Date: July 10, 2020

Season 3, Episodes 24 and 25

Musical Accompaniment: Spanish love songs played on the guitar

Interstellar News: It’s never the worst day ever when you’ve had a puppy sleep on your lap.

Favorite Quote from “Shakaar”– The Complaint of the Changeling: “It has been my observation that one of the prices of giving people freedom of choice is that sometimes they make the wrong choice.”

So what had happened in “Shakaar” was…: The First Minister of the Bajoran provisional government dies and his interim successor is Kai Winn until an election can be held. Winn asks Kira to help reclaim some farm equipment from Shakaar, a man she fought with in the Resistance. He and two old friends explain they were supposed to have the equipment for a year but he is willing to work out a compromise. Instead Winn tries to have him arrested and he and Kira flee with the equipment. Winn tries to get Sisko and the Federation to intervene but he can’t and won’t and the situation spirals out of control. As Kira and crew are cornered she and Shakaar talk to Colonel Lenaris in order to avoid civil war, so Shakaar tells Winn he’s running against her.

On the station O’Brien is on a darts winning streak at Quark’s and Quark is looking to make a quick buck. He gives good odds and attracts quite a crowd. O’Brien is “injured” before he can make his last shot, however, and a Vulcan wins on 15-to-1 odds to the dismay of Quark. After surgery O’Brien is no longer “in the zone” but Bashir makes a good shot and is next on Quark’s list.

“I didn’t fight the Cardassians for twenty five years just so I could start shooting other Bajorans.”: So I’m to believe that the entire senior staff is so enamored with O’Brien’s win streak that no one notices or cares that Kira is missing for two weeks? I also do not buy for a minute that O’Brien was really hurt, though I’m glad Quark wasn’t smart enough to figure it out. I mean I understand that O’Brien is a klutz sometimes but it’s usually when he’s getting his adrenaline fix, not when he’s reaching for coffee. I mean he’s a bit older but he’s not that old… though I did throw my back out once trying to put pants on, so maybe.

The Kira part of the episode is more than enough to make up for the lame antics happening at Quark’s. We get a look into her life before Bajoran independence and we also get to see how she’s grown over the last three years. She really does try for a compromise, surely something can be worked out, but she does forget she’s dealing with Kai Winn who is insane and would get along great with Umbridge. Kira’s friends are a reminder of her past and for what she fought for but also a good kick in the pants as to what’s really happening on the surface. It’s hard to remember that when you’re up in the sky and several hours away from where you grew up and it’s even harder when you’re not living that life. I’m really glad both she and Shakaar came to the relization at the same time that they didn’t want to fight their fellow Bajorans, it isn’t what they fought for. Shakaar realized he could make a difference by using his leadership skills and he even was able to convince the militia the merits of his plan. Kira really did act as an intermediary and wasn’t the sole hero of the hour, which I really liked. In the end Kira gets into absolutely no trouble for missing two weeks worth of work and Kai Winn loses power, so this episode gets 6 bullseyes from me.

On a slightly different note there’s something that confuses me about Bajor. How do you get everyone on an entire planet to follow only one religion? Maybe Bajor isn’t as large as Earth but I can’t imagine even the smallest planet not having several kinds of personalities and people on their surface. Maybe it’s very American of me, but it’s hard to believe that there’s not a single atheist or other believer in the whole population.

Favorite Quote from “Facets”:

Quark: What can I get you, Nog?

Nog: A root beer. It’s an Earth drink. Something they serve at the Academy.

Quark: A root beer. This is the end of Ferengi civilization.

Nog being proud of himself and getting himself ready for Earth drinks while Quark is all doom and gloom.

