Episode Review - The Siege of AR-558 (Deep Space Nine, Season 7)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here

Overview – The Defiant is supplies to AR-558, a remote outpost on the front lines of the Dominion war which has a Dominion communication array. Sisko finds the garrison depleted in troops and morale. When the Jem’Hadar attack the colony, the Defiant is forced to retreat. Captain Sisko, Dax, Bashir, Nog, and Quark are left behind and join in the fight. As the terrors of war hit Sisko and his crew in full force, they must dig deep within themselves to find the strength and courage to overcome a superior force.

Score: 9/10 – No other episode of Star Trek has been able to accurately show the real horrors of war than this episode (and, for all its grit, I would put the first season of Discovery up as comparison and still make the same conclusion). We start out with a very light-hearted scene of Rom auditioning for a spot on Vic Fontaine’s show. As soon as we arrive at AR-558, we leave all joy behind. Sisko and those that stay behind with him soon discover the true horrors of war. We are taken along on a terrible and engaging trip through one of life’s worst experiences: the battlefield. The tone reminds me of the very serious and non-glamorous depictions of war, a “Saving Private Ryan” for Star Trek. We are introduced to some interesting Federation soldiers (tired leader Larkin, despondent Vargus, weary yet optimistic engineer Kellin, and embittered Reese), each of whom is dealing with the difficult conditions in different ways. These soldiers give us a quick and realistic introduction to the effects of war that quickly endears them to us. As all but Reese eventually perish in the battle, their deaths still strike strong chords with the audience. Then, of course, there is the fate of Ensign Nog. Tragedy hits our favorite Ferengi ensign loses his leg after a scouting mission. There is so much about this episode that works well here. Of particular note, Quark, of all people, shows some great growth as the voice of conscience and reason. He has one of the best lines of dialogue where he observes that humans are capable of savagery equal to that of the Klingons when their comforts are taken away. The action is as gritty as Star Trek had ever been at this point. The use of violence to demonstrate the devastation of war was practically perfectly executed but famed director Winrich Kolbe, himself a veteran of the Vietnam War. His experiences helped craft a story that left little to our imagination. I also love the music composed for the final battle. It was haunting and depressing, not the typical energetic and inspiring that often is used in some war movies. It perfectly complements the theme that war is not glorious. The acting is excellent, with special nods going to Avery Brooks, Armin Shimmerman, Aaron Eisenberg, and the guest stars. I also liked how that aside from Sisko, the main characters that are caught in this situation are the ones with the least battle experience. Worf and O’Brien are on the Defiant, while Odo and Kira are back on the station. A great way to examine the concept of war.

Relevance – 3 points. AR-558 in in the Chin’toka system, which was recently captured in the episode “Tear of the Prophets”. This episode shows us that this system is still hotly contested. I am also scoring a point for the ritual that is often seen of someone (in this case, as it often is, it is Captain Sisko) reading the posted casualty list. I like this touch that is woven throughout various episodes as it reminds us that the lives that are being lost mean something. Finally, with no surprise, the fact that Nog loses his leg is without doubt relevant to another popular episode, “It’s Only a Paper Moon”.

Continuity – 3 points. Story line, this works. I get how those that were left behind were chosen as such. I also will score a point for universe continuity. As far as character continuity, there are few things to mention. First off, some may question why seasoned fighters like Worf and O’Brien were not taken to the planet on the away mission. While storyline wise it makes sense to explore the effects of war through the lenses of those with the least battle experience, Sisko did not anticipate being left behind. It made sense to take those he did. How each one reacts to the battles makes sense. Ezri starts to form bonds with the soldiers, especially Kellin. Bashir using Vic’s music to help calm people fits. Nog as the eager soldier who learns the hard way also fits. In particular here we can look at Quark and Sisko. Sisko is trying to keep everything together and shows great ability as a wartime commander, while Quark shows loyalty to his nephew first and Tries his best to keep Nog safe, even to the point of taking a life. More on that in the next section.

Character Development – 3 points. Sisko is a primary focus in this episode, being forced to take command in a horrible situation. It is a great showcase of his leadership, and he has to make some tough situations. He shows a great balance of determination and compassion. A bit surprisingly, this is also a great showcase of Quark as a character. Armin Shimmerman loves Quark’s scenes in this episode as he gets to provide the Spock-like perspective of an outsider to humanity. In typical Quark fashion, he keeps himself as far from the fighting as possible, but when push comes to shove, he shows that he has some mettle of his own as he shoots down the Jem’Hadar soldier who attacks the infirmary where Nog is kept. Ezri and Julian also are given some insights, but really it is Quark and the captain that steal the scenes.

