Half-way through "Voices of Authority". All I can say is...
That's where I stand on that.
Fuck President Clark!!!
That's where I stand on that.
Re-Watching DS9
- Thread starter Lord Garth
- Start date
"Voices of Authority" (B5 S3E5)
I did it! I worked in two DS9s and two B5s this week.
Next week, I'm doing two more DS9s and two more B5s. Then I'll have closed the four-episode head-start VOY had at the beginning of the season.
Shari Shattuck nails it as Julie Musante, who's a high-ranking member of Nightwatch, works for President Clark, and is sent to Babylon 5 to oversee Nightwatch and advise Sheridan to make sure what he does falls in-line with whatever President Clark wants. She wastes no time telling Zack how she wants Nightwatch to do things and how the scope of who's considered an enemy has been broadened, including to whoever speaks out against the government. Reminds me of a certain something else, but anyway... she's determined to make sure Sheridan falls in-line with what President Clark wants, and she'll stoop to any low, literally, including trying to seduce Sheridan.
Draal, a.k.a. the Klingon Ambassador from the TOS Movies, tells the War Council that the First Ones have given him files that will help Sheridan and the others. With Musante always on Sheridan, sometimes literally, Ivanova visits Draal in his place, she accesses the files and finds out that Clark was responsible for President Santiago's assassination! When I first saw that reveal, my jaw dropped. Oh, and of course he's working with Morden. This was hinted at before, so no surprise there. I knew President Clark was no good, I knew he was up to no good, but I had no idea he'd be this bad. I thought he'd be corrupt and shady, but I never knew he'd be all the way up to the point where he'd be conspiring to set up assassinations! That was a whole other level. I'm here for it. Sheridan vs. The Evil & Corrupt President.
With so many of Garibaldi's security forces working for Nightwatch, we see that he's starting to feel like he's being cut out and slowly losing control over the security of Babylon 5. Garibaldi has doubts about Zack because of his loyalty to Nightwatch and what he's telling Musante. Zack has doubts about Garibaldi because he knows that Garibaldi is involved with something, even though he doesn't know it's the War Council. At this point, if he knew, Zack wouldn't even believe how Clark rose to power and would treat Garibaldi like a traitor.
Sheridan looks stone-faced when he finds out. I get a sense of "surprised-not-surprised" from him. He wants the file with Clark conspiring sent directly to General Hague. When the file finally goes public, it naturally creates a stir. Musante is recalled to Earth, she thinks it's temporary (yeah right!) and I'd love to see her even try to smooth over ruffled feathers there. What I'm betting is that Earth politics are so polarized that half the planet thinks there was a forgery and the other half are thinking, "I knew it all along!"
Musante is really something else. The master spinner. When Sheridan and her talk about how things are on Earth, she says that crime is down and there's no poverty. Sheridan asks about the unemployed, and she just says their lazy people who don't want jobs since there are jobs for everyone. Musante is definitely a Republican, or Babylon 5's equivalent of one. "Everything's great! Don't mind those lazy, no-good people over there! Nothing to see here! We want to make sure everything fits ideologically!"
There's a B-Plot where Ivanova and Marcus Cole take the White Star to meet up with the First Ones to ask them to help the War Council to fight the Shadows. The First Ones think it over and say they'll help when the time is right. This B-Plot didn't do much for me and, to be honest, the First Ones look like they belong on Power Rangers. Sorry! Not that the B-Plot is bad, though, and I think it served its purpose.
Finally, there's G'Kar. He's been piecing things together about the Shadows for a while now. He knows that Garibaldi is part of something and something's going on. The only difference between G'Kar and Zack is that Zack would try to stop Garibaldi, whereas G'Kar wants to help. He gives Garibaldi a bunch of Narn scrolls, tells Garibaldi to learn how to read Narn, and I assume they have everything G'Kar has pieced togther about the Shadows.
Overall, this was a very packed episode. I'm amazed that as much happened in this episode as it did and yet still somehow felt like it had time to breath. Not a knock-out, except for the reveal of President Clark, but very well done. I give it an 8.
One More Thing: You probably thought I'd forget to mention it, but I didn't! Have to save the best for last! Ivanova trying to communicate with Sheridan while Musante was trying to make the moves on him was priceless! Thankfully, Ivanova was able to understand it wasn't what it looked like. To which her reply was perfect. "Good luck going where everyone's gone before!"
Draal, a.k.a. the Klingon Ambassador from the TOS Movies, tells the War Council that the First Ones have given him files that will help Sheridan and the others. With Musante always on Sheridan, sometimes literally, Ivanova visits Draal in his place, she accesses the files and finds out that Clark was responsible for President Santiago's assassination! When I first saw that reveal, my jaw dropped. Oh, and of course he's working with Morden. This was hinted at before, so no surprise there. I knew President Clark was no good, I knew he was up to no good, but I had no idea he'd be this bad. I thought he'd be corrupt and shady, but I never knew he'd be all the way up to the point where he'd be conspiring to set up assassinations! That was a whole other level. I'm here for it. Sheridan vs. The Evil & Corrupt President.