So what had happened in “Facets” was…: Dax is going to go through the zhian’tara, the Trill Rite of Closure, and “meet” all of her previous hosts as their memories are temporarily transferred into another body. Kira embodies Lela, the first Dax host, who was clearly a wonderful and strong woman in a time where the Trill were likely less appreciative strong women. She was a legislator and apparently Italian in a previous life, she used to wildly gesticulate before the men teased her for it, and is responsible for some of Jadzia’s mannerisms. O’Brien takes on Tobin who’s super nervous and super smart but is the reason for Jadzia taking on a unique way of problem solving. Leeta, the dabo girl, has Emony’s memories and was a gymnast which helps Jadzia understand her affinity for Klingon martial arts. Quark takes on Audrid who loved being a mother and the head of the Symbiosis commission. Bashir embodies Torias who was brash and lived life to the fullest but was in an accident and didn’t live as long as he would have liked. Sisko takes on the responsibility of hosting Joran, the psychopath killer, and even inside of the holding cell he causes trouble. Last it’s Odo who takes on Curzon but it’s almost like a true joining as Odo is a changeling. They originally intend to stay connected but Jadzia talks them into separating and Curzon proclaims his love for Jadzia.

Nog, on the other hand, is still trying to qualify for the Starfleet examination. Rom is so damn proud and has Garak tailor a uniform for Nog, but Nog fails part of the test. Rom realizes Quark did something and hulks out on his brother, again, because Nog’s happiness is the most important thing to him. Nog passes the exam when his uncle isn’t interfering and O’Brien can’t believe he’ll have to call Nog “sir” after Nog graduates from the academy.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to borrow your bodies for a few hours.”: Rom is the absolute best and is so supportive of his son, it really is interesting how alike Sisko and Rom are when it comes to fatherhood. I almost feel bad for O’Brien, almost, but I absolutely don’t feel bad for Quark at all. I hope he comes around to being proud of his nephew.

I truly enjoy learning about the Trill joining process and found the whole thing fascinating. I wish there was more time with some of the hosts, especially since the only way I got some of the names was by looking up the transcript for the episode. It was fun to see Jadzia realize what things came from previous hosts and what things were simply enhanced after being joined, she really got to learn a lot about herself. I can understand why this is needed after so many hosts there’s a lot of information floating around and I’m sure it’s not so readily available on command, especially the more removed she is from the host. We’ve heard a lot about Curzon not just because he was Sisko’s friend and mentor but also because he was the most recent host. I do wonder why she didn’t think too hard to ask Curzon before, though? Maybe she was scared or maybe it was hidden from her somehow. Sisko plays Joran perfectly and I will admit I was a bit scared for Jadzia but knew she would be okay because there are several more seasons. The biggest bit for me was the Odo/Curzon hybrid which was a true melding of personalities and I absolutely loved watching Odo drink for the first time. It was wonderful that Odo, once separated, had a greater appreciation for what it’s like to be a humanoid and Dax, once rejoined, understood Odo a bit more unlike any other “solid” person could. Dax becomes more sure of herself and is finally growing into her own. This episode gets 7 previous hosts for me.

TA Out!

Date: July 9, 2020

Season 3, Episodes 22 and 23

Musical Accompaniment: Violin covers

Interstellar News: If you ever hear me utter the phrase “I love driving” know that something is absolutely wrong and I’ve been kidnapped or some such.

Favorite Quote from “Explorers”:

Dukat: Commander, I contacted you out of concern for your safety, but you seem to be intimating that I’ve made some sort of threat.

Sisko: Ah. Then I’m glad I was wrong. For a moment there I thought that you had been put in charge of the Cardassian Ministry for the Refutation of Bajoran Fairy Tales.

Dukat: Since I don’t seem to be able to dissuade you from undertaking this little voyage of yours, I’ll wish you luck instead. Let’s hope you don’t need it.

Sisko is super sassy and I am here for it, all the way.

So what had happened in “Explorers” was…: Bashir is nervous about meeting up with the valedictorian of his medical school class but it turns out she’s a bit jealous of his assignment and they eventually run off and talk about medical things like colleagues.

Sisko comes back with a goatee and plans for an ancient Bajoran spaceship. He builds it and takes it out for a spin with Jake. Jake shares a story he’s written and then shares he’s been offered a fellowship in New Zealand but he wants to defer for at least a year. They encounter some trouble and are thrown off course but make it all the way into Cardassian space – proving it could be done and how it likely happened 800 years ago.

