The Invisible Man

DVD, The Champions (The Invisible Man)

This is the episode that first made me think highly of the series when I saw the DVD featuring the opening two episodes, and realise that it might be more than just a nostalgic curio, but contain some strong drama. 'The Beginning' was a good beginning, but 'The Invisible Man' hit it out of the park. The main credit must go to the villain, and long before I'd even heard of 'Department S' and Jason King, or the man who played him, Peter Wyngarde (who died earlier this year), his cunning and immoral surgeon, John Hallam, set the bar high for the whole series. Wyngarde just had that ability to play the character as seeming in control of every situation, yet allowing us to see the cracks of his evilness coming loose every now and again. It's the contrast between Hallam's calm, professional detachment even in the surprise of seeing Craig show up at his Winslow Private Nursing Home unexpectedly, compared with his barely contained rage at his accomplice in the crime, Charles Sumner, going against his orders not to try and kill the unconscious agent because he could prove useful. His callous nature shows itself most powerfully in the final moments when his gleeful attempt at trying to crash Craig's pursuing vehicle turns round on himself and he loses control of the flatbed lorry. Sumner's crushed under the weight of the solid gold presses and cries out pitifully for help, but Hallam staggers away, a last attempt to evade his pursuers, and lets his associate die.

That Hallam was willing to trade in his professional badge as a medical practitioner for the carnal desire of ill-gotten wealth is a stain on his character, but throughout the episode he displays dispassionate cruelty and complete lack of empathy for those he inflicts pain on, all under the cover of a doctor which somehow makes it worse. I sense that he was the instigator of the whole plot as Charlie shows occasional shock at what he's had to do, such as when he's stabbed the disoriented Sir Frederick Howard, Director of the bank they were robbing of its gold (I wonder if the passersby on the streets during the chase were extras or real people they filmed around - because there were a lot of them). He tries to brazen it out in front of Hallam, but it's clear he was shaken up, despite being a surgeon himself by implication (Hallam reminds him he's cut open plenty of patients). Yet when his dreams of avarice are threatened he's quick to want Craig dead and shows how quickly he recovers from his first murder to want to do it again. Hallam never has any compunctions, anyone that stands in his way will die, and you can predict that he may even have planned to kill off Sumner if he ever became a problem. Just look at his murder of Van Velden, his contact at the port of Rotterdam in Holland - when he discovers the nature of these presses, "Eets not enough" for a £500 bribe, and Hallam just shoots him and throws a covering over the body. Nothing's going to stand between him and his money.

The plan wasn't a bad one: rob a bank of its gold by influencing the Director, melt it all down and transform it into printing presses, paint over, and transport it to a South American country. Easy. The episode starts with a much more mysterious approach that makes it seem more like 'The Avengers' as we're shown Sir Frederick dealing with what appears to be an invisible man. I'm surprised he didn't realise that he had an implant from the way the 'vibrator' spread pain through his ear and the voice was a little tinny and radio-like, unless it sounded much clearer to the actual patient. It was a very good premise because you at first assume he really is being 'haunted' by an invisible enemy and there's something about an important man in his later years being brought down to rock on his knees with cries of pain, plus the way it introduces him in the throes of agony was a good shock to start us off. He regathers his pride and haughtiness when dealing with Craig later, but you can never remove that image of a man reduced to a crybaby and he had the perfect floppy hair to emphasise his powerlessness.

If the villain is a great one, then the episode is also improved by practically no showing of the seams. Like 'The Beginning' they use a variety of devices to create everything they need, with a bit of back projection here and there, stock footage of the Alps or London, and doubles for some of the external filming, but they also filmed in London and other outdoor locations, they went to the trouble of seeing the truck on the road, or having a car chase, and when you think of many episodes being created on sets, even when they were supposed to be outside, or not bothering to film establishing shots, this production looks lavish by comparison. Lavish might be a bit of a stretch, but it all holds together much better than most and has a scale that impresses - for example we see New York on Tremayne's map, then an image of a skyscraper followed by Richard trying to convince a bank they may be in danger. It's only a few seconds but it sells the idea of these people jetting around the world. We also have Geneva, where they're based, the James Bond meeting on a cable car for Craig and his Swiss contact, Boursin, and travel from London to the countryside in England, and Holland, both countryside and port, and never do you think that this is trickery, it feels real. When these things work you don't think about them, but you really do when they're doing it in a soundstage or reusing sets.

So the episode succeeded both in villain and in settings and scope, and the only area it could be said to fall down is in the integration of the three Nemesis agents, since for much of it, Sharron and Richard are little more than bystanders. But Craig has a lot of good stuff, and the others are part of it, just not as big a part, so it doesn't hurt the episode, though I always prefer when the three are used equally and to their best advantage. One area where they were allowed to do so in the series is introduced here: the opening scene which demonstrates one or more of their powers, this first time being one of the best as a hulking bodybuilder enters the gym where Craig and Richard are working out and starts showing off. They may be the champions of law, order and justice, as the voiceover says, but also of putting showoffs in their place, and they do so by not only repeating his weightlifting feat, but throwing it between them and putting the showoff to shame! It's funny (although I wonder if they really need to exercise with the powers they have), and holds more interest for the fact that I believe the bodybuilder was an uncredited Dave Prowse, a decade before he became famous for playing Darth Vader in 'Star Wars.' He's not the only one to lack recognition, as there are several minor roles not included in the end credits: the nurse at Winslow; a patient called Muriel who also has a line; Burton, the assistant of Sir Frederick, as well as his chauffeur. Even the Winslow receptionist, Carol, is uncredited, which I'm surprised they were allowed to do since all these people had lines.

One part of the story throws up a negative aspect of their powers that hadn't been considered before: Craig's enhanced auditory sense allows him to hear the voice inside Sir Frederick's inner ear (he reports he hopes it's not a Joan of Arc complex!), but this comes back to bite him when he has the same operation performed on himself and is forced to have the implant - I should think in that situation improved hearing would actually be a detriment because the pain would be even more intense (a bit like whenever the Ferengi in 'Star Trek' were subjected to loud noises and were shown to be far more susceptible to it). It's not touched on in the episode, but it is clear that Craig is in intense pain, and it would have to be to bring him down. One of the best examples of his superhuman abilities in a more interesting way is when he's been gassed by Hallam in his operating theatre and even barely conscious and weak, the doctor can barely hold the door closed with all his strength as Craig pulls from the other side! It shows both how powerful they are, but also that they aren't infinitely gifted, there is a point that is too much even for them. Before that we get a terrific fight where Craig takes on both Hallam and Sumner, with Hallam using his brain a bit more after realising Craig's too strong to subdue, which is why he turns on the gas and vacates the room, an inspired solution to use what was at hand to achieve his goal.

I'm not convinced giving Craig an implant was as inspired, they really should have killed him, but they couldn't do that for the sake of the series, and we know they aren't bulletproof. But what did Hallam hope to gain from turning him loose in the country, was it just so they could listen in on his conversations to his associates and keep track of what was going on? That would make sense if they were monitoring him all the time, but how could they expect to listen in the moment he phoned home? Obviously for the sake of the story they did just that, and there was an excellent increase in tension as they realise this guy, who's 'as strong as an ox' for not staying under long despite the drugging, somehow made it to Rotterdam far quicker than they'd expected, and finally he's within sight of Wharf 52. It made me think of 'Star Wars Episode 1' when those in the command centre are hearing the Jedi coming and nothing can stop them! It's also important to note that, unlike Superman, they aren't faster than a speeding bullet, Craig dodging between crates to get closer, though ultimately brought down by the vibrator in his ear and held at gunpoint. But he is fast enough to act when a truck drives past, nipping in front of it, then hanging onto the other side for a free ride, until the screaming tone loosens his grip. One thing that always bothered me was when he jumps into the lake to destroy the implant the underwater part of the scene is just a swimming pool with a ladder and grid pattern on the floor! It doesn't really matter because it's another great moment and though doubles had been used for most of the location work we get to see the real Craig exit the lake which shows dedication to the cause.

On top of improved hearing and reflexes, strength and greater resistance to anaesthetic (which could be unfortunate if he ever needed a serious operation!), Craig is able to hold his breath for longer than any normal man, the part of the mission Tremayne calls attention to in what would become his customary questioning of their methods at the end of episodes. With Sharron and Richard kept out of it for most of the time they don't share much, but they do get a telepathic warning that Craig's in danger. Strangely, it doesn't happen when he's fighting Hallam and Sumner, it occurs after, when Hallam's drugging him ready for his ear op. Maybe the sense was attuned to only activate when their colleague was really in trouble, and at first he was holding his own against the pair, so it was only when he was helpless they had the sensation of danger. If Sharron doesn't get to do much she does at least use her expertise in the autopsy to discover the little bug that had been sewn into Sir Frederick's ear, so that was an important contribution. I think the villains made a mistake when they killed the man, though, as that would only draw attention to the bank and a great scandal, but Hallam seemed to enjoy exercising power over people, a typical villain of evil. If his crime had merely been a large heist (such as hadn't been seen at that bank in two hundred and fifty years, says Sir Frederick, also pointing to the disposal problems of that much bullion, though he mustn't have seen Ealing comedy, 'The Lavender Hill Mob'), he wouldn't have seemed so bad, but his relish in causing pain and using his cover of healer, made him despicable. He's so bad he even has time for an evil laugh when driving along thinking they've got away with it, and Wyngarde even makes that seem natural and real!