With so many of Garibaldi's security forces working for Nightwatch, we see that he's starting to feel like he's being cut out and slowly losing control over the security of Babylon 5. Garibaldi has doubts about Zack because of his loyalty to Nightwatch and what he's telling Musante. Zack has doubts about Garibaldi because he knows that Garibaldi is involved with something, even though he doesn't know it's the War Council. At this point, if he knew, Zack wouldn't even believe how Clark rose to power and would treat Garibaldi like a traitor.
Sheridan looks stone-faced when he finds out. I get a sense of "surprised-not-surprised" from him. He wants the file with Clark conspiring sent directly to General Hague. When the file finally goes public, it naturally creates a stir. Musante is recalled to Earth, she thinks it's temporary (yeah right!) and I'd love to see her even try to smooth over ruffled feathers there. What I'm betting is that Earth politics are so polarized that half the planet thinks there was a forgery and the other half are thinking, "I knew it all along!"
Musante is really something else. The master spinner. When Sheridan and her talk about how things are on Earth, she says that crime is down and there's no poverty. Sheridan asks about the unemployed, and she just says their lazy people who don't want jobs since there are jobs for everyone. Musante is definitely a Republican, or Babylon 5's equivalent of one. "Everything's great! Don't mind those lazy, no-good people over there! Nothing to see here! We want to make sure everything fits ideologically!"
There's a B-Plot where Ivanova and Marcus Cole take the White Star to meet up with the First Ones to ask them to help the War Council to fight the Shadows. The First Ones think it over and say they'll help when the time is right. This B-Plot didn't do much for me and, to be honest, the First Ones look like they belong on Power Rangers. Sorry! Not that the B-Plot is bad, though, and I think it served its purpose.
Finally, there's G'Kar. He's been piecing things together about the Shadows for a while now. He knows that Garibaldi is part of something and something's going on. The only difference between G'Kar and Zack is that Zack would try to stop Garibaldi, whereas G'Kar wants to help. He gives Garibaldi a bunch of Narn scrolls, tells Garibaldi to learn how to read Narn, and I assume they have everything G'Kar has pieced togther about the Shadows.
Overall, this was a very packed episode. I'm amazed that as much happened in this episode as it did and yet still somehow felt like it had time to breath. Not a knock-out, except for the reveal of President Clark, but very well done. I give it an 8.
One More Thing: You probably thought I'd forget to mention it, but I didn't! Have to save the best for last! Ivanova trying to communicate with Sheridan while Musante was trying to make the moves on him was priceless! Thankfully, Ivanova was able to understand it wasn't what it looked like. To which her reply was perfect. "Good luck going where everyone's gone before!"
I did it! I worked in two DS9s and two B5s this week.
Next week, I'm doing two more DS9s and two more B5s. Then I'll have closed the four-episode head-start VOY had at the beginning of the season.
Last edited:
The only thing that really bothers me about this episode is the utter coincidence of Ivanova learning about Clark's involvement in Santiago's death when she wasn't even looking for it and there's nothing to even indicate it was especially on her mind at the time. Like, of all the things she should have come across, that's what she comes across? Just imagine how weird it would have been if she'd learned the truth about Valen while she was mucking about in the machine. I guess "the time was right" for her to learn that. 
That was a bit convenient. But...The only thing that really bothers me about this episode is the utter coincidence of Ivanova learning about Clark's involvement in Santiago's death when she wasn't even looking for it and there's nothing to even indicate it was especially on her mind at the time. Like, of all the things she should have come across, that's what she comes across? Just imagine how weird it would have been if she'd learned the truth about Valen while she was mucking about in the machine. I guess "the time was right" for her to learn that.
She is a latent telepath. Extremely weak, but still has the gene. That probably somehow made it possible for her to get that evidence.
It feels a bit spurious though?
Perhaps. But it's the one trait, genetically speaking, that differentiates her from Sheridan and the other human officers.
I have a cold and I'm homebound, so I'll be watching "Homefront" and "Paradise Lost" the same day, but I'll review them one at a time. So, first up...
"Homefront"
I know that originally "Homefront" was meant to be the S3 Finale and "Paradise Lost" was meant to be the S4 Premiere, but I'm glad they weren't. I think it's a good thing that they started with planting the idea of Changelings being everywhere at the end of last season and then taking until the middle of this season before they reached Earth. It gives a sense of it took the Changelings time to find a way to Earth and, once there, taking some time to infiltrate where they need to be, before making any moves. It gives a sense of wondering, "How much damage have they done?"