Social Commentary – 3 points. War is ugly. Too often in film and television the impact of war is glossed over in the names of maintaining patriotism and flag-waving. Here, we quickly realise that war is not glamorous. It is not fun. People die and are hurt, and that hurt is more than just physical. When this episode first aired, there was not a lot of attention given to PTSD, but since then this episode is just as relevant as we are seeing the lingering effects on the soldiers who see combat. When Nog loses his leg, we have more than just a lost limb. We have a loss of innocence and idealism that is tough to ignore. There is also an important message at the end, when Sisko again finds himself staring at the casualty list. He mentions that each name on the list, including the men and women he fought with on AR-558, were people with lives and loved ones, and for that reason they should not be forgotten. We must also remember those who died fighting for our freedom that we often take for granted. It’s not just soldiers, but police officers, fire fighters, and other first responders that often put themselves into horrible situations to help other people. It is important to recognize all of their sacrifices.

Cool Stuff – 3 points. While I do not want to negate the message about war that this episode makes, I do want to score a point for the battle at the end of the episode. It is riveting and well executed. In Star Trek we rarely get to see a battle between ground troops like this, and I would rank this as one of the top battles in all of Star Trek. I also am scoring a point for the music. As I mentioned earlier, the music during the final battle sets the proper tone this battle. It is grim yet beautiful. It walks a careful line between stirring emotion and providing a soundtrack for a bloody battle. Finally, I want to score a point for the “Houdinis”, a cloaked mine that the Dominion use against the Federation forces. It is an ingenious and deadly weapon. The scene where they are decloaked gives an eerie sense as to how precarious their situation was.

Rank – Admiral (24 points). Definitely not an episode that will leave you feeling all chipper and happy, but it is one that cannot be missed. I would find it hard to believe that there are many people who do not have this in their top 10 list. Not all episodes and stories need to have uplifting endings to be powerful, and this is a perfect example.

If you would like to read other reviews from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, please click the following link.

If you would like to read an episode review from any of the Trek series, click the following link to get to the series catalog. If the episode you want reviewed has not been done yet, then feel free to request it in the comments and I will see what I can do.

Episode Review - Little Green Men (Deep Space Nine, Season 4)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here

Overview – Nog is selling all his childhood possessions and is heading to Starfleet Academy. While Rom is proud of his son, Quark continues to be disappointed by his nephew’s choice. When Quark receives a ship from is cousin Gaila, however, he decides to transport Nog to Earth himself (with a ship load of contraband to make the trip profitable). When it turns out that Gaila has sabotaged the shuttle, the trio of Ferengi find themselves stranded in Earth’s past. Captured by the US military in 1947, Quark, Rom, and Nog must try to find their way back home, unless Quark gets his way and is able to make some financial inroads in Earth’s barbaric past.

Score: 9/10 – There are fans of the Ferengi stories, and there are those that despise them, but it is hard to argue the appeal of this episode. It is on par with “The Trouble with Tribbles” as far as great Trek comedic episodes go. It is also a touching tribute to the B-movies of the 1950s, complete with the standard and fun archetype characters, ranging from the paranoid officer to the idealistic nurse to the cigar-chomping general (played by Charles Napier, who guest starred as a much different character in a much less enjoyable TOS episode “The Way to Eden”). We not only get to see a lot of Ferengi culture but they also serve in an observer role of the human (or should I say “hew-man”) condition. It is almost akin to how Spock was able to observe humanity from a Vulcan viewpoint, but with the Ferengi we get to have some fun along with it. Odo, unbeknownst to Quark and Rom, happened to come along for the ride, is able to help the hapless trio escape from the military. Overall, the episode is pure fun and extremely enjoyable. Even those who hate Ferengi episodes have to concede that this episode is good.

