Treachery, Faith and The Great River

DVD, DS9 S7 (Treachery, Faith and The Great River) (2)

On a PADD, in writing, this concept probably looked a tantalising prospect: throw a couple of pairs of characters we don't often see together and let drama/comedy commence. And so we have Odo and Weyoun on a Runabout journey, while on the station O'Brien and Nog are the draw. While I wouldn't say this was a bad episode, and I'd even go as far as calling it good, it doesn't live up to the, admittedly sketchy, proposition above, not delivering the goods you'd expect from these writers, unlike Nog, who was able to deliver the goods for O'Brien. It's not badly written, and we do get some significant biography on the Vorta as a species, but there isn't a lot of emotional investment and curiously I found myself equating it to the first Trek film, 'The Motion Picture,' for its strangely detached presentation and a reliance on fancy CGI at the end rather than deep character stuff that we've come to expect. It features a much better ending than 'TMP' did, but there's the same discomfort with equating clearly un-godlike beings with godhood, and I'm not sure Odo was right to assume the mantle of accepting worship, giving blessing to the errant Weyoun, even if he was only doing it for appearance sake to ease the suicidal Vorta on his dying way, a generous granting of a misguided final wish. I find it strange that Kira, too, would support the Vorta's reading, except in the fact that the Founders are clearly the authority behind the Dominion, they are Odo's people, and he needs to think about playing a part as a (false) 'god' as much as a security officer if this war is going to be won without annihilation.

The question is, would it be right, for hypothetical sake, for Odo to assume the role of a god, if the result was an end of war? Do the ends justify the means? Garak would certainly answer in the affirmative if his devious actions to bring the Romulans in on the Federation's side in 'In The Pale Moonlight' are any judge of character, and they certainly are. And perhaps even Sisko would agree, at this point, considering his seeming lack of, or uncertainty regarding, remorse over his part in Garak's plot, however much he was manipulated. The murky world of 'DS9' would suggest that the greater good is the important thing, but then you see other episodes like 'Inquisition' where Section 31 are introduced and condemned for their pro-Federation actions at any cost, while Bashir and the other genetically enhanced savants of 'Statistical Probabilities' had their beliefs quashed when their projections showed the only way to survive was to surrender to The Dominion, survival at any cost was clearly out of the question. Odo, mainly for his distaste with his people's methods and quest for dominance, has ever been uncomfortable with using the freely given power all Vorta press upon him with their deference and devotion, something even then that has come through unnatural means. It's unclear whether the Vorta's genetic fiddling is responsible (though Weyoun openly admits it), or an intense gratefulness to the Founders for making them who they are is the reason for their loyalty, and this episode both raises the points and tells it from the mouth of a defective Vorta, so maybe we shouldn't take it as, and pardon the pun, gospel.

The Vorta have generally remained as secretive and moderately developed as the famous Romulans, keeping a mystique through their sporadic appearances, and mostly from one source: Weyoun. The mental power exhibited in their first ever appearance has never been expanded upon or even seen again, and the whispers of cloning and their facilitating of the Founders wishes has been largely concealed behind a forced blandness that shows them always bowing to higher authority, genial, diplomatic, except on occasion, such as when Weyoun clamped down hard on Cardassians (mainly Dukat and Damar), to ensure the enforcement of his Founder superiors' commands. So they aren't pushovers, they have a core of steel, but it's hidden beneath flowery devotion and sweet-talking of potential allies. I was unsure how to take the news that they had been originally ape-like, a strange blend of Evolution Theory and Creationism, with the Vorta simple folk elevated to a higher state of being by the ingenuity and command of genetics the Founders had developed. I find it hard to imagine hairy little Hobbitses, scurrying up trees and munching on nuts and berries, who became the middle-management of a vast galactic empire, but it does at least give them some reason for being so receptive to their 'gods.' Even so, such legends and cultural memories about a family hiding a Changeling in distress from pursuers, could just as easily be an implanted memory the Founders gave them as an added incentive to remain loyal, a base to build upon, and we only have the impressions of this damaged version of Weyoun to tell us.

I was going to say he must be damaged since he goes as far as suicide in order to save Odo from being killed by pursuing Jem'Hadar that have been kept safely in the dark about the presence of a Changeling aboard the Federation Runabout. An added dimension might have been included if Odo had been able to get a message to whoever was commanding those ships, the highest ranking Jem'Hadar, or their Vorta handler, to see how that would have changed the situation. Would there have been a conflict of loyalty among the loyal soldiers of The Dominion? We saw in 'The Ship' how far and fanatically (or honourably: debate), these foot-soldiers take their devotion, the whole squad committing suicide when they hear the dying screams of a trapped Changeling that they were unable to rescue. It seems suicide is a very viable option in those that work under Dominion rule, another sign that all these genetically engineered adherents are fully expendable and worthless other than as tools for the Changelings pulling the strings. That the Jem'Hadar are so loyal, we found out previously, was because they revered the life that had been given them by their masters, and have been bred to be so selfless that they consider themselves nothing more than the servants of gods. I don't think there's ever been any talk of an afterlife for them, so it's not like they even care about winning a new stage of existence for their blind obedience, but they do seem to have a kind of honour that lies in total acceptance and a feeling of superiority to all less fortunate races that are there only to be conquered to the Founders' will.