“Why? Because it’ll be fun.”: The opening scene with Bashir and the Bajoran woman with the “cough” starts like the opening to a bad space porno when Dax comes in and totally throws Bashir off his game and it’s spectacular to watch. When the Lexington finally docks and Dr. Lense doesn’t even give him the time of day it’s fantastic because you can see his confusion and the visible shrinking of his ego. It’s a wonderful explanation how she confused him with someone else and how both parties thought the grass was greener on the other side. Bashir keeps bringing up his failure and he seems to really regret his mistake, but I don’t know why he keeps on harping on one damn question… give it a break kid. The real winning part of the Bashir story line was when O’Brien and Bashir get hosed and sing some drinking songs, it’s super adorable that they’re drinking buddies now.

Sisko and Jake get to have some great bonding time and I absolutely love their relationship. Sisko is such a supportive father and it’s so refreshing to see that he and Rom have so much more in common than they thought, even if neither of them admit it. I hate that O’Brien didn’t want any part of the plans and that he didn’t want to see if it could be done, just as I’m disappointed that Jake didn’t want to help his dad out either because that would have made the episode so much more meaningful. I always love the witty repartee between Sisko and Dukat because they are just so good when they’re exchanging words. I absolutely loved how Dukat clearly didn’t want to congratulate Sisko but he was being a good Gul and following orders, and the fireworks were a nice touch. It was a good vehicle to not only display how the treaty is going so far but also how the best way to have a chat with someone about something important is to trap them in a vehicle where they cannot escape. I rate this episode at 7 minutes worth of Cardassian fireworks.

Favorite Quote from “Family Business”:

Brunt: Your mother’s confession will serve as a warning to females all over the Alliance.

Quark: Oh, I don’t think anyone has to know about this. After all, what would people say if they knew a female had earned that much latinum?

Brunt: I shudder to think. Goodbye. I sincerely hope I never see any of you again.

Quark: The feeling is mutual.

Quark telling the truth for once.

So what had happened in “Family Business” was…: Quark and Rom’s mother Ishka is accused of earning a profit. Turns out she totally earned a profit and is wearing clothes, bad Ferengi female no cookie! Rom is totally a momma’s boy and doesn’t mind that his mother has always been different but Quark can only think of profit and traditional Ferengi values. Eventually Rom lies to them both to get them to talk and Ishka just wants Quark to be happy and Quark really does love his mommy.

On the station Jake has told everyone about Yates, a freighter captain, who he wants to hook Sisko up with. Sisko finally meets her in the cargo bay and they decide to have coffee. During their coffee date they stumble upon the fact that her brother is playing baseball and Sisko lights up and they happily go listen to the transmission of a game as Jake watches on from above with the biggest shit-eating grin.

“And no shouting! I’m going to take a nap.”: Jake fancies himself a matchmaker but it’s clear that both Sisko and Yates are a bit apprehensive and super busy. They seem to hit it off okay but it’s also hard to flirt when you’re working so Yates suggests a place where they can focus on each other. It’s wonderful that Yates cares about her brother enough to know what he’s doing and enough to share with Sisko, but it’s absolutely adorable to see how animated Sisko gets about a sport that’s been dead for two hundred years.

I was glad to finally get to see the Ferengi home world and absolutely loved this episode and it’s ridiculousness. You have to pay for everything, classic Ferengi, and there are some things that even Quark will spend money on. Rom really breaks out in this episode at being able to fight for what is important to him – family. With Keldar dead it’s up to Quark to hold the family together but he’s more interested in profit than anything, just like his mother apparently. It also shows a flaw in the Ferengi way of life because those who are not cut out for profit aren’t really able to pursue other avenues without being ostracized. I think that’s a big failing because it could be a real asset to have a Ferengi on the inside of other organizations in order to be more profitable as a collective, but then again they’re not really a “for the greater good” kind of people. I’m glad Ishka is a progressive Ferengi and that she also decided to play along, mostly, because she loves her boys so very much. I think it’s hilarious that Quark almost fell for a female basically like his mother, because that’s apparently a thing that’s cross-species. This episode gets an 8th inning stretch, because it’s my blog and I can do what I want.

