A Time To Stand

DVD, DS9 S6 (A Time To Stand)

This is the one I always think of as defying expectations. With 'Call To Arms' as the Season 5 finale you had arguably one of the best ever cliffhangers in all of Trekdom, leaving the station in enemy hands and the Defiant joining a vast armada of Starfleet ships on the way to retake the station, or so it seemed. You'd be forgiven for expecting all out space battles as the sequel, but it isn't what you get. The series was often expert at doing the unexpected, yet still managing to pull off the kind of drama and excitement you wanted, and this episode is the perfect example of that. Rather than 'Star Wars' on TV, we get a much more interesting cross section of life in wartime - we're given what we didn't realise we really wanted because we were thinking about action scenes, and that is an update on what each character is experiencing in this time of chaos. But it's more than that: every interaction, every conversation is expertly written, not a word or gesture wasted: there's no dead weight, every second is utilised, and consequently the episode flies by at warp speed, over before I realised it. It helps that the teaser is one of the longer openings, something I always preferred to the shorter, which 'Enterprise' tended to do (though sometimes a very brief intro can be effective), as I love that build up to the episode proper, and the way you can be drawn in so completely that it's a surprise when the title sequence begins because you forgot it hadn't started yet!

The fact is that though this all had a setup in 'Call To Arms,' it is actually another setup for Trek's first fully serialised multi-episode arc. Previously the series had pushed what Trek was capable of by introducing the first three-episode arc, way back in Season 2, then the first feature-length season opener at the start of Season 4. What else could they do that was suitably big and bold, but a six-episode storyline. A six-parter! It was something completely new to Trek at that time and was the catalyst for the ten-episode closing arc of the series, and probably even 'Enterprise' Season 3, in which all twenty-four episodes were part of a serial. This was also long before the boom of serialised TV series' that came in the early 2000s, but it was necessary because they were dealing with the biggest storyline in Trek history: an Alpha Quadrant in full-blown war. We weren't talking about a Cold War with the Romulans which could come into play when it was convenient, nor a hot and cold on/off skirmish with the Klingons which had been there in the background of 'TOS' and was revived in Season 4 of 'DS9.' No, this was a quadrant-wide war for survival, the home base of the series taken over, the characters split between various positions, and no prospect of an end in sight.

What helped make the situation feel as big as it was in  talk, was in the way things are presented. We see a weary crew, tired of a conflict that's been raging and going badly for three months. They may be worn down, but it's in a different way to the stifling battle experiences of 'The Ship,' or the heroic sacrifices of 'The Siege of AR-558,' retaining their sense of humour, so while the series has words bandied around it such as 'dark,' it often retains its lightness, the joy of being on a starship, even if you're not exploring the unknown, defending the right. At the same time we get a taste of another aspect of warfare with the likelihood of friendly fire on an undercover mission. Hearing about (and seeing), another Starfleet ship off the cuff is another aspect that broadens the scope and scale, an unnecessary incident but it shows the crew working together and forced to fire on an ally. We see reassignment with Sisko getting a desk job; we see what life is like under occupation ("It's not an oc-cu-pa-tion!" claims Weyoun musically to Jake); we even get an insight into the civilian view on Earth as Sisko calls his Father to report on Jake's decision to stay on DS9. The viewpoints are wide and varied, both in person and location, so the canvas is broadened even though it's on a TV budget. That's usually the way TV series' go, having to outdo what's gone before. Trouble is this can stretch both budget and credibility and actually make the reality feel smaller (see 'Smallville' for an example), as well as losing the characters. Not so in this case, the characters are at the forefront - there wouldn't be anything without them.

We get the introduction of one new recurrent, the reintroduction of all the main cast, as well as many of the expanded repertory company. Not everyone - we don't see Rom, or Morn, for example, but that leaves us with questions wanting answers, a reason this is one of the most compelling set of episodes ever made for the series. You're desperate to just keep watching and swallow the whole story in one go. In today's world of boxed sets and downloads it's the ideal way to watch. Yet there's still something positive to be said for having to wait a week to see the next part of the story. Your mind buzzes with anticipation, with questions and possibilities. I don't remember the exact first time I saw this, whether it was on video or TV, and I'd probably read up on what was going to happen in 'Star Trek Monthly,' but there's nothing like seeing something happen, and even now when I've seen it so many times before, it always surprises me how good it can be without giving us the desired resolution of fleet on fleet, something else that inspires the appetite to see when they get to the inevitable space rumble. Even though it's just part one of the story this is such a great setup that it remains one of my top episodes of the series, as do several of this six-part story.

