Field of Fire

DVD, DS9 S7 (Field of Fire)

Vulcans are superior to humans, everyone knows that, which is why, I think, ever since 'Enterprise' made them conniving, deceiving cads that's the way they've been portrayed in all productions that have featured them. And why? Because audiences don't want to see a race that's better than humans so we need to bring them down a few pegs. Not me, personally they're my favourite race and I always hated what was done to them in that series, the Kelvin films and, reportedly, 'Discovery.' But perhaps the real culprits of disgracing the Vulcan name were the writers of my favourite Trek, 'DS9'? It was 'DS9' where we tended to see Vulcans of a different hue: in Season 2 we had Sakonna, the gun-running Maquis terrorist who used logic to justify her sympathies, in Season 7 we had Captain Solok with his condescending, almost emotional rivalry with Sisko, and had to teach our Captain a lesson, logically, (with it announced there are currently forty-eight Vulcans serving on DS9, maybe some are left over from the baseball match?), and now a Vulcan serial killer, Lieutenant Chu'lak, whose motivation is that 'logic demanded' the murders. Sensing a pattern here? Yes, as Dr. McCoy would so gleefully point out, logic can be used to support whatever course the intellectual chooses, so perhaps it's the devotion to logic, the idolising of the concept that was the downfall of the race, not the Vulcans themselves. There were plenty of other Vulcans on the series in small roles (JG Hertzler, Martok himself, got his start in the pilot as a Vulcan Captain, one of several roles he played, a fact continued in the next episode), but the ones that everyone remembers were the aberrations, so shocking were they.

Maybe that's the point, these Vulcans were exceptions and that's what made them memorable. If we're going that route then Sybok of the maligned 'Star Trek V' could be said to be the originator of the alternative Vulcans, so strange to see a Vulcan emote it was at that point in Trek's screen history. You can always find precedents for something, especially in such a vast landscape as Trek, and there were always characters that railed against the logical way and often proved that having a little emotion to balance out the mind was the most complete way to exist, most perfectly exemplified by Captain Kirk himself, the middle value between Spock's cool detachment and McCoy's emotive passions. Spock learnt over the course of the films that because of his human half, he needed to bend a little and not hold to logic as the be all and end all: the beginning of wisdom, not the end. But to remind ourselves of the Vulcan mindset we have to remember why they clamped down so hard on their chosen racial outlook, and that was the fact that they were so violent and uncontrolled in their dim past that only complete detachment from their feelings could save them from self-destruction. They had very good reason to take this path of apparent enlightenment because anything would have been better than where they were headed. All of which is a roundabout way of saying that 'DS9' got the idea of the Vulcans correct: unlike what came later, they kept within the confines of Vulcan lore, and because of that were able to create standout Vulcan characters and moments that afterwards couldn't be achieved because we became so used to Vulcans behaving badly.

It was a choice and it worked well, but something I've been coming to re-watching this season of the series, is a suspicion that one choice didn't work out quite as well as I'd previously thought: Ezri. I always liked her from the moment she first appeared, but watching the episodes with such a critical and analytical eye as I have been, I'm less keen on her. It's funny, some characters have grown on me, like Kes, whom I never liked originally, but seeing Jennifer Lien's talent shine through has made me appreciate the character so much more in later years. But Ezri really is taking away from the series. It's not that she's a bad character, nor is Nicole deBoer a failure at her craft, it's just that she took so much time and exposure away from the rest of the cast that I find myself thinking how different this season is from the previous one. I always knew she got the majority of episodes, but even when she's not the focus she's heavily involved as a new toy for the writers to play with, to the detriment of the others. Take Worf, for example, or Julian, or even Odo. Any of these would have been the perfect character to explore a Starfleet serial killer loose on the station, but it's Ezri who is given the assignment. Lest we forget, Worf was Security Chief on the Enterprise and Odo has the same role on the station, yet they're barely involved. If Ezri had been working with one or the other this would have meant we didn't get her unique partnership with the memories of previous host, and murderer, Joran Belar, so it's with mixed feelings I see the episode now.

Bashir would have been a perfect matchup for the Counsellor, considering he'd have been the go-to guy regarding psychology if she hadn't have been there, and when you see the direction of travel they took with those two characters it would have made a lot of sense: they're quite friendly, often spending time together, so much so in fact that Quark's been getting jealous in recent episodes, so to see their professions converge would have made sense and been a good showcase for the pair. Not to say I don't appreciate the continuity and dredging up of backstory that meant Joran's imprint, because I do. The actor that played him was superb: devilishly subtle and manipulative, intense and unfeeling in a sociopathic way, glorying in this chance to corrupt the sweet young nature of the latest Dax host, malevolently revelling in this innocent's desperation and need for his guidance, bringing up the deep dark recesses of an evil period in the symbiont's existence. If only the series had run for another season we might well have seen this malign influence return to literally haunt Ezri because as he warns her in the final scene, she's brought him closer to the surface than the previous hosts did, which means she won't have the luxury to forget him now. I took this to mean that he could well cause psychological issues in future: the danger of getting in touch with unnatural forces, whatever the motivation. It could be seen as a warning against witchcraft and wizardry and would surely have provided a fascinating direction if Ezri had suffered because of this experience, like McCoy when he had Spock's katra in his brain, or Captain Archer with Surak's, or Tuvok with psycho Suder's violent urges.