Relevance – 3 points. A point is scored for a sort of ending for one part of the relationship of Jake and Nog. Before he leaves, they meet at their usual hangout overlooking the promenade and reflect back on how far the two have come. When Nog comes back to the station they don’t often go back there, so this scene has a bit of finality to it. Another point is scored for the infamous cousin Gaila. Quark reveals that he is responsible for loaning his cousin the money to start his weapons consortium, and it is nice to see that Gaila has finally given Quark the ship he promised him (with a little surprise for him, of course). Finally, there is a fun nod to a great two-part episode from season three, “Past Tense”. As Nog is reading up on Earth’s history, he comes across a reference to the Bell Riots of 2024 and remarks that Gabriel Bell looks a lot like Captain Sisko (who, of course, had to be Bell in that episode to preserve the timeline). That fun little bit is enough to score a third point in this category.

Continuity – 2 points. Character continuity gets a great reception here. The three Ferengi all act the way that they should. Of particular note is when the soldiers are about to start using physical violence to get the Ferengi to talk, each one has a reaction that is just perfect for their character. Quark admits that he just wants to sell them stuff, clever Nog invents an elaborate invasion story that gives the soldiers exactly what they want, and Rom just starts wailing for his Moogie. Story continuity is also good here. Where I have to deduct a point is when Quark says that if they can give the humans of 1947 warp technology then they would have it centuries before anyone else, even the Vulcans, had it. There are many episodes that contradict that statement, so I have to take a point from them here.

Character Development – 2 points. As fun as this episode is in giving Quark some attention, it really doesn’t give us much advancement to his character. He basically tries to con his way to fame and fortune in the past, only to have it blow up in his face. He really doesn’t learn any valuable lesson either. Since Odo is the only one who goes back in time with the Ferengi, the rest of the cast get hardly any air time (I believe Captain Sisko only has two lines in this episode). Nog and Rom also get some attention, but again little is done in the way of advancing their characters much. While this category is usually reserved for the main cast members, Rom and Nog have become so familiar to the show that their development can be seen as significant as well.

Social Commentary – 1 point. This is where the episode can come up a bit short. They give us a fairly obvious knock on the hazard of smoking, a none-to-subtle reminder as to how dangerous A-bombs are, and generally tells us that humans have come a long way in the 24^th Century. They are none too subtle about those messages, even in 1995. Still, they don’t really give us anything to think about. I have yet to meet one person who watched this episode and be able to give me anything solid about how this episode made them think about their lives. So yes, this episode is a lot of fun. It has the right mix of silliness and light-heartedness and is cleverly written. Quark makes some great observations about humans of the past (“If they’ll buy poison they’ll buy anything”). When the episode is done, it really doesn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know or in a way that was profound to us.

Cool Stuff – 3 points. I have to score a point for the insights into the Ferengi culture. It was great hearing all the dialogue in the Ferengi language. It was also quite clever of the writers to come up with the idea of putting the Ferengi universal translator in their ears instead of on a combadge like everyone else seems to do. The scene where the humans are smacking the sides of their heads mimicking Quark trying to reboot his translator is one of the great funny moments. I am also going to score a point for the irony of how they got back home. After telling us again and again how stupid humans were for making such destructive weapons like atom bombs, it is the explosion of an atom bomb that provides them the energy needed to ignite what was left of the kemocite and send them back home. What they thought was man’s folly proved to be Quark’s salvation. Finally, I have to score a point for the casting of the guest stars in this episode. Charles Napier, as I mentioned, plays a much different character from his space hippie he did in the Original series, and it is much better. I was glad that he was able to have a better role to be remembered by in the franchise, and it shows how great an actor he was. Megan Gallagher plays her second of three Trek roles (she had previously been in the DS9 episode “Invasive Procedures” and will go on to be in Voyager’s “Body and Soul”). She is a very talented and delightful actress with an impressive acting resume, and she shines here as the idealistic nurse that sees the reality of people far more clearly than anyone else.

Rank – Captain (20 points). So close to being the score of Admiral, but I can’t recommend this episode more. It is definitely a fun ride and I would argue the best Ferengi episode of all the series. The multiple nods to the B-movies of the 1950s, the great script, near-perfect casting among the guest stars, and just a great performance by all three of the Ferengi actors makes this a great episode that should not be missed.

If you would like to read other reviews from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, please click the following link.

If you would like to read an episode review from any of the Trek series, click the following link to get to the series catalog. If the episode you want reviewed has not been done yet, then feel free to request it in the comments and I will see what I can do.

Episode Review - Business as Usual (Deep Space Nine Season 5)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here

Overview – Quark, suffering from the Ferengi business ban, is broke and desperate. When his cousin Gaila arrives with a business proposition to use Quark’s holosuites for selling weapons, Quark accepts. While at the start Quark is enjoying his success, he soon finds himself at odds with the respect of friends and his conscience. Meanwhile, O’Brien is trying to find a way to keep his infant son from crying when not being held.

