DS9: “The Wire” and “Crossover”

Date: June 25, 2020

Season 2, Episodes 22 and 23

Musical Accompaniment: Medieval Fantasy Music

Interstellar News: I went to bed super early sorry for the late post.

Favorite Quotes from “The Wire”:

Bashir: Try not to yell at any more admirals for a while.

Sisko: I wasn’t yelling. I was just expressing my feelings. Loudly.

Bashir trying to give his patient some advice, but Sisko and Kira are two peas in a pod.

Bashir: You gave me answers, all right, but they were all different. What I want to know is of all the stories you told me, which ones were true and which ones weren’t?

Garak: My dear Doctor, they’re all true.

Bashir: Even the lies?

Garak: Especially the lies.

Bashir trying to get more information out of Garak and Garak being amazingly obfuscating.

So what had happened in “The Wire” was…: Garak is sick and it’s clear that the implant in his head is causing it. Quark tries to get a part for Garak but it’s classified because of the Obsidian Order. Garak explains to Bashir that it’s supposed to make him invulnerable to pain but it’s not intended for long term use and he’s used to straight for two years. Bashir detoxes him off of the device which causes a wide range of emotions from Garak, as he is acting like an addict. Over the course of the episode he gives three possible explanations for why he was exiled, all of them with a slightly different twist each time (he killed a transport, he betrayed his best friend Elim, etc.). Bashir, to his credit, is not phased because none of that is important to a doctor treating their patient and travels to Cardassia to meet with Enabran Tain, who helps them both. We find out Garak’s first name is Elim and Tain wants him to live a long and unhappy life.

…”Never tell the truth when a lie will do.”: There’s a line that indicates Quark closes down around 2 a.m. and it makes me giggle that bars on the far side of the galaxy, during a 26 hour day, still close at two-in-the-morning. This was a wonderful episode that highlighted both Bashir and Garak wonderfully. Garak with his range of moods, his mystery, his stab at vulnerability, and more insight into his background and character. He plays a junkie quite well and bounces back from detox quite quickly. Bashir is totally nonplussed during all of these revelations because he explains quite well that it has no bearing on his treatment. In fact it’s not until Garak is up and about that Bashir starts to pry a little about what is true and what is not. Bashir is also a wonderful detox buddy and seemingly unflappable in the face of danger. I really liked this episode, so it’s totally getting itself a 9 day trip to Arizona for, ummmm, health reasons.

Favorite Quote from “Crossover”:

Mirror Odo: Did you forget the Rule of Obedience number fourteen?

Bashir: It’s not a joke. I’m a doctor.

Mirror Odo: Well, Doctor, don’t forget to scrub before you operate.

Mirror Odo is just as sassy, with a touch more mean and gruff.

So what had happened in “Crossover” was…: Kira and Bashir are headed back to DS9 after opening a hospital on New Bajor when something weird happens in the wormhole. Two Klingons beam over to their ship, are scared shitless of Kira, and back on the station another Kira comes stalking towards them and we’re suddenly in the sequel to “Mirror, Mirror” because DS9 is apparently all about the callbacks to TOS. In the Mirror Universe, Bajorans run the sector on behalf of The Alliance in conjunction with Klingons and Cardassians. Due in part to Kirk’s antics the last time, Mirror Spock brought peace to Vulcan and they were taken over by the Alliance. Mirror Kira is also supposed to get rid of our Kira, but she doesn’t, though Bashir is sent to mine ore with the rest of the Terrans who are treated like slaves. Quark still runs the bar but is worried about saving lives rather than making profit. Mirror Sisko is a space pirate and is a pet to Mirror Kira. Mirror Garak is after Mirror Kira’s job and Mirror O’Brien is still an engineer, although a poorly mistreated one. A thorium leak allows everyone to make a run for it, Kira and Bashir escape and the Mirror Terrans begin a revolt.

…”There’s got to be something better than this.”: Kira says it best when she says “The players are the same, but everyone seems to be playing different parts.” Mirror Kira is all sex and power but she still shares her distaste for violence. Mirror O’Brien is still a whiz with technology and hardware but he’s clearly a beaten man until there’s something to fight for. Mirror Sisko is amazing at acting like a crazy pirate who is taking advantage of being favored, but he sees the opportunity where he can be more and be honorable. Mirror Garak is much the same as is Mirror Odo, though Odo is more gruff and rough and Garak is more open about his scheming. It makes sense that there is no mirror counterpart of Dax and Bashir in some ways, as they arrived later on a runabout during the series opener, but it would have been interesting to see the mirror counterpart of both of them. Would Bashir be somewhat less perfect? Would Dax be more like Curzon? I want to know! I also love that Kira has no idea who Kirk is but Bashir is all over that because Kirk’s a damn legend. Overall, another strong episode and I give it a level 8.

TA Out!