[DS9] Lynch's Spoiler Review: "Necessary Evil"
Timothy W. Lynch
"Necessary Evil". If you have not seen the show, you are heavily advised to
avoid this article.
In a word: Wow. Utterly breathtaking.
Let's put it this way: when the only thing I can find to complain about is
Rom's ten-second Ferengi squeal lasting too long, the show is extremely good.
And even that squeal didn't bug me until a second viewing.
"Necessary Evil", I think, is going to be this season's "Duet". All the
intricacies, all the characters, all the interplay -- everything about it fit
neatly into place, and worked like a charm. I can't say enough about it.
For starters, let's go with the characters. Quark, after lots of shows this
season where I thought he was going wrong ("Rules of Acquisition" to some
extent, "Invasive Procedures", even bits of "The Siege"), was portrayed in
his portions of the show exactly as I've always thought he should be. This
Quark was smooth, polished, confident, and utterly slimy. The dialogue in
the teaser set the stage for the rest of the episode: it not only flowed,
but it _hummed_. The atmosphere seemed halfway between old '40s mysteries
and gothic horror, and worked just fine as that cross.
As for Rom, well, I never thought I'd admit to liking a show that had so much
of Rom in it, but I did. Quark's disillusionment about how much Rom _is_
capable of was a scream. What's more, Rom's obsession about Quark dying and
Rom getting the bar was a great dose of gallows-humor, complementing the very
bleak nature of the show otherwise. (Of course, he wasn't completely on the
ball -- it took him a few sentences to realize that when Odo mentioned a
motive for murder that he meant *him*. Heh.)
Then, of course, we have Odo. Or, more accurately, perhaps it would be
better to say _both_ Odo's -- the past and the present. The two really are
very different characters, and it was thrilling to see how well Rene
Auberjonois pulled the difference off. Whereas the Odo we're used to is
crusty and cynical, the old Odo started out as somewhat halting, somewhat
tentative, and an almost *defeated* person. The Odo we know would have no
qualms whatsoever about simply staring at you until you told him what he
wanted to know; this Odo had problems looking almost anyone in the eye, at
least until he took on the mantle of investigator to the fullest. The point
really came home, for me, that Odo has managed to define himself very clearly
by his job and his role on the station: as the justice-seeker and the
outside, just as he was years earlier. Everything was just so well-played,
and so well represented, that I was very, very impressed.
It was interesting to see how much of Odo's life was bound up into Vatrik's
murder. Even before we had a name, that was clear when Rom said to Odo that
the box was found in the chemist's shop. I don't think I can recall a single
time before now that Odo has been outright _shocked_ by something, but this
was one of them -- and it was very striking, I must say.
The rest of the present-day stuff worked just as well. Sisko had only a very
small involvement, but it worked: his good cop/bad cop routine surrounding
Rom used the whole Jake/Nog connection to a wonderful end. As for his other
scene, I ended up being impressed because I hadn't guessed what was going on
yet: Sisko and I said "blackmail" back to Odo in unison. I very much like
it when a show can keep me guessing this much. Beyond that, most of the rest
of the present-day scenes were simply rounding out the plot, until the
ending, which I'll get to later.
Then, we have the past -- not only of Odo and of Kira, but of the station.
The transformation of the station from its normal state to the Cardassian era
was, in some ways, as striking and as momentous as the switching of the
Enterprises in "Yesterday's Enterprise". It was the same set, and the same
station -- but everything felt *wrong* somehow. The entire place felt
different; it felt, as it should, like a military prison camp rather than a
space station. James Conway is to be commended for his direction here, as
are all those involved in redoing the set. What's more, Conway is to be
lauded very highly for the intercuts in between past and present -- the
thematic links were so strong as to feel effortless.
While Odo has changed a lot, it's clear that Gul Dukat hasn't changed a bit
from those years. As I've said before, the beauty of watching Dukat is that
one never knows what's true and what isn't -- everything _sounds_ true, but
only a fraction of it actually _is_. We've seen it in every show Dukat's
appeared in this season, and I've no doubt that we'll continue to see it. In
this case, though, even after it's all over we don't know.
For instance, there's Dukat's "my superiors would want me to execute ten
Bajorans at random" comment. Was that the absolute truth -- and did he in
fact execute ten when Odo came up empty? Was it actually him who would
choose to execute the Bajorans? Was the entire claim a lie? It's just not
clear and never will be.
