The Magnificent Ferengi

DVD, DS9 S6 (The Magnificent Ferengi)

Actually it was The Magnificent Six, or even The Magnificent Seven if you count Vorta Keevan, and despite claims to the contrary by the makers of the episode, this is reminiscent, in small ways, of the famous Western, 'The Magnificent Seven': when they get their group together they count each new addition off on their fingers (sometimes it almost seems like they're breaking the fourth wall, like they're gesturing to the camera, the most obvious example being Cousin Gaila's recruitment, after which they walk out of 'Voyager's brig, sorry, the Starbase's brig, right past the camera!), and they even do the close-up of the eyes as Quark, Rom and Nog look at each other coolly before they make the walk, all in a line, towards their enemy. I haven't seen the film in years, so I can't remember if these things were exactly what occurred, but they seem like the honouring of a Western's style to me! After the legal troubles from using both Sherlock Holmes on 'TNG' and James Bond in 'Our Man Bashir,' I expect they wanted to distance themselves from any further IP haggling. Why use the title then? Well, apart from those small details I've already mentioned, and the idea of a small group of individuals banding together to help the little people against a vast and powerful bully, there aren't any similarities to the plot. That's it! Quark's gang are the village from that film - both the victims of the village and the cowboy heroes of their own story, blended into one.

I always loved the Ferengi episodes, one of the starkest decrier of the ridiculous criticism that 'DS9' wasn't funny. While some may have found their attempts, (successfully), to make the discarded 'TNG' race as essential as any of the other top-tier peoples of the Trek galaxy to be irritating and farcical, the point was to expand and portray a believable society, no matter how alien - these are aliens, don't forget, but even in a time and place in which alien contact is as normal as walking down to your local supermarket is today (I was about to say High Street, but the way things are going, that may not be possible for too much longer!), the Ferengi remain alien to all the other species we see, frankly because their customs and system are abhorrent in many ways. But while their culture is not something to be followed or held up as a wonderful example of a good lifestyle (as certain aspects of other major races might be, in moderation, such as the logic of the Vulcans, fearlessness of Klingons, or fascination with discussion that the Cardassians love), they're used more to satirise our own culture today, so it's no wonder that when they (who generally fail and show the worst sides of life), succeed, we root for them!

Quark has long been my favourite Trek character, an atypical choice, I know. He's not the hero, he's not the villain, he's just a man trying to make a living, struggling, railing against the realities of the world around him which is so different to what he believes and is fighting not to be conformed to, yet from another perspective gradually lessens in his extreme Ferenginess over the years to take on the positive values of the Federation, showing a streak of bravery when absolutely necessary. He's a character you can identify with - we might respect Worf and Sisko, but we could never emulate their ability; we don't have the diplomatic patience of Picard or the computational brain of Spock; the superhuman powers of Data or the wisdom of Dax' many lifetimes. But Quark, he we can understand, so when he breaks out of his selfish little world to do something for the greater good, or for unprofitable (materially), friendship, it makes us ever more fond of him. This episode may be his highest moment of sacrifice (regardless of the fifty bars of gold-pressed Latinum reward offered by the Nagus - you can't spend a reward if you're dead), because to rescue his Mother he has to go way out of his comfort zone and use all his guile, skill and people power to effect the rescue, turning into an exchange, of his Moogie, Ishka. Quark's always been rather resentful towards his Mum, because she doesn't conform to the expected standards of behaviour and do what all the other Mums do, forgetting that much of his own ability has been inherited from her, which is why he struggles with himself.

Not in this episode, but he's been shown to have problems, stretching back to his youth, something that had been explored in 'Family' where we first met Moogie, and again in 'Ferengi Love Songs' where both Quark's ideal in Grand Nagus Zek, and his shame, in the form of Moogie and her male-like tendencies to earn profit, wear clothes and do other such scandalous things are frustratingly merged for him. But he's also come to admire Moogie's ability, and while not accepting her wish to change things for her gender, she's his Moogie, and he's going to rescue her from the Dominion. It couldn't be a much more farfetched idea in principle: Moogie has been captured by the most dangerous enemy of the Federation and Quark has to go up against them. So it's an absolute tribute to the writing and acting (not to mention the fine direction), that can pull this off and make it, not only believable, but true to Ferengi nature and a pleasingly deep story that is as much about proving themselves to each other and others, as it is about pulling off a caper where hilarity abounds, yet is dramatic and you feel the personal stakes of those involved: their lives, and proving to other races that they can be as heroic in their own way as anyone else. And that they did achieve!

Of all the Ferengi soap episodes this is the most dramatic, has the highest personal stakes, and keeps the tone of a bunch of amateurs that, with the help of some Starfleet-directed resolve from Nog, the engineering expertise of Rom, and the backup of Gaila, Leck and Brunt, can win out against impossible odds, not only achieving what they set out to do, but doing even better - though I wouldn't set much store in the Ferengi's future trading or working with the Dominion after they double-cross Yelgrun, though that was itself a reaction to an unfortunate event precipitated by the hotheadedness of a Ferengi. Even when their worst attributes came through, Quark was somehow able to use it to their advantage. Quark is what everything rests on: he's the backbone that Brunt doesn't have; the control over his foggy-minded, but genius brother; the direction for Nog's strict discipline and Leck's murderous tendencies; and the pull of Gaila's backup - without him, none of them could have succeeded, he does the job a leader should, even when he really doesn't want to lead from the front. We've hardly ever seen him so driven and forceful as we do here, carefully playing on each of his comrades' desires to build his team, running at top speed through the abandoned station, Empok Nor, reacting to situations, coming up with a cunning and safe way to deal with the Dominion. His heroics may be driven by profit, but they're also driven by an inherent need to prove his people's prowess amid a community which stars Starfleet people to whom such challenges are common.

It's a shame that Zek and Mai'Hardu aren't part of the episode, not even appearing via viewscreen (Wallace Shawn was unavailable), as the Ferengi family is incomplete without them (even if Mai'Hardu is an Hupyrian, he's an honorary member of the Ferengi troupe), but we get a wonderful array of personalities that do show up. It couldn't have been much better unless all Quark's extended family were along for the ride, various members of which were mentioned over the seasons, though only Cousin Gaila was ever seen - Quark getting him out of prison for an important mission was so similar to Sisko doing the same for Eddington, it was uncanny! Gaila was Quark's ideal, the successful one: "The one with the moon." But hang on, that's no moon, it's a space station! Gaila's stock has fallen very low, arrested for vagrancy (though why he should be imprisoned in 'Voyager's brig, sorry, the Starbases' brig, I'm not sure!), he has nothing following his dealings with Quark last season in which he tested Quark's true and deep morals to the limits by getting him involved with Steven Berkoff's weapon's dealer, Hagath. It was another breakout moment for Quark as he realised profit wasn't the most important thing, and his creative solution to the moral quagmire he found himself in must have been a confidence booster, and one of the stepping stones to get to this episode, in which he willingly puts himself against the Dominion to save his Moogie.

Berkoff wasn't the only famous face to appear in 'DS9,' as evidenced by rock star Iggy Pop's role here, one of the best Vorta ever, Yelgrun. He's so different to the others of his kind, and for a cloned race, it's not surprising that many of them are difficult to distinguish unless you've seen the episodes a number of times. I don't mean you couldn't spot the difference between, say, Deyos and Borath, but they, and other Vorta blend into one in the memory - all share short black hair, blunt, evil personality and sliminess. It took Weyoun, and to a lesser extent, Kilana, to create really compelling characters for the race. This season we've been spoilt, since Keevan had already been a stronger Vorta role than most of the others (still not up to the great Jeffrey Combs' Weyoun), with his distinctive large eyes and strange voice. And we were getting a second fantastic Vorta in Yelgrun, with that bony facial structure and resonant voice, here was another Vorta that was incredibly memorable, and not because of the casting. I'd never heard of Iggy Pop before I first saw the episode, so that made no impact on me, but I was impressed by the character. Knowing now that he was well known for being an out of control personality, it gives me an understanding of why he worked so well as the character - there's an underlying dramatic tension in putting a loud, boisterous person under the constraints of a restrained race that nonetheless has the great well of power behind him that means he has no pressure points and is merely indulging these Ferengi in order to get Keevan as quickly as possible.

He says himself he could have his Jem'Hadar storm the Infirmary, and kill them all, but Quark knows better - if the Dominion was willing to set up a trade, it's because they want Keevan alive. Yelgrun has the hallmarks of his race, happy to use force whenever necessary, but fundamentally polite and diplomatic. His downfall comes of underestimating the Ferengi and their incredible tenacity and ability to adapt to situations (probably the reason the Ferengi Alliance exists), just as Keevan did, and ends up getting captured, just like Keevan. I'd never thought about it before, but there could be an issue of the Federation acting out of line with their moral outlook. Today, nations have to think long and hard about sending a prisoner or convict to another nation that practices torture or may even kill the subject. This was the case here, because Starfleet must have known Keevan was a marked man thanks to his treasonous plot to get himself out of the war by sacrificing his Jem'Hadar to Sisko in 'Rocks and Shoals,' allowing him a nice comfy life out of the fighting. In his own way he was as devious as a Ferengi, but I suppose he didn't reckon with Sisko's burning anger at the death of honourable men, the only way to resolve the situation on the planet. It took great self control to prevent himself from killing Keevan when he nonchalantly strolled over the remains of his men, and I get the feeling, just as Bashir and the savants in 'Statistical Probabilities' needed Sisko's voice to support their plan, Quark only got Keevan because Sisko recommended it. A fitting punishment for Keevan, though it does make Sisko indirectly responsible for his death.

Or it would have if Keevan had been tortured and killed by the Dominion. Instead he gets it in the chest from an angry Gaila, as bad a shot as he is stupid. Gaila by far exhibits the worst of his race's vices - before, he was willing to kill millions to make a profit, now we see him as lazy, foolish, hot-tempered, murderous, sulky and stupid. But what I like about him is that he is a distinct and different Ferengi. Just as the Vorta have had specific things to differentiate them, in some cases stronger than others, the Ferengi on 'DS9' were given real character. You think back to the days of the Ferengi on 'TNG' and you think of identikit, grey-clothed idiots, the only difference being Early Ferengi and Later Ferengi. The Early version was misguided and absolutely ridiculous, portrayed like monkeys, practically. The Later variety were no longer being made ridiculous by their physical actions, just their silly schemes, and you'd be hard-pressed to remember one from another. Obviously there were exceptions: Bok being a personal nemesis for Picard; Dr. Reyga who was actually intelligent, though he was created after 'DS9' had begun to change things for the better. But look at the six Ferengi in this episode and each is as distinct and interesting a character in his own right. Sorry, I should have said seven, since Moogie's just as memorable - I love the moment she batters Nog round the head for daring to slice her palm with a knife to check she's not a Changeling. It results in Rom saying that's no way to check when she says she's doing the same to Nog, which then turns into her demanding the knife, the observation that that's family by Quark, then Yelgrun admitting he doesn't understand as he was cloned!

