Fallout

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S7 (Fallout)

Initial impressions were positive that Jonas Quinn had returned (already), to the series, but negative that it was a heavily political story supported by reams of technical jargon and scientific theorising. Don't get me wrong, this can be a wonderful way to deepen and explore an alien culture, but apart from the main races (Goa'uld, Tok'Ra, etc), few, even among the recurring species are really developed in a way that I would like. They don't tend to have enough depth. The Kelownans are a special case as they're the race that caused the death of Daniel Jackson and the addition to the team of Jonas, so they at least have an interesting history with the SGC. I also like the technobabble and the pseudo-science it usually encompasses, as it makes me feel more intelligent! But I can also find myself zoning out, and I would concur (though more for reasons of entertainment), with Daniel's statement at the end when he asks if Jonas misses the 'gate and all it entails, and when the answer is in the affirmative, says that facing peril is preferable to the diplomatic side of things! The Kelownans and their reluctant allies of the other two factions on the renamed Langara, are no easier to get along with, or fun to watch, than before, their squabbling and outrages draining. At least in this case they have a natural, or should I say unnatural, disaster to focus their minds, or nothing would ever get done, and it's amazing that any kind of cooperation had been possible in the first place!

As usual, Jonas is the one to bring a voice of reason, though he doesn't have much to do directly with the politicians this time as he's too busy with top secret giant excavators and girlfriends. Once again we have an episode written by an actor for his character and he gets a girl and plays a crucial role in the future of his world. I'm not saying actors are vain, but… In truth I'm glad he did come up with the idea, and of course he's going to develop something that will get him some work by bringing him back to the series, even if it was only for the one episode (I'd be happy if he had returned as a regular, but I'm not sure the budget would have stretched to that many in the main cast), and he's more likely to have thought about the life of the character he played, so it was only logical it would be Jonas-centric. At first I wondered if he'd taken on a new career as part of a Kelownan boy band, but the new look is soon explained when you meet his mirror female image in the form of assistant Kianna. They certainly share the same hairstyle, and that's not all, since Jonas finds her 'interesting.' I'm glad someone did, because she started out as a really boring character that had nothing going for her, but as soon as she begin to strip away her false personality (visually echoed in her wardrobe - first her tightly drawn jacket becomes loose, then is cast off completely), she suddenly became a lot more interesting.

It's a tribute to the writing that it could take us from such a dull, minor ancillary character that doesn't even really figure strongly in Jonas' life (or he might have said something more than 'interesting'), to someone that you despise for having lied to him about her true identity, right through to a surprising turn of self-sacrifice where you end up hoping she survives! That's quite a turnaround, it's all done without resorting to romanticism. Well, not much, anyway. She became such an intriguing character that I wanted her to stay as a Goa'uld and remain by Jonas' side as she clearly wanted to be. In the end it becomes a bit too much of a happy ending, when the symbiont is killed (Kianna was actually a spy for Baal, looking into conquering Langara), having battled to return to the safety of the giant Kelownan excavating drill machine, having reached the sweet spot to leave a bomb, having set off said bomb, and having thus saved the planet from destruction from the chain reaction of naqadah turning into naquadria, which would have eventually blown up most of the globe. There was a hint of something more than the usual sci-fi nonsense when Kianna (or the Goa'uld using her as a host), points out the unspoken decision that Carter would sacrifice herself to save an alien planet, and it only became more involving as we see Kianna choose to take the risk to take the bomb the last section when the giant Kelownan excavator drill machine packs up.

What motivated her is the most fascinating question in the episode. Was it, as she suggested, that she wanted the mineral wealth and power of naquadria for her own empire, was she still secretly working for her master, or did she, as seems most clear in her dealings with Jonas, and in the way he responded, feel a debt of closeness to him? She could have been a fantastic character to see again, but sadly she reverted back into the fairly ordinary Kianna by the end, the damage to the host body reversed by the symbiont, but at the cost of its own life. A self-sacrificial Goa'uld is a deep concept for this series and I so wish it could have been further explored. In a way, she became more interesting than Jonas himself, but the story worked rather nicely to get to this moment. If we'd been a season or so back, Teal'c might have been the obvious choice to brave the heat and fumes and complete the mission (though he'd have scratched himself even more on the crystalline tunnel sides, as Kianna was messed up pretty bad and she was quite thin), so developments in character do make a difference to how a story runs, which is good to see.

The fact that the apparently natural disaster was actually caused (or at least exacerbated), by the Kelownans naquadria bomb test, which led to Daniel's death, is no less chilling for the fact that you can see it coming when they start mentioning the two year time span. The Kelownans giant excavating drill machine may have been a bit of a deus ex machina, or a McGuffin, something they just happened to spend half their research budget on because they were going to need to explore the nether regions was unimportant in the dramatic size and introduction, even though it's still somewhat amusing the way Jonas and Kianna shuffle their feet a bit - should we let them in on this big piece of tech we've been building, that would be ideal for saving our world? Guess so… More impressive than the drill itself (and the interior which clearly had at least elements of the Prometheus, if not a full redress of the bridge), was that there are practically no exterior CG shots of it. Apart from the initial reveal, and the triumphant escape, we never see it burrowing in the ground, but it never matters because the tension and impression of heat and closeness aboard sells the reality of it without the need for anything else.

O'Neill and Daniel's attempts at diplomacy are far less involving than the big drill extravaganza, and the big drill extravaganza is far less interesting than the deft swerving of expectations and our own impressions of a character, something that demonstrates that it doesn't matter if you have the best special effects in the world, the biggest sets and vastest casts: it is character that is most important. I'd love to see Jonas (and Kianna), again (even though all the good stuff was basically just a dream to her), and I'd be interested in seeing how the Langaran politics plays out, and whether the factions can continue to work together in the light of the Kelownans almost being responsible for the destruction of the planet. But with this series, the problem can be that there are just too many easily accessible locations to visit (even if they do all look like a forest), so they don't tend to spend enough time in one place to effectively build up another race. But at least in this case I was impressed enough.

***

These Are The Voyages…

DVD, Enterprise S4 (These Are The Voyages…)

A tragedy, that's what it was. No, I'm not talking about the controversy of setting the finale of 'Enterprise' firmly in an episode of 'TNG,' or the untimely, self-sacrificial death of Trip. I suppose I'm not even talking about the end of the series itself, really. The tragedy is that after eighteen consecutive years (seven of which were pulling double duty), 'Star Trek' on TV had come to an end with no sign of a new series to follow, something that remains true to this day, with no sign of a series even as we approach the fiftieth anniversary. But what a run it was, and if anything can remind you of that, it is without doubt 'These Are The Voyages…' I guess the camps are divided into those that see it as the valentine to the eighteen years of Trek that Berman and Braga intended it to be, and those whom were horrified that the series ended with, essentially, an addendum to 'The Pegasus,' a seventh season episode of 'TNG.' I am wholeheartedly of the former, and yet again I have to say that the Trek writers, for all their faults, knew how to conclude a series in style, great style! I think the bitterness of some may stem from regret that we had to have a finale only halfway through what should have been the series' 'full' length of seven years (at least!), and perhaps some anger at Berman and Braga for seemingly giving up the series they'd birthed for non-Trek projects, as if they were getting tired of this universe (small wonder when you consider how long they'd been a part of it), and perhaps that is the only truly controversial decision of the finale: after handing off the reins to Manny Coto they didn't allow him the opportunity to write his own finale.

Except, in a way, he already had. As he's diplomatically stated in the past, he viewed the previous two-parter, 'Demons' and 'Terra Prime' as the true conclusion to the series, and I can see his point of view, as that is the last of 'Enterprise' contemporary to the time it was set in, this Holodeck episode with its framing device, being set aboard the Enterprise-D in the 24th Century. I have to say, I can't hold back any longer: the Enterprise-D looked amazing in widescreen! Both inside and out, it is, as Worf would say, glorious! I first noticed it as Riker and Troi walk down those familiar corridors, how sleek the widescreen aspect ratio made it all look, how shiny, how beautiful. Although there were some key, memorable moments I recalled from the episode when I first saw it back in 2006, I was surprised to discover I'd forgotten just how many of the old 'TNG' sets had been recreated - it was stunning! First you have the old familiar yellow-gridded Holodeck which first tips us off that this isn't Kansas (or even the Kansas NX-09), any more. I mentioned the corridors, which looked straight out of 'All Good Things…' We also see Troi's quarters, Ten Forward (meshing seamlessly with stock footage, which I was unsure hadn't been newly created until I read Memory Alpha), and even, amazingly the Briefing Room. It's… it's… so tangible. You can almost see Data walk into the room, followed by Picard, Beverly, Geordi and Worf. It truly is an achievement, and one that rivals the 'In A Mirror, Darkly' two-parter from earlier in the season. I'd go so far as to say it rivals 'Trials and Tribble-ations,' the fantastic thirtieth anniversary slam-dunk from 'DS9,' for sheer delight.

What's great about these sets is that they aren't dead and lifeless, they're living and breathing, full of crewmembers walking by in those old familiar uniforms (just as Troi prefers some period colour and movement when she visits the NX-01), the sounds and sights of a wonderful time in Trek history incredibly recreated. We even have a little conversation between Troi and Data over the comm system, which was magnificent, I'm so appreciative of Brent Spiner that he would do that. Even though it's just a small thing in the grand scheme of the episode, it shows how much dedication and care all those that worked on this episode had for it. No trouble was spared. Riker and Troi, considering it was made eleven years after the episode they originally created, are so close to how they looked then, it's an all-around stunning recreation of a time period we thought we'd never see again, on a par with any time an old era has been revisited (be that 'Star Trek VI' in 'Flashback,' 'TOS' in 'Relics,' or the other examples I've already mentioned). I genuinely can't understand how anyone that loves Trek as a whole entity could be the slightest bit put out, because it really is such a gift to a viewer like myself. Obviously, I can see it from the view of those that only like 'Enterprise,' and even the cast members themselves feeling a little overshadowed. I just don't know how you could love a TV series that is the product of other spinoffs, and not be enthralled by the chance to relive those other times.

