Crossfire

DVD, DS9 S4 (Crossfire)

To belt or not to belt, that is the question. I don't agree with Kira, I think Odo was better suited to being belt-less, and after his experiences here I'm sure he won't be going back to the belted look any time soon. It had been a while since we'd met Shakaar, and a while since Bajor had figured prominently in any meaningful way, so this episode is the cure for both counts, and a jolly good one it is too. Not only do we hear of plans afoot to speed up Bajor's admittance into the Federation (something touched on early in the series, but rarely followed up), but we get a space-bound story that welcomes us back to station life, as far away from political takeovers and planetary troubles as Earth is from DS9, and after such a heavy two-parter so far from the familiarity of the series it's such a cosy and pleasant story to come back to.

Not pleasant for Odo, but we are privileged to be inside his mind, understanding what he's feeling, seeing what he's going through as he's forced to confront unpleasant humanoid emotions which he's never liked to do. That Kira is so oblivious to his pain makes it tougher in some ways because it encourages him to stay silent and fake his usual friendly attitude to her, but she never notices that it's a special thing he puts on for her, going out of his way to make her comfortable, enjoying the regular briefing they share together - with Sisko he's straightforward, to the point, professional (except when he sits, ashamed at his lack of concentration that almost got Kira and his charge, Shakaar, killed), with Quark he's sarcastic and never admits anything, and with Worf… well, he seems to have found a kindred spirit. Both enjoy solitude, despise the social conventions and appreciate order above all else.

It's quite touching that Worf and Odo connect in this story, and is one thing that goes right for him when all about him his world is crashing down. Small comfort I know, but it is something, and after their gruff and aggressive first contact it's nice to see the respect they've gained for each other spill into confiding like two old ladies discussing some mutual interest as they scoff at how friendly people are, the merit of keeping everything in its place, and how to be a bit less encouraging of well-meaning friends who drop by their quarters. It's actually a funny scene in a sad tale, and even when Odo has made a mistake, or later when Worf catches The True Way operative with his own deputies, he commends Odo's training of his men rather than criticising him for not being around. It's a compliment from Worf, which is rare, but to Odo it's almost a slap in the face as he wasn't necessary. Worf is filling in for Eddington who's on leave, but what was he doing? Could it have anything to do with Maquis-related activity? You'd bet latinum on it!

Quark is the other person to connect with the Constable, and their scenes are full of concern and affection which neither will admit, but which makes them so great to see together, something that would continue to the end of the series. Quark is the first person to realise the truth that Odo loves Kira, but like a true friend he's careful with that knowledge, only offering advice when he finds Odo in the midst of his wrecked quarters. That scene where the Constable smashes up everything shows how tough he is, as rarely do we see someone use their full strength in such a confined space. It was excellently directed, down to the glass containers Odo swats into the camera. He also picks up the plant he kept in his bucket, the one that Kira gave him last season when he first got the idea of moving into quarters, and smashes it to the ground in rage, a symbolic and telling action.

When Quark comes to complain about the noise, it's true to the situation because he's already done that earlier in the episode. I know Shimerman hated the pyjamas, but I thought they were great and suited the big, baby-like bonce Ferengi generally have. The moment Quark actually tries to help under cover of concern for his own profits is one of the best scenes between them in the series, demonstrating their wily ways expertly. And later, equally untruthful, Odo pays him back by having his floor soundproofed so Quark no longer has to hear him shapeshifting at night, just as he would go on to allow him a break when he later gets together with Kira - really Quark had a fair bit to do with it right from the start, and is the only person to know such a deep personal secret of Odo's. But did Kira really not understand Odo's reaction to her friendliness? Her expression when he leaves her room is difficult to read, she could be puzzled, she could be sad, she could be questioning his strangeness. Perhaps it was deliberately ambiguous because it was quite a shock to her when she learns the truth next season, yet she probably had a subconscious inkling.

She gives Odo a big hug in her rapture and surprise over Shakaar's interest in her, and in that she's demonstrating how close a friendship she has with Odo because he simply doesn't allow anyone else into his personal space, yet she's always been comfortable being around him and not above an affectionate pat or a hold of the arm. It's a very painful episode for Odo, as hard as when he thought he was confessing his love in 'Heart of Stone' only to be let off the hook when it wasn't really her. In some ways it was bad as he'd experienced how twisted up he felt doing that, in fear of rejection, yet he's in the same position again and can't bring himself to do anything. The ending could be taken as a happy one because he's taken Quark's advice and moved on, breezily walking out of the bar, head held high, but still it could be something there under the 'skin' for want of a better word. At least he's resolved it for himself on the surface of his mind so he can get back to doing his job properly.

He does one of his best morphs ever, in the turbolift scene when his arms become pistons in order to push out the sides of the falling compartment and slow it down before it plummets to destruction. A falling lift isn't something you see everyday on Trek (I think there's one in 'Disaster' on 'TNG' and there was something similar in 'Voyager' episode 'Rise' but in reverse), and this is probably the first (and possibly last) time we see the inside of the lift shaft of the station. Technically, it's unlikely it would have taken that long for the lift to fall as the station isn't that huge, but it's a point where suspension of disbelief is essential: drama is more important than realism, otherwise they'd have to calculate exactly how many floors a turbolift moved past and get it right every time when it's what goes on inside the lift that matters.

