The Jem'Hadar

DVD, DS9 S2 (The Jem'Hadar)

Hints and references to the Dominion are placed occasionally through the season, laying the groundwork for something big, and mapping out a framework for the kind of epic storytelling that would sweep the series onto the galactic stage, with the only downside being a lesser role for the 'backyard' of Bajor. That was all still to come, with revelations galore on this mysterious and unexplained power of the Gamma Quadrant. The approach was one of giving various pieces of information, details that told us more than a comprehensive report could have done because it left our imagination to build a bigger picture. It is in 'The Jem'Hadar' that a direct encounter leads to the threat of reprisals that would dominate the series.

It all starts quite innocently, as a seemingly simple comedy tale to end the season with - the worst camping trip Sisko could have planned. He wants to spend time with Jake, only for Nog to come along, and to cap it all Quark inveigles himself onto the trip with the sole purpose of convincing the Commander to allow him to advertise his wares all over the station. Being his typical tenacious self he thinks he can swing things his way by a little negotiation, but reckons without Sisko's quiet, blunt character which leaves no (or very few) cracks in which to manoeuvre. Quark was right about one thing, they are more at ease in this informal setting. If it wasn't for the Ferengi losing his composure at having to eat human food with bugs in it (Ferengi "only eat Ferengi bugs!"), constantly being bitten, and his natural aversion to nature, he might have worked on Sisko long enough to find out what the Commander would be prepared to get out of it. Out of his comfort zone however, survival clouds his profit-making skills.

We don't often get to see Quark roughing it, but when we do ('The Ascent', 'The Siege of AR-558'), he's invariably grumpy. This anger can make him more persistent and dogged, in some form of survival instinct. If the Dominion didn't know already how insistent Ferengi are, they soon learn from Quark's bawling. The race may be small, but their voices are large! We see this survival instinct in the Jem'Hadar prison with his constant shouting and screaming for attention. It would be a natural course of action for Ferengi, because after all, if your skill is in negotiation you need to make yourself heard, and the squeaky wheel gets the oil. Thankfully it's his ability to knuckle down and get on with things when all other avenues fail that gets them out of captivity - he perseveres with the collar on Eris, then saves Sisko's life by shooting one of the soldiers, but his most important contribution is his shrewdness...

The Jem'Hadar look down on humans and Ferengi, lumping both together as the weaker, less interesting races of the Alpha Quadrant (quite an insult for us!), wishing that Klingons had been the first race they got to encounter. It shows one of the few weaknesses of the Dominion, after they demonstrate great power and resource in their ability to destroy a Galaxy-class starship, beam through shields, walk through containment fields, use personal cloaking devices and wider-reaching designs and forethought. For everything was a ploy to get one spy into the Federation. The loss of life on the Odyssey is terrible and graphically illustrates the kind of unexpected threat they pose. A kamikaze run on a retreating ship is not only an impressive display of loyalty, but also disregard for the 'rules' of battle.

Like the Borg, they work to an agenda that our Federation friends can't comprehend. Admittedly they had the important element of surprise, an advantage that can't be dismissed, and hopefully, with all the data collected by the Runabouts, the observations of Sisko and the experience gained, Stafleet will not be caught on the back foot again. It was a bold move by the Dominion and over-confidence could be a weakness, one of very few they display in this first encounter. Another is to underestimate their 'weak' opponents. Quark probably saves the most lives and performs the greatest service here as he ever has or does again, because it's down to his expertise in recognising Eris' falsity that stops Sisko from welcoming the spy into Federation arms.

The visuals match the story and plotting which is at another level, not seen since the three-parter that kickstarted the season. For a start, the Jem'Hadar and Eris are both very well designed and so very different. The soldiers are full of texture and jagged edges, while Eris ( we don't find out the name of her species at this point) is smooth and clear-skinned. That they are part of the same force isn't as surprising as that she is actually their superior as we discover in later episodes. The relatively weak, small and gaunt Vorta have the authority of the Founders, the third of the mysterious groups that make up the Dominion. As before, we get plenty of questions answered that have been at the back of our minds since the Dominion first cropped up, but now we are left with more. What we do know is the fearsome size of the Jem'Hadar, walking tall next to the large Sisko, and their attitude is cocky and assured. Like the Klingons they welcome battle and have no fear.