It's said that nobody could pull off a heist of that magnitude, but then they hadn't dealt with 'Jason King' before! Craig had a good line in response to Sir Frederick's claims of the impossibility, that, "records only attract record breakers." All too true, but thanks to the Champions of justice they don't get away with it. It's a horrible end for the villains, one crushed under the weight of avarice, the other shot in the leg by his partner in crime, staggering away as his senses become jumbled and the avenging angels stride purposefully after him until he collapses. I wonder what happened to him, was he sentenced to life imprisonment, killed by one of the states, or rehabilitated? That's not the concern of the Nemesis agents, they did their job and it was only the devious planning of Hallam that stopped Craig from being murdered in cold blood. I'm not sure there was ever as fascinating and dangerous an opponent they faced, so the series peaked very early and this may just be my favourite episode, though there are a couple of other contenders. Something I thought of seeing the opening montage again was how much better it is that they filmed a special sequence just for that where each of the agents is looked at by the others as their name comes up, followed by the famous fountain. It's all very simple, but much better than the common flinging together of clips and shows their bond apart from the rest of the human race.

****

Finale

DVD, Smallville S10 (Finale)

There was really no way 'Smallville' could end in a satisfying way because it didn't proceed in a satisfying way for much of its run, so to finish at the top of its game would have been impossible. Any series that goes on for years and years will drop in quality, simply because an idea, a concept, even one as compelling as 'Superman before he became Superman,' can only last so long before the juices stop flowing and it either reinvents itself or dies trying. In part it's to do with business practices and the ways of TV production that lessen budgets in order to allow a series to keep going, and there comes a point when it loses the quality it once had. With 'Smallville,' it's difficult to say when that happened, because, though it began well with a strong first season and managed to hold onto a fair amount of that quality into the second, by the third it had gone off the boil. From there on, seasons, and even arcs within seasons, rose and fell at different times, there was no specific decline, it had just stopped being satisfying, at least for me, so I bailed out early in Season 3 and never looked back. Not until a few years later when DVDs had become cheap enough that I felt it worthwhile to visit the other seasons out of curiosity, even though I'd seen the odd episode here and there, and of course had no attachment to any new characters I hadn't been introduced to organically. But after enjoying Seasons 1 and 2 again so much, it made sense to keep going, which is how I came to write reviews on the series, because, although it's not one of the best series' ever, it would still grace the top ten of sci-fi series' I've enjoyed.

Season 4 had some good moments with the football career, Season 5 featured the one hundredth episode, Season 6's introduction of Green Arrow made for the best arc I'd seen post-Season 2, Season 7 was a step down for continuing the mess they'd made of Lex, Season 8 had some interest for featuring Doomsday, then Season 9 was the first time I felt a level of consistency with the characters in a long time. They hit the nail on the head when they paired Lois and Clark and had them basically doing what they did in the films, and while that season had its ups and downs, when it focused on those two characters it worked. Season 10 has been the same, succeeding on the level of Lois and Clark, and with a bent towards nostalgia for the series' past that saw many of the main characters and some side characters brought back, a running theme of the year. But they saved the most surprising till last: Michael Rosenbaum returns as Lex Luthor, completely unexpectedly! I had heard he never came back to the series, but at the same time I had high expectations that, following the trend of the preceding episodes, they'd bring back as many characters as possible for one last hurrah, perhaps with the setting of the wedding a good excuse. They didn't live up to my wishes, of course, because I hoped to see everyone together, smiling and joking somehow, a great group scene of every major character I liked, and we never saw that. The wedding would have been the ideal setting, but that turned into a confrontation, and if Clark had had all his super-powered friends around it would have lost the personal jeopardy of Clark facing Oliver Queen alone.

Sadly, Lana Lang never showed up, except in flashback footage of other episodes, Pete didn't pop up even in those, unless I missed him, having to be content with a cameo in a comic book telling the story of Superman that Chloe reads seven years later, presumably to her and Oliver's child. And I know it was daft, but I even hoped for people like Whitney from Season 1, or Martian Manhunter, and certainly the group of heroes that made up the Justice League. But you can't have everyone, and as much as I try to forget, this wasn't a film, nor was it graced with that level of budget. Yet they still felt the need to end with something big, because that's what's expected. Endings are always tough to do in one sense, and in another, easy. It's easy to ring the bell of sentimentality and nostalgia, another reminder of our own short lives and the experiences we've gone through by seeing the past of these characters sped up into the present, and they did a good job with that side of it. Easy too, to feel the sadness and poignancy of people playing characters one last time, and to remember the good times. Nowhere could they have done this better than with Jonathan Kent, returning as some kind of ghost or vision, just because the writers wanted him to, and we want him to, it doesn't matter that it doesn't make much sense - I'd have happily pretended he'd never died in the first place and seen them all at the farm again as if no time had passed! But that's the theme, time has passed, the past has passed, for both viewers and characters, yet is still with us.

What is much harder to do is to throw up one last challenge for the hero, the thing that he's been gearing up for, to become who he was born to be. They'd been setting up Darkseid all season, but he's one of those faceless characters it's hard to care about, so inevitably he takes over the body of a human villain, the vile Lionel Luthor. But even then, what do you do? You can't have Clark punching Lionel's head in, can you! So he merely flies into him, yes that's flies, finally awarded his birthright for getting through the trials he'd been groomed for, and entering his Kryptonite heritage. It was a good symbol for wearing the suit, because otherwise it'd just be about a guy with powers putting on a costume for reasons of better publicity. Yes, it's supposed to be a symbol of hope for the world, but that's a bit vague, so assuming the mantle of a Kryptonian made sense and gave ridiculous clothing that can seem cartoony in superhero productions, a reason for existence, though it doesn't really explain how the power of flight was unlocked within him. I'd always thought the final episode was called 'Superman,' a perfectly exemplary title that would have summed up the series neatly, but instead it has the less inspiring title of 'Finale' and I found that to be indicative of the blunt way the writers curbed everything to a close.

There were a lot of things to tie up, but they were also going big by giving us Lex again, the real one (okay, technically a clone, but with Rosenbaum back after three years away), something that wasn't strictly necessary, but I can see they were trying to take things full circle. It was wonderful to see the flashbacks of Clark's life, as shown in the series, and equally fitting to see Lex' memories shrivel up as he becomes a blank slate upon which to build, a hopeful ending for a character that had long ago been written out. It was hard to really see what they were doing with him, he plays the part of killing Tess, his sister, to prevent her becoming like him, and there were a number of things like that that had already been sorted out previously and didn't need revisiting. That she still felt she needed redemption took her backwards. I get that she says Clark's already saved her, so his killing of her wasn't required, but it was one of those things that didn't ring true. Another would be the massive planet hurtling towards Earth, sent by Darkseid. As too often happens, the villain doesn't have much of a plan, and it's really only a setup for Clark to show off his flying skills and save the whole world. It was all a bit hokey that Lois gets herself onto Air Force One to see the President and stop him launching nuclear warheads that alone will irradiate half the planet as the only chance to stop this big ball from crashing into the globe. She suddenly becomes conscious that she's got the ID badge of another reporter, but she wouldn't even have got near the plane in that situation!

Then there's Lionel so desperate to recreate a Frankenstein version of his son, using Tess' own heart as the final piece (she gets some good action breaking out of the medical bed and shooting Lionel). It's just hard to buy some of what was going on, but then that's in keeping with a greater part of the series in which far too often the writing was awful, things didn't make sense or were skipped over, using all the stereotypes and attitudes to character and drama that makes me dislike superhero stuff all too often. So from that perspective, they kept up their own standard to the end, it's just that the first part of the episode was much better, the sensitive questioning of both Clark and Lois whether they should get married or leave the past behind (filmed in a great circling through the walls, revolving around the pair, separated by a door). I have to admit that, as much as I loved all that stuff with Martha being upset that Clark had sold the Kent Farm and he was essentially moving on from that past, and it was affecting to see them there with all those cardboard boxes, probably the most moving part of the episode in some ways, it was also confusing. I didn't get whether they really meant it, or who we were supposed to see as right, it was muddled: Clark thinks he should move on, Martha's upset about it, ghost Jonathan shows up to tell Clark his past will always be with him (and I did like every second with Schneider back in that great role, being Pa Kent, and especially the different times someone could see him, and other times not, and they all share a group hug in the barn), but then Clark thinks maybe he does need to keep hold of the past so he will marry Lois…

It was all a bit perplexing, but a lot more engaging than the expected 'action' side of the story. They fired off their guns in the first half, all the emotional, family stuff, nice seeing flashbacks to the whole series as the opening, and then went to Darkseid and the Luthors, which wasn't nearly as compelling, as much as I liked seeing Rosenbaum back. Seeing the rundown of names in the guest credits was pleasing, though as I mentioned, it was slightly disappointing not everyone could have been there, nor was there a proper sendoff with everyone together. There was a lot of hokeyness, like Clark saving Oliver Queen just by telling him he inspired him and believed in him, and the idea of the Gold Kryptonite ring that would take his powers permanently was easily defeated, and there was way too much spouting the word 'hero' throughout. It was like all the moments when the series could be grounded and impressive in its storytelling (like Chloe reminding Clark he's not God and can't be aware of every bird and blade of grass, in defence of him being able to live and not be exhausting every second to save people and use his powers to the max), were cast off and it degenerated into superhero speak. I am judging harshly because it's the cap on a ten year viewing experience that spanned a sixteen year period for me (I found it highly amusing that they skipped forward to 2018 at the end, the year I'm watching it, and Lex is finally President - though I didn't understand why Clark and Lois had waited so long to go through with their marriage after all). So, although I understand the vagaries of TV, I still hoped for better.