It's that punchy dialogue, pinging back and forth that makes the episode even better, adding to so many moments of laughter and joy. Even things like revisiting Empok Nor, which Nog obviously has knowledge of, is an excellent choice. The fact that Nog is part of it is essential as he brings Starfleet training and discipline to what could have been a shoddy affair, though at first refuses because he can't run off on a personal mission - that didn't stop Dax in 'Blood Oath,' or Worf, or most of the other characters at one time or another! He also gets to play at Dr. Frankenstein, crying for more stimulators when rescuing Gaila's mistake by reanimating the dead Keevan - a shame his clone never came into the series, but the Dominion may have excised his series for treachery. Reusing Empok Nor may have been encouraged by the idea to save money, just as all the series' have used their ships as alternative locations at one time or another, but it works for me because 'Empok Nor' is one of my favourite episodes and any excuse to see the darker, creepier sister station of DS9, is fine by me (even though 'Covenant' wasn't great, I liked the return of Empok Nor). It's a reminder of what our station is really like - if you strip away the neon lights of the Promenade, remove the people and dim the lights, it becomes a terribly creepy place to walk through with its Gothic Cardassian architecture and dark corners, as seen on various occasions. It's no surprise to me that 'Distant Voices,' should have been my favourite episode when I was growing up, because it's another to bring out the fear embedded in the design of this alien monstrosity.

Like 'Resurrection' before it, this episode features reminders of the early seasons. For one, Odo baiting Quark, though not something he ever stopped doing, had lessened, as Odo had other fish to fry, with less scenes between the pair in later seasons, sadly. Also, Rom crawling through the station's underbelly (or should that be 'overbelly,' since he and Quark end up popping out unexpectedly in Sisko's office!), and the feeling of all the nooks and crannies of a vast and unexplored station come rushing back - something else that drew me to the series in the first place was the station's untapped potential in itself: that huge amount of space and its interconnectedness, the same reason people love old buildings with their dusty passages and forgotten spaces behind the walls - it all added mystery to the series, something that lost over the years because bigger, more essential events were occurring on a plane above the inner workings of the station. How could they explore the depths of DS9 when there was war on a huge scale? One place I'm not sure we ever actually saw (or if we did, it never made an impact), was Quark's store room, to which he directs his Syrup of Squill consignment. I couldn't help noting after his tale about blackmailing this Squill out of the producers that he got it on condition he didn't reveal their plan to raise prices, but he's just told everyone the story! That may not be as illogical as Moogie's trip to Vulcan to raise her ears - seems odd that Vulcans would perform such an unnecessary procedure of vanity, unless it was for a medical reason, though if anyone knows about ears, it's them!

Another way this episode feels like the film it was named after, is that no one is the main character, everyone's part of the story. I'm not talking about the usual main characters of the series, as they either don't appear (Worf and Jake), or do so fleetingly - Odo's observation about there being nothing heroic about earning profit is the icing on the cake, though I guess it must be an upside down cake, since it comes in at the beginning. But it's those very words that eat at Quark and, added to the fifty bars, inspire him to take on the deadly mission in the first place. We get to see a funny sequence of what would happen if the Ferengi did get into a fight with the Jem'Hadar, and it's not pretty: running into walls, shooting the person they're supposed to save, running away screaming… It's after this depressing demonstration that Quark, through Rom, realises that it's no good trying to behave in the same way as others do, but to find their own strengths and play to those. It's a rewarding episode for that very reason, because it gives the message that you can succeed without applying the same techniques or courses of action as others, but by being unique; yourself, and doing things the way that you do them best. If you know yourself you have an advantage.

It's a very positive episode, despite the dingy surroundings of Empok Nor, the profit-fuelled decision-making, and the worst characteristics of the most morally degenerate race on Trek (okay, there's an argument to be had there, but I'll leave that one for now), because it says 'you can.' It's a proving of Quark, as if we didn't already know that secretly he's a good man whose own race's tenets aren't really good enough for him - if they were he'd have his own moon by now! I think it's this feel-good factor, combined with my favourite character getting his dues that make this, believe it or not, my favourite 'DS9,' even my favourite Trek episode in total. What? A Ferengi episode? It must be a farce! But it's so enjoyable, impressive and well-constructed that I can't stop myself from awarding it this accolade. It may not have the same impact it had on the first few viewings, but that's always the way, and I've always found it so funny, fun and reassuring; success against impossible odds; the continuation of the development of the Ferengi; and specifically the getting together of a Ferengi Rat Pack.

I almost wish there could be more episodes of the gang getting together again, solving problems, or overcoming the odds, but that would be to lighten the pudding, taking away from the almost perfect mixture in this one: Nog, trying to be Worf; Rom supporting his brother; Gaila proving what a fool he is (when he shoots Keevan and Leck calls him an idiot, it was another 'Dad's Army' moment - I half expected him to say "You stupid boy!"); Brunt along for the ride, the most unlikely addition to Quark's club (once again I feel myself astonished that he's played by the same man who plays Weyoun!); and Leck, the most un-Ferengi Ferengi. The attention to detail is also impressive, bringing back these characters again, even Leck had had a tiny role in the last Ferengi soap instalment, 'Ferengi Love Songs.' Best of all, it ends with a flourish, the forgotten corpse of Keevan continuing to bump into the wall after they've gone. Poetic. You can even point to a little hint of the future with Yelgrun's exasperation: he announces he thought the Breen were annoying, after his patience is tested by Quark's stalling. Could this be the time when the Dominion were trying to recruit the Breen to their cause? Whatever, it's another mysterious mention of the mysterious race, and that, along with other little points, such as the Battle of Prexnak adds even the last little flavouring or spice that makes this dish the best, and one of those rare episodes that makes you laugh out loud.

*****

Bloodline

DVD, Smallville S8 (Bloodline)

Back to the quarry again. The catch this time is that Lois comes along for the ride to the Phantom Zone, much to Clark's concern (it all comes from simply touching the blue crystal which has mysteriously been sent to him in the post - who by, that's what I want to know?), but it's all okay because Lois gets knocked out by Kara (yes, she's there too), and so doesn't hear any of the Kryptonian chat that passes between them. Not that it would have really mattered anyway as by the end of the episode she thinks it was all a hallucination (blood sugar levels, Clark suggests cunningly), and the mechanism which gets her to this position happened when she was back on Earth anyway, so why did she even need to tag along? Why go to the Phantom Zone anyway except as a way to bring back Kara… so she can be sent away again, making her choice for 'another journey' just as Clark's is on Earth. Somehow I doubt we've seen the last of her, since her quest to find some lost city of Krypton which may still exist, could easily pop up again if necessary (in other words, if the writers are short of ideas that week - first paragraph and I'm already swiping at them!). Funnily enough, for once I felt her character actually had some interest - this version of Kara is one that had been abandoned to the hellish Phantom Zone by Brainiac, and she's become a wild survivalist, used to battling away with the Zoners, though they'll never kill her because she can open the portal home, and she won't do it, knowing they'll try to escape. There's a nobility in her actions, and a serious psychological burden behind her eyes.

All this is undermined by Clark and Lois showing up and having to get back - Clark would stay, but Lois, as he says, doesn't belong there, so he'll hang around and stop any Zoners that try and get through while Kara and Lois escape. Except he can't stop one getting through, and nor can Kara. Then it becomes another in a long line of possession stories (I can't even remember how many times this has happened to Lois, any more than I can recall how often she's been knocked unconscious!). I will give Erica Durance credit for creating a completely different feel to her role as Faora, wife of Zod, even down to the voice, though it was helped by Faora taking such trouble over a different hairstyle for her new vessel. We didn't see the scene where she was using curlers, but that might have made her character less threatening. Nor was there time, as so much is packed in. I only wish I could say much of it was good, but as often is the case with this series it's a series of set-pieces or moments, conversations or activities that merge together like a badly cut jigsaw, chip-chopping between stories and characters to veil the fact that this isn't a well told, or structured, story.

There were a couple of scenes I thought good, though they came right near the end with Clark talking to Tess Mercer, and then Oliver Queen (who gets to be the Green Arrow for a brief moment, using a cool paralysis dart to incapacitate Tess when she discovers him stealing a device that can 'read' the blue crystal, because somehow Chloe has narrowed down all the possibilities of where Clark might have gone and how to save him, to hacking into said crystal - but I'm meant to be presenting the good stuff). In those conversations there's a little of the old tension of what and how much does Tess know, saying that Clark was the last person to see Lex alive, since she's still obsessed with finding him, and why didn't Lex trust him? Then with Oliver it's the old argument chipping away at Clark living his mundane life (relatively speaking), when Chloe's constantly getting caught up in dangerous Kryptonian stuff. It's nice to see Queen at the Kent Farm (not so nice to see Tess there, earlier, and quite why she was there, except because they needed to make Chloe have to lie to her, I don't know).

The premise might be, as Chloe neatly summed up, 'Lois with Clark's abilities, but without his inhibitions,' which could sound intriguing if we hadn't already seen it done time and time before, where a character gets Clark's powers or equivalent, and he has to fight them or clean up after them. Not that he fought Lois, he just let her chuck him out of a hospital window onto a parked vehicle (and no one came to see if they were alright! Not that the staff are up to much at that place - when Lois as Faora goes to see her 'child,' Davis, in a ward, a doctor tells her the area is restricted, but she tells him it's her child, the doc presumably thinking she's talking about the little boy Davis is patching up, but rather than wave her through compassionately he disdainfully ignores her and walks off!). That was a surprise, I'll give them that: that Davis Bloome, ambulance attendant, is actually the offspring of Zod and his wife. Not a good surprise; I was sort of hoping for something clever, vainly perhaps, but I still hoped. It looks to be that Davis is going to be the annual 'fall guy' who comes in with a mysterious past and secret life and is killed/leaves by the end of the season. It's a pattern that's been followed quite regularly over the series, and having a one-season wonder main character isn't a bad idea if not for the fact that they usually die or have to have a dark secret, the attitude being 'otherwise what's the point?'

And then Lois/Faora kills Davis so he can come back with what appear to be Kryptonian powers. I missed the part where killing one of Clark's people actually makes them stronger, or is it just in this particular case? Rather than make me wonder at the revelations following these events, it just makes me unimpressed, because up till now Davis the mystery was relatively interesting. As has become too common it's not just poor plotting, but poor writing that permeates the fast-moving train of happenings, with such moments as Davis not being surprised to see Lois, even after Chloe's been worried about her, just talking to her normally. Admittedly, this could be my fault for not paying close enough attention, and it may be that she never told Davis that Clark and Lois were missing as she did Oliver, but it rips along so fast and so many different things happen that it's little wonder if you can't follow everything that you should - maybe they like it like that as there's less time to think and realise how this is all flung at you to deceive you into thinking it's actually been pretty good. It does succeed in that way a lot of the time as you get carried along, and only when you think about how people behave or what they say, or the many, regular coincidences (not to mention an unending queue of Kryptonian visitors to Earth), do you feel like the joining of the dots doesn't make much of a picture. Like Chloe tasking Queen with stealing the device: she doesn't have time to explain what's happened to Clark, but she has time to wait for Oliver to bring her the machine. In other words, she didn't want to explain herself, just do what she says and get on with it as the plot demands!