The Jem'Hadar who talks to Sisko is disappointed the Klingons weren't the ones to be captured and this is something that would come to the fore in the future, but even now comparing themselves to the warriors of the Alpha Quadrant helps us see their strength and the kind of beings they are. It's telling that only a Third-ranked Jem'Hadar is sent to DS9. Was that because they didn't want to risk a First or Second, or to show the disdain they hold the Federation, that they would only send such a relatively low rank? Knowing the Vorta's disregard for the lives of their soldiers in other episodes I would go with the latter explanation.

The scope of what's happening is ably personified by the addition of the USS Odyssey (making the tiny Runabouts appear most ineffectual), a situation that requires Kira and crew to do what they're told by a Captain. Suddenly a Commander isn't enough, and this backwater is important again. That Captain Keogh isn't a pleasant man doesn't stop us from being shocked at his ship's destruction. His arrogance in the face of the unknown isn't what gets him killed, as the Galaxy-class is the biggest and toughest of all starships. It also contains families. It was a shame we didn't get to find out more about the Odyssey and her crew, but it was cooler having an African American with a strong accent as first officer shouting out the damage reports because for some reason the impact sounds worse. The destruction was a statement of intent from both the Dominion and the creators of the series - we're going to go for broke.

Such battle scenes hadn't been seen since the pilot, and to this point there had only been minor skirmishes with Cardassians, Bajorans or Maquis, all on the scale of Runabouts. But here, the Runabouts are dwarfed and there's a danger that the series could be undermined by showing how weak the station and its defences are compared to a fully operational starship, which is why you can see the logic of the writer's next step at the beginning of Season Three. But here they dared to show the weakness and the awe level goes up massively. That none of the main characters die is testament to their skill and judgement. It's always the case that the more powerful an adversary is, the more heroic the heroes seem to be to stand up to them.

The scene with Odo and Kira warning each other to watch their backs felt like it could be a goodbye scene, and I wonder if it was deliberately meant to evoke unrest in viewers. She'd like him to stay behind out of harm's way, something she'd done before, I think, which shows she cares for the constable. It's also a touching moment for Odo to admit a kind of fondness for Quark. Okay, he doesn't really admit fondness, he never would, but he notes Quark's role as part of the station - they'd miss him if he was gone. Old animosities are laid aside in the face of a larger foe, as evidenced by Kira's agreement that they wouldn't want to lose Quark.

Amid the scale, references to what we know aren't forgotten. We hear about Bolians, Klingons, Cardassians, Vulcans, Grand Nagus Zek, the Bat'leth, and most importantly - the New Bajor colony has been annihilated, another feather in the Dominion's cap o' woes. It's difficult to see how they could have seemed any worse an enemy! Also, in the 'biggest' episode of the season it's endearing that a Jake and Nog story should be an integral part. Jake's certainly been the lost character of the season, his japes with Nog few compared with the first season, but at least the pairing hasn't been forgotten. Nog still comes across as a sterotypical Ferengi coward, but other personality traits that would rise to the surface in later seasons also begin to show through. His willingness to work, for one thing, and his pleasure at being complimented by Sisko. Previously Nog's always shown contempt for human ways and had little respect for them, but thanks to the friendship with Jake they've both changed and come to accept the cultures, almost imperceptibly. Nog enjoys human food, much to Quark's disgust, a line he'd often take on his nephew's development, even if he was proud in his own mind.

It's nice to see the continuity of Jake caring about Nog's education, that led to him teaching his friend to read, and perhaps Sisko's own views on Ferengi are beginning to change too. It hasn't really happened yet, but Rom's emergence as a pleasant fellow, Nog's professionalism and even Quark's unexpected generosity were to come, and it's Sisko's ideas that are directly challenged by Quark. In the same manner as his lecturing a Vulcan on logic in 'The Maquis', he now manages to take the moral superiority of Ferengi against humans! Only Quark could do that, but if his words aren't completely true, at least they serve to give Sisko pause for thought. He hasn't really thought about Ferengi values and it becomes personal and something for him to think on. That is, if he'd had the time!

Two final observations regarding the Runabouts: we never get to see the shuttle bay in which these ships launch from, but here we get close, as we have a view of one wall from a Runabout window and door when they disembark. The other is the realisation that Jake and Nog would have taken five years to get back to the station if they hadn't been rescued. That means they'd have just made it in time for the last episode of the series!