Score: 7/10 – A solid Quark story with some great guest stars. Steven Berkoff is great as Hagath. Josh Pais finally brings to life Cousin Gaila with true Ferengi gusto. As far as the side story with Miles struggling to care for his infant son, it allows the rest of the crew not directly connected to the Quark storyline to have some screen time, yet it is not related to the main plotline in any way. While this is not a bad thing, necessarily, it comes across as little more than entertaining time filler. The one thing that was a little weak was the dream sequence that causes Quark to change his ways. While I have no problem with using the dream motif in a story, this one felt a bit stretched. For one, why would Quark be thinking about O’Brien and his baby? Likely he wouldn’t since Quark hadn’t seen O’Brien the whole episode. It felt more like the writers were trying to push the two stories together. Still, a fun episode that shows some great exploration of Quark’s character.

Relevance - 3 points. We finally meet Cousin Gaila, the man who was able to buy his own moon. We will see him again in the “Magnificient Ferengi”. The effects of Quark’s business ban with the Ferengi is the main reason for the events of this episode. Plus, with the side story of how to keep Yoshi O’Brien to sleep, we will see Worf’s aptitude with looking after the youngest member of the Chief’s family.

Continuity - 2 points. Storyline continuity gets a point as everything fits. Gaila fits the storyline that Quark had previously established. Universe continuity is also good. When Kira reveals that Haggath had sold weapons to the Bajoran resistance during the Occupation, it makes sense. As do the reactions of Sisko and Kira when they inform Odo that charges will not be filed against Quark, showing that while they do not like having to help bail out Quark, they make it perfectly clear that they will not overlook any further discretions. Character continuity was a little tricky for me this time around. As I mentioned earlier, Quark seemed to be bothered by the proposed death toll of a deal he was brokering and had a dream that saw those concerns personified. Unfortunately, among the personifications of those concerns were Jake Sisko and Miles O’Brien. Kira, Jadzia, and even Captain Sisko being in his dream made sense, as did many of his employees. Jake and Miles, however, didn’t have any interactions in this episode with Quark, so it doesn’t make much sense that he would be dreaming of them. So, I think I will have to dock them a point here.

Character Development – 2 points. Definitely a Quark powerhouse episode. Armin Shimmerman has stated that this episode is one that shows Quark as a very three-dimensional character. We see that he has a conscience, reaffirms that he is a people person at heart, but that when things are desperate he will rationalize his choice to deal in weapons. He does make the right choice in the end, but it costs him the repairs to the cargo bay that is damaged as a result of Quark’s plan. The side story gives us some nice Miles moments. As he struggles to care for his son who wails as soon as Miles puts him down, we see him trying to live his regular life. He’s at the bar playing darts and with him on his rounds, eventually getting some time off to care for him while his wife is away. The best is when Worf comes to speak to him and ends up holding Yoshi, resulting in the baby calming down and Miles being able to get some much needed sleep.

Social Commentary – 3 points. Ah, the guilty conscience. The realization that our actions have consequences. So often in our world we see leaders of government and industry make decisions and wash their hands of how those decisions affect the lives of the common man. Gun makers and tobacco dealers say they have no liability for the lives that their products cause. Governments use gambling as a way of increasing revenues while disavowing the costs associated with gambling addictions. Too often we stand and condemn those who make such choices, and yet when we ourselves become the decision makers, do we truly change the system? We sometimes elect leaders for their promise to be different, and we often get more of the same. Quark is in a desperate situation, which makes it easy for him to grab at the chance to get himself back on his feet, but when he starts to get his hands dirty, he finds himself doubting his choice. It does cost him something in the way of friendships (Dax) and respect (Sisko), but ultimately he realizes that his choices cannot excuse the loss of millions of lives. Of course, one can argue that the death toll had to reach the millions before he had the change of heart, but we can also ask ourselves if this is more an issue of determining the cost of one’s soul.

Cool Stuff – 1 point. I am going to give a point here for some of the cool weapon demos we see in the holosuite. Other than that, while this is a fun episode, there was nothing that was wowing me.

Rank – Captain (18 points). Nice to see Quark treated seriously for a change. Quite often his episodes and stories are used more as comic relief. This one shows some great depth to the character and makes a point.