I love that in a villain.
Another wonderful unresolved element here is in the killing of Ches'saro.
Odo immediately comes to the conclusion that Mrs. Vatrik was responsible for
Ches'saro's death because she was worried about being exposed. That's
entirely possible, but there's another option worth considering, namely this:
Kira's cohorts found the name Ches'saro very quickly, suspecting he was a
collaborator. It's entirely possible, since the underground knew about
the list and now knew Ches'saro's name was on it, that the former underground
was responsible for his death and *not* Mrs. Vatrik. I'm not sure which way
I lean on that score, but it's a lovely little ambiguity.
As for the truth behind Vatrik's killing, I'll have to say this: Kira had me
fooled. As with Dukat's lies, Kira's lies worked because they were mostly
true, and I fell for it just as much as Odo did. In fact, one could argue
that I fell for it *more*, because I had the other history of the character
that Odo, at the time, did not. The final realization of what's gone between
them, coupled with the implication that their relationship _will_ change, and
not for the better, was a shock. If this isn't followed up, I will be
extremely upset -- but given DS9's history so far, my bet is that it will be.
(Of course, the Quark issue in "Invasive Procedures" shows that they don't
always manage it.) I couldn't have been more awestruck by the closing scene
-- absolutely beautiful.
I think I've probably covered all the major points, so here are a few small
ones before I go:
-- It was great seeing lots of "firsts" for Odo: the first "Constable"
reference, the first meeting with Quark, and so on. In fact, the Quark/Odo
interaction really sets the stage for everything else we've seen between
them.
-- Katherine Moffat did a _much_ better job here than in TNG's "The Game" two
years ago. While her character was not a strenuous role to play, playing it
wrong could have seriously hurt the show, and Moffat did a fine job.
-- Odo's opening log was priceless. In particular, I loved the reference to
the "compulsion to keep records, and lists, and files" humans have. Given
the current brouhaha over the Packwood diaries in Washington, Odo seems to,
once again, have human nature analyzed pretty well. (I also loved his
complete lack of caring about how it worked, both for humorous effect at the
start and for much grimmer effect later as he broods.)
-- "Otherwise, their records would overrun all known civilization." Who let
Odo into my apartment? :-) :-)
-- There were tons of parallels between the past and present station, but one
that struck me in particular was the laughing kids vs. the kids waiting for
their father to return from the mines. I don't know why that image stuck in
particular, but it did.
So, overall, everything was breathtaking. "Necessary Evil" is the best DS9
of the season, so far -- a perfect 10. Here's to many more.
NEXT WEEK:
Sisko gets a love story.
Tim Lynch (Harvard-Westlake School, Science Dept.)
BITNET: tlynch@citjulie
INTERNET: tly...@juliet.caltech.edu
UUCP: ...!ucbvax!tlynch%juliet.ca...@hamlet.caltech.edu
"My own very adequate memory not being good enough for Starfleet, I am
pleased to put my voice to this official record of this day. Everything's
under control. End log."
-- Odo
--
Copyright 1993, Timothy W. Lynch. All rights reserved, but feel free to ask...
Daniel C. Mackley
: WARNING: This article contains heavy spoiler information for DS9's
: avoid this article.
: In a word: Wow. Utterly breathtaking.
Amen to that!
: Another wonderful unresolved element here is in the killing of Ches'saro.
: Odo immediately comes to the conclusion that Mrs. Vatrik was responsible for
: Ches'saro's death because she was worried about being exposed. That's
: entirely possible, but there's another option worth considering, namely this:
: Kira's cohorts found the name Ches'saro very quickly, suspecting he was a
: collaborator. It's entirely possible, since the underground knew about
: the list and now knew Ches'saro's name was on it, that the former underground
: was responsible for his death and *not* Mrs. Vatrik. I'm not sure which way
: I lean on that score, but it's a lovely little ambiguity.
It seemed pretty clear to me that Kira killed Ches'saro (unless she's still
lying to Odo in the "present", which I don't think was the case).
