DVD, DS9 S2 (The Jem'Hadar)
Hints and references to the Dominion are placed occasionally through the season, laying the groundwork for something big, and mapping out a framework for the kind of epic storytelling that would sweep the series onto the galactic stage, with the only downside being a lesser role for the 'backyard' of Bajor. That was all still to come, with revelations galore on this mysterious and unexplained power of the Gamma Quadrant. The approach was one of giving various pieces of information, details that told us more than a comprehensive report could have done because it left our imagination to build a bigger picture. It is in 'The Jem'Hadar' that a direct encounter leads to the threat of reprisals that would dominate the series.
It all starts quite innocently, as a seemingly simple comedy tale to end the season with - the worst camping trip Sisko could have planned. He wants to spend time with Jake, only for Nog to come along, and to cap it all Quark inveigles himself onto the trip with the sole purpose of convincing the Commander to allow him to advertise his wares all over the station. Being his typical tenacious self he thinks he can swing things his way by a little negotiation, but reckons without Sisko's quiet, blunt character which leaves no (or very few) cracks in which to manoeuvre. Quark was right about one thing, they are more at ease in this informal setting. If it wasn't for the Ferengi losing his composure at having to eat human food with bugs in it (Ferengi "only eat Ferengi bugs!"), constantly being bitten, and his natural aversion to nature, he might have worked on Sisko long enough to find out what the Commander would be prepared to get out of it. Out of his comfort zone however, survival clouds his profit-making skills.
We don't often get to see Quark roughing it, but when we do ('The Ascent', 'The Siege of AR-558'), he's invariably grumpy. This anger can make him more persistent and dogged, in some form of survival instinct. If the Dominion didn't know already how insistent Ferengi are, they soon learn from Quark's bawling. The race may be small, but their voices are large! We see this survival instinct in the Jem'Hadar prison with his constant shouting and screaming for attention. It would be a natural course of action for Ferengi, because after all, if your skill is in negotiation you need to make yourself heard, and the squeaky wheel gets the oil. Thankfully it's his ability to knuckle down and get on with things when all other avenues fail that gets them out of captivity - he perseveres with the collar on Eris, then saves Sisko's life by shooting one of the soldiers, but his most important contribution is his shrewdness...
The Jem'Hadar look down on humans and Ferengi, lumping both together as the weaker, less interesting races of the Alpha Quadrant (quite an insult for us!), wishing that Klingons had been the first race they got to encounter. It shows one of the few weaknesses of the Dominion, after they demonstrate great power and resource in their ability to destroy a Galaxy-class starship, beam through shields, walk through containment fields, use personal cloaking devices and wider-reaching designs and forethought. For everything was a ploy to get one spy into the Federation. The loss of life on the Odyssey is terrible and graphically illustrates the kind of unexpected threat they pose. A kamikaze run on a retreating ship is not only an impressive display of loyalty, but also disregard for the 'rules' of battle.
Like the Borg, they work to an agenda that our Federation friends can't comprehend. Admittedly they had the important element of surprise, an advantage that can't be dismissed, and hopefully, with all the data collected by the Runabouts, the observations of Sisko and the experience gained, Stafleet will not be caught on the back foot again. It was a bold move by the Dominion and over-confidence could be a weakness, one of very few they display in this first encounter. Another is to underestimate their 'weak' opponents. Quark probably saves the most lives and performs the greatest service here as he ever has or does again, because it's down to his expertise in recognising Eris' falsity that stops Sisko from welcoming the spy into Federation arms.
The visuals match the story and plotting which is at another level, not seen since the three-parter that kickstarted the season. For a start, the Jem'Hadar and Eris are both very well designed and so very different. The soldiers are full of texture and jagged edges, while Eris ( we don't find out the name of her species at this point) is smooth and clear-skinned. That they are part of the same force isn't as surprising as that she is actually their superior as we discover in later episodes. The relatively weak, small and gaunt Vorta have the authority of the Founders, the third of the mysterious groups that make up the Dominion. As before, we get plenty of questions answered that have been at the back of our minds since the Dominion first cropped up, but now we are left with more. What we do know is the fearsome size of the Jem'Hadar, walking tall next to the large Sisko, and their attitude is cocky and assured. Like the Klingons they welcome battle and have no fear.