The cast were good sports, bringing their A-game to proceedings, not displaying any animosity in their performances as true professionals, but the reality was that the series hadn't performed as the smash-hit it was designed to be, and the responsibility for that can be spread far and wide. The point is that it got cancelled instead of being allowed the chance to end naturally over a few more years (and the way it was going, it would have improved even more, I'm certain of that), so if anything, we should be grateful that we got to peer into that future the series might have eventually reached in real time. I'm not saying it was a sure thing that it would have lasted ten years, but they may well have skipped ahead here or there to cover the Earth/Romulan War, and the founding of the Federation. I noticed that the word 'Federation' was never used once (except for Troi noting these events led to the Federation), it was still being called a coalition or an alliance, although 2161 would have been when the Federation came into existence. That's the real tragedy of the series, that we weren't afforded the chance to get to these key moments in Trek that we were dying to see. Maybe it was unwise, in hindsight, to start so far before them, in 2151, perhaps '53 or '54, a couple of years before the Romulan War, would have suited better: time to gear up for it (as certain arcs in Season 4 were doing), without beginning the series as a war-focused story, though Romulan intrigue could have been the main arc of the series, with Romulan undercover agents instead of Temporal ones.

The choice of the Temporal Cold War as backdrop for the series was one of the big mistakes. It wasn't the choice that was the mistake, it was not utilising it fully, not turning it into what we wanted to see, instead of reluctantly paying lip service or the occasional, backhanded inclusion because it was decreed by the studio, and the writers didn't really want it. For once I agree with the studio's position: they reportedly wanted another 24th Century-set series, and I suspect that would have done better, if not significantly better, than this 22nd Century show. But failing that, having seen how Berman wanted to pursue this prequel idea (back when prequels were still viewed as a good idea since 'Star Wars Episode I' had come out), giving them the directive to make the future part of the past was, for me, a masterstroke. There was talk of having Picard or Guinan, little carrots for us to look forward to, and the idea that agents were hopping through time after agents of other races to stop misdeeds, and Archer and crew might be called upon at any time to be a part of something so much bigger than themselves (imagine them being told their efforts helped to save the Khitomer Accords, or prevent Earth's destruction in the Borg attack, events throughout known Trek history could have been mentioned, or even visited - I always hoped that for the fortieth anniversary they would do a 'Trials and Tribble-ations' version of 'The Best of Both Worlds,' Archer aboard Picard's ship at this critical time). That repercussions could reach even into the other series' was a big solace for me as one none too keen on a pre-Kirk era series, even though exploring Trek's past in 'Star Trek: First Contact' worked so well.

I should have had faith because the pilot was incredible, mixing action, adventure, great character, effects and a setting and technology you could believe in. Just as 'Smallville' started out so good, exploring a pre-Superman, young Clark Kent, discovering the well-known powers, this was going to be the elements of what made 'Star Trek,' 'Star Trek.' Unfortunately, they ditched the TCW concept at the beginning of Season 4, having used it, but not well enough for my liking, most visibly to create the Xindi arc. Silik and the Suliban, and Future Guy were this series' Borg, Gul Dukat, or Dominion, and should have figured into the plot right up to the finale. Not that I'm bashing the finale for that as it had already been dealt with, if unsatisfactorily. Basically, I was really keen on the Temporal Cold War for the fact it would be a link to the future and could permit other characters, races and places that we loved from the other series' being part of this series. The TCW was a logical and legitimate way for those crossovers and interactions to take place. And then they didn't. The closest we came was Zefram Cochrane on a monitor in the pilot (the requisite character from a previous Trek production appearing, to validate this new crew and send them on their way - and it was good, and much appreciated!), and Brent Spiner coming back to the fold as an ancestor of Data's creator. Even 'Voyager,' stuck in the Delta Quadrant, did a better job of bringing in those wished-for familiar faces. All this will explain why I was so overjoyed that both Riker and Troi (not to mention the D), came back for this. I would happily have watched a series set on the USS Titan that Jonathan Frakes proposed (presumably after riding this appearance, and realising he could still play Will).

A key to my enjoyment and blessing of this episode, is that despite so many seasons of Trek and hundreds of stories, they were still, when pushed, able to come up with a new spin: have the story set completely on either the Enterprise-D or within its Holodeck. Now, 'The Pegasus' isn't one of my favourite episodes, but it is a good one, and showing the kind of attention to detail and continuity that now seems forever lost to Trek was a wonderful move. That's something else that this episode apparently marked the end of: a time when Trek was kept internally consistent like a real history, with pretty much only the same actor playing a character. With the subsequent Abramsverse creation of an alternate timeline and the opened possibilities, like Pandora's Box, of new actors playing old characters, Trek has become just like the comic books and their 'cinematic universes' where there is no definitive history, characters can happily be played by different races or genders, regardless of what the character was before, and it's all about rehashing the same old names with a slightly different spin because they're recognisable to the general population who aren't interested in the details of this universe, rather than treating it as a real history, that meant the death of an actor would spell the end of that character, to live only in the past, a real past, which fortunately we can revisit by watching old episodes again. As much as 'Enterprise' had its own problems, at least it was set within the constraints of the 'TOS' universe, not some aberration that is designed to appeal to the widest possible audience at the expense of its uniqueness.

I could hazard a small criticism and say that the idea of Riker watching these characters on the NX-01's final adventure, in order to decide whether it would be a good idea to spill the beans to Captain Picard about the true nature of his mission, might be a little slim. But what it does is give us an excellent framing device in which we get to see these characters interact with each other one last time, as well as with Riker, and Shran, leading to an important speech by Archer in front of all the delegations of the alliance (eighteen races according to the episode). And within that device is another framing device when Riker goes from observation mode (interesting idea that you can switch between participating and observing events in a historical holo-record), to revealing himself as Chef, that mysterious and elusive unseen figure who talks with each of the crew! Originally, if Shatner's guest appearance had panned out, Chef might have been revealed to be William Shatner, but William Riker was an excellent consolation prize, and I remember the reveal when I first saw the episode: after so many mentions of Chef, we were finally going to see him, and of course Riker is using that role to talk to the crew. It's a fun little inside joke along the lines of Captain Mainwaring's unseen wife in 'Dad's Army,' and it's a lovely touch, because you don't expect Riker to be communicating with the 'Enterprise' characters, so it just adds another layer of joy to the proceedings. It's the same feeling when we get to see Riker dressed as a MACO and going on the mission to rescue Shran's daughter.

That whole subplot, of Archer being called on one last time by his old friend (who's characteristically deceived everyone about his death until he needs help!), and rushing off on a 'fool idealistic crusade' as Obi-Wan might have put it, put me in mind of the decommissioning of the Enterprise-A in 'Star Trek VI,' and that before the ship was taken into mothballs they had one last adventure to partake in. There's a poignant feeling of things coming to an end, just as there had been in all the series finales over the years, the crew wondering where their next assignments will be. Poor Travis, though, once again he appears to have never moved from his Helm seat in the last six years, and hasn't aged a day, so I'd say that historical detail was probably very accurate! To be fair, he does pilot one of the Shuttlepods on the rescue mission, but if I'm being really critical, it would have been great if every character had a key role to play, and evidence that they hadn't stood still as characters in the six years we didn't see. But that was ever the nature of this series, and one of its failures: in trying to recreate the spirit of 'The Original Series,' they also recreated its fault of underdeveloped supporting characters that were generally given short shrift. At least they each had their moment with 'Chef,' which was a charming way of exploring their thoughts on the end of the series, as well as giving Riker the food for thought to advance his decision.

I also appreciated that it wasn't only 'TNG' the episode spoke to, and the eighteen year run of 'modern' Trek (it's difficult to call it modern, now that ten years have passed since its end, and twenty-eight years since it began!), the whole episode based around that time period, and wonderful little moments such as Archer and Trip toasting the next generation (meaning those who would be taking out Warp 7 ships, but also a literal name-checking of the series that began the golden age of Trek, in the same way that Zefram Cochrane spoke the words 'Star Trek' onscreen for the first time ever), or Malcolm saying of the mothballing of the NX-01, "All good things…" in honour of the 'TNG' finale. It was also 'TOS,' that was included, with Troi visiting the program and noting T'Pol's science viewer, Riker telling her he thought they also had them on Kirk's ship. But the most fitting and heartwarming tribute of all came at the very end, as we the Enterprise-D manoeuvre off into space with Captain Picard speaking those iconic words (now retconned by 'Star Trek Into Darkness' as the Captain's Oath, though I prefer the suggestion it was part of Archer's speech, taking inspiration from Cochrane's own), of the opening titles, followed by Kirk's Enterprise and the good Captain continuing the words, and finally Captain Archer, finishing it off over the Enterprise NX-01 as it sails off into space and a beautiful gas cloud. What greater tribute to Trek could there be than those three iconic ships and captains voices, sharing the screen and signing off, three generations that we'd travelled with throughout our own lives. Not since the literal signing off of the 'TOS' cast at the end of 'Star Trek VI,' had there been such an affecting display of tribute in an ending.

For some reason, however, there were still people that found the episode a complete abomination, a slap in the face. One of the reasons may have been the surprising choice to kill off Charles 'Trip' Tucker III. Not that the series was ever going to return, despite original longterm plans for the crew to take over the film series once they were done on TV, mirroring the business decision of 'TNG' - the series hadn't done well enough for that to happen, sadly (even though a script was being prepared that would have dealt with the Romulan War, and I can't imagine they wouldn't have brought back at least one or two of the 'Enterprise' cast if that had happened, considering they were from that timeframe, even though it was planned for a new set of characters). But still, it was a shock to the system to lose one of the cast in the final episode. They avoided doing that with Janeway or Seven of Nine in 'Voyager,' and technically, none of the main cast died at the end of the 'DS9' finale, either, so perhaps we were overdue a tragic death at the end of a Trek series? In a way I like that they did it, as it continued the tradition of at least one main character being killed off or leaving for other reasons in every Trek series (including the films), but I can see why people would be upset. I never fully warmed to these characters, unlike the other series', but Trip was probably the first guy I thought had potential when the series started, and it meant something that he died.

