It's been a pretty crazy week, but now I'm (finally) putting on "Ensign Ro". Then that's it before I dive into DS9 Season 2. There were some other TNG episodes I
was going to do, but no. The first appearances of each Major DS9 Race (and second in the Ferengi's case) is good enough. I don't want to drag out this detour any more than I already have. No "Disaster", no "Chain of Command". Sorry! All I have to say about them, pertaining to DS9, is that: 1) "Disaster" shows that O'Brien has what it takes to be a main character, including being on the bridge, presenting his positions to Troi who's in command, and holding his own arguing with Ro. 2) Gul Madred shows how terrifying the Cardassians can be and how far they're willing to go to manipulate their subjects and really manipulate anyone. And 3) Worf delivering Keiko's baby makes the basis for a great gag later on in DS9 when Keiko's pregnant again. He says he won't be able to deliver the baby this time because "I'll be away,
far away... visiting my parents!" That's all the DS9 stuff. Everything else in those two episodes is TNG.
Because this week has been so insane, I have with me a bottle of Good Fucking Wine. Yup, that's what it's called! It is indeed
a thing! I'm about to try it out for the very first time as I watch this episode. Where we see the Bajorans for the very first time!
I'll give my review of the wine after I give my review of "Ensign Ro". Getting the drink ready, setting up the projector, then I'll get right to it!
"Ensign Ro" (TNG)
After Mott gives Picard and Picard leaves, Mott talks to himself saying he said the Federation shouldn't have had colonies to close to the Cardassian Border. This gives a little more context to the conflict between the Federation and the Cardassians.
When Picard gets back to the bridge, Worf reports they've received a message from a vessel leaving Solarion IV.
"This is the Bajora. We claim responsibility for the destruction of the Federation colony on Solarion IV. As long as we are without our homeland, no one will be safe in this sector."
Cue opening credits.
The "Bajora"?
Okay, still working out the name. Destroying a Federation colony?
Hmm... This sounds different from the DS9 Bajorans! Except for maybe the extremists. Continuing on... [
EDIT: By the end of the episode I remembered it was a frame-up, but I'm going to leave this in anyway, so you can see my Real Time Reaction.
]
We find out in the opening scene after the credits that the Cardassians annexed Bajor 40 years ago. On DS9, this would be changed to 60. Although I'm sure you've all come up with ways to make that work. Picard says the Bajorans have never attacked Starfleet before. Admiral Kennelly tells Picard the Bajorans (I'm not calling them the Bajora!) who attacked were from a splinter group. That makes more sense. And, in retrospect, isn't out of line with something Tahna Los from "Past Prologue" might've tried. The name of the Bajoran terrorist leader is Orta. I'm going to watch out to see if they mention the Kohn-Ma in this episode. Probably not.
Kennelly says the Cardassians chased the Bajorans off their world. The Bajorans are treated like pariahs on other worlds. Kennelly says the Federation is sympathetic to their cause, but they're not helping themselves with an attack like this.
Kenelly has also assigned Ensign Ro to the Enterprise without consulting Picard. Ro was court-martialed after an incident on the Wellington. Kennelly says it wasn't easy to get her out of prison, and Picard says she has no business being in Starfleet, let alone on the Enterprise. Kennelly doesn't care. Picard says there are other Bajorans in Starfleet who Kennelly could assign to the Enterprise, but he won't budge.
Less than eight minutes into the episode, we're given Ro's background, told about different factions of the Bajorans, how the Bajorans are regarded by the galaxy, that they've been driven off their world by the Cardassians, and that the Federation are too close to Cardassian borders for comfort. That's a lot of information before we even see a single Bajoran. This is a lot like "The Wounded", the first episode with the Cardassians, were we were also hit with a lot of information all at once. Even if you didn't know what was coming next, and you were watching this in 1991, you could tell this was some serious world-building.
When Ro Laren beams aboard, Riker immediately wants NOTHING to do with her. When Ro, Riker, and Picard are in the Ready Room, Ro tells them she wasn't want to be there anymore than they want her to be. She says she took the assignment because it was better than prison, and she wants to get this over with as fast as possible.
First off, unlike the Enterprise crew, I like Ro. She has a hard edge and doesn't take any crap. But second, I'm wondering how she could've filled Kira's role on DS9, had Michelle Forbes agreed to sign on? Ro's insubordinate. Kira's opinionated, but she's not insubordinate. Kira would also never do anything that would get her thrown in prison. "Past Prologue", which I mentioned earlier, is proof of that. Kira will try to make things work, even if she doesn't like it. Ro's more likely to say, "Fuck this!" and go her own way. Which will later happen in "Preemptive Strike", but that's geting ahead of myself. Sticking to "Ensign Ro".
In the Briefing Room, the bridge crew is gathered, and Picard wants to know who to speak with on the Bajoran colony, Valo II. Data suggests some respected Bajoran with no real influence. Ro tells them they're wasting their time. We see more of Riker
really having an attitude with anyone he doesn't like. This is an ongoing problem with him in TNG.
Picard asks Ro who she suggests, and Ro recommends someone who they can really talk to if they actually hope to get anything done. Keeve Falor. When the Enterprise reaches Valo II, Picard gives a log entry that delves deeper into the Bajorans, to fill us in some more.
Picard: "Captain's Log, Supplemental. I read about the achievements of the ancient Bajoran civilization in my fifth grade reader. They were architects and artists, builders and philosophers, when Humans were not yet standing erect. Now I see how history has reward them."
This log entry of his adds a LOT of context of the Bajorans, shows that Ro has a right to be angry, and that Riker should back the fuck off.
The surface of Vilo II was shot on location. I prefer that it's a real location and not a fake-looking plant surface because it makes things feel so much more realistic, so much more bleak, and see that these Bajorans are really struggling. When a little Bajoran girl in rags approaches Ro, she says, "This used to be me." It really sets the tone for what we'll see of the Bajorans, going forward.
Keeve understandably doesn't want to help Picard. While Keeve doesn't believe in violence against those who aren't their enemies, he doesn't want to help the Federation since they did nothing while the Cardassians committed atrocities against the Bajorans. I'm glad Keeve brings this up right away. Picard maintains the Federation couldn't intervene because what the Cardassians did happened within the jurisdiction of their Empire and they were bound by non-interference. Keeve rightly says, "How convenient it must be for you. To turn a deaf ear to those who suffer behind a line on a map." Obviously I'm on Keeve's side about this.
Picard cuts it off by saying he's not here to debate Federation policy. Deep down, I think he knows Keeve's right. But anyway, Picard says he can offer assistance. Picard says the Federation has had problems with the Cardassians too and now that they have a treaty with the Cardassians, the Federation can help the Bajorans. Picard wants to work diplomatically on the Bajorans' behalf.
Keeve tells Picard they live in different worlds. Picard's is about diplomacy, his is about blankets. You want to know what I think they did?
I think the creators of DS9 combined Ro's character and Keeve's to create Kira.
Picard tells Data to send blankets down for every man, woman, and child. Then he tells Worf to make sure the Bajorans' needs are met. He looks at the Bajorans and can't believe they live like this. Ro says she couldn't and wouldn't. That's why she left. She says these people are defeated, but she will never be. So, the fight isn't in most of these Bajorans. Only a much smaller number of Bajorans.
The next day, Keeve sets up arranges for Picard to meet with Orta on the third moon of Vilo I.
To be continued in another post... 