****

Q Who?

DVD, TNG S2 (Q Who?)

With a flick of his fingers Q does the greatest service to Starfleet and simultaneously the worst harm. Not the loss of eighteen crewmen, but the awareness of humanity's existence by what was then the deadliest aliens ever encountered. The Borg. They ignore you. They notice you. They come after you, and they don't stop. The unstoppable force is the most compelling dramatic device, but also the hardest to write, because if you can't stop it you've lost your characters, your ship, everything. It could be construed as flippant that Q would just fling them under the Borg's nose then snap them back out of trouble before destruction was assured, but it isn't really about this episode, this was just the primer, the prologue, the taste of what may be to come, and that portent in the final scene, though it's still amazingly turned into an optimistic ending, holds a lot of weight and a few shivers up the spine.

Guinan gets fleshed out more than in all the other episodes she's appeared in to this point, and her legendary past, sense of doom and direct warnings add a notch of danger beyond the Borg's physical appearance, which is very mechanised, with most of their facial features hidden or half-seen. Putting things out there to be resolved at a later date is always a bold move because an audience could forget, the natural progression of a series might take it in a different way or whatever, but when you get to the pay off it's made all worthwhile.

From this encounter we learn that the mysterious attacks on bases at the edge of both Federation and Romulan borders, as revealed at the end of Season One, were probably the actions of the Borg, making them tantalisingly close. Perhaps they aren't two years away after all? The episode includes a lighthearted teaser which introduces new recruit Sonia Gomez who manages to make the worst first impression possible on Captain Picard. Literally, on him. Usually when someone like that gets a few lines it's so she can be killed off by this week's threat and I was half expecting it, but her storyline fades into nothing - hopefully she'll pop up again.

Q's involvement with the Enterprise is usually a tricky balance because he can do anything, but you're not sure if his motives were good or bad in this case. And why does he not resurrect the dead? Perhaps it's the price for the information, or maybe he's working for an even higher power and this was the way it had to work out, who knows? The grounding of Guinan's history in some framework gives her more mystery. She was alive at least 200 years ago according to this, and 'Star Trek: Generations' did a fine job of using this information to connect the 23rd and 24th Centuries.

The Borg set is brighter than it would later be, but still creepy since they don't know what they're going to find next or whether the Borg will recognise their presence. The pull back inside the cube was most impressive, as was the Borg's personal forcefield. Certainly the strongest episode of the season, it confidently melds the past and the possible future with two mysterious beings who both have a connection to Picard. I couldn't help noticing that when Q mentions the 'weak' enemies encountered so far, he doesn't include Ferengi - they must have been so weak they didn't even register!

****

Sherlock Holmes and The Secret Weapon

DVD, Sherlock Holmes and The Secret Weapon (1942) film

So Moriarty is defeated by falling into a sewer this time! I'm not sure how much continuity there was between the films, but on this evidence I'd say very little as we last saw Moriarty fall from the Tower of London but two films ago! He was more like a Bond villain than the resourceful genius of the literary character, and I preferred George Zucco's version, who at least had an evil cunning to his face (until he shaved the beard off). Lionel Atwill didn't portray him as much of a great threat and actually he seemed like any old bad-guy, but I suppose what is a stereotype now was relatively new in those days.

Dennis Hoey makes his first appearance as Inspector Lestrade, the frequently baffled witness to Holmes' brilliance, and like Bruce's version of Watson, I always enjoyed the ridiculous humour he brought to it. I can't say there was much to be impressed by in this story, and it has none of the strangeness of 'The Dancing Men' upon which it's supposedly based - again, calling it something that it's not doesn't make it better. Holmes looks ever more wind-swept and makes me wish he'd get a haircut. He did manage to fool me again when I least expected it. Not in the opening disguise as the old, white-haired bookseller, that was soon seen through, but as Hoffner, Dr. Tobel's friend, laying in wait for Moriarty's henchmen. I wondered for a little if he'd played the original Hoffner to confuse us, and make it easier to accept him in the role, but then the real one turned up again.

The story starts in the middle of an adventure which is surprisingly daring for them to expect the audience to keep up, though there wasn't as much meat on the bones by the end. As before there's a patriotic speech by Holmes and Watson and lines from that famous poem. Not one of the more inventive or gripping stories, it seemed longer than it was. I did notice the drugs reference (referred to in the Production Notes on the DVD), which would have been very sly for censorship of the time.