I couldn't help noticing the packed station. The Klingon threat initially made the place a ghost town, but it's busier than ever with all kinds of Bajorans there to see the First Minister and new businesses opening up (Kira mentions a new Bolian restaurant). There are also plenty of aliens to be seen - a Dopterian, I believe, operates the Dabo wheel in the foreground, the alien that was caught planning to assassinate Shakaar is another skull-like creature, and in a really obscure moment I noticed a very long-faced alien in the background seen talking outside Quark's bar - I thought 'Star Trek XI' was the place we first had long-faced 'Star Wars' types, but no, there was a guy with his mouth hanging down, but you've got to concentrate to see him!

There were a lot of nice references - springball, the sport Kira used to play with Bareil, and the Vedek himself, were both mentioned, Odo using Kira's possible continuing mourning for him as a shield to fend off Shakaar's personal confiding with him about the Major in one of the most uncomfortable scenes for Odo. Strangely, the episode in which Bareil died was in exactly the same slot as this episode last season, so it's fitting that the series should return to Kira and Bajoran stuff again at this point. I really feel Shakaar should have been made more of, not in this episode, where he's mainly a tool to inadvertently hurt Odo, but he should have appeared a few more times this season, when in reality he only came back once more and it wasn't until Season 5. It's probably because the writers felt they'd lost the character they started with, and to some degree they're right - he began as a rustic who stood up and was counted, then was thrust into a position of power against the Kai. But like Bareil he served to make life too easy as he was a 'good guy' who could be counted on to fight Winn, and they were always looking to shake things up on the series. That's why Bareil didn't become Kai, and ultimately died, and I think the same can be said for Shakaar: he was just too good.

***

Paradise Lost

DVD, DS9 S4 (Paradise Lost)

It's hard to accept, but this turned out to be one of the weakest two-parters of the series. The writers weren't happy with it, blaming the budget, or lack thereof, and I do understand that point of view as there's not as much taken advantage of as you might expect from the premise: Changelings infiltrating Earth, the heart of the Federation. It could have been a fantastic story, but it became about another high-ranking Starfleet officer who thinks things will be safer when he's in control. Part II is the weaker half, not because of any issues with acting or sets not being up to scratch, but simply that Part I's paranoia is somewhat diminished rather quickly and becomes an investigation into the real cause: Red Squad and Leyton. Detective episodes often work, but this is one that takes place mainly in rooms with a couple of people talking and has little of the promise shown in 'Homefront.' Not to say there was a great buildup anyway, the cliffhanger was a bit weak, and so it continues.

Sisko's bluffing of various people to get them to spill the beans was enjoyable to watch, and if the story had gone on from there, perhaps made more of rights being quashed as was begun in the first part, and worked in more adventure such as the Defiant's battle with the Lakota, it may have worked better, but it seems to go from one scene of people talking in a room, to another scene with people talking in a room and though if the subject matter manages it, that can be a thoroughly compelling way to tell a story, it wasn't this time. There are still a number of things which make it a good episode overall: Meaney's turn as an eloquent changeling who reveals there are only four of them on the planet would most certainly fit in that category. His movement and speech patterns are quite different from the plain-speaking Chief, as if the creature impersonating him is revelling in his chubbiness.

While it may not make as good an episode, the changelings' behaviour is true to form - there was never going to be an all out Jem'Hadar attack on Earth, not at this stage of this 'cold war' anyway, and manipulation, the tide of panic, the unknown enemy forcing others into roles they wouldn't take on in peace time is how they prefer to operate - using the least resources to provoke the greatest damage. The episode may not be full of tension, but it does set up the continuing level of threat they pose to the Federation, but like much of this season it isn't their presence that drives the stories, but other threats.

Flaws with the episode, in my eyes, run to the use of some of the characters. In 'Homefront,' Nog, Jake, Joseph and Benteen were all used equally, but this time Benteen is barely seen except for the important moment of battle, but even then we don't see her change of heart, we cut back to yet another scene between Leyton and Sisko in a sparse office. She could have been developed a lot more, and I'd have liked to know if her promotion to Captain was upheld, coming from the disgraced Leyton as it did. Similarly, Joseph Sisko features a lot less, though this time whenever we see him he's smiling and jovial as if he's got over the fright and unsettling few days and has relaxed into the genial host just glad to have Jake and Ben around. Whenever we do see him he lights up the screen with his homely charisma and is a character anyone would look forward to seeing again. Jake has a few moments with him, but otherwise doesn't really figure in the story, and Nog has a brief appearance, prematurely cut short by Leyton sending him back to the Academy.

Instead of a good mix we mainly get Sisko, Odo (who in a delightful line admits everything he knows he learned from Quark!), and Leyton in various stages of understanding. There are shocks to be had: Sisko being accused of being a changeling, though it throws up the question of how that was achieved, Odo performing a jailbreak (though I wonder why Leyton didn't have him arrested too), and the thrilling, though short battle between the Defiant and the Lakota, the smaller ship barrel-rolling fantastically as it blasts its weapons, pirouetting around the larger ship wonderfully! If only there had been more of that, but it did give Worf a go in the Captain's chair - the way the camera zooms in on him as the decision must be made emphasises the weight of it, but he has no trouble choosing a course of action and I can imagine Worf would one day make a great captain. How about 'Star Trek: Worf Adventures' for the next TV series?

The episode is over-political and talky, but at the same time there's an inherent thrill in being in the President's office on Earth at the centre of the Federation where important things are in motion that could tip the balance of the Alpha Quadrant. Plus we get to see Paris at night out of the window which adds to the ambience. There's a much better sense of time passing than in Part I, with scenes set at various times of day, such as Odo and Sisko going to the restaurant after closing, or Sisko meeting fake O'Brien at night, to the Defiant seen streaking through space, missing from Part I.