Great guest-characters all around. Admiral Leyton, Commander Benteen, President Jaresh-Inyo, and especially Joe Sisko all brought something different to the table.
Robert Foxworth appeared a little bit earlier on Babylon 5. Going through that series for the first time, when he appeared, I thought, "It's Admiral Leyton!" But, after seeing him in B5, here I am watching "Homefront" and thinking, "It's General Hague!"
Commander Benteen is solid as Admiral Leyton's First Officer, soon to be Captain of the Lakota. Susan Gibney's performance is sufficiently different from Dr. Leah Brahams. Another factor is there being the natural differences between someone who's a designer and someone who's on the command track.
President Jaresh-Inyo has to be up there with the most mismatched Presidents to their circumstances ever. All he cares about is maintaining Paradise, without wanting to do what's necessary to protect it. I've heard it said before somewhere that he's supposed to be like Carter, but the more I think about it the more I disagree. Carter wasn't any good at dealing with Iran or knowing how to stand up to the Soviets, but at least he tried. Jaresh-Inyo? Nothing. He has to be prodded by Leyton, and then reluctantly says, "Do whatever you have to!" Choosing the path of least resistance when facing resistance. It's kind of like having George McFly as President.
Joe Sisko steals the show as Captain Sisko's father. He's the life of the party, doesn't want to think about his health problems, and doesn't give a damn about what Starfleet wants. If that means he's being stubborn, then so be it. He won't submit to any blood-screening tests and that's that. And he considers keeping up with his health to be a full-time job. Which is why he doesn't want to do it. Brock Peters makes him feel very real.
It's weird to see Sisko in a TNG Uniform, but it makes sense that he'd be in a more formal type of uniform while on Earth, which is how the TNG Uniforms come across.
There are two spots where this episode could've dealt with prejudice but didn't, because it's not the type of story they were trying to tell, but they at least tried to address it anyway. First the easy one: you'd think Nog would encounter prejudice at the Academy because of being a Ferengi, but they mention that and say there's something else, talking about the hot shots in Red Squad, setting them up for the next episode. Then there's Odo. Prejudice against Odo would've been very natural, but they avoid the issue by having Odo stay at Starfleet.
The best scene of the episode is when Joe Sisko refused to submit to a blood screening, Sisko wonders why his father is being so steadfast, Joe cuts himself, notices his son thought he was a Changeling for a split-second, and then Joe Sisko delivers the line of the episode, "If I was a shape-shifter, a really good one, I'd suck the blood out of some poor soul and then give the blood out on cue whenever someone like you comes around." I probably got that quote a little bit off, but you get the idea, and I think I hit on all the points.
Joe Sisko's restaurant seems like a lot of fun, but I probably wouldn't go there that often IRL. He can be a little bit too much sometimes. Normally, I just want to go into a restaurant and eat, and spend time with whoever I'm eating with.
Love the costumes O'Brien and Bashir had at the beginning episode, being part of the British Airforce. I got a kick out of the prank Dax pulled on Odo, putting a plant inside his bucket, and Quark being in on it. It gives them all something to do in an episode they're otherwise not in.
That's all I can think of at the moment. A lot of set up, but also a lot of good character moments, and a great guest-cast. I give it a 9.
"Homefront"
I know that originally "Homefront" was meant to be the S3 Finale and "Paradise Lost" was meant to be the S4 Premiere, but I'm glad they weren't. I think it's a good thing that they started with planting the idea of Changelings being everywhere at the end of last season and then taking until the middle of this season before they reached Earth. It gives a sense of it took the Changelings time to find a way to Earth and, once there, taking some time to infiltrate where they need to be, before making any moves. It gives a sense of wondering, "How much damage have they done?"
Great guest-characters all around. Admiral Leyton, Commander Benteen, President Jaresh-Inyo, and especially Joe Sisko all brought something different to the table.
Robert Foxworth appeared a little bit earlier on Babylon 5. Going through that series for the first time, when he appeared, I thought, "It's Admiral Leyton!" But, after seeing him in B5, here I am watching "Homefront" and thinking, "It's General Hague!"
Commander Benteen is solid as Admiral Leyton's First Officer, soon to be Captain of the Lakota. Susan Gibney's performance is sufficiently different from Dr. Leah Brahams. Another factor is there being the natural differences between someone who's a designer and someone who's on the command track.
President Jaresh-Inyo has to be up there with the most mismatched Presidents to their circumstances ever. All he cares about is maintaining Paradise, without wanting to do what's necessary to protect it. I've heard it said before somewhere that he's supposed to be like Carter, but the more I think about it the more I disagree. Carter wasn't any good at dealing with Iran or knowing how to stand up to the Soviets, but at least he tried. Jaresh-Inyo? Nothing. He has to be prodded by Leyton, and then reluctantly says, "Do whatever you have to!" Choosing the path of least resistance when facing resistance. It's kind of like having George McFly as President.