All this would have made more drama for a conflict of interest about how they could kill the Weyoun clone without harming Odo, to follow orders at the expense of their beliefs. We'd already had a taste of this in 'Rocks and Shoals' where even when the Jem'Hadar leader is told of his Vorta, Keevan's, betrayal at agreeing to set a trap for his men so Sisko can mow them down, it changes nothing. Despite his despising of the despicable Vorta, treacherous in the extreme (caring more for his own life than the will of the Founders or the wellbeing of those under him), he shows up in the same manner that he was ordered to and is killed, so perhaps the same would have been true here, the end being that if Odo had been killed, the Jem'Hadar would have accomplished their mission, but would then have killed themselves for the terrible sin of deicide (something ancient Klingons are said to have been only too happy to do), even if the First had been the only one to know that it would be done. That's how I see it playing out, but of course Odo wasn't going to die, his course was mapped out and gets further markers on the journey he began in Season 3 when Garak forced the confession out of him that he wants to go back to his people. It had been a long road since then, but the fitting of Odo for his future role may not have been as precise than in the events of this episode when he sees even the internal of the Dominion is rotten, and that he has the automatic authority since birth of overturning the status quo and changing the empire from the top down if he's only willing to take his place.

It's a place that for the first time on the series, rather than just being possible, is now looking to become inevitable thanks to the first signs of the wasting disease afflicting the Changelings, and which at this point makes Odo assume he could be the last survivor of his race. It puts his life and experiences in perspective, as he's in what has become a relatively comfortable role (even saying to Weyoun, in what could be a reference to the famous quote of Dr. McCoy and all other Starfleet doctors, "I'm a doctor, not a…" - in this case "I'm not a god, I'm a security officer"), having overcome his outsider nature among solids, having overcome Starfleet opposition to him, won the trust of the Bajorans and all the other denizens of DS9, he knows where he is, but there's always that thread, the most important one in his life that it doesn't matter how well integrated he is in station life, he always has a yearning to return to his own kind, an in-built, again genetic, desire that can only be fulfilled in one way, but is an appalling thing to him with the state of his people as they are now. But he knows it's his firm destiny, whatever happens, a guiding instinct, not just a missing piece, but the hole, if a being of liquid can have a hole, to fill. A vast responsibility to take on, but the temptation he can do right is a strong urge that is mental, adding to the instinct, rationalising it. Almost like the temptation of The One Ring in 'The Lord of The Rings' when it comes within the grasp of the great; Gandalf and Galadriel, who would take up the power there before them, to become a new, bright and terrible dictator, only that wasn't their destiny, and they knew it.

Odo doesn't know exactly how he could fit in, and with the news of his people dying, it presents a whole new responsibility to take over and put right what was wrong. Of course, with all this talk of being the last of his kind, aside from the fact that without his knowledge he, too, was infected, he's forgetting about the one hundred, the other infant Changelings sent out like him to explore the galaxy and return with knowledge, something that would have more meaning later in the season. So the episode has importance on its side, even if the drama is fleeting and action-based, with only a touch of the usual warmth at the end when O'Brien finds himself with thumbs up all round thanks to allowing Nog to exercise his Ferengi gifts. With much of the Odo/Weyoun story occurring in the static environment of the Runabout, not even much movement within its bulkheads as the pair sit side by side (ironic that this is the geographically vast story, while in the station-bound one there is more movement), at least with the O'Brien/Nog B-story, there's a little more going on physically, as there's only so much you can do with one deferent character interacting with one who doesn't wish to be an object of deference. I can't remember what it's called, but there's a Japanese word that describes trading one for another thing until happiness has been spread all around and an object has been reached through the services or gifts being traded - it's most obvious in 'The Legend of Zelda' games, but it's no stranger to 'DS9' either, with 'In The Cards' a strong evocation of this philosophy or process, when Jake was the unwilling partner in Nog's escapades to reach an end goal.