That being said, the good outweighed the perplexing. So we didn't get to see a proper image of this version of Superman, except from a distance, or when he runs toward the camera as he reveals the 'S' in classic form. So they didn't use the John Williams theme quite right, using bits and pieces here and there, making the rest of the episode's score sound really cheap and cheesy much of the time (though when the classic theme was used it was wonderful, and fun to see the initial end credits flash up in some small way like the old films). So we didn't get to see all the goodies of past and present together (though Aaron Ashmore got to play Jimmy Olsen's brother in a little cameo at the end, and we hear Perry White's voice!). None of it really takes away that much from the fact that they finally got the series to a close, they brought Clark to the point of being Superman, they had Jonathan and so many elements that had made the series in the past. And it can't be underestimated what having a feature-length finale adds. That alone makes it a bigger experience. If you look at its contemporary, 'Star Trek: Enterprise,' which began the same year, 2001, it didn't get that luxury (although the finale of that series was far superior), and 'Smallville' outlasted it by two and a half times its run. I don't know how, but it did.

The series will always have a special place for me, and even though I can't see myself buying all the seasons to watch again (each bar 1 and 2 was sold on ebay once I'd had the pleasure of reviewing them), I can see myself going through Seasons 1, 2, 9 and 10 again (1 and 2 I'll have to, as I haven't watched it in the era of writing reviews!). At its best it was essential and exciting, provocative and shocking, but also homely and reassuring. That it wasn't able to be consistent in those qualities must rest on the writing, because the actors were generally good, and when they had money, the effects were impressive. It did squander its potential, and was too small and enclosed in its outlook (killing off recurring characters, the film sets outside of the main, classic ones), but it was a TV success that neither lived up to the potential pitfalls I assumed it would at first, nor its genuine chance at being terrific. A mixed bag of a series: it wasn't 'Super,' but it was about being pre-super so may have taken that too much to heart.

***

Paul Merton in China (Episode 4)

DVD, Paul Merton in China (Episode 4)

In Paul's final days in China he packs just as much in as in the other instalments, and also seems to lose some of the inhibitions or avoidance of things he's not used to. Perhaps it was the welcome prospect of going home, or maybe he'd gotten used to the travelling and the strangeness, but either way he continues the quality of documenting and enjoyment of this alien culture without flagging. Rather, he tries out a number of experiences from golf, which he's never played before (you can tell), to cutting loose on a ballroom dance floor, and even dressing up in traditional garb at the request of his dance instructor who confides to the camera that he's 'a very gentleman' in an endearingly shy way. Along the way he continues to explore the differences in generation and finance that speak volumes of the society the Chinese people were living in during the late 2000s. For a start there's Shanghai, described as a city on steroids, and full of 'raw capitalism' that you'd think would stand at odds with traditional Communism, but it has somehow subsumed these values into itself, including the vast numbers of Western brands and ideals. His golf partner believes it will be the number one city in all of Asia in ten years and makes me wonder if it did indeed come true. It's interesting to hear things like that because although it's only eleven years since the series came out, the pace of change was already demonstrably excessive so you have to question what life must be like since even that time.

For example, it's interesting to note that the Chinese consumption of newspapers was suggested as a potential problem - if they all read as many newspapers as the English there wouldn't be enough trees in the world! Okay, so the golf guy was probably being flippant, but it sheds a light on the vast quantities of material the sheer size of their population consumes, although considering the state of the print world today in the UK, you suspect there are as few readers of newspapers in China, especially as they love their technology. And with the law on only having one child that came into effect in 1979 since repealed in the years after the series, you can imagine the population growth would have skyrocketed. But if the pressure placed on that one child are anything to go by, it was probably a good law to relax: as Paul said, many children are pampered into becoming 'little Buddhas,' their term for it, so allowing them to relax a little and parents not put all their eggs in one basket could ease some potential tension in society. But at this time the law was in full effect and we see a side effect of that being parents going to special dating areas to try and find a prospective husband or wife for their child. The young woman Paul agrees to meet shows she has high standards and a mindset that is more open than her parents, willing to wait and not rush into such things, which also demonstrates the growing divide between generations of younger people that want to embrace the freedoms then appearing.

Not everyone is free, with the gap between rich and poor widening, millionaires created on a regular basis, and while you get the impression Paul could have been a bit more hard-hitting and journalistic when eating with the high society women, he was rather outnumbered and probably didn't want to seem impolite. But it's fascinating to see their views of free speech, believing they have it, yet also saying they have no political prisoners. This suggests they were either blind to reality or making sure they didn't speak out of turn, but I think it most likely that the rich and privileged are comfortable enough that they don't have any radical views, as Paul said, and are very happy with how life has progressed there. In their own way, the poor are also quietly comfortable with the status quo, it seems, as when they visit a huge rubbish dump where they can make a tidy business scavenging material for recycling if they're willing to live in squalor, and have the freedom they wouldn't have in state-controlled occupations. Neither side wants a Westerner blundering in and causing an upset, and it's too late for Paul to really delve into the issues at hand, though he's already done a good job across the series of showing both sides: the glamour and money, and the poverty.

As ever I wonder who was in the know during the filming, as Paul clearly has no clue when it comes to golf, yet they've obviously arranged it purposefully to be a humorous moment. On the other hand, he'll occasionally meet some eccentric Chinese person that puts him to shame, as Tailor Lee does, a most enthusiastic and expressive man that makes him a suit and is very far from the usual reserved or unfriendly stereotype. But stereotypes are still popular, as shown by the strange evocation of an English village that is Thames Town - like the massive hotel and building works in the first episode, this place is more for show than reality, a location for couples to take their fairytale wedding photos, even if they're already married or are yet to be! As Paul says, no one under five hundred will ever have seen a style of church like that looking so new, but there is something pleasing about the Chinese appreciating old English style so much that they want to recreate it for themselves, although the facade of it all once again reminds us of the vast emptiness the country has away from the packed-out cities.

I sensed that Emma, the Chinese translator and guide, had also relaxed somewhat by the end, just as Paul had, so that she could be frank about considering English people to be more 'delicate' than their Chinese counterparts. Although it seems insulting, she probably has a point, because we haven't had the tough and aggressive life that many there were forced into amid so many other people. My presiding memory is of the best line Paul gives us: 'No hurt, no shirt,' which has always stuck in my memory ever since! As I said before, I'd love to see Paul revisit the country now, a decade on, to see all the changes that will have taken place, long after the Olympics, the end of the one child policy and the continued increase of capitalism. His other travelogues weren't anywhere near as engaging, but maybe it was the choice of place, because China just holds a fascination for its pace of change, as fast as the 430kmh bullet train that Paul travels on. He's been a delightful companion and a good sport, even if he would rather close the curtains on a colossally high hotel view than look out, and the many other instances of backing away or disapproving. He's just quintessentially English and the perfect host for such an offbeat, slightly comical approach to what is a serious country, and his irreverence and politeness went hand in hand with the mix of people going about their lives, and the authorities overseeing them.

***

The Beginning

DVD, The Champions (The Beginning)

My exposure to this series came in the mid-Nineties when it was shown on BBC2 on Friday evenings in the days when that channel was the place to go for sci-fi TV of the past and present on weekday evenings. I always enjoyed it, not in the same way I was enthralled by the vast and unfolding universe of the Trek series', nor other more modern science fiction TV, but it was in the same league as 'The New Avengers' and 'Randall & Hopkirk Deceased.' In the early 2000s I was given the first two DVDs when they were releasing two to four episodes a disc, but it wasn't until I was presented with 'The Complete Series' boxed set, thirty episodes across eight discs, that I really wholly embraced the series. Just as importantly as getting all the episodes for a completist like myself was the fact that it was my first boxed set of an entire series, something I've revelled in for many that have come out in that format and still embrace to this day as the best way to watch something in its entirety. The volume was a nice, slim box, all the discs neatly laid out with attractive design to the packaging and it was a revelation. But that was all in the previous decade: I'd planned for a few years to revisit the series for my blog reviews on the fiftieth anniversary year of 2018, and so here I am.