One thing I thought was very clever was a repeat of the old tactic used when Spock's death was leaked before 'Star Trek II' had come out. They got around it by apparently killing him in the early minutes, only for us to realise it was a simulation. Similarly, they play with our expectations, as we knew someone died in the finale, and on the mission to rescue Shran's daughter Trip almost falls to his death, saved by Captain Archer as phaser blasts fly around his precarious position. It's later that his real end comes, selflessly sacrificing himself to save his captain and friend by doing the only thing he can think of, and blowing a conduit to prevent the invading aliens succeeding in their plan. I thought there'd be nothing left of him, so I was glad he had a moment in Sickbay with Archer as Phlox tries to save him. It was a reckless act, and I can imagine that a better way to die could have been found. You feel that if this was just some other episode of the series he'd have fought them, or caused a diversion, or someone else would have come along and the alarm would have been raised, but at the same time Archer was expendable to those ruthless aliens, Trip useful to them so they let him live. Trip didn't want Archer's speech to go unspoken, but perhaps it would have been better if he had to give the delegates some special information that would draw them together, thus forming the Federation, as it's more that Trip wanted to save his friend's life, rather than thinking of the alliance, but he wasn't afraid to do the right thing, and the only thing he could come up with on the spur of the moment in that impossible situation.

While I wasn't opposed to Trip's death, in spite of it being a horrible way to go, and unnecessary in some ways, I liked the way it was handled in the aftermath. One of the scenes that always stuck in my head after the episode was seeing Trip again when Riker goes back earlier in the program so he can talk to the engineer: the last appearance of Trip, with that final shot of him leaving, carrot in hand, turning back to say “I’m sure you’ll make the right decision.” It speaks on more than one level, but is also an endearing last memory that recalls the carefree, ‘homespun’ Trip we first met, and far from being a jarring moment that pulls us out of his death, it's such a nice little moment in the same way that at Tasha Yar's memorial service she spoke to her friends again. So yes, it can be seen as an unimportant, wasteful sacrifice, or, as I view it, a poignant end for a character we liked a lot. And if all else fails then we can say that this isn't actual history, this is a holographic record of history, and not all the details are necessarily one hundred percent accurate. Perhaps (as the non-canon novels supposedly posit), Trip didn't actually die, and it was all a Section 31 ploy for him to become an undercover agent. Or perhaps he did die, but it was in a more meaningful way. Because it isn't an episode we're watching exactly, but a 24th Century view of an episode, it could be altered if the character was required to return in future. And I can imagine Trip and Connor Trinneer returning to Trek at some point. Perhaps not the Abramsverse films (an ancient Archer, or old T'Pol would be more likely if an 'Enterprise' appearance were a possibility), but maybe in ten or twenty years when there's some series that does a time travel episode and wants an 'original' actor to return as their character…

The time of the episode is as important to me as the setting, and though you could say there are a couple of time periods associated with the episode, 2370 is when the framing story is set, and 2161 when the holoprogram takes place, ten years have passed for me, with the episode originally broadcast in 2005, and my first viewing of it in 2006, and now this time period I'm writing in now, is 2015. So there's a feeling of sympathy between the fictional and real time, with ten years mentioned a lot, as that was how long it had been since the NX-01's mission had begun. Watching it like that, has an effect, not the least because I still wait for a new series to take up the reins of the Trek Universe, though I fear that when it does come back it will either be so unrecognisable as to be painful (as in another universe that I don't care about - the multiverse theory has a lot to answer for!), or too familiar (as in simply recreating 'TOS' again). In which case this is the final episode of 'true' Trek. Thanks to people's complaints and negative opinions we'll probably never see something like this again (although Leonard Nimoy's grand appearance in 'Star Trek XI' had a similar feeling), which is an absolute die-cast shame - crossovers are a wonderful thing when done right, and this did it superbly. I wish it were a feature-length finale as all the other modern series' had, but it must be remembered it was a halfway house, not quite the time to end the series, yet giving us a definitive conclusion that is satisfying in so many ways.

And there are so many incidental delights, whether it be adhering to the rules we've come to expect from Trek (a reminder that the NX-01 just isn't as powerful as a lot of other alien ships, proved by the aliens catching up and boarding her; no exterior shots of the ship during Riker's holoprogram, because it isn't there!); or closing the circle (Phlox performing his stretched smile again; Porthos and the promise of cheese; especially Archer noting that their last visit to a planet will be Rigel X, the first they visited at the start of their mission); or interesting little details that are always hovering under the surface of Trek (Riker's NX-01 uniform vanishes when he ends the program, appearing to be merely a holo-coating; holo-T'Pol's head moving slightly when Riker plants a kiss on her cheek, as if the Holodeck is compensating so that real people don't knock themselves out on solid objects when they make contact, even when the program's paused); or the details that make you wish we could have seen those six missing years (was it the loss of Trip and T'Pol's 'daughter' that ended their closeness of six years before, or something else?; T'Pol saying goodbye to Trip aboard the Shuttlepod reminding me of Dax seeing off Worf, before her tragic end in 'Tears of The Prophets'), and especially the literal tributes to many of the behind the scenes crew that had slaved long and hard to bring Trek to us (Ron B. Moore was one of Riker's Pegasus crewmates; Andre Bormanis and Dave Rossi are the most recognisable in the crowd at the speech, among others).

Many of them can be regarded as stalwarts of Trek, those that weren't as famous as the actors, writers, and perhaps even the directors, but nevertheless contributed to the continuing saga and kept it ticking over. Michael Westmore, makeup expert responsible for so many iconic aliens, even gave us some last great new ones, with the green, scaly-faced villains in particular a strong swan song of design. But it all had to end. Where did the series go wrong? Was it a victim of circumstance, as many claim, with a troubled studio and network that never truly embraced it? Was it the exhaustion of trying to work new stories into such an established universe, with not enough new blood? Was it, as some claim, that there was just too much Trek to watch? This last claim is ridiculous, as it doesn't matter how many episodes or series' or films, those that enjoy the world and style want more of it, want to see the details further explored. 'Enterprise' was designed as an answer to that second criticism, with a completely different setting that was also recognisably Trek, humans forced to work with aliens from a technologically inferior position. But they weren't always brave enough to embrace the setup they'd created, and without the familiar tropes to fall back on (Holodeck and transporter malfunctions; time travel), they struggled to come up with significant stories. Earth and humans in this period were just too much on the back foot and hadn't risen to importance in the galaxy. If only they'd been able to chart that rise more effectively, it could have been the best series. Instead, overall, in my opinion, it was the least effective.

The characters weren't given enough development to thrive and create something the actors were thrilled to play, the writers made their own constraints and instead of using them as an advantage, became drowned in restrictions, too caught up in the idea of Earth's danger, yet also not enough - we didn't really explore Earth society in this century, but neither did we often feel that this ship was out alone and without aid, the Vulcan's babysitting, the Andorians around to lend a hand. Yes, these things were the beginnings of the Federation, but they felt disconnected without a strong through-line (beyond Shran and Soval), and while I would have hated the series to ignore established races, maybe their mission should have made such contact rare and special, just as 'TNG' pretty much refused to revisit the familiarity created by 'TOS' in order to become something different, before eventually playing with those toys once they'd become established with their own identity. Like 'DS9' they should have built on the little we already knew of the period, or like 'Voyager' should have been far more alone and distant - the Delphic Expanse should have been what the series dealt with on its wider, series-long scale, full of weirdness and wonder. Either do that or delve into the internal politics and cultures! But the series hovered somewhere between, not committing, unsure of itself, an impression of 24th Century style with more rudimentary technology.

With Season 4, so much of what had failed before, became a solid base for success. We did learn about the Vulcans, the Andorians, and even the Romulans. We found out new things about the Klingons (even if we could have done with a recurring character for that race), and we felt the oncoming events that would shape the Federation. I could get by the fact that Vulcans were no longer restrained and a race we could look up to (I've said it before, and will again: one of the biggest mistakes of the series, just when that race should have been its coolest, like an elder brother that shows the humans how to do it, then the humans are impressed, but still find their own style), because they began to change (even T'Pol started to take on board the Syrrannite teachings and became more reserved, although it didn't appear she'd advanced any further by 2161, except in emulating T'Pau's hairstyle!). Other Starfleet ships were beginning to follow the Enterprise's lead (I'd have loved a Columbia TV series!), with the impression of a fleet (it was Starfleet, not Star-one-ship). Although I love the drama and intensity of the first half of Season 1, I think as a whole, Season 4 edges it as the best of the series, and that's a rare thing. Usually a series goes out with a whimper, or at least has signs of decline.

I personally think 'TOS' Season 3 is really good (possibly because I've seen and heard about those episodes less than the first two, so it feels fresher), Season 7 of 'TNG' definitely has a lot of less impressive episodes, and the last couple of seasons of 'Voyager' had a strong sense that the series wasn't reaching its potential after Seasons 4 and 5 got better and better. It just shows that 'Enterprise' was cut down in its prime, and should have been given the chance to reach full potential. Sadly, with the way TV is now, we'll unlikely ever see a seven-season epic, each season consisting of twenty-six episodes, with time to breathe and discover the characters; to live with them. There's far too much to watch, and the most we'll get is a miniseries, or something designed to last two or three years. But what I've enjoyed in rewatching this series is rediscovery. Sometimes episodes aren't quite as good as you remember, sometimes they're better, with the perspective of age to affect your perception. It's also fascinating from a TV history point of view to see what Trek was like in each decade, and so it's more sad that we have such a gap, with nothing on TV to demonstrate how it might have developed. The first widescreen Trek series didn't get a chance to fully live, but I salute it, with all its faults, and with all its trials, it was more Trek history for us to engage with, long before we had to call it the Prime Universe. Let's hope that history never forgets the name 'Star Trek,' and that 'Star Trek' remembers its history.