The theme, vocalised in the last scene by Joseph Sisko is that we shouldn't live in fear of our enemies, and change how we live to accommodate that fear, because that would mean they've won. The previous episode's theme was about the balance between preserving security and civil rights so they've certainly been more thought-provoking and issue-driven than action sci-fi. A little extra action might have worked wonders, however, and though Leyton is defeated he hopes that defeat won't be something later regretted. He was a sad figure in some ways because he'd compromised his principles and the high ideals of the Federation, but he doesn't die, resigning in dignified fashion - unlike many of the misguided Admirals we've seen over the years he wasn't mad, his zeal was to protect what he held dear and so a happy ending comes about, though with the shapeshifters still out there, peace in paradise will be fleeting.

***

Subterranean

DVD, Smallville S6 (Subterranean)

An amalgamation of the traditional 'freak-of-the-week' story, the young stray that Clark helps, some misunderstanding (Jimmy thinking Clark doesn't like him!), and the descent of Lex even further, this time his sins clear by his influence dragging Lana down with him. She's becoming more and more an apprentice to the Dark Side, this time eyes glinting with the thought that's apparently only just occurred to her: money brings power. It's the same theme that Lex played through when he realised that only complete power over everything would safeguard the things he held dear (or so he thought). Lana's not so far gone that she isn't still hoping to use wealth for good causes. Just like the Ring in 'The Lord of The Rings,' it can entice with promises of power to do good, but is Lana really strong enough to only use power only for good?

At the moment I'd say yes, because she's always been a moral person that cares about others, but she seems to have resolved any confusion over the hints of darkness in Lex and that he doesn't always answer her questions in a satisfying way she can believe. She's blinded herself with this new idea of being a do-gooder, but in real terms I think they realised her character was going nowhere. She needs something to do beyond being conned by Lex. If you think about it, she's always been a character without a strong purpose on the series, existing only for Clark to pine after where other characters such as Martha (the backbone of the family and farm), or Chloe (the investigator) had well-defined roles.

I enjoyed the farm-locked nature of this story, taking place in the environs of Smallville for the most part with the requisite golden cornfields and dusty roads disappearing off into a blue sky. It had the unfortunate result of once again showing how poorly the local community has been developed (it hasn't). We still don't get to meet the Sheriff, a casualty of the show's move to Metropolis or global locations making the role unnecessary, although we do get Deputy Morales. It's difficult to accept that a farm 'just down the road' became this prison of slave labour for illegal immigrants, and because Jed McNally had never been seen or spoken about before he could have been anyone, yet if the community had been full of recurring characters and he was one who turned out bad then he'd have been a stronger foe. As it was, I was surprised it was actually him, expecting another Zoner for Clark to deal with. In line with most of the modern 'freak' stories he doesn't figure prominently, gets beaten easily by Clark and there's little terror or tension around his evil powers - the two lads running through the corn at night went on for too long and lost the momentum of the scene and it would have been an ideal episode for special effects to dive underground, lashing through the dark soil, but there's none of that.

The episode is another one where Clark takes a youngster under his wing and fights for him when no one else will, even Martha (though she comes round in the end), and the episode has some of the heart that is often missing these days when the boy and his Mother are reunited. Jimmy's used quite well as a guy who's got the wrong end of the stick when it comes to Clark, but as predicted he's taken over the role of Lois, who doesn't appear - they're interchangeable for the most part, both being journalistic types who have no real idea of what's going on most of the time. Seems like Lana and Lois only exist to be in scenes with their boyfriend's these days, which is a shame. There was a nice feeling of the Scooby Gang again, with Jimmy, Chloe and Clark all meeting up and doing their thing which was another positive. We even had Clark bursting in on Lex to accuse him of something for which there was no evidence to link him to, just like the 'old days'!

The end sequence went back to what the series used to do brilliantly, but has often eschewed: a bold, stark scene with well-chosen music over the top and a great style as Lex walks away from the comatose McNally, proved to be his own experiment in the meteor powers. He walks down a corridor with hands grasping out of barred doors either side and shuts the door at the end which reads 33.1. At last we see the fabled institution Lex cooked up to study and experiment on those with powers and it was a great way to finish, that sealed the episode into a last minute thumbs up, when it was wavering through most of the episode. When you think about it, you wouldn't paint '33.1' around the place as that was just a secret level in another building, this being a new place, but megalomaniacs have funny ideas and the writers wanted to make it obvious what it was without dialogue, I expect.

I can't say the same for the early scene between Lex and Lana when he sends her off to Amsterdam for the duration of the episode just so she'll miss him. I didn't know what I was supposed to be reading into that scene because the music is kind of warning something, there are looks that could be interpreted in different ways and it was just an odd thing to do. Okay, so by the end we know Lex wanted her out of the way because he was busy watching what happened with McNally and his experiments, but it was odd that Lana was so happy to go along with it and shows that she has no roots to her situation - if they want to send her off somewhere there's no reason not to. That means she's expendable, not something you want a main character to be. It was nice to see her in the Kent barn again, even if Clark wasn't able to scratch the surface of a doubt about Lex' true intentions, but she'll learn in the end, I'm sure.