I wasn't sure if this silly sixties spy-fi would hold up so many years later without any watching of it in between and the viewing of so many other TV shows in the interim to alter my palette, but I enjoyed the premiere episode as much as ever, a new experience to watch with an analytical eye, paying close attention and keeping track of as much of everything as I could. I'd previously reviewed some of the final episodes when I first started my blog, but that was way back in 2009 when I was going for the most rudimentary of overviews, a few thoughts and little else, whereas now I generally tend to put as much as I can into reviews. A fact I always found interesting (from the useful, though dry collector's booklet that accompanied the later, Special Edition release of the series), was that this first episode was not the first to be produced, something unexpected even for TV of that day I think. There is a certain kind of logic to letting the actors merge with their roles more fully with a few episodes to get their teeth into before tackling the most essential story in selling the series (very important for the makers at the time), so 'The Dark Island' was actually the first to be shot, this one coming a few weeks into the production schedule. Although it makes sense from one side, on the other you're still going to have actors performing in a slightly off-key or unsettled way, only it will be in an episode that comes later and could be more jarring, but I don't remember how they came across in 'The Dark Island' so I'll reserve judgement.

The Sixties was truly the decade for spytgeist, with the Cold War in full flow and these international men of mystery captured the imaginations of the general audience, much like superheroes do today. You had the James Bond film series in full flow, 'The Avengers' had been on for years in 1967 when the series was created, and 'Mission: Impossible' was doing it for America. Actually, I'm surprised there's never been any revival of this particular brand as we've had pretty much everything else come back, from 'Dr. Who' to 'Randall & Hopkirk,' 'Mission: Impossible' to 'Starsky & Hutch,' and the unique approach of this particular spy series was that the main characters were endowed with superhuman powers making them ideal candidates for the current market - there was talk of a film version quite a few years ago that never came to fruition, and I have to say, as much as I was for it at the time, it probably wouldn't have turned out that well. How many of these nostalgic properties have really been resurrected successfully? I'd say very few, such as 'Mission: Impossible,' and even that has degenerated into a samey, unexplosive parody of itself, losing the verve it showed in its first two or three films. But back in the Sixties, spy stuff was the thing to do and continued into the Seventies with other ITC productions such as 'Department S' and 'Jason King,' a format often recurring of two men and a lady, taken to its height when Brian Clemens (of 'The Avengers' as well as contributor to this series), had his name attached to a retro, yet higher tech remoulding of the concept in 'BUGS' which did for my childhood what 'The Champions' did for children of the Sixties.

As with a lot of old TV shows, this one could look a little sloppy and cheap when viewed through more modern eyes, simply because TV budgets have been allowed room to expand exponentially from what they were back then. In those days they had to make do with reusing sets as much as possible, of trying every trick in the book to keep costs down, and of course they didn't have access to as much money-saving technology to curb costs and increase bang per buck-age. Even so, the first episode clearly had a bit of work put into it as the important introductory instalment, and one of very few to have continuity running into the rest of the series, something that is obvious as it's meant to set up the premise. I can only think of one other that really showed development of the concept, when Craig was held under suspicion in 'The Interrogation,' one of the best episodes of the series. I was surprised that we get as much backstory and character development in this episode as we did, and that's basically just Sharron making it clear to the audience this is her first mission for Nemesis, that she's a brilliant mind that has taken just about every specialist course there is, all to fill the void left by the death of her husband. Considering how young she is that adds immediate tragedy to her position and it's always nice to see the first meeting of characters, even if we don't quite see that here, but even the first time Craig, Sharron and Richard work together is something.

I don't think her husband's death was ever mentioned again, but that was all par for the course in those days of entirely episodic, formulaic TV: people had limited leisure time, they wanted to sit down and see what they expected to see, and if they missed an episode they didn't want to feel like they'd lost out on important information, that's as the logic went, anyway. Now you'd have all kinds of internal angst and behind the scenes troubles to keep people coming back week to week, but there's something to be said for keeping it simple and having a clearcut mission and just seeing these people interacting and working together. There's an inherent charm in that, and while I like a mix of episodic and serial in my drama, this was the way things were. There are a lot of things I liked about this opening episode, not least the way the characters operate in silence for most of the opening part of the mission to retrieve a sample of deadly bacteria worth more than ten plagues of locusts from some kind of military research joint in China, Sharron along as the expert in bugs to collect samples of the creatures for return to the West. The mission is all well shot, whether in camera moves or lighting (though I can't help thinking the artistic merit of the scene where they escape by running along the skyline of a ridge, was undermined by the bad judgement in making them seen to the pursuers, but when reality or drama fight it usually has to be drama that wins out!), and it's certainly not slow or dull in any way.

As I mentioned before, the mix of techniques to create what was necessary for the story could sometimes make episodes look a bit scrappy, but 'The Beginning' (if not the most original title), used its resources better than most: you get a little back-projection, I think when they were driving in the Jeep, there's some good model work for the plane they escape in and are forced to crash, the indoor and outdoor sets are very good, especially the ripped apart plane, and although the snowy landscape is continuously used for different areas, it's shot well enough to disguise the fact for the most part, and the falling snow was very impressive indeed, helping to mask the relatively small area they'd built - the trouble with fake snow is that it looks like rice or sugar when on the ground, having no cohesiveness, but when falling it looked terrific and helped give the series more of a feature production look for the time. There's also some stock footage and even static photos used, one of which was out of place when we see a closeup of Richard holding the Tibetan medallion - later on when he decides to keep faith with the 'Old Man' as he's credited, and discard the proof of this civilisation's existence, we see the same closeup only this time it's actual moving footage so I don't know why they'd use an obviously static shot earlier. Minor quibbles that you have to expect with this series aside, it is a dramatic story.

The desperation with which the agents treat their impending crash shows their characters greatly - they say that the real you doesn't show itself until under duress, and I think this was the case, with Richard keeping calm as he hurls anything and everything out of the plane's exit, while Craig with grim set jaw tries his best to keep the nose level, and Sharron gets all whiny. Okay, so it wasn't the best scene for her, but in her defence it was her first mission and she is a bit younger than the men. Plus she doesn't have the confidence she'd gain from the mystical powers given to her very soon after. Richard Barrett is very much the English gentleman - he's a calm presence and reassuring to Sharron Macready, while Craig Sterling is much more blunt and hard-nosed, despite the soft voice. The leader was obviously cast American to appeal to the US market, so it shows that even in those distant decades marketing decisions were very important to the success and perception of a series. In any case the three made a good mix of personalities and types and they all have their roles in the group. Nemesis is, and always remained a bit mysterious with not that much explained about it as was the way in those days, but Tremayne, their boss back at Geneva HQ puts a human face on proceedings and helps to provide perspective on their escapade as he deals with a couple of foreign dignitaries demanding quick followup action (an American and either French or Swiss I would imagine). It's clear that he's in control of his domain and isn't going to be bullied by anyone in authority.

Tremayne's a funny character. We don't really find out that much about him over the course of the series and he doesn't get out of the office much, like most desk-bound bosses. But you get a sense of the scope of his operation from the huge map that dominates his spacious office and would be a big part of setting the scene of the many locations in as simple a way as possible. There's also the introduction of his suspicious cap to the episode where he just can't work out how they managed to survive and complete the mission safely, yet have no explanation other than 'luck,' something an experienced operator such as he must be to have reached the peak of this organisation, can smell isn't right. This would often be the way episodes finished, with Tremayne getting stumped, but always reminding his young agents who's really in charge when they have to wait for him to remotely open the door to let them out. It's a nice interplay that is there right from this episode, and if only it could have been developed more (though 'The Interrogation' did a good job as a one-off). One thing I wasn't sure about regarding Tremayne was why he was keen to stall on making a decision on what to do next. I'm not sure what twenty-four hours would have bought him (and neither were the dignitaries!). If they'd crashed as he suspected it wouldn't make any difference since he wasn't willing to send in more agents.

The enemy is ably filled by the Chinese military, a common foe in those Communist-fearing times, but a good touch to have a contact within the organisation, even if he proved himself brave, but sloppy. It's clear the pressure is really on this guy, which makes him seem much braver when he grabs one of the soldier's rifles and jumps in the troop lorry to go along and see that the agents escape. I'm not sure what he would have done if they'd been captured or shot, but it added something to a simple character that he wanted to remain involved instead of cowering in a corner waiting for instructions. The problem is, he wasn't circumspect, and the camp commander (played by an uncredited Anthony Chinn according to the booklet, later to appear in 'BUGS'), spies him grinning in delight when the plane gets clear away, putting him under grave suspicion, which must have led to him being watched so that when he calls in to update HQ he's caught by his own people and gives in to their threats to tell on its destination. But he redeems himself by taking another chance and grabbing the commander's pistol off the desk, only, once again he's sloppy, turning his back on the door and getting a blast of gunfire to the back. So ended an inauspicious informant's career, but I like that there was more to him than just a guy.