Even while time is of the essence with so many familiar faces, it's wonderful that they could give us someone new in Admiral Ross, the greatest example of his rank in a long line of officious, distrustful, untrustworthy and spiky superiors, stretching back all the way to 'TOS.' Maybe it's something about not having the freedom of your own ship that makes Admirals so cranky and so often wrong, but they're generally not a good advert for the position! And even Ross at first seems to fit the bill when we see him reassign Sisko from the Defiant to an office on Starbase 375. 'Great,' you think. 'Another typical Admiral, just when we didn't need any more enemies to fight.' Except even in his brief moments in this episode, while he exudes the necessary authority about him, he also has the air of something else, an understanding maybe, an attitude that is no nonsense, yet open to those under him. Maybe I'm reading too much into too little, knowing the force for good he would become on the series, but he seems a worthy man to be Sisko's commander, something which must have been very difficult to find. Because Sisko commands a lot of respect himself - you have General Martok speaking to him as an equal, the crew following his orders, but we also get a different side to him when we see how uncomfortable he is talking to his Father, who certainly gives him a hard time over leaving Jake behind, so even this time of war hasn't been used as an excuse to make cardboard heroes, and we're still allowed multifaceted characters. If anything the time of stress brings out their character even more.

We've seen Sisko get angry before, and he does so again at the news of the decimation of another Federation fleet, slamming his fist into the table so hard it cracks the glass surface, but even this display of rage is so much more controlled than we've seen from him before - I think of the punchbag scene in 'For The Uniform,' or his wild fighting when the Jem'Hadar invaded the Defiant in 'The Search,' and he really has learned greater control in releasing his anger these days, something useful for a Captain at war to possess. One thing that struck me as an odd beat in the episode is when Admiral Ross takes him off the Defiant and gives him an office, but then he's immediately sent out on the mission aboard the Jem'Hadar ship to blow up the main ketracel white facility! I know it takes a couple of weeks before the ship's ready, but it feels so immediate which makes the reassignment strange. Maybe it would have been better to have the reassignment news in a subsequent episode as that would seem pretty harsh after they've been successful in completing the mission and then Sisko has to hang up his space boots. But as I recall it was a bit like that anyway so perhaps it was a good move to have the news so early as it makes things even more unstable and uncertain in our minds?

Though this isn't the most action-packed episode of the series, the fireworks reserved for the many and varied conversations that take place between a host of characters, the mission to take out the facility is still pretty exciting. I find myself wishing every time that their escape could have gone to plan in that split second 'Mission: Impossible' style that they seem to be aping, but if they'd got off scot-free we might not have had the excellence that was 'Rocks and Shoals,' so it's all fair. I wasn't sure why the Jem'Hadar kept them at the facility after the exchange, but they may have detected the different weight of the container which hid the bomb, or perhaps Garak didn't give a code he was supposed to? You don't want things to go perfectly or the drama would be lost. Mind you, it's bad enough for Sisko trying to use the personal viewscreen of the Jem'Hadar vessel, which makes him so much more grateful for bringing the lost sheep (or is that wolf), Garak, along for the ride. The Cardassian 'tailor' was in a difficult situation, having had to leave his place of exile, the closest he could get to home, under pain of torture and death from Gul Dukat, I imagine. We're missing a scene in which Dukat shows disappointment at not having the opportunity to hold Garak prisoner as I can imagine he would have been, but it's one of those conversations we weren't privy to in the three month gap, that's how I see it.

