[DS9] Our Man Bashir
J. Brian O'Rourke
group is beyond me...)
A few comments:
This episode was classic Star Trek camp. The costumes, the parody of
other popular culture, the good humor. Even the cliches ("I know I'll
regret this" etc.) were wonderful.
For once, the holodeck/suite malfunction had an excuse that wasn't
inexcusable. Wiping out computer controls in an emergency and at random
certainly qualifies as an innovative solution to a problem, and one that
doesn't make the fans' teeth grind in aggravation.
I, like some others, enjoyed seeing Bashir grow up some. I found Garak a
bit too cowardly in this episode; he *is* a survivor, but this seemed to
go too far. Nana Visitor should *seriously* consider going for a "Bond
Girl" role in the follow-up to GoldenEye. Dax's character was metsa
metsa. Inoffensive, but didn't add much. Personally, I think it's too bad
Quark couldn't have been written into the holosuite: the ironic
possibilities are endless.
Finally, is it just me, or does anyone else find Avery Brooks to be one
scary guy when he bounces around with that adolescent energy and immature
giggle? *Much* scarier than anything he did as "Hawk".
That's all for now...
--Brian O'Rourke
Rockville, MD
"The Americans will always do the right thing... after they've exhausted
all the alternatives."
--Sir Winston Churchill
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Martin H Duke
"The Sword of Kahless" teetered on the edge of ruin several times, and
threatened to become typically predicatable, but managed to omit some Trek
staples from the ending that made it an outstanding episode.
PLOT:
I have a feeling the 'Klingon Quest' episode is going to become an annual
tradition. At least we're seeing some development from story to story: this
time, Sisko really didn't try to stop Dax. I was disappointed that we didn't
see some more explicit discussion of this.
The quest itself was decently done, although some parts of it flirted with
technobabble. The inclusion of Duras was a nice note of continuity, although
the obvious change in actors confused me for a moment.
The meat of the episode was, of course, the return trip, specifically the
interminable march through the caves. This kind of plot always teeters on the
edge of disaster, as characters wander through a generic, formless maze. I am
happy to say that it was done well. By making the cave merely a backdrop and
focusing on the increasing rivalry between Worf and Kor, the episode becomes an
outstanding character piece that allows for a lot of exposition by Colicos and
Dorn, as well as a crucial performance by Farrell.
The manner in which the Klingons' growing ambitions were slowly revealed was
excellent. As the full extent of their delusions became apparent, and Dax had
her hands full keeping them off each other, I was sure that the sword would be
responsible for some sort of hypno-field that caused them to act insanely. I
was very impressed that TPTB for once bit the bullet and let the characters be
responsible for their actions. Both Klingons have some grounds for mistrusting
the other, and it was nice to see them fight it out rather than have an
everybody's-happy ending (like, say, "Parturition"). I got the impression at
the ending that neither was happy with the final solution and each resented the
other for making it necessary.
On that note, I thought there was a certain poetic simplicity and beauty to
Dax's remedy of leaving it out in space. Not only does it remove the catalyst
for conflict, but there's something like about the imagery of such a culturally
powerful artifact floating around in the void, waiting to be found.
CHARACTERIZATION:
I like the transition we've seen in Worf. TPTB seem to be making a conscious
effort to distinguish the TNG Worf and the DS9 Worf, and it's working. The
new Worf is more in tune with the atmosphere of the show: dark, brooding,
sometimes ambiguous. Rather than the always-able Enterprise uber-crewman
(despite Ted Brengle's correct tirades about Worf the Sap), we see a much more
flawed outsider who keeps to himself and hasn't made a particularly powerful
impression of excellence yet. The fact that we know about him from a previous
series gives us a unique perspective on this old archetype.
Although I'm still a little perplexed at the way Dax fits in with Klingon
customs so cleanly, she performed pretty well, as Farrell turned in another
improving acting job and was the glue that held the story together.
FINE POINTS:
- This episode is an interesting commentary on Klingon politics. One gets
the impression that Gowron has become none too popular for his anti-Federation
moves and his mercy to Cardassia. I have some comments about that, but I'll
save them for when I do my review of "The Way of the Warrior" come reruns.
- We also find out a bit about Klingon history with the tail of the Herk.
To summarize, "The Sword of Kahless" was most memorable for its refusal to
bow down to the status-quo, no-development tendencies of Modern Trek. It took
a premise that could have worked badly and turned it into a glowing character
piece that taught us a lot about what Worf has become. I'm a little
apprehensive about the details of this Dax/Kor relationship, and a few things,
were screwy, but it was damn good.
My score: 8.5.
-Martin Duke
(c) 1995 by Martin H. Duke. All rights reserved. Direct all requests to
pat...@mit.edu.
Old reviews are archived at http://www.mit.edu:8001/people/patton/home.html.