It's good of Nog that he uses his profit-making nous to help his friends, and I can only assume there are little side deals at which his Ferengi nature was satisfied along the way, because otherwise he's being incredibly selfless (another version, just as the Jem'Hadar's above), aside from gaining the gratitude of his community. As much as I enjoy the Chief's troubled times, that round, careworn face not making itself, I think this was a missed opportunity for one last Jake and Nog story, since Jake, like Quark, didn't have much of an impact this season, with Nog the breakout recurring character that could be used in a number of ways. The danger there would have been that it could have been seen as merely a throwback to 'In The Cards,' would never (on this episode's evidence), have reached those heady heights, and would have been an active disappointment. But I can't say the story was a roaring success as it was. It did provide the comedy and it is an appreciative nod to Nog's Ferengi upbringing, another chance for him to show the good his people can bring: tenaciousness, sensitivity, bargaining skills, diplomacy, among others, a real tour de force of the positive side of Ferengi values which we rarely see because they're all so focused on their own profits. As shown in this and 'In The Cards,' when used for shared profit it's a powerful addition to the Federation arsenal and an excellent view of alternative cultures integrating with the norm to enhance it, as well as the Ferengi reputation (which was in dire need of enhancement).

Like seeing Rom without his headdress, this episode gives us another unseen sight: Sisko's office without its desk. It's so funny when O'Brien bothers to set up a replacement which has different dimensions, colours and style to the Captain's famous Cardassian worktop, but it's so strange to see the office empty, too. And there hasn't been so much exposed conduit outside Quark's since 'Our Man Bashir' when Rom and Eddington had to save the Defiant crew by beaming them into the Holosuite! It's nice to have these visual throwbacks, whether intended or not, but while this isn't a traditional torture O'Brien episode, it looks to be coming close at the beginning when everyone's down on the Chief, his workload piling up, and intense, miracle-worker deadlines imposed (though when Sisko says he felt ten kilos heavier last time he stepped onto the Defiant's Bridge I couldn't help wondering if his Dad's cooking had more to do with it than the gravity net…). It must be one of those times he wishes he was back on the Enterprise, standing at the Transporter console, idling the day's shift away in daydreams of Keiko… There was a nice little reference to Captain Picard, as Nog borrowed the Captain's desk for a guy that takes holo-photos (like the EMH!), sitting behind such famous workspaces, one of which was Picard's, plus there's a more obscure reference to Captain DeSoto, a name I had to look up, and which proved to be one of Riker's commanding officers from the USS Hood! Nice continuity, but I'd have gone with a more recognisable name such as Jellico or Maxwell… Still, good detail, and a fun fan-type story as you can imagine viewers would love to get pictures in the Captain's Chairs of famous characters!

The idea of a Sector Quartermaster was a new one on me, as we so rarely hear of such a position, what with Replicators providing most of the day's items and necessaries, but it shows that some things are too complex even for that technology, and the requisition and distribution of such is an important position. Though you can't beat the 'who you know' maxim of family connections, since Nog's never previously mentioned cousin Gant, plays an important role in his success - sadly, unlike Quark's cousin, 'The One With The Moon' Gaila, we'd never see him. What we do get more of is Ferengi religious belief, something echoed in Kira's reminder to Odo of her view of The Prophets, and Weyoun's heavy accent on the topic in his interactions with the Constable. We'd heard of The Vault of Eternal Destitution and The Divine Treasury, their death rituals, and seen their love of profit on countless occasions, but now we uncover a whole new aspect, though whether this is part of their main religious strain, or another philosophy they believe, we don't hear. The Great Material Continuum (just off left of the Q Continuum and down the road from subspace, perhaps), is said to be this river that binds the universe together (so they believe in the Force!), of things coming and going, the navigation of which can lead to profit. It's an interesting addition, but I'm not sure how much we get of it and I can imagine more detail being filled in (especially now that Trek breathes again, though I can't imagine 'DSC' doing any Ferengi episodes).

With religious themes being at the centre of the story I would have expected more depth, but with the characters not sparking off each other, the mix not really working that well on the whole, the episode is a little bland - like a Season 1 or 2 story, but out of place because of the heavy, late-series continuity that wraps itself around. In some respects it makes you think: we'd had genetic tinkering at the forefront of previous episode, 'Chrysalis,' and now it raises its head again, only in a different context. The aim of the Jack Pack's programming was enhancement, to give its receivers a better life, however misguided that was, a form of liberation, while the aim of the Founders was enslavement. I wish more had been explored on this subject, but the episode uses up much of its time with the interplay between Odo and Weyoun that doesn't go very far in any direction. It plants the seeds for Odo to see that he's really needed, it shows him more than anything that he should be playing up to his role as a god in the eyes of the enemy, if only for the sake of his friends, but that justice, strong within him, has always baulked at such acceptance at any price. But the dawning realisation of a responsibility he's been groomed for all his life by the existence he's lived among solids cements what he's already had floating around, so it's not as revolutionary as it could have been. He still thinks very much like a Changeling, 'become the ice' was very much a teaching of his people, which he uses to hide from the attacking ships, though not literally, the approach provides useful cover, another tiny nod in the direction his mind has travelled.