****

Grace

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S7 (Grace)

'Stargate' does 'Star Trek' again. It does appear that they want to be like Trek and have their cake and eat it ('cake - that was my idea'), or, in other words, have their Stargate, but also pioneer space vessels. With the whole premise resting on a device that instantaneously links inhabitable worlds together you'd think they'd never have needed to bother with ships, but ships have something that a 'gate can never have: cool space travel! Commander Ronson is a bit of a stereotypical Captain (or was he a Colonel?), but it's good that they have the continuity of a recognisable member of the crew for us to latch onto. I do think they could have taken more inspiration from Trek in terms of interior design, though, as the insides of the USAF Prometheus are as bland and functional as Stargate Command, and even with the wish for it to be real world influenced, there's no harm in extrapolating some attractive design to suit the adventurous technology! But the episode does a lot of Trek things in a quite basic way: coming under attack from the mysterious alien vessel we have the usual tech talk of shields down to x%, and a crewmember rushing to achieve some feat of engineering to get them out of the situation, but it's just not the same without people being thrown around the Bridge or corridors. I'm sure they deliberately avoided this hallmark of Trek, making sure people didn't do the in simulation of instability, but although it may avoid the cliche it also loses much of the suspense and makes the sets look more like sets.

Nowhere was this more apparent than when Carter first wakes up (or does she?), and there's no sound except for the actual interaction she has with the sets. They sound a little fake, missing the heavy clanking or swishing that would sell this as a ship. The lighting in places was too flat, too. Lighting improved in certain areas, particularly the bridge, but I felt the ship should have been a much more sinister, threatening environment. When she first goes down you go through the checklist of possibilities (is this for real? Is it an alien simulation? Is it all happening inside her head?), and there's really nothing new to go at, even down to the total cliche of a mysterious person (especially a child), wandering the halls (especially singing a nursery rhyme!), and then boom! up pop her friends to represent aspects of her personality or mind. So far, so seen it all before, too many times to count (see: 'Distant Voices' on 'DS9,' 'One' on 'Voyager,' 'Doctor's Orders' on 'Enterprise,' and who knows how many other Trek episodes, or other sci-fi series…), but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Y'see, I have a soft spot for these kinds of stories, where reality is uncertain and it's one character and their mental strength to keep going that makes the difference between life or death for them.

I suppose at first it may not have been real until Sam wakes up on the floor the second (?), time, and actually says: "This is real," because before then I think she was imagining living there for weeks, rationing out food, etc. But even then I was wary of being fooled as it's so often the case that actually it's still a fantasy land within a fantasy. I thought it was all taking part in her mind, she lying unconscious in the engineering cupboard. Like Trek, this would have been a 'bottle show,' a big money-saver for them to use existing sets and characters, but because the Prometheus is an extra set of sets, I'm not sure how much of a saving it would have worked out as. I thought it might have been better not to show anything outside her reality or situation, so jumping back to the base to find Daniel and Jack worriedly talking about Sam's lack of contact took the tension down a notch. It's also a balance you have to choose when deciding on whether you're going to show the external views of the ship, as that would indicate this is real, as Sam isn't seeing the outside of the ship, but it's also strange for the viewer not to have establishing shots. I'm not sure if they showed one until she woke up the second time, which would bear out, if true, that she was initially unconsciously dreaming.

The story only really became a good one once Sam's Father, Jacob shows up (as usual, in the real world the Tok'Ra can't spare a ship at this time, otherwise it would always be so easy to get out of these situations, but you have to feel that there's jeopardy), telling his daughter that her work and life with the SGC isn't enough. She needs to be more than contented and satisfied, she needs to be happy. This is herself telling her this, as Jacob is another figment, but until that scene it was just another trope-happy, cliche-ridden, sci-fi genre stalwart, and I was thinking how little meaning the episode had without even any character development. Once we got to that scene the episode gained a meaning, and equally made sense why we were seeing the reaction of those back at the SGC, in particular Jack, as it's all about the care Sam and Jack have for each other, even though it can't be admitted more than comradeship because of their positions in the military. And all without getting soppy or mopey.

The little girl having something to do with the sentience of the cloud (see: 'The Cloud' on 'Voyager,' and too many others to mention!), was a given, unless Carter was actually going mad, and it would be really helpful for all sci-fi characters to carry around a handbook of likely encounters and repeated ideas in case they ever find themselves in the situations that 'TV characters' do (they're always mentioning 'Star Trek' and 'Star Wars,' so they definitely live in a universe where these things exist!). We even get 'Captain's Logs' from Carter, as if the Trek connections weren't strong enough. The downside was how easy it was for the crew to be returned, and the fact that they had simply been whisked away to the enemy ship, rather than some cleverer plot device, but we'd already had catharsis for the character as she imagines Jack, tellingly in his civvies, away from the military rules and regulations. It's never been a heavy-handed thing they've done with the two characters, in fact you could almost say it's been too underplayed, but now and again they choose to tweak the thread and remind us of its existence.

It's kind of ironic that just as 'Enterprise' was coming to its end, 'SG-1' was making the 'first Earth ship going out into the galaxy' a theme of its own series, and lasted for a few more years. Perhaps the key was making it only a part of the series, an ongoing arc, not the overriding plot from week to week? It's also ironic that whenever this series is titled with a girl's name it's about some weird girl that they/a character finds, this episode being no exception. It was also no exception to the rule of not allowing characters to look ugly: Sam's head injury is a mere cut (it bleeds, we see it), then as soon as she's wiped away the blood it mysteriously vanishes. Maybe she used more Trek technology and found a dermal regenerator! In spite of this being pretty much the same old story I've seen so often, as I said previously, I like this kind of thing - I like to see characters put into the situation of not knowing what's real and what's not, to have them confront their inner thoughts in a physical way, and of course, to overcome, and while this episode doesn't have a lot of relevance to the series as a whole (besides the continuing development of the use of the Prometheus, and the pull of Carter and O'Neill), it's nicely done, and affecting.

***

Tears of The Prophets

DVD, DS9 S6 (Tears of The Prophets) (2)

A season finale on 'DS9' could either be a big thematic cliffhanger, or an ending sowing the seeds for the birth of a new beginning, and it would either be a massive explosion of drama and action, or a more characterful exploration - if you think back to Season 1, it had a finality to it (perhaps in case of non-renewal of the series, so that a certain degree of completeness would have existed), that also promised a new cooperation between the Bajoran forces and Starfleet, most powerfully displayed in their representatives, Kira and Sisko. Season 2 went for all-out bombast with the new threat of the Dominion played out in full, again promising new challenges. Season 3 kept things tighter, but had far-reaching consequences, with Odo's loyalty put into action, then Season 4 continued that strain with him brought to trial by his people. Season 5 had the best, relinquishing the station to enemy forces with the promise of a return. And now we come to Season 6's conclusion and there are parallels with all those that came before: the characters are left in doubt and uncertainty over the future, and most potently, Sisko is forced to abandon his station, only this time he doesn't make that promise to return, symbolised by the absence of the all-important baseball, the series entering a kind of limbo, mirroring the Prophets' own enforced isolation with the implosion of the Wormhole. It's not as epic an ending as some previous finales, with a low-key conclusion (what other series would dare to finish a season with their main character scrubbing spuds in a back alley!), but it packs a lot in, and neither does it shy away from action.

The biggest event has to be the untimely death of our dear Dax, cut down in her prime, only three hundred year's young by a Pah-Wraith-possessed Dukat. Actually the three-hundred-year old part of her survives thanks to the skill of Dr. Bashir (and the necessity for the writers to leave a remnant of the character alive), but that young woman that came to the station to revive an old friendship with the symbiont's former pupil, Ben Sisko, was gone forever, never to return, not even in flashback, one of very few omissions from the series finale at the end of Season 7. What would have happened to Jadzia Dax had she survived the wishes of Terry Farrell who played her, and gone on to star until the end of the series? It wasn't Farrell's desire to see her die, it was just one of those things, the best way they could think of to wrench her from the series she was so firmly embedded into, but die she did. Had she finished the series would we have seen her aboard the Enterprise-E in 'Star Trek Nemesis,' or would she merely have been granted a passing mention? Seeing how much of Worf's past life on DS9 was completely ignored in that film, I wouldn't hazard a guess at the likelihood of her involvement, but if she had it would have been, as the Klingons like to say, glorious!

It was a sad event, but it continued the tradition all the Trek casts had, that at least one among their number would either die, or leave for other reasons. If there was one character I would have chosen to fill this quota that the universe seemingly demanded, it wouldn't have been Dax. I don't know who I could have borne a parting from, as every character was so integral to the series. I suppose Jake would have been the only other main cast member whose death would have caused as big an impact on Sisko, and who could have been lost without harming the overall story, but I wouldn't wish it on anyone. If it had been Jake I can't see Sisko travelling home to Joseph Sisko's restaurant like a young adult returning to the comfort and familiarity of home after a major setback in life, mainly because Joseph wouldn't have been so supportive. At least he has his son and Father to fall back on. Dax' death was in a similar vein to Tasha Yar's on 'TNG' in that it was an unnecessary, short, and brutal fate: killed out of malice by a malevolent entity. It may have been small comfort to Jadzia that Dukat never wished this heinous act upon her, but I think it was a little crumb for viewers. Dukat's always been played as a crooked villain - how can a villain not be crooked, I know, but what I mean is he was twisted around in his own mind with a fascinating and believable rationalisation of his own past and current actions, tempered only by his soldier's code and desires. He was crooked in a sense that he was bent out of shape, not having the standard template of many villainous people, but wanting above power to have it and be loved and adored for it.

It's astonishing to see such a man exist within his own robust fantasy world, and carry it around everywhere with him, but that was all, sadly, stripped away when he went mad. It could be argued that he was always mad, but losing his daughter, the station and seeing all his grand plans crumble before him removed the barriers in his mind where that madness swirled and trickled around, infusing that mind, and taking over. He became a lot less interesting as a result, not to Marc Alaimo's detriment. The fact that he expressed regret at Dax having been killed at his hand while under the evil influence of the Pah-Wraith softens his own evil, or perhaps it's a glimpse of the old Dukat who would kill with one hand and eulogise the loss with the other - he always would do what was necessary in his eyes to get what he wanted (much like Kai Winn, a parallel that would come to the fore in Season 7), and could blind himself with his own perceived generosity and magnanimity. The madness he now exhibits is more alarming than the truthful rage he showed in 'Waltz,' because he's returned to something of the calmness of his devious, self-deluded persona, the clarity of vision all too real for him: destroy Sisko. Did he truly have no control over the inhabitant of his body? He chose to let it in, but also you hear him speak, if distantly and mechanically, so it's uncertain whether he truly had control of himself or was a completely willing vessel, his hatred a vehicle for action for the ever ready mischief of the Pah-Wraiths. But it does at least stop us from hating him for killing off one of our beloved characters, even if his own madness wasn't an excuse - he should be locked up, for his own safety as much as anyone else's.