*

Bane

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S2 (Bane)

A delightful ending, I must say! The rest is a fairly standard transformation story, like all sci-fi series' before it. The addition of the villainous Mayborn gives the team an enemy with a face as opposed to the insects, who, as dangerous as they are, don't pose all that much of a threat, being on another world. They were well designed and I couldn't tell when they were CGI or real so a good job there. Oddly enough the main draw of the episode is the humour quotient. O'Neill gets in quite a few good, smirk-worthy lines, and Teal'c's inability to cope with the vernacular is always funny.

I was anticipating an episode against some formidable creature from the name, and then with the teaser I thought it would be a survival type episode with the team barricading themselves in on the planet and all that kind of thing, like the original 'Star Trek' did in 'Operation: Annihilate!' It was a bit disappointing for it to be set on Earth and for Teal'c to be the bearer of bad juice. The addition of a street kid could have been the death knell, but it was okay. I can't imagine her becoming a familiar face like Cassandra, however. It becomes a slow-burning search for Teal'c and no one else gets much more to do than burble scientific words and stare at the symbiont in a tank.

**

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

DVD, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939) film

It may be that I'm merely remembering seeing this film before, but I had a strong impression that elements of other stories were cut and pasted into this one. The albatross drawing seemed familiar, and the South American recalled 'A Study in Scarlet', but I'm not as well versed in the stories as I should be. I was a little bemused by the end of the story. Aside from the Reichenbach Falls being replaced by the tip-top of the Tower of London, I didn't get any explanation of why the South American was trying to kill the woman, or why he'd killed her brother. Okay, he was working for Moriarty, and that mission was to distract Holmes, but it seemed there was going to be a reason for the death of her brother and the creepy music, like payback for some past injustice. But we don't know if there was anything more to it as Holmes and Watson have a jokey moment at the end, glossing over any plot holes.

With some of the episode explaining things in quite simple terms it's odd that such large holes are in plain sight. The production on the whole was a good one, the creepiness of the flute adding more chill to proceedings. The friendship between Holmes and Watson is much more obvious, and Bruce's bumbling, muttering and dog-like devotion make it quite humourous and enjoyable. It's still a little over-melodramatic at times, but that's probably more to do with the style of acting at that time, and certainly there were a couple of good stunts and the lamp-lit streets and cabs clattering along were well used. I was also surprised to be fooled by one of Holmes' disguises - he danced and sang 'I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside' and I didn't recognise him until he revealed himself!

This version of Moriarty is more like the man from the book, emitting a steely menace while not doing much of anything overtly bad. He becomes a bit of a typical heavy by the end, rolling around on the top of the Tower - almost as if his beard was the real brain and once it was shaved off he could only be like everyone else! It was a surprise to see Captain Mainwaring. No, not Arthur Lowe, but a man with the same name as his character, and one who looked similar! No Lestrade yet, but another shortsighted inspector there to show how clever Holmes is. For some reason this film is on the second disc, and so third in order on the box set, despite being the second film they made, so I'm not sure why it wasn't on the first disc. Why they insist on having the same five minute documentary on every disc is a bit of a mystery too.

**

Pen Pals

DVD, TNG S2 (Pen Pals)

For those that complain that Captain Janeway was inconsistent in doing whatever she wanted to one moment, then obeyed the rules at another, citing Captain Picard as the example of the perfect Captain, this episode proves otherwise. The senior staff sit around talking in a rather superior, detached and philosophical way about the fate of a world. Their appearance of smugness isn't assisted by the informal setting - if the debate had occurred in the Observation Lounge it might have seemed less frivolous, but as it is, the Prime Directive is talked around until Picard decides they can't interfere. At this point I would mention the B-story (or is it the A? Both plots are lightweight), of Wesley Crusher being given a command experience.

They could have tied in the two storylines in this scene, and had Wesley present to see what a command decision is like. Then again, it isn't a very good example! Picard goes back on his decision because Data's friend Sarjenka sounds a bit worried - after he's just been saying how they can't let their emotions interfere. As an audience we want the planet, and specifically Sarjenka to be saved, not because we particularly care about them, but because she means so much to Data. At the same time we know the Prime Directive well and breaking the rules just this once was a little indulgent.