The Jem'Hadar who talks to Sisko is disappointed the Klingons weren't the ones to be captured and this is something that would come to the fore in the future, but even now comparing themselves to the warriors of the Alpha Quadrant helps us see their strength and the kind of beings they are. It's telling that only a Third-ranked Jem'Hadar is sent to DS9. Was that because they didn't want to risk a First or Second, or to show the disdain they hold the Federation, that they would only send such a relatively low rank? Knowing the Vorta's disregard for the lives of their soldiers in other episodes I would go with the latter explanation.
The scope of what's happening is ably personified by the addition of the USS Odyssey (making the tiny Runabouts appear most ineffectual), a situation that requires Kira and crew to do what they're told by a Captain. Suddenly a Commander isn't enough, and this backwater is important again. That Captain Keogh isn't a pleasant man doesn't stop us from being shocked at his ship's destruction. His arrogance in the face of the unknown isn't what gets him killed, as the Galaxy-class is the biggest and toughest of all starships. It also contains families. It was a shame we didn't get to find out more about the Odyssey and her crew, but it was cooler having an African American with a strong accent as first officer shouting out the damage reports because for some reason the impact sounds worse. The destruction was a statement of intent from both the Dominion and the creators of the series - we're going to go for broke.
Such battle scenes hadn't been seen since the pilot, and to this point there had only been minor skirmishes with Cardassians, Bajorans or Maquis, all on the scale of Runabouts. But here, the Runabouts are dwarfed and there's a danger that the series could be undermined by showing how weak the station and its defences are compared to a fully operational starship, which is why you can see the logic of the writer's next step at the beginning of Season Three. But here they dared to show the weakness and the awe level goes up massively. That none of the main characters die is testament to their skill and judgement. It's always the case that the more powerful an adversary is, the more heroic the heroes seem to be to stand up to them.
The scene with Odo and Kira warning each other to watch their backs felt like it could be a goodbye scene, and I wonder if it was deliberately meant to evoke unrest in viewers. She'd like him to stay behind out of harm's way, something she'd done before, I think, which shows she cares for the constable. It's also a touching moment for Odo to admit a kind of fondness for Quark. Okay, he doesn't really admit fondness, he never would, but he notes Quark's role as part of the station - they'd miss him if he was gone. Old animosities are laid aside in the face of a larger foe, as evidenced by Kira's agreement that they wouldn't want to lose Quark.
Amid the scale, references to what we know aren't forgotten. We hear about Bolians, Klingons, Cardassians, Vulcans, Grand Nagus Zek, the Bat'leth, and most importantly - the New Bajor colony has been annihilated, another feather in the Dominion's cap o' woes. It's difficult to see how they could have seemed any worse an enemy! Also, in the 'biggest' episode of the season it's endearing that a Jake and Nog story should be an integral part. Jake's certainly been the lost character of the season, his japes with Nog few compared with the first season, but at least the pairing hasn't been forgotten. Nog still comes across as a sterotypical Ferengi coward, but other personality traits that would rise to the surface in later seasons also begin to show through. His willingness to work, for one thing, and his pleasure at being complimented by Sisko. Previously Nog's always shown contempt for human ways and had little respect for them, but thanks to the friendship with Jake they've both changed and come to accept the cultures, almost imperceptibly. Nog enjoys human food, much to Quark's disgust, a line he'd often take on his nephew's development, even if he was proud in his own mind.
It's nice to see the continuity of Jake caring about Nog's education, that led to him teaching his friend to read, and perhaps Sisko's own views on Ferengi are beginning to change too. It hasn't really happened yet, but Rom's emergence as a pleasant fellow, Nog's professionalism and even Quark's unexpected generosity were to come, and it's Sisko's ideas that are directly challenged by Quark. In the same manner as his lecturing a Vulcan on logic in 'The Maquis', he now manages to take the moral superiority of Ferengi against humans! Only Quark could do that, but if his words aren't completely true, at least they serve to give Sisko pause for thought. He hasn't really thought about Ferengi values and it becomes personal and something for him to think on. That is, if he'd had the time!
Two final observations regarding the Runabouts: we never get to see the shuttle bay in which these ships launch from, but here we get close, as we have a view of one wall from a Runabout window and door when they disembark. The other is the realisation that Jake and Nog would have taken five years to get back to the station if they hadn't been rescued. That means they'd have just made it in time for the last episode of the series!
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