Actually, this episode reminds me very much of the 'Voyager' episode, 'Meld,' in which again, the unthinkable has happened: someone on the crew has committed murder. In that, the story was flipped, an emotionless Vulcan had to solve the crime most subject to emotions. I think these episodes complement each other rather than this being a remake, and shows how you can do essentially the same narrative with a different character archetype. Who wouldn't want to see how Tuvok approaches such an investigation as opposed to Ezri. Or how O'Brien would deal with it, or Quark, or Kira. And we have seen examples of several of the cast caught up in such a mystery, whether it was a crime (Kira's friends and former resistance members being systematically killed off in 'The Darkness and The Light'), or something more sinister (O'Brien's strange experience in 'Whispers'). So it was Ezri's turn in the hot seat to play gumshoe and creep around the station at the dead of night when only Morn would traverse the dark Promenade. That sequence was in the grand tradition of the series to show the usually bustling, bright throng in a chilling light, or to be precise, darkness, as seen many times ('Distant Voices;' 'Accession' to name but two), but apart from giving Worf some lines his presence wasn't really essential. At least on the surface. It's actually a momentous scene because he's shown to totally accept her with the simple words "You are Dax. It is your way." He'd already essentially accepted Ezri as shown by attending her promotion party, but for him to call her Dax like that showed how far he'd come, and made the scene, otherwise a little odd, worthwhile.

Can you buy that Worf would spend his time secretly following Ezri around? I think it was more that he was out and about for some reason, perhaps contemplation. I can imagine him going for walks alone on the Promenade in the dead of night, so when he sees Ezri creeping around he felt concerned for her safety, but didn't want to make his presence known. She's a bit jumpy anyway, having had a nightmare in which Joran demands to be let loose, filmed in a terrific style where the motion is blurred and indistinct and ends in a barely glimpsed moment where Joran grabs her and throws them both off the upper level of the Promenade! (If only Sisko had called a few minutes earlier he'd have woken her from such a scary night terror!). So they're definitely going for a horror style with the story, though there's also a sliver of humour here and there (such as Ezri's need to say something to Chu'lak when they're alone in the Turbolift, and the best she can come up with is: "By the way, I'm Counsellor Dax"!), muted behind such serious and deadly games: much like the Emperor's new cloak, Ezri possesses something which can't be seen by anyone and makes her look a little silly when she's out in public. No, not clothing, but Joran himself! He's actually all in her mind, but she speaks to him as if he's there and you can see the occasional funny look she gets from passersby, making a name for herself as the crazy Counsellor (if only Deanna Troi could have made an appearance as she did on 'Voyager' and 'Enterprise' and they could have met, Troi a perfect mentor for Ezri, though at that point Marina Sirtis was a big-time film actor, the 'TNG' films still hot property, though 'Insurrection' had been out for a couple of months by the time of this episode).

When Quark comes over it's well choreographed to look natural, rather than Joran having to leap out the way or the barkeep subconsciously staying out of his personal space. Joran edges away a little, all his movement so well controlled, from the pointed face to his body language and voice, restrained at times, poking at Ezri to 'Trill up' and put herself squarely in the mind of the killer, almost pushing her too far, but always trying to keep a lid on it in case she gets rid of him, something he can't control. He's the best thing in it - look at the way he tilts his head after Chu'lak's fired into the wall they're standing by, exhilarated by the blast of compressed air from the hole, his hair blowing about, triumphant that Ezri has finally shot someone. He is more charismatic than the first actor to play the role (though maybe not quite so as the second, as that was Sisko himself!), but then the original was a performance artist rather than an actor. I'd have loved to have seen what that guy would have done in this deeper exploration of the role where before he was more of a background figure who was a presence and didn't really speak, though the new actor had great presence and a strong reading of Joran. He'd previously done the business as another creepy and dangerous man, Tieran in 'Warlord' on 'Voyager' a couple of years before, so his credentials were sound. It was a waste of talent that 'Enterprise' didn't bring him back for another role, like so few of the 24th Century-set series' talent they didn't bother to call up again, too many of their guest stars being forgettable, even though they did get a few Trek actors from the 90s generation.