TA Out!

Date: July 8, 2020

Season 3, Episodes 20 and 21

Musical Accompaniment: Antonio Vivaldi – La Stravaganza Op.4

Interstellar News: I was warned this was a two-part episode, so many thanks to my two loyal readers.

Favorite Quotes:

Bashir: But the point is, if you lie all the time, nobody’s going to believe you even when you’re telling the truth.

Garak: Are you sure that’s the point, Doctor?

Bashir: Of course. What else could it be?

Garak: That you should never tell the same lie twice.

Bashir explaining a fable to Garak and Garak totally missing the point.

Garak: Well I had hoped a few hours alone might jog your memory but I can see I’m going to have to take some steps I’d hoped to avoid.

Odo: Oh, no. You’re going to torture me, aren’t you? How I’ve been dreading this. Please have mercy, Garak.

Garak: You do have a certain flair for sarcasm. It’s one of the things I like about you.

Odo is waving his hands around in sarcasm, can’t you see?

“Improbable Cause” – “I want you to take that rod and eat it.”: Garak’s shop explodes, O’Brien determines it was not an accident, and Bashir tells Garak about “the boy who cried wolf” to mixed reviews. Odo interrogates a merchant who was hired by the Romulans to assassinate Garak, but there’s no proof so Odo goes to tail his ship and Garak comes along. Just as the merchant’s ship heads to warp it blows up, so Odo and Garak contact the Romulans who turn the investigation into a dead end. Odo meets with a Cardassian informant who explains the Romulans and Cardassians are about to invade the GQ and that five Cardassian operatives were also killed. Odo tells Garak he knows he blew up his own shop and the two go off to find Enabran Tain, though they are captured by a Romulan warbird that has Tain on it. Apparently the Obsidian Order of Cardassia and the Tal Shiar of Romulus took it upon themselves to strike the Founder’s planet to end the threat of the Dominion. Tain plans to come out of retirement and gives Garak the choice to join him, which Garak gleefully accepts.

“The Die is Cast” – “I’m a very good tailor.”: 20 Romulan and Cardassian ships approach DS9 and go through the wormhole. Tain and Garak reminisce while DS9 is evacuated and the Defiant ordered to keep Bajor safe. Sisko ignores that order and goes after Odo but Eddington sabotages their cloak so they are delayed in their rescue. Garak interrogates Odo by using a machine that doesn’t allow him to change shape, and he’s close to his 16 hours. Odo tells Garak he wants to be with his people more than anything, Garak lies to Tain, and the Romulans want to study Odo. They arrive at the Founder’s planet only to find it’s been abandoned and just as 150 Jem’hadar ships come out of the nebula. Garak goes to free Odo as their ship is under attack and it turns out Lovok is no Romulan but a Founder pretending in order to remove two of the four biggest threats in the AQ (the other two being The Federation and the Klingons). Garak tries to help Tain but he and Odo have to leave and are picked up by the Defiant and they all head back to AQ. Odo invites Garak for breakfast sometime despite the fact that Odo does not eat.

My Thoughts and Impressions: Two killer episodes that kept me on the edge of my seat. Garak was absolutely on fire especially when he gives Bashir tons of shit with “the boy who cried wolf” and putting him on when it came to the isolinear rod. He also gets a taste of hope that his exile will come to an end but it’s short lived. My favorite Garak moment, though, is when he’s interrogating Odo and basically begs him to tell him ANYTHING. When Odo does Garak is visibly relieved and then doesn’t even tell Tain anything, he really has in some small way come to care for those he’s been living with. There are also some really great Odo moments because he’s extra snarky and sarcastic up until he meets his threshold and he eventually breaks. He’s not unflappable, no matter his chosen exterior, and he finds out what happens when he’s unable to change his shape. Odo also surprises EVERYONE by again denying himself the thing he most wants when he tells his fellow changeling no.