It is sad that Dukat became a much more two-dimensional enemy for the series, having been so complex throughout, but it was a precursor to the through-line of the main arc: that of Sisko's relationship to the Prophets. It became simple, as the fight between ultimate Good and ultimate Evil is: Good must triumph, will triumph inevitably, but Evil has its time of freedom and will do as much as it can regardless of the futility. The Prophets and Pah-Wraiths were destined to battle, (or had been destined, or would be), the Prophets at least living outside of time, and seeing all at once, yet also able to plan, as seen in Sisko's life. This episode marks an interesting microcosm of the series as a whole in Weyoun and Damar's interactions with Dukat. They, or at least Weyoun, scorn Dukat's petty motive of revenge against one man while war rages against them all across the quadrant. It seems so insignificant, and the Dominion takes a decided bashing thanks to the religiously minded Dukat's meddling, even though he's pleased with the result. It doesn't seem as if much damage has been done against the forces of Good, but for the Prophets and Bajor it has. It appears that even giving this madman a hearing and allowing him to come and go as he please instead of locking him up, has caused the greatest calamity to the Dominion's future in the Alpha Quadrant, yet his actions are actually at the heart of the series' story: he's right that focusing on Sisko and the Prophets is the key to victory, but not the passing empire of the Dominion or the young upstart of the Federation - in a wholly ancient feud of non-corporeal beings. Dukat's thrown himself into a power struggle that has nothing to do with territory or subjugation, but annihilation, and it took an insane man to do it.

He's no fool, either, keeping well away from Weyoun's wrath after the Wormhole's collapsed, when the other times he personally visited, this time communicating via viewscreen! I liked that Damar was willing to hear out his former mentor when he first appeared, and it's good that we got to see the first meeting of these three since the evacuation of the station (though both of them had been on Dukat's mind ever since, and we'd seen various false versions of them throughout the season). Damar had already succeeded his master, taking on the prestige and responsibility of being Cardassia's leader, and he was about to succeed Dukat in becoming a more interesting character, too, the prestige fading and the responsibility growing and weighing heavily while Dukat played his silly cult games, fooling around with powerful forces - like the Nazi's in World War 2 delving into occult practices, he jumps into the tapping of some otherworldly source. A telling exchange comes between Weyoun and Damar when the former ridicules all this Bajoran superstitious nonsense, and the latter points to the Vorta's own belief in the Founders' godhood - that's different, Weyoun hotly contests! Dukat's descent was important thematically for the series, only this completely irrational being could task Sisko to destruction in the same manner that Khan was Kirk's nemesis, a personal, vengeful, evil, all-engulfing hatred that had grown from respect and perhaps even a degree of idle admiration. Sisko's biggest crime was never respecting Dukat in return, and now the Cardassian completely blames Sisko for his daughter's death, even though Damar did the deed, Sisko having 'forced his hand' in Dukat's eyes.

A mood of seriousness pervades the episode, many scenes in rooms of atmospherically low lighting, whether at Weyoun's headquarters, and the blackness that surrounds Dukat, or the Ward Room filled with opposing allies, and even the Defiant with it's warning lights up and the impression of submariner warfare as they head for battle. Jake's determined to go, but Sisko feels strongly he shouldn't, and ever since his vision of the Prophets telling him he is 'of Bajor' and must not 'leave the path,' it's given him concern. But Admiral Ross, a rational man whom he respects has finally given him an ultimatum: either be a Starfleet officer or the Bajoran Emissary, not both! It's a conflict that's always been there, though Starfleet were careful not to offend the Bajorans, always hoping they'd take their rightful place as part of the Federation, but this is war, and Ross is a practical man who wants Ben to focus wholly on the task at hand - it was his own recommendation to strike, after all, and it's brought the Romulans a little further into the fold, despite the ritual sneering and rivalry between them and the Klingons that must be endured before the serious business of actual cooperation can occur. Of course Martok's just the man to be riled up by the precise, thrusting insults of the Romulan, Letant, quite apart from the fact his proud warrior's heart sees no need for Romulan assistance, he's optimistic, prophesying Sisko, Ross and he will stand victorious on Cardassian soil by this time next year. But also, he and his forces would welcome death in glorious failed battle, whereas Starfleet are more realistic, there to fight for freedom, not hope for destruction, however grand the gesture.

Corralling these three styles and world-views, Sisko has to keep it all together, and that's not easy when he has his own doubts to contend with. It's fortunate that his right hand woman, Kira, was there to take the reins when he's struck down by a loss of 'the Force' after the Wormhole collapses and all connection with the Prophets evaporates - she jumps up and takes command, reassuring Sisko that the job will be done. Usually it would be Worf who took the position, but Kira's in a particularly spiky mood this episode, perhaps feeling responsible now that her Emissary stands bewildered and lost. Earlier we see an argument between her and Odo over station regulations, forcing the Constable to confront the idea that he may have to bend the rules now and again, now that he's let this new force into his personal life, and things have suddenly become murky and uncertain, even if they might be more exciting. His sense of order was going to suffer, but he's always believed more in justice than rules, although I was with him on this one, and as First Officer of the station, Kira should have been careful to uphold the station's rules to the letter - perhaps she was particularly angry because she gave the Vedek permission to fundraise without a licence, or forgot about the details, or maybe she just got out of bed on the wrong side? Whatever the reason, she's the one in charge and should remain detached from personal concerns. Everyone seems to come round to her way of thinking eventually: Sisko accepted himself as the Emissary, now Odo and the rulebook, and even Dax begins to have belief in the Prophets.

It's a slim belief borne out of good news - easy to have faith when things are positive for you (Kira could teach her a thing or two about belief during adversity!), and it is a little flippant, but she does genuinely seem thankful and starts to admit there might be something in this after all. In that respect she'd come full circle from the pilot episode when her connection to the Bajoran Orbs (the titular tears), was purely scientific and academic, testing, examining, impressed by the strangeness that occurred in the Wormhole, but always detached and cool. Now she's exuberant, overflowing with happiness and gratitude at the chance to have a baby with Worf. I'm glad that they gave her a death scene with Worf, and then Sisko with the coffin, she wasn't just blown away like Tasha with no thought for the future (although even Yar had that lovely memorial service). Worf's howl for the dead goes all the way back to the first season of 'TNG' when we first learned about it. His grief is almost intruded upon by Sisko, I felt, who was equally as close to Jadzia, but who can only reach a hand through that barrier to touch her cheek. There's a great parallel to be had between the two men, Sisko talking of how he failed as the Emissary and failed as a Starfleet officer (he didn't really, the mission was a success, but I suppose it's the guilt of Dax' death that he's referring to), and in 'Time's Orphan' Worf felt he had failed himself, Dax, and the O'Brien's when Kirayoshi bumped his head. The two events are poles apart in terms of importance, but it shows how seriously they both take their own actions.

Maybe Sisko should have stood up to Ross and told him he'd stay. Maybe if Kai Winn hadn't stopped the events of 'The Reckoning' from taking place the Pah-Wraiths would all have been destroyed… Maybe Jake would have been the one who died? Maybe Sisko would have been booted out of Starfleet? So many maybes, but bad things always happen, as well as good, and there's no point second-guessing everything hoping for the perfect outcome (or you'd become like Annorax in 'Year of Hell'). I don't think Sisko would have been dropped from the service, he was too important to plans in that sector, to the Bajorans, and a combat officer of great experience, but certainly any standing he had with Ross and Starfleet would have expired. They never like Captains to be too independent, they want the chain of command to be respected, but at the same time Sisko was almost indispensable. Perhaps he would have been ordered to take a leave of absence as he does at the end of the episode, anyway? It's almost cruel the way Sisko's built up at the beginning of the episode, little children inspired by him, Starfleet honouring him (with a nice touch to refer back to the very beginning of Trek history by awarding him the Christopher Pike Medal of Valour), and his advice taken for a major strike on Dominion territory. Then it's all stripped away, left desolate and uncertain, the rug pulled from under him.

At least he had good taste in ships, and wise, too - I've noticed that the best ship to take into these huge melee combat scenarios is a small one, and the Defiant is a tough little ship. The bigger vessels got the pounding and drew the Jem'Hadar kamikaze runs, and the bigger the surface area, the more damage you're going to sustain from all the flying torpedoes and phaser bursts, so take the smallest, most robust ship you can! As ever, the fleet battles were highly impressive, though not as much as the attacks on the station had been or when fleets met fleets, but good to have a different slant with mobile weapons platforms the main adversary. Chief O'Brien once again shows that brain masters brawn, and the quality of a Starfleet Engineer's mind with his ingenious solution to imprint a Federation signature onto the power source for the platforms, thus forcing them to fire on their own engine, as it were. And wireless power, that's the system of the future! It's always powerful to see Romulan Warbirds decloaking as allies and all pulling together to take out Dominion forces, it never wears off to see these powerful former foes, often at odds with each other, banding together in common purpose - I'd love to see a series based around that premise of a Klingon, Federation and Romulan alliance. It was also fun to see what almost looked like the Enterprise NX-01 in battle, though it was actually the Akira-class of vessel first seen in 'Star Trek: First Contact,' and upon which the NX-01 was based (or the other way around in in-universe terms!).