Joe Sisko steals the show as Captain Sisko's father. He's the life of the party, doesn't want to think about his health problems, and doesn't give a damn about what Starfleet wants. If that means he's being stubborn, then so be it. He won't submit to any blood-screening tests and that's that. And he considers keeping up with his health to be a full-time job. Which is why he doesn't want to do it. Brock Peters makes him feel very real.
It's weird to see Sisko in a TNG Uniform, but it makes sense that he'd be in a more formal type of uniform while on Earth, which is how the TNG Uniforms come across.
There are two spots where this episode could've dealt with prejudice but didn't, because it's not the type of story they were trying to tell, but they at least tried to address it anyway. First the easy one: you'd think Nog would encounter prejudice at the Academy because of being a Ferengi, but they mention that and say there's something else, talking about the hot shots in Red Squad, setting them up for the next episode. Then there's Odo. Prejudice against Odo would've been very natural, but they avoid the issue by having Odo stay at Starfleet.
The best scene of the episode is when Joe Sisko refused to submit to a blood screening, Sisko wonders why his father is being so steadfast, Joe cuts himself, notices his son thought he was a Changeling for a split-second, and then Joe Sisko delivers the line of the episode, "If I was a shape-shifter, a really good one, I'd suck the blood out of some poor soul and then give the blood out on cue whenever someone like you comes around." I probably got that quote a little bit off, but you get the idea, and I think I hit on all the points.
Joe Sisko's restaurant seems like a lot of fun, but I probably wouldn't go there that often IRL. He can be a little bit too much sometimes. Normally, I just want to go into a restaurant and eat, and spend time with whoever I'm eating with.
Love the costumes O'Brien and Bashir had at the beginning episode, being part of the British Airforce. I got a kick out of the prank Dax pulled on Odo, putting a plant inside his bucket, and Quark being in on it. It gives them all something to do in an episode they're otherwise not in.
That's all I can think of at the moment. A lot of set up, but also a lot of good character moments, and a great guest-cast. I give it a 9.
Last edited:
Minor correction... it's Robert Foxworth.
Not sure if Jeff Foxworth(y) would be suitable as a Starfleet admiral...
"If you started a coup, let a Cardassian liaison trick into solving their problem for them, broke the Treaty of Algeron, or were taken over by alien lobsters... you might be a Starfleet Admiral."
Last edited:
Oh, God! That's the blooper of the month for me!
I'm tempted to leave it, but I won't, I'll make the correction. I had the name right in front of me, Robert Foxworth, but then I started typing and then my mind just automatically went to Jeff!
He wouldn't. But now that the thought's in my head, that's actually something I want to see!
I've heard about how silly Strange New Worlds has become. Maybe he can be there. Or, Starfleet Academy. He can be Paul Giamatti's partner in crime.
Okay, we're going to pretend I never posted any of that!
Last edited:
Somehow there were no scene between Joe and Jadzia. They would make a great pair.
"Paradise Lost"
While the previous episode built up the case for stronger security measures on Earth, this episode shows how they can be taken too far, how someone like Admiral Leyton can get carried away, and just how easily someone can start to think a Military Dictatorship is a good idea. "It's not a military dictatorship!" screams Admiral Leyton in the background.
Sisko and Odo piece together that Leyton caused a blackout on Earth to build a case that Starfleet needs to take stronger measures. It takes the entire episode for Sisko and Odo to expose Leyton to Jaresh-Inyo and Leyton has several current and former officers who have been under his command in key strategic spots, including now-Captain Benteen on the Lakota. He's smart in that in insulated himself with so many people loyal to him and made the general populace in favor of his measures. That it takes the span of the entire episode in order for Sisko, Odo, and the crew of the Defiant so long stop Leyton, present evidence to Inyo, and turn Benteen against Leyton makes the pay-off at the end worth it.
Then there's the kicker at the end of the episode. But let me backtrack. Toward the beginning, a Changeling who looks like O'Brien tells Sisko there are four Changelings on Earth. This Changeling feels like he has such an upper hand that he tells Sisko completely nonchalantly. Colm Meaney clearly had a great time playing a Changeling version of himself. He just threw himself into the part. But, despite all that, and despite everything even four Changelings can do, at the end of the episode, Joe Sisko says that even though he's scared to death, he's not going to let that affect how he lives his life. If this episode had been made in the '00s, there probably never would've been a scene like that.