: As for the truth behind Vatrik's killing, I'll have to say this: Kira had me
: fooled. As with Dukat's lies, Kira's lies worked because they were mostly
: true, and I fell for it just as much as Odo did. In fact, one could argue
: that I fell for it *more*, because I had the other history of the character
: that Odo, at the time, did not. The final realization of what's gone between
: them, coupled with the implication that their relationship _will_ change, and
: not for the better, was a shock. If this isn't followed up, I will be
: extremely upset -- but given DS9's history so far, my bet is that it will be.
: (Of course, the Quark issue in "Invasive Procedures" shows that they don't
: always manage it.) I couldn't have been more awestruck by the closing scene
: -- absolutely beautiful.
I agree with that - open-ended! Who'd have thunk it? I hope you win your bet
and they *do* follow up on it... I hate it when the sometimes-profound effects
of an episode are entirely forgotten in a week!
: -- Odo's opening log was priceless. In particular, I loved the reference to
: the "compulsion to keep records, and lists, and files" humans have. Given
: the current brouhaha over the Packwood diaries in Washington, Odo seems to,
: once again, have human nature analyzed pretty well. (I also loved his
: complete lack of caring about how it worked, both for humorous effect at the
: start and for much grimmer effect later as he broods.)
I loved the voice-overs - they were typical film-noir style.
: So, overall, everything was breathtaking. "Necessary Evil" is the best DS9
: of the season, so far -- a perfect 10. Here's to many more.
The way things are going, you may have to revamp your ratings scale! :)
: Tim Lynch (Harvard-Westlake School, Science Dept.)
: BITNET: tlynch@citjulie
: INTERNET: tly...@juliet.caltech.edu
: UUCP: ...!ucbvax!tlynch%juliet.ca...@hamlet.caltech.edu
: "My own very adequate memory not being good enough for Starfleet, I am
: pleased to put my voice to this official record of this day. Everything's
: under control. End log."
: -- Odo
: --
: Copyright 1993, Timothy W. Lynch. All rights reserved, but feel free to ask...
--
Dan Mackley
dmac...@cyberspace.com
(.Sig lost in brutal data collision... bits everywhere! Film @ 11!)
Si Rowe
Mackley) wrote:
> Timothy W. Lynch (tly...@cco.caltech.edu) spake:
> : WARNING: This article contains heavy spoiler information for DS9's
> : "Necessary Evil". If you have not seen the show, you are heavily advised to
> : avoid this article.
> : [attempting to retain spoiler-protection...]
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> : Another wonderful unresolved element here is in the killing of Ches'saro.
> : Odo immediately comes to the conclusion that Mrs. Vatrik was responsible for
> : Ches'saro's death because she was worried about being exposed. That's
> : entirely possible, but there's another option worth considering, namely this:
> : Kira's cohorts found the name Ches'saro very quickly, suspecting he was a
> : collaborator. It's entirely possible, since the underground knew about
> : the list and now knew Ches'saro's name was on it, that the former underground
> : was responsible for his death and *not* Mrs. Vatrik. I'm not sure which way
> : I lean on that score, but it's a lovely little ambiguity.
>
> It seemed pretty clear to me that Kira killed Ches'saro (unless she's still
> lying to Odo in the "present", which I don't think was the case).
I think you're confusing Ches'saro with Vatrik. Kira killed Vatrik, the
chemist and collaborator who kept the list. Ches'saro was the first name on
the list, who was killed the day after Odo talked with Vatrik's widow.
While Kira's friends from the underground might have dealt with Ches'saro
(and I don't think they did, as they're presumably the folks in power now,
and there are probably official procedures for dealing with
collaborators(*)), I don't think Kira would have been personally
responsible for the execution.
(*) Oooh! I just realized that the whole "collaborator" angle is yet
another film noir reference-- _Casablanca_, among others!
Yours, Si Rowe
--------------------------------------------\ sir...@minerva.cis.yale.edu
"Wooly thinking, Doctor!" \--------\
"Yes, but very comforting when worn close to the skin."| Si Rowe: not just
-- the Master and the Doctor, _Logopolis_ | a couple of Greek
**November 23, 1993: 30th anniversary of _Doctor Who_**| letters!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maulik Harish Shah
Spoiler Revie.. by Timothy W. Ly...@cco.cal
> collaborator. It's entirely possible, since the underground knew about
> the list and now knew Ches'saro's name was on it, that the former
underground
>
> was responsible for his death and *not* Mrs. Vatrik. I'm not sure which way
> I lean on that score, but it's a lovely little ambiguity.