We finally get to find out what was happening in the Orias system after the event of “Defiant” and it totally makes sense that the black ops of the Cardassians and Romulans got together and decided to make a stand. It’s interesting that their decision is to go take on the Founders instead of blowing up the wormhole, especially since the Romulans were all hot and heavy about blowing it up just a while ago. It’s wonderful that the Founders were way ahead of the game and I was sad I didn’t have anyone to watch this episode with because they couldn’t see my mouth gape when the big reveal happened. Tain was so stunned and I was right there with him.

The rest of the crew is stuck on the Defiant because Eddington is a rat bastard, but how did they not see it coming? O’Brien is a bad ass engineer and in true Trek fashion they are able to come to the rescue at the last minute and, in the end, no one is court martialed. I rate these two episodes a total of 9 tribbles.

TA Out!

Date: July 7, 2020

Season 3, Episode 19

Musical Accompaniment: Magical Celtic music

Interstellar News: Work was insanely busy today but at least I got to eat one of my favorite sandwiches for lunch.

Favorite Quote:

Mirror Kira: He always has to make things difficult.

Mirror Garak: It’s one of his least endearing qualities.

Things in the Mirror Universe are always interesting.

So what had happened was…: Odo and Sisko accuse Quark of staging vole fights when O’Brien kidnaps Sisko and takes him to the Mirror Universe. It’s been a year since the events of “Crossover” but Mirror Sisko has died during an important mission, getting Professor Jennifer Sisko on the rebellion’s side.

Mirror Kira is still her usual flirtatious self but this time we get to meet Mirror Bashir (who is not a doctor and super scraggly looking), Mirror Rom (who is pissed that Quark is dead and also later revealed to be a spy), and Mirror Dax (who has an affair with Sisko). O’Brien and Sisko are captured by The Alliance but it’s a ploy to break Jennifer out and Sisko shows us his balls-of-steel when he sets the station to self-destruct, but it allows the rebels to escape with Jennifer (who is super smart and figured out he was not her Sisko).

“I still hate you.”: Apparently each time we go to the Mirror Universe a Ferengi dies, is that some weird “an angel gets its wings” adage? I didn’t like this episode as much as I did “Crossover” but it was still fun to watch the crew play slightly different versions of themselves. Sisko gets to have sexy fun time with THREE different women, well maybe two-and-a-half, because apparently Mirror Sisko ain’t nothing but a hound dog. O’Brien and Rom have found their confidence but that means Mirror O’Brien is not different than ours so much and Rom is totally different. Having Dax be flirty as well seems like a cop out to me as both the female leads seem reduced to sex kittens in tight outfits. The thing that confused me the most, however, was Bashir. Last time our Bashir went through to the other side and absolutely no one batted an eye at who he was and all of a sudden he magically appears? For that matter, what the hell is Dax doing involved with a Terran rebellion? I get that a Vulcan was there because it was Spock’s fault last time and it makes sense for Vulcans to be treated just as poorly as Terrans, but what’s it to the Trill?

I also want to know how O’Brien figured out how to mess with the transporter… oh wait it’s O’Brien, mystery solved. I truly loved Mirror Sisko’s performance last time and this time, although it was perfectly played, it just wasn’t as fun. I did enjoy the ending and love that Sisko is so technically minded. I hate that Mirror Quark and Odo are dead, that Garak doesn’t have as much bite to him, and that we haven’t seen Mirror Dukat. Hopefully the next trip to the MU will be much better. I rate this episode 6 ducks, and none of them are in a row.

TA Out!

Date: July 6, 2020

Season 3, Episodes 17 and 18

Musical Accompaniment: A collection of DC Comics movie soundtracks

Interstellar News: Today was hard, much harder than I thought it would be. There was also hail. In Trek news, today’s episodes are “O’Brien must suffer” followed by “Bashir must suffer”.

Favorite Quote from “Visionary”:

Sisko: Do you have any evidence besides the fact that Klingons hate Romulans?

Odo: Not yet. But don’t worry, I plan on investigating the Klingons, the Bajorans, Quark, the visiting Terrelians.

Sisko: You think Quark had something to do with this?

Odo: I always investigate Quark.