The two main Cardassians of the series are in very different situations at this point, with Dukat simultaneously riding high, back in his old position aboard Terok Nor, yet also under the thumb of the Dominion having needed them to accomplish his goal. It's like he's both on a leash, but enjoying the power rush at the same time - you only have to look at the way he swaggers round Ops (I thought he bumped into a Jem'Hadar soldier once near the central Ops console, probably an easy thing to do with the bulky costumes, but could also be seen as in character since of course he doesn't really like the Jem'Hadar). Garak has become a nomad, perhaps realising his only current home is with Sisko and the crew - just like a church is the people, Garak's home is the crew. He's a good man to have around (though Nog may not agree as we see in the next episode), being resourceful, and Cardassian, the physiology geared towards the viewscreen headset. I can't remember if this was the first time we saw POV shots from the headset, but it seems likely. Our TVs are limited to displaying things as a flat rectangle in the middle of the picture, but Garak describes it as being in his mind which gives an idea that this is more than the Google Glass concept!

On a practical note I wonder if either of the actors using the prop really did get headaches from the constant flashing of the eyepiece which must have been disconcerting after doing a scene over and over again. Garak's other use in this episode is to remind us that Bashir is genetically engineered (and to rib him about it since O'Brien's too busy to give him a hard time over it!). This is the first episode to really use his abilities fully as he works out computations faster than the computer and gets called a Vulcan for his trouble. But the Doctor has truly made it now, one of the superhero-type characters Trek does so well, dating back to Spock, and including Data, Odo, Tuvok and others that have gifts beyond normal human resources. Yet it's also made Bashir seem more withdrawn, in a way. Withdrawn might not be the right word as he's still got a twinkle in his eye as he banters with Dax and his fellow crewmates, but he's no longer upbeat. Perhaps it's the effect of so many war casualties, or he's already calculating the odds of the Federation's defeat? He loses his cool and practically shouts at Sisko about the recent losses, and is so singleminded he ignores Martok's direct greeting as he enters a room, something you can't imagine the younger Bashir doing. He's grown up.

Another character that gets to show growth is Major Kira. She's been in the situation of Terok Nor under occupation by the Cardassians before, but it takes Quark to realise that things aren't so bad - with the Dominion's hand of alliance, Bajor's protected from the Cardassians' will, perhaps the first note of disharmony between them and their war allies, something that would come to be the saviour of the Alpha Quadrant. It's ironic when you think that Damar and his hatred of Weyoun, who treats him like a dog ("Get out! Don't look at him…"), and his unfulfilled ambitions to get back at Bajor for having the audacity to stand up to his people, is what comes around to be helpful as time goes by. At this stage Damar remains Dukat's lackey, someone for the leader to talk to, but all he does is either smirk at Kira's discomfort or sulk when he's treated as an underling by Weyoun. But he does it so well! Dukat on the other hand is incredibly sinister - it's hard to believe we ever liked him, but we did. He's so much in love with his power, while at the same time understanding that he has to be diplomatic with Weyoun and show courtesy and respect, the perfect situation for a man of his compartmentalised personalities. And the longer hair somehow makes him seem even more diabolical. It's the way he summons Kira to his office then proceeds to admire her like a new painting he's just had installed, enjoying her flashes of indignant outrage, knowing she's powerless, like a cat watching a mouse running around a cage, living off the fact that at any moment it could reach down and take its prey.

Dukat's never been more chilling, sober. By sober I mean before he goes properly mad rather than just maniacal and ultra self-deluded, because right now he has what he wants and it gives him the thirst for more. Kira, as tough and resourceful as she is, is in danger from a man so unstable and cunning, but we learn the true horror of why he's always been drawn to her later in the season (though it's surprising it's taken three months for her and Dukat to have the conversation they have in his office). For now, she seeks solace in her great friendship with Odo, together realising which buttons to press to access the power they hadn't considered was at their fingertips: Weyoun, as always, is a delight to watch. He's so geared towards being friends with everyone, but retains his innate authority as displayed to Dukat and Damar, or Jake. Quark was right in some ways when he said things aren't too bad under Dominion rule - the Bajorans haven't been betrayed and turned into slave labour; Jake hasn't been interned as a political prisoner; and Jem'Hadar soldiers sit genially in the bar (apart from the genial bit - why were they there? They don't eat, drink or make merry, so I have to assume it was an order from above in order to keep a security presence around. In reality it was probably an excuse to give Quark a line). Though Weyoun questions Jake's naivete at thinking his articles about life on the station would be sent to the Federation, it's sort of naive that Jake is allowed to run around the station anyway - a normal occupation would have seen him as a bargaining tool and held him prisoner, although I suppose he's a prisoner anyway, his cell being the station. It's good to see him doing a real job for the first time - we've seen him write, and the possibilities have often been talked about, but now he's actually doing and it's great to see.

