But then an average child doesn't look in a mirror and see a dog.
Nerys Ghemor's DS9 Episode Review Thread
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But then an average child doesn't look in a mirror and see a dog.
Whoa...you took the words right out of my mouth. That was almost word for word what I was going to say!
Unfortunately, to make a valid comparison, you would have to substitute a human race or ethnic group, which I won't do because someone would certainly get hurt.
In cardassian society, you care for children only if they're yours - that's the only situation where the high cardassian standards vis-a-vis children apply.
If they're orphans or not yours - tough luck (as shown repeatedly in canon/books).
So - Rugal's bajoran parents, which lived under the cardassian brutal rule, adopted an orphan cardassian child - whom his own people did not want, seeing as how he was an abandoned "orphan" - and raised him.
Sisko reached the conclusion that they did so lovingly, and The never-ending sacrifice confirmed this.
As per the episode, Rugal, as a child, picked up his parents' resentment toward the cardassians and made it his own.
Frankly, as far as altruism goes, Rugal's parents are still well ahead of any contemporary family which is regarded as more than decent. Far more decent than your average cardassian family confronted with the occasion to adopt an orphan - let alone a bajoran orphan.
Indeed, the only criteria by which they are found lacking are criteria by which saint-like persons are found merely adequate: having no resentment towards conquerors as brutal as cardassians - or being able to fully erase it?
If they're orphans or not yours - tough luck (as shown repeatedly in canon/books).
So - Rugal's bajoran parents, which lived under the cardassian brutal rule, adopted an orphan cardassian child - whom his own people did not want, seeing as how he was an abandoned "orphan" - and raised him.
Sisko reached the conclusion that they did so lovingly, and The never-ending sacrifice confirmed this.
As per the episode, Rugal, as a child, picked up his parents' resentment toward the cardassians and made it his own.
Frankly, as far as altruism goes, Rugal's parents are still well ahead of any contemporary family which is regarded as more than decent. Far more decent than your average cardassian family confronted with the occasion to adopt an orphan - let alone a bajoran orphan.
Indeed, the only criteria by which they are found lacking are criteria by which saint-like persons are found merely adequate: having no resentment towards conquerors as brutal as cardassians - or being able to fully erase it?
The Never-Ending Sacrifice never confirmed anything. It was a good book, but it was not canon by any means.
As far as Sisko's investigation...he may have ruled out physical abuse, but I never saw any evidence that a proper psychological inventory was done to check for mental abuse. Without that, I am not willing to laud his investigation or consider it definitive.
As far as Sisko's investigation...he may have ruled out physical abuse, but I never saw any evidence that a proper psychological inventory was done to check for mental abuse. Without that, I am not willing to laud his investigation or consider it definitive.
At the end of the episode, Sisko expresses his certainty that Rugal's parents did NOT expose him to abuse - either physically or emotionally.
Do you truly doubt it was the scenarists' intent to present this assessment as true?
As for 'The never-ending sacrifice' - yes, it's not canon, but it's apparently heavily discussed in this thread; and it ties directly into the episode. As such, mentioning the book is justified.
And, in the trek lit continuity, it does confirm a lot about Rugal's childhood.
Do you truly doubt it was the scenarists' intent to present this assessment as true?
As for 'The never-ending sacrifice' - yes, it's not canon, but it's apparently heavily discussed in this thread; and it ties directly into the episode. As such, mentioning the book is justified.
And, in the trek lit continuity, it does confirm a lot about Rugal's childhood.
The Treklit continuity isn't official; therefore while it can certainly be mentioned as a possible theory, and one that some people will agree with, it is only a theory with just as little canonicity as anything you or I toss out there.
I see it mentioned that physical abuse never occurred. But the fact that the psychological abuse was whitewashed even though we even saw it occur onscreen, not to mention the fact that Sisko's investigation should've dug further, is a real oversight on the episode writers' part. Had they wanted to remove all ambiguity, they should've made it clear that Federation social workers thoroughly interviewed all parties and determined it to be a functional enough relationship that Proka did not pose a danger. As it stands, there is not sufficient evidence to dismiss the claim out of hand.