In the '00s, Starfleet in general would've become more hawkish, as had happened in ENT Season 3, the President would've been a macho asshole, Odo would've encountered all kinds of prejudice which would take up an entire B-Plot, and Leyton wouldn't have gone around engineering incidents for Starfleet to respond to. They'd have been engineered by the Dominion and -- at best -- they'd have Sisko arguing about how Leyton's only going a little too far in whatever his methods would be. Leyton wouldn't be trying to undermine the President because he'd either be a George W. Bush type or they'd have made him a parody of Bill Clinton. "I did not have sexual relations with that woman!" Anything to make liberals look bad. If they went the full Enterprise route, they would've had a member of the DS9 crew lose one of their family in an explosion, giving them an excuse to sound as hawkish and as bigoted as possible while sounding justified about at the same time. And torturing would be not only used but something seen as totally necessary, just like in "Anomaly" (ENT). So, yeah, I'm not a fan of Bush, I'm not a fan of Republicans, I'm not a fan of Enterprise (including Season 3), and I didn't like the attitudes of certain people in the first years after 9/11 to use the tragedy as an excuse for bad behavior to put it lightly.
Since "Paradise Lost" was made in the '90s, it could just show plainly how counter-productive paranoia is, how easy it is for someone to lose their way, and to remind people of history they might've forgotten, since Martial Law hadn't been involved by the United States in a long time, rampant paranoia of McCarthyism was deep in the past, and there was now an entire generation (mine) that had grown up without an ongoing war like Vietnam or World War II.
End of the soapbox but not the end of the review.
The problem Leyton had, which is a probably most "Badmirals" have, is that he expected everyone under him to follow his orders without question. But someone as good as Captain Benteen, and I assume other Starfleet Officers that have served under him, would be able to think on their feet, think for themselves, and begin to see when something isn't right. The Defiant resists counter-attacking the Lakota for as long as it can, refuses to finish off the Lakota, and doesn't act like a ship that the Changelings would've taken over at all. It's pretty clear for Benteen to see, which is why she backs down. Worf, to his credit, is finally in a battle situation while in command of the Defiant, and he also acts in a restrained manner.
A few other things I want to say about the Lakota vs. Defiant fight. The idea of two Starfleet ships battling each other reminded me of TWOK in a good way. The tension before the battle, especially. The only difference was that the Reliant actually had been taken over by enemy forces, while the Defiant hadn't been. The battle footage, as brief as it was, looked great. Even more amazing on my projector. The downward top-view of the Lakota with the Defiant maneuvering over it was gold. Even better that this was still all model work.
Nice to see that even though Sisko can't talk to his father about what's going on, his father can still use things from when Sisko was growing up as a metaphor for whatever he's brooding about now to tell him what he should do, and Sisko takes that advice.
I was mildly disappointed that we didn't get to see more of Red Squad at the time this episode aired, but I know we get to see more of them in "Valiant". The cadet Sisko questioned was as gung-ho as I'd expect someone from Red Squad to be.
Even though he's not in Red Squad, Nog gets to learn something valuable here. When reporting to Sisko, he's taught the difference between talking to Sisko as his best friend's father and addressing Sisko as a Superior Officer. A nice little touch there to reinforce that Nog's in Starfleet now.
The only other thing I want to bring up is that this episode is filled with a lot of interesting arguments between Sisko and Leyton about loyalty to Starfleet versus loyalty to Leyton. Standing up for Federation principles versus abandoning them to fight the enemy. Then Sisko delivers the line of the episode telling Leyton, "You're fighting the wrong war!" Very pointed, since Leyton's actions have led to Starfleet Officers fighting with each other instead of the Dominion. There was very little the Changelings needed to do. One explosion and then watch as Leyton unwittingly and unknowingly did the rest for them.
Overall, I give this episode a 10.
I might think of more things about these two episodes later on, but I'll leave it here for now.
While the previous episode built up the case for stronger security measures on Earth, this episode shows how they can be taken too far, how someone like Admiral Leyton can get carried away, and just how easily someone can start to think a Military Dictatorship is a good idea. "It's not a military dictatorship!" screams Admiral Leyton in the background.
Sisko and Odo piece together that Leyton caused a blackout on Earth to build a case that Starfleet needs to take stronger measures. It takes the entire episode for Sisko and Odo to expose Leyton to Jaresh-Inyo and Leyton has several current and former officers who have been under his command in key strategic spots, including now-Captain Benteen on the Lakota. He's smart in that in insulated himself with so many people loyal to him and made the general populace in favor of his measures. That it takes the span of the entire episode in order for Sisko, Odo, and the crew of the Defiant so long stop Leyton, present evidence to Inyo, and turn Benteen against Leyton makes the pay-off at the end worth it.
Then there's the kicker at the end of the episode. But let me backtrack. Toward the beginning, a Changeling who looks like O'Brien tells Sisko there are four Changelings on Earth. This Changeling feels like he has such an upper hand that he tells Sisko completely nonchalantly. Colm Meaney clearly had a great time playing a Changeling version of himself. He just threw himself into the part. But, despite all that, and despite everything even four Changelings can do, at the end of the episode, Joe Sisko says that even though he's scared to death, he's not going to let that affect how he lives his life. If this episode had been made in the '00s, there probably never would've been a scene like that.
