Show: Star Trek; Deep Space Nine
Episode
Particulars: S4EP25, “Broken Link”
Standalone
Thoughts: This is a hard episode to talk about, because most of the best
content comes at the very end, and while I will wind up spoiling it tomorrow in
order to properly discuss the next episode, I don’t want to spoil it in this review. Suffice it to say that the
material at the end that really shines, shaking things up and allowing for some
good character development. And the bit at the very end is a perfect thing to
end a season on, so whoever came up with that was on the top of their game.
The rest of the episode, however, is somewhat bland. In
the end, it mostly feels like setup for the payoff that comes at the very end.
Give Odo the condition, have the condition worsen, take him through the
wormhole, discuss things with the lead Founder…it’s all sort of connect-the-dots.
There’s nothing actively wrong with it, but very little about it is openly
engaging. Sure, the payoff is mostly worth it, but it’s kind of a whole greater
than the sum of its parts.
All that being said, two characters manage to stand out
in this episode, though one is stronger than the other. One of them, of course,
is Odo, though he’s actually the weaker of the two. Most of his conversations
are good character development for him, but some of them are variations of
things we’ve heard before, and while the makeup and effects for his condition
are good, Auberjonois’ acting doesn’t always sell the physical discomfort, especially
in the scene where the condition first manifests. But at least he makes an
impression in an episode centered around him, which is the least you can hope
for.
The other character, surprisingly, is Garak. I’m not just
saying this because he’s my favorite; Robinson is wonderful in this episode.
He’s got the right blend of humor, mystery, and darkness, the last of which
appears more and more as the episode goes one. Garak’s actions near the end of
the episode bring up an interesting moral dilemma that’s only slightly touched
upon, but I think was necessary to address. And what makes this even better is
that it works fine for a first time viewer, but when you rewatch it and realize
what Garak’s real motivation is, it
just gets even better. I don’t know if the writers had planned things out and
informed Andrew Robinson of their intent, or if it’s just a happy coincidence,
but everything came together perfectly, and I am always happy to see that
happen. The only question is, how many more times will that happen before we
reach the end of the show…?
How it Relates to
the Whole: Sometimes, you only notice connections to future events on a
rewatch. This episode, however, makes it very clear that there are going to be
long term repercussions, especially in the last five minutes or so. The
material we end on is all but guaranteed to be the plot that drives the first
episode of the next season, and what happened to Odo offers up some interesting
possibilities, though I’m not sure how far the writers explore it. One more
thing to look forward to.
There is, however, one line that comes up in this episode
that is blatantly contradicted later on. I’ll be curious to see if there’s ever
any explanation for it. Even if there isn’t an onscreen explanation, though,
it’s not hard to just dismiss it as lies. Given the situation, that wouldn’t be
at all surprising.
Other: *The
episode has two unrelated but lovely callbacks to the conversation I put as my
Best Exchange in “Crossfire”. One references Odo’s punctuality, the other the
actual conversation. Like I’ve said, I heartily approve of light continuity
like that.
*The alien captain who kickstarted the plots of “The
Homecoming” and “The Abandoned” is back, aka the one I said I’d call “The Plot
Fairy”. Sadly, she doesn’t quite serve the same role today, because she appears
after the episode has gotten underway and doesn’t actually do all that much. In
fact, it almost feels out of character for her in a weird way. But maybe I’m
just projecting.
*Yesterday, there was a line about Garak being a former
gardener that was pretty much just a throwaway. Today, however, that line gets
explored in more detail, and reveals just a little bit more about Garak in the
process. I’m not sure if that was intentional or just something the writers
decided to play with, but either way, I do like that they set this up somewhat
before it became a major point of discussion. It might have been better if it
had been brought up in an earlier episode, but you can’t have everything.