Perhaps I'm being too harsh? I've already pointed to things about the episode that were comparatively accomplished, such as Durance's performance as Faora and Kara being a bit more interesting, but we're ping-ponging back and forth between events, locations and stories so that what could have stood as an episode alone (Lois and Clark lost in the Phantom Zone, for example), is rushed through, and you get the feeling that it's just a facade, an empty wall that if they throw enough at it won't show the cracks or transparency that standing still would reveal. Too much is kind of pointless, only there to get you from A to B so that there is an episode - Lois decides to move back in at the Kent Farm, but it's only so she can be sucked into the Phantom Zone. One or two instances like this in the course of an episode wouldn't be a crime, but too many and it becomes a flimsy thing to behold. Yet questions remain to keep you interested: what did Mercer make of a super-speeding Lois? How is Chloe after plugging into the blue crystal? What has Davis become?

**

Statistical Probabilities

DVD, DS9 S6 (Statistical Probabilities)

As close to a stage play as you can get, I could genuinely imagine this performed in theatre thanks to its reliance on character over multiple sets and action. The story does stray outside of the Cargo Bay in which this group of genetically engineered individuals resides for their visit to Dr. Bashir, but much of it happens within those four walls, including a holographic recording of a meeting between Sisko and Dominion representatives Weyoun and Damar (though we don't get to see holo-Sisko, unfortunately, as it would have been fun to see the group commenting on him, too!). Does this mean the Cargo Bays have holoemitters within them, was it something unique to this particular one, was it something installed specifically so the group could watch the proceedings, or was it all connected to that large screen? It's possible that the screen was a holoemitter itself, far beyond 3D TV, able to project a scene into a room. It would be a nice bit of kit to own, and who knows, maybe one day we'll be able to watch this series in fully three dimensions like that? But I'm getting away from the episode, which, as I said, has the feel of a well-written play about it thanks to some excellent dialogue and characterisations.

The key to its success was in the casting, with one of the strongest groups of actors brought together for an episode. If they hadn't worked, the whole thing would have crumbled, but they make it the fascinating study of possibilities that it is, and positively demanded to be brought back, so it's a good job they were. Two of the actors had appeared in previous Treks (Michael Keenan as an alien in 'Sub Rosa' on 'TNG,' as well as King Hrothgar in a 'Voyager' Holodeck episode, 'Heroes and Demons,' while Hilary Shepard-Turner was in 'The Ship,' during the previous season of 'DS9' as a Benzite - I was going to say she had more makeup on in that one, but after watching the episode again, I'm not so sure, Lauren being caked in the stuff!), which may have given them their practice episodes since none of those stories were as good as this one (though their performances may not have made that much difference to the overall quality of the episode), this 'the real thing' where they were able to stretch their acting wings. The other two, Jack and Sarina, were played by actors that had never done Trek before, and it's great to see both new and old faces working together to create an immersive story through the idiosyncrasies and antics of these socially inept geniuses. I would also highlight Dr. Karen Loews as being a really good character as well, despite her short appearance - the way she responds to Jack's spiteful violence is not the shock that she must have felt (and we, the audience, feel), but with considered compassion and calmness, like the best Vulcan would.

Jack's extreme levels of energy and unpredictability give him a flow of forcefulness in his personality, yet he doesn't have the commanding presence that a true leader would have. He bounces from thought to thought and emotion to expression like a… jumping jack! One of the best moments in the episode comes after he's refusing to talk to Bashir at the end, his plans foiled, pride hurt, but before they beam out he asks Julian, if they come up with a way to beat the Dominion will he listen? So he still wants to use his talents to help, and he clearly has respect for the Doctor as he's willing to make the request, and of course Bashir agrees and it all ends amicably. The group came in like a whirlwind, threw people's thoughts and hopes into a flurry with their reading of the Dominion War, then bow out again as the dust settles. It couldn't have been much finer. The wonderfully simple demonstration of all their lofty facts and figures, projections and predictions being derailed by one single person was powerful and has something to say about those who seem to be great thinkers and planners, concerned with the big picture in their own arrogance, but forgetting the smallest thing that can make all the difference. It's a lesson in not trusting too much in man's wisdom, (Bashir even says they're not gods, though Jack, in lofty arrogance, seems to think they're close), and taking the time to consider that we don't have all the answers and have to operate despite that.

Sarina, the ghostly figure that spends most of the episode in the background, almost an extra, and one that doesn't even speak, though for once in Trek, it wasn't to save money, but as an incredibly effective dramatic device, gives us another rush of mastery and meaning when at the last, having spent her time with eyes downcast, she looks up into Bashir's eyes and makes a connection. It's so much more affecting because of her waif-like role throughout the rest of the story, and shows that there's hope for her yet, as would become the launching point of the sequel. Patrick and Lauren are there more for comedy value and to provide added complexity to the group, as they both have obvious problems, but taken as a whole, the four are so distinctive, characterful and engaging to watch that they enhance (not just genetically!), the viewing experience and set a contrast for the still newly revealed Bashir and his enhancements. This is the first episode to really touch on his abilities, though we saw how useful they can be in 'A Time To Stand,' and it gives us another touchpoint of the issue of gene manipulation and modification, something becoming more science fact than fiction now. It shows both the positive, with Bashir able to lead the fantastically useful life that he does, both as Doctor and Starfleet officer, and the dark side of the procedure when things go wrong, ably exampled by Jack's motley group.

It isn't just about the rights and wrongs of such unnatural manipulation (we'd already seen the strongest argument against augmentation at its most extreme, in the Borg, whose constant striving for perfection becomes their sole purpose and creates a horrific self-centredness that isn't even about the self, but is a mindless conglomeration, slaves to a group will, and overseen by a single, malevolent one), it's about the treatment of such people by society. Bashir's colleagues discuss the advantages such people would possess and how they should be barred from competition for such positions as serving in Starfleet. They are feared in some ways, not just because of what they could do, but in the thought that un-enhanced people would have to become like them to compete. It could become a spiral of competitiveness, won by those with the best resources. Bashir's caught in the middle - he feels guilt at being this enhanced man, and even points out Jack's behaviour as being exactly the kind of thing ordinary people fear when he wants to take the law into his own hands and end the War by forcing the Federation to surrender. The Eugenics Wars get a glorious mention, and the parallels are there again, with Khan and his cronies taking over so much of the world - they do things by force if they can't do them by consent. It's interesting to note, that like Khan and his people before them, these are all humans, as if it's a human problem - our own greatest threat is ourselves.

Jack is a worrying character because he isn't afraid to take extreme actions. Cutting Dr. Loews' hand was only one example, he also grabs Sarina's head and threatens to snap her neck if he doesn't get his way quickly enough. I don't think he would do anything so unforgivable as that, but you can't be sure because of his unpredictable nature, when he's doing something out of meanness or when he's just reading the situation and thinking this will be the quickest way to force something to be done. He's the leader because he wants to take action where the others are content to stand, lie, or waddle around. What comes as some of the most amazing moments are how the story is masterfully crafted so that you can believe Starfleet and Sisko would happily give these misfits classified information. From the start we're introduced to them all as they wait for Bashir to meet them, so well designed to show off their personalities. They seem like they have very little hope of contributing to 24th Century life until, by happenstance, they catch Damar's speech and show their intuitive and insightful reading of a person or situation, beautifully turning it into a legendary, or fairytale archetype to express the facts as they see them. This in turn gets them access to the peace talks (how interesting it would have been if they'd really been allowed to attend the meeting!), which gives Starfleet an important tactical advantage when the Dominion were trying to pull the wool over their eyes. All this leads them to go overboard and formulate the shape of future events.

Bashir gets caught up in the excitement over their initial success and really believes in their ability to predict the long term future (just as we hear of the past with the Eugenics War we also hear of a possible future where the Federation surrenders, but one day an uprising eventually overcomes the conquerors, leading to a golden age of a new Federation that lasts for thousands of years - it's certainly appealing if you forget about the lives of the contemporary people who will have to give up their freedom), so much so that he begins to talk like them, faster and almost patronising those that can't keep up, since surely that's the only way people wouldn't agree with their rightness, not the real reason of being more level-headed or opposed to sacrificing their ideals. And that's the biggest issue of the episode: is it right to sacrifice freedom or even a number of lives in order to safeguard a far greater number of lives. It becomes about huge figures and dispassionately giving up, rather than fighting for what you believe in and making a difference, as Captain Kirk would have said - when the odds were against him and the situation was grim that was when Kirk was at his best, enjoying the thrill of trying to stay alive or do what you could with your last breath. Not that that gung-ho nature would necessarily be a tasteful response to the serious issue of billions of lives, but it does start me wondering what Kirk would have done had he survived 'Generations' and been given a ship during the War… The Dominion would have had a tougher time, I'm sure!

Sisko won't ever give up, not when everything he's fought for is on the table, and not for the possible chance to save so many lives, because these are all hypothetical future events, and as the War would prove, there are far too many factors to be able to truly predict the course of the future. The other issue I thought I gleaned from the episode was a possible pro-gambling stance… Okay, so really it was just a more upbeat way to end the episode, (taken even further when Bashir actually gets to send off the group - but did Lauren beam in lying down on the Transporter pad since she beams out that way, or do you get rearranged to a standing position in the process?), but at first Bashir's upsetting Quark's customers at the Dabo table by ranting about the odds being against you and you can't help but lose, and then when he's back at the end he wins! It certainly improves the mood, ending cheerfully and with hope for the future, another reason this ranks highly among so many great episodes of the series and season - though that's two episodes in a row where people have been able to get away with a serious crime due to charges not being pressed. This time Sisko allows them to go free after almost becoming traitors, and last episode Mirror Bareil was freed by Kira!