***

Rascals

DVD, TNG S6 (Rascals)

This works because childhood is something everyone has experienced and who wouldn't want to revert to it if given the chance? What I like about the execution is the way the other characters are shown to react to their friends, captain or wife. It's a bona fide science fiction idea, done well. The four children they found to play Picard, Ro, Guinan and Keiko were very good, Guinan probably the closest in looks and performance, but all emulating their adult counterparts. Young Picard's voice got a little bit grating after a while, and of course they aren't as accomplished actors as the adults, but they did a good job and the failure or success of the episode was resting on that. We'd already seen a child version of Data in 'Hero Worship' but it could have been better if we'd seen 'Muppet Babies' of all the cast. It had been done in 'The Animated Series,' and children were always a part of Trek since 'TOS,' but this episode certainly made good use of the situation, for the most part.

I felt Keiko and O'Brien were underused. Their discomfort made for a sad and sometimes humorous scene, but when the Chief was operating the transporter to bring the four people off the disintegrating shuttle, he showed practically no emotion, just doing his job, yet his family means so much to him. That's a professional for you, I suppose. There was also no satisfying explanation for the phenomenon of the incredible shrinking vortex, unlike in 'DS9' where it was done in a more realistic way during 'One Little Ship.' Keiko acted the way she would, and that was a choice of the writers - they could have had their minds revert to the ages of their physical bodies, but they chose to keep them the same characters. I'm not sure if they acted like children it would have made it better or not, but it would have made some difference. We get a taste of that when Picard stamps his foot in a tantrum to get taken to his 'Father,' a bemused Riker who unleashes his cheesiest grin to continue the deception.

Anyone that complains that it was implausible for an ancient Klingon Bird of Prey to take on the Enterprise and win in 'Star Trek: Generations' should watch this episode and realise there was a precedent. On this occasion it's two ancient BOP's crewed by snivelling Ferengi that outwit the flagship and seem to have little difficulty in taking control. At least in the film the Klingons had the Enterprise's shield frequency as an advantage, in this there's little excuse for Riker and the crew. I could have done without the Ferengi altogether, as, apart from their implausible takeover they served only to complicate matters.

Far better would have been to deal with the ramifications of reverting to child form as was explored in a few early scenes with Troi suggesting possible career options for a captain that now looks like a twelve-year-old, O'Brien trying to come to terms with his wife's new form, and Guinan teaching Ro to have fun, furthering the friendship she started up last season in 'Ensign Ro' and giving the Bajoran woman/girl the chance to experience what a real childhood is like, without fear or danger. The end scene when the restored Guinan gets Ro to continue her childish pursuits for a bit longer was a charming way to finish, but again, I felt there was a scene missing in which Miles and Keiko were seen getting back to normal after the sad moment earlier when little Molly, played for the first time by Hana Hatae, can't accept her as her Mother.

They do fall into the trap of getting into the technobabble side of it too much and not delving deeply into the psychological implications of their situation enough to make it a classic, but there's still a lot to enjoy. Not the remote controlled bulky floor bot, I don't include that on the list at all. A nice touch was bringing back the same actor who played Picard's nephew Rene in 'Family.' Although the character of Rene was killed off in the first 'TNG' film it's nice that he got to be in Starfleet for a short time, if only in spirit. And it was fascinating, if you'll excuse the word, to have Leonard Nimoy's son directing, though like his Father it was an inconspicuous style that worked fine, but didn't call attention to itself.

***

Homefront

DVD, DS9 S4 (Homefront)

Judging the first part of a two-part story can sometimes seem unfair. It's not the whole picture, it's a setup for What Happens Next. So it seems churlish to criticise this episode as being perhaps the weakest story of the season so far. The caveat is that this was one of the strongest starts to a season ever, so even a relatively weak episode is full to the brim with goodness - all those early scenes may not have been necessary to tell the story, and they do start the episode off slow (from where it never really gains momentum), but they were undeniably delightful. Dax moving Odo's furniture around (is this the first time we see his quarters?), leading his changeling nature to leap to the forefront (he's just like his people in terms of the need for order, but where they idolise domination, he follows the path of justice), is an example of the loosening up of the characters, showing them in the light of a family, albeit a sometimes dysfunctional one compared with the example of 'TNG.'

Quark's there telling a joke to the unresponsive Morn, O'Brien and Bashir let out their stresses at not being able to do anything about the threat on Earth by taking part in the Battle of Britain (the second time in consecutive episodes where Britain has been mentioned!), with Meaney's English accent more real than Siddig's! Sometimes I share the wish to see these holosuite escapades that some express, but they'd have to have really gone all out for it, building an episode around it as they did in 'Our Man Bashir' and it wouldn't have been cost-effective. There's also something to be said for leaving it all to the imagination where Spitfires dogfighting Messerschmitts can break the bounds of TV budgeting. Nowadays I imagine it would be no trouble to have a dogfight or an Alamo recreation, with a few digital artists beavering away, but as all these scenes were only an excuse to have the other crewmembers on camera before Sisko, Odo and Jake took the lion's share of the story, I'm fine with how it turned out.

