[DS9] CRITICAL COMMENTS: "The Siege of AR-558"
Jose Gonzalez
One word: raw.
***Spoilers***
No, not raw as in unfinished -- raw in terms of what the
characters are forced to endure, how those same characters are portrayed,
and most of all, raw in the sense of how emotionally exposed "The Siege of
AR-558" left me after the last act faded to black. Whereas, the week
previous, Kor's fate caused me to tear up, there were no less than three
sequences here that, quite simply, caused the tears to flow openly.
"Once More Unto the Breach" hit me fairly hard; to think that this week's
effort could not only match that episode's intensity, but actually
*surpass* it twofold is... just astonishing.
Let me jump ahead in the episode a bit; while the first two acts
(along with maybe the longest teaser in DS9's history) provide very solid
and very thought-provoking viewing, there is one particular moment that
raises the intensity to a level that the episode just refuses to surrender
the rest of the way: First Nog goes down. Then he's brought back to
camp. And then Quark says six little words: "He's going to lose his leg."
I just sort of sat there staring at the screen, with my hand over my
mouth, not really believing what I had just heard. As the realization hit
me, a rather large chill crept down my spine... What I really needed, I
think, was someone to give me a friendly shake and remind me that all of
these characters, and Nog in particular, are just made up. In lieu of
that, it might as well have been my younger brother lying on that table.
All in all... wow. (This is also one of those times [on reflection at
least] that makes me want to jump up on the table and do a little dance of
celebration regarding my decision to avoid spoilers and previews this
year. I had no warning of Nog's fate, and I have to think that increased
the impact substantially.)
Trek characters have been seriously injured before (Picard's heart
problems and Worf's spinal injury come to mind), but without fail, these
injuries are transitory. They never change the mobility or health of a
character in any significant manner, and by the next week it may as well
have never been an issue. Thus, seeing Trek regulars (or even a
semi-regular as often used as Nog) in physical jeopardy is hardly enough
to get worked up over. This time, though, it looks like all that has
changed. For one, there is the simple but striking image of Nog, lying on
a bed, missing the lower portion of his leg. It's impossible for me to
look at that and think "same old, same old." Of all the emotion-ridden
moments in this story, Sisko visiting Nog to offer comfort and
appreciation is the most heartbreaking. Nog, out of either shock or in an
attempt to put on a strong front, actually tries to console Sisko --
ultimately, he ends up asking him if the communications array was "worth
it." Sisko's heartfelt response, "I hope to *God* it is," broke down any
emotional barriers I had left. No, routine this was not.
There's also the question of where Nog will go from here; I'm of
two minds on the subject. There's a part of me that is very much invested
in the lives and fates of most every DS9 character, and that part wants to
see Nog make a full recovery. The aspect of me that can look at the show
more objectively, I'm afraid, wants for this to have more long-lasting
repercussions. There's an intimation from Bashir that the damage may be
too extensive to smoothly fit Nog with an artificial limb. As much as I
hate to say it, I hope that proves to be the case. In war (the modern
type at least), this type of disfigurement does happen, and as hurtful as
it might be to see Nog forced to suffer through this loss, this singular,
small tragedy would serve to drive home how costly this war truly is (more
than even 100 dead bodies lying in the dirt ever could). Already I can
feel sadness welling up in me when I think of Nog mobile and vibrant just
a few weeks ago in "Take Me Out to the Holosuite." Let's hope there are
no easy solutions to be found in Nog's future.
Nog's fate transforms what was already a moody piece into
something much darker and more intense, and the result is a final two acts
that are really something to behold. After Ezri and Kellin are able to
determine how to make functional a tricorder through the jamming signal,
we're treated to the very eerie image of dozens of small mines
"decloaking," some literally inches from the soldiers' faces. Sisko hits
upon a plan to utilize these nasty Dominion devices against the attacking
Jem 'Hadar, and so they are moved into the path through which the charge
will occur.
What is most interesting about these mines is the way in which
they illuminate how this war has forced the "noble" Federation into using
decidedly less-than-noble tactics time and again. The dissension
surrounding these choices seems to be thinning out as well; while there
was some heated debate regarding questionable actions in "Rocks and
Shoals," and a great degree of soul-searching in "In the Pale Moonlight,"
one resolved exchange between Ezri and Reese about how "friendly" the
mines have become suffices here. (It reminds me of some complaints I've
seen about how, while Garak and Dukat are both responsible for equally
disturbing actions, our guys accept Garak as an ally and decry Dukat as a
villain. Sometimes acceptance is just a matter of who or what can help
you.) This also strikes me as an observation only Ezri would make;
Jadzia, at least the person she was at the time of her death, would not
have a problem with Sisko's strategy.