Also like last episode, Odo's lack of keeping track of people on the station continues. Last time he wasn't keeping tabs on Bareil, now he fails to realise when Weyoun and Damar try to have a secret meeting with potential traitors, though I did love the fact that he's the one to tell them the meeting's off. You'd think there must be Starfleet guards outside of the visiting Dominion reps' quarters, so we don't know how they snuck out of there without being caught (I can just imagine Weyoun and a grumbling Damar struggling through the station's Jefferies Tubes!). Having the pair back in it again is another wonderful aspect of the episode, and quite unexpected as the next taste of their characters after evacuating DS9. Major changes have occurred, with Gul Damar taking his former superior's place as leader of his people, and a new interaction between him and Weyoun. If you think back to the station's occupation, the Vorta thought of and treated him as nothing more than a dog, but now there's a slight degree of mutual respect, essential for such a position. The dynamics have changed, with Weyoun schooling Damar, an uncertain figure, clouded with doubt who has to be strong for Cardassia. He's probably as confused by what's happened as we are! But it makes sense that he would be next in line as you can imagine when Dukat rose to power that only those in his good books would rise with him, and since Damar was the man he most trusted, he would be the one to share most of his confidence and so be in the best position to take over the role with Dukat's descent into madness and capture.

I don't think at this stage Damar knows what he's doing or what he will do, but Cardassians seem genetically predisposed to take control if the opportunity arises, and he's obviously learning a lot very quickly. This is the beginning of the true Damar, the one who would become a hero, though he doesn't know it yet. For such a time as this he was raised up to lead his people, a man that secretly hates the Dominion, but is forced to work with them. Weyoun's modified his own role into being a kind of mentor, knowing it's important to have Damar on his side to make it easier to fight the Federation and Klingons, and no longer baits the Cardassian, but works with him, also, no doubt, believing it will be easier to keep Damar under his thumb than the eminently untrustworthy and egomaniacal Dukat, though he doesn't know the other man's depths. I suppose Damar had come up with the solution to the minefield, and had proved his loyalty to the Dominion (though actually to Cardassia), by killing even the daughter of his friend and leader for being a traitor. His motives were personal, but the Dominion sees its goals in the same direction as his, so these are more concrete reasons for his being chosen to take command than simply being in the right place at the right time!

It's the first time Damar and Kira meet since he killed her friend, Ziyal, but she has to keep herself restrained since these are peace talks, and doesn't attack either physically or verbally. Strangely, she doesn't even seem that angry with Damar - both she and Dukat, the two most affected by Ziyal's death also seem to be very forgiving of Damar for some reason as neither threatens his life or tries to pay him back, or do anything in revenge, as if it was almost inevitable that she would die and Damar just happened to be the instrument of death. I think that's a small blind spot in the series, and Damar should have become public enemy number one for those two, or Kira at least. It's as if the writers had bigger plans for him, so his crime was quickly forgotten. Weyoun's just delighted to be back on the station and able to chat with his favourite Starfleet Captain, though if there is something missing from the episode it would be his and Sisko's interactions. We'd already seen them at it before, or am I thinking of Kira and Odo, or even Dukat, but it would have been a nice extra. As it is, the peace talks do give us something of great interest and enjoyment when we hear Weyoun speak 'Dominionese,' a short segment where we hear the real, untranslated words, since Jack's group are pointing out something about the way he speaks. I also love the moment when Patrick wanders into frame because it's so unexpected, since you assume (and it's cleverly directed to support this belief), you're at the actual meeting rather than a holographic simulation!

That's what gives the episode even more depth: the delight in the little things, whether that's spontaneous ballroom dancing, accurate predictions for the future (Romulans joining the fight; the Cardassian rebellion), the dartboard's return, or seeing the senior staff round at (what looks like), Sisko's for a meal, relaxing before dessert and awaiting Damar's speech. We've seen this happen at various times in the series, one of Sisko's hobbies is that he loves to cook, it helps him relax, so what better way to discuss the issues of the day informally than to invite your colleagues round, though you have to wonder why they're all dressed so formally! A bit like 'In The Cards' when everyone was depressed, this is a low-key dinner party, but not negative, just thoughtful. They must still be feeling a confidence boost after retaking the station, no matter how the War goes. One thing that works really well amidst all Bashir's problems in the episode is his friendship with O'Brien. Some of the best dialogue between them comes in this, with O'Brien thought of as uncomplicated by the savants, and Bashir absolutely milking it. Yet there's also a falling out between them over Bashir and his group's gloomy predictions - the Chief, like Sisko, knows that they have to keep on fighting, regardless of their chances, but importantly, they resolve their differences by the end, Bashir realising he was in the wrong. There's always been a rivalry between the pair, stretching back to when they first became friends, even becoming that way thanks to the rivalry of a single professional versus a working man with a family. Bashir's genius unveiled has only enhanced their friendship, and it's thanks to having friends like O'Brien that he's managed to have a normal, productive life - one enhancement that really was worth it.

*****

The 1000th Blog Post

The 1000th Blog Post

Things have changed in the last five years, though not in the way I expected: Back then I was beginning to believe I'd be getting rid of my DVDs, moving on to Blu-Ray, but that never happened, and in fact, complete series have become available as all-in-one box-sets. Rather than get rid of my slices of shelf, I need more shelves for the increasingly hefty slices (maybe I should rename the blog 'A Chunk of Shelf'!), all as they've become cheaper and with more choice of TV series' abounding. Where will we be in another five years? Will I still be writing away, distilling my thoughts into these reviews in 2019? Will there be a new 'Star Trek' TV series (and, more to the point, one I actually like and appreciate, with so many hours of greatness to follow?), and will DVDs finally become obsolete? Unknown.

Having written countless reviews (not all that countless: around one thousand, give or take a few of the early posts, which contained multiple mini-reviews!), over a five-year-plus period, what began as one of many tasks to keep me busy and my mind active during my unemployment, became a way to record my thoughts on those things that I enjoyed watching most (or could be bothered to delve into).

I've written my thoughts on many of the 'Star Trek' TV series' (much of 'TOS,' all of 'TNG,' almost all of 'DS9,' much of 'Voyager' and most of 'Enterprise'), and continue to churn them out as I watch, with the aim to one day have a review for every episode I've seen (though whether that will include the re-releases, I'm not so sure!), so they seemed a natural subject for my landmark one-thousandth post. I thought hard and long and came up with my definitive lists of my favourite episodes from each series - maybe not so definitive as thoughts have changed over the years, but close enough for now. Also thrown in are my top films and episodes of 'BUGS,' though for most of these lists and episodes, particularly the films, it may be more apt to call them the most influential as I may not have the same level of enjoyment from them now as I once did, though they stick in my mind as what impressed me most, originally.


My Top 20 Films:
The top five was fairly easy, the ten not too difficult, but the last ten were almost thrown on as it's hard to know with such close quality between them, and there are plenty of others bubbling under that might be just as worthwhile. 'Return of The Jedi' always was my favourite from way back seeing it as a child on TV at Christmas, but it doesn't necessarily fill me with joy to watch it now, more of a memory of enjoyment and awe. 'M:I2' is the same, the first action film I saw at the cinema, it still has the edge on anything else. My two preferred of 'The Lord of The Rings,' my favourite book, are about as good as we were going to get, and majestically showed what could be done, despite the complexity and detail of a great book, and there had to be a Trek film in the top five, with Kirk's final mission the choice cut of Trek magic. The other films on the list have made an impact, too.

1. Return of The Jedi
2. Mission: Impossible II
3. The Fellowship of The Ring
4. The Return of The King
5. Star Trek: Generations

6. The River Wild
7. The Empire Strikes Back
8. Star Trek: First Contact
9. Toy Story 2
10. The Matrix

11. Star Wars Episode I
12. Air Force One
13. Spider-Man
14. Mission: Impossible
15. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
16. The Bourne Ultimatum
17. Star Trek III: The Search For Spock
18. El Dorado
19. Zulu
20. Mrs. Doubtfire


My Top 20 DS9 Episodes
The hardest category to call, in some ways, as there are so many great episodes, but easier in others as I've seen them so often I know better than most things where they rank in my head. 'Distant Voices' may not be regarded as a Top 5 classic to most people, but it made an impact on me when I first saw it, appealing on both character and creep factors, and consequently was the first video I bought of the series, which turned into the complete collection over several years. 'The Magnificent Ferengi' as No. 1? Well, it's hilarious, one of the few Trek episodes to make me laugh out loud, yet also uses so many great pieces of 'DS9' lore in such a good way. And I could similarly go on about each and every entrant on the list, with a large enough number of episodes I could probably make a top fifty for this series. The best characters, acting, stories, ideas, complexity, action - it had it all and remains my favourite TV series ever, never to be superceded.

1. The Magnificent Ferengi
2. Call To Arms
3. Dr. Bashir, I Presume?
4. The Sacrifice of Angels
5. Distant Voices
6. The Ascent
7. Emissary
8. Far Beyond the Stars
9. What You Leave Behind
10. Visitor, The
11. You Are Cordially Invited...
12. In the Cards
13. Inquisition
14. Way of the Warrior
15. Trials and Tribble-ations
16. In the Pale Moonlight
17. The Begotten
18. Empok Nor
19. Blaze of Glory
20. Rocks and Shoals


My Top 20 Voyager Episodes
A tricky category as I haven't seen the episodes as regularly or as recently as other series' so some of these rankings may be out of date. It was more a case of flinging on those that I'd rated strongly in the past, even if I would probably have to rearrange things a bit as time goes on. 'Caretaker,' for me, has always been the high point as I saw it at just the right age. 'Basics' is a funny one as I used to prefer part one, and now part two seems better, but whether it's the Borg, time travel, or character studies, this series has much to prove its detractors wrong, and, like 'DS9' has so many other great episodes it's almost unfair not to have a top fifty.

1. Caretaker
2. Basics, part II
3. Lifeline
4. The Killing Game, part I
5. Basics, part I
6. Dark Frontier
7. Deadlock
8. Macrocosm
9. Relativity
10. Someone To Watch Over Me
11. Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy
12. Scorpion, part I
13. Shattered
14. Meld
15. Persistence of Vision
16. Raven, The
17. Repression
18. Timeless
19. Tsunkatse
20. Message in a Bottle


My Top 20 Star Trek: The Next Generation Episodes:
Tough, as many of these top episodes are very close to each other in my estimation. In truth I've almost randomly thrown them on the board, and those after the top ten could be in any order. The series didn't often reach the heights of 'DS9' or even make as much impact on me as 'Voyager' since I saw most of them after those series', but many episodes still warrant their place in Trek history, and those at the very top remain among the best Trek ever. The Borg rate highly, as do episodes which feature characters from other series', but just as important are those pure 'TNG' character episodes, whether it be about Data (Spiner's amazing ability to play three characters!), Picard (melding with Sarek, or reviewing his life), or Riker's insanity - even Wesley's most important moments rank up there!

