Show: Star Trek; Deep Space Nine
Episode
Particulars: S6EP15, “Honor Among Thieves”
Standalone
Thoughts: I’m not entirely sure how to describe this episode. It’s not one
of the ones that starts weak and gets stronger as it goes, because it’s pretty
interesting from the get-go, but where we wind up at the end of the episode
isn’t at all what you would have expected based on the opening. Initially, it
kind of looks like an episode where O’Brien has lost his memory and falls in
with a bad crowd. Before the end of the teaser, though, we see that he’s
actually undercover for Starfleet, which leads into the “character goes
undercover and starts to get in too deep” plot. Now it’s not a bad handling of
that plot, but there’s a small part of you that feels like this is a story that
could have been used in an earlier season, because it’s so totally disconnected
from what’s going on in the rest of the show. And then the Dominion show up,
and suddenly it fits in perfectly with
the rest of the show. It’s a weird bit of misdirection, and one that is both
clever but has a lot of potential to backfire. It works in this case, but I don’t
think it’s a trick I’ll be adding to my repertoire.
Focusing on the actual plot, it’s overall very good. The
episode is clearly aping noir or
gangster pictures, so if you like those genres (like I do), then you’ll
probably get at least a little enjoyment out of it. That being said, they do
lay on some of the clichés a bit thick, like hard-bitten dialogue or excessive
atmospheric elements like shadows, steam, or lightening. But what really sells
the episode is the relationship between O’Brien and Bilby. Nick Tate makes
Bilby very likeable, so you can understand why O’Brien would begin to care about
the guy’s well-being (not to mention he has a cat that he cares a lot about, so
of course I’m going to be somewhat sympathetic to him). At the same time, Meany
does a great job keeping O’Brien “in character” to blend in with the rest of
the Syndicate while letting glimpses of his true personality through. The bond
between the two of them is believable, which is what makes the ending really
stand out. While a lot of the story goes in the directions you’d expect, the
ending is somewhat of a surprise, albeit one that’s in keeping with the grey
morality of DS9. It certainly tips
the episode from “decent” to “good” in my eyes, and while it’s not essential
viewing, I’d certainly say it’s worth watching.
How it Relates to
the Whole: I’m not entirely sure about this one. I think there may be a semi-followup to this in the seventh season,
but my memory is hazy on that score. All I know for certain is that the cat
makes one more appearance in the show (not enough, in my opinion). And while I
can’t prove anything, I do wonder if this episode, particularly the line about
needing “someone outside Starfleet Intelligence” to help, may have contributed
to a later plot development…
Other: *One of
Bilby’s associates skirts uncomfortably close to falling into Asian stereotypes,
with a Fu Manchu mustache and a way of speaking that doesn’t quite fall into “L
for R” territory, but has very similar cadences. Fortunately, he’s not onscreen
all that much, but it’s still noticeable and just a little cringeworthy.
*We eventually find out that the Orion Syndicate’s
informant at Starfleet was in charge of the weather systems on Risa in the previous
year. Given that Season Five was host to “Let He Who is Without Sin…”, I wonder
if that was meant to be a callback of some sort. Actually, I wondered if we
were going to get a brief fakeout where O’Brien suspected Worf, given what
happened in that episode. It’s probably for the best that the episode didn’t go
that route, but it’s a slightly intriguing idea, at any rate.
*The Vorta in this episode, Gelnon (Leland Crooke), was
actually in yesterday’s episode as well. There was no foreshadowing of this
episode (he said was going to go attack some Dilithium mines), but I do
appreciate the semi-continuity.
Best
Line/Exchange: While there’s good dialogue on display here, a lot of it is
stuff you’d find in any gangster/noir plot,
and therefore doesn’t stand out. So I’m slightly embarrassed to report that the
bit that jumped out at me most had barely anything to do with the main plot;
(Bashir is
complaining to Sisko about the security malfunctions on the station that have
started popping up since O’Brien left)
Sisko: You
know, I wouldn’t be surprised if Major Kira or Commander Worf came in here
demanding answers, but you? It’s not your style.
Bashir: Well,
apparently it is. Here I am.
Sisko: I’m not
buying it, Doctor. You didn’t come in here to complain, you came here because
you are worried about your friend, and you want me to set your mind at ease. I
wish I could. But if it helps, I will tell you this; the Chief can take care of
himself as well as anyone I know.
Bashir: You’re
right about that, sir. (turns to go) You’re
right about that.
I just found this really endearing. Bashir’s concern for
O’Brien is very similar to the role O’Brien played in “Doctor Bashir, I
Presume?”, and a lovely indication that their friendship goes both ways. Plus,
Sisko knowing Bashir well enough to figure out what’s really going on speaks
well of his observational skills, and reflects positively on his command
abilities. I’m guessing a lot of my reason for liking this has to do with my
bias, but even so, it’s a nice character moment. At least, that’s how I’m going
to justify it.
After the Fact
Update: The DS9 Companion hints
that I was correct in thinking there’s a followup to this episode, so I’m glad
I’m not completely off base there. Although if it was an inspiration for an upcoming episode, the book is currently
keeping quiet about it. We’ll just have to wait and see.
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