*End of season wrap-up: This is probably the strongest
season so far. Even if there weren’t a lot of truly great episodes, most of
them were at least strong. Almost all the characters and actors have come into their
own (even Worf, despite being new to the show), and while they haven’t fully
started to tie all the plot elements together, all signs suggest that they’re
extremely close to that. Furthermore, they’re doing a great job of letting the
supporting characters grow and develop, and while it’s going to get even better
later on (which is astonishing since there will be even more characters to juggle), this is a great start. Pretty much all
of the pieces are on the board at this point; now, we just have to wait and see
when they start really playing the game.
*On a related note to the above…I remembered the
statement the writers made in the “Way of the Warrior” entry in the DS9 Companion about how the Klingon
situation got more attention than the Dominion situation, so I went back and
took a quick look. If you stretch it, both enemies got an equal number of
episodes (six each), with today’s episode counting for both. And that’s if you
stretch it; take out the alternate universe of “The Visitor”, a few lines in “The
Sword of Kahless”, and the references to the Dominion in “The Quickening”, and
the Dominion actually pulls ahead. I understand if the writers think the new
direction wasn’t what they wanted to do and feel a little bitter about that, but
in practice, it doesn’t quite add up. Not that I’ll blame them too much, of
course.
Best
Line/Exchange: Garak gets the honor yet again, though in this case, it’s
because it’s legitimately a moment that jumped out at me;
(Garak and Sisko
are looking for a reason to let Garak come on the mission. When the suggestion
of keeping him company comes up…)
Garak: But
where you offer kindness, I offer mystery. Where you offer sympathy, I offer
intrigue. Just give me a seat next to Odo’s bed, and I promise you I’ll conjure
up enough innuendos, half-truths and bald-faced lies about my so called
“career” in the Obsidian Order to keep the Constable distracted for days. If
there’s one thing Cardassians excel at, it’s conversation.
So much of what makes this bit wonderful lies in the
delivery, but even in text, it’s a great summation of Garak’s character. This,
coupled with what he does later on, makes him the acting MVP for this episode
without breaking a sweat. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
End of Season
Fashion Roundup: Another season end, another look at 24th
century fashion…
(The Way of the Warrior)
I love the color of the dress, and the top isn’t
terrible, but I feel like it should have been longer and that the blue tights,
while they match the dress, feel a little out of place. Then again, I’ve always
been a fan of longer dresses, so maybe that’s just personal preference talking.
(The Way of the Warrior)
Individually, the shirt and the vest are fine. Combining
them makes a bad clashing of colors and patterns. I have no idea what the
costume department was thinking when they decided to pair those together.
(The Visitor)
I like the outfit Jake’s wife is wearing. The skirt is
simple and a good color, and the shirt looks pretty and fairly comfortable.
Maybe not something I’d wear every day, but it would probably work for a
semi-formal occasion.
(Hippocratic Oath)
From a distance, the uniforms of the Jem’Hadar seems
shiny and intimidating. Up close…they appear to have flowers embossed in the
leather. Kind of takes the intimidation factor down a notch.
(Rejoined)
I kind of like Lenara’s dress here. It’s probably not
necessarily all that comfortable to wear (it looks like it’s faux leather,
which is fairly warm), but it’s a good design. Maybe it would work for the
occasional formal winter gathering.
(Rejoined)
Kira’s formal outfit, on the other hand, does nothing for
me. What is it with Star Trek having
short dresses and leggings that match the color of the dress? Sometimes it
works, but mostly it looks a little odd. And in this case, Kira looks like
she’s wearing a fitted but slightly too big shirt instead of a dress. Plus,
purple just doesn’t seem like the right color for her.
(Rejoined)
Now for some genuine praise; I love this dress. It reminds me of a sari, with the soft draped
cloth and the general elegance of it. The colors are good, the decoration at
the shoulder isn’t too gaudy, and while you can’t see it in this shot, it’s
floor length, which is my preferred style. If this was an actual style that existed,
I would get one in a heartbeat. Even if I’m not too thrilled with most of the
episode, this dress is a winner.