1. The Best of Both Worlds, part I
2. All Good Things...
3. Tapestry
4. Sarek
5. Q Who?
6. Conspiracy
7. Birthright, part I
8. Family
9. Brothers
10. The Inner Light
11. Lower Decks
12. Frame of Mind
13. Relics
14. The First Duty
15. The Measure of a Man
16. Disaster
17. The Survivors
18. Coming of Age
19. Cause and Effect
20. The Big Goodbye


My Top 10 Star Trek Episodes:
Not as well-versed in this series as the more modern ones, it nevertheless was my first exposure to Trek and I've watched them all in the last few years, but it's difficult to compare them with the superior visuals, acting and ideas of later series' - heresy, perhaps, but although I'm fond of this, there are fewer episodes I consider highly (being fewer episodes in total). Some might be surprised by the number one spot, but for some reason this stayed with me, though the second is easier to understand. Some of the top picks are familiar to most, others might be surprising, but they've all made an impact on me in my relatively recent viewing, rather than being nostalgic memories.

1. What Are Little Girls Made Of?
2. The City on the Edge of Forever
3. Menagerie, part I, The
4. Operation-Annihilate!
5. Trouble With Tribbles, The
6. Is There in Truth No Beauty?
7. Plato's Stepchildren
8. The Conscience of the King
9. Space Seed
10. Amok Time


My Top 20 Enterprise Episodes:
Enterprise is my least favourite Trek series, which made it easy to work out which were the best, being so few I really love, plus I haven't seen Season 4 since original transmission (the DVD is sitting on the shelf awaiting 'the right time'), so I suspect there would be more from that season I've not been able to take into account. For me, that season is best, followed by Season 1, then 3 (which has its moments), and 2, which has so many dull episodes. Like 'Voyager,' this series' pilot was so good that it remained the high point, and never again reached that soaring quality, though it came close with the Borg episode, the first Landing Party episode, the first of the Orions/Brent Spiner three-part story, and the introduction of the Andorians. But there are others that deserve recognition, too, such as the beginnings of the alliances that would become the Federation, the final episode (often vilified, yet beautifully ending eighteen years of Trek on TV), as well as other, smaller stories that concentrated on clever ideas or character development. Unfortunately there were too few of these to make this list difficult, one reason why the series finished before her time. (I'd still be up for a Season 5, though!).

1. Broken Bow
2. Regeneration
3. Strange New World
4. Borderland
5. The Andorian Incident
6. Babel One
7. These Are The Voyages...
8. Future Tense
9. Horizon
10. Acquisition
11. Xindi, The
12. Marauders
13. Canamar
14. Anomaly
15. Catwalk, The
16. Impulse
17. Unexpected
18. Fight or Flight
19. Similitude
20. Shockwave, part I


My Top 10 BUGS Episodes:
My favourite British TV series, and for years my favourite TV series full stop, until the richness and volume of 'DS9' took over, which is why I'm including a list here. Only forty episodes were ever made (which seems a lot now, when modern British TV tends to be ten or less), but I still wish there were more. Exciting, action-packed, full of great ideas about technology and gadgets, with brilliant characters and a fun atmosphere, this has more depth to it the more you watch it.

1. The Bureau of Weapons
2. Out of The Hive
3. Renegades
4. Fugitive
5. Schrodinger's Bomb

6. Assassins Inc.
7. A Cage For Satan
8. What Goes Up...
9. Identity Crisis
10. Pulse


My Star Trek Films Rankings:
These were relatively easy to put in order as, having watched them all in recent years, I'd compared them and ranked them at the same time. The 'TNG' films have generally been better for me, perhaps because they were contemporary, as I was too young to know about the 'TOS' films on original release. 'Insurrection' became my favourite when I first saw it, but over the years 'Generations' suited my taste and the reminder of the start of the golden years much better, while the third 'TNG' film went down a little in my estimation. The same for 'Star Trek V' - I didn't used to think that much of it, though it may have been the first I saw, but now I see it as the truest to the series. With the realisation that 'Star Trek II' was raved about, and my own over-familiarity with it, I found myself liking it incrementally less than V, VI, and III (which has impressed me more in recent years). The same with IV, which feels less Trek-like, though still features a warm glow of enjoyment, as opposed to the cold, dispassionate, but fascinating beginning of the film series. 'Nemesis' was always my least favourite 'TNG' film, but at least it continues the proper timeline, unlike number XI - it's more satisfying for the action, but far less on the characters, and so little continuation of the true timeline. 'Into Darkness' is more Trek, but more isn't enough - it was a mistake, despite the positive steps it took.

1. Star Trek: Generations
2. Star Trek: First Contact
3. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
4. Star Trek III: The Search For Spock
5. Star Trek: Insurrection
6. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
7. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
8. Star Trek: The Motion Picture
9. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
10. Star Trek Nemesis
11. Star Trek XI
12. Star Trek Into Darkness

Resurrection

DVD, DS9 S6 (Resurrection)

Rather like a subverted trip down memory lane, is the best way to describe this most atypical of Mirror Universe stories. I can't fault them for thinking an MU episode would be a fittingly big story to follow the seven-fist whammy of the six-part Dominion control of DS9, and the light relief of the Worf/Dax wedding, and likewise to the concept of shaking up the format of the ongoing MU saga a bit by having characters cross over to our universe for more than just a kidnapping (that seems to be how the majority of the stories get going, when you think about it!), as that's the kind of thing they liked to do on this series. And I'm certainly not averse to bringing back a much-loved character, I just feel like the story wasn't given enough consideration and turned out to be more of a lost opportunity than a satisfying continuation of that troubled series within a series. It had been a couple of seasons since we last visited the MU, and while I like the idea of their people invading our side, it may not have been the right choice after the opening salvo of stories this season. We'd just had a station-bound, romantic problems, kind of story, so another, inferior one wasn't going to work. On the other hand, it was about time we returned to the MU pool.

Or was it? We didn't get an MU episode in Season 5, but that certainly didn't hurt it - I consider it the best season of the series (6 comes very close), and the first three entries in the arc, from Seasons 2-4 felt very much like a trilogy that had been completed. In the first we found out all about what had happened to that terrible parallel existence after Captain Kirk left, back in 'Mirror, Mirror' on 'TOS,' and that was a fun throwback to the sixties original, updating the world for 'DS9.' Then, in what I consider the best MU tale of the eight, Sisko has to go undercover to deal with his Mirror wife, Jennifer, which had both the twist of an existing character having to act like his evil counterpart, and the difficulties of Sisko dealing with his own wife's death again, or precisely, the life of a similar woman, almost identical. The third entry of 'DS9' was more of a consolidation, an excuse to go and have fun again. It felt like the story was essentially played out unless major developments were to be revealed - unfortunately, 'Resurrection' was not the one to do so.

The trouble with it is that it's an intimate little story excluding pretty much everyone on the station, and this was always going to be the case because that was the kind of stories 'DS9' did. It was how you got to know the characters: by focusing an episode on one or two of them. But we'd done the heavy lifting back in the early seasons, and the majority of character episodes since then deepened, and built upon them for more satisfying stories. Also, if it was a one-hander you'd be relying on the quality of the guest star, or stars, to make it work. While it must be said that Phillip Anglim was one of the better recurring actors on the series, he had more to work with in those early days. The character he plays here is the Mirror Bareil, a much simpler, almost dull character (in the same manner that Garak's duplicate lacked so much of the subtlety and interest of the resident tailor because MU denizens tend to lack self control, their passions unhindered). The story attempts to be about this man's redemption, but he's a lot less interesting than the real Bareil, and we're constantly reminded of the original man (as much to the chagrin of his Mirror self). There were really only a couple of scenes on a par with the concept, and they were when he shows himself to be cleverer than he seems (producing Worf's Mek'leth in a humorous moment at Dax and Worf's dinner party), and the glimpse of real redemption at the end - shooting the Intendant, then admitting to Kira that his orb vision showed him with her and their children leading a happy life on Bajor.

Too much of the episode is slow and unfruitful. It doesn't set up the ending, which is, in greatest of irony for a so-titled episode, dead. It ends abruptly, like the ones most guilty of the crime of reset-buttoning, something we've become unused to on this ever more complex and rich series. It ends without a serious resolution, it ends with no consequences that we know of, without even letting us see the reaction of Kira to a betrayal and different kind of loss. Unlike Sisko's similar experience of meeting someone so like the woman he used to love, finding a new connection, yet also recognising she's not his Jennifer and has a different path to travel, there's no understanding of what it must have been like for the Major to meet a man she was so close to, and who died a tragic, early death, sacrificing himself for what he thought would be the good of Bajor. It's a theme missing from the episode. Not that she doesn't mention Vedek Bareil, she does, and it's wonderful to have these past memories of a time when the series was in its infancy, allowed to resurface. But because the necessary themes and reactions weren't played out, it feels unfinished, not fully moulded. If Bareil had played some future part in MU activity, or if we learnt more about his universe, if the Intendant hadn't just waltzed over with no trouble and hidden on the station… The resolution of some of these 'ifs' would have improved the story no end.

If you're going to do another entry into the MU cannon, it seems a waste to make it such a claustrophobic story. It's not just that it takes place entirely on the station, but so much of it happens in quiet rooms, yet without the affecting quality of a stage play. It feels, and this shouldn't be a negative, like we really have stepped back into Season 2. Revisiting pieces of the history of the series should be a joyful experience - it is fun to notice how it's more than simply Bareil's appearance that makes it feel like a lost episode: Quark, for instance, is back to his old ways of smelling out a scam opportunity, which he suggests to Bareil; Bashir acts something akin to his old breathless excitement when he wants to know the gossip details of Kira's match with the Mirror escapee (or as close as we could get to it, post reveal of him being a genius); there are more Bajorans and their culture in evidence, too. But it comes across as one of the lesser examples of that season, when the connections between characters was still changing and had room to grow - Odo is the biggest absence I felt in the episode. He's not there to challenge Quark after the conversation with Bareil, standing over him with folded arms, reminding the Ferengi he's watching him. We've moved on from those days (as evidenced by Quark reporting his belief that Bareil is going to rob the Temple - back then, he wouldn't have helped out willingly, and the Major probably wouldn't have even listened to him, let alone acted on his advice!). In those days Odo would have kept tabs on such an unknown factor as a refugee of another universe, but maybe he chose not to for Kira's sake, not wanting to interfere in her affairs and get back into her bad books?

Lack of Odo may be a symptom of this being a Kira episode, with things still not completely comfortable between the pair. They talked out his treacherous behaviour recently, but that doesn't mean they've become firm friends again. It's like when each let the other down (Kira in 'Necessary Evil,' Odo in 'Things Past'), and things seemed to go on pretty much as normal in subsequent episodes. Here, things definitely haven't. Which is good, as we want to see consequences to actions, but it's a shame the Constable had to be largely left out of this episode when he's far more concerned with Kira and her life these days. Things are bigger for him than they used to be, knowing his people are making war against those he's chosen to live with, so things like Quark's petty dealings and small-time security matters must seem so insignificant in comparison. Yet he remains the station's security officer, and in an episode that was firing on more cylinders he might have had a scene with Bareil when the man was in the cells, perhaps to gain the measure of him, or to warn him against doing anything that might harm Kira when he's let out. I was also missing Kai Winn, who would have been ideal to bring back for this episode, seeing as she was partly responsible for Bareil's quick decline and death, exhorting him to continue his work in peace negotiations with Cardassia.