I agree its an ambiguity but its of a different one: whether Ches'saro
*killed himself* or the underground killed him. I sincerely doubt Ms.
Vatrik killed him(? Was it a him? I beleive it was...) because blackmail
doesnt work if the victim is dead. Why kill someone that you are trying
to get money out of? Ms. Vatrik simply could've revealed the fact that
Ches'saro was a collaborator, and that would've finished him.(And show
the others that she means business.) Ches'saro might've killed himself
to escape it. Or the underground found out, and killed him.
this episode was magnificent. People are comparing it to "Duet" (an
episode which I havent seen! If anybody in the pittsburgh area has it on
tape, i'd be grateful if I could borrow it!).
Cheers,
Mo
**************************************************************
"Nuclear war would really set back cable."
-- Ted Turner
**************************************************************
Daniel C. Mackley
: In article <2cmt94$4...@cyberspace.com>, dmac...@cyberspace.com (Daniel C.
: Mackley) wrote:
: > Timothy W. Lynch (tly...@cco.caltech.edu) spake:
: > : WARNING: This article contains heavy spoiler information for DS9's
: > : "Necessary Evil". If you have not seen the show, you are heavily advised to
: > : avoid this article.
: > : [attempting to retain spoiler-protection...]
: >
: >
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: > It seemed pretty clear to me that Kira killed Ches'saro (unless she's still
: > lying to Odo in the "present", which I don't think was the case).
: I think you're confusing Ches'saro with Vatrik. Kira killed Vatrik, the
: chemist and collaborator who kept the list. Ches'saro was the first name on
: the list, who was killed the day after Odo talked with Vatrik's widow.
: While Kira's friends from the underground might have dealt with Ches'saro
: (and I don't think they did, as they're presumably the folks in power now,
: and there are probably official procedures for dealing with
: collaborators(*)), I don't think Kira would have been personally
: responsible for the execution.
Oops. Mea Culpa. I meant Vatrik. I agree with you that Kira probably was not
the killer of Ches'saro. That murder *does* leave an interesting question to
ponder.
: (*) Oooh! I just realized that the whole "collaborator" angle is yet
: another film noir reference-- _Casablanca_, among others!
"I am shocked - shocked! - to discover that there is gambling going on at
this establishment!"
"Your winnings, sir"
:)
: Yours, Si Rowe
: --------------------------------------------\ sir...@minerva.cis.yale.edu
: "Wooly thinking, Doctor!" \--------\
: "Yes, but very comforting when worn close to the skin."| Si Rowe: not just
: -- the Master and the Doctor, _Logopolis_ | a couple of Greek
: **November 23, 1993: 30th anniversary of _Doctor Who_**| letters!
: --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ann Demirtjis
> In article <2cmt94$4...@cyberspace.com>, dmac...@cyberspace.com (Daniel C.
> Mackley) wrote:
>
>> Timothy W. Lynch (tly...@cco.caltech.edu) spake:
>> : WARNING: This article contains heavy spoiler information for DS9's
>> : "Necessary Evil". If you have not seen the show, you are heavily advised to
>> : avoid this article.
>> : [attempting to retain spoiler-protection...]
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> I think you're confusing Ches'saro with Vatrik. Kira killed Vatrik, the
> chemist and collaborator who kept the list. Ches'saro was the first name on
> the list, who was killed the day after Odo talked with Vatrik's widow.
> While Kira's friends from the underground might have dealt with Ches'saro
> (and I don't think they did, as they're presumably the folks in power now,
> and there are probably official procedures for dealing with
> collaborators(*)), I don't think Kira would have been personally
> responsible for the execution.
I have another question concerning Kira's involvement in the
murder of Vatrik. How did Vatrik's wife know that Kira killed her
husband ? I assume she knows, otherwise why would she tell Odo that
Kira is probably the culprit. The "my husband is having an affair" bit is
obviously just an excuse for her to get Odo to investigate Kira. For
once, she didn't seem to mind too much the death of her husband. So
jealousy can't explain her action. If she knew that Kira killed her
husband because he was a collaborator, then why didn't she tell Gul
Dukat and have Kira arrested and executed for being a member of the
resistance?
