrong I’d have rated this episode significantly lower. Julian does, thankfully, end up beating himself up, and I guess we do all make mistakes, but I still find this an awkward episode tonally. “Chrysalis” desperately wants to be a sweet and earnest love story—and it’s helped by some nice flourishes and strong performances—but there’s just no getting around the fact this wasn’t about love, but about manipulation. Bashir was never “in love” with Serena—he was in love with the idea of her, and basically wanted her to take away his sense of loneliness. That’s not love. Again, if Ezri had actually been a halfway decent counsellor, she’d have recognised the red flags and warned Bashir that he was going down a dangerous, and thoroughly unprofessional, road. Not that, I suppose, he’d necessarily have listened to her.
In the end, this is just a rather sad and uncomfortable episode and I wish it had focused more on Serena’s transformation than Bashir’s creepery. There’s no getting around the flaws, but Salie is a joy to watch, and the involvement of Jack, Lauren and Patrick make this a watchable and engaging hour with some fun moments, including that gloriously offbeat and uplifting Doe-Rae-Me scene. Rating: 6
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