The B-story of the episode would have to be about Dax' potential for having a baby. I thought she was actually pregnant which made her death even more bitter, but it was clearly still being worked out, Julian having a hand in it, which I'm sure pleased him, even though he and Quark had reverted one last time to their early series personas, mourning the loss of Dax to marriage, even though it was long past, and setting them up to mourn her for real. It's fun to see Bashir and Quark paired up for scenes, both in the same boat in their resignation at Dax' unavailability, giving the episode an excuse to bring Vic Fontaine back for a song. As I said, there's a lot packed in, but it never takes away from the thrust of the story, although the observance of the Gratitude Festival (first seen in 'Fascination' back in Season 3, now with less Lwaxana Troi!), was almost an afterthought, just one more string in Sisko's bow in his rise to one of the greatest days of his life. As well as reminding us of the way things used to be through Bashir and Quark's eyes, we also go back and close the circle on the beginning of the season, as once again we have most of the crew off on a ship together, joined by Nog (taking Dax' usual position at conn), and Garak, all on a mission against the Dominion, nicely dovetailing the beginning and end of one of the best Trek seasons ever. Nog and Garak were only there for the sake of being there, not with strong narrative purpose or great dialogue, but I was glad they were, and it was better than the alternative of their absence.

Should Dax have gone out in a blaze of glory? I don't know, I think it would have been grand for her to deal in great personal sacrifice, instead of underestimating the threat Dukat posed and unwisely drawing a phaser as she stepped forward, but she wasn't to know his dark plans. I can imagine her going out on a ship, stopping the Defiant from being destroyed somehow, or saving Worf personally, but it might have been difficult to have the final tender scene of her ebbing life. It reminds me a little of Kirk's death, which so many derided for being meaningless, but I found a lot of meaning in it, and felt it was just the right pitch for such a legend. Dax wasn't as much a legend, and I could have done with a slightly more meaningful death for her, but then again, if that had happened Worf wouldn't have had to carry out a daring accomplishment in order to get her to Sto-Vo-Kor, so even as things played out they were able to mine new ground. The saddest moment for me is actually when she sees Worf off on the Defiant, knowing this is the last moment of happiness between the pair, and when she speaks to each of her friends, and you know it's the last time. Dax was a great character, though oddly for 'DS9' perhaps one that could still have done with more development, to have learned more about her past hosts and Trill as a species. But other things, like the war, took over, and I could see why Farrell might be dissatisfied. It wasn't anywhere near the level of 'Enterprise' where characters were all but relegated to background roles, but because this series was so strong in character it can feel as if she wasn't used to full potential.

I was puzzled exactly why the Dominion had never managed to get reinforcements through the Wormhole up to this point, as the minefield was destroyed, which was why Sisko relied on the Prophets to vanish away the approaching fleet in 'Sacrifice of Angels.' Maybe the Dominion was frightened to risk travel through there after that, or Starfleet had bulked up its defences in the region? I also wondered how Dukat knew where the idol was that would contain a Pah-Wraith. He said he'd read up on Bajoran religion, and it was an object confiscated during the Occupation, but I felt more detail was necessary. It was also strange to me that one of the Starfleet officers in the background during the Ward Room talks was wearing an old 'TNG' uniform! Had he just returned from a years-long mission and hadn't had time to change into the new style, or was it that he was a celebrated officer and had been given special dispensation to wear it? I'm sure it had nothing to do with budgeting for background extras… Once again we see the limitations of the (notwithstanding), excellent makeup, as the inside of Dukat's mouth is clearly pink, not grey - we get a good look in his kanar-hole when the Pah-Wraith exits his body!

I have to say that Season 6 on the whole continued to improve the series, and probably was the peak season, for as much as I enjoy the seventh, it doesn't quite come up to this or Season 5's level. Six has all the characters, some incredible continuation of themes and story arcs, adding new characters to the growing roster and checking in with almost all that we'd seen before. The darker uniforms, an addition from the previous season fit the style of this war and mood, and every character have meaningful contributions. But I did see patterns and suggestive moments that point to the wrapping up of the series and how and where people would end up, the narrative inclining ever more strongly to what had been only touched upon in the preceding years. I'm just so glad we got to see these things play out over another season, and that the series was afforded the right amount of time to wrap itself up.

****

Spartan: Total Warrior

GameCube, Spartan: Total Warrior (2005) game

Hack and slash, slash and hack, hack-slash, slash-hack. Hackerty-slasherty, slasherty-hackerty… There aren't that many variations in this style of game, and after a short play I began to think I might have made a mistake in getting it, but I was pleased to discover that, while it's not a deep game that will absorb for long, or one that I'd go back and replay, it did have a little more to it than the average hack-slash-fighty game. I remember back in the days of the GameCube's lifespan playing one of 'The Lord of The Rings' games with someone who'd brought it along for me to try, and it was all very brown and all very samey, and my overriding memory is of jabbing buttons until that group of orcs had been dispatched, then running over here to activate a catapult or something, then going through the same formula over and over again. I may be unfair to the game as I didn't play more than a level or two, but neither did I want to, with no inclination to keep playing, despite the antics of a two-player experience, where a fellow human can make it a little more fun. What I'm getting at is that I rarely felt bored with this game, even though it's of the same oeuvre. For one, the locations and graphics were better, with some nice environments and wide open spaces, or the detailed workings of an entire network of city streets to explore. However, there remained a feeling of being led by the nose down a predetermined path, but it felt slightly less constraining thanks to the breadth of the levels.

The sense of scale was impressive in such an old game, and immediately it felt polished, right from the menu screen and cutscenes to the detail of the character models, the opening titles and sound effects boding well that this had been done by a good team, as you'd expect with the Sega name on the front (I was pleased to read in NGC Magazine that the development team had originally ported Amiga games to PC, and as an Amiga user myself that added a little extra respect from me). When you're in a group rushing towards an attacking enemy on the battlefield you really feel like part of a battle rather than the only soldier that matters, even if, in actuality, you are. But there's a good mix of storming the battlements, or defending your own walls; taking on missions deep in enemy territory, or commanding a task force of attackers intent on a purpose. And yet… From the people that brought you the 'Total War' series on computer, I'd have liked a little more of that depth and impression of control. I've never played the series, but from what I've seen of it, and playing other games like 'Age of Empires,' I always love that feeling of controlling an army, not just one character. A console game was always going to be simpler and more immediate, that's a given, but why did it always have to be that way? Could there not have been a way to control your allies (in the 'Rogue Leader' games you had a simple control wheel of options on the D-pad to get your wingmen to form up or go off alone). It seems a console game must have a strong focus on a single character, advanced by the story.

Except the story was never a strong point in this game, consisting mainly of continuous scenes of 'let's show these Romans what we're made of,' turning into a travelling story of you, Spartan, and your band of warrior mates. But it was so slight, and really just an excuse to get to the next action sequence. Did I ever care about any of the characters? No, not even when one of them gets killed near the end. The Spartan did have a voice, unlike, say, Link in 'The Legend of Zelda' who is you, so doesn't ever say anything, to protect the thoughts you're having, as it were and integrate you more strongly with the character. Somehow they had much better stories in the 'Zelda' games, despite that. The game is reminiscent of 'Zelda' in some ways, with combat very similar to Link's swordsmanship, the internal sound sometimes harking back to those classic dungeons of yore, the treasure chests, and the fact you even have to fight 'yourself' at one point! Other games it brought to mind were the 'X-Men Legends' titles (though without the depth of story, or the RPG elements of upgrading parts of yourself or building up a team), 'Minority Report' and 'Enter The Matrix' - action fare where you follow a predetermined path for the most part and hammer the buttons until the hordes are defeated. I like a bit more to my gameplaying experience.

Fortunately, this game did have a little bit more, certainly than those last two games: the combat system. This is what saved it from being a completely average game. Graphics are all well and good, but it's what you do within them that matters most. At first it did seem to be the usual hack and slash, jamming buttons as fast as you can to take out the opposing forces, which can get quite repetitive. But there was a noticeable difficulty curve and towards the end you really needed to master the Spartan's catalogue of moves to stand a chance of getting by: I had become a bit lazy, tapping buttons and rushing off to the next mob, but you eventually come up against more worthy opponents that can't be taken down in a swipe or two of your sword and need careful attention. You had to learn to fight properly, button-bashing could only get you so far. Whether it was rolling on the ground to put out flames if you caught fire, using the different strikes and shield attacks correctly, or knowing when best to use your secondary 'magical' attack, it made the game a little more thoughtful than it at first seemed. And when your health is low, and there are few top-ups around, you have to play it carefully, while also knowing when to boldly strike out. The long-knife-wielding assassins were among the most annoying enemies opposing you, often able to block your sword swipes, so you needed to stun them with your shield to be able to get a stab in. They could often block that too, so my tactic was to repeatedly push them up against a wall in order to keep them stunned enough to get an effective window of opportunity to strike.

There were also irritating archers who'd sap your health from distance, larger warriors you needed to expend some careful consideration on, and all the while you'd be taking out lowly Romans that were more like ants underfoot, though if you gave them an opening they'd chop at you like any other enemy. You might have to deal with a whole group of these mixed enemies requiring different tactics and some thought (or at least reaction and instinct), had to be applied to keep yourself from becoming poked and prodded to death. That was all very well, but you might also have to protect an ally! One of the scenarios that took me longest to complete was in the busy city streets, preserving the intensely irritating Archimedes from harm - not since Natalya in 'Goldeneye' had such an annoying ally been under my protection, squawking and whining, you almost wish he'd die! But it was also quite a fulfilling experience, because in spite of being another of those 'travel A-to-B, fighting,' you had to learn to improve your abilities, using every advantage to slay the attackers and assassins before they either took you out or Archimedes. It was thoroughly satisfying when you eventually did successfully make it to the end. Similarly, I felt the game worked best when you had to protect something from the onrushing hordes, my other most satisfying experience protecting the grain towers from continuous attacks, then taking out Gigantes giants who needed other tactics entirely (the best way I found was to get them to charge through fire at you, giving you time to get in a few blows while they recovered).

The bosses, too, could be a challenge, even early ones such as Medusa and Crassus were tricky, and it was quite addictive to keep trying until they were defeated. There were often little tactics you had to learn to defeat them, while also taking on their minor soldiers here and there, sent to distract you. And you were sometimes confined in the space you had, such as in the fire-walled Beowulf battle in which he comes at you with a massive hammer. One thing that was a disappointment to me, and it may have been just me not realising how to do it, was not being able to choose which of these beaten warrior's' arsenal you could use as your secondary option. Granted, Medusa's Shield was probably the best, with its ability to rain down rays of stone-making power that converted all soldiers on the battlefield into unmoving statues for a time, giving you a free hand to run or destroy as you saw fit, but it would have been nice to have the option to use Beowulf's hammer, or the other weapons you collected. But as I say, it might just have been me not knowing how to select between them, though I couldn't find anything about it in the manual.