The feeling of family is exemplified by Odo going to the trouble of asking O'Brien and Bashir if there's anyone on Earth they want him to look up, though I expect he was only being polite - how many humans would want an unknown changeling knocking on their door with a message from a Starfleet relative? It would be embarrassing for anyone to visit a friend's family who doesn't know them, but for Odo I'm sure it would have been ten times worse! Even so, I'd have paid good latinum for a tribute to 'The Quiet Man' in which Odo steps off a transport in Ireland, asks for directions and gets conflicting information from the locals, leading to squabbling amongst themselves. And to see Odo roaming the green hills of that film would have been some image to remember! Bashir noticeably changes the subject after quickly dismissing Odo's polite question saying he doesn't have anyone on Earth he wants to contact. This would bear fruit the following season when we find out about his parents and his shady background, which up to that point could never have been guessed. The most notable change from earlier seasons is the camaraderie the three display. They wish him luck, Odo gruffly rebuffs them saying he doesn't believe in luck, but then softens the rejoinder by noting that he appreciates the sentiment. He's learned to fit in with these strange humans and their ways.

Odo needed all the human skills he'd gathered in this story, seen as an outsider again as he was at the start of the series. Only now there's even more reason for difficulty gaining trust when his people are out there bombing conferences and causing panic among the populace. Panic may be an overstatement as the customers in Joseph Sisko's restaurant look happy and relaxed, and we even see a horse and cart amble by, so the impression of fear isn't palpable. Maybe it's the humans stiff upper lips keeping them steady? All the early scenes could have been dispensed with, the story could even have begun on Earth where Sisko has answered the call home. Or they might have shown some of the journey. I would have settled for seeing the USS Lakota disengage from the station and rubber band it out of there, something to give any impression of leaving DS9 or arriving at Earth would have made the transition more acceptable. It's not like they couldn't afford a ship as we see it in the second part.

I must make a confession. I never really thought much of Robert Foxworth. It's harsh to say that, as I've seen him as Admiral Leyton, a Vulcan in 'Enterprise' and a character on 'Stargate SG-1,' yet none of his appearances filled me with praise or admiration. It could be that he seems like another strict Admiral that could be any of the ones seen on 'TNG.' It could be that he never played sympathetic types (the problem I have with the Vulcans in general on 'Enterprise' is a whole other story!), or that I simply took a dislike to him, but usually if there's one of these actors the producers liked and had back more than once, I too, saw the greatness of them. On the other hand, reportedly, the producers weren't satisfied with Herschel Sparber's performance as President of the Federation. I liked him just from his name, and think they shouldn't have bothered coming up with Jaresh-Inyo's alien moniker and simply given the character the actor's name (as they did in 'Voyager' with Maury Ginsberg)! I really liked the makeup and whole idea of the Grazerite race, but as in the case of the Lethean in 'The Sword of Kahless' they were both in less successful episodes or in the President's case those in charge weren't happy and for whatever reason the race was associated with failure and never appeared again. I wanted to see his horns and find out what others of his people were like, but sadly we never did.

The saving grace of the episode is Brock Peters. In his case I wholeheartedly agree that he was a fantastic artist of the craft and the ideal person to take on the mantle of such an important role as Father to the Emissary. I love what they did with him in later seasons, and though his appearances on the series were few and far between, they were always memorable. He's very realistic in his portrayal of an old man trying to keep his own infirmities from his son, thinking his doctor's an idiot and generally causing trouble because he desperately doesn't want to lose the independence he's always had. But there are also the sweet moments when he laughingly keeps up Jake's childhood story of the alligator being kept in stasis, or when he makes it clear Jake and his Father are to come there for dinner no matter where they stay. That aspect of modern life helps sell the futuristic setting, along with the transparent subway tube or the mix of the beautiful old architecture with horse and cart clopping past, and the technological marvels of Starfleet buildings - people can be anywhere on the planet, and yet beam home for dinner, just as Sisko once related about starting Starfleet Academy, beaming home and coming downstairs as if everything was normal.

The Academy has been seen before, and though it isn't the focus this time, it does give Nog good excuse not to be consigned to a fading memory. How perfect that it should be Sisko's that the young Ferengi has become a regular at, the only place where he can get fresh tube grubs! Maybe Joseph isn't as snooty when it comes to food as he sometimes seems - as long as the customer's happy, he's happy and that seems to be the major part of his purpose and success, talking and relating to the customers so they feel like friends. Personally, I wouldn't want that kind of service, I prefer to eat, if I eat out, not become buddies with the staff, but that doesn't mean it isn't a joy to watch - a professional restaurateur at the top of his game. His son has the weight of the world on him, literally, so it's good they managed to include Nog and eke out some funny moments as he tenaciously, but with as much tact and enthusiasm as he can muster, asks the Captain to sponsor him for Red Squad. It's just at the time when Sisko is least in the mood for enthusiasm and the range of expressions that flit across his face during the ordeal with Nog are priceless.

It isn't just Starfleet security and the potential fate of Earth, or Nog's insistence for his attention, that bothers him most. It's the worry he has over his Father's health and wellbeing. He finds it difficult to stand up to his old Dad because he feels guilty for being so far away and also because Joseph is such a stubborn old man who knows just what buttons to push to get his own way - when Jake shows concern for him he turns it on his head and points out that it's his Dad he should be worried about. The best moment is as strong as anything in the best episodes: when Sisko's paranoia grows far enough that he actually has doubt in his mind over whether his own Father could be a changeling at a refusal to allow his blood to be tested. At first Joseph doesn't notice what's going on inside his son's head when he cuts his finger. He innocently hurries off to bandage it, but is shocked when it dawns on him the doubt in Sisko's eyes.