Sisko asking a good question and Odo giving a very honest answer.

So what had happened in “Visionary” was…: Bashir helps O’Brien to his feet after a plasma conduit blew, but he’s got a mild case of radiation poisoning so Bashir prescribes rest after the medicine kicks in. A Romulan delegation arrives to exchange information about the GQ, as does a Klingon ship that needs repairs. The Romulans ask a bunch of questions and Kira storms out on them. O’Brien bullies Quark into installing a dart board at the bar when he has an out of body experience and then passes out.

After leaving the infirmary he relives the moment, this time from the other side of the Promenade. This keeps happening but now O’Brien sees his death, twice, though on the second one Bashir tells him how to prevent it. Odo figures out the Klingons are spies and O’Brien travels back purposefully this time to see the Romulans attack DS9 and the wormhole. Our O’Brien dies but 5-hour-older O’Brien heads back, alerts the rest of the senior staff, and confront the Romulans who leave without damaging anything else.

“I hate temporal mechanics.”: This was a fun episode but poor O’Brien. From the moment we begin the episode everything that happens belongs and it’s a fun mystery. The dialogue is excellent in all the right places. Bashir being snarky about not arguing with himself, Odo reminding Sisko just how awesome he is, Kira claiming that she’s always diplomatic and then blowing up at the Romulans, and Odo being mock outraged when Kira tells him what the Romulans said. O’Brien, not in good health, keeps shifting through time but he’s a problem solver at heart and he needs to know what the hell is going on, though the rest of the team helps piece things together as well. His best lines are near the end when he meets himself for the last time and when he fucks with Quark.

For all the good lines, the plot leaves a bit to be desired. The fact that the Federation was just like “oh yeah come on in Romulan friends, we’re totally on the same side now” is terribly naive of them and I don’t buy that Dax or the sensors would miss a cloaked ship. I will admit that I didn’t see it coming but as I look back I see where the cracks are. Where the story is different than other time travel stories, though, is that O’Brien knows what to do every time and he doesn’t have to worry about changing history or creating an alternate time line because he’s always trying to make things better and have more people live. I rate this episode 7 sugar cookies with cognac-soaked cherries.

Favorite Quote from “Distant Voices”:

Kira: I’ve had enough of this. I am not some figment of your imagination.

Bashir: But don’t you see? That is why you’re all behaving so strangely.

O’Brien: I’m not behaving strangely. Am I?

Bashir: You all are.

O’Brien really delivers this line perfectly.

So what had happened in “Distant Voices” was…: It’s a few days before Bashir’s 30th birthday and he’s eating lunch with Garak when Quark comes over with Altovar, a Lethean, who wants a controlled substance. Bashir heads back to the infirmary which has been ransacked by Altovar and then Bashir is attacked. When he comes to the station is empty except for Quark who is petrified and later Garak who is in security. Bashir’s hair starts turning gray and he keeps noticeably aging but he eventually finds the rest of the senior staff and figures out he’s in a telepathic coma. Everyone in his mind plays a different part of his personality with Garak being the ultimate villain. Bashir heads to Ops to try to fix the computer but realizes he should have done it from the Infirmary all along, which he does and wakes up a young man again and he’s not stuck in Oz or dead.

“My tennis balls…”: A lot of this episode reminded me of a cross between The Wizard of Oz and Inside Out. If you haven’t watched either yet, you should. I also am reminded of dream analysis that I learned about in graduate school and am very impressed by Bashir’s self-analysis, though you are totally not supposed to analyze yourself ever. It was nice to see everyone playing a slightly different part than they usually do and a good use of supporting characters for a Bashir-focused episode. So often I have no idea how old people are, I would suck at those carnival games where you have to guess someone’s age, but as someone who is over 30 I realize just how young Bashir is and just how much he has accomplished at such a young age. It’s a good vehicle for getting to know more about him and also to see his adorable relationship with Garak from where they were in Season 1. This wasn’t as compelling as the episode before it, but was not the worst thing I’ve seen either. I’m rating this episode 6 slices of salty Italian meat with some Asiago cheese on the side.

TA Out!