What works best in this episode is the dawning of the mystical situation the agents come into. The tinkling of bells from when Sharron first glimpses the city below, to the Old Man explaining how things are to Richard, all add an ethereal layer to a straight-up spy story. The Old Man, played by character actor Felix Aylmer, has all the benevolent kindness and simple love of life that we'd hope from some parallel civilisation that had diverged from our own for who knows how long, their choice to follow a different path - he shows his lack of understanding in their society by admitting he finds the way they divide their lands to be strange, as if it's obvious that all men should live in peace. He's such a fascinating and delightful character I wish he could have been in other episodes, perhaps appearing to guide them at opportune moments, but the fantastical side pretty much begins and ends here in the mountains, just a vehicle through which the main characters become gifted, their transformation improving mind, senses and faculties. The Old Man goes into quite a bit of detail in this regard, mentioning strength and sharpening of reason, not just more fantastical aspects of the deal. He also says that some are born with gifts and they are merely able to use all these gifts, but it's as much about improving what they had already, as implanting superhuman power within them. It adds to the magical nature of the conversation, and I like that he wasn't ambiguous or furtive in the answering of questions, just open and simple.

He warns Richard that they aren't infallible or immortal (so there goes my suggestion that the series may have been part of the inspiration for the 'Highlander' franchise, what with the special sound they hear when other Immortals are nearby, similar to the tinkling noise that occurs whenever the agents are having a moment of sixth sense!). It's also important to his character and the people he's representing that he trusts the judgement of those that have been gifted. It's not like they planned to make these people special and send them back, it was about saving their lives, they just improved the efficiency of everything while they were at it. They must know what they've done, and it would be nice to think that it was part of some grander scheme to spread their goodness into all the world, but it really was as simple as keeping them from death. Because they could. He asks that they use their gifts as they think their benefactors would want them to, a good guide to life, though if they'd been bad-hearted they could have twisted that to their own desires. In a way it might have been interesting to see what would have happened if there was a fourth member of the team who refused to do what was asked and became a recurring villain, like Captain Black in 'Captain Scarlet,' but it's all just speculation and not original, so no loss.

Richard at first plays devil's advocate and asks why they're trusted not to return home and bring others to search out this secret civilisation, but the Old Man has no doubts of their character, a great compliment. It's all very special and magical, reminding me of 'Santa Claus: The Movie' when the man who would become Father Christmas discovers this hidden land of wonder and beauty, and though the budget didn't stretch to showing any wonders, the music and the words of the Old Man paint the picture in imagination. He's even self-deprecating in the way he says that who he is isn't important, nor would taking Richard to the city prove anything. It's true to the story and would be true for the series, because I don't think there's ever a reference back to these people again, it's just these three agents that take on the mantle of these powers and use them to enhance the roles they already had in Nemesis. Richard shows his good faith by throwing away the only proof and they decide not to tell even Tremayne, as what could they tell him? Richard's the first to realise that what's happened to them is important and what happened there comes first, above the mission, which is why he's the one to go back and search out some answers, while Craig and Sharron are more intent on finishing the mission. It shows Richard to be more thoughtful and curious, while Craig is set and determined, and Sharron too.

The mystical civilisation must be a whole community because we see in the flashbacks to Craig being brought in on a stretcher that there's a young woman attending as well as the Old Man, so it wasn't just some group of ancient monks. I like that Craig awakes from his ordeal, which is very much presented as an operation, though from his point of view, well rested and invigorated until he realises what he's just been through. It's further room to wonder when they realise they've been out for two days, and there were the seeds for Craig at least to be sceptical of his senses when he finds that a bullet that grazed his side was actually stopped by the metal compass in his coat rather than bulletproof skin which would have made them too powerful and inhuman. But they don't go down the route of anyone disbelieving what's happened or really questioning it, they're shown to be too professional for that, keen to finish the job and anyway, they soon find enough evidence for the abilities: the telepathic knowledge of danger, awareness of one of the other's predicament was portrayed best, with Craig suddenly losing balance as if falling and hugging a nearby rock because Richard fell when climbing. It also demonstrates the Old Man's words that they will need to learn how to use these abilities, it won't come instantly. Again, this could have presented the opportunity for them to discover each new power on an episodic basis (a bit like 'Smallville' which held a few of Clark Kent's abilities back at first), but they throw them all in.

I'm not sure if the quick healing was actually a power as Craig wasn't really that injured, but they can certainly take more punishment than a normal human as evidenced by Richard's fall of 'twenty or thirty feet,' as well as the pair of them leaping from height to take down the enemy (and there's no stunning the enemy, they're quite happy mowing down the soldiers!). They display accuracy when Craig throws a rock to knock a gun barrel away, and super strength when Richard lifts a monstrous rock. They can even leap tall rocks with a single bound! Sharron doesn't really get involved, but they do demonstrate the ability to speak from a distance and be heard by each other, though it's not clear if it's telepathy or advanced hearing. In any case we hear the debut of the twinkly sixth sense music, as well as the eye closeup and the picture turning to a negative image, all devices to be used multiple times on the series. My only question would be if Tremayne was so suspicious then his first thoughts must have been towards them being double agents. But though Chinese assistance would explain their survival, they all seemed so normal and upbeat and had succeeded at the mission, throwing such a theory into doubt. Lastly, the smart suits for the men and Sixties fashions for Sharron mark out the sartorial taste of the series, showcased in the striking opening credits montage and its booming music that was never going to be as memorable a theme as a 'Star Trek' or 'Mission: Impossible,' but still spread a warm glow of nostalgia through me. It's also worth noting the arty end credits with stills from scenes shown in a stylised manner. A good beginning for the series that sets its potential up nicely.

***

Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges

DVD, DS9 S7 (Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges)

Section 31 was a delicate organisation, open to as much misuse as its position as part of Starfleet was considered by those straight Starfleet officers which recognised the evil inherent, but at the time of this episode, only the second in a trilogy of Section 31 stories on 'DS9,' the organisation had yet to be sullied by bad or lazy writing. It's not that 'Enterprise' messed it all up when they used them in their final season, it's just that they didn't have a character of the quality of Luther Sloan at its heart, so the whole setup assumed the approach of a typical and uninspiring shadow operation behind the scenes, with everyone wearing black and having clandestine meetings, people were vetted and recruited by shady types, but missing something which made 'Inquisition' stand out. Then they were brought back with even less thought for 'Star Trek Into Darkness' to be used as a mere callback to something we remember fondly from 'DS9,' and now, reportedly they're playing a part in 'Discovery,' so the long and storied career of this piece of Trek lore is shown to be appealing to writers who must see it as a backdoor into the inner workings of the good and noble Federation Starfleet. But it wasn't just the whisper of dark arts surrounding this antithetical secret service, as mind-boggling as it was to learn in its first appearance that it dated back to before the founding of the Federation: it always comes back to Sloan, because he's as devious and manipulative a person as, say, Garak for example, and as full of personality and guile.

From that, you'd expect Bashir to be truly attracted to what he has to offer, since, just like plain, simple Garak, he holds a wealth of secrets, but the good Doctor is just that: good. He's always found the idea of this organisation to be appalling, yet Sloan has an innate charm, an easy attitude that is far from the stereotype of intelligence men who work in the shadows and never connect with real people. There's something about him that makes you wonder if anything he says is truth, and if he has a real personality, or is so compartmentalised that there's nothing within except the roles he plays - this would be explored in the final part of the trilogy later in the season, but what always struck me was how uncertain anything about him is. We know from Starfleet records, and from Admiral Ross' participation in this episode, that Section 31 does exist, but I always had at the back of my mind, no matter that we saw other operatives working with Sloan, or that he had a ship, or whatever the resources he seemed to be marshalling, that 31 could just be a figment of his own creative imagination, and he was waging a one-man crusade against all the enemies of Starfleet, both within and without, was practically insane, but a genius at the same time. It's a ridiculous idea, especially as we later see 31 is part of other avenues of Trek lore, but could it be that it was once a real organisation that died out, and Sloan unearthed ancient records and plans and took it upon himself to resurrect it because of all the threats from the Borg or the Dominion, and so many other encroaching species?

It makes Section 31 almost romantic, a lost secret rediscovered by a madman who somehow organises all the resources his ingenuity can amass to play games with power. It doesn't make sense even from this episode because we know, for example, that Koval, high up in the Romulan circle, is an agent for 31, but even then I can't help but wonder if everything Sloan said and did was an elaborate ruse that had brought others into his make-believe world of espionage. Of course, if the results are the same it doesn't matter whether he really is just a part of some vast underground, or is acting alone except for a few that he's pulled into his net, as he tried to do with Bashir. Or did he? Once again, just as the time he tested the young Doctor to see if he was fit for service in the rigorous world of real spies, here he so expertly manoeuvres him by playing on his nature, and badda-bing, badda-bang, Bashir doesn't even know what his real task is, so goes along with the charade. It's really a beautiful level of mastery that demonstrates what a game Sloan plays. It's also the perfect idea for a sequel, because if their first encounter was a test run, the sequel had to be the real thing, and it doesn't get more real than a visit to Romulus and those at the top (though for the first time I realised the Continuing Committee wasn't the same thing as the Senate)! It's a place so rarely seen, effectively behind the iron curtain, as it were, and though the Klingons and Federation were traditionally playing off Cold War themes of the 20th Century, the Romulans very possibly fit that bill even better.