Brock Peters excels himself, his anger and bitterness coming out in hurt fury in his bared teeth and hooded, glittering eyes that fire daggers, gripping the poles of his kitchen like a prison and letting rip with the likelihood that a changeling could hold blood inside it and let it out on cue. He's so terrifying it's almost as if he's doing everything he can to seem like a changeling. Then he has a stroke, but a stunning performance is undermined slightly by the far too quick transition to the next scene in which Sisko wanders into a room and mentions his Father is going to be fine. There needed to be a few seconds, at least, where the intensity of the scene could sink in, and then we hear that Joseph's going to be okay. Maybe they could have had the camera trained on Ben's worried face as he walks along the corridor before entering the room, or some kind of breather, at the very least.

Joseph's intelligent and considered reasoning shows that he's not just a cranky old man - it's very true that a changeling might be able to circumvent the blood tests, as we know happened in 'The Way of The Warrior' from later revelation, but his real point about freedom being curtailed is the theme of the episode and is very relevant today with an unknown enemy that could at any time blow up, injure or maim us on our streets. That's one of the reasons why 'DS9' is so fresh and poignant for today's audience, as much or even more so than the other series', because it deals with terrorism and the erosion of civil liberty. It starts with blood screenings for families of Starfleet officers, yet they have no obligation to what is to all intents and purposes the army of the Federation. Then it becomes martial law and freedoms are curbed more and more. The crux of the matter is whether it's right to clamp down on people in order to save them, and that's fine if a strong and righteous leader remains in control, but how long can he remain upright before absolute power corrupts absolutely?

The scary thing is that we are drawn into Sisko and Leyton's plan because it is Sisko, the hero of the story, the main man, the one we trust. As he later proved in Season 6, he was willing to do anything it took to keep the Federation safe, and this is the beginning of that realisation, I think, though he wasn't comfortable going all the way, which may have been more to do with his dissatisfaction with Leyton in Part II than his own conscience. We applaud his actions at first because he's the expert that's brought in and we're coming with him, so by taking someone we're on side with and using him as the tool of oppression it seems right until you start to think about it. Should there have been such strict and decisive action? Can even that prevent the enemy from attacking, and even if it can, is the change in society worth the price of freedom? These are the questions that make the episode so mentally stimulating, even though the story is mainly discussion and the anticipation of threats, with character moments sprinkled through that minefield.

On a less cerebral level there are some fun things to point out, not the least being Odo as a seagull! It's quite amusing to think that flocks of seagulls circling above could actually be changelings, though not so funny if you happened to be a recipient of their 'bombs' as you walked beneath. Odo sensing the hatred of the changeling impersonating Leyton is another development in his dealings with his people. This is the first time he's met one since killing the spy at the end of Season 3. Before, his people had always maintained a passivity to him, but now he's committed the terrible sin of being the first changeling to harm another, he's truly a pariah to his people, something that was useful to him in this case. Though Odo is hurt deeply about the status of his race and their ways, I think he'd rather take the burden of pain upon himself if it gave him an advantage in maintaining order and security, as it does here.

The Golden Gate bridge is seen in the background to Sisko's Starfleet HQ office, and the Eiffel Tower of Paris is clearly seen in the backdrop of the President's office, unless it was moved again! It looks like a different view to the one in 'Star Trek VI' so in the century since then it's very possible that new buildings were constructed in a different location. It's this excellent attention to continuity that keeps the Trek world consistent and appearing to be parts of an established whole, and not the piecing together by many hands at different times that it was. If they could manage to do that for forty years why couldn't JJ Abrams' team keep it up instead of resorting to reset button Alternate Universe Land? Laziness, and a mistaken belief it would be easier to do whatever they wanted, that's what! But enough of that side-rant. Another link to continuity and the last century (and the Star Trek films themselves), is the statement that a planet-wide state of emergency hadn't been called for a hundred years. This is likely referring to the events of 'Star Trek IV' when the whale probe caused the globe to experience severe weather as it began to rip itself apart. A great tie-in as Brock Peters first appeared in Trek as Admiral Cartwright in that film (and again in VI).

Something that I love is the brief mention of when Earth was at war at the founding of the Federation, something I really wish had been dealt with on a full-length seven season run of 'Enterprise,' and again in the proposed film that was an early contender for the continuation of Trek before the Abramsverse laid it's ugly, lens-flared paw on the franchise. Any reference to the founding fills me with joy, as do the tying in of other races and events such as the loss of the Romulan/Cardassian fleet, Quark's Andorian joke, the Romulans coming to Earth for a conference and that one of the observers who died was a Tholian - he must have been inside some kind of atmospheric container as they don't breathe oxygen like most common races. You'd think the Romulans would be up in arms about their delegates being killed, and if it wasn't for the footage of a changeling morphing in the conference room they might have been blamed for the attack, probably what the Founders were hoping for.

Susan Gibney returns to the Trek universe after playing Geordi's ideal companion in two 'TNG' episodes. She looks a lot better as Commander Erika Benteen, but has very little to do in Part I, almost a spare limb that is obviously Leyton's right-hand woman until Sisko becomes the man of the moment. There's no tension between them and no repercussions of Sisko's promotion to Head of Starfleet Security, yet this is an important post and whoever was in charge before must have been feeling it badly. Maybe they didn't want to over egg the pudding, with ideas already to undermine Gene Roddenberry's paradise, having dissension and bitterness between Starfleet officers might have gone too far, but would have given the episode more teeth, the main problem over budgetary concerns.