It would have been a nice touch if they'd had Joran say he knows what it's like to be in Sisko's mind as he and Ezri discuss the Captain, since Sisko hosted the Joran memories in 'Facets' during the Zhian'tara ritual of the current host 'meeting' each of the past ones. It was good that they went into Trill culture with the Rite of Emergence, though it is rather surface level and we don't hear any reasoning for it or what part in plays in Trill life, it's just a means for conjuring up Joran. I noticed the word 'Zhian'tara' as part of the ritual, though she said 'zy-an'tara' rather than 'shan'tara' as it was pronounced before. One thing they got so right were the haunting strains of Joran's composition that had literally haunted Jadzia in Season 3's 'Equilibrium' when we first learned of the existence of a host that had been kept repressed in the symbiont's memories, an excellent callback to a chilling, but simple little composition that expertly ties this episode to that one. What helps to isolate Ezri and keep her on edge, more than just the unsettling nature of a murderer at large, is the internalisation of the story to her: she's alone with Ilario, the first victim, shortly before he dies, then when she wakes up it's all from her perspective, she's not called in to help with the investigation, naturally, not being in Security, so is outside the investigation team and has to follow the hubbub to discover what's going on. Similarly, much of the episode is without the input of her colleagues, otherwise she'd have no need of Joran, and when they do contribute Joran constantly belittles them in her eyes so she'll be more likely to get back to just the two of them. And finally, the episode goes out without her discussing the events with anyone else, just dealing with Joran, having solved the case and stopped herself from carrying out summary justice, something else that makes you wonder what influence Joran might thereafter have in her life, but was sadly never explored.

For an episode that is so psychological in nature, from the ritual of bringing Joran to the forefront of her mind (was that pot bubbling away supposed to be the mud the symbionts live in on Trill?), to the deduction work and discussion around the station, there's a lot of technology to enjoy, most notably the TR-116 rifle equipped with a micro Transporter that enables it to fire through walls! It's a brilliant bit of kit (and a weapon I'll always associate with the Farsight in 'Perfect Dark' on the N64, which also allowed you to focus and fire  through walls at will!), and looks quite nice, though reminiscent of the latest Phaser Rifles that debuted in 'First Contact,' with a little modification. It does bring up the question of why they didn't simply search for this particular weapon in the quarters of all the Vulcans once that had been narrowed down, or why the computer couldn't just do a sensor sweep and report on the location of any tritanium. I do wonder why they had this particular rifle up on a wall on DS9 if it had been abandoned as a concept, but it was great to see a Science Lab on the station, something so rarely used since the early seasons, and I think the last time was not since Season 6's 'The Reckoning' when Sisko was examining the Bajoran artefact. Could the micro Transporter be an ancestor in the design tree of the prototype personal Transporter featured in 'Nemesis'? The mention of 'regenerative Phasers' makes the mind whir with possibilities of what this might be, though I imagine it would be a cycling power frequency or something, such as what they used against the Borg when they adapt to a beam. We also see an interactive photo frame that shows a still image that can also be set in motion, something that didn't exist when this episode was made, but has since become another of the many gadgets that clutter up people's homes.

Ensign Bertram, a suspect, but not in the way we think, collects weapons, though more contemporary or alien than Sulu's interest in historical weaponry. And Saurian brandy is once again a featured player in events, making young Hector Ilario drunk as he staggers home with Ezri taking him under her wing - it seems synthehol doesn't cut it for celebrations, or was this just a one-off misdemeanour in the midst of war? One thing we haven't heard from much on Trek are fighter pilots, which is what they call Ilario, though it quickly transpires they're referring to him piloting the Defiant - when they first mentioned it I pictured those little one-man ships the cadets flew in 'The First Duty' on 'TNG,' because I can't recall much in the way of small fighter craft being seen on Trek, perhaps as a way to stay out of the 'Star Wars' dogfighting style and keep Trek to its own flavour of larger vessels engaging in combat. One such vessel is the USS Grissom, destroyed by the Jem'Hadar, one survivor of which was Chu'lak. It couldn't have been the famous science vessel from 'Star Trek III' as that was lost in the film (although, being 97 he was old enough to have been aboard that ship!), but it's nice to know the naming legacy continues (though perhaps it should have been the Grissom-A?). It's cool to see the old coloured shoulders style of uniform in the photo of Ilario in his Academy days, or shortly after, and shows the attention to detail they put into this series to make it hold together like a real universe should. Even such little character details as Odo's interest in 20th Century crime novels proves useful for determining the unique nature of the weapon used to make the kills.

When I first saw this I thought it was an absolute classic, and a standout of the season - while since those heady days of youth I've come to regard it as not quite that classic, it still has much to recommend it, successfully generating an atmosphere of danger and depravity, not from the actual murderer, but from the killer within. With its creepy moments and temptation from Joran, it vindicates the (over)use of Ezri by her being the only character that could have approached such a problem from this personal an angle, and even though she is taking too much screen time away from the main cast, this was one that worked with her examination of forensic psychology, something she had a slight understanding of and I feel would have been given more time to go deeper in future had the series continued, and if they didn't pick up on such threads in the novel series (which I've never read), then I'd be very surprised. There's a hint of 'Quantum Leap' or 'Randall and Hopkirk Deceased' about it, thanks to the invisible assistance of Joran (rather than Al or Hopkirk), and features strong directing, good use of music (the mysterious, wistful pan-pipes especially), and very cool tech, although I can never get the image out of my mind of a cameraman running back and forth between rooms to create the effect of Ezri seeing through walls thanks to the 'DS9 Companion'!

****