What would Vedek Bareil have thought of the current state of affairs, and how his sacrifice was in vain since war with Cardassia remains? Technically, it's not Bajor's war, but still, peace was what he wanted and yet the galaxy's a more dangerous place than ever. Mirror Bareil has none of these concerns - like most of those in the MU, what he wants most is his own gratification (the Intendant's jealous rage after asking him if he's fond of Kira, driving her to try and strike him, is the greatest example of their unalloyed lack of restraint). It's also true that he's unsure of what he really wants, anyway, feeling himself lost, unwilling to try and turn over a new leaf. Being on this side of the curtain, among spiritual people, with Kira to woo, starts to change his mind about his real mission to steal an orb for the Intendant. But what did she want it for, what use would it have been? What would have happened when she inevitably gazed inside? Would it have changed her as the Prophets changed Grand Nagus Zek? It would have been far more interesting if the story became about her redemption, against all the selfish odds, realising she could be better, and wanted to help her people. I suppose even 'DS9' wouldn't have gone so far to change such an enjoyably evil character, but it could have shaken up the MU once again. It's funny that even in other universes the standard double-fisted hammer blow is the fighting woman's choice! And in another 'Dad's Army' crossover (see recent reviews), the way the guard responded to her wish to enter the Cargo Bay was almost like 'there's a war on, you know!'

Except, none of that happened, we don't find out anything new about the life and times of the MU, Bareil doesn't chooses not a new life, but to return with the Intendant to their rightful place, hoping he can talk her out of killing him. It's clear he was lying about wanting to escape the MU, his original story for making the crossover, but it means that nothing has been gained by the telling of the story. Kira's lost Bareil again, but only because he felt he'd mess up any happiness that lasted. He takes the easy way out of going back to what he knows, presumably remaining the Intendant's lapdog until she executes him. We can only assume that she did, since he doesn't show up in the fifth and final MU instalment of this series. Which makes his appearance here even more meaningless. Not to say that it wasn't good to have him back, but it was a messed up version, just as everything MU is messed up, and didn't experience the change that would have made everything worthwhile, beyond refusing the original plan. The real questions are what you pose yourself, after watching: what are the protocols regarding parallel universes, and the MU in particular? Even if Kira had taken him and the Intendant into custody would that be acceptable? Can you prosecute escapees from another universe with crimes they're responsible for in that universe? Can you force them to go back to where they belong? The issue never even gets mentioned, though if Kira had pressed charges Bareil would obviously have been sentenced for kidnapping her here. Is there a Department of Parallel Investigations, like the Temporal one?

Something that colours all the episodes since it started, is the war between the Alpha Quadrant powers and the Dominion, and the lack of war material is something else that adds an old season feel to proceedings. The war is mentioned, but it's only in passing, such as when Worf reports there's no Dominion activity along the border. A scene which would have better tied the current situation with Kira's past and made the episode at least have a reason for happening, is how it would have started, with Kira and Dax in Kira's quarters, surrounded by Ziyal's paintings and talking of death. That's exactly the kind of scene-setting that was needed and I can only assume it was cut for time (maybe one day, when the re-releases happen?), but it's a strong example of the missing pieces of this episode that make it feel aimless. If no one really learns anything then all it is is a vehicle to bring a fondly remembered character back in alternate guise, and that's not enough to use up a precious slot in a season. But that's life, and a series isn't going to be great all the time (it shows the makers were human!). The teaser is actually one of the best parts of the episode, with some fun little banter between Kira and Dax, transparent-skulled Captain Boday getting another, tantalising mention, as does a new entry to the series' list of bizarre, never-seen aliens, in the three-eyed Dr. Trag'tok! Even this conversation feels like a throwback to old episodes, but is much more fun.

The way Bareil is introduced, hunched up, face hidden, makes for a dramatic opening (nothing good ever seems to beam into Ops - I was reminded of the insane Klingon from 'Dramatis Personae,' or Dukat in 'Civil Defence'), as does his kidnap of Kira after the credits. It points to the style of the whole episode in that scene, because it's a long slow amble to the Runabout (at last! a Runabout is almost part of the story, if only seen briefly docked - actually that's another throwback to the early seasons as villains would often steal a Runabout, something that was effectively ended when the Defiant was introduced since Runabouts were going to be no match for the force and speed of the starship!), and it turned out it wasn't necessary after all, since Kira knew the phaser was empty and could have taken Bareil out at any time. I'm not saying the episode is a slog to watch (funny that the MU Bareil is puffing away - apparently sloth is another failing where he comes from, while Kira isn't out of breath in the slightest), because it has it's draws, mainly from the fact that Bajoran culture is back in a big way. It's always good to see more of the station, and, as well as seeing those unique Cardassian access ladders (which I can't remember seeing before), just as 'TOS' and 'TNG' had their unique versions, we get to see much more of the Bajoran Temple on the Promenade, and even part of a religious service there, all fascinating stuff.

The story doesn't live up to its potential of Bareil's return and the reverse crossover, however, and it's catalogue of faults overburdens the story, though not eclipsing the good points. Like 'A Simple Investigation' last season, in which it was Odo's turn to romance and rehabilitate a mystery woman who has a secret agenda, also concentrating on one character on the station, this was a rare low point in a terrific season, standing out more because of the general high quality. You get Bareil, but you don't; Kira doesn't reveal anything new about the Vedek or herself, with no payoff to the original's death, or ramifications (though interestingly she calls him Antos, the 'first' name we'd never heard before, whereas you might think she'd speak of this new Bareil in that way and the old as Vedek Bareil); and, perhaps with hindsight, I never felt myself believing or trusting this 'new' man, whatever he said or did it appeared devious and manipulative, one of the few truthful moments coming when he leaves the bar, telling Quark he doesn't much like either of them (Quark and he), at the moment. It shows he had been affected in some way by the orb vision (which, unusually, goes unseen). There was some good dialogue, but the story lacked impetus, with a waste of MU characters (and only two of them), yet not an in-depth look at them despite the more focused nature of the story. Levar Burton was getting a raw deal so far this season, what with the weakest of the opening six-parter, and now this, but it wasn't his fault, it was what he had to work with, though that sign flashing irritatingly on the Promenade when Kira and Bareil meet didn't need to be in shot! I will say this, though: the station glows like never before, so he certainly gets credit for the lighting!

I suppose the crumbs of comfort were in seeing the familiar elements at all, since it's not been long that DS9 was reclaimed by Starfleet and our heroes. And it was uplifting when the realisation how much Quark had changed, came to mind. He shouts at his Ferengi employers after giving Kira the free advice about Bareil, in order to cover up his helpfulness, but we know he means well. It should be no surprise that they have a different respect for each other now, one they may not have been so quick to demonstrate before this season thanks to their recent shared experiences, having to band together in the new resistance. But it makes you wonder at what point Quark changed to become a relatively trusted force on the station? Was it back in Season 4 when he admits to Garak that if you drink enough root beer you start to like it? It's these questions that give the stories depth, something missing from the majority of the story. You're left wondering where they could go with the MU now as this made the case for it being a spent story fountain that had dribbled away. Fortunately they found a new, Ferengi-er angle for the next, and last, visit, and fed the wish of seeing lots of Mirror characters again. But, although this one remains a watchable episode, fairly enjoyable, reasonably good, it just scrapes over the line and doesn't do itself any favours, relying on the goodwill of the novelty of Bareil rather than what 'DS9' is known for: strong story and characterisation. Revisiting Season 2 is fun, but the series has undeniably improved and moved on since then.

***

You Are Cordially Invited

DVD, DS9 S6 (You Are Cordially Invited)

After the storm must come the sunshine, breaking out to welcome a new day. In this case it feels like the start of a new season, as if the first six, weighty episodes had been their own mini-season, and this is the real beginning of life after the recapture of DS9. What better way to follow serious moments of death and glory than for the relatively small matter of a wedding. Oh, but this is a Klingon wedding, and like Americans, they don't do things small. Usually comedic episodes come under the Ferengi soap banner (plenty of banners in this one, but no Ferengi ones), but occasionally they throw out a fun story that has nothing to do with the big-eared race. This one is similar in tone to Season 3's 'Fascination' (both episodes that would seem to be ideal for Valentine's Day!), with tears and laughter, shame and pride, fun and torture. But this one is much more momentous, for it joins two of the best characters together in holy matrimony. Well, maybe not holy since the Klingons killed off their gods (I'm not sure if this makes the Klingons, or their gods, rather foolish!), but it was that close to being a more traditional Starfleet ceremony with the Captain leading the couple in their vows - instead it became the Captain leading his men in rituals designed to get even the toughest Klingon to have a 'fun' time.

There is much amusement to be had in Bashir and O'Brien's halfhearted attempt to join in with Worf's equivalent of a bachelor party, but I'd have thought Bashir, being a doctor, would have counselled against O'Brien eating a hearty meal after starving themselves for however long it was until the wedding was cancelled - instead he leads the way with a giant meal! The whole thing of seeing the pair back to their old friendship after having only minor roles in the majority of the first six episodes, is a joy, especially as they're at their most schoolboyish, with even Sisko going along with the trick to help Bashir volunteer when they all step back and he doesn't notice! It's similarly pleasurable to see the other friendships come back to the fore, be they Odo and Kira talking out their problems for so long they miss the start of their shifts, Sisko having a reassuring talk with Dax (after verbally knocking some sense into her), Jake using his journalistic instinct to uncover Quark's secret love for Dax, or the wise Martok sorting out Worf after 'The Walking Frown' (as Quark calls him - Worf won't even say Quark's name, calling him 'The Ferengi Barkeep'), sulks in his quarters on the Defiant.

I recently had a flashback to Private Frazer of 'Dad's Army' when Weyoun suggested he'd never doubted Dukat for a moment, and here I had another reminder of that series in the way Martok, the leader (now bumped up to Supreme Commander of the Ninth Fleet at Sisko's recommendation!), and a formidable warrior, is cowed by his 'magnificent' wife, Sirella - Captain Mainwaring behaved the same way to his wife. Into Sirella (I always want to add De Ville on the end!), Ron Moore, rather like the Dark Lord Sauron, poured all his regrets and problems with the role of Klingon women. She's the A-type Klingon, and as almost all Klingons are A-type personalities (the others probably don't venture off world), this is saying something. So when she clashes with Dax, another one not take an insult lying down, and with a wilful streak in her that makes her especially stubborn against those that offend her pride, the sparks doth fly! It's interesting to see Dax not measure up to the calm, live and let live, good Starfleet officer that we've seen so often in the past. This is a big moment for her, no matter that she carries seven lifetimes within her over a period of three hundred and fifty-six years, and has the memories of getting married several times before - this is Jadzia's first time, so it's no surprise that she's a bit jittery. The old Dax we saw in the early seasons, so in control and serene was probably more to do with the symbiont being so new to her and having overwhelmed her with calmness, that it took a while for her other traits to surface, no doubt encouraged by wild party animal Curzon.