We then move into the final moments before the battle, and
everything from here on out is, in my opinion, dead-letter perfect. From
Kellin's awkward comment that his "thumb got a little nervous" (as he
flips his gun sight up and down repeatedly), to the matter-of-fact manner
in which Bashir is able to prepare his phaser rifle for battle, all the
details are right. But the most inspired notion by far is to have a
recording of "I'll Be Seeing You" (sung by Vic Fontaine) wash over the
soldiers, serving as a moment of beauty seconds before the horror
commences. As much as I enjoy Vic Fontaine's appearances, *this* is the
way to use his music -- not as an intrusion or as a break from the main
action, but as an integral part of it.
James Darren imbues the song with a sad, bittersweet tone, with
the most affecting moment coming as we watch Quark care for the crippled
Nog as these lyrics play in the background: "I'll be seeing you in every
lovely summer's day, in everything that's bright and gay, I'll always
think of you that way." As the song ends, the flash and thunder from the
mines being set off (courtesy of the approaching Jem 'Hadar) can be heard.
Silence greets us as we watch Sisko and company stare straight ahead for
any sign of their opponent, for what amounts to an intense, frightening,
and agonizing few seconds. Finally, the battle cry of the Jem 'Hadar
reaches the crew's position, and as the enemy comes into view, we fade out
of act four with one loud command from Sisko: "Fiiirrrrreeeee!!!"
The final act, by contrast to the first four, is all about
direction, editing, and music -- the actors serve more as specks of dust
in a hurricane than as characters (though they all do very well in that
regard). But oh, do all of those elements ever combine to create one act
of astounding kineticism and ferocity. Winrich Kolbe (who I've come to
understand is himself a Vietnam veteran) directs the ballet of phaser fire
and violence, and manages to capture at least a little of what I imagine a
close-quartered exchange of fire would be like: confusion, adrenalin,
fear, rage, and chaos. We are afforded an overall sense of what is
happening without knowing the precise where and what of it all. In
essence, we are put into the shoes of the participants -- it is a very
visceral experience.
As far as I can remember, I have only criticized a DS9 musical
score as actively damaging an episode's impact on one occasion (in my
review for "Valiant"). So it's rather ironic that I now find myself
praising the very same composer for delivering one of the most moving
scores Trek has ever been graced with. What I found wrong with Paul
Baillargeon's music for "Valiant" was that it was, in my view, entirely
inappropriate for that particular episode. It was breezy when it should
have been bombastic, upbeat when it should have been foreboding. There
was one thing about it that was undeniable, though; it sounded little like
the music that usually accompanies a Trek episode.
That unique quality, as it turns out, proves to be an enormous
boon to "The Siege of AR-558," an episode that feels nothing like your
normal Trek outing (or even your normal DS9). In fact, the final act
would not have been everything it was if a straightforward "action" theme
had surrounded it; instead, the scene is played amidst a haunting,
beautiful, emotional score. (It was memorable enough that I found myself
replaying the themes in my head the following day.) It was the final
piece that gave the battle an epic, piercing quality that, along with the
brutal and terrible compilation of images, brought tears from me yet
again. I was, to say the least, worn out by it all.
The aftermath, while not able to match the intensity of what came
before (how could it, really), still has more than its share of effective
moments. For instance, there was a choice made, throughout the entire
episode, to have most of the scenes play out in varying degrees of
darkness. Hence, you can never *quite* see everything that is going on,
particularly when the action gets hectic (a visual mood that suits episode
to a tee). This sets up two contrasting images in the closing minutes:
one sees Sisko amidst dead bodies on a dark battlefield, while the very
next one has him standing in front of a very bright and colorful
communications array, flickering lights cascading up and down its body.
Sisko stares at this thing and wonders to himself, one more time, whether
it was all worth it. While Worf considers this a "great victory," it is
nothing of the kind, not to Sisko and not to us. The coda shows us Sisko
considering the casualty list in a new light, one that resonates more
deeply within him. While I'm not sure Sisko's final lines are entirely
necessary, they do ring true. These *are* names we should and will
remember.