Everything perks up at the end, and though I call out the CGI in 'TMP' terms, it was very good and pretty, with all those giant comet fragments spinning around, going a bit 'Star Wars' long before the Jango Fett versus Obi-Wan dogfight among the asteroids of 'Episode II.' But it can't be about dodging Phasers, that's not the Trek we know, as much as we enjoy and respect the beauty of graphics, and it's another, different aesthetic to see ice boulders floating in space when we so often got stars, blackness and little else, so I applaud the efforts in that department, I just question whether the writing and intention was fully realised elsewhere. It's too surface level, with issues such as 'why be a god if there's no one to worship you' being opened, but not properly discussed or examined (a being having a choice over what it is in its nature, how that affects others beneath it, whether God is looked into as opposed to gods, and the distinction between The God who isn't another being, but the Creator, and lesser beings that have been created, but viewed as gods by those without power). Insubstantial is the word I would use to sum up the episode, touching on a few important things, but never in depth. Even the idea of Damar managing to persuade Weyoun 7 that it's possible to have Odo killed, and in his best interest, merited more.

Maybe this Weyoun is also defective, but in a different way, because I can't imagine the loyal Vorta ever being responsible for a Changeling death, it's unthinkable. Did he really believe the Female Changeling would never know - Starfleet, and if not them, Sisko, would have investigated, Odo's fate would have become known, and then what was known to them would have become known to the Founders and the Weyoun model's time would have been up. I always thought the idea of the Vorta's cloning was worth exploration, so I'd have liked the original plan for this story, which was to visit a Jem'Hadar hatchery, or possibly a Vorta cloning facility. They don't fully use the premise they settled on - it's great fun to have two different Weyouns talking over the monitor, but Jeffery Combs is such a good actor that you're not even thinking about them being played by the same guy, they seem like different people, even while wearing the same outfit (maybe each model only gets one form of clothing to wear?), and if only Brunt had made an appearance as well, Combs could go on the exclusive list of actors that have played more than two characters in a single episode (which I think is Brent Spiner's sole record so far, unless I'm forgetting someone). It would have been so much fun to have a fast-paced multi-Weyoun chase through some clone rooms, perhaps multiple versions had malfunctioned in different ways and the machine had been spitting them out left, right and centre, with Odo having to rescue the only sane one he could find amid murderers, clowns and child minds, with the Jem'Hadar on his tail (think a mix of the strange game structure of 'Move Along Home' and the nightmarishness of 'The Thaw').

Actually, I'm surprised Odo never suspected Weyoun of being a disguise of the Female Changeling to get to him since she'd pulled the trick in Season 3 as Kira, but perhaps knowing her better in these years he would have seen through any guise instantly? And what could this Weyoun achieve as a prisoner, aside from an infiltration plot, and surely they could have done that more easily than dragging Odo into it. I wonder if Gul Russol, the informant he goes to meet who's been killed off long before, was the same Cardassian he visited in a cave in Season 3's 'Improbable Cause' (played by Joseph Ruskin in one of many Trek roles). I couldn't remember, and was really hoping they were going to bring back this guy, especially as the cave setting puts a familiar viewer in mind of him, but he was never named back then so it's not confirmed. They should have had Weyoun appear above as the informant did in that episode, that would have been a strong visual suggestion that they were the same. And it's good to see the Rio Grande taken out for a spin by name - you always know she'll get you home in one piece, though this time it took the sacrifice of Weyoun to do it. That's the real reason, it wasn't for Odo, but for the legacy of the only one hundred percent safe Runabout that had been sailed in since the very first episode! I don't remember if it had that large standing console at the back in its other episodes, but I'm sure such a feature could be modular.

It's sad that Weyoun 5, the one that replaced the first version we ever saw (in Season 4's 'To The Death'), and which we knew best through his time on the station, had been killed months ago, even though, being clones, they have the same memories and are essentially the same character, but I do like that we're brought up to date on so many Vorta ideas and where Weyoun has got to in his various incarnations. I can see why they thought this would make a great episode, but it remains resolutely good, not great. It manages to conclude on both an upbeat and a downbeat note, with the Chief's faith rewarded and all his problems sorted thanks to loyal Nog, while Odo is beginning to understand the faith in him of others thanks to the loyal Weyoun, though the biggest millstone round his neck is that whichever way the war blows he'll be the loser, and it's uncharacteristic of Trek to end so down. At least the Chief got his bottle of Bloodwine back that he shared with Worf earlier in the season, a reward from a jovial General Martok for services apparently rendered, though he had nothing to do with it except for that fateful input of his authorisation code that seemed to ruin his day even more at first, until the Ferengi came through for him.

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