In the '00s, Starfleet in general would've become more hawkish, as had happened in ENT Season 3, the President would've been a macho asshole, Odo would've encountered all kinds of prejudice which would take up an entire B-Plot, and Leyton wouldn't have gone around engineering incidents for Starfleet to respond to. They'd have been engineered by the Dominion and -- at best -- they'd have Sisko arguing about how Leyton's only going a little too far in whatever his methods would be. Leyton wouldn't be trying to undermine the President because he'd either be a George W. Bush type or they'd have made him a parody of Bill Clinton. "I did not have sexual relations with that woman!" Anything to make liberals look bad. If they went the full Enterprise route, they would've had a member of the DS9 crew lose one of their family in an explosion, giving them an excuse to sound as hawkish and as bigoted as possible while sounding justified about at the same time. And torturing would be not only used but something seen as totally necessary, just like in "Anomaly" (ENT). So, yeah, I'm not a fan of Bush, I'm not a fan of Republicans, I'm not a fan of Enterprise (including Season 3), and I didn't like the attitudes of certain people in the first years after 9/11 to use the tragedy as an excuse for bad behavior to put it lightly.
Since "Paradise Lost" was made in the '90s, it could just show plainly how counter-productive paranoia is, how easy it is for someone to lose their way, and to remind people of history they might've forgotten, since Martial Law hadn't been involved by the United States in a long time, rampant paranoia of McCarthyism was deep in the past, and there was now an entire generation (mine) that had grown up without an ongoing war like Vietnam or World War II.
End of the soapbox but not the end of the review.
The problem Leyton had, which is a probably most "Badmirals" have, is that he expected everyone under him to follow his orders without question. But someone as good as Captain Benteen, and I assume other Starfleet Officers that have served under him, would be able to think on their feet, think for themselves, and begin to see when something isn't right. The Defiant resists counter-attacking the Lakota for as long as it can, refuses to finish off the Lakota, and doesn't act like a ship that the Changelings would've taken over at all. It's pretty clear for Benteen to see, which is why she backs down. Worf, to his credit, is finally in a battle situation while in command of the Defiant, and he also acts in a restrained manner.
A few other things I want to say about the Lakota vs. Defiant fight. The idea of two Starfleet ships battling each other reminded me of TWOK in a good way. The tension before the battle, especially. The only difference was that the Reliant actually had been taken over by enemy forces, while the Defiant hadn't been. The battle footage, as brief as it was, looked great. Even more amazing on my projector. The downward top-view of the Lakota with the Defiant maneuvering over it was gold. Even better that this was still all model work.
Nice to see that even though Sisko can't talk to his father about what's going on, his father can still use things from when Sisko was growing up as a metaphor for whatever he's brooding about now to tell him what he should do, and Sisko takes that advice.
I was mildly disappointed that we didn't get to see more of Red Squad at the time this episode aired, but I know we get to see more of them in "Valiant". The cadet Sisko questioned was as gung-ho as I'd expect someone from Red Squad to be.
Even though he's not in Red Squad, Nog gets to learn something valuable here. When reporting to Sisko, he's taught the difference between talking to Sisko as his best friend's father and addressing Sisko as a Superior Officer. A nice little touch there to reinforce that Nog's in Starfleet now.
The only other thing I want to bring up is that this episode is filled with a lot of interesting arguments between Sisko and Leyton about loyalty to Starfleet versus loyalty to Leyton. Standing up for Federation principles versus abandoning them to fight the enemy. Then Sisko delivers the line of the episode telling Leyton, "You're fighting the wrong war!" Very pointed, since Leyton's actions have led to Starfleet Officers fighting with each other instead of the Dominion. There was very little the Changelings needed to do. One explosion and then watch as Leyton unwittingly and unknowingly did the rest for them.
Overall, I give this episode a 10.
I might think of more things about these two episodes later on, but I'll leave it here for now.
Last edited:
An exchange between my father and I in 1996, when this episode first aired.
My Father: "[Sisko] has four [pips] on his collar. Why does [Leyton] only have three?"
Me: "But they're three on both sides."
My Father (doing to the math): "Ohhh! That's right!"
The experience of watching Star Trek with someone who doesn't know it quite as well as we do.
My Father: "[Sisko] has four [pips] on his collar. Why does [Leyton] only have three?"
Me: "But they're three on both sides."
My Father (doing to the math): "Ohhh! That's right!"
The experience of watching Star Trek with someone who doesn't know it quite as well as we do.
I wonder whether it's a weakness of the episode that Leyton not only feels Jaresh-Inyo is the wrong man for the job but also believes that he himself is the right one.
It's an interesting point of comparison with a novelverse plot where a number of Starfleet admirals conspire to (very, very justifiably) remove a sitting Federation president from power, but always with the intention of holding a free and fair election afterward.