It's astounding how little the Romulans have been used across all of Trek when compared with the people's favourite, the Klingons. But even the Borg, the Vulcans and the Ferengi seem to get more coverage than the wily ones, yet they're such a rich and fascinating culture. Is it because they were only an offshoot of the Vulcans, and we know there are other such offshoots (like the Rigelians which score yet another mention in this episode, Bashir pronouncing it 'Ry-jellyans' - they seem to be on a run of mentions this season, just as other races like Dopterians or Breen had their period of being referenced a lot), so we don't care about them so much? Is it because now half of all Trek series' are set in a time when Romulans are either in isolation in canon history, or only recently breaking forth from it ('Enterprise,' 'DSC,' 'TOS')? I really don't know, but if they ever do a series that isn't a prequel, and actually get to the future of the future, I'd love them to do a series in which the Romulans are the main villain, with their political and sociological claws buried deep into the structure of it - I've thought ever since 'Star Trek XI' they should do a series set in or around the Romulan Neutral Zone coming up to the events of that film in which we hear that Romulus would be destroyed. It'd make a great end of season cliffhanger and provide ample dramatic material, both in the exploration of a largely unknown region, the addition of much more espionage as a core of the drama, and the ramifications of the Romulan homeworld's destruction, and what it means for the stability, or otherwise, of the Alpha Quadrant.

When 'DS9' chose to use one of Trek's Grandfather races (one of the big three first created in 'TOS' Season 1, over fifty years ago!), just as with 'TNG' and 'Voyager' (and even, cunningly, 'Enterprise'), their appearances were largely standout and memorable, so it's with no surprise that they do it again in this one. It helps that it's a Bashir story and one in which he finds himself working for the ominous 31, but even without that, who wouldn't want to see Romulus again? Not that we see much of its attractive environs beyond the beautiful matte painting of the circular senate building that probably dates back to 'TNG,' though they may have spruced it up a bit. There wasn't much time to go sightseeing, so the drama takes place in dark rooms, and as Garak points out, the predominate colour of Romulus, against what you'd expect from their green ships, green Disruptors and green Transporter beams, is grey. This only makes their green-tinged skin contrast greater with their surroundings, and with the addition of the shocking white dress uniforms introduced in 'Star Trek: Insurrection,' the contrast is even stronger, though Garak was maybe generalising a bit. How I wish we could've had Garak along - he's been one of the short-changed this season, not really having anything substantial to do except for rattling Ezri's cage, but I appreciated the throwback to old times when he meets Bashir meeting at the Replimat for a chat over a meal or drink. His inclusion could've been so much more, but if he'd been around to advise Bashir at the critical moment, Sloan's plan would have been botched, so his presence had to be cut short.

The old Garak/Bashir dinners aren't the only connection to both the series' history and Trek lore in general, there's a smorgasbord of Trekkishness bringing together the whole franchise in glorious fashion. The dress uniforms from the recent 'TNG' film were one aspect and work spectacularly well, but the biggest connection has to be an Intrepid-class ship, the USS Bellerophon (which they pleasingly bothered to show the name and serial number of), so they could use the 'Voyager' standing sets rather than create a new ship or use the Defiant again (in no way designed for diplomatic functions or entertaining). Given later events between that series and Writer Ron Moore you have to suck through your teeth to think of 'DS9' using 'Voyager' sets! But this was months before Moore's ignoble and brief period post-'DS9' working on 'Voyager' where he was effectively stymied (and has admitted he came in with the wrong attitude of wanting to show them how to write a good Trek series), but it is very interesting that he personally asked for 'Voyager' sets from the makers of it. I only wish we could have had more cross-promotion or crossovers like this - although it's not a big deal being denied main characters from other series' or films, it is special to see the 'DS9' cast on the same type of ship as Voyager. We're only granted access to the Mess Hall and Conference Room (the Bridge can be glimpsed as Bashir comes through the door), but it's still terrific and makes Bashir a rare character to appear on the sets of all three 24th Century series', something I can only think of Riker matching, as though Quark is in 'TNG' and 'Voyager' he was never aboard the ships!

The connections don't end there, because we also have a character from 'TNG,' then Proconsul, now Praetor Neral (sadly played by a different actor, though a good one), without fanfare or any mention of his past interaction with the Federation, but it really adds to the cohesiveness of the Trek world, especially as he was created before this series, way back in the Earth year 2368, while this is a further six years down the line, 2374. I also like that further productions give us even more data points on the state of the Romulan government both into the future (with 'Star Trek Nemesis' where we see another Praetor filling the spot, murdered by Shinzon, the Picard clone, and that was 2379, five years later), and very much the past ('Enterprise' in the 22nd Century showing what was going on before humans had ever set eyes on Romulans). The prequel series is even included in the great drawing together of all Romulan lore by the statement about putting aside three centuries of distrust (in the heat of the moment Bashir must have forgotten it was only two hundred years), between the races, which is exactly the time 'Enterprise' was set, so before it was even made, it's part of the continuing legacy. Sort of. It makes me happy to think of such things. The infamous Romulan ale is now legal as a result of the treaty with the Federation, and we see old Ross can't take it, a nice little bonding moment between he and Bashir giving them something to lose later in the episode, as well as showing how much Ross is a straight arrow that he hadn't touched the stuff before, yet even someone like him can be demoralised enough into assisting such an 'unsanctioned' organisation as Section 31.

Another apparent returnee, though it's not confirmed onscreen, is the holo-communicator. It's not, strictly speaking the Communicator part, but in Bashir's Quarters on the Bellerophon Sloan shows him holographic images of the important people he's going to be dealing with, Koval and Neral. We don't see the square on the floor that denoted the holo-communicator, but it must be the same kind of technology since they aren't in a Holodeck, and if this ship is like Voyager it doesn't have the capability of displaying holograms anywhere so I'm making assumptions (though this is a few years after Voyager launched so it's possible the ship has holoemitters even in Crew Quarters). I love the way it isn't a flat, still 3D image, but a lifelike facsimile of the real people you can see breathing and blinking, because it makes them so much more real. It was probably much easier to do that than freeze frame an image of them, especially as they're being walked around, but I saw it as a boon. A technology question arises regarding the actual Communicator badges they use, and whether they're designed to record everything that's said. It doesn't seem reasonable for an organisation as open and free-thinking as Starfleet to have such intrusiveness as part of its standard equipment, but why else does Ross take off his badge (and Bashir follow suit), chirping as if deactivated, unless there was something to be gained from it. It could have been a symbolic gesture, like Picard taking off his rank pins in 'Insurrection,' or perhaps just a precaution for the extremely delicate nature of the discussion.

That discussion and the last few minutes of the episode are some of the best stuff in Trek as we realise that Bashir was played, his good nature used to further the plans of those who don't share that nature and have given it up to protect those that do. It's a complex and disturbing few minutes as we learn that even Ross has played his part, knowingly, to elevate a spy higher in the ranks of the Romulan Senate, Koval actually working for them. It's chilling and in the same vein as Sisko admitting all the lies and cheating he had accepted in order to bring the Romulans into the war, the 'ends justifying the means speech,' as Sloan so glibly puts it. He doesn't like it, but goes along with what he feels necessary. I'm not always enamoured of what they're saying when they do these descents into 'reality' rather than following the optimistic outlook Trek has always been famous for and giving us heroes that manage to maintain their righteousness, while also defeating the foes. But it does make for some good drama, Bashir practically insubordinate to his Commander, which stops as soon as the badge is back on and the order to dismiss, uttered. At least Bashir wasn't compromised as Sisko Ross were. I was wondering why the Captain didn't attend the monthly meeting between Romulan, Klingon, Bajoran and Federation interests on the station (or Martok, for that matter), but I can see that, like Garak, his association with Ross and his connection to Bashir would have meant the more inclusion he had, the less Bashir would have been drawn into the plot, so a reduced Sisko presence makes sense.