I see it mentioned that physical abuse never occurred. But the fact that the psychological abuse was whitewashed even though we even saw it occur onscreen, not to mention the fact that Sisko's investigation should've dug further, is a real oversight on the episode writers' part. Had they wanted to remove all ambiguity, they should've made it clear that Federation social workers thoroughly interviewed all parties and determined it to be a functional enough relationship that Proka did not pose a danger. As it stands, there is not sufficient evidence to dismiss the claim out of hand.
"Melora"...this one's been panned as a stinker, but I don't remember hating it when I was little. Let's see if age ruins this one like it did "Invasive Procedures," or leaves it alone like "Move Along Home"...
First...architectural problem. Did someone fail to take into account the raised thresholds on the station, in designing the wheelchair? Gul Re'jal did a much better job with this in her stories with a hoverchair.
I'm not sure about Bashir's behavior here. He seems to see her Melora as some kind of curiosity. I've seen mention of Melora's attitude, and I can certainly see that she is quite brusque, but I can also see how that would arise if a lot of people acted like Bashir did. (We see a similar thing from Odo later in "Shadowplay," about being asked to turn into objects for people's amusement. But Odo gets a pass on this from most people that I see.). I see some similar gawking from Bashir and Dax as though they've never seen a wheelchair before--even some from the Bajoran extras when she first gets to Ops.
The other question is, I'm also not sure what the culture of Melora's homeworld is like. Could she be from a world like that of the Zaldans, where politeness is taken as lying and rude? She and the Klingon chef certainly seemed to see eye to eye, and I did enjoy seeing the proud kitchen warrior meet his match. ("I like a customer who knows what she wants!" Well, you won't like your next two customers...watch carefully, DS9 fans, to see if you can see what I mean.
)
However, from a disciplinary standpoint, she spoke in ways that were quite inappropriate to superior officers. And I admit, I liked the fact that Bashir called her out on it. I suspect that while he didn't use that particular tactic, he knows quite a lot about keeping people away from one's secrets and sore spots.
Now we have Quark get a visit from an alien with some bizarre makeup, though quite a smooth delivery of his death threat. Some may have seen it before, but the only explanation I can come up with for that strip of tissue across the mouth is evolving on a world with something like the parasites from TNG's "Conspiracy" or the ones we saw in Trek XI. Only then would that be a survival advantage, that I can come up with.
(While we're in the costume department...I must admit, I actually quite like Melora's makeup and hair. I think they made her very pretty--one of the better alien designs. Subtle but streamlined and graceful.)
Where I see the anvilicious tendencies of the episode come out is with what I think is a very trite line--"No one can understand until they sit in the chair." I thought the situation at the end was more effective, given that it seems our heroes are confined to magnetic boots because that's all their training has taught them to cope with. Bashir's "What do I do?" comment when presented with the low-g environment in Melora's quarters makes me think that's indeed the extent of Starfleet's training. (Not to mention some of the Bajorans, whose experience with EVA and zero-gravity activities might have been more limited, aside from a select few.) The romantic scene wasn't that bad, but I think the point of the episode could've benefited from the scenario I explained instead.
Melora does pose a legitimate question about the architecture of the station and what the Cardassians were thinking when they built it. What's with all those protruding thresholds, anyway? During a red-alert situation--or any situation where someone's not paying attention--wouldn't that present a hazard to anyone who was trying to move too quickly? (That said, we DO see the intelligence of a transporter in Ops...)
While I wasn't too sure about Dax and Melora's "girl talk" scene, I did at least appreciate it for the foreshadowing of her relationship with Worf. (Yeah, I disapprove of that relationship, and the way Dax became after getting all Klingon, but it at least does show consistency in that area of her character.)
We do also get a line from Odo that sets up "Body Parts."
Overall...this episode is not a stellar one, but not the stinker people make it out to be. I certainly found this easier to sit through than "Invasive Procedures" or "The Passenger"!
First...architectural problem. Did someone fail to take into account the raised thresholds on the station, in designing the wheelchair? Gul Re'jal did a much better job with this in her stories with a hoverchair.