One thing I really liked was the heartbeat sound effect which occurred when things became fraught or you were on a roll - listening through headphones I at first thought it was my own, as the fighting could get you pumping when you had multiple things to keep track of! The game was rated 15, and I suppose it was quite violent for a 'Cube title as you decapitate and slice your way through, but because it was done so fast and in the usual console-game style of flashes, bangs, and a swirl of lighting effects, it never felt realistic, and you couldn't really make out the details in the fury of battle - perhaps in that respect it was true to life? Apart from the action there isn't much else to it, though you could try to find all the 'secrets.' These were a bit weak, limited to locating chests on the battlefield rather than any real degree of exploration or interaction with the environment. Very old-skool, it could almost be 'Gauntlet,' without the charm. These so-called secrets would consist of concept art you could view in a gallery, or pieces for Arena mode, simply an extra game where you could fight enemy waves for a high-score, very much in the old style of gaming. Not a bad addition, and I had a go, but I've never been one to play games much where the idea is to repetitively try for a high score. The art was a bit basic a thing to unlock, and I'd have preferred Archimedes' diary had been readable rather than being another piece of unlockable arena object or art. Still, it was a reasonable array of extras, games at that time starting to get more into unlockables and bonus content (and I even recognised Jason Isaacs in the credits as Sejanus, so they were also starting to get known talent for the voice acting!).

The aspect of the game that stopped it being anything more than a solid experience, was that like so many games, you rarely felt in control of your environment or the way you could interact with it. They were detailed, and, for the time, pretty vast, but with generally duller colours in the worlds you went through, coupled with bright slashing effects and so many bodies on screen it could sometimes make it difficult to see your character. And yet it could feel fairly epic at times due to sheer weight of numbers and size of battlefields, and all with good motion capture, seen best in cutscenes. The option to replay levels was appreciated - in some games you could only replay by starting a new game file, having saved over your file to progress, but in truth I never went back to find the secrets I'd missed or for the fun of it. As much as I'll have some good memories of hard-fought battles I can't imagine going back to it, just as I couldn't with the other 'Cube games I mentioned. I said there were no RPG aspects to the game, but you could upgrade health, power and strength at the end of each over-level, and once all three meters were maxed out you'd go up a level to a new hero, though that kind of makes the option to choose where to spend those credits redundant - it could have done with more development. The ending was weak: defeat Ares (shock twist: he's the guy behind it all!), then the game stops and it's off to the credits, but I like the title's synergy with its parent brand, especially as I could see it as a spinoff series with multiple 'Total Warrior' games like 'Total War,' though I don't know if they ever did make it a series.

***

The Sound of Her Voice

DVD, DS9 S6 (The Sound of Her Voice) (2)

A golden opportunity was missed with this one - not in the story, with it's sci-fi portions, or in any other respect, just in terms of Jadzia Dax and how little she was used. I know in spirit Terry Farrell had left, off out auditioning and basically unavailable (at least Colm Meaney's back into the regular category now), but I wish they'd been more forceful in keeping her to the eleventh hour for these last few episodes. She had a b-story in previous episode 'Time's Orphan,' but, this being her penultimate appearance, I felt she really should have been a major part of it. They could have halved or cut Bashir's conversations with Lisa to allow Dax to talk, relaying all her hopes for the future to this woman, making it all the more tragic that both women were effectively dead: Lisa in real terms, Dax in the short term. This would have been a real gut-punch, especially to people re-watching the series, knowing her end was coming. Not that I have anything against Julian, it's just his chats were more about his brilliance, or Lisa teasing him about it (one of the best moments of the episode is when she pretends to be attacked by some creature, even used seriously as a pre-ad break cliffhanger, then talks in a troll's voice, pretending it's eaten her, just to get the Doctor's attention - that's the kind of person she is!). Keeping a woman conscious and alive by talking to her makes for a perfect dramatic framing device and turns the episode into one of the 'DS9' stage plays. I could genuinely imagine this as a play, as it's mostly people in rooms, talking. If, as Q says, the real exploration is within, then this is the perfect Trek episode, because it affords us the chance to see beyond the outer personas of these people, into their inner psyches.

Captain Lisa Cusak can get at the heart of these people thanks to her incredibly open and yet sharp mind, mischievous sense of humour, and general ability to keep her and everyone else's spirits up. And because she's a stranger, a disembodied voice, with no prior connection, even out of the circle of current events for the last eight years (or more…), it gives her licence to ask difficult questions without fear of causing offence. It's most noticeable in her interactions with Sisko, Captain to Captain, who has a hard time admitting that Kasidy Yates' presence aboard the Defiant is unsettling for him, Lisa telling him it's because it's uncomfortable mixing home life with his job. In a way, he does that all the time, as Commander of a station always on duty. But a station also tends to be quieter than a starship, and with Kasidy a roving Freighter Captain she's not always around. Is it commitment he's wary of, too? Having lost his first wife in the Borg attack perhaps he's subconsciously unaware that he wants to keep Kasidy away from him and the midst of danger in time of war. This is pure speculation and I'm travelling a little deeper into the ideas than they did, but it's clear that for Sisko, at least, work and home don't mix. We've seen him a little disconcerted before, such as when he's had dealings with Kasidy in an official capacity - unfortunately it was one of those times she let him down, by turning out to be working, distantly, for the Maquis. So his discomfort has basis in more than the personal. It's also the fact that she can undermine his authority because in their personal life they're equals.

He doesn't give Kasidy enough credit, however. She wouldn't undermine his authority, but it must be a little difficult for her, too, as she probably feels as if she's beginning to have to walk on eggshells. It probably started out fine when they were first on the convoy mission, Kasidy's role as liaison between the freighters and the Defiant the reason she's there now as they head home. But it was a long mission and everyone's tired, so the barriers have come down and Sisko isn't doing such a good job of keeping his personal feelings to himself. Not that he's ever been a Vulcan, anyway! I like the whole idea of having Sisko forced to work with Kasidy on his ship, but I would have liked things to go a bit further, perhaps get heated like in 'The Ship' when everyone's bubbling up with sarcasm and irritation. It might not have been so cosy to watch, but we never see things get out of hand, Kasidy upset only in a quiet way, restrained way, as seen when Sisko goes over to her at the wake. Then she's free to show her body language against Sisko, not constrained by trying to help him do a good job and or keep out of his way. Actually, it's good that things didn't get heated aboard ship as Kasidy was always a fiery personality and if she'd been more selfish she could have caused problems for Ben by acting up and not being professional about it all. But that's why we like her, she really does care about Sisko.

Not that Sisko is really constrained. While he has Kasidy in the back of his mind all through the mission, he demonstrates the kind of decision-making that a Captain must make when the rescue is endangered by lack of speed. The Defiant won't get there in time to save Lisa, O'Brien saying it will shake itself apart above Warp 9 (I wanted Sisko to shout, "Then fly her apart!" a la Sulu in 'Star Trek VI'!), unless they drain the phaser reserves to use that power to hold her together. Worf strongly advises against making the ship vulnerable in case they come up against Jem'Hadar, even though the odds are remote, and Sisko must make his choice. He chooses to take the risk in order to save Lisa and it pays off, or it would have if not for the cruel sting in the tale. It's not really a cruel twist, it's a melancholy realisation that they couldn't have saved her no matter what, because she actually died three years before: classic sci-fi. We've grown to care about this woman with her strong and vibrant character, a tribute to the writers for crafting such a strong personality devoid of physical characteristics, and for she's allowing us to know our characters even better, so it's fitting that Sisko refuses to bury her in a cave on an alien world, far from home, in favour of taking her back for burial among the new friends she's made. The mission wasn't futile, as while they were racing to get to her, they were also talking all the while, getting to know her, baring their souls. She gave them something they might never have had, and in return her last hours were shared in good company. She was privileged to hear of a future she'd never see, but most importantly she didn't die alone and forgotten, and in that short time developed friendships and left people to mourn her.

When you think about it there must be other starships out there that get lost and are never heard from again. As in previous centuries on Earth's seas, the vast ocean of space is full of unknown dangers, and yet the spirit of exploration is at the heart of Trek, what it's all about. There must be other starships going off on long missions - the USS Olympia would have been lost with all hands and without trace if not for the Defiant stumbling upon the signal. But for all the sadness of Lisa's predicament she died in blissful ignorance of the hopelessness of the situation, keeping that hope burning even though it seemed the rescue would be tight - did they factor in the energy barrier surrounding the planet? It was all well and good rushing to the rescue, but if they'd warped up on time and then had nothing left to play with to work out a way through, it would have been all for naught. I wonder if their experiences in 'Children of Time' helped in some way. Initially they didn't know about the barrier sending the signals from the past, but after the truth was known it must have resonated with that previous experience where another energy barrier caused time travel, the Defiant crashing into the past to spawn a colony of descendants. This one is probably the slightest time travel in the history of Trek, with only three years and only audio transmissions travelling, but it's no less effective for that.

The attention to detail is, as ever, very good, with the remains of Captain Cusak covered by a Starfleet uniform from the 'TNG' era (though I couldn't tell if it was the Season 1 'go faster stripes' version!), since her ship set out on its eight year mission eleven years before the episode, which would put it one year before the Enterprise-D began its own. I could see a TV series set aboard the USS Olympia, especially with such a well-written and fun character in command as Lisa, and it would be fascinating to delve into the Beta Quadrant, ironically the least-mentioned part of our Galaxy, even though both the Klingons and Romulans are supposed to have territory within it. It could make for an interesting series, not as 'far' as the Gamma or Delta Quadrants, close enough for Starfleet to be sending ships there, but still years from home, with no chance to pop back to Earth if they were having problems with story ideas!Another episode this reminds me of is last season's 'In The Cards,' in which Jake and Nog inadvertently end up giving joy to everyone after the war has been getting them all down. There's a similar morose exhaustion in this episode, and again all it takes is one person to give a different perspective, take people out of themselves, and for that they were always going to be grateful to Lisa.