The budget cutbacks weren't very obvious as we're seeing so many locations or hearing about them: Paris, San Francisco, the restaurant in New Orleans, O'Brien's mention of Dublin, even Jake who apparently takes the opportunity to visit the writing school in New Zealand he's been planning to attend. The only time the budget seems small is in the cliffhanger which has little of the portent of other, better examples in previous seasons: a few Starfleet bods beam down into the streets outside Sisko's restaurant with weapons drawn. That's not very scary and doesn't show the planet-wide scale. What keeps it in the 'good episode' bracket are the many character moments, the growing paranoia and the introduction of another great recurring character in Joseph Sisko and his charming restaurant.

***

Static

DVD, Smallville S6 (Static)

Lex has upgraded his security so that in seconds of a 'code 142' a team of black ops types can be suited, booted and close enough to rush into his room and escort he and Lana off to the panic room. What do they do all day, hide in a cupboard? That melodramatic style permeated the episode and in a throwback to the freak-of-the-week stories Lex gets kidnapped again. Yes, that's right. Again. It was about time he improved his security since so many enemies have burst into the mansion over the years and very little ever seems to stop them, despite the countless otherworldly or superhuman characters he's had to fend off. Even with the knowledge of these people, even running the 'clinic' on floor 33.1, his security measures are still too weak to prevent his capture. The catch this time is that he's trapped in the very room in the mansion he first disappears, but it's on a different radio frequency. I was happy to run with that, but even at that early stage I was put off by the static effect which looked basic and uninventive.

The 'clever' story twist is that Clark is called away on more important matters when a boatload of people are reduced to lumps of meat - apparently one of the Zoners is feeding on their bones. Okay, so they're rich in calcium and the eventual culprit enjoyed showing off his full set of teeth, but it's weird he was eating the bone and leaving the meat. He's alien so that explains everything. Except it doesn't, because although we find out he was one of those released from the Phantom Zone, he isn't affected by Clark's crystal doodad and wasn't a Phantom. So what was he? No answer, of course.

I can't believe Chloe was going on at Clark for hunting down the Zoner when Lex had gone missing. All the things Lex has done, all the lies he's spun, people still care what happens to him. I know Chloe wants to support Lana who has certainly has developed a love for him as we can judge by her over the top wailing about how much she loves him and how she doesn't care about the previous lies and that she's pregnant and none of the bad times matter, blah, blah, blah (bleugh!). Even so, they sweep everything that's happened previously conveniently under the carpet. Maybe it's Lana's fault as it's exactly the kind of thing that used to happen between her and Clark. At least Clark didn't say he'd always tell her everything while keeping his dark secrets!

So I was fed up with some of the characters and their carousel of deceit and forgiveness, but I also failed to get excited about Clark's big away mission to track down and halt the Zoner. The gruesome discoveries weren't shown much, but the bags of flesh were quite gross. The mood of the story was completely lost thanks to the bright dockside, sun shining down. There were few shadowy moments and Clark just became so easily overwhelmed that he looked weak and helpless. Yet because there was no explanation of the ogre man, he came across as not important to the story. So Clark's beaten by an inconsequential wrestler who then dies mysteriously when another Zoner kills him. This was supposed to provoke mystery and it succeeded, but the only hint we get about this dark figure is that he drops coffee creams around and had obviously dropped in on Clark's barn. Clark's distant reaction to Chloe and retort that she doesn't need to know everything seemed forced and there were a lot of unsatisfying endings.

One of the worst things about the episode is how easily the real Lionel slips out, dropping in to erase Chloe's hard drive at the Planet in his long black coat, back to his old ways. Incidentally, Lionel dismisses the freaks saying Chloe's not in high school any more, but I'm sure they both had enough encounters with such people that they both knew very well they existed beyond all doubt! There's no subtle shift or cleverly disguised operating, and the same when he's with Lex at the end. It was obvious he'd moved the 33.1 lab, the big experimentation project on meteor freaks that we've heard of since Season 4 when that gambler guy was brought in by Lex, but once again we're fobbed off. Like in 'Jitters' the whole operation had been tidied, aged and the static guy is 'proved' to be delusional. Surely people would be quicker to believe such a thing existed and was moved due to their similar experiences in the past, but from episode to episode their memories, and perhaps those of the writer's, are selective.

More worrying is Lana's acceptance of Lex' lies and that even if 33.1 was real she would see the need for it, setting up a bit more nastiness to her character. Long gone is the sweet and pleasant Lana, changed into this person with some kind of behavioural problem, going from one thing to the next. I don't think it's helped her character to be isolated for the most part from any other storyline except Lex. Granted, the feeling of community so ably built up in the early seasons fast diminished with each passing year, but I still forget sometimes how far the quality of the storytelling has fallen thanks to great new additions like Green Arrow (who unsurprisingly for a duff episode, doesn't appear, and neither do Lois and Martha).

Lionel wants in on the meteor freak action, something Clark would be horrified to discover, Lex asks Lana to marry him (after dramatically murdering static boy not long before), and in one of the most stupid points of the episode, it's all resolved by Jimmy Olsen. It's not him that's the problem, but he talks about radio waves being the thing before the internet, yet he's not old enough to remember a time before the internet, assuming he's around the same age as the other characters. The absolute worst moment is when he manages to restore Lex, Lana and static boy to the correct 'frequency' using a bunch of old radio equipment. I can believe in the Kryptonite giving someone the power to zip between frequencies, but to have it resolved with some old radio junk was utterly stupid. That about sums up the episode.