I'm not sure about Bashir's behavior here. He seems to see her Melora as some kind of curiosity. I've seen mention of Melora's attitude, and I can certainly see that she is quite brusque, but I can also see how that would arise if a lot of people acted like Bashir did. (We see a similar thing from Odo later in "Shadowplay," about being asked to turn into objects for people's amusement. But Odo gets a pass on this from most people that I see.). I see some similar gawking from Bashir and Dax as though they've never seen a wheelchair before--even some from the Bajoran extras when she first gets to Ops.
The other question is, I'm also not sure what the culture of Melora's homeworld is like. Could she be from a world like that of the Zaldans, where politeness is taken as lying and rude? She and the Klingon chef certainly seemed to see eye to eye, and I did enjoy seeing the proud kitchen warrior meet his match. ("I like a customer who knows what she wants!" Well, you won't like your next two customers...watch carefully, DS9 fans, to see if you can see what I mean.
)However, from a disciplinary standpoint, she spoke in ways that were quite inappropriate to superior officers. And I admit, I liked the fact that Bashir called her out on it. I suspect that while he didn't use that particular tactic, he knows quite a lot about keeping people away from one's secrets and sore spots.
Now we have Quark get a visit from an alien with some bizarre makeup, though quite a smooth delivery of his death threat. Some may have seen it before, but the only explanation I can come up with for that strip of tissue across the mouth is evolving on a world with something like the parasites from TNG's "Conspiracy" or the ones we saw in Trek XI. Only then would that be a survival advantage, that I can come up with.
(While we're in the costume department...I must admit, I actually quite like Melora's makeup and hair. I think they made her very pretty--one of the better alien designs. Subtle but streamlined and graceful.)
Where I see the anvilicious tendencies of the episode come out is with what I think is a very trite line--"No one can understand until they sit in the chair." I thought the situation at the end was more effective, given that it seems our heroes are confined to magnetic boots because that's all their training has taught them to cope with. Bashir's "What do I do?" comment when presented with the low-g environment in Melora's quarters makes me think that's indeed the extent of Starfleet's training. (Not to mention some of the Bajorans, whose experience with EVA and zero-gravity activities might have been more limited, aside from a select few.) The romantic scene wasn't that bad, but I think the point of the episode could've benefited from the scenario I explained instead.
Melora does pose a legitimate question about the architecture of the station and what the Cardassians were thinking when they built it. What's with all those protruding thresholds, anyway? During a red-alert situation--or any situation where someone's not paying attention--wouldn't that present a hazard to anyone who was trying to move too quickly? (That said, we DO see the intelligence of a transporter in Ops...)
While I wasn't too sure about Dax and Melora's "girl talk" scene, I did at least appreciate it for the foreshadowing of her relationship with Worf. (Yeah, I disapprove of that relationship, and the way Dax became after getting all Klingon, but it at least does show consistency in that area of her character.)
We do also get a line from Odo that sets up "Body Parts."
Overall...this episode is not a stellar one, but not the stinker people make it out to be. I certainly found this easier to sit through than "Invasive Procedures" or "The Passenger"!
I actually really liked Julian's interactions with Melora. It is VERY clear that he's come a long way from the puppy-dog obsession with Jadzia in Season 1. The way he handles Melora's acid remarks are golden: He handles it with a wry wit and an air of gentleman's banter--"Oh...red alert!" It is clear, now--he is more confident in himself, more comfortable, more sure of himself around women--more in control of the situation.
I doubt it would be something that would encourage Melora's defensive behavior--he's not poking fun at her situation, but at her trying to resort to intimidation. He is making it clear how rediculous and childish it is--by standing up to her, and taking no "chip-on-the-shoulder" garbage, he's making her see that it's just that--nonsense.
After being taken aback by the fact that he's not intimated, she becomes fascinated by that resolve of his...that inner strength. That leads to attraction...and of course, the feeling is mutual.
I doubt it would be something that would encourage Melora's defensive behavior--he's not poking fun at her situation, but at her trying to resort to intimidation. He is making it clear how rediculous and childish it is--by standing up to her, and taking no "chip-on-the-shoulder" garbage, he's making her see that it's just that--nonsense.
After being taken aback by the fact that he's not intimated, she becomes fascinated by that resolve of his...that inner strength. That leads to attraction...and of course, the feeling is mutual.
Yes, Gemworld is right. There's a two-book story set there.
Glad to see these reviews ongoing, by the way.