All of the preceding is what makes this a great hour of
television. If you miss the first half, you will still have seen the bulk
of what makes this effort so special. That is not to say, however, that
the first two and a half acts don't have a lot to recommend, because they
do. I said last review that Quark is having a solid season -- he had
great turns in both "Shadows and Symbols" and "Once More Unto the Breach,"
but neither of those featured a Quark *this* serious or this much of an
asset. Some of Quark's best moments have seen him cut right through the
Federation's "perfect humanity" b.s. and get at the truth: humans have not
evolved as far as they think they have.
Quark's conversations with Nog, particularly one about how humans
react when deprived of their "creature comforts," are fascinating. Also
welcome is his overwhelming display of concern for his nephew, one of the
truly rare altruistic actions we've seen from him. There may not be a
more powerful moment in the entire battle than when Quark (watching over
Nog), upon detecting the approach of a Jem 'Hadar soldier, turns and fires
as the soldier storms the makeshift infirmary. The look on Quark's face,
as the camera pans in on him, speaks volumes. (Armin Shimerman was at the
top of his game.) Might Quark *finally* be gaining that consistent depth
that all of the other major characters have enjoyed for so long? I hope
so.
The rest of the regulars, every single one of them on AR-558 in
fact, are well served by this story as well. Ezri continues to delight;
I especially enjoyed seeing her come to terms with the contradiction of
possessing the memories of so many battles, and yet still feeling the
waves of trepidation and uncertainty as her "first" combat situation
approaches. Bashir, by contrast, has come to terms with the reality that
in war, even doctors must kill. Sisko carries the heaviest burden, and
it's beginning to take its toll on him yet again. He stares at the
casualty list (the return of which is put to good use), but like so many
lines in the Dominion War, the names have begun to blur together for him.
(Brooks gave that scene a great deal of weight simply by injecting a few
well-placed pauses.)
When Sisko is asked what his orders to his troops are, he says
succinctly, "We hold." Later, scanning the dead of both sides, he
concludes, "We held." Best though is the Sisko/Quark tension that sees
Quark continually criticize Sisko for placing Nog, a young officer among
seasoned veterans, in mortal danger. (Quark makes the likely accurate
assumption that Sisko would not send Jake, Starfleet officer or not, into
the same situation.) Sisko, who needs no assistance from Quark in feeling
the guilt after Nog's injury, finally reacts in anger, letting Quark know
in no uncertain terms that as far his soldiers go, he cares for "*every*
*single* *one*."
One of the more crucial aspects to the episode concerns whether or
not we care about the men and women on this planet; if we don't, then
their inevitable deaths will carry little impact. (That is,
unfortunately, precisely what happened for me with "Valiant" -- the
slaughter of Red Squad left me largely unmoved.) No worries. Down to the
man, these people are sympathetic without seeming overly cliched (always a
danger when doing a story like this, and rather impossible to avoid
completely). There is Vargas, the character most feeling the stress and
fear from being "stuck on this rock" for months, played convincingly by
Raymond Cruz (who I believe I've seen before, playing a soldier in _Clear
and Present Danger_).
On the opposite end of the spectrum is Reese, whom Patrick
Kilpatrick manages to infuse with a hardened veneer without making him
come across as wooden. As the only new character (that we get to know) to
survive the Jem 'Hadar assault, I wouldn't mind seeing him reappear. We
spend the least amount of time with Larkin (she isn't around all that
long), but her no-nonsense style of command makes her a likable figure.
Most endearing though is Bill Mumy's Kellin. With his perpetually boyish
face hidden behind stubble and weariness, Mumy's character best represents
the lost innocence of these soldiers. Ezri manages to form a nice rapport
with him in a few short scenes, and watching her cradle a dead Kellin in
her arms (after he sacrifices his life to save her) is the final
heartbreaking image in an episode replete with them.
On other fronts, Rom's short musical prologue may have been
somewhat awful to listen to, but it did make me laugh... The
communications array was a very impressive set (and very big) -- I'm
surprised it wasn't utilized more... "Those are Ketracel White tubes...
Know how he got them?" "Mail order?" Heh... Bashir's genetic
enhancements seemed to come in handy during the battle, as we saw him
fire, turn, and fire again in rapid succession... Worf was actually seen
helping Quark stand upright on the Defiant. Looks like Quark earned a bit
of his respect earlier this year after all... Nog's hero worship is
something we've seen from him before. I wonder if he'll be reconsidering
things now...
"The Siege of AR-558" is DS9's best outing since "In the Pale Moonlight,"
and is fast becoming one of my all-time favorites. It is also a perfect
example of the type of Trek episode that is uniquely suited to this series
alone: dark, ugly, mature, and grey. The Dominion War has never felt
so... real.
Grade: 10.0
..
Jose Gonzalez
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