Put another way, the way the episode is executed blurs the line between how much Leyton is really fighting for what he believes in, and how much he's become a bit of a narcissist. I think we have to question whether, if Leyton had been successful and the Dominion had become a non-issue a year later, he would have willingly ceded power.
Otherwise, a great two-parter with a very effective plot twist; one that feels distressingly prescient in light of later events.
It's an interesting point of comparison with a novelverse plot where a number of Starfleet admirals conspire to (very, very justifiably) remove a sitting Federation president from power, but always with the intention of holding a free and fair election afterward.
Put another way, the way the episode is executed blurs the line between how much Leyton is really fighting for what he believes in, and how much he's become a bit of a narcissist. I think we have to question whether, if Leyton had been successful and the Dominion had become a non-issue a year later, he would have willingly ceded power.
Otherwise, a great two-parter with a very effective plot twist; one that feels distressingly prescient in light of later events.
I actually think it's a strength. I happen to agree that Jaresh-Inyo is the wrong person for the job, but I also think Leyton is the wrong person as well. Like you said, he's a narcissist. And I think more than just a bit.
Really, the best thing would've been for someone to run against Inyo, which I assume happened, and have whoever it is voted in by the people.
Assuming the Federation had elections every four years, probably a big assumption but one I'll go with anyway, Jaresh-Inyo was probably elected in 2368. The fifth season of TNG. I think he would've been fine during a time when the biggest concern was, "What chess move will the Romulans make this time?"
I think he wouldn't have ceded power. I think he'd shift gears towards, "I've been able to keep our enemies at bay! Can we risk them coming back, if I were to leave?" That's exactly type of argument he would've tried to pull.
Maybe he'd try to play within the system. Or look like he is. Run for Office, then find a way to rig things to make sure he wins. One part Eisenhower, "I'm a war hero!" One part Nixon, "I have to make sure I win!"
Last edited:
Carter was intelligent enough to realize that the USSR was digging their own grave when they invaded Afghanistan, and that when your enemy is making a mistake you should let them.
We don't know very much about Federation government. Presumably it's a democracy, but in many democracies the elections are not on a rigid schedule but can called by the majority party or by a failure of the majority to pass must-pass legislation like a budget, or by a failure of a coalition government, with a maximum time between elections of 4 or 5 years. The failure of Jaresh-Inyo's government might well have brought down the government and forced an election.
We don't know very much about Federation government. Presumably it's a democracy, but in many democracies the elections are not on a rigid schedule but can called by the majority party or by a failure of the majority to pass must-pass legislation like a budget, or by a failure of a coalition government, with a maximum time between elections of 4 or 5 years. The failure of Jaresh-Inyo's government might well have brought down the government and forced an election.
I think that's the crux of my ambivalence about Leyton conspiring to put himself in power though. Are we supposed to believe he's doing it for good reasons that we might disagree with, or that he's doing it because he's become a power-hungry narcissist who's just taking advantage of the times and Jaresh-Inyo's pacifism? You seem to feel that the latter is a significant element of why Leyton does what he does, but my recollections of the episode leave me thinking that we're supposed to believe that he had underlying reasonable ideas but went too far with them, which I also consider to be the more compelling story.
I don't know when Jaresh-Inyo would have been due for reelection relative to the events of the episode, and I don't recall whether the novelverse had him stand for reelection or whether he'd hit a term limit or chose not to run again. I think it's pretty clear that he likely wouldn't win reelection especially after this debacle, but that's a far cry from pulling a coup to remove him from office.
It's observed in the novelverse that Jaresh-Inyo was the right president for when the Federation was (generally) at peace but the wrong president to conduct a war, and I suspect that represents the general consensus. Unfortunately, the president who succeeds him turns out to be the other way around, and during the war commits actions that can't be easily unwound afterward.
I agree that, had Leyton's coup been successful, he likely wouldn't have voluntarily stepped aside afterward. Reminiscent of Palpatine, though certainly less malevolent. On the other hand, Leyton did 'voluntarily' stop his attempted coup rather than pushing things to the bitter end or threatening to blow up Starfleet HQ or such; he wasn't entirely beyond reason when he realized he'd been found out.
I don't know when Jaresh-Inyo would have been due for reelection relative to the events of the episode, and I don't recall whether the novelverse had him stand for reelection or whether he'd hit a term limit or chose not to run again. I think it's pretty clear that he likely wouldn't win reelection especially after this debacle, but that's a far cry from pulling a coup to remove him from office.
It's observed in the novelverse that Jaresh-Inyo was the right president for when the Federation was (generally) at peace but the wrong president to conduct a war, and I suspect that represents the general consensus. Unfortunately, the president who succeeds him turns out to be the other way around, and during the war commits actions that can't be easily unwound afterward.