This was one heck of a show BTW... If only TNG were to get better, we
could have two great series at the same time. I hope TNG gets a wake
up call a la "Chain of Command" sometimes soon.
>
> (*) Oooh! I just realized that the whole "collaborator" angle is yet
> another film noir reference-- _Casablanca_, among others!
>
> Yours, Si Rowe
> --------------------------------------------\ sir...@minerva.cis.yale.edu
> "Wooly thinking, Doctor!" \--------\
> "Yes, but very comforting when worn close to the skin."| Si Rowe: not just
> -- the Master and the Doctor, _Logopolis_ | a couple of Greek
> **November 23, 1993: 30th anniversary of _Doctor Who_**| letters!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ann
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ann Demirtjis University Of Kansas
Electrical Engineering
demi...@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu Telecommunications Sciences
"With the first link, a chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first
thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."
"The Drumhead", Startrek: The Next Generation
Paul Frankenstein
Ann Demirtjis <demi...@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> wrote:
*
* [Stuff deleted]
*
* I have another question concerning Kira's involvement in the
* murder of Vatrik. How did Vatrik's wife know that Kira killed her
* husband ? I assume she knows, otherwise why would she tell Odo that
* Kira is probably the culprit. The "my husband is having an affair" bit is
* obviously just an excuse for her to get Odo to investigate Kira. For
* once, she didn't seem to mind too much the death of her husband. So
* jealousy can't explain her action. If she knew that Kira killed her
* husband because he was a collaborator, then why didn't she tell Gul
* Dukat and have Kira arrested and executed for being a member of the
* resistance?
*
* Ann
The way that I read it was that Gul Dukat already knew that Kira was a
member of the Resistance and was somehow involved in the murder. I
would suspect that he also knows the names of several other people who
are in the Resistance. However, he can't just reel Kira in because
that would probably blow his source.
His plan was to get Odo to bring Kira in on the murder charge, and
then announce that she "confessed" to being a member of the Resistance
and provided a list of names and contacts that he would then use to
shut them down. On the other hand, he may have tried to bring her in
to turn her into a double agent, but that wouldn't require an "arrest"
to reel her in.
just my $0.02.
paul
--
The way that can be discussed is not the constant Way. | frankenp
If you want to shrink something, be sure to strech it. | @gas.uug
The sage does nothing and teaches without speaking. | .arizona
The way that is the true Way is inconstant. | .edu
RGO...@miamiu.bitnet
sir...@minerva.cis.yale.edu (Si Rowe) says:
>
>In article <2cmt94$4...@cyberspace.com>, dmac...@cyberspace.com (Daniel C.
>Mackley) wrote:
>
>> Timothy W. Lynch (tly...@cco.caltech.edu) spake:
>> : WARNING: This article contains heavy spoiler information for DS9's
>t
>> : avoid this article.
>> : [attempting to retain spoiler-protection...]
>>
>chemist and collaborator who kept the list. Ches'saro was the first name on
>the list, who was killed the day after Odo talked with Vatrik's widow.
>While Kira's friends from the underground might have dealt with Ches'saro
>(and I don't think they did, as they're presumably the folks in power now,
>and there are probably official procedures for dealing with
>collaborators(*)), I don't think Kira would have been personally
>responsible for the execution.
>
>(*) Oooh! I just realized that the whole "collaborator" angle is yet
>another film noir reference-- _Casablanca_, among others!
>
I hear Bogart in _Casablanca_. This is not the first time I've noticed the
resemblance, but it was particularly strong this week in "Necessary Evil,"
note the scene where Quark and Odo meet for the first time at the bar.
"Necessary Evil" was spectacular, a definite 10.
Helen Gorman
Jennifer Hawthorne
> Sometimes when I listen to Quark's voice, the intonation and the phrasing,
> I hear Bogart in _Casablanca_. This is not the first time I've noticed the
> resemblance, but it was particularly strong this week in "Necessary Evil,"
> note the scene where Quark and Odo meet for the first time at the bar.
According to Armin Shimerman (whom I listened to this previous weekend
at Wishcon) his Quark is based in some part on Richard III (Armin's
favorite Shakespearean role, as it happens.)
Jen H.
--
*************************************************************************
Jennifer Hawthorne | "No squid! Smaller yuppies!"
j...@athena.mit.edu |
*************************************************************************