DS9: “Chrysalis” and “Treachery, Faith and the Great River”

Date: August 25, 2020

Season 7, Episodes 5 and 6

Musical Accompaniment: Another instrumental rock list

Interstellar News: Mosquitoes are awful.

So what had happened in “Chrysalis” was…: The “Jack Pack” is back because they want Bashir to fix Sarina. He tries an experimental surgery with a piece of newly created technology and, five days later, she begins to speak. It’s obvious she’s more like Bashir and less like the rest of the group, and Bashir is smitten as hell. Bashir moves fast and tells her he loves her, but she’s just woken up and wants to find her way in the world. She goes off to an internship, the other three head back to the Institute, and Bashir finally remembers he’s a doctor who shouldn’t date his patients and goes back to his solitary life.

Favorite Quote:

Bashir: So here you are, on your way to one of those tiny little specks of light out there.

Sarina: I guess that’s what a genetically enhanced girl should do when she wakes up from her sleep. Go make a life for herself. I’m going to miss you.

Bashir: I’m going to miss you.

Sarina: You won’t forget me?

Bashir: Forget you? Never.

A lovely but painful exchange for them both.

“We’re genetically engineered. We do everything fast.”: Bashir has always confused me. First he was all in love with Dax, or really any woman, and then he was all “oh I never wanted a family because my parents genetically enhanced me” all the while he was still a massive flirt, and then he’s sad because Jadzia would have chosen him, and now he’s head over heels with someone who has quite literally just woken up and is quite child-like… make a decision Bashir! Also, we’re in the middle of a war and three genetically enhanced individuals can just pop on some Starfleet uniforms and smuggle a woman out of a facility? Oh and they just happened to invent/create the right machine to complete the surgery? There are too many things that if you think about them for just a minute, don’t make too much sense.

There are, however, some very funny things. Lauren falls in love with Nog but she doesn’t interact with him after their first meeting. The singing bit was fun at first, then lasted a bit long, but then was kind of beautiful right at the end, just as you see Bashir fall utterly in love with Sarina. Patrick gets to look dashing as an admiral. Jack gets to be, well Jack. Sarina is like a kid in a candy store and I spent the whole episode thinking she was going to revert, just as she feared, but instead she decided to make a life for herself. On one hand I know exactly what Bashir is going through. It’s hard on the heart to love someone so much and they don’t feel the same way about you. When you are so sure that you would be perfect together and everything has felt so right since that first moment, but they have other ideas. On the other hand, Sarina just woke up and Bashir was her doctor, of course she would hero-worship him! Once she said she owed him, he sort of seemed to come to his senses but that’s the way his brain moves… too fast for his own good sometimes. Overall the good and the bad of this episode clash and it comes out a wash, so 5 verses of “row, row, row your boat” for all of you.

So what had happened in “Treachery, Faith and the Great River” was…: Odo receives a message from Gul Russol, but it’s really Weyoun who wants to defect. On their way back they’re contacted by Damar and… Weyoun. Turns out Weyoun 5 (who replaced Weyoun 4) was killed in an “accident”, Weyoun 6 is with Odo, and Weyoun 7 is with Damar. When 6 won’t activate the kill switch, Damar and 7 plot to destroy their runabout. The female changeling arrives and isn’t looking too good. 6 tells Odo how the Vorta came to be and also that the Founders are dying. As they try to make a run for it from another four ships, Weyoun 6 activates his kill switch so that Odo may live.

The Promenade is closed for repairs and Sisko wants the Definat repaired soon, but the part won’t come in for several weeks. Nog gets to know the Quartermaster who tells him of a ship who has an extra and may want to trade, and so starts the material continuum. Nog lets someone borrow Sisko’s desk for a part that will go to one ship in exchange for another part to go to another ship and so on until they can get their part, and also he makes off with some of Martok’s bloodwine and O’Brien’s authorization code. O’Brien is starting to think his goose is cooked, but Nog comes through in the end and all is well in the world.

Favorite Quote:

Odo: Aren’t you being a little paranoid?

Weyoun: Of course I’m paranoid. Everyone’s trying to kill me.

Weyoun 6 is pretty fantastic.

“I’m not a god, I’m a security officer.: The bit with Nog and O’Brien is fantastic, as long as you forget that replicators exist. I mean it’s not like Cardassian tech where it can’t be replicated… right? I will say, this is why you never, ever give out your password to anyone. This was a sort of lighthearted “O’Brien must suffer” episode because he had so much to do and just was hoping Nog knew what he was doing. It did all work out in the end, because Nog has the lobes for Starfleet, but O’Brien almost didn’t make it. I love how we hear more about Ferengi “religion” and how even Rom knows the tale and cautions O’Brien about the treacherous waters. This was just a fun story, if you don’t think about it too hard.

The Weyoun bit is just as awesome and with not as many flaws. I will say I’m going to miss the hell out of #5, but #6 had a vision that Odo agreed with. I do find it interesting that Kira has managed to have some sort of relationship with the only two “religious icons” on board DS9: Sisko, as the Emissary, and Odo, as a “god” to the Vorta. It was great to learn more about the Dominion side of things and I was delighted with how #6 told the story of the Vorta’s beginnings. Both bits of this episode were just so good, I give it 8 Weyouns (which is also how many I think we’ll end up with)!

TA Out!