Aside from the moral implications there isn't much to recommend the story. Wesley's difficulty in coping with other people under his command isn't the hard-edged experience it might have been. He has a little confidence trouble, and then it's sorted out, losing all opportunity for conflict and resolution as seen in say, the Original Series' 'The Galileo Seven'. Likewise Data's friend is comfortably reset to forget her experiences, and although her alien appearance (those long fingers!), and the pretty volcano views are a positive, the story doesn't have great resonance or weight.

**

Scare

DVD, Smallville S4 (Scare)

Tell her! Tell her! Tell her! That's what my head was shouting in the last scene. It's been over two years since Clark's shared his secret with someone, and that didn't work out. In fact it led to the breaking of a long friendship with Pete, and his leaving Smallville. Everything at the end of this story pushes us into wanting Clark to tell Chloe, and actually it's come out of the blue. It isn't like he's been thinking hard about telling her, on the contrary, it's Lana he wants to tell. But that little sequence when she brings out the whereabouts, or more aptly, the condition of her Mum, that she becomes more honest and open than we've seen her before, makes it seem like the perfect time.

She admits she knows some big secret is a burden to Clark, which hasn't been addressed since the time she was investigating him, causing a rift for a while. Thankfully that was patched up, much better than the one with Lana, but that's probably because she's fonder of Clark than Lana now is, and can forgive him anything as long as he remains on friendly terms. She couldn't bear not seeing the guy at all, whereas Lana has moved on, grown up quite a lot, and thought she'd got what she wanted. Only Jason has suddenly gone weird, and it has to be something to do with his Mum, and some dark secret that would cause him to leave.

The horror aspect of the series has always been there, from the freaks-of-the-week to town-wide disaster, though the latter has been rare. It's been a while since the Smallville Medical Centre has been inundated with townsfolk, and seeing it like that brought back memories of the twisters. People's greatest fears are always compelling, and I only wish we could have seen the Kent's and Lionel's. It's easy to guess that their fear would be losing Clark or each other, but Lionel Luthor's? He's such a shadowy character, even now, that I'm not sure a fear could be pinned down pat, unless it was failure of everything he instigated, or defeat by adversaries, or Lex bringing him down - but that fear has already come true. Until he's let out here!

We knew he'd be getting out at some point - if he could recover his sight from blindness, getting out of prison's a comparatively easy achievement! But who is the mystery benefactor, this someone who mut be more powerful than him? It wouldn't be Lex, he put him there, rightfully in the first place. It wouldn't be the villains he's come up against over the years, so it's either the lady in charge of finding the stones, or someone we don't know yet.

Clark's almost-sacrifice, where he goes to give himself up as a guinea-pig for Lex' testing was one of his most heroic moments, and the use of heat vision to speed up the antidote was inspired, and a good effect. There were a lot of strong visuals, partly from the makeup (the horror sequences as Chloe finds her weird Mother, and Lana gets grabbed by a zombie version of herself!), but also from some stunning CGI. While I'm pretty sure they reused Lex' vision of being President of a doomed world from Season One's 'Hourglass' the new meteor storm destroying the SMC, and Jason's fall from the upper level of the Talon were most impressive for a TV show. It was obvious this wasn't reality early on - we've had so many scenes of Clark being subject to a lurid visit from some female with amorous or evil intention in his loft, that this was a play on the familiar. When Clark so easily succumbs to Lana, and Jason hits him about like an ordinary mortal it's quite clear this is either virtual reality, a dream, or in this case a nightmare.

The intentions of the various characters and there challenges in the episode are well-played. Lex shows some spark of his old concern for people when he worries about the experiment that's gone wrong, but as ever we're not sure if he really cares about the little people, his employees, and Clark's associates, or whether it's his reputation and that of Luthercorp that motivates him. It reminded me so much of past stories in which Luthercorp has committed some terrible act by mistake or design, and Lex gets extremely agitated, apologising profusely to Clark, while trying to sort the situation out privately. Chalk another one up to British Director David Carson for all that, as well as the writers for trying a bit harder. The actors had something to do with it too, I'm sure! The nastiness in this episode isn't the visual horror, as that's pretty standard and uncreative by 'Smallville' standards. No, it's the way it keeps us in suspense about so many things, but especially whether Clark will tell Chloe his secret, and who sprung Lionel. One of the best episodes of the season.

***