(Rejoined)
This dress, on the other hand, has some problems. The
color and pattern is ok, but the cut of the skirt is baffling. Another example
of an asymmetrical cut that messes things up.
(Rejoined)
I think this is supposed to be a workout outfit, and
while it definitely has a “sweatshirt” look and feel to it, something about the
shirt feels off to me. Maybe it’s the baggy sleeves, or the over-the-top
neckline.
(Starship Down)
Obviously, alien cultures have different fashion
standards, but to human eyes, baggy, wrinkled clothes are not particularly
appealing. Especially when you’re supposed to be doing trade negotiations. Though
maybe this is formalwear for this
species, which is a terrifying thought.
(Homefront)
I don’t have a problem with plaid patterns. Bright
rainbow plaid patterns, on the other hand…
(Homefront)
Not that Jake’s much better. Mismatched sleeves, solid and patterns in the same shirt, a
diagonal cut…who designed this and thought it was a good idea?
(Crossfire)
I really don’t know what to make of Kira’s outfit here.
It mostly looks good, but the second picture in particular makes it looks like a
monk’s robe, which isn’t particularly flattering. Maybe it’s got something to
do with the sleeves.
(Crossfire)
I’ve mentioned before that I give Quark a pass, but I
cannot let those clown shoe slippers pass without comment. In fact, the whole
outfit is like an adult version of kid’s pajamas, and not something I’d expect
from Quark. Then again, given Ferengi tastes, maybe I shouldn’t be surprised.
(Return to Grace)
I like the pattern, but the pointed shoulder pads and the
material of the dress (which gives off a faux-leather vibe) aren’t quite as
appealing. I guess it fits in with the tougher nature of the Cardassians,
though; even their normal clothes give off an air of protection.
(Though now that I’m going through these, it kind of
looks like they just reused the dress Lenara wore when we first saw her in
“Rejoined”. I guess you should recycle your costumes wherever possible, but
even so…)
(Accession)
Maybe I’m just reading too much into this, but Akorem’s
outfit here seems disturbingly…Nazi-esque. The shiny boots, the black and grey
color scheme, the belt, even the styling of the shoulders. It’s striking, but a
little distracting, especially if that wasn’t the intent.
(Shattered Mirror)
The dress looks better when Jennifer’s standing up, but
while the fabric is thicker than I’d like, I have no complaints about the
design or color. Maybe the rebels finally got some taste when they overthrew
their overlords.
(Shattered Mirror)
Normally, the costumers at least make an attempt to make
the fabric look different or futuristic. But that outfit on the right is just
straight-up black latex, with no alteration other than in the cut. Apparently
the costume department decided that the Mirror Universe Dabo girls made their
intentions very clear.
(Shattered Mirror)
Nog actually looks really good in that jacket. It’s a
good color, doesn’t have any elaborate patterns, and while the cut is odd, it’s
not wildly out of place. Too bad this is the Mirror Universe; I could see Nog
using that for formal occasions.
(The Muse)
While the silver stripe thing across the length of the
dress is a little distracting, I actually like this dress. It’s long, generally
well cut, and the mesh sleeves actually make sense, especially if you consider
this a sort of formal wear. Put this one in the “I’d wear it” category.
(The Muse)
Lwaxana has a reputation for elaborate, garish outfits,
but she was surprisingly subdued this episode. Most of them aren’t worth
mentioning, but I’m throwing this one in because I like this one. It reminds me
of Regency dresses, and the white/gold combination is nice. It may not be
“true” to Lwaxana’s image, but it’s a nice dress to put her in for her sendoff.
(Broken Link)
I simultaneously like and hate this dress. The colors are
nice and I like the draping thing in theory, but in practice, the length, the
asymmetrical skirt cut, and the fact that the drape seems like it would get in
the way ultimately push me to the “no” side.
Surprisingly, it seems like there are more positives than
negatives this time around. I’d say the costumers are learning their lesson,
but I know that one of the more notorious outfits is on the horizon, so let’s
just consider this a lucky season and not read too much into it for now.
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