The strong friendship between Curzon, the 'old man' and Sisko, the young recruit, was carried over into his and Jadzia's time together, but over recent seasons we've seen a lot less of the advice-giving of either party, just as Janeway and Tuvok were seen to discuss things less as 'Voyager' went on. Dax had grown up and had Worf to lean on, Sisko too having less need of that part of their friendship. But in their anger the other one has been there for them as a punchbag (literally, in Jadzia's case in 'For The Uniform' when Sisko let out all his frustrations about Eddington), in this case Sisko shouting sense into an angry, stuck-up mindset. There's also something of a similarity between this scene and the one in 'Dax,' that first season episode that began to delve into her character, and in which Sisko went to her quarters, as he does here, to try and talk her into telling the story she's holding back. In that episode too, I think she was fiddling about with the stuff on her shelves (which have now moved to a wall rather than forming a partition), but in that example it was Sisko getting upset. It wasn't necessary to show the actual 'boot kissing' Dax had to do to get back into Sirella's good books, it was sufficient to know she'd bent her stiff neck. Any time in fiction when people overcome their differences is a strong moment, no less here where Sirella fondly welcomes her into her House as a daughter.

You could be forgiven for calling this a bit of a soapy episode, what with Odo and Kira avoiding each other, the harsh words between Worf and Dax, Sirella and Dax, and, well, Dax and anyone, especially with the immoral attitude displayed by certain characters (Dax and Leeta clearly thinking unfaithful thoughts), and the increase in raised voices - I lost track of the number of times people shouted for someone to enter a room! For one episode only you get to see all the innermost thoughts coming out, ugly or beautiful as they may be, seasoned with dramatic mood swings. But it's done so well, amid hilarity and seriousness, that it all just works. Everyone's involved and everyone's enjoying it, and that rubs off on the viewer. It helps that it's excellently written and shot, and that we get to see many of the characters enjoying themselves in one room, which is a rarity (and only emphasises the contrast between Dax and Worf as he and the others travel the path to Kal'Hyah). And where else would you get to see Morn dancing - he moves more in the party scene than we've ever seen the shambling grey lump move before! He must have drunk half the drinks brought in for the party to be slumped behind Dax' sofa at 10:30 in the morning, which is no surprise as he'd probably stay every night at Quark's Bar if it didn't shut.

There are other deft touches to enjoy beyond the spectacle of a full Klingon wedding, such as Sisko's sensitivity about his baseball - when Martok, intrigued by this odd trinket on Sisko's desk, goes to pick it up, the Captain snatches it away before he can, something to do with Dukat keeping it for so long, I expect. Martok as a wise man is also something unexpected as we've seen him make his own mistakes before, but here you can see both he and Sisko helping the younger generation to get past their problems (even though he refuses to get involved with his wife's decision-making - another sign of his good sense). There are even little details dropped in, such as Jake's 'sale' of his first book, a series of writings about his time under the Dominion's occupation of the station, another step forward for the young man. There's some novelty simply seeing the characters back in their rightful place on DS9, well demonstrated by Sisko loving getting up in the morning and going to his office. We hear the Captain of the Sutherland (where the fire dancers came from), is Shelby, though this is up in the air whether it is 'the' Shelby of 'The Best of Both Worlds.' I like to think it is, but it would have been nice to have seen her again. The same goes for the non-appearance of the 'TNG' crew, which I'd never really thought about before - they wanted all or nothing, so it didn't happen, but I'd have been happy with anyone they could get!

The big thing was the actual wedding, as it should be, a mine of new Klingon traditions and customs, very strong costume design that fitted both the magnificence of such an important event, and yet was wholly Klingon, and still gave us something different that we hadn't seen before. Alexander was the excuse for the wedding to occur before the end of the war, before he shipped off on his new berth, so it's fitting that this was his final appearance in the entirety of Trek. Who knows, maybe if Michael Dorn's Worf series ever comes into being, Alexander may be seen again, but for now, it was a good use of his character - he retains the clumsiness and lack of knowledge, but is filled with an endearing wish to try hard at being a warrior. It must be difficult serving on a Klingon ship if he can't even say his own name in the original Klingon (Al'kXund'hR?), mustn't it? I assumed races always spoke in their native tongue, and only the Universal Translator made it sound English (or 'Federation Standard' to be precise), but it makes sense for Alexander not to speak the lingo since he was brought up on Earth (probably the last reference to Worf's Mother, Helena, here as Alexander asks 'Grandmother?' when Bashir wakens him from his faint).

I wondered where the meeting about Worf's 'party' took place as it certainly wasn't the Ward Room, with a more 'TOS' style table, and a big screen. And Shannon Cochran deserves mention as she went from a nondescript Maquis member (most of them were!), Kalita, in both 'TNG' ('Preemptive Strike'), and 'DS9' ('Defiant'), to the proud matriarch of a Klingon House. Much more than a laugh-out-loud comedy of manners, this is as much about the clashing of cultures (a bit like the Ferengi/Bajoran clash that occurred when Rom and Leeta wanted to get married - they cancelled their wedding, too, is this a running theme?), the perfect example of how to use the varied pieces of the Trek universe for the crafting of a fun, but affecting tale. It was the happiness before the great sorrow the end of the season would bring, a chance for everyone to have some light relief from the war that nevertheless continues, and fun experienced during a hard time is all the sweeter.

*****

Sacrifice of Angels

DVD, DS9 S6 (Sacrifice of Angels)

What stays with me most are not the epic space battles, nor many of the developments such as the retaking of DS9, the Prophets' intervention, the revelation that Sisko is of Bajor but will find no rest there, or any of the other myriad turns. What stays with me most is The Execution of Tora Ziyal by The Coward Gul Damar. His mass had been growing through the course of his appearances ever since Season 4 when he was introduced, but the rate reached critical by the end of this six-parter, and indeed, had been approaching this at an exponential rate in these last few episodes. That wasn't to be an end to it, his rise would continue, this time in the service of those he hated, the Dominion, but now he would no longer have his revered leader to guide him and provide an outlet for his thoughts. He would appear to be subjugated, but would secretly rise even higher by the end of the series… But that's all to come, at this stage we're looking at the Damar of the war arc, the Damar who could never imagine becoming the new leader of the Cardassians, the man who was just enjoying the riches of success, having been made a Gul for his plan to remove the minefield, the single greatest stumbling block to the Dominion's takeover of the Alpha Quadrant. And yet, despite all this, he and Dukat continue to speak candidly to each other about how they plan to stab the Dominion in the back as soon as the war is over! How do they think they can do this, one race against an entire occupying force?

It would have been as bad for the Cardassians had the 2800-strong fleet been able to enter the Alpha Quadrant, as for anyone else in the long run, but that great pride in their own success and belief in their race's future of conquest is only one of many deluded ideals propagated by Dukat. Without Dukat by his side, Damar is a much less forthright person, less sure of which way to go. He would still have to find himself in the coming months, so it's a strange irony that he begun his journey by murdering an innocent. Ziyal, of course, was not innocent in Damar's eyes, admitting to joining the prison break of the resistance cell (in which Quark proved his worth, much to his own surprise!), joining with the enemy to bring about the downfall of occupying forces - if she hadn't helped in the escape Rom would never have been able to take out the station's weapons systems, and if that had happened, it would have destroyed the Defiant, and then the Prophets wouldn't have evaporated the 2800, which would likely have led to a victory. So, probably, did Damar's thoughts run. He must have been standing just down the intersection behind Dukat when Ziyal admits her collaboration, allowing him to walk out into the centre of the corridor and shoot past Dukat. It was a turning point for the series, as so many events of this episode were.

For Dukat, it spells the end of the rational (comparatively), and the complete descent into insanity, initially expressed as great sorrow, grief and forgiveness - he even forgives Sisko at the end, handing back the baseball that was a symbol of power on DS9, (it had a starring role in this episode as if Dukat held it to prove to himself he'd won, though it was a false triumph only in his mind), before being led away. We'd only see the old Dukat one last time, and that only because it was a Dukat in another time ('Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night'), so it's a sad change for those who've always enjoyed his mix of deluded charm and incredible ego, yet with the occasional twist of kindness or good nature that allows him to believe (as he expresses here), that he was Bajor's protector during the Occupation, practically its saviour! You can't buy that kind of self-delusion, it has to be seen to be believed. So we'll miss that many-headed hydra as it became a single-headed monster, intent only on darkness, a pawn of evil, far from the rich, complex character we came to know over the first five years. Not that we wouldn't see great drama from this changed man, particularly in his very next appearance ('Waltz').

At this stage we see a broken man, who, on losing all the goodies he'd heaped up for himself, and had allowed himself to win in his own mind, realises that the only thing left, all that matters, is his own daughter. And then the reveal that she helped his enemies to take all from him, but still that doesn't matter to him - or does it? We didn't really get time to see how he was reacting to the news, beyond shock and surprise, before Ziyal's phasered to death, but I think the shock would have turned into disappointment that would have eventually changed to forgiveness, the death a catalyst for these thoughts. He's angry at Damar's interference, snarling him away when he tries to get his master to leave. By taking out Ziyal he did the old Damar a disservice because Dukat would probably have left with him, had Ziyal been allowed to go on her way. But once she was dead, all was meaningless to her Father - I was always confused about why he doesn't ever seem angry at Damar for the execution, but he probably knows the man was just doing his duty, and none of that matters to Dukat, his daughter fills his mind, and even the great villain elicits sympathy as he cradles her form in a dark corridor of the station, whimpering over her, unable to let her go.

This also did a great service to the new Damar, leaving him alone to become the lackey of the Dominion and though it took his realisation about what's important, almost two years, rather than the two seconds for Dukat, he does eventually arrive at the realisation that his people's freedom is more important than their power. But these are all events in the future. The immediate concern is the loss of Ziyal, played out so tragically because more than just Dukat mourn her: Kira, her best friend, and the one who convinced Dukat to spare her life originally, couldn't save her and must blame herself, and Garak too, while off on his missions, wasn't there to help her. You'd think both of these people would blame Damar more highly than anyone for being the man to pull the trigger, but I don't remember having the sense that he was the target of their wrath - Garak doesn't go all-out on a revenge mission to take out the man, and nor does Kira. Was Kira the one really to blame? If she hadn't been such a friend to Ziyal, the girl wouldn't have gotten mixed up in the resistance, and if Kira hadn't riled up Damar with the beating, he might not have been so quick to carry out summary justice, taking into consideration his leader.