Jake's partner in crime, Nog, also gets to be part of things, a member of the Defiant crew, and a voice of nervousness amongst seasoned Starfleet officers like O'Brien and Dax. Its good to have him as so much a part of the action as he's one that went through incredible change during the series, this being just another step. It's fun to see him amidst the crew, but also to see this crew out in space as a permanent fixture, the only thing missing being the Klingon contingent (though we get a reminder of Worf and Dax' pending marriage as something to look forward to after the opening salvo of episodes - knowing the series you wonder if they'd both make it through alive, something that would, like Sisko's deal with the Prophets come to have consequences, as if happiness wasn't allowed for too long!), but again it's one of those threads that tantalises you so you want to get to the next episode pronto, masterfully written to be addictive TV. Funny thing is, with the Jem'Hadar ship lost in space it's like the series has become 'Voyager' as it will take them years to get home. Unlike 'Voyager' it's because their warp drive is offline, something which emphasises just how vast space is without these integral pieces of technology. Following the 'Voyager' train of thought, you realise that in both parts of the galaxy an unstoppable force is taking over (the war with Species 8472 taking place concurrently with the end of Season 5). I wonder if the Federation and Dominion would have bonded together to fight the common enemy had that race carried through its plan to annihilate the galaxy?

Perhaps the most fascinating of all the interactions is that between Odo and Weyoun. When Kira goes to see the Vorta she can't get her requests through, Weyoun fobbing her off with a 'maybe later' response, but when Odo appears his wishes are instantly granted, Dukat dismissed from the conversation much like Damar had been earlier, and observing the power shift in that room like mercury on a tilted plate is mesmerising. Odo's descent begins here, and even Kira flags up doubts about Weyoun's motives, recognising that Odo's invitation to join the ruling council of the station in some way validates the occupation. At the same time, as Weyoun argued to Jake, this is a Cardassian station and Bajor is an ally of the Dominion (thanks to Sisko's Prophet-led intervention last season), so it's only the loyalties of those on the station to their friends in the Federation that has a tie, making it all the more easy to get comfortable with it all as Kira and Odo do in subsequent stories. Yet for once, Weyoun seems genuine - he really is awed by Odo's presence and you feel that even if Odo had point blank refused the offer of joining the council, Weyoun would have simply acquiesced and Odo would have got his Bajoran security force back, with weapons, anyway. Because the Founders still value Odo, and what they value, the Vorta value. Kira may be treated as an equal, but Odo is treated as a superior.

The appeal of this particular episode is not just the continuation of a great cliffhanger, not just a setup for what we know is a thrilling multi-part story, or even the real beginning of the end of the series, it is the joy with which each character is used, the full exploitation of this unique situation with all the intricate levels of intrigue, both personal and political, that that entails. It's astonishing how good the series can be, but it's like the groundwork had been solidly put in place over the years, the series had been built up so strongly, yet the embellishments hadn't been forgotten, it was more than function, it was aesthetically pleasing, the best of both worlds, and if I seem to be lapsing into florid metaphor it's because episodes like this inspire it and sometimes it's difficult to find the words to do it justice. Even with the scope the nuances are there to be seen and enjoyed, be it Weyoun's humble, but obsequious flick of the eyes under his bowed head to Odo, or Dukat grinning as he spins Sisko's baseball on his desk, an evocation of his power, the small details are written and shown. It even has a biblical title in the vein of 'a time to reap, and a time to sow,' 'a time for everything under the sun,' from Ecclesiastes 3 - in this case the time to make a stand even though the odds seem stacked against you, which makes it feel even more legendary and epic. This was the writing and the directing working together in perfect harmony, the series at its prime even at a sixth year, which makes you think it could have run far longer.

*****