I agree that, had Leyton's coup been successful, he likely wouldn't have voluntarily stepped aside afterward. Reminiscent of Palpatine, though certainly less malevolent. On the other hand, Leyton did 'voluntarily' stop his attempted coup rather than pushing things to the bitter end or threatening to blow up Starfleet HQ or such; he wasn't entirely beyond reason when he realized he'd been found out.
I truly think Leyton was doing the wrong thing for the right reasons: keeping the Federation safe from the Dominion. He was just misguided. I don't think he was truly evil or bad... otherwise, he wouldn't have backed down like he did. (I also agree with Donlago that this is a more compelling story than another 'Badmiral'.)
Regarding Jaresh-Inyo: he was not in office by the time of "EXTREME MEASURES" (inside Sloan's mind, Bashir finds that someone from Section 31 was on 'former President Jaresh-Inyo's cabinet'), less than 3 and a half years later. If the Federation had a President when it was founded in 2161, and "HOMEFRONT" takes place in 2372, and they hold elections every 4 years, he likely only had about a year or so left of his term.
Leyton does bring up an interesting point about him: he's a fine President in peacetime, but with war approaching, he may not be up to the task. It reminds me of something my wife and I talked about regarding Picard and Sisko. Picard is great to have during peacetime, but during a war, I'd much rather serve under Sisko. (Being honest, I'd rather serve under Sisko regardless the time.) We kind of get a hint at this with INSURRECTION: the Enterprise-E is pretty damn powerful, but instead of doing battle, she's assigned diplomatic duties. This is Picard's wheelhouse. And I'm not downplaying that at all because it's a vital component for... everything. But I think it points to even Starfleet realizing he's better used outside of war. Jaresh-Inyo is likely exactly like that.
Regarding Jaresh-Inyo: he was not in office by the time of "EXTREME MEASURES" (inside Sloan's mind, Bashir finds that someone from Section 31 was on 'former President Jaresh-Inyo's cabinet'), less than 3 and a half years later. If the Federation had a President when it was founded in 2161, and "HOMEFRONT" takes place in 2372, and they hold elections every 4 years, he likely only had about a year or so left of his term.
Leyton does bring up an interesting point about him: he's a fine President in peacetime, but with war approaching, he may not be up to the task. It reminds me of something my wife and I talked about regarding Picard and Sisko. Picard is great to have during peacetime, but during a war, I'd much rather serve under Sisko. (Being honest, I'd rather serve under Sisko regardless the time.) We kind of get a hint at this with INSURRECTION: the Enterprise-E is pretty damn powerful, but instead of doing battle, she's assigned diplomatic duties. This is Picard's wheelhouse. And I'm not downplaying that at all because it's a vital component for... everything. But I think it points to even Starfleet realizing he's better used outside of war. Jaresh-Inyo is likely exactly like that.
In 1998, one of the thoughts I remember having about Insurrection was, "We only see the TNG crew every two years and this is the story they want to tell?!" Not a terrible movie, but it severely blunted any enthusiasm I had for the TNG Movies. Then Nemesis finished the job and I didn't get that enthusiasm for TNG back until Picard.
But, from a distance, I think it makes perfect sense in retrospect. Picard would've been arguing with Admirals non-stop about things they would've wanted him to do but he couldn't bring himself to. That whole "How many people does it take, Admiral?!" scene probably would've happened on a regular basis.
So, because of that, while I used to think the Enterprise-E was fighting on the frontlines during the Dominion War and we just didn't see it, I've since changed my head-canon to the Enterprise-E wasn't really involved with the Dominion War at all.
I think Starfleet still had it in its head, though, that the Enterprise must be the most advanced and powerful ship, so they made the Enterprise-E a Sovereign Class as a purely political move. So, they have the Enterprise-E as their trophy ship and put Picard on missions where he can act like it's still the Starfleet he thinks Starfleet should be.
As a result, I now forgive Insurrection for feeling like the detour it was.
I also think it's why Worf decided to stay on DS9 instead of going to the Enterprise-E with his former crewmates. Going back to the Enterprise would've felt like walking, no running away from a fight against the Dominion. Well, that and Jadzia.
My favorite point of Picard-Sisko contrast in this regard is to ask ourselves how Picard would have fared if he'd been the commander of Deep Space Nine around the time of "In the Pale Moonlight". It's impossible for me to believe that he ever would have countenanced the moral compromises that Sisko was willing to (mostly) live with.
OTOH, I can totally believe Riker would have gone for it and done everything in his power to hide his actions from Picard, which could have led to the kind of confrontation that would have made "The Pegasus" look like a lovefest by comparison.
OTOH, I can totally believe Riker would have gone for it and done everything in his power to hide his actions from Picard, which could have led to the kind of confrontation that would have made "The Pegasus" look like a lovefest by comparison.
Similar threads