The reason he didn't trust Ziyal, admitting to distrust in this very episode, is because of the company she kept. Ultimately, regardless of who provoked him or not, Damar took his own actions, and it comes as more of a surprise because of the high regard he has for Dukat. It's his loyalty to him that made him go after the man when he should have been evacuating - he wanted to make sure Dukat escaped, and if that meant severing all ties by killing Ziyal, even with good reason, then so be it. As usual, his soldier brain never understood how important Ziyal was to Dukat and he ends up fleeing without the great leader. I would have liked to have seen more with Garak, whose brief scene with the dead Ziyal is very restrained. Such a dangerous man would be interesting to watch at a time such as that, but he's also a pragmatic man, and seemingly can turn his emotions off when it serves him, like a Vulcan. He's experienced enough in life to know and expect terrible things, and his connection to Ziyal was always a difficult thing for him to fathom, as he wonders here why she ever loved him, and says that he'll never know.

At least Ziyal's death had a reasoning behind it - the death that grew out of it thanks to Dukat's dabbling in the dark side would be unreasonable. He would almost take out Sisko himself in his next appearance, except 'the game' must go on, in the words of the Prophets. It had been a while since that side of the series had been explored, all the way back to 'Rapture,' really, where Sisko's visions had made it possible for Bajor to have a harmonious relationship with the Dominion, (and, as usual in the Prophets' use, it's enjoyable to see familiar characters in unfamiliar settings, such as Dukat sitting in the Defiant's command chair, Damar at the helm and Weyoun on the bridge). There was talk that the 2800 ships the Prophets vanish away, could have turned up in 'Voyager,' flung into the distant Delta Quadrant, and had the writing staffs of the two series' been closer and less competitive, it might have happened, and how I wish it had. We could have finally had that Jem'Hadar versus Borg battle that we all wanted to see, but now never will. Still, you can't have everything, and Sisko couldn't have his brave, but futile death. I'm not sure if his plan was to invoke the Prophets assistance when he flew into the Wormhole, but I tend to think he had no plan and was simply reacting to events in the only way he could. There are a couple of points about this time in the episode I need to mention: the simplest way to stop the invading fleet would have been to self-destruct the Defiant when it was inside the Wormhole, thus collapsing it and taking the fleet with them, but instead he chooses to be ready to engage with maximum, but useless, firepower! I suppose it was still unthinkable to collapse the Wormhole and possibly wipe out the Celestial Temple.

The other thing, and this is all Rom's fault, is that he should have been able to take out the station's weapons in time. The only reason he's a second too late is because he stops to tell Major Kira that he's not going to make it. If he hadn't done that he would have finished just in time! It just goes to show that you should never give up, and every second is precious in a life and death struggle - isn't there some kind of Rule of Acquisition for that? It rings true for Rom's character, that he'd show lack of confidence at a key moment, but if he hadn't still managed to take down the weapons of DS9, the Defiant might not have made it to the Wormhole, which meant no intervention from the Prophets, so even though he wasn't on time, and didn't do the job perfectly, he still finished the job, and good came from it - another life lesson there: never give up, because you don't know the good that will come out of doing what you can, even if it seems to make no difference. I never saw the intervention of the Prophets as a cop-out, it was a clever series of events that led to the precise moment in which they could help the Emissary, though with a penance as a clause. What was the penance? The death of his closest friend? Not being able to stay with his family at the end? Or some future denial of his choice to settle on beautiful Bajor? 'The Sisko is of Bajor' (how that could be would be revealed in Season 7), a statement that could mean various things - he's Bajoran, or has Bajoran roots; his destiny is tied up with the planet; even just his desire to be there. It was left suitably vague so they could fill in the details later.

That's what I like about this series: they never painted themselves into corners, they strapped brushes to their feet and skated across the middle of the floor, to take a metaphor above and beyond! They would leave so many threads dangling, waiting for the new threads to join, and altogether weaving a great tapestry into the future. The shifting of allegiances is something else felt in the threads of this episode, such as the Klingons, and the belated task force permitted by Gowron. It would have been good to see Martok and Worf convince him of the need, but then it would have been good to have seen anything from Martok and Worf's perspective as the Klingons were largely left out, except for their Gandalf-like charge into battle at the critical moment, just as the old wizard leapt down the mountainside, so too did the Klingons come screaming down from above to turn the tide. We want more of that battle, the amazing sight of Galaxy-class wings down to tiny fighters (wonder how many crew them?), huge ships torn apart in the first major CGI battle of Trek. But the Defiant eventually punches through with the momentum of the Klingons behind them - for the first time I felt it had been left up in the air whether Worf had survived as you see Klingon vessels being broken so the Defiant can get through, then nothing is heard of them again, and Dax doesn't look happy - all she can do is set course for the station and not look back. It's not in my nature to really criticise the great episodes, but again, it feels like a scene was necessary for her to express concern for the Klingons, Sisko reassuring her. But there was so much happening that these things didn't necessarily have the space to exist.

Another shifting allegiance is from the shifty 'shifter himself, Odo finally coming to his senses, that Kira and the solids (sounds like a band), were right. There's no real moment of understanding where you see he's come back to us, but this isn't a flaw in writing, it's a more realistic portrayal of a mind working through - the Female Changeling knows, possibly before Odo, that he's not going to be coming onside, when he refuses the Link and opts to stay in his quarters rather than retreat to the safety of Ops with her. It's something that began after he'd had time for the guilt about not helping Kira to build up, and the Founder reminded him of the true nature of his people, threatening the solids, and specifically sentencing Kira to death, Odo unready to embrace such a life even for the ecstasy of The Great Link. His heart (if he had one - let's say his inner gloop), belongs with what he knows, for the moment, but just as there were prophetic words about Sisko's final destination, or lack of it (they are Prophets after all, so it was about time they started prophesying!), so too does the Female Changeling say he'll join them eventually. She knows the homing instinct is too strong to resist, but what she doesn't know is that, like many of the characters on this series who represent a race, he'd be one to make changes to that race at the end of the series. She could envision Odo's return, but not the manner of it. Funny that both Sisko and Odo's fates were spoken of in this episode, and that previously paradise has been spoken of by Sisko (talking of Earth), and in this one Odo says he's not quite ready for paradise yet. A little further connection there.

If Kira and Odo were way beyond sorry, what was the best way for Odo to redeem himself, if not to save her life? Again, in an episode which I consider among the best of the best, I have another surprising little criticism, which is that the chase of Kira and Rom by Jem'Hadar and Cardassians might have been more dramatic. But that's only an aside, because what I really do like about it is how they reintroduce the Odo we knew, striding through the smoke of weapons fire, and over the bodies of the fallen: he's back, and his Bajoran security force, put in place thanks to his position on the ruling council, served him well in the end. I assume it was their loyalty to the Constable that ensured they helped fight against an enemy which, technically, isn't their enemy, since Bajor is at peace with the Dominion, not that that peace was ever truly genuine, and only a way to keep Bajor out of the fighting, something they'd learned to be good at, so I expect once they had the opportunity to do their bit, they grasped it gratefully rather than having second thoughts, despite Odo's recent strange behaviour. Odo's welcoming of Sisko back to the station in the triumphal return on the Promenade almost felt like he was getting in first, like meeting your Father from work so you can tell him your side of the story, before Kira could relate what a naughty 'shifter he'd been!

The whole episode is a countdown, and that feeling of a building tension to the climax is well handled. Yet Dukat continues to be oblivious to his coming judgement, and my overriding picture of the pre-insane Cardassian is of the man toasting himself with two glasses of Kanar, Weyoun having refused to join in with the victory custom. It's one of the best scenes between the odd couple out of their whole time together. It's a picture of all Dukat's faults, flaws and problems rolled into one. Not alcoholism, as he's a good soldier that spares himself the bottle most of the time, unlike Damar, but it's his own utter misreading of those and everything around him, and the personal greatness he feels that will always ensure he wins. It's self-satisfaction, delusion, and ugly smugness of the highest order. He's a little tipsy in the scene, which is why his inner thoughts about being Bajor's greatest hero flow, as well as his summary of true victory: making your enemy realise they were wrong to oppose you in the first place. It's a well-remembered line, but I hadn't realised it came from this episode, and is actually in response to Weyoun's suggestion that Earth and its entire population must be eradicated. It's a revealing conversation for both them and us, because it's the first real threat to Earth, named as the most likely centre of resistance, something that would be consummated the following season when the Dominion really started playing dirty.

Why did Weyoun refuse the offer of the drink with Dukat? It wasn't because he feared poisoning, for as we learned in 'Ties of Blood and Water' last season, the Vorta are immune to most poisons. It's because he has no kinship with Dukat, and the impression of events moving is on the edge of his highly tuned senses, I feel. He's disgusted with Dukat, yet enjoys the former's lack of self-knowledge, laughing outright at Dukat's levels of conceitedness, observing him, just as the Female Changeling did when they first met. Dukat, the wronged benevolent dictator, who has no statue or memorial for all the 'good' he did on Bajor. And yet, he does respect Sisko, as we've seen before, and even looks back before exiting the station, whether in concern for Odo, or in a kind of wistfulness for the freedoms he had while there, the time to experience art and meet a new culture, to spend time with those who are close to Sisko, we're not told. It's a shame that he and Jake didn't have more interaction, as the simple Federation point of view coming from Jake reacted wonderfully with the hard, but apparently fair, view of the things from Weyoun. But there are always going to be things that you wish had been explored in more detail, even when six episodes are given over to one story. And we can't complain when the majority of the six were so great. One question I could throw in is how many ships, and of what kind, were at the station for the Dominion forces (and Cardassian), to withdraw in, and why couldn't they have been used to stop the Defiant?

It's sad to see the end of Ziyal when we'd gotten the best, by far, of the three actresses to play her, but, like Worf's son Alexander, her story was, effectively, done. Could she have gone on to have a happy life with Garak? It's difficult to see, but the real tragedy of her loss is that she was willing and able to be a bridge between her two cultures, and that could have made for some fascinating stories. In the end she was sacrificed for other storylines, Dukat's madness really coming from her death more than anything else. The thing with the series is that they often didn't do that which was expected, preferring to surprise or delight, shock or confuse, but still managing to pull off a satisfying, organic legend. Just like Judi Dench's reading in 'Skyfall,' poetry is used here to set the tone by Bashir and O'Brien, in a timeless way that speaks on another level. A timeless way that speaks on another level? That about sums up the series as a whole. After such huge events it does feel like the end of a season, as short a season as it would have been, but fortunately there were many more fantastic, best-ever episodes still to be told, and as Trek often does following a weighty, toll-heavy story, a much lighter one would follow, though no less important to the characters.

[To be said in the manner of Dukat as you toast yourself with two glasses of Kanar!]
Here's to the six, those fine, fine six,
that broke the mould, and to us told,
of a new way for Trek to go,
a revitalisation, for storytelling new and old.

*****