The Romulan Mind Scanner that's used on Bashir when he's held by Koval and his Tal Shiar, I at first thought to be a 'mind sifter,' before realising that was something the Klingons from 'TOS' used. Mind you, the two races did have a period of sharing technology so perhaps the Romulan device was part of the same technology tree of history between the peoples, that came out of that brief period of alliance. It would also become integral to the next, and final, appearance for Sloan later in the season. When Bashir protests after having been subjected to the scanner that they haven't even asked him any questions yet, it sounded a bit like Han Solo in 'The Empire Strikes Back' when he's tortured! Sloan justifies his use of Bashir because of his genetically enhanced abilities, referring back to the savants in 'Statistical Probabilities' who could extrapolate from Damar's speech that he'd killed a woman, and wanting the Doctor to diagnose a possible illness in Koval from just his senses, without referring to a Tricorder or any other device that wouldn't be permitted there. Again, good continuity coming into play, adding to Sloan's plausibility. Something else that comes under that heading are the events of Season 4's 'The Quickening' in which Bashir was successful in creating a vaccine to prevent the evil blight being passed on to any more of the Teplan children, a biological weapon courtesy of the Dominion, the interest in its capabilities adding further veracity to the story Koval is playing out, while also disgusting Bashir, but giving him reason to address the man again.

The final scene where Sloan returns from the 'dead' in Bashir's Quarters on DS9, thanks him and lets him know how much he respects him, leaves a big question. I don't mean the mechanics of how Sloan could be seen to be vaporised by Disruptor (green!), yet still survive (maybe that hologram technology was used in some form - it was Koval's home territory after all, and he was the magician's glamourous assistant in the trick). I mean the moment when Bashir calls up Security to stop Sloan escaping, then changes his mind and says, "My mistake," (Odo probably thought he'd woken from a nightmare and called him without thinking). Does that signify that he sees the logic in Sloan's argument and can't do anything about it now, or that he knows someone as resourceful as this wouldn't have left anything to chance, so an attempt to capture him would be fruitless. Or is this the moment when his genetically enhanced brain first alights on an idea to do just that at a later date? I love the fact that Sloan is an excellent people person, he reads people's natures, because he was really taking a big risk with Bashir. Maybe there were contingency plans if Bashir hadn't followed the prescribed actions and consorted with Cretak, but he isn't relying on clever tech or split second action timing to succeed, he's reading people, and that rings very true, far less like the 'Mission: Impossible' films which became all about the gadgetry, and far more like the John Le Carre stories that seem realistic because of their character studies.

That's why Sloan and this incarnation of Section 31 worked so well, far from the generic black-suited cutouts that are too easy to conjure up when thinking of intelligence agents: intelligence and charm, that's what it's all about. Few can do that like William Sadler who made one of the most memorable recurring characters in Trek, so I'm glad they were able to get him back, because as I pointed out with Neral, they didn't get Norman Large back, and the same was true of Cretak actress Megan Cole. Now I actually prefer Adrienne Barbeau's version (not just because she has such a cool name!), who seems much sharper and icier than the more bubbly and atypical Romulan Cole portrayed. It's a shame they couldn't have been consistent with the character because they are quite different (I almost wish they'd brought Martha Hackett back as T'Rul, just for the continuity), because both sides of the character were interesting, but Barbeau fitted the mould for this episode better (and they couldn't get Cole, though it would have been good to see how she'd have handled this situation). John Fleck plays one the best of his many characters here, even though he's not in it that much - his biggest role would be Silik the Suliban on 'Enterprise,' but he'd played various aliens on all the Berman-era series' and was always reliable for a slimy villain (his first being another Romulan on 'TNG'). Both he and Sadler could have been great main cast members on a Trek series.

Finally, Sloan gives a summary of how he sees life after the war, including the Klingons taking years to recover, the Cardassians occupied, the Dominion returning to the Gamma Quadrant leaving only the Federation and the Romulans to vie for power as the top dog of the Alpha Quadrant. It brings to mind the attitude of the Founders in their belief that taking care of the Klingons would mean only the Romulans and Federation stood in their way, as well as Bashir and the other genetically enhanced savants, who thought they were able to predict the probability of the war ending with the Federation's certain destruction, but if they surrendered, one day their descendants would rise up and overthrow the oppressors. In other words, it was all very arrogant to be assuming the future, though whether Sloan actually believed it, or it was all part of the ruse to manipulate Bashir, none can tell. In any event we were sadly denied a chance to see the result, as 'Voyager' would be the only series to continue after the Dominion War, and it never delved into Alpha Quadrant politics in any meaningful way, and then 'Nemesis' showed the future of the Romulans, but didn't feature them nearly enough. So to all intents and purposes the end of the 24th Century is a story yet to be written (aside from the novels and games that have used it as a rich source of pickings, but they don't count for canon), and I'm still waiting to know the aftermath of the war on a complex and fascinating universe that has preferred to keep going backward because it's the easy option. At least 'DS9' kept going forward to the end, and this marked the final standalone episode of the season before the final nine-episode arc that would finish the war, the season, and the series.

*****

Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang

DVD, DS9 S7 (Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang)

My issue with this episode has nothing to do with the story, the characters, the setting, or anything else like that. What I get confused about is where it should come in the season: the production order meant that it was filmed after 'Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges,' but shown on original air date in reverse order. Yet the original VHS video release presented it in production order, but the DVD puts it before 'Inter Arma' and I, stupidly, forgot to resolve what order it was supposed to be watched in and just went for the next episode on the disc. But that doesn't make sense because it's one last lighthearted runaround for the 'DS9' cast before the seriousness demanded by the ten episode arc to a finale where seven years of increasingly detailed, rich and complex plotting was going to be wrapped up, and the final scene, with Captain Sisko and Vic Fontaine singing out the episode with 'The Best Is Yet To Come,' makes so much more sense as a herald to the serialised final third of the season with them, the writers and everyone there giving the audience the heads-up that this is the transition point between the stories that they'd been playing around with for a last few shots at singular character focus in the traditional Trek and 'DS9' manner, and the great wrap-up where it was no longer going to be about trying out ideas and exploring individuals - there would be that, too, but there would be no more standalones, it would all link together, so I was slightly annoyed that I'd watched it out of order, although 'Inter Arma' probably does fit in with the ongoing story, so it's no great problem.

Forgetting the episode's placement, it's noteworthy as that last chance for the crew to let their hair down (or bob it up, fancy like, in the case of the female characters), something that, unlike the close-knit crews of 'TNG' and 'Voyager,' they rarely did. There had already been an episode of getting together to combat a challenge in an aspect of leisure, with 'Take Me Out To The Holosuite,' a superior story, but any chance to bring as many of the cast together in one room was one worth taking. Vic's was a place I had mixed feelings about: it was a cosy, pleasant place and fitted the mood and structure of the series very well, maybe even better than Quark's. But Quark's was the place to go right from the beginning and when Odo says Quark wouldn't be likely to join them in their plan to save Vic from the mob because he thinks of him as his competition I had to concur. He really was Quark's competition and took a lot of the Ferengi barkeep's limelight away. It's sad, because for me, Quark is the best character in Trek, Armin Shimerman certainly one of the best actors that delved deeply into this obstructive, obnoxious, sometimes obsequious little troll, and the truth was that his character got lost in Season 7, so much that he barely features in the starring role of episodes, and those he doesn't, he's barely in at all, as was the case with this episode where all he does is clean glasses while eyeing up the crew all heading to Vic's and musing to Morn that something's going on up there.

What was Quark's loss, was Vic's profit, and it can easily be argued that some of the main cast suffered while the recurring cast took more and more of the limelight, depending on who they were and where they fit into stories. So Nog was certainly a more developed character than his pal Jake, while Bashir, Worf even, maybe Odo, and sometimes O'Brien went through large patches of making only minor contribution to the season, happening more than an average season where inevitably certain characters are going to get more to do than others. For Worf it makes sense, as Michael Dorn was off taking the Klingon on a film ride, 'Star Trek: Insurrection,' and I suspect Colm Meaney's film career was also continuing, something he had done throughout the series. It doesn't make it an easier pill to swallow, but you can't have a multitude of fascinating recurring characters and complain the main cast didn't have enough to do, there has to be a price for everything, and Vic's rise came at the cost of Quark. It helps that he's such a great guy so I never felt bad about Vic being in it, it's only in later years I realised it was a trade-off. And this episode, where Worf or Quark wouldn't really fit, not being able to invest in a fictional crisis, with the majority of the cast working together in a fun way, was almost a consolation prize, especially as the coming story-lines would be splitting people off for periods.

And why wouldn't they all want to help out Vic? One thought about this story is how much it depends on the reality of fiction, and whenever they do that it's hard to divorce it from the parallel reality of us as an audience watching these fictional characters - in this case I'm sure most viewers have wished, maybe only subconsciously, that they could visit DS9 and spend time with the characters. There's never been a perfectly designed 'DS9' computer game, but imagine if there were. Then imagine if it were lifelike, photorealistic. Then make it a virtual reality experience. Then add three dimensions, haptic feedback and boom, you have the Holosuite, from these characters' perspective and you understand the appeal. Because unlike the majority of holo-programs, Vic is someone they've grown to like, just as we have the 'DS9' cast. They don't want to have to shut down the program or reboot (just as most people that really care about the characters of Trek don't want to see them rebooted to suit a new generation, because they're real people to us), causing Vic to lose all the memories he's developed, because he's changed their lives: he brought Odo and Kira together, he got Nog together when he was falling apart from the of incident losing his leg in battle, and he's become a person that anyone can go to for advice or a chat outside the reality of their situation. They can go there and lose themselves and loose themselves from the reality of their present, and after Vic was allowed to stay on permanently he's developed a life of his own.