**

Our Man Bashir

DVD, DS9 S4 (Our Man Bashir)

Another holodeck malfunction story? No, this time it's the transporter and there's good reason, damaged by the explosion as another Runabout bites the space dust. So far they've lost about one of these a year, and there's only one of the original three still intact: the Rio Grande. This time it's the Orinoco, one of the early replacements from Season 2. There have been so many holodeck or transporter malfunction stories that you begin to wonder why anyone used them at all - suddenly the Enterprise NX-01 crew's wariness of the technology begins to make sense, but if it weren't for that, Sisko, Dax, Kira, Worf and O'Brien would have died. It was only thanks to Eddington taking control of the situation and Rom's ability to fix anything that they were saved. You can see the distaste on Eddington's face when he realises he has to rely on a Ferengi to save the crew, and not even the most important Ferengi on the station, but a mere servant of the bar. Rom doesn't seem to notice, and this episode may have been one of the steps in his building self-confidence which led to 'Bar Association.'

We'd had a Bajoran terrorist group meddling with Federation/Bajoran affairs (The Circle), but the enemy this time is a Cardassian separatist group called The True Way, unhappy with the treaty with Bajor and the Federation and regardless of the fact that their government was saved by the actions of Sisko and the Defiant crew, they want out of the partnership. Not the best time for them to be active with the Klingons having taken control of Cardassian colonies, but probably the only time such a group had the opportunity to sprout up - the Obsidian Order's decimation by the Dominion has led to more freedoms, but the downside of that is clearly illustrated by the emergence of The True Way. We've seen how difficult it was for the dissident movement to survive during the administration of the secret police organisation always watching, but now there's no internal power for good or ill. So the advantages of freedom can sometimes lead to new dangers, though these risks are better taken than the alternative. I wonder if it might have been better to see a representative of the Way as they are a faceless organisation, whereas the Circle had Minister Jaro at its head for us to boo and hiss at. Even so, the Way was another threat to add to the Maquis, the Klingons and the Dominion.

My only serious observation of this episode is to question where the science teams are? I know Dax is the Science Officer and she's one of those incapacitated, but I think I only saw about one blue shirt in the entire episode. Instead, we have two security chiefs and a Ferengi civilian working on a problem that in reality would have all the science specialists excitedly rising to the challenge like the engineers in 'Starship Down.' It must be assumed that science wasn't a priority at that moment, what with the threats of war from all quarters - perhaps those crewmembers left for other assignments, or maybe there never were science teams stationed on 'DS9' and that area was covered purely by Dax? One thing we learn from this episode is that sometimes it's not good to have a large brain - it takes all the station's computing power to store the brain patterns of Sisko and the others, but it was probably Dax responsible for most of it with her many lifetime's worth of braininess: all the computer memory was taken up by her memory!

There have been a fair number of themed episodes in Trek - Sherlock Holmes, Beowulf, Robin Hood, the Wild West, but it wasn't something 'DS9' did very often. This one stands proud above the other variations because it went for it so strongly. It's sad that this meant the secret agent program was never used properly in an episode again (the brief appearance in 'A Simple Investigation' notwithstanding), as, like the Holmes program on 'TNG,' the Bond filmmakers were unhappy with the 'tribute' to their character and film series. Though it's claimed Bond was only one of many influences, the style, language and in-jokes are geared far more to that than anything else so I can see why copyright holders were displeased. Regardless of the legal side of it, I'd have loved to see more episodes, as they later did with the Vic Fontaine program, and a continuing story would have been great fun.

The characters don't often get the chance to play someone completely different while still wearing their regular look - Kira still has the nose ridges even though she speaks in a Russian accent (and does so very well, I felt), Worf is Worf, but with a smart, white jacket and massive cigars, O'Brien gets the eyepatch and leather jacket and Sisko's bald head and goatee are there for all to see. But it's the complete absence of the characters we know that make it so compelling. Dr. Noah is the best new character, for me. His mad restraint is like a megalomania below the surface barely kept in check. We've seen Sisko go mad physically, such as his fight with the Jem'Hadar when they invade the Defiant's bridge in 'The Search,' and here that strength and intensity is bottled up, exploding out only in his eyes or brief, sharp laugh.

The episode rests on the friendship between Garak and Bashir and the testing of it, but unlike Bashir's recent disagreement with O'Brien over the Jem'Hadar in 'Hippocratic Oath,' taking the lead and forcing Garak down the right path as he sees it, actually reinforces the Cardassian's fondness and respect for the doctor. He's seen Bashir grow immensely from the early seasons and when it comes to actually challenging him and taking control of the situation for his own safety Garak finds hidden steel in the doctor. He's forced him into a confrontation, but when it's the lives of his friends, Bashir won't back down. I think it's as much his surprise that makes Garak follow along with the plan so meekly after that, but he wasn't likely to underestimate Bashir again. To Garak, standing up and taking the necessary action is more important than any moral considerations and so rather than be affronted by Bashir's shooting of him, he's almost pleased that his friend had the gall to do it!

The sets are lavish, the stereotypes fun and the stakes are high, the only bad thing about it is that is doesn't last as long as a Bond film! I could easily have done with this being a two-parter or a featurelength episode, but they'd already done one that season and they weren't in the habit of it, unlike on 'Voyager.' So it remains an all too brief adventure that is blamed for breaking the bank and lessening the budgets of other episodes in the season, most obviously the following two-parter. But it was worth it, if nothing else than to hear the 'DS9' theme in 60s Bond-style.

****