Both stories in this episode aren't what they seem. Lisa isn't actually alive, and Quark doesn't actually beat Odo, but it's a surprising glimpse of the true friendship between Quark and Odo - even though they aren't on the mission to rescue Lisa they also show a side of themselves that we don't tend to see: Odo's sense of justice allows him to bend the rules and allow Quark to get away with a profitable crime, and Quark has Jake to confide in about how much he feels Odo owes him for the understanding and advice that helped him win Kira. It was a fun pairing to have Jake in on one of the Ferengi's schemes, explained by the fact that Jake needs inspiration for a crime novel he's writing and comes to Quark to get it - he couldn't have a better teacher! It's great to see Jake and Quark in a story full stop, albeit a b-story, as they were both characters that had got a little lost in the shuffle during the war, to one extent or another. Once again we see the irony of Nog, Mr. Starfleet, having been the one to aspire and reach for that, while Jake is the one of the pair to end up hanging around Quark's Bar learning from his friend's uncle, the master of nefariousness. It's just one of those delightful turnarounds the series was so good at, and because it's a station-bound story with no relevance to the war, it feels like a Season 1 or 2 tale, and I like that they could still do that in spite of the 'big events' all around. They were important, but they could also play a part as backdrop to our characters, it wasn't the other way around, with the characters at the mercy of the overarching story as so many serialised narratives are.

Odo is the kind of man that takes justice into his own hands, regardless of the law. And for once he agreed with Quark that he owed him for helping him to achieve happiness in his life. He wouldn't have gone along with it if it had been a directly dangerous or damaging crime, but because it's just Quark earning illegal profit he lets it go. He sees how Quark really feels for once, as the Ferengi talks of how he listened to and advised Odo even when Kira had Shakaar (he could be referring to 'Crossfire'). Kira's in on it, too, though Odo keeps the truth about how he came to the idea of celebrating their first dinner together, to himself. A wise man! They both look down on Quark from on high, like the ancient gods of Greece, observing the mere mortals as we see Quark excitedly go off to claim his fortune, and it turns into a compliment from Kira about how she keeps finding out new things about Odo, so everyone was a winner. I'd have liked to have seen the Nausicaan business partner on the station, as we don't see them often, and I wonder if the viewscreen conversation was stock footage, as the Nausicaan doesn't say anything, but seeing Quark go off triumphantly was a good way to end his story. This Nausicaan must be more intelligent than most members of the race we've seen, as he changes his comm signature as soon as Quark's ended the message. My first thought about this guy coming to the station with Odo on duty would be Quark fearing for his life, as the Nausicaan might think he'd been crossed, but instead, Quark just thinks of Odo arresting him.

We see a good deal of the Defiant on this mission. Some areas are well known, like Engineering, Crew Quarters, the Mess Hall and the Bridge. But we also see what could be Bashir's Sickbay, or perhaps a side office from it (they've obviously done some redecorating since the ship first came to DS9 as originally it barely even had a Sickbay), following last episode when we also saw Sickbay. We're given the barest of glimpses of the Shuttlepod Bay as Shuttlepod Chaffee (not named in the episode), exits the Defiant from beneath in exactly the same way as they went on to launch Shuttlepods from the NX-01 in 'Enterprise,' so there's some degree of connection once again (I've always felt that series had the most links to 'DS9,' though not in quality, and it's a shame the 'DS9' writers hadn't been in control of it). I'm not certain, but Sisko's mention of a Shuttlepod, may be the only reference to them on Trek prior to 'Enterprise.' I love the design of the tiny vessel, it's engines matching the style of its mothership. It's so cramped inside that we don't get a good view of the cockpit at all, the camera forced up against the three officers' faces, with no room to manoeuvre. Maybe they didn't even build any consoles and just had the actors sit in a shell? The only time I can remember the 'pod being used before was when we first met the Defiant in 'The Search,' Odo taking the unconscious Kira aboard to escape, but that could have been an escape pod…

The Defiant may not be quite as cramped as the Shuttlepod, but I love how the sense of isolation that O'Brien speaks of is emphasised by the camera pulling away from him in the confined space of his quarters. It wasn't all doom and gloom, though, Lisa bringing some light into their lives - I especially enjoyed their views correlating on Counsellors aboard starships, both having doubts as to their validity, even though O'Brien admits to liking some of them personally (I wanted him to mention Deanna Troi by name!). It's a pertinent topic as they'd soon be getting one on the station (or a new one if they'd already had one before). On the other hand, if O'Brien had talked to a counsellor he might not have become unable to talk about losing his friends to them. It sounds like he'd agreed to talk to one by the end of their conversation, but it could be that he meant he'd open up to his friends. Either way, that became redundant when they discover Lisa's death, and the Chief had his opportunity to speak openly and honestly in front of his friends. The Irish wake was a lovely scene, but it's always sad to see the camera linger on Dax and Worf as O'Brien talks of a day when they may lose one of the people in this circle and that the others shouldn't have to mourn alone. Worf's comment about the wake being almost Klingon gave me another flashback to 'The Ship' where he and O'Brien overcome their differences by watching over Muniz' coffin on the journey home. It's good to see the tradition of using a torpedo casing as coffin, (first begun for Spock in 'Star Trek II'), continue, but sad that it would be used again all too soon.

Some oddities stood out in the episode, such as why Sisko moved his coffee cup towards Kasidy when he's called to the bridge? Was it for her to finish, as I suspect, or did he want her to put it in the Replicator for him, a sign he's domesticated her? I'm sure it was the first, but it wasn't clear from the scene so you can get both readings from it! I also thought it strange that in all the years Worf's known the Chief, both on the Enterprise and the station, he's never been to an Irish wake and knows nothing about it, but when you think about all those people they must have memorialised over the years, especially for so many under him he'd have known as Chief of Security, it seems amazing the Chief never got Worf along to one. I also felt it was amazing that with all these conversations covering both personal and galactic, no one ever mentioned the date, or any date that would cause Lisa to question why it didn't add up. And was there no record of when the USS Olympia launched its mission? I'd have thought that details about her and her ship would be the first things they'd check up on! I enjoyed the reference to tri-ox, which had been used as far back as 'TOS' (McCoy gave Kirk a shot for the atmosphere of Vulcan, for example), but it also made me think that if the air is thin and she needs this tri-ox, maybe talking so much wasn't very helpful as it would deplete her oxygen much quicker. Still, it wouldn't have made it last three years, so it didn't make any difference, and the episode would have been very different if she hadn't been conversing with them!

The cave set in which they find Lisa once again displays the ingenuity of the Trek production staff. It's just the same old rocky set they'd always used, but this time we have a rainstorm beating down into it, which I'm sure wasn't an easy effect to achieve, especially at this point in the season when you're working on your penultimate episode. I'm always amazed how they could re-imagine such a standard layout to create such different effects. I also enjoy hearing about classes of planet, this example being a Class-L, a type we've seen before (in 'The Ascent' Odo and Quark crashed on this type of planet). Other enjoyable things included another Trek reference with Lisa mentioning an Andorian whose antennae used to follow her around the room on Andor (she definitely says Andor, not Andoria, so perhaps that's the older designation?), Odo and Kira dressing up in period 1920s French garb, Kasidy complaining about the paperwork (she makes Starfleet sound a lot less fun!), and Morn being spun round on a barstool to prove how safe they are to a sceptical Odo. I can't say I really noticed that the usual stools all had backs to them, but there are such layers of detail to this series, it's unbelievable. The effects work, from Odo reforming out of a couple of barrels having spied on Quark in the Cargo Bay, to the Shuttlepod passing through the energy barrier, are all particularly slick, and the episode doesn't put a foot wrong in its production.

I thought it strange how Sisko just jumps straight into conversation with Lisa once he's decided they're all going to keep her company in that way, in the middle of Engineering with everyone else standing around him. I suppose he didn't know how personal Lisa was going to get at that point… I'd have liked to have seen the scene where Sisko explains over dinner how he can't work with Kasidy around! I wonder how well she took it, or whether she'd already suspected it enough to have accepted the situation, as evidenced by her question to O'Brien over whether he minds her presence. It's not often we see a civilian coordinating with a starship, let alone serving aboard it, so Kasidy was walking in an unknown world, even though she's a Captain herself, and could probably imagine what it would be like if she had to have Sisko on her ship while she was commanding - that might have made for an interesting mirror to hold up in another episode. Something else I wondered at was people referring to Saturday and Sunday. It could just be the Universal Translator doing its work, and they were actually saying something completely different, or perhaps the Federation standard week is comprised of the Earth standard week, and everyone follows that. I don't recall us ever hearing of the Bajoran terms for the different days, or even if they have the same number of days, what with their twenty-six hour clock.

At the end, as they all toast Lisa, it feels like the ripple of the final curtain to come for them all - how they'd all be going their separate ways by the end of the series. Here, they take time to celebrate their friendship, and even though it was probably more a ripple for the season finale it still has a further resonance of the absolute conclusion, just as in the previous episode O'Brien says he'll get a transfer rather than be parted from his family again - the inklings of the dissolution of the series and its characters, 'a generation's final journey begins,' to steal the last tag line of a 'TNG' production. I strongly credit Rick Kolbe, who did an excellent job directing the episode, totally getting what was required for such a sensitive, talky piece. I wonder if Kira and Odo should have been at the wake, though? Dax never showed herself on the Defiant and she's in full attendance (even if she would never be one to miss a party), so we must assume she spoke to Lisa (unless she was simply accompanying her husband, Worf). But Odo and Kira definitely weren't aboard the Defiant, so they never encountered Captain Cusak, but the way the group is talking it feels like all the main cast should be together for that moment. Except they had their own celebration to hold, and it wasn't really necessary for everyone to be at the event, it was just the sentiments that made it more than just a memorial for one Starfleet officer, but a casting out of the series as a whole, a gauge or reminder, a signpost to the end, and it feels strange that not everyone is present.

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