When Bashir suggests Vic's got to leave Vegas sometime, I was thinking back to 'It's Only A Paper Moon,' where we heard that he and Nog did leave, popping out of town, so he even has that level of life. The idea that programs designed for recreational use could visit another program was priceless, and I can imagine if the series, or any series with a Holodeck, had continued for many more years we'd have eventually come to mashups. It had already been done to some extent with 'Voyager' in the 'The Killing Game' where multiple settings and periods were used by the Hirogen, and again in 'Flesh and Blood,' a sequel to the earlier story which featured holograms from the various programs banding together to form a resistance. But here we're talking about a hologram being invited to join another program, one that would be an historical setting even for him, when Bashir and O'Brien finally break their rule and offer someone the chance to come and play at the Alamo! It's a great honour and shows how deeply they feel about Vic as a person, but apart from the fact that that had more meaning and was part of a running gag it would have been just as fun if they'd asked him to take part in 'The Guns of Navarone,' a World War II mission based on the film which co-starred… James Darren, who played Vic! But Vic's happy with his lot, he likes living the way he does, so it's a bit of a chimera for him to join in all those reindeer games in another program, and when his club suddenly changes in the blink of an eye, becoming a sleazy mob hangout he was offered the greatest temptation to back down and let his technical friends work out the kinks.

Except, to Vic, he's living a real life, even though he knows it's not real, so he doesn't want to back down in the face of adversity - it's the biggest challenge of his existence to deal with an old nemesis and I loved that he reminded his flesh and blood friends when they suggest he go off somewhere and take a vacation, that they didn't go off on holiday when the Dominion took over the station, and he's not going to either. It shows his fighting spirit. I'm sure O'Brien, with the help of the technical skills of the crew, could have come up with a solution, fiddling about in the code and sorting it out in that dry, impersonal way, but they seized on it as a chance to do something for Vic and have fun at the same time: a challenge that brought them all together. What works about it is the way many of them use their innate skills, but in a different context, one they aren't used to, and it's to Vic's credit that he trusts everything to them, because you can see they're fish out of water in this environment, and if there's anything I wish the episode had done better it was in this aspect, and maybe making Vic their coach, just like Worf was when he was training Sisko, Odo and O'Brien on how to pass off as Klingons in 'Apocalypse Rising.' Vic should have been the instigator, but I can see why they had the crew come up with the solution because it shows what they of Starfleet (and other organisations!), are made of. Puzzle-solving, daring, thought, these are all the hallmarks of the heroes in Trek, so to have them be guided by a hologram rather than come up with it themselves might be seen to take away from them.

Still, I do feel there was a lot more room for comedy and it could have been a caper for the ages rather than a mildly satisfying little adventure. It's good to see Nog's Ferengi hearing turn into an essential part of the plan as he has to open a safe to steal the money Frankie Eyes must give to his boss, Mr. Zeemo (though why he had to replicate a full-size replica for practice outside the Holosuite when he could have simply gone into another one and done it in the virtual world, even recreating that room for maximum authenticity, I don't know). Then Odo's shapeshifting ability is used to good effect as it used to be in older seasons, but which they've not exploited much more recently, as a tray that Ezri carries in. She even uses her psychology on the count man who's counting the money in the office, or reverse psychology, I should say - when he doesn't want the drink she's brought she asks to drink it herself as she's so tired from waitressing, so the man drinks it to spite her! I'm not sure what skills Sisko was using to draw a crowd, but he does have presence so even holograms were drawn to the gambling table, and Kira has certainly come a long way from the younger, more angry woman she used to be, into someone who can be a bit more subtle and manipulative in a feminine way which you couldn't really imagine from the early portrayal of a more butch, feisty personality as she was. And Kasidy gets to act like a crybaby…

At least Captain Yates is back, as she doesn't show up much this season, and I'd have liked to know what she was doing during the Dominion War, whether she was fulfilling quotas for Starfleet as a merchant vessel, or still doing business for other organisations, or maybe just staying on DS9, grounded with all the uncertainty in the space lanes. She does have one important function, helping Sisko to see that they can celebrate how far they've come that the only person holding them back is themselves when he shows anger at a period in time when racism was rife, but being portrayed as if there was no such issue. I can see the point, and Kasidy's, too, so it was a useful little addition of depth to a light story. I feel it was something that could have been a story on its own, but they'd already achieved the ultimate racism story with 'Far Beyond The Stars,' the previous season and they were never going to top that. It was touched on, but his lady put him straight on it and that was that, and it is good to see him in that world, though as I said, his role wasn't that integral. It's all worth it for the sight and sound of Sisko singing, Avery Brooks so good, complementing James Darren perfectly. It caps the episode very well as a demarcation point for the rest of the series, because otherwise it would have seemed too light, no more than an excuse to get the characters in the Holosuite, and again, 'Bride of Chaotica!' had already been done on 'Voyager' the same year, so they weren't going to top that with a heist.

As it stands, it was serviceable, and seeing them all together is a joy, especially with certain shots such as Frankie being marched out by Zeemo, walking past them all sat at the bar, or the slow-motion walk down the Promenade in costume. But I still think they should have gone even more daring, bigger, had more of a dramatic comedic take, Sisko acting up, all kinds of things going wrong and having to be fixed on the fly. Which does happen to a small degree, and one thing I like about it is that it's very reminiscent of another series that is at the heart of Trek history: 'Mission: Impossible.' It was the other big Desilu series being made in the 1960s (weird to think, not that long after this episode is set!), when James Bond films were just starting up as the big thing and TV was all about teams of people solving crime and taking on the criminals or tyrants, like 'The Champions' or 'The Avengers' or 'Department S.' I'm just watching the first season of 'Mission: Impossible' now, so it was fresh in my mind, especially as I'd seen a very similar story about the IMF stealing the money of a no-good high-up to knock him out of contention, all in a casino heist ('Odds On Evil'), so it was more pertinent. This wasn't designed to be a homage to Trek's genetic sister series, but it might as well have been, though spies and heists were very of the moment in the Sixties. I wonder if Bashir's request for his drink to be stirred, not shaken was a little in-joke in itself - obviously it's a Bond reference, but the fact that's it's the opposite of his famous preference could be seen as a thumbing of the nose to the Bond people since the series had got into trouble for hewing too close to that franchise in Season 4's 'Our Man Bashir.'

The series didn't tend to go small, and although this isn't as big as I'd have liked, it provides some nice continuity that pointed towards the finale, 'What You Leave Behind,' as everyone would meet at Vic's in the end. I wish the cheesy, but witty dialogue, as best shown by Kira and Frankie's conversations, could have swept through the whole episode, I wish the fish out of water thing could have been carried much further - don't forget that there were real stakes: if Vic went down he could be brought back, but he was effectively not going to be the Vic they'd known. It may be an enjoyable challenge for the crew, but it's life or death for him. There's not much he could have done to be more involved in the action because Frankie and his boys knew him, so any hint of suspicion and it would be game over for him, but he was very brave to be trusting his very existence to these people that weren't going to be that well versed in the period as he was. They've learnt a lot, and like those that enjoy any genre I'm sure they got down into it ready for the part, but they fit in too well, perhaps. Then again, Felix wrote it to be a fun diversion, a jack-in-the-box they call it, it wasn't meant to be a chore or a burden, so treating it like it was of great importance would have been a disservice to the nature of holographic entertainment. Every time they mention this Felix I wish we'd met him because he's clearly so clever and resourceful to write such programs. They should have brought in Ira Steven Behr as a joke, the man that made 'DS9' as the man that wrote the best programs.

As an aside, I liked the fact that we see Sisko reading a real paper book. It's not something we see often, outside of Captain Picard, and I'd never really thought of Sisko as the kind of man that likes books, but it once again shows that even in a future of so much technology the simple pleasures are still important, whether that be reading real pages, talking with friends, or enjoying an experience together. The guest cast as the dodgy mob people were very good, Mr. Zeemo especially casting an air of danger over proceedings, which makes Vic's burbling at his girl all the more tense. Marc Lawrence had been in the 'TNG' episode 'The Vengeance Factor,' an episode I've seen few times as it's not a very good one, so I didn't remember him, but he was good as Zeemo. One unsung contributor was a certain Bobby Reilly as the second count man - I thought he looked a bit like Robert O'Reilly, the face behind Gowron, but he wasn't bulging his eyes as he does so well in that role, so I thought it just looked a bit like him until I read that old trusty, 'The DS9 Companion,' which revealed it was him! It was a full circle back to his first ever Trek role in 'Manhunt' of 'TNG' where he played a human character in another holoprogram, so it was very fitting to have him here. I didn't think I'd have much to write about this episode as it was a basic heist story, so it's pleasant to find there was enough going on to think about after all. Even if I did watch it in the wrong order, gnghnrgh!

***